Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 19, 2026)

TO SEE THE RISEN SAVIOR, THE SCRIPUTRES MUST BE OPENED TO YOU.

LUKE 24:13-35

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

      Noah and his family sat in the ark for a long time.  We usually think of 40 days and 40 nights, but that is only as long as the rains poured down.  The water crested for 150 days, then receded slowly before the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat.  All told, Noah spent more than a year on the ark.  Noah and his family might have wondered if God had forgotten them.  They were not told how long this Flood would last.  All they had was what the Lord had told Noah, “I will establish my covenant with you.  You shall come into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Genesis 6:18).  The ark would preserve them, implying that they would survive the Flood and replenish the earth.  For over a year, Noah had only the word of the Lord to sustain his hope.

     Fast forward to the children of Israel in Egypt.  God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they would become a great nation and inherit the Promised Land.  But in Egypt, they experienced centuries of slavery and oppression.  Many died not seeing God’s promise fulfilled.  They had to wonder if God had forgotten them.  The only thing they had to sustain their hope was God’s promise.

     Now fast forward to Passover, about 29 AD.  Jesus was crucified during the feast.  He was buried quickly before the Sabbath began.  Two disciples of Jesus were in Jerusalem for the feast.  They were walking to a village called Emmaus, presumably because that was the nearest lodging available due to the pilgrims thronging Jerusalem for Passover.  They were grappling with the events over the past week.  They were dejected and disappointed, and they did not hide why.  They said, “Jesus of Nazareth … was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be condemned to death.  And they crucified him.  But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 23:19-21). 

     Noah sat in the ark for over a year, but he still had hope that God would deliver him.  The people of Israel were enslaved and oppressed for centuries, but the nation was not snuffed out.  They still had hope that God would deliver them.  The disciples on their way to Emmaus considered all hope lost.  They had put their hopes in Jesus, but Jesus was crucified, died, and buried.  Noah’s hope and Israel’s hope were strained; the hope of these disciples was dashed.  What hope could you put in God’s word when it appeared that it had failed?

     This is the part of the story we would have written differently.  St. Luke wrote, “They were talking with each other about all of these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing this, Jesus himself approached and began to walk along with them.  But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  He said to them, ‘What are you talking about as you walk along?’  Saddened, they stopped” (Luke 24:14-17). 

     Wouldn’t this have been a wonderfully satisfying story if Jesus had proved himself alive as soon as they saw him?  Their sadness would have turned instantly to joy.  Their dejection would have been converted to jubilation immediately.  Their hopes would have been restored, knowing and seeing that God keeps his promises!  But instead of granting them instant relief, Jesus gave them what they actually needed—not to have their eyes opened to see the Risen Savior, but to open the Scriptures to them.  To see the Risen Savior, they needed to have the Scriptures opened to them. 

     You and I have our difficult days.  The stress and the strain can go on for some time.  As it was for Noah, your suspense could go on for a year.  Like the Israelites in Egypt, you may live with your stress until the day you die and never see the relief you pray for.  You may wonder if God has forgotten you.  You may become dejected, perhaps even concluding that God’s promises have failed.  You see and feel your fear and your pain.  You want to see and feel relief and refreshment.  Where is God in these moments? 

     It is at these times that we judge God.  We assess his performance and declare that God has come up lacking.  Some even turn away from the Lord, looking for a god that will bring instant gratification.  Money problems?  Try embezzling.  Ego problems?  Prop yourself up by slandering others.  Relationship problems?  Try to gratify yourself with seedy websites.  After all, if God is failing you—as it seems—the devil will offer quick fixes to bring momentary thrills.  But he hides the price tag, which is eternal sorrow.  Beware, and repent.

     Our desire for instant relief often fails to remember the goal of every Christian life—to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Yes, it would be wonderful if God made your life easy, your body sound, your bank account full, and your neighbors respectful.  But recognize that he has not promised you that.  If you hold God accountable for promises that he has not made, you are guaranteed to be disappointed in God.  To see what God has promised, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  Then you will recognize what God has promised.  Then you can cling to what God has promised, and that will not fail you. 

     “Jesus himself approached and began to walk along with them.  But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  He said to them, ‘What are you talking about as you walk along?’ …They replied, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth.  …They crucified him.  But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel.’  He said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?”  Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:15-27). 

     To see the Risen Savior, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  Everything that was written points us to Jesus and the work he has done to save sinners.  For reasons known to the Holy Spirit, St. Luke did not record the sermon that Jesus preached on that seven mile walk to Emmaus.  I think it would have been fascinating.  Perhaps it was not recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel is because it was documented throughout the entirety of the Old Testament.  The words of Moses and the Prophets give us plenty to ponder as they foretell and foreshadow the Messiah and his work of redemption.

     To see the Risen Savior, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  They present to you the Lord who acts to deliver his people—whether being delivered from the Flood in an ark or being delivered from the bondage or slavery to freedom.  The Lord delivered his people through the Red Sea and sustained them on their forty-year journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land.  The Lord provided deliverance through judges such as Gideon and Samson and through kings such as David and Jehoshaphat.  Every act of deliverance foreshadowed God’s ultimate deliverance.  Jesus has delivered you from the enemies that would seek to destroy you—sin, death, and Satan.  And Jesus sustains your life and faith as you journey toward the heavenly Promised Land.

     To see the Risen Savior, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  They present the sacrifices that were made to atone the sins of the people and to reconcile them to God—whether it is Isaac who carried the wood up the hill to be slain by his father, Abraham, or the ram which ended up being the substitute for Isaac.  It was seen in the daily sacrifices made in the temple and in the annual visit into the Holy of Holies by the high priest and in the scapegoat which carried the sins of the people away from God’s presence.  All Scripture has been fulfilled by Jesus.  He is the substitute Lamb who was slain for your accusations that God is uncaring or incompetent.  He is the scapegoat who carried away your sins of impatience and complaining against God.  He is the great High Priest who carried his innocent blood into the Holy of Holies to atone for all your guilt. 

     To see the Risen Savior, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  Jesus said it: “‘Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?’  Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:26-27).  All Scripture testifies of Jesus.  And you have the benefit of pondering the fulfillment of all that was foreshadowed and foretold.  Jesus suffered and died because it was necessary to fulfill Scripture and to pay for sins.  And Jesus now has entered his glory.  He lives and reigns to secure your resurrection to eternal life and will enable you to enter his glory.  And that is the goal for every Christian, whether you receive that glory at age 5 or 105.

     “When he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and began giving it to them.  Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Luke 24:30-31).  This is how we recognize the risen Savior, too.  The bread and the wine are consecrated, and Jesus comes to us.  To see that, you need to hear the words of Scripture where Jesus tells you: “This is my body, given for you.  This is my blood, shed for you.  Take it.  Eat.  Drink.  It is for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”  And though you may not feel forgiven, Jesus has taught you not to believe in your feelings, but in his words and promises.  The risen Savior delivers forgiveness to you and sustains your faith for the journey homeward.  To see it, the Scriptures must be opened to you.

