YouTube -- Easter Sunday (April 20, 2025)

Here is the Easter Dawn service from April 20, 2025.  Note: This service is joined in progress during the second lesson.

Here is the Easter Festival Service from Sunday, April 20, 2025.

Sermon -- Easter Day (April 20, 2025)

Some of the ideas in this sermon were taken from an Easter sermon by Rev. David H. Petersen who serves at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church (LC-MS) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  The particular sermon was printed in a book entitled, "Thy Kingdom Come," a devotional book for Lent and Easter seasons.

You can (and should) order it here.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:51-57

DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

In the name + of Jesus.

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

     St. Paul asks a question which sounds pretty dumb.  “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  We all have answers for that.  Death is the fate of all of us.  No one gets out of this world alive.  Death rules on the battlefield, in the cancer ward, at the nursing home, and on the highway.  As resilient as the human body is, it is also incredibly fragile.  An infection, a virus, or a blood clot is all it takes to end a life.  Death is cruel, cold, and uncaring; and it takes what it wants.

     But St. Paul’s question is not a curiosity; it is a taunt.  “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  That is because today, death has been swallowed up in victory.  Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead.  This man did not merely avoid death.  He did not reveal some mystical secret about how to evade the grave.  If Jesus had avoided death, what good would that do you?  Even if Jesus had avoided death, you and I will not.  We are mortal because sin has produced death in us.  We are perishable because sin has corrupted our bodies.  Long before we get to the grave, our bodies are subject to wrinkles, aching joints, loss of balance, loss of memory, and failing senses.  Medicine can only do so much.  The mortician gets the last word.

     But no more.  Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Jesus did not avoid death.  He went right into it.  Jesus was executed by crucifixion.  He laid down his life and gave up his spirit.  His lifeless body was wrapped in cloths and placed in a grave.  But the grave did not keep him.  It could not keep him.  Death holds no victory over him.  Jesus conquered death.  Now, Jesus has authority over it.  And not just authority to conquer death for himself, but Jesus has authority over the graves of all people. 

     So, “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  Death, who have you really conquered?  When Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead, you, O grave, will be emptied.  Jesus will give the command.  Death, you will submit.  You, O grave, will give back what you have taken.  In the end, O grave, you get no one.  For death has been swallowed up in victory.  The victory belongs to Jesus Christ.  And all who believe in him will live and reign over death with him.

     When St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he devoted the entire 15^th chapter of his letter to the resurrection of the body.  He explained that Jesus Christ is the firstfruits from the dead.  He also explained that the full harvest, the resurrection of all flesh, will come when Jesus returns on the Last Day.  Jesus told us what will take place.  He said, “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out.  Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29).  If these words cause alarm, it is because we know that we have failed to do all the good that God demands.  We are guilty of evil that he forbids.  When we stand before God in judgment, we want to be found among those who have done what is good.  After all, no one wants to suffer everlasting torment in hell.  But what can we say in our defense?

     We get to trust in this: “A righteousness from God has been made known. … This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).  You and I cannot boast of a righteousness of our own.  Our impending death is proof that we are sinners; for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  But there is a righteousness which comes from God.  It comes through Jesus Christ who lived a perfect, innocent life.  He has avoided all evil, and he performed only what is good.  Now, if Jesus had done it only for himself, that does you no good.  But what does the Bible say?  “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).  Do not waste your time insisting that you are good enough and should be rewarded accordingly.  If you are going to die, then you are a sinner.  If you are a sinner, then you are not good enough.  Instead, trust in Jesus for your righteousness.  Then you will be judged according to his merits and not your own.  The Bible says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).  If you are baptized into Christ, you are covered in Jesus’ righteousness.  So, that is your status before God.  That is your hope in the final judgment.  Eternal life is yours. 

     But people crave an eternal life here and now.  In some cases, people hope to come back to this life and live it over and over again in cycles.  But understand this: The world is not going to get any better.  There will always be wars and rumors of wars, kingdom against kingdom, famines, earthquakes, and so forth.  The world has been corrupted by sin.  Living in it forever or repeatedly means that you will endure endless rounds of difficulties and devastation.  What’s more, your own body will not escape its problems.  Sin affects every life and corrupts every body.  Plants, animals, people, even the planet—are all subject to disease, disorders, decline, death, and decay.  Is this the life you want to live forever and ever, or over and over?

