Oh to Be With Our Lord Jesus!

Attending a funeral will call to mind the important questions, one of which must be, what is the greatest desire of the saint in death and the resurrection?

For many, the desire of the resurrection is to resume an interrupted life, full of enjoyment and friends and creativity and work.

Indeed, the loss of life means never seeing the fondest desires of this life fulfilled. We all die with some great task unfinished, some cherished cause short of victory.

Such was the case with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He declared he was not worried about dying, because he had seen "the promised land" of political equality. But when he was assassinated, his chance to see the reality of his vision was forever cut off.

Contrast this with the experience of the saints: we struggle for Christ's cause and the Gospel, but when we die, we die having never seen Christ's rule actualized with a physical kingdom and throne.

But that does not mean we shall not see it, for none of the saints will miss out on the kingdom! When Christ comes to rule here, there will be no solemn memorials to the saints who did not live to see it, because we will all be raised by our Prince! There will be no "fallen comrades" to recall fondly, for we will all be present and rejoicing!

For the believer then, the important causes are not lost to us in death. One day we shall see righteousness rule, and evil put down. One day we shall see all the splendors of the heavens!

But none of these things, as banal, or as excellent as they may be, are the true greatest desire of the saints in resurrection.

Paul preached that to be present with the Lord Jesus is the greatest desire of the believer!