Death Will Not Be the End of the Story

The final lie he confronts is this: “My death will be the end of my story.” Praise God that for those who are in Christ, death is the doorway to everlasting life. While we grieve Robert’s absence, we rejoice in the truth he proclaimed—that because of Jesus, the “end” will not be the end. And it will be wonderful.

One day you and I are going to die. Our demise may come at the close of a protracted illness or it may come suddenly. A struggle with cancer or a fatal car accident. A slow and awful experience with Alzheimer’s or a sudden heart attack. Regardless of the journey, the destination will always be death.

So when this happens to you and me, what will it be like? Have you wondered about this?

I have.

And what will you say moments before you breathe your last? Will it be as Sir Winston Churchill said, “I’m bored with it all”? Or perhaps like John Wayne, whose daughter asked him moments before he breathed his last whether he knew who she was, to which he responded, “Of course, I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”¹ Or maybe like Leonardo da Vinci who sighed, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”

In 2014, I heard the final words of my wife of almost forty-five years. Lying on her hospital bed in the middle of our family room, she took me by my shirt, pulled my face close to hers and said in a voice clear and strong, “I love you so much.” Then she closed her eyes and died. You may not have seen death this close.

I have.

We are not alone in our wondering about death. Throughout history, people have gone to amazing lengths to prepare for their own death. Egypt’s pyramids were built by the pharaohs as the final resting place for their bodies and a safe place from which to ascend to the afterlife. Some even ordered the execution of their slaves at their own passing, so they could be as lavishly served in death as they were in life. (Note: Always read the fine print in your employment contract.)

Over the years, men and women have had “near-death experiences.” They’ve expired but been resuscitated. The reports they give are varied—long tunnels, twinkling lights, strange musical instruments, images of glowing beings. But every one of these people who has had a trial run at death will . . . die. No coming back. This time for real. For sure.

It would come as no surprise to you that the Bible has much to say about death.

And After That . . .

In fact, God’s Word says two inarguable things. First, it’s going to happen. You will die. I will die. 

But the second thing is even more important than the first. This is encapsulated in these three words: “and after that.” 

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)

After our eyelids close for the last time, family members and friends will say their “goodbyes.” Folks will weep. People will recount for each other memories of the friendship they shared with us. Some may describe their experience standing next to our gray, cooling body and what it was like at our end.

But, for us, this will not be the end. Like the infomercials on late-night television or on our computers, “That’s not all. There’s more.”

The writer of the Bible book of Hebrews inserts those three words . . . “and after that.”

So what, exactly, is “and after that”? What will happen to us?

In a word, judgment.

Can I Please See Your License and Registration? 

Not long ago, Nancy and I were driving through a residential area in Atlanta. We were happily chatting about the meeting where we were headed. I was not paying any attention to my speed. Unfortunately for me, someone else was.

Suddenly, a policeman stepped on to the road ahead of me. Literally, on the street right in front of me. He did not look happy. Even though he was wearing dark sunglasses, I knew he was looking directly at me. His finger pointing in my direction further punctuated his displeasure. My heart sank. You’ve been here, haven’t you?

Our “and after that” will be far more sobering than my experience that day in Atlanta. You and I will not be in the presence of a mortal policeman. We will be standing before the God of the universe. His “radar gun” will actually be a record book of everything we have done. 

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. (Revelation 20:12 ESV) 

Our hearing before this Judge might go something like this: His righteous finger will scan the list until He finds your name. If you have confessed your sin, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, He will find an asterisk. A footnote. The reference has next to it a familiar symbol. A cross. Because you have received the forgiveness Jesus provided through His death and resurrection, your “and after that” will be access into heaven. 

Here’s what He promised about our “and after that.” 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:1–2 ESV) 

So, yes . . . you and I will die. This is a certainty. But this will not be the end of your story or mine. And because we know Jesus, the next story will be a good one. He has promised that.

The Truth

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and the grave. Your “end” and mine will not be the end. And it will be wonderful.

This excerpt was adapted from Robert Wolgemuth, Lies Men Believe (Chicago: Moody, 2018). Used with permission.

¹ Miss Cellania, “The Final Days of John Wayne,” Neatorama, http://www.neatorama.com/2014/03/05/The-Final-Days-of-John-Wayne/.