Kingdom Ready Blog

A few weeks back a cousin in my large extended family (my mother was one of 8 brothers and sisters) died of cancer at the extremely young age of 21.  Since her death I have wanted to write her mother (my first cousin once removed) and her grandmother (my first cousin) a sympathy note that included a few words of Biblical encouragement.  Of course the difficult thing here is that my extended family is primarily all Baptist.  And as such they’re believers in going to heaven at death instead of remaining non-existent in the grave until The Resurrection at the return of Jesus.  So for me the challenge is how do I express sympathy while planting a few “truth seeds” about the biblical truth of The Resurrection?  I don’t want to be rude or preachy. But at the same time I wanted to express the hope that Scripture presents and see if God carries those seeds to fertile soil at some point in the future.

Here’s a first draft of what I’d like to express.  Please give me some feedback on what you think.

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Dearest Cousin,

I was deeply saddened to learn about Julie.  I was not aware of the severity of her illness and was shocked to learn of her passing. My most heartfelt sympathies go out to you and your family.  I can not begin to fully grasp your feelings of grief and loss – though as a first-time father of my own now two year-old daughter, I know the loss of a precious child regardless of age and circumstances would be utterly devastating.

However there is hope to cling to. There is a sweet day of victory coming one day in the future when that vile, bitter enemy death will no longer exist and we all will be reunited in life.  And it is this amazing hope that I wanted to briefly share.  It has sustained and encouraged me over the years since the premature death of my parents and other close friends.  I hope some aspect of it will be of comfort to you if possible.

I firmly believe (as I’m confident you do as well) that the Bible is true and trustworthy as God’s divine revelation to us. By trusting the teachings of both testaments, we know that God has always had a plan for the human race to escape death as the ultimate penalty for mankind’s sin. Though the original Adam – our very first forefather brought sin and therefore death upon all of us born into this world, God’s son, Jesus of Nazareth, the 2nd Adam, overcame the mistakes of the first Adam.  His sinless life and obedience to God in every way allowed him to become the savior of our race.  Jesus giving his own life to be the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins not only saved us from the sentence of permanent death for the sins we commit, but he also became the first man to be resurrected from the dead to eternal life (the “first fruits”). And as such God has given him the power and authority to resurrect those of us who follow him when he returns to establish his Father’s Kingdom.  The Apostle Paul beautifully expresses this in the wonderful resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15.

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

Jesus himself painted a wonderful picture of this in the 5th chapter of John when he said:

28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

What a day to look forward to! It is a day that Paul told the church of the Thessalonians to keep in mind when they were grieving.  The wonderful advice Paul gives in chapter 4 is one that continues to provide great comfort to this day.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Comforting words indeed! All the days of my life will I look forward to that wonderful resurrection morning at Jesus’ return. I hope as Paul did to still be living at that time. Though like Paul, like my Father and Mother, and like countless other Christians throughout the centuries, I believe and trust in my Lord Jesus to awaken me from death and for all of us to be reunited with one another there at the resurrection if I too die before then.  In the meantime I eagerly await that grand day when I will once again embrace, talk, and be forever alive with my parents, friends, extended family, and others who all have believed and earnestly follow Jesus. I know without a doubt that my cousin and your daughter Julie will be there too. That day can not come soon enough.

…“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” – Rev 22:20.

With love and deepest sympathies,

Ron S.