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.

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 -- Easter Festival Service (March 31, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Easter Sunday, Festival Service, on Sunday, March 31, 2024.

Sermon -- Easter Day (March 31, 2024)

JOB 19:23-27

MY REDEEMER LIVES!

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     Modern Bible scholars claim that Christian doctrine progressed over time.  One doctrine which is claimed to be a later addition is the resurrection of the body.  It is argued that the concept of the resurrection does not appear until perhaps the time of King David, about 1,000 BC, and its frequency increases after that.  It is suggested that the resurrection was not known by the likes of Abraham or Noah or Adam. 

     The patriarch Job would have lived about the time of Abraham, perhaps even a bit before.  That puts him a good 1,000 years before King David.  Job made a very clear confession about the resurrection of the body.  From this we can draw one of two conclusions.  Option 1: The resurrection had been believed and taught by people who came before Job.  If Job was taught about the resurrection, it is a very old doctrine, believed by people long before Job.  Option 2?  Job was just making this up on the spot.  If that were the case, Job’s friends would have responded, “What are you talking about?!” 

     When a person is facing death, he needs to grasp onto something sure in order to find comfort.  It is not the time to start making up beliefs unless you have no beliefs at all.  But Job made it clear that he was not facing death with wishful thinking.  His confidence was firm.  “Oh that my words were written!  Oh that they were inscribed in a book!  Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever” (Job 19:23-24)!  Job wanted his confession permanently inscribed, chiseled in stone so that future generations would know it.  This was a firm faith based on promises of old.  It is a confession that we still make today: “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed).  The resurrection of the dead is not a teaching invented by the Church.  The resurrection has been believed, confessed, and taught by God’s people based on the very first promise God made.

     Job’s confession was made when he thought that his death was imminent.  You may recall Job’s history.  Job went from being a very rich, influential man to poverty-stricken in a day.  Job lost his wealth, his servants, his status, and his children.  To make matters worse, Job was then afflicted with debilitating ailments.  The Bible says that Job was struck “with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7).  With his body shriveled, his friends did not even recognize him.  Job looked like the living dead, and he was sure that death was close at hand. 

     Despite this misery, despite staring the grave in the face, Job continued to have hope.  He declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another” (John 19:25-27). 

     My Redeemer lives!  This is to say much more than “God lives.”  Job believed in a Redeemer.  If there is a Redeemer, that means that someone comes to pay a ransom.  The ransom price is paid to deliver us from death.  Death is the sentence that has fallen on everyone on earth.  No matter what anyone thinks about the Bible or Jesus or the Church, all people know they are going to die.  When someone dies might be a surprise.  How someone dies may come as a shock.  When those road workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge went to work that night, no one thought that they would meet their death by a cargo ship hitting the bridge and causing it to collapse.  But none of those workers expected that they would live forever, either.  We all have an expiration date.  This comes because sin has entered the world and has corrupted all of us.  That was the penalty that fell upon Adam and Eve when they sinned against God, and it falls upon all of us.  We are sinners.  Therefore, we are marked for death.

     But God promised to deliver mankind from sin and all its consequences.  He promised a Savior.  If we are to be saved from sin, then we are also to be delivered from death.  Where there is no sin, there is no death either. 

     God does not ignore or dismiss sins.  They are wicked.  You know that.  If someone sins against you, you know it is wicked.  If your spouse cheats on you, if your neighbor swindles you, if your coworker tells lies about you, do you ignore it or pretend it doesn’t mean anything?  No.  You call it what it is: Wrong.  Wicked.  Unacceptable.  Perhaps even unforgivable.  Therefore, God cannot ignore our sins against him, either.

     Because God does not delight in the death of anyone, he sent a Redeemer to pay the price for our sins.  Our Redeemer is the Lord himself.  It has to be.  This is what the Lord says, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit (Psalm 49:7-9).  But when God steps in and gives himself as the ransom payment, it is enough to cover everyone.  The almighty God died in exchange for all mankind.  The Son of God is your Redeemer. 

