Introduction
Part of living together is learning to deal with the fact of death. In the early years of our congregation, we had almost no funerals. The reason we had few funerals in the early days of the church is that we were all babies. Now we have had a number of funerals, and given how many of us have been worshiping together for many years, that number is only going to increase. So how shall we then die? As always, we want to look to Scripture first for our direction and instruction.
The Text:
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25–26).
Summary of the Text:
Job is an ancient text, and comes to us from deep within Old Testament history. Because many want to believe that the ancients had no concept of the resurrection, this text is therefore much controverted. It is disputed because it seems so clear. But it is still best to take it at face value. We may grant that the resurrection of the dead is not emphasized in the Old Testament the way it is in the New, but it is most certainly there. Remember that the Jews came to a sure and certain faith in the resurrection prior to one syllable of the New Testament being given. Martha confesses that she knew that her brother would rise again in the resurrection at the last day (John 11:24), and all she had to go on was the Old Testament. Remember that Jesus argues for the resurrection against the Sadducees, and does so from the Old Testament (Luke 20:37), from Exodus in fact.
So Job, in the midst of his perplexities and trials, knew certain things for sure. He knew that his Redeemer lived, and he knew that his Redeemer would stand upon the earth in the latter day (v. 25). He also knew that his own body was corruptible, and that after he died, it would in fact be corrupted. He knew that worms would destroy his body, as certainly as he knew that his Redeemer lived. And yet, despite the utter destruction of his body, he knew that in his flesh he was going to see God.
No Step Ladder:
We believe that the doctrine of the resurrection at the last day is dependent upon the power of God and the certainty of the scriptural promise. When Jesus rebuked the Sadducees for their disbelief in the resurrection, these were the two things about them that He tagged. He said they erred (Matt. 22:29) because they did not know the Scriptures (the promises) and they did not know the power of God (sovereignty). Those who say that the Old Testament did not teach the doctrine of the resurrection have to deal with the fact that Jesus is on the other side—a bad place for a theologian to be in a debate.
And so no man should ever choose burial over cremation in the idea that God needs our help with the resurrection. Having a body “there and available” does not give Him a “head start.” It is not a step ladder that will help God up so that He can reach the resurrection shelf. When it comes to raising the dead, God is not even slowed down by the fact that someone’s atoms have utterly dissipated. The sea will give up her dead (Rev. 20:13). Martyrs like Ridley and Latimer have been burned at the stake—will they be denied a share in the resurrection because of their faithfulness? According to tradition, Antipas was burned in a brazen bull, and we know he was faithful (Rev. 2:13). And in our text, Job knew that he would see his God in the flesh after his body had been destroyed by worms. A buried body can be just as dissipated as a cremated body can be, and so “making resurrection easier” is clearly not the point.
A Standing and Practical Testimony:
So what is the point? I begin this way because it is crucial to note that Scripture nowhere identifies cremation as a sin. It is therefore not disobedience. That being the case, it is not an occasion for worry, or for conflict between Christians. If someone dear to you has been cremated, no worries. As you are making decisions, or are a part of making decisions with the extended family, I would encourage you to look for the opportunity for making a more complete scriptural testimony. But it is also true that it may not be entirely in your hands, or financially practical, or in your hands at all, or other factors may intrude. So again, no worries.
At the same time, burial provides us with a good opportunity for a full testimony. Think of it as an inscription on the tombstone. This is a particular kind of testimony that we see given in the pages of Scripture, and so—as possible—I would recommend burial over cremation. But we are talking about symbolism and testimony.
A Scriptural Review:
The patriarchs took great pains over the matter of burial, and Scripture attends carefully to what they are doing. Abraham buys land for Sarah’s burial (Gen. 23)—the first territory in the land God promised him that he actually owned. When he died, Isaac and Ishmael buried him with Sarah (Gen. 25:8-10). When Isaac died, Jacob and Esau buried him (Gen. 35:29). Jacob makes Joseph promise to bury him with Abraham (Gen. 47:29-31; 49:29-33), which is dutifully done (Gen. 48:4-13). Joseph, speaking prophetically, said that God would bring Israel out of Egypt and that they were to take his bones along with them (Gen. 50:24-26). Moses was careful to do exactly this (Ex. 13:19), and so Joseph was eventually buried in Shechem (Josh. 24:32).
While there are positive images that can be associated with burning (i.e. purification, as in 1 Cor. 3:15), the image in Scripture when it comes to disposing of bodies through burning is largely a negative one. God was going to judge Moab because, among other things, Moab desecrated the bones of the king of Edom by burning them (Amos 2:1-2). Achan and his household was stoned for their crime, but that was followed by burning their bodies and their possessions—a clear symbol of judgment (Josh. 7:25). King Josiah fulfilled prophecy (1 Kings 13:1-3) when he polluted the idolatrous altar at Bethel by burning human bones on it (2 Kings 23:15-18).
