There is no other celebration that captivates our human existence like Easter. Death is the end of all who live, and eternal life is the beginning after the end for all who believe. This is a truth that we, as followers of Christ, hold close. This truth is what we cling to as we face the uncertainties and weaknesses that plague us. As we read about the life of Jesus we see that even His closest friends could not face what was to come.

I believe that the gospels give us a layered hope.

First and most obvious is the message of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Second, the revelation that even Jesus experienced discomfort and sadness when He experienced the pain that death caused Lazurus’ friends and family. We even see Him ask for an alternative when confronted by His own death as He prayed in the garden.

Third, no matter how close you are to Jesus, death has a finality, a pain for both those who are dying and those who are left behind. His disciples, even after all the preparation through Jesus’ teaching, struggled to have faith and carry on in hope.

We know how the story ends.

We know how all believers’ stories end but we still struggle like Jesus’ closest friends struggled when we are confronted with death. We must give ourselves permission to grieve. It is not the grief that is the problem but rather what we do with that grief. We are designed to love and love deeply. It is this love that cause us to mourn. It is the love of Jesus that turns our mourning into dancing.

The Easter story shows us that what is promised by Jesus will be fulfilled but waiting for the promise to be fulfilled is not a small task. We have all experienced loss but, as Christ followers we can take comfort in these words:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)