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Pentecost 3–“Tents to Houses” (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

While on vicarage, one of the things we did was to take the youth on a camping trip to Nolin Lake State Park in Kentucky. Everything was fine during the trip. The weather was perfect, until the freak summer storm hit. When the rain started it was light, but it didn’t take long for it to turn into what seemed like a flood. Once we got everything at the campsite secured, we turned our attention to ourselves. The only thing that provided us any protection were the tents that we had. They provided us with adequate coverage, but the security of a four-walled building would have been better. We knew that the tents we were using were only temporary, but at that moment, they were our security from the storm.

In this earthly life, we live in nothing but a tent. Sure, some of those tents are pretty nice and they look and feel great, but in the end, the tent will be destroyed. In this tent we groan, and the source goes far beyond rain and storms: because of sin, our bodies and lives face plagues of worry, trouble, disease and death. So, while we live in this tent, we rejoice amidst the groans because we have a building from God, “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Jesus has gone to prepare a mansion for us, and we look forward to the time that we move from this tent and get to go home.

For Paul, he knows with all certainty, that a house “eternal in the heavens” awaits him because that is what God has said. God in the presence of Jesus Christ has given us a promise: “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.”

Do you know who that promise was made to? That promise was made to you. It was promised to you in your Baptism when God placed His name upon you. There in the water, God gave you this promise of an eternal house.

When we read Paul’s letter, does it seem interesting to you that rather than fearing when this earthly tent is destroyed, he instead actually looks forward to it? Listen to what he says: “…so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” Death isn’t an eternal death, at least, not for Paul. Death isn’t an eternal death for you either. Death isn’t an eternal death at all for the Christian, for when we die, we merely die an earthly death and receive everlasting life. That is the message that he shared with the Romans when he says, “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Paul had no worries when it came to death. The same, however, could not be said for those to whom Paul wrote and visited.

To those whom Paul wrote and visited, they knew that they had salvation because it had been preached to them and taught to them regularly. However, it was how a person received that salvation that was at stake here. Salvation came from a person’s keeping of the Law and their various good works. That same thought was prevalent during the time of the Reformation and what was being taught by the Roman Catholic Church. Even today we hear the same thing. Today we hear from very influential megachurch pastors that preach a salvation that is based solely on what you do. But that is not what is found in Scripture. Instead we hear Jesus say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus never says that salvation can be found outside of Him, but that is what was taught at the time of Jesus and that is what is taught today.

What assurance of all of this do we have? Can you really trust the word of Jesus? This could be all that there is. This tent in which we live in may be all that we have. Some may say that this is all that we have, that there is nothing beyond this. However, we know that that is not the case. We know that there is something beyond this life, something beyond earthly riches. We know this because we have been given “the Spirit as a guarantee.” The Lord has given a down payment, a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. The Spirit, who called us by the Gospel, keeps us in faith, and dwells in us is the guarantee of what is to come. Combined with the promises of the Father and of Jesus, the Spirit’s promise to us is one that is most certainly true.

We can now walk through this life with confidence, no matter what our situation, no matter what difficulty or hurt we face. We can be confident that our God is good for His promise of life. We need not fear death or the things that happen to our body. As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. Paul recognized that and even longed for death. His longing for death was not simply a wish to be unclothed. Rather, death for Paul, as well for every Christian, is not an escape. It is entry into life in its fullest. It is “[putting] on our heavenly dwelling.”

We are able to look forward to that building which God has built because of our faith. Through faith and not by sight are we able to believe that which God has given to us. Even our Lord Himself says “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That is why you walk by faith, not by sight. That is why, when it comes to the tent and the house, you close your eyes and you open your ears. You hear God’s Word, and it is there that you find your comfort and joy, because it’s there that you hear the faith in which you walk.

Just what is this faith that you hear? God created man in His image to be perfect. Through the fall into sin, man lost that image and forever tastes death. Because of sin and death, God sent His Son into this sinful and fallen world in order to redeem it. He did this for a purpose: to prepare a place in heaven for you. He became flesh in order to die for you. He took every infirmity that afflicts your body and life, and bore it on the cross so that those may not curse and torment you forever. He bore every sin that would rob you of life and suffered God’s judgment for them – so that you might be forgiven your sins and delivered in God’s time from this tent of suffering to the eternal home of heaven. In the name of Jesus, 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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Pentecost 2B–“Seen and Unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1)

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 Epistle, which was read earlier.

How does one believe something to be true? Usually, it requires that they be able to see it for themselves. Thomas required seeing the resurrected Jesus rather than believing what the disciples had told him. Often times for us, we desire to see something in order to believe. It’s not necessarily that we doubt what we are being told, but we find it easier to believe something when we have that visible and tangible truth.

As we look at our Epistle, Paul is carrying over thoughts that he had spoken of earlier in chapters 2 and 3 regarding the ministry. What he writes here speaks of the convictions we cling to in carrying out this ministry which we have been charged with by Jesus Christ, as well as the comfort we have from God in His promises to us as Christians.

Paul begins this portion of his letter by quoting Psalm 116:10. He writes, “I believed, and so I spoke.” He quotes this to explain further why he persists in his ministry, even though it means a constant tasting of death. He continues that thought in his own words, “we also believe, and so we also speak.” Paul believed; he continued to trust the Lord in the midst of his afflictions just as the psalmist had done. God never disappointed him, just as He had not disappointed the psalmist. Paul could not help himself but to publicly speak the praises of God that had been shown to him, the chief of sinners, and to all people. That is why he adds, “for it is all for your sake.”

You see, you are ones for whom the Gospel is intended for. You are the ones for whom Jesus gave His life. You are the ones for whom Jesus gave the gift of everlasting life. Everything that is done is done for you. However, the One who has done all of this for you is not seen by you. You do not see Jesus, nor did the people of Paul’s time, yet what Paul focused on was the unseen Christ rather than the things that are seen in this world. What Paul is focusing on for the people at Corinth is not what it is that they can see, but what it is they cannot see. This is one of the mysteries of God. We cannot see God, yet because of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit, we believe. We should put our trust and our faith in the things unseen in this world, namely God, than the things that we see in this world.

While it is much easier to put our faith in things of this world, this world cannot save. That was one of the problems during the time of Jesus. The Pharisees were preaching a salvation through works, through a person’s keeping of the Law. But their salvation did not depend on this world and what it had to offer, but rather their salvation depended upon Jesus Christ and what He had done for them.

The same holds true for you today. Your salvation does not depend on what you do. Your salvation does not depend on whether or not you follow a certain “to-do” list for your faith. Your salvation solely depends on Jesus Christ and what He has done for you and nothing else. Faith in God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, is the focus of Paul. For those at Corinth, they tried to put their faith in themselves or in something other than God. When they did, they received nothing in return. For Paul, when he persecuted Christians prior to his Damascus Road conversion, there was nothing for him to look forward to after his death. When he died, he was dead and would remain dead. But for the Christian, when we die, we have that newness of life in Jesus Christ to look forward to, for He has come, died for us, and has given us everlasting life. That newness of life, the everlasting life that we have, there is no way to see it now. We can’t see heaven, but we put our faith not in what is seen, but what is unseen.

Faith without seeing, even faith with seeing, can be difficult at times, to say the least. For what Paul says can be words of distress or words of comfort: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison….”

We all at times lose heart. We become tired, faint, discouraged by the pressures and apparent failures in our lives. Discouragement occurs and wavering faith can afflict you. Outwardly, we are wasting away. Our bodies become frail with age. We suffer from disease and decay, and eventually, we will die as a result of our fall into sin. But instead of turning to this world for comfort or salvation, we look to the Gospel’s power in Word and Sacrament which keep us alive and sustain our faith, even in those times when our faith gets rocky.

What Paul needs more than anything, what you need more than anything is Jesus Christ. When all things around us pass away, inwardly through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are continually being renewed and strengthened. It is not the world that sustains us, but only the saving act of Jesus Christ, who through His death and resurrection, grants to us that wonderful gift of everlasting life. And so we turn our eyes, not to the things of this world, but we turn our eyes to the cross. We turn our eyes toward Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Everything that Paul had preached to the Corinthians, in fact, everything about Paul’s ministry, was Christ-centered as it should be. This was in direct contrast to the prevailing thought of the day of a person’s salvation depending on themself and their own actions. For us living 2000 years later, that thought hasn’t changed. We are still inundated with the theology of glory that says we’re doing something for God, continually being told that we can bring about our salvation by doing this or by doing that, by following a series of steps that lead to Jesus as if He is the ultimate goal of our multi-step program. But as Paul preached then and as the Church preaches today, it is Jesus Christ who comes to us, coming to us in those means that He has promised through His Word and Sacraments which forgive.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what we see, but what is unseen. “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” The things of this world will ultimately disappear, fail us, or hinder us from keeping our eyes on the prize, that is, Jesus Christ and His life-giving salvation.

Ultimately, death will be changed to life, new life in Jesus Christ. Our troubles will be short-lived and turn into glory, glory in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has given us His Word and His Sacraments, which strengthens the faith that we have received from the Holy Spirit. Finally, the things of this world that we see will pass away and we will be left for eternity what is unseen: God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, who have prepared for us a new home, free from all troubles where there will only be glory, forever and ever, 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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The Office of Holy Ministry

This is a great quote regarding the Office of Holy Ministry from C.F.W. Walther, first president of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

O, glorious office! No matter how sick a person may be in his soul, the Gospel can heal him. No matter how deeply a person has fallen into the corruption of sin, the Gospel can pull him out. No matter how troubled, frightened, and afflicted a person may be, the Gospel can comfort him. Whatever the condition a person finds himself, even if he is convinced that he must perish because of it, the preachers can confidently oppose him, saying: “No, as certainly as God lives, He does not want the death of any sinner. You shall not perish; instead, you shall be saved. Turn to Jesus who can evermore save all who come to God through Him.” And if one who lies near death calls out: “God, what have I done? Woe to me! Not it is too late! I am lost!” the preachers should call to him: “No, no, it is not too late! Commit your departing soul to Jesus. You too shall still be with Him in paradise today.” O, glorious, high office, too high for the angels! May we always hold it in high regard, not looking at the person who bears it and despising his weakness, but looking instead at the Institutor of this office and His exuberant goodness. Let us turn to Him in faith so we can experience the blessings of which the preachers have spoken and, through them, be gathered together one day into the barns of heaven as a completely ripe sheaf.

