Full of Grace & Truth
John 1:14
Full of Grace & Truth
John 1:14
Main Idea: Christmas is the good news that God has come to us full of grace and truth.
I. God Has Come
Christianity tells us that the ‘Word’ (‘logos’; see John 1:1) has come as a person. Christmas tells us that God is not content being studied as a concept or being theorized about from a distance; He has gone to great lengths so that we might know him personally,
The “word became flesh” tells us the glorious, mysterious reality of the incarnation; Jesus, “the only Son from the Father” is both fully man and fully God.
“The birth of Christ was the incarnation of God: it was God taking upon himself humanity— a mystery, a wondrous mystery, to be believed in rather than to be defined… Infinite, and an infant — eternal, and yet born of a woman — Almighty, supporting the universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms — King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph — Heir of all things and yet the carpenter’s despised son.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, “His Name – Wonderful!”
“Dwelt among us” lit. means “pitched his tent” or “tabernacled” among us. The tabernacle helps us understand some key things about Christ:
God’s Presence: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message)
God’s Glory: An encounter with God’s glory is dangerous in the Bible, but in Christ we have “seen his glory.”
God’s Forgiveness: The tabernacle was the place where atoning sacrifices for sin were made. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
II. Full of Grace & Truth
Jesus comes full of both grace and truth; he does not “balance” these two attributes out, but embodies both of them fully, at all times, essentially and inseparably.
God’s glory, grace, and truth come together in a cosmic way at the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus is “glorified” on the cross (cf. John 13:31-32), where we are simultaneously told the truth about our sin and offered “grace upon grace” (John 1:16) We must look to the cross to appreciate the meaning of Christmas.
“The crucial significance of the cradle at Bethlehem lies in its place in the sequence of steps that led the Son of God to the cross of Calvary… the Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard or will hear.”
~ J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Ash Wednesday 2023 | He Knows Our Frame
Psalm 103:6-19
He Knows Our Frame
Psalm 103:6-19
Genesis 3:19:
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
Ash Wednesday invites us to remember 3 realities:
I. The Certainty of Death
II. The Cause of our Pain
“Lent is not a general sadness about the inevitability of death but an explicitly Christian diagnosis of the cause of death. We sin and die because humanity rebelled against God. There is nothing natural at all about death. It is an alien intrusion into the good world God created… Through the imposition of the ashes, Ash Wednesday reminds us that death and sin cannot be completely separated. This does not mean a particular form of death is punishment for specific sins, but sin and death are partners.”
~ Esau McCaulley
III. The Cross of Christ
“Instead of becoming a source of despair, our sin becomes the arena of God’s glory. He doesn’t have barely enough grace to forgive us. He is rich in this stuff; it overflows from his very nature. Ash Wednesday invites an introspection that leads to an acknowledgement of our sin that collides with an explosion of God’s grace. No step in this process can be skipped.”
~ Esau McCaulley
The Refuge for the Restless
Psalm 46
The Refuge for the Restless
Psalm 46
Main Idea: As we live in a restless world, we can find true rest in the Lord.
We will see how we can rest by observing how the Lord secures His people, the Lord lives with His people, and how the Lord leads His people in prevailing peace.
I The Lord Secures His People (1-3)
“What troubles you today? What is it about which you think, “If I can just get that sorted out, life will become manageable. What worries your heart as you lie awake in bed? God says I, not any circumstantial solution am the refuge amidst your adversities. I am the very present help in trouble. I am God. Be still.” - Dane Ortlund
II. The Lord lives among His people (4-7)
III The Lord leads His people in prevailing peace (8-11)
The Least of These
Matthew 25:31-46
The Least of These
Matthew 25:31-46
Main Idea: True disciples of Jesus are so transformed by the gospel that the King’s interests joyfully become their own.
I. The Sheep
The ‘sheep’ are sorted from the ‘goats’ at the coming judgment, evaluated by their care & concern for the “least of these.” The sheep provided the basic necessities for human life to those in need: food, water, clothing, shelter, and companionship.
Jesus indicates that the ‘least of these’ are ‘my brothers,’ having in mind needy Christians. If we can’t begin with caring for the ‘least of these’ within the church, we will be unable to move outward to those in need in the world. Galatians 6:10: So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
On the surface, the sheep and the goats seem to contradict the message of salvation by grace. A few important observations from the passage that push against this:
The surprise of the sheep (25:37-39) reveals their actions were evidence of their citizenship in God’s kingdom, not the cause. Their tangible care was the fruit of salvation, not the root (cf. James 2:14-17).
