I was privileged to preach on Easter Sunday.  As I was preparing for the sermon from John’s account, I was struck by his description of how the strips of linen that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body were lying there as if they had never been touched, along with the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head.  Incredibly it was “folded up in a place by itself” (John 20:7).  The words “folded up” are words to pay attention to.  Everything was clean and neatly back in place.  No “body” was there.  The effects of death were gone.

Sixteen years ago today, I lost one of my best friends to cancer.  His name was Damon Walker, and he was only thirty years old at the time.  I was thirty-three.  We had developed a close friendship after his diagnosis, as his parents attended the church I pastored in middle Georgia.  Together, we spoke about the deeper realities of faith, the “unseen world” of heaven.  Damon taught me how to play golf, and his dad, Robert, gave me my first set of golf clubs, Ping G-5’s.  Our hopes and prayers were that Damon would be cured, and for a time, it looked like it just might happen.  However, his life was cut short on this day, and I’ll never forget what it was like on the morning when I walked into the room where he had been staying.

The night before, I sat with Damon and his parents at his bedside.  For the last several days, I had spent much of my time there.  Yet, on this night, we all sensed that heaven was near for Damon, and I remember praying over him, asking the Lord to take him to his eternal home where there was no more pain.  I left late that evening and went straight to bed.  When I woke up, I immediately got into the car and raced back to be with him, unsure of what may have happened during the night.  However, when I walked into his room, there was no one there.  And to my amazement, his room was clean and the bed where he had been the last three days was neatly made.  The sun was shining through the windows onto the place where the bedspread was draped over the pillow.  I immediately thought of John’s resurrection account, how the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head was “folded up.”

It was a surreal moment for me as I knew that my friend was now in heaven with Christ.  Yet, the neatly made bed served as a reminder that this was the case because of the cloth that was also neatly folded in the tomb of Jesus, because the place that had housed his body for three days was also empty.  Great sadness was still mine to experience in saying good-bye to Damon, great sadness for his family, and all who knew him well.  Sixteen years later, I still wish I could call his number on my cell phone and just chat for a while.  I wish we could tee up some golf balls and play a round or two.  Yet, because of this triumph that Jesus accomplished, because he conquered death for all believers, I know I will spend eternity with my friend.

God brings so much good out of what we perceive as bad.  I have not spoken to his family in many years, but I hope they know I will never forget their son.  I hope they understand the impact he had on my life and my faith.  They may be amazed to learn that when I think of him, I think of Jesus, and I am emboldened to preach his Word, to preach the gospel, as a result.  The word “gospel” literally means “good news.”  It changed Damon’s life and brought much heavenly good out of earthly bad.  And it continues to do the same for countless others in this world.  Will you allow it to be “good news” for you this week?