Jesus Wept - Funeral Sermon

Shall we pray?

I thank you all for coming. We often gather together at different times.

We gather for weddings.

We gather for births.

We gather for anniversaries.

We gather for Funerals.

It is this that we gather for today. He was a man with a long life, a good wife and a large family. It is only proper that we should remember his life at this time.

He was married to the love of his life: for many years. He had children, He was TOO short to serve in the military, but he cast a tall shadow as a father. He served as a hard working good man.

He also had many friends and loved ones in the community. In John 15:13, Jesus said, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Tots loved his friends.

Let us look at the shortest verse in the whole Bible:

John 11:35 Jesus wept. He was not sad. He did not cry. HE WEPT!

What event in the Life of Christ moved Him so deeply that he wept?

Jesus was called to the home of Mary and Martha, Lazarus their brother was sick, sick unto death. And he died before Jesus could reach him.

The grief of Jesus losing his friend was so great that HE WEPT! Our Lord cried at the death of Lazarus. I believe that Jesus cries today and I believe he cries with us today.

Jesus went to the tomb where Lazarus was buried and he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."

I believe that there will come a time when even as Lazarus rose from the dead, we shall also rise from the dead. 1 Thessalonians 4:16—17 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.

The question we MUST now ask is your heart right with God? Are you in Christ? Is Christ in you? In James 4:14, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Life is short and death is certain. Is your heart right with God? Today is the day to make things right.

Shall we pray?

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At the gravesite:

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He that raised up Jesus from the dead will also quicken our mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. Wherefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh shall also rest in hope.

Unto Almighty GOD we commend the soul of our brother departed, and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust in sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal Life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth and the sea shall give up their dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in Him shall be changed, and made like unto his own glorious body; according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.

AMEN: