The Jesus Bible Reading PlanNäide

JESUS AND LIFE BEYOND DEATH

Solomon closes Ecclesiastes the same way he began: “ ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ ” However, Solomon adds an important observation at the end of the book: he differentiates the mere human body, which returns to dust, and the human spirit, which returns to God. Solomon’s claim that the body will return to the ground echoes the affirmation in Genesis that creatures are mortal; unlike the eternal, living God, humanity’s life is a gift, granted and sustained by the breath of God (Ge 2:7). Every human life ends with the burial of a body, and that body returns to the dust from which it was made.

Life is meaningless if a decomposing body in the grave marks the end of the story. But Solomon asserted that in some sense God keeps and preserves human life beyond the grave. While the body of every human turns back into dust after death, “the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecc 12:7). There is more to the human body than flesh, blood and bones. . . .

The New Testament affirms and expands the insight that death is not the end. Jesus warned his disciples not to fear those who can only kill the body, but to fear the one who can kill both the body and the soul. God is the only one who has power over the human soul, and his final judgment will answer all the temporary injustices of this sinful world (Mt 10:28; Rev 21:1 – 8). Each soul is of infinite value (Mt 16:26), and believers should devote their souls fully to God (Mt 22:37). Ultimately, the hope found in Christ provides the decisive answer to the troubling questions Solomon raised in Ecclesiastes. Solomon found some solace in the knowledge that the spirit would return to God. But God’s people today know that everything is transformed by the hope of heaven: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:3 – 4).

Jesus, I am surrounded by people who believe that life is meaningless. Thank you for rescuing me from this hopelessness. Please give me strength and wisdom to help those who are still caught in this mentality. Amen.