Funeral Service for Our Son, Eric Crandall
Revelation 21:1-6
(Preached May 25, 2021)
BACKGROUND:
*This is the message I preached for the funeral of our 40-year-old son who died on May 21, 2021, after a brief but terrible illness. This sermon is intensely personal, but I hope it can help give comfort to other grieving parents. I preached about Heaven because that is where our Eric is.
SONG 1: "He's Always Been Faithful" by Sara Groves
THANKS: On behalf of our family, I want to thank you for being here today. Thank you also for your many prayers and other wonderful expressions of love.
OBITUARY
*ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS WE ARE HERE TODAY IS TO REMEMBER ERIC'S LIFE.
*But first, let me say that Eric's death was a real mystery. We don't know for sure, but Eric may have been one of the people who had a terrible reaction to the Covid vaccine.
*Two weeks after taking his second dose, Eric began to have multiple health problems. Over the course of 11 days, he went through extreme nausea, dehydration, potassium deficiency, migraine headaches, excruciating pain in his legs, two seizures, a possible heart attack, possible meningitis, and platelet depletion.
*In the end, Eric died of heart failure. And though he was seen by at least 7 doctors in 4 excellent hospitals, they were never able to determine what was causing his problems. So, from a human point of view, Eric's death was a big mystery.
*But from a godly point of view, from a Christian point of view, we are quite sure that the Lord was ready to take Eric home to Heaven. Job 12:10 and Daniel 5:23 both tell us that our very breath is in the Hand of God. And we know that in God's perfect wisdom and plan, He was ready for our son to go to home to Heaven.
*Here's what Becky wrote about her brother: "Eric's entire life was a testimony of God's grace and his healing power. In July 1992, he was diagnosed with what should have been a terminal brain tumor; yet, God said "no." In what could only be described as a miracle, the Lord gave him nearly thirty more years to pour into his friends and family. (Truly there were many miracles that took place when Eric had that brain tumor.)
And two years ago, Eric became an even clearer picture of God's ability to restore broken vessels when he rededicated his life to Christ. The past two years have been filled with laughter, love, and even more importantly, a legacy of faith. Glory to God alone!"
*WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REMEMBER ERIC'S LIFE. BUT WE ARE ALSO HERE TO HELP FIND COMFORT FOR OUR LOSS.
*We always need God's comfort when one of our loved ones passes away. But there is unique sorrow in the death of a child. It seems unfair, out of order, upside down. We were supposed to go first.
*Where can we find the comfort that we need in times like this? -- The best place we can find it is from God. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares on God, because He cares for us, and He really does care!
*You may wonder how the God of the whole universe could relate to the pain we are going through right now. But our Heavenly Father knows what it's like to go through the death of His only begotten Son. And Isaiah 53 tells us that Jesus was a man of sorrows, well-acquainted with grief.
*Also remember that when Jesus was here on earth, sometime along the way, His stepfather Joseph must have passed away. The Bible doesn't give us the details, but we never see Joseph again after Jesus was 12 years old.
*From John 11, we also know that Jesus wept after His friend Lazarus died. And yes, the Lord knew that He was going to raise Lazarus again from the dead, but Jesus wept with those who wept, because He cared about them. And He cares about us.
*God really does understand what we are going through right now, so we can keep "casting all our cares on Him, because He cares for us." Day by day, the Lord will continue to give us the comfort and strength we need. That's why 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 can say, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. . ."
PRAYER: Let's ask the Lord for His comfort right now as we go to God in prayer.
SONG 2: "In Christ Alone / Cornerstone / The Solid Rock" by Caleb and Kelsey
MESSAGE:
*One of the best things we can do today is focus on Heaven, because that's where Eric is right now. And that's where we will be too if we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
*The Bible talks about Heaven in Revelation 21:1-6, and there the Apostle John said:
1. . . I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.''
5. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new.'' And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful.''
6. And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts."
*This Scripture has 4 sure promises for everyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ.
