“Shepherd the Flock of God” Acts 20.17-35 Easter 4C April 2013

1.       Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The season of Easter and this Good Shepherd Sunday give us a chance to focus on the role and relationship of faithful pastors, undershepherds of Jesus, grounded first in the relationship with the Good Shepherd, and with their Christian congregations.  The text from Revelation 7 today, shows the heavenly scene in which all the faithful are gathered before Jesus our Good Shepherd. We see in our reading from the book of Acts that the hardships for Paul and the Ephesians are overcome by the time of that heavenly gathering.  John chapter 10 contains the words of Jesus the Shepherd himself. The message is entitled, “Shepherd the Flock of God,” and it’s taken from Acts 20:17-35, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.       A group of military servicemen asked their new chaplain if he believed in a real hell for lost sinners, and he smiled and told them that he didn’t. “Then you are wasting your time,” the soldiers replied. “If there’s no hell, we don’t need you; and if there is a hell, you are leading us astray. Either way, we’re better off without you!”  These words are so true about why the Apostle Paul is calling the Ephesian elders here in Acts 20 to hold fast to the doctrine and teaching that was entrusted to them and to shepherd the flock of God, because the salvation of the bodies and souls of God’s people are at stake.

3.       Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders here in Acts 20 are about proper love and care for those entrusted to them. We are spiritual orphans in need of a loving heavenly Father. The image on Good Shepherd Sunday of Jesus as a shepherd caring for us is expanded in the role of those undershepherds, those pastors, who watch over the flock of God’s people.

4.       I want to focus today specifically on Paul’s words in Acts 20:24, 27, 28-35 where he says, “²⁴But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, ²⁷for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. ²⁹I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. ³²And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

5.       Notice that the Apostle Paul had a proper set of priorities (v. 24). He told the elders, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”  When I read that verse I think of Philippians 3:13–14, where Paul gives a similar testimony: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s goals involved forgetting what was behind—the failures, temptations, weaknesses, even the achievements—and pressing forward instead to the things God yet had for him, always having his eye on the prize to which God had called him in Christ Jesus.

6.       One reason why many of us are not more effective in our Christian lives is that we don’t have our priorities in order. Isn’t it true that most of us value our lives far more than our Christian witness? We value the praise of men far more than the praise of God.  St. Augustine, we are told, once dreamed that he approached the gates of heaven. An angel stopped him before he could enter and asked, “Who are you?” Augustine responded, “I am a Christian. “No,” said the angel, “you are a Ciceronian. Here we judge people by what interests them, and you have interest only in the classics.” Augustine claims that as a result of the dream, he changed his habits and devoted much more attention to the Scriptures and holy living.  Such focus of life is Paul’s challenge to the Ephesian church leaders and to us in Acts 20. Through them, the Holy Spirit and the Word speak to us as well, raising questions about our values and focus in life.  How easy in our hectic world to value the temporary and ignore the eternal. Paul commended these brothers to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (v. 32).  This chapter ought to call us back to the basics, back to the priorities of Christian faith to which Paul gave his life. The twenty-fourth verse of Acts 20 could well be a life verse for serious Christians intentionally wanting to be the Lord’s disciples: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

7.       This is why one of the roles of a pastor is to be like the Apostle Paul and to make sure that his parishioners have the right priorities in order.  For this reason I’m about to enter into the most explosive subject imaginable.  No, not abortion or same-sex marriage, not even immigration reform or gun control.  I want to talk about parents, sports, work, and the church.  How many of you already felt your defenses go up and your blood pressure rise?  I believe that on the 8^th day, God created ESPN.  I played organized sports from grade school all the way through college.  I believe sports are a healthy investment for parents to make, even when it involves sacrifice to have your children involved.  But, according to a new study published in the Review of Religious Research, an examination of declining attendance at 16 congregations revealed that many pastors place the most blame on children’s sports activities, since both practices and competitions are increasingly, “scheduled on Sunday mornings at the very time when many churches traditionally have provided religious education.”  I’ve seen the same thing.  I see parents letting almost every other extracurricular activity in their child’s life take precedent over investments designed to make a spiritual impression.  Meaning soccer, football, volleyball, or baseball, get first dibs on the calendar.  I’ve also hear people make the same excuse when it comes to their work schedule, that their work comes even before worshiping our Lord Jesus in church.  Think about what you’re saying.  In fact, say it out loud, in front of a mirror.  Listen to it.  “I will do spiritual things for my child’s sake until sports or work conflict, then sports and work win.”  Do you mean it?  Really?  Is that how you want to prioritize things?  Remember that the Lord wants us to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

8.       The Apostle Paul brought his farewell message to a close here in Acts 20 by warning the leaders of the dangers they had to recognize and deal with if they were to protect and lead the church. Never underestimate the great importance of the church. The church is important to God the Father because His name is on it—“the church of God.” It’s important to the Son, Jesus our Good Shepherd, because He shed His blood on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and it’s important to the Holy Spirit because He’s calling and equipping people to minister to the church.   The Apostle reminds us that there are dangers around us, “wolves” that want to ravage the flock (Acts 20:29). Paul was referring to false teachers who exploit the church for personal gain (Matt. 7:15–23; 10:16; Luke 10:3; 2 Peter 2:1–3). This is why it’s important for both pastors and laypeople to know the Word of God and be able to detect and defeat these false teachers.

