Christ is my life
The Apostle Paul did not write his letter to the church in Philippi on a sunny terrace, but in prison in Rome. He did not know if or how his life would continue. I adopted the title of this sermon, "Christ is my life," from Paul.
Phil 1,21-23 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to continue living in the flesh, that will increase my fruitfulness; and so I do not know what to choose. For I am torn between the two: I desire to depart from the world and be with Christ, which is far better.”
Christ is my life
Paul says, "Christ is my life." That is the present. He doesn't say, "Jesus was my life." That would be the past. Christ is his life at all times. At the same time, Paul doesn't know what to choose. That's a difficult question. He wants to be with Jesus, but perhaps it's more necessary to stay alive and continue serving. God's will be done.
Paul does not say: "Faith is my life."
Nor: "The community is my life."
And not: "Health is my life."
Rather: "Christ is my life."
This means that our lives are not centered on our circumstances, but on a person. As long as we are healthy, we often don't notice this. We easily build on what is visible. Illness raises different questions. Then we suddenly realize: What truly sustains us? What remains when so much is gone?
I'm thinking of someone from our personal circle. He is exceptionally kind and helpful, pitches in wherever he can, and radiates joy and love with his cheerful nature. He's someone you cherish and don't want to let go of. One day, a doctor delivered the diagnosis to him and his family that, from a medical perspective, there was no cure for his serious illness. This was a devastating blow for him, for his family, and for all who pray for his healing before God's throne. Nevertheless, we are all called to steadfastly walk the path that testifies to our complete trust in God.
For us, another question arises: Are we ready to entrust a loved one to God's hands, whatever may happen? Where does this thought, this certainty, come from? And even more importantly: Can this certainty sustain our hearts when we encounter sickness, suffering, or death? Jesus gives us the answer:
Joh 6,47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”
Jesus doesn't say, "He might get it someday." Instead, he says, "He has it." Faith connects us with Christ even today, because eternal life doesn't begin only after death. It begins where a person trusts in Jesus.
That is why Paul could say, "Christ is my life." Since the new birth, this has become a reality for believers. In trusting in God, we are present here on earth and then also in God's glory. Eternal life does not begin sometime in the future, but now.
Faith sees beyond what is visible.
How do we arrive at such certainty? Through faith. Faith is a gift and does not mean understanding everything. Faith means trusting the Lord Jesus.
Let us consider Abraham. In his old age, God gave him Isaac, the promised son. Then came the most difficult trial of his life. God called upon him to sacrifice Isaac. From a human perspective, this was incomprehensible. Abraham trusted God and thought:
Hebr 11,17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; having already received the promises, Abraham gave up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, ‘Your descendants will be called after Isaac.’ 19 He thought, ‘God is able to raise up from the dead; and as a demonstration of this, he received him back.’”
Abraham saw beyond what was visible. That is faith. That is why he is also called the father of believers. Circumstances do not determine the truth. Jesus himself is the truth.
Joh 14,6 “Jesus said to Thomas: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We see the same thing with the disciples. They are sitting in the boat. A great storm breaks out. The waves crash into the boat, and Jesus is asleep. For the disciples, everything speaks against safety. Everything visible screams: "We are going under and we will perish!"
The reality of God was greater than their fear. Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and the water. They subsided, and all was still. Jesus asked, "Where is your faith?" not, "Why are you afraid?" The question is: In the midst of fear, whom do we trust?
Sick people and their companions know the struggle with illness, its severe side effects and consequences, and the days filled with questions. The Lord asks even today: "Do you trust me?" Not because the waves and the water are small, but because He is greater than the storm.
Dying is my gain
An astonishing truth awaits us in Johannes 11Jesus' friend Lazarus has died. He has been in the tomb for four days. Everything seems to be over. Jesus says to Martha, a sister of the deceased:
Joh 11,25-27 “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whoever lives by believing in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
We have the great privilege that the one who is resurrection and life dwells within us: Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from him.
Kol 1,25-27 “I became your servant by the commission God gave me for you, to preach the word of God in its fullness, the mystery that has been hidden for ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of the Gentiles.”
We are one with him. We did not grasp Christ, but he grasped us so that we might now grasp him. What holds us is always his grasp. He is faithful and lets us find refuge in him. These are very comforting words. Jesus said:
Joh 11,11 “Lazarus, our friend, is asleep, but I am going to wake him up.”