     The Emmaus disciples had their hope resting on what they could see and feel.  When they did and when they saw the Messiah killed, all their hope was gone.  Since Jesus wanted them to rest their faith on God’s promises and not on their senses, Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.  Their faith was strengthened.  Their hearts were kindled.  Their confidence was restored.  Then they saw the risen Savior.

     If you are experiencing hardship, and if you are not seeing the blessings you hope for, the Lord has not forgotten you.  His word remains strong and steady and true.  Soon, our risen Savior will come again.  Then we will see and feel permanent relief.  Then we will experience endless glory.  To see the risen Savior now, the Scriptures must be opened to you.  To see the risen Savior in glory, “wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14)! 

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (May 4, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, May 4, 2025.

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 14, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, April 14, 2024.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday after Easter (April 14, 2024)

LUKE 24:36-49

THE RISEN JESUS EXALTS THE BODY.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     There was a great deal of excitement and confusion going on among Jesus’ disciples on that first Easter evening.  There were reports of Jesus’ tomb being open and empty.  This was confirmed by both Simon Peter and John who ran to the tomb to see it for themselves.  Several women said that they had seen the risen Jesus.  Their report was confirmed when they told the disciples that Jesus said he would meet them in Galilee.  That was a message Jesus had given the disciples only hours before he was betrayed.  The women would never have heard that unless Jesus appeared to them and spoken to them after his resurrection.  While they were gathered together in Jerusalem, two disciples from Emmaus had run back to Jerusalem to report that they had seen the risen Jesus.  It was a lot to take in, and their heads were spinning.

     Then, “as they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’  But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit” (Luke 24:36,37).  We might consider that conclusion a little ridiculous.  But try to understand what those disciples experienced.  They were hiding in a locked room.  Their conversations were animated as one person after another repeated what they had seen and heard regarding Jesus.  Then, all of a sudden, Jesus is standing there with them!  Bodies don’t just appear out of thin air, but Jesus did.  So, they assumed he was a ghost. 

     So, “he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch me, and see.  For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet” (Luke 24:38-40).  St. Luke remarked that “they still disbelieved for joy” (Luke 24:41).  Their joy came from “Who?”  It was Jesus!  Their disbelief came from “How?”  How could he just appear to them from out of nowhere?  To further prove that he was no phantom or illusion, Jesus took a piece of broiled fish and ate it in front of them all.  Ghosts don’t eat, but bodies do.  Jesus had risen bodily from the grave.  He lives as a man and will never die again.  The risen Savior exalts the body.

     We are living in a society that has disparaged and despised the body like never before.  One of the marvelous blessings that God has bestowed upon women is the ability to get pregnant and give birth to children.  Oddly, it is mainly women who are belligerent in rejecting this blessing.  They have lobbied for and won the constitutional right to discard a body from their wombs for any reason.  While a woman’s body should be regarded highly, so should the body that gestates in her womb.  Unfortunately, it is treated as a cancer rather than a baby—and society calls it good and a sacred right to kill it.  Consequently, men have been taught that they bear no accountability for impregnating women.  “Her body.  Her choice.  Her problem.”  God surely does not agree.

     Many young people have so sadly been deceived about their bodies.  With few rare exceptions, God makes it clear who is a boy and who is a girl.  One’s anatomy makes it obvious.  But now people reject God’s creation of their bodies.  They argue that they are not their body.  Some take hormonal pills to distort their body.  Others have surgery and mutilate the body God gave.  If you happen to be or to know a teenager who feels awkward with his or her body, I offer this observation: Congratulations.  You are a teenager.  You are changing.  You are in that stage that bridges a boy to a man or a girl to a woman.  Have patience.  Maturity is coming.  But if anyone is telling you that altering or rejecting your body is the path to happiness or contentment, you can bet that it is not the Lord Jesus Christ who is saying that.  The devil is a liar, and he is highly skilled at convincing you that wickedness is a good thing.

     As we get older, we recognize other problems with our bodies.  If you have cracked 50 years old, your body does not work like it did when you were 20.  The aches and pains increase.  Recovery from hard work takes longer.  You also experience the frailties that come with age.  The body breaks down.  Vision and hearing fade.  We need to be steadied when we walk, or we may have to settle into a wheelchair.  Getting old is hard on the body, and finally it gives out.

     So, is the body the problem?  After all, our souls don’t ache; our bodies do.  Our souls don’t bleed, our bodies do.  Bones break.  Muscles cramp.  Pills are prescribed for the heart, the liver, or some other organ.  The soul seems to remain unscathed.  But the problem is not the body.  The problem is that our bodies have been corrupted by sin.  Sin wreaks havoc on our whole being.  Sin produces flawed and failing bodies.  But sin also produces hearts that seek glory only for oneself.  It produces thoughts that are impure and warped.  It stirs up a hatred for God’s word, rebellion against his will, and the conviction that we know better than God does how life should work.

     God be praised that he did not despise us because of our sinful condition.  Although we have turned away from God, he did not abandon us.  Even though sin has corrupted our bodies, minds, and hearts, God does not despise us or regard us as a mistake.  He loves what he has created, and he has acted to redeem it.

     The risen Savior exalts the body.  The body held an exalted status from the very beginning.  When God created Adam and Eve, he made them different from every creature on earth.  While God simply summoned everything else into being, he personally crafted the bodies of the man and the woman.  He made us to be body and soul people, and he declared it to be very good.  The Lord further exalted the body when he entered the world.  The Lord did not descend from heaven or appear out of the blue.  He took on a body when he was conceived in the Virgin Mary.  He gestated in her womb for nine months.  He was born, grew up, and became a man.

     Then that man took into his body the sins and the guilt of the world.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree... By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).  Jesus’ body was no phantom or illusion; neither were his sufferings and death.  When they punched him in the face, he received bruises.  When they put the crown of thorns on his head, he endured the pricks and lacerations.  When he was scourged, his back was ripped open and bled.  When they nailed him to the cross, he died.  His lifeless body was laid in the grave with your sins.  But then Jesus rose from the dead, and the risen Savior exalted the body.

     Jesus’ sufferings and death were no illusion; neither was his resurrection from the dead.  He rose with a body, just as he showed to his disciples: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch me, and see.  For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).  The purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection was not to get rid of his humanity or his body, as if they were evils to be discarded.  Rather, the purpose was to exalt our human bodies.  Jesus rose from the dead as a body and soul man, but now glorified and immortal.  Jesus’ humanity was no illusion; therefore, his sufferings and death were no illusion.  A real payment was made for the sins of mankind by a man.  Jesus’ resurrection was no illusion; therefore, your salvation is no illusion.  A real victory over the grave was secured for all mankind by a man.  The risen Savior has exalted the body by granting it release from sin and death and bestowing upon it life everlasting.

     Jesus has taken away your sins.  Jesus has gone into death and has overcome it.  Since your sins are taken away, then death cannot reign over you.  Since you are baptized into Jesus Christ, you will overcome the grave.  Just as Jesus is risen with a glorified body, you will be too.  St. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body…” (Philippians 3:20-21).  So, the body is not evil; rather, it will be restored to perfection.  It is not wicked to be a human being.  After all, Jesus was—and still is!  Therefore, you will be made like him.  And you will be resurrected as God made you to be—whether male or female.

