Question: You say that when people die they ‘go to be with the Lord.’

Then how do you explain this verse? "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man" (John 3:13).

Mary

Answer: Dear Mary,

The context of this passage is not about the afterlife of those who believe in and accept Jesus Christ. The context is about the person and work of Jesus Christ – God in the flesh, God incarnate. Jesus is simply affirming his superior knowledge of heavenly things by saying that no other human being can speak from firsthand knowledge, from having been in heaven. He is saying, "I am the only one who has been in heaven and returned to earth." He is not affirming that no one who had previously been on earth had gone to heaven.

Whether or not those who are dead are in heaven or are asleep (soul sleep as it is called), is not the topic in John 3 and to infer that it is, is to proof text this passage. We can say that those who are dead in Christ are "with the Lord," in the sense that he is taking care of them. We do not know all details of the state of the dead (that is – their soul or spirit). In fact, that is more to the point of what Jesus is saying – no one has gone to heaven and returned to tell the story, save Jesus, God in the flesh. Of course, Jesus is now in heaven and will return again. We look forward to that day.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht