Have you experienced loss from COVID? In the past days it seems as if many have died from this devastating virus. People loved. People missed. Not just people, but of course, they each have a name, a story, a legacy, and a hole that is left in the lives of those who miss them.
Young. Old. Dads. Moms. Grandparents. Sons. Daughters. This virus nor death are a respecter of persons.
Possibly right now you feel the aloneness. Potentially today you sense the depth of your loss. You may have gone to be crying out, gotten up to say a word to one who is missing, or sought to send a text that will not receive a reply.
I’ve spoken to an empty room. I’ve sent a text knowing it would never be read. Possibly you are here.
Listen to Jesus
Jesus knew what day He would die. He also recognized the anguish, turmoil, trauma, disappointment, and discouragement His death would bring as well. Jesus did not need the five stages of grief by Kubler-Ross in 1969 for Him to know what His disciples needed to hear to prepare for His death. He made us and was one of us. He knew exactly what the disciples needed to know.
In Jesus’ words to His disciples as recorded in John 13-17, He helped prepare them for their impending grief in several ways. In this blog, I am only going to share one of them. In the future I’ll try to share additional lessons Jesus specifically taught to help His closest loved ones as they faced incredible grief.
It is important to remember that the disciples knew that Jesus was the Messiah. Since He was, they expected all of the prophecies about Him to come true in His first advent. They expected Jesus to rise up, rule and reign over Rome, and they would co-reign beside Him. In addition, they deeply loved Him and closely followed Him throughout Israel. They were afraid He was going to get hurt. They did not understand the significance of His statements when He told them He was going to die, go away, and leave. Jesus recognized the depth of their impending grief. So what did Jesus say?
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled…
Among other lessons Jesus taught, this remains the greatest on that day. Listen to Jesus as He prepares them for His death and their grief. As a follower of Jesus who has also lost someone, listen to Jesus as He helps you in your grief as well.
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Did you hear His opening remark? “Let not your heart be troubled.” He knew and knows how hard grief is. He understood and understands how your heart hurts. Jesus recognized the depth of sorrow that comes with losing someone you love so deeply.
Take a moment to meditate on His words to you. “Let not your heart be troubled.”
Why Jesus?
“Because if you believe in God, believe also in Me. … I go to prepare a place for you.”
Jesus left earth to prepare a place. What kind of place? A place for those who die in Christ. He left to get everything ready.
Recently we invited a group of people after a funeral over to our house. As people hung out and visited at the church even while I was finishing up conversations and getting everything tidied up, Kelly left early to get everything prepared for the family to eat. She left to go prepare the place for our arrival.
Jesus did the same. He left to get everything ready to receive us in eternity.
Jesus continued. “Where I am, there you will be also.”
What incredible words. Jesus said He was going to prepare an eternal place and that one day we would be there also. You see, death serves as the doorway from this world into the next world. As our loved one who follows Jesus takes his or her final breath, death opens up into eternity with Jesus. Our loved one – your loved one – leaves the earthly tent of this body and enters into the presence of Jesus Christ.
Think and meditate on that for a moment. As good as he or she had it on earth, things just got better. A place is prepared by Jesus and He welcomes him or her there in His presence. “That where I am, there you will be also.”
Thomas Did Not Understand; Jesus helps him.
This teaching, the evident heaviness on Jesus’ countenance as He taught, and this meal together made Thomas really confused. How is all this possible? What is going on Jesus? What are you talking about? With all kinds of thoughts running through his head and with the troubled and sorrowful hearts of those around him, Thomas exclaimed for all of us,
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus gives Thomas the answer that not only was to him but is to you and me as well.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus did not hold anything back. Jesus said how we get to heaven. He explained with clarity what it took to go to heaven. Jesus put it all on the table in order for us to have the peace, serenity, and calmness of heart as we try to deal with out grief.
What did Jesus say? He said that He was the way, the truth, and the life.
Thankfully, for those we have lost to COVID who had a personal relationship with Jesus, those individuals went immediately from this world to literally be with Jesus. Not figuratively. Not just simply a good feeling about going over into bliss. But just as alive with you while they were here, they now are alive with Jesus there. Plus, all those who have also died or fallen asleep in Jesus.
Think about that and meditate on that for a moment. More alive than ever with Jesus.
Happy. Smiling. Laughing. Worshipping. Amazed. In wonder. Perfect. Healed. No more sin. No more pain. Suffering forever gone. With Jesus.
Today, Let Not Your Own Heart Be Troubled
In this moment today, let not your own heart be troubled. Your loved one is more alive in this minute than ever. Take a second to remember the very best day you ever had with the one you so desperately miss. Think how alive your loved one was in that moment. Consider the smile. That smile. The smile that melted your heart with joy. Now picture that smile and your loved one in heaven in Jesus’ presence alive as ever.
Death lost. Yes, you so desperately miss him or her in this moment. But friend, your loved one is more alive than ever. It is no different than when they were just simply in an other room, at work, or in another city on a trip. In fact, it is better than that. Your loved on is perfect, surrounded by perfection, and with Jesus.
Do not let your heart be troubled.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Jesus. Thank you that Jesus helped our hearts not be so troubled.
We stop today to contemplate the joys of heaven, the reality of life there, and how alive our loved one is.
We can’t even imagine how great it is. But we are grateful. Thank you that told us all about it.
We are glad that today our minds can rest in the fact that our loved one is alive, doing better than ever, and is enjoying life.
More than that, thank you that Jesus made a way for this to happen.
What sorrow we would have if we truly believed that this was it. But instead, we rest in Jesus who took care of our sins on the cross and made eternity possible for us.
We love you and literally can’t thank you enough.
We will strive to just rest in you today and not let our heart be troubled.
In Jesus name, Amen.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