     Our Lord Jesus Christ has provided deliverance not only from the curse of sin, but also its effects.  St. Paul wrote, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and what is perishable is not going to inherit what is imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:50).  That’s why these bodies will finally give out.  What has been corrupted by sin cannot live in a holy place.  And what is mortal will not live forever.

     But now, death has been swallowed up in victory.  That victory not only means that the grave must give you up, but also that your body will be transformed.  Death will give way to life.  The perishable will be converted to imperishable.  The mortal will become immortal.  In delivering you from sin and death, Jesus also delivers you to a life of glory and perfection in body, in mind, and in heart.  The righteousness that he has credited to you by faith will be confirmed in you in reality.

     And it is more than being raised with an incorruptible body only to return to a corrupted place.  Our Lord Jesus has opened the way to a new heaven and a new earth.  St. John caught a glimpse of it in his Revelation: “‘(Our God) will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.’  The one who was seated on the throne said to me, ‘Look, I am making everything new’” (Revelation 21:4-5).  It will not just be our bodies that will be restored and renewed, but all creation will be restored and renewed, too.  This is why we confess: “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed).  We have a living Savior who guarantees it.  Death has been swallowed up in victory.

     We rightly give our attention to the resurrection of the body on Easter Sunday.  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead guarantees our resurrection.  We cling to this even in face of death.  In those bitter moments when we bury those who have died in the faith, our hope remains.  Our fellow Christians depart from our sight, but they do not depart from the kingdom of God.  We bid farewell to them, knowing we will get them back.  That is why we can repeat the taunt of St Paul, “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  It is no victory, grave, if you get nothing in the end.  There is no sting, death, if God’s people go on to live in glory.  Death, you are done.  We have a Savior who lives and who gives eternal life to all who believe in him.  Death has been swallowed up in victory. 

     When Jesus returns on the Last Day, he will come to judge the dead and the living.  That means not all will have to be raised up from their graves.  Some will be alive and will see Jesus descend from the clouds in glory with all the angels accompanying him.  St. Paul refers to the living ones in particular in this section from 1 Corinthians.  He says, “Look, I tell you a mystery.  We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).  

     The day of resurrection will be unmistakable.  Jesus will appear in glory.  The grave will give up all the dead, believers and unbelievers alike.  Those who are still alive will not experience a resurrection, but they will be changed.  “For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  But once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled:  Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)? 

     These mortal, corruptible bodies will suddenly, like a flash, be renewed and restored to purity and perfection.  The living Savior will convert our bodies to be like his resurrected body—designed to live forever and be forever free from any and all flaws.  And we will live forever in a world that is forever free from any and all flaws.  This is the Christian hope that endures through every moment of life.  Death may bring tears to our eyes, break our hearts, and hit us with unpredictable bouts of grief and sadness.  But death does not destroy our hope.  For, Jesus Christ has overcome death.  Those who belong to Jesus are not lost.  They dwell forever with the Lord.  And when death comes for you, you need not fear.  Rather, you get to taunt the grave: “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  For, you have a living Savior.  You have eternal life.  Death and the grave get nothing.

     Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Its threat is as empty as Jesus’ tomb.  Jesus lives.  And all who believe and are baptized will live with him—resurrected, restored, renewed, and rejoicing forevermore.  “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57)!

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

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

Sermon -- Easter Dawn (April 20, 2025)

JOHN 20:1-9

A MEDITATION ON THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.  She saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1).  We don’t know what else Mary observed.  Were the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb already gone?  Did she get a glimpse of the inside of the tomb?  She must have not seen the angels, and she certainly did not hear their announcement that Jesus had risen from the dead.  Mary saw the stone had been rolled away.  That was all the evidence she needed.  Her conclusion: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they put him” (John 20:2).

     Peter and John heard her report.  It demanded further investigation.  So, they ran from their upstairs room in Jerusalem to the tomb just outside the city walls.  John got there first.  He was not as bold as Peter, so he only stooped to look inside the tomb.  John reported what he saw.  “Bending over, he saw the linen cloths lying there” (John 20:5).  Peter, of course, never seems to hesitate with anything.  “Simon Peter … went into the tomb.  He saw the linen cloths lying there.  The cloth that had been on Jesus’ head was not lying with the linen cloths, but was folded up in a separate place by itself” (John 20:6-7). 

