Category Archives: Easter

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Easter 2–“Peace of Jesus” (John 20:19-31)

C-55 Easter 2 (Jn 20.19-31)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

Following Christ’s death and resurrection, the atmosphere of the disciples had changed. They locked themselves in a room to protect themselves from the Jews. Judas was dead and Thomas was nowhere to be found. Hard to believe, but these were the men who went out with Jesus, who were taught by Him and later were sent out in His name. Though they were confused on what to do next, that was about to change.

Suddenly, Christ appeared in the locked room and the His sudden appearance filled them with wonder and awe. The words that He speaks are not just empty words, void of meaning. Rather, they are pure Gospel, an absolution, a declaration that all is well. Four simple words put the fears of the disciples to rest: “Peace be with you.” His appearance, His showing of the wounds in His hands and side, showed His suffering and resurrection, showing that with these wounds, His blood is shed for many, that sin and death no longer had dominion over creation.

This first time that Jesus speaks peace to them, He speaks in terms of forgiveness giving peace from fear. It is a joyful assurance, the presence of God, the complete opposite of fear. Yet just days ago on Good Friday, there was no peace for the disciples. All of them had left Jesus in fear, especially Peter. They were deathly afraid the Jews would come for them too. That’s why the doors were locked. What is worse is now they have no leader to make them feel more secure.

Christ returned from death to give peace from fear. He gives to us His forgiveness. He gives to us His peace. It is that peace that passes all human understanding. It is peace in Christ which only He can give. He gave it to the disciples on Maundy Thursday when He instituted His Supper and He gives that peace to you each time you come and receive His body and blood. Christ has come to give us all peace, that peace of knowing that our sins have been forgiven.

Startled as they were, Jesus says to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” What is it that Jesus is saying to them? The Savior not only assures them of peace, but He also commissions them to announce peace to the world. Peace comes from forgiveness of sins. It is peace between God and men through the work of Christ. It is peace of conscience to the sinner. This peace was Jesus’ way of saying that these idlers were still precious – and useful – to him. Jesus’ word of peace was their forgiveness, and now they had the power to share that same forgiveness with the world.

During this first meeting, the disciple Thomas was not present. When the disciples saw Thomas next, they told him how Jesus had appeared to them in the locked room. Thomas, known for his doubting, refused to believe unless he saw everything for himself.

It’s really not fair to pick on Thomas just because he missed church, but that’s what we do today. It’s not fair because all the other disciples doubted just as much as he did. In fact, the Easter Gospel told us about the disciples’ reaction when the women came and told them about the empty tomb and the angels. It said, “The women … told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” You see, if Thomas is Doubting Thomas, then Peter is Doubting Peter, James is Doubting James, John is Doubting John, and so on. Every one of the disciples doubted, not just Thomas. 

Martin Luther once wrote that the devil’s greatest and deadliest arrow in his evil quiver is the arrow of doubt, which he fires with deadly sniper precision into the hearts of all believers in Christ. Thomas and the disciples were not immune to this. You and I are not immune to this either. Don’t we doubt that God will do what He says He will? Don’t we doubt the gifts that God gives to us in His Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper?

As Thomas appears with the 10 the following Sunday, Thomas wasn’t going to miss church this week, Jesus again appears to them and once again says “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Jesus knew exactly what it would take for Thomas to believe. He shows Him the wounds and Thomas believes.

You and I do not have the luxury of gazing upon the resurrected Jesus and believing as did Thomas. Instead, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which creates faith in us. It’s one thing to see and believe, but a complete other to believe solely based upon faith and without seeing. That’s us. That’s the Church today. Centuries after Christ’s death, people believed and continue to believe today. They did not have Christ to hold their hands as did the disciples, or to show His wounds to strengthen their weak faith as did Thomas. No, they believed based upon the faith that was granted to them by the Holy Spirit. They were able to confess with Thomas, just as we are: “My Lord and my God!”

We have been given this wonderful gift of faith, the ability to believe what Christ did for us on Calvary’s cross, and now we see that because of that action, we are given life in His name. To those who believe receive redemption, salvation, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. This comes to us in the gift of Baptism, where we have God’s name placed upon us. This comes to us in the gift of the Lord’s Supper, where we feast upon the body and blood of Jesus and receive His forgiveness. It comes to us each time we hear the words of Absolution pronounced over us. It will come to us again when we leave this world and enter into the heavenly mansion prepared for us.

