Proper 27C, 2025
Text: Luke 20:27-40
Title: Surrounded by Death
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We are surrounded by death.
We are surrounded by death in our natural world. Every winter is a death of sorts as the plants around us die back, the animals migrate or retreat to hibernation, and even the day dies back, becoming darker and darker.
We are surrounded by death in our world as abortion and assisted suicide are normalized, as violence fills our streets, and wars continue with no end in sight.
We are surrounded by death in our own lives. We watch our loved ones age and succumb to illness. We ourselves are acutely aware that we will not live forever, that each day of our lives is a day closer to death.
When you think about death, it’s normal to be afraid, because death seems so final, so complete.
Many people believe that death is the end, that there’s nothing more than this earthly life, and so the goal in life is to gain as much enjoyment and pleasure as you can, or perhaps, more positively, to do as much good as possible before the end.
The Sadducees who question Jesus in today’s gospel are these sorts of people. They believed that all there was to existence is this physical, earthly life. The material world. They didn’t believe in angels. They didn’t believe that people had souls that would continue after death. They didn’t believe in a resurrection or an afterlife of any kind.
And so, to prove how preposterous this notion of an afterlife was, the Sadduccees proposed the hypothetical situation of a woman who married and remarried seven times. “If there is a resurrection,” they quipped, “whose wife will she be? They can’t all have her as their wife. You see, Jesus, you really need to think more sensibly.”
Perhaps you know people like this. The philosopher Bertrand Russell famously said, “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego[, nothing of myself,] will survive.”
This position certainly makes sense. Sure, there are some folks who claim to have near death experiences or who believe that they have returned to life from the dead, but, in general, it’s impossible to prove that there’s something more to life after death.
Even for people of faith, even for people who believe in Jesus and believe that they are going to heaven, life after death is a bit mysterious. One question I get asked with some frequency has to do with what happens when we die. Where do I go when I die? Where are my loved ones now? What is heaven like?
Because this comes up so often, I wanted to take a few minutes this morning just to review what the Bible teaches about the afterlife.
Death is not natural. Death is not just another part of life. Adam and Eve would have lived forever if they had not sinned. Their sin brought death into the world. No matter what it says on someone’s death certificate, the true cause of death is always sin.
When someone you love dies, it should feel wrong. It should feel out of place. Yes, there may be cases where someone is suffering, physically, mentally, or in other ways, and you feel a sense of relief that they are no longer in pain. At the same time, though, that loss, that separation is real, and no empty platitudes can change that.
When you die, your body returns to the dust from which it was made. We remember this every Ash Wednesday. Your body will not last forever. No matter how well you take care of it, one day, we will all die. And this is the Lord’s doing. In His time. Your life is a gift from God, and He will call you home in His time.
Even though your body dies, your soul lives on. Your soul is what makes your body alive. Your soul is what makes you different from the animals. No matter what may happen to your body, nothing can destroy your soul. Physical death is the separation of your body from your soul.
For Christians, you have been joined to Christ. You were baptized in His name. You are joined to His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. What does for Jesus goes for you. Death could not destroy Him, so death will not destroy you. As He promises, death will not separate you from Him.
In death your soul is with the Lord. Jesus says to the dying thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” In our reading from Revelation last Sunday we saw that glorious picture of the saints gathered around the throne of God. That is what happens to your loved ones who die in faith. You do not become an angel. Yes, Jesus says that we will be like the angels, in that we won’t be getting married and having more kids in heaven, but angels are different created beings. They are God’s messengers, His servants. You do not turn into a cardinal. Birds don’t bring you messages from departed loved ones. If it’s not in Scripture, don’t believe it.
When Jesus returns, your body will be raised and transformed. God made your body. Jesus took on flesh and blood, just like you, and His body was raised from the dead. Thomas and the disciples could see it and touch it. The Holy Spirit has made your body into His holy temple. Even when you die, you’re not done with it. No matter what happens to that body in death, it will be raised on the last day and transformed, metamorphosized, changed to be like Jesus’ resurrected body. St. Paul compares to planting a seed. When a seed germinates and grows, it’s not just one big seed, but it’s a new plant, more beautiful and glorious than the plain, ordinary seed. That goes for your mind, too. St. Paul writes that we will know fully in the resurrection. You won’t need to go to God with your long list of questions, because you will already know the answers.
When Jesus returns, He will judge all people. For those of us who die in faith, this will not be an experience to fear or dread. Jesus will merely confirm what you already know—that you belong to Him, that your sins are forgiven, and that all the good that you’ve done in life, even things you don’t even realize, all of those are due to the working of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Finally, after all the evil has been punished and destroyed, God will make a new heavens and a new earth. It will be very much like the Garden of Eden. There will be no more evil, no more pain, no more sadness, no more death, only joy.
Yes, we are surrounded by death. But as Christians, we are filled with the life of Christ. We are united to His resurrection as we are raised with Him in the living water of Holy Baptism, as our ears are filled with His living Word, as we eat and drink His resurrected, life-giving body and blood at the Lord’s table. This is where the life of Christ becomes yours.
God is the God of the living. Death is not anything to fear, because Jesus has destroyed death, and He has given you the life that will never end.
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