Ready – Sermon on Luke 14:15-24 for the Second Sunday after Trinity

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Luke 14:15-23

15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Invite as many as you find to the wedding feastThen the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Our God is a God of order (1 Cor. 14:33; Heb 13:20). Because God is eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing, God is never surprised, never caught off guard. He is always prepared, always ready. This is very basic stuff, but it is good to dwell on it for a bit.

When God created the universe, He didn’t create cows until everything was ready for cows. God waited until the sixth day so cows would have grass, land, atmosphere, and light. God didn’t create fish or birds until He had created the sky and sea for them to dwell in. And God didn’t create Adam and Eve until very last so that they could be brought into a perfectly prepared world and perfectly prepared Garden. God made everything ready for them.

We can go further. When God sent the Flood in Noah’s days, God patiently waited for Noah to build the ark so that it would be ready to save his family and the animals. When God sent Jacob’s family into Egypt, God made everything ready by first sending Joseph down to Egypt so he could rise to power and provide food and a good, safe place for God’s chosen people. And God doesn’t bring His people out of Egypt until the Promised Land is already flowing with milk and honey.

When God drove the inhabitants of Canaan out so His people could dwell there, He doesn’t do it all at once. God said that He would drive the idol-worshipping pagans out little by little so the wild beasts wouldn’t become too many (Ex. 23:29-30; Dt. 7:22-23). On top of that, God also said that would first make the people afraid of the Israelites (Ex. 23:27-28). And when His people got to Jericho, that is exactly what Rahab said had happened (Josh. 2:9-11). God is never in emergency mode. He always makes everything ready.

But even above and beyond all of that, God makes sure that everything is prepared and ready when it comes to the salvation of sinners. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” God is always ready.

In this parable, Jesus tells us about God’s plan of salvation. The man giving the banquet in this parable had sent out invitations. You can think of this as a “save the date,” even though no exact date was given. The people are simply invited by the host, “I’m going to have a feast, and you are invited.” And the people respond, “Sounds great. We’ll be sure to come when you call us.” That is understood in v. 16.

This initial invitation is God’s repeated promise to send the Messiah, His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. God repeatedly invited people to come to Him through Christ, but He didn’t announce exactly when Jesus would arrive.

Heavenly Banquet TableSo, the man has sent out this invitation without saying exactly when the banquet would begin. Then in v. 17, the preparations are finished – the food is cooked, the table is set, the decorations are hung, the wine is poured, everything is ready. The man sends his servant to tell all those who were invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.” But they all make excuses, and their excuses are lame and stupid.

No one buys a field without looking at it first to see if it is worth the asking price. No one buys a yoke of oxen without checking if they are old, decrepit, and sickly. And you just got married? Well, bring your wife, you simpleton! Your host won’t mind. Besides, this banquet will be a more exquisite honeymoon than you could afford or imagine.

Now, we need to pause here because a question lies before us: What things keep you from the long-prepared banquet? What do you value more than the kingdom of God? What are your excuses? It doesn’t matter what excuses you have; they are just as lame and stupid as the ones offered in the parable.

Is your schedule so full that you can’t eek out time to pray and study God’s Word for yourself or as a family? God sees that as a rejection of Him. Do you not come to church everySunday because it is your only time to sleep in or because that is when the tournament is scheduled? God sees that as a rejection of Him. Do you withhold your tithe because you don’t know how you would be able to make ends meet even though you can always justify all other kinds of frivolous spending? God sees that as a rejection of Him.

Hear what the master of the feast says, “None of those who were invited shall taste my banquet.”

Repent. Your excuses are all statements that you are perfectly happy and fine as you are and that don’t need a banquet. Confess your excuses for despising the things of God as what they really are – a rejection of the God who personally loves you.

Confess yourself to be poor and unable to pay the debt you owe to God. Confess yourself to be lame and cripple and unable to walk in the way that God’s Law demands. Confess yourself to be blind and unable to grasp the depth of your sin and the heights of God’s mercy toward you.

When beggars – the poor, lame, cripple, and blind – get invited to come to a ready feast, they come. God loves you and has made everything ready for you. God’s feast is ready, and His feast is not sometime in the future. His feast is now.

Jesus tells this parable while He is at a feast. Jesus had just told His host, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite [people who can] invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Lk. 14:12-14).

Immediately after Jesus says that, another guest responded to Jesus, “Blessed are those who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.” Then, Jesus tells this parable in response to that statement. Now, if you take that statement, “Blessed are those who will eat bread in the kingdom of God,” out of its context, that blessing, that benediction, that beatitude is one-hundred percent true. But in context, that statement is damnably ludicrous.

Whoever it was who said it was, at that exact moment, eating and drinking with Jesus, God in the flesh. The blessing he spoke of was not something in the distant future that would happen eventually. It was already present with him, and he completely missed it.

Because Jesus was there, the kingdom of God was there. The feast was ready, and that man made an excuse to not enjoy what had been made ready for him.

Last week, we heard the parable of Lazarus who desired to eat from the rich man’s table. But God blessed Lazarus in his poverty, hunger, illness, and loneliness. Lazarus’ dissatisfaction with the world made him dependent upon God and ready to receive the joys and comforts of heaven for eternity. This week, we hear a parable of people who have no desire for food. They have been invited to a banquet that is ready, but they are full of excuses.I said it before, but I’ll say it again: When beggars – the poor, lame, cripple, and blind – get invited to come to a ready feast, they come.

We started with the premise that God is always ready. Ready to have mercy, ready to save those who are lost, and ready to usher them into His feast. The only thing that will keep you out of His banquet is your stubborn unwillingness to recognize your need and His gracious invitation.

Sinner, your sin has made you unworthy to come to God’s feast. And God could have made a lot of excuses for leaving you out of His heavenly banquet, but He didn’t. It is His good pleasure to give the kingdom to those who are unworthy.

