He never wanted it to be about him. Everything he did was about others: his family, his friends, his church, complete strangers, and most of all, his God. I remember him telling me many times that he wanted his funeral to be a worship service. “Don’t read my obituary, don’t even talk about me. Just tell people about Jesus.” And that’s exactly what we tried to do for his Celebration of Life service last October.
But a life well-lived deserves to be remembered. And so we did. This past Wednesday night we celebrated Jeremy’s life and ministry with a gospel concert and a praise and testimony time. Not really for Jeremy, as much a it was for those of us whose lives were forever changed by his. It was a beautiful time of worship and remembrance with many who loved him.
There was laughter and tears and talk of baseball and snowstorms. There was even a presentation of the flag that was flown at half mast over the United States Capitol building in observance of Jeremy’s death. (I may have ugly-cried.) But the most important part of the evening was when Jeremy’s friend, Mark, pointed our eyes Heavenward. Not toward Jeremy, but toward Jesus. Because that’s exactly what Jeremy would have wanted him to do.
There’s a passage in Scripture (John 12) when Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry. He had already raised Lazarus from the dead and had just arrived in Jerusalem with great fanfare. The Jews who would soon cry “crucify Him!” were calling out, “Hosanna!” The pharisees were plotting His death. And a band of Gentiles came to Philip and requested an introduction. “Sir, we would see Jesus.” they said.
So Philip took them to Andrew, and together, they went to Jesus. His response seemed a bit strange to me. Not “nice to meet you” or even “follow me,” but “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. But now, the outsider was seeking Him. People like you and me. Jesus responded by saying that the time had finally come for His purpose to be fulfilled, opening the gospel of grace to the entire world.
Jesus continued, “Truly , truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (vv24-25)
Jesus wasn’t saying that you have to die as a martyr in order to be with Him, but He was saying that we must be willing to lay it all down for His sake. We must love Him above all else. And in so doing, God honors us for honoring His Son. That’s how we bear fruit.
We saw this in Jeremy’s life. We saw it in his death. We see it, even now. Jeremy spent 47 years in a world that needs to see Jesus. He spent most of those years, like Philip, introducing others to Christ. He lived well and he died well. But it didn’t end there. As Mark reminded us, because God is the God of the living and because Jesus defeated the grave, Jeremy is very much alive today. It’s not that we “knew” him. We KNOW him! His life is still pointing us to Jesus, and his ministry goes on in the lives he impacted for the Kingdom.
I’ve now been in this world for 47 years, as well. I have no idea how many years (or minutes) I have left. But this world STILL needs to see Jesus! There are still millions of lost souls who need a Philip, or an Andrew, or a Jeremy, to introduce them to the Savior. Am I willing to lay it all down for His sake? Do I love Him above all else? Do you?
I don’t know about you, but I want to be a Philip. I want to bring people to Jesus. I want to live well and die well. I want to leave a Kingdom legacy. I want my life to bear fruit.
Next Wednesday will be one year since Jeremy graduated to Heaven. We will plant a Crepe Myrtle tree and paint river rocks and sing his favorite hymn. We will weep because we miss him, smile because we knew him and rejoice because we know where he is. And many will think ahead to a blessed reunion because he introduced them to his Lord.
Oh, how I look forward to the day we will be together again! But first…. I would see Jesus.
As much as I desperately long to see Jeremy again, when I graduate to Glory, the first face I want to see, the first embrace I want to feel, the first reunion I long to experience is that of my Savior. I want to hear “Well done, faithful servant” from the mouth of the one Who spoke all things into existence. And if I gain any crowns, I want to lay them all down at the feet of the one Who lived — and died — and lives again, so that you and I can be His.
I would see Jesus!
October 8, 2022