Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "Still with Us" (Acts 1:1-11)

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Alleluia! Christ is ascended! He is ascended, indeed! Alleluia!

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:

 

“And when [Jesus] had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while there were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘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 1:9-11).

 

Just imagine the sight. The apostles and disciples staring off into the sky – gazing up into heaven. They gaze after Jesus until they can no longer see Him.

 

Just imagine what they were thinking. We have some ideas. They just asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) So, is the Ascension the way Jesus will bring back the old days of King David and King Solomon, when the Kingdom of Israel was the greatest? Is this the way Israel would become free from Roman domination and become a world power? You see, this was the hope of many in Israel.

 

To that question, prior to His Ascension, Jesus says to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).

 

So, it was not for them – or us – to know when God would bring His great plan to completion. However, it is enough to know that He has a plan for His kingdom and that His will is gracious and good. God has marked the calendar, and He has marked the day and made a note of the hour. Until that day, no one on this side of heaven knows the day and the hour of Christ’s second coming, the date of Judgment Day.

 

But there is something to note from this exchange. Before His Resurrection, when Jesus was in His state of humiliation, He did not exercise His divine knowledge to the fullest. He had said then that He did not know the day of God’s judgment. He said, “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). But here, Jesus does not say that. Here, Jesus says, “It is not for you to know” (Acts 1:7). In other words, “I know.”

 

From His Word, we know that Jesus’ kingdom is not political, but spiritual. We know that Jesus’ kingdom is not limited to the Jewish people, but includes all who trust in Christ, which is the spiritual Israel. 

 

Again, they are looking intently up into the sky. They stare even as the last clouds fold Him in. What’s next? Has Jesus left them? Has Jesus left us? They gaze after Him, but He is gone. Jesus has vanished.

 

Do you ever have times when you wish that Jesus wasn’t so far away? Do you ever ponder the idea: “Why Jesus, why do you permit all this evil to happen?” Our human understanding of the Ascension can lead us to think that Jesus is far, far away. But is that really the case? Has Jesus really abandoned us?

 

The Ascension was visible for the sake of the apostles. The very moment the clouds hid Jesus from their sight, He was transferred timelessly into the heavenly glory. Jesus is now visible in heaven with the same body, including His scars of triumph over the cross and grave.

 

Suddenly, two angels stood by them and said, “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).

 

You see, Christ departed visibly, so He shall return visibly. He ascended into heaven, so He shall descend from heaven. He ascended bodily, so He shall descend bodily.

 

In this in-between time, what does Christ’s Ascension mean to us? St. Paul gives us the answer in tonight’s epistle: Jesus is now seated at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named. He has put all things under His feet and is head over the Church (Ephesians 1:20-22).

 

Now, does this mean that Jesus is away from us as He rules in heaven? No! This means that He rules in heaven and on earth. Through His Ascension, Jesus is reigning His death and resurrection over us, which means that He has the power to be everywhere and anywhere. He is no longer bound to a bodily, visible, tangible, and worldly way of life, to time, place, space, or the like. Through His Ascension, Jesus is now present and rules through His power everywhere, in all places and at all times, when and where we need Him. Jesus says, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

You see, Christ’s Ascension is all about bringing us His Means of Grace. He ascended so that He can distribute His sacrificial gifts to His people everywhere and anywhere. Again, Jesus Ascended so that He would no longer be bound spatially. He Ascended, so that He can truly be with us always to the end of the age in, with, and under His Word and Sacraments.

 

Because Jesus is Ascended into heaven and has all power and all authority, His Means of Grace are no mere symbols or simple remembrances of what He has accomplished on our behalf. No! They are the Means by which Christ gives Himself through His Word and Sacraments. His Means of Grace have both authority and power, right and might to accomplish that for which God has purposed them.

 

What is this purpose? Forgiveness of sins, which begets life and salvation! The Means of Grace created your faith in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and strengthens your faith through Absolution, the Word, and the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Through the Means of Grace, we are joined to the very same crucifixion and resurrection in the waters of Holy Baptism. It is a Baptism in which the Holy Spirit gives us faith as we live as God’s holy people.

 

Through the Means of Grace, the cross is placed upon us in Holy Absolution, wherein repentant hearts receive forgiveness of sins.

 

Through the Means of Grace, Christ feeds us His very Body and Blood under the bread and wine, given to us Christians to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of our sins in the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Being forgiven through the Means of Grace, we mutually forgive one other.