1. FIRST: GOD PROMISES US A HOME.
*We see it in vs. 1-2, where John said:
1. . . I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
*Christians: Our new home is going to be more wonderful than we can possibly imagine. And the reason why it’s going to be so great is because Jesus Himself is preparing it for us. That’s what the Lord promised to do on the night before He died on the cross for our sins.
*In John 14:1-6, Jesus said this to His followers:
1. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4. And where I go you know, and the way you know.''
5. Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?''
6. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
*It is most important to stress that this new heavenly home will not be for everybody. But it is for anybody who will receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And the truth is that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven. He is the only way to have eternal life because He IS the life.
*And everybody needs a Savior because everybody has sinned. Jesus is the only exception. Everybody else has sinned.
*Some of us here know that our Eric was a prodigal son. It's better to say that he was the prodigal son of a prodigal son. Eric got saved when he was a little boy. And when he was diagnosed with his brain tumor in 1992, Eric's faith was super strong.
*Just before we left to go to Memphis for his surgery, he saw that we were crying. And Eric said, "I don't know why you are crying, because you know where I would go."
*Thank God, Eric recovered physically, but I think it took him many years to recover emotionally. He was traumatized by that experience, and when he got older, Eric rebelled against God in some huge ways.
*He became a prodigal son. But Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." We stood on that promise for decades, and God proved the truth of that verse in Eric's life.
*The first days in Memphis, Eric told me how he had rededicated his life to Jesus and how it affected him. The changes were positively miraculous, and I am sure he was closer to God than ever before.
*Then early Wednesday morning in the Step-down Unit, Eric and I had the closest moments in our lives. He was still able to carry on a conversation, and he talked about how much he loved all of us. He also told me how sorry he was for all the trouble he caused, and for how he hurt us. I apologized for failing him, and I surely did fail him. I told him how much we loved him and how proud we were.
*Another thing that happened to Eric during his sickness was he got terribly dizzy. And it was very hard for him to see because one of his eyes had crossed. I mention it now because he hoped to write a song about his experience. He was just getting started.
*It was a song of praise to the Lord, and these are the faith-filled words he asked me to write down that night:
"When Your world is spinning at my feet.
I get so dizzy that I can't see.
Lord, you catch me.
Lord, you catch me."
*Eric had been a prodigal son. But God turned his life around, and he left this world fully trusting in the Lord! He finished well. He finished well!
*Jesus Christ was Eric's Lord and Savior. And all of us need a Savior because all of us have sinned As Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
*Romans 3:23 also tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death." That means eternal death. But that verse goes on to say that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
*This gift of eternal life was the most expensive gift ever given, because it cost the life of God's only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In John 15:13 Jesus said. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." And that is what the Lord did when He died on the cross for us!
*Our son Eric surely trusted in this truth. He believed that God the Father loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for us. He believed that Jesus took all of the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross for us. And Eric believed that Jesus rose again from the dead, so He is able to give us the kind of life that lasts forever.
*Eric is in Heaven right now because he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. And if you will receive Jesus, then God promises you a home in Heaven too.
2. GOD ALSO PROMISES HIMSELF.
*In Revelation 21:3 John wrote, "I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.'"
*GOD WILL BE WITH THEM. There are going to be many joy-filled reunions in Heaven for those who trust in Jesus. When we said our goodbyes to Eric, we talked about him getting to meet my dad for the first time, about getting to see his other grandparents and so many more people in Heaven.
*But Christians, best of all, God Himself will be with us in Heaven! So, with all of the joy of Heaven, the best part will be living forever with our Heavenly Father and our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.
*God promises Himself. And this promise is not just for Heaven. This promise is for today because by His Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son are here with us now. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Jesus "Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.''' And He never will. God promises Himself.
3. HE ALSO PROMISES HAPPINESS.
*It's the happiness we see in Revelation 21:4. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.''
*Life in this fallen world is bound to bring tears, but God has promised to wipe away our tears. He promises happiness.
4. AND HE PROMISES HOPE.
*It's the hope we see in Revelation 21:5-6:
5. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new.'' And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful.''
