Memorial Day. A day to relax or remember? It’s a day dedicated to remember those who fought for our freedom yet paid the price with their lives. Since Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the sacrifices made, I want to share 10 points about death, burial, and cremation.
Yet before I do that, I want to share that Patricia Durgin of Marketers on a Mission plans to honor 50 Veterans who gave their life for America this Memorial Day. Here’s the link for you to submit your family member or friend.
You may need to be comforted due to the goodbye you said, whether recently or many years ago, to a spouse, son, daughter, dad, mom, other family member or dear friend who served-and paid the highest price.
We all experience death, yet it is not an easy topic to discuss at the dinner table – or anywhere else. We want to make wise decisions for our loved ones and ourselves, so we seek Biblical guidance regarding death, burial and cremation.
1) God cares. Deeply. Take comfort in that knowledge as it is not just a thought of your own. It is a Biblical truth of how much God loves us, His children.
The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die. Psalm 116:15 NLT
2) Our days are numbered. God planned how long each one of us lives. Take comfort. As a mother who lost a child, this detail in the Bible comforts me. I pray it also comforts you.
A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set. Job 14:5 NLT
Should we push the envelop with foolish acts? No. Satan tempted Jesus to jump from the highest point of the temple, yet notice His perfect response.
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7
3) Jesus wept. Death was not intended when God created Adam from dust and gave Eve to him in the Garden. Life – eternal life – was God’s plan.
Yet God has a plan of redemption for us. He promises death will be defeated forever and there will be no more tears when Jesus returns.
He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. Isaiah 25.8a
Jesus knew Lazarus was going to be brought back to life, yet He wept.
Jesus wept. John 11:35
Jesus wept because humans ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, allowing us to know evil, or sin. Now we experience death in our mortal, fleshly bodies. Jesus knows the pain this death causes when someone near and dear to us dies, so He wept. You can too.
4) Death is the beginning of eternal life for those who have accepted Jesus Christ, the One who gives the free gift of salvation and eternal life.
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 NLT
There are so many beautiful scriptures assuring us of our eternal home. Want to read a few more? Romans 6:5; Romans 8:38; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 10:20.
5) Burial is a custom from old yet the method of disposing of a body is neither prescribed nor dictated to us in any Bible verse. Burial was a common practice in the Bible and cremation was rarely performed.
Jewish tradition required the dead to be buried before sundown. The bodies were prepared with many spices and wrapped with a long strip of linen, then often laid in a cave, an above ground tomb, or buried in a field.
Egyptians embalmed their dead to preserve the body longer. It is now common practice to embalm a body to allow time for family and friends to gather for the burial service.
After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites. Genesis 23:19-20
Read the rest of this article that first appeared on Crosswalk.
PS – Please join me on GraceAndTruthRadio.World at 3:30 PM Central Time each Friday. Or download the App for your device (android or apple) to listen there. How easy! April Rodgers of Reflecting Light Ministries shares her story of finding calm in the chaos of life full of change this week.