The pain of death

 

Over the past few weeks, two of my good friends have died, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall, men in the same age group as myself, so it was sad to see them go. I’m sure that you will have had this experience too at some point. Many years of friendship and common interests had given us great opportunities to share and care in church-based events and everyday ones. That is finished now, but we have the great prospect of a reunion in heaven one day, a place where there is no death, no sorrow, no pain, no loss. As it says in Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Nothing lasts for ever - or does it?

Life is indeed a journey marked by constant change and the inevitability of loss. We all grapple with the reality that we will age, that loved ones will one day leave us, and that children will grow up and forge their own paths. These truths can weigh heavily on our hearts, but there is profound hope found within the pages of the Bible.

At the core of this hope is the belief that we possess an eternal soul, a fundamental aspect of our being that transcends physical death. This idea, however, is becoming increasingly dismissed in modern thinking. Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking famously articulated his view of human existence by likening our brains to computers, which cease to function once their components fail. He stated unequivocally, "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." While Hawking's statement may resonate with some, it fails to consider the complexities of human consciousness and the spiritual dimension that is integral to our existence.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - 2nd Corinthians

If 1 Corinthians was Paul taking the Corinthians by the shoulders and saying, “Brothers and sisters, this needs sorting,” then 2 Corinthians is him saying, “Thank you for listening — but some of you still need to take God seriously.” It is one of the most personal, emotional, and Christ‑centred letters Paul ever wrote.

1. A Letter of Thanks — and a Call to Finish the Job

Many believers in Corinth had responded well to Paul’s first letter. They had repented, corrected the immorality, and taken sin seriously. Paul rejoices in this. He says God “comforts the downcast” and that he was comforted when he heard of their obedience (2 Cor. 7:6–7).

But some still resisted. Some still questioned Paul’s authority. Some still refused to repent. So Paul writes again—thankful, relieved, yet still urging them to fully submit to the Lord.

This is the Gospel pattern:

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Acts

The Book of Acts is the second volume written by Dr Luke, the same careful historian who wrote the Gospel of Luke. He continues his account for his friend Theophilus, showing what happened after the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven. If Luke’s Gospel tells us what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do through His people by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts is a fast‑moving book—full of journeys, preaching, conversions, opposition, miracles, and changed lives. It begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome, showing how the gospel spread from a small group of believers to the heart of the Roman Empire. In other words, it takes the message of Christ from Jerusalem to Rome, covering the whole known world.

Two Main Sections — Peter and Paul

The book divides neatly into two parts:

Through the Bible in 66 Days - John

 

John wrote his Gospel as an older man looking back over a lifetime of walking with the Lord Jesus. He wasn’t guessing. He wasn’t repeating rumours. He was an eyewitness. He had seen the miracles, heard the teaching, watched the crowds react, and stood at the foot of the cross. And now, near the end of his life, he tells us why he wrote it all down:

“These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through His name.” (John 20:31)

That is the heartbeat of the whole book. John wants you to know who Jesus really is and to have eternal life.

Seven Signs That Point to Jesus as the Son of God

John chooses seven signs—seven miracles—to prove that Jesus is not just a good teacher or a kind healer, but God Himself. Each sign is like a spotlight showing His power:

• Turning water into wine (John 2)

• Healing the nobleman’s son (John 4)

• Healing the lame man at Bethesda (John 5)

• Feeding the five thousand (John 6)

• Walking on water (John 6)

• Giving sight to the man born blind (John 9)

• Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

These aren’t random acts of kindness. They are deliberate signs showing that Jesus has the power of God—power over sickness, nature, blindness, and even death.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Matthew

 

The Gospel in Matthew – Meeting the King Who Came to Save

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, but it also serves as a bridge to the Old Testament. It stands with one foot in the promises of the Old Testament and the other in the fulfilment found in Jesus Christ. 

Matthew wants his readers―especially Jewish readers―to see that Jesus is the promised King, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Saviour of the world.

But Matthew is not just a history book. It is a Gospel―good news. It tells us who Jesus is, why He came, and how we can know God through Him.

1. Jesus in History – A Real Man in a Real World

Matthew begins with something many modern readers skip: a genealogy. But this is not a dry list of names. It is Matthew’s way of saying, “You can check this. Jesus is rooted in real history.”

He traces the Lord Jesus through Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1).

This shows:

• Jesus is a Jew, descended from Abraham.

• Jesus is the rightful heir to Israel’s throne, descended from David.

• Jesus fulfils God’s promises to both men.

But Matthew also shows something unique. Jesus has a family tree, yet He is sinless. We all come from Adam and inherit his sin (Romans 5:12), but Jesus was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23). This means He entered the world without the sin that marks every one of us. As the angel said, “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Malachi

 

THE GOSPEL IN THE PROPHECY OF MALACHI

The book of Malachi is the last voice of the Old Testament. After Malachi, God was silent for four hundred years―until John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord" (Mark 1:3).

Malachi exposes the people's heart condition, their questions, their excuses, and their distance from God. But it also points forward to the only One who can cleanse, restore, and save―the Lord Jesus Christ.

Malachi ends with a curse (Malachi 4:6).

The New Testament ends with a blessing (Revelation 22:21). The difference is possible through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1. GOD LOVES US ― BUT WE DOUBT HIS LOVE

Malachi 1:1–5

Malachi begins with God's declaration: "I have loved you, says the LORD." But the people answer: "How have you loved us?" This is the human heart. We question God's love while enjoying His mercy every day.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Haggai

 

Consider Your Priorities

The book of Haggai is only two chapters long, but it carries a message that cuts right to the heart. God speaks, and within three months the whole nation changes direction (Haggai 1:1; 2:20). When God speaks clearly, people move.

Haggai’s message can be summed up in one simple challenge:

“Consider your ways.”

In other words: Think. Stop. Look at your life. Are your priorities right?

That’s not just an ancient question. It’s a gospel question. The Lord Jesus says the same in the New Testament: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Haggai helps us face six questions that still matter today.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Habakkuk

 

When God Seems Silent: Habakkuk, the Gospel, and the God Who Saves

Most Christians know what it feels like to pray, wait, and wonder why God doesn’t seem to act. The prophet Habakkuk understood this deeply. His short book opens with a cry that many believers have echoed: “How long shall I cry for help?” Habakkuk saw “evil, destruction, violence, strife and contention.” That world feels very much like ours.

Yet Habakkuk’s journey—from confusion to confidence—beautifully mirrors the truth of the gospel itself. His prophecy is not just an ancient complaint; it is a doorway into the good news of Jesus Christ.

1. The Burden of a Broken World (Habakkuk 1:1–4)

Habakkuk begins with a “burden”—a weight he carries as he looks at the injustice around him. He asks why God allows violence and why justice seems distorted. His honesty is refreshing. The Bible never asks us to pretend everything is fine.

The New Testament affirms this same realism. Paul writes, “The whole creation has been groaning” (Romans 8:22). The world is not as it should be. Sin has fractured everything—our hearts, our relationships, our societies.

The gospel begins here: with the acknowledgement that we cannot fix ourselves or our world.