Sermon -- Funeral for Marvin Lester Howatt (October 23, 2026)

For the funeral of Marvin Lester Howatt

(March 7, 1941 – October 9, 2026)

WHAT IS PLANTED IN WEAKNESS SPRINGS UP IN GLORY.

JOHN 12:20-28

In the name + of Jesus.

      Marvin Howatt knew a lot about seeds.  He planted them in hopes of getting a nice crop.  He sold them in hopes of bringing prosperity to farmers.  Marvin Howatt knew a lot about seeds.

     Jesus Christ knew something about seeds, too.  Having grown up in an area known for its agriculture, Jesus was familiar with planting and harvesting.  One of his parables described a sower casting his seed to the ground.  Some seed did not take root.  Other seed began to grow but died off before it matured.  Other seed took root and produced a crop 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.  This seed did what it was designed to do.

     During Holy Week when Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover, some Greeks came to Jesus’ disciples with a request.  “Sir, we want to see Jesus” (John 12:21), they said.  When they were introduced to Jesus, we do not hear about Jesus exchanging pleasantries with them.  Jesus immediately told them what he had come for.  “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23).  Then he spoke about seeds.  Actually, Jesus spoke about one seed—himself.  He said, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it continues to be one kernel. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). 

     Jesus is the Seed who died and was planted into the ground.  He is the Seed of the Woman who was promised back in the Garden of Eden.  As soon as sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, and death came upon all mankind because of that sin, God promised a Savior to crush the head of the devil and to rectify everything that was cursed because of sin.  The Seed of the Woman, Jesus, has delivered us from sin by taking up our sins for us.  Jesus has delivered us from the curse of death by enduring the curse on our behalf.  He is the Seed who died and was planted in the earth in burial.  Jesus was laid to rest in weakness—having been beaten and flogged, crowned with thorns, stripped of his garments, and dying a shameful death.  But then Jesus rose from the grave with his body raised immortal, imperishable, and incorruptible.  This is what the promised Seed was designed to do.  The Seed which was planted in weakness has sprung up in glory to live forever. 

     Jesus said that if a seed falls to the ground and dies, it will produce much grain.  Any farmer can testify that this is true.  One kernel of corn that is planted produces a stalk with hundreds of kernels on it.  According to a Google search, the average ear of corn produces about 800 kernels.  That is an incredible yield for one kernel of corn which falls to the earth and dies.  I doubt that every seed that Marvin planted in the ground was successful, but he certainly gained far more than he planted.

     Jesus has had far better success as the Seed who was sown into the earth.  Jesus rose from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  Jesus is the firstfruits, and millions will follow at the final harvest.  The final harvest will come on the Last Day, and on that day, what is planted in weakness springs up in glory.

     We will follow the same path that has been laid out by Jesus.  In this world, we live in weakness and humility.  Certainly, weakness was evident in the final weeks of Marvin Howatt.  He had declined from what he once was.  He once was very active in the congregation, serving in many different areas, and in the community, serving with 4-H and the Wabasha County Fair Board.  He was once vibrant, active, and strong—riding and grooming snowmobile trails and hunting deer and turkey.  But as time goes by, as it does for all of us, the body’s strength and vibrance fade.  Activity gives way to frailty.  All this is because of sin which corrupts every body, mind, and heart.  Finally, the body gives out, and it is sown in weakness.

     But just as Jesus Christ has taken away Marvin’s sin, so he will also deliver Marvin from the grave.  The Seed of the Woman has conquered sin, death, and the devil as promised.  Jesus Christ has authority over the grave.  On the Last Day, he will summon all the dead out of the grave.  No one will be left behind.  Those who have been clothed in Jesus’ righteousness will be raised up to live forever.  At his baptism, Marvin was clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.  By the sacrament of the altar, Marvin was sustained in the true faith unto life everlasting.  Even if you recognized Marvin’s decline in old age, that is not his eternal future.  What is planted in weakness will spring up in glory.

     St. Paul wrote of the body that springs up in glory.  He wrote, “What you sow is not made alive unless it dies.  And what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain.  But God gives it a body of the kind he wanted it to have, and to each of the seeds he gives its own body.  …That is the way the resurrection of the dead will be.  What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:36-38,42-44).  What is planted in weakness springs up in glory.  Marvin Howatt will be raised by Jesus with a body like Jesus’ risen body.  He will forever be strong, vibrant, and active.  He will find joy in serving the Lord in the heavenly kingdom.  He has already joined the choirs of saints and angels.  This is the glory that Jesus has won for him, and we will see that glory with our own eyes at the resurrection on the Last Day.  Because Jesus lives, Marvin Howatt will live again and live forever.