6. And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
*Christians: This is our sure hope from the only true and living God! He cannot lie! He is forever true and faithful! He will make all things new! He has given us the water of His everlasting life! We will be with Him forever. And the hope we have in Jesus Christ will carry us through the hardest times in life. That's why Hebrews 6:19 tells us that "this hope we have (is) an anchor of the soul."
*Years ago, I saw a testimony about our sure hope in Jesus Christ. It was a testimony from another Christian mother who lost her son. It was during World War II. He was a pilot for England, and his name was Bill.
*In the months before her son was killed, she wondered, "Would the rope hold if the worst happened?" Would the rope of her hope in Jesus Christ hold?
*Here is a small part of what she wrote: "A bent old man brought me the telegram: 'Regrets to inform you that your son, Pilot Officer William St. Johns was killed in action.' Coming home from an air-raid in Berlin his plane was hit. In the hours that followed, it seemed to me that I could not bear it."
*But God gave that mother the peace that passes understanding, and she wrote: "In that quiet, I knew beyond anything that can ever be, beyond anything I can express, beyond any doubt that could ever attack as long as I live, with a knowing deeper than breathing, and closer than the beating of my sore heart, I knew that my son lived. I knew he had gone through the valley of the shadow called death. . .
*Sorrow I have. Missing my son, I have always. But of grief I was healed when the Comforter told me, 'All is well with the child. . .' In the twenty-five years that have passed, moments of sorrow and longing come. But into our daily lives as a family has come the added glory that the rope held in our greatest sorrow." And the rope of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ will surely hold for us too!
*Bill's mother added one more thing. She said, "On my desk is a small picture of Bill’s navigator. It was taken in the cemetery where men of the Royal Air Force are buried. This friend had flown that last mission with Bill and parachuted in time.
*In the picture he is standing on a little bridge, smiling softly. On the back of the picture he wrote, 'Do you know why I am smiling? I’ve just been to the Skipper’s grave -- and he isn’t there.'" (1)
*This is the sure hope we have through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the power of the good news gospel of Jesus. And this next song tells us about it. So, please listen to this song. Put your trust in our crucified and risen Savior. Worship the Lord. And thank God for the living hope we have in Jesus Christ.
SONG 3: "King of Kings" by Hillsong
CLOSING PRAYER
GRAVESIDE SERVICE:
*Dear family and friends: The most important thing I try to stress here at the grave is that Eric is not here. Because of his faith in Jesus Christ, Eric is surely in Heaven right now. We know this, because in 2 Corinthians 5:8, the Apostle Paul tells Christians, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."
*For all Christians, "to be absent from the body" IS "to be present with the Lord," so our son is present with the Lord right now. He took his last breath in this world early last Friday morning, and his soul flew up to Heaven to be with the Lord.
*My favorite testimony about this truth came from one of our longtime friends. She was a dear, Christian lady that Mary and I knew for over 40 years. Her name was Ann Smith, and she went home to Heaven in September 2018. It was on Ann's 90th birthday! She had been praying to go for weeks, and I am sure it was her best birthday ever.
*Years ago, Ann wrote this testimony about her parents. This happened back in 1969. And Ann said: "My Dad went home to be with the Lord (while he was) in the hospital on the same floor as my Mom, who was in a room just around the corner.
*(Mom was) in a coma as she had been for several days. We were not able to tell her about Dad until some days after the funeral, when she regained consciousness. And when we told her, she looked at us with the most serene, peaceful look and replied, 'Yes, I saw him take his flight.'" Ann also said, "I never doubted for a moment that she did. She never shed a tear."
*Eric has also taken his flight home to Heaven. He is not here. We are here to lay his body to rest, and that is partly because our bodies were created in the image of God. They are a gift from God for us to use in our time down here.
*We also lay this body to rest because this is not the end of the story for Eric's body. When the Lord comes back, Eric is coming with Him, and this body will be raised again from the dead. It will be transformed into a perfect body, like Jesus' resurrected body. Then Eric will move back into his resurrected body to live in it forever.
*Paul explained all of this to us 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. There, he was speaking to all Christians, and he said:
13. . . I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
CLOSING PRAYER
(1) Adapted from SermonCentral illustration: "THE ROPE HELD" by Adela Rogers St. Johns