We have received life and received it abundantly. Given to us so that we may live, one life had to be sacrificed, and that life is Jesus Christ. The peace of Christ is with us. It comes to us when we are forgiven. It comes to us as we believe in Christ and all that He has done for us. New life is given to us, a life that is not deserved, but given to us with nothing done on our part. This new life washes over us and we are made clean by the blood of the Lamb, shed for the sins of the many, including you and me. Dear friends in Christ, “Peace be with you.” Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Easter Festival–“He Is Not Here, But Has Risen” (Luke 24:1-12)

C-54 Easter Morning (Lu 24.1-12)Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel which was read earlier.

This is not right. This is not the way things were supposed to happen. The promised Messiah of long ago has come into the world and now He lies in a tomb. What is worse is that He didn’t even receive the proper burial treatment due to the Sabbath. Now, earlier in the morning, the women go to the tomb of Jesus to properly treat His body for burial. They have everything they need to anoint the body as far as spices go. One thing they don’t have is the muscle that is going to be necessary to dislodge the stone at the mouth of the tomb. Right now, that’s probably the least of their concerns. Their main focus is to give Jesus’ body the proper burial that it deserves.

But as they arrive at the tomb, something is amiss. The stone that was supposed to be set at the mouth of the tomb has now been rolled away. This stone was not just any stone. It was chiseled to fit exactly at the mouth of the tomb, a perfect fit for the entrance, so that once it was set it place, it would not be able to moved. This would have required several strong men to move this stone into place. It would be practically impossible to dislodge the stone from the outside, but somehow, someone did this.

As the women enter the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, they went in boldly seeking their Lord, knowing that His dead body would be right where it was left after Joseph of Arimathea laid it in there. Instead, they discover that the body is gone. This must have shaken the women to their very core, because His tomb had been desecrated and the body taken.

To ease their sense of discomfort, “two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.” These men that appear are angels. Just as angels appeared to announce the birth of Jesus, so do angels appear this morning to announce the resurrection of Jesus. They appear dazzling, reflecting God’s splendor. The message they bring is of great importance, because it is the assurance that the women needed of who Jesus was and what He came to do. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

That’s the question of the day, isn’t it? Are you here this morning to seek the dead or the living? If you’re here looking for the dead, then you’re in the wrong place. On the other hand, if you’re here this morning looking for the living, then you’re right where you need to be.

Today we come to celebrate the fact that the greatest promise God ever made has come to fruition. The promise is of a Savior. The promise is of a Savior who was born into this world. The promise is of a Savior who lived in this world. The promise is of a Savior who died for this world. The promise is of a Savior who rose again for the sake of this world, for your sake. What was Jesus’ role? “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

Do you hear it? It is necessary that Christ rose. If you believe He rose, then you know that Christ is more than a Man. He has conquered death. He has destroyed sin and crushed Satan. With His life, death, and resurrection, He has rescued you from the grave. Although your sins should have made you die, and stay dead, yet Christ broke death’s power, so that you will live and rise to eternal life. Christ has been raised in the flesh-so that you will be raised.

This is what makes our celebration today so very different from the many other celebrations taking place today. We don’t just gather to joyously commemorate a past victory, as awesome as it was. We don’t gather to commemorate the fact that once upon a time Jesus came and triumphed and then went back home to heaven where He now resides, far removed from us and our everyday lives. No, we gather today to celebrate the living, triumphant present-tense Immanuel King! We gather today to celebrate the marriage feast of the living and triumphant Bridegroom, who laid down His life for us and who today, in a very real and present-tense way, brings His victories over sin, death, and the devil to us to celebrate with us in our midst!

The women were so excited at the words of the angels that they went to tell the others of Christ’s resurrection. Unfortunately, Luke records that “these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” How tragic for them. When the eleven first hear the Word of the Lord about the resurrection, they don’t believe it. If there was anyone who would have believed the women’s message, no, who should have believed the women’s message, it should have been the disciples. They were the ones who spent the last three years with Jesus, who were His inner circle, who knew everything that must happen. Yet they were the first who could not believe what the women were saying. But for one of the disciples, maybe there was still hope.