Cross and CommunionChristian, God has ushered you into His paradise. You receive the benefit of the sacrifice of Christ’s death. You are promised the resurrection. And, now, in this feast you are about to receive, God nourishes you and declares you to be the object of His love and His perfect bride.

Your God says to you, His beloved, “Come for everything is now ready.” Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Gift of a Name – Sermon on Luke 16:19-31 for the First Sunday after Trinity

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Luke 16:19-31

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. Lazarus and the Rich Man Graphic22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Being rich is not a sin. Money can, of course, be very dangerous to faith in Christ. Jesus plainly teaches that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 19:23-24). But the rich man does not go to hell because he was wealthy. Instead, the rich man goes to hell because he does not love God.

GreedEven though the parable doesn’t explicitly say it, we know the rich man does not love God. As our Epistle text (1 Jn. 4:16-21) says, “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen…. Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 Jn. 20-21). The rich man’s lack of love for Lazarus makes his lack of love for God as plain as the nose on your face.

We can go even farther and say that the rich man is put to shame by the dogs. By licking his wounds, those dogs are more compassionate toward Lazarus than the rich man who can’t even be bothered to send one of his servants to give Lazarus a crumb from his table. Again, it is not a sin to be rich – not at all. But you cannot be saved and live as unlovingly and hard-heartedly as the rich man in this parable.

The Scriptural command to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18; Mt. 22:39) is something that everyone, even pagans, know they should do. Everyone has the duty to love and serve their neighbor – but Christians especially have this duty.

God has given you abundant blessings so that you can use your wealth to help and be generous to others. Too often when we hear exhortations to assist the poor and needy – and I include myself in this rebuke – we over-generalize and turn the poor into a category or a nameless group of people that are difficult to identify. And once we have done that, we come up with all sorts of excuses to get out of helping our neighbor.

We know we can’t feed and clothe everybody so we don’t even start. Or we think to ourselves, “Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us (Mt. 26:11), so what good can I do?” But by doing this, we make the poor merely a concept, a demographic, or an abstraction. Once we have done this, we easily dismiss God’s call to help them.

So, don’t fall into the trap. Christian, God has called you to help your neighbor, and don’t forget that your neighbor has a name. In this parable, the rich man had a poor person put into his life by God, and that poor man had a name – Lazarus. And without question, the rich man knew who Lazarus was.

As the rich man was in torment, he doesn’t say, “Abraham, can you send that guy next to you to give me a drop of water?” No. The rich man sees Lazarus’ face, knows his name, and begs, “Send Lazarus.” And more than that, the rich man has five brothers who also knew Lazarus by name. The rich man knows that, if Lazarus could go to his brothers, they would recognize Lazarus, and they would know that he had risen from the dead to warn them about his torments in hell. From those two details, we know that Lazarus was a familiar family acquaintance for the rich man and his brothers.

Here’s the point: God hasn’t commanded you to feed and provide for the whole world. You aren’t God, and, quite frankly, you can’t do that. God hasn’t called you to provide for everyone, but God has called you to provide for Lazarus. God has put you into relationships with people who have a name. And God has called you to provide for them.

Crying to GodSo, when your conscience is pricked and you feel guilt for your lack of love, first repent. Repent of your lack of love. Then, make a list of the people God has placed in your life to help, to care for, and to love starting with the people closest to you.

Take out a piece of paper and draw a circle in the middle and write down the names of your family members who live with you in that circle. God has called you to care for them first. Be faithful in your care for them. Then draw another circle around the first and list your family members who need help – maybe a grandparent or an aged parent or aunt, uncle, or cousin. Those are the first two groups of neighbors God has called you to serve and care for. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “[I]f anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Then draw another circle around the first two, and write down the names of the people from our congregation that need your care and support. After your family, your fellow believers, your brothers and sisters in Christ are the closest neighbors that God has put into your life to care for. Galatians 6:10 says, “[A]s we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Your brothers and sisters in Christ need your love and care. They need you to contribute to this congregation so that they can hear the Gospel and receive God’s gifts in His Word and Sacraments. They need you to help them when they fall into hard times. So be faithful in your giving to our congregation, and God will bless those efforts. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

If you still have more to give, draw another circle. Write the names of your neighbors, coworkers, and friends who also have needs. And be faithful in helping them. Then you can draw another circle and write the names of others you know who need help. Or you can write the names of organizations that help those in need – the Women’s Pregnancy Center, Northlands Rescue Mission, the food shelf, etc. Get their newsletters or go to the websites and read the names and stories of the individuals who have been helped by those efforts as well. You get the idea?

With all those names, you might be overwhelmed. So, pray for wisdom. Ask God to give you the wisdom to know when you are equipped to help and when you are not. And remember that the closer to the middle of the circle those names are, God has called you to help those individuals first. And trust that God knows how to order your life and the lives of others as well.

Now, maybe you are a Lazarus. You might be the one who needs to be cared for, and if you aren’t now, you may be in the future. If that is the case, you might wonder, “How can I show love for my neighbor? How can I provide for others when I am in need?” The answer is surprisingly simple.

In Jesus’ day, beggars were seen as offering service to God be being needy. The generous cannot be generous if there is no one to be generous to. God may call you into His service by being the one who needs to receive the generosity of others who have the means to give. So, if you have needs, let us know.

Baptism 2And never forget, Christian, that you have been given a name. Through the waters of your Baptism, God gave you your name. He has adopted you into His family. You are His child and part of the household of Jesus. The love you fail to show to those God has placed in your life is forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, your Savior. And God does not forget to pour out His love, mercy, forgiveness, and provision for you.

This is what the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures point you to Jesus, your Savior. It is the same Scriptures that this parable says the rich man’s brothers should look to so that they do not come to the place of eternal torment that the rich man did. Those very Scriptures all point you to the Jesus who shed His blood, died, and rose again for you.

