He Celebrated Easter With His Life
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Life Everlasting
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He Celebrated Easter With His Life
Matthew 28:1-10
(This funeral was held on a Sunday during the Easter season.)
(Read Matthew 28:1-10.)
In a strange way, we have some things to celebrate today. We are still celebrating Easter. Because, in traditional churches like ours, Easter is not just a one-day deal. We keep celebrating Easter for seven weeks. The fact is, that all of us Christians are celebrating Easter year-round. That is why we worship on Sundays. Because Sunday was the day our Lord rose from the dead, early Christians chose Sunday as the day to worship. That way, every worship service would be a celebration of Easter. In worshiping God here this day, we are now celebrating Easter. That came up when Lillian and her family and I were talking about today's service. That is why we picked the Bible reading from Matthew 28:1-10; the Easter story.
What does all this have to do with Arthur? Well, from the way I have come to know him through all the family stories, I would say quite a bit. Arthur, you see, strikes me as somebody who lived, who celebrated the Easter story with his life. I would have liked him had I known him. From the stories I heard, he reminds me a lot of my own now-deceased grandmothers. Those of you who knew Arthur, who loved him, tell me he was an Easter person.
How do you celebrate Easter with your life? According to one of the New Testament lessons assigned to the church to be read on Easter Sunday (Colossians 3:1), we have risen with Christ. What happened on Easter, happens to us. That is how to celebrate Easter -- to do the "Easter thing" with your life. In the words of the 23rd Psalm, we celebrate Easter by being the Lord's sheep.
How did Arthur do the Easter thing? Let's get straight on what happened at Easter, then we will see how he spent a lot of his life celebrating Easter, and why it is so appropriate that Arthur went home on the day of this Easter celebration.
What happened on Easter? You know the story well. You just heard the story. On Easter, God brought life out of death. Death did not have the final say. God brought life out of death.
Arthur's life has been a testimony to that Easter message, that God can bring life even out of death. Arthur's life has been testimony to that, has it not? God can bring life even out of death. In his quiet, but fun-loving way I have the impression that Arthur was a life-affirmer. Am I right? Sure he could be a strict parent. But he loved his family. I am told that he liked to fool around with his grandchildren. He was somebody who said, "Yes," to life. He enjoyed getting in the car to drive around and see what was going on -- to say, "Yes" to life. Even work, which can be a drudge for many of us, was something he enjoyed. Yes, I believe that Arthur was a person who said, "Yes" to life. Of course his Lord did, also.
I have heard how Arthur followed his Lord. He made sure his children got to church. Like Jesus, he tried to respect his fellow human beings. I have heard stories about his politeness, about how he would even thank people for giving him shots. Of course, that was Jesus' way, too. He did not hold it against people who made him suffer. Sure enough, Arthur and Jesus were life-affirmers, people who could say, "Yes" to life and to people around them even when they suffered. That is one of the ways Arthur shared and celebrated the Easter spirit with Jesus.
I heard that Arthur could be "free-hearted," that he was always wanting to pay back family for whatever they had done for him. Jesus always made sure he gave more than he got, that he gave away all he had for others. That is what Good Friday is all about. Yes, Arthur surely was a follower of his Lord. Like his Lord, Arthur surely was a person who said, "Yes" to life. But like his Lord, that, "Yes" to life came in the midst of death. That is how he celebrated Easter with his life.
Arthur knew the Easter mystery, that even death cannot stop God from giving life. As a young father, Arthur faced the death of his dear one. But he kept the family together. The first batch of children grew. Death did not stop Arthur from giving life. The fact is that Arthur went on, picked up the pieces. Some of you children and grandchildren from his new family, you are only here because death did not stop God and Arthur from giving life. No two ways about it, Arthur loved the Easter message that God can bring life even out of death.
There are other ways that God used Arthur to bring life out of death. Life was tough in Depression times. But look at how you, his family, have thrived. God brings life, brings good, even out of hard times.
Yes, Arthur knew all about how God can bring life even out of death. Is that not what farming is all about? All that part-time work on the farm, Arthur saw it, lived it -- life coming out of death. When you put those animals to sleep for food, you are making life come out of death. When you sow those seeds in the ground, it is like burying something. And then the harvest: It is life coming out of death.
Yes, Arthur was God's agent many times in bringing life out of death. Many times he saw it, and he thought about it, over the years. What looks like death is just a new chance for life. With his quiet faith, Arthur must have known all those years how God was going to use those little farm deaths, those hard times, that tragic death to give new life. That is what I mean when I say that he lived and celebrated Easter all the days of his adult life. What do you think, family? Do I have it? Did he not really believe that God could give life even out of death? I do not think that he could have lived the way he did for you all if he had not believed it.
If I am right, if Arthur knew in his heart the Easter message that God will make something good out of evil and give life out of death, then you can see why we ought to celebrate Easter today. After all, God has been giving life even out of death all these years. Arthur would have seen it out on the farm, in the hard times, in one of life's worse tragedies. "Well," Arthur might say, "if God has been doing it for me nigh on to ninety years, letting me see life come out of death, he is not going to quit now. One more time. My death has not got the final word. God is always giving life, even out of death."
And so we have something to celebrate today after all. We are just continuing the celebration of Easter that Arthur has been celebrating all those years -- joyfully thanking God for giving life even out of death. Family and friends of Arthur, take comfort in his testimony. Just as God has been giving Arthur life even out of death for all of these years, God will do it one more time again. The grave does not have the final word in Arthur's case. It is just one more step on the road to life.
Take heart, family and friends, it really is an Easter celebration today. Death has not won after all. Like he has done all these years with Arthur, God is going to give life (eternal life) out of death. Of course Arthur knows it. He has given that testimony with his whole life. Amen.
