Saying Goodbye

As many of you already know, my Grandpa Alvaro recently passed away.  He had been in failing health for a few years (he was 89 years old), but after the doctors informed us that his medicine was no longer working and the decision was made to bring him home, he passed away within three days.  This was faster than we originally anticipated, but we were blessed to be able to spend those three days with him and caring for him.  I miss my Grandpa very much still every day, but I am thankful for the 29 years that the Lord allowed me to have with him and that my children were even able to know their great-grandfather.

My grandmother graciously asked if Chris would speak at his funeral.  It was truly an honor to hear him speak of my Grandpa and the Gospel and I thought I would share a portion of his sermon:

"I knew Anthony Paul Alvaro for the better part of the last ten years. I met him because I was dating, and eventually married his granddaughter Stephanie. Tony was always very welcoming of me into the Alvaro family, and even more so after we started bringing over beautiful great - grandchildren for him to love on! While not my biological grandfather, I have, since I’ve known him, considered Tony to be a grandfather figure to me, as well as Irene a grandmother. When I remember Tony, I think of four primary aspects of his life and personality that help define who he was as a person. The first thing you realized about Tony is that he was often very straightforward and blunt (This couldn’t have anything to do with being Italian could it?) Tony was not one to mince words - he told you exactly what was on his mind, exactly when it was on his mind (oftentimes with little regard for a filter!). Nevertheless, I always appreciated this from Tony because it’s easy to respect someone who is serious about their word. Second, Tony was known as a very hard worker and provider for his wife and two sons. Genesis 2:15 tells us that after God made man in His image, he placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. God made man to work and provide for those entrusted into his care by God, and Tony did this primarily through his successful tiling business over the years. This point shouldn’t be missed by us who live in a culture that increasingly promotes laziness and lack of discipline – Tony was a disciplined, hardworking man. The third characteristic I think of is Tony’s generous spirit. My own family has benefited from his generosity, as have so many others. In fact, since his passing, numerous people have mentioned how vividly they remember and appreciate this aspect of Tony’s personality. The fourth area I think about when remembering Tony is the way in which he loved his family. Tony was married to his wife Irene for 64 years and was a father to Jim and Tom. He loved and cared for his daughter’s in-law Jan and Carolyn very much. And he fervently loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In fact, it was always a blessing to see Tony’s countenance rise whenever all of his great-grandchildren came over to visit. He was a man who treasured and loved his family very much. There are no doubt many other great and loving aspects of Tony’s character that I haven’t mentioned here that all of you have experienced and are cherishing even this day.

I had many conversations with Tony over the years, but by far the most important conversation the two of us had occurred about two weeks ago at Tony’s hospital bedside. I had written a letter to Tony detailing all the things I just told you about his life and character. I told Tony that we all loved him very much, and that he didn’t have to worry one bit – we would take great care of grandma. However, my recounting of Tony’s straightforward honest character, his great work ethic, his generous spirit and incredible love for his family wasn’t the primary reason I visited that day. Tony and all of us knew that his days on this earth were coming to an end rather quickly, and I was there to speak to Tony about the reality of what happens next, about eternity. Because I love Tony, I wanted to share with him the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only true hope there is. God’s Word tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that it is appointed for every man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Furthermore, Romans 3:23 says that all men have sinned and therefore fall short of God’s glory and pardon. Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the message I wanted Tony to know. The message of the gospel. The Bible is very clear that there is no other name under Heaven by which man can be saved -  except by the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one can come into a relationship with Father God except through His Son Jesus (John 14:6). The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by God’s grace alone, through the gift of faith alone, not by human works so that no man can boast. Finally, Paul says in 1 Tim. 2:5 that there is one mediator between God and every man, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus is the only man who can plead our case before the Father, based on his sinless righteousness alone.

This is the message I shared with Tony. Tony very much appreciated my sharing this message with him, even to the extent of wanting the letter I wrote to be read to him again. I don’t say this in order to point to myself, but only to point to the fact that I believe this message caused Tony to set his gaze toward considering eternity. From time to time, life presents all of us with scenarios that remind us of our own mortality. We know that life is precious, but we also know that the moment we are born is the same moment in which we begin the journey towards death. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one like we are observing here today, or perhaps a sickness or trial in our own life – we are often reminded of the reality of death. The question in those moments is this: what is your hope? Ephesians. 2:12 is very clear: those who are apart from Christ are without God, and without hope. The difference today between us and Tony is this: Tony knew that the time of his departure was coming soon. However, we are unsure of this fact. We do not even know what today holds, and this fact makes even more pressing the matter of our response to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Today is a day of many and varied emotions. A day of joy and appreciation as we remember the man Tony was, and the blessings God entrusted to him during his life. But also a day of great sorrow and great grief, and that’s okay. We are supposed to grieve at the loss of those we love. We all need comfort and time for healing. However, in the midst of your grief, in the midst of your healing, you must remember that we all will face death on a day that God has appointed. The question we must all ask ourselves before that day is this: What is my hope in? The Bible is clear that there is a sure and everlasting hope that can be yours, but the Bible is also clear that this is our only hope. I would like to end my time today by reading arguably the most famous verse in the whole Bible. You no doubt know this verse well, and I would argue that the reason we are so familiar with this verse is because it tells us, very succinctly, where our only hope can be found: Jn. 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”