Debbie's Funeral Sermon

Introduction Death is not easy for us to handle. It is not something that we like to face. When we are faced with it, all that seems to come to our minds is, Why? Why this? Why Now? Why this way? We run a million different things through our minds. We feel lost. We feel hopeless. What are we to do? Everything in life seems like a bad dream that we want to wake up from. We all know that it is not supposed to be this way. We all know that something is wrong with this picture. We don’t know what to do anymore. Our world gets turned upside down. Life doesn’t seem the same, and it’s not the same.

Death is not easy for us to handle. We all know that it is not supposed to be this way. We all know that something is wrong with this picture.

Here is the thing, the Bible teaches we’re right. It is not supposed to be this way. God had designed a world that worked perfectly. It was created with beauty and purpose. But, as we all know, and know all too well today, the world and life don’t seem to work that way. There seems to be something wrong with the world, and there is.

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God, chose to do their own thing, and ignored God’s commands. As a result, sin and death entered God’s creation. We are faced with the reality of death because of Sin. We don’t handle death well because we were never meant to DIE. Death was not part of our created nature. We were made to live forever in a relationship with God, but this is not the case for us. Because of sin, we are led to a place of brokenness and separation from God. Instead of feeling and living a life of satisfaction in God, we live and feel this longing for something inside of us. We know that there is something more, but we don’t know what. We spend most of our lives trying to correct the problems that we see, but it only leads us to feel empty and hopeless.

We see and feel this brokenness all around us, every single day. There is no clearer picture of our world not functioning the way that it is supposed than today. You all know that to be too true today…. How do we find hope in a broken world?

Body: As I have been praying about what to say here today, because it is so hard, especially with you all... many of you are like family to me. I wrestled with a few different things to share from God’s word, but I kept coming back to this passage in the Gospel of John. In this passage, the people can relate to many of you. You see, this is the story of where one of Jesus’ friends passes away. Mary and Martha, lose their brother. It is a heartbreaking situation. And just like many of you, they are asking, Why?

I invite you to hear the Word of the Lord for you today. 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (Jn 11:17–27).

Here is what I am wanting you to see today from this passage, In the Midst of Pain and Loss, You Can Find Comfort in Who Jesus Is.

In John 11, what we are seeing is the Gospel. Jesus knows that this is why He has come. He calls himself, the resurrection and the life, meaning that He is the one who gives life, true life, life the way that it was designed to be in the first place.

You see, what Jesus is doing, and what I want to do, is point you to something bigger than yourself. Jesus is reminding his friends, that this life is not all that there is. All of us will one day have a funeral. One day all of us will have friends and family members gathered around mourning and weeping, as we should be doing, do not be afraid of doing that. But there is more.

What we find in this passage from God’s word is that there is something… someone who is more powerful than death. Lazarus was dead. People were grieving, and yet Jesus says here, even though death is true, it's not the end. Whoever believes in Him will never see death.

From this passage, we have to see that this is not talking about in the earthly sense, right? Jesus does not mean that those who believe in him will not die a physical death. But, Jesus is pointing to life after death. He is pointing to the resurrection.

Listen again to these words...

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Martha knew the power of Jesus. He was well-known as a healer. If he had only been there then Lazarus wouldn't have died. This is what she believed. She believed that Jesus had that kind of power.

The text continues....

22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” I want you to notice how even in the midst of her pain and loss, she is trusting in Jesus still.

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jn 11:21–24.

This is where we see Jesus pointing her to a future hope. There is coming a day when Christ will call all of those who have died in Him to rise from the grave.

But, I want you to notice something here in this text. Jesus brings clarity to the situation. Look at how Jesus reveals himself to this hurting woman...

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25–26.

Jesus explains that HE HIMSELF is the resurrection and the life. Outside of Christ, there is no other way for a person to partake in the forgiveness that is offered to humanity. In Christ Alone and through Christ Alone are we able to be reconciled back to God.

We can take comfort and hope in who Jesus is because He has made a way for us to be reconciled back into a right relationship with God.

And this is exactly where the passage turns.

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Jn 11:27.

For Martha to be able to say.... Yes, Lord; I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God.....is for her to admit that Jesus was the one who came into the world to fix the sin problem and brokenness that we talked about at the beginning of the message.

All the way back in Gen. 3, when Adam and Eve sinned against God and listened to the voice of Satan over God…even though sin, death, rebellion, brokenness, diseases, came into the world....there was a Promise. God promised to send a Savior. One who was going to come and destroy the Serpent. One who was going to crush his head… although his heal would be struck.

And all throughout the Old Testament there is this coming promise that God is going to Send the Christ…the Messiah…the Savior of the World to Come and set all things right.

This is exactly what Jesus accomplished when he came. 2000 years ago, God the Son stepped out of heaven and came to the earth and lived the life that we should have lived....and died the death that we deserved. Jesus went to the cross, as we will be celebrating even next week, and took the wrath of God for us… because we are the ones who broke the Law of God by sinning, and he was killed, buried and three days later rose again! He is the resurrection and the life.

Jesus now calls all of us to repent, to turn from our sins, and to turn to Christ. To come and believe in Him. To trust in Him. When we do that, God gives us new life through Christ. Although we still will face the brokenness in this life.... when we come to Christ we are given eternal hope.

Conclusion: What Jesus offered to the two grieving sisters in this story was a reminder of who He is. He is the resurrection and the life. As Martha says in verse 27 He is the “Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

In this time, you need to ask yourself what Jesus asks Martha, “Do  you believe this?” And I mean do you really believe it? Not just in such a way that you acknowledge it with your head, but with your heart? Ask yourself, “who do I believe Jesus to be?” “ Do I believe that he is the resurrection and the life?” “Do I believe that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life?” “Do I believe that Jesus came into the world to die on the cross for my sins and to save me?” “Have I given my life to him?”

Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I encourage you, in this painful season to run to Christ and find comfort in who He is. He is the one who can give you life.

Will you trust Him? As we think about Debbie’s life and death today, she had this driving passion that kept her going. To say that her life was always easy....well that would be a lie. Many of you know that she faced hardship after hardship.... but there was something that Debbie held onto....something that was an ever-growing desire of hers....and that was for her family members to come and know Christ as their Lord and Savior. I cannot tell you how many times we had spent praying with her for you all....and she just cried out to God that you would come to Christ.

Debbie found comfort and peace in the person of Jesus. She knew Him. She loved Him. And now She is with Him for Eternity. No more pain or suffering. She has her greatest desire met with Christ now.

Will the same thing be said about you?

Where will you send eternity?

As we think about the truths of eternity, we are going to play a song that Debbie had requested. I want you to listen to the words of this song. But more importantly than simply hearing.... I want you to evaluate your life in light of these truths.

If there is anyone here who feels like they need to get right with the Lord, I want to invite you to come as we let this song minister to our hearts.

Play Only Scars in Heaven-

Let’s pray together.