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“"Absent the Body and Present with the Lord?"”

Thoughts for Today:

[Please note: I recognize there are other interpretations of our present and subsequent passages, however the following represents my personal view of our text.]

According to Luke 16, "Abraham's side" or paradise, was where Old Testament believers (those who looked forward to the coming Messiah) went after they died. They were not able to go to heaven because Jesus had not yet died for their sin. (Luke 16:22-26: "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'")

In our passage today, Paul answers one of our many questions: What happened to Old Testament believers who died before Jesus came to earth? He does so, by quoting Psalm 68:18a: "When you ascended on high, you took many captives." I believe this is a reference to the Old Testament believers who went to paradise (or "Abraham's side") when they died. When Christ ascended to heaven, He took these believers with Him out of paradise and into the very presence of God. Today, when a believer dies, we are not taught that we go to paradise, but rather, when we are absent the body we are present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8: "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.")

Questions to Ponder:

The Bible can seem very confusing and illogical unless we read it from God's perspective: It's all about Jesus -- His love, His sacrifice, and His redemption of humanity. All the pieces fit perfectly together. Are you at times confused by Scripture? Do you see Jesus at the core of everything? Read it again from God's point of view.

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.