+ Gabryelle F. "Gabby" Eliason +

Psalm 23 KJV

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1 Corinthians 15:51–57 ESV

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:1–6 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

SERMON

“Do not weep, for the girl is not dead but is sleeping.” (Matt. 9:24)

This is what Christ Jesus said to Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue and his household, according to Mt 9:24. Jairus’ daughter was only twelve years old, and he watched her die. He truly must have loved her. She must have been the apple of his eye, the joy of his life, the tender love of his heart. The child may already have been giving evidence of true faith and giving reason to hope that she would live in true devotion and glorify God. How painful it must have been for these parents to watch their precious child pass away at such a tender age, and to see their own hopes for her dashed.

Yet, in his affliction her father ran to Jesus, for he knew that He could help her, even at death’s door. Jesus had already done so repeatedly. And, behold! Jesus promised to help and went with him to his house. When they arrived, they could hear all of the weeping and wailing from the mourners standing around. Even the girls mother would not be comforted; she understandably succumbed to her grief. Then Christ said: “Why are you weeping? Weep not, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”

With this, dear Eliason family and friends, let me now declare

The Death of a Christian Child Is Sleep.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ! Through your death and victorious resurrection, you disarmed our death, removed its terror and sting, and turned it into a sweet sleep. Reveal this to us now, through the proclamation of your Holy Word, and may we take it to heart, so that we learn to take great comfort in it, and give you thanks through true faith and a holy walk. Amen.

I.

Sleep is very precious. It’s the only thing that restores us after we’ve have worked hard all day. How a tired worker or traveler is happy when he gets a good night’s rest and can refresh his weary body in gentle sleep! How relieved is a sick person when, after hours of battling pain, he can, just for a few moments, forget his suffering and close his weary eyes in deep sleep! How parents rejoice when their crying child, whom they cannot console or soothe, finally rests quietly, embraced in sleep!

The death of a Christian child is no different. They already suffer in this life with injuries and illnesses. And death puts an end to such things. The body, which was first formed by God from the dust, now returns to dust. The earth, which is the mother of us all, takes the child into her arms, and there she sleeps until that great day of resurrection when Jesus returns on the Last Day. Oh, what a gentle, quiet sleep that must be, where no pain, no crying, no suffering, no disturbing dreams to stir or upset that little sleeper!

Yet, Gabryelle’s soul will not sleeping in the grave. The holy angels have already carried her to heaven. Now Gabby rests in God’s hand, where no sorrow disturbs her. Oh, what a soft crib the hand of God must be for the soul of a Christian child! Most certainly, dear Eli and Stephanie, Gabby’s rest is so much better in God’s hand, than even upon the most comfortable bed in this world! Blessed is the child whose dusk of life so quickly brings her to lie in the cradle of her heavenly Father’s love. Now that is the place to be! Oh, blessed are all who have gone so far ahead of us, that the Holy Spirit can say of them that they rest from their labors.

When we go to bed and sleep each night it is like everything comes to a halt, and self-awareness wanes. And, after a few hours of rest, senses return, and we wake again with new life.

That’s also how it is with the death of a Christian child. Her body lays quietly in the grave, as our eyes can no longer see her. Her soul flees to God, and no one expects anything more of her existence. But Daniel the Prophet says: “Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life” (Daniel 12:2), and even nearly 15-year old children are among them.

St. Paul says to the Thessalonians: “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have not hope. For since be believe that Jesus dies and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thess 4:13).

What an awakening that will be! Certainly, after natural sleep, a child often wakes up happy and energetic, because she feels so good and rested and strong; how much more, after the sleep of death! Then that beautiful promise directed also to children in the 126th Psalm will be finally fulfilled, where it says: “We will be like those waking out of a dream. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter, with praise upon our tongues!” (Psalm 126:1-2)

II.

So, how does the death of a Christian child become sleep?