     When the Greeks wanted to see Jesus, Jesus declared that he would soon be glorified.  The glory of Jesus is that he saves sinners.  He lived for us.  He died for us.  He rose for us.  And he promises us, “Where I am, there my servant will be also.  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26).  Marvin Howatt was a servant of Jesus Christ.  No, wait.  Let me correct that: Marvin Howatt IS a servant of Jesus Christ.  He has gone to be with Jesus.  The Father honors him.  The Holy Spirit who dwelt in him will raise him back from death to life.  What is planted in weakness will spring up in glory. 

     Marvin Howatt knew a lot about seeds.  He also believed in the Seed of the Woman who redeemed him and set him apart for the glories of heaven.  The promised Seed was sown and has sprung to life to produce much fruit.  He guarantees that Marvin Howatt will spring up in glory.  He guarantees your glory, too. 

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

Sermon -- Funeral for Marlene Kackmann (October 2, 2026)

For the Christian Funeral of

Marlene (nee: Zimmerman) Margaret Kackmann

November 28, 1942 - September 27, 2026

MARLENE GETS A BEAUTIFUL, NEW HOME.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10

In the name + of Jesus.

      Marlene Kackmann wanted to go home.  She wanted to be free from the ICU in Rochester.  A regular room at Mayo was a better option than ICU, but not the preferred option.  She wanted to go home.  She ended up at Lake City Care Center—closer to home, but not home.  Marlene and Bob had moved into a new place recently.  They were barely settled when all this happened.  Marlene had hoped that she could be discharged so that she could enjoy her new home.  God had other plans for her.  And eventually, Marlene welcomed the idea that God’s plan was to bring her home.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home—a perfect and permanent home in Paradise.

     Everyone’s residence in this world is temporary.  At some point, we will all depart.  Marlene knew that death was coming, but death takes us whether we know it is coming or not.  Death is cruel.  It does not care about your feelings or your plans.  St. Paul alerts us to what will come after death: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

     Marlene was loved by many.  It is no wonder that you would have fond memories of her.  You might even think that her heavenly home is a sure thing because what a wonderful woman she was.  She was a devoted wife of 64 years.  Bob, you cannot help but give thanks for that.  She was a loving mother.  Dale & Renae, John and Diane, you won’t ever forget that.  She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was faithful at church, even singing in the choir.  She had a full, lively life.

     God’s assessment of us all rests on the same standard: “Be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).  Of course, none of us lives up to that.  Marlene did not pretend to.  When we visited, she did not want me to tell her how good she was.  She wanted to hear how loving and gracious her Savior is.  God commands, “Be holy,” and Jesus has supplied the holiness Marlene needs to stand without fear before the judgment throne.  Jesus’ holy life was wrapped around her in her baptism.  This is what allows her to enter the heavenly home where only holiness may dwell.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home.

     While it is true that Marlene wanted to glorify Jesus with her life, it is more important to recognize that Jesus lived and died to win glory for Marlene.  Jesus’ holy life was lived for her.  Jesus’ innocent death was died for her.  He lived and died for us all.  And then Jesus rose from the dead.  Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that Marlene will have a resurrection to eternal life as well.

     Jesus’ resurrection supplies us with endless comfort in the difficulties of life and especially in the face of death.  Marlene’s life was not without its difficulties, especially in the past few months.  Her health declined.  Her body weakened.  Finally, it gave out.  Marlene identified with St. Paul’s words: “To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4).  Marlene yearned for what is better.  God creates us with bodies that are agile and strong, but bodies eventually wear out because they have been corrupted by sin.  Nor can these sin-stained bodies enter heaven.  That is why our bodies are temporary, like a tent that eventually gets tattered and torn.  But that is not the end.

     St. Paul wrote, “Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands.  In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.  …Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2,5).  When Marlene was baptized, she received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit dwelt in her as a down payment of the glory that will come to all who believe and are baptized.  In baptism, we are made children of God.  In this world, it may not look like it.  We believe that we are children of God because God says so.  We hold to the promise by faith.  Marlene has now been granted her place in God’s mansion.  She enjoys the glory which was promised—no longer by faith, but by sight.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home.

