The Glory of Death

Death has been on my mind this week. I’ve heard of two deaths this past week. Both of the deceased ones loved Jesus and gave their lives making Him look glorious. I was reminded of another death earlier this year and words that I found to comfort based on Scripture. Below is part of an email I sent to a grieving friend:

“I was praying for S’s family yesterday and remembered a discussion from last week’s Bible study. We talked about 1 Corinthians 15. In verse 35, someone asked what kind of body will we have at the resurrection. Paul replied, “You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.” This verse led us to discuss John 12:23-25 where Jesus also discusses this same principle. He explained that unless we die, we won’t bear fruit. I know he speaks here of a metaphorical death but he also speaks of the physical one as well. He describes his own impending death as time for him to be “glorified.” As I prayed for S and the family, I pictured her frail body as a plain old seed but her resurrected one as glorified, a contrast of a seed to beautiful wheat. I also realized that her death will yield fruit here on earth. It has to. Jesus said unless we die we won’t really bear fruit so I’m praying and hoping and expecting that her death will bring more life and fruit than her life did.”

The passage in 1 Corinthians 15 continues:

“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. - Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” -vs 42-44, 49

I had in my head this image of a plain old seed and a person trying to hold onto it claiming it’s worth and beauty. What is a seed compared to a beautiful, life-giving, food-producing wheat field? What is frailty of human life when compared with a glorious, resurrected body? 

Death is meant to do away with mortality, dishonor, weakness, our human body. 

Death is meant to yield MUCH fruit, indestructibility, glorification, power, a new spiritual body. We are to be glorified like Christ was in his death. 

I remember hearing Matt Chandler explain that we HAVE to get a new body. Everything on this earth is cursed by the Fall. Our bodies won’t be able to withstand the glories of heaven. Our eyes are too weak to take in all the beauty and details. Our ears would be overwhelmed with the cacophony of sounds. Our noses would be overran with fragrance. I am reminded of Moses on the mountain asking to see God’s face. God told him that he would only show him His back side because he couldn’t live and see the face of God. We have got to be remade to survive the unending joy and pleasure that awaits us and to be able to stand and LIVE in God’s presence. 

Like I prayed for S, I pray the same for these recent deaths. I pray and hope and expect that these deaths will bring more fruit than their lives did. I pray for my own death. May I not fear death but realize it will mean glory and much fruit. May I remember I will finally be made perfect like my glorious Savior, ready to taste unending joy and pleasure.