Peter rises and runs to the tomb. He stoops down and looks in, and he sees the linen cloths by themselves. He marvels, but that doesn’t mean he believes. You can just as easily marvel at tornado damage as you can at a miracle. All Peter knows for sure is that the body is gone. Maybe someone took it…but who would unwrap it and leave the cloths behind?

Confusion and perplexity reign among the disciples, or at least for a little while. The story doesn’t end there for them. Christ will appear to them that evening, showing them His hands and His side. And where the women believed from the Word they remembered, the risen Lord will speak peace to His disciples and give them faith by His Word also.

Christ is risen from the dead. He is risen before His people know it. He is risen before His people believe it. He is risen to give them faith and life; and so He is risen for you.

You can know this for sure – of this you can be certain: Christ has died and Christ is risen from the dead. You haven’t seen Him face to face yet, but He tells you it is true in His Word. Faith comes by hearing, not by seeing; and as the resurrected Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.” That is you.

May this eternal Easter Good News of Christ Jesus be and remain with you always. Look here and always remember that blessed Easter reality: “He is not here, but has risen.” May God grant you the opened eyes and ears of faith to always recognize this joyous Easter reality so that you may always have reason to celebrate. Yes—that tomb from two thousand years ago was and is empty, but with good reason. The reason is because Christ rose from the dead just as He said He would. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Easter Sunrise–“Death Vanquished” (John 20:1-18)

C-53 Easter Sunrise (LHP) (Jn 20.1-18)Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel which was earlier.

It does not matter how many times you encounter it, it never feels natural, never feels right. Death always feels wrong. Something inside does not accept that we will not hear that voice, see that face, touch that hand, experience that laughter ever again. The grief counselors can talk until they are blue in the face about how death is simply a part of life and how we must accept it as inevitable and natural. But we never do.

Mary did not accept death. She had no doubt that her Lord, her Teacher, was dead. She had witnessed the horror of it. Standing beside His mother, she had seen the light die in His eyes as He hung gruesomely upon the cross. She had seen them take His limp body from the wood, heard the horrid sound as they pulled nails. He was dead. She had no doubt of that.

But it was not right. She knew it was not right. And she simply had to touch Him again. It was imperative to her that she see that body again. But the body was gone. She had run to tell Peter and John – big help they were. They checked it out and told her she was right: the body was gone. Then they left her, but she remained. She did not know what to do, where to go, to whom to turn to. So she stood there and started to cry.

The tears she cried were not the easy, gentle tears of the merely sad, but Mary wept the gut-wrenching, full-voiced sobs of the grieving. This was the tears of someone who was suffering from watching a person die. It wounds not only those it takes from us, but it also wounds those who are left. And sometimes it wounds us so badly we think it will kill us then and there. Mary knew something of that as she sobbed and looked into the tomb.

But something was different now. The tomb was not empty after all. There were angels there, clothed in white. One was sitting where the Lord’s head had been, one where His feet had been. And though Mary’s sorrow could never shake or destroy their joy, they are concerned for her. They ask, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

Jesus’ death was such a given that she did not say, “Because my Lord is dead.” Instead, she replies, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not knowing about the location of the body was tearing her up. Death was horrible enough, but not to be able to find the body? Not to be able to tend it and give it her last services? She had to know where Jesus was, to touch His body once more. How else could she face tomorrow? How else could she face the rest of her life?

Mary’s grief is of such a magnitude that a conversation with angels does not faze her. So she straightens up and turns and almost runs into the One who had never been far from her, the One who stood right beside her in her grief – though she didn’t know it. He gently asks, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

Hope rises in Mary’s heart. Is it the gardener? Perhaps he is the one who moved her Master’s body. She cries out, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Was it her tears that blinded Mary’s eyes that morning? Was it the grief of her heart that made all the world seem to move in slow motion, in an unreal and phantomlike manner? It all changed when He said one word. He called her name: “Mary.”

Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Although she had not recognized Him before, at the sound of her name, Mary’s heart pounded. “Rabboni!” She lunged for Jesus and held His feet. Beyond hope, beyond her wildest dreams, He stood there. Not a ghost. Not a spirit. Not an illusion or some wishful thinking. He Jesus – flesh and blood, the wounds still visible, but transfigured, shining in glory. This was her Jesus.

The tears begin again, but this time, they are tears of another sort. These were not the sobs of despair, but the tears that brim from a cup that runs over with joy. It was a tender moment, but the joys were only beginning. Jesus had work for Mary to do. He sent her first to His apostles to give them the message that He lives and that He is preparing to ascend to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God. Death was not the end of Him, and so it will not be the end of Mary or of the disciples.

Nor will death be the end of you. Jesus has changed forever how we live, how we grieve, and how we die. We still feel in our bones how wrong death is, how unnatural it is, and we hate it with a passion. But Jesus has made it something we never have to fear – not ever again. For by His death and resurrection, Jesus has wounded death itself, dealt it a mortal blow from which it will never recover. He came out it alive again, never to die again, and His promise to Mary, to His apostles, and to all His baptized children is that He will bring each and every one of us through the hole He punched in death into the home He has prepared for us with His Father.

To strengthen your faith in His resurrection victory, Jesus continues to put into your dying bodies His body that was on the tree, atoning for all your sin; that was in the tomb, sanctifying your grave; and that Mary held in the garden that first Easter Day. He covers you with His blood that He shed to wipe out the sin of the world, to give to you His righteousness. Death could not hold Jesus and it will not you either. As we are baptized into His undying life, so He will bring us out of death to life, so that we will never die again. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

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Seventh Sunday of Easter–“Kept in His Name” (John 17:1-11)

A-57 Easter 7 (Jn 17.1-11)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon today is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

When you pray, what is it you pray for? Do you pray for yourself, that all of your wants and desires would be granted to you, like a genie granting you a wish? Do you pray for your family and for your friends, for their needs of body and soul? Do you pray for your enemies and for those who curse and persecute you? Most of us would probably say that our prayers are self-centered and that we surely don’t pray for our enemies. However, in our text for today, Jesus prays not for Himself, but for His friends. Listen closely, because He prays for you.

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” This is the beginning of a wonderful prayer that Jesus prays on behalf of you and me. He prays this prayer on behalf of all believers, even those who would betray Him later that evening. The Son prays to be glorified, but ponder this carefully; He is not praying for the world’s idea of glory. The world defines glory in terms of splendor and fame, strength, beauty and celebrity. But Jesus defines His glory quite differently: Because the Father has given Him authority over all flesh, all flesh is His responsibility; and the Son is about to serve all flesh by His crucifixion. He is about to die for the sins of all, so that all who believe in Him might have eternal life. That means that He is going to die for your sins so that you would have eternal life.

This is the glory of the Son: To serve all, according to His Father’s bidding. His service is not just beginning, and He clearly prays, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” He has lived that life of work – He has fulfilled the prophecies by His teaching, His miracles and wonders. He’s been the righteous servant, upheld by God as He has mercifully exercised justice. He has lived His perfect life for the world, to credit all who believe in Him with His righteousness. Now, the ultimate glory: He is going to die for the world.

Jesus’ glory, then, is to fulfill the work that His Father has given Him. It will not be glorious in the world’s terms. In exchange for beauty, the Lord takes a beating. In exchange for strength, He accepts weakness. Instead of putting His foes in their place, He allows their mockery on the cross. It is not glorious in the world’s eyes, but it is the Father’s will. We behold His glory at the cross, full of grace and truth.

In order for this to all take place, you need an intercessor; you need Christ. It is Christ who always makes appeals for you on high. You can be certain that the heavenly Father hears the intercession of His Son and answers in your favor. The intercession that Jesus prays for is “Holy Father, keep them in your name,” the name of protection against an evil world.

You need the Lord’s intercession, for the world resolves war against you and your unity with Him. You are contending against lethal powers that intend to destroy your unity with the Father and the Son, namely, the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh, in order to lead you to abandon His name, Word, and work. There is nothing more that the devil wants than for you to doubt, to question God. If you do that, then the devil wins.

