Funeral Sermon: "Resting in Christ" (Matthew 11:25-30)

 

Lois, Susan, and Dale, family and friends of Glen:

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

[Intro]

As a farmer, Glen had the instincts on knowing the “time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2b). And even during seasons when it appeared that it may be a lower crop yield, he always trusted that the Lord would provide. The Lord always provided all of his needs of body and soul those 94 years of his earthly life.

But as God proclaims in Ecclesiastes 3, the Christian life here on earth is a life of ups and downs. Glen certainly had his ups and downs, as well we all do. So, he wept and mourned as he was separated from loved ones, especially at the loss of Lora, his beloved wife for nearly 67 years; his daughter Sara, whose life was cut short; and so many others. But the life of a Christian is not just weeping and mourning, it is also a time of joy with laughter and is also a time of dancing.

Glen never got tired of telling me the story on how he and his wife Lora met. It was a love story. They first met on the dance floor at the Pla Mor Ballroom. You could say it was love at first sight as they first danced to a waltz. Although they both believed they had never met before, they soon realized that each of them belonged to the same church: First Lutheran Church. Although their belief in God strengthened the courtship, I have since been told that Lora’s family barn may have sealed the deal. You see, even as Glen admired Lora – for which He always did in sickness and in health – I have now come to know that Glen always liked the look of her family barn.

The triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – certainly blessed Glen. The Lord provided him a loving wife; four children: Lois, Susan, Dale, and Sara; family and friends; and most importantly the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Throughout his life, Glen fulfilled various Christian vocations: As husband, as father, as grandfather, and as brother. He was a farmer, a deacon, and friend. And this list goes on as on, as is the life of a Christian.

Today, Glen is resting from his labors as he has received the promise of eternal life. Glen certainly endured through life’s ups and downs, but now he no longer suffers the effects of sin as he has joined the Church Triumphant with all the saints in heaven!

As Glen experienced loss during his earthly life, today, we are experiencing loss. With any separation, we come to a time of mourning. Some mourn publicly, others mourn privately. But we all mourn. We mourn because death is not natural. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And so we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. You see, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

We Christians mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy.

[What a Friend We Have in Jesus]

We just sang Glen’s favorite hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (LSB 770). The hymnwriter Joseph Scriven (1819-1886) lived a life full of ups and downs. In the singing of this hymn, we are reminded of Jesus’ words that He said to His disciples: “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). But we miss the true comfort of those words if we sentimentally perceive that by “friend,” Jesus means He is a buddy with whom we can enjoy good times and commiserate in bad times. Instead, those words invite every believer in Christ to stand in awe and gratitude that He who reigns over all creation now treats His people – who were once His enemies – as His friends.

Consider just a few of the Scripture verses on which this hymn builds: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7); “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15); and “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You see, God invites us to pray. Meanwhile, the hymn speaks a word of Law that laments “what a peace we often forfeit” when Christians decline the invitation to pray.

With rhetorical questions at the beginning of stanzas two and three, the hymnist reminds us that tribulations fill life on earth: sometimes everyday difficulties, sometimes the kind of faith-challenging trials, and sometimes the continuing struggles to live as a Christian in a temptation-filled world. No matter what the believer faces, the Savior’s concern – “Can we find a friend so faithful” – and promises – “In His arms He’ll take and shield thee” are an invitation to pray.

After all, as a human like those who pray to Him, “Jesus knows our every weakness.” In other words, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15), but one who always knows how best to answer prayer.

Glen always took his burdens to His Lord through prayer. Some people today say prayer accomplishes nothing. They demand action. But what these people fail to realize is that prayer is action.

[“I Will Give You Rest”]

Jesus proclaims to us: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Some people claim to be “wise and understanding” (Matthew 11:25), but they refuse to acknowledge their utter and complete need for God’s saving righteousness. They will not rejoice that such reconciling action has come into the world in Jesus. This was not Glen. Glen is the opposite. Glen is what Jesus calls an “infant.”

Jesus calls all of His flock – His disciples – as not the “wise and understanding” but as “infants.” Why infants? Well, infants are helpless and rely completely on their parents for food, warmth, safety, and life itself. Christ calls His disciples “infants” since we are incapable of saving ourselves from sin, eternal death, and Satan.

You see, Christians are dependent on divine grace. But paradoxically, in Christ these who are dependent become strong and wise unto salvation. All of this comes not by human reason or strength, but from God the Father, who reveals these things to “infants.” All our wisdom comes from Jesus.

So, as “infants” we follow Jesus as the Messiah and follow Him as His disciples. And as His “infant” disciples, Christ gives us rest. He says: “Come to Me!” (Matthew 11:28)

As sinners, we are all totally depraved, so we of all times and all places are subject to the heavy burdens of sin, with the knowledge that we fall short of what God intended. Life in a fallen creation is a hard life. But Jesus’ words here offer comfort and promised rest, both in this life and in the age to come.

Now the way to find rest is to trade the heavy burden of sin and failure for Jesus’ own “yoke.” At first glance, this seems hardly like an offer of rest to take a yoke upon yourself. But as Jesus continues to speak, He reveals that the essence of taking His yoke upon yourself consists in learning what He is like. For this “yoke” is nothing other than to become a disciple of Jesus, as His own words declare: “Learn from Me.” The noun “disciple” and the verb “learn” share a common root and a common meaning; to be Jesus’ disciple is to learn from Him. But then the obvious question is: learn what?

