Life After Death

Luke 16:19-31

Intro: Good morning church. In Luke chapter 15, we find one of the most beloved chapters of the Word of God. It is an account of what was probably a single discourse of Jesus Christ, the whole theme of which was "The Lost." We are shown four ways to become lost. The sheep was lost by wandering away from the flock. The coin was lost through no fault of its own but through the carelessness of its possessor. The prodigal was lost by overt and willful disobedience; and the elder brother was lost through pride, selfishness, and self-righteousness.

The theme of the elder son continues I believe in chapter 16 where Jesus' continues His discourses to the disciples in the presence of the public and the Pharisees particularly. First, the parable of the unjust steward and then the story of the rich man and Lazarus, both related to the conflict with the Pharisees.

The context of this latter story goes back to verse 13, where Jesus is teaching about riches. He says in Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” We recognize this from Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6. Continuing at Luke 16:14f, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

The Pharisees didn't want to listen to Jesus’ teaching about money because Jesus told them that they needed to serve God and not Mammon and that they couldn't do both at the same time. Jesus said to them, what you're trying to do is justify yourselves (implied here) and your sinful practices before men. They were upset not because Jesus was not telling the truth, but because they were seeking to prop up their sinfulness, their love of money, and their covetousness. Jesus says God knows your hearts. He knows what your real desires are. (We talked about that a couple of weeks back). God knows what is esteemed among men. In other words, what you Pharisees esteem as being great, is an abomination in the sight of God.

I wonder how many people think like that today. They think that what they do and say is wonderful; but what God sees, He considers an abomination. When we think like God thinks, we will consider things abominable that God considers abominable. Then we will not seek to justify ourselves before men. We will certainly not seek to permit our sin to remain within our life.

Jesus taught about the differences between these two types of thinking. Some of it involved the way they saw money. Some of it involved the way they saw the kingdom of God. Some of it involved the way they saw God's word. Some of it involved the way they handled their marriages. God knew what was in their hearts.
In Luke 16:19 and following, He tells this story of the rich man and Lazarus. Now some refer to this as a parable and some do not. Perhaps this hinges on our view of what a parable is. Oxford defines a Parable as “a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.” Others add words like “comparative”, “allegorical”, or even “fictitious” to their definition.

I would not call this a parable. I am inclined to think of this as a real story Jesus is relating to show them, and us, what is spiritual reality.

It is a story about two people, one who was a wealthy man and the other who was a beggar. The story also speaks about Abraham being alive, which Jesus affirms as a reality to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:32. It contains a strong warning for us today regarding how we should live our lives and the consequences of living life solely for ourselves and not thinking about other people.

I. I'm going to look at this story today, not with the view of an allegory from which we draw a conclusion, but as a real story, a real account of two people that Jesus decides to share with us. One was a rich man and the other was a beggar, whose name was Lazarus. Let's look at some things in this story. We're going to study these verses in an expository way. I hope you have your Bibles open and that you're following along with me in the text.

A. Let's look, first at the two characters that are involved. Luke 16:19-21 – “19. "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20. "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21. "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” These are the two characters in this story.

1. First the rich man. From the description, we can imagine he is independent. He certainly takes care of his own needs and desires regarding food and raiment. I imagine he is self-satisfied, large and in-charge, you might say.

a. He is certainly a person who many people would observe and say, there is a successful man, a person who has done well in his life... probably envy him a bit.
b. You would look at him and you might think that's a model for society. There's a role model for everyone. A man who has done well, taking care of business and taking care of himself.
c. He must have significant resources and can enjoy the fruits of this life.
d. After all, isn't that what everyone is striving for? Isn't that what everyone wants? That's the picture that Jesus sets forth.

2. The rich man is clothed in purple. Purple is a beautiful color, the color of royalty, one who has wealth and status. Purple was desired in the ancient world.

a. Lydia was a seller of purple. Acts 16:14.
b. When Jesus was mocked at His crucifixion, a purple robe was placed upon Him before He was led off to be crucified, John 19:2-5.