Sinner, you are not some nameless, faceless person to God. He knows you by name. He has called you by that name, and you are His (Is. 43:1). And, dear saints, your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3:5; 13:8). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

From Amazement to Fear to Faith – Sermon on Acts 2:1-21 for Pentecost

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Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost Spirit 21 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;

18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The crowd in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost was there because it was Pentecost – a harvest festival. We have gotten so accustomed to connecting the celebration of Pentecost with the sending of the Holy Spirit that we forget that Pentecost was one of the three major festivals of the Jews. All the way back in Leviticus 23[:15-21], God had commanded that this feast be kept; though, in the Old Testament, it is normally called the “Feast of Weeks.” Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Passover, which was why it became known as ‘Pentecost.’ Pentecost was one of three festivals that required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

One of the other festivals that required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was, of course, Passover. I mention Passover because most of the people in the crowd we just heard about there in Acts 2 would have been in Jerusalem fifty days earlier to celebrate the Passover when Jesus was tried, convicted, and crucified. They would have been the very crowds that cried out, “Crucify Him,” when Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus.

So, people from all over the world are in Jerusalem again. But this time, they are hearing in their own, native languages about the mighty works of God. They were amazed. Amazed at the sound of the mighty rushing wind and amazed at the mighty works of God being told in their own language, their own tongue. This is the amazed crowd to whom Peter preaches.

Peter Preaches on PentecostWe didn’t hear Peter’s whole sermon. It goes on for another fifteen verses, but I want you to hear the highlights of the whole thing. In the part of Peter’s sermon that we did hear, Peter tells the people that, if they had read their Bible, wouldn’t have been surprised at what they are hearing because it had been foretold in the prophet Joel. Then, Peter goes on to proclaim Jesus to the people.

Peter reminds the people how they had, with their own eyes, seen Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and do all sorts of miracles. But even though they had seen all of this, they delivered Jesus into the hands of lawless men in order to be crucified. But Peter adds that Jesus was crucified according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

The sermon goes on to tell how though Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead and is forever seated at God’s right hand. And Peter makes it clear that Jesus was and forever is the Lord and Christ whom they had crucified (Act. 2:36).

Upon hearing this, the people in the crowd are, according to Scripture, “cut to the heart” (Act. 2:37). But before I go to describe what happened that day, I want to make a quick mention of another time when a similar sermon was preached. A few years after our reading in Acts 2 today, Stephen preaches a very similar sermon to a similar crowd (Act. 7). But when Stephen’s sermon ends, the crowd is enraged. They grind their teeth, put their hands over their ears, rush Stephen out of the city, and throw rocks at him until he dies.

I mention that to highlight the greatest miracle on the day of Pentecost. The greatest miracle of Pentecost is what happens when Peter concludes his sermon by saying, “[K]now for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” and the people do not kill Peter or run to their safe spaces. Instead, the Holy Spirit works on them. They are, again, “cut to the heart.” They are devastated and full of regret. In other words, they lament and despair because of their sin. They go from amazement to fear.

But in their fear because of their sin, they offer no excuses. They point no fingers. Their mouths are silent before the Law with the exception that they fearfully ask, “What shall we do?” (Act. 2:37). Of course, they know that there is nothing they can do. They can’t go back. They can’t make up for it. They can’t pay Jesus off. No excuses will help them. They know they can’t remove their guilt, but Peter points them to Jesus who can.

Peter says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Act. 2:38).

That day, God added 3,000 souls to the Holy Christian Church. Their fear is swallowed up in faith. Faith in the Jesus whom Peter preached. Faith in the name of Jesus given to them in their Baptism. Faith in the Jesus who died for them, rose for them, and washed them.

And it is that promise of Scripture that I want you to consider today. Sometimes, we get too caught up in the amazement of the coming of the Holy Spirit. But the most amazing thing that happens when the Holy Spirit arrives is how people are moved by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God to repentance and faith.

Romans 15_4 - Spirit Scriptures SalvationSo you, when the Law comes and points its finger at you and declares you to be a sinner, don’t make excuses. Don’t try to turn the accusations away. Don’t try to put your own spin on it and say that at least you aren’t as bad as so-and-so. Instead, repent. Repent because the Holy Spirit wants you to know that Jesus came to save you who are lost in sin. That means that Jesus has come to save you and me.

Secondly, know that this salvation isn’t only for you. It is for your children. The promises of Baptism are for the cute little sinners who are born into your family. Jesus calls them to Himself as well.

Finally, know also that this promise is for everyone you meet. Your family, your co-workers, your acquaintances, the people you pass by on the street – Jesus died for them as well. And your Savior desires that they hear the promises of life, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation as well. So, fill your speech with those promises.

One study showed that 86% of people who attend church regularly attend because someone invited them. That’s amazing. So, as your pastor, I ask you: When was the last time you invited someone to join you here at church? I am willing to bet that you would be fearful if I were to have everyone stand and say when the last time was.

Brothers and sisters, our world is dark, and people are hurting. Let us, all of us, be people of faith in our Lord while we invite others to the faith as well. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Heart & the Helper – Sermon on Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26-16:4 for the Seventh Sunday of Easter and Confirmation Sunday

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The sermon today is from all three texts read: Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26-16:4

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Confirmands and dear Christians,

I have good news and I have bad news. First, the bad news: Being a Christian is difficult.

According to Jesus, to be a Christian is to be on the narrow path (Mt. 7:13-14), and Christ promises, “In this world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33). In our Epistle text, Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pe. 4:12). God doesn’t promise that Christians get a detour around problems in this life. Instead, Scripture promises the exact opposite. In fact, in today’s Gospel text, Jesus says that there are people who are willing to kill you thinking that they are worshipping God by doing so (Jn. 16:2).

No, you don’t get a detour around problems in this world, but don’t be discouraged – here’s the good news. You do get a Guide through them. This past Thursday marked the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God the Father. Christ ascended into heaven in order to help you with the help you need the most. You, Christian, have been given the Holy Spirit who helps you in every trial, temptation, and tribulation.

Your Savior sends the Holy Spirit to be your Helper, your Aid, your Defender, your Comforter.

