Is Death a Tragedy?

This can be a difficult question to answer. In the case of the one who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the answer is an unequivocal, “Yes!”

What about the one who has a personal relationship with Christ?

The Psalmist tells us in Ps. 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” There are several reasons for this.

First, they are in a far better place. Paul says in II Cor. 5:8: “… absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” They have left the sufferings of this present life for the glory of heaven – no pain, no suffering, no disappointments — just eternity with our God!

Secondly, they now enjoy the relationship that God intended for us from the beginning of time. They are able to walk with Him and talk with Him every moment. There is no longer a cloud between them and they can see clearly now. (I Cor. 13:12). They can stand before Him and see Him face to face.

They have been restored to the body God intended for us from the beginning of time. This is a glorified body as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20-21: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Finally, they have finished the work God had for them to do.

John Piper in his book Coronavirus and Christ, says “I have at least one relative infected with the coronavirus. I am 74 years old, and my lungs are compromised with a blood clot and seasonal bronchitis. But these factors do not ultimately decide. God decides.”¹

Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia, died of the plague when he was 31 (Oct. 16, 1812). He wrote in his journal in Jan. 1812: “To all appearance, the present year will be more perilous than any I have seen; but if I live to complete the Persian New Testament, my life after that will be of less importance. But whether life or death be mine, may Christ be magnified in me! If he has work for me to do, I cannot die.”² This has often been paraphrased, “I am immortal till Christ’s work for me to do is done.” Our work for God can often come to its end at an early age.

Jim Elliot died, a martyr, in Ecuador at 28 years of age. His journal gives us statements that have motivate many to Christian service:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Wherever you are — be all there. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him.”

But what about those left behind? I recently did the memorial service for a 55-year-old member of our church. Not only did he die but two of his brothers and his father also died with the virus. I helped his widow write his eulogy that said he “temporarily” left behind his family. The separation is temporary and we will soon be with them. One thing that helped me preach my mother’s funeral was that every time they came to visit, I figured it may be the last time I would see them here on this earth so I said good-bye and mourned our separation. James tells us that our life is a vapor, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14b) It appears for a little time and then vanishes away. We talk often about how brief our life is compared to eternity. The short time we have left here without our loved one is nothing when we realize we will be with them for eternity.

One of our widows shared another challenge with me. She said that the survivor loses their identity. She is no longer a wife. She now has to make decisions without the input of her husband. But she is so thankful the Lord took her husband one night in his sleep. It is far more difficult when loved ones linger as my father is now (he is 91). But that is still nothing compared to eternity.

This leads us full circle because what we do with this life is important. God has not taken you home to heaven because you still have a work to do. The most important work we have is to make sure that no one’s death is a tragedy, that they come to a personal relationship with our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. I can’t imagine anything more tragic than to suffer forever after you realize you rejected God’s gift because your focus was living for the present with no thought of eternity. Or you are suffering because you were deceived and believed that anyone who was a “good person” goes to heaven because there really isn’t a hell. We must use our brief life to bring people to Christ!

The great missionary C.T. Studd said it well: “Only one life ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

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Dale Seaman is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Porterville, CA.

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Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash

1. John Piper. Coronavirus and Christ (Kindle Locations 355-356). Crossway. [↩]
2. Journals and Letters of Rev. Henry Martyn, Project Canterbury, accessed at http://anglicanhistory.org/india/martyn/1812.html [↩]