Hope Beyond the Grave
Rev. Enoch Thompson | July 19, 2024 | John 14:1-4
KEY VERSE:
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:3-4 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Over the centuries, the fear of death has been the greatest fear of all people of all races, social classes, ranks and possessions. That we shall die is certain, it is an appointment that will be kept even though we would seek to resist it (Heb. 9:27). But the Lord Jesus Christ did not seem to have feared His eventual death. He did not allow His enemies to kill Him before the allotted time He foreknew, but when the hour came, he spoke about it graciously ahead of time and drank the bitter dregs of that cup of pain. By His death, He took away the power of death to hurt the human soul. Paul expresses it beautifully in 1 Cor 15:54-57 (NIV)
⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
⁵⁵ "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christian’s joy is not only in the destroyed power of death but also in the prepared bliss of eternal rest in Heaven with God after physical death. In our text today the Lord Jesus promises to go and prepare a place for those who believe in Him, and that He would come back to take us there when it’s already! Heaven is somewhere good to go to hope beyond the grave.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Have you grappled with the question of death and dying, and overcome death through your identification with Christ in His death? Are you looking forward to His coming for you, to take you to that place He is preparing for us? Let us live as a waiting people for our coming King, and lift up our heads above the storm, for our redemption draws near.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for all the difference you make in my life, death and beyond the grave. Please help me to share your goodness with those who do not know or have you. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!! DAILY word study: PREPARE The Greek word translated as "prepare" in John 14:3 is "ἑτοιμάσω" (hetoimasō), derived from the verb "ἑτοιμάζω" (hetoimazō), which means to make ready or to prepare. This term implies an intentional and thoughtful process of arranging or setting up something in advance. Jesus' promise to prepare a place signifies that our future in heaven is secure and personally attended to by Christ Himself. This hope extends beyond the grave, offering an assurance that death is not the end but a transition to a prepared and eternal dwelling with God. Reflections:
This preparation by Christ fosters a sense of peace and anticipation, encouraging believers to live with a heavenly perspective and to find solace in the promise of eternal life. How does the assurance that Jesus is preparing a place for you influence your perspective on life, death, and eternity?
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