And last, Jesus was buried, and our burials provide us with an opportunity to follow Him in even this. As our burial service has it, the Lord “by His rest in the tomb has sanctified the graves of the saints.” After His death, the Lord’s open disciples had fled to hide in secret, and two of His secret disciples (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) took up the task of burying Him openly. Joseph donated his own tomb, and Nicodemus donated the spices. And remember the Lord had defended the woman who had previously anointed Him by saying she was preparing Him for burial (Mk. 14:8).
Isaac Watts put it this way:
Why should we tremble to convey
Their bodies to the tomb?
There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,
And left a long perfume.
Honor, Closure, Testimony:
We have ceremonies for the dead as a mark of honor. To refuse any kind of interment at all is a mark of contempt (Dt. 28:26; Ps. 79:1-4; Ecc. 6:3; Jer. 7:33; 16:6; 25:33; 34:20). We seek to honor those who have passed before us. We also have ceremonies for the sake of closure. Godly men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him (Acts 8:2). And third, as noted above, we give our testimony. A cemetery is a “grave garden,” and the tombstones are the stakes with those upside-down seed packets on them—telling us all what to expect. This image of the seed is a preeminently scriptural one, and burial is a good way to do it. Not the only way, but I think the way recommended.
Testimony to what? To the sure and certain resurrection of the dead.
Solid. Thank you for this.
These are some of the conclusions I have been coming to. There perhaps (?) seems to be an idea that burying someone who wanted to be cremated wouldn’t have upset him, but cremating someone who wants to be buried would have. At least amongst Christians?
I have been contemplating this book Cremation, Embalmment, or Neither?: A Biblical/Christian Evaluation. I suspect he follows a similar line to this sermon (possibly a harder line)
Some very good points but, I do not see why cremation, followed by a memorial service, a burial of the ashes in the cemetery after a graveside committal, followed by the placing of a tombstone at the grave site is any less “full” a testimony than the burial of a body.
Consider the death of Jairus’ daughter and Jesus saying that she was sleeping.
And it actually may be more socially responsible when you live in a huge city with little space left for burials.
Jill, listening to the sermon this morning I thought (of all people!) that you may enjoy it. If you’re interested flick me an email and I’ll send the link when it’s up. bethyada@ I have a gmail account.
I see cremation as the willful desecration of the body, the image of God. The death in this world will erode the dead body (as it does in life), but this death is the enemy of Christ and what he came to conquer. We should not go out of our way to tarnish this image. “No-worries” seem a little quick.
It might be a mistaken assumption that the image of God is a body, since God doesn’t have a body. In fact, this assumption would mean that amputees bear less of the image of God. Really?
“In fact, this assumption would mean that amputees bear less of the image of God. Really?”
Well I could see wanting to be an amputee as an atempt to bear less of Gods image.
Are all amputees voluntarily so? No. But even if they were trying to get rid of the image of god by losing limbs, that still doesn’t mean that what they conceive of as the image of God is in fact that image of God.
But you didn’t address my central point: God doesn’t have a body, and thus the human body cannot be the image of God.
Except that God does have a body in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-man. Unless, of course, you deny the reality of the Incarnation. In which case, well, there are some other issues more mistaken than your apparent conception of what constitutes the image of God. Being embodied is a fundamental fact of human ontology and, thus, is a critical component in our consideration of the imago dei. I suspect that if being embodied were not in some way representative of God then He would have done things a bit differently and the world would be a much stranger… Read more »
God assumed a body, but is that body the image of God? Only if we equivocate on what “image” means. When you say that being embodied is a fundamental fact of human ontology, are you denying that at death, our souls leave our bodies? It seems to me that our principle of identity is not in our flesh, but in our souls. Christ had a body, but it seems to be going a bit too far to identify the body itself with God. This is why the Incarnation was an astonishing doctrine. God, whom no one has ever seen, took… Read more »
I would not deny that at death our souls leave our bodies, but I would deny that they remain bodiless thereafter, until the final resurrection. Scripture presents us with an ontology of the body/soul union that is so strong only God is able to properly divide them (presumably to the recipient’s utter destruction). A disembodied existence for humans is as meaningless and incoherent as a two person conception of the Trinity. It seems to me that our principle identity is holistic, favoring the soul only as a matter of hierarchy similar to the structure of a biblical marriage and the… Read more »
“God doesn’t have a body, and thus the human body cannot be the image of God.”
We are made in the image of God, like stick figures are made in our image. Therefore it is worth considering what we do with our bodies even after we’re done with them.
You’re equivocating on the word “image.” Stick figures look like us in their shape and arrangement. They exist in one place, like us. God, on the other hand, doesn’t have a body, isn’t composed of parts, and isn’t constrained by physical boundaries. You’re going to have to work harder to prove what the image of God is.
