Category: Sermon Page

Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2021

“Branches, Abiding in the Vine, Bearing Fruit” (John 15:1-8)

In the Holy Gospel for today, in John 15:5, our Lord Jesus says to us: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” And so our theme this morning: “Branches, Abiding in the Vine, Bearing Fruit.”

And those will be the three parts of our message today. First, branches: How do we become branches? Second, abiding in the vine: How does that happen? And third, bearing fruit: What does that look like? So let’s go.

First, branches: How do we become branches? Now right away, this sounds ridiculous. How do you “become” a branch? Either you are or you aren’t. And that’s the point. You cannot make yourself into a branch. We start this life as dead sinners. We are not living branches. We had lost our connection to God, the source of life. We sinners have cut ourselves off from God, and we can’t glue ourselves back on. We had no living connection.

Now I’m no expert on horticulture, but as I understand it, if you try to graft a branch onto a vine or tree, there has to be some sort of a match. There needs to be a genetic similarity, a certain amount of relatedness. And, of course, you need to have a living branch to graft. A dead branch just won’t work. So this is the problem for us. How can we sinners–dead sinners, to boot–get ourselves connected to the living, righteous God? We can’t do it. The graft would not take. The Lord would reject us outright, and rightfully so.

No, to become a branch, a living branch, God himself must do the connecting. And here’s how he does it. First of all, Christ has to cleanse us to make us compatible. Our sins have to be removed, cleansed away, so that we are not rejected. And this is what Christ accomplished just a few hours after he spoke the words of our text. It was on the night he was betrayed that Jesus spoke these words to his disciples. Then they went out to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and brought to trial. The next day, Good Friday–that was when Jesus paid for all your sins, and the sins of the whole world. He was nailed to a cross and died there in our place. He did this for you! Jesus, the holy Son of God, took the punishment due for sinners. He shed his holy blood to cleanse us from our sins. His perfect righteousness is credited to us. And this is what makes us compatible, clean, acceptable to God, and not rejected. It is because of Christ. The gospel of Christ declares it, and we believe it. “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you,” Jesus tells his disciples. Christ’s gospel word is powerful, and it does what it says. His word cleanses us and makes us alive.

In Holy Baptism, God connects us to Christ. We are joined to Jesus in his death and resurrection. Now we baptized believers are living branches, connected to the vine, Jesus Christ, by God’s gracious doing. It’s this Christ connection, the vital vine connection, by which we become living branches.

Now that we have become branches, the thing now is simply to remain connected to the vine. This is our second point: Abiding in the vine. Branches draw their life from the vine, so it is vital, absolutely vital, that we abide in the vine. “Abide in me,” Jesus says, “and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

There is no life or fruitfulness in us unless we remain connected to Christ. Apart from him, we can do nothing. If we do not abide in him, if we let ourselves get disconnected from the vine, then our source of life is lost, and we die and are doomed to hell. That’s what Jesus says: “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

How do people get disconnected from Christ? Well, you’ve got the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh tugging at you, pulling on you, trying to break your connection to Christ. Loosen that connection, and pretty soon you’re in danger of coming detached. How does the disconnect happen? It happens when people distance themselves from church, when they stop coming to church regularly. Then they’re in real danger, serious danger, of their faith being weakened. Seven days without God’s Word makes one weak, w-e-a-k. The more you miss church, the less you miss church. And that’s a dangerous thing.

The disconnect happens when you let the devil whisper in your ear, saying you don’t need God, you can be your own God. But that’s how Adam and Eve got into trouble, wasn’t it? The connection gets loosened when we let the world around us draw us away from God, away from Christ and his church. Other things become more important to us. And so the branch loses its connection to the vine, it stops bearing fruit, and it dies. All that’s left for the dead branches is to be tossed into the fire and burn. That’s a dreadful prospect.

But God does not want that for you, my friends! This is why Jesus is speaking these words to you today. Christ wants you to abide in him. Abide in the vine: This is God’s good and gracious will for you.

