If I am told to do the obsequies I would say something like this: On behalf of the bereaving family whose loved one is gone to be with the Lord, I thank everyone who’s come to put in the ground the BODY of ……..
Intentionally I did not use the word “burial” because when I study the word of God I see that, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ‘death’ which once held so great power – 2Cor 1:10/Hosea 13:14/Heb 2:14/Rev 1:18 – had received a severe blow to the point that it is put out of commission. Exactly speaking Jesus Christ hath abolished death (2 Timothy 1:10).
What I would like to say at this sorrowful moment is that: Though we mourn for the absence of this loved one, we as Christians have HOPE, an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast (Heb 6:19) – and such assurance that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him (1 Thess 4:14).
The “sleep” referred to here is the state of the mortal body when the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern when the dust returns to the earth – Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 – which shall be quickened one day. The resurrection (the restoration to life) has to do with the unifying of the body which was sown in the ground and the person himself a second time; some to everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, the second death (2 Thess 1:9/Rev 20:11-15/2Pet 2:9) and some to everlasting consolation or everlasting life (2 Thess 2:16).
The quickening of the MORTAL body by the Spirit of God is crucial – Rom 8:11. Not only is the death of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord (Psalm 116:15), but the mortal body of a child of God also has its own prominence. Example: Jude 1:9/Deut 34:5,6. Though that which is sown is a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44). We cannot raise something up without first sowing a seed, can we? Hence the sowing of our mortal body is crucial.
The sleep that is referred to here is not about the person who is absent in the body but about the body that he or she had left behind for to be quickened – Rom 8:11. Know that unlike the Old Testament saints, which had to go through a sleep phase – 1Kings 2:10/ 11:43/14:31 – and they were kept in a place called Paradise in the earth – the NT saints that leave behind their earthly tabernacle – 2Cor 5:1-4 – because Christ hath attained resurrection from the dead, shall be alive with him. The word of God recognizes that “To be absent from the body is to be present (close, at hand, readily available, within reach) with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
They that know God and are yet in the body represent “the saints that are in the earth (Psalm 16:3)” – but they that have left their earthly abode represents “the saints in light (Colossians 1:12)”.
Precious Holy Ghost through Paul the Apostle, therefore, instructs us that we be not ignorant, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11).
I personally believe that in the New Testament times, we have to give up this earthly house of this tabernacle to be dissolved so that we could be clothed with a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens – that we wouldn’t be found naked anymore – that mortality might be swallowed up of life – 2Cor 5:1-4 – it is to be absent from the body and to be present (be at home) with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). Naked means, bereft (free from, robbed off, stripped off, deprived of) of the glorious body which we had in Adam before the fall – Gen 2:25/3:7/Rev 3:17,18/16:15.
2 Corinthians 5 says, in this tabernacle, we do groan, and are burdened (2 Corinthians 5:4). So I would say this separation from the body would result in entering into a state of absolute rest. Our spirit which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness – Eph 4:24 – that which is born of the Spirit (John 3:6) – is so limited in this vile body – Philippians 3:21 – we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened (2 Corinthians 5:4). For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time (Paul says) are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18) – when He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19) – whose spirits are perfected – Heb 12:23 – and being clothed with a new glorious tabernacle, like unto His glorious body to rule and reign in life as kings and priests unto God our Father and to reign on earth – Rev 1:6/5:10.
Be clothed upon – 2Cor 5:2,4
A born-again Christian is a person who WAS dead with Christ in baptism – Revelation 1:18/Rom 6:4,8/Col 2:12, 20/Eph 2:5 – For ye ARE DEAD, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). It is appointed unto men once to die (Hebrews 9:27) – Now if we be dead with Christ (Romans 6:8) – and Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him (Romans 6:9) – ergo, as the members of His own body we also do not die but are simply absent from the body to be present with the Lord.
But we HAD the sentence of death in ourselves – but God hath DELIVERED us from so great a death (2 Corinthians 1:9,10) – our Saviour Jesus Christ, hath ABOLISHED death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel – 2Timothy 1:10 – He destroyed (incapacitated) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil – Heb 2:14,15. We know that we have PASSED FROM DEATH unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death (1 John 3:14) – It’s as simple as that!
Quote: Part of death, after all, is the dissolution of the human being, the ultimate valley of humiliation, the renouncing of all possibility. Not only must death not be proud, as John Donne declared, but those who die cannot be proud, cannot hold on to any part of themselves, and say, ‘but this is still me’. All is given up” –
That is the fate of an unbeliever. But to a believer, it is not so?
As a born-again Christian, I just cannot relate my life with this man’s understanding. When Christ Jesus found me, I was awarded everything that pertains to life – since Christ took upon him that humiliation and the sorrows of death, and the pains of hell (Psalm 116:3/Heb 2:9) – and the snares of death (Psalm 18:5) – we, whom God begat through Christ don’t have to bear all of these anymore; for our big brother hath paid the price for us.
