We Have An Escape

After being saved I began listening to the teachings of John MacArthur. They were foundational in my early Christian growth. In his 56 years of ministry, he preached through the entire Bible. His recent death is a great loss, but I am thankful to have gained great understanding of the Scripture through his expository approach to preaching over the years.

Not only was he a solid teacher, but he stood firm against the declining culture, even on controversial issues. I pray that the Lord will raise up more mighty men of conviction and courage to proclaim the Gospel in these latter days.

The longer we live, the more death we will see and the more grief we will experience. Grief and death will continue to plague us until the Lord’s return or until we finally go home.

However, we are not to live in grief and death, we are to live in Jesus Christ – the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

Grief and death are what God uses to help us to see our eternal need for His salvation.

Matthew 5:3-4 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

It is good to see all the tributes, old videos, and comments being made about John MacArthur. He will be missed by many! This particular post I am sharing below caught my attention. It was written by Scott Aniol. I hope you appreciate it too:

“I recently finished teaching through Genesis and was struck by how much attention is given to Jacob’s death at the end of the book.

In light of John MacArthur’s death, here is a thread on why it is good for Christians to mourn.

Why does Genesis, a book beginning with life, dedicate its final chapter to the long, elaborate funeral of Jacob?

Because Scripture teaches us how to face death: we accept it, and we defy it.

First, we ACCEPT death as the enemy it is. Our culture uses euphemisms and turns funerals into “celebrations of life,” trying to gloss over the tragedy.

But the Bible doesn’t ignore death. Death is the unnatural wage of sin (Genesis 2:17, 1 Corinthians 15:21). It is an intruder in God’s good world.

Because death is an enemy, it is good and right for Christians to mourn.

Joseph wept over his father.
The nation of Egypt mourned for 70 days.
At his friend’s tomb, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

Sorrow is not a sign of weak faith. It’s an honest response to loss.

But our mourning is fundamentally different. We accept death, but we also DEFY it.

Paul is clear: “…we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Our grief has a limit: hope.

This hope in spite of death is anchored to an historical event: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Christ’s empty tomb is the guarantee of our own resurrection.

Jacob’s funeral modeled this. The deep sorrow acknowledged death’s sting. But the arduous journey to bury him in Canaan was an act of defiant faith—a down payment on God’s promise of a future inheritance, a “better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).

So, Christian, mourn. Go to the house of mourning (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Feel the sadness of loss.

But do so with indestructible hope, standing on the promise of the resurrection. We grieve, but we mock the grave, for our King has already conquered it.

“O grave, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).”