Jesus’ Memorial Celebration
Part One
For most of us, our funeral or life-celebration service, will be the last time that the majority of those who attend will formerly gather together to bring us into public remembrance. It will be a one and done event.
Some of the closest survivors may later on visit the burial site, that being the last point of contact, and the ongoing location, of the bodily remains. For them, it satisfies a desire to maintain a sense of closeness to the departed soul. But the truth is, there is no soul in any corpse, morgue, casket, funeral parlor, urn, or cemetery.
There are usually a few survivors that will be genuinely heart-broken. Contrary to what would be the wishes of the departed one, they will have great difficulty passing through the stages of grieving.
There are those who believe that departed human souls have the ability to look down, observe, appear to, and “look after” or intervene in the lives of those they leave behind.
There is an incident recorded in Luke 16: 19- 31. Rather or not this a parable or an actual event is a matter of debate, but at the very least, it has been made a part of Scripture and therefore is there for our instruction and edification (1).
The incident speaks of a departed soul suffering greatly in the Torments of Hades begging that an individual in Paradise (the holding place for departed believers during the Old Testament dispensation) be sent to warn his family members that he left behind, but his request was denied. The man was told that they (the family members he left behind) have “Moses and the Prophets” (Old Testament Scripture) to warn them.
As of the Church Age, we have the completed Bible that includes the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3:16, 18, being presented to us during our time here on Earth. Our individual decision, made here on Earth, to believe or disbelieve determines where we will find ourselves upon departing this world.
The lesson to be learned here is that if we choose to depart this world in the capacity of an unbeliever, it is too late to change the location of where we will spend eternity. It will also be too late to play a role (by sharing the Gospel Message) in the salvation of those we leave behind.
As for observation and intervention in the lives of those we leave behind, I don’t see how Heaven could be a place of rest and no more sorrow if we are going to spend time observing all of the trials and tribulations that the loved ones that we leave behind will go through. One of the reasons that some individuals are taken home is to spare them from what they would otherwise have to endure.
While here on Earth, I will address all my prayers and prayer requests to God, and to God alone, Who has told me in His Word (2) that He will supply all my needs.
During the Old Testament dispensation, communicating or attempts to communicate with departed human souls was punishable by physical death (3). I find no indication in New Testament Scripture that God has changed His mind regarding such activity.
Interesting to note that it is the birthdate of people that might be made a holiday or otherwise celebrated. Yet according to divine viewpoint (4), the day of death (departure) for a born again believer, is greater than the day of his or het birth, and is a day to be celebrated.
For most of us, after a generation or two passes by, the conscious memory of us here on Earth will fade away like the written pages of human history, as was in the case of the preceding generations, and will be the case of the forthcoming generations.
God, however, does not forget the part that each one of His children accomplished in the unfolding plan of God, during what had been their appointed time in human history here on Earth (5).
Sad to say, but for many, perhaps even the majority (6), the significance of the entire spiritual life of the departed one can be summed up in the date of birth and date of death commonly inscribed on the head stone, with nothing (positive) of eternal significance ever taking place in between.
Such persons came into this world spiritually dead, and left this world in the same spiritual condition, having never been born-again (7), that would have resulted in receiving eternal life (8) and a regenerated spirit (9).
Others are born again along the way, but never identified or executed the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship. They remain saved, are Heaven bound, but should not expect to receive any reward in Heaven (10).
Scripture (11) tells us it is more beneficial to attend a wake or funeral than a party. Partiers tend to put eternal issues aside, whereas at awake or funeral, the destination of the departed soul might cause one to consider his or her own eternal future.
End of Part One
(1)\t2Tim. 3: 16 (2) Phil. 4: 19 (3) Deut. 18: 9-14/Leviticus 20: 27 (4) Eccl.7: 1/Phil. 1: 21 (5) Heb.6: 10 (6) Matt. 7:13 (7) John 3: 5, 7 (8) John 3: 16, 18 (9) Titus 3: 5 (10) 1Cor 3: 15 (11) Eccl. 7: 2