Based on the message “How Do You Face Deep Lose” by Pastor Steve Robinson
Grief has a way of confronting us at the very core of our faith. When loss cuts deep—whether it’s the death of a loved one, the shattering of a dream, or a relationship that couldn’t be saved—we are faced with a choice: we can either run from God or run to Him. That tension is real. I’ve felt it. And in those moments, what’s most at stake isn’t just our comfort—it’s our testimony about Jesus.
Will we still believe He’s good when life feels anything but? Will we cling to hope when everything inside us wants to shut down? That’s why this message, “Three Lessons About Grief from Jesus,” was so important to me. Hearing Steve Robinson speak with compassion and truth, I was reminded that our response to grief can deepen our faith and even become a powerful witness to others.
Here are the three lessons I took away:
1. It’s Okay to Grieve
We often feel pressure—spoken or unspoken—to “stay strong” or “move on” quickly. But grief doesn’t obey timelines. And Jesus never asked us to skip over our pain. In John 11:35, we see Him standing before the tomb of Lazarus, fully aware of the miracle He was about to perform—and yet, He wept.
That moment changed how I see grief. If Jesus, the Son of God, could pause and grieve, then so can we. In fact, Matthew 5:4 reminds us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Grieving is not a failure of faith—it’s actually a doorway to healing. It’s where the comfort of God meets the honesty of our sorrow. I left that message with permission to feel—and with the understanding that doing so honors both God and my humanity.
2. Grief Cultivates Empathy
One of the most beautiful truths I heard that day was this: pain can either harden us or tenderize us. Jesus chose to be tender. When He saw Mary and Martha mourning their brother, He didn’t lecture, He didn’t preach—He joined them in their grief. His tears were not only about Lazarus; they were an act of deep compassion for His friends.
That kind of presence is powerful. It reminded me that when I allow myself to grieve, I also become more capable of walking with others in their pain. Romans 12:15 calls us to “weep with those who weep,” not fix them. True empathy doesn’t rush to solutions; it chooses to sit, to see, and to say, “I’m with you in this.” Jesus modeled that perfectly.
3. Jesus Brings New Life from Our Pain
Perhaps the most hopeful part of the message was this: grief is a passage, not a prison. Jesus doesn’t leave us in our sorrow. He calls us out, just as He called Lazarus out of the tomb in John 11:43. But here’s what struck me—after calling Lazarus out, Jesus told the people nearby, “Loose him and let him go.” There’s a divine partnership in healing.
I realized that even when God begins to resurrect something in us, we often still carry “grave clothes”—old habits, beliefs, fears. And that’s where the body of Christ comes in. We need others to help us walk fully into new life. God uses people to help finish the miracle.
Final Thoughts
Grief can be disorienting, even soul-wrenching—but it can also become holy ground. It all depends on how we respond. This message reminded me that even in the worst moments, our story isn’t over. If we stay open, honest, and willing to feel, God meets us in the mourning—and walks us into hope.
And when we let Him, our testimony doesn’t get weaker through grief—it gets stronger. It becomes real. It becomes relatable. And maybe most importantly, it becomes a reflection of Jesus Himself, the one who wept, who waited, and who called forth life from the grave.
And you can watch the full message below.
Steve Robinson is a pastor, speaker, and author with a ministry spanning the globe—including seven Church of the King locations in the United States, a new location in Cape Town, South Africa, a thriving online campus, and daily radio and television broadcasts. He is a graduate of Tulane University, holds a master’s degree from The King’s Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
Pastor Steve serves on the boards of Equip, a worldwide leadership organization led by John Maxwell, and Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the author of Don’t Sway In The Delay, Decide To Thrive, Perspective Shift, Extraordinary Living, Simple Prayer, and Hope Again.Pastor Steve’s passion is to see people who are far from God reached and discipled into fully-devoted followers of Christ. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in a suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana and are blessed with four children and one son-in-law—Isabelle and her husband Stone, Conrad, William, and Annaliese. You can learn more about him at steverobinson.com.
