Sadness and sorrow are inexorably woven in the fabric of life. We cannot escape loss. So, how can grief be good? How can we look as "loss" as possible "gain"?

2. What is
a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to
the loss of someone or something, who has
passed away, to which a bond or affection was
formed.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

3. Ecclesiastes 7:2 Better to go to the house of
mourning than to go to the house of feasting,
for that is the end of all men; and the living will
take it to heart.
Ecclesiastes 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in
the house of mirth.

5. • Job was exceedingly sorrowful over his
personal loss (Job 2:13; cf. 6:2; 16:6)
• Isaac and Rebekah experienced grief when their
son Esau married a Hittite woman (Gen. 26:35)
• Hannah, because she had no son, grieved—so
much so that she appeared to be drunk while
praying (1 Sam. 1:16)
• Samuel, distraught at King Saul’s disobedience,
prayed all night.

6. • Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2)
• Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35)
• The Egyptians for Jacob (50:3–10)
• Israel for Aaron (Num. 20:29)
• Israel for Moses (Deut. 34:8)
• Israel for Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1)
-- [70 days]
-- [30 days]
-- [30 days]
• Israel for Saul (1 Sam. 31:13) -- [7 days]
• David for Abner (2 Sam. 3:31, 35)
• Mary and Martha for Lazarus (John 11)
• Devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2)

8. • closing of the eyes of the dead (Gen. 46:4)
• embracing of the body (Gen. 50:1)
• preparation of the body for burial (Acts 5:1–10)
• tearing one’s garments (Gen. 37:34; 2 Sam. 1:11; Job 1:20)
• put on sackcloth (2 Sam. 3:31)
• take off one’s shoes (2 Sam. 15:30; Mic. 1:8) and headdress
• a man might cover his beard or veil his face (Ezek. 24:17, 23)
• put earth on their heads (Jos. 7:6; 1 Sam. 4:12; Neh. 9:1; Job 2:12;
Ezek. 27:30)
• roll in the dust (Job 16:15; Mic. 1:10)
• sit on a heap of ashes (Esth. 4:3; Isa. 58:5; Jer. 6:26; Ezek. 27:30)

9. • Mourners refrained from washing and discontinued the use of
perfumes (2 Sam. 12:20; 14:2).
• Fasting was also a mourning rite (1 Sam. 31:13; 2 Sam. 1:12).
• Neighbors or friends brought mourning bread and the “cup of
consolation” to the relatives of the deceased (Jer. 16:7; Ezek.
24:17, 22).
• Food could not be prepared at the house of the dead because
death rendered a place unclean.
• At the graveside, lamentation for the dead was made (1 Kgs
13:30; Jer. 6:26; Amos 5:16; 8:10; Zech. 12:10) by men and
women in separate groups (Zech. 12:11–14).

10. Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 To everything there is a season, a
time for every purpose under heaven: 2 a time to be
born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to
pluck what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a
time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to
weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time
to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to
gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain
from embracing; 6 a time to gain, and a time to lose; a
time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear,
and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war,
and a time of peace.

11. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 But I do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who
have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others
who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. . . .
18 Therefore comfort one another with these
words.

12. Dwight Moody...
awoke from sleep shortly before he died and said:
"Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me.
If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here.
God is calling me, and I must go.”
And Moody's son said,
"No, no, Father. You're dreaming."
And Moody replied, "I am not dreaming.
I have been within the gates.
This is my triumph;
this is my coronation day! It is glorious!”

13. Augustus Toplady, preacher and author of the hymn,
Rock of Ages:
"The consolations of God to such an unworthy wretch
are so abundant that He leaves me nothing to pray
for but a continuance of them. I enjoy heaven
already in my soul.”
Adoniram Judson, American missionary to Burma:
"I go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from
school. I feel so strong in Christ.”
John A. Lyth:
"Can this be death? Why, it is better than living!
Tell them I die happy in Jesus!”

14. A Moslem woman, whose child had died at 16 years of
age asked a Christian missionary:
"What did you do to our daughter?"
The missionary replied, "We did nothing,"
But the mother persisted, "Oh, yes, you did! She died
smiling. Our people do not die like that.”
As it turned out, the girl had found Christ and believed
on Him only a few months before. Fear of death had
gone and hope and joy had taken its place.

15. Thomas Payne:
"I would give worlds, if I had them, if the Age of Reason
had never been published. O Lord, help me! Christ,
help me! Stay with me! It is hell to be left alone!”
Voltaire:
"I am abandoned by God and man!
I shall go to hell! O’ Jesus Christ!"

16. David Hume:
The atheist died in utter despair with an awful scene
crying out, "I am in the flames!"
Karl Marx:
Was on his deathbed surrounded by candles burning to
Lucifer and screamed at his nurse who asked him if he
had any last words, "Go on, get out! Last words are for
fools who haven’t said enough."
Nietzsche:
Died insane, completely out of his mind.

17. Sir Thomas Scott:
"Until now I thought there was no God or hell.
Now I know there is both, and I am doomed."
Sir Francis Newport:
"Do not tell me there is no God for I know there is one,
and that I am in his angry presence! You need not tell
me there is no hell, for I already feel my soul slipping
into its fires! I know that I am lost forever.”

21. Isaiah 53:3 A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

22. Matthew 14:10–12 So he (King Herod) sent and
had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head
was brought on a platter and given to the girl,
and she brought it to her mother (Herodias). 12
Then his disciples came and took away the body
and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

23. 1. Jesus sought to be Alone
Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He
departed from there by boat to a deserted place
by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it,
they followed Him on foot from the cities.

24. 1. Jesus sought to be Alone
Matthew 14:22–23 Immediately Jesus made His
disciples get into the boat and go before Him to
the other side, while He sent the multitudes
away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes
away, He went up on the mountain by Himself
to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone
there.

25. 2. Jesus continued His Work
Matthew 14:13b–16 …But when the multitudes
heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great
multitude; and He was moved with compassion for
them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening,
His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a
deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send
the multitudes away, that they may go into the
villages and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said
to them, “They do not need to go away. You give
them something to eat.”

26. John 11:1–5 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus
of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister
Martha. bTherefore the sisters sent to Him, saying,
“Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 When
Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto
death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God
may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He
heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in
the place where He was.

27. 3. Jesus Waited
John 11:6 So, when He heard that he was
sick, He stayed two more days in the place
where He was.

28. 4. Jesus Wept
John 11:35 Jesus wept.

30. John 14:1–6 “Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My
Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you to Myself; that
where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I
go you know, and the way you know.”

31. “…the best and most comforting sermon
preached by Christ while on earth… a jewel
and a treasure not are purchasable with
the world's goods.”
(Sermons on the Gospel of St. John from the series Luther's
Works, volume 24 [St. Louis: Concordia, 1961], page 7).

32. 5. Jesus Confronted Death with Faith
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you
believe in God, believe also in Me.
This statement can be interpreted either as an
imperative or an indicative in the Greek. He could have
commanded them to believe in God and to believe in
Him. Or He could have said factually, “you believe in
God; you believe in Me.” But the best translation seems
to be, “you believe in God (fact); believe also in Me
(command).”

33. 6. Jesus Confronted Death with Hope
John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many
mansions; if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you.
μονή (mena) abiding, tarrying,

34. Hebrews 11:16 Heaven is called a country
– its vastness
Hebrews 11:10 Heaven is called the city
– it's many inhabitants
Matthew 4:17 Heaven is called a kingdom
– it's orderliness
Luke 23:43 Heaven is called Paradise
– it's beauty
John 14:2 Heaven is called My father's house
– it's home

35. 7. Jesus is the Resurrection – Celebrate Life
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.