It is amazing how much gospel ministry can be done at a viewing. Last night, I went to one for the mother of an NEHBCer. I took our four year old, Cassidy. I got to do minister the gospel in at least three different ways:
1. I listened to the deceased's son share with me his pain and sorrow and then we were able to find comfort discussing a key aspect of the gospel--that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in Him, though they die, yet shall they live. The faith of the deceased and her son provided the ointment on the pain of death. She is with the Lord and her son is at peace knowing that truth.
2. I used the viewing to teach Cassidy about life and death and the need for Christ. She saw the corpse in the open casket, touched her, touched the casket, and we went outside to the cemetery to see where people are buried. It was very good for her to come face to face with the reality of death. Her turn is coming and she must be prepared.
3. Standing by the casket looking at the deceased was a man I didn't recognize. I went and stood next to him. Turns out he is a long time neighbor of the deceased. He is struggling with her death. I shared how death is so hard to process because the Lord never designed us for such a thing because it was never meant to be. That allowed me to segue right into the gospel and so right there, standing over the open casket, staring death in the face, this man in his 50s listened to the gospel from start to finish. He didn't make a decision, but did take a tract before we parted ways.
The gospel is an amazing thing. It never gets old. May we never tire of it.
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