On this blog I generally stick to writing about things I’m reading at any given time. But something happened today I wanted to record. I work at a drug store, and I was helping a man find something he needed and then checking him out at the cash register. He then, with no provocation, says, ‘Have you ever met someone who came back from the dead?’

I checked myself, many thoughts going through my mind at once, and the first thing that came to mind was the resurrection of Christ. But I didn’t go there. I bit. I said, ‘No, I haven’t.’

He then responded, ‘Well you’re looking at one’ as he stuck out his hand for a handshake.

From there, I shook his hand and replied, ‘Congratulations, you are a blessed man.’

He then made his intentions clear: ‘Let me tell you,’ he said, ‘it’s better to meet Jesus on your knees than on an operating table.’

I was all ears at this point. I have never had someone randomly try to evangelize me before. And with that being the case, I was excited that someone was about to. Let me summarize what followed in the conversation, which was actually, basically, a monologue (by him).

He went on to tell me how he had had a major medical situation that made his heart stop working. He was dead for 27 minutes as emergency personnel worked on him, brought him back, and performed life-saving surgery. But here comes the rub.

He had gone to heaven and talked with Jesus, and Jesus told him that he was sending him back to be a witness – and that’s what he was doing – witnessing.

All right then, I’m thinking, what is he going to witness to?

‘I can tell you what Jesus looks like, what he sounds like, what he IS like,’ he said.

I couldn’t keep quiet at this point. ‘I know Jesus Christ,’ I replied. I’m quoting verbatim here:  ‘And I know a big book, with 27 little books, that tell me what he’s like.’

He then looked at me with a blank stare. Silence and awkwardness ensued for about 5 seconds as we paused. ‘You know, the New Testament?’ I said.

‘Oh,’ he responded, ‘but I saw him, I heard him, I can tell you what he sounds like, what he looks like,’ repeating himself.

I didn’t say it, though I told a fellow Christian who witnessed this whole conversation, but the thing I wanted to say was, ‘Did he speak Aramaic? You know that was his actual human language, right?’

That would have been too smug. I don’t doubt that Jesus can speak fluent English. But I certainly had the thought. I also thought of asking him if Jesus looked like he did in the paintings – pasty pale, girly. I wouldn’t have said it, but that didn’t matter, he wasn’t letting me get in a word at this point regardless.

He ended his presentation by telling me that if we met again he would tell me the ‘Ten Blessings of Jesus’ that were announced to him in his heavenly vision. He only had time to tell me one. It had to do with money. And sure enough a random person whom he didn’t know volunteered to pay on his mortgage shortly thereafter, fulfilling the blessing.

Finally, he summarized his talk – don’t meet Jesus on an operating table, meet him on your knees.

I thanked him, and he went his way.

My co-workers, all of them, know of my love for Jesus. And several gathered around to witness this encounter. Someone who I wouldn’t classify as a believer summed it up well, basically saying, ‘he didn’t want anything to do with that New Testament line you said to him.’ I had said one sentence, and it resonated more with the non-believing listener than this man’s whole spiel. Why? Not because of eloquence, not because of anything in me – but because I interjected the Word of God into the equation – not quoting Scripture, not preaching Scripture – just acknowledging Scripture’s existence.

I then used this as an opportunity to talk to my co-workers. ‘I would like to think,’ I said, ‘that if God decided to speak to me in an audible, booming voice tonight, it would not change my faith. He has already spoken to me clearly in the Scriptures, and I believe all that he has said there:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.
What more can he say than to you He hath said? To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

I prayed as I drove home tonight. I said, ‘Father, you meant that conversation for my good. What are you going to do with it? What do you want me to do with it?’ No audible answer came. But I was reminded of the centrality of the gospel. The fact that this man’s gospel-less experience drove me back to the gospel is good.

There was no gospel in this man’s presentation, and no testimony in the biblical sense of the word. There was no sin, no falling down at Jesus’ feet and saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinner!’ There was no forgiveness of sin. There was no cross, no blood, no sacrifice, no spiritual redemption, no new heavens, no new earth. In some strange way there wasn’t even a resurrection. It was just an experience of happiness and blessing that could be mine if I witnessed for Jesus too. I cannot imagine that anyone could come to saving faith from such a conversation.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he was blessed to ascend into the third heaven. He couldn’t tell them anything about it. It was too glorious. So instead of talking about that he talked about the gospel:

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

If the man comes back, and I hope he does, I’m determined that this is what we’ll talk about as well.

Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house- 28 for I have five brothers- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”

Share the gospel, the GOSPEL – Jesus coming, dying, rising, returning. Even your own resurrection won’t convince them, only the good news of Christ’s provision and victory.

Romans 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…

I have people telling me regularly that I need to read books like Heaven is for Real. I usually just smile and say, ‘Thanks for the recommendation.’ But silently, I say to myself, ‘I already know that – Praise God – I have his infallible Word.’

You don’t have to be on an operating table, nor do you have to be on your knees, to meet Jesus. You can meet him, learn of him, encounter him in the Bible – only then will you really be driven to your knees and have peace in the face of death.

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