It is comforting to know that no matter how I mess things up as a pastor, a person’s salvation does not depend on me, the man, but rather the office to which I hold. It is and always must be solely the Gospel that is put forward and never the man. Man is sinful; the Word of God is without sin. Man can err; the Word of God is without error. Let us not focus on the man in the office, but rather what it is that the man preaches; that is, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

(Quoted from God Grant It, p. 679-680)

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Holy Trinity–“The Trinity” (John 3:1-17)

B-62 Trinity Sunday (Jn 3.1-17)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.

The Christian faith always demands your very best. This is not a statement of the Law, but a description of reality. Christianity is dealing with God, and with the truth about God and His will. Because God is God and more than human, He can do and say and be more than we can conceive of. So, while a little child can know and believe enough to have saving faith, the brightest minds in the world, working at full capacity and brilliance, cannot exhaust what may be known, or understood, or believed, about God – and will never quite grasp the totality of God and who He is. You can give it all you got and never quite be finished, and you need to give your faith the best that is in you because the more you know, the more you can believe, and the more you believe, the greater your peace and comfort in the faith.

Today is Trinity Sunday, a day in the Church Year that focuses more than any other time of whom the Trinity is and what the work of the Holy Trinity is. Everything that needs to be said about the Trinity has already been confessed in the Athanasian Creed, a Creed that is confessed only on this day. The Athanasian Creed declares that its teachings concerning the Holy Trinity and our Lord’s incarnation are “the catholic faith.” We don’t mean the Roman Catholic Church, but rather, catholic with a lower “c”, which means universal. In other words, this is what the true Church of all times and all places had confessed.

As we look at today’s Gospel reading, we have a conversation that takes place between Jesus and a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. Jesus had frequent encounters with the Pharisees, the work-righteous and often hypocritical Jewish religious elite. Usually they sought to discredit Jesus, but this time, one of them came alone secretly at night. Perhaps he feared the reactions of the other Pharisees who saw Jesus as a threat to them. Nicodemus, unlike the other Pharisees, came sincerely seeking the truth. Jesus’ teachings and signs had impressed him. He confessed that Jesus had come from God. He knew so because Jesus did miraculous signs no one could do without God.

As with see with this discourse, Nicodemus correctly states that Jesus is from God and Jesus answers him by saying, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus speaks of being “born again.” In today’s society, being “born again” is dangerous and deceptive language. Here’s what I mean.

Often in evangelical circles when one speaks of being “born again,” it means that moment in your life when you make that decision to follow Jesus or when you decide to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. However, that is not what Jesus means. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” With these words of Jesus, He speaks about the wonderful gift of Holy Baptism, that sacred act where God chooses to make us His beloved child, where Jesus redeems us and where the Holy Spirit gives to us faith. Notice that it is the Trinity who is doing the work and not the individual. Being born again as Jesus explains is an act that is done completely from the outside, not the inside.

These words that Jesus speaks to Nicodemus teach us that the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, work together to bring salvation to us, the sinner. Each member of the Trinity has a role in our salvation: God the Father created us, God the Son by His blood redeemed us, and God the Holy Spirit by Holy Baptism has sanctified us to be His holy temple.

What Jesus said was profound and Nicodemus was left wondering, questioning what Jesus had said. Jesus spoke of glorious things, of divine things, and Nicodemus thought in terms of his own experience, relying on his own knowledge to grasp what Jesus was talking about. And so Jesus asks him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”

Nicodemus isn’t alone in his ignorance of what Jesus says regarding the new birth of water and the Spirit. Many are ignorant of what Jesus means. Holy Baptism does something extraordinary, something that we cannot comprehend, yet we accept it by faith. But for as many as accept Baptism by faith, there are just as many who reject it or see it as nothing more than a human rite that a person does to confess their faith, and that’s where it stops. Jesus makes it clear that even as we don’t choose our physical birth, neither do we choose our new birth in Him either. It is God who does the choosing, not us.

Are we any different than Nicodemus? Do we question God and His work or do we accept it by faith? Do we have to have all the answers or are we content with knowing that God will work all things to His glory, even if that means we don’t understand it? Can you understand how the Son prays to His Father when He Himself is God? Can you understand how Jesus Christ, who is God, can die and rise again from the dead if He is also man? Can you understand how ordinary means such as water, bread, and wine, when combined with God’s Word, becomes something extraordinary that brings about salvation for a person?

Nicodemus still needed to hear just what Jesus was all about and God’s plan for salvation, just as we need to hear that even today. Jesus directed Nicodemus to the Scriptures for understanding of what He was going to do. Jesus tells him, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” Everyone who looked at the serpent that Moses raised up was saved from the bite of deadly snakes. Everyone who looks to Jesus Christ in faith, given to them by the Holy Spirit, would be saved from the bite of eternal death and would have eternal life. This is the new life that begins with the new birth by the Spirit. The promise belongs to “everyone” who believes. It is universal. No one who believes in Christ is excluded.

All of this was done so that we would have eternal life. He did all this out of love for us, so that we would have life and have it abundantly in His name. This was done for us because we are sinners in need of salvation. We aren’t born with eternal life. Each and every one of us are born into a sinful world and we die in a sinful world. However, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have that gift of everlasting life.

