When the End of the Road is Actually a Beginning

Death once the ancient enemy
Hear now our Easter melody
O praise Him alleluia
You are the pathway home to God
Our door to life through Christ our Lord
O praise Him alleluia

All Creatures of Our God and King 
By: St. Francis 1225, trans. William Henry Draper 1919

Listen to this modern version of this ancient hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics.  Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

As we continue our journey through this ancient hymn ask the Holy Spirit to help you issue this call to worship. Be sure to find your place in the praise. Let’s think about this.

When the End is a Start

So often we look at death as being the end of life. For those in Christ, nothing could be further from the truth. It actually is a glorious beginning to a quality of life we can barely even begin to imagine.

Death is a result of sin. It was true in the garden and it still is. We can not escape death, but we can overcome the consequences of it, and accordingly not only have no reason to fear, but rather hold embrace it gladly for the pathway it creates for us.

Think of walking down a path late in the day. You can only see so far through the woods, around the bend, but your guide assures you all is well. You come to a point where through the fading light and mist you really can not see where the path leads. An ominous feeling comes over you. Though you are not afraid of the dark, you believe you have lost your way. Your guide seems unbothered.

Suddenly, the wind rustles through the leaves and the mist clears just enough for you to see a distant light glimmering through the trees. You sense that safety and rest is just a little further, and though you have no memory of this path you trust your guide. A way through the unknown darkness has emerged, which he knew all along, and you are glad to take it toward the light.

You are the pathway home to God

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ESV

God offers us eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we yield to Him as Lord, death is transformed into a pathway home instead of a final destination. This is a remarkably different perspective on death, one which we are able to understand and enjoy only because of Jesus.

For those who do not know Jesus death remains their enemy. He marks the end of life. For us he has a very different role. Death becomes our pathway home to God. For the believer, it is simply the next part of the rest of our journey, not the end of it.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to determine your confidence in your guide. Make certain you are following Jesus. Make this your simple prayer “Spirit, guide me to that pathway.” 

When a Grave is a Door

A grave seems like such a place of finality. The body is laid in its final resting place. Covered with soil it is left to decay.

But imagine the horizontal, rectangular opening of the grave is instead vertical. As opposed to thinking of your lifeless body being placed in it, imagine your eternal soul walking right through it. Instead of a destination, it becomes a doorway.

That is exactly what Jesus accomplished.

What if God allowed Jesus’ grave to have a doorway so that it would be easier for us to imagine ours as one as well? All that is required for us to see the grave as a door is faith in Jesus and His finished work of overcoming death with His resurrection. Do you believe?

Our door to life through Christ our Lord

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 ESV

Here Jesus shows that death becomes a door to life through him. Even though we die, we shall live. Above all the other reasons to give praise to God, this one certainly stands at the top for if all the others were true and this one were not our praise would be limited. Instead, it is eternal.

For those who do not know Christ, death appears to be a door that is closed. For the believer, death is a doorway to life. A door versus a doorway. They seem so close, but could not be further apart, not only in concept, but in reality. This stanza helps us to reconcile our enmity with death.

RESONATE!

Take a few moments and consider the door of the grave. Can you see it as such? Give Jesus praise by praying a simple prayer like this, “Jesus, thank you for making death a doorway.“

Jesus, thank You for transforming my perspective of death. Looking at death differently helps me to live differently. Help me encourage death to praise you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Transitional Thinking!

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Image Attribution
You are the pathway home to God – https://pixabay.com/photos/beyond-death-faith-heaven-god-2753554/
Our door to life through Christ our Lord – https://pixabay.com/photos/oasis-desert-door-jesus-open-2335767/