New testament readings for funerals positive

Here are some positive New Testament readings that are commonly used in funerals:

  1. John 14:1-6 - Jesus' promise of eternal life and comfort:

"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. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 - The hope of resurrection and eternal life:

"What I mean is that each one of you must give an account of how you use the gifts you received from God, which gifts he gave you like wise investments, different sizes of them, and different purposes. If it is to be like this, then the one who plants is not the one who will harvest. What do you plant and what do you harvest if you do not first put into the ground and then from the ground the things that God made grow? One who plants and one who harvests should celebrate together. For if they do not do this, the one who plants will apologize to the one who harvests, saying, 'Why did you not put it into the ground? The one who harvests will apologize to the one who plants, saying, 'Why did you not plant? After all, if we plant, we do not prepare the soil or put in the necessary care, and if we harvest, we do not cut the crops as we should. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each one a body as he has chosen."

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 - The hope of a new body and eternal life:

"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be like our earthly dwelling. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be like our earthly dwelling. Now it is true that we groan as we wait eagerly for our heavenly home. For we have not received the things God has promised, since they are not yet visible. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."

  1. Philippians 1:20-24 - The hope of eternal life and the joy of being with Christ:

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what will I be, once I have left my body behind? I do not know, except that I will be caught up by Christ, whether that is to be away from the body or with the Lord. What is more, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

  1. Revelation 21:1-4 - The hope of a new heaven and a new earth:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'"

These readings offer comfort, hope, and reassurance of eternal life and the promise of being with Christ.