The sheep are rewarded their ‘inheritance’ from the Father (25:34), which is not earned but received.
“A man does not fear to lose that which he wins by descent from his parent. If heaven had been the subject of earning, we might have feared that our merits had not really deserved it… but we do know whose sons we are; we know whose love it is that makes glad our spirits, and when we “inherit” the kingdom we shall enter it not as strangers or as foreigners, but as sons coming to their birthright.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
The Kingdom is prepared “from the foundation of the world” (25:34)
II. The Goats
On the other hand, the “goats” failed to act when they had an opportunity to do so, and are equally as surprised as the “sheep” at the judgment from the King. Their lack of concern for the least of these shows their misunderstanding of the gospel of the Kingdom.
In Jesus’ final teaching in Matt. 25, a common theme develops in his parables:
The foolish bridesmaids failed to prepare for the groom (25:1-13)
The wicked servant failed to increase the talent entrusted to him (25:14-30)
The goats failed to act when they saw those in need (25:41-43)
Each group is guilty of sins of omission (cf. James 4:17). Indifference to the needs of fellow brothers, sisters, and neighbors (cf. Parable of the Good Samaritan) is ultimately an indifference toward the interests of Jesus himself.
“Hell is real and eternal because God’s holiness is real and eternal… the frightening thing is that, to enter hell, all one has to do is nothing… all you have to do to go to hell is not rock the boat. Accept the status quo. Hell is quite easy to enter. Because outside of Christ we stand condemned already (Jn. 3:18), we need simply do nothing.” ~ Jared Wilson
III. The King
Though Jesus is “hidden” right now to most, a promised day is coming where all will recognize his universal kingship as he sits on his “glorious throne” to judge the nations.
To be transformed by the gospel we must first look at the King. This passage shows us that Jesus identifies profoundly with his people (cf. Matt. 12:46-50, Acts 9:4). For the King to identify with the “least of these” in his Kingdom is an incredible picture of his character and nature.
In order to be transformed in this way, we must recognize ourselves in the least of these. When we are swept up in the reality that Jesus has met us at our worst and in our place of need with his grace, the interests of our King will joyfully become our own. Have you recognized yourself in this place of need?
A Greater Worship
Psalm 103
A Greater Worship
Psalm 103
“In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships... And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.” David Foster Wallace
Main Idea: We are all called to worship God for who he is and what he has done in Christ.
I. What is Worship? (103:1-2)
The Psalmist (David) begins by talking to himself, urging his soul and “all that is within me” to bless the Lord. This posture gets to the very heart of worship. “Worship is ascribing ultimate value to an object and engaging your mind, your heart, and your will - your whole being, as you do it.” ~ Tim Keller
In response to the worship “drift” that we all experience, Psalm 103 is instructive for us. David is fighting for proper worship by remembering the “benefits” of the Lord. “Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God.” ~ Eugene Peterson
David is preaching the gospel to himself and urging his entire being to re-center on God as the object of his worship. Worship is an act of proactively remembering what is true about God so that our mind, heart, and will are re-engaged with the Lord, especially when we are being drawn elsewhere.
II. Why Should We Worship? (103:3-18)
We “forget not” the benefits of God by meditating on two categories:
We remember the works of the Lord (103:3-5)
The Lord forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies, and renews us. He has dealt with the barrier of our sin and given us meaning in our suffering, inviting us to see his glorious work toward the undeserving. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” ~ Augustine
We remember the character of the Lord (103:6-18)
David here quotes from Exodus 34, when Moses asks to see the glory of God on Mt. Sinai. The Lord responds not by showing his greatness but his goodness (Ex. 33:19), which we are constantly tempted to doubt. When he passes in front of Moses (Ex. 34:6-7) he emphasizes that his glory is seen through his mercy and his grace.
“God does not reveal his glory as ‘The Lord, the Lord, exacting and precise,’ or, ‘the Lord, the Lord, disappointed and frustrated.’ His highest priority and deepest delight and first reaction – his heart – is merciful and gracious. He gently accommodates himself to our terms rather than overwhelming us with his.” ~ Dane Ortlund
As an extension of this, God “does not deal with us according to our sins” but removes them from us an infinite distance (‘as far as the east is from the west’). As a gracious Father, he shows compassion on us in our weakness, patience with our besetting sins, and invites us to humbly fear him.
