Sermon for Christmas 1: "Ensuring Our Redemption" (Matthew 2:13-23)

 

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

[Intro]

 

During the seasons of Advent and Christmas, nativity scenes are common place outside Christian Churches throughout the world. In fact, we have a nativity scene right outside First Lutheran’s main entrance.

 

With each nativity scene, we remember how our Savior came into the world as a humble baby.

 

But you may have noticed that in the past few years some churches have added extra elements to their nativity scenes.

 

In my old home state of Indiana, Christ Church Cathedral – an Episcopal Church in Indianapolis – put the Holy Family behind a chain link fence[1]. The same is true at Fellowship Congregational Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma[2].

 

Claremont United Methodist Church in southern California separated the Holy Family in separate chain link cages and topped each cage with razor wire[3].

 

Now, you may think, “Maybe they have crime problems?” But, that is not the case here.

 

The pastor at Fellowship Congregational Church in Tulsa said, “What if Egypt had the same policies that we have now? Would [Joseph, Mary and Jesus] have been turned away? Would they have been separated?”[4]

 

Well, we don’t know all the details on the journey of Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt. All we know is what Scripture tells us of the angel telling Joseph: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13b).

 

And so Joseph did as the angel said and departed to Egypt.

 

For those churches proposing changes to immigration policies based on our Gospel text this morning, they are picking and choosing Scripture to fit their own agenda. In doing so, they forget what this text is truly about! Our text is about ensuring yours and mine redemption! This is not a proof text on immigration policies. In fact, if we want to talk proof texts, the proof text is that Jesus has fulfilled the prophecy found in Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matthew 2:15b).

 

[From Joy to Sorrow]

 

As I just mentioned, our text is about ensuring our redemption. But, how this is done in our reading is shocking, especially during this season of Christmas.

 

Just days ago, we were singing “Joy to the World” and now on this fifth day of Christmas we hear of “weeping and loud lamentation” (Matthew 2:18).

 

So, how did we get to this point? Well, the wise men visited King Herod and Herod didn’t like the idea of another who would threaten his power. At first it appeared that Herod would welcome the child, but in his heart, he wanted this child eliminated. So, Herod sent off the wise men to find the child and he waited for them to return.

 

But the wise men never returned to Herod. Instead, after being warned in a dream, the wise men departed to their own country by another way.

 

Now, Herod had waited some time for the wise men to return. But then it dawned on him that they were not coming back, because more than enough time had elapsed for them to travel the few miles to Bethlehem, find the child, and come back.

 

Then in his rage, he gave the order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger. From his previous conversation with the wise men, he calculated that the boy could not be more than two years old. So, he believed that this boy would be among the victims in the slaughter of the innocent boys.

But, evil kings will have no power over this Child! Herod plots and acts in vain. Ironically, even his madness serves the fulfillment of Scripture by Jesus for “Out of Egypt I called my Son” (Matthew 2:15b).

 

Sadly, it wasn’t as happy for those who remained in Bethlehem with infant boys. But, even in the sadness, another prophecy was fulfilled of the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they were no more” (Matthew 2:18).

 

[The ‘Holy Innocents’]

 

So, what can we say about these “Holy Innocents”? Should they be regarded as martyrs?

 

From one perspective, the answer would be ‘no’, since we normally think of martyrs as those who have been killed because they confess faith in Christ, and that is not why Herod slew the children of Bethlehem.

 

Rather, Herod killed them because he feared one of them might be the Christ.

 

So, the “Holy Innocents” of Bethlehem do occupy a unique place in Christian history, because of what God was doing in Jesus at that unique time and place.

 

God was at work and was even able to take up human evil and sin and cause it to be known as part of the Scriptural plan that was fulfilled by the Christ Child. You see, the babes of Bethlehem would not have been slaughtered if the Christ had not been born among them. In that sense, then, they did die for the sake of Christ.

 

Their deaths on account of Christ foreshadowed the martyrdom of those who would bear Christ’s name.

 

But, we may ask this question: “Why did God allow the massacre of these children?” We don’t know. Scripture only tells us that a prophecy was fulfilled. There are just some things that we will never know.

 

However, Martin Luther has his opinion on why the “Holy Innocents” died. He wrote in a sermon the following:

 

“To this day it happens that when tyrants rage against the Gospel, they do no more than blow into the ashes. Then the fire becomes greater, and the ashes fly into their eyes. This is the success which their tyranny is to meet. When they shed innocent blood, this blood of the Christians is to act as a fertilizer on the field, making it rich and productive. For through persecution Christendom grows; conversely, Christians become lazy and lax when conditions are peaceful and quiet.”[5]

 

Luther believed that through the death of the “Holy Innocents” and other martyrs, the Christian Church grew. He believed that through the evil, God made the good.

