Robert, Randy, Brian, and Jon, family and friends of Judy:
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
[Intro: Times and Seasons]
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Each day we have is beyond our own human control. Everything comes and goes at the time that God has appointed. As God spoke in Psalm 90: “For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; but their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” … “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:9-10, 12).
Today, we certainly see the wages of sin, which is death. Due to sin, no human being can overcome death. But, although we all die due to sin, by grace through faith in Jesus, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).
Today,
Judy has received the victory! She has joined the happy throng singing the
triumph song: Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ, the King! (Onward
Christian Soldiers, LSB 662, Stanza 4). She is wearing the robe of Christ’s
righteousness that covers all of her sins with her fellow saints in the Church
Triumphant! She has received the free gift of God, that is eternal life – and
all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!
[Faith and Determination]
Judy loved to dance. In fact, she met her husband Robert at the Play-Mor ballroom. Although, that night, the two did not dance – as she declined Robert’s invitation, their dating life and marriage would not be void of dancing.
But back in 2012 and 2013, it was the thought that Judy would not ever dance again, due to cancer and other infections. For a time, she was unable to walk. But due to her faith and determination, she was able to walk again – and dance again.
Besides dancing, Judy enjoyed her flowers, especially her large Hosta garden. She also enjoyed the company of her cats.
She loved her family, especially her husband Robert and her sons Randy, Brian, and Jon.
Most importantly, her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior is what kept her going all of her life. Through thick and thin, Jesus was always there for her. He never left her, nor forsake her. He is with her to this day! Today she is in the presence of her Lord and Savior. She is completely satisfied as she hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore. She is no longer suffering the effects of sin. She is at bliss with her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant!
For us today, we are experiencing loss. With any loss, we grieve. So, do not be ashamed to grieve at the loss of Judy this day, or in future days. But also know this: As Christians, we grieve not as the unbelieving world grieves. We grieve in the sure and certain hope that we will be with our loved ones again who have died in the faith! “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep. … Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 18).
So, don’t be ashamed to grieve. Grieving is natural. And we all grieve in different ways. But always remember, Christians have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, everyone in Christ also lives!
[At the Appointed Time]
We should also remember that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
All things have their time. All things have their definite hour. Everything comes and goes at the time that God Himself has appointed: “A time to be born, and time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).
Birth has its own time, and death has its own time. As we do not have our own birth planned out, we also do not have our own death planned out either. A baby is in the hand of God and is not born until its hour of birth comes. Women labor and concern about the birth of their baby, and they predict the time, but there is nothing certain about it. Nor do we die, except at our appointed hour.
For Judy, she may have thought when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 that death was near, or when her kidneys failed, but only God knew her appointed date and time.
Essentially, God is saying: “Why fear death?” Afterall, we cannot live any longer than the Lord has prescribed, nor die any sooner. So, we each have “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).
But our sinful nature may say: “What about those people who die of their own initiative? What about those who died too young? Could they not have saved their lives?” No. God has set this hour and even the means and kind of death. God sets the moments of our life and of our death. They are fixed.
Now, our sinful nature may not like this. Our sinful nature likes the idea that we have some form of control. But this is a great comfort. God has indeed numbered our days. Our birth and our death are in His control.
Now, the time between our birth and our death, we perform the works of man.
“A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2b).
These are the works of human life. In the spring there is planting, in the autumn there is plucking up. As Judy enjoyed taking care of her flowers and plants, she would be familiar with this. The flowers and plants would only last so long, then they would be plucked up for the next season. This is our life. This is our life now.
So, for everything there is a season. A season to weep, a season to laugh, a season to mourn, a season to dance, and on and on.
For each of these works, there is a defined time. There is a time to weep, there is a time to laugh. But it often happens that when we want to be very joyous, a sudden disturbance arises. Therefore joy – like all seasons – has its appointed time.
What God teaches us in Ecclesiastes 3 is this: Enjoy the present things. Enjoy all the blessings that God has bestowed upon us and all creatures – His Daily Bread – because they will come to an end.
Even as the grass withers and the flower fades through the seasons of our life, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). The Word of the Lord never withers nor fades but endures forever!
All material things are temporal – they will fade away, but our faith in Christ is eternal! Our faith is eternal, because the eternal God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – strengthens our faith through His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament!
Since, the Word of the Lord endures forever, Judy is at peace. She is at peace because she has entered by the Door of the Sheep – Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd.
She – and all who trust in Christ – received this peace at their Baptism. For “there is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
You see, at your baptism, you were joined to Christ Himself. You were joined to His suffering, His death, and His bodily resurrection. In doing so, by faith in Christ alone, we share in the fruits of His cross: forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation!
So, we acknowledge one Lord: Jesus Christ; one Faith: that is true doctrine as confessed in the Creeds; one Baptism: where we are joined to Christ.
Jesus came to “lay down [His] life for the sheep” (John 10:15b), so that He “may take it up again” (John 10:17) for which He did on that Good Friday and Easter morning, so that all who would trust in Him would live with Him forever.
Today, Judy and her fellow saints are at peace. They are dwelling in the house of the Lord and receiving the feast that is prepared for all the faithful (Psalm 23). May we on our appointed day join her and all the faithful in heaven!
For us this day, we have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, we shall also live, as we – with the Church Triumphant in Heaven – await Christ’s coming on the Last Day! 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
Judy Sellnow's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/judith-judy-sellnow/
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