Funeral Sermon for Ardis Johnson - 10/10/08

The Church Season of Trinity
Trinity 21
Funeral Service for Ardis Virginia Johnson
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI October 10, 2007

Readings:
1 John 5:1-4
Luke 2:25-32

“A DEFINING MOMENT”

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Friends and family of Ardis, especially J.R., Karen and John, Brenda and Bob and all the grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember with thanksgiving what God has done through His servant Ardis Virginia Johnson who was given life by her creator and was born on April 22nd, 1922, the child of Floyd Crosby and Minnie Arndt Crosby. She received the gift of Holy Baptism and became a child of God, and later publicly confessed her faith and was confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church of Midland. She received the precious gift of the Lord’s life giving body and blood. On April 25, 1941, she received the gift of a companion J.R. her beloved husband and they were married for over 67 years. Ardis and J.R. were blessed with the gift children, Karen who married John, and Brenda who married Bob, and there are 3 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. On October 8, 2008, God blessed Ardis with a holy death and took her home to rest in the arms of Jesus to await the resurrection of the Lord. Blessed are they who die in the Lord, from this time forth and evermore.

The text for today’s message is from the Gospel lesson of St. Luke the second Chapter wherein it is recorded that a gentleman named Simeon was “waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”(Lk 2:25) Or maybe this scripture is better heard in our modern terms as, this man Simeon was, “waiting for the comfort of Israel and the Holy Ghost, the comforter was upon him.” And the Holy Ghost God’s comforter, told Simeon that comfort would be delivered in the form of the Lord’s Christ. And Simeon would see in person, before his death, the Christ-Man who would offer comfort to the world. This would not only be a defining moment for the people of Israel, but it would be a defining moment for Simeon too. And so the Holy Ghost led Simeon to the temple to wait for a defining moment when, according to the Law, the Lord’s Christ would be brought to the temple. And so Simeon being a just and devout man did as he was told, he went to the temple and he waited.

Scripture does not tell us how long Simeon waited at the temple after the Holy Ghost spoke to him. We do not know if Simeon sat there at the temple for a day, or for many days. Whether it was hot or cold, sunny or rainy, whether he spent day and night waiting or whether he went to the temple once a day or once a week, or whether he was in sickness or in health.. Quite frankly we don’t know much at all about Simeon, whether he was young or old, or what he did for a living, and we do not know how long it was after he saw Christ that he died. All that we do know is that Simeon was, “just and devout” and that he was “waiting for the Lord’s Christ” and that moment would be a defining moment for the people of Israel and truthfully all the people of the world too.

It would be tempting for those who were with Ardis in her last few days on this earth, to look at those days as defining moments for her, but that is not how she should be remembered. For in her last days it seemed that Ardis was led upon an arduous struggling journey, but in this time she waited in faith to see the Lord’s Christ, her Lord Jesus Christ. And while she waited, she was comforted by the loving care of her husband J.R. And J.R. was not alone, for there were many family members and friends who were with her in that time too. And along with these people there were many other people who cared for her too, devoted doctors, nurses, healthcare and hospice workers, all of whom sought to provide her with care and comfort as she waited for her Lord. But truthfully that final week tells only part of the story about Ardis Johnson.

She was a devoted wife who loved J.R. very much. She was a devoted mother, who I heard speak very often and very proudly about her daughters and their families and about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren too. She spoke about vacation trips with J.R., and about working at Dow High School. And I think the epitome of her human patience was borne out by her long-suffering love for the Detroit Tigers. She waited for them to win a game and she waited for them to somehow get better pitching next year. And while her hope for the Tigers was not fulfilled, her waiting for the Lord was indeed fulfilled.

For Mary and Joseph did bring the Lord’s Christ, the Christ child to the Temple to meet all the requirements and customs of the Law. And all the requirements of the Law, every single one of them, were met by only one person, and that is Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells us that the Law was a, “dividing wall of hostility”(Eph 2:14) it was a wall that separated man from God. But the God-man Jesus Christ, “Destroyed the barrier”(Eph 2:14) by “abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.”(Eph 2:15) And while all this talk of requirements of the Law may sound strange, this kind of talk was not at all strange to that man Simeon. Because he and all the Old Testament Prophets and Patriarchs knew of the burden that was placed upon them. So they looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come to free them from their bondage. And so it not surprising that when Christ was presented in the Temple that Simeon looked at that tiny infant, and in faith took up the Christ child in his arms and sang. Simeon rejoiced over that very moment singing, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”(v. 28-32) That moment, for Simeon, was a defining moment. It was not how Simeon lived, or what he did, or how he died, rather it was that the Lord’s Christ had come into the world.

And it should not be surprising to us here today to know that Christ’s life in this world, was a defining moment for us too. For we too look at Christ in faith knowing that He gives us the promise of eternal life. And that promise was sealed as Christ’s arms were raised up and nailed to the cross. For there on the cross Christ declared, “It is finished.” His work was accomplished. There the promise was sealed that, “whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16) And that was the defining moment for the world, that was the defining moment for Ardis and that was the defining moment for us too.

And that defining moment, that promise, is bestowed upon us in Holy Baptism, wherein the water is combined with God’s Word so that we are, “justified by His grace.” We are not justified by what we have done, by how we lived, or even by how we die. Rather it is “by His grace,” God’s grace, so that “we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”(Titus 3:7)

Ardis had that hope, because Ardis had received that faith, and Ardis had received God’s grace. For God in Christ Jesus freely took Ardis up in His arms, His nail scarred arms, and God blessed her and made her His own. And that, was a defining moment for Ardis. And so now God has let Ardis, “depart in peace, according to His Word.” And His Word, is the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. Ardis now sees with her own eyes God’s salvation and that is a blessed defining moment which will last for all eternity.

Blessed are they who die in the Lord Jesus Christ from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.

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