Your intercessor gives to you those tools that are necessary to defeat the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh. Jesus says, “For I have given them the words that you gave me.” The disciples will be far from lost: Not only do they have the Lord’s Name to call upon, but they also have His Word. Jesus has painstakingly taught them His Law, that they might clearly know what is required of man, lest they be led astray to teach or live some false doctrine. He also patiently teaches them His Gospel, that He is going to the cross to redeem the world. While the disciples do not understand the significance of all of this, no matter; it is still His powerful Word, whether they understand it or not.

Not only did Jesus give to His disciples His Word, He has given that Word to you. There in His Word are the promises that He has made for you. There in His Word is the promise of forgiveness for you. There in His Word is the promise of salvation for you. There in His Word is the promise of everlasting life for you. These are promises that are not made lightly. These are promises that came at great cost, all for you. It cost the Father His own beloved Son. It cost the Son His very life. Given the costs, we would say they were high, maybe even too high. Could we really justify the life of our only-begotten son for someone else? I think we would be hard-pressed to justify that, yet God did not think twice about it. He did not question the price because you are His creation and when He created you in His image, that is how He meant for you to be: holy, perfect, without sin. The only way for creation to be restored is by the death of Christ; but not just by His death but by His resurrection also.

You are kept in His name because you have been given to Christ by your Father before time. Being Christ’s eternal possession, you can be certain that the Father hears the Son’s plea to keep you in His own name. What exactly is that plea that Christ makes on your behalf? He pleas, “Father, forgive them.” He pleas, “Glorify your Son.” In short, Jesus says, “Put me on the cross. Burden and bury me with all their sin. Raise me from the dead so they may have everlasting life.”

With His Name and Word, the Lord leaves to you and me gifts for our benefit. Add His Word and Name to water, and there is Holy Baptism to cleanse the sinner. Speak His Word and Name, and there is Holy Absolution, as sinners are forgiven in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Add His Word to bread and wine, and the Word-made-flesh is present for the forgiveness of sins.

These are the gifts that Jesus gives to His disciples as He prepares to be glorified on the cross: His Word and His Name. By His Word, He speaks to them and tells them all they need to know about sin and grace, faith and life. He places His Name upon them and declares them to be His; and by His Name, they can speak back to Him and call upon Him at all times. And so He prays: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

This is why Jesus prays in the text today: That you would thankfully receive His Word and gladly hear and learn it. That you would call upon His Name in time of trouble, pray, praise and give thanks. That you would hear Him and call upon His Name, rejoicing in the forgiveness He has won for you, giving thanks that He has united you with the rest of the Church. Until then, listen to the Lord Jesus pray. He prays for you. And because He prays for you, you are forgiven for all of your sins. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Sixth Sunday of Easter

A-55 Easter 6 (Jn 14.15-21)O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Easter 6)

Readings

Acts 17:16-31
1 Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21

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Sixth Sunday of Easter–“If You Love Me” (John 14:15-21)

A-55 Easter 6 (Jn 14.15-21)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Gospel, which was read earlier.

Language is a funny thing. When you look at words, how they’re formed, what they mean, it is interesting to see how they came to be. There are words that long and words that are short. We have words that are easy to pronounce and words that are not easy to pronounce. One word in the English language is 28 letters long, antidisestablishmentarianism. It’s a word that you won’t hear a lot. There’s even a 45-letter word, but I won’t begin to try to pronounce that word. But there is one word in the English language that is a very difficult word for us to comprehend. That word is not a long word; rather, it is only 2 letters long. The word is “if.” It is conditional. It indicates that should you do this, then you will receive that. It requires action, usually on your part, to receive the intended results that you desire.

That is how Jesus begins His discourse here. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we don’t love Jesus. Because of our sinful nature, we want absolutely nothing to do with God. We utterly despise Him and everything that He stands for. We can’t love Jesus on our merits or work, and we surely can’t keep His commandments. That should be the end of it all. We don’t want God, we hate God, and we despise God. So in turn, God should not want us. God should hate us. God should despise us. But that is not the way it is. God chose to love us when we were unlovable in our sin. Through His great love and mercy, He gave to us His only-begotten Son. By the work of Jesus Christ, we have been given the gift of Jesus and His forgiveness, won for us on the cross.

