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LO O K I N G AT L I F EDeathFearNo MoreMany people, making even the smallest of donations, enableOur Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changingwisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by anygroup or denomination.ourdailybread.org

DeathFear No More“No one wants to die.”few things are more frightening thandeath. Its shadow looms large over ourlives, reminding us of how everythingwe cherish can be lost in an instant.Whether by illness, an accident, or oldage, we will inevitably die. While somepeople may be more prepared for it,and a few may even long for it, mostof us fear it. That’s only natural: it isnearly impossible for most of us tocompletely conquer our fear of death,simply because we have not found a wayto defeat nor escape it. If you’re afraidto die, take heart—you’re definitely notalone.Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple andthe brain behind the iPhone, said in a2005 speech: “No one wants to die. Evenpeople who want to go to heaven don’twant to die to get there.”Jobs knew exactly what he was talkingabout, because he had been diagnosed1

with pancreatic cancer and told thathe had three to six months to live. Wecan catch a glimpse of his state of mindfrom his initial reaction to the bad news.“I lived with that diagnosis all day,” herecalled. Jobs died in 2011.Why are we so afraid to die? Whatexactly do we fear? Perhaps youmight identify with these commonperceptions:Death represents the end. Dying isabsolutely final—it marks an end to ourtime here on Earth and we will no longerbe able to fulfil our hopes and dreams ormake right our wrongs and mistakes.Death represents ultimate loss. Wewill lose not only our body, but alsoour identity, our dignity, and oursignificance. Death also separates usfrom our loved ones, leaving them—orus—with nothing but memories. Even ifwe are prepared for our own death, wemay worry about those we leave behindand fear that they will not be taken careof in our absence.Death represents the unknown. Whatlies beyond the grave? What will happenand whom will we face? Is there aheaven or a hell? Will we have to meetGod and account for our actions? Whilesome may look forward to the unknown,2

most of us will feel insecure. Worse still,we face the terrifying prospect of dyingalone. No one can accompany us on ourfinal journey.A Chinese saying sums it all up:“Life is like a mist that passes quicklyby.” When death comes, it wipes outeverything we were, we had, andwe achieved, making life look mosttransient, like a mist that blows away inthe lightest breeze.Our Constant Battleagainst Deathin his award-winning book The Denialof Death, cultural anthropologist ErnestBecker observes that the fear of dyinglies behind much of our effort in life.“The fear of death,” he writes, “hauntsthe human animal like nothing else. It isa mainspring of human activity, activitydesigned largely to avoid the fatalityof death, to overcome it by denying insome way that it is the final destiny forman.”How true! We are constantly lookingfor medical treatments to fight theeffects of ageing and to prolongour lives. We try to ensure that ourlegacies survive us by preserving ourachievements and building monuments3

in the hope that we will not fade intooblivion. Or we try to deny death’sexistence and focus on living life tothe fullest—a principle captured in theadage, “Eat, drink and be merry, fortomorrow we die”.While these methods may sufficefor some people, most of us will find ithard to remove our deepest fears aboutdeath. No matter how much we denydeath or try to avoid thinking about it,we are never quite ready for it. We maydo all we can to prepare ourselves andour families for our passing, but whenthe possibility looms large—such aswhen we are diagnosed with a terminalillness—it is difficult to look death in theeye and say, “I’m ready to go.”Why is this so?Suchfears stemNo matter howfromthedepths ofmuch we denyour humanity. Thedeath or try toidea of death goesavoid thinkingagainst our veryabout it, weinstinct to survive;it representsare never quitedarkness andready for it.nothingness. Itis hard to remainunafraid of losing everything we haveand being separated from our bodies and4

our loved ones forever. No amount ofmedicine, planning, or positive thinkingcan remove the shadow of death thathangs over every one of us.So what can we do? Is there any wayfor us to escape death and its impact?Can we live forever? Christians believethere is an answer.Jesus, the Man WhoDefeated Deathabout 2,000 years ago, there lived aman who went around teaching that hewas “the way, the truth and the life”.His name was Jesus, and he made boldclaims that he was the Son of God, andthat he would defeat death. His enemiesput him to death, but three days later, herose from the dead.1 He was seen alive inperson by hundreds of people, includingsome who were sceptical at first.Why was Jesus able to conquer death?He was raised by the power of God.Why is this significant? The Bibleexplains: God created all of us as moralbeings, so we know instinctively whatis right and wrong. But we don’t dowhat is right perfectly or consistently.2The Bible calls this sin—failing to meetGod’s holy and perfect moral standard3—and states that the consequence of sin5