 

[Redemption]

 

Eventually, Herod died, and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go back to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead” (Matthew 2:20). Immediately, the Holy Family traveled back to Israel, but instead of going back to Bethlehem, the Holy Family traveled to Nazareth.

 

Now, Nazareth was a small, hidden-away town. It was never mentioned in Old Testament Scripture or Jewish literature. Nazareth was obscure and this town fit well with what God the Father had in mind for the Messiah. After all, God had the prophets point plainly to the Messiah’s obscure and unlikely-looking beginnings. Isaiah even spoke of the Messiah as the one who will arise out of darkness (Isaiah 9:2).

 

So, when we hear: “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23b), the prophecy fulfilled is the Christ’s obscure beginning. He wasn’t from the big city of Jerusalem, but He is instead from the forgotten town of Nazareth.

 

Remember Nathanael who asked, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46)

 

Yes, much good has come from Nazareth and from Bethlehem before it. For, this is where Jesus began His ministry. And, Bethlehem is where God the Father revealed His Son – the Promised Messiah – “when the fullness of time had come… to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5).

This is what our Gospel reading is all about! Our text is about ensuring our redemption!

 

You see, God the Father kept His only beloved Son safe as a child so that when the time was ready, Jesus would go on to work out the final, full deliverance of all mankind lying in the shackles of sin.

 

For, we all deserve eternal death, hell and damnation for all of our sins against God in thought, word and deed. We replace the one true God with false gods, which only give temporary relief. We need saving!

 

This is why the Son of God became like us. This is why God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, so that we would be saved.

 

Some thirty years later, through His atoning death upon the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Jesus redeemed all of mankind, so that everyone by grace through faith in Christ alone would be no longer a slave to sin, but a son – an heir through God receiving forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation.

 

Through Christ alone, we are ensured of our redemption! Amen.

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

---

[1] https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/03/us/indianapolis-church-holy-family-ice-trnd/index.html

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/21/us/oklahoma-church-puts-fence-around-nativity-trnd/index.html

[3] https://ktxs.com/news/nation-world/church-nativity-depicts-jesus-mary-and-joseph-as-family-separated-at-us-mexico-border

[4] https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/the-holy-family-was-a-migrant-family-fence-around-nativity/article_c5d52034-f159-5fd5-b876-29cde700965d.html

[5] Martin Luther, What Luther Says (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959), 1040.

Sermon for Advent 1: "Without Warning" (Matthew 24:36-44)

 

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

[Intro]

 

Happy New Year! Today we enter Advent, which marks the beginning of a new Church Year. During the season of Advent, we are directed to the coming of Christ. For us, we are preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

 

Today’s Gospel lesson prepares us for the day when our Lord will judge the living and the dead. Our reading also shows us that the world appears to be going on in a completely normal fashion for both Christians and unbelievers. Everything seems the same; there is eating and drinking, marriage ceremonies, men and women at work, and there seems to be no difference, until suddenly – without warning – there is a separation on the Day of Judgment. But, there was a difference. Some were watching and preparing for the Kingdom of God; others were not.

 

[USS Stark]

 

On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi F-1 Mirage aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the Navy frigate USS Stark, which was patrolling in the Persian Gulf.

 

The USS Stark was equipped with radar systems to detect such missiles in the air. In the nerve center of the ship was the electronic warfare operator, a man who monitored these systems. Now, if a missile was fired at the ship, he would be warned in two ways: an audible alarm would sound and a visual symbol would appear on the radar screen.

 

Nevertheless, without warning the Exocet missiles slammed into the side of the USS Stark just above the waterline, tearing a ten-foot hole in the ship and killing 37 American sailors.

 

To learn what went wrong, the House Armed Services Committee launched an official investigation.

After visiting the ship and talking to the surviving crew, they reported that the tragedy had likely not resulted from equipment failure. Rather, the cause was human error or omission on part of several people. One of those people was the electronic warfare operator in the ship’s nerve center.

 

The report said: “The operator indicated that he had turned off the audible alarm feature because too many signals were being received that were setting off the alarm, requiring actions that distracted him from performing other signal analysis.”

 

Then with the audible alarm off, according to the investigators, he may have been distracted at the time when the visual signals appeared on the radar screen.