Jesus knows that we cannot love Him. God knows that we cannot love Him, yet that doesn’t stop them from loving us. God loved us when we were unlovable and promised Jesus. Jesus loved us when we were unlovable and gave Himself to us and promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have been promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Here, Jesus tells us, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Really? God would promise us a Savior for breaking His one command of not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Jesus would give to us Himself even when we are incapable of doing what He says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Speaking for myself, I know that I’m not perfect. And speaking for all of you, I know that you’re not perfect either. None of us are perfect, nor has there been anyone who is perfect, except for Jesus Christ. He is the one and only who has ever been or ever will be perfect. You and I are far from perfect. In fact, we are so far beyond perfect that the only thing you and I should receive is death and damnation. Yet, despite all of that, God still loves us. Despite our grievous sins, God still loves us enough to send to us a Savior. Despite our grievous sins, Jesus still loves us to send us the gift of the Holy Spirit for the building up of our faith.

Through the gifts of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, Jesus continues to come to us, just as He says He would. Through these simple and ordinary means of water, bread, and wine, Jesus gives to us that which we need most – His forgiveness, His life, His salvation. He gives to us freely and gives out of His great and abundant mercy.

You are His disciples, and because you are His disciples, He promises to keep you in His care and does so through the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, there is one problem with that as well. On account of our sin, we fall short of keeping God’s gifts as we should. We neglect to be in God’s Word, both privately and corporately. We do not hunger and thirst for the Sacrament which Christ gives of His own body and blood. We do not love our neighbor as we should. There is a reason for this: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” From the greatest to the least, we all have sinned; we all have missed the mark. But the Lord knows that the only way we can even begin to keep His gifts holy and sacred is if we receive help, so He sends another Helper, another Advocate. The Holy Spirit is our second advocate. He helps us in our weakness. He especially helps us by bringing to remembrance the words of Jesus, by bearing witness to Jesus, and by taking what is Jesus’ and showing it to us. He helps us by giving us the truth, the true knowledge of God, and by actually remaining not only alongside us, but in us, for “he dwells with you and will be in you.”

It is through this Helper, through the Holy Spirit, that you and I are given the miraculous gift of faith, faith not in ourselves, but in God who is the One who makes promises and keeps them.

Christ promises to keep His disciples in His care by coming to them directly. How does He come to you? He comes in the ways that He has promised – through His Word and through His Sacraments. The writer to the Hebrews says, “In many and various ways, God spoke to His people of old through the prophets. But now, in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.” He comes to us through His body and His blood, in a meal that you feast upon for the strengthening and nourishing of your faith.

To have Christ means that you have the victor over sin, death, and the power of the devil. Having Christ, then, is to live in faith. And when we have Christ, we also have the Father.

Jesus didn’t just say that He loved you; He showed His love to you. He kept you and keeps you. He kept you from being destroyed by sin when He died for you. He kept you from being destroyed by death when He rose for you, and He keeps you today in His Word and in His Spirit. By Christ and His actions for you, He has shown the love of God to you, and because God has loved you, now you are able to love Jesus, because He has removed from you all of your sins and made you holy by His blood. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Fifth Sunday of Easter–“The Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:1-14)

A-54 Easter 5 (Jn 14.1-14)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

What a thing to say, and what a time to say it. It is the Last Supper, and the cross is near at hand. Jesus predicts His betrayal, and Judas disappears into the darkness. Peter declares that he will never abandon the Savior; Jesus replies that Peter will deny Him three times before the night is over. Betrayal. Denial. Death. Things are going to crash down soon.

And if Jesus is put to death, where will the disciples go? These are men who care enough about spiritual matters to abandon all and follow Him; but if He is dead, what is left? They could turn to the Pharisees, who preach salvation by way of behavior – that you can be saved by keeping their rules. But Jesus Himself called them “whitewashed tombs”; that is, they look very good and pious on the outside, but inside they are dead in hypocrisy and sin. There’s no salvation there. They could check out the Greeks; in the tradition of Aristotle and Plato, the Greeks still place a high regard on knowledge and truth, and they’ve done so much with philosophy and their study of man, why he is the way he is, and how the world should be. But despite all the knowledge, the world still isn’t that way. No salvation there, either. Then again, there are tons of heathen religions around, pointing to their oracles as ways that people can get in touch with a god and achieve real life; but everyone’s experience is so different that none of it really makes sense in the end. And, in the end, there is no hope.

