Funeral Sermon John 11.
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1) Focus (the need to grieve).
1) Focus (the need to grieve).
The most helpful advice I ever received about preaching at a funeral for someone I didn’t know is: “Don’t preach them into heaven. Don’t preach them into hell. Just preach the gospel for the people who are there.” This principle captures our task regardless the kind of funeral we do. Ironically, though we focus on remembering and celebrating the life of the deceased, the funeral service is ultimately for those who attend.
The sermon is where the gospel must be preached clearly. Only when we can personally have confidence in a person’s conversion should we feel comfortable to speak of the heavenly reward he/she has now received. If there is any uncertainty in your mind, which will almost necessarily be the case when preaching the funeral of someone you’ve never met, it’s best to focus on the gospel for your hearers. It’s better to resist the temptation to provide a false comfort that you have little or no basis to give.
A funeral sermon should not exceed 20 minutes and should highlight these three categories, preferably expounded from a text or texts of Scripture:
1) Acknowledge the need to grieve.
The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead () is particularly helpful on this point. If Jesus weeps at the loss of a friend, we should, too. I often share the time my father sat me and my wife down once we found out we had miscarried with our second child; he exhorted us to take time to grieve over this child, instructing us how to do so.
Don’t ever presume that people realize that grief is appropriate, or that they know how to work through their grief by simply talking about their deceased loved one. In actuality, many do not want to talk about them because of the hurt felt in loss. Many pastors know that often, years later, people learn the value of this process, eventually working through the grief with some pastoral guidance.
1) Acknowledge the need to grieve.
1) Acknowledge the need to grieve.
The need to mourn is what naturally happens when a loved one departs from us.
Jesus, who was God in the flesh and also being fully man, wept over a loved one who passed away.
The need to mourn and allow yourself to weep is what we are supposed to do when a loved one departs from us.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
When Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping, we are told that He was deeply moved. Even to the point of weeping Himself.
We believe that Jesus had no sin in Him. Meaning that Jesus never did anything wrong before God the Father.
Here in this passage, we see that He wept over the death of someone He love and He also wept because of the grief that people felt over the death of man called Lazarus.
Jesus
Not only does Jesus show us here that He weeps with those who weep, the Scriptures teach us that when people are broken hearted, He is close.
God’s heart
When people are broken hearted, the Scriptures teach us that God is there.
Not only does Jesus understand, He is close to us in our sufferings.
Not only does Jesus understand, He is close to us in our sufferings.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
When people are broken hearted and feel wounded, the Scriptures teach us that God can bind up their wounds.
3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
Mary had people already consoling her. She was in pain. But in her pain she still went to Jesus.
Tears are repeatedly mentioned (; ). The loud lamentation (wail) was also a feature of mourning, as the prophet who cried, “Alas! My brother!” (; cp. ; ; ).
But what she did
And when Jesus saw her weeping with the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved and He wept.
He told her something that she needed to hear.
Which shows us that not only is He close to us, He also feels the brokenness we feel.
Jesus shows us that we can weep over a loved one who has passed. But also, we see that He is there and He understand the feeling of pain and loss.
In Mary’s example, she shows us where to go when we feel pain and loss. She went to Jesus so should we.
Mary went to Jesus in her grief and so should we.
But I want to remind us that God understands.
God is already close to those who are broken hearted and God is able to heal any brokenness we feel.
But what we need most is to believe what He said earlier.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life?
I often share the time my father sat me and my wife down once we found out we had miscarried with our second child; he exhorted us to take time to grieve over this child, instructing us how to do so.
But I want to remind us that God understands.
He also wept for a loved one who passed and for those in pain.
But we must rely on Him in order to find something that is far more important than healing for how we feel.
Mary did.
He is close to us in our suffering and when our hearts are broken.
Don’t ever presume that people realize that grief is appropriate, or that they know how to work through their grief by simply talking about their deceased loved one. In actuality, many do not want to talk about them because of the hurt felt in loss. Many pastors know that often, years later, people learn the value of this process, eventually working through the grief with some pastoral guidance.
But Jesus came not only to heal a broken people. He came to save a people.
God is about saving us.
We all suffer loss. We all have had broken hearts. But what we all need most is a healing, not only from suffering and pain. But healing for our fallen hearts.
Jesus revealed something about Himself in this story that I want to share with you today that if believed, you will have life even when facing suffering and loss.
He told Martha, who was Mary sister, something that when believed in, will give life even when facing death.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The question here is the same question I want to ask of you today.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe that you can have life, even when facing suffering and loss?
The Scriptures teach us that it is appointed for man to die once.
We all have an appointment with death.
But the question remains whether you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ or not.
There can be good news even in this season of your lives.
The good news is that you can have life even when faced with death.
2) Focus (the Gospel).
2) Focus (the Gospel).
A: God’s holiness.
A: God’s holiness.
The reason that death happens is because we have sinned against God.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
We see that death came into the world because of sin and it spread to all men as a curse placed on us.
Sin is the breaking of the law of God and everyone one of us have done this in our lives.
Example: If we lie we have broken God’s law. And everyone of us have fallen short of God’s law.
Everyone one of us have fallen short of God’s law
And because God is holy, meaning that He is without any wrong, any sin, when someone breaks His law it deserves judgement.
B: Man’s sinfulness and deserving judgment
B: Man’s sinfulness and deserving judgment
The debt owed to God was so much that there was no one who could pay it since we all sin. We all still continue to fall short.
And because God is perfect and without sin, the only thing that can pay back what we have done is an equally
So how can we even stand before God without being guilty for our sin against Him?
C: Christ’s perfect personhood and atoning work to save us
C: Christ’s perfect personhood and atoning work to save us
God knew that there was no one who could be without any sin. So He sent His own Son to live a sinless, perfect life so that there could be no charge against Him.
He came to give life everlasting to those who believe in Him.
When someone believes in Jesus and in the work He has done to save us, God removes guilt from us. And He also gives us eternal life. Which means that we will live even when we pass on.
D: Our essential response to repent and believe upon Christ.
D: Our essential response to repent and believe upon Christ.
We must believe on what Jesus has done and turn from our sins and He promised that He would forgive us and He must give us life.
He then begins a work in us that will carry us even when facing suffering and loss.
3) Focus (a call to respond).
3) Focus (a call to respond).
Have you come to believe in Jesus?
In every case, I explained the gospel clearly, called my hearers to repent of their sins, believe upon Christ, and trust in him. Yet, in each of these different situations, I approached calling them to respond to the gospel differently, depending upon their preconceived understanding of the “good news.” Exhort them to grieve. Preach the gospel clearly and simply. Help them understand their need for Christ as death is before them. Call them to repent and believe.
Mary did. She believed Jesus to be the resurrection and the life.
She believed in Him and she found life. Life that even if she died she would live.
When we believe in Him and pass on, we go to where God is.
And those who have come to saving faith, will be those that have endured to the end.
Life can be hard. Full of suffering and hardships. But He has promised to them who believe a peace that surpasses understanding!
Will you believe in Him?
He is here. He is close. And He is able to save you and give you life everlasting!
Close in prayer.