We have even more reason to worship God than David because we know the substance of Jesus Christ, which he could only see from afar as a shadow. When we remember the benefits of the Lord, we are specifically remembering Christ, who “from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (Jn. 1:16)
III. Who Should Worship? (103:19-22)
The Psalmist now realizes that the worship in his own soul has joined a greater song; he is joining with the chorus of the angels, mighty ones, the heavenly hosts, ministers, and all of creation in worship of God. Jesus declared that even the “stones would cry out” (Lk. 19:40) in worship, and Isaiah (55:12) envisions a day where the hills, mountains, and trees sing & clap to the Lord.
Since the Lord has established his throne and his kingdom rules over all, nothing short of the worship of all of creation and all that is within us will suffice. Everytime we worship Jesus through declaring and displaying the gospel, we are turning up the music for others to join in.
The Church
Romans 12:1-16
The Church
Romans 12:1-16
“We are often eager to see extraordinary events – growth in numbers or financial abundance or credibility in the larger community – that we fail to delight in the ordinary breath and heartbeat of the body. When people in the church encourage one another, teach one another, serve one another, and pray for one another in dozens of small and large ways, we ought to rejoice.” ~ Megan Hill
Main Idea: The church is a worshipping people, a serving body, and a welcoming family because of God’s mercies.
I. A Worshipping People (12:1-2)
Because of the mercies (plural) of God, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is our ‘spiritual worship.’ In every age, season, and location, the church is a worshipping people. We have no greater incentive or power to worship than the mercies of God toward us in Jesus Christ.
This worship is not just inward or abstract; it is an offering of our entire being. This includes:
Head: ‘spiritual’ worship = rational or logical. We are invited to fill our minds with the pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent things of God (Phil. 4:8)
Heart: ‘All that is within us’ (Ps. 103:1) is summoned to worship God
Hands: we are to offer our very bodies as a “living sacrifice”
As we engage in worship, we are resisting being “conformed” (lit. molded) by the world, and are rather transformed into the image of Christ. This occurs both individually (2 Cor. 3:18) and corporately (Eph. 4:15-16) in the church.
II. A Serving Body (12:3-8)
The imagery of the “body” of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4:12-16) signifies:
Unity: Just as the members of our physical body must be unified and work together, so too must the members of the body of Christ. We operate from unity, not toward unity (Eph. 4:3).
Diversity: The members do not all have the same function; there is unity but not uniformity in the body of Christ. There are no unimportant parts and we are dependent upon one another for the health of the body.
This imagery primarily implies in the Scriptures a humble service (12:3) that builds up the body of Christ. Whatever gifts we have been given by the Spirit, we are to employ them in the body of Christ as servants and contributors, not spectators or consumers.
“This truth should give you confidence: your particular gifts have a valuable, God-appointed place. It should also humble you: your particular gifts are simply one part of the body, and you desperately need other people with their particular gifts… this truth should increase your love for the local church: the gifts in the body are exactly what God knows your congregation needs. Because of God’s sovereign choosing, no part is missing, and every part is valuable.” ~ Megan Hill
The various “lists” of spiritual gifts in the NT can be categorized broadly into Speaking Gifts, Leading Gifts, and Serving Gifts. Regardless of gifts or categories, the exhortation is “having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (12:6). We are called to joyfully & sacrificially invest our time, treasure, and talents as an act of worship out of love for God and love for one another.
III. A Welcoming Family (12:9-16)
The church is primarily described in the NT as the family of God or the “household of faith” (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:15); the early church was subversive to the Greco-Roman world around because they related to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, united not by the blood of biology but the blood of the cross.
The church as a family ought to be marked by hospitality. Hospitality is not “entertaining” but instead a powerful picture of the invitation of the gospel itself. Romans 15:7: Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. As we love one another in this way, we are to welcome the outsider and the stranger in the very same way each of us have been welcomed into God’s family.
“Churches are not Victorian parlors where everything is always picked up and ready for guests. They are messy family rooms… Things are out of order, to be sure, but that is what happens to churches that are lived in. They are not show rooms. They are living rooms, and if the persons living in them are sinners, they are going to be clothes scattered about, handprints on the woodwork, and mud on the carpet. For as long as Jesus insists on calling sinners and not the righteous to repentance – and there is no indication as yet that he has changed his policy in this regard – churches are going to be an embarrassment to the fastidious and an affront to the upright.” ~ Eugene Peterson
Our experience & the world’s view of the church is often unremarkable, but God has willed that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers & authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). The church is God’s “Plan A” to make known the glories of Jesus Christ to the cosmos.
Rage & Refuge
Psalm 2
Rage & Refuge
Psalm 2
Main Idea: The gospel invites us to turn from our rage against God and take refuge in Him.
