Four Things God Wants Everyone To Know

by Eric Elder

What can you say to someone who’s about to pass from this life to the next? And what can you say to those who love them?

I’ve been thinking about both of those questions the past few weeks, as a close friend of ours was facing what she and all of us knew would be her last few days on earth.

As I prayed about what to say to her, I felt like God shared with me four things that He wanted me to share with her, four things that I believe God wants everyone to know. Here’s what I told her :

1) God is real.
2) Heaven is real.
3) Jesus is the way.
and 4) Don’t be afraid.

I knew she believed these things, but I just wanted to remind her just how real they were, so I just shared those things over and over with her during those final days.

When she finally passed away, her family asked if I would say a few words at the funeral service, so I asked God what He would want me to share with them. I felt like He wanted me to share with them the same four things. It turns out that they’re the same four things that Jesus said to His disciples on the night before He died. They’re recorded in the Bible in the book of John, chapter 14.

The first thing that Jesus said to them was this:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me” (John 14:1).

It was like Jesus was saying to them, “I know this is going to be a hard time for you. But God is real. He’s really here. He really cares. You can trust Him, and you can trust Me, too.”

Then Jesus told them that heaven was real, too. He said:

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

Throughout His whole life and ministry, Jesus preached about the reality of heaven. Even when He was challenged and some people questioned Him about the resurrection of the dead, Jesus said:

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Heaven is real, and it must be really incredible. Although God hasn’t told us everything that awaits us in heaven, He has told us what won’t be in heaven--and that alone is worth it! There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. There will be no more night, and we won’t even need the light of the sun, for the Lord Himself will give the light (see Revelation 21:4,23-25 and 22:5).

The song-writer Keith Green said, “I can’t wait to get to heaven!” He said that if God took six days to make all that we can see here on the earth, imagine what heaven is like, because Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us--and He’s been working on it for 2,000 years!

God wants you to know that He is real, and He wants you to know that heaven is real, too.

The third thing Jesus told His disciples was how to get to heaven, because He didn’t want them--or anyone--to miss it. He said:

“You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:4-6).

It was like Jesus was saying, “If you believe in Me, put your faith in Me, keep on following Me, then you’ll end up in the same place that I’m going--and that’s heaven!”

Jesus wants us all to keep putting our faith in Him for everything in our life. That’s why He came to earth, to die for our sins so we could be free from them--forgiven--and be with Him forever.

Having shared with them these three things--that God is real, that heaven is real, and that He was the way--Jesus shared with them the fourth thing: Don’t be afraid. Jesus said:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27b).

I’m sure He said it because He knew that they might very well be afraid. He knew that sometimes facing life is even harder than facing death, because of all the challenges that we have here. But Jesus reminded them of the same things that I’m reminding you. God is real. Heaven is real. Jesus is the way. You don’t have to be afraid.

Always remember that God loves you, He cares about you and He will take care of you. He will watch over you, He will never leave you, and He will never forsake you. Don’t be afraid.

Let’s pray...

Father, thank You for reminding us that You’re real, that heaven is real, that Jesus is the way and that we don’t have to be afraid. Help us to remember these words not only as we face death, but also as we face life here on earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

P.S. As I was sitting with our friend over these past few weeks, I was also finishing up my book on “Ephesians: Lessons In Grace.” I’ve dedicated this book in honor of her, and was able to show her a copy just a few days before she died. She was not only a good friend of the family, but also a very gracious woman herself. The twenty lessons I share in the book are lessons that have helped me in my own understanding of God’s grace, and how to better share that grace with others. If you’d like to get a copy, whether to review for yourself or to share with your friends, I’d be glad to send it to you for a donation of any size to our ministry this month.