At Death’s Door

I sat at my mother’s side when she died, and it was a beautiful thing. I sang hymns and talked with her about Heaven as her breathing labored. By the time she drew her last breath, Mom had already gone home.

I hope the day I die will be like that. The older I get, the more I anticipate the day I’ll walk through death’s door into eternal life with my Savior. Not that I expect or want to die anytime soon.

We call tomorrow, commemorating the day Jesus died, “Good Friday”, and rightly so. Without Good Friday, we would still be lost in our sins. Jesus made the exchange of his perfect life to pay for the sins of every person on earth.

Jesus didn’t want to die. He struggled over his decision to the point of sweating blood as he prayed in the garden the night before his death (Luke 22:44. Make no mistake about it. Crucifixion was an agonizing, horrible way to die. It was the cruellest of cruel and unusual punishments.

However much godliness Jesus showed in his life, he showed it even more in his death. He forgave his enemies, he opened the kingdom for a fellow felon, and he made sure John would take care of his mother.

What relief, what joy comes through his final words, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” His spirit, his very being, never died. He handed it back to the Father. He was going home.

Jesus died with grace and at peace. May it be the same with us.

Lord God, I commit my spirit in your hands, both now and at the time of my death. I never need fear. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Go Deeper — Are you afraid to die or are you looking forward to walking through the door to eternity? Discover the kind of eternal life Jesus offers you.

Read Further — You can Choose Life in this life.