My friend Charlie prays for me and my family early in the morning. He asked me a great question recently. Do our loved ones who have gone before us to the presence of Jesus see what is happening down here? Have you ever wondered that? What Biblical evidence do we have?
At the end of his great “Hall of Fame of Faith,” the writer of Hebrews reminds us that our faithful forebears did not receive the final promise of God’s salvation after they died. Instead, they await the resurrection when we will all be made “perfect” together. Absent from the body, they are present with the Lord, but they are waiting for the consummation of the ages along with us.
So what do our loved ones do while they wait? They witness. Their testimonies inspire us. We see them in the stadium. They have run their race. Are they in the stands watching us run our race? This is one way to understand the image in this passage.
What is our part in the great drama of the ages? We can throw off our sin. Grace is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort. We play a part in our own sanctification by turning from sin and finishing strongly what God has called us to do. Each of us has our own race to run. Nobody can take our place in our leg of the relay race. Like our faithful Savior we want to be found faithful.
Further, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. How did Jesus handle the great challenge of the cross? In anticipation of joy, Jesus endured the cross and scorned its shame. Now he sits at the right hand of the Father. When we “turn our eyes upon Jesus,” we do not grow weary or lose heart.
I have always thought our loved ones may see us, though I cannot prove it definitively. Best of all, I know the One who knows us best and loves us most is watching over us today. Since Jesus is watching us, we should definitely turn our eyes upon him. As we look fully into his wonderful face, the painful parts of this life grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
