Photo by Alain Frechette on Pexels.com

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Why are we always surprised by death? There it is coming our way down the highway. Some people veer their vehicles to the right side of the road and stop. But when others see the funeral procession, they keep going. “Who has time for this?” 

Consider two men who ran out of time. They were taken from us too early. One was 21 and the other was 41. The later was known by the sports world and the former was known in the Nashville Christian music community because of who his father is.

Of the two mentioned, the first man died on October 23, 2019. Truett McKeehan was the first-born son of Christian rapper, TobyMac. According to the autopsy, he died due to an acute combined drug intoxication. His manner of death was accidental.

The second man, Kobe Bryant, died tragically along with his 13-year old daughter Gianna, and seven other people. On January 26, 2020 the helicopter  they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, California. Kobe was known way beyond the sports world evidenced by the universal outpouring of prayers and support his surviving family members received.

However, the shock of Kobe’s death seems to have struck a chord with a lot of folks, unlike the passing of other famous people. Why is that? I’m sure someone has asked, “God, why did you allow a good person like Kobe to taste death at the young age of 41?”

No human can figure out the mysterious timing of death. But in the bigger scheme of things what is our hope? Jesus confronted death head on. Listen to Luke tell his story: 

“A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (7:12-15, NLT)

Satan used to have the power of death, but Hebrews says, “Because God’s children are human beings-made of flesh and blood-the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” (2:14, NLT)

No, God does not step into every single depressive situation in our lives by immediately reversing the circumstances or the deaths of our loved ones and friends. But He will one day. John says “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4, NLT) That’s our hope of death. Do you have that peace? Ask God for it.

Click below for video by TobyMac, produced after his son died.