Once again, we reflect on the work of the Trinity. Just as the Father sent the Son to earn our forgiveness, so He sent the Holy Spirit to offer that forgiveness to us through the gift of faith. Jesus tells Nicodemus and us that the Holy Spirit must give us a new birth. All those who believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins are born again through the work of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God has created you. Jesus Christ has redeemed you, “not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood.” You have been brought to believe in Him by the power of His Holy Spirit, poured out on you at your Baptism. What a mystery all of this is. We will never understand how this all works in this world. Fortunately, God does not ask us to understand it. He only expects us to believe and even supplies the faith that does the believing. What a wonderful gift from the Holy Trinity. 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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Pentecost–“Work of Pentecost” (Acts 2:1-21)

B-61 Pentecost (Ac 2.1-21)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 is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

Today is the Feast of Pentecost – the Sunday when we focus on the revelation of the Holy Spirit fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead and ten days after He ascended into heaven. The three readings that the Church has chosen for this day all point to some aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament reading tells us that the Word of God is powerful enough to bring dry bones back to life. The Epistle is the account of Pentecost itself. The Gospel is Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit and His description of the benefits that the disciples will receive from the Holy Spirit.

Today marked an important day in the Church as this was in celebration of the Feast of Weeks when God gave the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Every pious Jew tried to be in Jerusalem for this feast. Those who could not come to Jerusalem observed it in the synagogues throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Needless to say, this was an important day and everyone who was able to go to Jerusalem was there.

As the people were gathered there, a truly miraculous event took place. Luke records for us, “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Jerusalem was full of faithful pilgrims on this day of Pentecost, right at the beginning of the Feast of Weeks. The sound of a mighty rushing wind and the appearance of tongues of fire were a call to gather the faithful men of Israel, just as Moses gathered the faithful so long ago to give to them the Law.

Here on Pentecost you saw the beginning of the New Testament Church as we know it. During the time of Christ, you had the apostles and other disciples and followers of Christ. When Christ appeared after the resurrection, He gave to the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive and retain sins. Now, the gift of the Holy Spirit was being given to the people in a unique way. Instead of focusing on a Messiah that was to come, now their faith was in Jesus of Nazareth as the risen Messiah who had come and kept God’s promises.

What was so important on this day was that the people now heard the wondrous work of God for them, some perhaps for the very first time. They now heard of the saving work of Jesus Christ for them personally, how He laid down His life and took it up again so that they would have the forgiveness of their sins. But as awesome of a spectacle that was, of hearing the mighty works of God, there was something even more to the days’ events: they now had the opportunity to spread to others the mighty works of God. The believers were now equipped and prepared to being carrying out the assignment that the Lord had given to His church: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The Holy Spirit had equipped the apostles to proclaim God’s great saving work in many languages. The confusion of tongues that resulted at Babel when men tried to glorify themselves by building a great tower was reversed on Pentecost. On this day, the Spirit moved men to glorify God in languages that were understood by all who heard

However, for some who were present that day, they did not see this for what it was but rather as men who were drunk. But if one went about this logically, then you could not say that they were drunk. In a drunken state, your speech might become slurred, but you wouldn’t somehow be able to speak a different language from your own.

Peter stands up and addresses the crowd by saying that these men are not drunk as some suppose them to be. It was nine in the morning, the hour of morning prayer, and the Jews did not eat until after that hour. Wine was drunk only with meals, and since it was too early for breakfast, it was also too early to have had too much wine. Peter did not need to defend himself, because his speech made it obvious that he was not drunk.

Peter’s real answer to the charge of drunkenness lay in his explanation of what was happening and why it was happening. The speaking in other languages was the sign that the Holy Spirit was being poured out, as God had promised through the prophet Joel so many years ago. The words of Peter’s Pentecost sermon were words that the prophet Joel spoke. These were words that the Jews would have been familiar with. The presence of the Holy Spirit was especially evident in the miracle of languages. Not everything else that Joel prophesied was going to happen in detail that day, but the gift of speaking in other tongues was a sign that the entire prophecy would be fulfilled in God’s good time and in His way.

As awesome of an event as Pentecost was, it was not about the mighty rushing wind or the tongues of fire. Pentecost was about the message that was being proclaimed: the mighty works of God. The message was about Jesus. The message was the forgiveness of sins. The message was salvation. The message was the Gospel.

On that day, the gift of the Holy Spirit was outpoured upon the people. Through the Holy Spirit, faith was granted to them. Still today, the Holy Spirit continues to do His work of bringing people to faith. We are brought to faith when God calls us His own through the waters of Holy Baptism. We are strengthened in our faith when we feast upon the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God promised through Joel that all people, male and female, old and young, would receive the Spirit. All would proclaim God’s message others after receiving His revelation. When Joel speaks of the Spirit being poured out “on all flesh,” it would include Jew and Gentiles, “all whom the Lord our God will call,” those who repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

For you and for me, the Holy Spirit gives us ordinary people “utterance” to confess the faith. What we confess is not a testimony about ourselves, but about the One who saved us. It is a testimony of about the mighty works of God and what He has done for us. The Holy Spirit empowers the ordinary believer to speak God’s saving Word in ordinary ways that people understand. On Pentecost, each one heard the message of God in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit causes God’s Word of salvation to be understood when it is confessed by believers.

The Holy Spirit works through the Word to put the finishing touch of faith on our salvation. God the Father sent His Son into the world in order that the world might be saved through Him. The Son has purchased our salvation with His holy, precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death. The Holy Spirit brings this salvation to us as He calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with His gifts, and sanctifies us in the one, true faith, and so the work of our salvation is complete. We do nothing but receive, for God does it all. Because God does it all, our salvation is secure and we shall live forever with Him. In the name of Jesus, 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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No sermon for Easter 7

This is no sermon for Easter 7 (May 20). My elders politely kicked me out of the pulpit Sunday (gave me the day off) so we went over to Rapid City for the weekend. Wesley was happy because he finally got to go on his trip that he’s been talking about since he saw Disney on Ice a few months back. We did what any good person with nowhere good to eat in town here: we ate and ate and ate. We had some Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Texas Roadhouse. That should tide us over until we make it home in July.

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Easter 6–“Love” (John 15:9-17)

B-58 Easter 6 (Jn 15.9-17)Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the movie Arthur, a filthy rich young man, who had never in his life had to care for anyone, suddenly falls in love. It is a feeling he cannot describe. In order to determine if it is the real thing, he asks a total stranger, “How can you tell if you are in love? Does it make you feel funny? Does it make you whistle all the time?” The stranger, unimpressed by the joy of new love, tells him, “You could be in love; then again, you could be getting sick.”

Arthur’s dilemma of not knowing what love feels like is unfortunately typical. In fact the problem is even worse than that. Not only do we not know what love feels like, but it is difficult for us even to know what love is. The word itself covers such a broad range of emotions that it is no help at all in getting to know what love is.

Scripture tells us that “God is love” and that “we love, because He first loved us.” From God we learn what love is by experiencing it in the gift of His Son. The more we can know about how God loves, the more we will know what love is and the more we will be able to love.

Our text today is more of what was spoken by Jesus to the disciples on Maundy Thursday. As we saw from the Gospel reading from last week, Jesus tells them the comparison of the vine and the branches. He reminded His disciples that just as a branch needs to be connected to its vine and to remain in it to be productive, so they also needed to be connected to Him and to remain in Him to be productive followers. Now He tells them the discourse about love.

In the Greek, there are three kinds of love: ἀγάπη , φιλία, and ἔρος . Φιλία is the love of friendship, and ἔρος is sensual love. Aγάπη denotes the highest type of love, a love which is sure, steadfast, heartfelt, and warm. This is the love that Jesus came to bring. Αγάπη love is Jesus, a love that sacrifices. What a blessing it is to enjoy the love of the Son of God. No matter what you experience as you travel through life on your way to heaven, you have the assurance that your Savior is dealing with you in love.

Think for a second what makes you happy, what causes joy in your life. Is it your car? Your house? Your money? Your family? Contrary to what the believing world thinks, true and lasting joy comes from knowing and serving a loving Savior. While the unbeliever seeks joy in the pursuit of sinful pleasures, the believer is reminded that real, complete joy is found in the Savior. That is what Jesus tells us in verse 11. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Where is that joy found? It’s found in love. Jesus says it as clear as day: “…love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”

To love each other. Easier said than done, isn’t it? Do you really love everyone? If we really loved everyone, then there would be no war, there would have been no slavery, and there would be no racism. We would all truly “get along.” But a greater love has been shown to us by the death of Christ. The supreme sacrifice that a person can make for his friends is to lay down his life them. Jesus made that supreme sacrifice when He laid down His life for us on the cross on Good Friday. However, Jesus not only laid down his physical life, He also suffered the torments of hell, separation from His heavenly Father, all to pay for the sins of the world. How many of us here this morning would be willing to give our life up for someone? I’m not talking about a parent willing to die for their child, but I mean who of us would be willing to die for the homeless person standing on the street, who none of us know? Would you die for him or watch him die?

Friends do things for each other. Friends look out for each other. Jesus has friends. Jesus’ friends are those whom He laid down His life to pay for their sins. The friends of Jesus are you and me, the believers in Christ. The friends of Jesus are those whom the Holy Spirit has worked saving faith in, granting to them the gift of everlasting life, won for them by Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus asks us to do one simple thing: love your neighbor as yourself. If you can love someone you have never met, then you can love anyone. That is what Jesus did. He did not personally know every person that came to Him or that He healed, but He loved them regardless. That is what we should do. We do not know everyone who asks something of us, but as Jesus tells us, “love one another as I have loved you.”

All people need and want friends. What a blessing it is for those who through faith have Jesus as their friend! He is the One Friend who is always there when they need Him. He is the One Friend who completely knows and understands them. He is the One Friend who never fails to grant peace and comfort through His Word. He is the One Friend who will receive them into His heavenly home.

Friendships usually develop mutually. Friends choose one another. Jesus points out that this is not the case when it comes to Him and His friends. He tells us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Jesus chose the disciples to be His friends and to do a certain task: to go out and be ambassadors for Him. And so it is with all believers. They did not have the ability to come to faith on their own. Regardless, Jesus chose them and brought them to faith through His Word. Like the apostles, all believers are chosen for a definite purpose. Jesus chooses His believers to live fruitful Christian lives for Him. What meaning and challenge that purpose puts into their lives.

God loves us unconditionally. He is the only source of pure, unconditional, ἀγάπη love. It is in this love that God created us and still sustains us. It is this love that compelled the Son of God to assume a human nature and sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us from sin. It is in this love that we abide by faith. Just as God’s love raised Christ from the dead, it promises that He will be with us here on this earth and that we shall be with Him forever in heaven. By faith this love works in us and through us to free us so that we can obey God’s command and love our brother even as God has loved us. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting. Amen.

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Easter 5–“Vines” (John 15:1-8)

B-57 Easter 5 (Jn 15.1-8)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.