     The bodies that we have will wear out.  They will be placed in a grave.  This is because they have been corrupted by sin.  And since they are corrupted by sin, they cannot dwell in God’s holy presence.  But they will be raised up holy and renewed.  Everyone who believes in Jesus will be raised up whole.  Every flaw, every scar, every defect, and every injury will be cured.  All anxiety, all depression, and all mental illness will be relieved.  If someone chose to have transition surgery and has altered or mutilated his or her body, such surgeries usually produce regret rather than contentment.  But there still is hope.  They will likely have to live with the consequences of their poor choices, but for those who repent and turn to Jesus for mercy, on the Last Day their bodies will be restored to what God intended them to be.  And they will find utter joy in being God’s redeemed and restored children.

     Our identity is not found in what we feel we are.  Feelings are deceptive and fickle.  Rather, our identity is found in what God has created us to be.  More specifically, our identity is found in what God has redeemed us to be—children of the Most High God and beloved brothers and sisters of Jesus.  Your identity is not based on our feelings, but on God’s decree.  His words of salvation and his promise of the resurrection to eternal life are unalterable.  The risen Savior exalts you—body, soul, and all. 

     If you happen to be discontented with your body—and the reasons for that are innumerable—have patience.  The resurrection is coming.  Bodies will be perfected.  Minds will be at peace.  Hearts will delight in God’s new creation.  And you will be exalted.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 23, 2023)

Here is the service from Sunday, April 23, 2023.  Jump ahead to the 3:00 mark for the beginning of the service.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 23, 2023)

ACTS 2:14a,32-41

VICTORY IS FOUND WITH THE ONE WHO REIGNS.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia! Christ is risen!
C:       He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

     If there is one thing we all want, it is to be on the right side or the winning side.  If you are having an argument, you fight hard to prove that you are on the right side.  The stakes are much higher among kings, powers, and authorities.  In the days of David, there was a battle between the house of David and the house of Saul for the kingdom.  David waited patiently for the Lord to give him the kingdom while Saul tried to hunt David down and destroy him.  After King Saul was killed in battle, his general, Abner, tried to establish a son of Saul on his throne.  But it became apparent quickly that he would not have the strength to maintain the kingdom.  Abner saw the change coming, so he went to David to pledge his allegiance to him.  Abner wanted to be on the right side.  He did not want to be the enemy of the one who reigned over the kingdom.  By fleeing to David, Abner saved his life for that day.  Victory was found with the one who reigned.

      Centuries later, the Son of David came to establish a kingdom that would endure forever.  King David had prophesied about it: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Acts 2:34).  The promise was not about David.  David died, and his reign came to an end.  The throne of David endured for a while, but even that came to an end after about 400 years.  King David wrote about his descendant.  The Son of David would establish an endless reign.

     Jesus’ disciples had hoped in that promise, but it appeared that it had failed when Jesus died.  Two of Jesus’ disciples, walking on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, were discussing that when Jesus joined them.  They did not recognize him as the risen one.  Instead, they lamented over their dashed hopes.  They confessed, “Jesus of Nazareth [was] a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and … our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:19-21).  They had concluded that victory resided with the grave since it had claimed Jesus.  Jesus, however, proved otherwise.  He revealed himself to those disciples and proved his resurrection.   He made his victory over the grave clear to all the apostles over a period of forty days.  Death did not win; Jesus did.  Victory is found with the one who reigns.

     Therefore, Peter declared to the Pentecost crowd and to all the world: “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.  … Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:32,36).  Those two titles are packed with significance.  Jesus’ resurrection proves that he is the Christ.  He is the Lord’s Anointed.  Jesus was anointed to fill three offices.  He is our Prophet, which means he proclaims God’s word to us.  Everything Jesus says is true.  He is our High Priest.  The High Priest makes sacrifices on behalf of people.  Jesus is not only the one who makes the sacrifice; he IS the sacrifice.  His innocent death atones for your guilt.  And Jesus is anointed as King.  He lives and reigns over all things.  He holds power over heaven and earth, death and the grave, and the life of every person on earth.  Victory is found in the one who reigns.

     Jesus’ resurrection also proves that he is the Lord.  Jesus of Nazareth was always God, but he did not make use of his divine attributes, other than the miracles he performed.  But now Jesus is risen.  Now he no longer veils his glory.  The man, Jesus, makes full use of divine power, authority, and majesty.  He is the Lord.  Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God.  His kingdom has been firmly established.  He is sovereign over everything.  His enemies will be crushed underfoot.  Victory is found in the one who reigns.

     We always want to be on the right side.  We always want to be on the winning side.  Being on the losing side of an argument might be embarrassing, but probably doesn’t get much worse than that.  Being on the wrong side of a political struggle gets worse.  There are factions fighting for control of Sudan right now.  I don’t think it will end well for the losing side.  Maybe imprisonment, probably execution.  But being on the wrong side of the one who judges the living and the dead carries an eternal stake. 

     That explains the terror of the crowds to whom Peter preached.  When they realized their accountability in the crucifixion of Jesus, and when they discovered that Jesus was confirmed as the Christ, the Lord, and the King of heaven and earth, “they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do’” (Acts 2:37)?  They couldn’t take back anything they had done.  They could not fix what they had ruined.  What could they do?

     And what can we do?  We all want to be on the right side.  We want Jesus to be pleased with us rather than punish us.  We want to prove to God and to the world that we are good people and worthy of praise.  We certainly do not want to be crushed under Jesus’ feet as one of his enemies.  We like to think that God is on our side.  But if you want to be convinced that God is on your side, then you have to prove that you are righteous.  On God’s side, there is only purity, righteousness, and holiness.  But who can boast that?  The Bible teaches us the opposite.  It declares, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). 

     When Joshua was about to lead the attack against the city of Jericho, the angel of the Lord appeared to him.  “Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’  And he said, ‘No, but I am the commander of the army of the LORD’” (Joshua 5:13-14).  The Lord does not choose sides.  Rather, the point was this: Are you on God’s side?  God is the one who sets the standard.  God judges according to that standard.  So, are you measuring up to that standard?  We all must confess: We have not.  We do not.  We cannot.  We have been in it for ourselves, for our happiness, and for our glory.  That is the wrong side.  God can not, does not, and will not reward that.  This is what cuts us to the heart and has us plead, “What can we do?”

     The gods of all other religions come looking for righteousness in you.  Jesus Christ comes to give righteousness to you.  Therefore, St. Peter gives hope to those with broken and contrite hearts: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).  By your baptism into his name, Jesus brings you into his kingdom and draws you to his side.  He washes away your sins and purifies you from all unrighteousness.  He cloaks you in his innocence.  The very righteousness God demands of you Jesus supplies to you.  After all, this is what Jesus ordained baptism for.  As St. Peter said, it is “for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38).  And if your sins are forgiven, you cannot be condemned for your sins.  You will not be crushed under Jesus’ feet.  If you are in Christ, you are delivered from death to life; for victory is found in the one who reigns.

