Can you say with confidence, I know where I’m going when I die? 

John 14:1-6

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believein God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that werenot so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to bewith me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place whereI am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, sohow can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and thelife. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Can we know where we will go to when we die? My dear friend Mr W seemed to know the answer to this question as he faced his imminent death. He knew where he was going because his Lord knew where he was going. Jesus’ confidence was his confidence.

 “I know where I’m going.” Just a few words, but words loaded with meaning, loaded with faith, loaded with the sure hope that was Mr W. “I know where I’m going,” he’d say to his family. “I know where I’m going,” he said to me in his last hours. “One day soon I’ll go to sleep and I won’t wake up and it’ll be okay.” This was his sure hope and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I know where I’m going.” Such great words echoing the promise of Jesus here in John 14. Mr W didn’t just speak these words. He lived them through all his many years. A real faith, steeped in the way of Jesus and the truth of Jesus and the life of Jesus. A living testimonial that death is not the end. A faith lived in his family. A faith lived in his church family. A faith lived in his community. A faith he didn’t keep to himself, testifying to Jesus midst every opportunity. 

Why was Mr W like that? Why such faith and hope? Why such confidence about where he was going? It would be easy to simply marvel at Mr W as such an amazing man of love and grace and gentleness. Yet Mr W would say to us – he did say to us – “don’t marvel at me, but at my Lord!”

Mr W was a true gentleman. He was a truly humble man. A man who wanted all the glory to go to Jesus his Lord whose death on the cross and resurrection from the dead meant he knew where he was going. To be with his Lord forever.

Head: Do you understand the massive consequences of Jesus’ death and resurrection to guarantee your eternal future at home with God?

Heart: Are you ready to face death – whether days or years from now – confident in Jesus that you know where you’re going?  

Hands: Areyou ready – as Mr W was – to sharethis testimonial to Jesus with anyone who’ll listen?

Prayer: Lord God, we give you our thanks and praise for what you have done for us and all the world through Jesus Christ. By giving him to die for us you have shown us that your love for us has no limit. By raising him from the dead you have promised that those who trust in him will share in his resurrection life. Thank you that we can know where we’re going. In Jesus’ name and the power of your Spirit. Amen.

A song to listen to: Alive

Steve Cree