Death: The great equalizer

“He is the most popular man in the world,” said Shepard Smith for Fox News, speaking of Michael Jackson. “He’s the greatest entertainer on the planet.” Another news anchor questioned, “How could this happen?”

Here is the simple answer, written 2,000 years ago in Hebrews 9:27: “…Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”

In fact, 3,000 years ago King Solomon said it thusly: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Death is the great equalizer. Death knows no talent, race, economic situation or political position. Death comes to all. Armed with this information, we are once again reminded to make eternal preparations our priority. Secondly, we should help others with their own preparations.

What should we do? Our task is spelled out in Acts 2:38.

• Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord
• Repent, which means to turn from sin
• Confess Jesus publicly
• Be baptized
• Follow Jesus
  

The reality is that death is a transition into eternity, not the end. But there is no certainty of our own day of transformation. Therefore we need to work now — starting, restarting or renewing our relationship with King Jesus. As I’ve heard stated, “You can live without Jesus, but your eternity will be a mess if you die without Him.”

Perhaps the Apostle Paul’s words to the church of Philippi in Philippians 2:5-11 will serve as motivation for us:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.