9.       But there are also dangers among us (Acts 20:30), because of people within the church who are ambitious for position and power. Church history, ancient and modern, is filled with accounts of people like Diotrephes who love to have the dominance (3 John 9–11). It’s shocking to realize that more than one false prophet got his or her start within the Christian church!  And there are also dangers within us (Acts 20:31–35), and this seems to be where Paul put the greatest emphasis. “Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves” (Acts 20:28). He names some sins that are especially destructive to the life and ministry of the church.  The first is carelessness (Acts 20:31), failing to stay alert and forgetting the price that others have paid so that we might have God’s truth.  Paul’s warning should be constant reminders to us to take our spiritual responsibilities seriously as God’s people.  The second sin is shallowness (Acts 20:32). We can’t build the church unless God is building our lives daily. There’s a balance here between prayer and the Word of God.  Covetousness is the third sin we must avoid (Acts 20:33). It means a consuming and controlling desire for what others have and for more of what we ourselves already have. “Thou shalt not covet” is the last of the Ten Commandments, but if we do covet, we will end up breaking all the other nine! Those who covet will steal, lie, and murder to get what they want, and even dishonor their own parents. Covetousness is idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

10.  Paul closed this memorable occasion by kneeling down and praying for his friends, and then they all wept together. It’s a difficult thing to say good-bye, especially when you know you will not see your friends again in this life. But we have the blessed assurance that we will one day see our Christian friends and loved ones in heaven, when Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior returns (1 Thes. 4:13–18).  But, now for us as Christians, both pastors and laypeople, there’s a job to be done, so, let’s do it!  Pastors, Shepherd the flock of God, and lay- people, obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them as those who are keeping watch over your souls, so that the Church may be protected, built up, and edified in all that it does.  Amen.

“The Good Shepherd Carries Us to Heaven” John 10.27-29 Danny Hartmann’s funeral 4.16.13, St. John Baldwin, Pastor John Taggatz

1.      Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Dear family and friends of Daniel, on behalf of the congregation here at St. John, I want to express to you my deepest sympathies as you mourn over his death.  But, I want to tell you today that even though we grieve over his death, we don’t grieve as those who have no hope.  We can take hope and comfort that Daniel was baptized into the Christian faith through water and the power of God’s Word on Dec. 28^th, 1930 and was brought from death to life so many years ago here in our church at St. John. Daniel’s baptism gave to him the promise of eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and salvation on account of our Lord Jesus.  This is what the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans chapter 6.  The message from God’s Word is taken from selections of John 10, which contains Daniel’s confirmation verse from John 10:27-28, that he received on the day of his confirmation here at St. John on April 2^nd, 1944, and is entitled, “The Good Shepherd Carries Us to Heaven,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

2.      As all of you know Daniel was deeply loved by his family and friends.  Here at St. John he faithfully ushered during our worship services for many, many years.  He deeply loved his wife Pat, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  Daniel was well respected in the farming industry, having faithfully managed and operated the family business, Hartmann Farm Supply, Inc., with his brother Henry all his life.  He was a member of the American Legion here in Baldwin and loyally served on our Baldwin Fire Department for over 55 years.  Danny was known as “Rabbit” to his friends and was an avid Rams football fan and never missed a season’s game with his football crew.  He cared for his country as well.  He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1951-1955.

3.      Daniel’s confirmation verse is from the 10^th chapter of John’s Gospel.  Here in these few verses we have words of comfort and hope in the face of death that our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, won’t let us slip out of His Father’s hand and will carry us to our heavenly home.  Jesus says, “¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

4.      The body of Daniel Hartmann lying inside this casket is precisely the reason a man named Jesus was sent into the world. Death needed a cure. Death needed an enemy. Death needed a victor. And death got one. It was Jesus, our Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd goes to battle against death. You can’t defeat death.  Daniel couldn’t defeat death. Only Jesus can.

5.      You see, the founder of all science, God the Father, determined, from the foundation of the world, that science couldn’t cure death. No amount of technology. No drugs. No vaccinations. The Creator of all mysteries in the universe, God the Father, determined, from the foundation of the world, that no scientific formula, no alignment of stars could cure death. The maker of all the universe, God the Father, determined, from the foundation of the world, that neither passionate human love nor personal sincerity nor super human strength and effort could cure death.

6.      Only One could cure death. Only One could make right that horrible first death, righteous Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain, and every death in between, right down to this one before us. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, laid down his life on the cross of Calvary to defeat death.

7.      God the Father said to Adam & Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that, “In the day that you eat of [the fruit] you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). And, even though Adam & Eve sinned against God by eating that forbidden fruit and brought sin and death into the world, God the Father promised to us a cure for death that would come from “the Seed of the woman.”  And so it was, that the cure for death was born of the Virgin Mary, and then he, Jesus, laid down his life on a cross. His death defeats death. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. That’s how death was defeated. That’s how our beloved Daniel Hartmann gains eternal life. That’s how Daniel never perishes. That’s how Daniel Hartmann can’t be snatched from the hand of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

8.      He who has no faith in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, could look at this casket, this body, these family members with their tears and sorrows and ask, “Who is your Good Shepherd who knows you and leaves you in such a state? Who is your Good Shepherd from whom you believe that you will have eternal life? Who is your Good Shepherd in whom you believe that you shall never perish?”  As believers in Jesus Christ we can answer simply, but boldly: Jesus. There’s no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Not Allah. Not Buddha. Not Medicare. Not the United States of America. Only Jesus. God the Father has put all things under Jesus’ feet. That includes death. Death is now a footstool to Jesus. But then, why the reality of what we see here? this casket? this lifeless body?

