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I recently had to write 4 student devotionals based on this year's theme for Celebration, "Made for More."  We will be studying the resurrection stories from the Gospels as we learn that we were created for more than the grave.  I thought it might be fun to preview these here for the church.  

This is the first of 4.

DO NOT CRY

Read Luke 7:11-17 

Reflections

The Bible teaches us that death is an enemy of Christ (look up 1 Cor. 15:25-27).  Death doesn’t belong here.  So when Jesus sees the mother crying, “…his heart goes out to her.”  Jesus knows what grief feels like.  Since Joseph doesn’t show up in the Gospels after Jesus’ childhood, it is likely that Jesus had to grieve the death of his earthly father.  

Why does it matter that Jesus understands the pain, loss, and fear that death brings into our lives?

Jesus tells the woman, “Don’t cry.”  If you go to a funeral and tell a grieving mother, “Don’t cry,” you would just sound cruel, because you can’t bring that person back.  But Jesus is about to resurrect the child.  His statement is one of hope.  It is more like, “Don’t cry, because what you have lost is about to be restored.” 

Grieving death is natural and ok, but what changes when we remember that what we lost will also be restored when we are reunited in heaven?

What, or who, have you lost that you need God to restore?

Actions

What does it mean to live like you are made for more than the grave?

Pick one thing from this list to do today.

  1. Text a friend that you have hope for eternity because of Christ.
  2. Set a reminder to read this story from Luke 7 every day this week.
  3. Set a reminder to thank God for your hope beyond the grave every day this week.
  4. Find a peer who is dealing with grief, share your grief with them, share your hope with them, and pray with them.
  5. Find a trusted adult to open up about your grief with.
  6. Take a few quiet minutes to journal about your feelings, fears, and pain.
  7. Choose joy.  Take some time to sing praises, play, get outside, exercise, laugh with friends, give some hugs, or be creative… and thank God for it.

 

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