He Celebrated Easter With His Life
Matthew 28:1-10
(This funeral was held on a Sunday during the Easter season.)
(Read Matthew 28:1-10.)
In a strange way, we have some things to celebrate today. We are still celebrating Easter. Because, in traditional churches like ours, Easter is not just a one-day deal. We keep celebrating Easter for seven weeks. The fact is, that all of us Christians are celebrating Easter year-round. That is why we worship on Sundays. Because Sunday was the day our Lord rose from the dead, early Christians chose Sunday as the day to worship. That way, every worship service would be a celebration of Easter. In worshiping God here this day, we are now celebrating Easter. That came up when Lillian and her family and I were talking about today's service. That is why we picked the Bible reading from Matthew 28:1-10; the Easter story.
What does all this have to do with Arthur? Well, from the way I have come to know him through all the family stories, I would say quite a bit. Arthur, you see, strikes me as somebody who lived, who celebrated the Easter story with his life. I would have liked him had I known him. From the stories I heard, he reminds me a lot of my own now-deceased grandmothers. Those of you who knew Arthur, who loved him, tell me he was an Easter person.
How do you celebrate Easter with your life? According to one of the New Testament lessons assigned to the church to be read on Easter Sunday (Colossians 3:1), we have risen with Christ. What happened on Easter, happens to us. That is how to celebrate Easter -- to do the "Easter thing" with your life. In the words of the 23rd Psalm, we celebrate Easter by being the Lord's sheep.
How did Arthur do the Easter thing? Let's get straight on what happened at Easter, then we will see how he spent a lot of his life celebrating Easter, and why it is so appropriate that Arthur went home on the day of this Easter celebration.
What happened on Easter? You know the story well. You just heard the story. On Easter, God brought life out of death. Death did not have the final say. God brought life out of death.
Arthur's life has been a testimony to that Easter message, that God can bring life even out of death. Arthur's life has been testimony to that, has it not? God can bring life even out of death. In his quiet, but fun-loving way I have the impression that Arthur was a life-affirmer. Am I right? Sure he could be a strict parent. But he loved his family. I am told that he liked to fool around with his grandchildren. He was somebody who said, "Yes," to life. He enjoyed getting in the car to drive around and see what was going on -- to say, "Yes" to life. Even work, which can be a drudge for many of us, was something he enjoyed. Yes, I believe that Arthur was a person who said, "Yes" to life. Of course his Lord did, also.
I have heard how Arthur followed his Lord. He made sure his children got to church. Like Jesus, he tried to respect his fellow human beings. I have heard stories about his politeness, about how he would even thank people for giving him shots. Of course, that was Jesus' way, too. He did not hold it against people who made him suffer. Sure enough, Arthur and Jesus were life-affirmers, people who could say, "Yes" to life and to people around them even when they suffered. That is one of the ways Arthur shared and celebrated the Easter spirit with Jesus.
I heard that Arthur could be "free-hearted," that he was always wanting to pay back family for whatever they had done for him. Jesus always made sure he gave more than he got, that he gave away all he had for others. That is what Good Friday is all about. Yes, Arthur surely was a follower of his Lord. Like his Lord, Arthur surely was a person who said, "Yes" to life. But like his Lord, that, "Yes" to life came in the midst of death. That is how he celebrated Easter with his life.
Arthur knew the Easter mystery, that even death cannot stop God from giving life. As a young father, Arthur faced the death of his dear one. But he kept the family together. The first batch of children grew. Death did not stop Arthur from giving life. The fact is that Arthur went on, picked up the pieces. Some of you children and grandchildren from his new family, you are only here because death did not stop God and Arthur from giving life. No two ways about it, Arthur loved the Easter message that God can bring life even out of death.
There are other ways that God used Arthur to bring life out of death. Life was tough in Depression times. But look at how you, his family, have thrived. God brings life, brings good, even out of hard times.
Yes, Arthur knew all about how God can bring life even out of death. Is that not what farming is all about? All that part-time work on the farm, Arthur saw it, lived it -- life coming out of death. When you put those animals to sleep for food, you are making life come out of death. When you sow those seeds in the ground, it is like burying something. And then the harvest: It is life coming out of death.
Yes, Arthur was God's agent many times in bringing life out of death. Many times he saw it, and he thought about it, over the years. What looks like death is just a new chance for life. With his quiet faith, Arthur must have known all those years how God was going to use those little farm deaths, those hard times, that tragic death to give new life. That is what I mean when I say that he lived and celebrated Easter all the days of his adult life. What do you think, family? Do I have it? Did he not really believe that God could give life even out of death? I do not think that he could have lived the way he did for you all if he had not believed it.
If I am right, if Arthur knew in his heart the Easter message that God will make something good out of evil and give life out of death, then you can see why we ought to celebrate Easter today. After all, God has been giving life even out of death all these years. Arthur would have seen it out on the farm, in the hard times, in one of life's worse tragedies. "Well," Arthur might say, "if God has been doing it for me nigh on to ninety years, letting me see life come out of death, he is not going to quit now. One more time. My death has not got the final word. God is always giving life, even out of death."
And so we have something to celebrate today after all. We are just continuing the celebration of Easter that Arthur has been celebrating all those years -- joyfully thanking God for giving life even out of death. Family and friends of Arthur, take comfort in his testimony. Just as God has been giving Arthur life even out of death for all of these years, God will do it one more time again. The grave does not have the final word in Arthur's case. It is just one more step on the road to life.
Take heart, family and friends, it really is an Easter celebration today. Death has not won after all. Like he has done all these years with Arthur, God is going to give life (eternal life) out of death. Of course Arthur knows it. He has given that testimony with his whole life. Amen.
