Funeral Erhard Zimmerman

Erhard Zimerman

John 10:10-16

April 6, 2006

“Life Full, With Blessings”

Introduction: Dear family and friends of Erhard, grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

            The first man that God created was Adam. Adam was created to live forever. He wasn’t just created to live a long life. He was created with the blessing of God and to be blessed by God. Of course we know what happened. Adam sinned. With his sin death entered into our world.  Because of it none of can live forever in this world. Of course we still value long life on earth. We do understand that it is a blessing that God gives to some people.

            Erhard was given this blessing. He lived for a hundred and two years. What’s more is that the Lord allowed him to retain and remember his life and the blessings that had been given to him. Even though hw couldn’t see or hear very well, he could still remember. Most importantly he remembered His God who was with him each and every day, guiding him, protecting him, and leading him just like a Good Shepherd.

            Listen again to the gospel. Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus

            Many comforting words have been preached about this text over the years, and rightly so.  Truly we are comforted by the personification of our precious Lord as our shepherd and guide.  Leading us to new and inviting pastures, our Lord, fills our thirst with springs of living water.  This shepherd, our shepherd, is the one that tends to our every need.  He carries our young and our old his shoulders.  When we are lost he searches us out, leaving the flock behind to find us.  He knows each and every one of us by name and more so He knows our personalities, tendencies, temperaments, habits and most of all our hearts.  Most of all He is willing to die for us.

            Our Lord Jesus was Erhard’s good shepherd. Just as Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This abundant life was given to Erhard. Certainly God gave Erhard life. But it was Jesus our Savior that gave His life fullness. And it was through Jesus that Erhard was given the gift of eternal life. When Erhard was baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit the promise of new and eternal life was given to him. From that moment Jesus was his good shepherd. He was there on the good days and on the bad days. He was there on the days when he almost died. Jesus was there in laughter, sharing Erhard’s wonderful since of humor. There were many times when Erhard made us all laugh too. Like the time when I asked him if he ever went dear hunting. He said, “yes, once, for the two legged dear.” Of course he meant his dear wife Gertrude. How about the one about the man with the pig valve? “How are you”, he asked. “How is your pig valve?” The man said, “sweet corn never tasted better.” Jesus was there as Erhard lived his life, “Not according to the book”, by planting wheat on the east side of a hill or potatoes in black soil instead of sand and still succeeding in both. Jesus was there as he planted seeds with Lindel and pulled weeds with Sharon. And Jesus was there when Erhard cried, perhaps especially when Gertrude died. Jesus Erhard’s Good shepherd was always there always.

            While Erhard enjoyed the many blessing of this life, a wife, children and great grandchildren, in his old age He knew that there was more to life and an end to life in this world. He often wondered what God was doing. For one thing He joked that God had forgot about him because he was ready to go home to heaven and the place God prepared for him. He didn’t quite understand why it took God a hundred years to build a mansion. After all humans can do it in a year or two. Matter of fact Erhard had a lot of questions to ask about God, why He did this or that. Why didn't Satan fall somewhere else, and what about Solomon and all those wives. Pastor Harmon got an earful of questions and so did I. Sometimes we would just have to say, ask Jesus yourself. I imagine that our Lord has His handful answering question right now. And I imagine that Erhard is getting some amazing answers.  

            The reason he is hearing those amazing answers is because Jesus did in fact prepare a place for him. Just as with all mansions it came at a great cost. While Erhard lived a great and full life, He did not live a perfect life. He was a sinner. As such he was condemned to not only die physically but spiritually and separated from God for eternity. God loved Erhard and sent His Son Jesus to guide him through life and through death to eternal life. To do this his good shepherd died.

            Jesus said, “The good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep”.  Jesus tells us that he came to rescue his sheep from the grip death.  Through His death He storms the gates of hell, sin and death.  His weapons are His word and his body and blood, crucified on the cross.  The Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.  In his death he makes the supreme sacrifice, and when He did man was reconciled to God. Erhard was reconciled to God. This is the greatest of all sacrifices.  The shepherd became a sheep—the very Lamb of God and pays the price for our eternal life.

            Our Lord did die for us, the Lamb of God sacrificed upon the cross.  He laid down His life with the purpose of redeeming his lost sheep to save us and Erhard. Then on Easter morning He picked it up again. What good does the shepherd do his sheep if he dies and remains dead? He picks up his life in His resurrection and defeats death.  Through His glorious resurrection Erhard and we have the promise of being physically raised from the dead. Just as Jesus Christ returned to the glory that he had with His Father from the beginning, He prepares glorious mansions for all of us who believe in Him.  Just as He sent His Holy Spirit to guide and protect us, enabling us to hear and follow His voice, that same voice calls us home. Erhard has heard the voice of our Good Shepherd. He has gone to be with Him.

            Listen to the voice of Jesus! Listen to Christ’s words. “I know my sheep and am known by them.  My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” Erhard was a man of wisdom and knowledge. But if there is one thing that He would want to pass on to you is that you too should listen to the voice of the Shepherd who knows you as Erhard was known by Him. Our Lord’s voice comes to us not through resonating sounds vibrating through the air but through His words to us recorded by the prophets and apostles.  Through them we hear his voice by the power of His Spirit.  Through them the Good Shepherd guides and protects us.  In them we hear His voice as he comforts and leads us to a pasture beside still waters where he restores our souls.  Yes, all we like sheep have gone astray, but the scriptures continue…”and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all…He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.”  For the sake of Jesus, by His stripes he has healed and given eternal life. The Lord has carried us upon His shoulders. 

            Conclusion:  There is only one shepherd.  He is the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  We have heard his voice. Erhard heard his voice. Even though we all stray at times, he chases us down, gathering us in his arms and close to his heart.  He embraces us with his nail pierced hands and tends our wounds and makes us well and gives us life…a full and abundant life, with blessings. Such was His love for Erhard. Such is His love for you. Erhard’s confirmation verse was John 5(25), 26, 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” This life he has freely given to Erhard and it is freely offered to us. Amen.