 

So, the Ascension of Our Lord is not a time of mourning. Jesus has not left us. He did not retire when He ascended. He has not deserted us. He continues to be involved and be in charge. His Ascension is all about our comfort, peace, joy, and confidence.

 

While Jesus ascended from His apostles’ and disciples’ sight, being carried up into heaven, He raised His hands in blessing (Luke 24:50). His hands remain lifted to bless us, to bless our witness and our worship.

 

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 all authority in heaven and on earth, where He rules with grace and mercy, where repentance for the forgiveness of sins is preached.

 

Jesus is not absent. He is still with us in His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacraments – where He promises to be until He bodily returns on the Last Day. Alleluia! Christ is ascended! He is ascended, 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 +

Sermon for Advent 1: "Coming to the Rescue" (Mark 11:1-10)

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:

Those who went before and those who followed Jesus were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10).

 

To the repeated chants of Hosanna, meaning: “Save us now!” “Save us now!” “Save us now!” Jesus rides into Jerusalem. Now, today’s Gospel reading may seem odd, since today isn’t Palm Sunday; today is the First Sunday in Advent. But it does make sense when you ponder it a bit. Advent means “coming.” And why did Christ come? He came to suffer and die our punishment. He came to save His people from their sins. He came to rescue us from our evil foes: Satan, our own sinful nature, and the fallen world.

 

With the chants of “Hosanna in the highest,” the crowds are shouting the right words to Jesus, but do they truly understand the meaning of Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem?

 

Knowing the expectations of the people, those shouting “Hosanna” likely have the wrong vision of their triumphant King. Yes, they desire a savior, but a savior from what? Most likely, the crowd expects Jesus to save them not from themselves – not from their sins, but from the despised Romans. They wanted to return to the glory of the era of King David.

 

Everyone needs a king. Even if you don’t think you need a king, you need a king. These Jews desired a powerful earthly king as their savior who, again, would lead them back to the glory days of Israel and Judah.

 

Now, as Americans, we tend to value our individual freedoms and our right to self-determination. We even celebrate our independence from a king. But from heaven’s perspective, we all need a king, a good king. You see, without a good king, left to us, all we like sheep have gone astray, everyone turns to his own way. Without a king, left to us, we live in darkness. We wander around aimlessly. Without a king, left to us, we invent ways to oppose the Creator and to harm our neighbor by making war with each other. We all need a good king who will gather us together and rule over us. 

These Jews shouting “Hosanna” wanted a king to save them. And we want a good king to save us. The good news is that we have been provided with such a King.

 

Even when we have been provided with the good King, history has shown so many self-appointed messiahs and messiah wannabes. Now, some of them have turned out to be rather harmless, while some others have turned out to be murderous and tyrannical. But they all have one thing in common: they were all fake. 

 

We all need a genuine savior. We all need a genuine messianic King. But so often, what we want is not what God has given us. So often, what we want is to select our king for ourselves. Our sinful nature wants a king who always agrees with you. Our sinful nature wants a king who never questions your desires. Our sinful nature wants a king who will never ask you to repent.

 

Oftentimes, we, like the first century Jews, are looking for the wrong king. But the good news is that God has given us the genuine King. He has given us the King we need. This messianic King is a humble King riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus of Nazareth is the One whom God the Father appointed to be the King of Israel even before the creation of heaven and earth. Jesus is the son of David, and yet David’s Lord. The King of the Jews is the messianic King for the world. And He is the messianic King for you!

 

Even if this crowd doesn’t fully comprehend what is happening, this crowd was sure anxious to see Jesus. You see, the word had spread on what Jesus had recently done. This Jesus is the Man who opens the eyes of the blind. This Jesus is the Man who raised Lazarus from the dead. The crowds thought, “Could it be? If He can feed thousands, give the blind sight, give the deaf hearing, give the mute speech, heal the sick and raise the dead, why couldn’t He also get rid of the Romans?”

 

But what most didn’t realize is that this Jesus is not just a bread king and a miracle worker. This Jesus is Yahweh in human flesh. This Jesus is God. And God is unchanging. God does not change to our desires. He gives us what we truly need.

 

As we – and the first century Jews – may have our own presuppositions on who the savior ought to be, Christ rides over those presuppositions.

 

As Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus does the unexpected. He accomplishes what is truly needed. He shows that He is the Master of Creation by riding a donkey that has never been broken in. Normally, an unbroken colt is difficult to ride, but not for Jesus. He is the Master of Creation. At a casual pace, He rides this donkey into Jerusalem as the crowd eagerly puts their cloaks on the road along with palm branches.