     But Job’s confession is not, “My Redeemer dies for me.”  No, he declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).  Jesus, who was buried in the grave with our sins, is risen from the dead.  He lives, and he cannot die again.  He has mastered death. 

     Your Redeemer lives!  And you are his redeemed!  That means he has purchased and won you 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.  If your sin has been taken away from you, that means that death does not own you.  For, where there is no sin, there is no death.  At the end of time, our Redeemer will stand upon the earth and raise up all the dead from their graves.  On the Last Day, the grave will get nothing.  On the Last Day, he will raise up me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers in Jesus Christ.  This is most certainly true.

     This was Job’s confidence and confession.  “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.  My heart faints within me” (Job 19:26-27)!  Job knew that he would die.  His body was corrupted by sin, and sin cannot dwell with God.  But after he died, after his body suffered decay, he would be raised up anew.  And Job knew that he would remain himself.  He would not be morphed into someone else.  He would not be converted to an angel.  The same Job whom God created and whom Jesus redeemed would be resurrected in glory.  “In my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:26-27).  My Redeemer lives, and I myself shall see him!

     Very few people have experienced the misery that Job knew.  But you don’t need to experience that level of suffering to know what suffering in a sinful world is like.  How many have financial hardship—whether from low income, loss of a job, or being hammered with car repairs?  How many have known the pain of having a miscarriage or burying a child?  How many have had their reputation destroyed?  Or perhaps you know the hardship of failing health.  It could be little things like weak eyesight or sore joints.  It could be big things like an illness that requires a hospital stay or an injury that requires surgery.  Maybe it is a terminal disease.  And if it is not you who have experienced these, you know someone who has.  This is the reality of having sin-corrupted bodies in a sin-corrupted world.  These bodies were created by God, but corrupted by sin.  Therefore, they are mortal; for sin brings death.

     But you have a Redeemer, and your Redeemer lives!  He has paid the ransom to deliver you from sin and death.  But it is more than just providing eternal life.  Can you imagine having eternal life in this world?  How many tragedies would you have to endure if you just kept on living in this world?  How many wars would you have to witness?  How many injuries?  How many bed-ridden days?  And how often would you have to experience people sinning against you—lying to you, stealing from you, and insulting you with snobbish arrogance?  Is this the life that anyone wants?

     But you have a Redeemer, and your Redeemer lives!  He will rescue you from everything that has been corrupted by sin.  So, your body will one day wear out.  As Job testified, you will die and your skin will be destroyed.  But then!  But then!  “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:26-27).  Your living Redeemer will raise you up from the grave and make you alive again.  Delivered from sin, you will also be delivered from death.  You will be forever free from everything that corrupts and decays and destroys and hurts and saddens and scares.  You will have the body that God had intended you to have from his first creation.  You will have the mind that delights only in what is pure and honorable.  You will have a spirit that loves God and his word, and it will be your greatest joy to live according to it.  And you will be gathered together with redeemed saints who will share in your joy and rejoice in God’s love with you.

     My Redeemer lives!  That is what matters.  Job knew what it was to be rich and influential.  He knew what it was to have a loving family and robust health.  And he knew what it was to have all of it taken away.  No matter what his earthly status was, his status in the kingdom of God remained unchanged.  He was redeemed and assured of a glorious resurrection.  When life was good, he rejoiced in it.  When death felt imminent, it meant even more. 

     Finally, this is all that matters for any of us.  Time on earth is short.  Blessings can be marred or lost.  But our Redeemer lives!  His grace endures forever.  Life in his kingdom is everlasting.  So, your confidence, even in the face of death, can remain firm.  My Redeemer lives!  In the end, he will stand upon the earth.  In the end, we will stand with him.  How our hearts yearn in such a hope and for such a blessing!

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

YouTube -- The Resurrection of our Lord: Easter Festival Service (April 9, 2023)

Here is the Easter Festival Service from Sunday, April 9, 2023.  (Jump ahead to the 3:30 mark for the beginning of the service.)

