I Almost Died

Sometimes, while “web surfing,” I would occasionally watch some video blogs from someone named Paul Harrell. Then, one day recently, I was surprised to see a post from him that was labeled, “I’m Dead.” So I clicked on the video to see what he meant. It turned out his title for the video was literally true. He explained that if you were watching this video, he had indeed died. He knew he was dying from cancer, and wanted to record this farewell video to thank people for their support and to explain the situation. It felt weird watching him explain his coming death; it was like a ghost had returned for one last message.

I mention that video because this blog almost had the same title: except in my case, fortunately, my blog is titled, “I almost died.”

So what happened? About three weeks ago, I had checked my blood sugar level before going to bed. I was shocked to see that it was very high, so I took a big dose of insulin. Then I waited to see if it dropped to a normal level. When it didn’t, I took some more insulin. Then I kept checking throughout the night. Finally it dropped. Come morning, I told Karen that I hadn’t slept at all, so now I would try to do so. Finally, I fell asleep.

When I woke up two hours later, there were five paramedics standing around the bed, and I had an IV in my hand. They kept asking me questions and told me to stand up if I could. What in the world had happened? I learned that when Karen checked on me that morning, she couldn’t wake me. I had one eye opened but not focused. I mumbled some incoherent sounds. Fearing I had suffered a stroke, she called 911 and in just a few minutes EMS and a fire truck had arrived. They checked me out and discovered it wasn’t a stroke, but a critically low blood sugar level (30 compared to 100 for normal readings; below 54 is considered severely low sugar).  They had given me a shot to kick up my sugar, then insisted I eat something before they left.

Karen saved my life by making that call. I am grateful, and sorry for all the bad things I ever said about her.

Seriously, I almost didn’t even have a chance to write a blog called, “I’m Dead.” In fact, I wasn’t as prepared to meet my end as I thought I was. As with most people, I figured my death was far in the future, and have put off preparations for the event. Before Karen’s father died, he had prepared a notebook with all the details Karen’s mother would need to know. He and his wife had an up-to-date will. And most importantly, he was a devout Christian and knew he could look forward to heaven when the time came.

I need to put together such a notebook, (and maybe a farewell blog), and Karen and I need to update our wills. Fortunately, we both know we have salvation through Jesus Christ, which I recently made clear to my doctor when he asked whether I was worried about my health concerns. I said no, because I knew what waits for me in Christ. Being a Christian, he understood what I meant.

The lesson in all this is we all know our own death is coming, but we usually don’t know “the day nor the hour” when our final breath will be. We won’t necessarily be given an advanced notice with time to get things in order. It therefor behooves us to pay attention to what the Scriptures say about death.

First, our death is inevitable. When God warned Adam that he would die if he ate the forbidden fruit, Adam’s disobedience brought death to all of us who were “in him.” After that curse, the Bible attests to this by speaking of death over 1000 times. Romans 5:12 says, “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.” Likewise, Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Our life has a certain length span to it, also: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty . . . So teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:10,12). Even with modern medicine. our life spans are not much longer than that. The fact that the second Person of the Trinity had to come to earth to die that we might live, speaks of the universality of death for us as human creatures.

Second, the only exceptions to this were Enoch, who “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24); and Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Every one else has died or will die, with one more major exception still to come: those who are alive when Christ returns will not die, “but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Third, after we die, we will face judgment. The above passage from Hebrews not only affirms the reality of death for us all, but also the inevitability of the judgment after we die. The phrase, “and after that comes judgement,” spells that out clearly. Also, our Lord Jesus spoke of this when he said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Revelation 20 describes the Great White Throne judgment: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” In Matthew 25:31-33 Jesus says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” And 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “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.” Finally, Acts 17:31 teaches, “Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Fourth,  this judgment will be different for those who are in Christ. Our names are written in the “book of life” (Revelation 20:12 and others) and we will enter the heavenly Jerusalem with no fear that our names will be removed from the book. God will “remember our sins no more”(Hebrews 8:12), so when we are judged, it will be for the rewards from our works, not for our sins (Revelation 11:18).

Fifth, there will be a general resurrection of all who died, those in Christ to eternal life, and those who are not, to the second death and hell. Revelation 20:18 says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Because of what Christ did on the cross, and by his victory over death in the open tomb, we Christians need neither fear death nor the judgment to come. This is our great hope, as we look forward to the unending joy of the life to come. Revelation 21:4 promises of that new life: “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.”

Until that day comes, we have work to do here. While we should prepare for that day in practical ways (notebooks, up-dated wills, “I am Dead” blogs, etc.), it is more important to hold fast to our faith in Christ through our prayers, Bible-reading, worship, Holy  Communion, and works of love and mercy. Whenever Christ does return, or we go to join him first, let our death not be an end, but just a milestone in our eternal walk with our Lord!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20.