Funeral Based on  Job 19

 

 

In memory of _________________________ I want to read Job 19:25-27.

 

Job said, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the  

latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this         

body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and       

mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed   

within me” (Job 19:25-27).

 

 

1st---Job said, “I know.”

Sometimes, its hard to know what a verse of Scripture means;

 

 

Hard to know who’s telling the truth;

Hard to know some things.

 

 

But Job said, “I know.”

“I don’t have to guess about this.”

 

 

“I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that what I’m saying is right.”

2nd---Job said, “I know that my redeemer liveth.”

 

 

What is a redeemer?

One definition says a redeemer is someone who regains something.

 

 

Another definition says a redeemer is someone who buys back something     

they once owned.

In Job’s lifetime, a redeemer was someone who paid a debt for someone else.

 

 

Sometimes they did it so the other person could get out of jail or be set free.

Job could have easily said, “I know that my Saviour lives.”

 

 

 

Or, “I know that the One who ransomed me lives.”

Or, “I know that the One who set me free lives.”

 

 

Christians call Jesus the Redeemer.

Jesus said, “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,

and to give his life a RANSOM for many” (Mark 10:45).

 

 

Paul said, “We have REDEMPTION through his blood, even the forgiveness         

of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

And Peter said, “you know that you were not REDEEMED with corruptible  

things, as silver and gold . . .”

 

 

“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and      

without spot” (I Peter 1:18-19).

So Job had a Redeemer.

 

 

And I want to point out something very important here.

The Bible says, Job was “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and

eschewed evil” (Job 1:1).

 

 

He abhorred sin.

He lived right.

 

 

He respected God.

But he still needed to be redeemed.

 

 

He knew that no matter how good he was he still needed to be redeemed.

He was saying, “I know that I’ve been bought with a price.”

 

 

“And I belong to God.”

______________ had this kind of a relationship.

_______ made a confession of faith in Christ.

_______ was a member of ____________________________________.

 

 

_______ attended Church for many years.

_______ understood the Bible.

 

 

_______ could say, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

A woman wrote to Dr. J. Vernon McGee and said, “Our preacher told us that         

Jesus just swooned on the cross.”

 

 

Our preacher said, “The Disciples nursed him back to health.”

She asked, “Dr. McGee, What do you think?”

 

 

Dr. McGee replied, “Beat your preacher with a whip.”

“Give him thirty-nine lashes.”

 

 

“Nail him to a cross.”

“Let him hang there in the hot sun for six hours.”

 

 

“Run a spear through his side.”

“Embalm him.”

 

 

“Put him in a sealed tomb without air for three days.”

“Then, check to see if he’s dead.”

 

 

Some of you have recently seen the movie about “The Passion of the Christ.”

You know what He went through.

 

 

Jesus died alright.

But His death wasn’t the end of the story.

A group of Church members was watching the Jesus film.

When Jesus was crucified several members in the congregation started crying.

 

 

One little boy got upset by their crying.

He shouted, “Don’t cry.”

 

 

“He gets up again.”

A few months ago, there was a report that many people in the United States  

don't know why our nation celebrates Easter.

 

 

I'll tell you why Christians celebrate Easter.

“He is risen.”

 

 

“We know that our Redeemer liveth.”

And because He lives, we know that we will live.

 

 

And because He lives, we know that ______________ will live.

3rd---Job said, “I know that my redeemer liveth, AND HE SHALL STAND    

AT THE LATTER DAY UPON THE EARTH.”

 

 

This amazes me.

There’s good reason to believe that Job lived before the flood.

 

 

But even though Job probably lived before the flood, he still believed in the   

“Second Coming of Jesus.”

When Christians take Communion we say, “Christ has died, Christ is risen,   

Christ will come again.”

 

 

His nail-scarred feet stood on the Mount of Olives when Jesus ascended into          

heaven.

And they will stand on the Mount of Olives again when He comes back.

4th---Job said, “though after my skin worms destroy this body . . .”

Job had fallen on hard times.

 

 

Some of his animals and servants had been killed.

The rest had been destroyed by fire from heaven [perhaps lightening].

 

 

His children had been killed by a tornado.

His body was covered with sores.

 

 

He knew that he would eventually die.

If Jesus doesn’t return soon, we will too;

 

 

“It is appointed unto man once to die” (Hebrews 9:27);

Death is “the last enemy that shall be destroyed” (I Corinthians 15:26).

 

 

We know this.

We need to prepare.

 

 

How do we prepare?

When King Hezekiah learned that he was facing death, he prepared by

turning his face to the wall and crying.

 

 

He prayed and asked God for help.

We prepare by turning to God for help.

 

 

King Hezekiah needed grace and mercy.

We need grace and mercy.

 

 

We receive it by accepting Jesus as our Saviour.

