The second half. Grieving Christian. Some would think that that phrase should be an oxymoron right up there with “government intelligence”. Why would a loving God allow his children to experience grief? Can’t he protect them? Why doesn’t he protect them? I am sure the surface of that topic will be scratched by someone this weekend. But suffice it to say, Christians are not exempt from sin’s consequences and emotional trauma. Even the mother of Jesus had her heart pierced with grief as she watched her son fulfill an eternal purpose. “Grieving Christians” is an existing people group.... and will be until Jesus returns. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians “we do not want you to grieve like men who have no hope”. Peter wrote his letter to grieving Christians, who because of persecution were grieving the loss of their homes, their possessions, their way of life, and family members who had been brutally killed by crucifixion, by animals by gladiators in the arena or by a myriad of other murder styles available to sadistic enemies of the faith. To these grieving believers, Peter opens his letter with this reminder: 1 Pet. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit led Peter to place that adjective “living” before the word “hope”. Jesus has given us birth into a “living” hope. And that hope is grounded in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. I would rather grieve with Christ than without Him. People without Christ who grieve have a hope, but their hope is just a type of positive thinking without roots in anything substantial that can prove reliable or give reason for such a hope. You might call it a “dead” hope. But the resurrection, the conquering of death by Jesus, provides for Christians a “living” hope. Living hope from heaven was the comfort for Adam and Eve, it was the rock for Job and it was even the confidence for David who said, after his son’s death, “He will not come to me, but I will one day go to him.” Rich Mullins wrote and sang with these lyrics: There’s bound to come some trouble to your life..., and there’s bound to come some tears up in your eyes..., and people say maybe things will get better, people say maybe it won’t be long, and people say maybe you’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll all be gone. Well I only know that maybes just aren’t enough when you need something to hold on. There’s only one thing that’s clear. Reach out to Jesus and hold on tight. He’s been there before and he knows what it’s like. you’ll find He’s there. He’s been there before. Jesus is familiar with grief. An accepted inference of Scripture is that Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father, died while Jesus still lived. He knew what it felt like to mourn a father; one deeply respected for his unselfish part in the plan of God. Upon hearing that his cousin John the baptizer had been gruesomely murdered at the whim of a child, her mother and her stepfather, Jesus withdrew for time alone. I am sure that grief accompanied Him. And at the tomb of his friend, Jesus wept. Yes, he’s been there before. He knows what it’s like. You’ll find He is there. So, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials that come your way, but anchor your hearts in this truth: Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. And should grief be laid at your soul’s door, leaving you with no choice but to open and let it in, may grief find itself tempered inside your soul that is comforted and strengthened by the living hope of the resurrected Lord; a soul held and protected in the palm of the very hand of God. His hand will not let you fall. His hand will hold on to you, even when you feel you can no longer hold on to Him. YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 17:51:43 +0000
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