SermonStudio

A Funeral Homily For Good Friday

Perhaps it makes sense to state the obvious right up front. Here we are, gathered on this well--known day in the church year, Good Friday. This is the one day where the main thought on our minds is Jesus' death, the cross, his suffering and crucifixion. It's the day we Christians, near the end of Lent, and wearied by the 40 days of penitence, fasting, and self--denial, screw up our courage to stare right into the face of death.

And doubly so today. For N. whom we have known and loved has died. Does Good Friday have anything to say to us about the death of our friend and loved one? I believe it does.

You will remember that Jesus was not the only person who died on that first Good Friday. Luke tells us that two criminals were hung with Jesus, one to his right, and one to his left. One of the criminals said to Jesus: ''Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!''

But the other criminal, a thief as tradition has it, talked back to him, saying: ''Don't you fear God? You are under the same sentence of condemnation. We are only getting what we deserve, but this man Jesus, he has done nothing wrong.'' And turning his head toward Jesus, he said: ''Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'' And Jesus replied, ''Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise'' (Luke 23:43).

So first of all today, we pray that as Christ promised paradise to the thief who repented, Christ would bring N. to the joys of heaven. ''Today you will be with me in Paradise,'' Jesus said to the thief as they hung on crosses. Today. That is an incredible promise of Holy Scripture. Not somewhere down the road; not maybe; not if; not later; not ''we'll see,'' but today. So we pray, asking Christ to bring N. to the joys of heaven as Christ promised the thief who hung on the cross: today.

Secondly, we are filled with gratitude. By your death, Lord Jesus, you took away the sting of death. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death,
is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God! That is the cry of Good Friday! That is why we dare to call this dark, bad, ugly, awful day good. Because on this good day, the sting of death is overcome, swallowed up, defeated. Death is no longer the final word. And so first of all we come to give thanks and praise and worship to the one who on this very day defeated the power of death. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! To him be glory for ever and ever!

Lastly, we have opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the events of Good Friday and what they mean to us. We have occasion to reflect anew upon our own lives.

Two sinners hung next to Jesus. Which one will we be at our death? Will we be the unrepentant sinner mocking the Messiah? Or will we confess our sinfulness, and turn to Christ and trust in him to be remembered? Good Friday demands that we ask that question; and our answer will affect eternity.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took
away the sting of death; Grant to us your servants so to
follow in faith where you have led the way that at our
deaths we may hear your voice: ''Truly, I tell you, today
you will be with me in Paradise.''


              Amen.