YouTube -- 2nd Sunday of Easter (April 12, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Lutheran Satire: Best Conspiracy Ever

If last week's post from Lutheran Satire (Ishtar Ruins Easter) was not enough for you, here is another installment of Lutheran Satire.  Entitled, "Best. Conspiracy. Ever.", it demonstrates that the people who claim men invented Christianity for their own personal gain are deluded.  

As for the claim that Christians seek to control others' lives, all the Christian Church does is proclaim what God says.  We also recognize that people who are determined to rebel against God's word are not to be forced to change their ways.  (Note: Those who present examples to the contrary should recognize that those examples are rare and not consistent with God's word.  Christians recognize that, too.)  Those who demand to live apart from God and his word will get their way.  To Christians, however, this is tragic because it means eternal separation from God who is the source of life, love, and blessing.  This is why Christians are persistent in their preaching and calling people to repent.  Our Lord desires all people to leave their wicked ways so that they can live.  Christians have been influenced by God to feel the same way.

In any case, here is a video from Lutheran Satire to show that the early Church did not concoct the story of Jesus' resurrection for personal gain.  Enjoy.

YouTube -- Easter Festival Service (April 5, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service for Easter Festival on Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Easter with the Kids

It was a rare and joyful occasion to have everyone home on Easter this year.  We are truly blessed.  Here is a group photo of all our children. 

I guess I could also post one from church, too.

Sermon -- Easter Festival (April 5, 2026)

JESUS IS RISEN.  THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT.

1 CORINTHAINS 15:1-11

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     Not long ago, there was a Christian theologian who spoke these words from his death bed: “If Jesus is risen, nothing else matters.  If Jesus is not risen, nothing else matters.”  St. Paul said it differently: “I am going to call your attention to the gospel that I preached to you.  … For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4).  Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important.

     St. Paul had a lot of issues to address in his letters to the Corinthian congregation.  Among them were divisions in the church and church discipline, sexual ethics and marriage, the office of the holy ministry, and proper decorum in worship.  Much of what Paul had to say are still issues within Christendom; the problems never really go away.  In fact, time seems to add new problems.  How much should the church preach about politicians, immigration, the war in Iran, LGBTQ+ matters, protests, free speech, and the like?  

     First, it should be noted that the Church is not a political action group.  When election season rolls around, we don’t hand out pins or invite candidates to speak (although some have asked).  If the Church is to influence society, it is by changing hearts one person at a time.  That happens through preaching God’s word, not by protests or activism.  It should also be noted that while contemporary issues are not the main thing, they are not meaningless, either.  God’s word has a lot to say about them.  But the Church is not founded upon contemporary issues.  If we devote our time and attention to contemporary issues, we will lose focus on the eternal issue.  Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important.

     St. Paul told the Corinthians what truly matters.  “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  There is nothing more important.  This is not to minimize your trials and your tears.  It is a broken world, and bad things happen.  You can argue that they are not supposed to happen.  You can work hard to improve your little corner of the world.  But nothing you say or do is going to change the fact that this world is flawed and produces frustration. 

     The flaws and frustrations of this broken world have their finality in death.  That is what produces fear in everyone.  Even if you are going through a trial, there is always hope that things are going to get better.  But death puts an end all hope.  If you have a sick child, you hope things will get better.  You hope to avoid the worst-case scenario, that the child dies.  Just the thought of that would make any mother cry.  Death brings finality.  It puts an end to hope.  Many of our fears arise from the threat of death.  When the news reports war or terrorism, the fear is that it will bring death to your home.  If your trials are financial, it is frustrating, but people have survived through greater hardships than that.  But if your life has been reduced to just surviving, the fear is that you may not.  When COVID first hit, we were told that 1/3 of the population would die.  That terrified almost everybody.  People think that the worst thing that can happen to them is death.  But every life ends in death.  There is no escape from it.  We don’t know the “how” or the “when,” but we all know that it is not “if.” 