     Peter and John observed more than Mary had.  They assessed the evidence.  The tomb was, indeed, empty.  The body of Jesus was gone.  They did not see the angels or hear the announcement from them, but they did observe the linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body.  If someone were to steal a body, they would not have unwrapped it.  And they certainly would not have taken the time to fold up the head cloth nice and neat.  They assessed the evidence.  Jesus’ departure from the tomb was done in calm and intentional fashion.  If the grave clothes were left behind, it is because they were no longer needed.  Besides observing the scene, Peter and John both had Jesus’ words to call to mind.  Jesus had told them them “that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).  Everything Jesus had said was going to happen happened.  This was the final word to be fulfilled.  John makes his personal confession: “He saw and believed” (John 20:8).

     What did John believe?  That Jesus had risen from the dead.  But John acknowledged that he and Peter “still did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9).  They had not connected the dots that the Lord had foretold this throughout the pages of Scripture.

     Our Lord has revealed his love and his salvation since the Garden of Eden.  Some of God’s promises are glaringly obvious.  Psalm 16, for example, prophesies: “You will not abandon my life to the grave.  You will not let your favored one see decay” (Psalm 16:10).  But as we mine the Scriptures for gems, we continue to discover the ways the Lord has foretold and foreshadowed the death and resurrection of the Christ.  For example, we can marvel at God’s miraculous deliverance of Daniel from the lions’ den.  It is a historical event from the early days of the Persian Empire.  But now consider: Daniel was an innocent man who was unjustly condemned to die.  He was placed in a den which had a stone rolled in front of it.  He was as good as dead, a feast for roaring lions looking for someone to devour.  In the early morning, the stone was taken away and Daniel came out alive.  See how this foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection!  Many other examples are recorded which continually pointed God’s people to the Christ, for whom it was necessary that he “suffer many things…; be killed; and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).  This is why we give our attention to the Scriptures.  Our Lord wants us to live in the confidence of his love and of our place in his eternal kingdom. 

     Peter and John saw the evidence in the tomb.  They believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.  It is proof that God has accepted Jesus’ death as the full payment for your sins.  It is proof that Jesus has authority over death and the grave.  And it foreshadows your own resurrection to life everlasting.  Peter and John still had God’s promise to ponder, to study, and to meditate upon.  So do we.  We have heard the evidence.  We meditate on the promises.  We rejoice in their fulfillment.  We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

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

Lutheran Satire and the defense of Easter

It is that time of year when, once again, people will be saying that the Christian faith has spawned from pagan sources.  In this case, it is the alleged connection of Easter to Ishtar or some other nonsense.  While many have debunked all this with reasoned defenses, why not have some fun with it?  So, here is Lutheran Satire addressing this issue for us.

If you are curious about the whole "Horus" narrative, you will be interested in searching through the Lutheran Satire library and looking up the various Horus videos in it.

As a bonus, here is Lutheran Satire explaining how the Christian Church has duped the entire world in regard to Jesus' resurrection by concocting the "Best Conspiracy Ever."

Holy Week -- 2025

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday
April 13 – 10:00 AM



Private Confession & Absolution
April 14 – 7:00-9:00 PM

Maundy Thursday
April 17 – 7:00 PM



Good Friday
April 18 – 7:00 PM

Easter Dawn

April 20 – 7:30 AM

Easter Breakfast (8:45 - 9:45 AM) 

The Festival of the
Resurrection of our Lord

April 20 – 10:00 AM

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2024)

JOHN 15:9-17

ABIDE IN JESUS’ LOVE.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     The readings today have a lot to say about love.  The Father loves Jesus, and Jesus loves the Father.  Jesus loves us, and we should abide in that love.  If we love Jesus we would also love our neighbor.  And if anyone does not love his neighbor he cannot truly say that he loves God.  I suppose the readings today should be widely accepted by all kinds of people, whether they are Christians or not.  No one is going to argue that we should not be filled with love for one another.

     However, people who agree that we should be filled with love have different and even contradictory ideas about what that means.  The word “love” has so many shades of meaning that it has almost lost its definition.  A man loves his wife.  He loves his children.  He loves his dog.  He loves his country.  He loves his job.  He loves football, beer, and pizza.  Is it all the same love?  I hope not. 

