Hazel Grace Lancaster suffers from a highly intrusive and incurable form of lung cancer, which requires her to be connected to an oxygen tank at all times. At the beginning of the story, Hazel's mother suspects, contrary to Hazel's objections, that her daughter's depression is worsening as a side effect of the day-in-and-day-out struggles and limitations associated with her cancer. Hazel goes on to narrate her perspective of the matter by stating the following:
"Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying."
This quote struck me--mainly because, in reality, we are all dying, be it from physical illness, freak accident, or even just plain old age. So, if Hazel's observation is true--if depression really is a side effect of dying--shouldn't we all be depressed? I believe the answer is: yes, but no. Death, for the believer in Christ, should take on an entirely different connotation. Therefore, my aim in this post is to address the reality of death from the perspective of a follower of Christ. Because, along with Hazel, death is a reality that we must all confront.
We are first met with the concept of death at the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis, following what is referred to as "The Fall". As a result of the first man's (and woman's) direct disobedience to God, sin enters the world--and with it, death. God makes this clear in verse 19 of the third chapter of Genesis:
"By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The sin of Adam and Eve, the first created humans, brought about sin and death for all of mankind. The brevity of life, the birth and consequence of sin, and the reality of death are all consistent (and solemn) themes addressed by Scripture:
Psalm 39:4-5- "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!"
Romans 3:23 and 6:23- "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...The wages of sin is death." (meaning all, including you, me and everyone else in this world, have disobeyed God and deserve to be punished by death)
1 Corinthians 15:21-22- "For as by one man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (Though the birth and consequence of sin is a present theme in this verse, there is also a profound theme of hope to be found for the believer, which I am excited to address! Keep scrolling!)
Romans 5:12- "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."
Those are just some of the verses I found that show (1) the origin of sin, (2) the reality that all have sinned, and (3) the ensuing death that follows sin. Although, there are two other passages that I find most sobering in relation to these themes. Contrary to what I used to believe, death is not merely a harmless state of eternal numbness and nothingness--rather, for those who have sinned against (or disobeyed) God (which all have), it is a state of eternal punishment and separation from all things good, especially from Christ himself:
2 Thessalonians 1:7- "...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do no obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might..."
Matthew 13:41- "(referring to the end of the world, when Christ returns) The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
If the eternal state of suffering and separation depicted by these two verses is the reality of what awaits all mankind after physical death, then I wholeheartedly agree with Hazel Grace: yes, depression ought to be a side effect of dying. However, ironically enough, the antidote to this hopeless, depressing fate can be found in Hazel's very own middle name: Grace.
The Gospel, or good news, of Christ is the good news of God's grace and mercy toward sinners. One definition of mercy is "compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender or enemy." As disobedient sinners, all humans stand as enemies of God, in need of grace and mercy. Christ is that grace. And it is by the grace of God through Christ that we, as followers of Christ, are saved from death and eternal punishment.
The fate of a follower of Christ after death, in stark contrast to the fate those who do not know Christ, is depicted by this verse:
Revelation 21: 3- "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
If the eternal state of joy, painlessness, and comfort depicted by this verse is the reality of what can await mankind after death by believing upon Christ, then I wholeheartedly disagree with Hazel: no--hope, not depression, ought to be a side effect of dying.
Though I've never faced cancer, I have faced the fear and hopelessness of death. Before discovering the eternal life offered by Christ, I used to lie awake at night and envision dying. I would picture myself drawing my final breaths, and then, nothing. Darkness. Loneliness. No family. No friends. No hope. No comfort. I thought of my family members dying and tried to imagine what their fate would be. This trail of thoughts would fill my heart with grief on many occasions.
But soon after, God graciously revealed His plan to me--a plan to give me life and not death, hope and not despair, joy and not sorrow. This hope came in the form of Jesus and His words. The concept of eternal life, let alone one filled with hope and love and a glorious God, was foreign to me. But it was also irresistible to me once God opened my eyes and my heart to believe the words of Jesus. And it is with His words that I want to leave you to consider today, both for the comfort they bring to the believer, and the invitation they elicit for the unbeliever:
John 3:15-16- "...So must the Son of Man be lifted up (raised from the dead), that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
John 3:36- "Whoever beleives in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
John 5:24- "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
John 6:27- "Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you."
John 6:40- "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:51- "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."
John 8:24- "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."
John 10:27-28- "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish..."
John 11:25-26- "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."
John 17:3- "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Death is inevitable, but grace through Christ is available. And though it is natural to mourn the loss of life of loved ones while here on earth, there is a supernatural perspective available to us, as followers of Christ, that can prevent the reality of death from stealing our joy and our hope.
I believe that the apostle Paul, a fellow follower of Christ, had a right view of death when he said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Therefore, let us echo the sentiments of Paul as we confront the reality of death--with minds set above.
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