Special to God
Special to God
Funeral for Jami Knudson
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
Keith Connie and Keri, family and friends God’s mercy and peace be with you at this time.
When a person is born with special needs, our favorite question to ask is why? When a young person dies our favorite question to ask God is, “Why?” When anyone dies suddenly our favorite question to ask God is why? When all three of these happen to the same person, it only seems to make sense to ask why?
When things happen that we don’t understand, or don’t want to face, we’re quick to ask that question. And we usually ask it one of two ways: (1) we see God as in control of everything that happens, and ask, “Why have you DONE this?” or (2) we get a little timid about questioning God or blaming God and we ask, “Why have you ALLOWED this?”
But whichever way it gets asked, it’s a question that most of us have asked at one time or another.
I doubt if Jami ever asked that question, I would bet that it was that important to her. But it’s a safe bet a lot of other people asked that question for her. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers to these questions. In fact there are a lot of questions that neither I nor anyone else can answer. But there is one question that I do know that answer to and that is the most important question for today, what happens after you die?
This question is best answered by our text from 1 Corinthians 15. (read text)
Jami has been changed, she has been clothed with the imperishable and immortality. The sting of death and the power of her sin have been removed and she lives forever in the house of the Lord.
She did not receive these blessing because she was so beautiful, she was. She did not get them because she was loved by so many people and she was; God did not grant these blessings to her because she went to Sunday school and she did. The immortality she now has was not a reward for her love of Elvis or even the Cubs.
Jami is now with Lord because God loved her so much that he sent his One and only Son to become here substitute and offer Himself as a sacrifice in her place. Jami is in heaven because Jesus rose from the grave and promised to all who believe and are baptized the gift of eternal life. That was the meaning of Holy Week and Easter.