AT A BURIAL
(i) David Pye
John 13: 23; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22
An occasion such as this is in the ways of the Lord to search us and to comfort our hearts and to test us a little as to our lives and how we are living. It is a very fine thing to be conscious of the love of Jesus: its warmth in the heart and soul is very precious. If you put your faith and trust in that glorious One, He never forgets you. We might through waywardness lose the enjoyment of our link with Him, but He never forgets the reality of the trust that we have placed in Him.
Our brother has in his life displayed the features of one who had a great love for the Lord Jesus. We can say that earnestly. There is a woman spoken of by the Lord Himself and He says specifically about her - you find it in Luke's gospel chapter 7: 14 - that "... she loved much", and I think we could say that of our brother: he did love much. It marked him.
In this section in John's gospel there is a disciple, John, the apostle, who had a very close place in the Lord's affections. How blessed was the portion of John! He was at table here; the other disciples were there too, but he is the one who was in the bosom of Jesus, and it specifically says, ''whom Jesus loved". That is a blessed thing to have, the joy of that inward knowledge. You form a link in faith with Jesus and it remains for ever. But we would be searched as to ourselves as to whether we have that link with the Saviour. It is available towards all but it requires that act of faith on our part to lay hold of it aware that it remains for ever. Our brother was in the enjoyment of that link in faith. He knew the Saviour, and his trust was in Him. How often he spoke of the Lord's sacrificial service. His earnest desire was towards others that they should come to know this blessed One and know the blessing of divine love that is towards them. He was in this room just a week past last night and free amongst us in happy enjoyment. He spoke much as to purification and how necessary that is in view of maintaining links in love with the Lord Jesus Himself. How wonderful it is that now he is in the rest of the Saviour's love. What a blessed portion; it was one to which he looked forward anticipatively. There is a sense of comfort for our hearts in this: here is one that loved the Lord and one now that is at rest in His love. The matter that remains is as to whether what we have seen in our brother might have some effect upon us, because we will miss him. He was always present at the occasions of assembling. He rejoiced in being together with God's people, and he was always earnest in his love for the Lord Jesus and for the people of God and the things of God. But he has gone and the challenge remains whether there are those ready to come in and take up these interests and be found in them.
I read in 1 Corinthians 15, a very encouraging Scripture because it speaks of death but it also speaks of the power of the life of One who has gone through death and broken its power, the glory and the triumph of what the Lord Jesus Christ has wrought. And it says here where we read that "... Christ is raised from among the dead, firstfruits of those fallen asleep". Our brother has fallen asleep in Jesus. He awaits that day when the Lord will come again and He will be raised, not in a feeble body, but with a body of glory. And death has come in "by man"; but it tells us, "by man also resurrection of those that are dead". But in what a Man is the resurrection, the Man Christ Jesus, that One, so wondrous to the hearts of those who love Him. The One who is coming again to take us from this scene, whether we fall asleep in Jesus or whether we remain until He come!
I read the section because it says, "For as in the Adam all die..." - it lies upon all men - but it goes on to say, “thus also in the Christ all shall be made alive". Our brother knew the joy of what it was to be in Christ and, in that blessed portion, there is what never dies. It goes through to shine eternally so there is in the vessel that which actually never dies. We know what relates to the natural side, but there is a spiritual side which is in Christ, and it shall be made alive. That power wrought in the glory of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ is there, a living evidence and witness to a power superior to death. Oh, how wonderful it is to love the Saviour! It says as to Solomon that God gave him a large heart and you might well say that these things are given of God in the special link that we have in communion with Him. Peter speaks too about the need to be tender-hearted. I feel that these features need to be borne in upon us. They present just the attractiveness of how love operates both in a person and amongst those who love the Lord - 1 Peter 3: 8: "Finally, be all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded". I think you could say that these features were found in our brother: they are very necessary features and show indeed that you have formed a bond with Christ.
Well, may our hearts be comforted by these things!