Andrew, Stephanie, Josiah, and all you saints, though you have enemies attacking you from the outside – the devil and the world – and enemies attacking you from the inside – you own sinful flesh and desires – you are not without help. You have the comfort of the Comforter and the help of the Helper.

When you are discouraged because of your constant sins and failure to keep God’s Law, the Holy Spirit is right there helping and comforting you with the Word of God. He says, “Yes, your sins are great. That is why you have a greater Savior, Jesus Christ. God is not disappointed with you. He is totally and completely pleased with you because of what Jesus has done for you.”

When the devil accuses you and throws your sins in your face, the Holy Spirit, your Comforter and Advocate, stands between you and the devil saying, “None of that, Satan! Those sins were already thrown in Jesus’ face, and He has taken the punishment for all of them.”

When the world calls you a hypocrite saying that you do not live the way you should, the Helper reminds you, “You bear God’s holy name. You have been Baptized in to Christ, so you have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).

Did you hear what God said in our Old Testament lesson? Were you listening? God promised that He would act for the sake of His holy name which you bear. Because God has defined Himself as a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6). God will make sure you have that mercy, grace, love, and care. God has sprinkled clean water on you, His people, and He has cleansed them from all your sins and idols. Holy Spirit New HeartGod given you a new heart and a new spirit. God has put His Holy Spirit within you, and He has caused you to walk in His statutes and rules. Again, God promised to do this for the sake of His name, His reputation, and your benefit because you are His.

God promised all of this, and because of what Christ has done, it is finished.

God acted. You were in desperate need of help. You weren’t just dying, you were dead in your trespasses and sins. And, even worse, you were dead and still actively and stone-heartedlyrebelling against God. But He gave you what He promised in our Old Testament lesson. Christ came and removed your heart of stone and gave you a heart of flesh.

Christian, you will struggle your entire life – Scripture promises it. Yet, there is a comfort in Christ saying that you will struggle because those very trials, tribulations, and persecutions mean that you belong to Him. Just a few verses before our Gospel text began, Jesus said this: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18-19).

And know this, know this: You have help in your trials. The same Jesus who died and rose again for you is the same Jesus who helps you by ascending to the right hand of God the Father with all authority in all creation having been given to Him. And He has given you a new heart and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and the Helper.

Each of the verses our Confirmands picked are Holy Spirit-sent to help and comfort you now and forever.

As Andrew’s verse (Jn. 3:16) promises: God loved you so that He sent Jesus to die and rise again for you. Believe in Him and you will never perish but have eternal life.

Josiah’s verse (Prov. 3:5) encourages you to trust in those promises of Christ and to not lean on your own understanding. Your own understanding will lead you nowhere. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than your ways and thoughts. Trust in those.

And Stephanie’s verse (Jer. 29:11) reminds you that God’s plans for you are for your welfare. God’s plans for you are to give you a solid future and hope for all eternity.

Christian, you have a new heart and the Helper. Go from here in that comfort and that certainty. God has promised, and He is faithful.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sing – Sermon on Isaiah 12:1-6 for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Isaiah:12-1-6

1 You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

2   “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LordGodis my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

5   “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.

6   Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The day of salvation that Isaiah speaks about is today. 2 Corinthians 6:2states that, because Christ has died and risen for you, now is the day of salvation. God was angry with you because of your sin, but His anger has turned away. Jesus lives, and God has given you His comfort. Christ reigns in heaven, and God is now your salvation. Jesus has delivered you. God is your strength and your song. Whether or not you realize it, you are here today to draw from the wells of salvation which will never run dry.

Higher Things - Singing.jpgSo, “Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” The Scripture readings today have called you – in fact, they have commanded you – to sing to God five times (Ps. 98:1, 4, Is. 12:5, 6).

Many places in Scripture, you are commanded to “sing a new song.” There are some Christians (and they may have good intentions) some Christians who say that we should be singing songs that appeal to people’s current taste in music. In other words, we should always be writing songs that will make people tap their toes or something. Other denominations go so far as to say this command to ‘sing a new song’ means that we should only sing songs that have been around for so long – say fifty or one-hundred years. And once a song reaches that age, it should be retired, put out to pasture, and not sung anymore. But that is not what it means to ‘sing a new song.’

When Scripture tells us to sing a new song, it always goes on to tell us, not about the musical style of the song, but about the content of the song, and the content of the song is always God’s deliverance. We sing of how God has delivered and rescued us from our sin and the devil. In other words, we sing of Christ who has saved us.

God’s salvation is always new. An ancient Greek philosopher (Heraclitus) said, “You never step in the same river twice,” because it isn’t the same river and you aren’t the same person. In a similar way, the best Christian songs, no matter how old they are, are always new. It doesn’t matter how long the song has been around because the salvation Jesus has won for you means something different to you now than it did yesterday. Yes, you have sinned again, but God’s steadfast love never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Songs that you have memorized and have been singing your whole life can bring new comfort in a different way than they had before. None of this is to say that we shouldn’t be writing new songs. No, no, no. Christians should be the best artists – especially when it comes to music. Until Christ returns, the church should always be writing songs that speak clearly of God’s deliverance and salvation while we continue singing the faithful songs of our ancestors in the faith.

Zephaniah 3_17 - Quiet you with His loveNow, why does God command us to sing; isn’t speaking good enough? Apparently, no. There is a great passage in everyone’s favorite Old Testament book, Zephaniah 3:17. Listen to this, “The Lordyour God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” It is an absolutely beautiful picture. But the reason I bring this up is that this is the one place in all the Scriptures where God sings, and the reason He sings is His joy over you.