It has been a month since Easter and now our hearts are beginning to turn toward the joy of Christ’s Ascension. However, as we look at our Gospel for today, it does not occur after Christ’s resurrection, but rather it occurs on Maundy Thursday, the night when our Lord was betrayed. What Jesus tells the disciples takes place just before they go to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus invites the disciples to abide in Him so that they will be comforted in the difficult hours to come.

In our Gospel today, the Father prunes us as branches of a precious vine. He forgives our sins through the Word Jesus speaks to us. Pruned and cleansed, we bear new fruit as we receive spiritual life through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Jesus told a parable to the disciples that compared all who believe in Him to branches on a grape vine. Jesus is the vine. His Father is the vinedresser. Just as a branch gets its sustenance from the vine, so also we get our sustenance from Jesus Christ. Just as a branch quickly dies when taken away from the vine, so also will we die when we are removed from Jesus Christ. In this way, we are totally dependent on Jesus for all things. As we live in Jesus the vine, God the Father, our vinedresser, prunes and cleans us.

Jesus uses the phrase, “I am the vine” twice as He talks to the disciples. The vine is often used symbolically in Scripture. In the Old Testament, the vine was used as a picture of fruitfulness and even as a picture of God’s people. When this imagery is used, Israel is often shown as lacking in some way. Here, Jesus portrays Himself as the vine, in fact the true vine.

Because Jesus is the true vine, our life as the branches depends on Him for all things. Listen again to what Jesus tells the disciples: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” You bear fruit because you are forgiven branches on the vine of Christ. With Jesus as the true vine and God as the vinedresser, you have everlasting life. Without Christ, you would be dead in your sins and doomed to everlasting death.

You are a branch in Christ. You became a branch because, and only because, you were connected to the Vine, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You did not become a branch because of who you are or what you have done. You did not become a branch of Christ because you are someone special. Rather, you were made a branch on account of your Baptism into Christ, and on account of your Baptism, life that comes from the vine now flows to you.

Jesus declares that you who are on the vine, you who are connected to Jesus Christ, are forgiven. He declares you to be “clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” says Jesus. That forgiveness that we have was earned for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. That forgiveness that we have was given to us at our Baptism, where we receive God’s name and are made His own.

However, not all branches produce fruit, and so are not connected to Christ. If we are not a part of Christ, then we cannot bear fruit. That may not sound too bad, but we cannot forget what Jesus said just a few verses ago: “Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away…. God removes what is fruitless, that which is of no use. The unproductive branches are cut off from the vine, while the fruitful branches are pruned to make them still more fruitful. Cut off from Christ, we would again be as dead and doomed in our sins as we once were. This can happen to any of us. Our faith can die if we separate ourselves from His Word and Sacraments, which is our connection to Him and His forgiveness.

God does promise something for those who remain faithful to Him. Jesus goes on to say, “…and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Living branches that bear fruit only continue to do so when the vinedresser lovingly cares for them by pruning parts of the branches that are sick or dying. The Father will work in their lives by His Spirit, taking away imperfections to help them grow, making them clean by His Word.

Our Lord prunes and cleanses us by His Word. Through the Word, Jesus works faith and gives life. Through the Word, He nourishes and energizes His disciples to live in faith. Through the Word, He cleans His own followers, that is, you and me. Through the Word, you hear time and time again the love of God that has been shown to you through Jesus, as He gives His life on the cross to forgive you your sins; as He gives you His body and blood to strengthen and keep you in the true faith.

It is the Word that brings us together with Jesus and keeps us together, like a vine and branches, and because of the Word, we bear fruit. But a branch by itself cannot produce any fruit. And we by ourselves, separated from Jesus, cannot produce fruit. So we need to remain steadfast in the Word and the Sacraments, as they give us the nourishment that we need from the vine.

Through Baptism Christ’s suffering and crucifixion become our suffering and crucifixion. When God looks at us, He sees the work of Jesus Christ’s suffering and crucifixion and applies it to our account. Just as the vinedresser cuts the vine in order to graft in a branch so also Jesus was cut so that we might become part of Him. We begin life as a branch of the vine of sin and death, but God cut us away from that vine and grafted us into the vine of life – Jesus Christ. God the Father is the vinedresser. He is the one who sent His only begotten son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. It is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who work together to save us and to give us faith in that salvation.  God is the one who grafts us into the vine through faith.  He is the one who nourishes us with His forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who produces the fruit in and through us.

All of this revolves around one word: abide. Three times Jesus uses the word “abide.” A person remains in Christ by faith. Christ is telling us to abide in Him. He is assuring the individual believer that so long as he trusts in Christ he is cleansed and forgiven. Jesus always abides in those who abide in Him. That staying power is not something that the branches of the true vine can muster of their own strength. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that alone can accomplish this, but with that power in action, we the branches, remain intimately connected to Christ, the vine, so that we might produce much fruit. Christ functions as the source of life for his people. As long as the connection remains, there will be spiritual fruit as a result.

Jesus assures His followers that He will abide with them, and He calls upon them to abide in Him. We remain firmly planted in Him through His Word. We are pruned by the continuing work of the Holy Spirit. We remain firm and steadfast in our faith in Christ Jesus by being disciples of Jesus Christ by abiding in Him, just as He abides in us. 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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Rite of Confirmation–“Confirmed in Christ” (John 10:11-18)

LSB Icon_024Grace, 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.

Confirmands, are you ready? Are you ready to confirm that faith which was granted to you in your Baptism? That is what this is all about. This is not graduation from church but rather the next step in your Christian life.