     “Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).  Jesus has given you his Holy Spirit so that you are not only in the kingdom, you are also for the kingdom.  The Holy Spirit keeps you on the Lord’s side.  The Holy Spirit enlightens you to see that God’s word is good.  The Holy Spirit guides you with that word to live differently from the spirit of the world.  The spirit of the world is to gratify oneself.  The kingdom of the world strives to be free from God and his Commandments.  It boasts of its power, its pride, and even its perversity.  We are fed these ideas in movies, media, and music.  In fact, the world thinks it is strange that you don’t join in with them.  The temptation to make peace with the kingdom of the world is intense and constant.  This is why St. Peter “continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation’” (Acts 2:40).  All worldly kingdoms and all worldly glory will be ground to dust under Jesus’ feet.  Outside of Christ, there is only deadly defeat.

     But you are ruled by a different Spirit.  Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit to set you apart.  You have been brought to God’s side.  You have found your refuge in Jesus Christ.  In Christ, there is victory over sin, death, and hell.  Victory is found in the one who reigns.  And the Spirit of Christ reigns in your heart so that you strive against the spirit of the world.  Let us flee from this crooked generation.  For, if you love Jesus, you will want to be like Jesus.  If you love the word which saves you, then you will also love the word which guides you in godly living.

     Here is God’s promise to the Son of David: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Acts 2:34-35).  Victory is found in the one who reigns, and Jesus lives and reigns for you.  Jesus rules over all things for the good of his Church.  This may not always be obvious.  It is not obvious when Christians suffer harm and loss.  It is not obvious when Christians are the objects of mockery and persecution.  It is not obvious when we stand by the graveside of a loved one.  There especially, it seems that death is the victor; for, the graves in the cemetery are either full or waiting to be filled.

     Do not let this deceive you.  Jesus lives, and victory is found in the one who reigns.  This is what the Bible says: “He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).  Death will be destroyed once and for all on the Last Day.  When Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, all people will be called out of their graves.  No one will be omitted.  In the end, the grave gets nothing.  But you do not need to fear that judgment.  You have been baptized, marked as Jesus’ own, and have been cleansed of every impurity.  Jesus gives you the very righteousness you need to live.

     Jesus Christ has brought you into his kingdom and taken you to his side.  When Jesus comes again, he will put you on the right side.  For Jesus is risen.  He lives and reigns forever.  Victory is found in the one who reigns, and you and I will be raised up to reign with him.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 18, 2021)

 Here is the service from Sunday, April 18, 2021.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 18, 2021)

1 JOHN 1:1 - 2:2

THE BLESSED APOSTLE REVEALS 

A BLESSED FELLOWSHIP.

M: Alleluia. Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia.

In the name + of Jesus.

     It was 500 years ago today—April 18, 1521.  Martin Luther had been summoned to appear at an imperial conference.  We know it as the Diet of Worms.  Luther had caused a great deal of outrage, confusion, and frustration with his writings.  The Church itself was in danger of being rent apart.  Rather than getting a chance to debate or even to defend himself, Luther was to appear before Emperor Charles V and church officials and answer two questions.  With all his booklets and pamphlets spread out on a table, Luther was asked, “Are these your writings?”  That answer was easy.  Yes, they were.  The second question was the hard one: “Will you recant them?”  He asked for time to think over his response carefully. 

     It seems unlikely that Luther was willing to change his confession; rather, he recognized what the fallout would be if he did not recant.  The church in the west was a united fellowship—one catholic (small “c” and large “C”) church.  Luther’s confession would fracture that fellowship and entity.  Was it worth it?  If Luther’s writings created outrage, confusion, and frustration, we have it even more.  Many Christians are too overwhelmed to concern themselves with the divisions in the Christian Church.  It is just easier to assume that all churches are the same and the differences don’t matter.  It is easier to think that; but it is neither safe nor right.  Factions and fighting.  Confusion and schisms.  Was it worth it?  Luther asked for time to consider that before he would make his confession.  He was given 24 hours.

     Finally, the time had come for his reply.  The full reply of Luther is in your bulletin.  The short version is this: “Unless I am convinced by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures or evident reason…, I am neither able nor willing to recant, since it is neither safe nor right to act against conscience.  Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me!”  Luther’s allegiance was not to an entity, but to the Scriptures.  It was not the Pope, the emperor, or the Roman Church which had died to take away his sins; it was Jesus.  That is where Luther found his hope, his confidence, and his salvation.  Anyone who would dare rob him or others of that assurance was the target of Luther’s scathing pen and preaching.  If you want to argue that Luther was not very nice in this endeavor, you can make a convincing case.  However, his aim was not to take shots at people because he was mean.  He refused to let anyone detract from Jesus and his words.  He wanted no roadblocks between God’s people and his blessed fellowship.

     The blessed apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, St. John, also wants you to know and to have a blessed fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  You might think that John is nicer about this than Luther was, but John does not tap dance around the realities of this blessed fellowship either.  There are those who are enlightened by God’s word and those who are darkened and deluded by their own sinful hearts.  You either dwell in one realm or the other.  There is no middle ground, and the end result is heaven or hell.  The Scriptures do not sugar coat this reality.  Neither does St. John.  The blessed apostle wants you to be delivered out of darkness, death, sin, and hell.  John wants you to know light and life and pardon and peace.  Therefore, the blessed apostle reveals a blessed fellowship to you.

      The reality of this blessed fellowship rests on the reality of Jesus’ resurrection.  Therefore, St. John assures you that this blessed fellowship is as real as the Savior who secured it.  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you…” (1 John 1:1-3). 

     The apostles would not have boldly preached about a dead Jesus, much less laid down their lives for him.  But Jesus lives.  He has overcome death.  He promises a resurrection to life everlasting to all who believe in him.  This was no empty promise.  It was guaranteed by Jesus when he rose from the dead.  And he was no hallucination by grieving disciples.  St. John says, “We beheld him with our eyes.  We touched him with our hands.  We inspected his wounds.  We even ate and conversed with him.  We had seen him crucified, and then we saw him very much alive again, victorious over death.  This is life which has conquered death.  This is a man who reigns over the grave.  He has given us many convincing proofs of his resurrection, and he promises this resurrection to us who are his.  As real and as bitter as death is, so the resurrection of the dead is real and all the more glorious.  This is what we proclaim to you; for we have witnessed it.”  The blessed apostle reveals this to you.

     Then he tells you why: “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).  This blessed fellowship was never intended to be limited to a few.  Jesus Christ took up the sins of all.  He bore the curse for all.  It does not matter what your history has been.  Your past has been wiped clean by Jesus.  Jesus presents you as blameless to the Father.  Your future has been secured by Jesus.  “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).  If you want to remember what “propitiation” means, it is summed up well in the hymn, “In Christ Alone” which says, “Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied; for every sin on him was laid.  Here in the death of Christ I live” (In Christ Alone, 752:2 Christian Worship Supplement).  The blessed apostle reveals a blessed fellowship, and no one can tell you that Jesus rejects you from this blessed fellowship.  No sin is so bad that Jesus refused to pay for it.  No sinner is so vile that Jesus would refuse to have anything to do with him.  He is the Savior of all mankind.