When God expresses His joy over you who have been redeemed by His beloved Son, He does it with singing because nothing else will do. Music and song is the only thing capable of expressing the joy that God has because of you. God sings in joy over you, so you sing for joy to Him. And this is why we spend time in our services singing. We don’t do it to make our service more interesting. Rather, we sing because singing is, in fact, a form of spiritual warfare against God’s enemies and your enemies. Let me give you two quick examples:

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat ruled in Judah. His kingdom was threatened by the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites. Jehoshaphat doesn’t know what to do, so he calls all the people of Judah to come to the Temple to pray. While they are praying, a prophet comes in and says that the people don’t need to be afraid of the hoard coming against them. That prophet says that the army won’t even need to fight because the Lordwill fight for them. When the people hear this, they all bow down with their faces to the ground. But then, suddenly, two clans of the priests, the Kohathites and the Korahites, stand up and begin to sing loudly. Those two classes of priests had been appointed by King David years earlier to be the singers in the Temple. Basically, they had been appointed to be the church choir.

The next morning, the battle lines are formed. 2 Chronacles 20_21 - SingAnd Jehoshaphat appoints the front line to be – guess who – the Kohathites and the Korahites, the choir. The Lordwould fight for them, so why not have the singers be the first into battle? The army marches out behind the choir and listen to this, it’s from 2 Chron. 20:22, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lordset an ambush against the men of Ammon [and] Moab… who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” Through their singing, God defeated the enemies of His people.

And don’t think this is an isolated event. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods, arrested, and thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. While they are there in the dank, stinky dungeon, guess what they do. They prayed to God, but then they began, you guessed it, they began to sing hymns (Act. 20:25). They weren’t worried about the other prisoners hearing them sing. They sing, and God acts. God sends an earthquake, the prison doors are all opened, and all the shackles of all the prisoners fall off.

We could also talk about how David used to play his harp to drive away the demons that tormented King Saul (1 Sam 16:23). Or how Jesus and the disciples, in that dark hour before Jesus was arrested, sang a hymn before they departed the upper room (Mt. 26:30).

The devil hates music and flees when God’s people sing. So, the devil tris to get us to not sing. If Satan tries to get you embarrassed of your voice or your ability to sing, get over it. God doesn’t care how good of a singer you are. He’s not looking for Grammy winners or finalists from American Idol or The Voice. He wants you and commands you to sing.

So, sing. Sing when you are happy. Sing when you are depressed. Sing when you are apathetic. Sing of Jesus. Sing of His victory. Sing of His deliverance. Sing of His forgiveness. Sing how His right hand and holy arm have rescued you. Sing because the battle is the Lord’s. He has won the victory over Satan, sin, and death. Sing and watch the devils flee.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

A Little While – Sermon on John 16:16-22 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

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John 16:16-22

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’;and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus says, “I’m here, but in a little while I won’t be here. Then, a little while later I’ll come back.”And the disciples are confused. They whisper to each other about this and none of them knows what this ‘a little while’ means. So, Jesus explains it to them.

First and foremost, this ‘little while’ refers to what would happen in a couple of hours. Jesus is soon to be betrayed and arrested. He will be tried, crucified, killed, and buried. Somewhere in that sequence, all of the disciples will no longer see Jesus. For most of them, it is when Jesus is arrested. For Peter, it is during Jesus’ trial while he is out by a bonfire denying he knows Jesus the third time (Lk. 22:61). And for John, it is either at the cross or at the burial. The disciples don’t see Him anymore, and they weep and lament because Jesus is dead, buried, and sealed behind the stone in the tomb.

But it is only for a little while – Friday evening and night, all day Saturday, Saturday night through Sunday afternoon before they see the resurrected Jesus once again. Again, first and foremost, this is the ‘little while’ Jesus is referring to.

But Jesus also alludes to something more. He is also speaking about His ascension, which is what Jesus was referring to when He said He was “going to the Father.” Don’t miss that part of our text. The morning of the Resurrection, Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene. When she recognizes Jesus, Mary falls at His feet and embraces Him (Mt. 28:9), but Jesus says to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

So, yes, He is referring to the time that the disciples weep and lament and have sorrow between His burial and resurrection. But here, in this text with this ‘little while,’ Jesus is also referring to the time while you have sorrow between His ascension and return in glory on the last day, which means, you, dear saint, are even now living in the ‘little while’ Jesus refers to.

A Little While WaitingThis ‘little while’ has lasted nearly two thousand years and counting. Yet, two thousand years is nothing when you compare it to everything that lies ahead for you in eternity. And it is even more miniscule when you realize that it will only be a few short years before you meet Jesus face-to-face – even if you live to be one-hundred-twenty. But we still have a problem. During our pain and anguish, our difficulties and seasons of tribulation, time seems to stand still while we suffer. But we can take heart and be encouraged. Jesus says it will only be ‘a little while.’

This little phrase from Jesus – ‘a little while’ – is meant to be comforting in the midst of sorrow, pain, anguish, trials, and tribulations. First, it lets us call that trouble what it is – it is suffering and not something that God ever intended you to experience. When you suffer, you don’t have to put on a brave face and say things like, “I know other people have it worse than I do.” No. No matter how great or small, call suffering what it is – suffering. The second reason this is comforting is that you can know that your God and Savior promises that your suffering can only last ‘a little while.’

Mothers, you understand Jesus better than anyone else which is why He uses you as an example here. As a man who has never and will never give birth, and as a father who has been present at the births of all four children, I hesitate to speak too much about this – especially on Mothers’ Day. But as a pastor who has been called to preach God’s Word, I must echo what Jesus says.

Kids, your mom suffered to bring you into this world. The pain and anguish of a woman in labor is real – there is no denying it. And, mothers, Jesus knows the pain you have been through, not because He ever gave birth, but because He is the one who said that a woman’s pain in childbirth would be greatly increased after the Fall (Gen. 3:16). But when a mother has delivered the baby – and remember this is according to Jesus – she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

It is not as though her memory is erased and she forgets the pain of labor – that is not what Jesus says. Instead, her anguish is swallowed up by joy that she now has a child to love and cherish. This is the main thing Jesus is teaching us in this text. Sorrow and suffering is temporary for you, Christian. It can only last ‘a little while’ and no more.

