“Thou Art With Me” -- Psalm 23:4
Sermon for the Funeral of
Margaret Branham
Dear Morris and all the family
members of Margaret, as well as all of her friends, neighbors and fellow members
of Trinity congregation.
Being with a family member ...
whether it be a wife, a Mom, a Grandmother, a Sister, an Aunt ... being with
one whose body is wasting away over the period of months and years is both a
difficult vigil and an honored privilege. Visiting such a friend, or coming to
see a neighbor, or stopping by to talk with a member of the congregation, or sitting
beside the deathbed of a parishioner who is slowly being consumed by a hideous
disease is both sobering and uplifting.
Those who have been with,
spoken to and listened to Margaret Branham bear witness to this truth by the
nature and number of the tears that have and are flowing. For though there
certainly are sufficient tears of sadness stinging the eyes, there are many,
many more tears of gladness that overflow. The reason is that Margaret knew
that the LORD knew her and Margaret knew that the LORD was with her. This
faithful lady knew, not just with her head, but also in her Christ-cleansed
heart, that “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the
Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s”
(Romans 14:8).
A few months ago, I sat with
Margaret and we talked about this very service that she anticipated taking
place. She wanted to make certain that you heard a message that spoke of the
hope that the Christian has in this life and that, even though this pilgrimage
is often one filled with hurts and pains, the Lord will not abandon His own.
Rather, the LORD God will graciously be with the Christian always, and when
that one day comes, will take His own to be with Him in the Paradise of Heaven
forever.
That is the message that Margaret
desired for you to hear this day and that is why I chose a part of the 23rd
Psalm for today’s message. Therefore, please listen to that portion of God’s
Word under the theme of ... ... “Thou art with me.”
“Yea though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou
art with me.”
That there is death, we ought
to have no doubts. The Lord declares in His Word, the Bible, “As sin came
into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to
all men because all men sinned” (Romans 5:12). Or do you not believe what God’s
Word declares? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Well, do you not believe what you see
here? Reject this casket. Doubt this death. Deny your being here today.
That, of course, is not what Margaret
did. She knew that death was real. She understood quite clearly that her mortal
remains would be placed in a box and an earthen grave. She understood what sin was.
She confessed that she had sinned against God in thought, word and deed. She
knew that she was, by nature, a sinner. She also confessed this with mouth: “Yea
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for Thou art with me.”
How could Margaret
say this? In order to discover the answer to that question we must
understand a bit more about the One true God. Because He has revealed it in His
Word, there can be no denying that the LORD God is holy and without sin,
righteous and without blemish, just and without exception. Along with these
truths, it is also true that the Almighty God is merciful in that He doesn’t give
the world what it deserves ... Jehovah is gracious in that He gives the world
what it doesn’t deserve ... the LORD is benevolent in that He set about not
only to be the world’s Judge but also the world’s Savior, and if the world’s
Savior, then yours as well.
God the Son came into this
world, not to show us how to save ourselves, but to take upon Himself the
sentence of God’s wrath. Jesus was Incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the
Virgin Mary. That is what Christmas is all about, that God is with us so we may
say, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” Christ was not born to condemn the
world, and that includes you, but rather, to take upon Himself the penalty of
all sins of all people, and that includes yours. That is what Good Friday is
all about ... God dying for you at that time, so that you might be able, as Margaret
was enabled, to say, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”
Please understand that there is
an eternity of difference between walking through the valley of death and
walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus went through the
valley of death when He suffered for you during the darkness of the cross, when
He was forsaken for you at the Place of the Skull, when He died the death you
deserved that you might be given the Life that He earned for you. Is it any
wonder that Jesus is our Redeemer? Three days later Jesus rose from the
dead, and in doing so, the evil one was defeated and death has lost its sting.
That is what Easter is all about ... God rising from the dead for you.
Christ journeyed through the
valley of death alone, for you, in order that you might never be separated from
Him ever. His Body was placed into a rock- hewn tomb, for you, in order to
sanctify the graves of His own. He rose again in order that you might be born
again in Holy Baptism. Jesus did all this in order that He might be with you as
you walk through the valley of the shadow of death and be able to say, “Yea
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for
Thou art with me.”
The LORD became Margaret’s Shepherd
when, He lead her beside the still waters of Baptism and restored her soul, for
Baptism is not our work, but God’s gracious gift. Margaret was given the faith
whereby, she could walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no
evil, for the LORD was with her. She confirmed the Christian faith of the
Apostles’ Creed which we, acknowledging that “Yea though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” April 6, 1963 in Carlinville, IL she and Morris
were married. Together, this trio ... Margaret, Morris and the LORD, has
journeyed here on this earth. Margaret and Morris traveled in the light of God’s
Presence even when they walked through various shadows of death. For surely the
loss of parents and loved ones is such a shadow of death, as are many of the
afflictions of body, mind, heart and soul that befall us. In the midst of such shadows
the LORD was with them and even fed her with Himself just as He promised. Thus,
Margaret came to the Lord’s Supper for she could say, “Thou preparest a
Table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” It was two weeks ago that
Margaret entered God’s House at Trinity and I, along with many in the
congregation, beheld a 90-pound woman whose God drew her to be in the Divine
Service and receive the forgiveness of Christ.
And when she was no longer able
to leave her hospital room and come to Church, she requested that the LORD’s be
at her bedside, in Word and Prayer.
And on Thursday and Friday,
when she was no longer able to eat and drink, Margaret heard the Word of God’s promise
in the Word of the Lord. She heard the Invocation, that is, the Word concerning
her
Baptism ... She heard the Word
of the LORD’s Word of forgiveness
announced to her ... She heard the Word of the LORD’s abiding
Presence ... She heard “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace according
to Your Word,” ... She heard the Benediction, that is, “The Lord bless you
and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give you peace.”
On Friday just a little after
1:00 pm, Margaret departed in peace and was with the LORD in Paradise. She who
had faithfully declared during her days in this life, “yea though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art
with me,” suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, beheld the reality of “surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in
the House of the LORD forever.” She left this vale of tears and this valley
of the shadow of death because she was called home where there are no more
tears (Revelation 7:17) and where there is “no need of sun or moon to shine
upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb ... and there
shall be no night there “(Revelation 21:23 & 25). Cancer is such a
shadow of death, but it is not Death itself. Truly this day Margaret A. Branham
is alive and well, while the cancer is dead and gone. This, dearly beloved, is
what Margaret wanted you to hear this day. Why? So that you might be
able, despite the shadow and the valley, to say to the LORD in the faith that
God grants, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” Why? So that you might be
one of those who are, one day ... any day ... maybe even this day, called home
by Christ and be with Margaret once again, in the Eternal Presence of God the
Almighty.. May God, in His mercy and grace, grant it to each of us. Amen.
