June 14, 2004

Ascended!

We are . . . well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.—2 Corinthians 5:8

Joseph Parker (1830-1902) was a beloved English preacher. When his wife died, he didn't have the customary wording inscribed on her gravestone. Instead of the word died followed by the date of her death, he chose the word ascended.

Parker found great comfort in being reminded that though his wife's body had been placed in the grave, the "real" Mrs. Parker had been transported to heaven and into the presence of her Savior. When Parker himself died, his friends made sure that his gravestone read:

ASCENDED NOVEMBER 28, 1902

When a believing loved one dies, or when we ourselves face the process of dying, there's great comfort in the fact
that "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Death for us is not a dark journey into the unknown. It is not a lonely walk into a strange and friendless place. Rather, it is a glorious transition from the trials of earth into the joys of heaven, where we will be reunited with our loved ones in Christ who have gone before. Best of all, we will enjoy the presence of our Lord forever.

Yes, when a believer dies, the body is buried but not the soul. It has ascended! —Richard De Haan

Oh, how blessed is the promise
When our spirit is set free:
To be absent from the body
Means to live, O Lord, with Thee! —Bosch

For the Christian, death is the doorway to Glory.