What Happens To Us When We Die?

I only realized it myself in the last few years. Once I did, I was amazed at the irony: The Bible tells us very little about what happens to us when we die. Don't get me wrong; there are scads of Biblical information about where we'll spend eternity, but as we saw in last week's sermon, those two places aren't the same. Notice in John 14:1-6, when Jesus is trying to comfort His disciples who have just learned that His crucifixion will take place in the morning, He doesn't say, "But don't worry about that. I'm going to a better place!" Instead, He says, "I'm coming back for you someday." In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, when Paul is trying to comfort a church who has suffered the deaths of some of their best members, he doesn't say, "Trust me on this one: They are having the time of their lives right now!" Instead, he says, "Christ is returning, the dead will rise then, and we (if we're still alive at that point) will meet up with them."

For centuries, the resurrection of the dead is all most people cared about. But in our times, people want to know what happens beyond the grave. Where are my loved ones today? What will happen to me when I take my last breath? Fortunately, there is enough information in Scripture to give us a sense of relief and hope, even as we face the end of our lives. This Sunday, we'll look at passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, and several others to answer this important question. I hope I see you there.