Sermon -- Easter Festival (April 9, 2023)

Some of the ideas of this sermon were taken from Rev. David Petersen's Easter sermon from the devotional book, Thy Kingdom Come.

JONAH 1:17 – 2:10

OUT OF THE GRAVE I CRIED, AND YOU HEARD MY VOICE.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

     Jonah was a prophet of the Lord, but not a very good one.  The Lord had called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh.  Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, an enemy nation of Israel.  It would be like a pastor in the USA being sent to preach to the Taliban.  Instead of going east to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship to sail west to Tarshish, which was probably Spain.  The Lord was not pleased and commanded a storm to throttle the ship.  Jonah told the crew that their only deliverance from God’s wrath was to throw him into the Mediterranean Sea.   Reluctantly, they did so.  The storm immediately ceased, and the sea grew calm.  Jonah, on the other hand, plunged into the depths of the sea.  “The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains” (Jonah 2:5-6). 

     The Lord chose to be merciful to Jonah.  “The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17).  Rather than let Jonah die in his stubbornness, the Lord preserved Jonah inside a giant fish.  From there, Jonah repented of his rebellion, and his prayer was heard.  “Out of the belly of Sheol—that is, the grave—I cried, and you heard my voice” (Jonah 2:2).  Jonah was neither consumed by the sea nor consumed by the fish.  The Lord delivered him from the belly of the grave.  “The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10). 

     There are many today who deny this story.  We admit that it sounds unbelievable.  And we do not need to find ways to make it believable.  We confess that this was a miracle, and miracles defy logical explanations.  But another reason we believe that Jonah’s account is historical is because Jesus thought so.  Jesus did not treat this as a parable or a myth.  He confessed Jonah to be real and his deliverance to be real.  He even said that Jonah is a type of himself. 

     When the religious leaders of Jesus’ day demanded to see a miraculous sign from him to prove that he is the Messiah, Jesus could have referred to any number of miraculous healings.  But he did not.  This is what he said: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).  If Jonah was a mythical figure, are we to conclude that Jesus’ death and resurrection are mythical, too?  God forbid!

     If Jesus’ resurrection is mythical, the consequences are terrible.  Jesus offered up his life as an atoning sacrifice for your sins.  If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then his payment for your sins was insufficient.  Then death still reigns.  Then your future is the grave, which is the best you can hope for.  Hell would be the worst, and with our sins still clinging to us, there is no chance that we could escape it. 

     A faith based on myths is useless.  After all, sins are real.  You know what it is to have people hurt you with insensitive remarks or self-centered behavior.  Some hurt you unwittingly.  Others hurt you intentionally.  You have hurt others in the same way.  If Jesus did not take away our sins, then our guilt remains, and the grave is the future.  And death is real.  It takes without permission and without mercy.  After death comes God’s judgment where we all must answer to God for our sins.  And you can be sure that God’s judgment is real.  Your conscience tells you that. 

     Our guilt is real, our regrets are painful, our shame is humiliating, and our fear of death is haunting.  And we have done this to ourselves.  Sin produces suffering, pain, and death.  God cannot overlook our sins or suspend his judgment, not if he is a righteous God.  If you think that God should let sins slide, ask yourself if you feel the same way about the sins of rapists, murderers, and human traffickers.  Not just them, but we even want to see snobs get their comeuppance.  Without a Savior, we have no answer at the judgment.  Without a Savior, we will discover just how real hell is and how unbearable the wrath of God is. 

     Jonah was a prophet of God, but he was not a very good one.  You and I are the people of God, but we are not very good at it.  We have not overcome our sins.  We have not escaped guilt, shame, and regret.  We will not elude death.  Out of the grave we cry, and God has heard our voice.  Jesus addressed all of it.  Jesus removed our sins from us by taking them into himself and being condemned on our behalf.  That is why he died and was placed in a grave. 

