“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 (ESV)
What accolades would you want your family and friends give you at your funeral? No, I don’t recommend that we write them into our last will and testament, but we should think about this “appointed” event, and live in such a manner that family and friends naturally remember us with blessings.
In Ecclesiastes 3:2, the Preacher teaches that there is a time to die. Like our births, the Creator also controls the reservation of our deaths. The word “appointed” as used in Hebrews 9:27 includes the sense of a reservation. First, let’s acknowledge that the Hebrews author illustrates the “once-and-for-all” sufficiency of Christ’s crucifixion for the sins of the world. Second, let’s acknowledge his point that death and judgment are reserved for every person.
No one wants to think about their demise, much less discuss it, because if we ignore it then maybe it won’t occur. But the only way anyone escapes death is through faith in the Crucified, Resurrected Christ, and the first resurrection! And no one will escape the judgment before Christ! The beloved Apostle Paul wrote: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:8 ESV).
So then, today’s devotional is not intended as some morbid preparation for Halloween. Rather, both Ecclesiastes and Hebrews authors are warning us to prepare ourselves for these inevitable appointments. So the more important consideration isn’t about our funeral eulogies, but what the Judge of Judges will say about us.
Dear Father, thank you for the Resurrected Christ who is coming back for “those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Empower us with faith to both believe in and eagerly wait for Him. Strengthen us to prepare for His judgment. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today in your reservation in Christ,