One of the most familiar pictures the Bible uses to teach us about our relationship to God is that of a shepherd and his sheep. It has its roots deep in the Old Testament. In the most popular psalm, Psalm 23, the author declares, “The Lord is my shepherd.” He describes his Lord as a good shepherd who takes care of His faithful believers who are His sheep. Jesus uses this same picture in our Gospel reading for today when He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

As we read through the New Testament, we see Jesus described in various ways as Prophet, Priest, and King.

When we speak of Christ as being Prophet, Christ preached personally during His life on earth, validating His word with miracles, especially His own resurrection. Jesus says in Mark 1, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Just what exactly was the message that Christ was preaching? His preaching was focused on the salvation that came because of Him. Everything that Jesus did throughout His ministry was for the sake of the people. The problem was that they didn’t know it, yet that what was Jesus came to do. The message of Christ was and has always been that of salvation. As Jesus says, “They will listen to my voice.” That voice of Jesus tells you that while you are a damned and convicted sinner, Christ died for you to forgive you all of your sins.

Again, we ask the question: why? Why did Jesus give His life for mine? Why did Jesus do what He did, suffer the cross for me? He did this out of love for you. He did this out of love for the Father. He did this out of love for all of creation. He did this so that you would have the gift of everlasting life. He does this for you because He is the Good Shepherd.

What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself the Good Shepherd? His listeners knew that a real shepherd is concerned first and foremost with the welfare of his flock. He would provide the flock the necessities of life such as food and drink. When a wild animal attacked, he would risk his life for the sheep. He would put his own life in jeopardy to protect his flock.

Even today, as Prophet, Christ through the preached Gospel still proclaims Himself to be the Son of God and Redeemer of the world. Jesus tells the disciples, “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” This Gospel that Jesus comes preaching is nothing short of the promise of forgiveness that has been won for you by Himself on the cross. This Gospel is the one and only thing that can and will save you. Anything other than Jesus Christ cannot and will not save.

My dear confirmands, you will indeed be tempted to fall away, just as everyone is. But you must remain faithful. That is one thing that you will you promise to do, just as every other member here as done. But hear these words of St. John: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” That is what our Lord has promised to you.

As our priest, Jesus Christ is the One who fulfilled the Law perfectly for us when we could not. This is most clearly presented in what St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

You and I are under that Law of God. It is a Law that convicts. God’s Law tells us that we are to be holy as God is holy. That means that we are to be without sin. For a brief moment in time, we were. When God created man, we were created in His image of being perfect and without sin. Because of Satan’s temptation, we lost that image of God and became sinners. Because of sin, you and I experience death – both physically and spiritually. We are in desperate need of restoration to God. Through Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, we have that means of restoration. He willingly gives His life as a sacrifice in order to redeem us, to buy us back, so that we may live with God in a state of forgiveness.

What Jesus sets out to do is to make the distinction between shepherd and hired servant. Most of the time, it is hard to tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand. Both the Good Shepherd and the hired hand lead the sheep to good pasture. They both see to it that the sheep get the water they need. They both attend to the minor cuts and scrapes of the flock. At the end of the day, both see to it that sheep find safe shelter. It is very hard to tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand under ordinary circumstances.

The one time that the difference becomes very clear is when the flock is in danger, for example: when a wolf is stalking the flock. When the wolf appears, the hired hand leaves the flock to defend itself. The Good Shepherd goes out to meet the wolf and defend the flock. The hired hand runs away. The Good Shepherd puts His life on the line and gives it up for the flock. The enemy of the flock brings out the difference between the hired hand and the Good Shepherd.

Look at some of the characteristics of the Good Shepherd: He calls His own sheep by name; He leads them out to pasture; the sheep follow Him; He gives His life for the sheep; the sheep are His; He does not flee in the face of danger, but puts Himself between the danger and the sheep; He cares about and knows the sheep. These are just a few of the characteristics of the Good Shepherd, of what Jesus does for us.

Just as a shepherd defends the flock, so does Jesus defend us, His flock. He does so by laying down His life for the sheep, just as He says: “I am the good shepherd….I lay down my life for the sheep.” This He does for you. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus gave up His life to secure that bond and keep His sheep safe. He makes the sacrifice of all sacrifices as Priest, a sacrifice that replaces all sacrifices. He sacrificed Himself for your sins, and His sheep all over the world receive the benefit. That benefit is meant for you. He delivers this gift to you in simple yet powerful means of Word and Sacraments.

Not only is Jesus our Prophet and Priest, He is also our King. He rules with His almighty power over all creation and governs and protects especially His church here on earth. He protects us from all that threatens us: the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. He defends us from the wolf that comes to snatch and scatters us. All this He does so that He can finally lead His church to glory in heaven, just as St. Paul writes: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.”

Because of this love, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ knows who we are and how best to take care of us. He knows that we are feeble from the outset because of our sinful nature. He knows that because of that sinful nature, we will do stupid sheep things like stray from His Word by not hearing it preached and by not studying His Word with the other sheep of His flock. He knows that we will stray from His body and His blood which gives us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. When we do all of that and even more, our Good Shepherd comes after us, to find us and bring us back into the sheep fold. He does not leave us to the wolves to be devoured; rather, He brings us back to Himself where He can keep an ever watchful eye on His beloved sheep.