     The tent of Marlene’s body has failed, but God’s promises do not.  Marlene will get a beautiful, new home—a resurrected body.  This is because our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to secure for us all a resurrection from the dead.  St. John tells us how Jesus united himself to us.  He wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelled—literally, ‘tented’—among us” (John 1:14).  Jesus put on the tent of human flesh in order to rescue our flesh from mortality and restore it to immortality, from weakness to glory, from frail and failing to incorruptibility.  At the resurrection of all flesh, Marlene will be raised up.  She will not merely trust that she is a child of God by faith, but we will all see it by sight.  She will shine in glory.  Jesus will transform her body so that it will be like Jesus’ risen body.  The temporary, earthly tent will be converted to a permanent home—a glorious, incorruptible, immortal body.  And in that perfect, glorious state, Marlene and all the saints will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

     Marlene’s confirmation verse is from Psalm 26.  “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).  Marlene regularly came to God’s house because she was eager to receive his blessings and his mercy.  She heard the word preached.  She received a pardon for all her sins.  She feasted on Jesus’ living body and blood to strengthen and keep her in the one, true faith until life everlasting.

     “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).  Marlene’s soul now dwells in the heavenly house where the Lord dwells in glory.  She not only gazes at his glory, she participates in it.  The Lord has glorified her.  He has given her a place at the eternal feast of the Lamb.  Meanwhile, her body awaits the resurrection, where body and soul will be reunited.  Then, Marlene will live as God has always intended us to live—in a glorious body and in a perfect Paradise, forever with the Lord.

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

Sermon -- 2nd Sunday of Easter (Apri 12, 2026)

THE RISEN SAVIOR BRINGS PEACEFUL ASSURANCE.

JOHN 20:19-31

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

      “On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).  The Jewish religious leaders had demanded the crucifixion of Jesus.  Jesus’ disciples feared that they were next.  So, they locked themselves in this upper room while the pilgrims in Jerusalem were still celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  But the disciples of Jesus had other fears weighing on them.  By the evening of that first Easter, they had already heard the reports of the women.  The women spoke of the angels at the tomb.  They could even report they had seen the risen Jesus.  Peter and John could report that Jesus’ tomb was, indeed, empty.  This should have resulted in joy; it did not. 

     The disciples remembered the last time they had seen Jesus.  For most, that was in the Garden of Gethsemane.  While Jesus was being apprehended, they fled into the night.  Peter had seen Jesus from Caiaphas’ courtyard right after Peter had denied him three times.  John witnessed Jesus’ death from the foot of the cross.  All had failed him.  If they saw Jesus risen from the dead, what could they say to him?  What would he say to them?  They may have feared the Jews, but they probably feared seeing Jesus, too.

     “Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.  So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).  The risen Savior brought a peaceful assurance.  He did not come to express disappointment or regret.  He did not bear a grudge.  Yes, they all failed him, but he had paid for that sin and for every other sin they had committed. 

     “Peace be with you!” he said.  While our translation says that he showed them his hands and side after he declared peace to them, it is also possible to translate it this way: “As he said this, he showed them his hands and side” (John 20:20, emphasis added).  This gesture would have been more than just an identifier, that is, Jesus showing himself as the crucified one.  It would also have been the proof that God’s peace was theirs.  The marks on Jesus showed that this is how their sins were paid for.  Jesus’ risen body is the proof that the payment was sufficient.  The Lord was not angry with them.  He sought no vengeance against them.  The risen Savior brings a peaceful assurance.  Sins are forgiven.  The Lord blesses you.  His face shines upon you.  He gives you peace.

     Unfortunately, peace eluded one of the apostles.  Thomas was not there.  Thomas had just as much reason for fear and guilt as the other apostles.  Sadly, his fear and his guilt still ruled over him.  He would not believe the testimony of the women.  He would not believe the claims of his fellow apostles.  None of them had a reason to lie to him.  And certainly their joy and enthusiasm should have convinced Thomas that they were telling him the truth.  But when someone is consumed by fear and guilt, that is the only thing they believe.  The prophet Isaiah declared, “There is no peace, says the LORD, for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22).  If you are weighed down by your sin, you have no peace.  That is when the devil will seize you with unbelief and despair.

     Judas Iscariot is the chief example of this.  Judas had betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  But St. Matthew notes, “When Judas … saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse.  He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders and said, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’  But they said, ‘What is that to us?  That’s your problem’” (Matthew 27:3-4).  The priests did nothing to atone for his sin.  For Judas, there was no pardon, no peace; therefore, there was no hope or comfort.  Since Judas could not fix or reverse what he had done, he chose to kill himself rather than to live with the burden of guilt.

