The Words of Jesus: Sermon for the Funeral of Gerrit Kuipers
On this day when your hearts are filled
with both grief and joy, we are certainly reminded of the truth that life in
this world is temporary. Isaiah writes, “All flesh is grass, and
all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower
fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The
grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever”
(Isaiah 40:6b-8).
The psalmist prays, “O Lord, make me know my end and what is
the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, You have made my
days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all
mankind stands as a mere breath!” (Psalm 39:4–5).
We even incorporate the temporary into our language. We say
that Gerrit passed away last Sunday. And even though Gerrit lived to be 83
years old in this passing world, we know that is really such a brief time when
compared with eternity. As we gather today on this occasion, and as we view the
events of this world, and as the days and decades of our lives are marked off,
we are convinced that everything and everyone is passing away.
Our Lord Jesus, while on His way to the cross where He would
die under the penalty of our sins, spoke of this passing away. He wanted His
followers to know about the end times and not to fear them or fall away from
Him when these things occurred. What Jesus said should cause each one of us, as
we are passing the time away, to stop and think. Therefore, dear people, listen
to one verse, Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words
will not pass away.”
There are really three parts to this sermon, and they come
from the text. First, there is the truth that heaven and earth will pass
away. Second, the truth that the words of the Lord Jesus will not pass away.
And third, the application of these truths to your life and mine.
Let’s consider the first: Heaven and earth will pass away.
We should be convinced of the temporary nature of this world
as we look at the events around us. This heaven, that is, our atmosphere and
this earth are in a state of decay and are most certainly passing away. We hear
reports that the climate is changing, and water quality is getting worse. You
can take a tour and view the crumbling pyramids of Egypt, the ruins of Rome,
and the crater that was once majestic Mt. St. Helens. These things are passing
away.
We experience this in our own lives. Let me give you an
example of how quickly things can change and pass away. Gerrit and Carol were
members of the Trinity Couples Club for many years. In the nearly seven years
since my wife and I have joined with them, most of the group’s activities have centered
on meeting at a local restaurant. Annually, we would gather at Gerrit and
Carol’s for a delicious fish feed, with Gerrit being the chief provider and
frier of fish.
At one of the last Couples Club gatherings, I showed the
attendees the beautiful home communion kit that I was able to purchase with
their generous gift. Gerrit remarked what a fitting use of their funds that
this communion kit was, and how likely it was that I would be bringing communion
to some of them in the near future. It wasn’t more than two months later that I
came to visit Gerrit and Carol at Bethany Home to share the Word of the Lord
and the Lord’s Supper.
You and I, too, should be convinced of this decay and decline.
How many of us can run as fast as we once could? Or sleep like a baby? Or concentrate,
hear, or see as good as when we were younger? Our faculties decline and we are
unable to do the things that we once didn’t even think twice about doing. Although
he was highly active until a couple of years ago, Gerrit experienced all of
this, too—in what seems to me, a rather short time. One day he was busy
farming, fishing, going south for the winter, helping Carol, and the next he’s needing
care for himself. His condition worsened until … well, until he passed away.
You know, Jesus was correct, and we are convinced that heaven
and earth are passing away and … we know that we are part of it. And unless the
world ends in the near future, or you suddenly die in an accident, or you are
killed by someone else, you will experience, or will continue to experience,
this same decline, until … well, until a group of people assemble as we are
this day in memory of you.
Perhaps you have heard the saying that the only things that
are inevitable are death and taxes. Actually, that is not true. Taxes are part
of the world, and they will pass away. The saying would be more accurate if it
went something like this: “The only things that are inevitable are death and
the words of Jesus.” Death scares us and it is usually not something we look
forward to. But what about the words of Jesus?” Do you look forward to the words
of Jesus? The Bible informs us that the words of Jesus will not pass away.
But just what are these words of Jesus? Jesus said, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”
(Matthew 28:19–20).
Now, Isaac and Matilda Kuipers wanted all the blessings of
Christ for their infant son and so Gerrit was baptized on December 3, 1939.
From that moment on, the Lord was with Gerrit, even to the end of his life in
this world.
Consider another word of Jesus. “So everyone who acknowledges
Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven”
(Matthew 10:32).
The Lord enabled the young man to hear the Good News about
Christ’s sin-atoning death and triumphant resurrection. He was able memorize
Bible passages and learn the basic doctrines of the Christian faith—the only
religion that leads to Paradise. As a result, through word and deed, Gerrit confessed
the Christian faith, confessing the words of Jesus who declared “I am the Way
and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by Me” (John
14:6).
Gerrit heard the words of Jesus as he faithfully attended worship
and responded to the invitation of our Lord who said, “Take, eat; this is My
body.…Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26, 28).
He heard the words of Jesus which kept him close to our
Redeemer, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest” (Matthew 11:28).
And when he would no longer come to church and hear the words
of Jesus, we brought the church to Gerrit. I brought that home communion kit. He
recognized it immediately. We prayed the Lord’s Prayer and listened to the word
of God. We followed the liturgy that Gerrit had spoken and heard thousands of
times before … the invocation, the confession of sin, the word of absolution,
the Creed we spoke together earlier, and the benediction.
All of this was familiar to Gerrit because he had continued
to regularly hear the Word of God and to be nurtured on the Sacraments of our
Lord throughout his life. He heard the words of Jesus which encouraged him, “Be
faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Finally, in the fullness of time, last Sunday when this
heaven and earth were passing away for him, Gerrit heard the voice of Jesus
calling him to the place where there is no more suffering or death or grieving
or pain or sorrow or sin or hurt. He heard the words of Jesus that will not
pass away: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a
little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew
25:21).
These words bring us to the third part of the sermon, namely
to the application of the words of Jesus to our lives. Jesus declares, “Heaven
and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
This is a true comfort to those who belong to the Lord and
they more than uncomfortable to those who are not Christians. The same Jesus
who said, “Come, you who are blessed
by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world” (Matthew 25:34) also indicated that to those who were not His own and
ignored His Word, He would say, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
Jesus’ words—both the ones expressing everlasting joy and the ones
announcing eternal condemnation—will not pass away. They will continue forever.
That’s a wake-up call for each one of us … for those who are Christians to
remain steadfast in the Word and work of the Lord … for those who may have
stayed away or strayed away from the Lord and His Church to take heed and not
wait another day to return … and for those who may have never heard that God
has provided the Way to eternal life through His Son.
It is God’s earnest desire that not a single person be lost. He
absolutely wants you to be with Him now and with Him forever. Dear people, just
consider how serious God is. He sent His Son to live for you … He permitted His
Son to die on the cross under the penalty of all your sins … to rise again from
the dead to demonstrate that victory over sin, death, and the devil has taken
place. That’s how serious the Lord is about you. He wants you to be with Him
now and forever.
Don’t let another day go by without believing in Christ and trusting Him
as your Savior. In fact, God has permitted the events of history to take place such
that you would be here for this memorial service so that you could hear the
Words of Jesus. So that you would find comfort in your loss in the face of
Christ’s sin-atoning death and life-giving resurrection. So that you might know
the love, forgiveness, grace, and salvation found in Christ alone.
As Jesus said on repeated occasions, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear! Amen
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture
quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
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