But John doesn't write this once. He writes it THREE TIMES -- John 11:16, John 20:24, and John 21:2. This is hardly coincidental, and it goes beyond an interesting piece of trivia.
That being said, I don't know what John's point was in including this bit of information three times. If someone has a compelling theory to offer, I would like to hear it. But for now, it is one of those things that make me go, "HMMMMMMM...."
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Sessions will focus on the topic: The Resurrection Accounts in the Gospels. The resurrection of our Lord is recorded in each of the four Gospels. Each one gives an account with different details, as each account focuses on different emphases and had different initial audiences. Each deserves to be considered in its own context.
April 23 According to the Gospel of St. Matthew
April 30 According to the Gospel of St. Mark
May 7 NO CLASS
May 14 According to the Gospel of St. Luke
May 21 According to the Gospel of St. John
May 28 Accounts from Acts and 1 Corinthians.
Bible Matters meets
on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.
Here is the service from Sunday, December 27, 2020.
1 JOHN 1:1 – 2:2
THE BLESSED APOSTLE DECLARES A BLESSED FELLOWSHIP.
In
the name + of Jesus.
God is spirit. He is invisible. No one has ever seen him. And yet, John says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon
and have touched with our hands … we proclaim also to you.” (1 John 1:1,3)
The invisible God took on a form which could be seen, heard, and handled. The God who is spirit became flesh and blood.
God is
immortal. He is the word of life and the
source of life. All living things have
their being because God has been pleased to grant it and to sustain it. And yet, the living God allowed himself to be
put to death. The immortal God
died. And then, this dead man brought himself
back to life. Never again can he die,
but he lives forever.
There were many who had seen and heard Jesus. John was one of twelve men chosen to be an
apostle of Jesus to see his miracles and hear his teaching. John was a witness to Jesus’ sufferings,
death, and resurrection. And John was
commissioned by Jesus to bear witness to all of this and to preach forgiveness
of sins on account of all of this. John
wrote: “That which we have seen
and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us;
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
(1 John 1:3) The blessed apostle declares a blessed
fellowship.
If you are associated with Jesus Christ, it is
because he has been pleased to bring you into fellowship with him. Jesus Christ does not have association with
liars and phonies. It is important to understand
what that means. You might get the impression
that Jesus Christ does not have association with sinners. That is false. Jesus called twelve men to be his apostles. They were all sinners. Even John, who was known as the disciple
Jesus loved, was rebuked by Jesus for his desire for greatness and for a
vengeful spirit against a Samaritan village which did not welcome Jesus with
open arms. In addition, Jesus was ridiculed
by the Pharisees for welcoming people with low moral standards and poor
reputations. So, Jesus did not despise
sinners.
But Jesus will
not have association with liars and phonies.
St. John wrote, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk
in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us.” (1 John 1:6,8,10) So,
what is the great lie? That we are good
people who deserve to be treated better by God.
That if our friends don’t think our sins are a big deal, God won’t
either. That God’s word does not apply
to us when we don’t like it and that we have defensible reasons for our sins. If we believe all these things, we call God a
liar. If we say that we are Christians
when we persistently live contrary to God’s word, we are phonies. This is unbelief, and whoever does not
believe will be condemned. Jesus is not
hostile to sinners, only to unbelievers.
But John, the
blessed apostle, declares a blessed fellowship.
This blessed fellowship is established by Jesus Christ. He takes away from you everything that
prevents fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We know that sins are nothing to brag about,
and we don’t. We wish we could take back
so many careless and cruel words. We
wish we could go back and be much kinder to people, especially if we have learned
about the sorrows and stress they were dealing with. If you have such regrets, it is because God
has worked in you sorrow over sins and a desire to never repeat them. But now comes the promise proclaimed by John:
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:7,9) The blessed apostle declares
a blessed fellowship. Jesus is not
hostile to sinners, only to unbelievers.
Unbelievers reject the forgiveness won for
them by Jesus. No matter how much an unbeliever
protests that he is good and no matter how many works he can present to prove
it, he is still in his sin. His heart is
corrupt. Therefore, his works are
corrupt, and he is judged accordingly.
But by God’s grace, you have learned to put no trust in your merits,
knowing you have merited punishment.
Rather, you cling to your Savior; and the blood of Jesus cleanses you of
all sins. This is God’s faithful promise
to you—that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. If you believe and are baptized, God upholds
his promise to you that you are forgiven of every offense and purified of all unrighteousness. Rather than make excuses to others you have
sinned against, now you make amends.
This is part of what it means to walk in the light. But your forgiveness is not based on your
making amends. It is purchased by the
blood of Christ. It is applied to you by
the blood of Christ. And it is sustained
in you by the blood of Christ. This is
the benefit of the blessed fellowship declared by the blessed apostle.
The apostles were
chosen by Jesus to go and to bear witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection. They declared that salvation and forgiveness
come only through Jesus Christ. They were
all consistent in their testimony, and they all were treated the same for their
message—they were persecuted, tortured, and killed. John was an exception to this. Tradition says that John died of natural causes
at a good old age. That does not mean
that John’s life was easy. While John is
known as the disciple Jesus loved, that love was not revealed through
preferential treatment. It was revealed
only through the mercies of a God who saves.
For preaching
about Jesus, John was banished by the Roman emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos
where, it would seem, John was left to die.
