Every day thousands upon thousands of people die.  With over six billion individuals on the earth it is fairly uncommon to personally know those who die, but it is not uncommon to see a funeral procession moving down the street.  Undoubtedly the friends and family of the one that has passed away grieve greatly.  To look upon a person in mourning is a truly saddening experience. 

From time-to-time death hits closer to home.  It may be our parents or our grandparents through old age or our siblings or friends through an accident or sickness.  When we see people die, especially those that we are close to, we cannot help but feel a loss.  There is so often an empty feeling, and perhaps you have felt that very way at some point in your life.  There may even have been a sense of hopelessness.   

Whether we have experienced the loss of a loved one our self, or we see another in mourning, the best place to turn for strength and encouragement is God’s word.  He offers us a hope that can be matched by no other.  It is a hope that science cannot give us and it is a hope that can originate with none other than our Creator. 

Death and the Future
To mourn the loss of a friend or loved one is natural and appropriate.  In fact, even Jesus Christ himself cried at the death of his friend Lazarus.  (Joh. 11:32-34)  In doing this he provided us the perfect example, showing us just how natural and acceptable it is to display such emotions in those difficult situations.  Although he mourned for the loss of this one he did maintain a positive outlook.  He explained to Martha: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one believing into Me, though he die, he shall live.” (Joh. 11:25) 

What a promising hope!  Though Lazarus had died he would live again.  That same hope holds true today.  Jesus promises us that even though we die we will live again.  This is the resurrection.  But what if our friend or relative that has passed away was not one that was “believing into [Christ]”?  Is there a hope for them?  Indeed there is, for the Apostle Paul well stated: “There is to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the wicked.” (Act. 24:15 - James Murdock)  There are others beyond those that Jesus spoke of who will see the resurrection.

The Bible explains to us that Jesus Christ will be our judge (Joh. 5:22), though the son’s judgment is not his own, it is the Father’s.  Paul explained that God is judging the world by this man, and so the source of the judgment is seen to be the Father.  (Act. 7:31)  The judgment that Christ gives is based upon God’s standards.  He, perfectly knowing God’s will, carries out this judgment exactly as his Father would.  As God has set the standards for judgment, it is appropriately said that he is our judge and that he is judging by Jesus.   

We can have confidence in the reliability of God’s judgment.  In making his judgments, Jesus has can see more than what we show on the outside.  He, along with God, can read our hearts.  (Rev. 2:23)  So even if a person has not come to be in God’s service, Jesus can still know the motivations of this person.  Were they a person who desired truth?  Did they love God?  Were there factors beyond their control that lead them away from the truth?  There are numerous points that will be considered in each person’s judgment.  Jesus has access to all the answers and by knowing them he proves to be a righteous judge.

Knowing that we have such a righteous judge before us, we can confidently say that the judgment will be appropriate.   This is not to say that every person we have ever known or cared about will be given eternal life.  On the contrary, at judgment these ones will be judged “according to their deeds.”  (Rev. 20:12)  These deeds will be both those of the body and those of the heart.  The deeds of the heart include the motivation that a person felt when they decided to pursue a certain course.   In fact, even those who profess to be Christian and display the works of one, but in their heart are not, will be condemned.  (Matt. 7:21-23)  Those that are deemed worthy of life will be given it, and those that are not will be destroyed. 

What will life be like for those that are given life?  The Bible comments on this in many different ways.  We are told that those given life will find themselves upon the earth. (Psa. 37:29; Matt. 5:5)  They will have absolute peace (Psa. 37:11), where the following passage will see its ultimate fulfillment. 

Isaiah 2:4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

What a glorious hope!  There will be no more war and no more crime.  There will no longer be a need for weapons.  In fact, we are promised that we will no longer mourn, cry or even have emotional pain.  Death will become a thing of the past. (Rev. 21:4)  All of the problems that we are faced with in this life will be eliminated.  God’s kingdom will be ruling! (Dan. 2:44)    

If we keep these points in mind when we face a loss and we share them with those who are mourning, we will not only bring encouragement to ourselves and others, but we will also bring glory to Jehovah our God.  He loves us and he wants us to be happy.  All he asks is that we serve him, worshipping him “in spirit and in truth.” (Joh. 4:24)  If we do this and we have true faith in him and his son, we will see these rich blessings one day. (Joh. 17:3)  Indeed, in such service we will even find true joy and contentment today!