For you and I, there is indeed hope. Our hope lies not in this world, but it lies in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us. Jesus tells the disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Our hope lies in the promises that God has made to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Instead of reasons for despair, the disciples realize the good news that the cross of Jesus Christ overcomes troubled hearts with the promises, assurances, and benefits of our great God.

Christ has overcome troubled hearts by commanding faith in His great promises established by the cross. It was through the cross that all the promises God made came to fruition. It was through the cross that the promise of salvation was fulfilled. It was through the cross that you and I received life. Troubled hearts are no match for the Word of Jesus. The disciples, on the night before Jesus was betrayed, had troubled hearts. You and I will have troubled hearts at some point in our lives. Jesus commands faith, not once but twice. He says, “Believe in God; believe also in me.” It is belief in God that brings about faith. It is belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and His redemptive work that brings salvation, for salvation cannot be found in anything other than Jesus and His salvific work for us.

There is no need for troubled hearts, as they are overcome by the Lord’s amazing promise of what God has in store for us. We look at this world and we see how much it has suffered because of sin. We have wars. We have disease. We have death. We all have seen the effects of sin on this world and we ask ourselves, “Is this it? Is there more to this thing called life?” And the answer is no, this isn’t it. There is more to this thing called life, or at least life as we know it. There is salvation. There is forgiveness. There is everlasting life. No matter how good or how bad your life may be on this earth, there is more waiting for you. There is a room in heaven that your Savior has prepared for you. If that isn’t good enough, Jesus also tells us, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Jesus will personally take us to our eternal rooms, rooms prepared by Jesus when He said from the cross, “It is finished” because there at the cross, Jesus paid for your sin, giving to you that key to your room in heaven.

Then Jesus speaks the all-familiar words to Thomas and the other disciples. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If you want words of assurance and comfort, then these are the words for you. Jesus comforts the disciples with what they had previously learned and experienced. With these words, He reminds us that He is the world’s one Lord and Savior.

These words, Jesus also speaks to you. He spoke these words to you on the cross. He spoke these words to you at your baptism. He speaks these words to you this morning. He speaks these words when you feast upon His body and blood. He speaks these words to you each and every day of your life, and He will speak these words to you as you draw your final breath.

Christ is the one and only source of blessed existence and life for us. In our sin is death, the separation from God. Left to ourselves, we should remain in this separation forever, dead beyond hope. In the person of Jesus, God sent us “the life.” Take away Jesus, and the way, truth, and the life are gone. All hope of God and heaven outside of Jesus is vanity and worse. “Except through me” is absolute and final. Despair would be the order of the day for this world, except for this wonderful news that our Lord declares. Despite the sin and evil of the world, there is a Way. The way is not what we would expect. The way is not a route or a set of directions. Instead, it is a person – Jesus Himself. We cannot travel this route. Instead Jesus must take us. In fact, that is exactly what He promised when He said, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Through the blood that flowed from His body on the cross, Jesus is the way. Through the Scriptures which testify He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, Jesus is the truth. Through His taking our sin and our curse upon Himself, Jesus is the life. What comfort this is to our troubled hearts! In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Fifth Sunday of Easter

A-54 Easter 5 (Jn 14.1-14)O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Readings

Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

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Fourth Sunday of Easter–“Jesus the Good Shepherd” (John 10:1-10)

A-53 Easter 4 (Jn 10.1-10)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

How do you enter your house? If you’re like most people, it’s by one of two ways: either you enter the front door or you enter by your garage door leading into the house. That’s the normal way. Think about what that says. It says that you belong there, that it is your house and you have permission to enter it. Now imagine if you entered your house say through the living room window. It seems odd, doesn’t it? If someone were to drive by and see you entering through the window, what do you think their first thought would be? Obviously, they would think that someone was breaking into the house. You see, when you enter the house through the window, it gives the impression that this isn’t your house, that you don’t belong there.

