“It’s All About Jesus” John 20.19-31 Easter,2C April ‘22

 

1.                Christ is risen, He’s risen, indeed, alleluia! The message from God’s Word on this 2^nd Sunday of Easter is taken from John 20:19-31, it’s entitled, “It’s All About Jesus,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                On every page in God’s Word, in every theme, in every major character and every major plot twist, we’re invited to see God’s unfolding work to make all things new and whole in Jesus. One of my favorite books to read is, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” by Alexandre Dumas. It’s more than a thousand pages of love, betrayal, prison, escape, murder, and above all revenge or justice. The book centers on Edmond Dantes as the central character. The entire plot is driven by what happens to him and what he does. Every single page is about Edmond Dantes (the Penguin Classics edition on Amazon is more than 1,200 pages).

3.                It was written nearly two hundred years ago, so I don’t feel too bad if I spoil some of the plot here, but I will avoid giving away any more than I must. Edmond Dantes was wronged, multiple times and in multiple ways. As a result, he bears the burden of trying to make things right. He alone bears the burden because no one else is in a position to restore order. So, he orchestrates a big plan to bring about the maximum amount of justice and he patiently executes each phase of this plan. The entire story revolves around Edmond Dantes.

4.                But here is the thing about reading, “The Count of Monte Cristo”: You can go dozens and even hundreds of pages without seeing or hearing from Edmond Dantes. It’s a big book. It is set in lots of locations, with lots of characters and subplots. And there are giant sections of the book where the name, “Edmond Dantes,” is nowhere to be found. But even those paragraphs, pages, and chapters in which Dantes isn’t mentioned, even those parts are all about Edmond Dantes and his plan to bring about justice.

5.                Sometimes you see him, sometimes you do not. He might not be speaking. People might not even know his name or his story. The character you are reading about might never have even heard of his existence. As a reader, there are times when you have no idea what he is doing. In fact, he might be acting through an agent or under an alias, but it is all about Edmond Dantes and what he is doing every step of the way. Once you realize this fact, that is when the story comes alive!

6.                We see these very themes in John 20. The disciples see Jesus, but then they do not. But then they do. What we see over these eight days beginning on Easter is just what Jesus said would happen. Jesus confused His listeners earlier in John 7:32-36 and in John 8:21-30 when He told them about the nature of His presence with them, and His hiddenness. Sometimes you see Him, sometimes you do not. Though John was referring explicitly to his own gospel account of Jesus’ life, his words in 20:31 are true of all of Scripture: “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.” It is all about Jesus.

7.                Here in John 20, we learn that the disciples had blown it. In their sinful pride, they had vowed their allegiance to the Lord, but in the time of testing they had deserted Him. Most of them were nowhere to be found on Good Friday. They cowered in fear, horrified as the events of that dark day unfolded.

8.                Three days later they were still afraid, gathered together behind locked doors. They knew the tomb was empty but didn’t understand the significance of the events of that day. Suddenly, an uninvited guest was in their midst. A stone could not keep Jesus in the tomb and a locked door would not stop Jesus from coming to His disciples. His disciples deserved a harsh rebuke. They had turned away. Instead of accusations, though, there is absolution. Jesus says to them, “Peace be with you.” Sin is forgiven. Fears are removed. The relationship is restored. Unbelief dissipates.

9.                Not only would the apostles be forgiven, they would be sent out as forgivers. As the Father sent the Son, so the Son now sends out those who belong to Him. He breathes on them, but this is no ordinary breath—this is the promised Holy Spirit, bestowed upon them for their calling. They were to go forth telling others about the events of the past three days. But, they were more than eyewitness reporters. Their calling was to distribute the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. They were to proclaim repentance and forgiveness. To those who acknowledged their sin, they were under orders to forgive them. To those who refused to repent, they were to withhold forgiveness. As Christ’s saving mission was coming to a close, their mission was just beginning. They were to speak Christ’s words. They were to forgive in Christ’s name as they had been forgiven.

10.             Through His Church, absolution is proclaimed to repentant sinners. The Church calls pastors to speak as Jesus spoke and to forgive as Jesus forgave. Since Christ has given this authority to His Church, you not only get to learn about what Jesus did some 2,000 years ago, you actually receive what He accomplished for you on the cross. You not only learn that Jesus died for your sins, but your sins are forgiven. You not only discover that through Christ’s death and resurrection you are reconciled with the Father, but you receive that peace. You not only hear about who the Spirit is, but He comes and dwells in your heart. You can be certain that your sins are forgiven. You have your risen Lord’s word of absolution as a guarantee.

11.             It’s interesting to me how, “The Count of Monte Cristo” was originally published as a serial in eighteen parts over the span of a few years, though today readers hold the whole narrative in a single volume. We hold the fullness of God’s inspired revelation in a single volume, even though it was released over many hundreds of years. And when we read the narrative, we don’t always see the central character. You can go dozens and even hundreds of pages without seeing or hearing the name “Jesus” or His title of “Christ.”

