Eleven-year-old Jason was the oldest of five children. He and his brother and three sisters lived with his parents in Saugus, Massachusetts.
The first time I remember hearing of Jason, I learned that he had leukemia a disease of the blood. Because of this terrible disease that some people die from, Jason had to have surgery and lots of radiation treatments to try to stop the disease and maybe even cure him completely.
Many times Christian friends prayed for Jason to get better. How thrilling it was to see how God answered our prayers over and over again. Yet amazingly, through all the uncertain times, Jason looked to God for help and peace and let others know that he was ready to meet God. Jason knew he was ready if he should die.
In an interview which was published in a local paper on December 23, 1990, Jason was quoted as saying, “I’ve always believed that nothing is going to happen to me unless the good Lord wants it to. I have no fear of dying.”
Jason’s faith was based on what God had said. In the Bible we read that for the Christian to be absent from the body (to die) is to be present with the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:88We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)). Jason knew he would be happy with Jesus.
Boys and girls, you too can have the peace that Jason had and can be ready to die or be ready to meet the Lord Jesus in the air when He comes for all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour. What you need to do is, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Amos 4:1212Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12).
Many of you already know that sin cannot enter heaven. Jesus died to forgive you and wash your sins away. Why not accept Him now and know the joy of your sins forgiven, peace with God and His promise of a home in heaven? Jason did.
Jason was saved on December 25, 1983. He simply believed God’s Word which tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [Jason] believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Jason went on to tell many others that he was a Christian. Some of his fellow students, in writing tributes to Jason later, commented on how he was kind, different, and how he loved to talk about Jesus. One of them even went as far as to say that he was like an angel from God. But the comments that impressed me the most as I read them were those of a young girl by the name of Stacy. She had written, “Jason faced the facts and was strong. He had a great influence on my life.”
Jason went peacefully to be with the Lord Jesus on January 30, 1991. It was an ending to his earthly life and the beginning of a life in heaven with his Saviour.
One month before he died, on December 30, 1990, Jason asked if he could speak to the group of Christians that he regularly met with. He wanted to thank them for their prayers and care during his long illness. He also wanted to encourage others, especially children, to accept Christ and be ready. “God gives us a gift called salvation, and it’s most important,” Jason said, “that when we’re young we take the opportunity to get it settled.” Jason pleadingly and lovingly told the audience not to “despise the issue [of salvation] but to hurry up with this and not fool around with the subject, and say that today I’ll do what I like to do with my sports and hobbies, and I’ll leave salvation for tomorrow. We should make sure,” he continued, “that we’re not passing it [salvation] by or letting it slip through our fingers.”
Jason often read this paper that you are reading and answered the “Bible Searcher” questions, which many of you answer. Today he is happy with the Lord Jesus in heaven. What about you? I hope that you will accept God’s gift of salvation today. Both Jesus and Jason would be so glad if you did.
ML-01/26/1992