Carol, Mary, and Julie, family and friends of Esther:
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
[Christ Speaks Comfort]
“Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a). Christ spoke those words to comfort His disciples, since He knew His departure was nearing – with His betrayal, suffering, and death – just days away. Christ speaks those same words of comfort to us here this morning.
You see, any departure – though short or long – is a cause for distress. Certainly, nobody wants to be separated from their loved ones and friends. This morning we see before us the wages of sin, which is death. Due to sin, no human being can overcome death. But, although we die to sin – death serves as a portal, a gate to heaven – since “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).
For all believers in Christ, death is not to be feared, since we have 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).
At the same time, don’t be ashamed to grieve. Grieving the loss of loved ones is perfectly natural. Remember, Jesus grieved. But always hold on to this sure and certain truth that because Christ lives, everyone in Christ also lives.
[God Blessed Esther]
We are here this morning to remember Esther’s life, but most importantly, we are here to rejoice in Christ’s promise of forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation to all who trust in Him.
Throughout her life, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – blessed Esther. She was blessed in her marriage to Harold, known as “Bud” to many, with three daughters Carol, Mary, and Julie. She was loving and never met a stranger. She was certainly a people person as she always remained close to her family and friends.
God also blessed Esther in her work life as He led her to become a prolific stenographer in her youth, which prepared her as she served as secretary at Glencoe High School for 22 years under many principals.
Even in the hard times of losing the farmstead near Lester Prairie in the spring of 1965, due to a tornado, out of that destruction, God blessed Esther and “Bud” as they moved to Glencoe.
All through her life, God provided for all of Esther’s needs of body and soul.
[Glad Songs of Salvation]
Now, you may have noticed a common theme in today’s Scripture readings. If not, I will enlighten you now.
We first heard from Psalm 118 with these words: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous” (Psalm 118:14-15). Then we heard in Revelation 7 of those clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10) They later proclaimed, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 7:12) In the reading from Colossians 3, we heard these words: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
This common theme is singing the glad songs of salvation. In my years in knowing Esther, she expressed her faith in Christ through song. In a way, singing hymns was how she prayed to her Lord and Savior. All throughout her life, she memorized many hymns. And later in life, when her eyesight diminished, she continually sang the hymns that were written in her heart.
Back at
Easter, I visited Esther in the hospital. Being hospitalized, I knew she would not
be able to attend the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, so I began
singing Easter hymns to her, such as “Awake, My Heart, with Gladness,” “O Sons
and Daughters of the King,” and “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today,” and without any
words in front of her, she sang right along with me.
For Esther, the word of Christ dwelled in her richly as she sang hymns with thankfulness in her heart to God.
[Hymns as Proclamation of the Word]
In our reading from Colossians 3, God teaches us that singing hymns is also a means for the proclamation of the Word. In fact, Christ-centered hymns convey some of the Bible’s greatest teachings.
As we sing hymns, we anticipate the worship, joy, and glory of eternity that all believers in Christ have. But for Esther, she is no longer anticipating these joys as she is there participating in this worship, joy, and glory with the Church Triumphant in heaven!
So, just as the Word of the Lord gives life and remains to eternity, as Baptism is a resurrection with Christ, which assures us of being raised with Him at His coming, and as the Holy Supper of Christ’s very Body and Blood is a foretaste of the banquet of the kingdom to come, so through singing hymns, the Church anticipates our future worship as the Church Triumphant. So, the closest we can get in this life to the joy and glory of paradise is the church’s worship of Word and Sacrament – including the hymns and canticles that are included.
For Martin Luther, hymnody was powerful. He wrote hymns that are rich in doctrine in order to teach and instruct, as well as to be easily memorized. Luther wrote in his Large Catechism that “nothing is so powerfully effective against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts as to occupy one’s self with God’s Word, to speak about it and meditate upon it. … Without a doubt, you will offer up no more powerful incense or savor against the devil than to occupy yourself with God’s commandments and words and to speak, sing, or think about them … [as] that drives away the devil and puts him to flight.”[1]
The Word of the Lord endures forever even through song. Christ-centered hymns proclaim Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and what His sacrifice gives us: forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, and salvation. For Esther, memorizing and singing hymns gave her comfort knowing that Christ has accomplished salvation for everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus.
Today, Esther and her fellow saints arrayed in white in the Church Triumphant are singing the glad songs of salvation – the glad songs of peace with God through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Today, Esther has no more hunger, no more thirst, no more tears. She has perfect eyesight. Esther has joined the Church Triumphant because she knew the way. So, what is the way? Jesus says: “I am the way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)
You see, Jesus bridges the chasm between God and man. He is the only Bridge to God the Father. As we have all gone astray – due to our sin – Jesus took upon Himself all of our sins through His suffering and death upon the cross, so that we – by faith in Him – would know the only Way to God the Father.
As the Truth, Jesus is the actual embodiment of the Truth. As the Life, He abolishes the separation and unites us with God the Father.
Through Christ’s love for you, He has opened the gate of salvation. He opened the gate of salvation through His suffering, death, and bodily resurrection, which destroyed the power of sin, death, and hell upon all believers, so that we – by faith in Him – would be with Him forever. So do not let your hearts be troubled, since Christ alone has become our salvation.
For everyone in Christ, we are comforted knowing that even in the hour of death, through Christ, we possess the resurrection to everlasting life!
May we one day join Esther and her fellow saints in heaven and sing with them the glad songs of salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! 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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