Life Is in His Hands

In this series, “Grieve to the Gospel”—we invite you to share with us together in the truths of the good news of Christ. We can tune our grief to the tones, notes, and chords we hear in it. We will still certainly grieve, but welcoming the gospel into our minds, hearts, and experiences will help us to understand what the Bible means when it communicates that there is a uniquely Christian way to grieve (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

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“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to Him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).”
John 20:15-16

When Mary Magdalene first recognized the risen Christ, she spoke the word Rabboni, Teacher, a word of personal knowledge and a word of submission.

“Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.”
John 21:4-6

When John noticed Christ from far off, he exclaimed, “It is the Lord!” with awe and reverence for His holy presence. Then, when Peter heard John’s statement, Peter dove into the sea and swam to shore out of devotion to the risen Lord.

Do you sense the holiness, reverence, and singularity in terms of approach to Jesus in these accounts of His appearances? Worship in heartfelt gladness and personal knowledge can be seen. For the Lord knows His people in relationship and draws us near with tenderness—even as the mighty, risen Lord. There is one, preeminent Christ who has drawn us believers to Himself. And He rose from the grave—an act declaring that life is in His hands; lives are in His hands.

Perhaps it feels, to you, exceedingly difficult to hear the words, “love Jesus most,” while grieving the loss of your child. Perhaps you want to think primarily about your child, or about your child plus Jesus.

But, today, let’s consider some of how it impacts grief to love Jesus first.

If we love Jesus most, we can only love our children better and all the more freely in Him. When we love the Lord first and foremost, we can love our children out of the fullness of Christ’s love in our hearts. When we don’t place the expectation on our children of being our sustenance and life, our hearts are all the more open to appreciating them for who they are and appreciating the lives God created them to live—heavenly lives! This way, we don’t try to love them outside of our relationships with the Lord, but we love them in the Lord and according to His plans.

I believe that my daughter who has gone ahead would tell me that she does not want to be my all in all. She adores Christ most, and she would not want to be in His place in my life. I have the hope she knows Him as her light and life, her satisfaction and sustenance, in the glory of His holiness and the warmth of His presence and love. He is worshiped in her life.

She loves the Lord most; and as she and I both love the Lord most, we can know that—though a real chasm presently separates us—still, our hearts are united with love for the Lord and that binds us in an eternal sense.

When Jesus proclaimed life over the grave—He demonstrated His full authority that, in love, He overcame all darkness. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Darkness has not overcome light—and never will. The light of your eyes, the life in your soul, the purpose of your spirit—these things may feel as though they have seeped out of you and been replaced by darkness. His light prevails.

Surrendering even my love for my child to God with an open heart allowed me to love the truth. Both of us are sustained until we meet again, and Jesus reigns over all with life in His hands.

Tuning Your Grief to Jesus’ Resurrection and Appearances

Grieve to the notes and tones of the gospel:

• the reality that He has always held the lives of our children in His hands
• the authority He has over sin and the grave through His resurrection
• the truth that worshipping Him unites all of His people, in heaven and on earth
• the worth He has to be worshipped, for life is in His hands

Lianna belongs to her Lord. She is wed to Tyler and mother of two girls, one who lives in heaven and one who lives on earth. You’ll find her serving with Hope Mommies as Content Director and contributing to Of Larks and Unlocking the Bible.

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