Hear now the word of the Lord from Rev. 14:13, which Don asked for this verse to be part of the service:

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,

“Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

What a wonderful text to meditate on with the death of a dearly beloved Christian. To fully understand what the Apostle John wrote, it is important to be aware of the larger context of the book of Revelation.  It was written to Christians that were suffering dramatically in the years just before the destruction of Jerusalem in the 70 AD.  The believers in Jesus, faithful Christians, were being brutally persecuted, primarily, by the Jews that rejected the Lord Jesus. They were being compromised and corrupted by people within the church. They suffered from social discrimination from every corner of the culture.  Most of the Christians lost their livelihoods, homes, social status and were impoverished in almost every way. In short, they struggled with enemies that were mighty and powerful. Jesus, by His Spirit, revealed in this book that He would come to save His people by judging those who had rejected and killed Him and were now seeking to destroy His body, the Church.

Earlier in this same chapter, Jesus is shown to be the Lamb that was slain that now stands as King on His Holy Mountain. With Him are those who had been killed for their testimony for Jesus, and now had God the Father’s name written on their foreheads. Rev. 14:2-5 describes these dear saints as those who enthusiastically sing in heaven with the heavenly army:

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.  They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. [They are no longer singing songs of sorrow - They have a new song of praise on their lips. Why?] These are the ones who [kept themselves pure]. These are the ones who follow[ed] the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

While these saints sang in the heavenlies, God sent forth His judgments on the earth to bring salvation to the world. A first Angel “came forth having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people-said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Salvation comes to God’s people through judgment on His and their enemies. The good news is that God brought His judgment for sin upon His Son, the sacrificial Lamb of God, so that those who believe in Him shall be freed of enemies and have everlasting life. Because Jesus overcame death and was raised from death to sit at the right hand of the Father, He judges the wicked and brings life and salvation to His people, both Jews and Gentiles. What follows is one Angel after another declaring the judgment of God upon those who refuse to fear God and give glory to Him. These judgments were both temporal in time and history, but will extend into the eternal future. Vv. 11-12 says that there will be no rest, day or night, for those who refuse to keep the commandments of God or believe in Jesus.

And then John speaks the words we have already heard:

“Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

From now on, from the time of God’s judgments on His enemies in the first century, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”  Why? Because, by the Spirit of Christ, “they will rest from their labors in the world for Christ – and are assured that their works will follow them.”

Since the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, all men are by nature sinners, and actual committers of sin. We inherited a sinfulness in our nature, and we are sinners in the way we live our lives.  And the penalty for sin is the just judgment of God. One of those judgments is death and dying (we are all, in a sense, dying from the time we are born).  Death is the means that God puts and end to sin. But dying and death do not give us life.  It ends life. Death has been the great enemy to all mankind since the Fall of man.

The only way to have life is for God conquer this enemy. This the Father has done by putting upon Jesus, His Son, all of His just judgment so that He would taste death and judgment for us.  And yet, if Christ remained in death, there would be no life on the other side.  He conquered death and was raised up to life again for our salvation from sin itself, judgment for sin, and to conquer death in us in and for us.  Since the time that Jesus ascended to His throne at the Father’s right hand He has been battling His and our enemies. Is it possible that He should fail? NOT A CHANCE. He will continue to put all of His and our enemies under His feet until the last enemy is defeated – Death.

You see, because of Jesus, for us final salvation comes on the other side of death.  Because believers are in union with Jesus, we can be assured that we too will have life on the other side of death – just as He did.

Life, health and joy are on the other side of dying and death.  Sickness, dying and death are part of the human condition.  But for those who are in Christ, death and dying have lost their sting – lost its power over us. Life is on the other side of death and dying: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” Instead of singing songs characterized by dying and death, they sign new songs of life, health and joy.

We don’t generally struggle with the same enemies that the first century Christians did.  But we do yet fight with enemies don’t we? We fight the good fight against our sin, and the sinfulness of those around us. We still have to battle, Satan, the old Serpent who still wanders about trying to devour us through temptation to unfaithfulness and faithlessness. We still have to do battle with dying and death. But we fight, not like those who have no hope. Rather, we know that Life is on the other side of dying and death.

For almost 4 and a half decades Bonnie was stricken with the enemy of Multiple Sclerosis. She suffered, and many of those around her suffered with her. Is that what characterized her to us all?  Is that all she was to us? No – because for the last 30 or so years, she has been in union with Christ. She, though dying, was alive in Him.  In many ways she rose above herself and her infirmity

Often when people are stricken with suffering it is tempting for them to see the dying and trouble of life as something that marginalizes them – makes us of no consequence – makes us useless – causes us to be less than what we should be.  But in Christ, like Bonnie, we can still live as useful servants of Christ, anticipating that our works, as frail as they are, will be used by Him.  Our works will follow us, both in the lives of the people we leave behind and as the offerings we will present to God throughout eternity

Shortly we will sing about the fact that our God often moves in mysterious ways in our lives. Don tells me that in her last days of suffering and dying God used that time to reunite the family in profound and deeply meaningful ways.  This was a great joy to Bonnie and Don. One ways for the works of Bonnie to follow her in her heavenly rest is for that reestablishment of the family relationships to continue. I want to encourage you all to work hard to stay in relationship, which will continue to honor Bonnie through the rest of your lives.

‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Tags: Funeral, Homily, NT - Revelation