Because He Lives

Because He Lives

The Funeral of Carol Mathias - April 24th, 2026

John 3:16-21

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

That portion of God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our reading from the holy Gospel according to St. John in the third chapter with special emphasis on verses sixteen through eighteen which read as follows:

[Jesus said:] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Dear friends in Christ, it is with heavy hearts that we gather to lay to rest our dear sister Carol. There are many things that can be said about her. Indeed, God gave her many vocations, that is, Christian duties, in this life. There is much to recall fondly, especially her over sixty years of marriage to Ernie. This godly union led to an increase in family, and many warmly recall her love for her family, her devotion to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Besides all of this, there are those who are friends, other family, former colleagues, and those who shared interests with her. Indeed, there is much to give thanks to God about in a life like this.

            As important as remembering Carol’s life among us is, these recollections do not remove the reality before us. The reason we are gathered is that Carol was abruptly taken from us by her declining health. Death is never easy for us, even when the person claimed by it was 80 years old. It is even worse when it comes unexpectedly. Carol was taken to the hospital on a Wednesday; she went home with her Lord on a Sunday.

            And in such a circumstance, it can be difficult to take seriously what our Lord Jesus

says in our Gospel reading today. “For God so loved the world…” There are those who look at death, look at circumstances like these, and find it difficult to reconcile with what our Lord Jesus says. There is a common, but false, view that having faith in Christ means that death, suffering, hardship, and the like will never be present. This is not the case.

            St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians that Christians grieve. This is for a simple reason: we live in a world deformed by sin, beholden to death, and under the rule of the Devil. These enemies prowl around, seeking to devour us. There is much to grieve here in this mortal veil. But Paul goes on to write that Christians do not grieve as those without hope.

            And what hope is this? Not a pious wish, but a firm understanding of the work of Christ. Or, as Jesus put it, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that you, even Carol, would be saved through Him.

            God saw sin, death, and the oppression of the devil. Overcome with compassion for us sinners, our Lord gave up His most precious possession, His dear Son, to suffer and die to save us sinners. That is to say, the answer to the problem of sin, death, and the devil is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. He gave His life as a ransom for many, the payment for sin, and to put death to death. This is the basis of our Christian hope, the solid, sure hope of a certain future that is yet to be fully revealed.

            What I am saying, dear friends in Christ, is simple: Jesus died so that sinners would be forgiven and live again. Jesus died for sinners like you, me, and Carol. Carol was baptized into Christ, being covered with forgiveness as a little girl. And Christ never forgot her. He sustained her through this life, giving her His Word, His forgiveness, His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. And through all this, He prepared her for this day, where she now stands before the very throne of her Savior and God.

            Carol was a wife, mom, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and much more. She was a sinner in need of redemption. And, thanks be to God, it is exactly for people in need, just like Carol, that Christ became man, suffered, died, and rose again. It is for Carol that Christ worked everlasting salvation, indeed, for us all.

            As important as all these things we have mentioned about Carol are, we must say that the most important thing we can say about her is that she is a beloved, baptized child of God, redeemed in the blood of Christ. She was a hearer of the saving Word of Christ. She was brought to faith and sustained by that same Lord.

            So now, on this day of goodbyes, remembrances, and tears, we must recall the most significant thing about Carol: she is a Christian, a hearer of the saving Word of God. And, by faith, she now possesses the full measure of life and salvation that has long been promised to her by Christ her Lord. Carol rests with all the saints and angels in paradise, awaiting the resurrection of her body unto life everlasting.

            Dear friends in Christ, death is always a tragedy. It brings grief and sorrow. But do not grieve as those who do not know the truth. Death is not the last word. Suffering is not the greatest power on this earth. Christ is. He has overcome death and sin. And Carol has received this great victory from her Lord. Her death, united to His by Baptism, is now the way the Lord has brought her from this life to the world to come. Christ did not come to condemn this world, but to save us who are in it. So He promises for you. So He has done for Carol.

She lives because He lives.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

 The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] John 3:16-18