Funeral Sermon for Edna Woolhether / Wednesday September 25th 2013

The audio starts out a little quiet but by about 2 minutes in it's back up to full sound.

Funeral Sermon for Edna Woolhether / Mount Olive Lutheran Church / Rev. Ted A. Giese / September 25th 2013

Now when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to [Jesus], “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:17-27 ESV)

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord. Amen.

Grace peace and mercy to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Good Christian Friends. Be Prepared, Edna was ready to help out wherever she was needed. Edna was ready to lend a hand to serve family, friends and others. Yet willingness to serve was not enough; she knew how to do the job well, even in an emergency. Be Prepared.

Alongside the familiar 23rd Psalm, the Epistle and Gospel readings today were ones that meant a great deal to Edna, she underlined them in her brother Harold's book[1] about how to get to heaven. Let's consider the Gospel reading from the Gospel of Saint John: The Gospel reading has Martha in it, Martha was someone who liked to be prepared. Mary and Martha were grieving the death of their brother Lazarus. Mary was not as prepared as Martha, Mary was so distraught that she wouldn't even leave the house. Mary had sat at Jesus' feet[2] and now she couldn't even come to see Him when He arrived. It was Martha that got up and came to Jesus and greeted Him. Martha was the one who was prepared to say something to Jesus; she said to Him “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Martha was prepared.

Were you prepared for Edna's death? We all knew it was coming eventually, we thought about it more after Ralph passed. But thinking about it doesn't really prepare you for it, does it? Be Prepared. 'I'm not prepared!' 'I thought I was, but now I don't know' 'I've done everything I needed to do for today, I've lent a hand and chipped in, but what about tomorrow? I don't know if I'm prepared for tomorrow, for next week for, ... for the future?' Be Prepared. Be prepared for death, be prepared for eternal life, Be Prepared.  

When you hear the words 'Be Prepared,' what do you think of, is being prepared something you do, is it like learning to tie a knot, or how to start a camp fire? Is it like learning a recipe without the cookbook right there beside you? is it just applying past experience to future events? Edna was prepared for her death, but Edna would be the first to tell you that she did nothing really to prepare for her departure, because going to heaven isn't about the work you do, it isn't about preparations you've made by the work of your hands. How was Edna prepared for eternal life? Edna was prepared because God prepared her. Edna is prepared because God prepared her. 'Be Prepared' isn't a command, go prepare yourself! 'Be Prepared' is a gift.[3] Be the one prepared by God. Be the one prepared by Jesus. Be the one forgiven by Jesus, for everyone needs forgiveness; be the one loved by God the Father, because everyone needs to be loved; be the one comforted by the Holy Spirit because everyone needs to be comforted.    

Edna was being prepared by the Holy Spirit every time she read her Bible, God the Father was preparing her every time she was in His house here singing and listening to His word, Jesus was preparing Edna every time she had holy communion. God prepared her for paradise in her baptism and He prepared her with every word she prayed to Him in heaven. Be Prepared, be in God's Word, Be in God's House, Be on the receiving end of Holy Communion. Be prepared.    

When Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Martha was prepared for Jesus' answer, she really was. Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” And Martha, who was prepared to hear it, said to Jesus, “I know that [my brother Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the Last Day.” You too may feel prepared to hear the words I say to you today, you think 'I've been to funerals I've heard these words before.' Stop and consider that the words I say to you today are in fact preparing you; that the Holy Spirit uses God's Word to prepare you. You are being prepared even now for your own future. For the Eternal Life that God has promised you through Jesus His Son.

Jesus said to Martha, Jesus said to Edna, Jesus says to you, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Martha believed this, Edna believed this; this promise is for you. Believe it. When Jesus asked Martha "Do you believe this?” Do you believe that I Am the Resurrection and the Life? She said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus was more than just willing to lend a hand, He was more than just willing to help you in your need, to help you in your emergency. Jesus was more than willing, He acted. He moved from willingness to action. Born into our world He lived the life you couldn't live, the perfect life; Surrounded by trouble on every side Jesus was merciful and kind where we  fail to be; Faced with suffering and death Jesus "humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."[4] And on that cross, in the midst of death, your help arrived: From the blood stained wood burst forth the promise of you eternal life, and on the third day it became known to all the faithful as Jesus walked out of the grave alive and showed Himself to His disciples. His Eternal life is now your eternal life. and just as surely as He walked out of His grave, you will, on the Last Day, walk out of your grave too.[5]

"Jesus loved Martha and her sister [Mary] and Lazarus."[6] Jesus loves Edna, Jesus loves you. This I know, because the Bible tells me so. "Jesus wept"[7] over the death of Lazarus. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."[8] Jesus wept with you at Edna's death, but Jesus also promises to wipe those tears away in heaven.[9] He's promised to comfort you now by the sending of the Holy Spirit the comforter.[10] "The Spirit [Who] helps us in our weakness."[11] In Ralph's death Jesus was preparing you for Edna's death and in Edna's death Jesus is preparing you for your own death. In His own most precious death Jesus has prepared us all. Jesus says "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My Hand."[12] Jesus was prepared to save you and He has, He now prepares you for eternal life; be prepared by Him as Edna was, for His steadfast love endures forever and His friendship is everlasting. Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, was raised from the dead that day, Lazarus lived out the rest of his days trusting in the resurrection on the Last Day, when he and Mary and Martha, and Ralph and Edna and you and I and all people who die in Christ Jesus will be raised to eternal life forever, body and soul reunited for eternity. She with Ralph and with all the faithfully departed await that day with Christ Jesus in paradise. All has been prepared, prepared by the one who is eternally faithful and sure Jesus Christ, He who is "the same yesterday and today and forever."[13] He has been with you, His is with you, He will be with you forever. Amen.    

Let us pray:

Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us, “take our minds and think through them, take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire; for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.