We awoke Tuesday morning to the news we feared, that Dr. MacArthur had died. We rejoice that he is with the Lord, but we must also grieve and reflect on him being no longer with us (1 Thess. 4:13). If there was “great lamentation” in the early church after the death of Stephen, this too is a time for mourning the tremendous loss of such a Christian champion and giant of our time, sorrowing that such a thundering voice for the truth now lies silent in the grave (Acts 8:2).
God’s Word commands us, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). These heroes of the faith, “men of whom the world was not worthy”, who finished well, form that “great cloud of witnesses” that spur us on to keep running the race with eyes fixed on Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 11:38; 12:1-2). We follow Christ both directly and indirectly: directly by His Word and Spirit; and indirectly, we follow the infallible Christ through fallible-but-faithful models and mentors He graciously gives us (1 Cor. 11:1; Php. 3:17; 2 Tim. 3:10).
Appropriately, our church is in the middle of our annual Holiday Bible Club teaching God’s Word to some 300 children from all over Johannesburg. We had little time to reflect and much reason to be busy in the Lord’s work, just as Dr. MacArthur has taught us. But as we drove to the church Tuesday morning, I said to my daughter, “Not sure how I’ll get through this 10 minute staff devotional after losing Dr. MacArthur”. As we walked in to the church, to my surprise, there was one of our church’s finest sons in the faith, the ‘MacArthur of Madagascar’ himself, Faly Ravoahangy(see pic below), just passing through town for a quick visit! What a timely, tear-filled embrace we had, both of us the grateful fruits of MacArthur’s global impact and testament to his legacy.
I would never have met my wife if it were not for The Master’s University (TMU). I don’t think I would still be in ministry were it not for the solid training I got at The Master’s Seminary (TMS) and Grace Community Church (GCC). And I would not be in South Africa if it were not for Dr. MacArthur and Grace to You paving the way with his radio ministry and visits in the early 1990s. But alas, I must reduce my feeble eulogy to eleven lessons gleaned both from Dr. MacArthur’s public ministry and his private input into my own life, for which I am eternally indebted.
(1) His Preaching – I grew up hearing MacArthur’s voice on radio in the kitchen as my mother savoured his rich Bible teaching. Then we heard that he was coming to Houston, Texas, to preach at a nearby church. I can still remember where I sat, as a 16 year-old young man, awestruck at such authoritative, verse-by-verse preaching of God’s Word. Dr. MacArthur gave a riveting exposition of the sufficiency of Scripture from Psalm 19. I could think of nothing I wanted more than to spend my life doing what he just did – unleashing the Word of God to see lives transformed.
Soon after that, while playing basketball I ran to get a drink at the water fountain and bumped into a Christian teacher at my public high school. This bold little lady said to me, “Young man, I see God’s done a work in your life. Did you know John MacArthur has a school out in California?!” This forever changed the course of my life.
(2) His Writing – I vividly recall reading my first MacArthur book as a 17 year-old new believer, Our Sufficiency in Christ. His warnings about psychology and his explanations of the gospel remedy for our deepest needs struck the core of my being, and led to my majoring in Biblical Counseling at TMU. I remember one summer, while visiting my parents in Kenya, reading and making notes on The Gospel According to Jesus and embracing the lordship of Christ more deeply. Faith Works spelled that out further for me, Reckless Faith kept me from the ecumenicism that is rife on the mission field, Ashamed of the Gospel galvanised me for uncompromising pastoral ministry, and Truth War explained much of the worldly Christianity of our day.
(3) His Humility – The first week I arrived at TMU, we had a Q&A session with Dr. MacArthur. I asked him, “How does a preacher like you stay humble when you are so popular?” He smiled, glanced over at Lance Quinn (his associate at the time), and said something to the effect of, “If only you know how many enemies I have and trials I’ve endured that God uses to keep me humble.” The longer I’m in my ministry, the more I understand his answer.