9.      Sin. Sin still ravages the body. Sin still has its teeth in our flesh. But you must not put your eyes on your sin. Fix your eyes instead on Jesus. Yes, hate your sin, detest your sin, curse your sin, but fix your eyes on “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. How? By becoming sin for you. By taking on your punishment. By dying your death. A death that didn’t have power over Jesus. A death that couldn’t hold Jesus in the grave. Three days after Jesus laid down his life, the Father justified the Son. He was raised from the dead.

10.  St. Paul writes: “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God” (Rom 6:9–10).  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I must still live in the flesh. Daniel has put his off. Very early on this past Friday morning on April 12^th, the Lord Jesus said to Daniel, “Today you are with me in paradise” (cf. Lk 23:43). His soul is with all the saints, awaiting the resurrection of his body when it will be transformed like the Lord Jesus’ glorious body (Phil 3:21). Since Daniel believed in the forgiveness of his sin in this life, he now has new life, eternal life, Jesus’ life.  Daniel has new life because of Jesus His Good Shepherd.  And you do too if you believe in your heart and confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

11.  “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:20–21).

“Worship the Lamb Who Was Slain” Rev. 5.1-14 Easter 3C, April ‘13

1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word for us today comes from Rev. 5:1-14, but will look specifically at verses 8-14, and is entitled, “Worship the Lamb Who Was Slain,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2. One of the great tragedies in English literature was published in 1623, William Shakespeare’s, “Macbeth.” Near the end the queen, Macbeth’s wife, dies. By this time he has so lost his conscience that Macbeth is unable to feel anything at all. He expresses his weariness in the following famous lines:  “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” [Macbeth, act 5, scene 5].   400 years later, many would still agree. History has no pattern. There’s no goal, either for overall world history or for an individual’s life. Even at Disneyland, the revised “Tomorrowland” is now retro, all about visions for the future that people of earlier times have experienced.  But, the Christian view is that God has a script for the future of the universe. Here in Revelation 5, the scroll written on both sides emphasizes this. Jesus knows all about events between the first century and the end-time judgments. He’s in charge of making the end-time judgments unfold according to God’s plan. And this plan includes Jesus the Lamb of God who was slain receiving all worship.

3. Because of Jesus’ death, He is worthy of our devotion.  Revelation 5:8-10, & 12 says, “⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.  ¹²saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” ” In his state of exaltation Jesus the Lamb of God who was slain is worthy to receive these seven accolades.  “Power” and “strength” are similar in meaning. In the state of exaltation, Jesus again took up the power that was evident at the creation of the world, and which he had shown at the overthrow of Satan.  “Riches” is a reference to all things in heaven and earth which he set aside when he became poor, but which things were again put under his control in his exaltation. This includes all material wealth, all creatures, and also God’s people by virtue of his work of redemption. He is “worthy … to receive … wisdom,” the angels say. Now in the state of exaltation, the full use of God’s own omniscience becomes his right.  The last three words speak of the honor, glory, and praise that now belong to Jesus in exchange for the shame, disgrace, and ridicule that were heaped on him in his passion and death on the cross for our sins.

4. Jesus the Lamb who was slain makes us worthy to reign with him. And yet, when we look within ourselves we know that we are not worthy.  You are not worthy because of your sinful condition.  For you were conceived in sin from your mother’s womb.  You have not loved God with your whole heart and you have failed to worship and serve Him only.  You have mistreated your family members and your friends.  You have failed to speak well of them and defend them when others were speaking wrongly about them.  You have not honored your father and your mother and respected those God has placed in authority over you for your good.  You have not been content or happy with the possessions and people God has placed in your life and you have hated your neighbor in your heart, which Jesus reminds us in Matthew chapter 6 is equal to murder.  Because of all of our sins we are not worthy to be in the presence of Christ.  We are not worthy of the price Christ paid for our redemption.  But, thanks be to God that Jesus has changed all that.  Christ has freed us from our sins by his blood.  He clothes us in the white garments of Baptism and makes us holy priests ready to serve our neighbor and live in His peace and forgiveness. 

5. Because of Jesus’ limitless mercy and grace, we can’t keep silent (vv. 11, 13–14).  Revelation 5:11, &13-14 says, ^“11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands… ¹³And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” ¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”  As the vision unfolds, John the Apostle has been witness to the fact that the divine purpose of God’s creation has been achieved. There’s a great multitude of saved people who, with the angels and all creation, shall praise God forever and serve him in everlasting righteousness and blessedness. He will achieve this purpose. God wanted the persecuted church to know that. For that reason he granted this vision.

6. When the last “Amen” was sung and the elders were bowing before the throne, one of the most powerful songs ever heard had come to an end. Even as we read John’s account of what took place, it brings to mind George Frederick Handel’s “Messiah”, which is based on these words. A listener doesn’t need to possess a great amount of musical knowledge to be moved by the performance of that masterpiece either. Maybe the reason we find that oratorio to be so inspiring is that it serves as a reminder of the great and eternal hymn of praise which is sung by all creation and supported by the very harps of heaven.

7. I believe that when God gave the musical inspiration to Handel to write such music, he was giving us a sample, clouded though it may be by the static of sin, and certainly inferior to the music of the heavenly hosts, of the beatific song heard by the Apostle John. How blessed are we that God has revealed that one day we will be part of the heavenly choir, privileged to bow down in the presence of the Lamb who sits upon the throne!