 

Jesus enters Jerusalem with simple dignity. He’s riding no warhorse or chariot. Still, the crowds saw in Jesus their hope for salvation and deliverance. Again, even if they didn’t truly understand what was happening, they were chanting the right words: “Hosanna! Save us now!” For Jesus came to rescue them. Jesus came to rescue us. He came to save.

 

Here, Jesus rides over our wants and gives us what we truly need. He’s riding into Jerusalem to give His people true rescue: the forgiveness of their sins. He rides into Jerusalem so that we would be declared righteous. He is riding to our rescue.

 

As we begin the new church year, we remember why God took upon Himself our human flesh in the first place. Jesus came to rescue us from our sins.

 

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, He knew second by second what His week would become. He knew He would be turned over to death. He knew He would be stripped, whipped, beaten, and adorned with a crown of thorns. He knew He would be enthroned by being nailed on the cross of Golgotha. He knew His disciples would flee. Yet, Jesus, knowing He would be put through pain, misery, and death, did it anyway, so that by grace through faith in Him, you would be rescued from the powers of sin, eternal death, and hell.

 

As Christ breathed His last enthroned on the cross, Satan and his fallen angels believed they defeated God. They rejoiced. But their supposed victory was short lived, for Jesus rose from the dead three days later. Sin was overcome. Jesus lives and death is conquered. Then 40 days later, Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, where He continues to rule all things on behalf of His Church. 

 

Even right before Christ ascended, His most loyal apostles still didn’t understand as they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Even if they didn’t fully get it, they would in time. Jesus did not come as an earthly King, but as the heavenly King. He came so that we could live forever.

 

Also, as we enter this Advent season, we are reminded that Christ will come again. We are reminded that the trumpet will sound, and the voice of the archangel will be heard (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Meanwhile, we wait with eager expectation. This Advent season we look back at Jesus’ first coming in Bethlehem and give thanks. We see the climax of that first coming with His enthronement upon the cross. We celebrate and ponder this mystery. The manger and the cross are made of the same wood. Jesus came to die. He “came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

 

Gentleness, humility, and meekness marked His first coming, even as He journeyed to the cross. A crucifixion is the last place one would look for an enthronement, but here is Jesus, crucified for you. All your sins were laid upon Him. And by “His wounds, you are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Christ, the good King, our rescuer, fulfilled God’s Law completely.

 

Today, we walk by faith in the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us. Yet, Christ is not away from us. He remains with us. He continues to rescue us. He is still our Emmanuel. His presence is hidden in Word and Sacrament: the Scriptures, water, bread, and wine. He takes these ordinary elements and uses them to join Himself to us. Today, He comes to us through ordinary means in His Means of Grace. But in time, we will see Jesus as He is. What is hidden today will soon be seen by everyone. His kingdom of glory will surpass every expectation in its power, splendor, and majesty. 

 

In the meantime, Christ continues to come to our rescue as He is fully present with us in Word and Sacrament as He gives you forgiveness, life, and salvation! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 10: "Come! Everyone!" (Isaiah 55:1-5)

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

Imagine yourself walking through a marketplace. You hear tenants shouting from each booth about all the staples of life: “Fresh baked bread – two dollars!” “Ice Cold Milk – one dollar!” “Fresh berries – two dollars!” “Fine Wine – three dollars!”

 

But then you come up to a booth where you hear the unexpected: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

 

You think, “Everyone else is selling food and drink for money, what is with this merchant? There must be something wrong with his food and drink! Who would just give away food and drink?”

 

I don’t know about you, but I usually find it odd when a grocery store or convenience store is selling an item for cheap. Are they just trying to get rid of it? What’s wrong with it? Or, if I’m not familiar with a gas station brand and I see that it’s selling gas much cheaper than the known competition across the street, I can often see myself filling up my car with the more expensive gas. Afterall, I don’t want bad gasoline. I want my car to run.

 

So, it is rather odd hearing a merchant cry out, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!”

 

So, you ask, “Why are you giving away your merchandise?” He replies, “My food and my drink has all been paid for! It is absolutely free! No strings attached! Don’t waste your money at those other booths. This here, is the richest of food and the most nourishing of drink. All those other booths offer food and drink that will never satisfy.” To this, you reply, “This has all been paid for? By whom? Who could have afforded to pay for this amazing food and drink and just give it away to others?”

