Q: I’m so sad. My friend Karen’s dad died today, what happens after people die? Do they go right to heaven? What happens to the body after they die? My Mom just turned 96. I’m scared of what will happen when she dies. I know I’ll fall apart. I’m not a strong Christian. How does a person handle death?  —Patricia

It’s normal to be fearful regarding the process of dying. You shouldn’t be surprised that you’re troubled by the death of your friend’s father or by the thought of the approaching death of your elderly mom. We weren’t created to experience death. Death is a process that came as the result of sin (Genesis 3:19). It’s the “last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26)—something that we naturally and instinctively dread.

Luke 19 tells how Jesus wept over the people of Jerusalem, knowing what they would endure at the hands of their enemies. John 11 tells how He wept at the grave of Lazarus, overcome with the ugliness of death and the sadness of his friends.

God wouldn’t be a loving Father if He were indifferent to our vulnerability in suffering and death. He knows that they’re deeply disturbing and frightening to His children. He knows that we’re not angels, but fragile beings of flesh and blood. He—like His Son—grieves our separation from loved ones.

But in spite of its ugliness, the inevitability of death makes us consider the big issues and set priorities in life. It helps us humble ourselves before God and make wholesome choices. Although death is the “last enemy,” it’s an enemy that has already been overcome by Christ, and death itself will eventually be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).

It’s good that you’re conscious of the limited time you have to fellowship with your mom in this world. Be sure to spend time with her and enjoy the opportunity to share memories and encourage each other in the faith. When she dies, you will grieve, as grief is a healthy response to the tragedy of death in a fallen world. However, “our sorrow isn’t like those who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13).

In one of her books, Corrie Ten Boom wrote about how she dreaded and feared the death of her father. She eventually talked to him, asking why God didn’t take away her fears. In response, he drew an analogy. He said, “When you are going to take the train to Amsterdam, when do you pick up the ticket?” She said, “Just before I leave.” He responded, “That is what it will be like when I die. When the moment comes that you need God’s grace, He will give you all that you need!”

Everyone dreads the deaths of people we love, but the same Holy Spirit who has been our Teacher, Comforter, and Protector throughout our lives will help us at our time of greatest need.

Remember the Apostle’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

The New Testament doesn’t give a detailed description of the intermediate state of those who die in Jesus Christ. The focus of the apostle Paul is on the wonder and joy of the resurrection (1Thess. 4:13-18; Rom. 8:18-23). He said, however, that to die is gain because it is to “be with Christ” (Phil. 1:21-23), and that to be away from the earthly “body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-8). Jesus promised the thief on the cross that he would “this day” be with Him in “paradise.”

Christians who have passed on are enjoying a conscious state of blessedness in God’s presence. Although we don’t know much about heaven from this side of the veil, we know we will eventually be reunited with our loved ones in a much better place (Matthew 26:29; John 14:2; 17:24; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Hebrews 13:14; Revelations 7:17)!  —Dan Vander Lugt

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