25 Bible Verses for Funerals and Sympathy Cards

(c) by Mary Fairchild
updated May 2, 2018

Scripture to read to yourself or share with another after the death of a loved one include the book of Psalms and Isaiah. Read below Mary Fairchild's thoughts or go to:
https://www.thoughtco.com/funeral-bible-verses-700376

Allow God's powerful Word to offer solace and strength to your loved ones in their time of grief. These sympathy Bible verses are specially chosen for use in your cards and letters of condolence, or to help you speak words of comfort at a funeral or memorial service.

Sympathy Bible Verses
The Psalms are a collection of beautiful poetry originally meant to be sung in Jewish worship services. Many of these verses speak of human grief and contain some of the most comforting verses in the Bible.

If you know someone who is hurting, take them to the Psalms:

The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9, NLT)

LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. (Psalm 10:17, NLT)

You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. (Psalm 18:28, NLT)

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, NLT)

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1, NLT)

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14, NLT)

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety ... (Psalm 61:2, NLT)

Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. (Psalm 119:50, NLT)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a treasured passage often quoted at funerals and memorial services. The passage lists 14 "opposites," a common component in Hebrew poetry indicating completion. These well-known lines offer a comforting reminder of God's sovereignty. While the seasons of our lives may seem random, we can be sure there is a purpose for everything we experience, even times of loss.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot ...
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance ... (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV)

Isaiah is another book of the Bible that speaks strong encouragement to those who are hurting and in need of comfort:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2, NLT)

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. (Isaiah 49:13, NLT)

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. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. (Isaiah 57:1-2, NLT)

You may feel overwhelmed by grief that seemingly will never subside, but the Lord promises new mercies every morning.

His faithfulness lasts forever:

For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love." (Lamentations 3:22-26; 31-32, NLT)

Believers experience a special closeness with the Lord in times of grief. Jesus is with us, carrying us in our sorrows:

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18, NLT)

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 ​NKJV)

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NLT)

The death of a Christian is very different from the death of an unbeliever. The difference for a believer is hope. People who don't know Jesus Christ have no foundation for facing death with hope.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we face death with the hope of eternal life. And when we lose a loved one whose salvation was secure, we grieve with hope, knowing we will see that person again in heaven:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, NLT)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NLT)

Believers are also blessed with the help of other brothers and sisters in the church who will bring support and the comfort of the Lord:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT)

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, NIV)

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15, NLT)

Losing someone we love dearly is one of the most challenging journeys of faith. Thank God, his grace will supply what we lack and everything we need to survive:

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. (Hebrews 4:16, NLT)

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

The unsettling nature of loss can stir up anxiety, but we can trust God with each new thing we worry about:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)

Last, but not least, this description of heaven is possibly the single most consoling verse for believers who have put their hope in the promise of eternal life:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. (Revelation 21:4, NLT)

Cremation...?

Cremation has been up for debate in recent time. Lesli White gives her input in the article "Is it OK for Christians to be Cremated?" The article may be found  here. 

Is it wrong to cremate a person’s body according to the Bible? Historically, cremation has not been part of the Christian tradition. Early Christians agreed with their Jewish ancestors that cremation was not an option they would consider, even though the Bible includes no specific mandate prohibiting it. However, this view has transformed over the years. Today, many of us have friends or family members who were cremated and cremation is sounding more and more like something we might consider for ourselves. But is cremation an acceptable option for Christians?

Many factors influence a person’s choice on what to do with the body after death. Some of these factors include wealth of the family, the status of the individual, the climate of the country, health, sanitation and religious beliefs, among other things. Among these variables comes the debate of burial vs. cremation. The previously named factors contribute to the choices that each individual and family will make with respect to the question. When it comes to whether it’s ok for a Christian to be cremated, the best place to turn is the Bible.

The Bible nowhere answers the questions as to the method of disposal. Moral and religious questions are raised as to the right to “destroy” the body through cremation of the remains. The Bible has remained silent as to the correct technique. From this, we know that one can’t say that cremation is a sin. One might say that burial better reflects the biblical perspective on life, death and the body. But one can say with certainty that Christ will come again, and our bodies will be raised again, never to die again.

Cremation was practiced in biblical times, but it was not commonly practiced by the Israelites or by New Testament believers. In the cultures of the Bible times, burial in a tomb, cave or in the ground was the common way to dispose of a human body. You can find references of this in Genesis 23:19; 35-19; 2 Chronicles 16:14 and Matthew 27:60-66. While burial was the common practice, the Bible nowhere commands burial as the only allowed method of disposing of a body.

There are some that believe that cremation interferes with resurrection and that just isn’t true. Cremation in no way interferes with God’s ability to resurrect the dead – to give us life after death. People have died in countless ways throughout history, from accidents to warfare to being lost at sea, and yet, God will still resurrect them in the future. This doesn’t have to be done with a body. Consider how God will resurrect any of the dead. He will not simply put life back into bodies, for that would be possible only in He returned someone to life immediately after dying. The reality is that even if the body remains intact upon death, it will eventually decompose. The bodies of most people who have lived since creation will no longer exist by the time of the resurrection.

The believer’s hope, whether we will submit our remains to burial or cremation is that the body that is buried or incinerated is not that the body that will ultimately dwell with the Lord. The Bible says “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’…When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else…So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable. It is raised imperishable. IT is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:25,27,42-44).

At the resurrection, it will not make any difference whether a person’s body has been cremated or buried. God knows how to raise the body, either in the resurrection of life or the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:28-29). The new body of a Christian will be a radically changed and glorified like the body of the exalted Christ. It will be an eternal, spiritual body never again to experience weakness, disease, suffering or death. There is also no need to worry that the body will be destroyed and thus unable to participate in that great catching away. The body that is interred will either slowly decay or burn rapidly, but God will give all His children a new body, glorious and incorruptible to dwell with Him forever. Once and for all, the negativity of death and separation from God will be nullified.

Ultimately, cremation is an acceptable means of dealing with the dead. Cremation doesn’t conflict with the Bible nor does it interfere with God’s ability to resurrect the dead. The question of cremation is within the realm of Christian freedom. The Bible tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). A person or a family considering this issue should pray for wisdom and follow the conviction that results. Grief is a difficult process. We each deal with it in different ways. Whether burial or cremation is the better option for a loved one or for ourselves should be left to personal decision. Trust how God is moving you.