50+ Bible Verses for Funerals

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We may never want to acknowledge the death of someone we love, but we ought to. During funerals, however, it is not their death that we commemorate, but the life they lived. Though there is sorrow in death, a person will not be forgotten because the mark a person leaves in this world is all that matters.  This is the beauty of remembering someone‘s life despite the fact that pacing back through the memories you shared will pierce a painful remembrance within you. It is a peculiar display of sorrowful happiness that comes in an occasion of death, yet rejoicing life.  We rejoice because the Bible tells us of the eternal life that awaits us in heaven. Thus, it is just an end for the beginning of our everlasting life. This collection of Bible verses for funerals depicts Biblical accounts on the wonders of life and death.

Funerals recognize a life worth celebrating amid the passing. It is because a life who touched, loved, and shared priceless moments with many other lives is finally entering a new life of happiness that will no longer end. Life and death are both blessings from above. Although we mostly see the latter as a curse,it is a door to a new beginning. 

Embracing death is a tough task especially if it is a family member or someone very special to you. The Word of God provides numerous Bible verses for funerals to comfort and encourage us amidst our sorrow. Hope abounds in the most heart-rending seasons of our life. These Bible verses for funerals delight us with God’s promises to help us embrace the true purpose of death. There is an eternal life beyond the life we live now, and we just need a little modification of how we look at things.

Comforting Bible Verses for Funerals

God never promised that pain will vanish once we put our faith in Him. But He has promised to be with us amidst our sufferings and He has promised to give comfort to those who need it. In Matthew Chapter 5 lies the Beatitudes where Jesus himself stated, “blessed are those who grieve for they will find comfort”. The comfort of God is not just a pat on the back from afar. Rather, it is an embrace with the warmest arms of heaven. It is quite paradoxical to recognize a blessing in suffering, but Jesus did show us the wisdom in it. 

We hardly encounter a deep and intimate connection with God through accomplishments or merriment. Most of the time, we can hear God during our darkest moments for it is when we listen and talk intently to God.  The presence of God never ceases but we can feel it if we make time for God in our busy schedules. We can never experience God’s unparalleled comfort if we don’t feel the need for it. And the great truth is, God is always beside all who grieves and is always around to comfort them. The Lord protects the simple-hearted and saves those in great need. What pains of His children in their afflictions can He then not comfort?

Psalm 34:18 in the Old Testament sings about this certainty of God’s character. It says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit”. In this verse, it is God who draws near to those in deep lament. He recognizes your pain as much as you do so let these Bible Verses for funerals comfort you in times of grief.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

2 Corinthians 1:5

“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

Matthew 5:4

“God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!”

Psalm 23:4

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2 Corinthians 1:7

“Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”

Scripture Readings for Funerals

A funeral service that memorializes a deceased person is an important tradition for many Christians. This event allows us to acknowledge the life of the person we love and say our last goodbyes. It gives us ample time to reminisce about the significant moments he or she spent in this life, the lives he or she was able to touch; you remember the journey you took together which you share along with others who love him or her dearly. Although the death of a person’s life suggests mourning, funerals set aside an occasion of commemorating the years of someone, hence comparable to celebrating that life that we lose. 

When we remember him or her during their funeral service, we unintentionally highlight the positive impact of his or her life to others. Within us is a deep yearning to celebrate a life we can no longer have. A funeral service is like an official date of finally bidding farewell. 

This occasion of a gathering with other people whose lives were linked by someone’s own life and death is a good opportunity to encourage one another, support each other, and extend concern to one another. Funerals are oddly the best time to create an atmosphere of love, care, and comfort. There are Bible verses for funerals to help us build an ambiance of support during funeral services. Here are some of the best Scriptures for funeral readings that you can share with others while commemorating a precious life you once laughed with. 

Hebrews 4:14-16

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Philippians 1:20-22

“As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Romans 8:31-38

“What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?  God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?  It is exactly as the Scriptures say, ‘For you, we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.’ In everything, we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future”

Psalm 23

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his namesake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. With your rod and your staff that give me courage.  You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil;  my cup overflows.  Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.”

Psalm 27:1-3

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold^[a] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

Romans 14:6-10

“The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God”

Encouraging Bible Verses for Funerals

Looking for encouragement in the middle of sorrow when losing someone we deeply love can be distressing. It’s difficult to notice almost anything when everything seems dark. Sparks of light are an important element to keep us going through these sorrowful seasons. There are no smaller nor bigger encouragements for the family of the one who died. However, every encouragement can be a spark of light to their broken hearts. The Bible has the best words of encouragement to share with family and friends of those who have passed. 