In order to take the yoke of Jesus and find rest from one’s burdens, what one needs to learn is what Jesus is like: “Learn from Me that I am gentle and humble in heart.” In learning that Jesus gently receives and forgives all who come to Him in need, disciples find rest for their lives. All who come to His unparalleled authority and power with only their need in their hands find a Savior. He saves because of His own humility of heart that leads Him to suffer and die on the cross for our sins and to bodily rise from the dead for all. So, taking on the yoke of Jesus lightens the burdens of life and of eternity. Because of who Jesus is – our Good Shepherd and Lord and Savior – the burden of discipleship becomes light indeed.

So, with the yoke of Jesus, God’s commandments are no longer a heavy burden that weighs us down and destroys us. Instead, they are expressions of God’s will in which we delight, for we look for ways to express our thanks to God for the blessings of His grace. No burden is too heavy and Jesus takes the load for us and promises us rest.

All throughout his life, Glen received strength for his faith as he was forgiven by God through the Means of Grace – Word and Sacrament. It is through God’s Word and Sacrament that Glen is now resting from his labors, as Jesus has accomplished salvation for him and for you and me! So, what the world sees as Glen’s death, his death in Christ is but a portal, since “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Today, Glen has come out of the great tribulation of our life now and is now clothed in Christ’s Robe of Righteousness as he is before the throne of God where he hungers no more, neither thirst anymore as he is in the presence of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus provided his needs in his earthly life, Jesus continues to provide for all the needs of the departed faithful in the Church Triumphant where they are free from sin and its power.

But heaven is not the end. For all the faithful in heaven, there is still something better on the horizon. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Death does not have the final say. Life has the final say. Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will also be raised. So, Glen’s grave will be as empty as the grave of Jesus! This body buried will be the body raised on that glorious resurrection day!

May we too receive what Jesus offers to us freely, eternal rest in Him in this life and in the age to come! Amen.

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Glen Beneke's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/glen-w-beneke/

Sermon for Easter 7: "Unified, Restored, and Sent as Christ's Witnesses" (Acts 1:12-26)

 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our risen and ascended Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

“You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). With those words, Jesus encouraged His apostles as He was bodily ascending triumphantly into heaven as Emmanuel – God with us.

Today on this Seventh Sunday of Easter, these witnesses are no longer hiding behind locked doors for the fear of the Jewish authorities. No, this joyous assurance of the Ascension of our Lord knowing that He will return again filled their hearts and drove out all fear. From the moment they left the Mount of Olives, they worshiped the Father and His Son, Jesus, in full public view.

But as how unified the Eleven were as they were with one accord devoting themselves to prayer, they were not complete. Jesus called Twelve men, not eleven. The outward appearance of unity and completeness might be maintained, but what was broken cannot make itself whole again. Sin cannot be undone, except if God Himself should do it. So, how shall the apostles be made one again?

[The Calling of Matthias]

During the days that followed the ascension of Jesus, the Eleven and the other disciples, about 120 in number, awaited the coming of the promised Holy Spirit by devoting themselves to prayer. Their prayer arose out of their study together of the prophets – who had pointed to the incarnation of Christ, His ministry, sufferings, death, and resurrection – and of the Psalms, the prayer book of the twelve tribes of Israel, of the whole people of God, of Christ Jesus, and of the Church in all ages.

In the course of their prayers from God’s Word, Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 came to Peter’s attention. Here, was the Word from the Lord to direct their action. As the de facto leader, Peter took the initiative in doing something. Since Jesus had chosen Twelve men, Peter and the others believed that a replacement for Judas should be selected. As Israel had been broken and scattered because of sin, so, too, the apostolic circle had been broken by the sin of Judas Iscariot. The Twelve were now only the Eleven. The full number of the Twelve must be restored.

After citing Scripture, Peter concludes that someone must be chosen to take Judas’ place. But who? Well, it would be a man who has the same qualifications as the other apostles. That is, he must have been with Jesus from the beginning of the Savior’s ministry – His righteous fulfilling Baptism by John – to the day of His ascension. Like the others, the man who is chosen must be one who had seen and heard and touched and eaten and been instructed by the risen Christ.

So, the group of believers nominated two men who met these qualifications: Joseph called Barsabbas who was also called Justus and Matthias. But why one witness more? Why not both? Well, if this were simply a matter of adding witnesses, certainly 13 would be better than 12. And in the coming years, the number of those who proclaim the resurrection would swell, as Barnabas, Paul, and Apollos joined in.

But remember, at the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, He chose 12 men – the living picture of Israel made one in Him and in their call to follow Him faithfully. Their unity, too, was broken by unfaithfulness by Judas Iscariot. This time there is no possibility of maintaining the illusion of fullness. The fellowship has been broken. This is what sin does. It drives us away from God and away from one another.

The restoration of the Twelve is the very picture of the Lord’s saving work. His death breaks the power of sin and His resurrection proclaims healing for the broken and reconciliation of those driven apart by sin. You see, filling the place that Judas deserted and restoring the full number of the Twelve not only brought an additional witness to the resurrection, but it was also a witness to the power of Christ’s resurrection to reconcile the estranged and make His people, His new Israel, whole.