12.             Sometimes you see Him, sometimes you do not. He might not be speaking. People might not even know His name or His story. The person you are interacting with might never have even heard of His existence. There are times when you have no idea what He is doing. In fact, He might be acting through an agent or under an alias, but it is all about Jesus the Christ, every single moment. Once you realize this fact, that is when the story comes alive!

13.             We do not journey with the Emmaus travelers in Series C (though we will meet them next year with Series A), but Luke 24:27 is a great complement to John 20:31: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” In both of these post-Easter encounters, the Evangelists highlight how Jesus is the center of the story, even when we do not see Him.

14.             We continue to live in this very same truth. Human history, as recorded in Scripture, and to our present day, is full of thousands of pages of love, betrayal, prison, escape, murder, revenge, and justice. Some of these are the ugly consequences of sin. But despite how broken it has been, is, and may become, God alone bears the burden of restoring order and executing justice. And God brings all of this to completion in Jesus, “Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification,” St. Paul writes in Romans 4:25.

15.             Whether we see Him as clearly as the disciples did on the evening of the first Easter, or whether He is hidden from our sight, as He was from theirs for the following seven days, we have the Word of God. And there, on every page, in every theme, in every major character and every major plot twist, we are invited to see God’s unfolding work to make all things new and whole in Jesus. “It’s All About Jesus.” Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.

 

 

“He Has Risen! He Is Now Here!” Luke 24:1–12 Easter,C, April ‘22

 

1.                         Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word on this Easter Sunday is taken from Luke 24:1-12, it’s entitled, “He has Risen! He is Now Here,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                         Sometimes a sermon title can be accurate but still communicate the wrong message. I remember one Easter morning on which the pastor’s sermon title read: “He Is Not Here, He Has Risen.” The title came straight from the Bible. Lk 24:6 shouts that very truth. Jesus no longer could be found in the tomb. He was not there. The title was accurate. But that sermon came centuries later. The church held people waiting to hear that Jesus had risen from the dead . . . and he was there that morning. The title of the sermon needed to be altered just a bit. “Jesus Has Risen! He Is Now Here!” Changing not to now changes everything for us listening today. Confusion and fear give way to a confident faith and hope because Jesus has risen, because He is now here!

3.                         But back then, when the women met the angels, they needed to hear Jesus wasn’t in the tomb. They needed to be reminded of Jesus’ words that he would rise from the dead on the third day. They come to the tomb expecting to care for a dead body. When they arrive, they are confused. The stone is rolled off to the side. The tomb contains no body. Where is Jesus? His body had disappeared. They are at a loss as to what happened. Then the angels appear. These heavenly beings frighten the women. We sometimes imagine angels as babylike cherubs. But most often in the Bible, they are powerful beings that simply send someone to fall to the ground in fear and awe. The women do just that. They bow to the ground in front of the angels.

4.                         But the angels aren’t there to frighten the women. They have come to assure them and strengthen their faith. They do this with a simple message. Jesus isn’t in the tomb. He has risen. He has kept his promise. He died at the hands of sinful men. Now, on the third day, he has risen from the dead, just as he said. He’s not there, in that tomb. The women needed to hear that good news.

5.                         Watch what happens next. They remember. They believe. Even though Jesus isn’t standing there in front of them, even though all they’ve seen with their eyes is an empty grave and some angels, they believe. And with a living faith, they dash away to tell the disciples that wonderful news of the first Easter morning. Confusion and fear change to belief and hope. Soon they will see Jesus. They will know just exactly where he is. Not in the tomb. But with them. At that moment, though, Jesus is not there.

6.                         I wonder if maybe we struggle with the same emotions as the women did back then. We’re confused. We’re frightened. Not at a stone rolled away. Or by angels. But by what life simply throws at us that makes us ask, “Where is Jesus? He doesn’t seem to be here. And what is here is frightening.” A black man dies as a police officer kneels on his neck until he breathes no more. The country erupts with protests. All police seem to be demonized. Protests turn into riots and destruction. Vandalism goes unprosecuted. Black lives, blue lives, all lives battle it out. What could have been a moment for biblical justice to bring change and healing is lost, while anger, hate, and violence divide people into political camps. You can be left confused and afraid, wondering where Jesus is in this mess.

7.                         A pandemic sweeps across the nation, around the world. At first, we lock down together to do battle against this unseen enemy. We learn how to protect one another and ourselves, and keep our health care system from being overwhelmed. But as the months drag on, the fighting takes over. Something as simple as a mask divides people into camps, and we hear the battle lines drawn. Personal freedom—I don’t need to wear one. The virus isn’t that bad. 99 percent of those who get it survive. The media has overhyped the problem. We need to get people back to work. The loneliness and depression are worse than the virus. We want to get together for Christmas like we always do. But wait, doctors and nurses are exhausted. We’ve run out of ICU beds for those who are sick. Other surgeries have to be postponed, and cancer treatments suspended. Protect your neighbor and family members. Both sides claim political allies. Even in the church, the division rages, with some not attending if they have to wear a mask, and others not coming if not everyone is wearing a mask. You can be left confused and afraid, wondering where Jesus is in this mess.