     When we hear people talk about love, they usually mean what makes them happy and what gives them pleasure.  If it doesn’t make you happy or give you pleasure, then you don’t love it.  This is what often happens between a husband or wife.  When they get married, they confess their great love for one another.  But then they discover that marriage is more work than they were prepared for.  It involves more sacrifices than they were ready to make.  It’s not that either was unfaithful or abusive.  But they were no longer getting pleasure out of their marriage.  It was not as exciting as they thought it would be.  Visions of romantic gestures got replaced by paying bills, arranging schedules, and folding laundry.  So, rather than remaining committed to one another as they had vowed, they abandon the marriage.  They say they no longer love each other.  What they mean is that they are not getting the pleasure they thought they should have.  This is what happens when love is about what makes you happy.

     When Jesus Christ speaks about love, he looks in the opposite direction.  He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).  In fact, our Savior’s love far exceeds that.  Jesus did not come to save the people who like him.  Jesus came to save all people, even those who despise him.  Jesus suffered and died for people who try to keep God’s Commandments and fail, and for people who reject the Commandments as stupid and oppressive; for people who have a great interest in religion, and for people who deny God’s existence; for the women who wept at Jesus’ cross when he died, and for the men who mocked and laughed at him while he hung in tortured anguish.  Jesus came to suffer and die for every single person.  He laid down his life to secure your place in eternal life.  This is love—that Jesus gave up everything for your good.  Abide in Jesus’ love.

     The entire Bible defines love as seeking the good of someone else.  It doesn’t matter if they deserve it or not.  Jesus taught his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).  Your enemy does not deserve your love.  Those who persecute you do not deserve your prayers.  But love does not ask what people deserve; love gives what people need.  That is why Jesus came to save you.  It is not that you deserve it; it is that you need it.  Abide in Jesus’ love.

     The Lord also sets a standard for love.  That goes in the opposite direction of the world’s standard, too.  First, the world says that love is what brings me pleasure and makes me happy.  Then, the world says love is letting people do what they like as long as it doesn’t hurt you.  You might think it is fine that some guy blares rock music until 3 AM and that love means letting him enjoy his life.  But you might feel differently if he lives next door to you.  Love does not mean letting people do what they want how they want and when they want.  That is letting selfishness run amuck.

     Jesus says that love’s standard is set by God’s word.  He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).  God’s Commandments tell us what is good, and it tells us what is evil.  The Commandments are not oppressive.  They instruct you on how to love your neighbor and to do good to him.  The Commandments do not ask you to consider if your neighbor deserves your kindness and goodness.  It tells you to do it because that is how God treats mankind, no matter how wicked they are.  Jesus said, “[The Father] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same” (Matthew 5:45-46)?  Now if you find that this is hard, or even impossible, to do, then you have discovered that you are not perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

     When God created the heavens and the earth, he created everything with a purpose.  Everything was designed to work a certain way for the honor of God and for the good of one another.  But sin perverts God’s intended purposes.  God gave each of us a mouth to use.  You can use it to sing God’s praises, to pray, to speak calming words to someone who is scared, comforting words to someone who is grieving, or kind words to someone who is having a bad day.  Or you can use your mouth to shout at other people, to belittle them, to spew out obscenities, to tell lies, or to slander.  Obviously, one way serves the good of our neighbor; the other way does him no good whatsoever—even if it makes you happy to do him harm. 

     Other examples abound.  The Scriptures, on the one hand, teach, “God (brings) forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man” (Psalm 104:14-15).  So, there is a proper use for wine, but Scripture warns of its abuse and condemns drunkenness.  Even intimacy is a gift of God, but it has its proper use.  This is what the Lord says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4).  Intimacy is a blessing for the marriage bed, and it is restricted to a married man and woman.  It is even called pure within the bonds of marriage.  It allows the husband and wife to tighten the marriage bond between them, each knowing that they are not just being used for the pleasure of another.  And, if a pregnancy should result, it is a cause for joy, not grief or panic.  People will argue that stepping outside of God’s design will make them happy and bring them pleasure, but stepping outside of God’s design is never victimless or harmless.  A stable family is good for society; unbridled passions and affairs are not.  To misuse, abuse, or pervert God’s gifts is to earn his wrath and not to seek the good for one’s neighbor. 

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  That always begins with Jesus’ love for you.  To recognize that God’s Commandments guide us into thoughts, words, and actions that are truly good for us and for our neighbor, you have to be able to recognize that the God who gave those Commandments has your best interest in mind.  For you to believe that about God, God has to demonstrate his own love.  “God is love” (1 John 4:8), says St. John.  It is more than God is loving.  It is that the essence of love is God.  And God personified is Jesus Christ.  He demonstrated that perfect love in the way he dealt with sinners. 