3. This man, this rich man, was clothed in purple and fine linen—fine linen.

a. This was also the clothing of the rich.
b. Genesis 41:42 says, “Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”
c. First Chronicles 15:27 says “David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark… ”

4. He fared sumptuously, which means rich; costly; luxurious.

a. He was probably a picture of being well-fed.
b. He dined well, he had plenty of food to eat.
c. He had the indulgences of life, beautiful clothing, wealth, good food, and probably a great place to live.

5. What a paragon most would think, right? People would look at that man and they would say he’s a paragon of virtue. He has been blessed with so much, because of all the external trappings that he has in his life. That's how the Pharisees thought about things. They looked at the external appearances. They didn't look at the heart. God judges the heart and because God judges the heart, He knows that this rich man isn't nearly as well off as he appears to be.

B. In contrast, we see Lazarus.

1. How is he described?

a. As a beggar.
b. He's dependent upon others.
c. That's what a beggar is. He doesn't have anything, he is not self-sufficient. He is not clothed in the finest clothes. He can't take care of himself. He doesn't have a place to live.
d. He's dependent upon charity for the food that he gets.

2. He's laid at the gate.

a. We notice that he is laid at the gate. It doesn't say he walked to the gate, likely because he cannot walk.
b. Someone put him there. Probably because he could not get around physically by himself.

3. He's full of sores.

a. This indicates his physical health. It indicates a breaking down of the skin for some reason, a virus perhaps, or bacteria; even some fungi can do this. It is a very unpleasant situation and I shudder to think about it.
b. This condition can occur even today when someone has become immobile. They can not move about and constant pressure from a hard surface can produce sores.

4. He desired the crumbs.

a. He only wanted the leftovers. Have you ever been in a position where you had no food, did not know where or when you would get some and you were so hungry you would eat almost anything?
b. He was willing to accept any food, even the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. That would have been enough for him.
c. He would have been satisfied with that.

5. It says the dogs licked his sores.

a. Again, this indicates his helplessness doesn’t it? How many of us would let dogs come around and lick our sores? I don't think I would. I think I'd shoo them away, tell them to get out of here.
b. To me this indicates that Lazarus was not able, in many ways, to move around and to do things that other people can do like shoo the dogs away.
c. It also indicates that no one was giving him any medical attention at all. No one was trying to soothe him or heal him or help him.
d. The dogs seemed to be his only companions.

II. The two characters—two circumstances—the rich man and Lazarus. Let us continue Luke 16:22-23 – “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

A. Two circumstances, and now both men have died. What a great commentary on life, right? It doesn't matter how poor you are, it doesn't matter how rich you are. We are all going to die unless the Lord returns first. What will happen when we die?

1. In verse 22 we are told the beggar, that is, Lazarus, dies.

a. He was carried away by the angels.
b. For one who had only dogs to take care of his sores in this life, he then receives the company of angels when he passes away to go to the next. He is no longer alone.

2. He ended up in Abraham's bosom.

a. That represents one who has entered paradise. Like Jesus spoke about on the cross when he said to the thief, today you will be with me in paradise.
b. The Hadean realm, as understood by the Jews, had two distinct places, one for the righteous and another for the wicked. Jesus' use of those ideas here gives them great significance; for there can be no doubt that this story was intended to shed light on the intermediate state between death and eternal judgment.
c. Lazarus was there with Abraham and the presence of Abraham indicated salvation for the Jewish person, and he was comforted.

B. The rich man also died.

1. The Bible simply says that he was buried. All the rich man's wealth earned him no exemption from the final accounting which comes to all men.

a. I suspect that his friends might provide the pomp and circumstance by which the wealthy are usually accompanied to their tombs; but how vain and empty are such honors!
b. No angels came to accompany him to the next life. He was just buried.
c. Of course, he was not there anymore but his body was buried. It was all he received at death—burial.

