What Does The Bible Say About Cremation vs. Burial? Message 2 in What Does The Bible Say Sermon Series

Transcription

1 Message for THE LORD S DAY MORNING, September 30, 2012 Message 2: What Does The Bible Say? SERIES Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister What Does The Bible Say About Cremation vs. Burial? Message 2 in What Does The Bible Say Sermon Series I N T R O D U C T I O N As Christians, we are all soberly aware that we all have an appointment with death, unless the Lord returns first. And we know the Bible teaches us that appointment can come at any time and that none of us is promised tomorrow. In more recent years one of the major decisions people must make regarding their funeral arrangements is whether to BE BURIED or CREMATED. In 1987 only 15% of funeral services here in America involved cremation. Today, nearly 48% choose cremation over burial. The number one factor is cost. The average cost to bury a loved one is between $5,500 and $9,500. While the average cost of cremation is between $1,000 and $6,000. Now let me quickly add, that $1,000 is just for the cremation itself. That doesn t include a visitation or service of any kind. The average cost of a cremation with visitation and funeral service is between $5,000 and $6,000. Many Christians struggle with this issue of cremation. And so in our message today we want to consider, What Does The Bible Say About Cremation vs. Burial? Before we get into the message, let s go to the LORD in prayer. P R A Y E R ***********************************************************

2 I. What Does The Bible Say About Cremation? 1. Let me start by saying the Bible does not say anything about cremation per se. But we do find several instances in the scriptures where cremations were either performed or commanded by God as a judgment for sin. (A) Let s begin with one we are very familiar with, and that is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Please turn with me to Genesis 19. Remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were guilty of all kinds of grave sins against God, with homosexuality being the most prevalent. After sending angels to get Abraham s nephew, Lot, and his family out of Sodom, God sent his judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. 23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. God s righteous judgment against these two cities resulted in a mass cremation of all the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding area. (B) Let s look at another instance of cremation. Turn to Joshua 7. Here we find the account of Achan. Achan, you remember had taken spoils from the fallen city of Jericho after God commanded the Israelites to take nothing from the city. Achan hid these items in his tent. And in the days that followed, the Israelites started losing on the battlefield, and couldn t understand why. That is until Achan s secret sin was exposed. In verses 24,25 we see Joshua carrying out God s judgment against Achan and his family.

3 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day. So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. (C) Now turn with me I Samuel 31. In this account King Saul and his troops had engaged the Philistine army in battle. The Philistine army killed King Saul s three sons, most notably, Jonathan. After being wounded by a Philistine arrow, King Saul asked his armor bearer to kill him to spare him from being killed by the Philistines. When his armor bearer refused, King Saul fell on his own sword and took his life. When the Philistine army discovered the bodies of King Saul and his sons among the dead, they cut off Saul s head and fastened the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of Beth Shan as trophies. Let s pick up the record in VERSES Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. (1 Samuel 31:11-13 NKJV)

4 In order to keep the Philistines from dishonoring the bodies of their King and his sons any more, the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead burned the decaying flesh of King Saul, but notice they buried the bones. (D) Next turn to II KINGS 23. There was a period in Israel s history when many of the priests of God began offering sacrifices to false gods. When Josiah became the King of Judah, he began widespread reforms across the land to bring the Jewish people back to God. One part of this reformation involved getting rid of the priests who had led the people astray. 19 Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. 20 He executed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned men s bones b on them; and he returned to Jerusalem. (E) There are at least a couple of scriptures where cremation was commanded as a form of God s judgment. One of these involved a man marrying a woman and her mother. Leviticus 20:14 (NKJV) 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. Another instance where cremation was commanded was when the daughter of a priest turned to prostitution. Leviticus 21:9 (NKJV) 9 The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

5 2. Throughout history many Christians have experienced what would be classified as arbitrary cremations. In other words they were cremated by an act of violence of another or by a tragedy of some kind. -History tells us countless numbers of Christians were burned at the stake by ruthless persecutors. -Many Christians have had their bodies incinerated in tragic airplane crashes, automobile accidents, house fires, explosions, or in bombings during acts of war. 3. Can God create a new heavenly body from the ashes of any saved soul that was cremated in such tragedies? Absolutely! God created man from the dust of the earth. Why wouldn t He be able to create a new eternal body from ashes? 4. But there is something that must be considered in light of the scriptures we have looked at thus far. And that is, not one of those scriptures paints cremation in a positive light. None of these scriptures supports cremation as a standard practice. But let s move on to the t second thing we want to consider II. What Does The Bible Say About Burial? 1. While there is no verse of scripture that specifically forbids cremation, there is overwhelming scriptural support for BURIAL. 2. Time doesn t permit us to look at all the scriptures regarding burial, but I would like for us to look at several. (A) SARAH was buried by her husband, Abraham. Genesis 23:1-4 (NKJV) 1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

6 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. (B) Next we see, ABRAHAM was buried by his sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Genesis 25:8,9 (NKJV) 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah lah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, (C) ISAAC was buried by his sons, Jacob and Esau. Genesis 35:29 (NKJV) 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

7 (D) JOSEPH died and was embalmed in Egypt. But as he requested his bones were carried back to Israel for burial. Joshua 24:32 (NKJV) 32 The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph. (E) MOSES was buried by God Himself in a secret location. Deuteronomy 34:5,6 (NKJV) 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. This scripture, perhaps more than any other reflects God s view of burial. He, Himself, gave Moses an honorable, dignified burial. (F) (G) (H) In JOHN 11:38, we read where LAZARUS was buried in a cave with a stone rolled over the entrance. In Acts 5:5-10, we read where ANANIAS and his wife, SAPPHIRA were a buried, after being struck dead by God for lying to the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 14:10-12, we read where JOHN the BAPTIST was buried by his disciples after being beheaded by King Herod.

8 (I) (J) Acts 8:2 tells us that after being stoned to death, STEPHEN, some devout men in the Jerusalem Church buried his body. And of course all four Gospels tell us after His crucifixion, the body of JESUS was buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. 3. Another scripture of note is found in Deuteronomy 21:22,23. And that is in regards to God s instructions on what to do with the deceased body of an executed criminal. Deuteronomy 21:22,23 (NKJV) 22 If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. 4. In light of all these scriptures, one would find it very difficult to argue that the Bible overwhelmingly supports BURIAL over CREMATION. And in contrast to cremation, BURIAL is painted in a positive light in the scriptures. The third thought we want to consider is.. III. Why A Christian Should Choose Burial Over Cremation 1. Perhaps you have given some thought to being cremated. And perhaps your primary consideration is financial. Let me give you some other matters to consider. (A) First of all, consider the ORIGIN of cremation. Most Americans are completely unaware of the origin of cremation. History tells us cremation originated in pagan cultures as part of their idolatrous fire worship rituals.

9 Their belief was that burning the deceased body warded off evil spirits and prevented the ghost of the deceased from returning to haunt the living. Cremation was widespread in the ancient pagan Roman and Greek societies. The Hindus and Buddhists both practice cremation because of their belief in reincarnation. Both religions believe that reducing the body to ashes and sprinkling those ashes upon a stream, river or ocean hastens the reincarnation process. (NOTE: It is interesting that Christians in India believe cremation is a pagan practice and therefore always bury their dead. ) (B) Secondly, consider the relation of our BAPTISM to a BURIAL. Romans 6:3,4 (NKJV) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (C) Thirdly, consider God CREATED and OWNS our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 (NKJV) 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God s. What Paul is saying is the body of every Christian belongs to God, just our soul and spirit belong to Him. We must give serious consideration as to which truly glorifies God, the burial of our bodies or the cremation of our bodies?

10 (D) Fourthly, consider BURIAL points us to the glorious hope of our RESURRECTION. John 5:28,29 (NKJV) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice, and come c forth those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. C O N C L U S I O N Now perhaps you are wondering about Christian loved ones who have already been cremated? We must believe that the same God who can resurrect the ashes of Christians who were cremated arbitrarily through persecution or tragedy can resurrect the ashes of Christians who chose to be cremated. But in conclusion let me say this: In light of our study today, I believe we have learned that the Bible offers overwhelming support for the burial of the dead, while offering no support at all for cremation. These are matters I pray all of us will take into careful consideration.