Why Christian Men Should Choose Burial Over Cremation
As a pastor, I’ve stood beside graves and I’ve walked with the grieving. I’ve seen both faithful funerals and hollow ones. I’ve also watched as the Church has slowly absorbed the practices of the world—cremation being one of the most telling.
Death is not the end. For the Christian, it is the doorway to glory. But how we handle the body after death still matters. It matters more than most Christians realize. Today, many believers casually opt for cremation. It’s cheaper. It’s faster. And the culture tells us it doesn’t really matter. “It’s just a shell,” they say. “The soul is gone.” But that thinking is not Christian.
This isn’t about judging grieving families or heaping shame on those whose loved ones were cremated. Many made decisions in ignorance, under pressure, or out of financial necessity. But as shepherds and fathers, we must lead in truth. And the truth is this:
Cremation is not a faithful Christian practice. Burial is.
It’s time we recover the courage to say so clearly, biblically, and pastorally.
1. God Created the Body—and Will Raise It Again
The Christian hope is not just that our souls go to be with Christ, but that our bodies will be raised from the dead.
“For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” (Romans 6:5)
The body matters because God made it, Christ redeemed it, and the Spirit indwells it. At death, it sleeps, but it does not lose its dignity. Our bodies are not prisons to escape. They are part of our personhood.
That’s why Scripture consistently treats the human body—even in death—with reverence. To bury the body is to plant a seed in the ground (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). To burn it is to destroy that witness.
2. Scripture Consistently Models Burial, Not Cremation
Every example of godly care for the dead in Scripture involves burial. Abraham buried Sarah. Joseph requested his bones be carried to the Promised Land. Moses was buried by the Lord Himself (Deuteronomy 34:6). John the Baptist’s disciples buried his body. And most importantly, Jesus was buried, and rose again from the grave.
When the Philistines desecrated Saul’s body, brave men risked their lives to rescue and bury him with honor (1 Samuel 31). Even in judgment, burial was considered proper (Jeremiah 22:19). The biblical pattern is clear: the dead are to be laid to rest in hope.
In contrast, cremation is associated in Scripture with judgment (Amos 2:1, Joshua 7:25). It’s what pagans did to sever ties with the body, deny the afterlife, or escape guilt. The Church rejected cremation for centuries for that very reason.
3. Burial Preaches the Gospel
When a Christian is buried, their funeral becomes a sermon. The casket is not a box of despair. It is a seedbed of hope. When we bury a brother or sister in Christ, we declare to the world:
“This body will rise again.”
To bury the dead is to live by faith in the resurrection. It is to proclaim that the grave is not the end. Christ is risen. And so shall we.
4. Cremation Reflects a Culture Without Hope
Why is cremation on the rise? Not because Christians have searched the Scriptures and changed their theology. It’s because secularism has crept into the Church.
The world sees the body as a meaningless shell. The Church sees it as part of God’s good creation, destined for glory. The world seeks closure. The Church seeks resurrection.
Cremation fits a culture that wants quick, sterile, and cost-effective closure. But we aren’t called to be efficient. We’re called to be faithful.
5. But What If My Loved One Was Cremated?
This is where many Christians feel guilt or confusion. Maybe your loved one was cremated. Maybe you didn’t know any better. Maybe you didn’t have the money. Maybe it wasn’t your decision to make.
Here is the good news: God is gracious.
Cremation does not prevent God from raising the dead. The sea will give up its dead. Martyrs burned at the stake will rise. God’s power is not limited by our mistakes. If your loved one died in Christ, you will see them again—body and soul.
But now that we know better, we are called to lead better. To teach the truth. To recover the practice of burial not as ritual, but as a testimony of resurrection.
6. Practical and Pastoral Steps for Christian Men
Men, take the lead. Don’t leave your family guessing. Don’t wait until the last minute. Here’s what you can do:
Make your wishes known. Write them down. Tell your family: “When I die, I want to be buried in hope of the resurrection.”
Plan ahead. Burial can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be extravagant. Start preparing. Take dominion over your death.
Teach your family. Explain to your children why burial matters. Help them see it not as morbid, but as faithful.
Pastor your people. If you’re a church leader, teach your congregation about this. Don’t assume they know. Most have never heard a clear, biblical case for burial.
Conclusion: Bury Your Dead in Hope
Christian men, our culture fears death. It hides it, sterilizes it, and sells convenience in its place. But we are not like the world. We are people of resurrection.
Bury your dead.
Confess your hope.
Proclaim the Gospel.
Let the grave become a garden. Let the world see that we believe in a King who conquered death—and who will raise our bodies in glory.
Build. Fight. Protect. Lead.
Even unto death.
And even through the grave.