The Final Word
A sermon by
John 11:32-44
Hebrews 12:1-2
If you have problems
printing this sermon, click here
FOR MORE RESOURCES on the Gospel of John, click the links below:
Sermons (No password required)
Hymns (No password required)
Concise Exegesis (No password required)
Complete Exegesis (SermonWriter password required)
Children's Sermons (SermonWriter password required)
SERMON: The Final Word
It is in the night,
and all that “night” symbolizes,
that we come to appreciate the light of grace.
For it is in the night
when all is dark
that we lie naked before the universe.
It is in the night that we wrestle with demons and angels
hoping against hope to see the light of the new day.
The night,
the dark,
is both tomb and womb for the Christian.
It is the place where we die a thousand deaths
and it is the place where new life springs forth. (Psalm 110:3; 139:13; Isaiah 46:3-4)
Whether it is the darkness of our rooms at night
or the night of our darkness within,
we are being re-created into the people God intends us to be.
So it is important that we recognize the necessity of the tomb
if we are ever to experience the wonder of the womb.
But the reality of the tomb is difficult to come to terms with
because it comes to us in the reality of our tears,
in the reality of our darkness,
in the reality of death.
Jesus arrives on the scene to find Mary in a tomb of tears.
There are no stars in her night sky.
Her brother Lazarus is dead
and she’s angry with Jesus for not coming earlier,
for not saving her brother. (John 11:32)
But it only takes a word from Jesus
and the tomb gives way to the womb
and the light of life bursts forth.
“Unbind him and let him go!” (John 11:44)
is Jesus’ word to the tomb.
Death shall not have the final word.
The final word belongs to God
and in Jesus Christ we see the light of the Word shine in our darkness
and the darkness cannot overcome it. (John 1:5)
There is a greater reality;
a greater reality that is unbound and free;
a greater reality that transforms the tomb into the womb,
death into life;
it is a greater reality that belongs to God.
And it is this greater reality that we celebrate on All Saints’ Day.
And it is this greater reality that is among us even now.
The home of God is among us. (Revelation 21:3)
Not in spite of,
but especially in the midst of the pain and tragedy we experience,
in the midst of all that would entomb us —
God is present and active bringing life out of death.
The letter to the Hebrews visions a great cloud of witnesses constantly surrounding us,
an enormously bright conclave of saints cheering us on
as we run this race of life. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It’s a wonderfully faithful vision of God’s greater reality
that is always just beyond touch and sight.
It reminds us that we are not alone in this saintly life;
it reminds us that we are part of a larger legacy that belongs to God.
We are part of a holy plan that stretches beyond time and space.
And it is this holy plan,
this larger legacy of redemption and salvation,
that makes our faithful loved ones very much a part of our present,
very much with us,
very much among us — cheering us on.
And so we come on this day of days
not to pay homage to the tomb,
not to hear the voice of death;
we come to experience the wonder of the womb,
we have come to hear the Roll Call of life.
We gather in anticipation of the final word that belongs only to God
the final word that wipes every tear from our eyes;
the final word that conquers death;
the final word that scatters mourning, pain, and sorrow;
the final word that brings light to our night
and makes all things new. (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:4-5)
So let us Call the Roll.
With joy and thanksgiving let us faithfully acknowledge God’s greater reality.
Let us give thanks to God for the living legacy of all the saints
that make up the saving history of our God.
Please respond to the announcement of each saint’s name by faithfully proclaiming each one to be “PRESENT.”
1. Charley Adams 2. Cloe Adams 3. Raymond Adams 4. Robert Amacher 5. Shirley Amacher 6. Charles Ashcraft 7. Millicent Ashcraft 8. Dick Bagwell 9. Juanita Baker 10. Marilyn Baker 11. Gene Basden 12. Jo Basden 13. James Basden 14. Frances Bergdorf 15. Andrew Carroll 16. Chen Chenoweth 17. Lloyd Cox 18. Steve Dennis 19. Chub Dodge 20. Grace Dodge 21. Ann Patterson Dooley 22. David Drummond 23. Callie Elder 24. Loyd Elder 25. Buddy Elliot 26. Betty Ford 27. Doris Ford 28. Rev. John Gammie 29. Gregory Glenn 30. Betty Baxter Green 31. Bill Grimm 32. Shanna Grinstead 33. Kerilyn Brooke Henderson 34. Linda Herzberg 35. Bill Holloway 36. Geraldine Holmes 37. Doran Johnson 38. Geri Jones 39. Edward Juergenson 40. Ida Juergenson 41. Glen Lawrence |
42. Ken Ledbetter 43. Marion Ledbetter 44. George Lisle 45. Robert London 46. Wanda London 47. Russell Maddox 48. Doug Markey 49. Bob McGowen 50. Frankie McKinnon 51. Maynard Miller 52. Violet Miller 53. Vivian Milne 54. Del Moore 55. Bart Charles Murphy 56. Charlie Murphy 57. Everett Murphy 58. Josephine Murphy 59. Max Murphy 60. Lea Nielsen 61. Ed Orr 62. Mary B. Park 63. Daniel Alan Popp 64. Scott Portz 65. Mary Ramsay 66. Beatrice Ramseur 67. Alfreda Reaves 68. James Rettie 69. Reita Somers 70. Dale Stauffer 71. Arnold Stock 72. Del Stumpff 73. Martha Somers Stunkel 74. Priscilla Swain 75. Glen Swan 76. Kathleen Thompson 77. Christine Weber 78. George Weber 79. Judy Wenger 80. Betty Murphy Woods 81. Margaret Colladay |
Prayer: God of tomb and womb, across the ages you have sent us more witnesses than we could recognize, more help than we could seek, and more of yourself than we have been able to love. We thank you especially today for the saints of our faith: those who have freed us to worship you, those who have revived our faith and spoken your calling to us, those how have taught us about the past that we might be prepared for the future, and those whom we love, those who have been Christ to us, listening, loving, teaching, and serving us in your holy name.
With gratitude and thanks, O God, we rejoice in the vision of your saints surrounding us, especially in difficult times when we need to sense their cheering encouragement. For the gift of their witness and your Word, for care from their hands and from yours, we thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
THIS SERMON is brought to you courtesy of SermonWriter.
A SUBSCRIBER SAYS: "Thank you, and may God continue to bless your ministry to all of us waaaaay too busy preachers."
TRY SERMONWRITER! Helping busy pastors!
GET YOUR FOUR FREE SAMPLES! Click here for more information
|
Copyright 2006, Jeffrey K. London. Used by permission.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN these resources for the Gospel of John:
Sermons (No password required)
Hymns (No password required)
Concise Exegesis (No password required)
Complete Exegesis (SermonWriter password required)
Children's Sermons (SermonWriter password required)