Just as Lazarus, God raised him from the dead. Jesus explained in this story that there is no way to cross the great chasm between heaven and hell once you die. Let this conviction humble him and cause him to see his need for Your gift of eternal life. 3. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Take time to grieve. 4. Psalm 25:6-7, Psalm 33:5, Psalm 34:8, James 1:17, John 3:16, Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ (John 11, paraphrase). 1:9). After reading this parable, I stressed the following four thoughts to the gathered family and friends of the deceased. But for those of us still living, this may lead to the question, how can I know if I'm saved? There are few Biblical texts that cover all of these bases as well as that of Jesus raising Lazarus. He wants us all to be reunited with Him some day. Followers of Christ are to be truth tellers. Do you believe this?”. Here are some Bible verses about dying and death that are appropriate for a religious funeral or memorial service. Camp Meetings Sadly, I have attended many funerals where ministers fed the false hopes of unbelieving people. Would you say to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”? Acts 14:17). But God is very loving. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), What My Baby’s Death Taught Me about Life and Motherhood. When preaching the funeral of an unbeliever, we need to keep several things in mind: 1. As that example illustrates, we cannot know for sure what the condition of the person’s heart might have been in the moments before death. Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’, Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.
One of the followers of Jesus—a man named John—wrote about Jesus’ life. The Scriptures speak of a common love and non-saving grace that has been provided to all mankind. In this episode the guys pull out their blue banners and wave them proudly...or should we say humbly? The incredible grace and long-suffering of the Lord is highlighted in this narrative. Second, the story of Lazarus reminds us that Jesus understands our grief. He expects that we confess our sins, turn away from our sins, and look to Him as our only hope for salvation.
Both Mary and Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, you could have healed Lazarus from his sickness and prevented him from dying!” So, why didn’t Jesus come earlier and heal Lazarus? Comfort comes by reminding the grieving that they can trust the Lord to do what is right with respect to their loved one who died. We must give a clear message. Thankfully, we can look to the Word of God for funeral scriptures of wisdom and love to praise those we have lost. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (Ps. Funeral Service for Difficult Situations. Romans 3:23 says that the penalty of sin is death. In the case of Lazarus, God’s purpose was to show that Jesus is the Son of God so people would believe and be saved from their sins. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. Just as tragic as preaching another gospel is making the real gospel look like bad news instead of good news. Father of Six - Blessed by God. He wept. When preaching the funeral of an unbeliever, we need to keep several things in mind: 1. You have many memories with your loved one, and they are very precious. We must not dilute the gospel. We must be sensitive, speaking the truth in love. When we experience a tragedy, we often ask, “Why?” Romans 8:28 is a precious promise: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” If you love God, you can be confident that He will take the worst possible circumstances and use them to accomplish something good. My theology tells me that it is not right to lie, even if my intended purpose is to bring about a good outcome.
On the third day, He rose again!
Today, Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven praying for us. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’.
He was even willing to withhold His fury on an entire city, if He could find just ten righteous people who lived there. I reminded them of the certainty and inescapable reality of death. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Then, Jesus prayed to His Father and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. The wonderful news is that Jesus did not stay dead! He endured the worst kinds of sufferings, from grief over his lost friend Lazarus, to a painful death on the cross.
He would want them to know of what lies beyond this life as revealed in this story. When we love someone very dearly, as Jesus loved Lazarus, it is natural to cry. First, the story of Lazarus reminds us that we need to take time to grieve. But Hebrews 4:15 confirms that God is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he came to earth and lived as a man named Jesus. Third, God has a purpose in mind.
The eternal destinies of Lazarus’s family and the crowds that gathered at the funeral were at stake. We are not to “do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8).
Sometimes, we convince ourselves that what we need to do is “be strong” and “press on” for the sake of those around us.
Holding back tears does not mean that we are strong, it means that we are weak — scared to accept how we feel. Even though Jesus had the power to resurrect Lazarus immediately, He paused and took time to grieve. I showed them how the Old Testament predicted Jesus' coming, death, and resurrection, and how the New Testament confirms these truths about him.
Here is an example of a simple sermon to illustrate how we can show sensitivity and gospel faithfulness at the funeral of an unbeliever. We must stay radically rooted in the Scriptures.