Jesus speaks of death as if it were a sleep. Not because death is harmless, but because for Jesus it is only temporary. It separates the living from the dead. Death does not have the final word. Jesus has absolute power over death. That is why Jesus' promises apply to us today as well. Jesus, who called Lazarus from the tomb, will also call us by name.
Joh 6,40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
This is the living hope of all Christians. We believe in the resurrection, in Jesus' victory over death, and in a new life with God.
Jesus trusted his Father
At the Last Supper, Jesus knew what suffering and disgrace awaited him, even unto death. Therefore, it is a great help to pay attention to the words he gives us to guide us on our journey.
Joh 14,28 “You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.”
From the time of Adam to the present day, we have lived in a story that is both ending and beginning. Through our sin, we have all brought about the ending of a story: death. Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, we simultaneously live in a spiritually beginning story.
Herein lies our challenge. Those we have grown fond of in this world do not belong to us, but to God. Therefore, we should rejoice when a loved one, who has loved others, is with the Lord. Jesus consciously walks the path of suffering for us. Not because he takes pleasure in pain, but because he trusts the Father completely. He walks this path so far that he could say, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Jesus placed himself in his Father's hands with complete trust. (Lk 23,46).
For Paul, death does not mean the loss of fellowship with Christ, but rather perfected fellowship with Christ. He looks forward to his home with God.
2. Kor 5,5 “But he who has prepared us for this is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”
The Holy Spirit is, in a sense, God's down payment, the pledge of coming glory. A foretaste. A guarantee. Not because we are strong, but because God is faithful. In this, Paul trusted in what is still invisible to us, which Jesus accomplished for us through his death and resurrection.
1. Petr 1,8-9 “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and now, although you do not see him, you believe in him; and you will rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you have received the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Therefore, we too can place our own future in God's hands. Jesus has walked this path before us. He knows our feelings, our fears, and our melancholy. He knows the way and walks it with us. We are never alone.
A deep longing to be with Christ
Paul had a deep longing to be with Jesus: “For I am torn between two things: I desire to depart from the world and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Phil 1,23).
Ps 37,4 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
The word "delight" expresses what was crucial for David, Paul, and us: the deepest, most heartfelt longing to be with Christ, the Lord. This verse was written by King David, a man after God's own heart. The words offer us a promise that surpasses everything else. Our deep longing to be with Christ brings us joy, kindness, and peace. Everything is characterized by Jesus' immeasurable love.
Even in difficult times, our hearts should be filled with joy in the Lord, whom we await and in whom we trust. As we all approach our earthly end, we bear a heavy burden. Our loved ones are those left behind. This burden manifests itself in the grief for loved ones, in the fear of loneliness, and in the fear of the future. It is a time when strength and heroism do not count, but rather trust. Jesus says: "Whoever believes has eternal life." Not: whoever understands everything, whoever never doubts, or whoever is always strong, but: whoever believes.
Saving faith does not look to one's own strength. It looks to Jesus Christ. To his death. To his resurrection. To his promises.
- For the believer, death is not defeat, but a return home to Christ.
- For those left behind, the loss is nonetheless painful and should be mourned.
The Bible holds both together. It does not glorify death, nor does it take away grief. It places both under the hope of Christ.
The dying person relinquishes their earthly life but gains immediate communion with Christ. The grieving loved ones lose a dearly beloved person, but not hope. Therefore, Christians may weep and hope at the same time, because they have a deep longing for their Lord. The shortest verse in the Gospel of John contains just two words:
Joh 11,35 “Jesus wept” or “Jesus’ eyes overflowed.”
He wept because he loved. That is very comforting. Grief is not a sign of lack of faith or weakness. Grief is love missing a loved one. Christ is and remains our living hope. Christian grief includes tears.
2. Kor 1,3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
God himself comforts. He is loving and merciful at all times, and the God of all comfort. Jesus gives us an example that encourages us to comfort those who grieve. He does not go away. He never abandons us. He goes before us and will come again so that we can be where he is.
No one, not even Jesus, can make us forget. Love does not forget. Christ offers comfort, new strength, and his presence in the midst of emptiness. Jesus comforts where words are insufficient.
Joh 14,1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
No one can replace a loved one. Not even Jesus. Jesus fills the void with his presence, a void that no one else can fill. He carries us through the pain until we are reunited.
Love is the ultimate goal. It carries us all through pain and sorrow. We trust in Jesus. He gives hope to the dying and strength to the grieving, until we together experience his glory.
Röm 8,38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Dear reader, Christ is my life. This is the living hope for all of us who are mortal. A hope for time and eternity, to live in the joy of Jesus.
by Toni Püntener
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