One day a priest named Abiathar arrived at David’s camp with a horrific story, the massacre of the Levite community at Nob including his dad Ahimelech. (1 Samuel 22: 20-21)

It transpired that Saul had heard about David’s gathering of men and it had angered him.

that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 1 Samuel 22:8

Saul trusted no one, but a man called Doeg was brave enough to tell Saul that David had visited Ahimelech in Nob. Doeg spins a tale to gain Saul’s trust.

Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 22:9-10

Saul is fuming and orders his officials to kill Ahimelech, but they will not strike the priest of the Lord (vs 17) so he sends Doeg to do his dirty work for him. Doeg slaughters 85 priests, including Ahimelech, then raises Nob to the ground.

We are living in days of tragedy and the starkness of death.  We have people dying alone and our media tells us in great detail about the lives of those who have died. To some there is a cry that death has come too early, to others it’s the cry “it’s unfair”. We have many thousands that fear for their own lives. 

We are living in days where mourning and grieving are normal. Some will be stoic, for others it may take months and years to overcome the loss of a loved one. Death is so deeply personal and stunningly final, nothing can emotionally prepare us for its arrival. With every death, there is a loss. And with every loss, there will be grief.

Jesus said Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

We are to mourn with those who mourn says Paul in Romans

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

As a church we should to be at the forefront of care for those who are experiencing loss. Is this not our message that we have God who can give divine comfort though a people, His Church?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

I want us to notice that Paul says if there is an abundance of suffering, so too there is a supply of comfort that is more than adequate to sustain the hurting person (vs 5).

No amount of human suffering can outstrip or exceed the resources in God’s heart to bring comfort and sustenance and grace to see us through. We need never doubt whether God is up to the task of providing what people need to survive, even thrive, in the midst of the worst imaginable heartache and hardship. It was only because Paul was confident that God’s comfort matched and exceeded his own suffering that he was able to share that comfort with others when they faced similar, perhaps even more severe trials. He passed it on because he knew it.

But more than that, our gospel is a message of hope. Our Easter message of resurrection is now more relevant than ever.

In John 14 Jesus says “Because I live, you, too, shall live also,” this is the only thing that takes the sting out of death. He is the one who in dying destroyed death. He has removed death’s sting, conquered its terror, and caused us to look at death not as an end but as door that ushers us into the presence of God and into eternal glory.

All through His life, Jesus demonstrated his power; power to heal the sick, power to cast out demons, power to raise the dead, and not only to raise men and women who had died, but power to raise Himself. He claimed to have complete power over His own life and death, to be able to control and conquer death not only for others, but for Himself. Because of Him, death has become itself a victim. Nothing is more evident than His power. When you look at His life, you see it page after page after page in the gospels and nothing speaks of the greatness of that power more clearly than His own resurrection.

The resurrection is the greatest expression of the power of Christ. His power over death. We have the greatest message of hope for the human race that because He conquered death, we shall live also. Hallelujah! 

Please take a few minutes to pray for all of the people across the world that have lost loved ones.