A Fearless Man
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” John 8:51
I had the opportunity to use this passage earlier this week at a church service following the passing of someone I felt very close to. We were at different ends of the political spectrum, but it didn’t matter because we were very much in the same place when it came to our understanding of God, man, and a life well lived.
This particular bible passage bothered me when I first read it because many people I knew did keep Jesus sayings and yet still passed on.
What I understand this to mean now after some prayer and additional reading on the subject is that I was taking “see” way too literally.
Earlier in this chapter in John, Jesus was debating with scribes and Pharisees about Moses and the law. The Jews took issue with Jesus saying that he was sent from God. Jesus tried to share his message with them, but they were too limited in their thinking to be able to grasp the new truths he had to share. He was trying to tell them that man is not material, he is spiritual. The salvation in that truth is that there is a life after what the Jews then saw as a final death. Jesus proved that truth through His death and resurrection.
So those who “keep” this understanding of who they are, lose their fear of death. They no longer see death in the same way that they may have seen it in the past. Death is no longer an ending of anything. It is instead the passage from a material phase of existence to a spiritual one.
The person I admired shared this understanding of life and death. As a result, he lived a full and fearless life. He made a difference in his family, friends, associates, employees, church, community, and industry. He was also a wonderfully curious and inquisitive person, fascinated by technology and new ideas.
So though I’ve struggled with some sadness, it’s hard to mourn this person’s passing. That’s because I can only guess at the wonder he must be feeling now. He has finally satisfied his curiosity about what life after death is really about.