     If this is the case, why would we say that there are some who will not be saved?  St. John tells you: They don’t want to be.  It may be because of ignorance, or it may be because of stubborn rebellion.  But this blessed fellowship is accessed only by faith in Jesus.  Therefore, the blessed apostle reveals this blessed fellowship to you.

     The blessed apostle warns that this blessed fellowship excludes people who reject God’s word.  “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6).  This is the part where even the nice apostle sounds mean.  John warns us that it doesn’t matter what we believe if we live in willful rebellion to God’s word.  Throughout the Old Testament, Israelites males were all marked as sons of the covenant by circumcision.  But what good did it do them when they turned from God’s word to pursue their own selfish, godless goals?  It is the same today.  Many people who profess to be Christians confess by their actions: “It is more important for me to be happy than to follow God’s word.”  They claim a fellowship with God while their lives defy him.  But light and darkness cannot dwell together.  If you fear that this describes you, then repent.  You’ve been lying to yourself.

     The blessed apostle reveals a blessed fellowship.  In this blessed fellowship, grace is bestowed to forgive sins, not to bless them.  But for all who are grieved by their sins and fear God’s judgment, the blessed apostle declares this promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  Recognize what great comfort you find in this verse!  You have the blessing of being honest with yourself and with God.  There is no bargaining, no negotiating, no defensive posturing.  You don’t have to try to convince God or anyone else that you are better than you are.  Compare your life in the light of God’s word.  When he exposes your sins, confess them.  Acknowledge that you have not done what you should have, that you have been what you should not have been.  

     Why?  Because of the promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  The Lord is faithful to forgive our sins.  He has promised that the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.  He assures us that, if we sin, we have an advocate.  Jesus Christ, who has paid for our sins, covers over our guilt, even for thinking that God’s word does not matter as much as my happiness.  He does not excuse your sins, but he does pardon them.  And he is just in doing so.  If Jesus has taken your sins away from you, how could God condemn you for them?  The payment has already been made.  Justice has already been done.  He cannot condemn you when the sentence has already been carried out.  Your sins are forgiven.

     The blessed apostle reveals a blessed fellowship.  God has enlightened you to see and to know that all of God’s word is true and right and good.  He motivates you to continue in that word so you see his truth all the more clearly and are blessed all the more richly.  He fills you with a desire to flee from everything which is sponsored by a lie, clouded in darkness, and leads to death.  You have been set free from that.  How could you willingly return to it?

     500 years ago, Martin Luther was unwilling to recant his writings for the sake of preserving an outward peace.  The Church was pointing people away from Jesus Christ, away from true fellowship with God, and away from the confidence of forgiveness and salvation.  Luther stood firm on firm promises.  He faithfully confessed the word to which God himself is faithful.  Yes, it split the church.  It was not the goal, but it was the result; for, darkness and light cannot exist together.  St. John declared the same confession, the same promises, and the same hope.  The blessed apostle reveals a blessed fellowship.  If we are in Christ and walk in his light, we have peace with God.  For the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  That is a peace and a blessed fellowship which cannot be broken by schisms or governments or even death.  For, Jesus lives.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 26, 2020)

Here is the service from the 3rd Sunday of Easter.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter Day (April 26, 2020)

1 PETER 1:13-21

THE RISEN SAVIOR RAISES OUR FOCUS.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C: He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

      You will have nothing but problems if you do not have the right focus.  A major league baseball player who is not focused on the pitch will fail to get hits.  He will end up being cut.  A worker who is distracted by solitaire on his computer will not be productive.  He may not advance in his company.  A boy on a date who is distracted by other girls in the restaurant will probably be getting dumped pretty quickly.  If you do not keep the right focus, you will suffer consequences.
     It is all the more serious when it comes to God's word.  If you do not keep a proper focus on God's word, you will be deceived and may even hold to a false faith.  In the worst case, the consequences are eternal.  But even in the short term, there are nothing but problems.  Consider the two disciples who were referred to in our gospel lesson.  They had high hopes regarding Jesus.  They spoke about “Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:19-21)  Were they wrong?  It depends on what they expected Jesus to do.  What was their focus?  More miracles?  An earthly kingdom?  If so, they were not focused on what Jesus had taught them.  So when Jesus was crucified, they lost all hope.  And when reports were going around about Jesus' resurrection, they were confused.  If you do not keep the right focus, you will suffer consequences.  For these disciples, the consequences were sorrow, confusion, and despair.  Jesus rebuked them because they had lost their focus.  Then he opened the Scriptures to them to restore it.  The risen Savior raises our focus.
     St. Peter does the same in his epistle.  He reminds you what you have been rescued from and wants you focused on what you have been set apart for.  He wrote, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” (1 Peter 1:14-16)  While some of the people Peter wrote to could have been criminals or morally despicable, this is not really an appeal just to behave themselves better.  He certainly urges godly behavior when he wrote, “You shall be holy,” (1 Peter 1:16) but Peter wants us to focus on more than just good behavior.  He wrote, “Do not be conformed to the passion of your former ignorance.” (1 Peter 1:14)  This ignorance comes from not knowing the grace of God, the word of the Lord, or his purpose for you.  If you are not properly focused on these things, you subject yourself to confusion, deception, despair, and possibly even damnation.
     For example, many people believe that God just wants us to be happy.  It sounds like what a loving God would want, and—even better!—it is what I want too.  If you believe this, you have lost your focus.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God just wants you to be happy.  To believe this is to hold God to a promise he did not make.  Additionally, what would it take for you to “just be happy”?  The Lions win the Super Bowl?  More money?  Extra-marital affairs?  The death of a few people such as a co-worker, a politician, or ISIS?  God does not promise to fulfill our selfish desires.  Or perhaps what would make you happy sounds more noble—world peace, a solution to poverty and hunger, or the end of cancer and bullying.  Even you desire noble things, they still boil down to this: “I want the world to run the way I think it should.” 
     Ultimately, this is a condemnation of God.  You judge God has a failure because you are not happy.  This is why Christians become atheists; they refuse to acknowledge a God who does not perform the way they think he should.  They want a God who will just make them happy, and they can never find one.
     The risen Savior raises your focus.  Jesus did not promise that you would “just be happy,” but that you would be saved.  St. Peter also focuses you there: “Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:17-19)  You have been delivered from the ignorance of thinking that, despite your limited wisdom and puny power, you are greater than God.  You have been ransomed from a life that is focused on having your own way and being annoyed by others who stand in your way.  Such a life results in bitterness, disappointment, and damnation.  But you have been ransomed from that. 
     The risen Savior raises your focus.  Jesus has purchased and won you for himself with his holy, precious blood.  He has bought you for himself—not because he benefits from having you in his kingdom, but because it benefits you.  It brings the Lord joy to save you and bless you.  Now he has set you apart for a life that benefits others—to use your skills and abilities, interests and income for the good of your family, your friends, and your fellowman. 
     St. Peter wrote, “Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile...” (1 Peter 1:17)  We live in fear—but only of ourselves; for we know that we are weak and easily distracted from the word that saves.  God knows how easy it is for us to focus on what makes us happy for the moment.  But the risen Savior raises your focus.  He not only has redeemed you to be a saint who will receive glory in heaven, he has not only set you apart to be a godly person who is productive and has purpose, but he also delivers you from ignorance about who he is, what he does, and why he does it.  While the risen Savior does not explain everything to you, he tells you what you need to know so that you can focus on that for comfort, for encouragement, and for confidence.  It is not for you to worry about how God rules the here and now, but it is for you to know that whatever he does serves your eternal good.
     The risen Savior raises your focus.  He reveals to you that you have been in his plans from eternity.  St. Peter writes that Jesus Christ “was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God...” (1 Peter 1:20-21)  From eternity, God had you in mind—not just to put you on earth for a while, but to have you marked from eternity to be his for eternity.  Before the foundations of the earth were laid, God the Son was set apart to become a man to save mankind.  And God did not leave this plan a secret.  As soon as a Savior was needed, he revealed it to sinners.  God continued make his mercy known through the salvation which would be accomplished by Jesus.  This message continues to be proclaimed to you so that you will not be ignorant of God's love.
     The risen Savior raises your focus.  Far too many people guess or hope or assume that God will just take people to heaven.  They don't know why.  At best, they live in doubt.  At worst, they are terrified of the future.  They are trusting in assumptions and wishes.  But you are no longer ignorant.  God has revealed his word in the Bible.  He focuses you on promises that are written down so you can read them, learn them, and take them to heart.  You know you are saved because you have God's promise on it.  Those promises were guaranteed by Jesus who lived the holy life credited to you, who died the cursed death suffered on your behalf, and who rose form the dead to show you God's approval of Jesus' redemption of you.  And that promise was sealed upon you when you were baptized into his name.  The Lord gives you his word in Scripture so that you know what to trust and will not be deceived by promises which are based on emotion rather than revelation. 
     The disciples who were walking to Emmaus did not find comfort or assurance until Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.  Only when they were focused on what God had clearly said did they find joy in God's salvation; for then they trusted that Jesus had done exactly what was promised.  This is what saved them.  This what saves you, too.  And it is why Jesus wants you focused on it.  The risen Savior raises your focus so that you will find comfort and joy in the here and now and glory and peace forevermore. 