The man who would complete the number of the Twelve would be like the Eleven with respect to His faithful following of the Lord, a witness to all He said and did in the days of His earthly ministry. As with the Eleven, this man would have followed the Lord, not by chance, or by his own decision, or by his own act of commitment, but by the calling of His Lord.

Again, two men met these qualifications: Joseph called Barsabbas who was also called Justus and Matthias. So, the group of about 120 prayed to Jesus saying: “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24-25).

Through prayer, they were confident that Jesus had made His choice and that He would indicate His choice. They trusted that Jesus would name the new apostle through them. So, as it was custom when there was a tie, they cast lots, where they would write names on pebbles or pieces of broken pottery, shake the container with the lots, and the name that flew out first would be the choice. The lot fell on Matthias.

The Eleven and the nearly 120 disciples were confident that the Lord made His choice, since this was in accord with Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

Sometimes it still happens when two men are equally qualified for a position in leadership in the church. When an election results in a tie, it is proper to draw lots in some way to determine the Lord’s choice.

But you can’t help but feel bad for Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus. Every one of us is at times the “unchosen one.” Unchosen ones exist everywhere. The ones who didn’t make the team, get the promotion, get the job. Even though the lot did not fall upon him, he would still be a witness.

It is likely that this man continued his discipleship to His Lord Jesus, likewise to the nearly 120 that day.

Jesus said: “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus, here, is not commanding them to be His witnesses, but He promises that, as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, they would just naturally be His witnesses. They would feel no outward compulsion to bring their testimony of the redemption won by their Lord through His death on the cross and sealed and ratified by His resurrection and His ascension. They would do it with great joy and zeal that would never tire. The Holy Spirit would make them witnesses who say: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

[Sent as Christ’s Witnesses]

With the Apostles now unified as Twelve, plus the other disciples, the events of the Ascension and the upcoming events at Pentecost give them the encouragement to spread the good news of Christ to all nations. This they did through the exalted Lord who gave the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit continues to operate with power through His Word. The Word of the Lord proved its creative power: how it was preached, brought forth faith and sustained it in the hearts of many, was embattled, and went on from victory to victory.

Due to the Ascension, the Twelve were content to be witnesses. Gone were their dreams of power connected with personal prestige. No one would argue who would be the greatest (Luke 22:24) or sit at Christ’s right or left hand (Mark 10:37). No one again would speak about an earthly kingdom.

But how would they be able to proclaim the divine truth of salvation in Jesus Christ without making a mistake? Well, the Holy Spirit would empower them to bring testimony that would be in perfect accord. The promise Jesus had made would come true: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

And so, it would be. At Pentecost, the Apostles would be filled with the Holy Spirit so they would remember all that Jesus had taught them. Peter would preach nothing but the purest divine truth with no human additives, such as hopes and dreams that Jesus would bring in a glorious earthly kingdom, or promote social justice, or approval of sins. Paul and the other apostles would do the same. The apostles were plainly inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, to accomplish Jesus’ prophecy of “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8), Jesus gave His Holy Spirit to endow the apostles with the gift of divine inspiration. Through the inspired Gospels and the Epistles, the eternally true, infallible testimony their Lord entrusted them was spread to the very ends of the earth. Through the Scriptures, the apostles to this day bring the glorious gospel witness to the end of time.

But what was the response the apostles received when they witnessed to a hostile world? They were mocked and ridiculed. They suffered. They died a martyr’s death. But they were never intimidated by any opposition, by danger as the price for telling the truth. You see, the Holy Spirit filled the apostles with a great boldness and courage, so that under persecution they not only remained steadfast and unflinching, but considered the sufferings they often received from their witnessing to Christ to be badges of honor. They could not help but tell of the good news of Christ.

This Good News of salvation would be proclaimed for all nations and peoples as the Twelve and all disciples would go into all the world, inviting all to the Baptism that incorporates us into Christ and makes us members of His Body the Church, announcing forgiveness to the penitent and unbelieving and calling us to oneness in Him and with all believers, through our eating His Body and drinking His Blood in His Supper.

Since, we too, have seen, heard, tasted, and touched Jesus in His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacrament – we are also His witnesses. By grace through faith in Christ alone, we are all unified and restored and sent to proclaim the good news of salvation in Christ alone! Amen.

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Remembering and Thanking God for Nicaea

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

On June 12, the holy Christian Church remembers and gives thanks to God for the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which began on that date in A.D. 325.

Emperor Constantine summoned this first ecumenical council in the city of Nicaea, which is located in modern-day Turkey. Constantine invited every bishop of the Church – some 1,800 bishops – but only approximately 300 attended.

The council was called primarily to deal with the heretical teaching of Arius of Alexandria, Egypt. Arius taught about Jesus that “there was a time when He was not,” which was a heresy, a false teaching that would endanger Christ’s flock of their salvation if they would believe that. Arius was very persuasive as he had many influential people on his side. The issue with Arius’s teaching is that he taught that there was a time when Jesus was not God, but this is against Christ’s very words, “ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13); “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30); “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58); and on, and on, and on.