The Book of James in the New Testament shares with us the reward of every person enduring trials of various kinds. It is the crown of life that can only be experienced after death. Death permits us to find a new life that has no mourning, pain, or suffering. The Book of Psalms recognizes that the anger of the Lord may come for a moment, but His favor remains a lifetime. We may experience sorrow through the test of time, yet the grace of God persists without changing. 

Where there is agony there is grace; where there is weakness, there is also the grace of God (1 Corinthians 2:9). He who allowed things to happen will also direct things to fall into place with fair tranquility. God is in control of every single detail that happens on earth, including birth, growth, and death. Read the following Bible verses for funerals to know God’s greater purpose beyond death and sorrow.

1 Corinthians 2:9

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

James 1:12

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Psalm 30:5

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Romans 8:28

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.^[a] They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose”

Philippians 4:6-7

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 145:18-19

“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.”

Funeral Bible Verses on Overcoming Grief

During times of loss and death, our soul responds with mourning. This is not a sign of weakness, however. We grieve over someone whose laughter we can no longer hear and smiles we can no longer see. It displays our capacity to love and feel sympathy. Our emotions though at some point deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) make us distinct from others. Showing our freedom to love is no different from displaying our grief. These emotions are part of our intricate design as human beings. We endure this stage of loss, but we also should move on. As flowers wither, new sprouts blossom. God has promised to be with us and never to leave us (Deuteronomy 31:6). We can always count on Him in overcoming sorrow.

John 16 narrates how Jesus encouraged His disciples upon uncovering the truth that they will indeed experience sorrow. For a little while, Jesus said, there will be weeping but there is also hope for the earth to rejoice. God can turn sadness into gladness, mourning into dancing, and sorrow into joy (John 16:20). Overcoming grief may require of us courage and faith but there is a need to take heart for Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). If Jesus has overcome the world, he has also overcome sorrow and suffering. Start with these Bible verses for funerals in conquering grief.

Revelation 21:4

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

John 16:22

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

John 16:20

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

Psalm 9:9

“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Psalm 22:24

“For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him but has heard when he cried to him.”

Lamentations 3:31-33

“For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.”

Lamentations 3:19-21

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:”

Bible Verses about Strength in Death

Photo by Ksenia Makagonova

Numerous occasions in the Book of Psalms recognizes God as the strength of man’s soul. The Lord is our strength and the light of our salvation. Going back to the source of all strength in the midst of suffering is an important step in overcoming the sadness due to the loss of a loved one. When someone we love dies, it feels likes a part of us goes missing. However, God knows without a doubt how to fill the hole in our hearts. Coming to Him through prayer is the best way to strengthen our spiritual and emotional health after some time of lamenting. The emptiness we feel can only be filled when we go to Him through prayer. 

You may be tired of weeping in sorrow, but be reminded that the strength of God is free for all who ask for it. He is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). God is never far from us during our toughest times. Though there are moments when we can’t tell that God is with us, He is there. Trees continue to grow mighty and strong even if no one takes care of it. It gets sunshine every day. Rain drizzles when it needs nourishment. It continues to live and grow even if there’s no one to look after it. The Lord strengthens His people better than trees. In most particular, He strengthens better during the difficult seasons of our life because that’s what we needed more than anything. Be strengthened in the Lord with these refreshing Bible verses for funerals.

Isaiah 41:10

“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.”

Psalm 46:1-3

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging”

Psalm 62:1-2

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

1 Peter 5:10

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Isaiah 40:29

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”

Isaiah 12:2

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Scriptures on Assurance and Hope

For Christians, death is a door to eternal life. Hence, it does not call for a lament but a celebration. The apostle Paul in his letters to the church of Philippi talked about the wonder of life and death that is so congruent he cannot choose between the two. He spoke this famous line “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Paul’s secret in seeing life and death with both pleasures is remarkable. Whether by life or by death he honored God, thus He made everything about the life of Jesus. When it is all about Him, nothing will crumble. 

God assures us that death here on earth is life in heaven for all who believe. This is the greatest hope we have in Christ, the fulfillment of our salvation. In Heaven, there is no weeping and there are no tears. Romans 8:18 tells us that our present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us. 

