The Last Words of Christ Jesus on the Cross
(Luke 23)
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
Therefore, followers of Christ Jesus and those who have faith in Him should believe that there is paradise or Heaven. It means that there is the afterlife, which means that death is not the end of one's life but introduction to the spirit world.
If death means complete nullification, extinguishment, or evaporation of one's life or soul that leads to sheer nothingness of one's existence, Christ Jesus should not have said those words: Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
His words meant that there are the afterlife, the spirit world, Heaven and the hell. Therefore, death is the transition of one's life or soul out of this world to such a world. However, even in Christian countries, there are many who think that death might bring complete evaporation of one's life or soul with nothing left. It might be caused by behaviors or orientation of the Vatican, churches, priests, etc. They do not emphasize the teaching of Christ Jesus that those who believe in Him shall never die.
But, if the Vatican and all the churches and priests start to yell out that your soul will enter the afterlife after death in this world so that you have not to worry about death, the world should be changed. If everybody comes to have no fear in death and dying, the world should be changed drastically.
But, to prevent evil men, criminals, terrorists, etc. from committing harmful acts without fear of death, another teaching of Christ Jesus is critical. It is that the poor and faithful will be accepted in Heaven but the rich and evil should go to the hell, after death in this world.
Indeed, if you cannot enter into Heaven in the afterlife after death in this world, it will lose meaning or value that there is the afterlife. Yet, I think that the Vatican and all the churches and priests should yell out that there is the afterlife in order to strengthen the faith of believers and save them from the fear of death.
Physical bodies die some day in this world. But, one's soul in one's body should survive physical or biological death in this material world. Indeed, one's body will suffer complete nullification, extinguishment, or evaporation but one's soul should make the shift to the afterlife or the spirit world.
From the view point of material or biological death, it should be true that there is only nothingness after one's death. But for those who believe in Christ Jesus, death in this world is happy departure of their souls from this world to Heaven in the spirit world.
But, as the mission of Christ Jesus was to lead people to Heaven, it should be big sadness that He felt when He found that men were so bad and evil even to try to kill Him on the cross, thus losing His heart as other last words on the cross suggested.
++++ ++++ ++++John 11, King James Version
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.