Our hope of a joyful reunion with our loved ones who died confessing the name of Jesus is as sure and certain as the death and resurrection of Jesus.
All Saints’ Day is a terrific opportunity for any preacher to proclaim the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the body with any and all of his hearers. It affords the parish pastor, however, a unique occasion to proclaim that hope in a very personal and particular way. This is especially the case if the church’s annual observance of this holy day includes the “Commemoration of the Faithfully Departed,” in which particular loved ones from the congregation are remembered. The pastor can utilize these moments to make the hope and comfort he offers very direct, personal, and particular to the flock which has been entrusted to his care.
The proclamation of hope on All Saints’ Day is not only, “We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting,” in a general sense. The sure and certain hope we proclaim is of a joyful reunion with our loved ones who have died confessing faith in Jesus. The pastor leads the congregation in confessing together the hope which is within them: That because Jesus has died and risen from the dead, they will see their loved ones again with their own eyes.
The tenderness with which the Apostle John addresses his readers/hearers in the epistle assigned for All Saints’ Day (Series B), lends itself to this kind of personal/particular sermon. You might develop a sermon in which you allow the form of the text to shape the form of the sermon. The text functions to comfort the reader/hearer. John is addressing his “beloved” and he wants them to see with their eyes of faith what they are unable to see with their eyes of flesh for the time being.
Our Christian hope is not an, “I’m crossing my fingers, so maybe, just maybe I’ll see them again,” sort of hope. No, our hope of a joyful reunion with our loved ones who died confessing the name of Jesus is as sure and certain as the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is as certain as our adoption into God’s family through the waters of Baptism.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over Him (Romans 6:9). We know our Redeemer lives, and that even after our skin has been thus destroyed, yet in our flesh we shall see God (Job 19:25-27). Our hope of a joyful reunion with our loved ones who have died in Christ is as sure and certain as the Word this crucified and risen Lord speaks to us: “Because I live,” He says, “you will live also” (John 14:19).
Our hope of a joyful reunion with our loved ones who have died in Christ is as sure and certain as the Word this crucified and risen Lord speaks to us: “Because I live,” He says, “you will live also.”
While we cannot see it with our eyes of flesh, we know by faith that the faithfully departed of the congregation are standing before the Throne of the Lamb who was slain. They are being sheltered with His presence, where there is no hunger or thirst, no sickness or disease, because there is no sin. God Himself has wiped away every tear from their eyes, and they are worshiping Him day and night in thanksgiving for the blood He shed to redeem them from death.
The trouble is we are not there yet! While they in glory and gladness shine, we feebly struggle here. It can be sad, dark, and gloomy in this valley of tears. The fight sometimes gets terribly fierce down here and the warfare long. So, the flock needs their pastor to remind them that this sad reality they see with their eyes of flesh is not all there is! He can adopt the tender, comforting language of the text itself as he addresses his “beloved” congregation. He might use a phrase like this, “John wants you to see, and I want you to see...” or, “John wants to comfort you, and I want to comfort you...”
John writes, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God.” When a Christian is baptized, their robes are washed, and they are made white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). God calls them to be His own and makes them a member of His family. “What John wants us to see, and what I want us to see,” is we are not just called “children of God,” that is, in fact, WHAT WE ARE!
This reality might be hidden from the Christian’s eyes of flesh, but they are, in fact, God’s children now, even if they cannot see it. For our merciful God has loved us in His beloved Son and made us His very own. While we were blind and dead, an enemy of God by nature (Ephesians 2:14), He purged us of sin and death with the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. You are God’s own child right now, even if what we will be has not yet appeared.
This brings great comfort to every Christian, but especially to those who are dealing with death. What can be seen currently with eyes of flesh, is not what will be seen when Jesus comes back to raise the dead and make all things new. Then, and this is as sure and certain as God’s Word, sorrow and death will be no more. We will be reunited with our loved ones who have died confessing Jesus. In our own flesh we shall see God, and God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. On that day, when Christ returns, we will see Him as He is. Even though your flesh may have decayed in the grave, in our flesh, we will see Him. Then, you too will appear as you already are in His eyes: Whole, complete, and pure.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on 1 John 3:1–3.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching 1 John 3:1–3.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach 1 John 3:1–3.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