 

This ship was equipped to be ready for anything, but it was human error and omission that caused the failure. Apparently, the many who allowed the audible alarm to be turned off thought that no attack would ever happen to the ship. With many warnings available to protect them, out of their own convenience, they ended up being without any warning.

 

Now, what about us here today? How prepared are we for the Kingdom of God when Christ comes descending from the clouds with power and great glory?

 

[The Advents]

 

First off, how do we recognize God’s Kingdom? Well, the Kingdom of God comes in two ways. First, God’s Kingdom comes to us now, by grace. Then, on the Last Day, God’s Kingdom will come with power, for judgment. These are two of the three “advents” that we think about during this season.

 

The first advent was when Christ was born in Bethlehem. We can celebrate that, but that is in the past. We can’t experience or prepare for it.

 

However, the advent or coming of Christ is happening to us now when we hear God’s Word, repent, and receive His grace. And lastly, there is Christ’s final advent, when He comes in judgment.

 

[The Days of Noah]

 

This morning Jesus tells us about His final advent – His second coming. During His explanation, Jesus tells us about the days of Noah. Now, why is Jesus telling us about Noah? Well, He is using that event to teach us that like the flood, He will come without warning.

 

Now, from the Book of Genesis, we learn much about Noah and how the world was like during his time. We learn that Noah was a righteous man and that he walked with God. But, all around Noah was corruption and wickedness.

 

You see, outside of Noah’s family, the rest of society had forgotten about God, so they just went on with their lives thinking that nothing bad could ever happen to them. They were unprepared and preoccupied with the things of this world.

 

What about you? Are you preoccupied with the things of this world?

 

Oh how easily we get caught up with the things of this world: wealth, riches, prestige, power, sports, television shows, fishing, love of self – and the list goes on.

 

As we learned from the great flood, all it took was an instant. Everything the people had was swept away – themselves and their possessions. They had no time for preparation. No time for repentance. They had no time for anything.

 

Likewise, we do not know when our last hour would come. On the Day of Judgement, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:40-42).

 

These activities represent all our cares and pursuits: eating and drinking stands for the pleasures of life; marriage stands for our relationships with others; and buying, selling, planting, and building indicate our possessions.

 

You see, pleasures, people, and possessions, given to us by God can end up driving us away from God. Thus we must beware that these do not distract us from God’s Kingdom, but instead serve to prepare us for the Lord’s coming.

 

[Grace in our midst]

 

So, how would the Lord have us prepare for this Advent?

 

We prepare as we live in hopeful expectation “for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11b). So, we cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light as we stay awake for the coming of the Lord. We hear and read God’s Word and come to Him in prayer, seeking first and only His Kingdom and His righteousness.

 

As Christians, we live in hopeful expectation and long for the return of Christ at an hour we do not expect. But, we don’t have to wait for His presence. The Kingdom of God is even now in our midst. A foretaste of the Kingdom comes to us at each Divine Service.

 

Each time we meet on Sunday mornings, we remember what Christ alone has done for us. He came in the flesh for us to give everyone who trusts in Him as Lord: forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation. As Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus died to the punishment that we deserve and rose to life, so we would be restored to God’s Kingdom.

 

Christ alone fulfilled the Law for us, He died for us, He rose for us, and He ascended into heaven for us.

 

By grace through faith in Christ alone, sin, death and Satan have no power over us. So, through Christ alone, we have forgiveness, life and salvation!

 

For all of us in Christ, we have nothing to worry about for when Christ returns. Now, we may not know at what hour the Son of Man is coming, but we are ready. We are ready because we become better prepared each week as we repent of our sins and receive God’s forgiveness in Word and Sacrament. You see, it is the Triune God who makes us ready. And, today and each Lord’s Day, His Kingdom of grace comes to us. Amen.

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for Pentecost 23: "Built on the Rock" (Luke 21:5-36)

 

Built on the Rock the Church shall stand
    Even when steeples are falling.
Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land;
    Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the souls distressed,
    Longing for rest everlasting.              (LSB 645, stanza 1)
Public domain

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

[Intro]

 

“Why has the Lord’s Word disappeared from His house?” This is how a 27-year-old pastor began his first sermon back in 1810.

 

Again, he said: “Why has the Lord’s Word disappeared from His house?”

 

From the very start, this newly ordained pastor caught the attention of his parish and that of the Church of Denmark.

 

You see, this pastor had become so opposed to the Rationalism of his day – which is the belief that reason is the chief source and test of all knowledge.