Grace is Sufficient, suffering, new creationNow, there is no denying that your suffering is real. Some of you are currently enduring that suffering in severe ways right now. We pray that your relief will be soon and swift. But know this: God is working through those sorrows. He is using your trials to keep you close to Himself, to work virtue in you, to teach you to trust in Him. This does not mean that you should rejoice because of trials and tribulations. Instead, it is a reminder that you can rejoice in spite of and in the midst of that suffering. Like buds on a tree indicate that full blossom is coming, those troubles, trials, sorrows, and crosses are harbingers of the joy that is to come.

And if you aren’t currently going through trials right now, you will. Jesus says that you will weep and lament, and you will be sorrowful. Jesus has called you to take up your cross and follow Him. Good Friday always comes before Easter, but Easter joy always overcomes Good Friday sorrow. Resurrection always defeats death.

Christian, the crosses you have borne in the past, the crosses you bear now, and the crosses you will bear in the future will and must give way to Resurrection joy because – already and now – Christ is risen.

Pain, sorrow, trial, and tribulation is real and there is no getting around it. A slave is not above his master. If Jesus is persecuted and suffers, you will be persecuted and suffer (Jn. 15:20). And Jesus promises, “You will weep and lament, and you be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. And no one will take your joy from you,”because Jesus has promised it will only be ‘a little while.’

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Kalos Shepherd – Sermon on John 10:11-16 for the Third Sunday of Easter

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John 10:11-16

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus the Good Shepherd 1For our great comfort, Scripture gives many images of God shepherding His people. Psalm 23, of course, comes to mind. We have a picture in the entry of our church of Jesus walking through green pastures and still waters leading a flock of good-looking sheep. Jesus tells the parable of the shepherd who goes out seeking his one lost sheep, hefts it on his shoulders, and brings it home. All of that imagery is Scriptural and comforting and good.

However as comforting as all of that is, it not our Lord’s focus when Jesus calls Himself the ‘good Shepherd’ here. The people who heard Jesus say these words figured He was a lunatic. Their response down in v. 20 is, “He has a demon and is insane; why listen to Him?”

In Jesus’ day and even now, shepherds keep sheep for their wool or their meat. Shepherds put food on the table and a roof over the heads of their family by sheering and slaughtering sheep. In the ways of the world, a ‘good shepherd’ is someone who is successful in making money off of his sheep. Imagine a cattle rancher saying, “I am the good rancher. I love the cows. I like to go out and pet them. And I let them live to a good old age in the field while I go and die for the cows.” You would not call that rancher ‘good.’ You’d call him a fool and a lunatic.

Here’s where this is going: Our translation has Jesus saying, “I am the good Shepherd,”and we use the word ‘good’ to describe all sorts of things that aren’t actually good. Teachers might write ‘good’ on assignments or tests when a student has actually done poor work. Some fathers are sleazy fornicators and only spend time with their children when it is convenient for them while treating their children’s mother like trash. But single mothers might still call them ‘good’ dads even though they scumbags. The word ‘good’ can be vague and simply don’t cut it when we think of Jesus as the ‘good Shepherd.’

On the one hand, ‘good’ is a perfectly legitimate way to translate the word (the adjective) Jesus uses to describe Himself as the Shepherd. But the word that Scripture gives us is much deeper than our word ‘good.’ So, you get to learn a Greek word today. Jesus calls Himself ‘the καλός Shepherd.’

1 Peter 2-24-25 - By His wounds Shepherd overseer of your soulsYes, it does mean ‘good’ but not in a subjective sense, not in a way that is open to anyone’s interpretation. Jesus is uniquely qualified to be the Shepherd of sinful sheep. Christ is the ‘good for you’ Shepherd. Kalos also means ‘right, fitting, true, beautiful, and competent.’ And Jesus Himself defines exactly what makes Him the kalos Shepherd. His the kalos Shepherd because of the fact that He lays down His life for the sheep.

In other words, Jesus, the kalos Shepherd, guards you, His flock, from the wolf no matter what. Jesus talks about the ‘hired hand’ who doesn’t own the sheep. A hired hand might not leave the flock if he sees a wolf way over there. In that situation, the hired hand might make a bunch of noise to scare away the wolf and save the flock he is watching over. A hired hand might even try to save the majority of the flock while a wolf picks off one or two sheep, and we’d still call him a good hired hand.

But Jesus, the kalos Shepherd, does something unimaginable. Jesus overcomes, defeats, and destroys the wolf by filling the wolf’s mouth with His own Body and thereby saves you from being lost and devoured by the wolf.

Right after our reading ends, Jesus goes on to say that the reason the Father loves Him is that He lays down His life for the sheep. Listen to this: Jesus says (v. 17-18), “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge (lit. “this command”) I have received from My Father.”

So, ask yourself, “If death cannot separate Him from me, what can?” If Jesus will go to the cross for you, and if Jesus will die for you, and if Jesus will come through death to be with you, He will always abide with you and will not leave you.

Hear this, you wandering sheep: When you had cut yourself off from God by your sin, Jesus, the kalos Shepherd, came down to die on the cross for you. Jesus could have run away like the hired hand, but He didn’t. If Jesus didn’t run away then, what would cause Him to run away from you now? The answer is nothing. There is nothing that will make Him throw up His hands and say, “Well, I’m done with that sheep.”

The Good ShepherdMy dear fellow sheep: Jesus is the kalos Shepherd; you are the sheep. You are not called to stand toe-to-toe with the devil. Satan, sin, and death are the wolves, and you are the sheep. Hide behind Jesus. Christ, your kalos Shepherd, places Himself in danger to rescue you from every threat. But even as you hide behind your kalos Shepherd, you do not cower in fear. Hide behind Jesus confidently knowing that He has overcome the wolf, won the victory, and His victory is your victory because you are His.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

The Milk of Peace – Sermon on John 20:19-31 for the Second Sunday of Easter

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John 20:19-31

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, Thomas Sees Jesushe showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The first words of Scripture you heard in today’s service came from 1 Pet. 2:2, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk [of the Word].” Hear that again, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk [of the Word].” A newborn child, when placed on her mother’s abdomen, will push herself up to nurse from her mother’s breast. This is such a beautiful testimony to the fact that God has created and designed us so that even from the moment we are born, we know what we need and where to get it.

