Handling GriefSample

Moving From IF To I Believe

When both Martha and Mary first met Jesus at the grave they both said to Jesus “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus wanted to take them from an IF faith to I believe.

When Jesus calmly and lovingly told her, “Your brother will rise again,” she sarcastically replied, “Yes, Yes, I know that!” But with every beat of her heart, she was really saying, “I wanted you here to prevent this horrible thing from ever happening.”

Meanwhile, Jesus continued saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me even though they die will live.” Then Jesus asks her a very pointed question, “Martha, do you believe this?” To which Martha responded, “Yes, Lord I believe.”

The Bible is clear that after death, two literal destinies await all humanity: eternal life and eternal death (Rom. 6:23). Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ receive everlasting life. When a believer dies, their body remains in the grave, but their soul is consciously and immediately taken into the presence of Jesus. Our soul's immediate destiny is heaven, since Jesus himself ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11) and is presently there preparing a home for us.

When we die, we are consciously and immediately taken into the presence of our Savior in heaven.

Our loved ones who have died have gone before us into heaven. They are no longer in the past- they are in the future.

We must change the “angle” from which we look at the death of our loved ones. Instead of seeing them as being “dead in the past” – we must start seeing them as being “fully alive in heaven” and understand that we will be reunited with them once again in a very short period of time.

Jesus talked a lot about heaven. He didn’t teach about heaven as a theologically abstract place. He described it as His home—a reality. His Father is in this place (Luke 10:21), where everything is just the way He wants it (Matt. 6:10). He encouraged His followers to invest there (vv. 19–21). He came from there (John 3:13) and longed to return. And He promised to take His followers there to live with Him (14:1–3).

The question that Jesus asked Martha brings her to the decision that divides humanity: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).

This is the profoundly simple transaction that brings the hope of heaven to hurting hearts. It contains two parts—one is our responsibility, the other is His promise. If you believe this, He will be your resurrection and your life.

Martha’s reply confirms her belief in Jesus.

“Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.” (John 11:27)

The most important day in Martha’s life was not the day Jesus relieved her urgent pain by raising Lazarus from the dead, but the day she stood before the Lord Jesus and believed in Him. It was the day she received the life she, her sister, and her brother have been enjoying in heaven with Jesus every day for nearly two thousand years.

This day can also be the most important day of your life, as you believe in Jesus as your Savor and Lord and know that one day soon you will meet the Lord and spend eternity with Him and all our loved ones who have believed in Him and have gone on ahead before us.

Quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to what our reason has once accepted, in spite of our changing moods.” C.S.Lewis

Prayer: Lord I pray that You will turn my sorrow into gladness, as I believe in who You are and put my trust in You. Amen