Larry, Steven, Kathy, Judith and Bob, family and friends of Donna:
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
[Intro]
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). This is what Donna lived by.
Now, Donna was not trembling before her Lord. No, fear here means that she loved and trusted her Lord above all things. She was in awe of her Lord. She respected her Lord. She loved her Lord.
Today, Donna is living out the sure and certain hope that we each have by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of waiting to see her Lord, she is in the presence of her Lord.
On March 31, the door to heaven was opened to her. She has entered paradise.
Jesus teaches us: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:7, 9).
By faith in Jesus as her Lord, Donna has passed from death to life!
During her earthly life, Donna wrote braille for 35 years. Most importantly, she was an active member of First Lutheran Church as she served as a member of the LWML, taught adult Bible classes and was a quilter.
In fact, she taught adult Bible class for 45 years. She certainly loved her Lord.
She also sewed baby clothes for hospital stillborn babies. Donna cherished the time spent with family and friends, especially loving the little children.
[Fear: The Beginning of Knowledge]
As I began our sermon, I mentioned how Donna feared the Lord. As I said, the fear mentioned here is not about trembling, but the fear mentioned here means awe and respect.
As Solomon puts in in Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a).
Where does this fear come from? How do we come to fear the Lord?
Well, this knowledge comes from God through Christ. The knowledge to believe in Christ first begins at our Baptism. You see, knowledge is a gift from God, received by faith. As God’s name is pronounced over us in the waters of Holy Baptism, we receive the ability to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This occurred for Donna on November 25, 1928.
Then on April 18, 1943, the Holy Spirit called Donna to confess her faith in Jesus on her confirmation day.
Now, knowledge cannot be possessed apart from God’s gracious work in Christ. As Paul tells us in Ephesians 2: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We are saved only through the work and merit of Jesus. We receive eternal life through Christ’s sacrificial death upon the cross and through His resurrection from the dead on behalf of all sinners, you and me.
As Jesus tell us in John 10: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:9, 14-15).
Through Christ laying down His life for us and rising from the dead, all who believe in Him have become heirs of the kingdom of heaven. By grace through faith in Christ, we are righteous and have received everlasting life!
[Fear: Leads to Everlasting Life]
Today, Donna is in the presence of the Good Shepherd. All of her sins have been wiped away. She has no more wants. She no longer hungers or thirsts, for she is in the presence of her Lord. She is truly a saint!
Her fear of the Lord has led to eternal life. As Proverbs 19:23 states: “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”
Today, Donna is at peace. She is safe and resting satisfied in the presence of her Savior!
For us – who are on this side of heaven – we are still saints and sinners. We may weep for our separation from Donna, but know this: we may grieve, but we grieve in the sure and certain hope of life everlasting (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Through Christ, we know we will see our loved ones again!
Thanks be to God, who gives us eternal life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
T SOLI DEO GLORIA T
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