Bible verses for funerals
It is always hard on us when we hear that we have lost a beloved family member, friend, or a member of our church has passed away. Death, funeral services, wakes, and memorials teach us and they awaken us.
These scriptures can be used in sympathy cards, but they are not only for comforting. Use these Scriptures to see the blessing in funerals for when Christians die.
Quotes
- “Christ never preached any funeral sermons.” Dwight L. Moody
- “Death to the Christian is the funeral of all his sorrows and evils, and the resurrection, of all his joys.” James H. Aughey
- Your presence we miss. Your memory we treasure. Loving you always. Forgetting you
- God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be so he put his arms around you and whispered, “Come to Me
You always hear people say this person was a good person don’t worry they are in Heaven. They are in a better place.
We might consider them to be amazing people, but what does Scripture say? No one is good. It’s always good to preach the full gospel at funerals to remind everyone that we all have fallen short.
All are sinners. A believer is not in Heaven because they were a good person because no one is. A believer is in Heaven because of the perfect merit of Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ is their righteousness and He is their only claim. We should emphasize Christ alone, but we should preach repentance as well because many are in the church, but have never truly repented of their sins. They are not right with God. True faith in Christ will make you new.
1. Romans 3:23-25 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.
2. Mark 10:18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.
3. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.
God uses funerals as a reminder.
Funerals remind us that without Christ we are nothing and that one day we all will die. Funerals remind us that life is short and life is vanity. It reminds us that our true home is in Heaven. It puts our mind back on the Lord. It helps us stop for a moment and start living with an eternal perspective. Sadly most people forget this in a matter of a few days. We should pray for an awaking in our soul and a renewal of our minds that our life changes and we are aligned to the will of God. Christ is everything. Our life is all about Christ!
4. Psalm 144:3–4 Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.
5. Psalm 89:46-48 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?
6. Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
7. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Learn to see the beauty of it. Christian funerals bring believers together. It teaches us to come together and to comfort and love each other.
8. Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
9. Romans 12:15-16 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
When someone dies in the church it is a good way to know a biblical godly church vs an ungodly one with many lost people.
I’ve been to funerals where the people acted like there was no Heaven or Hell. They were wailing and they just acted like there was no hope and they didn’t believe Scripture. There was no joy whatever.
I’ve been to funerals where people had joy for a believer who went home to the Lord. Of course there were some people grieving, but there was celebration in the atmosphere. There was hope and joy because they know that the believer is with the Lord in Heaven.
As Christians we don’t think like the world. When an unbeliever dies even though you can say rest in peace (RIP) there is no hope for the non believer. Though we may grieve we know the Christian who has died is at home with the Lord. We will see them again in Heaven. When a believer dies there is hope. We shall be with them worshiping the Lord one day.
10. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
11. Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Christians never die. They are more alive than ever.
12. Proverbs 12:28 The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.
13. John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
They are better off with the Lord then they are in this world.
Use this as a reminder that God desires us so much. He wants us to be with Him even though we don’t deserve to be in front of Him. He wants to get to know us. One day we are all going to get to fall on our knees before Him. One day we are going to get to hug our Father and say oh Lord I’m here. God wants you and we should desire to be at home with Him.
14. Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.
15. Isaiah 57:1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.
16. Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.
17. Philippians 1:21-23 For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better.
You will be with each other again. David was confident that he would see his infant child in Heaven.
18. 2 Samuel 12:23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Sometimes when the loss of our loved ones happen all we can think is, oh Lord why? But always remember don’t look to what is seen. It is not meaningless.
19. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
This is a time to come to the Lord and pray for His loving peace, comfort, and strength. Like a good father He is with you. God knows. Come to Him.
20. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
21. Isaiah 66:13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
22. Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
23. Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – (Rest in the Bible)
24. Psalm 61:1-3 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
25. Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Bonus
John 16:22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.