So, to combat this heresy, the council was convened. The council dealt with various other Church issues as well, but the main issue was condemning this heresy. As the bishops arrived, they all confessed the Apostles’ Creed, but they desired to develop it more so it would be boldly asserted that the Son was “homoousious” (that is, of the same substance or essence) as the Father. While at the council, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the bishops agreed upon the wordage of the Nicene Creed, which all came directly from Scripture. At the First Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381, the Church would later affirm the Nicene Creed as we confess today.

The pattern of Church leaders meeting to confess doctrine, reject error, and offer guidance for the practical questions of the day became established with this council. Today, the first seven ecumenical councils are recognized by the entire Christian Church (First Council of Nicaea, 325; First Council of Constantinople, 381; Council of Ephesus, 431; Council of Chalcedon, 451; Second Council of Constantinople, 553; Third Council of Constantinople, 680-681; and the Second Council of Nicaea, 787).

In the heritage of the church councils, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod meets for convention both synodical wide and at the district level. So, such councils, or conventions, still characterize the Church’s life today.

Oddly enough, among the famous participants at the First Council of Nicaea was Nicholas of Myra, who the legend of Santa Claus is modeled after. According to folklore, Nicholas slapped Arius for speaking heresy against Jesus Christ. Also, Athanasius of Alexandria attended this council. Due to his steadfast faith, the Athanasian Creed is named in his honor.

By confessing the Creeds today, we confess the basics of the Christian faith as revealed in God’s Holy Word!

The Lord bless you and keep you always!

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen

Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "Hidden But Not Absent" (Acts 1:1-11)

 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our risen and ascended Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[The Ascension]

When Jesus and His apostles met on the Mount of Olives, the apostles were full of great expectations. They asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). This question is puzzling. After all they had experienced with Jesus, they ask this question. It appears that they were still expecting Jesus to establish a kingdom here on earth that, in some respects, would be like other earthly kingdoms.

But at the same time, the apostles also believed that this kingdom of God would be one that would bring them spiritual redemption. They were expecting forgiveness of sins won by their Messiah, Jesus, and all the blessings for the soul which flow from forgiveness.

So, Jesus responds saying, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

As Jesus spoke these words, He began His ascent into heaven. With the eyes of the apostles resting upon Him, they witnessed Jesus being slowly and visibly lifted up. They see all of this with their own very eyes as the witnesses they were to be.

There was an awed silence over the apostles. Their eyes are wide with astonishment as they follow Him and strain in their looking and then a cloud took Him out of their sight. From this event, we confess this great article of faith in the Creeds: “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty” (Apostles’ Creed).

Although Jesus had vanished and appeared throughout those 40 days since His bodily resurrection – to the Emmaus disciples on the road, to the apostles in the locked upper room twice, at the Sea of Tiberias, and various other appearances to many – the apostles knew that something was different here. Jesus had never vanished from their sight in this way.

So, the apostles do what we would naturally do: stare into the sky. They stare even as the last cloud folds Him in. They gaze after Him – but He is gone.

The ascension was visible for the sake of the apostles. The moment the cloud hid Jesus from their sight, He was transferred timelessly into the heavenly glory. Jesus is now visible in heaven with the same body that died nailed to the cross and lay in the grave.

The obvious questions now for the apostles are: “Now what?”, “What’s next?”

So, as they stare, two angels in white robes appear and say: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This question intends to turn their minds from mere astonishment to more important thought. You see, the Ascension and the Last Day go together.

[He Shall Return]

Christ departed visibly; He shall return visibly. He went to heaven; He shall come back from heaven. He went away bodily; He shall return bodily.

This is what the two angels spoke to the apostles. The presence of these angels marks the Ascension as one of Christ’s saving acts. Remember, when two angels appeared at the tomb on that Easter morning? What did they say? “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise?” (Luke 24:5-7). The angels did not just appear previously to proclaim the resurrection. They also announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds saying, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Today on this Ascension of Our Lord Day, we know that because Jesus is risen from the dead, by faith in Him alone, we will also rise! Since Jesus ascended into heaven, we will also ascend! You see, the Ascension of Christ is a feast to celebrate!

So, as the apostles stood staring, these angels brought the glorious promise to them at this great moment that Jesus will come again in the same visible way.

But someone may ask, “How can Jesus be visible to everyone when He returns? If He returns on one side of the earth, how could people know on the other side of the earth?”

Oh, believe me, everyone will know. God is God and we are not. He is the Creator of heaven and earth, so He is capable of accomplishing everything.

So, Jesus will not announce His return on a television talk show or announce His return to you privately at a street corner. And if anyone does say he is Jesus, you ought to know that that man is a fraud, since He will not return in secret. So, don’t be fooled by people claiming to be Jesus. When Christ returns, there will be no mistaking Him. For He will return from heaven in the same way He ascended into heaven. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The day of Christ’s return will be a day of comfort for all in Christ. It is a day of promise for us! But we also know that He will return as the Judge who will strike paralyzing fear into His foes (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7) as He will say: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Acknowledge Me” (Revelation 1:8). But because He is and remains our Savior, the sight of Him will fill our hearts with overwhelming joy. For He will be our acquitting Judge, the Judge who will speak to us these gracious words: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

[Sitting at the Right Hand of the Father]

Today, we live in the age between the Lord’s ascension and His return in glory on the Last Day. During this time, He is hidden from our physical sight, but He is not absent. The Lord’s promise of His continuing presence concludes the Gospel according to Matthew: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is ascended, but He is still present.

