Monday, April 13, 2020
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.
M: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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!
MATTHEW 28:1-10
FEAR NOT! FOR BEHOLD!
JESUS HAS 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.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Friday, April 10, 2020
Sermon -- Good Friday: The Seventh Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)
Seven Words from the Cross:
The Seventh Word
Luke 23:44-46
“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep.” No one goes to bed in terror. We close our eyes at the end of the day, confident that we will wake up to a new day.
It is with this same confidence that Jesus gave his life into death. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46; Psalm 31:5) The word “commit” refers to a person who entrusts something to the care of another with the understanding that it will be restored to him as he left it. So, Jesus entrusted his soul to the Father, confident that he would have it given back and that he would live again, body and soul, raised from the grave.
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Jesus expressed not only confidence in his resurrection, he also expressed his confidence that his heavenly Father was still his heavenly Father and was pleased with him. The previous hours would not have suggested that at all. I suppose you could even go back to the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed that this cup might be taken from him. The answer was, “No, you must consume all of it.” When darkness covered the whole land for three hours, Jesus was consuming the most bitter part of that cup: the consequences of all our sin—the rejection and the wrath of the Almighty God.
Nevertheless, Jesus did not trust in what he had experienced. He trusted in what his Father had foretold by the Holy Spirit. “My flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psalm 16:9-10) And again, “When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days.” (Isaiah 53:10) Jesus trusted that he was still his loving Father, that he would be true to his word, and that the grave would have to surrender him. His spirit was in good hands.
“Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed.” (All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night – Thomas Ken; Hymn 592 in Christian Worship) You have been united to Christ in baptism. His death has become your death. And if you are united to him in death, you will also be united to him in resurrection. For, he does not merely save your soul, but he saves you completely. You are in the Father's hands. He will not abandon you, even at the grave. When you close your eyes in death, they will open again to a new and everlasting day. As Jesus lives, so shall you.
Sermon -- Good Friday: The Sixth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)
Seven Words from the Cross:
The Sixth Word
John 19:30
When the Lord chooses to deliver his word to us, he speaks in language we understand. The Holy Spirit is also particular about the words he uses. While language and grammar may not be your favorite subjects, they serve us well when we consider what God has declared.
For example, a passive verb states, “Jesus was put to death.” It tells us what happened to Jesus, but not who did it to him. The Passion history tells us that the religious leaders were the ones who demanded it. In the Apostles' Creed, we confess that Pontius Pilate is the one who ordered it. This tells us how Jesus got to the cross. But when the Bible records how Jesus died, the Holy Spirit chooses his words intentionally.
The Holy Spirit did not guide St. John to use a passive voice, saying, “Jesus was put to death.” He uses an active verb: Jesus “gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30) Jesus was not a hapless victim. He had come to suffer and die to pay for the sins of the world. When his work was complete, he gave his spirit over. He laid down his life of his own accord.
Another point of grammar is the verb Jesus used when he signaled the end of his innocent life and sacrificial death. In English, it is translated as a present tense: “It is finished.” In the Greek, it is a perfect tense: “It has been completed. It has come to an end.” The perfect tense is used when something has taken place but its effects are on-going. The Bible uses this same tense when it quotes Scripture: “It has been written.” It was penned by prophets long ago, but it still stands. It is still the word of the Lord, and the word of the Lord endures forever. In the same way, Jesus' work as the Savior of sinners has been completed, and it remains complete.
The payment for your sins was made. The payment stands.
The wrath of God has been appeased. It still is.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our guilt from us; and it is still gone.
At one time, we were children of wrath; but that is past tense. Now, thanks to Jesus' saving work, we are children of God; present tense.
Nothing extra needs to be done to gain God's favor. Salvation is secure. Jesus has completed it all. It has all been accomplished, and it still stands. It is finished!
Sermon -- Good Friday: The Fifth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)
Seven Words from the Cross:
The Fifth Word
John 19:28,29
The fifth word from the cross is probably the most perplexing one. Why did John bother to record it? In the agony of his crucifixion, shortly before he dies, Jesus yearns for a drink and says, “I thirst.” (John 19:28) It seems utterly insignificant. Why did Jesus say it, and why did John record it?
Now, we can come up with reasons why Jesus would be thirsty. He had not slept for about 30 hours. He had lost a great deal of blood. His life was draining from him. So he was exhausted, parched, and dehydrated. All of these are pretty reasonable guesses. But that is not the reason John provides. Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” (John 19:28) There you have it: “To fulfill the Scripture.”
There is some uncertainty about which prophecy Jesus was fulfilling. Perhaps Psalm 69: “For my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psalm 69:21) Perhaps Psalm 42: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:2) Perhaps Psalm 22: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws." (Psalm 22:15) Perhaps another prophecy. Perhaps all of them. Regardless, Jesus labors at the cross for us. He not only suffers because of our disobedience, but he also labors to obey and fulfill every word of Scripture on our behalf. He thirsts for our salvation and is determined to complete it—every commandment obeyed, every word fulfilled, every sin covered.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) If you hunger and thirst for something, that means you don't have it. You crave it because you need it. And what you need, Jesus Christ supplies. He obeys the Commandments to provide the righteousness you need. He fulfills every prophecy to supply the salvation you need. He dies under the full wrath of God to make the atonement you need. He satisfies your longing for God's forgiveness and love and peace.
The drink is supplied. The Scriptures are fulfilled. Salvation is won. And the blessings are yours. Why did God revealed it? So you can be sure of it.
Sermon -- Good Friday: The Fourth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)
Seven Words from the Cross:
The Fourth Word
Matthew 27:45-49
The Apostle John wrote, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
God's very first word in the creation of the world was, “'Let there be light,' and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) God pushed back the darkness as he began to order all created things and to bring life forth onto the world.
But as Jesus hung from the cross, bearing in his body every bit of wickedness, violence, and corruption, God's light was withdrawn. And if God is light, that means God himself was withdrawn from his only begotten Son.
“God is light” (1 John 1:5), but light was withdrawn from Jesus.
“God is love” (1 John 4:16), but love was withdrawn from Jesus.
The Lord is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) All of that was put aside. For God had made him to be sin—our sin. If he is sin and bears all guilt, then he gets what the guilty deserve. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is not just the end of breathing and brain waves, that is being cut off from God's mercy, being banished from God's presence, and being sentenced to the relentless, endless torments of hell. The eternal Son of God was thrust into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For this reason, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) For this reason he was forsaken: for you.
He was abandoned so that you would be adopted into God’s family.
He was rejected so that you would be reconciled to the Father.
He was banished so that you would belong.
He wore the crown of thorns so that you would receive a crown of life.
The eternal Son was cast into the darkness so that you will forever be the children of the light.
He was forsaken so that you never will be.
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