8.   These words in our text stand as an encouragement for us as Christians, not only for those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ, but also for any who suffer in any way. With Revelation chapter 5’s vision of the Church Triumphant, this text offers a lot of comfort to those who grieve and mourn over the death of loved ones.  These words would also bring welcome help and comfort to a hospital patient suffering from a serious illness. They give a visual picture of what Paul meant when he said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Ro 8:18).  Through all the difficulties and trials that touch our lives, because of this fallen and sinful world in which we live, these words stand as a powerful encouragement. We don’t need to feel that we’re all alone. We don’t need to despair because we suffer chronic pain. Even if we suffer persecution for the sake of Christ, no matter how desperate our life may seem, we have something that far overshadows our problems. We have a place reserved for us around the throne of God to worship the Lamb who was slain.

9. But, also we join in God’s eternal plan by worshiping our Lord Jesus the Lamb who was slain while here on earth in our present day-to-day lives. Less than a quarter century after Macbeth was published, a great gathering of Englishmen meeting as the Westminster Assembly published the famous Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647. They had the right answer to Macbeth’s lament and to the question: Is history going anywhere at all? Yes, they said, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”  Will we side with Macbeth or with the Westminster Assembly? Will we Christians show our belief that history is actually going somewhere? The most important way we can do so is to be part of a Christian community, a church, committed to worshiping Jesus Christ as a primary goal. Fellowship. Evangelism. Bible study. Works of service. Reaching out to the needy. These are all good and necessary for the church to function. But, primarily we’re called to be a worshiping people.  To worship the Lamb who was slain on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

10.                     The hymn writer Matthew Bridges drew from the imagery of Revelation 5 with his invitation for God’s people on earth to carry out their responsibility to worship in his hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” Our calling as Christians is to join with the millions who have sung these worthy lines:  Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne; Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own; Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee, And hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity. Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side, Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified: All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me: Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.  Amen.

“Jesus- The Way, the Truth & the Life” John 14.1-6, Funeral Sermon for Gene Loucks--4-13-13 St. John Baldwin

  

1.      In the name of our crucified and risen Lord and Savior Jesus.  Amen.  Dear family and friends of Gene.  On behalf of the congregation here at St. John we offer to you our deepest sympathy.  In this hour of grief and sorrow we look with hope & joy to the promise that our Lord Jesus gives to us in the Gospel of John 14:1-6.  The message is entitled, “Jesus-The Way, the Truth & the Life,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      When I speak at a funeral service, there are often young people, and maybe some not so young, who are trying to find the place for religion in their lives. They ask themselves, “Does this mean anything to me? Is this just something my parents cared about?” But then, at some point, everyone faces something he or she can’t handle, something that scares us. Maybe it’s the biggest stress we’ve faced in this life, or maybe it’s the realization that we have to face the end of this life. And suddenly we wish there could be some place to turn, or Someone to turn to, outside ourselves. Then, maybe those who’ve gone before us can teach us something after all, like how they dealt with those fears. As they learned and grew, their faith in Christ became absolutely foundational. It’s not an old-fashioned thing. It’s not a generational thing. Each of us needs a foundation so we know how to face the fears of life and beyond.  Gene, is one of those from whom we can learn. We can learn from Gene because he knew where his faith fit into all this.  He knew he could face fears because his Redeemer Jesus promised to deliver him from them all.  Gene knew that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that by believing in Jesus he would have the assurance of eternal life.

3.      Let’s get to the text for Gene’s funeral sermon.  John 14:1-6 says, “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

4.      What was ailing the disciples in our text from John 14?  Their hearts were troubled because Jesus had just told them that He would soon leave them and that they couldn’t follow where he was going.  The thought of separation after many months of companionship was a source of grief and pain to them.  I’m sure right now for us today the thought of separation from Gene is a great source of grief and pain too, but we know it’s not the end.  Here in our text Jesus chose words to soothe his disciple’s and our sorrows and silence all our fears.  Martin Luther says this about John 14, “Here we find the best and most comforting sermon preached by Christ while on this earth…a jewel and treasure not purchasable with the world’s goods.”  May God grant us believing hearts that this treasure which can’t be purchased with gold or silver, may be ours by simple trusting faith. 

5.      Who among us here today hasn’t been troubled in their hearts?  I would think that no one here today would say that they live a carefree life without any worry, pain or suffering.  All of us have probably experienced anxious, trying hours—hours of sickness, sleepless nights, the fear of death, loneliness and friendlessness.  Maybe even hours when our debts seem greater than our God.  Hours when our enemies seemed closer than our Savior.  Days when our hearts were troubled and we cried to God for help.

6.      It was then that the divine prescription of our Savior for troubled hearts has provided for us the healing medicine.  Jesus says to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled…  In My Father’s house are many mansions…And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”  With these words our Savior Jesus says, all our sorrows, heartaches, disappointments, grief and heart troubles lose their bitterness in His dear promise, “I will come again.”  Jesus will come again to turn your sorrows into joy, your heartaches into gladness and your grief into heavenly reunions in His Father’s house above.

7.      Jesus also tells us in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  Gene knew that the only way to heaven was through the blood our Savior Jesus shed on the cross to forgive him all his sins.  But, we live in a politically correct world that can’t tolerate such a claim.  They contend that there must be many paths to God, that truth is found in all religions and that eternal life can be obtained through any number of belief systems.  But, that’s not true!  Jesus is the only way to eternal life!

