For the grieving Christian, Jesus’ death affirms our grief.
Jesus told his disciples and followers on multiple occasions that he would die.
He didn’t allude to it, he told them flat-out what would happen.
Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again” (Luke 24:7).
“Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Peter responds in Matthew 16:22, as our heart would too.
Maybe the disciples thought Jesus was speaking in parables again, how he’d done so often in the past. Because the scripture goes on to say, “But they (the disciples) did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it” (Mark 9:32 NIV).
I remember the weeks leading up to my daddy’s death. Medical staff and specialists had informed me on several occasions that Dad didn’t have much longer. I didn’t want to believe this truth and I didn’t want it to be my reality.
Because this is what we do when we stare death in the face.
We cling to any hope that we may have. We deny what could possibly be inevitable.
But as long as we are breathing there is still hope.
I can imagine the disciples felt this way about our Lord.
He’s here and this will not and cannot happen to him…
And for the disciples and us at times, we are afraid to ask the hard questions.
So, we stay in the moment, as they did, with Jesus. To see what will happen next.
For Jesus, every Word he said came to pass.
He was delivered into the hands of sinners and was killed.
And the disciples grieved Jesus’ death.
Mary and his followers grieved Jesus’ death.
Just as Jesus had grieved over her cousin John the Baptist, his friend Lazarus, and even his assignment of going to the cross, we can also grieve every loss we encounter in life.
The blessed hope we have in Christ is that his death made a way for him to send us his Spirit.
A Comforter to comfort us in our grief.
John says, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—” (John 14:16 NKJV).
So, take heart knowing Jesus’ death affirms our grief. In that, he knew that we would all grieve one day, so He sent us a Comforter. He is with us now and always, even until the end.
Sitting with you,
Natasha
Pre-order my forthcoming grief book Can You Just Sit with Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life here.