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2019)

ACTS 9:1-19a

THE LIVING SAVIOR RAISES UP UNLIKELY SAINTS.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

     One of the great lies that the devil says and which we are very quick to believe is that some people are saved because of the kind of people they are.  We might think that we are destined for heaven because we have behaved better or studied harder or done more than others—or even because we were confirmed.  It is easy to believe because we like to think that we are better, smarter, and more diligent than others.  And we can find examples of bad people to make our case.  But it is a lie. 
     Every service, we make a confession.  We make that confession because it is true.  But it is also a reminder so that we don't buy into the devil's lie.  Our confession is this: “I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions.  I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good.  For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.”  Your confession does not concern itself with anyone but you.  It does not consider if you are better or worse than anyone else.  It just acknowledges that you are a sinner.  It is what you are.  It is what you have done.  And it is why you deserve God's punishment.  God did not choose you because you are better, smarter, or more diligent.  God chose you in spite of your sins—not because of who you are, but because of who he is.  The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
     Perhaps the most unlikeliest of saints was the man from Tarsus named Saul.  He was very religious.  He was moral and decent, but he grew to hate people whom he thought were corrupting his religion.  Saul went throughout Jerusalem, overseeing the arrest and even the execution of those who confessed that Jesus is Lord.  His bloodthirst led him out of Jerusalem to foreign lands.  But as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.  And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  And he said, “Who are you, Lord?”  And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:3-6)  
     When the light from heaven shone around Saul, he knew that it was the true God, Yahweh.  He said, “Who are you, Lord?”  Saul was convinced that he was doing the Lord's work, defending him.  So, I can't imagine the shock that went right to Saul's heart when he heard the answer: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5)  Jesus is the Lord—true God from true God, of one substance with the Father.  Through him all things were made. (Nicene Creed)  You would think that if Jesus took the time and effort to appear to Saul, it would be to slay him for his threats and murder.  Rather than a light from heaven, why not a lightning bolt to strike him down?  Yet, Jesus loved Saul.  He called him into his kingdom.  Instead of striking down a sinner in his wrath, the Lord raised up a saint in his mercy.  The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
     The Bible has no problem showing sinners in all of their ugliness and evil.  The Bible doesn't record events to make us think that the saints of the past earned their status.  All were sinners.  All needed God's grace.  All proved it.  If we call anyone a “hero of faith,” it is because God made them what they were.  There is only one hero in the Bible, and he does not set out to slaughter people—not even the likes of Saul.  He came to save.  He came to rescue sinners from the torment, wrath, and death that they deserve.  The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
     Your wicked thoughts, words, and actions are not put in print for all the world to read, and I am sure you are grateful for that.  It is painful enough when people tell stories about you.  But when God shines the light of his word on you, you are an open book before him.  He knows everything—from the behavior that everyone saw to your dirty little secrets.  If this alarms you and disturbs you, it should.  This is why we confess as we do: “For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.”  
     But that is not the only confession we make each week.  We also confess how the Lord loves and saves sinners.  Your hero, Jesus, came into the world to save you from wrath and punishment.  He slew your enemies by being slain for you.  Your enemies are not flesh and blood people.  Saul was a man that people feared because of he was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. (Acts 9:1)  Ananias sure feared him: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.  And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” (Acts 9:13-14)  Ananias had good reason to believe: “Saul is coming to kill me.”  But even if he had, Saul could not send Ananias to hell.  That comes from sin, death, and the devil.  These are the enemies Jesus overcomes for us.  It is from these that sinners are rescued and made saints.
     Brady, you not only confess this, you committed it to memory: “He has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.” (2nd Article of the Apostles' Creed, Luther's Small Catechism)  The Lord Jesus has rescued you from your enemies.  He gave himself in exchange for you—the Son of God on behalf of all mankind.  He let sin condemn him.  He let the grave take him.  He let the devil have his way with him.  But Jesus rose from the dead.  The payment for your sins, whether they are well known or secret, has been paid in full.  You are forgiven.  Death has lost its grip.  The grave may hold you for a while, but it must give you back.  Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so he will come again to raise you up.  For, you belong to Jesus, not to the grave.  The devil has no claim on you.  You are sons and daughters of the Most High King.  How unlikely that God would spare rebels.  But he does more!  He gives you a place in his kingdom.  The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
     But now, beware.  The devil is not going to concede defeat.  He wants you back, and he still lies to you.  Think of how devil would have tormented Saul: “Look how much violence, hatred, and death you are responsible for.  There is no way you can set foot in heaven.”  Or he could have seduced him this way, “After your conversion, look how much good you have done for Jesus.  That should win you all the points you need for salvation.  Trust in your goodness, Saul; you've earned it!”  But it is all lies.  The devil will point you to anywhere but to Jesus.  Only Jesus raises up saints—even unlikely saints, and his is the only voice that matters.  Brady, notice that I never once had you memorize anything the devil says.  He lies and brings a cursed death.  Only Jesus has the words of eternal life.  Keep listening to him.
     When Saul came to Damascus, he sat in a house by himself—neither eating nor drinking.  He devoted his time to prayer.  No matter how sorry Saul was for his past, he did not find comfort in his self-imposed time of repentance.  So, the Lord sent him a pastor.  The Lord called Ananias to go and restore his sight.  More than that, Ananias was sent to absolve Saul of his guilt and wash away his sins in baptism.  Through baptism, Saul was united to Jesus and received all the benefits of his saving work.  Through baptism, our living Savior raised up an unlikely saint.
     And Jesus did not tell Saul, “Just stay out of the way, and try not to mess anything up.”  Instead, the Lord called Saul to go and preach about the same grace he had been shown.  Saul knew that he had sinned against Jesus and deserved punishment from him.  But Jesus did not treat him that way.  Instead, Saul was commissioned to go and tell other sinners what Jesus had done for them, that Jesus pours out grace rather than wrath, that Jesus desires to save all people, even those whom we would consider unlikely for salvation.  For, the living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
     You and I are not apostles.  We won't do miracles or travel the world to establish new churches.  But we all know what God's grace is and how it has saved us.  While we confess our sins week after week, we also hear Jesus' forgiveness applied to us.  There is no interrogation about whether our sins were too many or too wicked.  There is the proclamation that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sins.  And just as Jesus has saved us, so we who bear his name get to confess and profess how Jesus is gracious, forgives sinners, delivers from death, and opens heaven to all who believe in him.  We never know who God will bring into his kingdom through our confession.  It may be the unlikeliest of people.  But we do know that our Lord likes to save sinners.  He has proved it; for, he has saved us.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 15, 2018)

