We are always so surprised when a celebrity dies. As of late the wonderful Dolly Parton and the Actor Tim Curry recently passed away. I have reached the age in my life when many of the well know and famous people of my youth are starting to die. Famous actors and action heroes, sports stars, politicians the people who were in the tabloids as the hot people to pay attention too, who disappeared as they aged and retired, being replaced by someone new and younger are now once again in the news as they have passed away.

But what tends to happen when we learn of these people who we know is that we are sad for a while. If they were very famous, there might be tributes and public observances. Maybe will have a time of listening to their music if they are a musician or what their films if they were an actor but in the end, we tend to go about the business of doing life. It usually goes along the lines of

“Did you hear about Dolly Parton?”

“I know, she died yesterday.”

“It is so sad.”

“Yes it is.”

“What’s for dinner?”

Now this is not a case where I am suggesting that we all dwell on the passing of anyone celebrity or not. Mourning is good, dwelling upon and fixating is not. But what I am saying is that we need to have a proper view of Death and its place in our lives and the lives of those around us.

James in his book reminds us of the folly of making plans without a proper view of our lives and eternity and the prospect that we must all face death. James 4:13–14

[13] Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—[14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (ESV)

Whether we like it or not, each of our lives will end as we know it here on earth. It is part of the curse that was brought upon us in the fall when our first parents sinned against God. We find this in Genesis Chapter 3. Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, life has never been the same and in our fallen state, we must face the fact that we too are sinners and will face the judgment of God. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of this in Hebrews 9:27–28.

[27] And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (ESV)

But here is the thing. No where in Scripture and no where outside of scripture is any one guaranteed a tomorrow. I mentioned both inside and outside of scripture because it is universally recognized that we are finite beings. That our time here on Earth is few and often times troubled. This is illustrated by Job in Job chapter 14. But we get a sense of what he has for us in Job 14:1

[1] “Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble. (ESV)

or in Job 14:5

[5] Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass, (ESV)

In this light it can be easy to really feel the futility of it all. Job surely did as well at the end of Chapter 14 in Job 14:21–22, when he remarks about the passing of a man.

[21] His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
[22] He feels only the pain of his own body,
and he mourns only for himself.” (ESV)

The point of this post is not to depress anyone. But to remind us as Scripture does that we need to have a healthy understanding of life and our deaths. Yes life is as James reminds us but a wisp, a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. But we must make the most of each day. Not in hedonism and self indulgence, but in in the light of who we are in Christ. In Christ, we trade this temporary existence with all its trials and tribulations for one that is eternal that is received not by works or deeds, but by faith.

1 John 5:11–12

[11] And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (ESV)

Romans 10:8–11

[8] But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); [9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. [11] For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (ESV)

Yes we must all face the shortness of Life. But we must remember who we are in the light of our relationship with Christ. That in Christ we are not just forgiven, but we are justified and redeemed from our sins and restored to a proper relationship with Christ. None of this is possible without the person and work of Jesus Christ, who came into creation, lived as a man, was sinless and suffered and died in our place so that we his people might not taste death and the judgment, but have eternal life. This is the the single greatest gift that we can receive and it is the single greatest gift that we can share with others. That is the good news that is found only in Christ Jesus.

Yes life is short and can be bitter. But we the body of Christ are traveling this journey together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Each of us providing and building up others as we all experience this short roller coaster we call life. Romans 12:15

[15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (ESV)

but also remembering that each day we have is a gift from the lord to be used not for ourselves, but to those around us and to advance the Kingdom of God here on Earth. Psalm 90:12

[12] So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom. (ESV)

And while we are here, let us not fixate on the short time we have in despair, but rejoice in who we are and what we have in Christ and go about the work of preaching the good news that is only found in him.

John 3:35–36

[35] The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. [36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (ESV)

P.S. we did a whole series on the podcast about death and our proper view as Christians of it. So be sure to go back and check it out!