     St. John wrote, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  The propitiation is the substitutionary sacrifice that Jesus became for us.  All of God’s wrath which we have earned because we have sought our own happiness in defiance of God and pursued our own pleasure at the expense of our neighbor—all this Jesus took upon himself.  Our sins were transferred to him.  Therefore, God’s wrath was targeted upon Jesus.  Jesus suffered and died for sins he did not commit and died under a curse he did not deserve.  God offered up his own Son so that he would not lose you to eternal death and hell.  This is how God loves you. 

     That is the kind of love you want to abide in.  It seeks only your good.  It provides for you nothing but blessing.  And since Jesus rose from the dead, it bestows upon you the resurrection to everlasting glory.  If this is what the Lord has done to deliver you from death and hell, won’t his Commandments also seek your good in this life?

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  Receive the benefits of his saving work, and then in response to his love for you, go forth and show love for your neighbor.  This means serving him according to God’s word.  Love for your neighbor will not mean giving him what he deserves.  It may not mean letting him do whatever he wants, but it always means treating him according to his need.  It means being kind to the wicked and the good.  St. Paul encourages you, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).  Love for your neighbor may mean you will need to warn or to correct him so that he is not deceived by Satanic lies or swept away by worldly influence.  It always means that you confess God’s truth, but it also means confessing God’s truth in a way that shows you are rescuing the lost rather than rubbing his face in his sins.  Your neighbor does not need your scorn, but your mercy—and even more, Jesus’ mercy.  Love for your neighbor means yearning for his eternal well-being and his temporal good. 

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).  It brings Jesus great joy that you are his and benefit from his saving work.  This is our joy as well.  And since we know that God is love, we strive to live like him.  In this world, we struggle to do it.  In the heavenly kingdom, we all will be perfected in it.  And this will make our joy complete.

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

YouTube -- 5th Sunday of Easter (April 28, 2024)

Here is the service from Sunday, April 28, 2024.

Sermon -- 5th Sunday of Easter (April 28, 2024)

JOHN 15:1-8

ONLY JESUS PRODUCES FRUITFUL LIVES.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     Lutheran preaching puts a strong emphasis on what we have been set free from.  You have been set free from sin.  Your sin no longer condemns you.  Jesus Christ has endured condemnation for you in his death on the cross.  You are set free.  You are also set free from the devil.  Jesus Christ has destroyed the devil’s work and has crushed the serpent underfoot.  The devil cannot snatch you away from Jesus.  You are set free.  You have even been set free from death.  Now, it is true that we will go to a grave one day.  These bodies of ours have been corrupted by sin, and nothing sinful can dwell together with God.  But when Jesus comes again on the Last Day, he will raise you up from the grave with a glorified, holy body.  In the end, the grave gets nothing.  You have been set free.

     This heavy emphasis on what we are set free from is on purpose.  This is where we find our comfort and our hope.  But if we are set free from something, it stands to reason that we are set free for something.  The Christian faith is more than: “We are set apart as God’s people.”  It is also, “We are set apart to be godly people.”  The apostles made this clear in their preaching to the Church.  For example, St. Paul wrote, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor….  For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4,7).  You have been set apart for a godly life and for good works.  Only Jesus produces this fruitful life in us.

     Jesus said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).  We do not get to opt out of producing fruit, that is, good works.  Nor do we get to tell God which good works we will do and which we will not.  Fruitful lives are evidence that our faith is genuine.  Faith cannot just sit there; it is active and productive.  If we confess faith in God’s word but our lives contradict it, then our confession is empty and faith is dead.  If we believe that God’s word is true, then we will also strive to live according to it. 

     Jesus assures us that we will produce the fruitful lives the Father seeks.  He says, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:4-5).  If our faith rests in Jesus, the good works will flow forth.  It is Jesus who works in us to will and to act according to God’s purpose.  Only Jesus produces fruitful lives.

     Now, you may compare yourself with people who have no use for Jesus at all, and conclude that their works are just as good as yours.  If they look like they are doing the same works that you are, you might wonder if even matters.  But Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Scripture also says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6).  Those who do not believe in Jesus are still in their sin.  No matter how good their works appear, no matter how much they are praised for them, they are still covered in sin.  God cannot delight in that.  But Jesus tells you, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).  God is not pleased with your works because they are more holy or spectacular than that of others; God is pleased with your works because he is pleased with you.  Jesus has taken away your sin.  He presents you to his Father as holy and blameless.  And Jesus produces in you the works that delight God.  Only Jesus produces fruitful lives.