 

At this time, the Church of Denmark was placing reason above Scripture. So, to put it bluntly, God’s inerrant Word was taking a back seat to human reason. So, much of the Bible was being dismissed, since they did not see it happening in their time. Also, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were not seen with much reverence.

 

Now, Denmark wasn’t alone when it came to Rationalism. It was in Germany where Rationalism really took off. And, for that reason, among others, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod was formed from the many Saxons who left Germany for the United States.

 

For this Danish pastor, he was criticized for saying that the Church of Denmark wasn’t following Christian doctrine. Now, for the Church of Denmark, they argued that they were still Lutheran and still Christian because they worship God in ornate churches.

 

You see, the Church of Denmark focused more on the beauty of the building than the teaching inside that building. They focused on outward appearance, rather than proper teaching. In response, this pastor wrote poems that became hymns that criticized the Rationalism within the church. In time, this pastor was fined by Denmark and his poems and hymns were forbidden to be used.

 

Upon hearing this, he resigned his call – or rather he was forced to quit since he was suspended by the Church of Denmark – and he later moved to England.

 

While in England, he continued to study theology and poetry.

 

He later returned to Denmark and many of his friends convinced him to lead a Divine Service again, but the Church of Denmark wouldn’t allow it. But, he was allowed to hold an afternoon service at a German church in Christianshavn. There he preached for eight years and he wrote his own hymn book titled “Song-work for the Danish Church.”

 

This pastor’s goal was to reform the Church of Denmark back into a Christian church that was not just a state-church, but a Lutheran gospel-teaching national church.

 

Well, what happened to this Danish pastor? Did the Church of Denmark reform? I’ll get back to him later.

 

[The Presence of the Lord]

                     Surely in temples made with hands
    God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
    All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He who dwells in heav’n above
Chooses to live with us in love,
    Making our bodies His temple.          (LSB 645, stanza 2)
Public domain

 

In our gospel lesson from Luke this morning, Jesus responds to the uttering of many who said how beautifully adorned the temple was.

 

Jesus then takes this opportunity to teach His disciples, the crowds and the religious establishment that the location of the presence of the Lord is not built in temples made with hands, but by faith and confession.

 

Jesus said: “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6).

 

This is as if Jesus is saying: “Yes, the Jerusalem temple is a beautiful place, but it has served its purpose. God is not dwelling inside that building. I am He. Come follow Me.”

 

Just like that, some in the crowd asked Jesus: “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7)

 

The crowds aren’t getting it. We likely wouldn’t get it, either. Yes, the temple is wonderful and all, but it has served its purpose. The temple is now obsolete through the Incarnation of Jesus – the Son of God.

 

So, Jesus takes this opportunity to teach. Now, the crowd desires signs when these things will happen, but Jesus teaches them what they really need to hear. He teaches them warnings and how to remain faithful.

 

[The Warnings]

 

Jesus said: “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8).

 

Oh, how easily we can be misled! For the crowds, they were obsessed with the beauty of the stone temple and with signs. We too, can become obsessed with how beautiful churches and cathedrals can be. We too, can become obsessed with signs – just look at all the different interpretations of the Book of Revelation.

 

Instead, we are to be prepared so that we are not misled. We are to be prepared at all times, because we are never able to predict the exact time for anything. Just look at the weather or how we believe our day will go. We should always expect the unexpected.

 

So, how are we to be prepared so we are not misled? First, false prophets will come with a different teaching than the one Jesus brings. Now, they may use the same vocabulary – such as saved by grace – but they have a different meaning. So, instead of being saved purely out of God’s grace without any merit of our own, they may teach that we need to do something to earn God’s grace. Or, they could take “saved by grace” to another level by eliminating God’s moral law altogether.

 

Here, Jesus is alerting us to the many who will come “in His name”, but will instead lead the flock down a different road. Now, their teaching may sound authentic, but we are to test their teachings with the true teaching of God’s inerrant Word as the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and apostles to write.

 

Jesus continues with His second warning saying: “And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Luke 21:9).

 

In other words: do not panic! There will be wars and tumults, but don’t focus upon them. Sin has brought forth division. Sin has brought forth disorder. So, when you hear about wars or murmuring or wars, or when you hear of protests on the streets for this or that, don’t panic!

 

Another warning is betrayal. Jesus tells us: “You will be delivered up [before kings and governors (Luke 21:12)] even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:16-19).