 

Who could have done this, indeed. You likely have heard of those “pay-it-forward” drive though lines at Starbucks. You know, when the person in front of you pays for your bill. Sometimes it goes on nearly forever, especially in 2014 when 378 people at a Starbucks in St. Petersburg, Florida paid for the person behind them in line. 

But for each of these “pay-it-forward” occurrences, they each come to an end. You see, there is someone who would rather receive a free coffee than pay for the person behind them.

 

But at this market, no money is ever necessary. The food and drink has been paid for. And this food and drink never runs out. It’s always there, and it’s always free.

 

All it takes to eat and to drink is to respond to the word of invitation: “Come!” No one is excluded from this invitation. The old, the young, the weak, the strong, the poor, the rich. Everyone is invited to receive free food and free drink!

 

You see, this booth has been paid for by God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who paid the price. Back in Isaiah 53, Isaiah prophesied what God’s Servant would do. He was inspired to write: 

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed”(Isaiah 53:3-6).

 

I’m sure this sounds familiar. This was Good Friday. He was rejected and beaten. He was whipped and bloodied. He was crushed so much that He could not carry His own cross to His own execution. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted.

 

Jesus did all of this to give us the richest of food and the most nourishing of drink and all for free! He bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He has all our sin and iniquity on His shoulders. And by His stripes, we are healed. On that cross, He prepares forgiveness. He pays the price for our sins. On that Easter morning, He proclaims His victory over the powers of sin, death, and the devil as He cries out: “Come, everything is ready!”

 

Now, Jesus didn’t just pay the purchase price for small things, such as are found at a market. He paid the price for big things. Just think of a fancy banquet, but this banquet never ends.

 

Jesus tells of this banquet in Luke 14. He said, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready’” (Luke 14:16-17).

 

Like the shouting merchant, this servant is saying, “Come to the banquet, everything is ready! Here, you will receive the juiciest of meats, the tastiest of wine. Here, you will receive the best of the best! All you must do is come!” But do you remember what happened? All at once, people began to make excuses:

§  “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.” 

§  “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.”

§  “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” (Luke 14:18-20)

 

Here at this banquet table is an incredible spread of food: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. It’s a meal that satisfies, blesses our relationship with God and with our neighbor. But so often, we come up with excuses, and to be honest, lame excuses. Like those in the Parable of the Great Banquet, we plead necessity, we plead inconvenience, and we plead pleasure. We too, would rather be excused. But the real point of these excuses is that each excuse was dishonest. You see, the real reason they declined the invitation was that in their hearts they had a low opinion of the inviting Host. Their excuses were a cover-up for their contrary minds. They simply refused the invitation, because they were determined not to show honor to the inviting Host.

 

So, what does the Master of the banquet do? Does He just stop there and give up? No, He invites more and more and more people. He invites the unexpected, the poor and crippled, the blind and the lame. He invites sinners in need of salvation. And guess what? They come! And still there is room!

 

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus feeds 5,000 men, plus the women and children, with just five loaves of bread and two fish. By all earthly appearances, there could not be enough food, but not with God! So, like the unending supply of food and drink at the market, the banquet hall also never runs out of room, or food, or drink. It’s an unending supply!

 

You have been invited to this great meal, because Jesus did not remain crushed and beaten. He didn’t remain dead in the grave. No, He rose! He is risen! And He didn’t just live quietly after His resurrection. No! He presented Himself alive by many proofs, appearing to His apostles for 40 days and proclaimed the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

Jesus is inviting everyone to freely taste and drink. Again, status, power, money, fame and looks mean nothing to Him. You can’t buy your way to salvation. You can only be invited by Jesus.

 

The food is ready. The tables are set. If you ever thought the never-ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden was amazing, just sit back and imagine this banquet feast that truly never ends. Rich food full of marrow. A feast of well-aged wine (Isaiah 25:6). 

 

But guess what. Some chairs are empty. Some haven’t arrived at the meal yet. They still need to be invited. And who does the inviting? We do. God works through means. We are those means. This is our vocation. So, we are the witnesses to the people who aren’t yet at the table.

 

Just think about this, if 100 extra people suddenly showed up at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on a Sunday, we would make room for them. But what first needs to happen? They need to be invited.

 

How did the Christian Church grow from 12 apostles to billions of people? Was it through an elaborate evangelism program? No! It’s as simple as saying to your neighbor, “Come and see,” just as Philip said to Nathaniel (John 1:46). Through the working of the Holy Spirit, Nathaniel came to Jesus, and he believed. Philip just invited. The Holy Spirit did the rest!

