Joyce Powell's Memorial Service

Why a Cross?

Contemplating his own death bed, Bernard of Clairvaux wrote of Jesus:

Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, Upon Thy cross shall dwell, My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

This was one of Joyce’s favorite hymns.

In death, it tells us, contemplate the cross.

Some of you here are thinking, “well, they’ve just lost a loved one—they’re allowed a little bit of religious sentimentalism.” But think about how bizarre this is. Contemplating a cross—an instrument of violent death—from the death bed, in order to be comforted. Or contemplating a cross and all of its terrifying pain right after losing a loved one, as we are doing now. Are we insane?

Some of you, if you are honest with yourselves, must conclude that we are. But some of you, also, already know what I’m going to say, because you’ve already embraced it in your hearts.

But how could the violent death of one man provide undying comfort for so many?

What is Death?

To answer this question we must step back and ask, what is death? Where did it come from?

We are accustomed to thinking that death is natural. After all, everyone dies. But if it is natural, then why does it cause grief? Why can it leave such an emptiness in our hearts, for those of us who remain? Death does this to us because death is not natural at all. When the world was first created, death was not part of it. But, after lavishing the first man with blessings, God gave him a test of obedience, saying:

Genesis 2:16–17 (ESV)

16 “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Though he was created to glorify God, at the moment of testing, Adam listened to the serpent, turned away from God, and tried to exalt himself into God’s place. This was the first sin. And with it, both sin and death infected the human race.

Romans 5:12 (ESV)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

So here we are, the human race—our hearts infected by sin and our bodies infected by death. Awash in a sea of meaninglessness and hopelessness, fallen away from the one who made us, and who we were made for. Fallen away from the shining presence of God to bless, and under his wrath as his enemies. Fallen, dying, darkened, kings and queens of our own selfish little kingdoms, rebels against the God of life, destined for the grave.

This is not a pit out of which we can dig ourselves.

The Death of Death

But even at the very moment of Adam’s first rebellion, God spoke words of grace and comfort. He told them that one of their decedents, one day, would crush the serpent even while being struck by the serpent. One of Eve’s sons would destroy the serpent and, by implication, turn back all the bitterness of sin, and even death itself.

So Scripture says about God’s grace to heal us:

2 Timothy 1:10 (ESV)

10 [it] now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel...

But how exactly did Jesus abolish death? What exactly is this gospel, this good news?

That in his life, Jesus obeyed where Adam and we disobeyed. That in his death, Jesus died Adam’s death and our death, taking on himself the terrifying curse that was ours by rights—the judgement of a good God against people who are not good, so that these same people might be brought from death to life. Again, Bernard of Clairvoux wrote:

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, Was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

And so, taking on death, Christ defeated death. As Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

This means that, just as all humanity inherited sin and death through Adam, so all who are united with Christ by faith have been brought from death to life. And this life is not merely the absence of death, but the unspeakable riches of fellowship with God in through Christ. When Christ prayed to the Father for us, he prayed this:

John 17:26 ESV

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

What does this mean? We, by our own rebellion and dark hearts, were estranged from the Father. But Jesus came to make the Father known to us. He did this by offering himself up on our behalf: as he was lifted up on the cross, we beheld God’s justice and love interwoven with perfect wisdom, so that because of the perfect Savior, bloodied on our behalf, we who hope in him have received the very eternal love of the Father for the Son, poured into our little human hearts, like an ocean poured into little thimbles.

Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

Eternal life is life lived in fellowship with God through Christ, held fast by his love. This is why Paul asks:

Romans 8:31–32 (ESV)

31 ...If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

And a little later, he says:

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Family, friends, this is the hope on which Joyce staked her whole life. Because of this, we can know that death has not separated her from the Lord of Life. But for those who belong to him, death means gain. Death means departing to be with Christ.

And yet, the story is not finished. All creation groans, waiting for the day when Jesus will return to make all things new. On that day, Joyce, along with all who have ever placed their faith in God’s promises, will be rased to life in new bodies, which are no longer subject to suffering, corruption, or death.

Our Response

Since these things are true, how should we respond?

First, if you do not belong to the Lord of Life, surrender to him. There is no neutral ground between you and your Creator. You may either continue as his enemy or be reconciled to him through Jesus, the giver of life. If you do this, though you die, yet you will live.

Second, mourn. Joyce’s death is not how things were meant to be. Her suffering and your suffering are known to God, and he hears your cries and prayers. Weep with each other, and pour out your hearts to God. No tear shed in faith, no matter how bitter, is ever wasted.

Third, hope. Grieve with hope, and remember the comfort of God in Christ. In the midst of your tears, fix your eyes on Christ, and on his cross. He who was despised and struck down for your sake knows your sorrows. When he returns, he will wipe away all of our tears. And the last enemy he will destroy will be death itself.