Jesus Can RelateSýnishorn

Jesus Can Relate to Life-Changing Loss

Have you experienced a life-changing loss? Jesus can relate. As Isaiah foretold, Jesus would be “a man of sorrows and acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT).

Today, you’ll read about Jesus’ friend Lazarus who passed away. Jesus travels to visit Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. The sisters meet with Jesus separately, but they say the same words to Jesus: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Martha wants to talk to Jesus. She believes Jesus could have saved Lazarus, but now it’s too late. Jesus has a conversation with her, and offers questions to help her process. Mary says the same words, but she doesn’t want a conversation. Instead, she breaks down and cries. And how does Jesus respond? By crying with her.

These two sisters had two different responses to loss. Martha verbally processed her feelings and Jesus answered with helpful questions. Mary processed her feelings through tears. Jesus responded by sharing her pain.

In all of this, we see that Jesus felt grief too. How could He not? He’s fully God and fully human. He was getting a front-row seat to one of the most painful human experiences.

Jesus can relate to life-changing loss and is ready to respond with empathy. Some of us react to loss with rationalization. Jesus meets us there, ready to guide our process. Others react with high levels of emotion. Jesus meets us there, too, sitting next to us on the floor in tears.

We live in a broken world, and bad things happen. Sometimes we don’t know why. But we know that Jesus can relate to our pain—and is present every step of the way.

Pray: God, thank You for being present when I feel pain. Help me to find strength and hope in You when I experience life-changing loss. In Jesus’ name, amen.