A Tale of Two Fates

 

The most powerful thing I have ever read in fiction, with no equals, is the final scene of A Tale of Two Cities. When the man who takes the place of another man is being led to the gallows, he quotes to himself the words of Jesus,

"I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

"They said of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest man's face ever beheld there. Many added that he looked sublime and prophetic."

The last line of the book says this, "it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." Man that hit me when I first read it. What a story, based on the greatest true story ever told.

Charles Dickens’s character, Sydney Carton, embodies a truth that transcends fiction. He was a man who lived a wasted, cynical life, yet in his final act of ultimate sacrifice—dying in the place of a better man, Charles Darnay—he found profound purpose and a peace that defied human understanding. His story is a powerful allegory for the gospel itself. Just as Carton willingly mounted the scaffold to take the place of another man, so too did Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, take the place of sinners who justly deserved condemnation. Carton’s peaceful countenance is a glimpse of the supernatural peace that comes from knowing one’s destiny is secure, not in one’s own goodness, but in a righteous substitute. He knew Jesus held his eternal fate in his hands.

Dicken’s story points to an eternal reality. The world offers many paths to find meaning: success, wealth, relationships, or legacy. Yet all of these are temporary, crumbling in the face of our one universal certainty: death. You don't know the day or the hour when your life will end. You can be strong, young and healthy, and an evil act, an accident, or illness can take your life in a moment. The bell will toll for thee eventually, you don’t know when your time will come. And it could come in the most unlikely moment. A moment when you thought you were at the top of your game, surrounded by those who support you, and in a moment it can be gone.

But the message of the cross declares this is not the end. The hope of the Christian is not merely a moral code or a positive philosophy; it is the audacious claim that death has been defeated. The empty tomb of Jesus Christ is the historical proof that His sacrifice was accepted, and His promise of resurrection is secure. But if your life is hidden in Christ, you will not truly die. Physical death becomes not a period at the end of a sentence, but a passage, a doorway. To be "hidden in Christ" means to be so united with Him by faith that God sees His righteousness when He looks at you. Your sins are paid for, your guilt is removed, and your eternal life is guaranteed. You will not avoid the grave, unless Jesus returns first, but you will pass through it into the presence of God, exchanging a broken world for a glorious, redeemed eternity.

This is why the words Carton recalled are so powerful. Jesus didn’t say, “I am a good example” or “I am a wise teacher.” He said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” He is the source of life itself, both now and forever. The “far, far better rest” is the promise of a reality without sin, sorrow, or pain—a restoration of all that was lost.

This hope is offered to you as a free gift of grace, received through faith alone. It requires humility to admit your need and to turn from trusting in yourself, that is called repentance. Don't let another moment pass before your turn from your sins, trust in Jesus and hope in him for eternal life. The story of two fates—one of condemnation, one of salvation—is the ultimate choice every person must make. Choose life and choose it today. Trust in Jesus now. I implore.

Charlie knew that our only true hope was to trust in Jesus. Let today’s tragedy be a reminder that life is fragile, but your eternity can be secure in Christ.

“Jesus defeated death so that you can live.” Never a truer word has been spoken. But it will only apply to those who trust in Jesus.

Rest in peace Charlie Kirk.