     Jonah and Jesus are just as real as sin, death, and the grave.  Jesus’ death is undeniable.  The Romans were excellent at crucifying people.  Even Jesus’ enemies acknowledged his death.  While death by crucifixion is torturous and terrible, Jesus did not go into death in terror.  Jesus offered up prayers as he faced death.  He trusted God’s word.  He could pray Psalm 16: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol—that is, the grave—or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10).  Jesus died for our guilt, but his innocence enabled him to conquer death.  Therefore, when Jesus died, he went confidently with this prayer: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)!  Out of the grave I cried, and you heard my voice.

     If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then he did not pay for sins.  But Jesus Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.  His death and resurrection are historical facts.  While the Bible records real history about real people in real places, the main point of the Bible—all of the Bible—is this: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).  Everything in the Bible focuses on Jesus Christ and the salvation he brings.  Jesus rose from the grave to deliver us from death.  This is the sign of the prophet Jonah.  Just as the giant fish spewed Jonah out, so the grave vomited up Jesus.  On the third day, the grave burst, because death could not hold him.  Jesus lives, and death no longer has mastery over him.

     This is not written simply to pass along historical knowledge.  It is written for you.  It is written so that you can live without the fear of death or the final judgment.  If Jesus has taken away your sins, God cannot do anything but exonerate you.  Rather than his curse, you have his blessing.  Rather than his wrath, you have his favor.

     You do not even need to fear the grave.  Jonah had good reason to fear his watery grave.  He went there in rebellion against God.  But God was merciful and delivered him.  Jonah was delivered back from death when the giant fish was commanded by God to spit him out.  But your deliverance from death will be more amazing, and it will be permanent.  The Lord Jesus, who is master over death, will give the command.  Everyone will come out of the grave—whether a burial at sea or in a cemetery, whether reduced to dust by decay or reduced to ashes by cremation, whether entombed in a lavish monument or placed in an unmarked grave.  The grave will give everyone back. 

     So, if you find yourself lying on your death bed or fear that your life could be taken suddenly and violently, you can die in peace.  For, the grave is but a temporary bed.  No matter when or how death takes you, it has to give you back.  Jesus will raise you up refreshed, renewed, and restored to perfection.  You can confess with Jonah: “Out of (the grave) I cried, and you heard my voice….  Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9)!  And you can pray with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)! 

     Hear the word of the Lord Jesus: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).  Do not concern yourself with the time, as if Jesus failed to keep it.  First century Jews were not slaves to the clock like we are.  Jesus was in the tomb on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  On the third day, he rose again.  Now Jesus lives and reigns forever. 

     Out of the depths we cry, and Jesus hears our voices.  Jesus hears our voices when we grieve over our sins.  Jesus hears our voices when we mourn the loss of our loved ones.  Jesus hears our voices when death points its icy finger at us.  And Jesus responds with words of victory.  Your sin?  It has been done away with.  It cannot condemn you.  Your grave?  It has lost its power. 

     Where, O death, is your sting?  That you drag us and our loved ones away?  Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades.  So, you, O death, do not own us.  Jesus will raise us back to life.  He will reunite us with all who have died in Christ.  Where, O grave, is your victory?  The bodies that you take, O grave, you will have to vomit out.  Dust and decay will turn to goodness and glory.  In the end, O grave, you get nothing.  And in the end, O death, you will be destroyed.  For, God’s people do not perish but have everlasting life.

     This is why Jonah says, “You brought up my life from the pit,  O Lord my God.  When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.  Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.  But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.  Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:6-9)!  Just as we do not face a mythical death, we do not have a mythical God.  All other gods are lies.  They do not give life.  They are not merciful.  And they certainly do not save.  Whoever does not believe in Jesus forfeits steadfast love, salvation, and a resurrection to glory.  But Jesus lives, victorious over the grave.  Therefore, he gives us a real victory over sin and death.  Salvation belongs to the Lord.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

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

Holy Week 2023

Holy Week schedule for 2023

Sunday, April 2 -- Palm Sunday (10:00 AM)

