Since the beginning time, civilizations have been concerned with burial rituals. For example, the ancient Egyptians buried their nobles with oils and wrapped them in bandages, while surrounding the deceased with his or her worldly possessions. Or for example, the Vikings set their dead adrift on water and then set the boat on fire. With modern medical advances and other external factors, society has become concerned with the issue of end of life or extraordinary care measures. These care directives are disclosed through a what is known as a Living Will, and are established while a person is still alive. In addition, society also invokes a last will and testament. This document pertains only to life after death, and can detail instructions about
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Life is especially difficult for the living because numerous wonders are attached to death; thus, making it difficult to always comprehend the fullness of the situation; especially if divine meaning is attached. Much like death, the Discourses are confusing because “The discourses do not necessarily follow a clear and logical progression (Koester para.5). In John’s passages, we can see this in the disciples as Jesus explains that in a short time they will not see Him; however, He also states that also in a short time they will see Him. In the excitement of following Jesus, the Disciples forgot that in order to fulfill the prophecy, Jesus must rise from the dead. Only after rising from the dead, could He prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. Death is a facet of nature that can never be fully comprehended. We understand that everyone dies; however, it is not until we reach Heaven that we can attain hindsight about the life that we lived and the death that faced us. Only then will we be able to celebrate the destiny that God created for …show more content…
Funerals are not only a presentation of a body in order for one to pay his or her last respects, but a celebration of the life that the deceased lived. At funerals family and friends gather and recount memories and stories of the person’s life and deliver eulogies that tell the world importance of this one life. Koester notes the oddity of when this passage is read because it is confusing to read such a depressing story during such a joyous time. Koester clarifies this enigma by stating that, for the disciples, while the events that transpired before and after Easter are melancholy, they have a cause for celebration because our Savior has defied the laws of nature and rose from the dead (para.3). In addition to celebrating this triumph, Jesus has also bequeathed to us an inheritance of eternal salvation and forgiveness of sin. As a way to explain and cope with death, we often say that the body is just an empty shell, that the soul left the body at the moment of death and ascended into Heaven. What if during the time Jesus’ body could not be located, it was because His body, although flesh and blood, was also all soul and still in Heaven waiting to return? We see this possibly explained in Acts 1:9-11 when Jesus ascends into Heaven. Jesus’ body is not left on Earth for us to venerate
Life is especially difficult for the living because numerous wonders are attached to death; thus, making it difficult to always comprehend the fullness of the situation; especially if divine meaning is attached. Much like death, the Discourses are confusing because “The discourses do not necessarily follow a clear and logical progression (Koester para.5). In John’s passages, we can see this in the disciples as Jesus explains that in a short time they will not see Him; however, He also states that also in a short time they will see Him. In the excitement of following Jesus, the Disciples forgot that in order to fulfill the prophecy, Jesus must rise from the dead. Only after rising from the dead, could He prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. Death is a facet of nature that can never be fully comprehended. We understand that everyone dies; however, it is not until we reach Heaven that we can attain hindsight about the life that we lived and the death that faced us. Only then will we be able to celebrate the destiny that God created for …show more content…
Funerals are not only a presentation of a body in order for one to pay his or her last respects, but a celebration of the life that the deceased lived. At funerals family and friends gather and recount memories and stories of the person’s life and deliver eulogies that tell the world importance of this one life. Koester notes the oddity of when this passage is read because it is confusing to read such a depressing story during such a joyous time. Koester clarifies this enigma by stating that, for the disciples, while the events that transpired before and after Easter are melancholy, they have a cause for celebration because our Savior has defied the laws of nature and rose from the dead (para.3). In addition to celebrating this triumph, Jesus has also bequeathed to us an inheritance of eternal salvation and forgiveness of sin. As a way to explain and cope with death, we often say that the body is just an empty shell, that the soul left the body at the moment of death and ascended into Heaven. What if during the time Jesus’ body could not be located, it was because His body, although flesh and blood, was also all soul and still in Heaven waiting to return? We see this possibly explained in Acts 1:9-11 when Jesus ascends into Heaven. Jesus’ body is not left on Earth for us to venerate