     You may wring your hands over politics, pandemics, and the price of gas and eggs, but in the hour of death, you won’t care about any of that.  You need something certain which brings comfort and peace.  St. Paul proclaimed it to the Corinthians, and it has been recorded for you: “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

     Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important.  Of course, if we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, that means he died.  St. Paul told us what Jesus’ death was for: “for our sins.”  Jesus absorbed all transgressions into himself.  This man is the substitute for all mankind, absorbing the blows and suffering the hell all mankind deserves.  He was buried, and on the third day, this man rose from the dead, just as the Scriptures foretold.  Psalm 16 states, “My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices.  Even my flesh will dwell securely because you will not abandon my life to the grave.  You will not let your favored one see decay” (Psalm 16:9-10).  Jesus did not come back as a zombie with a grotesque appearance.  Jesus arose with a glorious body.  Jesus lives and will never die again.  This man rules over death and now can release all mankind from the grave.  Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important. 

     That resurrection assures us that the Father has accepted Jesus’ payment for all your sins.  It also shows us that the grave has lost its power to Jesus.  The Lord Jesus will come again to raise up all the dead.  In the end, the grave gets nothing.  All will be gathered before Jesus.  There will be a division among the people, however.  Those who believe in Jesus will receive the benefits of his life, death, and resurrection.  Those to whom Jesus was most important are covered in Jesus’ innocence.  They will receive life everlasting.  This is why there is nothing more important. 

     But there will be many others for whom Jesus was never important.  They were devoted to other matters—perhaps social causes or political activism.  Perhaps their Sundays were devoted to sports or sleep.  Perhaps they cared only about partying or porn.  Most do not think that they are bad people.  Granted, most people are not criminals, but all people are sinners.  All need God’s forgiveness.  To despise Jesus is to forsake the only source of forgiveness there is.  Many will be raised from their graves only to be cast into hellfire.  So, there are things worse than death.

     That’s why there is nothing more important than Jesus.  He proclaimed, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).  Repent, and recognize that you have not lived the holy life God demands.  You don’t have to sell yourself to God.  He wouldn’t buy it anyway.  And if you are honest with yourself, neither would you.  But here is the good news: Jesus Christ has redeemed you from your sin.  The proof is that he has conquered death.  Eternal life is God’s gift, won by Jesus, delivered to you.  Jesus is risen.  He delivers the goods to you in word and sacraments.  “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).  There is nothing more important.

     “If Jesus is risen, nothing else matters.  If Jesus is not risen, nothing else matters.”  If Jesus is risen, it will not matter if you die rich or poor; young or old; married, single, or divorced; beloved or despised; healthy of sick.  It will not matter if you die peacefully or tragically.  If Jesus is risen, nothing else matters.  Your place in heaven is secure, and you can live your life in godliness and in joyful anticipation of a glorious resurrection. 

     But the other end of that statement is, “If Jesus is not risen, nothing else matters.”  If Jesus is not risen, you are still in our sins.  The world remains broken.  Life goes on with trials and tears.  In fact, life is just a march of failings and frustrations to the finality of death.  Even St. Paul observed, “If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all.  If the dead are not raised, then ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:19,32). 

     But St. Paul removes the “If” from these things.  Jesus is risen!  There is nothing more important.  In fact, St. Paul says there is nothing more certain!  Listen to the evidence St. Paul presents: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to  Cephas, then to the Twelve.  After that he appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.  Last of all, he appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). 

     Jesus is risen!  It is not a metaphor or a myth, a fable or a fairy tale.  It is a historical fact attested by multiple witnesses who saw him, spoke with him, touched him, inspected his wounds, and feasted with him.  As St. Paul noted, the claims of Jesus’ resurrection are not private encounters that cannot be investigated.  In one case, he appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time.  St. Paul practically dared the Corinthians to verify it since most of them were still alive and could testify what they saw and heard.

     Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important.  You and I are not able to interview those who saw Jesus’ risen body.  We have only their eyewitness accounts recorded for us.  But we also have their testimony confirmed by their blood.  They chose to rather die rather than deny what they had seen.  Compare that to the men who were involved in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal.  Chuck Colson served as White House special counsel.  He was involved in the cover-up and spoke about the failure to keep the lie going.  He said, “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me.  How?  Because 12 men testified that they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it.  Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison.  They would not have endured that if it weren’t true.  Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks.  You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep lie for 40 years?  Absolutely impossible.” 

     Dear Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins.  He was buried.  He is risen.  The Scriptures prophesied about it.  Jesus himself foretold it.  The apostles witnessed it, proclaimed it, and died for it.  It is the message on which the Church is built.  It is the message on which your life rests and in which you will find comfort in the hour of death.  As sure and certain as death is, just as sure and certain is that Jesus rose from the dead.  Therefore, you can be sure and certain of the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.

     You may die having accomplished much, or you may wish you could have done more.  You may die having accumulated much, or you may leave behind precious little.  You may die surrounded by friends and family, or you may die alone.  In the eternal picture, none of that matters.  No matter what, you will die.  But no matter what, Jesus lives.  Jesus will come again and raise you up to a life that will never end, will never know tears, and will never disappoint you.  Jesus is risen.  There is nothing more important. 

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

Sermon -- TRIDUUM: Easter Dawn (April 5, 2026)

BAPTISM NOW SAVES YOU.

1 PETER 3:17-22

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     “He descended into hell.  On the third day he rose again from the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).  The Apostles’ Creed seems to reverse the order of events.  St. Peter wrote that Jesus “was put to death in flesh but was made alive in spirit, in which he also went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18-19).  So, the descent into hell occurred after Jesus had risen from the dead.  If he were still dead, how could he proclaim victory?  But Jesus Christ is risen.  He is the conqueror, the one who holds authority over death and hell. 

     Jesus descended into hell before he appeared to anyone on Easter day—and that seems to be the point of the Apostles’ Creeds order of events.  His suffering was finished on Good Friday.  He had taken his Sabbath rest in the grave.  He rose and descended into hell.  He went to the devil’s home turf.  He preached to the spirits and proved himself the victor.  Then he departed since neither death nor hell nor the devil has any hold on him.

     Although the spirits in prison include all who have despised and denied God’s promises, St. Peter focused only on those from the days of Noah.  Those who had rejected God’s word and dismissed it with mockery were forced to acknowledge that their condemnation was deserved.  By contrast, Noah took God’s word seriously and built the ark in which he and his family were saved.  The Flood destroyed all the wicked.  The same waters scrubbed the world clean and produced a new creation—not yet perfected, but renewed.  The Flood also up lifted Noah and his family above that destruction so that they were saved. 

     St. Peter, then, draws this analogy: “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).  Just as the Flood drowned the wicked and lifted up the ark above the destruction, so the waters of baptism have done for you.  Baptism now saves you.  It wipes out all unrighteousness.  It purifies you from sin.  Through baptism, you have been brought into the ark of the Holy Christian Church.  That is why this part of the church building is called the nave.  “Nave” comes from the Latin word for boat or ark.  It is where you find the deliverance from a damning judgment.  Baptism extinguishes the hellfire that awaits the guilty. 

     Some Christians protest that baptism does not save.  They want to correct you and say, “Baptism does not save; Jesus does.”  But that is like saying, “Food does not sustain you; nutrition does.”  But how does God provide that nutrition to you?  Through food.  Likewise, St. Peter connects baptism to Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus’ resurrection bestows new life.  How does the Lord deliver that new life to you?  Through holy baptism.  Baptism now saves you—not a symbolic washing, but “the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).  Baptism is “the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  It makes you a new creation—not yet perfect, but renewed.  The resurrection and perfection and glory will come at the resurrection of all flesh.  Death will be done.  The Church will be delivered.  For, Jesus lives.

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

Lutheran Satire -- Ishtar Ruins Easter

We put up our Facebook ad to promote our Easter Journey for Kids (which was held Saturday, March 28).  That ad prompted a number of nasty responses.  To be charitable, I will say that the charges laid against us were misinformed.  Among the charges was the claim that we are celebrating a pagan holiday with our Easter services.

This charge resurfaces every Easter.  So, this retort from Lutheran Satire may have to make the rounds every Easter, too.  Share it as you please.

Feel free to look through Lutheran Satire for numerous "Horus" videos which also reply to baseless charges against the Christian faith.

Holy Week 2026

Holy Week Schedule at Good Shepherd for 2026

THE TRIDUUM (The Three Days)

Maundy Thursday 

April 2, 7:00 PM

Good Friday

April 3, 7:00 PM

Easter Dawn 

April 5, 7:30 AM

Easter Breakfast -- 8:45 - 9:45 AM

Easter Festival Service -- 10:00 AM

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.