The eldest son of the late Pastor John MacArthur grew deeply emotional Saturday as he reflected on his father’s nearly 60-year ministry, his courage and dying advice to stay faithful.
“His bravery and faith were especially evident in his final days,” said Matt MacArthur, who eulogized his father for about 20 minutes during the memorial service that extended for about two-and-a-half hours at Grace Community Church.
“Dad was lucid, incredibly brave; a loving husband, dad and grandfather,” he said. “His determination never wavered. The man who stood as a lion in this pulpit also stood at the edge of eternity with the same steadfast courage.”
MacArthur paused as he choked up, remembering his father’s final words to him.
“His last words to me were: ‘Son, be faithful.’ He didn’t say, ‘Write a book.’ He didn’t say, ‘Be the keynote speaker at a conference.’ He said, ‘Be faithful.'”
“What a model,” he added.
Matt MacArthur recalled that his father, who was barely able to speak beyond a whisper as he was dying, expressed assurance of salvation by quoting the apostle Paul’s hope in the face of death from 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.
“O Death, where is your sting? I feel no sting. Grace has overpowered my sinful heart,” MacArthur quoted his father saying. “What a gift. What a gift. Grace is the greatest power because it pushes sin away. It’s all of grace. I am unworthy. I’ve lived to see my children’s children, and I pray that you all will finish well.”
“Finishing well” was one of the major themes of MacArthur’s memorial service, according to a copy of the memorial program, which featured a reflection from MacArthur himself on the anticipation of “unbroken fellowship with God” for Christians in Heaven.
Matt MacArthur also recounted memories from his father’s life that revealed his trust in God’s sovereignty even in the face of trial. He noted a family car accident in 1992 that nearly killed John MacArthur’s wife, Patricia, and another time when he feared his younger son, Mark, had a fatal brain tumor. Mark also eulogized his father.
“Even in the shadow of the darkest fears, he stood like a pillar: steady, unshaken and anchored in faith,” Matt MacArthur said.
MacArthur’s memorial service also featured remarks from other prominent figures such as John Piper, Alistair Begg, Sinclair B. Ferguson and Joni Eareckson Tada.
MacArthur died July 14 at age 86 after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He had been struggling with his health for two years and was hospitalized in 2023 after struggling to breathe as he delivered an hour-long sermon. He had four stents put in his heart, had his aorta replaced and also underwent lung surgery.
He described his health problems at the time as “a long siege” that made the last years of his ministry difficult, but that they did not dampen his desire to keep working as long as he could.
During his final public sermon on Nov. 24, 2024, MacArthur expressed gratitude to God despite his physical suffering, noting that God uses pain to accomplish His purposes.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
