Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good

(prior to the sermon the funeral home played the old Country hit “Lord, I hope this day is good.”)

OPEN: Kay was a wonderful woman who struggled with a terrible disease that ultimately took her life. Every day that she had to go to see the doctor she’d ask her daughter to play the song we just heard “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” because she was always concerned it might not be.

Kay was a wonderful woman, but she could be a difficult patient… because she had suffered through so much at the hands of medicine that she literally knew what would work and what wouldn’t. If a doctor or nursing staff wanted to do a certain procedure she would often say “No, that’s not going to happen. You tried that once and it didn’t work.” And she was right because she’d gotten to the point where she knew as much about her disease as her physicians did.

This afternoon, we are gathered at a funeral for Kay and we are in the presence of the Great Physician. And though many have believed they knew more than He, no one knows more about what you and I face than He does. Consider a funeral that Jesus attended:

Text: John 11:17-44

I once heard the story of a young girl who walked thru a cemetery every night because it was the shortest route to her house. When asked WHY she wasn’t afraid to pass thru the graveyard: ''The reason I'm not afraid is that my home is just on the other side''

This afternoon we’re gathered here to celebrate the life a woman who has made her way home over to the other side.

While she was here… her home was with YOU. So many of you have gathered today that I know that you loved her and were loved in return by her. She especially loved her children and grandchildren and great grand-children.

I’m told she found her joy in cooking for you, and playing games with you and listening to tell about your plans and your dreams.

But, she’s not going to be able to do that anymore… because she’s no longer with us. And that hurts. That song we heard earlier says “Lord I hope this day is good, I’m feeling empty and misunderstood. I should be thankful, Lord, I know I should, but Lord I hope this day is good.” Life is like that. We all experience times when we feel empty and misunderstood. We all face times when we’re mistreated or rejected, or we struggle with pain and sorrow. And we will all face death. And it ain’t right! We shouldn’t have to die (or go through all those other struggles in life). We were created to live forever. But because we live in a fallen world that is engulfed in sin, that’s what we face. And that’s why funerals are so often sad times.

Even Jesus wept at a funeral. Well… He was four days late to the funeral but the shortest verse in the Bible… is right here in this story – “JESUS WEPT.” Lazarus had been Jesus’ friend. They weren’t just casual acquaintances, Lazarus was a man Jesus enjoyed being with. But why did Jesus weep? I mean … in just a few moments Lazarus is going to rise from the dead. His family is going to embrace him and everybody will go on their way to rejoicing. So why would Jesus weep? Well… because Lazarus would have to DIE again. He’d live for a few years, but eventually he’d have to go through all this again and die.

Did you know that Jesus never performed a funeral? Every funeral Jesus ever attended (3 in total) the dead were raised. Jesus spoke… and each one awoke. But they ALL had to die again. If Jesus had been here… could He raise Kay from the dead? Of course He could! But would you want Him to do? Because she’d have to go through this all over again.

You see – we Christians have an advantage that others do not. When Jesus comes back, were told “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.” Revelation 21:4

And when Jesus calls her from the grave, Kay won’t ever have to go thru this struggle again because she has a promise from God “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

ILLUS: One old preacher noted that it was a good thing that, when Jesus came to the grave, he cried out “Lazarus, come forth!” Because if he hadn’t called Lazarus by name, every grave within earshot would have opened and all the dead would have risen in the cemetery.