Carol Fillmore Funeral Message
Notes
Transcript
TRANSITION: I invite you to join me at Matthew 17 where Jesus and 3 of His disciples share an experience that gives us absolute confidence that there is something good on the other side of death.
Eulogy
Eulogy
In the next few minutes, I'd like to take us on a journey. Not a journey to the cemetery where bodies await resurrection, not a journey to Carols little home in Strong City where so many children experience love and care,. But a journey to a supernatural place where Jesus offers hope for something glorious on the other side of death.
Death takes us all on a journey through our memories. undoubtedly, many of us have chuckled with fond memories of Carol's gentle smile and her sense of humor. Many have had their hearts wrenched with emptiness. Some have grieved silently and alone. Some have grieved with others and an abundance of tears. There is no prescribed way to grieve because all of our emotions are tossed like a whirlwind.
Matthew relates a story of an interaction that Jesus had specifically to give hope to his closest followers as they were living through the rise and fall of emotion.
HIGHpoint - Jesus is declared to be the Messiah (Mt 16:13-20)
LOWpoint - death is a very real future (Mt 16:21-23)
DECISION - Are you willing to accept and participate? (Mt 16:24-28)
There is a question that stands before each of us this moment. What gives you hope of heaven in the afterlife? Are you willing to give up your own desires and choose to follow Jesus? The main idea of this message is to point that Carol was willing to lose her earthly life in order to receive the reward for saying “yes” to Mt 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
WAITING - six days later (Mt 17:1)
There are some things that we hate waiting for, and other things that can’t come soon enough. For several years Carol patiently waited through multiple surgeries for Jesus to take her home. She waited because of the toll it would take on her 3 precious children who meant all the world to her. But the night before she closed her eyes for the final time she told those 3 that she was ready to see Jesus.
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Mountains were places of Revelation; places where God and humans met and God provided new understanding; places where the next chapter opens in the story of God.
Significant things happen on mountain tops — Ezekiel 28:13-14 indicates that the Garden of Eden was on a Mountain (in God’s Presence), Mt. Moriah (Abraham/Isaac), Sinai (Moses), Elijah humiliated the pagans on Mt. Carmel, and on the edge of Jerusalem was a mountain called Calvary, the place of the skull.
What happens at this time on this mountain?
What happens at this time on this mountain?
transfigured/transformed/metamorphosed -
used in science to describe a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly
used in Greek and Roman mythology to describe any time the mythic gods took on physical attributes.
used in the New Testament to describe humans becoming ready for the afterlife (Romans 12; 2 Corinthians 3 )
The fact that Jesus was transformed and that both the scientific and theological realms testify of transformation, leads me to conclude that we should not be shocked at all to consider that there is a change between our earthly existence and the eternal, spiritual world.
2. Jesus’ shining face (Rev 22) and white clothes reveals something other-worldly is going on.
There are two ways for something to shine—either it reflects light or it contains light
derivative - Moses on Sinai comes down from Sinai and reflects the glory from God.
essential - Jesus on this mountain reveals the glory of God.
3. Mt 17:3 - Moses (representing the law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) testify that Jesus [no other man, no other prophet] is the glory of God that they were seeking. He is the one who fulfills everything from the Jewish scriptures.
Moses and Elijah were both OT characters who specifically asked to see God. Here that desire is fully met.
After Jesus’ resurrection when he meets with the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus tells these post-crucifixion, post-resurrection believers that it was Moses and the prophets who spoke about Him.
4. Notice Jesus does not speak on his own in this entire event. It isn’t until after the event is complete that Jesus speaks in Mt 17:7.
The glorious appearance of Jesus speaks for Him.
The presence of OT characters speak of His role in History
Mt 17:5 - The voice (Father) in the cloud (Spirit) [cf. Exodus experiences] interrupts Peter and repeats what was said at Jesus’ baptism (this is the Son in whom I am well pleased) and adds a command — listen to him.
The correction for Peter is good advice for us!
Peter wants to start a construction process right there. It is as if Peter is enjoying a spiritual event and thinks that is all there is or will every be to the spiritual life. “I’ve seen glory, let’s stop and stay right here.”
Peter presumes that all three deserve a temple or dwelling place; the Voice of the Triune God clarifies “Jesus is the unique, only one” God is not pleased with anything less than the incarnate Son himself.
We may put our rules or our religion on equal footing with the work of Christ, but God clearly implies, “Get your eyes off your religion, and focus on Jesus alone. He is the one with whom I am pleased. Listen to Him and you will be ready for the transformed existence.
3. The correction for Peter and for us is to not stop where we are, but to listen to Jesus as He was about to do something (Mt 16:21-23) that is going to seem painful, but go through it and glory is waiting for you as well.
What this Event means for us
What this Event means for us
Glory is on the Other Side - New Creation/New Order/New Way of Life
MT 17:7 - Jesus wants to touch and comfort you! You don’t need to fear, even though we don’t know the immediate future.
Why did I select this text for a funeral message? Because those who mourn need comfort. Those in pain need hope. Those who view death as the end need the hope that there IS something greater and later, yet to come.
Mt 17:8 - Only Jesus can make sense out of life’s highs and lows. Only Jesus gives purpose and hope to the decades of life that Carol lived, or the years that you and I may have. We must keep our eyes on Jesus alone.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The beauty of this obscure story in the Gospels is that Jesus is unique from all other religious characters of History. Only Jesus is the one with whom the Father is pleased. Only through Jesus will we EVER experience the glory of this account.
Only through Jesus can we experience the comfort of Mt 17.7
Only through Jesus can we have the hope of glory after death and suffering.
You and I need to listen to the command of God in Mt 17.5 and follow the example of Peter, James and John in Mt 17. 8—my desire through these words is that you will look freshly upon Jesus, because nobody else can offer what He does.
Intro next song
Intro next song
Some of us prefer to mourn surrounded by loving family. Some of us prefer to grieve in solitude. Whatever your preference, just know that you are never alone because Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