     Another problem you might struggle with is that you recognize that your works are flawed.  Your sin rears its ugly head even in your good works.  For example, if you give a charitable gift to a noble cause, your gift is done out of love.  But it may also stir up your pride as you think, “That was wonderful of me.  Surely God will reward me for that.”  So, your good work is done for your sake as much as for the good of another.  Sin infests everything.

     But remember Jesus’ promise: “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).  Through faith in Jesus, you have become God’s children.  Through holy baptism, you have been purified in Christ.  Even though your works are flawed, God the Father sees you as pure.  If the Father sees you as pure, then he sees all your works as pure.  It is like a kindergartener who wants to draw a picture for her mother for Mothers’ Day.  She pulls out her box of crayons and draws on a sheet.  She goes to her mother and says, “Here, Mommy!  I made this for you!”  No mother in the world would squawk, “Well, this certainly isn’t a Rembrandt, is it?”  No, she will gush over it.  “This is a beautiful drawing.  I am going to put this on the refrigerator so we can see it all the time.”  She loves it because it came from her daughter whom she loves, a daughter who loves her and wants to please her.  Since you are children of God, the Father does not sniff in contempt at your less-than-perfect works.  He delights in you and in the fruit you bear.  Only Jesus produces fruitful lives.

     Now let’s consider one of Jesus’ words which sounds unsettling.  He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).  When the master gardener comes, he prunes and hacks away at the grapevine.  If a grapevine could speak, it would protest, “Why are you coming to do such harm to me?  You are cutting away branches that have already begun to bud.  You are taking away good fruit.  Why would you inflict such pain on me?”  But the master gardener knows what he’s doing.  He removes some of the sprouts and buds so that the remaining branches get more nutrients.  That makes the remaining branches even more fruitful.

     This is what the heavenly Father does to us.  The Father does not prune only dead branches.  Jesus says, “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2).  So, he prunes away things that are good in order to have us produce even more good.  But since it is a pruning, it seems painful, cruel, and unnecessary to us.  All we know is that it hurts as God strips blessings from us or allows us to suffer.  But he is the master gardener.  He knows what he is doing.  What you and I think is cruel the Father knows is for our good.  The pruning makes us more fruitful.  Jesus produces that fruitful life in us even in suffering.

     Consider how this worked out in Jesus’ own life.  Without a doubt, Jesus had a fruitful life, overflowing with good works.  He had compassion on the outcasts.  He welcomed the crowds even when they were infringing on his private time.  He drove out demons and cured the sick.  But this was not his most fruitful labor.  That happened when he was most cruelly oppressed, vilified, beaten, and killed.  The injustice that was heaped upon Jesus was done by the hands of wicked men, but it was also according to the will of his heavenly Father.  St. Peter wrote, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23).  Jesus endured unjust suffering patiently both to glorify his Father and to win our salvation.  You are the fruit which Jesus has borne.

     So, when the heavenly Father starts to prune blessings from you—and this happens more as you get older—he is teaching you to trust him all the more.  If he takes away your family or friends, he is saying, “Well, you can’t trust in these anymore.  But you can trust in me.”  If your eyesight fades or your balance and mobility grow weak, he is saying, “Well, you can’t trust in your abilities anymore, but you can still trust in me.”  If you lose your money, your reputation, or your memory, he is teaching you, “Well, you can’t trust in those anymore.  But you can still trust in me.” 

     If the Father prunes you this way, what else can you do but call on him for mercy?  What else can you do but endure your sufferings with patience?  What else can you hope for but a better future in the heavenly kingdom?  What else can you do but acknowledge that everything in this world is passing away and is, therefore, untrustworthy?  But the word of the Lord will never pass away.  His mercy endures forever.  And Jesus still abides in you.  He still produces the fruitful life that shows you are his disciple and the faithful confession that glorifies God.  Besides, what makes a better confession before the world—praising God for abundance and comfort, or praising God in the midst of suffering and loss?  Rejoicing in good times is easy.  Rejoicing despite one’s suffering shows a faith that leans upon God for everything that is truly good.  In the end, if all you have is Jesus, you have everything that matters.