For some Christians, they take Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father to be a literal location. So, for them, Jesus is stuck in heaven, so it’s impossible for Him to be with us here today. Now, how do they account for His resurrection appearances? They say He just snuck through a window or snuck in and out when the people weren’t looking. So, to this they say, “The body of Christ is enclosed in heaven, so He cannot be present in more than one place at a particular time.”[1] But, if this is the case, then Jesus is not fully God. Since Christ is true God, He is indeed present everywhere. He has “ascended far above the heavens, that He might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10).

So, when we confess He “sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty” and as our Epistle proclaims today that God the Father “seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20), we are not confessing that Christ is confined or restricted to a place, but that He again has full use of all His divine powers that were His before He took upon Himself our human flesh at His incarnation. So, “right hand” means strength and power, and not a restriction. Again, the “right hand of God the Father almighty” is not a location, but instead an office. If Jesus was confined, He would not be with us always, to the end of the age.

So, for a time, Jesus willingly relinquished much of His divine power as a man, but now that He has returned to heaven as man and God, He has again taken up full use of His divine power. At the Ascension, Jesus was exalted into heaven. On earth, His exaltation was His crucifixion. But His Ascension is His triumphant enthronement as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Today, because the ascended Christ is not only God, but God and man united in one Person, therefore wherever He is, He is present as God and man. This means that He is not only present as God, but He is present also as man, with His Body. Christ is bodily present in the Lord’s Supper, where He gives us His body and blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins.

In this time between the Ascension and His return, the presence of Christ for us is a hidden presence as we no longer physically see Him as a man or audibly hear the words from His mouth. Nevertheless, His presence is not spiritual in the sense that He has nothing to do with this world. Otherwise, how would we identify His presence? He is present to us and speaks to us through His Word, as it is proclaimed and read. These words are not simply written by man; they are not simply words spoken to our ears, or printed signs to our eyes. No! Through the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures, Christ speaks to us. For the Church is the assembly of believers around the Word and Sacrament. Around the Means of Grace, the Church gathers around the hidden, yet powerful presence of Christ.

So, the Ascension of our Lord is not a time of mourning. Jesus has not left us. His Ascension is all about our comfort, peace, joy, and confidence. Imagine the awe and delight of the angels and archangels as the Son of God returned as also the Son of Man with all power and authority in heaven and on earth, where He rules with grace and mercy, where repentance for the forgiveness of sins in preached. Jesus is not absent as He rules all things for the sake of His Body, the Church.

Even though He reigns in heaven, He still carries for us the marks of His crucifixion. He is the Lamb who was slain, who “is above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21). He blesses us with forgiveness, lifts us up in His hands and seats us with Himself “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20). Alleluia! Christ is Ascended! Amen!

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] Book of Concord, Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article VII: Holy Supper. The Reformed argued that Christ cannot be present in the Lord’s Supper, since He was trapped in heaven.

Sermon for Easter 5: "Into All Truth" (John 16:12-22)

 

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]

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus said to His apostles: “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a).

Pontius Pilate famously asked Jesus: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). How would we know truth from fiction? From online fact checkers? From the “Ministry of Truth”?

All too recently, we were told to trust the science. But what happens when the science changes? Do we continually trust the shifting sands? Is truth today considered “fluid”? Is it the nature of truth to change?

So, what is Jesus telling us by saying, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth”? Today on this Fifth Sunday of Easter, Jesus gives us the answer to the question that is still asked today: “What is truth?”

[The Truth is Out There]

As I have said, there are so many questions in regard to truth. Today, truth has undertaken a new meaning: opinion. Today, opinion seems to matter more than fact. Today, opinion has taken center stage to some big questions, such as: When does life begin? Is it just a clump of cells until I say it’s life? How do I know my sex or gender? Is it assigned to me, or do I choose? What is a woman? What is a man?

In a world without truth, nothing has meaning. But as the television show X-Files proclaims: The truth is out there. It’s certainly out there, but where?

How are we to distinguish truth from lies?

To this, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. He does this to contrast with the spirit of lies – the devil – who turns everything on its head: evil is good, good is evil, and truth is exchanged for a lie. Jesus proclaims that the Holy Spirit will teach the apostles and show them that everything He told them is the truth.

Everything Jesus taught is the Truth, for He said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Now, many men have told us the truth, but no Man ever embodied it except for Jesus Christ. You see, if a man proposes to teach moral truth, his character makes all the difference in the world. Moral truth cannot be conveyed solely in words; it must be conveyed by example. Many people could say: “I have taught you the truth.” But only Jesus says: “I am the Truth.”

But how did the unbelieving world react to Jesus? They called Him a blasphemer. They called Him a liar. They said He was crazy. They shouted, “Crucify Him!”

What did Jesus say of Paul being His chosen instrument in proclaiming the Gospel? “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My name” (Acts 9:16).