     Judas’ suicide was tragic enough, but dying in unbelief and despair meant that Judas perished eternally.  Judas’ story is especially sad, because the risen Savior had come to bring peaceful assurance to sinners.  It is also sad that Judas’ story is repeated by so many.  Perhaps you know the terrible burden of sin, the likes of which haunted Judas.  Perhaps you are weighed down by guilt that will not lighten up.  People who are hounded by such guilt often deal with it in destructive ways.  Some medicate with drugs or alcohol.  Some figure they are a lost cause and choose to continue in their sin.  If you’re going to hell anyway, why not?  Others, like Judas, feel the only way to escape guilt and despair is by killing themselves.  But there is no forgiveness in any of these.  There is no peace.  And, saddest of all, there is only hell that awaits those who die in their sins.

     No one should have to live with such a burden of guilt.  No one needs to wallow in despair.  You have a Savior whose wounds testify that your sins have been paid for.  The feet that took Jesus to Mt. Calvary were nailed to the cross for you.  The hands that brought healing to the hurting were driven into the wood to bring healing to your troubled conscience.  Jesus’ heart—so filled with compassion for sinners—was pierced for you.  It brought forth a flow of blood and water which provide cleansing for all sin and guilt.  The Savior who died to rescue from sin, death, and hell now lives and declares, “Peace be with you!  You have been acquitted of all guilt.  You have received a full pardon.  The cloud of guilt has been lifted.  The sun of grace shines upon you now!”  The risen Savior brings peaceful assurance to you.

     To further assure you of that peace, Jesus had commissioned his ministers to deliver it to you.  “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you!  Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.’  After saying this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven.  Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’” (John 20:21-23).  Jesus has given charge to his ministers not merely to talk about the forgiveness of sins, but to administer it. 

     If you were a defendant in a court of law, you could ponder the idea of being acquitted.  You could dream about it, pray for it, and hope for it.  While such thoughts would be appealing, none of them would acquit you.  Nor would it do you any good if the judge sat in his chamber and thought good thoughts about you.  Even if he sat at his desk and muttered to himself, “That guy should go free,” how would that help you at all?  The only way you can be acquitted in a court of law is to have a judge formally declare you “Not guilty.” 

     Likewise, you don’t find forgiveness in your own private thoughts.  And it would not do you any good if God sat in his heavenly glory and thought good thoughts about you.  How would you know if he did or didn’t?  To know that your sins are forgiven, the judge must formally declare you, “Not guilty.”  All judgment has been entrusted to the Son.  Jesus will come again and sentence people either to everlasting life or everlasting damnation.  His verdict is the only one that matters.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have won your pardon from all sin.  But to know that you are forgiven, it must be formally proclaimed to you.  The Lord Jesus has commissioned his ministers to do just that.  You have forgiveness delivered to you as the minister speaks in the stead and by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The “I forgive you” is the voice of your Savior, delivered through the mouth of his minster.  In this way, the risen Savior brings peaceful assurance to you.

     You know Jesus’ words and promises.  They were applied to you in your baptism.  So, day after day, you can be confident that you stand forgiven before the Lord.  However, like the apostles, you may have a sin that haunts you and will not let you go.  For such times, the Lord summons you to private confession and absolution.  It is private; you are the only one present.  So, there is no confusion about who is meant when the absolution is proclaimed.  Jesus, through his minister, brings the peaceful assurance, “I forgive you.”  Jesus sends you home justified; you get to depart in peace.

     The apostle Thomas was not present that first week to hear Jesus proclaim peace.  On the next Sunday, Thomas was with them.  Suddenly, Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples again.  And what did he say to Thomas?  “Tsk, tsk, tsk.  You should have listened to these guys.  I am so disappointed in you”?  Rather than shame Thomas for his guilt, fear, and doubting, Jesus declared, “‘Peace be with you,’ he said.  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands.  Take your hand and put it into my side.  Do not continue to doubt, but believe’” (John 20:26-27).  Once again, the risen Savior showed the wounds that he received to take away the guilt of sinners.  Once again, the risen Savior showed himself the victor over death and the one who has the right to pardon all offenses.  Once again, the risen Savior brought peaceful assurance. 