8.      Jesus is the only way.  These words of Jesus and this confession by the early Christians placed believers in opposition to both the Jews who had rejected Jesus and the Gentiles who worshiped many false gods.  For all who claim that there are many ways to heaven, all the other so-called ways are ultimately the way of good works and self-centered individualism:  Do your best.  Live a good life.  Try your hardest.  Follow these principles.  Obey these commandments.  No matter what the religion or belief system, if it’s not Christianity, the way to eternity is always focused on what the individual does or doesn’t do.  And, trying to follow the law can’t save you.

9.      This is why Jesus is the only way.  Trying your hardest is never good enough.  Even your good works are tainted by sin.  The Bible tells us that there is no one who is righteous, no one who does good, that we are conceived and born into sin within our mother’s womb (Rom. 3:10; Psalm 51:5).  Sin is a terminal disease that we inherited all the way back to the first people who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve.  That’s why those who believe in a false religion are never certain if they’ve done enough to be saved.  They always feel that there is something that they have left undone, some good work that they have failed to do to earn them salvation.  But, you know that what you could never do, Christ has done for you.  Gene knew this too and he put his hope and trust in this great promise of our Lord!  Jesus lived the perfect life.  He walked the way of the cross, and by His death and resurrection has opened the way for you and me to the Father in heaven.  In fact, when Jesus promises that He’s preparing a mansion for us in the Father’s house, you can be certain that there’s a place waiting for you there.  When He promises you the gift of the Holy Spirit, you can be certain that His Spirit dwells in you.

10.  If Jesus is the way, he’s also the life.  Not only does He make this claim, he reveals its truthfulness.  Jesus is your life, just as He is Gene’s life, because He rose again on the third day!  Death has no power over Him. And because he lives, you will live also if you repent of your sins and believe in him as Your Lord and Savior.  Because he lives, you will see the Father.  Because he lives, you will dwell in the place of life and light prepared for you by Christ himself.  Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin, death and the power of the devil, as Gene did, and you will join him in heaven for that happy reunion as you await the resurrection at the end of the age and the final fulfillment of all things accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

“The Risen Savior Reveals Himself to Us” Rev. 1.4-18 Easter 2C, ‘13

1.      In the name of our crucified and risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word for this Second Sunday of Easter is taken from Revelation 1:4-18 and is entitled, “The Risen Savior Reveals Himself to Us,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

2.      J. R. R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is a marvelous book of fiction written by one of the best writers of the 20^th century.  Recently, Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and his book, “The Hobbit,” have been set to film by Hollywood.  In the book the land of Middle Earth is threatened by the power of a vile overlord, Sauron. Middle Earth can only be saved by the courage of a few hobbits. If you don’t know what hobbits are, you’re missing out on the most delightful fictional creatures in all literature. Unknown to the hobbits, they’re helped on their quest by the true king of Middle Earth working undercover. The hobbits think of him as Strider, the humble Ranger, who roves the land homeless and friendless.  In the great battle at the end of the age, good is engulfed by evil. Frodo the hobbit performs a heroic deed. Darkness turns to light. Finally, Aragorn the King is revealed in all his splendor. This suggests that Tolkien knew the true King of Kings. He knew that human history is all about a real battle between good and evil. He knew that the true King has not yet been revealed in his splendor, but will one day.

3.      Tolkien’s fiction works because it’s based on a true understanding of God’s power and the victory of God and good. The Book of Revelation is the divinely inspired portrait of good engulfed by evil until good prevails at the end. Finally, the real King, Jesus, is revealed. What Tolkien presented in fiction, John the Apostle presents in reality.  This is what we see here in Revelation chapter 1 as Jesus our Risen Savior Reveals Himself to Us.

4.      In Acts chapter 5 today we see that the report of Jesus’ resurrection strikes the chief priests as a threat of God’s judgment. Yes and no, reply the apostles: your guilt is swallowed up in the message of forgiveness, of new Spirit-given life. But those whose way of life seems threatened by the gospel will always interpret it as bad news. Authorities regularly try to suppress or marginalize the gospel, rightly interpreting it as a challenge to their position or power & rule.  Even the kingdoms of the earth today try to suppress the Christian church from spreading the Gospel by persecuting Christians and stopping the message of the Gospel of our Lord’s death and resurrection for our sins in communist and Islamic countries. But, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus isn’t another human scheme, or power-play alongside others. It’s on a different level, God’s gift to his surprised world.

5.      The resurrection of our Lord Jesus does challenge rulers who suppose themselves to be utterly supreme, answerable to nobody but themselves. This is the message of the book of Revelation: Jesus is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, the ruler of kings of the earth. One day his kingship will be universally acknowledged.

6.      In the world addressed by Revelation, there was already a claimant for that title, enthroned in Rome, ruling an empire acquired and maintained by brute force. John’s vision is of a different king, ruling a different empire, having gained his dominion by suffering and maintaining it by forgiveness. No wonder other priests and kings tremble at the thought. No power on earth can stand before total, divine, self-giving love.

7.      In Revelation chapter 1 John the Apostle points out that our Risen Savior Jesus reveals Himself to us as our Prophet, Priest, and King.   As the faithful witness Jesus fulfilled his office as Prophet, revealing God’s Word to us. We can believe and trust his words through which he has brought us to the true knowledge of God.  As the faithful witness of the truth from God, who sent him to earth to die for our sins. The word “martyr” comes from the Greek word for witness. Jesus was a “witness” as the first to die. This would have comforted believers who were suffering for their faith under Roman persecution. Those who would die for their faith in Christ, the martyrs, would “witness” through their deaths.  We live in a day of conflicting claims for various religions (they can’t all be true), and the desire to be tolerant of all others (if it’s true for you, it’s true). Yet how do we as Christians determine what we believe? We regard Jesus Christ as our faithful witness. He’s the only religious leader who has risen from the dead.  So when you read John’s description of the vision, keep in mind that his words are not just good advice; they are truth from the King of kings. Let the truth about Christ penetrate your life, deepen your faith in him, and strengthen your commitment to follow him—no matter what the cost.

