A Biblical Response To The Charlie Kirk Tragedy

The assassination of a faithful servant of Christ shocks us because it feels like evil has won. We see a light extinguished, a shepherd struck down, and the flock left wounded. In such moments, we find ourselves in the company of the psalmists, who cried: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1).

God does not silence those cries. Instead, He invites them. Lament is not faithlessness, it is faith bringing its sorrow before the only One who can heal. In our grief, we hold two truths together: the pain of loss and the hope of eternity. 

To anchor our hearts, Scripture calls us to ask two questions: Who is God? and Who is Jesus, and how did He live?

1. Who is God?

When tragedy strikes, our first question is often, “Where is God in this?” The Bible’s answer is that He is both infinitely sovereign and intimately near.

God’s Sovereignty

“The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). Nothing—no king, no government, no assassin—can thwart His eternal purposes. Isaiah records God’s words: “I am God, and there is no other… declaring the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

Even when evil men seem to triumph, Scripture reminds us that they cannot outmaneuver the plans of God. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, looked back years later and said: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). What others intend for destruction, our God, the Redeemer, can redeem for His glory and our eternal good.

God’s Nearness

And yet, this sovereign God is not distant from our pain. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Our God bends low. He counts every tear (Psalm 56:8). He hears every groan of grief. In Jesus, God Himself entered into our suffering world, proving once for all that He does not stand far off when His people suffer.

Paul assures us: “For I am sure that neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). Death itself cannot sever us from His love.

God’s Eternal Promise

The sting of violent loss is real, but death is not the end. Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Paul reminds us that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). For the believer, death is not defeat, but a doorway into the presence of Christ.

This does not erase our grief. But it does transform it. As Paul wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed… about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Christians grieve, but not as the hopeless. Our tears fall, but they fall into hands that one day will wipe them all away (Revelation 21:4).

So, what does the Bible tell us about Who is God? 

God is both sovereign and near. He rules over all history, and yet He bends low to comfort the crushed in spirit. Our grief is real, but His reign is sure, His love unshakable, and His promise of eternity unbreakable.

“We must think of suffering in a new way … ‘but the Spirit of God is in me; God has given me His Holy Spirit’. The moment I say that the whole outlook changes. In other words, we have to learn to say, that what matters in any of these positions is not what is true of us but what is true of Him.” — D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures

2. Who is Jesus, and how did He live?

If God’s sovereignty steadies our hope, Jesus’ life gives us a pattern for how to walk through suffering.

Jesus Knew Grief and Sorrow

Isaiah calls Him “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He was no stranger to betrayal, injustice, or violence. When His cousin John the Baptist was brutally murdered, Jesus’ immediate response was to withdraw: “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself” (Matthew 14:13).

This was not weakness, it was dependence. Jesus sought His Father’s presence in solitude. He shows us that when loss crashes in, it is right and necessary to turn to prayer, to find strength in communion with God.

And yet, Matthew continues: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14). Out of His grief flowed compassion. Out of His sorrow, He brought healing. Jesus teaches us that true lament does not end in despair but turns outward in love.

Jesus Modeled a Higher Standard of Love

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave His disciples a command that would define Christian living:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)

He does not call us to a love shaped by culture or convenience, but to love as He loved us: selflessly, sacrificially, consistently. This is the mark of true discipleship, the light that shines in a dark world.

Jesus Lived Micah 6:8

This calling echoes God’s heart revealed long before through the prophet Micah: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

In Jesus, we see this verse embodied. He did justice: confronting hypocrisy and standing with the oppressed. He loved mercy: healing the sick, forgiving sinners, welcoming the outcast. He walked humbly: submitting Himself to the Father, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

Jesus Endured, Forgave, and Entrusted Himself to God

At Calvary, as soldiers mocked and enemies jeered, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). His life was marked by radical forgiveness, even for those who hurt Him most.

Peter reflects on this example: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Even in His final breath, Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). That same posture of trust is what sustains us now.

So, what does the Bible tell us about who Jesus was?

Jesus shows us how to live and how to die—with love, endurance, forgiveness, and eternal perspective. In John the Baptist’s death, we see Him withdraw to grieve and pray; in His own death, we see Him endure with faith and forgiveness. And in His words, He calls us to a higher standard: to love one another as He has loved us, doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.

Living in Light of Hope

The assassination of a Christian leader is a profound wound to the church. We grieve deeply, because love is deep. We lament, because loss matters. Yet we do not grieve as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

To honor their life is to carry forward their example: to pray more earnestly, to proclaim Christ more boldly, to love more sacrificially. Evil may cut short a life, but it cannot cut off the work of God.

Paul’s exhortation fits us well: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Every act of love, every word of truth, every prayer whispered in faith continues the ministry of Christ in the world.

A Word to Pastors

Pastors, this moment matters. Yesterday, many in our nation walked through church doors again, seeking hope in the face of tragedy. This coming Sunday is Back to Church Sunday, and God may bring even more through your doors—wounded, searching, hungry for truth.

They will be looking for answers. They will be asking: Who is God? Who is Jesus? What do I do now?

You are the first responders of despair. As shepherds of God’s flock:

• Lift up who God is. Preach His sovereignty and His nearness. Help your people see that the chaos of this world does not contradict His reign.
  

• Proclaim who Jesus is and how He lived. Hold up His command to love one another (John 13:34–35). Call your people to justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8).
  

• Offer sanctuary and hope. Let your church be a place of comfort and conviction. Preach truth, but embody compassion.
  

• Call your people to a higher love. Do not let this moment pass with shallow answers. Form your congregation into a people marked by Biblical understanding and the sacrificial love of Jesus.
  

This Sunday, preach with urgency. Teach with compassion. Lead with courage. The nation is watching. More importantly, your people are listening.

Practical Next Steps

1. Grieve honestly. Follow Jesus’ example: withdraw, pray, and pour out your tears before the Father.
   

2. Love boldly. Let grief fuel compassion. Serve others, forgive generously, and live the higher standard Jesus calls us to.
   

3. Hold to hope. Remember that death does not have the last word. Christ does.
   

4. Continue the mission. Pick up the mantle of faithful service. Let the legacy of the one lost inspire deeper obedience to Christ.
   

Prayer:
Lord, we weep before You. Help us to be still and know that you are God. Comfort Your people. Strengthen our faith. Teach us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, who faced suffering with love and obedience. Remind us always that You are our refuge, our King, and our hope. Empower us to love one another as Christ has loved us, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. In Christ’s name, Amen.

SermonCentral Resources for Further Study

• The Sovereignty of God – Eddie Snipes
  

• Sermons about Sovereignty of God (Collection)
  

• Love One Another – Othey McNew Jr.
  

• Loving One Another – Dennis Lee
  

• Sermons on John 13:31–35: The New Commandment of Love