Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray that you may not enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Romans 8:26-32, 35-39
* Also at Paul’s Funeral
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in
our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for
words.27 And he who searches hearts knows what
is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes
for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[b] for those who are called
according to his purpose. 29 For those whom
he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of
his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also
called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he
justified he also glorified.
God's Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these
things? 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?
35 Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is
written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.
John 14:1-6 * Also at
Paul’s Prayer Service
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my
Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And
you know the way to where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas
said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know
the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the
way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Dear friends in Christ, especially Laurel,
Family and Friends of Harold.
Just a few days
ago, as I stood at the edge of his death bed, I read to Harold the familiar
words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” I told Harold, “There is our hope, as your
life comes to its end, that because God gave Jesus into death on the cross for
you, that you have the hope of eternal life.”
And as I finished saying those words, Harold looked up at me and quoting
the small catechism he learned so many years ago said, “Amen, amen, means yes,
yes it shall be so. I don’t think we say
those words enough. Pastor, Jesus is
going to take me home soon!”
These were very
near the last words Harold spoke to me. What
a bold confession of faith to make, especially as the end of life draws near! And it’s a confession we can boldly echo
today. Amen! Yes, Christ has taken Harold home to the
place prepared for him. Amen, Jesus has
saved him, carrying him to be with the Father!
Amen! Harold now rests from his
labors in the loving arms of Jesus.
Amen! Yes Harold no longer
struggles with the toil and tribulation of this world. Amen. Yes, yes it is so!
It is a bold thing
to say at a time like this, when we gather together in the church, with the
body of our dear loved one laying before us.
And yet, it is the truth in which Harold believed, and for which he
prayed throughout his life. Harold was
baptized “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Amen,” for forgiveness of all his sins!
Yes, yes it shall be so. Harold
was confirmed here, with the words of our first lesson for today, “Watch and
pray that you may not enter into temptation” and at the end the pastor said,
“He who has begun this good work in you, bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ. Amen!” It shall be so.
Every evening,
Harold would call family and pray the Lord’s Prayer with them on the phone
before bed, “give us this day our daily bread,” knowing that God would provide
all that he needed to support his life?
Each time ending with “Amen. Yes
it shall be so.” And Harold prayed,
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,”
knowing that in Christ and Christ alone there was forgiveness for all his
sins.
Yes, dear friends,
Harold knew his sin. He knew that in his
many years there were many things he wished he’d have done differently. He knew there were times where perhaps he
hadn’t trusted in God the way that he ought.
He knew that he had done wrong in his thoughts and words and deeds. And knowing that, he confessed his sins
often, even just a few days ago, and each time I’d announce Christ’s
forgiveness, and we’d speak together the word “Amen! Yes, yes it is so.” Knowing that because of Jesus those sins were
forgiven.
And so, dear
friends, today we speak Amen as well.
And the Amen we speak is not a looming final “It is finished” sort of
amen, but rather it is an Amen that acknowledges what God says. “In all these things, we are more than
conquerors through Christ Jesus. Neither
death, nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor power nor height nor anything in all creation can separate us from God’s
love.” And as we say those words, we
know it is now true for Harold, that death has not taken him away from his
Lord, but rather has become the gateway for him to be with him forever
more. Amen. It shall be so.
Today we speak an
Amen to the words of our Gospel lesson, when Jesus says, “I go to prepare a
place for you, and I will come back to take you to be there. And where I am, you shall be also.” And as we hear those words, dear friends, we
know that’s where Harold is now. He is
with Christ, and shall be forever more.
The saving work of Jesus, crucified and risen to take away sin has been
made complete in him. He has inherited
life in the death of Jesus, life to the full.
And so we say Amen
today, knowing that Harold lives because Jesus lives. We say Amen knowing that in the bloody death
and glorious resurrection of Jesus, Harold was saved. We say Amen knowing that one day we too will
die because of our sin, but in Christ’s forgiveness we will live forever. We say “Amen, Yes, yes it shall be so,” for Christ has said it on our behalf – “They
shall be forgiven in my blood – it shall be so.”
Dear friends,
those words say it all, when they say it about what Christ does for us. Harold was right, “We don’t really say those
words enough, Amen, yes, yes it shall be so.”
In the name of
Jesus. Amen.
