What if Jesus' followers held a memorial service for him after the crucifixion, not realizing he would rise from the dead? What would they say?
We gather here to pay our respects to a great
He healed the sick, but he did not heal himself. He spoke words of life, but now he lies dead in a stone tomb. He raised the dead, but can he raise himself?
So now, what will become of us? Our Lord Jesus, as he was led to his death, told us, "Don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. For if these things happen when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" As he hung on the cross, he cried, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" It seems to me that God has forsaken us, too.
I wish I had words of hope to offer you, but I have none. Every hope I had was tortured and crucified at the hands of Roman soldiers.
We gather here to pay our respects to a great