Death, dear family, is the wages of sin. As loving as Gabby was, we all came into this world with sin, something we all inherited from Adam and Eve. Had we no sin, we would never die. When death comes, with its terrifying summons, and everything else that accompanies it, we look to Jesus because only He is able to remove the bitterness of death.

Yes, dear family, Christ is the one who has taken away the power of death and brought life and immortality to light. Christ has entered into battle with death for us, because death must no longer be the payment for our sins.

Christ has redeemed us, who, for our whole lives, are gripped by the fear of death. When Gabby was baptized, Jesus eternally connected her by faith to His very only death and resurrection. As a result, Christ was laid in his grave so that our graves would be a holy place of peaceful rest, our coffin as our bed. Christ is arisen, so that we are justified, and that, someday, as members of His body, we will be partakers in that same resurrection.

Now whoever believes in Jesus, this conqueror of death, this prince of life, this resurrected, conquering hero, will live, and, even if he should die, whoever loves him and believes in him will never die. Faith is, even today, the thing by which Christ works this great wonder of transforming death into sleep, that out of decay one day a more beautiful life springs forth, and that the soul that rests in God’s hand now will someday be joyfully reunited with the awakened body.

Family and friends, cling to Jesus Christ… believe in Him… trust in Him. The Holy Spirit works faith in us, as we hear the Word of God. Jesus says, “Let the children come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God.” Jesus also says, “Whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.”

We may also be persuaded of this by these words: “The girl is not dead but is sleeping.” These words can only apply to every Christian child. They die no death. They all press through death into life. They all sleep peacefully, until the day of the resurrection dawns upon all who are in their graves.

III.

But this comparison of death to sleep should finally comfort to the heart of a grieving Father and Mother, family and friends.

Surely, Gabby’s death is a great tragedy for you, Corey and Stephanie. You barely had a chance to see your Gabryelle live. She was barely budding. Your desire for her has become a heavy burden. Your joy has turned to sorrow, your hope for the temporal future into despair. Those who knew Gabby are full of sorrow with you. They hoped to see her grow, graduate high school, and even one day, have children of her own. We all stand with you today in your sorrow. For the joy that she brought to many, they forgot all the labor and sorrow that came before. But now, their pains are redoubled, and their sadness that much greater.

Eli, Stephanie, be comforted! Jesus alone can dry your tears, still your complaints, and heal your broken heart! He alone can heal what is wounded, restore what is lost, awaken what is sleeping, bring to life what has died.

In an old episode of the Waltons, I think when their grandmother died, and everyone was turning out the lights saying goodnight, as each episode ended, one of the young sisters asked John-Boy what death is like. John-Boy replied, “When we close our eyes to sleep we see darkness. But when someone falls asleep in death they see nothing but light.” What a wonderfully comforting and true picture this is for when a Christian child dies.

Dear family and friends, hear this declaration of Christ Jesus himself. “Do not weep, for Gabryelle is not dead, but sleeping.” She rests in the hand of Jesus her Redeemer, and will someday awaken, open her eyes, leave her bed of earth behind, and live eternally in body and soul, nevermore to sleep and to die.

And you who are listening to this message, Jesus loves you dearly, even in the midst of your grief. As majestic as this comfort happens to be, it only helps those who themselves live in such a way that their own death will someday be transformed into such a sleep. That is our hope too, this day. If you desire to fall asleep to see your grave changed into a peaceful bed, then pray to Jesus your Redeemer that He place over you the white pall of his righteousness.

Finally, when we lay down our bodies to sleep at night, we undoubtedly think about the time when we will wake again in the morning. Oh, then, remember, just that often, the day of the resurrection. Fix your mind the things that are above, where Christ is.

If only every one of us today would come to this realization, all would learn to rejoice over death, even a breathtaking one. Then it would be to us like closing eyes in sleep. Some day we will see again all who have fallen asleep in the Lord, including Gabryelle. We will rejoice with them forever, yes, even see the Lord Jesus himself, face-to-face, in eternal joy and blessed light.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.