What Does The Bible Say About Cremation Verses Burial

Message for THE LORD’S DAY MORNING, September 30, 2012Message 2: “What Does The Bible Say?” SERIESChristian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolinaby Reggie A. Braziel, MinisterWhat Does The Bible Say About Cremation vs. Burial?Message 2 in “What Does The Bible Say” Sermon SeriesI N T R O D U C T I O NAs Christians, we are all soberly aware that we all have an appointmentwith death, unless the Lord returns first. And we know the Bible teachesus that appointment can come at any time and that none of us is promisedtomorrow.In more recent years one of the major decisions people must make regardingtheir 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 oneis between $5,500 and $9,500. While the average cost of cremationis between $1,000 and $6,000.Now let me quickly add, that $1,000 is just for the cremation itself. That doesn’tinclude a visitation or service of any kind. The average cost of a cremation withvisitation and funeral service is between $5,000 and $6,000.Many Christians struggle with this issue of cremation. And so in ourmessage today we want to consider, “What Does The Bible Say AboutCremation vs. Burial?”Before we get into the message, let’s go to the LORD in prayer.P R A Y E R***********************************************************

I. What Does The Bible Say About Cremation?1. Let me start by saying the Bible does not say anything aboutcremation per se. But we do find several instances in thescriptures where cremations were either performed or commandedby God as a judgment for sin.(A) Let’s begin with one we are very familiar with, and that is thedestruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Please turn with me toGenesis 19.Remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were guiltyof all kinds of grave sins against God, with homosexualitybeing the most prevalent. After sending angels to getAbraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family out of Sodom, Godsent 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 andGomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitantsof the cities, and what grew on the ground.God’s righteous judgment against these two cities resulted ina mass cremation of all the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrahand 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 hadtaken “spoils” from the fallen city of Jericho after God commandedthe Israelites to take nothing from the city. Achan hid theseitems in his tent.And in the days that followed, the Israelites started losingon the battlefield, and couldn’t understand why. That is untilAchan’s secret sin was exposed. In verses 24,25 we seeJoshua carrying out God’s judgment against Achan and hisfamily.

24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the sonof Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, hissons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, histent, and all that he had, and they brought them to theValley of Achor.25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lordwill trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him withstones; and they burned them with fire after they hadstoned them with stones.(C) Now turn with me I Samuel 31.In this account King Saul and his troops had engaged thePhilistine army in battle. The Philistine army killed King Saul’sthree sons, most notably, Jonathan.After being wounded by a Philistine arrow, King Saul askedhis armor bearer to kill him to spare him from being killed bythe Philistines. When his armor bearer refused, King Saulfell on his own sword and took his life.When the Philistine army discovered the bodies of King Sauland his sons among the dead, they cut off Saul’s head andfastened the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall ofBeth Shan as “trophies.”Let’s pick up the record in VERSES 11-13.11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what thePhilistines had done to Saul,12 all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the bodyof Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; andthey came to Jabesh and burned them there.13 Then they took their bones and buried themunder thetamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.(1 Samuel 31:11-13 NKJV)

In order to keep the Philistines from dishonoring the bodies oftheir King and his sons any more, the valiant men of JabeshGilead burned the decaying flesh of King Saul, but noticethey buried the bones.(D) Next turn to II KINGS 23.There was a period in Israel’s history when many of thepriests of God began offering sacrifices to false gods.When Josiah became the King of Judah, he began widespreadreforms across the land to bring the Jewish people backto God. One part of this reformation involved getting ridof the priests who had led the people astray.19 Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high placesthat were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israelhad made to provoke the Lord to anger; and he did to themaccording to all the deeds he had done in Bethel.20 He executed all the priests of the high places who werethere, on the altars, and burned men’s bones bon 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 hermother.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, thatthere may be no wickedness among you.Another instance where “cremation” was commanded waswhen the daughter of a priest turned to prostitution.Leviticus 21:9 (NKJV)9 The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playingthe harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned withfire.

2. Throughout history many Christians have experienced whatwould be classified as “arbitrary cremations. In other wordsthey were cremated by an act of violence of another or by atragedy 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 intragic airplane crashes, automobile accidents, housefires, explosions, or in bombings during acts of war.3. Can God create a new heavenly body from the ashes ofany saved soul that was cremated in such tragedies?Absolutely! God created man from the dustof the earth. Why wouldn’t He be able to create a neweternal body from ashes?4. But there is something that must be considered in lightof the scriptures we have looked at thus far. And that is, notone of those scriptures paints cremation in a positivelight. None of these scriptures supports cremation as astandard practice.But let’s move on to the tsecond thing we want to consider……II.What Does The Bible Say About Burial?1. While there is no verse of scripture that specifically forbidscremation, there is overwhelming scriptural support for BURIAL.2. Time doesn’t permit us to look at all the scriptures regardingburial, 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 theyears of the life of Sarah.

2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land ofCanaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep forher.3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to thesons of Heth, saying,4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me propertyfor a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead outof my sight.”(B) Next we see, ABRAHAM was buried by his sons, Isaacand 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 caveof Machpelahlah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephronthe 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 hispeople, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau andJacob buried him.

(D)JOSEPH died and was embalmed in Egypt. But ashe requested his bones were carried back to Israelfor burial.Joshua 24:32 (NKJV)32 The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel hadbrought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in theplot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons ofHamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces ofsilver, and which had become an inheritance of the childrenof 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 ofMoab, according to the word of the Lord.6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, oppositeBeth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.This scripture, perhaps more than any other reflectsGod’s view of burial. He, Himself, gave Moses anhonorable, dignified burial.(F)(G)(H)In JOHN 11:38, we read where LAZARUS was buriedin 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 byGod for lying to the Holy Spirit.In Matthew 14:10-12, we read where JOHN the BAPTISTwas buried by his disciples after being beheaded byKing Herod.

(I)(J)Acts 8:2 tells us that after being stoned to death,STEPHEN , some devout men in the JerusalemChurch buried his body.And of course all four Gospels tell us after Hiscrucifixion, the body of JESUS was buried byJoseph 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 dowith 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 putto death, and you hang him on a tree,23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shallsurely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the landwhich the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for hewho is hanged is accursed of God.4. In light of all these scriptures, one would find it very difficult toargue that the Bible overwhelmingly supports BURIALover CREMATION. And in contrast to cremation, BURIALis painted in a positive light in the scriptures.The third thought we want to consider is…..III.Why A Christian Should Choose Burial Over Cremation1. 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 originof cremation. History tells us cremation originated inpagan cultures as part of their idolatrous fire worshiprituals.

Their belief was that burning the deceased bodywarded off evil spirits and prevented the ghost ofthe deceased from returning to haunt the living.Cremation was widespread in the ancient paganRoman and Greek societies.The Hindus and Buddhists both practice cremationbecause of their belief in reincarnation. Both religionsbelieve that reducing the body to ashes and sprinklingthose ashes upon a stream, river or ocean hastensthe reincarnation process. (NOTE: It is interesting thatChristians in India believe cremation is a pagan practice andtherefore always bury their dead. )(B) Secondly, consider the relation of our BAPTISM to aBURIAL.Romans 6:3,4 (NKJV) Or do you not know that as many of us aswere baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?Therefore we were buried with Him into death, that just asChrist was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, evenso 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 Spiritwho is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not yourown?20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in yourbody and in your spirit, which are God’s.What Paul is saying is the body of every Christian belongsto God, just our soul and spirit belong to Him. We mustgive serious consideration as to which truly glorifies God,the burial of our bodies or the cremation of our bodies?

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