And then, we grow up… and think we know better.

As kids get older, their sinful nature becomes more and more evident. Kids don’t know what they need and they chafe under the direction and discipline of their parents. When I was a teenager, I would beg my parents to give me more freedom and let me stay out late. God be praised that they knew better than I did and loved me enough to not allow it. When I moved away for college and had the freedom to make my own decisions about when to be home, I quickly realized that freedoms came with responsibility. Just because I could stay out until all hours of the night didn’t mean actually doing it was a good idea. The need to study, pay attention during lectures, and function at work didn’t go away just because I exercised my freedom to start another round of Mahjong with my friends at 2:00 AM.

Christian, God knows better than you do. God has begun a good work in you, and He will complete it. But it isn’t complete yet. God knows that you need to be nurtured and fed, and God knows exactly what food you need – the pure spiritual milk of His Word and specifically the Gospel. Which is why Scripture tells us to continue longing for the pure spiritual milk of the Word as a newborn infant.

1 Peter 2_2 Pure Spiritual MilkListen carefully: You don’t outgrow your need for the Gospel. Ever. There are many things that Scripture teaches that are important about how to live and function in this world, and all of us need to heed that instruction from the Word. But you don’t graduate from the pure spiritual milk of the Gospel. You never mature past the point of needing to hear about the peace that Jesus has won for you on the cross and which He preaches to His disciples in this text.

That is why Jesus preaches the same little sermon three times in this text, “Peace be with you.”He proclaims it to them twice the on evening of His resurrection, and again one week later.

The day of Christ’s resurrection was a day of both joy and fear all mixed together. Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene (Mk. 16:9; Jn. 20:11-17). Then, Jesus appears to all the women who had gone to the tomb (Mt. 28:8-10). Jesus appears to the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus (Lk. 24:14-32). Shortly after that, Jesus appears to Peter (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). And now, all the disciples are gathered together in Jerusalem minus Thomas. They are wondering what might happen to them because they knew that the chief priests were concerned about them stealing Jesus’ body which is why the stone had been sealed and the Roman soldiers kept watch at the grave (Mt. 27:62-66; 28:11-15).

So, imagine the ten disciples (again minus Judas and Thomas) gathered in that room terrified of any sounds outside. At any moment, soldiers could arrive to arrest or kill them. But instead of soldiers banging on the locked door, Jesus suddenly appears in the room. It is possible that they were even more afraid of Jesus than of the soldiers. Jesus could have shown up angry and mad. Jesus might ask them, “Where were you guys? Why did you all abandon Me?” Or they might have been afraid of Jesus because it was, after all, their sins (and ours) that He died for.

But Jesus doesn’t do any of that. Instead, Jesus is almost giddy (if you’ll allow that description of our risen Lord). He stills and removes their fears with His word, “Peace. Peace be with you.”And He shows them His wounds. In other words, Jesus is saying, “All of My suffering, My being forsaken by My Father, My death, and My burial is all so that you can have the peace which I have secured for you.”And He preaches to them once again comforting them with the same sermon, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus tells them that He is sending them out into the world with the Holy Spirit to forgive sins in His name. Keep this in mind for a minute: Jesus breathes on them, giving them the Holy Spirit, and commissioning them with the message of forgiveness.

Eventually, Thomas meets up with the disciples, and Thomas doesn’t just doubt, he is disbelieving. We have inherited the bad habit of calling him ‘doubting Thomas,’ but Jesus will call him ‘disbelieving Thomas.’ He refuses to believe until he sees what the other disciples have seen.

Now, fast forward to the following Sunday (Easter 2, if you will). Remember, the disciples have been given the Holy Spirit. They have been sent by Jesus with His authority to forgive sin. But where are they? Not out forgiving sins in Jesus’ name! They are in the same room, behind the same locked doors. If I was their pastor, I’d be irate. Time to give them some Law. Time to preach a new strategy – Four Steps to Being a Better Apostle. But what does Jesus preach? Literally, the exact sermon: “Peace be with you.”Jesus gives them the same pure spiritual milk of the Word – the same milk of peace. Jesus knows how to preach better than I or anyone else.

Christian, according to Scripture, you need this constant milk of peace. Paul writes, (1 Cor. 1:22-24), “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Jesus, with His same preaching of peace, also removes Thomas’ disbelief and calls him to faith,“Do not disbelieve, but believe.”And, of course, Thomas does.

Now, I could spend a lot of time on Thomas, his disbelief, and his conversion, but I have in the past. Instead, I want to close with Jesus’ response to Thomas’ conversion. “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Blood and Water from JohnJesus is speaking about you. Christian, Jesus had you in mind when He spoke those words. You have not seen Your resurrected Savior in the flesh. You don’t see the marks in Jesus’ hands and side. Instead, you see crosses that remind you of the death that Christ died for you. You see the font where Jesus delivers to you His mercy and forgiveness and washes away your sins. You see an altar on which nothing has ever been sacrificed but which Jesus uses as His table to feed you His risen Body and Blood.

You do not see, but you hear the same proclamation of Jesus, “Peace be with you.”That peace is yours because Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity was crucified, died, and was buried. He is risen again to give you the milk of peace, the forgiveness of your sins now and for all eternity. And, according to Jesus, because of what He has done, you are blessed. Christian, nurse on that, now and forever.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Where Is Your Sting? – Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 for the Resurrection of Our Lord

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1 Corinthians 15:51-57

51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Too often we think of death in wrong ways. We think that death is a state or a category or a condition. But v. 55 of that Epistle Lesson says that death is an enemy, a person who can be talked to and, most importantly, an enemy who can be questioned.

Imagine encountering death. When you or someone you love dies and you cross paths with death, you need to only ask death one simple question: “O death, where is your sting?”