How is this any different from today? It is the fate of every Christian to suffer for the truth because Christ suffered as the Truth. We are to suffer whatever grief the devil and the world can inflict upon us. The question then is: why would anyone want to be a Christian? Who would want to be a Christian if there is guaranteed suffering? Human reason says, “No way!” But the Holy Spirit says otherwise. He is the Spirit of Truth because in spite of what may appear to be suffering – when we are mocked and ridiculed for speaking God’s Word – He strengthens and preserves our hearts in the one true faith.

Without the Holy Spirit, no one would have believed in Jesus for any length of time, or would still believe today, that Jesus is the Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father, and who was crucified as a criminal by His own people is the true God.

It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to live and to die by the truth. The Holy Spirit is the guide who leads us into all truth. The Holy Spirit occupies Himself in how to rescue men from sin and death by making them children of God, righteous and heirs of eternal life. The Holy Spirit is about building the kingdom of God and destroying the kingdom of hell. He teaches us how to fight against the devil and overcome him. He gives us comfort, strength, and support to a believing conscience. The Holy Spirit does all of this so we may remain alive in the midst of death and may be able to keep a good conscience even when we are aware of our sins, so that we confess those sins to God our Father and receive reconciliation.

It is certainly necessary to fight and grapple with the devil and sin. Here nothing but eternal things – eternal life or eternal death – is at issue. As Baptized Christians, Satan constantly goes after us with all his fury. He wants us to denounce our inheritance as children of the heavenly Father. So, in this life, we are faced with either gaining the victory over the devil and sin by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, or being their captives and lost forever.

As Christians, we are opposed by an enemy who is not interested in our temporal knowledge which we possess. No, he struggles and strives to hold our consciences bound in sin and to plague us from the eternal terrors of hell and with despair to drag us down with him from the kingdom of God and from all communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and into eternal damnation and the fire of hell. Such battles cannot be fought and such victories cannot be won without the Holy Spirit. Our reason and strength alone get us nowhere, as all temporal things will pass away.

Therefore, let us cling to this truth which the Holy Spirit teaches: how we can retain faith in Christ; tread the devil, sin, and death underfoot; bear and overcome the world’s wrath and raging; build God’s kingdom and gain eternal life. And where does the Holy Spirit work in us to retain this? It is only through His Means of Grace.

[Holy Spirit in Means of Grace]

When we hear God’s Word proclaimed and preached, receive Christ’s forgiveness in holy absolution and in receiving Christ’s very Body and Blood under the bread and the wine, we receive forgiveness of sins, which is supplied through Christ’s work of reconciliation, hence God’s grace. It is through these Means of Grace that God reveals and declares to believers that he or she is fully reconciled through Christ. The efficacious power of the Means of Grace consists of this, that through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit works and strengthens faith, faith in the very forgiveness, God’s love and grace, which these means declare and reveal.

So, when we avoid the Means of Grace, we are depriving the Holy Spirit from awaking and strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ. For, as Martin Luther has said, “God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and Sacraments. It is the devil himself who is extolled as spirit without the Word and the Sacrament.”[1]

It is through the Means of Grace that the Holy Spirit works through us the preservation of the pure doctrine and of faith; victory over sin, the devil, and hell; and also love and obedience to God and our neighbor.

So, we know the truth from the Holy Spirit working within us through His Means of Grace. But does truth change with the times? Can men become women? Does life begin at conception or at birth, or even after birth?

[The Guide into All Truth]

To that question, Jesus says: “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13b-c).

Here, Jesus defines the Holy Spirit’s office. The Holy Spirit is the guide into all truth.

There are two kinds of teachers. There are some who speak on their own authority by evolving their message from their own reasoning and judgment. And, there are those who do not speak on their own authority.

The Holy Spirit does not speak on His own authority, and His message will not be a human dream and thought like those who speak on their own authority of things which they have never seen nor experienced. The Holy Spirit’s message has substance: It is certain and absolute truth, for He proclaims what He has received from the Father and the Son.

We recognize the Holy Spirit by the fact that He does not speak on His own authority – as the spirit of lies, the devil, and his mobs do – but will proclaim what He will hear. The Holy Spirit speaks exclusively of Jesus and glorifies Jesus, so that people would believe in Jesus as their crucified and risen Savior.

In this way, Jesus sets the bounds for the message of the Holy Spirit Himself. He does not preach anything new or anything else than Christ and His Word. Thus, we have a sure guide and touchstone for judging false spirits.

Christ teaches His followers: “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). We come to know the truth through the nature of the Scriptures. You see, the entire Scriptures – the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments – are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Everything in the Scriptures has its origin in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. These are the very words of Jesus that have been preserved by the Holy Spirit.

So, all who imagine that they have found truth elsewhere are deluding themselves, because as Psalm 119 proclaims: “the sum of Your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160).

So, what does the Spirit of Truth say to some of today’s questions?

• On Life: Jeremiah 1(:5a): “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” and Psalm 139 (:13-14a, 15-16) “For You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. … My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
• On Sex or gender: Genesis 1(:27): “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them,” Matthew 19(:4) “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,” and Jesus Himself says in today’s Gospel lesson that only women give birth as He compares the birth of a baby to the joy of His resurrection (John 16:21).

We can only be adequately informed of the truth in God’s Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament.