“You’re equivocating on the word “image.” ”
Yes. I’m not saying that physical deformities or imperfections make one less an image bearer of God, but that what you do to your body should be informed by the fact that you are an image bearer of God.
No, I don’t believe that an amputee is less than, But it might be a sin to intentionally cut your legs off. Seems a tad disrespectful.
Yes, it’s a sin to mutilate your body. But does it lessen the image of God in you? If you answer no, then it’s pretty clear that the image of God is not contained in our bodies. Again, I must repeat: God is a spirit.
The argument with the Sadducees is a profound apologetic. I believe the Sadducees denied Scripture other than the Pentateuch (so wouldn’t have been convinced by a reference to Daniel or Job). Jesus therefore references tho Pentateuch. At the same time he rebukes them for failing to even know that part of the Bible. I am uncertain if the line, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God,” (Matt 22) is also a indirect rebuke of them for denying the rest of the Scriptures. Then Jesus proves the resurrection by noting a seemingly minor point,… Read more »
This was so well said. I quite agree. Also, I’m so grateful this wasn’t a plug for the virtues of composting. Yes, that is a real thing in my world, you are going to he’ll if you eat gluten, fail to recycle, and don’t buy a very expensive organic, green,sustainable composting site for your remains.
My dad always told us that when he died we should throw him on the compost pile. He wasn’t a liberal though. He was just cheap. :)
LOL! Liberals can be quite cheap too. It’s other people’s money they have no problem wasting.
I am laughing here, but I could not believe it when someone “invented” the organic, sustainable, composting idea and actually figured out how to make it cost a great deal of money. Much of that real estate exceeds the cost of an actual home for the living. Somehow we managed to go from reverence for the dead to outright pretension.
It’s hard for me to find the dividing line between custom and Biblical direction on this. What about when Jacob died and Joseph had the Egyptian physicians prepare his body according to Egyptian practices? Granted, he was going to transport his father’s body across a warm/hot terrain, so there was practicality involved, but this seems to indicate that there wasn’t a set method for preparation and burial. If I remember correctly, by the time of Christ, the practice was to have two burials: the primary for a year, and then the burial of the bones after that. In other words,… Read more »
That quotation is from a hymn sung to the tune “China” in The Sacred Harp. It is perhaps a more stirring and brief apologetic for Christian burial. I think everyone should go listen to it, then teach it to their children in order to prepare them to sing it (loud) at everyone’s Christian burial. Right before Thine Be The Glory. I think Christian funerals are one place where it is not profitable to try to sort out what is Christian doctrine and what is Christian culture. Semper Reformanda shouldn’t apply here. If you don’t own a Prayer Book or an… Read more »
Great post; however, I think there’s much more to be said. My understanding is that the funeral industry is fairly corrupt and pushes a lot of unnecessary (and very disrespectful) practices on grieving people. (See the unfortunately named ‘Funeral Consumers Alliance’ for further details: https://www.funerals.org/) Embalming isn’t even legally required or necessary in many situations, but morticians recommend it because they get a few more bucks out of the deal. The whole thing is a disgrace. I’d say we should take our death practices out of Egypt (embalming) and into the promised land. Let’s bring back the bone boxes. I… Read more »
Wholeheartedly agree. The main problem is that we have implicitly adopted the world’s perspective on the afterlife. We offer the resurrection as a token way to help the family feel better, but our practices betray our true beliefs.
Very balanced. Anyone wanting to see a more detailed argument for burial over cremation (without condemning the later) I would suggest Rodney Decker’s Is It Better To Bury Or To Burn? A Biblical Perspective On Cremation And Christianity In Western Culture Part 1 in Journal of Ministry and Theology 11:1, Spring 2007. Part 2 in 11:2, Fall 2007.
George,
I agree that Decker’s analysis is one of the best I’ve seen. You can find it online here: https://www.dbts.edu/pdf/rls/Decker-Cremation.pdf
I used his work extensively in preparation for a series I did on this issue: http://whiterosereview.blogspot.com/2016/08/life-death-growing-old-part-five-burial.html
Doug, I wholeheartedly agree that the burial and ceremony is designated as a formal honoring and testimony. However, one concern that is worth addressing is humility in that ceremony. The entire industry is corrupt on two levels: (1) They use the family’s grief and insurance to enrich themselves. They play the coy, humble helper, but use well-tuned tricks to extricate lots of gaudy and expensive bells and whistles. (2) They do not treat the body itself with the honor and care due a body made in God’s image. I liked your balance, and would be much stronger in my opposition… Read more »
Best tune for that hymn: https://youtu.be/7mCFMKNJIAg
Fascinating blog! I’m delving into the topic of Job and its implications on Old Testament views of resurrection. Your insights would be invaluable. Do you have a post discussing this? I’d love to read your thoughts on how ancient texts reveal beliefs in the resurrection. Thanks for sharing!