How appropriate that he often signed books (see pic below) with this text, “We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). He also loved to speak of how all we are is “baked dirt”, mere jars of clay that hold this glorious gospel treasure, “so that the all-surpassing power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). I remember at one of the GCC services honouring his ministry (not sure if it was his 30th, 40th, or 50th anniversary!), Dr. MacArthur’s only remarks after all the accolades was to say, “I’m just an unworthy slave of Jesus doing my duty” (Lk. 17:10).
(4) His Kindness – Near the end of my first year as a university student, I made an appointment with Dr. MacArthur for some much-needed wisdom for what I thought was a real crisis: Should I play on the basketball team another year or not? Of all the things I could’ve spent those 20 minutes talking with John MacArthur about! Yet he was so gracious and patient with my trivial concerns. While I naively expected some super-spiritual revelation, MacArthur immediately told me what a sports’ fan he was and that I should not expect an objective answer from him.
Once after a game, MacArthur came up to me and remarked that since I was a bench-warmer, at least I had a perfect shooting record with no misses! His down-to-earth humour and humility were just what I needed as an over-zealous youngster in the faith. Even though I only played ball one year, it seemed to help Dr. MacArthur remember my name ever since and endeared me to him undeservingly.
(5) His Christlikeness – I recall sharing a few meals with Dr. MacArthur – once at student banquet on campus, once with my wife and his wife around a table at a missionary conference, and once chatting at a missionary picnic by the beach. He was always selfless, warm, caring and genuinely interested in my family, and I was amazed at all the details he remembered about South Africa and about my ministry. I often came away humbled and sobered by his steadfast example and wise mentoring and prayed, “Lord, to whom much is given much will be required (Lk. 12:48). Make me a good steward of these immense spiritual privileges. Please don’t let me waste what’s been invested in me or drop the baton!”
(6) His Diligence – In 1997, while I was at TMS and serving in the college ministry at GCC, Drs. MacArthur & Mayhue were working night and day on the completion of the MacArthur Study Bible. The room they chose to use was the basement conference room with a huge table where they could spread out all their tools, a room right next to our offices. I would often walk by and be inspired by their example, praying for these two selfless servants of Christ and His Church, as they pored over every page of sacred Scripture.
(7) His Pulpit – I had the incalculable privilege for 6.5 years (1992-1998) of sitting under Dr. MacArthur’s weekly preaching Sunday mornings and evenings, as a member at GCC, plus all his chapel sermons at TMU & TMS. Friends at TMU would ask why I drove all the way to GCC twice every Sunday, and I would answer, “I didn’t drive 30 hours out to California from Texas to go to any other church!”
Hearing 2 Corinthians expounded in the mornings and Revelation in the evenings left an indelible impression on me to this day. I recall one of my friends leaning over once and saying to me, “Dr. MacArthur is so full of the New Testament it feels like we’re listening to the Apostle Paul himself!” We were in awe that we could be present at a 21st century Geneva, learning from the John Calvin of our day, watching church history unfold before our very eyes.
(8) His Counsel – Once early on in my pastoral ministry when facing big trials, I was outside playing soccer with my boys. My wife stuck her head out the window, but instead of the usual call for supper, she said with a very curious look, “Honey, the guy says he’s Dr. MacArthur and he wants to speak to you?” I said, “Yeah right, nice one!” She said to me, “Honey, I think it might actually be him, you’d better come.” Sure enough, it was him!
For the next 15-20 minutes, he encouraged me from his own experience and reminded me of God’s sovereignty, expecting opposition, standing firm for the truth and upholding my integrity. For months and years to come I was still pinching myself: Amidst all of his burdens, how in the world did Dr. MacArthur find time to speak to little me on the other side of the world?
(9) His Controversies – I’ve lost count of the number of South African believers who’ve told me how MacArthur’s most polemical moments, like his book Charismatic Chaos, or Strange Fire, or Grace Church’s stand during COVID, and against wokeness and LGBTQ compromises in the church – how these flashpoints have led either to their salvation or getting them out of a bad church (or no church) and into a good church. When Dr. MacArthur defied the State of California, my wife said to me, “The Lord has kept him alive for this one last battle.” Our church in Johannesburg had already been taking the same stand and paying a price with police intimidation, but when GCC’s statement came out on “Christ Above Caesar”, my family and I read it at home and gave a standing ovation!