In Christ, even if we were dead, we are alive (John 11:25). Funerals remind us of this grace as well as the resurrection of Jesus after His death. We can find Bible verses for funerals to give us the assurance and hope of our salvation. Furthermore, we may be certain of the assurance of a renewed life after the death of our fellow believers. Here are some Bible verses for funerals to begin with.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

1 Peter 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

Romans 8:18

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”

Romans 8:24

“We were saved with this hope ahead of us. Now hope means we are waiting for something we do not have. How can a man hope for something he already has?”

Philippians 3:20-21

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Micah 7:7

“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”

Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Funeral Bible Verses about Heaven

Our hope in Christ includes our confidence in a home in heaven where there is no sin, guilt, and pain. The Bible in the Book of Revelations has some particular descriptions of what heaven looks like. Although to man, heaven is still unfathomable, the Apostle John describes heaven with these glimpse of images: streets made of pure gold (Revelation 21:21); the foundations of the wall of the city adorned with every kind of jewel (Revelation 21:19); gates made of a single pearl (Revelations 21:21) and; the heaven without the need for light for the glory of God gives it light (Revelations 21:22).

The best part of heaven, however, is the absence of sin and grief. In this new heaven and earth, death also will be no more. Tears will never fall again from man’s eyes upon entering this city of God. There will always be songs of praises and celebration. These were what Christians are looking forward to after death. This is why even if we experience sorrow for a little while, we have hope. It is the hope of a better future that this world cannot comprehend. 

Through every storm of life, we can always lean on God’s truth and the Bible’s biblical account of heaven. Our life on earth is just the beginning of something great and wonderful about to happen in heaven. 1 Peter 1:4-5 says that God has stored up something for us in heaven that will never perish unlike the things of the earth. For this reason, let us set our minds on things above and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). By setting our minds on heaven, we set our hearts on the Scripture. The following Bible verses for funerals allow us to see beyond death by looking unto heaven:

John 14:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)

^“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the [blast of the] trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord!”

1 Peter 1:4-5 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

“God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do.”

Revelation 22:3-5 English Standard Version (ESV)

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 21:1-2 English Standard Version (ESV)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Revelation 21:10-11 American Standard Version (ASV)

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: her light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel”

2 Corinthians 5:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”

Bible Verses about Loss of Loved One

Losing a loved one is perhaps the most sorrowful incident in the course of human living. This normal occurrence is still the hardest form of saying good-bye particularly to those who’ve been part of our lives. Most of us fear death or the death of the people we love for we don’t know what it’s like after we die. Romans 8 assures us with peace amid death as it states that neither life nor death shall be able to separate us from the love of God.  

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Additionally, verse 2 accounts that there is a time to be born and a time to die. God is sovereign over all these seasons and the time we have. When there are things we can’t understand and we start to question God, remember that God’s timing is always perfect and yes, even in terms of death. The Word of God is full of wisdom, and it allows us to fathom the authority of God. In seasons of losing someone, let us hold on to the anchor of God’s greater plan. The following Bible verses for funerals and death can introduce us to amazing Biblical truths regarding death:

Romans 8:38-39 English Standard Version (ESV)

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 14:8 New International Version (NIV)

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

John 11:25-26 New International Version (NIV)

“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?”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot”

Revelation 14:13 English Standard Version (ESV)

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Ecclesiastes 7:1 English Standard Version (ESV)

“A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”

2 Corinthians 5:8 English Standard Version (ESV)

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

Let God and Let Go

It is difficult to forget the pain and yet more difficult to forget about a person whom you cherished deeply. Seasons come and go to give way for another season and to maintain the balance of time. People also come and go to balance life. Life is a gift from God and death makes life more worthwhile. Without death, we can never experience the joy of eternal life. It is our entry key to a renewed life. Our loved ones as well will not find rest so peaceful without pain and tears without death. It will be painful, losing someone. But it is not in vain. God has a purpose for every event under heaven. He also has a purpose for allowing pain to come to you. In life, nothing is an accident even if it’s an unseen death. 

God created all things with precision. It is impossible for Him to commit a misstep with His plans. It takes faith to fully trust his will. The Bible verses for funerals mentioned above can give us significant insights on how to deal with death and losing someone. There are burdens we are to carry and there are which God would want us to unload. He is a God of comfort and love, He will never want to see His children. The best way to overcome the sorrow of losing and missing someone is an act of surrender. Surrendering before God is as if telling God that you’re letting go because you cannot handle it anymore and that you’re letting Him take over what you can’t anymore hold. You will be amazed at how much endurance you can save just by letting God do His works. May these Bible verses for funerals give you sparks of light.