2. He found himself in (the King James Version says hell the new King James says Hades) being in torments.

a. To the Jew the word Hades meant the realm of the unseen. It described the realm where the dead go after this life is over.
b. It is described as where one goes to paradise or torment. Jesus is said to have gone to Hades in Acts chapter 2 because He went to paradise and paradise is a place in Hades.
c. The other place where the rich man went was “torment”…a place that is full of suffering.

3. “And being in torments in Hades…” verse 23 tells us.

a. Verse 24 adds to the picture that he was tormented in the flame.
b. “… he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” He is separated from them, yet he sees them.
c. In Jesus’ teaching, we see the state of the righteous and the state of the wicked, with no time-lapse indicated between death and the entering of the soul into one or the other of the Hadean compartments. The wicked life will not wait after death to begin reaping the rewards of unrighteousness; and yet, the eternal reward for both classes will not begin until the judgment.

III. A cry goes out in verse 24.

A. “Then he cried and said, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'”

1. The first thing we notice is that the cry comes from the rich man and none from Lazarus. The rich man is tormented but Lazarus is comforted.
2. The second thing is that his cry is a cry for himself.

a. He had certainly taken care of himself in life and now after his life is over, he continues to pursue self.
b. He says send Lazarus to me with just a drop of water. Have mercy on me.
c. He could have had mercy in life, yet he showed none. We are told, “… a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.” There is an irony here in the rich man's cry for self. Lazarus needed help from the rich man during his lifetime and received none. The rich man now cries out to Lazarus for help, and what happens? He receives no help.
d. Lazarus did not ask for much in his lifetime—just a crumb. The rich man in the afterlife is not asking for much—just a drop of water. It seems none was given to Lazarus, and none was given to the rich man.

3. Next, we read that Abraham answered him. He said in verse 25, “…Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”

a. Abraham called the rich man son. Earlier, the rich man had addressed Abraham as "Father," and here Abraham did not deny that the rich man was one of the patriarch's fleshly descendants. This was significant for the Jewish people. Many Jews of that day and age thought that just being a child of Abraham meant that you were going to be saved.
b. Jesus was refuting that teaching in this story. He was also pointing out that Lazarus was a child of Abraham and was saved yet the rich man was not.
c. What does that tell us? Simply because we are a child of God does not necessarily mean we are going to be saved. There is more to it than that. We must be faithful to the Lord and do His will within our life.
d. Abraham told the rich man to remember. “… remember that in your lifetime you received your good things…” No comfort for him really, because now he had nothing.

4. He also told him that there's a great gulf, an impassable barrier, if you will, that prevents me from coming to you and you from coming to me. In other words, you can't get to my side, and I can't get to your side. This is God's design. Jesus tells us once a person has died, things are set, and there is no going from one side to the other.

IV. Then the rich man cried, not for himself, but for his family.

A. He said starting at Luke 16:27 – “…I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.”

1. His cry was to have Lazarus go visit his family. If you can't have him come over here and give me a drop of water, then at least send him back to my five brothers, testify to them of the horrible things here in the afterlife for one who pursues a life of selfish pleasure without thinking about others. My wording added there.
2. Then “Abraham said to him, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'”

a. God has given us the information that we need to live life. The only question is, are we going to follow this information or are we going to seek and pursue our selfish desires?
b. We have the information. He had the information; his brothers had the information for they had Moses and the prophets.
c. We have Christ and the apostles, men even greater than Moses and the prophets, according to the book of Hebrews. Will we listen to the message?

3. The rich man argues “`No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'” So here it comes out. The rich man understood why he was in torments. It was because he would not repent.
4. Abraham's reply was this, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” Why is that? Because they seek their selfish desires and not what God wants.

