Do Christians grieve?
Yes, Dear One, Christians grieve. Oh, I see what you are asking. Why, then, so little sobbing and so much joy at a Christian funeral?
One would naturally come to that conclusion when a congregation smiles as a fellow member is said to have gone home to be with the Lord.
Christian memorial services and funerals are truly joyous events, for all believers are unified around the throne of God- some in spirit, some still in the body, and we know that we shall all see each other again.
23Nevertheless I am still with you, You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Psalm 73:23-24
However, Christians do not lose their normal emotions when they are born again and, while here on earth, Christians do still feel the pangs of pain and death, hurt and loss, misery and depression, sadness and inner turmoil, just as anyone else. The human condition is not eradicated when we are given the faith to believe that God has chosen us, has forgiven us, and has destined us to be His forever. In the face of earthly affliction and misery, we just know that there is something so much better awaiting us—in Heaven with Him eternally!
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
John 10:27-28
The Believer trusts that God is sovereign. God controls all things—the course of the stars and planets, the fur growth on little rabbits, the ups and downs of the stock market, and each beat of the heart of every person in the world. His omniscience and omnipotence, His eternity and infinity, His power and might are astoundingly constant. God never changes and He remains the Creator and the Sustainer of life. When a person worships this magnificent God, even the losses and hits in life are bearable, pointing us to His greater purpose.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
(Romans 8:28)
Why should we not grieve when the Bible tells us that Jesus wept when His friend, Lazarus, died? We know this from the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept. (John 11:35) This may be the shortest verse in the entire bible, but it makes powerful impact on us.
To begin with, Dear One, Jesus grieved the death of His friend because Jesus was fully human, as well as fully God. He was overwhelmed to sobs with compassion. He felt the weight of the sorrow of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.
Jesus knew that He would bring Lazarus back to life again—in order to glorify God. He also knew that He, Himself, would experience death, as any man, and, on the third day, rise from the dead. But, unlike Lazarus who would experience death again, Jesus would be risen from His earthly tomb, be seen by hundreds, ascend with His glorified body, and sit at the right hand of His Father in heaven, and return again to judge the living and the dead, as our Creed says.
Which brings me to a second aspect of the verse, Jesus wept. Jesus cries because man is sinful and all creation pays the price of sin. Everything about us: our health, our house, our family, our marriage, our work, our daily routines and everything we forget and take for granted—are under attack, because of the Fall of Man. We grieve at illness. We grieve at job loss. We grieve at divorce. We grieve at calamity. We grieve even when a pet dies.
Believe me, when I read the prayer requests from my home church I am stunned at all the hardship and troubles that surround our beloved congregation! I grieve alongside each one of my Brothers and Sisters making their unique prayer requests known. Just imagine all the suffering of the world!
This is what Jesus is also grieving, and we, Believers, grieve the same, crying out to God, How long, Lord, how long?
One last thought on the grief of Jesus as He wept.
Jesus grieved the lost, the perishing, those who would remain under the wrath of God because of their unbelief. No matter what Jesus told His own people about Himself as the Messiah, no matter how many times He spoke with authority in the temple, no matter how many miracles He performed, and how many people He restored to life from death—the people refused to believe that Jesus is the Son of God come into the world as Savior and Redeemer.
The people were lamenting the death of Lazarus and figured that this was the end for him. They had forgotten about the Resurrection of the Body and, yes, Lazarus would rise again to live forever.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
I Corinthians 15: 54
Oh, Dear Sister, Christians do grieve, especially for the unbeliever.
Is your heart burdened for someone who refuses to know Jesus Christ? Mine is. Pray with me, pray hard, and then, pray some more. We are to pray unceasingly for that person, storm the very gates of Heaven with our prayers, and then rest on the God’s glorious grace on us and His perfect and sovereign will.
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:25-26
Christian grief is a real emotion that keeps our heart pounding in rhythm with the heart of Christ. Do not be afraid of your grief. If Jesus wept, so should we. Depend on His trustworthy word: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4
By Grace and Faith alone,
Mimi