Because He preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 17:18)
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When we come to death, we have to grope with its consequences. The philosophers at Athens had groped in the dark to try and find meaning in life. When we have to face death at this place, we are forced to deal with the ultimate topic of death. Normally, we try not to think about it. If we do think about it, we try to make light of it such as “All dogs go to heaven.” I am not here to try to answer questions like this. Others will deal with death by saying: “At least she is not suffering any more.” In Christians terms, this may or may not be so. Others hold to a vague concept of the afterlife in which everyone except perhaps the most evil people go to heaven. Others hold that heaven is an eternal pleasure palace. Others face death with terror. But what do we make of the reality. We see the body of someone we knew in a casket. We have many memories. These memories will outlive her. We will talk and reminisce. At times we will laugh, and at other times we will weep.
We set apart time at the visitation to share these stories of just how much she meant to us. We might even engage in some awkward humor. We will be able to share memories when we serve supper after the burial. There will even be some time during this service in which family members and friends will have time to share a memory or two. this is altogether appropriate, and I would encourage you to do so.
However, as a minister of the gospel, it is my obligation at these times to talk about Jesus and the resurrection. This is a funeral service and not just a remembrance of life. She would have wanted it this way. She was a Christian and wanted Christ to be shared to you on this occasion. This I am honored to do. If we do not talk about Jesus and the resurrection, we do not deal with the gnawing consequences of death which we all too easily paper over to avoid the deep thinking and the pain we feel. I want to offer a real hope to you all today.
First of all, we have to deal with the fact that there is a God, and that God has created all things. This is where Paul started with the philosophers of Athens. This God is Lord over all, and works all things out according to His own pleasure. This means that He has the right to hold us accountable and will hold us accountable for our actions. This would be very bad news for us, for even great men like Moses could not escape the penalty of death. As Malachi reminds us: “Who shall abide in the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? (Malachi 3:2) The answer is that no one will be able to stand on his own merits. This would sound like very bad news indeed.
When we realize that Paul mentions the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead in conjunction with His right to judge the living and the dead, it is almost too much to bear, In fact, the Athenian philosophers cut Paul off at this point. They cut off Paul before he could bring out the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. I can only pray that you will not cut me off, for I bring you the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
First, we need to be reminded that God is the only entity that has truly free will. This does not mean that we must choose Christ. But, instead, we should reflect that God is not under any compulsion to save anyone. He is free to create, and He is free to destroy. The good news is that God has made an offer to save us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us. We cannot choose unless a choice is offered first. So let us rejoice that God has chosen first.
Secondly, we must understand what free grace is all about. We tend to think that God’s grace is offered and we are free to accept this grace or not. The true understanding of free grace is that God is free to offer His grace to all, to none, or to some and not others. Grace is the free gift of God. therefore, we must be careful not to despise this grace which has eternal consequences. without God’s free grace offered in Jesus Christ, we would have neither choice nor hope. The God news is that Christ died for us. But we must believe in His Son. This is the hope I offer this morning to you all.
Your loved one made this response to receive Christ. It is not that she was perfect. she had many admirable qualities which we will always treasure. But the basis of her hope was not in her goodness but the goodness of Christ. It is the goodness of God that gives us hope in these sad times. This is the Christ which I offer to you all this day. He is the eternal hope to all who believe.
The world’s philosophers have nothing to offer at all. whether they see death as the end of all things or whether we a reincarnated or absorbed back into the unmoved deity or energy of the universe. Janis Joplin once stated: “Freedom is just another world for nothing else to lose.” This view sees death as the ultimate freedom. Who could live by that philosophy? Besides being utterly false, it makes life short, cruel, and meaningless. The Grass Roots put it this way in a song: “Nah, nah, nah, nah, live for today, And don’t worry about tomorrow.” It is true that Jesus said: “take no thought about tomorrow.” (Matthew 6:34) But Jesus means exactly the opposite of the Grass Roots. The Grass Roots offer a false escapism based upon the ultimate reality of death. Jesus says not to take thought for tomorrow, for the believer has an eternal future with Him which transcends death. Even though the group Kansas made a beautiful and haunting melody, all is and shall always remain “dust in the wind.” It is true that God made us from the dust of the earth. It is true that because of Adam’s sin, we all return to the dust as far as this mortal body is concerned. The good news is Jesus and the resurrection. We shall rise in an immortal body which is not subject to the ravages of time. This was her hope, or perhaps I should say is her hope. The Bible tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) (Philippians 1:23). The same hope she had I offer to you.
We read in Revelation 14:13:
Revelation 14:13 NKJV
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
As I have already stated, we have shared and will continue to share many memories of the departed. But these memories fade as we will also fade away. Even the most famous people who ever lived are little remembered except in Trivial Pursuit. What is important to remember is that God will remember us. Our labor for Him is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). the fact that her labors are remembered by God is the ultimate hope. And we who believe will be reunited with her in eternal bliss around the throne of God.
Whereas I know some of you gathered here this morning, there are many among the family I do not. I don’t know where you stand with Jesus. It isn’t for me to judge, but the Lord Jesus Christ. Some here might need to come to faith. Others need to be encouraged in the faith you already have in Christ. I can only hope that the Holy Spirit will speak to your hearts this morning. It does not ultimately matter is you know me or that I know you. what is important that you be known to Jesus and might hear these words someday: “Well done good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of the Lord.” The Lord reminded them of their faithfulness. She believed. Although her works did not save her, her works are eternally relevant and remembered before God the Father.
Jesus and the resurrection offers us a stark choice. The other thing that can be said is: “Depart from me: I never knew thee.” Let not the message of Jesus and the resurrection lead to eternal judgment but rather eternal life. this is the true hop I bring to you all today. Amen.
