Funeral. The very thought of the word can bring an enormous amount of sadness and grief! Scenes from funerals often replay through the mind and words that are spoken at a funeral are heard over and over again in the days following the funeral.

A few months ago, I attended a funeral for a friend in the congregation whose elderly mother passed away. Just two weeks before that funeral the congregation gathered together for the funeral of the same lady’s husband. That is an overwhelming amount of loss for a person in a matter of two weeks. It is hard to even know how to comfort the grieving family.

As I was sitting in the pew before the service began, I was reminiscing how the family was always greeting people as they walked through the doors of the church. Both the mother and husband played instrumental roles on the outreach team. There wasn’t a potluck where I didn’t see both of them engaging in preparations. They made an effort to always be present at pre-k events at the church to build relationships with prospects. I sat in the pew marveling at the amazing Christian servant attitude they both displayed and modeled for the whole congregation, and me personally.

The passage that came into my mind as the funeral service began was Revelation 14:13, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Ahh, this verse is the perfect Bible passage for a grieving family!

Most Bible scholars agree that the voice heard from heaven is Jesus himself. Jesus is promising that those who die in the Lord are blessed, they receive the joy of eternal life. What a comfort to those left behind! The loved one is blessed by Jesus and is in the comfort and peace of heaven. Heaven is a place of rest: a place where there is no pain, suffering, and sin. Earthly labors are over and the Spirit promises rest for those who die in the Lord.

All of the deeds of a person will not go unnoticed. The deeds do not get a person into heaven, but rather serve as evidence of living a life for Jesus, a life now complete with eternal life in heaven with all believers.