What Happens After Death Part 3

So you see, he experienced your natural fear of death. Of course it was for a different reason. For you the cause of fear may be uncertainty, or if you're saved it's just a fear of a new experience.

With Jesus it was knowing that in dying, his pure spotless soul was going to have the foul sins of the world laid on him, and then with them on him he was to have the excruciating pain of slow torture and exposure to ridicule.

How did God the Father answer his cry of fear? By Jesus knowing that he could trust his Spirit safely into his Father's hands. 'Into your hands I commend my spirit.' That's what you can do - trust your spirit into God's care after death. You can do that if you trust in the cross for forgiveness. That which caused Christ agony and fear is the very thing which can bring you comfort and peace. Your sins were transferred to him, they caused him pain and fear, but by believing that, that can bring you the joy of assurance that your sins are gone, taken away by your Saviour, who takes away your fear. Here are some more letters from readers who have seen people die with joy in their faces.

After Death - Christ's Experience

How moving it is to read of a child's death. Here is a letter from Swindon about a child who was only two years old, but she was dying. Suddenly she lifted up her arms as if to be carried to heaven and said excitedly 'Door! Door!' The mother believed the gates of heaven were opening to the child.

We have seen, from the Media Services Agency, that eighty-one per cent of the British public want to know what happens to them after death. Thirty-four per cent wanted to know about heaven, thirty-one per cent about after death and sixteen per cent how to get to heaven.

The Bible gives you information about this, but an important clue is what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ after death. It tells you that the Spirit of Jesus descended into Hades.

I had a letter from a listener asking about this: 'How can you say that Jesus descended into Hades, when the Bible says he descended into hell?' The original Greek in which the New Testament was written, says, 'Hades'. It is only the Authorised Version that says he descended into hell. We love the Authorised Version, but you must remember, it is only a translation - a very good one it is true but it must always be checked with the original language.

What does the original tell us? It tells us that it is only after the judgement day that the unsaved will be cast into hell, Gehenna or hell-fire. Until then the unsaved are held on detention. The saved section was called paradise. It was to that part of Hades to which the Spirit of Jesus descended. Luke chapter 23 tells you that Jesus saw the repentant thief there. Let me quote it: 'Truly I say to you, this day you will be with me in paradise.'

Yes, the Lord Jesus was telling him that the same day of the crucifixion, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus and the spirit of the saved thief would meet in paradise.

The spirit of that man saved at the last minute would not go to the place of the lost.

Some try to cheat God and say that they will repent on their deathbed. Little do they realise that it is the Holy Spirit who convinces a man of sin (John 16), and he will not always strive with a man. The Bible says. 'God is not mocked; whatever a man sows that will he also reap.'

If you feel urged to receive salvation, then don't put it off. 'Procrastination is the thief of souls.' In 2 Corinthians 6:2, God says to you, 'Behold, now is the time to accept, now is the day of salvation.'

Why Raise The Body?