A couple of weeks ago, one of my classmates from the Seminary died - losing his long battle with brain cancer.  I was thinking about writing a note to his family or a message in his online condolence book.  I wanted to write something about how he was an example of faith for all of us.  But then I got to thinking, “Was he a model of faith, or is he a model of faith?”

We usually express thoughts about people who have died by referring to them in the past tense. “Julie was a great dancer,” or “Bob was a big baseball fan.”  But is it Biblical for us to refer to someone who has died in the past tense?  I acknowledge, in once sense, that yes, it is proper.  “David was a great king of Israel.”  “Peter was a disciple of Jesus.”  But wouldn’t it also be proper to say, “David is a great example of faith for us.”?  In Exodus 3:6 God speaks to Moses saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  God refers to the patriarchs in the present tense.  “I am”, not, “I was.”  Jesus himself said, “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.”

So my classmate and brother in the faith, who believed in Jesus as his Savior and Lord, shall never die.  Yes, Jon’s body is cold and lifeless - sleeping in the ground.  But his spirit is alive and with Jesus awaiting the Day of Resurrection when Christ returns and raises all the dead back to life again.  So, using the language of Scriptures, Jon IS a model of faith – asleep in Jesus – waiting for the Day of Resurrection.  I look forward to that day and that glorious reunion!