In our Gospel for today, St. John records for us a parable of Jesus talking about sheep, a shepherd, and robbers. Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” Imagine before you a pen of sheep. There is one way into the pen – through the door. When the shepherd enters through the door, the sheep recognize him as their shepherd and they follow him around the pen and wherever he would lead them. But if a person enters the sheep pen through an unusual way, the sheep are thrown off. They know that something is amiss.

Shepherds are a major part of the Scriptures. Psalm 23 is probably the most well-known psalm of them all. We all know the beginning words: “The LORD is my shepherd.” Who is your Shepherd? The Lord is your Shepherd. Jesus is your Shepherd. He leads you and He restores you. He comforts you. He prepares a table for you. He anoints your head. He does everything for you. And in our Introit this morning, Jesus tells you one more thing that He does for you. He says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Today, on this day, the day often called Good Shepherd Sunday, we recognize what our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ did; by dying on the Cross, He laid down His life for His sheep. That is precisely what a shepherd does – lays down his life for the life of the sheep.

Your Lord has laid down His life for you because He loves you. Christ Jesus is our Shepherd out of His pure grace. He did not decide to be our Shepherd because we deserve Him. We deserve the Butcher, not the Shepherd. But Jesus comes to us in love anyway. He nurtures and tenderly cares for us sinners. He truly desires to be the Shepherd for you and for me. He does what any true shepherd does – He gives His life in defense of the sheep. He gives His life in defense of you and me.

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, does what a shepherd does. He enters by the door. He speaks honestly, without concern for Himself. That’s what any good shepherd does. The shepherd puts the sheep before himself. He will sacrifice himself to insure the safety of the sheep that are entrusted to him.

Jesus our Good Shepherd has gone before us to prepare the way for His flock. He has gone before us to make sure that the way is safe. He has guaranteed that safety by laying down His life for you and for me. He has gone before us and taken our place. He has taken our rightful punishment on Himself so that what is ours now becomes His.

Christ Jesus continues to shepherd His flock today. He leads us beside living waters, and feeds us the best food. In Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, Christ cares for His sheep. He bathes us in Baptism, and washes us with His cleansing Blood, so that we are absolutely clean. He makes us healthy with a proper diet of Word and Sacrament. As He absolves and proclaims and preaches His Gospel, He heals our spiritual diseases and binds up our wounds.

Who cares for sheep better than our Good Shepherd? Who paid a greater price than He? Who is more loving and generous and attentive? Who has faced greater wolves than Jesus faced: sin, death, and the devil?

Your Good Shepherd did all of this for you out of the love for the Father. We have a loving Father who gave to us at so great a cost what we needed the most: salvation.

Christ is your Good Shepherd, who has laid down His life for the sheep, for you. He has gone to the cross to redeem you from sin; He has suffered God’s judgment so that you might be His people. And so the psalm declares, “we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

Your Good Shepherd has laid down His life for you, and now He has taken it up again. He is risen from the dead, just as He said He would, for the grave cannot silence Him. He declares, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.” Today you hear His voice, for even today He speaks and His Word does what it says it will do. To you He cries out, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” To you He cries out, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” To you He cries out, “I am the resurrection and life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” He declares this to you in His eternal Word; and by the work of His Holy Spirit, you hear His voice and follow Him. He is your rest. He is your resurrection. He is your life. He is your Good Shepherd.

Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” When we walk through the door that is Christ, we walk into His death and His resurrection. We walk into His forgiveness. We walk into His holiness. We walk into the new life that is only found in Christ. While the thief “comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, “came that [you] may have life and have it abundantly.”

You are sheep of the Good Shepherd, who has laid His life down for the sheep. Your Shepherd does not come to lead you to slaughter; instead, He has already been led to the cross in order to give you life. He does not come to rob you of all that you have in return for His help, but to give you freely of the grace and salvation He has won. He does not call upon you to work hard to snatch grace from Him by your works and labors; He calls you to freely receive. That is why He leads you beside still waters. That is why He speaks His Word. That is why He prepares a banquet table for you, even in the presence of your enemies.

He has done all these things for you. He is your Good Shepherd. By His Word, He has voiced His salvation to you. He is your Door, and through Him you have come into the Kingdom of heaven. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.