This was one of Alex Langley’s favorite songs, “Come to Jesus.” in the last verse they change come to Jesus to, “Fly to Jesus.”
Tonight we said, “Goodbye for now, sweet Alex.” I say, ‘for now’ because we know that we will see Alex again in heaven. And I’m not talking about the trite, scripted answer so many give at memorial services, “Well, she/he is in a better place now.”
How do they know?
Honestly, I hear everyone from Buddhists to Hindus to Muslims to Christians to non religious folks, cult followers—you name it, saying this. But for most it’s just sort of a knee jerk reaction—sort of like when someone says to you, “What’s up?” and you say, “Not much.” I mean, we might have just come from the Aquatics venue in Beijing and watching Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal but we’d still answer, “Not much.”
That’s because they’re just words, they no longer mean anything—just filler so you don’t rudely walk past someone and say nothing. But, “They’re in a better place?” You better know good and well what you’re talking about before you throw those words out there.
As for Alex, we know she is in a better place because those who have placed their trust in Jesus are comforted with this truth from the scriptures. Check out what Jesus told His disciples when they were fearing death:
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1–3
and here,
40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
43Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus’ Death
44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, Luke 23:40–44
and here,
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38–39
Obviously, there are many, many more, but you get the gist.
And the gist is this, with Christ Jesus we have real hope—eternal hope. Without Him, we would be hopeless.
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:11–13
Thank you, Alex, for bringing hope to so many! And, for the 11 people who bent the knee to Jesus Christ because of the testimony of your life!
