Rest in Peace
One of the main questions that hinders people from believing in God is how can a good God allow bad things to happen? How can believers still trust in God despite all of the sufferings on earth? It’s a question that often surfaces in the midst of a tragedy and one that almost everyone grapples with. Jesus said in John 16:33 that suffering is inevitable in this world, but that we can have hope because of what he has done. So, how can we have this hope? What does that even look like? I want to share with you today something I experienced last week that I can’t quit thinking about.
This past week, one of my childhood friend’s twin boys both passed away within 24 hours of each other. They were 12 months old and had lived with an incredibly rare disease which they bravely fought. I had never attended a child’s funeral, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It is an unimaginable loss, and there are truly no words to describe what they are going through. Whatever I did expect, I was blown away by what I saw. My friend and her husband graciously received guests with hugs and smiles. We sang “See a Victory” and “It Is Well” as we celebrated the miracle lives of those boys. Her husband spoke and shared about the supernatural peace that they both felt that day. He said it was indescribable and could only come from the Lord. He shared the joy and happiness that their boys exhibited despite their illness and all of the wires, pokes, and prods that came along with it.
I sat there in awe. In awe that while they were grieving and sad, that they could express such peace and hope. That was what the entire service was filled with, not devastation but hope! Where do you get that kind of hope that can even appear at your babies’ funeral? From the Lord. From knowing that this was not the end. He shared that he knew the second both boys passed away, they went straight from their arms into the arms of Jesus. They knew that those boys were no longer sick but were made well and completely restored. That they were full of joy and living life to the fullest. I will never forget what was said at the service, that they didn’t lose their boys. They knew exactly where their boys were, in Heaven with Jesus, and given a choice; they wouldn’t want to come back.
The entire service not only celebrated the life of these boys but also the hope that we have in Christ. The hope that they will all be reunited one day. The truth that this was not the end, and death didn’t get the final say. They used this opportunity to carry on their sons’ legacies of the faithfulness and goodness of God.
A phrase that is often repeated when offering someone condolences is “Rest in Peace.” As I heard this phrase repeated, I began wondering where it originated, and I want to share that research with you today. According to dictionary.com, Rest in Peace is a translation of the Latin phrase, requiescat in pace. This phrase began as a prayer for the souls of those who had passed and began showing up on Christian gravestones in the 8th century. The roots of this phrase come from Isaiah 57:2, which reads, “Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” These gravestone markers became more popular and widespread up to the 18th century. The two words that stick out are what Christians have banked their life on, peace and rest. But what do these words really mean to believers?
In scripture, believers in Christ are promised rest as seen in Hebrews 4:9-11, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” God commands that his people practice Sabbath, a day of rest which is a foreshadowing of the true rest that will come in eternity. That rest isn’t simply a nap or a good night’s sleep. That rest is what is promised when believers enter into eternity with the Lord, as is foreshadowed in Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” The rest described in Revelation is beyond comprehension. A new life where there is no stress, no worries, no pain, no regrets, no striving, or straining. It’s a rest knowing that your Lord and Savior is among you and has met every single one of your needs, and you get to spend the rest of your days worshipping and glorifying him with your spiritual family.
So, what about peace? Man, after the last several years, I don’t know if there is a time I have yearned more for peace. Yet peace isn’t simply getting along or superficial unity. True Biblical peace, or shalom as it’s translated in Hebrew, means peace between all people, nations, and with God (gotquestions.org). Peace is more than a feeling; it is a state of being because the Lord has enacted perfect righteousness and justice on earth. When Jesus comes back, he will right every wrong, and every person will have to give an account of their life to him. His righteousness and justice are perfect and will be enacted on all the earth. He will bring true peace because he is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Thinking back to the funeral, I can’t quite shake what happened in that room. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet these boys, but I can say that their lives changed me. As I have been thinking this week about all that is going on in the world, I can become overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful. I can become so distracted with the here and now that I take my eyes off the true spiritual reality around me. My friend and her husband didn’t lose track of it. Their faith kept them grounded despite the circumstances. They have chosen hope and to spread that hope with those around them. The miracle of these boys’ lives will continue as their souls truly rest in eternal peace.
The question I leave you to ponder is, do you have this type of peace? Are you living life with a heavenly perspective, knowing that all the chaos, sadness, and suffering around you will one day end? Do you have hope that one day Jesus will come back and right all of the wrongs on earth? If so, I invite you to pause and praise God for that. If not, perhaps pray that God would show you that he is real and that there is hope. Also, join me in praying for the my friend and her family, that God would continue to cover them with the peace and hope that only comes from Him. We praise the Lord that these boys are living full, joyous lives as they rest in peace with their Savior.
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