     Now, if Jesus’ appearance to Thomas was for his sole benefit, it would not have been recorded for yours.  The Holy Spirit guided St. John to record these things to give you further assurance and greater peace.  John acknowledged that there is much more that he could have written.  No doubt, it would have been fascinating.  But the Holy Spirit does not waste his breath with anecdotes and trivia.  He is intentionally selective about what is written and about what we need to know.  St. John acknowledged that.  He wrote: “Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book.  But these are written 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 20:30-31). 

     The risen Savior brings peaceful assurance.  It was shown in the wounds he sustained in making the payment for our sins.  It was shown in the immortal, resurrected body which proves the payment is sufficient.  Jesus’ risen body also provides a glimpse of the immortality that awaits us at our resurrection.  That peaceful assurance is proclaimed when sinners are absolved by Christ’s ministers who speak and act in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ.  And it is bestowed on the pages of Scripture which are written for your hope and comfort. 

     Jesus Christ is risen.  He lives to bring peaceful assurance.  You get to live in peace.  You get to die in peace.  And you will receive everlasting peace.

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

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.

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. 

Sermon -- Funeral for Elaine Swartz Patton (January 23, 2026)

+ (Ruth) Elaine Swartz Patton +

September 13, 1932 – January 17, 2026

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER WITH RESURRECTION HOPE.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

In the name + of Jesus.

      At the death of a loved one, we look for different ways to cope and to find comfort.  One of the ways to cope with the death of your mother or grandmother is to tell stories and share memories.  Those memories are good.  They are why you loved her so much and why you will miss her so much.  But the memories also make this hard.  You don’t grieve over people you don’t know.  You grieve because the death of a loved one is final.  It puts an end to any more memories. 

     Another way you could cope with Elaine’s death is recognizing that her health was not very good over the past few years.  She was frustrated that her eyesight was pretty much gone.  She was not as vibrant as in past years.  Just because you knew that Elaine’s death was coming does not make it any easier.  People often console themselves by saying, “She went to a better place.”  But many don’t know where that place is, so how can they know it is any better?

     St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians who were grieving over their Christian family and friends who had died.  Somehow, they had gotten the idea that their loved ones missed out on the glory that God promised because they died before Jesus returned.  So, St. Paul wrote words to correct and to comfort them.  They are words for you to take to heart, too.  Encourage one another with resurrection hope.

     St. Paul begins, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  You will notice that Paul does not forbid you to grieve.  Death is painful.  It rips away those whom we love, and it leaves a wounded heart.  Death is not what God had intended for anyone when he created the world.  But once sin entered the world, death was the result. 

     The Bible declares, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  As much as you loved your mother or grandmother, it does not change the fact that she was a sinner.  As much as she loved you, it does not change the fact that you are sinners, too.  And since we are all sinners, death comes for us all.  Pretending it is not true is no way to cope with that, and it is certainly no way to escape it.

     Even though you grieve, you are not without hope.  You are not hopeless in the face of death, and you are not hopeless in regard to your sin.  Elaine and I got to visit with each other often.  She liked to hear the Scriptures read to her, to ponder what they said, and to partake in the sacrament of holy communion.  The reason is because in God’s word and sacraments, the Lord provides a remedy for sin and death.  It is not merely a way to cope with sin and death; it is how we are delivered from them.

     God’s word reveals God’s love for sinners.  St. Paul referred to that in his letter to the Thessalonians.  He wrote, “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).  Jesus died because he took upon himself the sins of the world, including Elaine’s.  Since the wages of sin is death, Jesus died bearing the sins of Elaine and of us all.  Jesus took God’s curse so that he could deliver God’s blessing.  Jesus was sentenced for our guilt so that he could issue to us a full pardon for all our offenses against God.  Jesus endured death so that he could bestow upon us eternal life.

     Jesus died for our sins; then he rose from the dead.  This confirms that the payment for your sin has been made in full.  More than that, it shows that death does not get the last word.  Jesus has overcome death.  He rose from the dead not as a ghost, but with a glorified body that can never die again.  This is what Jesus grants to all who believe in him.  Jesus delivers us from sin and death.  Encourage one another with resurrection hope. 