Death might try to answer you with a pale, menacing, frightening voice, “My sting is your sin. I sting because you sin. If you didn’t have sin, I would have no sting. But I sting everyone because all have sinned. I am the wages and payment of sin (Ro. 6:23). And I will sting you because your sin is my sting.”

But you can simply respond, “I know all of that, death. I know that my sin has put me under your thumb. I know that the Bible says, ‘The wages of sin is death.’ So, what you say is true. But, death, I didn’t ask you, ‘What is your sting?’ I asked you, ‘Where is your sting?’ So, death, where is it, where is your sting?”

And death might smile and respond, “You simple Christian, have you forgotten how powerful my sting is? It is more powerful than the most poisonous snake or spider or jellyfish. My sting is the most powerful sting imaginable. My sting burns forever because the power of my sting is fueled by the Law. Yes, God’s eternal Law that abides forever, and you have broken that Law over and over.”

But you can look back at death and say, “I know my sin is no small sting. I know my sin is against the God who created me and loves me. I know the penalty of my sin is everlasting death, and I feel it in my conscience. I also know that the Law is not ever going to go away. I know that God’s Commandments are eternal. In fact, the Law was what made me scared of you. Because of the good and righteous Law, I know what you can do to me. I know that your sting is my sin, and I know that the power behind that sting is the Law. But, death, you still have not answered my question. Where is your sting?”

At this point, death is uncomfortable and a little fidgety, but he musters as much gusto as possible and says, “Well, you are face-to-face with me, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am, but the sting of death is not death. The sting of death is sin. So, I ask you again, ‘Death, where is your sting?’”

Finally, death hangs his head. “I have used it, and I have lost it. But I’ll get it back again.”

Jesus Coming out of the TombAnd you can smile in his face, “Yes, death, you used your sting, didn’t you? You should have used your sting on me. The sting would have stuck on me. But you didn’t. Instead, death, you used your sting on my Savior, my God, and my Lord. You used your sting on Jesus, didn’t you? You had Jesus pinned tightly on the cross, and you stuck Him with your stinger and buried it into Him. Death, you were a fool that day. You stung God Himself. You stung Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25). But when you went to the tomb to find your stinger and get it back, Jesus wasn’t there. And guess what, death, Christ has taken my sin as He hung on the cross. And, death, you will not ever get your sting back. Never. That empty tomb means that your sting is lost forever. Death, I don’t fear you any longer.”

And having no other answer, death now turns around and walks away from you.

Dear saints, this is why we celebrate every Easter and every Sunday. Every Sunday, we celebrate what Christ has done in absorbing the sting of death so that death no longer has his sting.

And the day is coming when Christ will return. On that day, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable. The day is coming when your perishable body will put on the imperishable and your mortal body will put on immortality.

Yes, death can and does buzz around now for a while. But death is like a bee that has used its stinger and soon dies.

Dear saints, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Yes, the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So now, Christian, you need have no fear of death. Jesus has conquered the bitter tyrant of death. And He has connected you to that victory. You do not need to fear and watch out for death hiding behind a corner to pounce on you. Instead, Christian, you continue to look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Because Christ is risen, death is overthrown. Christ is risen and life reigns. Christ is risen, and dear saint, you are safely anchored in Christ who has given you the victory, now and forever.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Death Be Not Proud – Sermon on Matthew 28:1-7 for the Vigil of Easter

Listen here.

Matthew 28:1-7

1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In 1609 the English pastor and poet John Donne nearly died after being a pastor for eight years. After he recovered, he wrote a poem titled “Death Be Not Proud.” You would think that after nearly escaping death, you would be relieved and grateful. But Donne wrote his sonnet mocking death.

You would think death has a good reason to be proud. To our eyes, it appears that death never loses. Eventually, death gets all of us and our loved ones. We try to fight death with cancer screenings, seat belts, air bags, eating healthy, and a good fitness routine. Some fight death by coloring gray hairs and anti-aging serums. But, in the end, nothing works. And as much as you try to escape his grasp, death is happy and willing to be patient. If he doesn’t get you at sixty, he’ll wait around until seventy or eighty or ninety.

We try to ignore death. Sometimes, death is given more reverence than God Himself. In the Old Testament, people would avoid speaking God’s name because it was so sacred and holy. The same happens with death today. People don’t like to talk about death. Instead, they talk about their loved ones ‘passing away,’ or ‘going to a better place.’ Some insist that their loved ones not have a funeral but a ‘celebration of life.’

Death is lord in our culture and is seen as the answer to many problems in society today. The suicide rate continues to rise. States continue to pass “right to die” laws. And abortion – the murder and death of children in the womb – is viewed as a fundamental right by some.

Death casts a wide shadow, and we live in its shadow every day of our lives. But death has no reason to be proud because of what happened this day.

Death’s pride was death’s undoing. In his pride, death opened his jaws too wide and went too far. Death swallowed up the One who is Life (Jn. 11:24; 14:6) and it was death’s undoing. Our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shows that death has been defeated forever.

Life and death fought against each other, and the Prince of Life came out of that contest victorious. Death stuck his stinger right into Jesus’ hands, feet, and side. And because of that, death has lost his sting (1 Cor. 15:54-56).

King Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a royal donkey to face death. Christ carried His cross to answer for all your faithlessness and sin. Jesus has drowned death in His blood which cleanses you from all your sin.

Death is defeated – now and forever. Even if death takes you, Jesus, the death Destroyer, says that you are not dead. Instead, Christ says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-26).

Dear Christian, even in death you are not dead. Instead you are Christ’s. In your Baptism, you have already been joined to Christ’s death, which means that your death will not and cannot last (Ro. 6:3-5). In this Holy Sacrament, Jesus feeds you with His living Body and gives you to drink of His living, life-giving Blood.

Death has no reason to be proud. Not anymore. Jesus has conquered the bitter tyrant of death. And He has connected you to that victory. Amen.[1]

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

[1]The idea for this sermon comes from a sermon by Pr. Ralph Tausz which can be found here (http://www.apostlesmelrosepark.org/index.php?page=Sermons&sid=380).