     One final promise we will consider because it is often misunderstood.  Jesus declared, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).  This sounds like Jesus is issuing a blank check—that you should be able to get anything you want just by asking for it.  But what happens when you pray for healing and a loved one dies anyway?  What happens when you pray for that new job but the company hires someone else?  Did Jesus lie? 

     Pay careful attention to the promise.  Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).  In other words, if your prayers are in line with God’s word, it will be done for you.  God will always say, “Yes,” to his own word.  Now, you can pray for anything you want.  But you don’t know if all your requests are in line with God’s will.  He may provide relief from suffering.  He may put an end to suffering by bringing you to your heavenly home.  He may have your suffering linger to teach you patience and increase your prayers.  Even if you don’t understand why the Father prunes as he does, you know that he is your good and merciful Father.  And you know Jesus will abide in you to preserve you in the faith.  Jesus will abide in you to sustain you through suffering and loss.  Jesus will abide in you so that you will and act according to God’s good pleasure.  Only Jesus produces a fruitful life, and only Jesus bestows everlasting life.

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

YouTube -- 4th Sunday of Easter (April 21, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, April 21, 2024.

Sermon -- 4th Sunday of Easter (April 21, 2024)

JOHN 10:11-18

LISTEN TO YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD AND FOLLOW HIM CLOSELY.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.  The word “good,” employed here by Jesus, refers to something that is beautiful or useful.  It is the same word that Peter used at Jesus’ transfiguration when he said, “Lord, it is good that we are here” (Matthew 17:4).  Then he suggested that they build three shelters.  So, it was good in the sense that it was useful that they were there.  This particular Greek word for “good” refers to the essence of its object, in other words, what makes it useful.  For example, you could use many items for a hammer—the heel of your shoe, a brick, or the end of a wrench.  While those could serve as a hammer, best would be a claw hammer of forged steel.  That is a good hammer because it was designed to be a hammer.

     Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He is the essence of a shepherd.  He is uniquely qualified to serve as the shepherd of his flock, the Church.  The Church has other shepherds.  We call them pastors because the Latin word for shepherd is “pastor.”  But no matter how good you might think a pastor is, he is not the Good Shepherd.  Pastors have weaknesses.  They may sin against you because of negligence.  They may use harsh, judgmental, or ignorant words.  They may even deceive you by twisting God’s word.  A pastor may fail you.  On the other hand, Jesus does not fail you, and he will not mislead you.  Listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him closely.

     Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:14-15).  Jesus knows the Father because he is the Son.  God the Father and God the Son are one.  They are in perfect harmony in thoughts and actions; for the Father and the Son are one God.  Jesus establishes this same kind of harmony and unity with his Church.  He does this by making himself known to us.  And this he does the way a shepherd leads his flock: He speaks to us.  Listen to the Good Shepherd and follow him closely.

     Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  His invitation to disciples is, “Follow me.”  Jesus not only brings us into the safety of his care, but he also leads us throughout our lives.  This is why we listen to him.  We need to listen so that we follow Jesus closely.  We don’t know where life will take us.  We anticipate blessings, and we have hopes and plans for our future.  Young people hope to graduate and find employment.  They have plans to get married and have children.  Parents also hope to see their children enjoy these blessings.  Then they hope to see grandchildren.  We make plans, and we pray that God will bless them.  But God may have other plans.

     St. James warns us not to be so sure of our plans that we would be crushed if they do not come to fruition.  James wrote, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  …Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13,15).  In other words, you don’t know where the Lord will lead your life.  But what you do know is that you have a Good Shepherd.  He knows you because he has redeemed you and made you his.  You know him because he has made himself known to you as your loving and faithful Savior.  He calls you to follow him for your good.  Listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him closely.

     As a Good Shepherd, Jesus continually speaks to you in his word.  He has to because there are many other voices which are calling for your attention.  The devil seduces you with lies that sound very attractive.  The world peppers you with slogans and soundbites which sound very reasonable.  These voices can be very persuasive.  They certainly are persistent.  And to be fair, there is often just enough truth in these voices that you can believe that they are in line with God’s word. 

     Consider the phrase, “Don’t get mad, get even.”  This appeals to our sense of justice.  If someone has wronged you, you are right to call it what it is.  That man sinned against you.  What he did was wicked.  If it was wrong, there should be a penalty for it.  Justice demands it.  Since it is unlikely that anyone else will step in to administer such justice, it is up to you to take care of matters.  That seems to make sense.  And it would feel so good to make someone suffer who brought suffering on you or your family.  Entire movie plots are based on that. 