8.      Jesus Christ is the foremost “faithful witness” because he died and because he was the first to rise from the dead.   As the firstborn of the dead he fulfilled his office as Priest, giving his own life as a sacrifice for all. By his resurrection he has overcome death for us all.  Christ’s resurrection assures the same for all the believers. He shows us all how to stand firm for the faith even when faced with persecution. Others had risen from the dead—people whom the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles had brought back to life during their ministries—but later those people had died again. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead in an imperishable body (1 Corinthians 15:20), never to die again.

9.       As the ruler of the kings of the earth he fulfilled his office as King. He governs all other rulers and uses them to carry out his divine purposes. The church has been, and will again be, persecuted  by the rulers of this world, but all are under the power of Jesus as he rules in his eternal kingdom for the benefit of the church (Rev 11:15; Eph 1:22). The ragings of this sinful world can’t overcome our King, who watches over us.  Satan had tried to tempt Jesus with an offer of ruling all the nations of the world if Jesus would bow and worship him (Matthew 4:8–9). Jesus refused and, through obedience to God through death on the cross, gained ultimate leadership. Psalm 89:27 says, “I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth.” Jesus was not just a humble earthly teacher; he is the glorious God. When he returns, he will be recognized for who he really is. Then, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11).

10.  John the Apostle says that our risen Savior Jesus has made us kings and priests, serving God.’ Jesus is to be imitated, and his mission implemented, by his Spirit-filled followers: ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ As—so: to stand before priests and rulers, to proclaim God’s kingdom established through the saving lordship of Jesus, to announce the forgiveness, or the retention, of sins.  As believers who have been made priests we have privilege of approaching God directly on our own behalf and in behalf of others. This isn’t an option, for it is an essential feature of the Christian life (1 Pe 2:9). As priests, our sacrifices are repentance, prayer, and praise, a life of service and thanksgiving. We’re not to live as though defeated in this life, but to use our position as a kingdom of priests to serve God and our fellowmen even now.

11.  John reminds us that our risen Savior Jesus is the eternal, unchangeable, almighty God. As such no enemy is too mighty for him. Therefore, he is able to keep all the promises which he made to those who are his, and he is able to overthrow those who are not his. This is a great comfort for us as believers, since his love and concern for us will never change.  He is the First and the Last, the eternal God. He is the Living One who was dead and is alive forever and ever. That is, he who died for our sins has risen again because God has justified us. He holds the keys of death and Hades, has the power to raise the dead and deliver men from Satan’s power. What a resurrection message!  Amen.

“Jesus Makes All Things New” The Resurrection of Our Lord, Isaiah 65.17-25, March ’13 Series C

1.      He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord. He opened death’s prison, the incarnate, true Word.  O, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more.  Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.  For all our transgressions His blood does atone.  Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.  The message from God’s Word this glorious Easter morning is taken from Isaiah 65:17-25 and is entitled, “Jesus Makes All Things New,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      At 9:40am on Nov. 1, 1755, Lisbon was struck by an earthquake. It was All Saints’ Day and the churches of Lisbon were filled with worshipers. 30 churches were destroyed. Within 6 minutes 15,000 people died. Survivors ran down to the waterfront and got on ships in the harbor to escape the aftershocks, only to be hit by 3 tsunami waves that swept over the city. Thousands more died. Lamps, candles, and cooking fires were upset in homes all over the city and started uncontrollable fires that burned for days. Within a week 30,000 people were dead, and one of Europe’s great cities lay in ruins.

3.      The French philosopher Voltaire saw this tragedy as proof that no reasonable person can believe in God. How can a good and all-powerful God create a world like this? Voltaire mocked the optimism of Alexander Pope in England who had affirmed, “Whatever is, is right.” Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the German scholar, had proposed that we live in “the best of all possible worlds.” Voltaire despised that way of thinking. Isn’t it obvious that this world is not right and not the best of all possible worlds? Voltaire reasoned, “If this is the best of all possible worlds, what can the rest be?”

4.      God agrees with Voltaire. This world isn’t what he had in mind at the creation. But he’s doing something about it. And he’s not just patching up this broken world.  He’s out to renew it. Here in Isaiah 65 is God’s ultimate answer to our longings for his help. His answer is nothing less than “a new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17).

5.      In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It was perfect. Then we ruined it. We were deceived into thinking that we’d be better off defining for ourselves what our existence should be.  With our sinful act of defiance against God came death—not only death to mankind but also death to the entire universe. Disease, death, and decay replaced the life, harmony, and order God had created.  We didn’t realize we were pulling a lever to make God’s perfect creation into our perfect hell.   But, God knew this before He began His work of creation. God knew that we would bring death upon ourselves.  So what did God do at that point that man fell into sin? Two things. On the one hand, he sealed off our evil so that it couldn’t have its fully devastating impact. He judged us—but in mercy. On the other hand, he gave us a promise that, through Christ, he would reverse all the damage we’ve done in Gen. 3:15.  God, the Creator of all, would become a man and die the death people had brought upon themselves in order that they could once again live. God sent His Son Jesus into the world in human flesh to bring about this new creation.  In effect God said, “It’s your fault, but it’s my responsibility. I’m taking you on as my personal project. You need a Savior, and I’m providing him. In Christ the world has hope.”