_______________ was like Job.

_______ had fallen on hard times.

_______ was sick.

 

 

_______ had lost _______ sight in one eye.

Fortunately, _______ was prepared.

 

 

5th---Job said, “though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh        

shall I see God.”

He didn't say, “If I live long enough.”

 

 

Or “If I'm alive when Jesus comes back.”

He said, “Even though my body is destroyed, yet in my flesh shall I see        

God.”

 

 

“I’ll have a new body;”

“I’ll have flesh.”

 

 

“I’ll have eyes.”

“I’ll see God.”

 

 

In a way, he was saying, “My death won’t change anything.”

Paul said, “we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were    

dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,       

eternal in the heavens.”

 

 

“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house   

which is from heaven” (II Corinthians 5:1-2).

If something happens to this body, we’ll get a new body;

 

 

Not a temporary body;

A permanent body;

Not an ordinary body;

A supernatural body.

 

 

I’m often asked, “What will my new body be like?”

“Will it be like I was when I was sixteen years old, twenty-one years old, or  

what?”

 

 

“I don't know what we’ll look like.”

“But we’ll have a better body.”

 

 

And age won’t matter because we’ll live to be trillions and trillions of years   

old. We’ll live forever.

 

 

And all the money in the world can’t purchase a body like Christians will      

have.

Paul said, our resurrected body will be like the glorious body of Jesus after   

He was raised (Phil. 3:21).

 

 

His disciples could hear Him, see Him, touch Him.

He could eat and drink;

 

 

Appear and disappear.

He had a wonderful body.

 

 

John said, we don’t know what we will be like, but “we know that when He  

shall appear, we shall be like Him” (I Jn. 3:2).

And Paul said, “we are predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s  

Son” (Rom. 8:28-29).

 

 

 

6th---Concerning Jesus, Job said, “I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall

behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”

“I shall see for myself” means “I’ll see Him with my own eyes.”

 

 

“My eyes shall behold, and not another” means “It won't be a different person       

who sees Him.”

“It will still be me.”

 

 

Several people saw Jesus after He died.

Jesus was raised from the dead.

 

 

Then, He appeared unto Mary Magdalene.

Not long after that, He appeared unto the disciples in the Upper Room.

 

 

Thomas wasn’t there.

Jesus came back later and Thomas was there.

 

 

Jesus showed Thomas His wounds.

Later, He appeared at the Sea of Galilee.

 

 

Some of the disciples were fishing.

He asked them, “Do you have any fish?”

 

 

We may be asked this same question some day?

Do you have any fish?

 

 

Did you win any souls?

Did you lead your loved ones to Christ?

 

 

 

Then, Jesus appeared unto the disciples again.

He ate with them.

 

 

He appeared unto Peter and asked, “Do you love me?”

He appeared unto Peter again.

 

 

This time, Jesus said Peter would be a martyr.

Why do I remind you that Peter would be a martyr?

 

 

Even the best of God's children have to die.

Job was good and perfect.

 

 

But he had to die.

Peter was a disciple.

 

 

But he had to die.

______________ was a Christian.

 

 

But _______ had to die.

There’s something else.

 

 

Job had ten children:

Seven sons and three daughters.

 

 

The death of one child would be devastating.

But Job lost all ten of his children at the same time.

 

 

In fact, Job was a farmer.

He owned land and raised cattle.

 

He lost his children, land, cattle, servants, money and health.

He lost everything.

 

 

The extent of this is beyond our comprehension.

How did Job cope?

 

 

He said, “I know that my redeemer liveth.”

No matter what comes our way, we know that our Redeemer lives.

 

 

No matter how much we suffer, we know that our Redeemer lives.

And if our Redeemer lives, He’s still on the throne.

 

 

I mentioned the movie “The Passion of the Christ.”

There’s a big debate about who killed Him.

 

 

The Jews don’t want to be blamed for His death.

The truth is that Jesus died the death of a Redeemer.

 

 

That’s what the movie is all about.

He died to pay for our sins.

 

 

Martin Luther was a great Christian.

But he was plagued with depression.

 

 

One time he got depressed.

And he stayed depressed so long that his wife put on her black funeral dress.

 

 

He asked, “Who died.”

She said, “God.”

 

He said, “God hasn’t died.”

And she said, “Then, live like it.”

 

 

Trouble will come our way.

But God isn’t dead.

 

 

He’s still on the throne.

And He wants us to live like it.

 

 

It’s alright to grieve.

That’s good for us.

 

 

But God also wants us to go on with our life;

To trust Him.

 

 

Our Redeemer lives.

And ______________ will live again.

 

 

_______ will see our redeemer with _______ own eyes.

I mentioned that ______________ had lost her sight in one eye.

 

 

The doctor told _______ that _______ would get it back.

But he didn’t realize what he was saying.

 

 

_______ will be healed.

And _______ have perfect vision in heaven.