While on Patmos, John was cut off from any companionship or contact with
his fellow Christians. The Christians
whom John had served could pray for him, but they could not be seen by him. John still had a blessed fellowship, for he
had not been cut off from Jesus. But
John was not able to benefit from that blessed fellowship with other believers who
had been redeemed by Jesus.
This is not exactly
the heart-warming message that you might want to hear as we still revel in the joys
of Christmas. But it is no accident that
even in the joys of Christmas we are reminded of the cross. Yes, we remember the cross of Jesus, but we
also remember the cross that Jesus has us bear for the sake of his name. The harsh reality is that you cannot have
fellowship with the world and with the Lord.
The world may enjoy Jesus as long as he remains a cute baby in a manger. But when Jesus actually has words of
substance, the cuteness of Jesus wears off.
In fact, he becomes offensive.
Many reject the idea that they need to repent and need a Savior. They insist on being accepted the way they
are—without a change in behavior, without a concern for God’s word, and without
apology.
But God has worked in you a change in
behavior, a concern for God’s word, and a mouth that confesses Jesus. This is why the world despises you. Your godly confession and your godly life testify
to the world that it is evil. Even if
others jump all over you because you have sinned and they call you a phony, it
is not true. If you confess your sins
and sorrow over them, you are not a phony.
You are acknowledging that God’s word is right to convict you. Those who do not call God a liar. And they may despise you for saying otherwise. The world may be hostile to you, but God is
not. St. John reminds us: “If anyone
does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John
2:1,2) God is not hostile to
sinners, only to unbelievers.
The blessed
apostle declares a blessed fellowship. John
declared a real God, not a theoretical one.
John is a witness that God entered our world as a man, associated with
everyone, was interested in their lives, and even probed into their hearts. Jesus is a God who could be seen, heard, and
touched. It is by Jesus’ death that your
guilt is taken away, and it is by Jesus’ resurrection that God declares that he
is pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice and, as a result, with you. Therefore, God’s love for you is not
something you have to convince yourself that you have. It is tied to a real man whose crucifixion
and resurrection were real, historical events.
Since Jesus is real, so is your forgiveness and salvation. St. John saw it, and he tells you so.
The blessed apostle
declares a blessed fellowship. That
fellowship is still established by means that you can see, touch, and hear. Just as God came as a physical person, so God
still comes to us through physical means.
By the waters of holy baptism, you have been brought into the family of
God and enjoy the fellowship and benefits of God’s kingdom. By the bread and wine of holy communion, Jesus
gives you the body and blood which have conquered death and live forever. Rather than assuming you are forgiven, God has
established holy absolution by which you hear Jesus’ minister speak the very
words of God. This is how the immortal,
eternal, invisible God meets his people to keep us secure in his love forever.
The blessed apostle declares a blessed fellowship. John wrote his epistle to fellow Christians who needed this comfort and encouragement as much as we do. When God joins people to his church, he unites us to other flesh and blood people. The Lord Jesus Christ attaches us to one another for the good of each other. We get to see one another, hear each other’s concerns, and touch one another’s lives. In this way, we get to strengthen and support one another as we continue to live in a world which is hostile to Christ and which mocks godly lives by God’s people. In order to not be swept away by fellowship with the world, we need this blessed fellowship with one another. For this is how our Lord Jesus Christ strengthens and keeps us in the one true faith. Here alone will you find a real forgiveness and even the tangible love of God.
In the name of the Father and of the Son +
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lutheran worship is liturgical. While that often refers to an order of worship, it can also refer to the calendar of the Church Year. The Church Year includes major festivals, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, etc... Today we recognize a minor festival, the Festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.
John was the son of Zebedee and
the brother of St. James. John and James
were known as the “Sons of Thunder,” which reveals their passionate nature
(sometimes misguided). John was one of
the three apostles who was privileged to witness Jesus’ most intimate moments
in his ministry (e.g., the raising of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus’ transfiguration,
Jesus’ sufferings in
Christmas Schedule
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
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Thursday, December 24, 7 PM
Christmas Day Festival Service
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Friday, December 25, 10:00 AM
Festival of St. John,
Apostle and Evangelist
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Sunday, December 27, 10 AM
Join us – in person or on Facebook Live.
Share this with family and friends!
Adult Bible Class
Currently, our plan is to have an in-person Adult Bible Class on Sundays at 8:45 AM. Our classes will begin on September 13. (We are exploring the possibility of live-streaming the Bible Class.)
This fall we will consider the Epistles of St. John. Buried at the end of the New Testament, they may often get overlooked. Yet, the Beloved Apostle gives us words of encouragement, comfort, and admonition so that we do not lose the fellowship that we have with Christ and with one another.
The tentative schedule assumes that we will meet in person on Sundays:
Sept. 13 1 John 1:1-2:6 A real Savior and a blessed fellowship
Sept. 20 1 John 2:7-27 A properly focused love and a warning about false christs
Sept. 27 1 John 2:28-3:24 Children of God—both in status and in practice
Oct. 4 1 John 4:1-21 Test all teachings and live with godly love
Oct. 11 1 John 5:1-21 Confidence as God's children
Oct. 18 2 & 3 John Embracing truth and love
Why Bible Class?
> It allows more time to work through God's word more slowly and intentionally than in a sermon.
> It allows people to ask questions about the portions of God's word we are covering. Sermons aren't designed for that.
> It fosters discussion among each other, making us more comfortable about confessing our faith to others.
> It alerts us to false teachings that might seduce us away from God's truth.
> It tightens the fellowship bonds we already have with one other.
If you have not been with us, give Bible Class a try.
