John 11:25

THE MOURNER’S HOPE

‘I am the Resurrection, and the Life.’

John 11:25

Our Church has chosen these words of comfort and of hope to be the very first to be sounded in the ears of Christian mourners as they bring some well-loved form to the churchyard—‘the garden of the dead.’ Before the lifeless body is committed to the ground and hidden from sight the souls of sorrowing survivors are strengthened for the bitter separation by the cheering promise of an Almighty Saviour.

I. The promise realised.—On the fairest feast of the Christian Church the comforting promise was fully realised. ‘Jesus Christ is risen to-day,’ and if Christ, the head of our race, has conquered death, we, too, the members, may be partakers in the glory of the Resurrection. In considering the mercies revealed to us at Easter we must not forget those wonderful events which took place before the actual rising from the grave; they usher in the Easter Feast and partake of Easter joys. After the resignation of His sinless soul, and its departure from His holy body, the invisible Spirit, invisible to mortal eyes, is ushered by attendant angels into Paradise. ‘He descended into hell,’ the place of departed spirits, rendered by His Divine Presence a Paradise indeed to each redeemed and waiting soul. How these spirits must have been thrilled through and through with rapturous joy as they were told the glorious news of the completion of their redemption, the successful issue of that mighty contest between the New Adam and all that would defile and destroy human souls. While the living were sleeping upon earth the dead were alive to the joys and the glories of our coming Easter victory.

II. It is well for us to clasp firmly to our hearts the Catholic doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus, for it is the earnest and pledge of our own. Let no difficulties of reason come in between us and the light. ‘Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?’ Why, indeed? Instead of hesitating one moment about its eternal truth, let us all receive it as a revelation and miracle of Divine love. The thought may come into our minds—when will be this splendid fulfilment of the promise of Jesus, when this beautiful realisation of the Christian’s hope? When will take place the happy, thrilling reunion of all loving hearts, when they will be able to walk together in the light of God and love again in the beauty of fond affection? When in the perfection of glorified manhood shall we be able to live in the unbroken Communion of Saints? We cannot tell what year it will be, what day, what hour. We cannot tell how many generations shall first pass away, how many kings be buried or kingdoms be overthrown. But we know it will be when Jesus comes again in glorious majesty. Then the waiting in Paradise shall cease and give place to the thrilling joys of the Resurrection. You, doubtless, remember that in St. Paul’s time the Thessalonians were very excited about the Coming of the Lord, and misunderstanding some of the Apostle’s expressions, imagined it would take place while they were yet alive; and they even went so far as to express their sorrow that some whom they had loved had not been permitted to live a little longer that they might participate in the joy and the glory of the Coming Lord. St. Paul writes unto them the true doctrine: ‘But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.’

III. When Jesus comes.—We may reverently gather from Scripture some few events that must happen when Jesus comes again. The summons would pass through Paradise that the fullness of time has come, that Christ is about to take unto Himself His Almighty power and reign. The multitudes of ransomed souls would arise with untold rapture to form a part of His triumphant train. Oh! how glad would they be to be witnesses of His exaltation, to see Him crowned the Lord of all. The numberless choirs of angels would be ready with all their radiant brightness to escort their Creator and their King. The Second Coming in majesty and might they could at least better comprehend than His First Coming to sorrow and to death. The mysteries of the Incarnation were beyond them; but this would give them exultation without a limit. What would the redeemed among the living behold as they gazed upwards into the heavens? They would see Jesus, Whose glory no human tongue or pen could describe—the army of angels, the army of light coming with the mighty King; they would hear the announcing trump, the voice of the Archangel, and the triumphant shout. And there would be something else to delight their hearts and fill up their rapture to the brim. They would see the blessed dead; those whom they had loved when upon the earth, after whom their spirits had longed as they often and often thought of them in the peace and rest of Paradise. May be before the eyes of the wondering quick would be wrought the mighty miracle of the Resurrection: ‘The dead in Christ shall first arise.’ Before the holy living are summoned to take part in the ineffable manifestation of glory, the souls and bodies of those who are already dead shall be reunited. He has brought the cherished souls with Him not only to participate in the mighty rendering of homage to the King, but also that they themselves may be perfected. He has brought the happy spirits to earth that from the earth their bodies may be summoned; this is not the general Resurrection, but the first and special Resurrection of those who love the Lord Who redeemed them. ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ.’

IV. And as Jesus was the joy of the disembodied spirits in Paradise, so now is He the very power that raises their bodies from the grave.—It is not only that He summons them to arise; but He is the living principle which rescues them from the power of death. He Himself is their life. ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life,’ saith the Lord. Those who arise to glory have Him within them. His own words are: ‘Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’ Yes; all the blessed dead have fed upon Christ. All those who long for the Resurrection to glory must feed on Him. This holy food is still given for penitent sinners who are manfully fighting in the ranks of the Church militant, that they may be cleansed and purified ready for participation in the unspeakable joys of the Church triumphant.

—Rev. W. E. Coghlan.

Illustrations

(1)‘’Twas at the matin hour, early before the dawn,

The prison doors flew open, the bolts of death were drawn.

’Twas at the matin hour, when prayers of saints are strong,

Where, two short days ago, He bore the spitting, wounds, and wrong,

From realms unseen, an unseen way th’ Almighty Saviour came,

And following on His silent steps an Angel armed in flame.

The stone is roll’d away, the keepers fainting fall;

Satan’s and Pilate’s watchmen—the Day has scar’d them all.’

(2) ‘When we pull down a house for the purpose of rebuilding it or repairing its ruins, we warn the inhabitants out of it, lest they should be soiled with the dust and rubbish or offended with the noise, and for a time we provide some other place for them; but when we have newly trimmed and dressed the house, we bring them back to a better habitation. Thus God, when He overturneth our flesh, calleth out the soul for a little time, and lodgeth it with Himself in some corner of His kingdom; He repaireth the imperfections of our bodies against the Resurrection, and then having made them beautiful, glorious, and incorruptible, He doth put our souls back again into their purified mansions.’