8.                         The church suffers. Attendance goes down. Those who watched at first on the computer begin to drift away. Contributions disappear, and programs and staff need to be cut. Pastors and church workers grow weary and are even attacked for whatever they decide to do. Pastors can’t visit people in the hospitals and nursing homes. Many are ready to quit. You can be left confused and afraid, wondering where Jesus is in this mess. What we need to hear is that he has risen and he is here! Yes, he is now here.

9.                         Where? Imagine a baptismal font. Before the service, a member of the altar guild comes out and pours water into the basin. A white napkin is placed on the side, along with a baptismal certificate. The service begins and a family, with godparents, sits up front. The opening hymn ends, and the mom and dad, holding the baby, step to the font. Godparents are standing across from them. The pastor begins the liturgy. Soon the moment comes. The mother lowers her child over the water. Three times the pastor dips his hand into the basin and splashes water on the child’s head, all the while speaking the name of the child and the name of the triune God. Where is Jesus at that moment? Right there. He is risen from the dead. He is alive and now lives in that child. Faith and hope arise in the child and are renewed in those watching. Then remember—one time it was you who was brought into Jesus’ living presence at a baptismal font.

10.                     Where is Jesus? Look at the altar. Before the service, the altar guild brought out a cup and covered it with a white cloth. Wine in the pitcher is set beside it. Communion wafers are readied to be used. The service moves along until the pastor speaks familiar words. “On the night when Jesus was betrayed . . . ‘Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you . . . Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’ ” Your pew is ushered forward. You kneel at the rail. The bread is placed in your hand and then your mouth. A sip of wine runs over your tongue. Where is Jesus at that moment? Right there. He is risen from the dead. He is alive and lives in you. He renews your faith and hope once again. He is not in the tomb. He is here in our midst, in our church, in your life. Confusion and fear give way to a confident faith and hope.

11.                     Where is Jesus? Listen to what Isaiah promises in our Old Testament Reading. A day will come when Jesus will return. We will see him face-to-face. All of creation will be remade. No more will old age take away our strength and breath. All creation will live in peaceful harmony. Only gladness, not more anger and hate. Grief will give way to rejoicing. Or listen to St. Paul in our reading from 1 Cor. 15. The one great last enemy to be destroyed is death. Jesus is the firstfruits when he left the tomb empty, so many more will follow on that glorious Last Day of resurrection. When you read passages from God’s Word like these, Jesus is working in you, building up your faith and renewing your hope by the power of his Holy Spirit.

12.                     Now remember what the women did after the angels reminded them of Jesus’ words, after their faith came to life and hope returned. “And returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest” (Luke 24:9). They ran and told the disciples. They didn’t stay at the tomb. They went back to their lives with the risen Jesus present with them.

13.                     So do we. We leave this worship service, where Jesus has been present because he promised where two or three or more are gathered together, there he would be. We go back to our lives. We go back to injustice and anger. We go back to division and strife. We go back to sickness and aging muscles. But we do not go back alone. We go back with Jesus. We go back with a powerful message. He has risen; he is now here.

14.                     Fred Craddock was a well-known teacher of Christian preaching. He died a few years ago. Late in his life, in a sermon titled “Jesus Saves.” Dr. Craddock spoke about a living faith that brings hope even when so much confusion and doubt can assail us in life. He said he first went to the Messiah thinking that wherever Christ would be, there could be no misery. Instead, he says, he came to realize that wherever misery is, Christ will be there. Then he paused to let that sink in. Will life in Christ be easy? No. But where there’s misery, there Christ is. We go out from this Easter service with that confident faith and living hope. We go out with that simple message: Jesus has risen! He is now here!

15.                     Each of us will come to that time when that last great enemy, death, will confront us with its frightening reality. We will stand before a grave and the test of faith will rise up from the depths of our souls. What is our hope at that moment? Jesus is there with us, speaking to our faith in Him and giving us hope. And when our minds turn to our own future grave, he’s in the same places. Promising to hold our souls safe. Guaranteeing a Last Day resurrection. Speaking faith and hope to those who will stand at our graves. Because he has risen. He is now here (Lk 24:6).

16.                     On this Easter morning, listen to the words of the angels: “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (Luke 24:6b–7). The women staring at an empty tomb needed to hear the words, “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6a). But we, for a living faith and a confident hope, need to hear those words differently. We need to hear this message once again: He has risen! He is now here! Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting. Amen.

 

“Don’t Seek the Living among the Dead” Luke 24.1–6a, Easter Sunrise ‘22

 

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.” Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.