Death - the real 'final frontier'!

I was a bit of a fan of the original Star Trek series - with Jim, and Mr. Spock; Dr. McCoy and Scottie; Lts. Sulu and Uhura - as the Starship Enterprise travelled to where no man had gone before; crossing the 'final frontier' of space.

I thought of that today as I attended the funeral service for a lady whom I had known for only a short time, but for whom I had developed a genuine affection.  Margaret was a member of Calderhead-Erskine Parish Church, where I was privileged to minister for some six months leading up to the induction of a new minister.  She was a musician, who occasionally assisted at the worship services - and played regularly elsewhere; but my memory of her will be of a pleasant, friendly, person who always looked to be very happy.

Margaret's death was sudden, and totally unexpected.  But that's often the way with death, is it not?  In Margaret's case it was a late diagnosis of cancer that gave her but a week to live.  In other cases, it might be a fatal road traffic accident; or a stabbing; or a heart attack.  And that's why we should all make our preparation while we may. 

As my friend Rev.Iain Murdoch, who conducted the services both in the church building, and at the local crematorium, pointed out, what was in the coffin was not the Margaret who had been a faithful wife for 42 years, and a loving mother for some 40 of them.  It was only a shell - the mortal vehicle that she had used during her earthly sojourn.

The real Margaret has crossed the real final frontier - not of space and time, but into a dimension that is above and beyond both.  It's a frontier that each of us is required to cross - at least until the Biblical Rapture, and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus!  But that's where there is a real difference.  Because we are not going where no man has gone before.  He has already made that journey!   And He has promised that, for all who have placed their trust, not in their own efforts, but in His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, He has prepared a place! (John 14:2-3).  More than that, He has promised that He will, indeed, come again for His own.  He has conquered that final frontier, and it no longer holds any fear for those who belong to Him.

About 1,000 years before the birth, as a human child, of God the Son, David, the psalmist- king of Israel had penned these words: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." (Ps 23:4; RSV).  That is still true for all who are His disciples - if we walk with Him in this life, we will dwell with Him in the next.