The Death of a Christian Child Is Sleep

+ Calvin Benjamin Harris +

“Do not weep, for the girl is not dead but is sleeping.” This is what Christ once said to Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue and his household, according to . Jairus’ was but twelve years old, and he had to watch 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 have had to watch their precious child pass away at such a tender age, and to see their own hopes for her dashed.

Yet, her father ran in his affliction 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 him just that help and went with him to his house they arrived, they could hear all of the weeping and wailing from the mourners standing about. Even her mother would not be comforted. She had succumbed to her sorrow. But Christ said: “Why are you weeping? Weep not, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” With this, let me now present to you that

The Death of a Christian Child Is But a Sleep.

Today, dear loved ones and friends I want us to consider the following:

in what sense the death of a Christian child could be called sleep;

II. by what means it is turned into sleep; and

by what means it is turned into sleep; and

III. how comforting this must be, especially for those who mourn.

how comforting this must be, especially for those who mourn.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ! Through your death and victorious resurrection, you once 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, my precious, is, for many people, the only thing that restores them after they have worked hard all day to the point of exhaustion. 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 also must suffer so much here. The poison of terror preys upon their little bodies and turns them into little warriors who are in great peril. Death puts an end to this peril. The body, which was first formed by God from the dust, returns to dust. The earth, which is the mother of us all, takes the child into her arms, and there he sleeps until that great day of resurrection of the dead 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, Calvin’s soul will not sleeping in the grave. The holy angels have carried him to heaven. Now Calvin rests in God’s hand, where no sorrow disturbs him. Oh, what a soft crib the hand of God must be for the soul of a Christian child! Most certainly, my friends, Calvin’s rest is so much better there than even upon satin or silk in this turbulent world! Blessed the child whose dusk of life so quickly brings him to lie in the cradle of his 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.

Yet, my friends, even natural sleep is characterized as making the sleeper feel he had stopped living. The mind grinds to a halt, and self-awareness wanes. Yet, after a brief respite, senses return, and he wakes again with new life.

That’s also how it is in the death of a Christian child. His body decays and falls into dust, and our eyes can no longer see him. His soul flees to God, and no one expects anything more of his existence. But somewhere in Daniel he says: “Many lying under the earth sleeping will awaken again, some to eternal life,” and even little children are among them. Paul says to the Thessalonians: “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you mourn not as others who have no hope. For as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so, also, will God bring with him those who are sleeping through Jesus!” What an awakening that will be! Certainly, after natural sleep, a child often wakes up happy and energetic, because he feels so good 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!”

II.

Yet, dear friends, now we come to the second question. By what means has the death of a Christian child become sleep?

By its nature death is not physical sleep, but the wages of sin. Had we no sin, there would be no need for us to die. The death of a man who is still knowingly and intentionally living in any sin is not a gentle sleep, but a severely troubled sleep out of which he will awaken unto eternal death. When death itself comes, with its terrifying summons, and everything else that accompanies it, he must see that only Jesus is able to remove the bitterness of death.

Yes, my beloved, Christ is the one who has taken away the power of death and brought life and immortality to light. Christ has entered into the battle with death for us, that death must no longer be the payment for our sins. Christ has redeemed us, who, for our whole lives, had to be subject to the fear of death. Christ was laid in his grave so that our graves would be consecrated as a place of peaceful rest, our coffin or urn 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 on 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 means by which Christ works this great wonder of transforming death into but a sleep, that out of decay a more beautiful life springs forth, and that the soul will someday be joyfully reunited with the awakened body.

Children of God, we can be assured, stand in faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit works faith in us, as we hear the Word of God. St. Paul reminds us of this in , and for the last three years Calvin was one who heard the Word of God every school day in this place, and the Holy Spirit placed him into the blessed company of Christ. Therefore, Christ speaks of the children, even the least of them, that believe on him. Therefore, we give thanks God that He has not revealed it to those who were wise, and who were clever, but rather, that He chose what was foolish to the world. Therefore, 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 is finally, third, to be most comforting to the heart of a grieving Mother and friends.

Surely, Calvin’s death is a great tragedy for you, dear Portia. Barely had your dear son entered his eighth year. He was a barely budding. Your desire for him has become a heavy burden. Your joy has turned to sorrow, your hope for the temporal future into despair. Those who were witnesses of Calvin hearing God’s Word and coming to faith, are full of sorrow with you. They hoped to see him grow, but we stand with you today in your sorrow. I’m thinking of his teachers, Pauline, Elizabeth, Kelley, Joelle, and so many others. For the joy that he 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.

Dear Portia, be comforted! Jesus alone can dry your tears, still you 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 ones, Christ declares also to you: “Do not weep, for Calvin is not dead, but sleeping.” He rests in the hand of Jesus his Redeemer, and will someday awaken, open his eyes, leave his 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, you are always beloved in Jesus, and are deeply mourning, as majestic as this comfort happens to be, yet 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, take off the soiled clothing of your sins and get rid of them, and be clothed with the righteousness of Christ for true peace that He promised. 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 tragic one. Then it would be to us like closing eyes in sleep. Some day we will again see all who have fallen asleep in the Lord, including Calvin. 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.

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