Although, we aspire to be perfect in following God’s commandments, His Law is impossible for us since we are all sinners. We all do what we should not do, and we all forget from time to time on the things we ought to be doing. Thanks be to God that we have Jesus who is perfect and He gives us His perfection that He won for us upon the cross. He gives us reconciliation through repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

It is the Holy Spirit who takes all things that belong to Jesus and gives forgiveness of sins, life and salvation to us. So, do not be deceived by the spirit of lies, who is at work within the sinful hearts of humanity, who attempts to deceive us into lies. Instead, always remember that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers through their Baptism into Christ, through the Lord’s Supper, and in the Scriptures that “are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5b), which reveal to us God’s love and salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who supports and comforts believers with Christ’s gift of peace! Amen.

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Portions of the Sermon cited from:

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works American Edition: Volume 24, Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 14-16 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1961), 357-371.

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[1] Trigl. 495, Part III, Art. VIII, 3-10

Sermon for Easter 3: "Forgiven and Sent" (John 21:1-19)

 

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]

Last week’s Gospel text seemed to be the perfect ending. Jesus appeared to His apostles – first without, then with, Thomas. Through Him saying, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21, 26), Jesus gave all of them the peace of forgiveness of sins.

And Christ’s apostles needed the peace of forgiveness. You see, immediately after Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and taken into custody where He would eventually suffer and die, what happened? Each apostle ran away in fear. They all scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Peter, who was the de facto leader of the Twelve, when asked if he was a disciple of Jesus on three separate occasions on that Maundy Thursday evening, said: “I am not” (John 18:17) as he stood warming himself over a charcoal fire. Upon that third time, “at once a rooster crowed” (John 18:27). Then Peter remembered Jesus’ saying: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” (Matthew 26:75). At once, Peter wept bitterly.

But what about the other apostles? Well, they, too feared the Jewish authorities. They – with Peter – believed that they would be next to be arrested and later face death. They were scared for their lives. They truly believed that Jesus was more than a miracle worker. They believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. But now, Jesus is dead. All was lost. They believed that the last three years following Jesus was just a big mistake.

Yes, Peter and John saw the empty tomb on that Easter morning, but they still didn’t understand the Scripture “that He must rise from the dead” (John 20:9) as they were slow to believe.

But Mary Magdalene remained at the empty tomb as she wept believing that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. But as she wept, Jesus appears to her. Then in resurrection joy, Mary announces to the apostles, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18) and that He will soon see His apostles in Galilee (Matthew 28:10).

But even as they were slow to believe, that evening despite the doors being locked, Jesus stood among to His apostles – with the exception of Thomas – and before any of them could say a word, Jesus spoke, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). He immediately showed them His hands and His side. For a second time, Jesus says: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Here, again, Jesus forgives them of their sins and He renews their commissioning as His apostles.

A week later, after first scoffing at the idea that Jesus is risen from the dead and with the doors being locked, Jesus again stands again among His apostles and immediately says, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26). Just like the week earlier, Thomas does not get a chance to speak, as Jesus forgives Thomas, and forgives the other apostles a third time.

Thomas believed as saw and felt Jesus’ wounds as he confessed: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

What a great way to end the Gospel! The apostles have all seen Jesus! Jesus is alive! Christ is risen! [He is risen indeed! Alleluia!] This is the perfect ending: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

But that wasn’t the end. Curiously enough, there is one more chapter in John’s Gospel, which is our text for today, the Third Sunday of Easter.

[Jesus Appears to the Seven]

Remember the word from the women announcing to the apostles that Jesus would meet them in Galilee? Well, after Jesus left the locked room, the apostles made their way to Galilee. Why seven of the eleven apostles were present, we do not know, but surely these seven would tell the others of what would happen this day along the Sea of Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee.

But before anything would happen this day. These seven apostles would wait. It may have been hours or days, since Jesus did not reveal the exact time He would make His appearance.

For Peter, this was hard. He was not the type of man to just sit and wait. He was a man of action! So, Peter says, “I am going fishing” (John 21:3) and the others reply, “We will go with you.” It was only natural for them to turn to fishing, since they were fishermen by trade. Afterall, it was against Peter’s nature just to sit. He wants to do something.

But what happens? “They caught nothing” (John 21:3). We’ve all been there. Sitting in the boat all day and not a single bite. But the apostles were not amateur fishermen. They knew what they were doing. They knew the tricks of the trade.

But early in the morning, a voice calls out to them, saying, “Children, do you have any fish?” (John 21:5). They answer, “No!” Then the voice says, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). At once the net was filled with a large number of fish, so many that they were tugging and pulling at the net with all their might as they couldn’t haul it into the boat. Something miraculous had just happened.

This sounds familiar. Didn’t this happen before? Remember when Jesus enabled His disciples to catch a net full of fish after they had fished all night and caught nothing? Last time, Peter certainly acted differently. On this day, John said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7) Immediately, Peter puts on his outer garment and throw himself into the sea. The other apostles followed in the boat, pulling and tugging the large catch of fish to the shore. But what did Peter do the last time Jesus enabled them to make a great catch? He fell down at Jesus’ knees, and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Now, that was the natural reaction of a man who had not yet seen the cross. You see, without the forgiveness of sins, we would never be in God’s presence. In fact, we wouldn’t want to be. By nature, we are enemies of God.