Tuesday, April 4 -- Private Confession & Absolution (6:30 - 8:30 PM)

Thursday, April 6 -- TRIDUUM: Maundy Thursday (7:00 PM)

Friday, April 7 -- TRIDUUM: Good Friday (7:00 PM)

Sunday, April 9 -- TRIDUUM: Easter Dawn (7:30 AM)

Sunday, April 9 -- Easter Breakfast (8:45 - 9:45 AM)

Sunday, April 9 -- Easter Festival Divine Service (10:00 AM)

YouTube -- Easter Festival Service (April 17, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, April 17, 2022.

Sermon -- Easter Festival (April 17, 2022)

LUKE 24:1-12

HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID.

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

In the name + of Jesus.

     In Lent, we followed the Man of Sorrows.  Today, we honor the Lord of Victory.  In Lent, our emphasis was on our sins and need for repentance.  Today, our emphasis is forgiveness, life, and joy.  Throughout Lent, our worship was muted.  Today, we restore the Alleluia’s with extravagance.  By my count, we sing Alleluia 50 times in our hymns this service.  Today, we celebrate that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and that he is victorious over death and the grave. 

     Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Jesus gave his life as a ransom payment for all sinners by his death on the cross.  He accepted God’s judgment on your behalf.  He bore your guilt, was crushed by God’s wrath, and absorbed all the agonies of death and hell.  But now Jesus lives.  This means that Jesus’ payment for your sins has been accepted.  His death is full compensation for all sins.  Therefore, Jesus has authority to forgive all your sins.  Your Savior lives to declare that your sins are taken away and that God’s wrath has been withdrawn from you. 

     Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Jesus’ resurrection means that heaven is open to you.  Since he lives forever and reigns over all things, his word is supreme.  His promises are irreversible.  That means your hope is indestructible.  We look for the resurrection of the dead because we know that we will be raised to everlasting life.  We look for the life of the world to come because we know it is endless peace and indescribable glory.  We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  There is no reason to fear this because the Lord’s love for you is demonstrated by Jesus’ willing death and resurrection victory. Rejoice in your Savior’s victory.  You are the prize he has won, and he is pleased to call you his very own.

     Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  We rejoice today and always.  But that is not how the first Easter day began.  You and I came to church with joy today because we know the end of the story.  It was not so obvious back then, though it should have been. 

     The disciples were hiding in Jerusalem.  They were afraid, heart-broken, and confused.  They were coping with the death of Jesus, and they were consumed by their guilt because they had failed to stand beside him.  They had followed Jesus until it actually cost them something.  They wondered, “Were the years that we invested learning from Jesus wasted time?”  If Jesus was dead, their hopes and plans were dead, too.

     I suppose the women who followed Jesus were coping a little bit better.  They went to the tomb to tend to Jesus’ body.  His burial was done in such a hurry that they had been unable to show their respects for his body.  After the Sabbath rest, at the crack of dawn, they went to perform one last act of devotion for their beloved teacher.  But they all received a gut punch when they discovered the stone removed from the front of the tomb and the body of Jesus missing.  What sick person would rob a grave and steal a corpse?  Was it the Pharisees and the priests?  They hated Jesus.  They had arranged his arrest.  They had orchestrated the trial which condemned him.  They badgered Pontius Pilate until he sentenced Jesus to the most shameful kind of death available.  Was that not enough?

     And then, everything changed.  “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.’  And they remembered his words” (Luke 24:4-8).  He is risen, just as he said!

     Jesus’ disciples—whether the women or the apostles—had no reason to be despair over Jesus’ death.  He had told them this was going to happen.  They had no reason to be surprised at Jesus’ resurrection.  He had told them that this was going to happen.  They had no reason to doubt Jesus’ words.  Through the prophets, God had foretold that this was going to happen.  Already in the Garden of Eden, God had revealed his plan of salvation.  He continued to offer more details as the centuries went by.  God the Father had testified at Jesus’ baptism that he is the very one who would carry out all that was foretold.  God never lies.  So, it should not have surprised anyone that everything happened just as God had said.  And it has.  The angels declared, “He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you” (Luke 24:6). 