 

Here, Jesus is warning His disciples then and His disciples now that betrayal is to be expected as a follower of Christ. Because of sin, we are not living our “best life now.” We will face persecution for our faith in Christ – even from the people we would least expect.

 

[Living Stones]

 

                     We are God’s house of living stones,
    Built for His own habitation.
He through baptismal grace us owns
    Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell
    With all His grace and His favor.       (LSB 645, stanza 3)
Public domain

 

The name of Jesus defines our identity, for Christians bear in our bodies Jesus, the New Temple. For that reason, Christians are living stones and our bodies are temples. Christians are marked in the family of Jesus, not by ancestral blood, but by His Word alone.

 

As Christ’s living stones, we will experience persecution for no other reason than our connection with Jesus. We have come to know Jesus as our Savior through the teaching of the Holy Spirit that began at our Baptism.

 

Through our Christian identity, Jesus also calls us to remain faithful to His teachings in the midst of persecution, so that others may hear the proclamation of the one, true Christian faith. Even if we die not even a hair from our head would perish, but instead we will be alive eternally.

 

[The Means of Grace]

                     Here stands the font before our eyes,
    Telling how God has received us.
The_altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
    And what His Supper here gives us.
Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
    And evermore, our Redeemer.            (LSB 645, stanza 4)
Public domain

God is present with us here today! When we began today’s Divine Service saying “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we know that God is here and He is here to forgive our sins and to strengthen our weak faith.

 

God dwells forever in His Word and Sacraments. God’s grace will no longer come through animal sacrifices at the stone temple. Rather, His grace will come through what the Lord has instituted to be the worship life of His church: Catechesis, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through the Means of Grace, the church is prepared for when Christ comes again in great glory (Luke 21:27).

 

At each Divine Service, we are strengthened knowing that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We remember what Christ alone has done by making us righteous in God the Father’s sight through His death and resurrection. Each time we receive Christ’s true body and His true blood under the bread and wine, we remember and confess Christ’s cross and passion, His blessed death, His rest in the tomb, His ascension into heaven, and His coming for the final judgement.

 

We know that by grace through faith in Jesus, we share in His victory over sin, death and Satan. We know what we have received though His grace: forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation!

 

As Lutherans, we also take to heart the Reformation sola “Sola Scriptura” or Scripture Alone. We know that these words of Jesus are true: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). We know that the world will end, but the catechesis of Jesus will never pass away. We know that when the world passes away those who reject Jesus’ teachings will pass away with it. But those who hear and keep His Word, they will remain and inherit the kingdom He has prepared for all believers!

 

[Jesus Prepares Us]

 

Well, what ever happened to that Danish pastor? Was he ever able to reform the Church of Denmark?

 

Well, his suspension was later removed and he was appointed a hospital chaplain. He held this position until he died on September 2, 1872. With his suspension ended, his poetry and hymns were made legal again. One of those hymns is “Built on the Rock the Church shall stand.” This man’s name was Rev. Nikolai Fredrik Sevrin Grundtvig. He wrote this hymn to teach us that it is not the church building that is important, but of the most importance is that God’s Word is rightly taught and that His Sacraments be rightly administered.

 

This hymn reminds us that our faith in Jesus is not built on human reason, instead our faith is built on Christ alone and that He will never leave or forsake His flock. We are also reminded that our faith is not determined by the beauty of the church building we worship at, but instead on our confession that we trust Christ’s every Word.

 

Christ is always faithful, even when we aren’t faithful. He is always here for you and me. He always gives us hope through His Word.

 

Now, Pastor Grundtvig never saw a reformation in the Church of Denmark, but upon his death the Church of Denmark gave him the honorary title of bishop.

 

Although he never saw the Church of Denmark return to orthodox Lutheranism, he did leave his mark reminding us that our Lord is Jesus Christ alone and through His Means of Grace He gives all believers the strength to be prepared for His coming – when we “see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

 

                     Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,
    That, when the church bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
    Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know My own; My own know Me.
You, not the world, My face shall see.
    My peace I leave with you. Amen.”             (LSB 645, stanza 5)
Public domain

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Funeral Sermon: Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:4-10; John 14:1-6)

 

Marilyn, Phyllis and Lester, family and friends of Evelyn:

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[By Grace]

“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In the days before Evelyn’s passing, I sang some hymns to Evelyn with the family. One of those hymns was “By Grace I’m Saved.” Each stanza of this hymn begins with the phrase “By grace” and for each stanza, Evelyn replied “By grace, I’m saved. By grace, I’m saved.”