I. Our sin is great (v.1-3)
All nations and people are naturally bent away from God (v. 1)
Our own actions follow and we disobey and actively work against the Lord (v. 2)
We foolishly think this is good (v. 3)
James 1:13-15 tells us “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
“It is not just the political powers of this world which have no desire to be ruled by him. There is scarcely a commercial or intellectual or cultural interest anywhere on earth which would not resent his claims on it.” ~ Michael Wilcock
II. The Lord is greater (v. 4-6)
The Lord is infinitely more powerful than us (v. 4)
He has authority (v. 5)
He has ability (v. 6)
He is both YAHWEH which we see with all capitals in the translated word for LORD and Adonai which we see with only a capital L (Lord). These names point to his reality. He is the Creator or all powerful One and personal Master or King.
III. He has a plan (v. 7-9)
His plan was Jesus (v. 6-7)
His plan is at work (v. 8)
His plan is just (v. 9)
Hebrews 5:5 “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;”
Acts 13:33 “this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’”
Romans 1:4 “concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,”
Romans 9:21-24 “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”
IV. He is inviting us in (v. 10-12)
Through our actions (v. 10)
Through our understanding (v. 11)
Through our identity (v. 12)
Distinct Christian Identity
Distinct Christian Community
Distinct Christian Lifestyle
Phil 2:12-13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Phil 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
John 14:6, he says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“God's response to human pride and power is to install his "son” on Zion. This points beyond Israel's king to Jesus, God's true Son. One day he will put everything right; but he will do this by going first to Zion - to Jerusalem - to die for our sins. To "kiss his son"is to rest in and live for him. If we do this, we have assurance that no matter what happens to us, ultimately everything will be all right. If we don't live for him, we end up fighting God himself. So "there is no refuge from him only in him."” ~ Tim Keller
Our Sin is great. Our Lord is greater. He has a plan. And he is inviting us in.
A Present Help in Great Trouble
Psalm 46 | Though this world is full of trouble, we can turn to God for help and strength
Psalm 46
Main Idea: Though this world is full of trouble, we can turn to God for help and strength
I. The Power of God (46:1-3)
“We sing this psalm to the praise of God, because He is with us and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable (plack-able) hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin.” ~ Martin Luther
II. The Presence of God (46:4-7)
III. The Promises of God (46:8-11)
1 Peter 5:6–7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God… casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
“It’s as true today as it will be true one hundred years from now, as true as it was two weeks ago: we do not know what the future holds, but we do know the one that holds the future. And that makes all the difference.” ~ Kevin DeYoung
Caught up in God's Story
Psalm 117 | “This tiny psalm is great in faith, and its reach is enormous. Its message was still too big for some of Paul’s reads to have grasped...The shortest psalm proves, in fact, to be one of the most potent...” Derek Kidner
*For more information on Pastor John Houmes & New City Fellowship, visit their website here: www.newcityhh.com
Psalm 117
“This tiny psalm is great in faith, and its reach is enormous. Its message was still too big for some of Paul’s reads to have grasped...The shortest psalm proves, in fact, to be one of the most potent...” Derek Kidner
GOD’s PURPOSES are His revealed agenda and story for His people. God saves us so that we would be a praising people that proclaim and represent him to all people to bring to expression a blended family of one people. Do you live as if God exists for your purposes (a small story)? Or you exist for His purposes (a grand story)?
GOD’s PROMISES are His unwavering commitment to His people and to bring His purposes to full expression. He promises to move the story forward and bring it to completion in Jesus Christ and that story includes you! “A covenant is far more intimate than signing a contract, but it is far more binding than any friendship.” Tim Keller Do you live with fresh confidence that his commitment doesn’t rest on your commitment? God doesn’t turn on His promises once you’re sinless, strong, and full of faith. Rather, His promises empower weak and sinful people to live with bold confidence in Him! Your story doesn’t carry God’s story. His story carries yours!
“God’s plans and promises are as fresh and intact now as on the day they were made; and they will remain so.” – Derek Kidner
Learning to Lament
Psalm 77
We are invited to pray in honest, painful lament while fighting to trust the promises of God’s goodness.
Psalm 77
April 7th, 2019
God has graciously given us the biblical category of “lament,” which helps us put to words our feelings of grief and sorrow, instructing us how to speak honestly to God in our pain.
Main idea: We are invited to pray in honest, painful lament while fighting to trust the promises of God’s goodness.
Lament is a posture of honest prayer in the midst of pain that leads to trust.