     When the women who went to the tomb heard the message from the angels, they remembered Jesus’ words.  Indeed, everything Jesus had told them would happen happened exactly as he said.  The words stirred up the faith of these women who went and told the apostles all these things.  “They told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest … but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:9,11).  Oh, what peace we often forfeit!  Oh, what needless pain we bear!  All because we do not believe the Lord when he speaks to us.  The disciples remained in their fear and confusion because they did not believe the women’s message.  They did not take Jesus’ words to heart.  He had risen, just as he said, but they did not believe and remained pierced with grief and guilt.

     Perhaps that is why Peter ran out to the tomb.  One of the last exchanges Peter had had with Jesus was when Jesus told Peter he would deny him three times.  Peter insisted that this would be impossible.  Peter would never deny the Lord.  But within hours of Peter’s boasting, everything Jesus had told him would happen happened exactly as he said.  If Jesus got that right, then perhaps the ladies were not talking nonsense.  He went to see for himself.  “Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:12).  John’s Gospel adds that the linen cloths were folded up neatly.  This was no grave robbery.  This was a Savior who calmly and intentionally rose from the dead and departed from the tomb.  Although Peter still needed to connect the dots and see that this had all been foretold in Scripture, the words of Jesus had taken root.  He marveled at the message and its fulfillment.  Jesus is risen, just as he said!

     You need not be surprised by anything God tells you, either.  God never lies.  Everything God tells you is good.  But we don’t always trust that God’s word is good when it is costly or seems cruel and unfair.  We have a hard time believing that the sins which make us happy could be wicked.  We don’t want to turn away from our sins when we are gaining something through them.  We don’t want to put forth the effort of doing good to thankless people.  Our forgiveness and love come with conditions.  We insist that our ways are pleasing but God’s ways are painful. 

     To believe in the Lord is also to trust his word and to do it.  The Lord defines what is good and what is evil.  When God’s word confronts us about our sins, rather than debate about our circumstances and reasons for doing what we do, a better question to ask is this: Is God’s word true?  If God tells me that my behavior is wicked, is he right?  If God tells me to correct my attitude, is he correct?  When we hear what the Lord says, there is one of two responses that we can give.  One is, “God, you are wrong.  You are a liar.”  The other is, “Amen.  Every word of the Lord is true.  Every word from God is good—even if it shows me that I am not.” 

     This is not to say that you won’t struggle against temptations or that overcoming your sinful habits and choices is easy.  We all have a sinful nature which delights in going our own way.  The sinful nature does not even want to listen to God because it concludes that, in the end, God cannot be good.  But if you call God a liar about our sins, then he is also a liar about your forgiveness.  If the life God calls you to is distasteful to you, then he will not bother granting you the delicacies of his eternal kingdom.  Death and hell will take you, and the goodness of God will be lost to you.

     But, dear friends, God is not a liar.  His word is good.  He does not want anyone to perish in their sins.  Yes, he urges you to flee from wickedness, but he also knows that you cannot overcome all sins, and you surely will not escape death.  But that is why Jesus came.  He has come to take away your sins.  He has come to conquer death.  And he has!  He is risen, just as he said.

     “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (Luke 24:6-7).  Jesus had said that everything which happened had to happen.  It all had to happen this way for Jesus to deliver you out of the curse of your sin and to relieve you of the terror of death.  It had to happen this way because this is what God promised.  God does not lie; his word is true and good. 

     Jesus lives to declare that your guilt is pardoned.  Jesus lives to have authority over death and the grave.  He also holds the authority to judge—either condemning people for their sins or awarding eternal life to the pure.  But now, through the blood of Jesus, your sins are washed away.  Through holy baptism, you have been purified.  All God’s promises are secured by the death of Jesus and confirmed by his resurrection. 

