For
the last year, we have kept the Lipsey family in prayer as Joni fought her
battle with cancer with grace and dignity. We have also prayed for others going
through similar crises, some drawn out, and others experiencing more sudden
losses. Either way, part of being in the human family means the
inevitability of death. It can raise some very profound questions,
including Is God there? and Does He care? I believe the Bible teaches
very clearly YES to both and provides us with God’s perspective on Hurt
and Hope.
John 11:33-35
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come
along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and
troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he
asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
Things
to think about:
HURT
·
This
passage comes from the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. You will
recall that Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, early friends and
followers of Jesus.
·
"He
was deeply moved in spirit and troubled”, “Jesus wept"
o Jesus felt their very real
pain. While He knew what He was going to do (raise Lazarus), in the moment He
hurt alongside the friends He loved
o What He didn’t say was, ”Hey
don’t be sad, he’s in a better place now.”
§ Have you ever experienced someone’s
well-intentioned but misplaced words of encouragement?
§ Why is it important to
recognize the pain and grief that accompanies a great loss?
·
What
is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Why does the distinction matter?
o If you are going through a
period of grieving, what difference does it make having someone with you who
has gone through the same thing?
·
He went
to them, He walked with them, He wept with them
o Psalm 46:1 - "God is our
refuge a strength, a very present help in times of trouble"
o The origin of Greek word for
the Holy Spirit is “parakletos” signifying “called to one’s side”
o Isaiah 53:3 says in part, …”a
man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.”
o Julius Caesar is famously
quoted as having said, “I came, I sought, I conquered.”
o Jesus Christ says, “I went, I
walked, I wept.” Two very different kinds of kings!
o How does knowing God is there
and He cares help you deal with life’s tragedies?
o How can we be God’s hands and
feet to others going through painful times?
HOPE
·
Thankfully,
as important as empathy is, Jesus doesn’t stop with identifying with our
sorrow. He gives us hope that He has overcome death and if we believe, we will
too.
·
In
John 11:25-26 He said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the
life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they
die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you
believe this?”
o Wisely, Martha says,
"“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the
Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
·
1
Corinthians 15 has much to teach us about death and what happens after life in this mortal
body is over.
o vv. 54-55 – “When the
perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been
swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your
victory?
Where, O death, is your
sting?”
o Moreover, in Hebrews 2:14-15,
we learn, “Since
the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so
that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of
death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in
slavery by their fear of death.”
§ And right there the shackles
of man’s deepest fear, “What happens to me after I die?” are forever shattered!
The bully’s biggest threat is exposed for the lie that is.
§ Does the thought of dying
scare you?
§ How does the verse above shape
your perspective of your own mortality?
· 1 Corinthians 15, verses
42-44, “So will
it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is
perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown
in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised
in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised
a spiritual body.
o Thanks be to God who gives us
hope that the fallen seed of our mortal bodies will be raised up anew
imperishable, in glory, and in power!
·
So
back to Jesus’ question for Martha – Do you believe this?
nice post
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