Dear Christian friends:

We do not think of a funeral as a happy event. Nor do we think of a dead person as a happy person. That's because we do not see with the eyes of God. We look at death with our old natural eyes. We need new eyes. Eyes of faith. Eyes which only God's Holy Spirit can give us.

If we look at death with eyes of faith then we will see that the dead are happy, and we will receive much comfort and hope. God's Word can give us such eyes of faith. Lets attend to it. Our text says:

I. What is this great happiness?

A. They rest from their hard work.

1. It's not easy to be a Christian, mockery of the world.

2. No more fighting temptation.

B. What they have done goes with them.

1. "You can't take it with you" people say of money and that is true.

2. But the good works of a Christian goes with him to give glory to Jesus and to reward him. Jesus says: "Don't store up treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up treasure in heaven where neither moth or rust can destroy and where thieves cannot break in and steal."

C. Forever with their God and Savior: Song of the Lamb

Therefore, "they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread
his tent over them.

Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst
The sun will not beat upon them;
nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the
center of the throne will
be their shepherd;
he will lead them to
springs of living water.
And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes."
(Revelations 7:15-17)

Such is the great happiness of the dead.

We know that your father and our friend, [ ____________] is now, this hour enjoying such great and wonderful happiness. How do we know? How can we be sure?

II. Because He died believing in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Here in our text the Spirit says: "Happy are the dead who are in the Lord!"

All who die believing in Jesus Christ are better off in death and very happy. "To die in the Lord" means to believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that all of us are sinners and cannot earn our own righteousness, no matter how hard we try or how good we may appear to other people. The Bible says, "We are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags" before the holy and perfect God. (Isaiah 64:6) That's very bad news and gives sinful men no hope. But thank God the Bible also has Good News for us sinners. It says that God sent His Son to be born of Mary to take our sin and death upon Himself and to suffer our punishment upon the cross and then rise from death on the third day.

Jesus Himself says: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." John writes. (1 John 1:7)

We believe that [____________ ] had such faith in Jesus. He died in the Lord. Baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church and came to Church and the Lord's Supper regularly. After he suffered the stroke we visited him several times at the hospital and spoke to him of His Savior Jesus. One visit I told him of the happiness of heaven and he answered "That is true!"

We know that Mr. [__________] died with faith in the Lord Jesus. He now rests safe and happy with his Savior. This gives us much comfort today. Yes, you will miss him but the pain in your heart will slowly go away in time. Be glad that he is now much better off.

The question we much ask ourselves today is: Am I in the Lord? Do I humbly confess my sins and believe that Jesus died for me? Will I be happy in death? If you are not a believer now may God show mercy to you and help you to believe.

If you do believe in Jesus, then thank God and praise Him for the great mercy He has shown to [___________] and to all believers.

May God keep you by His Word and Holy Supper in that true faith until you die in the Lord.

Amen.