     He is risen, just as he said.  You are forgiven, just as he said.  He will preserve you in this saving faith through the words he continues to preach to you.  So, if you believe that God is true, if you desire to be delivered from your sins, if you long for a resurrection to everlasting peace and glory, then listen to what Jesus says.  Keep listening to what Jesus says, Sunday after Sunday, year after year.  For only Jesus has the authority to forgive, to raise the dead, and to bring you into heavenly peace and joy.  He is risen, just as he said.  And he says it for your good.

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

YouTube -- Easter Sunday (April 12, 2020)

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 at Good Shepherd -- even without electricity and heat!

Sermon -- Easter Day: The Resurrection of our Lord (April 12, 2020)

NOTE: The Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord was not only disrupted by the shelter-in-place order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Good Shepherd also suffered a power outage.  Though a handful (under ten) gathered without electricity or heat, we did not and will never forfeit the hope and peace we have through our crucified and risen Savior.  No matter how strange this Easter has been, the Good News remains firm.

MATTHEW 28:1-10

FEAR NOT!  FOR BEHOLD!

JESUS HAS RISEN!

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

In the name + of Jesus.

     King Solomon wrote in the Proverbs: “Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day...” (Proverbs 25:20)  If you have ever endured such sorrow and grief, you know what Solomon is talking about.  When the heart is weighed down and broken, peppy little ditties do not help.  No matter how well meaning the person is who tries to get a smile out of you or who tells you to brighten up because it is a sunny day, you find no joy in it.  In fact, it is infuriating—like someone who hides your coat from you on a blustery day.  They seem to be oblivious to your pains.  The heavy heart does not want or need empty, happy platitudes. 
     It was with heavy, broken hearts that the women were walking to the tomb as the glimmer of daylight was coming up in Jerusalem.  They were going to tend to their loved one—one who had taught them, encouraged them, healed them, and comforted them.  They had also hoped he would be the one who would bring salvation to them.  They loved Jesus dearly, but they watched him suffer brutally and die shamefully.  They stood at a distance as they saw Jesus' body quickly wrapped for burial, laid in Joseph's tomb, and a stone rolled in place to secure it.  They had returned at the earliest possible time to tend to Jesus' body more properly.  It was a somber journey.  I think it is safe to say that they were not singing or telling jokes. 
     “Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day...” (Proverbs 25:20)  When you have a heavy heart, it is because you are suffering the realities of being a sinner in a sinful world.  It could be the death of a loved one, a divorce, remorse over the stupid thing you did which ended a relationship, the fear of disease, terrorism, or the fear of the unknown.  All of these come upon us because we are sinners living in a sinful world.  We all have experienced a heavy heart, but we would rather not.  So, we invent ways to avoid having to think about being sinners in a sinful world.  Whether it is songs, jokes, drunkenness, or online gaming, we withdraw and try to pretend that reality isn't real. 
     But some realities cannot be avoided or ignored.  The worst is the death.  Death presents a finality which cannot be changed.  It is an end which cannot be fixed.  It is the stark reality that there comes a day when we all must stand before God in judgment.  Your conscience tells you that there is a standard you are supposed to live up to.  It testifies that there is a God who has set that standard, and you are accountable to him.  Your guilt shows you that you have failed to live up to the standard.  And death is the day when you must give account.  The reality of our death produces fear; but the death of a loved one shoves this reality in our face.  It makes us painfully aware of all these things.  Singing a light-hearted song at such a time makes a mockery of our pain and grief and denies the reality we face.
     But reality takes a new shape today.  In response to our grief, we are given hope.  In answer to our guilt, we are shown mercy.  And in a rebuttal to death, we see new life.  Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen!  Heavy hearts can be lightened, tears can be wiped away, and eyes which gaze at a grave can now turn heavenward.  Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen.
