The father and mother stood stiffly in front of the small, white casket. Both were so overcome with grief, they could barely speak. The father had never gone to church. He had never talked with God. What could he do now? As he looked at the casket of his 5 year old daughter, his whole body shook with pain.
"Goodbye, little girl, forever!" Then he sadly walked away. Without Jesus, the father couldn't see life beyond the grave. To him it was the final end. But was it? Is death the last goodbye?
What is death?
"And the Lord God formed man of the _____ of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the _____ of life, and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
What happens when someone dies? Before we can really answer that question, we need to understand first how God created life. In the first few pages of the Bible, God explains how life began and what a soul really is. The Bible says, a soul is who we are.
Can souls die?
"The souls who sins shall _____" (Ezekiel 18:4).
"He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has _____" (1 Timothy 6:15,16).
God never planned for us to die. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School and others like it never should have happened. Death is the clear result of sin. All souls die because we are mortal. Only God is immortal. However, immortality is a gift that He will one day bestow to His people when He comes back to take us home to heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
How do souls live?
"The Spirit of God has made me, and the _____ of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4).
"He gives to all _____ , breath, and all things" (Acts 17:25).
God's gives the essential ingredient that gives us life. We are dependent on Him for each breath we take. There is nothing inside of man that gives or sustains life.
What happens when someone dies?
"Then the _____ will return to the earth as it was, and the _____ will return to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
"His spirit _____, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish" (Psalm 146:4).
God created us from the dust of the earth and His life-giving breath. When God's breath is removed, life comes to an end. Our body returns to the earth and the breath (spirit) returns to God who gave it. In the Bible, the words 'spirit' and the 'breath of life' are one and the same thing. Throughout Scripture, they are used interchangeably (see Genesis 7:22, Job 27:3, and James 2:26 for a few examples).
Life is kind of like making a box. Let's say you get out some nails and a few boards. When you hammer the nails to fit the wood together, you have a box. After a while, you decide it's not what you wanted and you take the box apart. So you pull out the nails and put them back in the box and stack the wood in a pile. Where did the box go? It didn't go anywhere. It just stopped being a box. The same thing happens with our bodies. When you add God's breath to a body, you have life (or a soul). Take one of them away, and life ceases to be.
Do people go to heaven as soon as they die?
"Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day...For David did _____ ascend into the heavens" (Acts 2:29,34).
"Do not marvel at this, for the hour is _____ in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth" (John 5:28,29).
Do the dead know what's happening today?
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know _____" (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
Can our loved ones come back from the grave and talk to us?
"So man lies down and does not rise. Til the heavens are no more, they will _____ wake nor be roused from their sleep" (Job 14:12).
"His sons come to honor, and he does _____ know it; they are brought low, and he does not perceive it" (Job 14:21).
"Also their _____, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:6).
Can the dead worship God?
"For in death there is _____ remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?" (Psalm 6:5)
"Death cannot _____ You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You" (Isaiah 38:18,19).
Can you talk to your loved ones who have passed away?
"As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall _____ return to his house, nor his place known him anymore" (Job 7:9,10).
Many of us have heard of haunted houses or stories of ghosts appearing to family or friends. The ghost may sound just like your grandma or Uncle Charlie. They may even look like them. But the Bible says the dead can't come back until Jesus returns in glory.
We must also remember that Satan can impersonate the dead. When King Saul was about to face his last battle, he consulted a witch to bring up Samuel from the dead. An apparition soon appeared. Saul recognized it right away--the voice, the face, the clothes. Everything looked just like the prophet Samuel! But it wasn't. It was a fearful counterfeit, a devil in disguise (see 1 Samuel 28:3-14). This is one of the devil's most sinister traps to lead us away from Jesus and His precious truth. Satan wants us to believe what we see, (as Saul did), but Jesus wants us to believe what He says.
What did Jesus teach about death in the New Testament?
"Our friend Lazarus _____" (John 11:11-13).
"Make room, for the girl is not dead, but _____" (Matthew 9:24).
Let's take a look at 2 stories in the gospels. The first one is about Lazarus, a very close friend of Jesus. Christ often went to the home of Lazarus and Mary and Martha whenever He came through Bethany. It was a home of friendship and peace. But one day, while Jesus was preaching in another town, He received the message that Lazarus was sick and about to die. His sisters begged for Jesus to come and heal him. But Jesus didn't go to Bethany right away. He stayed where He was for 2 days. Finally, he announced, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up" (John 11:11). At first, the disciples took Him quite literally. They thought Lazarus was just sleeping like we do every night. So they said to Jesus, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well." But then Jesus told them very plainly, "Lazarus is dead" (verse 14).