Evelyn was strong in her faith. On my many visits with her, I would tell her of the happenings in the world with respect to the Scripture I shared with her. One time, I remember saying that there are some people who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father. She would respond back, “How could anyone not believe in Jesus?” That is a great question. How could anyone not believe in Jesus?

Her faith was strong. She firmly believed that she is saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.

[The Way]

Well, Jesus wasn’t always as easy to understand as He is today. Today, we each have access to the inerrant Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Through God’s Word, we know that everyone who follows Christ as Lord and Savior has been saved by grace through faith in Him.

In our gospel lesson, Jesus tells His disciples then and His disciples now, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1).

Here, Jesus is reminding us that whatever the situation in our life, whatever the season in our life – “a time to be born, and a time to die” or “a time to weep, and time to laugh” or “a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3) – let not our hearts be troubled. Instead, send your troubles to God. For Jesus is truly the Son of God. Jesus hears every one of our prayers and He answers every one of our prayers. It may not be want we want at the time, but God’s will is always done.

Jesus then tells us that He has prepared a dwelling place for everyone who believes in Him. He says, “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” (John 14:2-3).

Here, Jesus teaches us that these many rooms are not temporary housing – like hotel rooms – but these are permanent residences with the Father in heaven. Here, Christ is preparing a new promised land for His Church.

Jesus concludes saying to His disciples, “And you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:4).

I’m sure all the disciples looked at each other in wonder. Instead of Peter, who normally speaks, Thomas speaks, asking His Lord, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

I’m sure Thomas wasn’t alone with his question. You see, the disciples didn’t always understand what Jesus was saying.

Today, many non-believers in Christ continually ask this question: “How do I get to heaven? What do I have to do to be saved?”

Here, Jesus gives us the answer! “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Jesus is Himself the way to God the Father, not a way to God the Father. He not only shows us the way – by revealing it – but He is the Way.

Jesus is Himself the truth. We can depend on Jesus.

Jesus is Himself the life. He created life and He is the source of eternal life for all mankind.

Apart from Jesus, there is no other way to salvation. Salvation can be found in no other way. It is only through Christ alone that we are saved. This is what Evelyn believed. This is the faith that Evelyn is now living in heaven. She has received her dwelling place with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ.

[God’s Steadfast Love]

We, too, can receive the same gift! Evelyn received her gift of salvation, not by her own doing, but by grace though faith in Christ alone.

It was on April 26, 1925 when God adopted Evelyn to be His own child through the waters of Holy Baptism. It was then that the Holy Spirit gave Evelyn the ability to believe in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Then on April 2, 1939, she publicly confessed to God that she would never forsake the one true Christian faith.

No one is able to be justified before God by their own strengths, merits, or works, but we are justified freely – by grace – on account of Christ alone, through faith alone. Everyone in Christ has been received into this grace and their sins are forgiven on account of Christ alone, who made satisfaction for our sins through His sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection.

Jesus Christ died for all people, not just for a chosen few. For Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18).

God the Father sent His one and only Son Jesus the Christ to destroy the powers of sin, death, and Satan upon all who trust in Christ alone. He accomplished this feat through His death upon the cross and His resurrection from the grave, so that whoever trusts in Him would receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation.

We did nothing to earn this grace. It is only by God’s steadfast love for us that we receive this grace!

[His Workmanship]

So, for everyone in Christ, what do we do while we live in this grace? Do we sin all the more? By no means! Instead, we do good works, not for God, but for our neighbor. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Again, this is what Evelyn did. She taught her daughters – Marilyn and Phyllis – the way they should go. In fact, this is what Evelyn called her greatest accomplishment in her life. Evelyn also lived out her Christian faith in service to her community and to service to her church. Again, she did this not because she had to, but that she had the opportunity to do it. It is all through Christ’s doing that we are saved.

[Wrapped in Christ’s Righteousness]

Today, Evelyn is in the Church Triumphant with all the saints in heaven. She is wrapped in the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all her sin. She hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore; the sun does not strike her, nor any scorching heat (Revelation 7:16). She and all the saints are before the throne of God. She and all the saints are in the midst of the Lamb who is their Shepherd.

But, she and the saints – along with us here – wait for Christ’s return to earth. On that day, there will no longer be any division between heaven and earth. There will no longer be division between body and soul. For on that day, Christ will make all things new. He will create a new heaven and a new earth! So, in this new heaven and new earth, there will be no more sin, no more sorrow, and no more death. Everything will be created anew and all by the grace of God. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T