1 JOHN 1:1 – 2:2

THE RISEN JESUS SHOWS 

THE REALITY OF SALVATION.

In the name + of Jesus.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     St. John begins his first epistle with the comment that he has seen the Lord who was crucified and has risen.  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you... (1 John 1:1,3)  
     One of the main messages of Easter is that the risen Jesus was seen, heard, and touched by the disciples who knew him and confessed him.  We heard that in our gospel reading from Luke: (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch me, and see.  For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  (Luke 24:38-40) 
     The reason for this emphasis on actually seeing, hearing, and touching Jesus after he had risen from the dead is to demonstrate that Jesus' resurrection is a real, historical event.  The risen Jesus shows the reality of salvation.  Therefore, when the apostles went out to preach the Gospel, they were not merely proclaiming an idea.  The good news declared from pulpits today is not based on pondering, “What if this happened?” or “What if that happened?”  This is not a mental exercise where we wonder, “What do you think happens when a person dies?”  When you confess the Creed, you are not proposing an idea; you are declaring the truth.  The Christian faith is not a theory; it is a historical fact that truly delivers us from sin and death.  The risen Jesus shows the reality of salvation.
     There are many people who would like to pass off the Bible as a book of legends or stories which are supposed to convey some kind of truth.  If that is all it is, then we would put it on par with all religious thought, with Aesop's Fables, or with whatever lessons can be learned from children's programing on PBS.  St. John insists on much more.  He proclaims a flesh-and-blood Savior who died a real, excruciating, cursed death on the cross, but who is now truly risen from the grave in that body and who lives forever.  Jesus is not a teacher of ideas; he is your Savior.
     Jesus has come to deliver you from your enemies of sin and death.  These are not just ideas either.  St. John warns about denying the reality of sin:  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8,10)  Sin is real, and it produces real damage.  If someone has sinned against you, you feel the betrayal, the anger, the pain, and the sadness from it.  Sin wrecks marriages, destroys friendships, and sends nations to war.  Sin is demonstrated in people doing and saying awful things to each other.  Sin is not some flexible idea about what is right and wrong which adjusts itself to culture, era, or person.  Sin is whatever defies God's word.  God is light, in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)  But we see the darkness of our hearts exposed by sinister words and selfish acts. 
     The result of sin is death.  Just as sin is not an idea, neither is death.  Anyone who has stood by the grave of a loved one knows the grim and painful reality of death.  We grieve over others who have died, and we fear our own death.  Sin and death cannot be overcome by ideas or by giving them different names.  We cannot save ourselves from them.  Someone else must act to deliver us from sin and all of its consequences.
     Therefore, when God acted to save us, he did not send an idea into the world.  He sent his Son who became a man.  God came into the world as a flesh and blood man to deliver mankind from sin and death.  The sufferings and death of Jesus are well documented facts, even outside of the Bible.  There is no denying the reality of that.  But what God reveals is why Jesus suffered and died at the cross.  St. John wrote: He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)  In other words, Jesus is the sin offering which has satisfied the wrath of God against sinners. 
     God cannot ignore our sins, and he does not dismiss them as if they were never really offenses against him and his word.  Therefore, Jesus took into his body all of our guilt and shame—and not just ours, but the guilt and shame of everyone on earth.  He suffered and died the hellish death that sinners deserve.  The punishment Jesus suffered was real; therefore, your forgiveness is real.  Forgiveness is not something you wish for or to pretend you have; it is given to you by Jesus who has paid for all of your sins with his innocent sufferings and death.
     Forgiveness is not an idea; it is an establish fact.  Jesus gives it to you.  Here is what God promises: The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)  The blood which St. John witnessed flowing from Jesus' side was poured out for you.  That is the blood which was poured on you in baptism.  That is the blood which is poured into you in holy communion.  The blood of Jesus cleanses you and renders you pure before God.  God does not love you in theory.  God's love for you is not just an idea.  God demonstrated his love through a Savior who bled and died for you.  God applies that love to you through physical things such as water, bread, and wine.  By these, Jesus takes away your sin and cleanses you of all unrighteousness.  By these, Jesus marks you for eternal life.  By these, God saves you.  He rescues you from darkness and death, and he brings you light and life because he loves you.
     The risen Jesus shows the reality of salvation.  Just as the Christian faith is not a theory, neither is the Christian life.  St. John proclaimed the risen Jesus to reveal the new life that we are to have in him.  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” (1 John 2:1)  Forgiveness is not a license to sin.  Forgiveness means that we get to live as God's own people and we get to do the good that God has created us to do.  The risen Jesus reconciles us to God and restores our fellowship with the Lord.  It means that the Lord's mercy, his favor, and his heavenly kingdom are ours.  Nothing can take these away from us—no enemy, no difficulty, not even death.  For we are Christ's redeemed.  We are a new creation, created in Christ to do good works for the good of one another.
     The risen Christ assures us that, even in our weakness, we need not fear.  We are still the Lord's.  For, St. John assures us: “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)  You may recognize that your works are not as pure and your motives are not always as innocent as they should be.  Fear not!  The risen Jesus purifies you of all unrighteousness.  God is pleased with you.  He delights in your works, and he benefits others through them.
     The risen Christ shows the reality of salvation.  We don't live theoretical lives.  We are God's flesh-and-blood creation.  We live and work among others and strive to provide real benefit for them.  We have been saved from sin and all its consequences so that we are not haunted by guilt.  And we don't have to guess what happens when we die.  Just as Jesus rose from the grave with his body living and glorified, so will we.  We will live in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness forever; for that is what our Lord created us for.  And that is what he has redeemed us for.  St. John saw and heard and touched the evidence for us.  He does not proclaim to you an idea; he declares what is true: The Lord is risen.  Your sins are forgiven.  Salvation is certain.  And God loves you dearly.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Easter (April 30, 2017)

LUKE 24:13-35

THE TRUE WORD GIVES TRUE HOPE. 

