Death Is Not To Be Feared

Ian’s venom-filled body died. But he discovered death is not the end. He vividly encountered Christ. The thought of dying and death is scary for many of us. But those of us who trust in Christ can take comfort because ‘even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear, for God will be with us’ (Ps 23:4). Christ’s peace enveloped Ian just before he died. Christ’s joy immersed him after he died.

Read Acts 7:54-59.

Stephen, a young man, was the church’s first martyr. His death was unusual in that he saw Christ before he’d even died. For most believers, it’s only after we die that we see Christ. Both Stephen and Ian witnessed Christ’s glory. Light and majesty radiate from him with unparalleled beauty. In both Stephen and Ian’s story, Jesus is standing arms open, ready to welcome them home. This is a picture of how eternally committed to us Jesus is. He will be faithful to us, now and forever.

We need not fear death. Death for the Christian is like falling asleep (v60). We don’t come to an end. We simply slip into another realm. Our bodies die, but we outlive our bodies, since we are more than physical beings. Christ waits to meet us. As ‘we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord’ (2 Cor 5:8).

After breathing his last, Ian was translated along a tunnel of light. He says, ‘I could see a Man standing in front of me, but he was not like anyone I’d ever seen before in my life. He wore garments of light. His hands were outstretched towards me. As I looked toward His face the intensity of the light seemed to increase seven-fold. I couldn’t make out the form of his face as the light was so bright - such purity, such holiness, such beauty. I wanted to see His face. Moving closer, waves of more Love began to flow towards me.’

What effect did Stephen’s vision of Jesus have upon him? Do you fear dying? If you are a Christ-follower, why not take a moment to let Christ’s perfect wave of love towards you drive out all fear?