+Funeral Sermon for Marion S.-St. John 3:1-18+

‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.’ (Psalm 19:14) Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ (V. 16)

This was Marion’s faith. She trusted her Savior, that He had come to rescue her from her sins. This is your faith. You also, as a Christian, trust your Savior. You trust that He has come to rescue you, just as he did for her.

The only difference is, you and I reside still in this vale of tears. Marion has gone on to the blessed halls of heaven.

During her married life, Marion was a homemaker. She enjoyed the tasks that come with such a position. Marion enjoyed caring for her family. This meant for her the work of cooking and keeping the household up and running. This also involved her caring for three boys. Marion expressed her faith to all three of these boys by bringing them to church and Sunday school. She also brought her children to confirmation class that they would learn the faith, growing to be strong men of faith.

Marion raised her boys in this fashion, with her husband, that they would continue their family’s tradition of continuing in the faith of their fathers, by passing that faith on to their own children. Marion also did this by sharing her faith in her later years with the rest of the family. Marion was as well thankful for the loving care she received, as she grew older.

Because of the trust that Marion had in her beloved Savior, she was able to enjoy her life. She was not a victim of worry over all things. She was not held captive by the devil with her sins hanging over her. She could tell the devil if he tried to so torment her, “No devil, I do not belong to you. I now belong to the living God of heaven, I have been redeemed by Jesus Christ!” Marion was free. She was free to live her life free from fear. Marion was free to listen to do mundane things such as listen to the radio or play cards with her friends and family or read an enjoyable Western book.

So also are you and I. We are also free. We also have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. We can say the same thing to any devil that tries to torment us with guilt over our sins. The name of the living God of heaven has been written one each of us who trust on the mercy of God because of Christ.

So, even as we mourn that we no longer have Marion with us any longer, we also rejoice. We rejoice because she no longer suffers. We rejoice because we will see her again. When we who trust on the mercy of God through Jesus die, we will join her before the throne of God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. We will then forever rejoice at the greatest thanksgiving feast, singing hymns of praise to our God.

‘The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children’ (Ps. 103:17).

Marion trusted in the Savior who was lifted up on a cross. He has been lifted up to be a sign to all of us that we may look and be saved. Jesus is a sign for Marion and for you and me. He was lifted up to pay the price of death (Rom. 3) we should have to pay. Without faith given to us by the Holy Spirit (SC II: 3rd), we do pay that price. Praise the Lord, that like Marion, we will not have to pay that price. We are not condemned. We trust in the ‘his only Son … [so we] have eternal life.’ (V. 16)

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.