Blessed are those who mourn
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die.”
So says Ecclesiastes in the Bible. Ancient words that are so true for the season we now find ourselves in today.
Over 45,000 people have died so far from Covid-19. The worst day was 8th April, when 1,445 died.  22 consecutive days when over 1,000 people died day.
To protect the living, severe restrictions were placed on funerals. I took a few burials were there were just 4 or 5 mourners. As if losing a loved one wasn’t hard enough, many close family and friends weren’t able to attend the funerals. And then, afterwards, no opportunities to gather with others to eat, drink and reminisce – swap stories, laugh and cry together. Where do you go with that grief?
For some of you, this is deeply personal. You’ve lost a parent, a close relative, a life-long friend, your best mate, your soul mate…
For some of you this was compounded by not being able to visit your loved on in hospital, in the care home due to the strict lockdown. Anger, deep sadness, guilt…?
Death is something that affects us all. We all experience the pain of losing someone close to us. Death is part of life. And when it comes, we mourn. We grieve. 
There’s no right or wrong way to grieve. We all do that differently. Some need to retreat, to withdraw from others – they need time / space to be alone. Others needs to be around people. Nine night brings them strength
If you have lost a loved one, I want to say, God is with you in your grief.
Jesus knew what it is to grieve. Jesus became close to a family in Bethany that had three young adult children: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  Lazarus became sick – we don’t know with what, but it was serious enough to call the family and friends in, to say their goodbyes. By the time Jesus arrived, it was too late. Lazarus had died days ago. In fact, it was the equivalent of Nine Night and the house was rammed with people paying their respects.
Martha was angry – with Jesus. “Lord, if you had been here earlier, my brother would not have died.” You can feel her raw grief – expressed in anger. “The Teacher is here.” She couldn’t even bring herself to say His name. Mary came out and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  These were two angry sisters. 
Seeing their grief, “Jesus wept.” – John 11:35. If you’re going to memorise verses of the Bible, this is a good one to start with. Just two words. John 11:35 - “Jesus wept.”
Jesus’ Cousin John - John the Baptist - had been arrested on false charges, handcuffed and, whilst imprisoned, he didn’t just die, he was murdered by the Prison Guards (on the direct orders of the State) and his body mutilated.  It was a death in custody, an abuse of power by the State. And another life had been violently cut short.
When that happens to one of your family, how do you get over that? How do you move on?
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matthew 14:13
Jesus wept – because that’s the most raw, natural response. 
Maybe as you hear this, you’re with Jesus in His grief. You feel His pain, His loss. 
In the same way, Jesus sees your loss, He is with you in your grief. He feels your pain, He is with you.
When Jesus announced His new agenda, He declared:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Last week we realised that, when Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, He wasn’t saying, if you want to be blessed you need to become poor in spirit and here’s how to do it.  And He definitely wasn’t saying, as some simplistic translations suggest, “Happy are the poor in spirit” – what’s happy about being all washed up? Instead, Jesus was saying, if you feel worn down, defeated, like you’ve failed again, God is with you.
So, likewise, when Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn”, He was saying, if and when you’re overcome with grief, know this – God is with you.
Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted – God is with you.
Jesus’ comfort is more than a card or a bunch of flowers.
When Martha started to trot out religious clichés about some future after-life, Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life“  It’s not just about some religious tradition or cliché, Jesus was not just full of life, He was / is the source of life – all life. 
Death does not have the last word. Jesus does.  Why? Because Jesus beat death. Struck down. Killed. Buried. But then, BOOM. Resurrection. So Jesus says:
“Those who believe in me, will live, even though they die and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
Death may be inevitable, but it is not the end. It’s the way to a new life. There is no resurrection without death.  So Jesus says: “Do you believe this?” He doesn’t just say this to the crowd; He is asking you the same question today. Do YOU believe this?
Jesus, is the source of all life. That should give us hope. Not a whimsical ‘wouldn’t it be nice if’ hope. The kind of hope you have when you watch a horror film for the second time and you know how it ends. As grim, as upsetting as it is in that moment, you know it all comes good in the end.
So Paul later writes in Thessalonians 4:
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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
We do not grieve as those who have no hope. We have seen how the film ends. We’ve read the final chapter.  Revelation 21 says:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning, crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away”
It ends with new life, eternal life. A sure and certain hope. His life becomes our life, His death, our death, His resurrection our resurrection.
I can’t imagine how distressing death and grief must be for those who believe there is nothing more to life than this. Empty, cold... For them, when they’re gone, they’re gone. Never to be reunited
We do not grieve like those who have no hope..
Today, I want you to have that hope too. Jesus says, Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted. To know the comfort of new and everlasting life.
Jesus went further. 
This new life is not pie in the sky when you die.
He says, “Pray Your Kingdom come, Your will be done HERE ON EARTH as it is in heaven.” This new life can start now.
In a moment, we’re going to pause to remember those we have lost.
A number of you have sent in photographs of your loved ones. We’re thanking God for each one and asking for God’s strength for those who grieve their loss.
DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk