Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25, BSB)

The fear of death has long plagued humanity. It’s a universal dread that hangs over the whole world. It’s the knowledge that one day, we won’t wake up. One day, our loved ones, our family members, our favorite pet, all those we treasure most in life, will no longer be here. That’s a sobering thought.

And the fear of death is one that humans have tried to deal with from the beginning. How do we escape this fear? What hope do we have? What answers and assurance are there for us?

In his Gospel, the Apostle John wants us to see that the only remedy for the fear of death is the God of life, whom we meet in Jesus Christ. That’s why John puts so much focus on who Jesus is. He knows that nothing else matters if we get Jesus wrong.

God doesn’t want you to live your whole life in fear of death. He wants to give you the assurance of life found in Christ.

John 8 narrates a high-octane dialogue between Jesus and His biggest critics, the religious leaders of Israel. Jesus makes some astounding claims, calling these leaders “slaves to sin” and saying the devil is their daddy.[1] As you can imagine, those comments didn’t sit well with them.

These religious leaders figured, “Well, we can fight fire with fire!” So, they come back with this attack:

The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” (John 8:48, NIV)

Calling Jesus a “Samaritan” was supposed to be a racial slur, but that’s not the thing that bothered Jesus. However, calling the holy Son of God “demon-possessed” is outright blasphemy. So why would they do that?

See, it was so hard to deny that something supernatural was happening with Jesus. Even the Jewish Talmud concedes that Jesus was doing some kind of supernatural deeds, but they attribute them to satanic sorcery. Some Jews today still believe that Jesus was in league with the devil.

In fact, Rabbi Daniel Asor, not long ago said, “Jesus was a false prophet, for he acted only through sorcery. He himself is the embodiment of Satanism.”

But today, that’s a minority opinion on Jesus. Most people today think of Jesus as a kindly “Mr. Rogers” type of guy who was just a great example of love and compassion. People like Madonna and Justin Timberlake have worn T-shirts calling Jesus their “Homeboy.” Oprah Winfrey has said that she finds Jesus to be an “inspiration,” and Brad Pitt has said that he “respects” Him. That sounds pretty safe. Who wouldn’t want to get on board with a Jesus who is there to cheer us on and left an example of love and kindness?

Now, it’s true that Jesus was full of love and compassion. In fact, no one else comes even close. But what if this view of Jesus is so watered down that it’s not even recognizable when we look at what the real Jesus said and did?

There’s a sense in which people like Brad Pitt say they “respect” Jesus because it allows them to stay a safe distance away and avoid the biggest truth about who Jesus claimed to be. But Jesus doesn’t merely want to be respected or inspire us to be nice. He came into this world making the most earth-shaking claims imaginable. So, to downplay what Jesus actually said is to ignore the real Jesus.

See, who Jesus really is matters because if Jesus claimed to be God 2,000 years ago, that claim still stands today. If it was true in the first century, it must be true in the 21^st century.

So, Jesus sets the record straight.

“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” (John 8:49-51, NIV)

And here Jesus makes an enormous claim. “Whoever obeys [or holds to or commits themselves to] His Word will never see death.”

Jesus is referring to spiritual death: separation from God. He’s speaking in the same sense as when John earlier said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”[2]

Jesus is saying that He alone holds the answer to the timeless question of our mortality.

Many philosophers have made the case that the fear of death drives nearly all human behavior. Even when we’re not conscious of it, it’s there under the surface, shaping the way that we approach all of life. Some have said that philosophy itself is the mind’s way of trying to transcend the looming specter of death.

But of course, it’s not just philosophers that have tried to overcome the fear of death.

Here’s what the Bible says. Jesus died for us, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15, NIV).

Interestingly, people have tried all sorts of ways to get around death, to stave it off, and avoid it. But God calls us to confront the reality of our own death, so that we will be prepared for what comes next. So, here’s a question: How often do you reflect on your own death? Most people try to avoid the subject as much as possible.

If you were to ask the Bible, “Why do we die?” The answer is that we were never meant to die. Death is an enemy and a foreign invader into God’s good world (1 Corinthians 15:26). It’s here because sin is here (Romans 5:12). When our first parents rebelled against God, death made its first entry. That’s because when you rebel against the God of life, death is the result. This fear of death tells us that things are not as they should be. And people have come up with all sorts of ways to try to deny death.

Believe it or not, there are those today who have the hope that through medical advancements, like stem cell research and nanobots, they will be able to avoid death altogether. The logic goes something like this: We know that death is caused by certain diseases, disorders, or bodily malfunctions, so all we must do is find a cure for every disease and disorder, and we will be able to live indefinitely.

The first Facebook president, Sean Parker, has boasted: “Because I’m a billionaire, I’m going to have access to better healthcare… I’m going to be like 160 and I’m going to be part of this, like, class of immortal overlords.”

He’s not the only one talking this way. In a recent TED talk, British researcher Aubrey de Grey claimed that through nanobot technology, “the first human beings who will live to 1,000 years old have already been born.” As it turns out, the search for the mythical fountain of youth has continued even in the 21^st century.

But at the end of the day, I have to say, it’s all incredibly foolish. There’s only One who can save you from death, and I assure you, it’s not nanobots! It’s the One who called Himself “The Resurrection and the Life.”

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

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[1] John 8:31-44

[2] John 3:36, NIV