Sermon - Joyce Van Horn Funeral

Dear Lori, family and friends of Joyce, may God’s peace be yours in Christ Jesus our Lord who was raised from the dead to life everlasting. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Indeed, Joyce made the good confession of faith in Jesus, and now already her soul is with the Lord. Joyce has the victory over death and the grave!

Lori, I must say it was really a neat privilege getting to look through your mom’s Bible the other day. She had bookmarks all over the place in it and some notes and prayers she had written down on pieces of paper. Her notes there gave us our readings for today, actually. On one of the notes she had written her confirmation verse: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” We read some of the preceding verses to give us greater context so that we might figure out how the heart has life. Namely: “be attentive to my words…keep them within your heart… for they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” When the heart is filled with God’s Word, then the heart really is a spring of life, because God’s Word gives life!

Seeing as how Joyce must have used her Bible, she really did consider that book and those words to be life. During these past couple of years after her cancer diagnosis, the words of scripture likely took on an even greater significance. These words are healing to the flesh. Maybe that sounds crazy here at a funeral, where it appears as if death has the upper hand, and has perhaps even won. But there’s no doubt about it, these words are life and healing, and that’s just as true at a funeral as at any other time.

For you see, “the sting of death is sin.” Death is the bitter fruit of our sinfulness. In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, the consequences of their sin was death. Not just death for Adam and Eve, but death for all of their descendents. Namely, everyone who sins dies. I’m a sinner and so I will die. Joyce was a sinner, and so she died. Death has a near perfect track record, save one Man, namely, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus told us that He is “The way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” Him. This is because Jesus faced death, not as a sinner, but as the sinless Son of God and lover of mankind. In His death upon the cross He forgave the sins of sinners and in return gave life. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so too shall those who believe in Him also rise from the dead. Jesus died for Joyce, and so Joyce’s sins are forgiven her. Jesus rose for Joyce and so too shall Joyce rise from the dead with Christ on the last day when Jesus returns.

Joyce knew these things and she was prepared to die. She had told me on more than one occasion that she was ready to die, her faith was in her Lord Jesus, she had confessed her sins and been forgiven, and she was ready to meet her Lord. Joyce was more ready than we were. I know I was surprised and saddened to hear of her death when I had called the nursing home last week because I wanted to go and visit her. That wasn’t really the visit I was expecting to make. But Joyce was prepared. Jesus tells us to “Believe in God,” and she did. She had made the good confession and she trusted that God would bring her through death and into eternal life.

Lori, eternal life is what your mom has! When she was baptized her sins were washed away and she was adopted into God’s family and made an heir of His heavenly kingdom. That’s what this funeral pall reminds us of; Joyce is baptized and is covered in Christ’s righteousness. Her sins and death have been taken by Jesus to the cross, and Jesus’ gift of everlasting life is made hers. The funeral pall is a comforting reminder that God loves Joyce and has wrapped her up in His righteousness, because Joyce is one of God’s treasures.

What this means is that death, the casket, and the grave are liars! Death hasn’t won; Jesus and life have won! When Joyce breathed her last, her soul was taken by God into heaven to live with Him in His nearer presence. Her body rests here on earth and we will soon lay her body to rest in the grave. We lay it to rest in the grave with the hopeful expectation that on the last day, when Jesus comes back, He will raise her body, this body right here, back to new life. Her body and soul will be reunited and God’s word really will be healing to all of her flesh, since her body will be perfectly and completely restored!

That is the promise God has made to us, and that is our hope in the midst of such a time as this. This is why Jesus can say: “Let not your hearts be troubled,” when we’re here at Joyce’s funeral. He knows our hearts are troubled and we’re sad and dismayed, but because of what He’s done for Joyce already, He can speak peace to our hearts. He has gone to prepare a place for Joyce, and He’s gone to prepare a place for you. In Jesus we do not need to say goodbye, because we Christians will see one another again when we see Jesus on the last day. So long as you know Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life, you will also see Joyce again.

Joyce remembered her confirmation verse these many years: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Indeed, Joyce remained faithful to Jesus until life’s end and so she has much life awaiting her, an eternity in fact. So when we remember Joyce, thinking of our memories with her, let us also especially remember her faith in Jesus. Just as Christ Jesus died for Joyce, so has Jesus died for you. The same life promised to Joyce, Jesus also promises to you. Indeed, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”