FollowJan Larsen’s Graduation
© 2026 C. O. Bishop
1st Thessalonians 5:16-19; 1st Corinthians 15:22; Numbers 21:5-9; John 5:24, etc.
Introduction:
Unquestionably, today all of us are missing Jan Larsen, our precious sister. She encouraged all of us with her joyful approach to life and faith. Jan finished her course in this life, and she graduated into God’s presence. She was the living embodiment of Paul’s commands, in 1st Thessalonians 5:16-19 “16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit.”
Rejoice Evermore
To begin with, Jan found the joy of the Lord in all of her life. As a result, she was an encourager to others to do the same. She sat people down and told them exactly what she so much appreciated in them.
Unsurprisingly, her last words to me, when she was lying in a bed, struggling to breathe, were “You are awesome!” (Obviously, that could have just been the meds talking, I will concede, but it is just the kind of thing she would say.)
Moreover, Jan blessed the Lord with all of her heart, and spoke her blessings aloud, not just thinking about Him quietly. She blessed all of us with that abundance of Joy, as well.
Pray Without Ceasing
Jan and Rick prayed together and they studied scripture together every day of their married life. Jan was an eager student of God’s Word, and fervent in prayer. She studied God’s Word as a whole. She knew that the Old Testament comprises nearly 80% of the Bible. And, she knew that the Holy Spirit authored the entire Written Word of God. So, she chose to read it her desire to be the best that she could be at whatever service The Lord assigned to her.
In Every Thing Give Thanks
Jan and Rick gave thanks together for God’s provision in their lives, whether it was the stream of tiny bird visitors they saw outside their apartment, or the people around them in church every week. Even in her sickness, she thought of ways to honor the Lord in the giving of thanks.
Finally, when Brandy Pedigo visited Rick, after Jan died, she brought him eggs and fresh-baked bread. He was thrilled with her kindness and care. But she was thrilled at seeing the Peace of God glowing in Rick’s face and in seeing his Joyful demeanor. That is the effect that Jan had on many people. She encouraged us to focus on Jesus and to learn Joy and Peace.
For This is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, Concerning You!
Let’s make this a little more personal: Jan took this passage personally, and she went out of her way to communicate it with those around her. She knew that this passage was God’s Will for her life as a believer, because she was in Christ Jesus! She wants YOU to know it, too!
Jan also knew how it is that God invites a person to move from his or her natural position (where they have been from birth,) to a new, eternal position, in Christ.
1st Corinthians 15:22 tells us that there are only two positions, or locations in which a human can be: “…in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” We are either still in Adam, via our natural birth, or we are permanently in Christ, by means of the New Birth.
Jesus Explained It
Beginning in John 3, Jesus explained this concept to Nicodemus, first emphasizing (v. 3) that without that new birth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus found the idea of being born again very confusing. So, Jesus spent some time explaining.
Next, in verses 14-16, He said that, just as the people in Numbers 21:5-9 were invited to look away from their own devices and efforts and look to God’s solution for their sins (in their case a bronze serpent high on a pole) even so, today, God invites us to Look Away from our own philosophies and self-made piety, and moral posturing, and recognize that we are lost sinners. He invites us to turn our eyes upon Jesus, as the full payment for our sins, and thereby to gain eternal life.
Finally, Jesus told Nicodemus “Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness,” (As God’s provision for those punished for sin by snakebite) “…even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (In the crucifixion: As God’s solution for the Sin of the Human Race.) “…that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Then He reiterated, by stating it clearly, “For God so loved the World that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever (that means you and me) believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Jesus’s Promise
In John chapter 5, Jesus said we can have eternal life now and not wait until we die to find out whether we have been accepted by God: John 5:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [present tense], and shall not come into condemnation [future tense]; but is passed from death unto life.” [past-perfect tense: it can’t be undone!]
In Ephesians 1:6, God says to those who have trusted in Him, that they have already been “made accepted in the beloved.”
In Acts 16:30, 31, the Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!”
Our Sister Jan knew all these things: She loved the Lord with all her heart, and she sought to “pass along” that eternal life and supernatural joy to anyone willing to listen.
Quench not the Spirit
The last verse in this passage (verse 19) is easy to overlook: It says, “Quench not the Spirit.”
Jan Larsen never put a “damper” on joy. She did not dwell on the wreckage of the world around her, nor the political posturing and false “virtue signaling,” of evil people. She saw the people of the World as the souls for whom Jesus died, and she cared for them as such. But, she did not allow them to take her focus away from the Lord Himself. He came first, though she grieved for the lost, and prayed for their salvation. He came first!
Jan remained focused on Jesus and on the various assignments she had from Him. She allowed Him to handle the World and all of its threats. She just kept her eyes on Him: the One who bought her with His Blood at the Cross!
And she would encourage each of us to do the same!