"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase"
1 Corinthians 3:6
A Message from the hornes of Africa
"They Watched Him There"
8/09/09
Tucked in among the Scriptures that record the execution of Jesus, is an often overlooked but poignant passage. It states simply, “And they sat and watched him there,” Matthew 27:36 (AV). They watched as He was tortured. They watched as He was insulted. They watched Him die.
The heartless Roman Centurion was also watching with a group of others, Matthew 27:54. But as the events of the moment unfolded—darkness, earthquakes, and a rent temple curtain—an awesome fear gripped his heart. At Golgotha (the place of the skull), it was not uncommon to see malefactors brought to justice. Never before though had such supernatural phenomena accompanied those other executions. The irony of the event was that a pagan Roman centurion was the first one to confess Jesus as “the Son of God” after the Lord’s crucifixion. The day Jesus died was the death of death, Hebrews 2:14. He tasted of death for everyone, Hebrews 2:9. He died to remove the fear of death from the faithful Christian’s vocabulary, (Hebrews 2: 15).
In an article [edited and adapted] below, entitled Watching My Friends Die, David Lusk wrote these thought-provoking words:
"My friend, Joe, was told, after a series of x-rays, that he had a malignant tumor growing in his brain. They wanted to schedule him for a round of chemo. They hoped this would keep Joe alive just a little longer. Joe smiled and thought about it a while. Then he said, casually, "Doctor, I am a Christian and I have been looking forward to going to heaven half my life. I don't need you to try to extend it. I appreciate your kindness, but I refuse your offer." They kept Joe comfortable until he went to be with the Lord. People all around him (nursing staff, doctors and the like) were amazed. They saw perhaps for the first time, someone actually looking forward to his 'inheritance' that the Bible calls 'heaven.'
“My friend, Bob, just wrote me. For years, he has been needing surgery on his heart (5 bypasses). . . . When the doctor suggested major surgery. . . Bob declined. . . .
“For the Christian, life here is sweet, but not so sweet that ‘staying alive’ is the only priority. In fact, the more your faith grows, the less priority staying alive holds. Nor is every breath so precious that we should try to live just a little longer. . . .” [L]ife can be lived to the full and turned loose without fear or regret. . . ."
I am not suggesting foregoing treatment when a serious illness strikes and engaging in "passive euthanasia." How one handles that is subjective. After all, we are all terminal, Hebrews 9:27. No one lives on the earth forever. So, when a terminal condition befalls us, let's remember that death puts an end to agonizing earthly suffering here. It is the defining event that transports Christians into the presence of the Almighty. We will also be reunited with those who have gone on before us. To appreciate the gift of life, we must have a healthy respect for death.
Many people prefer to die privately without any eye witnesses. The effects of dying have obscene consequences for the old, tired, worn-out or battered body housing the soul, James 2:26, 2 Corinthians 4:16; 5:1-5. They can’t bear to let others see the ravages of death. Jesus, however, died in public view. Why? We can only speculate.
He died to give us life. He died to teach us how to live for God. He died to teach us how to die. He died to give us confidence to face the future regardless of circumstances. Though death is “the great unknown,” He taught us to reverence Him and not to fear death. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us, Romans 8:37. This is what it means to be a Christian. Have you obeyed His gospel?
Love you all,
Al—“The Horne of Africa.”
p