     But this is what the Lord says: “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:17-19).  These are hard words for us to follow.  Our sinful nature craves revenge.  We want to take it upon ourselves to execute justice which is reserved for God.  The devil and the world may even taunt you: “What kind of God do you have who tells you to put up with people who sin against you?  ‘Turn the other cheek’?!  Ha!  Revenge is sweet!  The way of the Lord is bitter.  Maybe it is time to find a new way.”

     The devil, the world, and your own sinful nature call you to follow them on a path which promises satisfaction, but it leads to unending violence, strife, pain, and death.  The fact is: The devil does not care about you.  He wants you damned.  The world does not care about you.  When you die, the world moves on and makes more empty promises to the next generation.  But Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He not only cares about you; he has invested himself completely to secure your temporal and eternal good.  Listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him closely.

     Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14).  What you know best about your Good Shepherd is this: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).  For all the pleasures promised by the world, the world will not do you any favors.  For as much as the devil promises you, he will give up nothing for you.  Jesus, however, lays down his life for you.  He owed you nothing, but he gave up everything to save you. 

     Jesus left the glories of heaven to live in a world that has been corrupted by sin.  Jesus emptied himself of his divine majesty to take into himself the guilt of mankind.  Jesus exchanged the innocence of a holy life for the sins of the world.  He was marked for death—dying for people who loved the devil’s lies and were seduced by worldly schemes.  No one else would do this for you.  Even if they tried, they could not take away your sins or win your place in heaven.  Jesus did both.  He has paid for your sins with his holy, precious blood, and he has satisfied God’s judgment with his innocent sufferings and death.  “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).  What do the sheep get out of it?  Peace, comfort, blessing, hope, and life everlasting.  What does the Good Shepherd get out of it?  You.

     The Good Shepherd, however, does not remain a dead shepherd.  The sheep would remain helpless without a Good Shepherd to protect them, to guide them, and to speak to them.  Listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him closely.  For this is what he says: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:17-18). 

     Sometimes it looks like your life is out of control, and you might question where Jesus is leading you.  You might even wonder if Jesus has lost control because difficulties and disasters are piling up.  Fear not.  Jesus has never lost control, and he never will.  Even when Jesus was going to be crucified, he did not lose control.  St. John wrote about Jesus’ arrest.   “Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’  They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’  Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’  …When Jesus^] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:4-6).  Then he patiently waited for them to collect themselves and arrest him.  Jesus was in control.  He was not seeking to escape arrest or death.  He went to the cross on purpose.  The purpose was to claim you.

     The way the Gospel writers describe Jesus’ death is striking, too.  For us, death is something that happens to us.  We fight to live and strain for breath until death finally takes us.  We fight, but death overcomes us.  Not so with Jesus.  St. John records Jesus’ death this way: “He bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).  Death did not take Jesus; Jesus willingly went into death.  He was active in dying.  As Jesus said, “No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). 

     The Good Shepherd willingly went into death.  The Good Shepherd definitively walked out of death.  Death did not take Jesus; Jesus took death.  He lives, and he lives to faithfully protect and guide his flock.  He speaks to you so that sin, death, and the devil cannot harm you.  Listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him closely. 

      Even as you listen to your Good Shepherd and follow him, you may still feel like your life is out of control.  Jesus may lead you through hardships.  A Good Shepherd may have to lead his flock through rough and rocky terrain to get them to where they need to be.  The sheep will prefer a softer path, but the softer path may not lead to the place you need to be.  So, if Jesus causes you to struggle, drains you of your strength, and makes you wonder if you can even go on, Jesus remains in control.  Listen to him and follow him closely.

     You know your Good Shepherd.  He cares for you.  He guides and protects you.  If he leads you through difficulties, Jesus uses them to discipline you.  Just as your muscles get stronger only when you put strain on them, so also your faith is strengthened when Jesus lays a cross on you.  But he remains your Good Shepherd.  Everything he does is for your good.  Rather than trust your fears, your hardships, or your lack of control, listen to your Good Shepherd.  He did not make you his own to neglect or deceive you.  Follow him closely; for only Jesus provides comfort which cannot be destroyed by problems.  Only Jesus makes promises which cannot be overcome even by death.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He lives and reigns forever, and he lives and reigns for you.

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