Hope in Grief

Grief is a universal experience that touches all of our lives. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a failed marriage, health challenges, career changes, or even dreams that die. We all face moments when grief overwhelms us. Unfortunately, our culture often doesn't know how to handle grief properly. We're told to "stay strong," "keep busy," or that "you'll get over it eventually." But grief doesn't vanish just because we rush it.

In John 11, we find Jesus approaching grief in a radically different way. One that offers us hope and comfort in our darkest moments. The raising of Lazarus isn't just another miracle story. It represents a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry and the Gospel narrative. It's the seventh and final "sign" in John's Gospel (seven being the biblical number of completion). It occurs shortly before Jesus' final week leading to the crucifixion. This miracle becomes the final straw that leads Jewish authorities to plot Jesus' death. And, it reveals Jesus' most powerful self-declaration: "I am the resurrection and the life"

But before the miracle itself, there's something equally powerful happening: Jesus meeting his friends Mary and Martha in their grief. This encounter teaches us how God responds to our pain. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days. In Jewish culture, this meant there was absolutely no hope of revival. The sisters respond to their grief differently. 

Martha's Response:

Active and practical. She goes out to meet Jesus

Full of words, faith, and questions

Directly confronts Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died"

Processes her grief through theological understanding

Mary's Response:

Emotional and withdrawn. Stays at home until called

Falls at Jesus' feet when she finally sees him

Expresses the same sentiment as Martha: "Lord, if you had been here..."

Processes her grief through deep emotion and weeping

Both responses are completely valid. Jesus meets each sister exactly where they are, without judgment or correction about how they should grieve. The most powerful moment in this story might be the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).

Think about this. Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He intentionally delayed his arrival so this miracle would happen. He had the power to fix everything with a word. But still:

He was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled"

The Greek indicates he "groaned" in his spirit

He wept openly with Mary and the mourners

Jesus wasn't just sad for this specific situation. He was grieving:

For his friends' pain

For the reality of what sin and death do to humanity

For the brokenness of our world

Even knowing resurrection was coming, Jesus fully entered into the grief of the moment. He didn't rush past it or minimize it. When Martha tells Jesus that she believes in the future resurrection, Jesus makes an intense statement: "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."

This changes everything about grief:

Jesus doesn't just promise future resurrection. He claims to BE resurrection itself

He makes the theological concept deeply personal

He stands with us in our grief while also offering hope beyond it

Martha responds with the central confession: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." This is the ultimate answer to the question that runs throughout John's Gospel: "Who is Jesus?" When you stand at the tomb of whatever you've lost, whether a person, a dream, your health, or your hope, remember that Jesus is not standing far away. He is with you, weeping with you, groaning with you. Your grief is not the end of the story, because the resurrection is standing right in front of you.

Ask yourself:

What loss am I carrying that I've been avoiding or rushing past?

Have I allowed Jesus to meet me in my grief, or have I tried to handle it alone?

Do I believe that Jesus is not just someone who can resurrect, but that He IS resurrection itself?

How might acknowledging Jesus' presence in my grief change how I experience it?

This week, take time to honestly bring your grief before Jesus. Don't rush it, minimize it, or hide it. Remember that the One who wept at Lazarus's tomb weeps with you too, and He is the resurrection and the life.

With Resurrection Hope,

Pastor John

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