6.      When Jesus’ work was completed on the sixth day of the week, He cried out, “It is finished,” and then He rested in His tomb on the Sabbath. On Easter Sunday, the first day of the new creation, the God-man Jesus who had died arose victorious over death and the grave to usher in the new creation, “in which those who die shall live and those who live shall never die” (Jn 11:25–26). God provided Isaiah a glimpse of this new creation more than 700 years before God became flesh in Christ.

7.      Isaiah 65:17-18 says, ¹⁷“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. ¹⁸But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.”  About 5 seconds into this new world, you and I will turn to one another and say, “Cancer, terrorism—what were they? Hmmm. Can’t seem to remember. No matter. Here we go!” As Isaiah paints a picture of the new heavens and the new earth, to which God has been leading his people for so long, the prophet uses images from life as we know it now to communicate life as we’ll know it then (vv. 19–25). For example, “The young man shall die a hundred years old” (v. 20). But Isaiah doesn’t mean that people will live a very long time before they die. There will be no death (Revelation 21:1–4). Isaiah is saying to us, “The life you’ve always longed for but has always eluded you, always kept just out of reach—that life is what God is preparing for his servants.” The place of heaven to which God taking us is the human experience that defines the very meaning of joy.  Jesus makes all things new for you through His death and resurrection from the dead!

8.      Isaiah recorded God’s plan of creating a new heavens and a new earth so unique and so beautiful that the “former things shall not be remembered” (Is 65:17). In this new creation, neither the sound of weeping nor cries of distress will be heard (v 19). The glorious new life in Christ would never be cut short by death. Predator and prey will dwell together in harmony: “the wolf and the lamb shall graze together” (v 25). Carnivores would once again be herbivores: “the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (v 25). Once again, animals would live together in peace. People would live in peace. People and animals would once again walk together without fear of the other. Just as God had created the original creation, so there would be no destruction or violence in this new world. There would be no crime or terrorism. “ ‘They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (v 25). In this creation, God would preserve mankind and angels from falling into sin. Never again would sin, Satan, or death stalk God’s creatures.  All this because our Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection has made all things new!

9.      Isaiah 65:24-25 says, ²⁴Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. ²⁵The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.”  This isn’t what happens today, my friends. The skeptic and atheist will be quick to point this out.  If the wolf and the lamb lie down together, it’s the wolf feeding on the lamb. A wolf likes lamb chops. But in that day they will be together, and the lion will eat straw. There was a young man who publicly questioned Dr. George Gill in a meeting, saying, “Who ever heard of a lion eating straw? Anyone knows that a lion never eats straw!” Dr. Gill, in an easygoing manner, said, “Young man, if you can make a lion, then I will make him eat straw. The One who created the lion will equip him to eat straw when He wants him to do it.” In other words, in that day the sharp fang and the bloody claw will no longer rule animal life. The law of the jungle will be changed to conform to the rule of the King. There will be nothing to hurt or harm or make afraid in the whole world. It will be a new world.

10.  And this new creation, this new world, through Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t merely a future hope. It’s also a present reality. Christ completed the work of the new creation on the cross. Already, now, you are a new creation. No longer are you bound by sin and death. With new life created by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament, the old has passed away for you. St Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2Co 5:17).

11.  You live in the time of “now, but not yet.” God’s new creation is a present reality (your new life in Christ is the evidence), but the totality of this creation hasn’t yet been revealed. As a result, the old Adam lives alongside the new man in constant daily struggle. We live in a world full of the consequences of sin, a world engulfed with the suffering that will be absent in the new world. Though we suffer these consequences of sin—sickness, suffering, pain, and death—all of creation groans with us as we await the redemption of our bodies (Rm 8:22–23).

12.  We don’t know all the details of the new creation, such as how old our bodies will be or what daily life will be like, but this we know: the reality will exceed our expectations and “the former things shall not be remembered” (Is 65:17).  As you await with all of creation the redemption of your body, read Is 65:17–25 again. On this day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead close your eyes and ponder this new creation God has made for you. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create” (Is 65:17–18).  Amen.

“Don’t Seek the Living among the Dead” Luke 24.1–6a, Easter Day ‘13

1. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia! Today the living Lord Jesus Christ comes and rips away the blanket of death which once enshrouded this sinful world. To all who doubt. To those who deny.  To those whose hearts are ruled by cynicism, their minds by skepticism, the Holy Spirit speaks and says, "...in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. Follow Him, believe and be saved." Amen.  The message from God’s Word for us this Easter Sunday is taken from Luke 24:1-6 and is entitled, “Don’t Seek the Living Among the Dead.”  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

2. How wonderful are the women who went to the tomb on the first Easter morn! I don’t envy them. They faced a difficult task. On Friday, they witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion. They knew the nature of the job that they had to do.  So they got up early in the morning to do some work. This was a work they felt was their duty. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but it was something they were willing to do because of their love. So they gathered together the spices, the ointments, and the things necessary for preparing a body, and they went to the cemetery expecting to unwrap Jesus’ earthly remains and prepare them for a proper burial.  These women were much like the women who are close to me in my life. They are willing to do some unpleasant, but necessary things, because of a sense of duty and because of their love. You, too, may know women such as these.