is death.4 As a result, we live under thecurse of death. Death separates us fromGod forever.Jesus, however, bore the consequenceon our behalf. Although he wasinnocent, he willingly went to his deathfor this purpose—the sinless dying forthe sinful. By rising from the dead, Jesusdemonstrated his defeat of sin and itscurse of death.1“I passed on to you what was most important andwhat had also been passed on to me. Christ died forour sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried,and he was raised from the dead on the third day,just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter andthen by the Twelve.” —1 Corinthians 15:3–52“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is,in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but Ican’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’twant to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”—Romans 7:18–193“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’sglorious standard.” —Romans 3:234“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift ofGod is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 6:236

We Too Can Defeat Deaththe good news is that Jesus offers usthe opportunity to share in his victoryover sin and death. How? By believingthat he died in our place and followinghim as our Lord. The Bible says: “If youdeclare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’,and believe in your heart that God raisedhim from the dead, you will be saved”(Romans 10:9). It also tells us that Godwill not only forgive us, but will also giveus eternal life—to be with Him forever.5Imagine a student who is toldto report to the school principal.Trembling, he approaches the principal’soffice, afraid that he might be punished.Too fearful toenter, he waitsJesus offers usoutside for athe opportunitywhile. Then heto share in hissees anothervictory over sinboy strolling inand death.confidently—and walkingout a few moments later, smiling. Heasks the other boy, “Why are you sounafraid about entering the principal’soffice? And how could you come outso happily?” The boy looks at him andreplies, “Because he’s my father.”When we believe in Jesus, we will be7

like the second boy—we will no longerfear death. Although we will still diephysically, God awaits us on the otherside of death, and we do not need to fearhis judgment anymore. We will enterfully into God’s presence and enjoyan everlasting relationship with ourCreator, free from pain and sorrow.6As believers, we will also no longerneed to face death alone. Why? BecauseJesus will accompany us through death.As the Son of God who has faced anddefeated death, he is able to walk withus throughout our lives, even the veryend. Our family and friends may keepus company in life, but we will have toleave them behind when we die. OnlyJesus can stay by our side through deathitself, holding our hand tightly as wemake the journey from life to death andinto eternal life.This is a promise we can place ourhope in, because it comes from noneother than Jesus, the Son of God, whohas conquered sin and death.Fear No Moreare you anxious about dying andworried about what it means for you?Do you feel overwhelmed? Do youstruggle to accept its inevitability?8

Consider turning to Jesus, who defeateddeath and showed his power over sinand its consequences. If you believe inhis death and sacrifice on your behalf,and in his resurrection and promise ofeternal life, Jesus’ victory over sin anddeath can be yours as well.If you believe in Jesus, you will nolonger need to fear death and whatcomes after. Instead, you will be ableto live in hope with the assurance thatafter your physical body dies, you willcontinue to live on and be with God,enjoying a close, personal relationshipwith him forever. You will no longerneed to worry about dying alone,knowing that Jesus will be walkingalongside you, through life, past death,and into eternal life.5“For this is how God loved the world: He gave hisone and only Son, so that everyone who believes inhim will not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:166“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, andtrust also in me. There is more than enough room inmy Father’s home. If this were not so, would I havetold you that I am going to prepare a place for you?When everything is ready, I will come and get you,so that you will always be with me where I am. Andyou know the way to where I am going . . . I am theway, the truth, and the life. No one can come to theFather except through me.” —John 14:1-4, 69

Will You Consider Turningto Jesus?if you want to learn more about Jesusand how to share in his victory over sinand death, make contact with a localchurch where someone can help answerany questions you might have. Anotherway is to get hold of a Bible, which willtell you about God and how he can giveyou the comfort and peace you need.We at Our Daily Bread Ministrieswould also like to help you seek Jesusand find the hope he offers. Simply usethe attached form to request relatedbiblical materials.You can also visit us online atwww.odb.org and browse our extensiveselection of printed and digitalresources.Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007.Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.10

fear death. Although we will still die physically, God awaits us on the other side of death, and we do not need to fear his judgment anymore. We will enter fully into God’s presence and enjoy an everlasting relationship with our Creator, free from pain and sorrow.6 As believers, we w