The First Mourning

Moses, by divine inspiration reports the first murder this way, “While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).

Many of the classical paintings portray Cain rising up with a club to kill his younger brother. Some of the paintings even portray God confronting Cain immediately after the murder.

“The First Mourning” by French artist, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, is different. It is a unique subject matter that depicts the moment after Adam and Eve found the body of their son, Abel. Bouguereau painted this work in 1888 shortly after the death of his wife and infant son in 1887.

This is a striking painting because the way it deals with death. Adam and Eve, are distraught. Sin not only cost them their home, their comfort, and their own lives. Now it cost them their son.

Adam and Eve are holding their dead son. Few things on earth can compare to the sorrow parents feel at the death of a child. God’s curse upon sin is felt most severely when a parent must bury a child. The emotional scars, the hurt, and the sense of emptiness may linger for a lifetime.

Adam and Eve are grieving. But because they are believers in the promised Savior, they are not grieving like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). They trust that death will be swallowed up in Christ’s victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54). Already, they have the same resurrection faith of Job and King David. After Job lost ten of his children in a single day, Job professed, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). After King David’s infant son died, David gave this testimony to his servants, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23).

Sin was able to become Cain’s master (Genesis 4:7). But sin and death are no longer our masters! That’s because of Jesus’ sinless life, because of the innocent sacrifice He made upon the cross, and because He carried Cain’s sins, along with yours and mine and our children into His tomb.

Because the Lord has risen from the dead, He has Abel safe with Him in heaven. Because the Lord has risen from the dead, He has our Christian children, whom we have buried, also with Him in heaven.

During His ministry, Jesus opened His arms and welcomed the little children. What a comfort it is to envision Jesus standing at the gates of heaven with open arms welcoming His children as the angels usher them home!

“The First Mourning” portrays death and grieving as supreme. But because of Jesus’ death and His open grave, death and the grave have lost their supremacy. We Christians will grieve for our children, but we will grieve differently than the rest of the unbelieving world.

When Christian parents clearly understand what happens at death, there is no need to grieve like we have no hope.  Yes, we are sad when we our children die what we consider an early death.  We imagine all the Saturday soccer games, the art projects hanging on the refrigerator door, the butterfly kisses, etc. that we will never enjoy. Yet the Lord gives us this comfort: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). 

Though we may want our children here with us, Jesus wants them in the safety of heaven with Him. Though we may miss our years of having them in our home, we are comforted that we will spend an eternity getting to know them better in our new home.

Adam and Eve are now with Abel and Jesus in heaven. We, too, will be reunited with our Christian children and live forever together with our Lord Jesus!