3. And so they went. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. What a surprise! There was no body in the tomb. It was empty! While they wondered about this, suddenly two men in clothes that dazzled their eyes stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (v 5b).

4. The hearts of these women were filled with love for Jesus, but they lacked something. They lacked something of ultimate importance. What they did here plays out over and over again in our lives: They were looking for the living among the dead. How often this happens even today! People look for life in all the wrong places.

5. I’d guess many of you have seen the TV show American Idol. The part I like least (although some people may like it best) is the beginning of the season when some contestants make fools of themselves. Why do they do this? Is it because they’re looking for fame? Do they believe their lives will be fulfilled if somehow they become famous?  I believe the Easter angels would look at people with this attitude and say, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” Fame has no eternal value. How many of us can name the top movie stars from the silent film era? Fame is fleeting. Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6. Others may seek fulfillment in life from pleasure, the pleasure of the five senses. Why do some people act immorally? Why do some people drink too much? Why do some people use illegal drugs? For many people, pleasure is the ultimate goal of life.  An effort to make life something more than what they’re already experiencing. But they’ll ultimately discover that they’re looking for the living, their own lives, among the dead.

7. Others may seek fortune. It’s tempting to believe that in some way, life will have value if I have more things.  If my house is bigger, if my garage is full, if I command industry. Then my life will be fulfilled. But all lives, whether they’re filled with fame or fortune or pleasure or anything else in the world, are lives that end not with an empty tomb, but in a tomb that’s filled with a body, your body. This is the certain consequence of looking for the living among the dead.

8. Even religious commitment and fervor can lead to seeking the living among the dead. If you’ve found yourself on this fruitless quest, you’re not alone. Martin Luther, too, sought the living among the dead when he went to the monastery. He sought the living among the dead when he deprived and punished himself for his impure thoughts and desires. For many years, he lived lacking the very same thing the women that first Easter morning were lacking. He says, “Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction” (AE 34:337). His heart ached because he believed that he was a miserable sinner and eternally lost.

9. The women went to the tomb with love in their hearts for Jesus. In fact, these women may have loved Jesus more deeply at that moment than anyone else in the entire world, but they were lacking one thing. They were lacking faith. They hadn’t believed Jesus’ words that on the third day he would rise. They expected to find the tomb filled with Jesus’ body, not empty.

10.                     It’s no coincidence that the Epistle appointed in our churches on this Resurrection of Our Lord is from 1 Corinthians 15, because here the apostle Paul tells us what the Gospel is. What is that you and I need to know? What should the women have known that morning? What should they have believed? Paul writes, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:1–2). What is this? What is the Gospel? It’s this, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3). This is what happened on Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross. This is a wonderful message from Paul. He passes on to us the message of first importance: that Christ died for our sins. For your sins! The cross hadn’t been a huge miscalculation on God’s part or a defeat of God’s plan. It was the plan! And it was for YOU!

11.                     And how do we know that? Because, in accordance with the Scriptures, Jesus was buried, he was raised on the third day, and he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. Jesus’ death and resurrection is for you! This is the Gospel. This is what gives life. Had the women that first Easter morning understood and believed this, that Jesus’ death was God’s plan for saving them, they would have expected Jesus to rise, rather than look for the living among the dead.  Living—Life!—Is Found in That Jesus Died for Us and Is Now Living.  This is life for all who believe. Fame, fortune, and pleasure are all fleeting, but faith gives life eternal. Just as Christ’s tomb was empty on Easter, so also in the resurrection of the dead shall we be raised and our tombs will be empty.

12.                     It wasn’t until Luther became thoroughly acquainted with the Scriptures that he discovered the wonderful message of salvation that he shares in his catechisms. After years of studying the Bible, he finally discovered what it had meant all along­—this “for you,” “for our sins,’’ which is the Gospel. Jesus had died for Luther’s sins and granted him forgiveness through faith. Luther reports, “I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith.” This was such a wonderful and thrilling discovery for Luther that he declares, “I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates” (AE 34:337).

13.                     This so changed Luther’s life that he spent his remaining years striving in every way possible to bring this marvelous message to people who had been starved of the Gospel. The Small Catechism was part of that effort. In it he writes concerning the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”

14.                     And then Luther finished his Second Article explanation with this last clause: “just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.” Think about what that means. Luther is saying that we’ve been redeemed by Jesus’ precious blood, that we will live forever with Christ in his kingdom, “just as” surely as the fact that Jesus himself is risen and lives and reigns for all eternity. In other words, if Jesus is really risen, if today, Easter, is true, then we will live. If we can be sure of that, of Jesus’ resurrection, we can be “just as” sure that we will live also! And Jesus is risen! “He is not here, but has risen” (v 6a).

15.                     Therefore, it is also so for each of us. We’ve been purchased and won. We have entered paradise through the open gates of the Gospel. We will live with Christ forever in his kingdom.  The cross and empty tomb are for us, but not for us alone. We join with Paul, Martin Luther, and Christians throughout the ages in dedicating our lives to sharing this life in the Living One with others. 

16.                     We join the likes of John Chrysostom, one of the most famous preachers in all history. He lived from the mid 300s to the early 400s. For a time, he was archbishop of Constantinople. One of his Easter sermons is so famous that in Eastern Orthodox churches, in their first service on Easter Day, just after midnight, his sermon is read every year, even to this day. It does us well to hear his words this morning, words that for sixteen hundred years have been speaking the life of Easter to Christian people: “Christ is risen, and you o death are annihilated. Christ is risen, and the evil ones are cast down. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life is liberated. Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ, having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”