DEATH
What the Bible says about Death
Revelation 21:4
4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Read more from KJV Study Bible
21:4, 5 Wipe away every tear fulfills the promises in 7:17 and Is. 25:8. No more death … no more pain goes far beyond the earlier promise of 7:16, which promises freedom from hunger, thirst, and scorching heat. Former things have passed away echoes both v. 1 and 2 Cor. 5:17. The believer’s rebirth through faith in Christ brings newness to that person’s life, but it is only in the eternal state that God will make all things new.
Luke 23:43
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
New Testament
Today you will be with me in paradise (23:43).
“Paradise” is from a Persian word meaning “garden” and is used in the lxx and other Jewish writings for the Garden of Eden. In apocalyptic Judaism it came to signify the eternal place of bliss for the righteous. 2 Esdras (4 Ezra) 8:52 reads:
... it is for you that paradise is opened, the tree of life is planted, the age to come is prepared, plenty is provided, a city is built, rest is appointed, goodness is established and wisdom perfected beforehand.
The term is used twice elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). Jesus uses it here generally of the presence of God, which believers experience immediately at death (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8; see Luke 16:23).
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Read more from Case for Christ Study Bible
The Case for Faith: John 3:16
What’s the Meaning of Life?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16
Christianity’s greatest contribution to humankind is the sharing of the good news summarized in John 3:16. This central message of the Bible portrays Jesus and our redemption through his blood. Finally, once and for all, he dealt with the issues of our guilt, our loneliness and our alienation from God.
Through his atoning death and resurrection, he opened up heaven for everyone who follows him.
With this truth, Christianity provides a revelation as to the meaning of life and the existence of universal morality. Without that revelation, it’s very difficult to have any sense of life’s meaning. You end up like Albert Camus, who said in the opening paragraph of The Myth of Sisyphus,
“Why should I or anyone not commit suicide?” In short, Christianity explains why not. Because of God’s profound love for us, we are able to relate to him and others in a healthy and deeply meaningful way.
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