From Death comes Life

David, a newfound online friend posted this about why God sometimes brings his children home in what seems like the prime of their life. I posted a comment on his blog about a young preacher I knew that died in his twenties, but it also jogged my memory about another friend who died several years ago.

A young couple I know in their thirties had everything. They'd just adopted a child, had a nice home, money in the bank, and were active in our church and very happy with their lives.

Then tragedy struck. While cutting down some rotten trees in his yard, a tree fell in the wrong direction, struck him in the head, and he was rushed to the hospital. We in his church family stood vigil in that hospital for about a week, but he never recovered...and died leaving a young widow and daughter behind.

This was such a sad time for us all. We all loved him, and couldn't understand why this happened. However, the answer may lie in what happened during the funeral service.

Many many friends came and gave tribute to my friend, and how he had touched their lives in so many ways. And then, as was requested by his young widowed wife, the preacher presented the Gospel, explaining that as good a person as the deceased was, he knew that his good works hadn't saved him - he had trusted Christ as his Saviour as a child, and knew that it was by grace that he would be in heaven some day.

The pastor then told us about another young man who died tragically many years ago - only his death was no accident. He willingly stepped forward and took torture, ridicule, humiliation, a horrible beating, and then allowed others to drive huge rusty nails into his flesh and hang him naked on a wooden cross on the top of a hill called Calvary. That young man died in excruciating pain that day, not for his own crimes, but for the crimes of all mankind. He suffered for the very people who nailed him there. He died for us all out of the purest form of love that ever existed. Then pastor explained that three days later, that man rose out of the grave alive through the Spirit of God to prove that all that He had said and done during His few years on life could be trusted to be the truth. He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He was God in human form.

The pastor, at the young widow's request, invited any who did not know for sure that they were going to heaven to come to the altar and pray, and seek guidance from one of the pastors there. A young woman stood and walked down the aisle that day, realizing she was one of those whose sins Jesus died for. And that woman was joined hand in hand with my friend's widow, who walked down with her and helped lead her to the Lord.

That soul who was saved that day at a friend's funeral has been a faithful servant for many years now. Surely my friend was allowed to look down from heaven and rejoice that his death helped to bring everlasting life to another friend. And I know his widow has also rejoiced that her husband's death was not in vain. And God has done as He promised, and has provided for her, and given her strength.