(A Funeral Sermon Based on the Hymn)
Introduction — When Words Are Not Enough
On days like this, words feel small.
Our hearts feel heavy, our minds feel slow, and our emotions move in waves—sometimes strong, sometimes quiet, sometimes surprising. Grief has a way of slipping into every corner of our lives. There are no perfect sentences for moments like these.
But there is a perfect Savior.
And today, the comfort we need comes not from trying to be strong… but from allowing Him to draw near.
The hymn we just heard—“Nearer, Still Nearer”—was written as a prayer.
A whispered plea.
A confession of faith.
A cry from a soul longing for Jesus.
And it is the kind of prayer that carries us through days like today.
So let us reflect on its lyrics—line by line—and hear what God wants to say to us in our grief.
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1. “Nearer, still nearer—close to Thy heart…”
God Is Most Near When Life Hurts Most
When someone we love dies, we instinctively reach out—for help, for comfort, for something to anchor to. The hymn opens with an intimate request:
> “Nearer, still nearer—close to Thy heart,
draw me, my Savior, so precious Thou art.”
This is the prayer of someone who knows where safety is found.
Scripture says:
> “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted…” —Psalm 34:18
God does not stand at a distance on days like this.
He doesn’t watch your grief from far away.
He draws close—nearer than breath, nearer than memory, nearer than sorrow, nearer than fear.
When your heart aches… His heart leans in.
And the hymn continues:
> “Fold me, O fold me close to Thy breast;
shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest.”
The image is tender—like a father holding a trembling child; like a shepherd gathering a lamb that cannot walk on its own; like Christ holding us close when we do not have strength to stand.
This is not a day for fake strength.
Not a day for pretending.
Not a day for forced smiles.
This is a day for letting God hold you.
This is a day for being near to the heart of Jesus.
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2. “Nearer, still nearer—nothing I bring…”
We Come to God Just As We Are
Funerals remind us of how fragile life is. How small we are. How much we depend on grace.
And the hymn does not hide that truth:
> “Nothing I bring, naught as an offering
to Jesus my King—
only my sinful, now contrite heart.”
What do we bring to God today?
Not our success.
Not our accomplishments.
Not our trophies or titles.
Just ourselves—weak, weary, wounded… but His.
When death touches our family, we feel our limitations. We realize we cannot fix life. We cannot extend life. We cannot bring life back.
But God can.
This is why Jesus said:
> “Let not your heart be troubled…
I go to prepare a place for you.” —John 14:1–3
The hymn asks for one thing:
> “Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.”
Why does this matter at a funeral?
Because today is not just about looking back at a life lived.
Today is about looking forward to a life restored.
The gospel is not a theory.
It is a promise:
Sin forgiven.
Death defeated.
Hope secured.
Life everlasting.
And because of that, death does not have the final word today.
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3. “Nearer, still nearer—Lord, to be Thine…”
The Life We Grieve Is Now in the Hands of Christ
This verse moves from confession to surrender:
> “Lord, to be Thine,
sin with its follies I gladly resign—
all of its pleasures, pomp, and its pride.”
It is a picture of someone who has tasted enough of life to know that the world cannot satisfy the soul.
And today, as we remember the one who has died, we can honor them by remembering this:
The greatest victory in a person’s life is not what they achieved…
but to whom they belonged.
Whether their life was long or short…
whether they walked closely with Christ for many years or found Him near the end…
whether they were strong in faith or weak in faith…
What matters today is this:
> “Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified.”
And that is why we have hope.
Because Jesus is not just the One who died;
He is the One who rose.
He is not just the One who was crucified;
He is the One who conquered the grave.
If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, today would be unbearable.
But He didn’t.
So neither will we.
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4. “Nearer, still nearer—while life shall last…”
Death Is Not the End—It Is an Arrival
Listen to the final promise of the hymn:
> “Nearer, still nearer—while life shall last,
till safe in glory my anchor is cast.”
This is not poetry.
This is theology.
This is not wishful thinking.
This is Christian hope.
The hymn is saying:
There will come a moment—one glorious, radiant moment—when the struggle ends, the journey ends, the tears end, the sorrow ends…
…and our loved one is safe.
Their anchor is cast in the harbor of God.
Their faith has become sight.
Their waiting is over.
Their pain is gone.
And then the hymn reaches its eternal crescendo:
> “Through endless ages, ever to be
nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee.”
We cry today because we are separated.
But they rejoice today because they are nearer—infinitely nearer—to Jesus.
This is what Scripture promises:
> “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…
and the dead in Christ shall rise…”
—1 Thessalonians 4:16
And then Paul says something profoundly comforting:
> “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Not with memories.
Not with platitudes.
Not with clichés.
With these words—the words of resurrection.
The words of hope.
The words of Jesus.
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The Final Comfort — God Holds What We Cannot
We stand today in the presence of loss.
We stand today in the shadow of death.
But death does not get the final word.
Grief is real—but so is resurrection.
Emptiness is real—but so is God’s embrace.
Tears are real—but so is the promise that God will wipe every one of them away.
Our loved one lived their life, walked their path, fought their battles…
and now rests in the arms of the One who said:
> “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” —John 11:25
The message of this hymn is simple:
When we cannot carry life, God carries us.
When our hearts are broken, God draws near.
When we lose someone we love, He holds them close to His heart.
And when our own time comes, He will hold us too.
Because nothing—
not sorrow,
not sickness,
not time,
not distance,
not even death—
nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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A Moment of Reflection
I invite you to silently pray this hymn in your heart:
> Nearer, still nearer…
Lord, draw me close.
Hold me in Your grace.
Keep me in Your peace.
And when my journey ends,
bring me safely home to You.
Amen.
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Prayer
“Father of mercy and God of all comfort,
Hold this family today.
Wrap them in Your nearness.
Speak peace into their pain.
Remind them that death is not the last chapter—
it is the moment we fall asleep in Your arms
and wake in Your presence.
Give us hope for tomorrow
and strength for today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
