For many, the holiday season is a time of gatherings of family and friends, joy, and celebration. For others, it is a time of grief. It is a time of painful memories. Memories of family members or friends that are no longer here and the grief of looking across the table and seeing the chair they used to sit in. Memories of relationships that are strained or broken to the point where they don’t gather or if they do, the emotional distance is so great that they might as well not be there. Perhaps it is a more recent event such as a health crisis, financial issues, or relationship struggles. For each of these, grief is a natural response for the pain and suffering you are experiencing.
Throughout the Bible, we see people grieving. Abraham mourns when his wife Sarah dies in Genesis 23. The nation of Israel grieves the death of Moses in Deuteronomy 34. David grieves over the loss of his son in 2 Samuel 12. Shortly after this, David grieves over his son Absalom turning away from him and even taking the throne from David. In the New Testament, John 11 shares how Mary and her sister Martha grieve over the loss of their brother Lazarus. Throughout the Bible, we see people grieving over the loss of loved ones, relationship issues, the desire for people to be saved, health issues, etc.
At the center of all this grieving and in our own grief, is Jesus. Hebrews 4 reminds us that we do not have some distant God but a High Priest that sympathizes with our weakness, our pain, our suffering, our grief. He meets us in our sufferings and pain, and He can relate to us because He also knows what it is like to experience grief. When we look at John 11 and the grieving of Mary and Martha, we also see Jesus enter the picture. Jesus knew what He was going to do. He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus could have simply told Mary and Martha not to worry that it’s all okay. However, we see Jesus grieve right alongside them. In verse 35 we are told that “Jesus wept”. The shortest verse in the Bible is one of those most impactful as it shows Jesus entering our grieving and grieving alongside of us. Not only does Jesus understand our grief and grieve alongside us, but He also promises to be our strength when we feel overwhelmed (Psalm 73:36). Jesus also gives us a promise in Revelation 21 that He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death or need for mourning because He is making all things new.
Jesus invites those that are grieving to grieve. He grieves alongside us. He knows our pain. He promises to be our strength when we can’t go on. He also promises that one day, He will comfort us, and we will not need to grieve anymore.
What are you grieving this holiday season? Take a moment and acknowledge the loss, the pain. As you acknowledge your felt reality, turn to Immanuel and welcome Him - allow Him to sit with you and feel the pain of loss with you. Know that He is with you, that He grieves with you. Let your heart know the joy of His presence.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73:26