     If you went to Jerusalem, you could visit the sites there where Jesus died and rose.  You could take selfies and post them on Facebook for everyone to see.  But you won’t find forgiveness there.  What Jesus won for you 2,000 years ago needs to be delivered to you now.  Jesus’ salvation was delivered to Elaine when she was baptized.  She was washed clean of all guilt and marked as a child of God.  The Lord strengthened her faith through his word.  She received the living body and blood of Jesus in holy communion.  This is how Jesus supplied to Elaine the benefits of his bloody cross and empty tomb.  This is how Jesus delivers them to you, too.  This is Jesus encourages you with resurrection hope.

     If you want to cope with Elaine’s death, our Lord gives you the hope you need.  Now, the way we use the word “hope” tends to leave us with some doubts about the future.  I am sure that Elaine hoped that she would be surrounded by dogs in the heavenly kingdom.  Will she?  I don’t know.  God’s word makes no specific promises about that.  However, since there would have been dogs in the Garden of Eden, and since the Garden of Eden was a perfect home for holy people, it is not ridiculous to hope that there will be dogs in heaven, but it is not a certainty.

     When we speak of the hope of the resurrection and the glories of heaven, we do have certainty because God’s promises are our hope.  It is not called a hope because God’s promises are in question; it is a hope because we haven’t received the fullness of them yet.  We have not entered the glories of heaven.  Well, now Elaine has.  I am sure that she hoped to be reunited with her beloved George.  What hope is there for that?  This is what the Lord says: “We believe that God will bring with (Jesus) those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.  … And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14,17).  This is not a wish, but a promise.  And our Lord’s word is always sure.

     Encourage one another with resurrection hope.  Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so he will come again to raise up and restore Elaine to glory.  He will grant her a body that will never become frail, will never suffer pain, and will live forever.  This will endure much longer than any memories or stories.  As precious as those are, they don’t save her.  As endearing as those are, they don’t offer a comfort that overrules death.  Jesus does.  His promises remain firm when your world is shattered.  His grace to soothes you when your hearts are hurting.  Jesus lives and rules over all things, even death.  At his word, death must give Elaine Patton back so that she will live and rejoice with her beloved George and all who believe in Jesus.  “And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  Therefore, encourage one another with resurrection hope. 

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

Sermon -- Christian Funeral for Jim Hobley (December 1, 2025)

Christian Funeral for

+ James Allan Hobley +

(February 10, 1938 - November 17, 2025)

PSALM 91

JAMES HOBLEY HAS AN INDESTRUCTIBLE REFUGE.

In the name + of Jesus.

    “One who lives in the shelter of the Most High will stay in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).  Jim Hobley knew a thing or two about shelters.  As a financial advisor, Jim knew something about tax shelters.  He could advise people how to protect their income so that they could keep as much of their earnings as possible.  Jim was not unethical, but smart.

     Jim also knew a thing or two about shelters when it came to camping.  He told me a story about a Spring canoe trip at the Rifle River Recreational Area.  After a day of paddling, he set up the tent for the night for himself and his kids.  Apparently, winter had not give up yet.  He woke up to a tent sagging down to his face because of the weight of the snow on it.  But the shelter was enough, and that canoe trip continued.

     Jim Hobley knew a thing or two about a shelter in the Lord.  He could repeat with the Psalmist: “I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:2).  He was a regular attender in God’s house and served in many ways for the church.  When he was no longer able to come, he welcomed every visit where he heard God’s promises and feasted on the holy sacrament.  He sought shelter in God’s mercy.  He confessed that Jesus Christ was his refuge—or I should say, Jesus Christ is his refuge.  It would be incorrect to say that James Hobley had an indestructible refuge in Jesus.  If it was something he had, then either he no longer has it, or it was able to be destroyed.  But James Hobley has an indestructible refuge in Jesus, and even death cannot destroy it.

     When we need safety and security, we seek a refuge.  We seek refuge from the winter in heated homes.  Our cars provide a refuge in case of an accident with seat belts and air bags.  Without a shelter or a refuge, we expose ourselves to danger.  The danger we all face is sin and death.  Sin earns God’s judgment.  We can try to take refuge in excuses, but they are as flimsy as the fig leaves Adam and Eve tried to cover up with.  The Bible reminds us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  Jim Hobley died because he was a sinful human being.  He did not make excuses for it; he confessed it.  You, too, will die because you are a sinful human being.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

     Far worse than the physical death we all face is the eternal death that results from sin.  No matter how much we might try to convince ourselves that we are good people, God’s Law exposes us.  Who does not have fits of anger?  Who is not jealous over someone else’s blessings? Who does not become angry with God when life gets hard, or even hate God when his word condemns us for doing things we like?  Defiance of God and of his word brings down a curse on us—an eternal sentence in which we are cast away from the God who is the source of life and goodness and blessing.

