Transcript
The entire pattern of the Christian life is one of death and resurrection. When we repent of our sins, it is a kind of death; when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive new life in Him. We see this vividly in baptism. As Scripture reminds us, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
This cycle of death and resurrection continues even in the daily rhythm of the Christian walk. In putting away sin, there is a death and a resurrection. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
I believe this ongoing process serves a profound purpose: it trains us for our final days. When death is ultimately thrust upon us, we will already know how to die. We can follow Christ into that moment and give up our spirits in peace, rather than “raging against the dying of the light.”
The Apostle Paul describes the resurrection of the dead with beautiful contrast:
“What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)
As we trace human life from its conception in the image of God to its earthly conclusion, we must consider how to face our final resting place. To die well, both spiritually and physically, we can focus on three key principles:
- Look to Christ in death.
- Plan a funeral to honor God.
- Honor God with your body in death.
1. Look to Christ in Death
Paul famously declared, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). If God’s Word is true—and it is—then for the believer, death is not an inescapable, terrible tragedy. It is gain. It is a blessing, a door through which we walk into eternal life.
If you are reading this and you are not a believer, this talk of death might make you uncomfortable. I am just a simple country preacher from Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. I don’t know everything, but I do know a Man who died and overcame death: His name is Jesus Christ. By believing in Him, you can overcome the fear of death, too.
As Hebrews 2:14–15 explains, through death Jesus destroyed the one who has the power of death—that is, the devil—and delivered all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
When I was a child, I was absolutely terrified of death. I went to bed many nights thinking how crazy it was that I might just not wake up. It gripped me. But by looking to Christ, we look to One who experienced a terrible death but conquered it. By walking with Him daily through repentance and the remembrance of our baptism, we are delivered from that fear. We can confidently ask: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
As we grow in Christ, the physical process of dying becomes less of a sting and more of a doorway to a better life. We can declare with Paul that nothing—neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come—will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39). Day by day, as we look to the One who said, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” we find the grace to overcome our fears.
2. Plan a Funeral to Honor God
Because Christ has overcome death, we can soberly and practically prepare for our own passing. This means thinking about your funeral service. (And if you talk to your pastor about it ahead of time, it helps immensely!)
When I bring this up, some people are incredibly prepared—they have their three hymns picked out and explicit instructions on who should not be given a microphone. Others offer an uncomfortable silence, a quick change of subject, or a dismissive comment: “What do I care? I won’t be there anyway.”
My response is always the same: God will be there.
If we are called to eat, drink, and do everything to the glory of God, that standard includes our funerals. The primary point of a funeral is not to cater to our own wishes, nor is it solely for the grieving family—though comforting them is vital. First and foremost, a funeral is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel and honor God. While it is entirely appropriate to respect and celebrate a person’s life, God must remain the focus.
Lately, I have attended several “celebrations of life” where the reality of death was completely sanitized. There is no body present, only pictures of the person in the bloom of youth. An outside observer might conclude that our culture has a psychological problem with acknowledging mortality.
Scripture tells us:
“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)
A funeral is a profound opportunity for people to come face-to-face with the reality of life, death, and Jesus Christ. This is my advocacy for open caskets when possible.
I remember officiating a funeral for a young mother and her daughter who tragically died in a car accident. Coming from a Russian Orthodox background, their tradition involved an open casket, showing the harsh reality of their injuries. Going to that funeral forced everyone to confront the weight of death in an undeniable way.
For most of human history, death was not hidden behind a curtain. People died at home; children saw their grandparents breathe their last, prayed over them, and kissed them goodbye. In sanitizing death, we have lost something valuable. Grief is necessary, but it should be paired with the preaching of the gospel. The natural fear of death can be a gift if it drives people to seek safety in Jesus Christ.
3. Honor God with Your Body in Death
After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea boldly went to Pilate to request His body. He took it down, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in a new rock-hewn tomb. The Gospels also record that the women brought seventy-five pounds of expensive spices and ointments—a burial fit for a king. They cared deeply for Jesus’ dead, wounded body, and Scripture honors them for it. How we treat the human body matters to God.
To be clear: our church does not hold an official, dogmatic stance on cremation versus burial. There is no explicit biblical commandment forbidding cremation, and no one should worry about the eternal security of loved ones who have been cremated. I offer no judgment on anyone’s past decisions.
However, I want us to think more deeply about how we treat our bodies after we die. I believe that burial is a more fitting, biblically consistent choice for a body made in the image of God for three reasons:
The Example of Christ
This is how our Lord was buried. When Christ was raised, the tomb was empty because God used the actual matter of His earthly body to transform it into His resurrected body. There was a direct continuity—He even retained the wounds in His hands and side. It is fitting to lay down our bodies in the same manner, preserving them for the day God remakes them.
Intrinsic Respect for the Body
We instinctively believe that a human body deserves respect. When a full body is present, we treat it with decorum. However, cremation can sometimes diminish this reverence, leading to modern trends like turning ashes into jewelry or novelty keepsakes. The body is not a commodity to be scattered or repurposed lightly.
The Imagery of Planting
In Scripture, fire is most frequently associated with judgment or destruction. Conversely, Christian burial relies on agricultural imagery. We are not merely discarding a shell; we are “planting” a body in the ground.
Our bodies matter because they are the very bodies that will be resurrected. When we die, our spirits go immediately to be with the Lord, but our physical remains rest in the earth, waiting to be called back to life to shine like the stars of heaven (Daniel 12:3).
While cremation is not a sin, burial remains a beautiful, preferred witness to our ultimate hope.
Conclusion: Are You Ready?
To summarize:
- Look to Christ to transform your view of mortality.
- Plan your final arrangements to ensure God is glorified and the gospel is preached.
- Treat your body with honor, recognizing it as God’s creation intended for resurrection.
I challenge you today—regardless of your age—to consider your mortality. We do not know how far away we are from our final breath or when we will stand before the judgment seat of God.
- Spiritually, make peace with God today. Trust in Jesus Christ as your blessed hope.
- Practically, ensure you are ready. Make sure the hope of the gospel will be proclaimed at your funeral, and take care that your body is treated with reverence.
As God has faithfully cared for you in this life, you can trust Him to care for you in death.
Closing Prayer
Oh Lord God, I pray that You would first calm our fears. If anyone reading this feels anxious or blindsided by these thoughts on burial and cremation, let them rest in Your perfect grace, knowing that our gracious God overlooks what is done in ignorance. Help us to think clearly and biblically about how we care for our bodies from conception to the grave—recognizing that they were made not for our own passing ease, but for Your eternal honor.
We pray for anyone carrying questions or anxieties in their soul. Draw them to Yourself. Let them see that You have completely overcome death, and that in Your perfect love—which casts out all fear—they can find everlasting hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.