Advent - Day 26
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
John 3:14-15
Full Readings: Numbers 21:4–9, John 3:1–15
Heaven. Paradise. Eternal life. For so many of us in the Northern Suburbs of Wollongong or in Australia, what happens after we die seems a question for another day. I don’t know about you, but I struggle to think about it.
In fact, the last time I truly thought about heaven (in a non-abstract way) was going down one of the rides at Jamberoo Recreation Park. Now, many of you know I’m no thrill-seeker. And yet somehow, my daughter and I end up on the Perfect Storm and there we are in pitch darkness, dropping into the abyss. As my gut does a few somersaults and my heart a few extra beats, my head turns to God and I think, “if this is it Lord, see you soon.”
Ok. Are you done laughing at me?
Some of us have already had our brushes with death. In the form of a loved-one dying or perhaps the threat of our own last breath. But death really is the reality that no human can avoid. We will all have to face it eventually.
But how wonderful it is to face death without fear. And that is genuinely what I felt on the ride. To trust in Christ is to listen to the one who has been to heaven. It’s to trust the word of one who says He can take us there.
To trust in Christ is to be able to say with Paul that to live is Christ but to die is gain. What a wonderful hope we have.
For Today:
Pray:
John 3:14-15
Full Readings: Numbers 21:4–9, John 3:1–15
Heaven. Paradise. Eternal life. For so many of us in the Northern Suburbs of Wollongong or in Australia, what happens after we die seems a question for another day. I don’t know about you, but I struggle to think about it.
In fact, the last time I truly thought about heaven (in a non-abstract way) was going down one of the rides at Jamberoo Recreation Park. Now, many of you know I’m no thrill-seeker. And yet somehow, my daughter and I end up on the Perfect Storm and there we are in pitch darkness, dropping into the abyss. As my gut does a few somersaults and my heart a few extra beats, my head turns to God and I think, “if this is it Lord, see you soon.”
Ok. Are you done laughing at me?
Some of us have already had our brushes with death. In the form of a loved-one dying or perhaps the threat of our own last breath. But death really is the reality that no human can avoid. We will all have to face it eventually.
But how wonderful it is to face death without fear. And that is genuinely what I felt on the ride. To trust in Christ is to listen to the one who has been to heaven. It’s to trust the word of one who says He can take us there.
To trust in Christ is to be able to say with Paul that to live is Christ but to die is gain. What a wonderful hope we have.
For Today:
- Have you had a brush with death recently?
- Do you trust Jesus, that to die is gain?
- Reflect on the hope of heaven today.
Pray:
- Praise the Father for the gift of the hope of the new heavens and the new earth.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who came from heaven to bring us to it.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others put your hope in eternal life.
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