Yesterday morning the basketball legend Kobe Bryant (41) and his 13 year old daughter died in a helicopter crash. As I scrolled through social media I could see a glimpse of the great impact that his sudden death had on so many of my friends and family. As I looked at the pictures of Kobe with his young and beautiful family I couldn’t help but feel sad and ask God why. I don’t fully understand why seemingly early deaths like this occur. I just feel like this is not the way it’s supposed to be.

Theologically I know that death is the result of mankind’s sin and rebellion against God, so that explains why every person will physically die one day (Genesis 3, Romans 6:23). And theologically I know that Christ has given eternal life as a free gift to all those who have turned from their sin and put their trust in him. But emotionally I still have to wrestle with the pain, grief and fear of living in the shadow of death. It hurts when someone we know and love dies and is no longer present with us. The pain and grief experienced surrounding the death of a loved can be life altering. And there is a process of healing that one must walk through to experience emotional and mental health and stability.

As a teenager I lost my 10-year old brother who was hit by a car. I also lost my father who was burned in a house fire. I didn’t immediately walk through the process in a healthy way. I coped by stuffing the pain and the thoughts of my loss through drug use. I don’t remember crying around the death of my brother or father because I was so numb from constantly getting high. It was emotionally, mentally and spiritually toxic for me to contain all the pain and grief within and not speak to anyone about it. The pain I possessed came out in anger, harming others and stealing from others. I was lost, broken, hurting, hopeless and without purpose until the day I met Jesus Christ. On December 12, 1998 I turned from my sin and trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. When I received Christ tears rolled down my cheeks. First they were tears of pain and then tears of joy streamed down. God forgave me of all my sins, God accepted me as his very own child and God gave me a reason to live. I came alive. It’s like I was born again. And I truly was born again! My life began to bear the fruit of having been saved, redeemed and reconciled to God by the grace of Jesus.

Followers of Jesus have tremendous help, healing and hope accessible to them when facing the reality of death and it’s shadows. One major challenge that death presents every human being is a crippling fear that can rob our peace, enjoyment of life and effectiveness in fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. But the gospel of Jesus gives us the help we need to overcome the crippling fear of death. The Bible says this about the power of the gospel to bring freedom from the fear of death:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Hebrews 2:14-15 ESV

Jesus tasted death so that we can experience freedom from the bondage of the fear of death. He helps us by loosening the chains of fear so that we can do God’s will, fulfill His purpose and enjoy abundant life (John 10:10).

Jesus also gives us hope beyond this life by his resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). Jesus made an astounding claim and promise to those who believe in him. He said:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 ESV

After Jesus made this claim of being the resurrection and the life he then raised his friend Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead 4 days. This miracle bore witness to the reality that Jesus is the source of life and resurrection. Jesus himself was resurrected from the dead after 3 days in the grave. This confirms the credibility of his promise that “everyone who believes” in him will live beyond the grave with a new resurrected body, in a new world without sickness, sin, suffering, pain or death (Revelation 21:4). If you know and trust Jesus then you have hope beyond this life.

Knowing Jesus also brings healing to our broken hearts. Jesus felt pain as a human being. He knew what rejection, betrayal and the death of loved ones felt like. He suffered so that he can sympathize with us and help us by giving us the mercy and grace we so desperately need (Hebrews 4:15-16). Through his suffering and wounds we can experience healing. The Prophet Isaiah wrote these powerful words about Jesus years before he would fulfill it’s prediction:

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5 ESV

There is healing, help and hope available to you because of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Believe in Him and bring your sins and hurts to him. Allow Christ to heal your broken heart. Allow the Savior to be your help by asking Him for help. Allow Jesus to give you a living hope that grows within you more and more as you see the day of redemption drawing near. Listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him so you can experience what the Psalmist David wrote about:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4 ESV

Eugene Peterson wrote about this verse saying:

“The shadow is death—death valley—or perhaps the darkest shadows are the harbingers of death: cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression, divorce, domestic violence, grinding poverty, homelessness. Our lives are lived in the company of both the Shepherd and the shadow”.

May the presence of the Shepherd bring help, healing and hope to your soul even as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.