Last week we had to have one of our horses put down. It was a very unexpected thing. The horse was older, but had been in good health. It was just one of those rare accidents that no one could predict. This horse was also my son’s horse. He joined me at the vet’s office and waited patiently to see if she would be ok or not. He was heartbroken when I had to tell him the bad news. We had only had this mare for a short time, but she was a great horse. She was easy to ride, gentle, and even affectionate. I was heartbroken too, but more because of the pain my son had to experience.
After the horse’s death we had the opportunity to talk about death in general. Death is complicated and it can be difficult for children to grasp. It’s hard for adults too. I found myself saying the same sorts of things to my son that you always hear. “Death is just a part of life.” “Death is a natural thing…” But the reality is that death isn’t natural and death was never meant to be a part of life. Let me explain what I mean.
The existence of death is one of the results of the fall of man in the garden of Eden. Our sons have been learning catechism questions and answers. One of the questions says this; in what condition did God make Adam and Eve? Answer: He made them holy and happy. Our first parents were created without sin. There was perfection in the garden. Unfortunately they chose to disobey God, thereby introducing sin into the universe. The curse of sin affected not just Adam and Eve, but all of their descendants. That means every single human being has been infected with this curse. This curse also brought death into the world. Sin is the ultimate reason why anything or anyone dies. Man was intended to live forever.
This is why death is natural…and not natural at the same time. Death exists because of the curse of sin and so we accept that it is a part of life, but it wasn’t always meant to be this way. There is something in all of us that feels this truth. Death stings, death causes grief, death often surprises us…but something about it doesn’t seem quite right.
Romans 5:12 tells us that “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
This is the sad reality of life on earth. We will all die. Our animals will die. Death exists and will continue to exist until Christ returns. However, the gospel of Jesus promises that for those who place their faith in Him, death has been defeated.
Romans 5:17 promises this; “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
Let the existence of death push you towards the one who has conquered death.