There is one question that every one of us thinks of from time to time. It’s the question of what will happen to us when we die. Perhaps the one thing that separates humans from all other forms of life is this ability to contemplate our own mortality.
Cats, of course, have nine lives, so they’re not worried. But if you think for one moment that your dog is lying around thinking about what will happen when he dies—well, I just don’t think so. If your dog is thinking at all, it’s about whether or not you might share your goodies with him, and when you’re going to get up off the couch and take him for a nice long walk.
Thinking about death and wondering what will happen to us when we die is something all people do, whether or not they are Christian. All religions have some sort of explanation of what happens to us when we die. Even people who are not religious often think there is something beyond this life.
Of course, there are those who say that when we die, that’s it. Sort of like a flower—it lives for a while, and then it dies, and we toss it out. No one imagines that a flower is reincarnated or resurrected—it’s just dead. Of course, there is the seed in the flower that holds the potential of many more future flowers. But the particular flower that died is quite simply dead. Most of us would probably agree on that.
When it comes to humans, however, our thinking is much more diverse and complex. My guess is that those who think human life simply ends at death are a rather small minority. Most people think there is something about human life that doesn’t just end with our physical death.
I believe the reason for this is that God has created us with something in us that knows there is more to us than what we experience in this life. Of course, some may say this is only wishful thinking, and a refusal to accept the finality of death.
Plato, a philosopher who lived before the time of Christ, contemplated the immortality of the soul. Buddha taught people to seek Nirvana, in which the soul finds rest. Even without knowledge of God, something within us leads us to believe that death is not really the end for us.
Still, in every generation, there have been some who insisted that when we die, we simply die, and that is the end. In our scripture passage for today, Jesus encountered this position. A group of Sadducees question him, trying to trick him. The Sadducees were a sect of Jewish leaders, and they did not believe in life after death. The way you can remember this is what the Sadducees believed is that since they did not look forward to heaven, they were sad, you see.
The other thing you need to know in order to understand this passage is that in the Old Testament law, there was a provision for childless widows. Keep in mind that there was no social security, no insurance policies, and not many opportunities for women to support themselves. So the law stated that if a man died, leaving his wife without children, the man’s brother should marry the woman, so that she might have another opportunity to have children.
I’m reading from Luke 20:
27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
You can see that the Sadducees think they have Jesus cornered now, with their trick question. But let’s watch how Jesus takes this trick question that seemingly has no good answer and uses it to teach about God and about eternity.
34Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
Eternal life or heaven are difficult for us to grasp. None of us have been there, and once we go, we can’t return to tell others about it. We have all heard of near-death experiences, and stories people have told about dying and being sent back. I will admit that I am somewhat skeptical of many of these stories. Still, there does seem to be a common thread in most of them that indicates that something wonderful has happened. Most of the time, they will tell you that their experience has removed any fear of death they might have had before. But regardless of our concept of death, what Jesus says in this passage is very profound. He says that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. We, when we hear the phrase, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” tend to think of the faith they had in God when they were alive. Jesus, however, says no, this statement is to be understood in present tense. The God of Abraham was Abraham’s God when Abraham walked on the earth, but God is still Abraham’s God today, because Abraham lives in God’s presence today and forever. In the same way, through Jesus Christ, we have eternal life that means we will live forever in God’s presence. I Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” This means that the sin that came into the world through Adam is death. It is our sin, which we all have, that separates us from God. The reason sin separates us from God is that God is holy, and God is alive. Without Jesus Christ, our sin separates us from God. With Jesus Christ, we experience complete forgiveness of all our sins, and we are made truly alive, so that the earthly death that we all will experience sooner or later will not be the end. In Christ we will be made alive. The Christian faith is a belief that is full of hope. When I say hope in the sense of our belief, it is not the sort of hope we experience that has no real substance. It’s not like the hope I have when I say I hope it won’t rain tomorrow. That hope is not based on substance, but on wishful thinking. The hope of the Christian faith is the hope that is based on our knowledge of Jesus Christ and his promises to us. It is hope that is grounded in faith. When we come to Christ, we put our faith and our trust in him. It’s not a hope that is like gambling—that is to say, this seems like it might pay off, so here is where I will place my bet. Instead, there is an inner assurance. Where does that inner assurance come from? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks reassurance to our hearts, and we take that first step of faith, believing in Jesus Christ. Then, as we walk in our Christian faith, the Holy Spirit continues to lead us and guide us until we have such a strong sense of God’s presence that our faith cannot be shaken. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Job. Job was a man of faith, and he had a good life. Job was wealthy and successful and good. The story is that God has a conversation with Satan. God points to Job as an example of someone who is good. Satan counters that of course Job is good—he has everything he could possibly want. So God allows Satan to interfere with Job’s life, with the stipulation that he must not touch Job. Then, we see one calamity after another attack Job, until he has lost his family and all of his wealth. Still, Job does not curse God. He says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God and Satan converse again, and God points out that Job still maintains his integrity. Satan is not impressed, and says that if he attacks Job’s physical body, then Job will turn and curse God. So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
