Luke 24:5; John 11
This question is thought-provoking. The two angels asked the women who came to see the body of Jesus, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Of course, the reason they came to the tomb was because that was the last place they saw the body of Jesus. This is why we also visit the graveside of our loved ones, and there is nothing wrong with doing so. The angels were only giving a reminder to the women that death happens just to the body. The soul lives on forever. Jesus rose from the grave and so will our bodies one day.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
But can you imagine visiting the grave of a loved one who has passed away and having this scenario happen to you? There was another time something supernatural like this happened in a graveyard. A friend of Jesus' was sick. His name was Lazarus, brother to Mary and Martha. The sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." This friend died a few days later which affected Jesus just like death of our loved ones affects us. The Bible says in John 11:35, "Jesus wept." He then raised Lazarus from the dead and called him by name to come forth up out of the grave. I believe this was to show that He will do the exact same thing one day for us and our loved ones who have been saved. Death is not the end. He had to remind Mary of Martha of this when their brother died. He said,
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? - John 11:25-26
What a wonderful promise to hold onto! Jesus experienced the death of a loved one so we would know He was "acquainted with grief." Sadly, I have also had several loved ones who were very close to me go on to Heaven. When I have visited the graveyard where their bodies are buried, I have never had an angel ask me this question. However, I have had some special memories that have happened inside a graveyard which have made me think of life instead of death.
My maternal grandmother passed away twenty years ago to the day of this writing. She was 70 years old and one of the most amazing women I have ever known. I miss her so much. My most fond memory of her is this: every time we would drive away from her house, she would follow us to the front door and wave at us. Most people would go back into their house once the car left the driveway, but not Grandma. As our car left her driveway, she would come to the sidewalk of her street and wave at us until she could no longer see our car. Sometimes there would be traffic and she would have to hold up her waving arm with her other arm just so she could continue waving. When my first child was born, she continued the tradition with her. This made us feel so loved!
When I stood at her grave during her burial service, I told her how I loved her and what she meant to me. Then I said, "Grandma, I'm going to wave goodbye to you when I leave just like you always did for me." As we drove away that day, I looked out the back window of our car and waved at my grandma in her memory. A peace inside of me told me that she was no longer there. Just before I lost sight of the graveyard, I turned my wave up to the sky. In my mind's eye, I could see her waving back to me as she smiled down from Heaven. When I think of her, I still envision her this way so many years later. That's the promise we have when we know the Lord as Saviour.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1
But just like Lazarus' sisters forgot, so do we. When they questioned Jesus about death, He replied, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" It's as if Jesus is asking us today when we dwell on death instead of the promise of Heaven, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" He knew how difficult death would be, so the Bible says that "he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." He allowed His own story of death to be recorded in Scripture as an example of what is to come for the saved. Best of all, He shared it with the women whom He loved and who loved Him.
This is why the angels were asking. Jesus rose from the grave to give us the victory over death! The Bible says that we have "a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." We need to live in that victory over the sorrow of death. If we don't, the Bible says, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." May this never be said of us. The Bible says that we "sorrow not...as others which have no hope." We know death is not the end.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that...he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 2:4-7
May this hope comfort our hearts when we lose a loved one and may we never seek the living among the dead. Instead, may this be our goal found in Colossians 3:1, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."