 

Now, I am not Jesus. I am only Christ’s under shepherd. But Jesus is here. He may be hidden, but He is present in the Means of Grace – the Word and Sacraments. In the Word, we receive the milk that Isaiah mentions. So, whenever we “incline [our] ears” (Isaiah 55:3) to hear, we receive spiritual milk for our faith. In the Sacraments, we “come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1) of Holy Baptism. We also receive forgiveness of sins in Christ’s Body and Blood under the bread and the wine that are bought without money and without price when we come to the Lord’s Table.

 

Now, there are practical ways we can help with inviting family and friends – your neighbors – to church. 

 

First, just because we can’t buy our way to salvation doesn’t mean that money isn’t important to Christ’s Church. This church building is the place we meet and receive Christ’s gifts. Our offerings also assist the church’s mission on proclaiming the saving Gospel here and abroad.

 

Second, most people who don’t attend any church end up coming because someone invited them. This could be even those members we haven’t seen in some time. 

 

Our crucified and risen Lord has invited us. He purchased us through His atoning death. There is no more debt to be paid for our salvation. He has given us the best unending meal of forgiveness, life, and salvation, including for those who haven’t yet been invited. Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Easter 7: "Unified, Restored, and Sent" (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:

“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?

 

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).

 

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 additions, 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.

 

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Sermon for Festival of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus & Martyr: "Brother in Christ" (Matthew 13:54-58)

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:

[Without Honor]

 

Jesus said: “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household”(Matthew 13:57). Today on this day, we remember one in the household of Jesus known as James of Jerusalem, the Brother of Jesus and Martyr.

 

But what kind of brother was James? The Holy Spirit tells us through Scripture that Jesus’ own family thought He was “crazy.” On one occasion, His family tried to seize Him as they said of Jesus: “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

 

Well, what would you think if your brother leaves home and then starts marching around the countryside? What would you think if you heard your brother called a dozen men to follow Him as their Lord? What would you think if he denied you as family, but instead said His new friends were His true family? In fact, this happened. While Jesus was speaking to the people, His mother and His brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But Jesus says of His earthly family: “Who are my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Matthew 12:48). Then Jesus stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:49-50).

 

Beyond those dozen men, Jesus attracts a huge following – thousands of people follow Him out into the middle of nowhere. You hear that your brother is performing miracles of healing. The next thing you hear is that your brother claims to be the Son of God.

 

Then in today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matthew 13:57), to which we also learn that Jesus “did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

 

[Too Familiar]

 

“Familiarity breeds contempt,” the proverb says. Indeed, familiarity with Jesus growing up did breed the contempt of unbelief among His siblings and with the population of His hometown. 

You see, they all remember Jesus. Yes, He was different as a child. The people of Nazareth have no stories of Him arguing with His parents, or TP-ing the neighbor’s trees with His friends, or making false accusations. He never misbehaved. Ever. But Jesus was a child. They remember Him as a child. They also remember Him as He grew up. Yes, He was a bit different than other teens and young men, but He was still the Jesus they remembered. They were all familiar with Jesus, but now Jesus was more different than He was then.

 

Now, the people of Nazareth hear of miracles performed by Jesus. From the various reports they heard, these miracles are true. No one ever accuses Him of being a charlatan, a fake, a fraud. There is no drama, no smoke and mirrors. He just heals. He restores creation in front of them and there is no argument about it. His miracles are undeniable.

 

On top of this, no one can dispute what Jesus says. His teaching is obviously true. He speaks with clarity and power and not even the most-clever of Jewish lawyers can find a mistake. There are no contradictions. His Words perfectly match the Divine revelation of the Old Testament.

 

But this is the problem. Despite His righteous life and His divine miracles, despite everything He says, the people of Nazareth refuse to believe that He is God. Now, they have no reason to reject it. But they don’t need reason. They have sin. This truth of Jesus’ divinity shocks and scandalizes them. They can’t argue against it. They just reject it.

 

They cannot dispute His miracles. They cannot find a failure in His life. They can’t criticize His teaching. So, they just cling to the fact that Jesus is just a man. They say: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:54-55). They say: “He is no better than us. He is just a man.” Well, the irony of it all is that they are correct. Jesus is one of them. As the Second Person of the Trinity, He took on our human flesh to suffer and die for all sinners.

 

I’m sure we understand the people of Nazareth. But what about those closest to Him? Scripture tells us that His closest relatives refused to believe that Jesus is God. One of them was James. James is like us. We too easily take for granted those God has placed closest to us – our family, our spouse. We, too, can speak ill of them and sometimes despise the ones closest to us. 

