Jesus said to His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a). Jesus says the same to us this day, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” With these words, Jesus fortified and preserved His weary disciples. Today, Jesus reminds us that we will see our loved ones again who have died in the faith.
During the last days of Ed’s life, I’m sure there were times when your hearts were troubled. Thoughts like, “This isn’t the way I thought it would be” likely cropped into your minds. If it did, it’s because that is a natural thought. Even though death is expected of all of us – unless Christ returns first – death still does not seem right. It just doesn’t seem right that we are separated from our loved ones. For with death, comes separation. With separation, we experience loss.
Death is still our enemy. Jesus wept when He heard that His friend Lazarus was dead, even though Jesus knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. The shortest verse in the Bible tells us about Jesus’ tears over death: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). So should we. We mourn death. We are sad when our loved ones die. And there is no shame in our suffering.
But we must remember that death is still defeated. We are not given over to despair. We mourn, but with joy. We cry with laughter. Our tears are mixed with hope. In the shadow of the grave, we sing of life eternal. In the midst of death, we confess the resurrection. Our mourning is mixed with joy because “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).
Throughout his earthly life, Ed lived out his Christian vocations. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather to name a handful of his vocations. He grew up in Milwaukee and later found his way to the Coulee Region. Along the way, he served in the US Army and the Army Reserves. For 27 years, he served the city of Milwaukee as a police officer. From what I recall, he had many stories to share about his time on the force. But what I think he enjoyed the most was his family. He adored his wife Elaine. For Ed, passing on the Christian faith was most important to him. So, to Jeff, Dave, and Jodi, they all know what “Where were ya?” means.
For Ed, hunting, bowling, baseball, and watching the Packers all came up well down the list to passing on the one true Christian faith to his family. Here, at Prince of Peace, Ed served as a pillar of this congregation as an elder and as the vice-president, turned president of this congregation. Now, Ed was a sinner – just like all of us – but due to his faith in Christ, he is no longer numbered among sinners. You see, at his death, his sin was destroyed. Death for Ed is simply a portal to heaven as His Savior Jesus Christ called him home. Today, Ed is resting from his labors as he has received the promise of eternal life.
Ed and Elaine’s wedding psalm was Psalm 121. This Psalm tells of pilgrims on a journey to their heavenly home. Ed has completed this journey, but we on this side of heaven are still on this journey.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” (Psalm 121:1) Hills and mountains so often are portrayed as dangerous places. But hills and mountains are also symbols of strength and security. But, how is the Psalmist looking at the hills? As a source of danger, or as a source of help? Is he fearful, or is he confident?
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Well, his “help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).
This psalm is an ascending promise of help, since the Lord is our ally. But what makes the Lord our ally? Well, He took on our human flesh by becoming man for us. As a man, Jesus took upon Himself our death, our punishment, so that our death would no longer forever separate us from God. He is our ally because he gives us salvation in the place of condemnation and forgiveness in the place of judgment, eternal life in the place of eternal death.
From where does our help come? Our help comes from the Lord! Each verse adds a blessing: “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). You see, the Lord protects us from tottering and slipping, because He never becomes inattentive to our needs. He doesn’t let us struggle our way to Him, instead He provides us the Way through His Son (John 14:6).
“The Lord is your keeper” (Psalm 121:5a). The Lord is our watchman who preserves His people when we cannot see the danger ahead. And unlike some watchmen who take breaks, the “Lord is your shade on your right hand,” (Psalm 121:5b) so His protection is timeless. He protects us in this life and to life everlasting.
All throughout his life, Ed was looking up to that hill where his help came. Today, Ed is atop that hill. He has arrived at his heavenly home. He has arrived atop the mountain the Lord of hosts has made for all peoples. Upon that mountain, he is numbered among the faithful as they eat “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Isaiah 25:6).
Upon this mountain, no human action occurs. Here, all people – by faith in Christ – receive what God graciously provides. Because of God’s love, He provides a rich spiritual banquet. This heavenly banquet is the richest and tastiest meal that is beyond our own imagination! The wine is aged in order to increase its color and quality. The meat is fat and rich. This is the banquet of God’s grace. Our Savior Jesus has prepared the best His love could offer: rich compassion, wonderful forgiveness, and every satisfying food for the soul.
This is the banquet that no one deserves, because of our sin. But God has prepared this feast for us in heaven for all who receive His forgiveness.
Even in our life now, we receive a foretaste of this rich meal. In the Lord’s Supper, we receive Christ’s very Body and Blood under the bread and the wine for the forgiveness of our sins.
While in heaven, God continuously provides as He keeps our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
But heaven is not the end. For Ed and all the faithful, there is still something more on the horizon. The Apostle Paul writes: “Behold! I tell you a mystery! We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). You see, death does not have the final say. Life has the final say! For everyone in Christ, He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21a)! Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will be raised! So, Ed’s body will be raised to life on that glorious resurrection day!
May we too look up to the hills and receive the Lord’s blessings of eternal life! Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
Ed Schmidt's Obituary: https://www.schumacher-kish.com/obituary/edward-schmidt
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