V. As we study God’s word, we cannot help but connect another event, a striking example of the truth of what Jesus proclaimed here. It occurred only a little later in the resurrection of Lazarus told in John 11. Lazarus (the other one) did indeed come back from the grave in the very presence of the Jews that were enemies of Jesus; but did they repent? No, they did not! In John 11:53 we are told, “Then from that day on they plotted to put Him to death.”

A. In a sense, Lazarus came to the Pharisees who were present when he rose from the dead. In the case of Jesus' resurrection, there was no appearance to the Pharisees. Lazarus was the one Jesus had in mind here.
B. Regarding His resurrection, Jesus did not appear "to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before God," even to the apostles, "who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead" (Acts 10:41). It would have done no good at all for the Lord to have appeared to the Pharisees.

 

CONCLUSION:
Jesus teaches many things here. Here are some of the points that have been put forth: (1) the souls of men do not die with their bodies; (2) the soul is conscious after death; (3) the righteous go to a place of happiness, the wicked to a place of misery; (4) we should not envy the rich; (5) memory will not be obliterated by death; (6) he who is lost in death is lost eternally; (7) God's word is sufficient to save men; (8) Those who are lost don't want their loved ones to be lost with them.

Sometimes people get it in their mind that wherever their relatives are, that's where they want to be. If they're lost, they don't want you to be with them, just like the rich man did not want his brothers to be there with him. The lost want us to tell others about the horrible place where they are so others can avoid it.

We should ask ourselves; where do we find ourselves today? Are we more like the rich man or more like Lazarus? Jesus told this story for the benefit of the covetous Pharisees who loved the things of this world.

Jesus said in Luke 12:15 – “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Death came to both Lazarus and the rich man… it comes to all.
Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” The rich man felt the sting of death, which is sin, First Corinthians 15:56.
There are only two final destinations for a person. After this life, one will either be saved or lost. There is no makeup exam. There's a great gulf, and you can't go over to the other side.

We may have the good things in this life, yet an eternity of torment may be awaiting us if we do not repent of our sins and do the will of God. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
Despite what some teach there will be no second chances after this life is over.
Revelation 21:27 in telling of the Holy City “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.”

Jesus spoke more about eternal torment than any other speaker in the New Testament. He did so to warn people about the ultimate state of those who refuse to repent. Scripture says that we need to listen to God's word, we need to believe it, repent of our sins, confess Him as Lord, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

Many will not receive this message though it is given to them. The same warning applies to them today. They have Moses and the prophets. They have Christ and the apostles. How many will not listen because they simply do not want to obey God’s will? Do we continue to take the message of the Gospel to others? Of course, for God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, Second Peter 3:9.
Just as there are two destinations—one for Lazarus and one for the rich man, so there will be two destinations for all in this life, saved or lost.

In all of that, Jesus wanted His listeners to understand, to recognize the opportunities that we have right here and now. Do not pine over those who have gone before, nor fret about the possibility of the future, but rather think right now of where we are at.

Are we in a right relationship with God or not? Can we do something about that right now? The answer is yes, we can do something about it. We do not have to be like the rich man, who had all the comforts of life but did not make any plans for eternity. We can make those plans right now. We can change our life and our destination. We can become what God wants us to be by giving ourselves to Him.

Listen to His Word. Simply listening to the word that God has given us will show us the way. Follow it, obey it, and do His will within our life. That's what Jesus is talking about at the end of this story. That's what He's urging us to do. Listen to Him and make changes based on what He says.

This morning, you have an opportunity to do just that—to hear the Word and to obey it, to put Christ on in baptism if that is what you need to do or to ask for the prayers of the Church if that is what you need.
This morning, why not do what Jesus desires and simply give your life to Him and be faithful to Him from now on?
If you need the prayers of the church or if you need to come forward this morning to be baptized, we will welcome you, we will receive you, and we will help you in whatever your needs may be. We invite you to come and make your needs known while we stand and sing.

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Reference Sermon by - Kevin Cauley