[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-finish-line":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-finish-line-surround":83},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":15,"columnName":65,"date":66,"description":21,"extension":67,"image":68,"meta":69,"minRead":70,"navigation":71,"path":72,"postType":73,"publication":74,"publicationUrl":68,"seo":75,"stem":76,"topics":77,"__hash__":82},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-finish-line.md","The Finish Line",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12,13,14],"Acts","1 Corinthians","Romans","2 Corinthians","Philippians","1 Thessalonians",{"type":16,"value":17,"toc":61},"minimark",[18,22,25,28,31,34,37,40,43,46,49,52,55,58],[19,20,21],"p",{},"Everything stops when you die. At least that's how it appears.",[19,23,24],{},"Your heart stops pumping. Your lungs stop breathing. Your arms and legs stop moving. Your brain quits sending signals to your nervous system.",[19,26,27],{},"Your daily routine comes to an end. No more walking the dog. No more watching the 11:00 news. No more sipping coffee at Starbucks. No more playing with your grandchildren or cheering for your favorite team. There will be an empty desk where you used to work, an empty space where you used to park your car.",[19,29,30],{},"No more worries about money. Your paychecks will stop, and so will your taxes and bills.",[19,32,33],{},"For your loved ones everything will stop when you die—at least for a few days. Friends will take time off from work to attend your funeral. When the mortician transports your body to the cemetery, a motorcycle cop will escort the procession and traffic will stop while the hearse passes by.",[19,35,36],{},"Death is the finish line. After all, everything stops when you die—right? All enjoyment, all experience of love, all hope for the future. At least that's how it appears.",[19,38,39],{},"It looked that way when Jesus' body was taken down from the cross. Didn't bystanders hear him say, \"It is finished\"? Then after his final cry, \"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,\" his lips fell silent. His lifeless hands would perform no more miracles that day. His nail-pierced feet wouldn't walk on water anymore. His blood covered the ground where soldiers walked about, doing their jobs; and tears stained the eyes of his disciples who feared their hopes were over. After all, everything stops when you die.",[19,41,42],{},"Or does it?",[19,44,45],{},"Is death the end of it all?",[19,47,48],{},"In God's perfect plan, there's something especially fitting about the timing of Jesus' resurrection. The witnesses discovered the empty tomb at the crack of dawn, early on the first day of the week. What better way to show that something fresh and new was beginning? A new day. A new week. A new chapter in human history.",[19,50,51],{},"An event this important required abundant evidence to confirm it, so for 40 days the risen Christ offered \"many convincing proofs\" to show he was alive (Acts 1:3). His resurrection sparked the beginning of the church. It fueled the apostles' preaching. It transformed skeptics like James, doubters like Thomas, and unbelievers like Saul of Tarsus into men of faith. Jesus' resurrection validated his claims to be the Son of God, and it transforms our outlook today and forever.",[19,53,54],{},"Death isn't the end after all. In many ways it's only the beginning. We'll be resurrected too. The Bible calls Jesus' resurrection \"the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep\" (1 Corinthians 15:20)—the start of a new era of hope. Remember what happened when you were baptized? You've already joined Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-4).",[19,56,57],{},"What we call the finish line is actually the starting line. To be away from the body is to be \"at home with the Lord\" (2 Corinthians 5:8). \"To live is Christ, and to die is gain\" (Philippians 1:21). We're headed for a place where suffering stops, tears stop, loneliness stops, sin stops, mourning and misery stop. Even death itself stops. And joy goes on. Worship goes on. Life and fellowship go on in that glorious place where \"we will be with the Lord forever\" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).",[19,59,60],{},"Christ is risen indeed! We're alive and well in his presence. And that doesn't stop when we die.",{"title":62,"searchDepth":63,"depth":63,"links":64},"",2,[],"First Look","2005-03-27","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-finish-line","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":21},"articles\u002Fthe-finish-line",[78,79,80,81],"Biblical Theology","Holy Week and Resurrection","Church Leadership","Perseverance in Suffering","mzE5t2LAMUUYbvbp-WHPn3YQ2h8gDTrP6CdO8Snxa8U",[84,89],{"title":85,"path":86,"stem":87,"description":88,"children":-1},"The Fields Come First","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-fields-come-first","articles\u002Fthe-fields-come-first","Proverbs 24:27 says, \"Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.\" Now, at first glance that seems like a strange piece of advice. Whether you're a farmer or a city-dweller, you need a place to live. Shouldn't you take care of your own house first, before working in the fields?",{"title":90,"path":91,"stem":92,"description":93,"children":-1},"The Finishing Touch","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-finishing-touch","articles\u002Fthe-finishing-touch","When my three children were growing up, it became a family custom at our house for me to make pancakes on Saturday morning. Not perfect pancakes, mind you—all the same size and shape, fluffy on the inside with golden brown edges. Usually my pancakes came out underdone and rubbery, while other times they looked like ovals of charbroiled shoe leather. Once in a while they tasted delicious—especially when I added blueberries to the batter."]