Question 1

What are some good ways to say good-bye?

Accepted Answer

Acts 20:36-38When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.Praying together and being open and honest about the pain of parting are important parts of healthy good-byes.Philemon 1:7Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.Before parting, we should thank people for what they have meant to us.Genesis 12:4So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed.Seeing God’s hand in our circumstances and following God’s call in our lives will give us greater security as we say good-bye, especially when parting is not easy.Acts 20:32“And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.”We can take great comfort in knowing that even when we must say farewell, God will take care of those we leave. Though we are far apart, God is near us all.2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.Parting is easier if we have lived in such a way as to minimize regrets and unfinished business. We should live each day with others as if we had to say good-bye tomorrow.Psalm 139:9-10If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.We should remember that God is the constant in our lives. We will never say good-bye to him or he to us. No matter where we must go, God’s hand will guide us and give us the strength needed for the task ahead.

Question 2

What model did Jesus give for saying good-bye?

Accepted Answer

John 14:1-4“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”Jesus left promises of good things to come and hope for the future.John 14:27-28“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.”Jesus emphasized the good gifts he was leaving behind, especially the gift of peace.John 17:11“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”Jesus prayed for God’s continued care for his people while he was gone.John 11:30-36Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”Even though Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, he experienced the grief of that moment and expressed his love for Lazarus in his tears. In Mary and Martha’s grieving, Jesus didn’t try to cheer them up—he joined them to show he cared.

Question 3

What can make a farewell easier to deal with?

Accepted Answer

Ruth 1:8-9On the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.Parting with a thankful heart eases the way.1 Samuel 20:42At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.Our heartache at saying good-bye can be softened by entrusting one another and each other’s loved ones into God’s care.Genesis 24:58-60So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her. And she replied, “Yes, I will go.” So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. They gave her this blessing as she parted: “Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies.”We shouldn’t hold others back but allow the departure with a blessing! While Rebekah’s family would have preferred her to stay with them longer, they recognized that it was time for her to leave. When separation is inevitable, grieving the loss is appropriate, but we should also let go and trust God to bless the next chapter in the lives of our loved ones. God will be with our loved ones left behind just as surely as he will be with us as we go.2 Timothy 1:4I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.We should joyfully anticipate the next meeting.

Question 4

What should be my perspective on farewells caused by death?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 8:8None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.We should accept that death is inevitable for everyone.Isaiah 25:8He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!We should remember God’s ultimate victory over death.Revelation 7:17“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”We should picture the eternal future for believers, with no more good-byes—forever.Matthew 25:46“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”We should live with the confidence that life after death is real and true.

Farewells