But regardless of our concept of death, what Jesus says in this passage is very profound. He says that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. We, when we hear the phrase, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” tend to think of the faith they had in God when they were alive. Jesus, however, says no, this statement is to be understood in present tense. The God of Abraham was Abraham’s God when Abraham walked on the earth, but God is still Abraham’s God today, because Abraham lives in God’s presence today and forever. In the same way, through Jesus Christ, we have eternal life that means we will live forever in God’s presence. I Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” This means that the sin that came into the world through Adam is death. It is our sin, which we all have, that separates us from God. The reason sin separates us from God is that God is holy, and God is alive. Without Jesus Christ, our sin separates us from God. With Jesus Christ, we experience complete forgiveness of all our sins, and we are made truly alive, so that the earthly death that we all will experience sooner or later will not be the end. In Christ we will be made alive. The Christian faith is a belief that is full of hope. When I say hope in the sense of our belief, it is not the sort of hope we experience that has no real substance. It’s not like the hope I have when I say I hope it won’t rain tomorrow. That hope is not based on substance, but on wishful thinking. The hope of the Christian faith is the hope that is based on our knowledge of Jesus Christ and his promises to us. It is hope that is grounded in faith. When we come to Christ, we put our faith and our trust in him. It’s not a hope that is like gambling—that is to say, this seems like it might pay off, so here is where I will place my bet. Instead, there is an inner assurance. Where does that inner assurance come from? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks reassurance to our hearts, and we take that first step of faith, believing in Jesus Christ. Then, as we walk in our Christian faith, the Holy Spirit continues to lead us and guide us until we have such a strong sense of God’s presence that our faith cannot be shaken. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Job. Job was a man of faith, and he had a good life. Job was wealthy and successful and good. The story is that God has a conversation with Satan. God points to Job as an example of someone who is good. Satan counters that of course Job is good—he has everything he could possibly want. So God allows Satan to interfere with Job’s life, with the stipulation that he must not touch Job. Then, we see one calamity after another attack Job, until he has lost his family and all of his wealth. Still, Job does not curse God. He says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God and Satan converse again, and God points out that Job still maintains his integrity. Satan is not impressed, and says that if he attacks Job’s physical body, then Job will turn and curse God. So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
The Christian faith is a belief that is full of hope. When I say hope in the sense of our belief, it is not the sort of hope we experience that has no real substance. It’s not like the hope I have when I say I hope it won’t rain tomorrow. That hope is not based on substance, but on wishful thinking. The hope of the Christian faith is the hope that is based on our knowledge of Jesus Christ and his promises to us. It is hope that is grounded in faith. When we come to Christ, we put our faith and our trust in him. It’s not a hope that is like gambling—that is to say, this seems like it might pay off, so here is where I will place my bet. Instead, there is an inner assurance. Where does that inner assurance come from? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks reassurance to our hearts, and we take that first step of faith, believing in Jesus Christ. Then, as we walk in our Christian faith, the Holy Spirit continues to lead us and guide us until we have such a strong sense of God’s presence that our faith cannot be shaken. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Job. Job was a man of faith, and he had a good life. Job was wealthy and successful and good. The story is that God has a conversation with Satan. God points to Job as an example of someone who is good. Satan counters that of course Job is good—he has everything he could possibly want. So God allows Satan to interfere with Job’s life, with the stipulation that he must not touch Job. Then, we see one calamity after another attack Job, until he has lost his family and all of his wealth. Still, Job does not curse God. He says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God and Satan converse again, and God points out that Job still maintains his integrity. Satan is not impressed, and says that if he attacks Job’s physical body, then Job will turn and curse God. So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
Where does that inner assurance come from? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks reassurance to our hearts, and we take that first step of faith, believing in Jesus Christ. Then, as we walk in our Christian faith, the Holy Spirit continues to lead us and guide us until we have such a strong sense of God’s presence that our faith cannot be shaken. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Job. Job was a man of faith, and he had a good life. Job was wealthy and successful and good. The story is that God has a conversation with Satan. God points to Job as an example of someone who is good. Satan counters that of course Job is good—he has everything he could possibly want. So God allows Satan to interfere with Job’s life, with the stipulation that he must not touch Job. Then, we see one calamity after another attack Job, until he has lost his family and all of his wealth. Still, Job does not curse God. He says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God and Satan converse again, and God points out that Job still maintains his integrity. Satan is not impressed, and says that if he attacks Job’s physical body, then Job will turn and curse God. So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
So God allows Satan to interfere with Job’s life, with the stipulation that he must not touch Job. Then, we see one calamity after another attack Job, until he has lost his family and all of his wealth. Still, Job does not curse God. He says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God and Satan converse again, and God points out that Job still maintains his integrity. Satan is not impressed, and says that if he attacks Job’s physical body, then Job will turn and curse God. So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
So God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. And still, even in his misery, Job is faithful. Then Job’s three friends come to visit him. There are long conversations between Job and his friends—who offer some good advice and some not so good at all. Job despairs and Job suffers, but in chapter 19 of Job, he expresses his abiding faith in God, in spite of all that has happened to him. He says, 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
The words that Job speaks out of his extreme pain and misery are these beautiful words of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
These are not the words of a wishy-washy half-baked idea of some sort of possibility of heaven. These are words of certainty based on a relationship with God. Job has walked with God, and he knows, even though he has lost everything he ever had, even though he is suffering incredible physical pain—he knows that his Redeemer lives, and that he will see God face to face.
That, my friends, is the kind of faith that every one of us can have, through Jesus Christ. We can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens to us—even if we lose everything we own and everyone we love and our bodies are wracked with pain—still we can say, as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I myself will see him with my own eyes…”
What a wonderful gift that kind of confident faith is to us. It gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way, both in life and in death, because we know that we worship a living God, and that because he lives, we too shall live, and one day we will see him face to face.
Prayer:
Eternal God and Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are the living God and you are the God of the living. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who came so that every one of us might have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you for the cross. For the forgiveness of sins that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Thank you that we can say, with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Thank you that every one of us can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we will spend eternity in your presence.
God, if there are any here today who are not as sure as Job that you are their Lord and Savior, I pray that they would respond to you today. Draw them with cords of love into your presence, that they might know that you died for their sins, and you rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.
Thank you for that great hope of eternal life that lives within our hearts.
Amen
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