And all through life I see a Cross,
Where sons of God yield up their breath;
There is no gain except by loss,
There is no life except by death,
There is no vision save by faith,
Nor glory but by bearing shame,
Nor justice but by taking blame.
And that Eternal Passion saith,
Be emptied of glory and right and name.
It is interesting to study Jesus as a comforter. The comfort He gave to His friends was strong and true. We have an illustration of this in the Bethany home. The sorrow was very great. Lazarus was dead, and Jesus came, not as other friends came, merely to mourn with the sisters, but to comfort their hearts in their overwhelming grief.
First, He lifted the veil and gave them a glimpse of what lies beyond death. “Thy brother shall rise again.” “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on Me, though he die, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die.” Thus He opened a great window into the other world. This is all plainer to us than it could be at that time to Martha and Mary; for a little while after Jesus had spoken these words, He Himself passed through death, coming again from the grave in immortal life. To those who sorrow over the departure of a Christian friend, it is a wonderful comfort to know the true teaching of the New Testament on the subject of dying. Death is not the end; it is a door which leads into fullness of life.
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