Facing Death

We were in Woking yesterday, for the two services to celebrate the life and mark the tragic death of Brian Colleer. They were both powerful reminders to me of the fragility of life and the certainty of death. 

For some they might have seemed very bleak and tragic occasions. But looking at Brian's death through the lens of the death and resurrection of Jesus, they were moments of life-transforming hope, rooted in the promises of Jesus to bring us home to the Father's house.

Our own culture is not comfortable with talking about death, or facing its inevitability. This may be why Holy Week and Good Friday are much harder for our culture to accommodate than Christmas. Rather than trying to find some way to include this story of death, everything is overlaid with chocolate!

But the four Gospels take much of their valuable space facing the death of Jesus head on.

As Luke tells about the Last Supper, where Jesus is surrounded by his closest friends, we cannot miss the references to the approaching death. 'Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.' (Luke 22.19-20)

Broken bread and poured out wine confront us directly with the sacrifice of Jesus.

He was clearly well prepared to face his own death, and he knew how significant that death would be. When praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus confronting the suffering he was about to endure. There is no place for bravado or cover up.  “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.' (Luke 22.42-44)

As I look on, as an engaged observer, I see that because Jesus faced his death, trusting his Father, so I may face the rest of my life, and my inevitable death, with my life safe in the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. There is no safer place in all of God's world. That makes all the difference.

Best wishes,

Richard