 

We, too, can be like James. We ought to ask the same question about ourselves. What’s our problem with Jesus? How is it that we often fail to honor Jesus in our hometown, in our jobs and various vocations, and in our households? Do we recognize His wisdom and His mighty works? Has familiarity with Jesus bred contempt of Him? Do you take Him for granted?

James didn’t initially embrace his brother’s divinity and messiahship. We often don’t either. James didn’t embrace Jesus’ call to repentance. Often, we are so very slow to repent. James also didn’t embrace Jesus’ own proclamation that the Christ must suffer, be lifted up on the cross, and rest in the tomb, and rise to life on the third day. We, too, don’t want to hear about the seriousness of our sin on why our Savior had to die so that believers would be forgiven of their sins.

 

In fact, we don’t hear about James as a witness of the crucifixion. We know he was not with Mary as she watches her Son and her Savior die. While nailed on the cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to John as He said, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:27). Where was James? Where were the others of His earthly household? They were ashamed. They were scandalized knowing their brother died claiming to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah.

 

James certainly rejected Jesus. He didn’t believe Jesus could be the Messiah, much less God. He gave up on Jesus. He became estranged from Jesus.

 

[Jesus Never Gives Up on Us]

 

But did Jesus give up on James? Does Jesus give up on anybody? And so, after His death on the cross, a resurrection appearance seems to have been a life-altering moment for James: “Then [Jesus] appeared to more than 500 men. … Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:6, 7). 

 

And how did James react? Through the Holy Spirit, James made his good confession. He embraced Jesus in faith and who Jesus revealed Himself to be: God, Lord, and Christ. James believed. Through faith, James also was a forgiven sinner.

 

James became Jesus’ brother in the truest sense. Not by birth or blood or human will, but by following the will of God the Father. You see, faith is thicker than blood.

 

The effect of this resurrection appearance on James becomes immediately evident because, after years of rejection, the brothers of Jesus, including James, suddenly appear in the upper room with Mary, the other faithful women, and the eleven disciples devoted in prayer as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13-14).

 

For a man, who for most of his life was offended by Jesus, James received Christ’s forgiveness and became a leader of early Christianity. He knew the long-suffering mercy and generous salvation of his brother Jesus. Jesus never gave up on him, so he used Jesus’ example to encourage fellow believers.

And, although being from Nazareth, James would soon be known as “James of Jerusalem,” because he served as the first bishop of the church, seated in Jerusalem. And as bishop, the Apostle Paul wrote of James as being one of the three “pillars” of the Church along with Peter and John (Galatians 2:9).

 

As the bishop of Jerusalem, James taught that righteousness comes only by faith in Christ and not by Jewish ceremonial Law. He taught that righteousness is not found in ourselves, but only by faith in Jesus, who alone is righteous.

 

Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, James was a man of faith as he penned the Book of James, which in all likelihood is the oldest book of the New Testament. But as years went by, High Priest Ananus was seeking a way to depose of James and other Christian leaders. Then in AD 62, Ananus assembled the Sanhedrin and brought up trumped-up charges, falsely accusing James of breaking the Jewish Law in order to execute him. In this pre-determined show trial, James was found guilty and was stoned to death.

 

But what happened the very moment James died? Due to his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior, James inherited eternal life – just as we do! This, James inherited because of the mighty work of Jesus dying on the cross so all sinners – by faith – would be reconciled to God. When he was younger, he thought of this as foolish – as did his fellow Nazarenes – but this is the wisdom of God. And, this is our hope, too! You see, because of your faith in the crucified and risen Messiah, you have eternal life, too! We have good reason to hope, since our hope is sure and certain. We have the same hope that James came to realize. 

 

Like James, who when he saw his resurrected brother and was called to believe in Him as his Messiah and Lord, we too, have been called to believe in Jesus. Now, it is not Jesus who personally calls us to believe in Him, but it is the Holy Spirit who has called us and enlightened us by the Gospel. 

 

You see, apart from the Holy Spirit, our own reason or strength could not believe in Jesus as our Lord, or come to Him. We naturally reject Him, like James before the resurrection. It is only through the Holy Spirit, working mightily through the Word and Sacraments that can change hearts. Only the Holy Spirit mightily working through the Word and Sacraments can perform the strange act of making one a brother in Christ, just as we are – not by blood, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Amen.

 

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

 

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