Another time, when Jesus was in Jerusalem, a ruler of the synagogue asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Jesus came right away this time, but by the time He got to the home of Jairus, the little girl was dead. How did Jesus describe her death? Just as He had with Lazarus, He said she was sleeping.
What did the apostles and prophets teach about death?
"And many of those who _____ in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2).
"Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell _____" (Acts 7:60).
"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen _____, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
We don't have room to list all the examples found in the Scriptures. But if we would look at them all, we'd see that the Bible refers to death at least 50 times as an unconscious sleep. All the Bible writers, including Christ Himself, taught that the dead sleep in the grave until our Savior wakes them up at His coming (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 and 1 Corinthians 15:53-53).
This sleep reminds me of the long trips I'd take to my grandma's house. On the way home, I'd sometimes curl up in the back seat and fall asleep. The miles slipped away and the hours passed by, but I wasn't aware of any of it. All I knew was when we pulled up in the driveway. I always woke up right away and say, "Are we home already? It seems like we just left Nana's house!" It will be the same for us if we fall to sleep before Jesus comes. The years may pass by, but we won't be aware of it. It will seem just as if a minute has passed and we're awake again and looking into the face of our dear Redeemer!
Why does Jesus want us to know what happens when someone dies?
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of _____" (1 Timothy 4:1).
From the very beginning, Satan has lied to us about the nature of death. His words to Eve, "You will not surely die" (Genesis 3:4) has been accepted all over the world. One of his most successful traps is to perform miracles through people who claim to be in touch with the dead. Check out these stories to see how it happened in Bible times--Moses and the Egyptian Magicians in Exodus 17, The Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28, Daniel and the Sorcerers in Daniel 2:2 and The Demon-Possessed Woman in Acts 16. As we approach the second coming of Christ, the devil will use sorcery again to try and deceive the whole world (see Revelation 18:23).
What kind of hope does Jesus give us when we lose a loved one?
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made _____" (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Death is not the destiny for God's children. Jesus destroyed the power of death at the cross. When you put your life into God's hands, you have the promise of eternal life. This includes the wonderful hope of the Resurrection. With Jesus, there is life beyond the grave. There is hope that we will see our loved ones again.
How can we find comfort when a loved one dies?
"Casting all your cares upon Him, for He ______ for you" (1 Peter 5:8).
How can we make the pain go away when someone we love has passed away? We need arms that will hold us, someone we can turn to with our questions and tears. That person is Jesus Christ. He understands our grief and is willing to go through it with us. His strength can become ours when we turn to Him, knowing that He understands and He cares.
What promise does Jesus give us when we're grieving?
"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will _____ you" (Isaiah 66:13).
"I will never leave you or _____ you" (Hebrews 13:5).
"If we come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, as we really are, and in humble, trusting faith make known our wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He can and will attend to our cry, and will let light shine into our hearts. Through sincere prayer we are brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. We may have no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of our Redeemer is bending over us in compassion and love, but this is even so. We may not feel His visible touch, but His hand is upon us in love and pitying tenderness" (Steps to Christ, page 97).
Put your hands into Christ's hand. Give him your broken heart and Jesus will make it whole again. His presence will bring the greatest comfort as you go through the valley of the shadow of death. For He is with you. He will never leave you til you are whole again.
How will Jesus comfort you?
"This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your _____ has given me life" (Psalm 119:50).
"His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the _____ of Him who called us by glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3).
You can hear the Lord's love and peace as you sit by His side and drink in His Word. The Bible contains strength-building promises to help you through your times of greatest grief. Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you" (John 14:27). As we open the pages of the Bible, with aching hearts, we enter the region of peace, for it is the place where our Savior lives. His Words will give you whatever you need to understand your pain and deal with your loss.
How can your faith be a strength to you in times of great loss?
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore _____ one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
The Second Coming of Jesus has always been the Christian's dearest hope. Paul calls it our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). Our faith in His return can give us hope to pull us from despair, knowing that we shall see our loved one again when Jesus wakes His sleeping children from their graves. Keep looking to that Day, the great Reunion day, when you will be with your loved one again. And there will be no more pain or sorrow ever again! Keep looking to Jesus and hold onto His unfailing promises. And He will comfort your heart!
Promises for You!
"I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25).
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are His everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27).
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18, New Revised Standard).
"He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
"God is the strength of my heart" (Psalm 73:26).
"I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them" (Jeremiah 31:13).
"Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1).
"I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you" (John 14:18).
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