David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 8:1-13

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. ² (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) ³ But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

⁴ But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. ⁵ Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. ⁶ Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. ⁷ Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city.

⁹ A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. ¹⁰ Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” ¹¹ They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

¹² But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

My dad died when he was 64 years old, after a 7 month battle with lung cancer. Two sisters died – both younger – died before their time. My mom died having reached the age of 93. We’ve also lost a daughter-in-law well before her time, and a brother-in-law before his time. In every case, even though the times surrounding their deaths were difficult. Death was no friend. In fact, as we saw their time ebb away, we were seeing death at work.

Some people think that death is their friend – especially in the face of terrible suffering. But that’s not what the Bible teaches us. Death saps the life from us. It eats away flesh and spirit. It steals strength from our bodies. Death is an enemy. Here’s how Paul puts it in his letter to the church in Corinth:

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. – 1 Corinthians 15:21-26

When my dad died, I had the distinct conviction that the dying had ended. Death had done its worst. A man gone too soon. I could say that because he had experienced only temporal death. And as bad as that was, eternal death is even worse. Imagine a dying that never ends. Think of a passing that is never complete. It’s too terrible fully to imagine!

When Stephen died, Luke tells us, “Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.” They mourned because death is bad. It is no friend. But they did not mourn without hope. Stephen was not given over to eternal death. Stephen’s died confessing Jesus as Lord, and standing at the right hand of God. Jesus had conquered death. Still an enemy, it does not have the final say. 

For those who are in Christ, death is no friend. But death ends. We may rightly mourn when a loved one dies. But we look beyond death to an eternity of joy, peace, and glorious life.