     What a marvel, then, that God himself provides a refuge so that we will not be destroyed by that judgment!  James Hobley has an indestructible refuge, and he would want you to know about it so that you can take refuge in it as well.

     The Psalmist wrote, “Yes, you, Lord, are my refuge!  If you make the Most High your shelter, evil will not overtake you.  Disaster will not come near your tent” (Psalm 91:9-10).  The refuge that our Lord provides is found in Jesus Christ.  Whoever believes in Jesus and is baptized into his name receives an indestructible refuge.  That is because Jesus came to take the blows for us.  He is like a castle against which cannon balls are lobbed.  They pound and pound at the castle, but those who are inside remain safe.  So, Jesus took up the sins of the world and put himself under the judgment of the heavenly Father.  Since Jesus bore our guilt, he was treated as the guilty one.  He took all the blows of the damning judgment at the cross.  Those who take refuge in Jesus remain safe and secure.  Evil will not overtake you.  Eternal disaster will not come near your tent.  Like Jim, you have an indestructible refuge in Jesus.

     Jim always enjoyed a good story.  He would often tell me about the books he read.  He seemed to like action most of all.  It is no wonder, then, that he liked to hear from the Bible.  For the Bible tells about the action that our Lord took to deliver us from sin and death.  The Psalmist describes it: “You will tread on the lion and the cobra.  You will trample the young lion and the serpent” (Psalm 91:13). 

     The devil, in the form of a serpent, had lured mankind into rebellion against God.  That sin infects us all.  But as soon as sin entered the world, God gave a gracious promise: “The Lord God said to the serpent: …I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.  He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:14-15). 

     Jesus is the seed of the woman who let the serpent strike him which resulted in Jesus’ death.  But Jesus rose from the dead.  He crushed the serpent underfoot.  When you crush the head of a serpent, you render it powerless.  The work of the devil is undone.  Now Jesus has authority over death and the grave.  Even in death, James Hobley is sheltered in Jesus’ care.  For, Jesus will come again and raise up these ashes to become a glorious, incorruptible body.  No longer will Jim have a mind that has slipped from what it once was.  Rather, he will be perfect in knowledge, in body, and in spirit. 

     James Hobley has an indestructible refuge in Jesus.  To repeat the words of the Psalm: “You will tread on the lion and the cobra.  You will trample the young lion and the serpent” (Psalm 91:13).  The devil is described as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  But Jesus would not let this roaring lion harm Jim at all.  Whatever accusations the devil may have lobbed at Jim have been emptied of any value.  Jesus has acquitted him of every accusation.  Jim’s refuge is Jesus who protects him from every evil forevermore.

     The Lord never asked Jim Hobley to outsmart or outmuscle sin, death, and the devil.  That’s what Jesus did for him.  In his last years, Jim’s strength faded, but God’s promises stood strong.  Jim’s mind had slipped, but God was ever-mindful of him.  The words of the Psalm remain true: “With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you will find refuge.  His truth will be your shield and armor” (Psalm 91:4).  James Hobley has an indestructible refuge in Jesus.  The angels who watched over Jim throughout his life have taken him to Jesus’ side.  And when Jesus comes again, he will raise him up to life everlasting, forever free from weakness, sickness, and sadness.  The Savior who could not be destroyed by death lives and remains Jim’s eternal refuge.

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

Sermon -- Funeral for Cheryl Ann Crenshaw (September 19, 2025)

Christian Funeral for 

+ Cheryl Ann (nee: Edwards) Crenshaw +

November 6, 1948 – September 10, 2025

1 CORINTHIANS 15:54-58

DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

In the name + of Jesus.

    I was listening to the radio in my car the other day, and I heard it reported that the first death by West Nile Virus was confirmed in Michigan.  If it was the first such death and it is already September, that’s pretty rare.  The fact that I could say, “I know who that was,” is even more rare.  For over a week, you were hoping for better test results and for a happier outcome.  We said prayers for her recovery.  We asked for healing so that she could return home.  We committed her to the Lord’s care. 

