In Memoriam +Kathleen Ann Zillinger+

In Memoriam +Kathleen Ann (Malone) Zillinger+

Dec. 28, 2019

Augustana Lutheran Church, Moscow, Idaho, at Concordia Lutheran Church, Pullman, Washington

Text: Rev. 7:9-17

            Kathleen is enjoying Christmas just fine, thank you very much.  She now sees what we all long to see.  The Lamb on His throne.  The glory of God.  The angels in festal gathering.  The great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.  This is so much better even than Christmas at Rockefeller Center, or the perfect sentimental candlelight Christmas Eve service.  This is the real thing.  It is the celebration of Jesus’ birth, and there is Jesus right in front of Kathleen’s eyes.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  She’s there for the genuine article, “Angels We Have Heard on High,” live and in concert.  “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.”  “The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”  “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’”  “O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!”  Even better: “This is the feast of victory for our God.  Alleluia!”  Our hymns are but distant echoes of the New Song sung day and night in heaven before the throne of God, and of the Lamb who was slain, but behold, he stands.  He lives and He reigns, Jesus Christ, the Crucified, who is risen from the dead.

            Now one of the elders asks a question in our text, and it is an important one.  “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” (Rev. 7:13; ESV).  The answer is the key to our comfort this day.  “These are the ones,” the elder declares, “coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14).  They are the ones coming out.  That is the continuous succession of those who are dying in the faith of Christ.  They die, but behold, they live.  Kathleen is in their number.  As are all the saints, all believers, and all of our loved ones who have died in Christ.  And we’ll be among them, too, when our Lord calls us out, calls us home, to Himself. 

            They are coming out of the great tribulation.  That is not just some future, unknown time.  It is the time of the New Testament, the time between our Lord’s ascension into heaven and His coming again to judge the living and the dead, our life in this fallen world.  This “vale of tears” Luther calls it in his Small Catechism, or “valley of sorrow,” depending on which translation you use.  You know this life is full of trial and tribulation.  The fact that we’re gathered together for the funeral of such a dear sister in Christ is testament to that.  We suffer in this life.  We get sick.  We get hurt.  We’re broken people in a broken world.  Relationships are broken.  Minds and bodies are broken.  We’re spiritually broken, which is to say, we’re sinners.  And it is a challenge, in this world, to be faithful to Christ, to remain faithful in the midst of a faithless culture, with the very real opposition and temptation of the devil and his demonic hoard, and this sinful flesh (the Old Adam) hanging around our necks. 

            But that is the good news of the white robes.  The ones coming out have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  That is to say, Christ died for them, and for you, and for all.  And these are baptized into Christ.  That is the washing: Holy Baptism.  They are plunged into the water, immersed in the blood.  Old Adam drowns and dies with all sin and evil desire.  And the New Creation, the new person, is raised in Christ, spotless, righteous, holy.  Not because they never sinned after Baptism.  But because of Jesus, the Lamb, who died and is risen, for the forgiveness of sins.  It is His spotlessness, His righteousness, His holiness given to Kathleen and the ones coming out (and you who are baptized into Christ), that makes their robes so radiantly white. 

            And now where are they?  They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His Temple.  And they are in perfect happiness.  God shelters them with His presence, safe from all harm and danger.  No more hunger.  No more thirst.  No striking sun or scorching heat.  The Lamb is their Shepherd.  He guides them to springs of living water.  And God wipes away every tear from their eyes.  Death is at an end.  Suffering is no more.  Sin died on Jesus’ cross, and He left it behind in His tomb.  It’s a pretty great Christmas for those who are there. 

            But then, it’s a pretty great Christmas for you and I who are here.  For their reality is just as much our reality, albeit for us, it is hidden with Christ in God.  They see it with their eyes.  We know it by faith.  They no longer feel the great tribulation.  We do.  We are sad today.  Death is always tragic, even when we know the one we love is in heaven with Jesus.  Because God did not create us to die.  He created us for life forever with Him.  That is why He sent His Son, Jesus.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to take on our flesh and die our death for our sins, so that we do not have to die.  God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  God had to do something about death, and He did it in Jesus, who died for your sins, and is risen from the dead, triumphant over death.  The one who believes in Jesus, even though he dies, yet he lives, and whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die (John 11:25-26).  That is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas.  Christmas is not just about the birth of a baby.  It is about the birth of this Baby, who is God, come down to save us from sin and death, Christ, the Lord. 

            This text from Revelation is the reading appointed for All Saints’ Day.  Kathleen loved All Saints’ Day.  She even hosted an All Saints’ Day party for our Table Talk group just last month.  Isn’t the Lord’s timing perfect?  We had no idea what a poignant gathering that would be.  There was also our most recent voters’ meeting at which Kathleen was making the point we needed to be ready with a plan of action and resources for any funerals that may come up.  At which point I told her I declare a moratorium on deaths for the year.  Well… Kathleen does not like to be told what to do.  Least of all by Lutherans! 

            The occasion for this voters’ meeting exchange was the sermon I had just preached for All Saints’ Day on this very text, in which I told our people some things about what it means to have a Christian funeral.  At the Christian funeral, I reminded them, we do not make it all about how great the person was, how much good they did, with eulogies and secular poems or the saying of silly things that sound nice, but are utterly meaningless; things like, “See that star up there?  That is Kathleen shining down on us.”  Or, “God just couldn’t get along without Kathleen, so He had to take her to heaven.”  Or, “The snow falling from the sky is Kathleen reminding us how much she loves us and that she’s always watching out for us.”  Dear Christians, in the face of death and very real grief, it’s time to put away all your sentimental platitudes and cling to the things that are real and true.  That is what we do at a Christian funeral. 

            At a Christian funeral, we stare death itself in the face and confess, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.”  We spit in the devil’s eye and declare with absolute certainty: “Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!”  We talk about Christ and all that He has done for our salvation.  His perfectly fulfilling the Law of God and crediting it to our account.  The shedding of His holy, precious blood for our redemption, and His innocent suffering and death for the forgiveness of our sins.  His triumphant resurrection from the dead, and the Promise that He is coming back for us.  Kathleen was a sinner.  That isn’t nice to bring up, but if we’re going to be honest, as we always should be at Christian funerals, that is the reality.  Death came into the world because of sin.  But she is redeemed by Christ.  Her righteousness is Christ.  Her salvation is Christ.  Her life is Christ.  And so the Christian funeral is all about Christ. 

            And there is one more thing that must be said at a Christian funeral, and if it isn’t said, it isn’t a Christian funeral.  And that is this: Kathleen Zillinger will rise from the dead.  Bodily.  Not just a spirit floating around with a halo and a harp.  Her body.  Risen.  Restored.  Perfect.  As is the body of her risen Lord Jesus Christ.  Her body as it was always meant to be, free of all suffering, sin, and death.  And you, too.  Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and He’ll raise you.  That is what we say at a Christian funeral. 

            Now it is Christmas, and that first Christmas night the angels sang glad tidings to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.  Let it not be lost on you, what our text tells us today about our dear sister Kathleen.  Kathleen now sings with them, with the very shepherds of the Christmas story, and the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.  And we may also add, she sings with some dear children her aching arms have longed to hold, whom she’s always held in her heart.  And so do we, every time we gather around the altar for the Lord’s gifts.  If you want to be with Kathleen now, you go to Church, where Jesus is hosting the Feast of Victory, His true body and blood, given and shed for Kathleen and for you for the forgiveness of sins.  She joins us there.  Heaven comes down to earth.  One holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints we confess, a union even death cannot break.  For Kathleen lives.  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  And so Kathleen will rise.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.