Fear of Death, April 6
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Dan Held
“He will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8a NRSV).
Jesus may not have had a fear of death, but He certainly knew the fear of dying a painful death. Like us, He would have done almost anything to avoid it. In His Gethsemane prayer on the night before He would die the most painful death any human could ever imagine, He referred to His death as the “drinking of this cup”—as if it were the most bitter and terrible thing any person could ever have to swallow. By Jesus drinking the cup, He proclaimed there is nothing—no pain, no loss, and no grief—He would not endure to make all things new for each of us. No wonder in the Gospel of Luke we read that as He prayed about accepting this cup, “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44 NIV).
I wonder if Jesus did not have another fear associated with His death—not just the pain, but the leaving behind of loved ones. People He cared about, and who still depended on Him. When Jesus weeps over Jerusalem only days before His death, according to Luke’s Gospel, He does so knowing that trouble will be coming for these people after He is gone from them (see Luke 19:41-44). Earlier in his Gospel, Luke had portrayed Jesus as lamenting over Jerusalem’s refusal to accept Him, though He longed to gather her children together as a hen gathers her chicks (see Luke 13:34).
As a pastor, I have encountered many persons who were not afraid of death, but were afraid of their own pain and that of their family members left behind—especially those who were, for whatever reason, estranged, unwilling to come and be reconciled, or perhaps bitter for whatever reason. In such times, nothing helps so much as giving our fears and our pain to Jesus and trusting our loved ones into His hands. As we turn to Him, we remember that He has gone before us on this path. As Jesus drinks our cup, let us also acknowledge that death cannot stop Jesus from making all things new for each of us. Remember these reassuring words of our verse for today:
He will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.
Pray: Lord God, whose perfect love casts out all fear, take away any fear we may have of death today. Remove every pain, every tear, every disgrace. Swallow them up in victory by the almighty power of Your loving presence in every place, in every pain, and in every person. Through Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.
Your Turn: Listen to the words of “I Will Fear No More” by The Afters and stand against fear, trusting in the Lord who is your strength and courage to win this battle. Have hope in the Lord's promise that a time will come when "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4b NIV).
Dan Held, Cancer Caregiver
Dan is a cancer caregiver who lives with his wife (Sue) of 55 years in Dayton, Ohio, where Sue has been free from breast cancer and colon cancer for two years! Dan is an ordained pastor and a licensed therapist with a heart for families touched by cancer at any stage. He is dedicated to promoting the message of more love and less fear in all aspects of his ministry and life. Check out his blog at www.danielkheld.com.
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