Remember this: To die (that is, to be absent in the body) is GAIN (Philippians 1:21) – and Christians (as new creatures in Christ, our behavior or conduct, and our nature itself being transformed and being translated into the kingdom of Christ – Col 1:13/Heb 12:22, 23) we can no longer say that we bury the dead – but instead we must understand and affirm that we sow the mortal body of the person that went to be with the Lord – Jesus said, Let the DEAD bury their dead (Luke 9:60) – here “the dead” denotes an unbeliever (mere men – 1Cor 3:3). Psalm 82:7 says, ye shall die like men – but it shall not be so to them that are in Christ Jesus. For we are dead with him and we die no more. For we are raised with him, aren’t we? and is seated already with him in heavenly places – Eph 2:6.
As I go into a cemetery I like to think of the time when the dead shall rise from their graves. … Thank God, our friends are not buried; they are only sown! Dwight L Moody
Is it not preposterous to even think that we would die again when we preach and consider ourselves be dead with Christ already? Our Saviour Jesus Christ, hath abolished death (2 Timothy 1:10) – therefore, death hath no hold on us, period. The reason why we are not considered as mere men is that a born again Christian is a new creature, he/she is a spiritual being – 1Cor 2:15/3:1; though we walk in the flesh – 2Cor 10:3, we must reckon that we are IN the Spirit and not in the flesh – Romans 8:9 – we are baptized into Christ, aren’t we? Rom 6:3/Gal 3:27 – we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us. For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). You see now the importance of renewing our minds!
Does the Bible anywhere say that a Christian would die? No. A regenerate soul is counted dead the day he/she came to Christ and the water baptism represents the burial and resurrection – Rom 6:3-5/Col 2:12. For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him – 2 Tim 2:11 – Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him – Rom 6:8 – For he that is dead is freed from sin – Rom 6:7. Having been dead, buried, and raised with Christ – Eph 2:5,6 – we’ve been delivered from this present evil world – Gal 1:4 – from the power of Satan/darkness – Acts 26:18/Col 1:13 – the world got crucified unto us and us unto the world – Gal 6:14 – hence, not only did sin lost its jurisdiction over such but also death hath lost its grip as well – Rom 6/1Cor 15:55.
Apostle Paul understood this. He said,
- The time of my departure is at hand (2 Timothy 4:6)
- Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23)
- After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you (Acts 20:29)
Paul did say, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb 9:27) – if you clearly study this sentence, you could see that he is talking about mere men, who are without Christ, and after they die, judgment follows. For a Christian, there is no more condemnation.
Having said that, a Christian could die IF he neglects or is not diligent and wouldn’t mortify the deeds of the flesh and chooses to live after the flesh – Rom 8:13.
Death then means, to have no inheritance with the saints, to be rejected from the household of God, to come short of adoption as sons of God, to be erased from the book of life, etc…
This is a serious thing, isn’t it? Therefore, fear lest we come short and fail of the grace or fall from grace or be rejected – Heb 4:1/12:15/ 1Cor 9:27/Phil 2: 12/1Pet 1:17.
Therefore, let us examine ourselves and prove our own selves often – 2Cor 13:5 – that no man would take our crown (Rev 3:11).
Do we belong to the household of God or are mere hirelings – John 10:12,13/ Phil 3:19. Sons of God are led by the Spirit – Rom 8:14 – Sons of God hath already crucified their flesh with the affections and lusts – Gal 5:24.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not (Jude 1:5) – they left their ordained position as did the angels which kept not their first estate (Jude 1:6). With many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness (1 Cor 10:5). Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (1 Cor 10:6,11).
Hence, our body is SOWN in corruption; it is raised in incorruption – It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – In the New Testament do you see “burial being mentioned anywhere? Yes, one time, for we are buried with Him in baptism – Past-tense! Bury = going down into the pit, Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat) put out of sight, hide, consigned to the grave.
Paradise was a place under the earth’s surface where the righteous souls were held until Jesus rose from the dead. So, according to the Old Testament, they were said to be in a sleep mode, so to speak. The Bible speaks about the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried (Acts 2:29) – not us. Other than an unbeliever or an Old Testament saint, the last person that we see who was buried is Jesus Christ, the Son of man – Matthew 14:12 – and we are buried with Him when we acknowledge and being identified with him in the baptism.
That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die (dissolved): And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 1 Corinthians 15:36-37. Do you think a framer would ever say that he buried his grains? Never, but he would enthusiastically say that he sowed his seeds.
Let me conclude with a quote, which D.L Moody had said,
Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.
I shall have gone up higher, that is all-out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal;
a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto his glorious body.
I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1855.*
That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.
I hope Christians would come to recognize these truths and sow the seed of the mortal remains into the ground and dismiss the thought of burying the dead; he/she had his/her funeral service done the day he/she got baptized in water. How can we let a Christian be buried again without offending God?
May this brief thought strengthen and comfort our hearts in the Lord.