But how different it is this time! Peter jumps into the water. He can’t wait to be near Jesus! Now, this is the natural reaction of those who have believed in the cross and the resurrection! By this time, the Resurrection has happened. Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!] You see, believing in the crucified and risen Christ creates a completely new nature. The new person knows and believes that he has the certainty of eternal life, so he is eager to do something for Christ.

So, what are Peter and the other apostles going to do? Well, what comes naturally! Remember the last time Jesus enabled them to catch all those fish? What did Jesus say? “From now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

From now on, they would be fishers of men. Do you suppose the apostles thought back to that previous time? Did you recall that previous catch of fish?

This is likely why the Holy Spirit inspired John to record this particular miracle. This is not just another resurrection appearance of Jesus. It is another intentional reminder of what follows after people have seen the risen Christ, believed in Him, and have received forgiveness of sins.

[Forgiven]

As Christ gives us the urge to do what we naturally want to do by spreading the good news of forgiveness of sins to others, sometimes our past sins and failures make us feel unworthy to serve God. If you have ever felt this way, you are not alone. Remember, when Jesus stood in that locked room with His apostles? What did He say to them? He said, “Peace be with you.” There, He corporately forgave His apostles’ sins. Now, this is what happens each Sunday morning as we begin the Divine Service by confessing our sins. Then we hear these words: “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” At that moment, your sins of thought, word, and deed are wiped away by God. You are forgiven!

But how often have you thought, “Am I really forgiven?” “I don’t feel forgiven.” “Is what I have done, even forgivable?” Well, if you have thought that – you are not alone.

As soon as that rooster crowed, Peter wept bitterly. Since that night when Peter denied Jesus three times, he was forgiven three times in that locked room. He was indeed reconciled to God. But Peter’s heart remained broken. After his great fall, Peter needed further assurance of his forgiveness. On that Maundy Thursday evening, Peter warmed his hands over a charcoal fire, but on this day, Jesus prepares breakfast over a charcoal fire.

There, on the shore, Jesus has prepared a charcoal fire with fish laid out on it, and bread. The table is ready, and Jesus is the host of the meal. They are fed with bread and fish provided in advance by the Lord. Later, Jesus says, “Bring some of the fish that you have caught” (John 21:10). This was Christ’s miracle. So, when the fish come in, it is the Lord’s doing, even when we carry out His commands. The net may be strained to the breaking point, but when casting out the Gospel net, the apostles are assured of success, no matter what experience or reason may say to the contrary.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus, as the all-knowing Savior full of compassion, pulled Peter aside and spoke the word of full absolution to him that brought the peace of forgiveness of sins to his troubled heart. Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). Peter replies, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you” (John 21:15). After two more questions, Peter realizes what this is all about. Here, Jesus individually absolves Peter three times to again forgive his denial of Him, so that Peter would be among one of those fishers of men.

Now, all the apostles are ready to do what they were called to do: spread the good news of the gospel – the forgiveness of sins!

[Sent]

We, too, are forgiven, renewed, and sent by Jesus! Through Holy Baptism, our sins are forgiven as the Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus by giving us faith. Baptism is the crucial entry point, and this Sacrament establishes the ongoing connection with Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection, as well as with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But the Triune God doesn’t stop there!

He knows that Satan, the world, and our sinful nature constantly attack us. So, He reminds us of our Baptism as He forgives our sins through corporate and individual confession and absolution – just as He did for Peter and his fellow apostles. Christ says to us: “Peace be with you” … “Follow Me” as our sins are forgiven. Is that the end? No!

Christ continues to forgive and renew us through hearing His saving Word and in receiving the meal of His very Body and Blood where we see, touch, and taste Jesus under the bread and wine for our forgiveness and to strengthen our faith in Him. Just as He did for His apostles on the shore, He does for us here in the Divine Service!

Christ does all of this in order to send us into the mission field as His fishers of men!

From the earliest years of John’s Gospel, there have been questions on why the Holy Spirit inspired John to record the exact number of fish – 153 of them. Why so exact? Well, one idea is that the ancient world believed that there were 153 kinds of fish in the seas. So, could this be John reminding us that we are to go to every tribe and nation with the saving Gospel, to bring all nations into God’s net? Also, the net wasn’t torn. Perhaps this is a reminder that no believer will break from God’s net; none will be lost.

The apostles that day didn’t plan to catch exactly 153 fish. And on their own, they couldn’t catch any! But planning how many fish we are going to catch is not something we need to worry about. We just go about our business – fishing: because we are fishers of men. We share Christ’s love because we can’t be silent as Easter people. We are people who are loved and forgiven by God. We do this because it comes naturally, because Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!]

You see, new Christians are not made by brilliant theories or slick programs. New Christians just happen naturally as we seize the opportunities that God provides. We all have friends who are hurting. We do have family and friends we can invite to church. In fact, we daily testify to Christ in how we naturally go about life in our various vocations, such as employee, student, child, brother, sister, father, and mother. Now, we may not consider ourselves to be evangelists, but we all are.

Jesus is the source of the mission, and He continues to feed us through His Word and Sacrament as He fortifies our faith, just as He has fortified Peter and the other apostles as we too are forgiven and sent as His resurrection people! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!] Amen!

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +