Gertrude Teeselink-Prayer
Notes
Transcript
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Scripture: Revelation 22:12-21
Gertrude Teeselink Prayer Service
Brothers and sisters in Christ, if you had the chance to visit with Gertrude some time in at least the last year, you probably heard her say, “Come!” Sometimes it sounded like it had a bit more excitement and she would repeat that, “Come! Come!” It took me a little while to catch on. When I began with the church almost two years ago, I was told you really have to get close to her to have a conversation. I am a big guy, obviously, and tall as well, and so I’m sure it might have looked kind of funny when we visited. I would pull up a folding chair next to her recliner or her bed, and I would twist my body in such a way that I could try to speak into her good ear. For a few visits, I thought that when she said, “Come,” it meant I was not close enough.
But then, one day, I began to hear the whole thought that that one word summed up. “Come, Jesus. Take me home!” All of a sudden the lightbulb went on in my head. There was clarity all of a sudden for what I misunderstood for a couple months. It wasn’t me she wanted to come closer, it was Jesus, her Savior, and for him to take her from this life to her eternal home.
Gertrude was an incredibly content and positive woman. Her body had diminished in terms of what she could see and hear, and yet her vision of the future may never have been clearer than in these final months. We had brief conversations occasionally about how she was not quite sure why she couldn’t go home yet. There is a purpose, we agreed; we may not know what it is, but God had his purpose for why her life extended into the early hours of Saturday. It was finally time, after 106 years and about 8 months, for her eternal homecoming.
Yet whether death came quickly or if she would have continued to live for days, months, even years more—she knew that her true home was still ahead, and only Jesus could bring her there. Grandma T as she has been so lovingly called will certainly be missed, and yet there is so much reason to celebrate what she has go on to.
We heard a similar phrase written by John in the second to last verse, but I want to back up and spend time with a couple of the other declarations to “come” in this passage. The first one was right in the opening verse. John captures Jesus saying, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
The reason why Gertrude could invite and plead with Jesus to come, is because he has promised us that he is coming. What we find here is a proclamation and a promise that he will not reverse. There cannot come a day when things are too disturbing and painful, and filled with sin on this earth, that Jesus says, “I can’t do it, I won’t do it.” No, he will return.
When we think about Jesus returning, not only do we have Jesus’ first coming to think back to —that which we think about Christmas. But it is appropriate to think all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Revelation makes reference to the tree of life in the city of God. But in the Garden, we read that God walked and talked—he lived with Adam and Eve. Reading about his return in Revelation gives us great hope that we get to look forward to doing that again one day. If we believe in him, then we know that what we see and experience and feel will be much better on that day because we will be able to experience life with our Redeemer.
Brothers and sisters, the coming of Jesus means that God will usher us into a world that is free from pain and sin and tears of grieving. It means the coming of an age for those who are saved when death will be gone. There will be no more wondering when we will lose someone, and if certain ailments will devastate our bodies and our way of life. There may come times when it feels like Jesus telling us that his coming back is “soon” that we may feel taunted because it seems like it has been so long, and yet that is not his intent. No, he encourages us to wait boldly, to wait confidently for him, to know that he has not forgotten us. Behold, he is coming soon!
The other declaration to “Come” that I want to focus on tonight was in verse 17. “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” The purpose of this passage is not only to inform believers that Jesus is coming, and to add to our hope for that. But there is also an invitation to all men and women, boys and girls to come to Jesus, to partake, to have what he offers. We are talking about free gifts of salvation and eternal life.
Ever since sin and pain came into the world, there is something that needs to be quenched within us, and we know there is something missing. What can satisfy and relieve and fulfill that is only one thing—and that is to know Jesus as our salvation. I have a feeling that many of us have already responded to that, we have received and accepted the wonderful gifts that Jesus offers. Part of why I assume that is because Gertrude was not a woman who just wanted people to know her love for them, but she was someone who pointed to the greater love of God. What made her so happy and willing to show motherly care was finding in Jesus her love and her zeal for life.
If you are still missing the gifts we find here, the invitation continues. Jesus is coming, and until he arrives he is offering the gift of life—a guarantee hope for our future. Come to him and receive that. But the invitation is also giving hope for today. The gift of life and living in relationship with God is able to carry us through times of mourning. Especially for some of you great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, the same Jesus who your grandma loved and worshiped, and is now with, he is willing to walk with you as well. To carry you and all of us when we are saddened by those no longer with us.
One day he will return. One day he will come back. On that day, for all who believe, we will truly understand why we are told that life with him for eternity is so much greater than our lives here on this earth. Let us look with hope, as Gertrude did, for that day and for the one who is coming. Amen.