This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

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Famous last words. William Brahms catalogued the final sayings of 3,500 prominent figures in his work, Last Words of Notable People. Other researchers also have captured the pithy statements of people on their deathbeds. A sampling:

• While slipping towards the end of his life, Irish wit Oscar Wilde expressed disdain for the surroundings in his Paris hotel room. “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do,” he blurted. Wilde went first, but hotel management noted his grievance and later refurbished the suite.

• Standing before a firing squad, convicted murderer James W. Rodgers was asked if he had a final request. His reply: “Bring me a bullet-proof vest.”

• With death drawing near, television announcer Charles Gussman quietly removed his oxygen mask and whispered, “And now for a final word from our sponsor .…”

• Leonardo da Vinci, who gave us such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa, was awkwardly modest as he faced death, saying only, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” 

• Drummer Buddy Rich, being prepped for a major surgical procedure he wouldn’t survive, was asked by his nurse, “Is there anything you can’t take?” His response: “Yeah, country music.”

• Finally, Karl Marx reputedly offered these last words: “Get out of here and leave me alone. Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough already.”

Last words may be pithy or droll – Winston Churchill is noted to have said, “I’m bored with it all,” before slipping into a coma – yet they often reveal a perspective on the lives we have lived and, perhaps, our readiness to step through the portal of death. This is true, not only of noted authors, artists, and statesmen, but biblical characters as well. 

Previously, we focused on the suddenness of Christ’s return. We looked at numerous parables of Jesus, and we surveyed other New Testament texts that urge us to be prepared for the second coming. Indeed, Christ’s parables of the last days shed no light on the exact timing of his return. However, they place a strong emphasis on our need to be faithful, expectant, and busy about kingdom business, for the parousia is as certain as it is sudden. 

At the core of Jesus’ teaching about his return is a clear warning: be on guard. Nowhere is this spoken with more clarity than in the Olivet Discourse. Here, Jesus combines prophecies of the pending destruction of the temple – fulfilled in A.D. 70 – with details about his return. Often, it’s difficult to discern which event he’s addressing, but watchfulness certainly applies to both. Not long after telling his disciples even he doesn’t know the day and hour of his return, he states plainly:

Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matt. 24:42-44, emphasis added).

What will Jesus find us doing when he returns? What might be our last words? More importantly, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, will our footprints be found on the path of good works God laid out for us in eternity past (Eph. 2:10)?

As we come to grips with our own mortality and the certainty of judgment to follow, it may help to see how two biblical characters face their impending deaths, and how their final words express both a readiness to die and an eagerness for the life to come. We begin with Joseph, then move on to Jesus. We also look briefly at several New Testament figures: Stephen, Paul, Peter, and John.

Next: The Story of Joseph