These very times when MacArthur was accused of being divisive and was most unpopular, were exactly what God used to unify many in the truth, to see churches strengthened and planted, and to see believers equipped with biblical answers. While remaining gracious and cooperative with other evangelical leaders wherever possible, Dr. MacArthur possessed that rare resolve to stand alone when necessary – fearing God over man, not sacrificing truth for unity, knowing that the “wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable” (Jm. 3:17). (He modelled that New Testament pattern of interdependent churches performing the Great Commission together, yet still independent, autonomous local congregations that will each answer to God.)
(10) His Men – As Phil Johnson has often pointed out, Dr. MacArthur always knew how to build a team, humbly gathering around him other gifted and godly men, not threatened by them but welcoming their friendship and camaraderie in ministry. For some 33 years now and counting, the GCC elders have kept pouring into me and my family in countless ways. During my early years of training at GCC, pastors like Jerry Wragg, Carey Hardy, Rick Holland, Tom Pennington, Mark Tatlock and others (along with beloved TMU & TMS profs) left a lasting imprint on my life and ministry to this day.
(11) His Example – Once we were just completing a furlough in the States and headed back to face ministry challenges on the field. We were visiting my in-laws and flying out the next day, but heard that Dr. MacArthur would be at a church nearby that evening. He preached one of his most well-known sermons from 1 Timothy 6:11-16 on the man of God. I sat there in tears at my Lord’s very personal and perfect timing, bringing just the encouragement I needed to send me back into the fray, from an old warrior and seasoned pastor. That famous sermon is also where Dr. MacArthur reads about the funeral of a faithful preacher:
“…And when he’s burned out by the flaming Word, when he’s consumed at last by the fiery grace blazing through him, and when he’s privileged to translate the truth of God to man, finally transferred from earth to heaven, then bear him away gently and blow a muted trumpet and lay him down softly. Place a two-edged sword in his coffin, and raise the tomb triumphant. For he was a brave soldier of the Word. And ere he died, he had become a man of God.” (https://www.shepherdsafrica.co.za/2025/01/24/the-making-of-a-man-of-god-by-tim-cantrell/)
It is now time to blow that muted trumpet.
Conclusion
I always assumed we would get Dr. MacArthur back to South Africa one more time. That never happened, no matter how hard we tried. Always the answer from his office came that Dr. MacArthur is no longer available for such a long trip, and he is thankful for the men that have now been trained to carry on the work there. Not the answer we wanted, but the one we needed.
The power is not in the messenger, but in the gospel message, God’s very own power to save and to build up His Church (Rom. 1:16-17; Matt. 16:18). With Dr. MacArthur gone, we get to live out what he often taught us, “None of us is indispensible. The Lord buries His workers, but His work carries on”. “One man plants, another waters, but God causes the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-7).
Rightly do we grieve the loss of such a lion in the Church: “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”, said Elisha when God took Elijah (2 Kgs 2:12). Who will take up MacArthur’s mantle? Who will be the next watchmen on the wall, speaking with the same courage and clarity? Where is the LORD, the God of MacArthur? His gifting and role were very unique; but praise God, MacArthur’s Bible is our Bible, his Holy Spirit is ours, his Saviour our Saviour! Each of his spiritual sons must rise up and carry on the work in every corner of the earth, raising up the next generation of torch-bearers who will come after us.
Though dead, Dr. MacArthur “still speaks”, like Abel of old (Heb. 11:4). May God give us ears to hear. If Jonathan Edwards was America’s greatest theologian, MacArthur may prove to be her greatest preacher yet. Long after Edwards died, Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said of him that his light was not like that of the sun but of the moon, “a borrowed light”. So too with Dr. MacArthur – all that made him shine with greatness was borrowed from the Giver of all good gifts. May we too borrow more of that light from the same Source, that Christ and His Word would shine through us until He comes or calls for us.
Tim Cantrell – Johannesburg, July 2025
