I like for this weekly column to remain politics-free, but the events of this week gave me inspiration. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a profound shock, and it has left plenty of us grieving.
Add to this week the anniversary of 9/11 and some extended family members who are dealing with recent deaths in their families, and grief has been on my mind this week. I even had a wave of grief of my own when a television episode had some father-son moments that hit me hard, even five years after my dad passed away.
What does the Bible say about grief? Plenty, but I want to highlight three things about what scripture has to say.
Grief is real.
Think about Jesus’ reaction to the death of His friend, Lazarus. He knew that Lazarus had died, but He waited for several days so that he could bring God glory with his miraculous healing. But that didn’t mean that Jesus didn’t grieve:
When Jesus saw her [Lazarus’ sister, Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
John 11:33-36 (ESV)
Mourning isn’t weakness; it’s part of our humanity. Jesus was both fully God and fully human, and even He allowed his grief to show.
Even with the shock of this week’s events and the grief that goes on all around us every single day, we can take comfort knowing that God’s Word doesn’t gloss over sorrow.
God meets us in mourning with comfort.
Kohelet (the preacher, whom scholars believe to be Solomon) reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:4 that there is “a time to mourn.” But God shows up for us in our grief.
The Psalmist tells us that “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3, ESV). Jesus told an eager crowd listening to the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, ESV).
Related: Sunday Thoughts: The God of All Comfort and the Power of Resurrection
God expects us to be there for those who are grieving as well. As the Apostle Paul put it in Romans 12:15, we should “weep with those who weep.”
God never leaves us alone in our grief. Instead, His presence is with the brokenhearted. We can rest in that comfort and take encouragement from it.
Mourning gives way to hope.
King David uttered some immortal words that can give us hope in the midst of grief: “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5b, ESV).
Speaking of believers who have died (or “fallen asleep,” in his memorable parlance), the Apostle Paul reminded the Thessalonian church that “you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13b, ESV). In other words, we have hope in the salvation that Jesus brought when He died and rose again.
As Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister, Martha:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
John 11:25-27 (ESV)
The Apostle John got a taste of what the end of days will bring for us — a perfect eternity with no grief or sadness:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Revelation 21:1-6 (ESV)
Grief has its time and place, but it’s not the final word. Jesus turns our mourning into hope.
God’s Word shows us that mourning is a natural part of life, that comfort is God’s promise, and that our hope is secure in Jesus. We shouldn’t deny our sorrow, but we also walk with it in the promise of resurrection, thanks to Jesus’ work on the cross and in the empty tomb.
In a week marked by grief, we’re reminded that the Bible never turns away from our tears. Jesus Himself wept, and God promises comfort and hope in the midst of sorrow. If you value faith-driven reflections like this alongside sharp reporting and commentary, consider joining PJ Media VIP. You’ll get exclusive columns, podcasts, and a community that shares your values.
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