M:   Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:   He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

     For the most part, false teachings and false hope have their origins from God's truth.  That should not surprise you.  When Satan speaks, he tries to sound like Jesus.  But Satan distorts God's word just a little bit.  The result is that it sounds right, but that God's people are led astray.
     For example, there are many churches which teach that the Bible contains God's word.  It sounds right.  When we hear, “The Bible contains God's word,” we would not respond, “No, it doesn't!”  But if we accept that the Bible contains God's word, the follow up question is: “What else does it contain?”  If there are parts of the Bible which are not God's word, we are left to wrestle with what is God's word and what is not.  The result is that we decide what is divine truth and what can be dismissed.  We end up telling God what his own word is.  So, a statement which sounds pretty good ultimately ends up being blasphemous.  We believe, teach, and confess that the Bible is God's word.  All Scripture is God breathed. (2 Timothy 3:16)  The whole Bible is God's word.  The whole Bible is true.  Therefore, we can trust all that the Bible has to say to us.  The true word gives true hope.
     The disciples who were on their way to Emmaus were grief stricken, and it is because they had put their faith in popular opinion instead of God's actual promises.  When Jesus asked them what had been going on which made them so sad, they summed up the weekend pretty well.  “Jesus of Nazareth [was] a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people....  [Our] chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” (Luke 24:19-21)  And they went on to describe the empty tomb and the message of the angels there.
     Their assessment of Jesus was accurate, but their hope in him was misplaced.  Cleopas and his friend were victims of their day.  The confessed, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21)  They had hoped that Jesus would take up the throne of David, would restore David's kingdom, and bring back to Israel the power and glory which David had enjoyed.  They thought Jesus would be the source of a new and magnificent glory, but they were crushed when all their hopes for glory were crushed.
     Now, once again, much of what they said was true, but their hope was misplaced.  Jesus had, indeed, come to redeem Israel.  The Son of David has taken up his throne.  He does, indeed, bring a new and magnificent glory.  But Jesus had also declared, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)  The glory that Jesus brings is an everlasting kingdom, but we will not see that glory in this world.  It will come just as we confess: “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” (Nicene Creed)  The true word gives true hope.
     The Emmaus disciples were not alone in their misguided hopes.  We, too, hold to promises that God did not make.  We, too, look for glory which the Lord has not promised.  While God has made many amazing promises to us, those promises often cause us to assume others.  Does being Christians mean that life is easier and that you will not be bothered with problems?  If you have believed that, you have also been sorely disappointed.  We are sinners who live among sinners in a sinful world.  We will have problems with people who sin against us.  Our own sinfulness causes us to view people with suspicion, jealousy, or disgust.  Our own sins produce guilt and shame in us.  Our bodies suffer the effects of age, disease, sorrow, pain, and finally death.  Nowhere does God say you are immune from these things.  To think that being a Christian equals God pouring out material blessings on you means that your faith rests in promises God did not make—just as the Emmaus disciples did.  That will always lead to disappointment.  It may well cause you to believe that God is a liar because he has not produced.  Do not be deceived.  Not every pious sounding comment is based on God's word.  Satan mimics God, but still twists God's word.
     The true word gives true hope.  Does God promise blessings upon his people?  Yes.  Does God promise a collection of goods, friends, or smiles?  No.  If you have these, you can thank God for them, but he did not guarantee them to you, and he does not guarantee you will keep them.  If you want to be sure that your faith is resting on promises God has actually made, you had best read, learn, and study the Bible to know what those promises actually are.  Then Satan will not deceive you.  Only the true word gives true hope.
     That is why, when Jesus walked with the Emmaus disciples, he kept himself from being recognized by them.  They did not need to see the risen Savior; they needed to be reminded of the promises God had actually made.  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)  Only the true word will give true hope.  We do not have time to consider all that God had promised.  We have Bible classes for that.  But we will consider one promise.
     The patriarch Job had confessed: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)  If we have a Redeemer, then it must cost him something to redeem us from our captors.  It is sin, death, and the devil which has laid a claim on all mankind.  The devil claims.  Sin controls us.  And death marks us all.  But we have a Redeemer!  And every blood sacrifice offered from the time of Abel to the time of Jesus testifies that it is the bloody death of a substitute which is the payment for the sins of man.  Therefore, our Redeemer poured out his blood and willingly laid down his life to be the ransom price which has purchased and won us from our captors.  We have a Redeemer, and the cost for him to redeem us was the life of our immortal God.  Thanks to Jesus' innocent sufferings and death, thanks to the bloody death of your substitute, you are free from your sins.  You have been released from Satan's claim.  And the grave cannot have you.  You have been marked for eternal life, not eternal death.
     But Job's confession was not, “I know that my Redeemer will die.”  Job confessed, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)  If the Redeemer lives, and if he is to stand upon the earth on the Last Day even after he has paid the full price for our ransom, then he must overcome death.  Then he must be risen!  And just as God has promised it, so Jesus Christ has fulfilled it.  Your Redeemer lives, and he lives to assure you of your forgiveness, to keep you free from Satan's grasp, and to deliver you from the grave to life everlasting.  The true word gives you true hope.
     Only after Jesus reminded the Emmaus disciples of his promises did he finally make himself known to them.  And their joy increased all the more.  The Redeemer lives, and we are his redeemed!  The true word gives you true hope.
     Satan will always mimic the true word and try to lead you astray.  Your defense against him is the true word of God which will never lie to you or lead you astray.  That word, on the contrary, will strengthen you, comfort you, and encourage you.  It will fill you with godly desires and produce in you good deeds.  This word is why God's church gathers every Sunday.  This is why your church offers Bible classes, Catechism instruction, and Sunday School.  Satan would prefer you fill your week with other activities.  He will even tell you that the other activities will produce a full and happy life.  There is a degree of truth in that.  There usually is when Satan speaks.  You might enjoy an early round of golf, a leisurely breakfast, or an extra hour of sleep.  These are not evil.  But your Lord summons you to hear his word which delivers to you a good, God-pleasing, and everlasting life.  If you know and stand on his promises, you will be neither deceived nor disappointed; you will be secure.  And you will be saved.  For only his true word can give you true hope.

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