     St. Matthew uses the word “Behold!” four times in our Gospel lesson today.  (Once it is translated “See.”)  Some Bible translations do not bother to include this word because we do not use the word “behold!” in our every day speech.  Its use in the Bible, however, should be retained.  It is as if God is highlighting something, saying, “Pay attention to this.  This is significant.”  And so, St. Matthew's account of the resurrection urges us to pay attention, repeatedly. 
     Behold!  There was a great earthquake because an angel descended to roll the stone away to show an empty tomb.  Behold!  Jesus is risen and will meet his disciples in Galilee.  Behold!  The message was given to the women, and they should go and deliver it to the apostles.  And behold!  Jesus himself came and appeared to the women who were returning to Jerusalem.  The Lord urges us to pay attention to every part of this Gospel lesson.  It is all significant, and it should be of great importance to us all.  Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen!
     Jesus' resurrection is what puts an end to all of our fears and grief.  He gives us a new reality.  He shows us that being sinners in a sinful world no longer ends with death and judgment and hell.  Jesus had taken all of that for us.  Rather than ignore them with with songs and jokes, Jesus dealt with the realities of sin and death for us.  He carried our sins into death for us.  He accepted our judgment and endured a God-forsaken hell on the cross.  He was placed in a grave, and the women saw the lifeless body of Jesus entombed, supposedly forever.  But having dealt with our sin and death, Jesus gave us a new reality.  The angel appeared to the women to declare a new and better day: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead.” (Matthew 28:5-7)  
     Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen!  Now your life does not end in death.  Now the grave does not retain its power.  Jesus of Nazareth, who became a human being like us, has conquered the grave.  He lives and can never die again.  As the women ran back to tell the disciples, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!”  And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:9)  The body which went into death to pay for our sins is risen.  The Savior who said that he would die and rise on the third day has done just that.  Now the reality is that your sin is fully pardoned, the grave must give back what it has taken, and the devil us vanquished.
     Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen!  And you, who have been baptized into his name, have been given everything he has won for you.  Baptism unites you with Jesus.  You are no longer regarded as sinners, but saints—for Jesus' innocence is yours.  You are now heirs of the heavenly kingdom—for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; and if you are sons of God, then you are also heirs of his kingdom.  You are children of the resurrection—for this man, Jesus, conquered the grave for you and all mankind who are united to him will also rise to live forever.
     Fear not!  For behold!  Jesus has risen!  And now even the fears, the guilt, and the evils of this world find a new reality.  These may pester you, and they may even bring you to tears.  But they do not and they cannot overcome Jesus who lives and reigns over all things for the good of his Redeemed.  The frustrations and sorrows and evils of this world (even COVID-19 isolation, and on top of that a power outage, to disrupt the joyful festivity of the highest festival of the Church Year) will come to an end.  For that matter, even death will come to an end.  But Jesus lives, and he lives forever.  He is with you always, and he will come again to bring you to be with him.  And when he comes again in glory on the Last Day, the grave will have to give up all its dead.  The grave gets to keep no one.  And all who believe in Jesus and have been baptized into his name will be taken to glory and peace and joy everlasting.  For behold!  Jesus has risen!
     While a heavy heart may not respond well to peppy little ditties or silly little jokes, our Lord gives comfort to a hearts which grieve and confidence to a hearts which are afraid.  He shows himself the one who conquers death, who delivers us from evil, and who will bring us out of this sinful world to the home of righteousness.  So, we do not sing little ditties.  Instead, we raise up fight songs.  Even in the midst of grief, we joyously mock sin, death, and the devil and declare our victory over them:

Oh, where is your sting, death?  We fear you no more;
   Christ rose, and how open is fair Eden's door.
For all our transgressions his blood does atone;
   Redeemed and forgiven, we now are his own. 
(He's Risen, He's Risen by C. F. W. Walther; Hymn 143:4 in Christian Worship)

Jesus lives!  The vict'ry's won!  Death no longer can appall me.
   Jesus lives!  Death's reign is done!  From the grave Christ will recall me.
      Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence!     
      (Jesus Lives! The Victory's Won by Christian Gellert; Hymn 145:1 in Christian Worship)

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.