I. LEARNING TO CRY OUT (77:1-4)
Lament is a prayer with a particular direction: it is a crying out to the Lord in our distress.
We are often tempted to some unhelpful responses to our sorrow and suffering:
We can try to ignore what is happening
We can turn and remain inward in anger and frustration
The Psalmist here does not ignore his feelings nor allow himself to stay inward; he “meditates” on what he is truly feeling and then cries out directly to the Lord in raw honesty. It is ok to grieve and to feel heartache in the face of sorrow. This is modeled within these divinely inspired words.
“To cry is human, but to lament is Christian…. Belief in God’s mercy, redemption, and sovereignty create lament. Without hope in God’s deliverance and the conviction that he is all-powerful, there would be no reason to lament when pain invaded our lives… to learn how to lament, we must resolve to talk to God – to keep praying. Lament begins with an invitation to turn to God while in pain.” ~ Mark Vroegop
To remain silent in the face of this kind of disappointment and sorrow is a form of unbelief in some way; when we do this we are communicating that God doesn’t care or that he is indifferent. The Psalmist reminds us that “he will hear me.”
“The historic song of lament gives you permission to vocalize your pain as it moves you toward God-centered worship and trust. Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God’s sovereignty. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God. Without lament we won’t know how to process pain. Silence, bitterness, and even anger can dominate our spiritual lives instead.” ~ Mark Vroegop
II. LEARNING TO ASK HONEST QUESTIONS (77:5-9)
The Psalmist does a “diligent search” of his spirit and meditates on what he is feeling in his heart. This is a painful and a necessary work in the lament process.
“The all hiding-places and retreats, however obscure, are explored, and affections before unknown are brought into the light… he searched for the causes on account of which he was so severely afflicted, and also into what his calamities would ultimately issue. It is surely highly profitable to meditate on these subjects, and it is the design of God to stir us up to do this when any adversity presses upon us.” ~ John Calvin
As he reflects on the Lord’s past faithfulness and the struggle of not feeling it in the midst of his pain, he fires off a series of 6 questions that probably make us uncomfortable.
“A lament honestly and specifically names a situation or circumstance that is painful, wrong, or unjust – a circumstance that does not align with God’s character and therefore does not make sense within God’s kingdom.” ~ Stacey Gleddiesmith
The Psalmist is not just venting here; he is taking the promises of God (his favor for his people, steadfast love, grace, compassion, etc.) and throwing them back at God. He is putting language to the tension of who he knows God to be and what he is feeling in the moment.
III. LEARNING TO ARGUE WITH OURSELVES (77:10-20)
The Psalmist kept praying and eventually a shift takes place. Lament leads us somewhere, and it ultimately calls us into a greater trust in the Lord. There are 3 things that the Psalmist “remembers” that leads him to trust despite his circumstances being unchanged.
He remembers the Lord’s past faithfulness (77:10-12)
He remembers the Lord’s character & nature (77:13-14)
He remembers the Lord’s saving activity (77:15-20)
“The Psalmist is not just being a stoic and gritting his teeth till the storm passes. Nor is he simply venting his feelings. He redirects his thoughts and feelings toward the truth about God… The psalmist is arguing against his own heart, which had ruled that things were hopeless” ~ Tim Keller
As the Psalm progresses, all of the first person references drop out. Asaph doesn’t mention himself once in the final 8 verses, while he mentions the Lord 21 times. This does not negate the hard work he did in meditating and mining the depths of his own soul, but it reminds us that lament ends with greater trust in the Lord.
The exodus was the greatest saving activity the Psalmist could reference at this point in time of redemptive history; Christians today have an even greater redemption story when we look to Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself cried out a lament Psalm on the cross (Ps. 22); he knows deeply and intimately what it is like to experience the pain and suffering of a fallen world. But Jesus ultimately reminds us that though we might not see it, God has a purpose for our pain.
All of our “why” questions in the midst of Lament are always eventually answered with a “who” in Jesus Christ.
“The once-crucified and abandoned Jesus, who is exceedingly able to sympathize with our weaknesses, who submitted to sickness, sorrow, pain and death voluntarily, rose from death. His resurrection assures us that we, too, along with our other friends and loved ones in Christ, will rise in victory over death… God sees our every tear. And yet, he does not merely see our tears; he shares them, and he stores them in a sacred bottle as his treasure (Psalm 56:8). God, of all Beings, knows what it is like to be separated from a loved one by death. God, of all Beings, knows first-hand the gut-wrenching nature of this horrible thing called death. It is not the end…not for God and not for us.” ~ Scott Sauls