For you six young ladies, let me ask one thing of you. Please come back to church next Sunday, and the Sunday after that, and the Sunday after that, and every Sunday after that until your Lord calls you home, for this is where your Lord has promised to come to you. He comes here to feed you and to forgive you and that is what He wants more than anything. And for everyone else who is here today, the same thing holds true for you, so please come and be fed by your Good Shepherd. 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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Easter 4–“Prophet, Priest and King” (John 10:11-18)

B-56 Easter 4 (Jn 10.11-18)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.

As we look at our Gospel for today, it is all about Jesus. It tells us who Jesus is and His three-fold office that He has: Prophet, Priest and King.

When we speak of Christ as being Prophet, Christ preached personally during His life on earth, validating His word with miracles, especially His own resurrection. Jesus says in Mark 1, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Just what exactly was the message that Christ was preaching? His preaching was focused on the salvation that came because of Him. Everything that Jesus did throughout His ministry was for the sake of the people. The problem was that they didn’t know it, yet that what was Jesus came to do. The message of Christ was and has always been that of salvation. As Jesus says, “They will listen to my voice.” That voice of Jesus tells you that while you are a damned and convicted sinner, Christ died for you to forgive you all of your sins.

Again, we ask the question: why? Why did Jesus give His life for mine? Why did Jesus do what He did, suffer the cross for me? He did this out of love for you. He did this out of love for the Father. He did this out of love for all of creation. He did this so that you would have the gift of everlasting life. He does this for you because He is the Good Shepherd.

What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself the Good Shepherd? His listeners knew that a real shepherd is concerned first and foremost with the welfare of his flock. He would provide the flock the necessities of life such as food and drink. When a wild animal attacked, he would risk his life for the sheep. He would put his own life in jeopardy to protect his flock.

Even today, as Prophet, Christ through the preached Gospel still proclaims Himself to be the Son of God and Redeemer of the world. Jesus tells the disciples, “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” This Gospel that Jesus comes preaching is nothing short of the promise of forgiveness that has been won for you by Himself on the cross. This Gospel is the one and only thing that can and will save you. Anything other than Jesus Christ cannot and will not save.

As our priest, Jesus Christ is the One who fulfilled the Law perfectly for us when we could not. This is most clearly presented in what St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

You and I are under that Law of God. It is a Law that convicts. God’s Law tells us that we are to be holy as God is holy. That means that we are to be without sin. For a brief moment in time, we were. When God created man, we were created in His image of being perfect and without sin. Because of Satan’s temptation, we lost that image of God and became sinners. Because of sin, you and I experience death – both physically and spiritually. We are in desperate need of restoration to God. Through Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, we have that means of restoration. He willingly gives His life as a sacrifice in order to redeem us, to buy us back, so that we may live with God in a state of forgiveness.

What Jesus sets out to do is to make the distinction between shepherd and hired servant. Most of the time, it is hard to tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand. Both the Good Shepherd and the hired hand lead the sheep to good pasture. They both see to it that the sheep get the water they need. They both attend to the minor cuts and scrapes of the flock. At the end of the day, both see to it that sheep find safe shelter. It is very hard to tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand under ordinary circumstances.

The one time that the difference becomes very clear is when the flock is in danger, for example: when a wolf is stalking the flock. When the wolf appears, the hired hand leaves the flock to defend itself. The Good Shepherd goes out to meet the wolf and defend the flock. The hired hand runs away. The Good Shepherd puts His life on the line and gives it up for the flock. The enemy of the flock brings out the difference between the hired hand and the Good Shepherd.

Look at some of the characteristics of the Good Shepherd: He calls His own sheep by name; He leads them out to pasture; the sheep follow Him; He gives His life for the sheep; the sheep are His; He does not flee in the face of danger, but puts Himself between the danger and the sheep; He cares about and knows the sheep. These are just a few of the characteristics of the Good Shepherd, of what Jesus does for us.

Just as a shepherd defends the flock, so does Jesus defend us, His flock. He does so by laying down His life for the sheep, just as He says: “I am the good shepherd….I lay down my life for the sheep.” This He does for you. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus gave up His life to secure that bond and keep His sheep safe. He makes the sacrifice of all sacrifices as Priest, a sacrifice that replaces all sacrifices. He sacrificed Himself for your sins, and His sheep all over the world receive the benefit. That benefit is meant for you. He delivers this gift to you in simple yet powerful means of Word and Sacraments.

Not only is Jesus our Prophet and Priest, He is also our King. We sang that just a few moments ago: “The King of love my Shepherd is….” He rules with His almighty power over all creation and governs and protects especially His church here on earth. He protects us from all that threatens us: the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. He defends us from the wolf that comes to snatch and scatters us. All this He does so that He can finally lead His church to glory in heaven, just as St. Paul writes: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.”

Because of this love, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ knows who we are and how best to take care of us. He knows that we are feeble from the outset because of our sinful nature. He knows that because of that sinful nature, we will do stupid sheep things like stray from His Word by not hearing it preached and by not studying His Word with the other sheep of His flock. He knows that we will stray from His body and His blood which gives us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. When we do all of that and even more, our Good Shepherd comes after us, to find us and bring us back into the sheep fold. He does not leave us to the wolves to be devoured; rather, He brings us back to Himself where He can keep an ever watchful eye on His beloved sheep.

For us sheep, we know that we may safely graze in the green pastures because our Good Shepherd is with us, will never leave us nor forsake us, because we are safe in the arms of our Shepherd. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.