Ask a Pastor Column

Q: Why would God let this pandemic kill so many people?

A: This is an important question and one that I want to handle with particular care and sensitivity. Probably the best way to do so is to encourage those seeking the answer to this question to read the story of the sickness and death of Lazarus in the Gospel of John, Chapter 11. Jesus Christ was God Himself, living on the earth as a human being. The way he responded to the death of his good friend Lazarus shows us several important things about God’s character. I will present the main points here but I encourage you to read the story to get the full sense of it.

First, we see that Jesus wept when faced with the sorrow of others (John 11:35). From this we can see that God is not distant in our grief and questions; when life causes us pain He steps off his throne and joins us in our grief (Psalm 147:3).

Secondly, God has an eternal plan that transcends our limited perspective (John 11:4, 11, 23-26). Just as children can misunderstand their parent’s good intentions on the way to the dentist’s office, so we can struggle to understand the goodness of an eternal God. Even death is a small thing in light of eternity!

Third, God allows death because he has overcome it through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus told His weeping friends in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life, the one who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live, and he who lives and believes in me shall never die.”  Death can seem like a very frightening thing, but God wants to help us conquer death through Jesus Christ; Death holds no fear for those who trust in Jesus (I Corinthians 15:55-57).

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