     It may not have looked like it, but Cheryl Crenshaw was in the Lord’s care the whole time.  Psalm 139 says, “In your book all of them were written.  Days were determined, before any of them existed” (Psalm 139:16).  It may have been rare that the Lord used West Nile Virus to mark the end of Cheryl’s time on earth, but the Lord had this date marked out from the very beginning.  The Lord had never lost control.  Although you may not be happy about the outcome of her stay at the hospital, Cheryl Crenshaw is enjoying the most blessed outcome every Christian hopes for—life in everlasting glory.

     From our side of heaven, it does not look glorious.  How could it?  Death seems to have claimed victory because it has claimed a loved one.  In fact, death seems to have taunted Cheryl and boasted of victory for a long time.  Death claimed her beloved, Bob, some 26 years ago.  Death claimed an infant son from her even before that.  And although Cheryl’s various ailments and health concerns did not result in death, they were a continual reminder that bodies fail and death awaits us all.   

     Everyone knows that all people will die.  No one gets out of this world alive.  Cheryl’s death certificate may say something related to West Nile Virus, but the Bible tells us why all people die.  “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  Not everyone gets West Nile Virus, but everyone is a sinner.  Since everyone is a sinner, and since death comes as a result of sin, death claims victory over all of us. 

     Or so it seems.

     “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57)!  God the Father has had mercy upon us in our sinful condition and sent his Son to rescue us from the tyranny of death.  Our joy is not merely that Jesus Christ wins us eternal life, but that he brings to us the resurrection from the dead.

     If Jesus had come just to give us eternal life and we would go on living forever in this world, just imagine the sorrows and pains that we would endure without end!  How many wars, how many natural disasters, how many pandemics, how many injuries, how many doctor’s appointments would we have to live through?  So, Jesus does not just clear out the hospitals from time to time, sending people home only to become more weary and more frustrated over a world that never gets better.  The Lord loves you too much to let you go on and on with life in a sin-corrupted world.

     God the Father sent Jesus Christ to swallow up death in victory.  To do that, Jesus had to take away our sin.  He bore our sin in his body when he went to the cross.  There, he absorbed the curse for all of it.  Since Jesus has taken your curse and died for your sin, he has rescued you from its condemnation.  Cheryl Crenshaw stood before God in judgment when she left this world, but the Lord had already told her what her judgment would be: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  Having been baptized into Christ, Cheryl already died once.  Sin was put to death in her, and God raised her up a saint.  She was purified and clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.  She may not have known when her last day would be, but she did know what her future was because Jesus secured it for her.  Death has been swallowed up in victory, and life eternal is the prize.

     Although Cheryl’s baptism gave her the status of a saint, her body was not quite there yet.  These bodies of ours are still corrupted.  With Cheryl, that was evidenced by her getting tired, walking with a cane, and contracting a virus.  But the Savior shows us that neither sin nor death has the last word.  Jesus went into death in order to put an end to its rule over us.  Jesus was laid in a grave with a body that was bruised, beaten, flogged, and pierced.  It could not have been pretty.  Jesus let the grave swallow him so that he could destroy it from the inside out.  Jesus burst forth and swallowed death in victory.  When Jesus rose from the dead, he came with a body that was glorified.  His mortal body was raised immortal—forever victorious over death and decay.  Jesus did not merely overcome death; now he owns it.

     This is the victory Jesus won for Cheryl and for all who believe and are baptized.  This body, which has been reduced to dust and ashes, will be restored at the resurrection.  On that day, it will return in glory.  As St. Paul wrote, “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 15:54).  Cheryl will not only have eternal life, she will have a risen body that will be imperishable.  It will never get sick or grow frail.  She will have a risen body that will be immortal.  She will never die again, for she has a living Savior who promises that she will live with him.  He has swallowed up death in victory.

     Maybe it seems like death mocks us and taunts us, but Jesus has turned the tables on death.  Now we get to mock death and taunt the grave: “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  Grave, do you boast that you hold Cheryl’s ashes?  Go ahead.  We will get them back.  Death, do you think you have won a victory?  You are nothing but the door to heavenly glory.  For all who live in Christ live forever.  Here, we live in weakness; there, we live in glory.  “Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55)?  In the end, you get nothing.  The victory belongs to Jesus Christ and all those who are his.

     Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Whatever weaknesses Cheryl had to endure are over.  Whatever sorrows she faced have passed.  Whatever struggles she knew she does not have to deal with anymore.  Her anxieties are done.  Now there is only peace and joy and rest.  And soon comes the resurrection where she will be risen, rejuvenated, and restored, body and soul, to live in the new heavens and the new earth where all things are new.  “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57)! 

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