What is good? III ...

Friday, March 23, 2012. What is good, if you suddenly realize that you will die? Is death good? No, we do not want to die. We want to continue our life, even if it is full of difficulties, even if it is miserable in some of its parts.

Death and Life …

It is a difference between the general knowledge, that life is finite, and the concrete perspective of death. When close friends die, death comes close to us. When we realize some illness, we are confronted with the possibility that we will die. When you have cancer, you suddenly find out that your life might be over soon.

Of course, things get into a new and different perspective, when we take death into account. Death terminates our options to carry out any plans. Death brings pain and then we have to let go. We cannot care any more. We cannot do. Death justs cuts the lines of our management, relationships, … everything.

Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. This Old Testament prayer of Psalm 90 reflects the strong influence of the knowledge of death, when we set up our plans and make our daily decisions.

New Testament Perspectives …

The New Testament perspective on death is much wider and deeper than the Old Testament. Death has lost its power in the resurrection of Christ Jesus. A new world has started in him, he is the first to be taken into the new creation. When we talk about “what is good”, we need to talk about the biblical perspective beyond death. Without this perspective, nothing is good.

It is good, that God has introduced death into creation. He wanted evil ways to be limited. He wanted justice to reign, in freedom. Death is an important part of his plans, since when humans went bad, he set a limit to the damage they can reach.

It is good that death has been beaten in Christ Jesus. It is good that there is eternal life, through faith in Jesus. It is eternal life which is based on truth, justice and love. This is really good! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts