None of us know how long our lives will be. Indeed many human beings have died having barely lived at all – they die either in the womb or as young babies/children. This sermon looked at the matter of illness and grief by considering Jesus. How did he react to sickness and death? How did he die? What hope does that bring to us?
Now our own reaction to these things is one of dislike. There is nothing appealing about being ill or dying; indeed we try not to think about those subjects. Yet they affect every one of us. Jesus certainly met people affected by these things, all the time. How did he react? He consistently showed compassion; he felt deeply the pain of sickness and death which causes so much suffering. He also provided some temporary relief by healing people and even raising some from the dead. However, that partial help pointed forward to something greater which Jesus was going to do for those who trusted him.
But Jesus didn't just discover the reality of bodily weakness through others; he himself lived with a terminal illness, so to speak. As a young man in his 30s, Jesus knew that he was going to die very soon – he would not reach old age. But he didn't hide this away. Rather he spoke openly about his expectation of death and prepared himself for dying, so that he would cope since his death proved to be a terribly painful event – agonising in every way.
But what has Jesus' experience to do with us? Well firstly his amazing healings and his confidence in the face of death point us to the fact that Jesus came from God. Many people testified to the reality of all that Jesus did and in particular they told about how after he died, Jesus rose again: he came back to life. The first Christians had nothing to gain by such an idea; indeed they were simply devastated when Jesus died. But later their preaching changed the whole world and they put that down to the fact that Jesus truly rose from the dead.
But why did Jesus have to die at all? Indeed why do any of us die? Well we all die because of sin. The Bible says that the “wages of sin are death”. God has cursed this world with illness and grief because people like you and me have gone our own way: which is away from God. And the eternal outcome of that pathway is Hell, where we die forever. But Jesus died not because he deserved it, like us, but voluntarily. He threw himself into that awful death in order to save others. He took the judgement which others deserved, so that everyone who turns to him and trusts in him can be forgiven and gain eternal life. A life of comfort and peace, free from illness and grief.
Jesus died so his people could overcome death and gain the best of all lives.
Why not read through one of the gospels and note each of the miracles which Jesus performs? Watch the way in which he speaks to people – the words he uses, and the actions. See his compassion. Then read about how he faced his own death. How could he willingly face such a a dreadful event in his life? What gave him comfort and strength? Then turn to Jesus in prayer, and put your trust in him.