Eastertime is no time to be consumed or
overcome by dark thoughts about the grave
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:6
Eastertime is a time of joy. Jesus sacrificed Himself for the good of those who love and trust in Him, breaking the bonds of hell, and making the way clear to Heaven.
Eastertime is not a time to be thinking gory thoughts about vile death.
Jesus's spilled blood, way back on the cross at Calvary, is a cherished memory in the heart of every Christian; because therein is spiritual healing. It's in the Holy Spirit to cleave to that reminder of faith, but not to anyone's obsession with fleshly death and dreaded graves.
Really, no time in our lives as Christians is supposed to be overcome by hopeless and fearful thoughts of the grave and the macabre. And no one should be on a quest to misuse scriptures to that end. ... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. (Genesis 3:19) Oh what joy that is. "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death" of His church that has aged well and become like spiritually good wine (His saints).
So, what does scripture mean in saying "some sleep" and that, in the last days, those who "sleep" will awaken? Doesn't scripture say "absent from the body, present with the Lord"?
Prayerfully, I've searched for answers to questions like that myself. And I personally have concluded that we just have to trust the Lord and know that when a Christian soul completely passes away, that spirit is fully present with the body of Christ in Heaven. And, trusting Jesus, I conclude, by faith, that some must sleep (being unaware) for a while in Heaven, while the Bible clearly tells us that others are aware, and that some cry out in prayer in Heaven.
I just trust the Lord that some sleep (maybe because of something that's happening in earth), and that others wake and pray. And there's peace in just trusting that way.
Eastertime is not a time to be thinking gory thoughts about vile death.
Jesus's spilled blood, way back on the cross at Calvary, is a cherished memory in the heart of every Christian; because therein is spiritual healing. It's in the Holy Spirit to cleave to that reminder of faith, but not to anyone's obsession with fleshly death and dreaded graves.
Really, no time in our lives as Christians is supposed to be overcome by hopeless and fearful thoughts of the grave and the macabre. And no one should be on a quest to misuse scriptures to that end. ... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. (Genesis 3:19) Oh what joy that is. "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death" of His church that has aged well and become like spiritually good wine (His saints).
So, what does scripture mean in saying "some sleep" and that, in the last days, those who "sleep" will awaken? Doesn't scripture say "absent from the body, present with the Lord"?
Prayerfully, I've searched for answers to questions like that myself. And I personally have concluded that we just have to trust the Lord and know that when a Christian soul completely passes away, that spirit is fully present with the body of Christ in Heaven. And, trusting Jesus, I conclude, by faith, that some must sleep (being unaware) for a while in Heaven, while the Bible clearly tells us that others are aware, and that some cry out in prayer in Heaven.
I just trust the Lord that some sleep (maybe because of something that's happening in earth), and that others wake and pray. And there's peace in just trusting that way.
I also feel there's a little more to the event of spiritual "sleep" than just that. For example, when a loved one passes away unprepared for Heaven, but that loved one did know Jesus at some point in life but got lost, didn't that loved one begin to live unaware or asleep? And can't the same be said for some of Hebrew heritage who stopped anticipating the Messiah's return?
Maybe, if a soul passes away spiritually unaware, that soul goes on to sleep in Heaven, kind of like awaiting re-birth in a spiritual womb. That's just one thought I've wondered about.
But this I know for sure:
Easter is joy. Easter is resurrection. Easter is all good.
We hunt "Easter" eggs in order to make Easter fun for children, but maybe Easter-egg hunts aren't the absolute best expression of Easter joy. (It's kind of pagan, you know?) But oh what joy there has been for every one of us who has learned some Easter songs.
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