OK, so how does that happen? How do we abide in the vine? Simple: By staying connected. Be where the life source is, and that is wherever the Word of God is preached in its truth and purity and the Sacraments are administered according to Christ’s institution. This is how you draw your life from the vine. Christ feeds and nourishes you, supplies you with the vitality you need to sustain your faith and make you productive. He does this through–he does this only through–his gospel means, the means of grace. Sermons, Bible classes, preaching and teaching, the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood, meditating on God’s Word in your daily life–through these means, Christ the vine supplies us with the grace we need to keep going and growing and to be fruitful in our life.

Which leads to our third point: Bearing fruit. First was becoming branches. Second was abiding in the vine. Now third is bearing fruit. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,” our Lord tells us. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Think about how a branch on a fruit tree bears fruit. Does it do so by trying extra hard and resolving to really do a better job of producing fruit from now on? No. All the branch needs to do is to stay connected to the vine, and it will naturally produce fruit.

Now to be sure, from time to time the vinedresser will come around and prune the branch, so that the deadness is trimmed away. Thus the branch becomes even more fruitful. From the branch’s perspective, the pruning may seem rather painful at the time, but it’s for the branch’s good. And so Jesus says, “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” This describes how God works repentance in our life. It may be painful at the time, but it keeps the deadness from setting in and taking over.

The thing about a branch bearing fruit is that it doesn’t have to do anything strange or unusual in order to bear fruit. It just comes naturally when the branch draws its life from the vine. It bears fruit. There’s that vital vine connection again. It’s the key to our being fruitful. Abide in the vine, and you will bear fruit.

What kind of fruit are we talking about? What does it look like? The big thing that Jesus has been emphasizing to his disciples is that they love one another. This is the kind of fruit Jesus’ disciples will produce, that they love one another. This means you and me and our congregation, that we love one another. How we speak to one another. How we care for one another. How we look out for the brother or sister who is hurting, physically or emotionally. How we reach out to the one who is missing from our fellowship, to the one who is weighed down with sin or guilt or depression or distress. This is love. Love moves from thought into action. Where is the brother or sister who is in need? What are his or her needs? How can I help? How can we help? This is what it means to love one another.

Again, the Christ connection is key. As we are connected to the vine, Jesus Christ, his love flows into us, and then flows out through us to others. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. . . . In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. . . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Beloved, this is the fruit of love that we branches, connected to Christ the vine, will bear. We are those living branches, and our fruitfulness comes from abiding in the vine. It’s the vital vine connection, begun in your baptism, nurtured in God’s Word and the Sacraments, blossoming in love, and producing much fruit. Branches that abide in the vine will bear fruit. “I am the vine,” Jesus says to us today, “you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.”

Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2021

“The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep” (John 10:11-18)

Are you feeling a little sheepish today? Well, if you are, that’s good! Because it’s good to be a sheep when Jesus is your shepherd. Today the message is that Jesus is our good shepherd, and “The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep.”

Today is the Sunday in the church year known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Every year on this Sunday in the Easter season, the Psalm is always the 23rd Psalm, the Holy Gospel is always a portion of John chapter 10, and the other readings and the hymns always have something to do with this “Good Shepherd” theme.

Today’s Gospel from John 10 has Jesus twice saying the words, “I am the good shepherd,” and several times saying that he “lays down his life” for the sheep. Our text begins with both of those thoughts in verse 11. There Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” What is it about sheep, and what is it about a shepherd, that Jesus should choose this language?

First, let’s talk about sheep. And let’s say it straight out: Sheep are very vulnerable. They cannot defend themselves. They cannot protect themselves against predators. Sheep are not very fast. They cannot outrun the wolf that’s chasing them. Sheep are not very strong. They do not have sharp teeth or claws. They cannot outfight a wolf. Sheep are pretty much defenseless and vulnerable. On their own, they do not stand a chance against the wolves.

Friends, that’s how we are on our own. We are weak and defenseless against our spiritual predators. The devil, the old evil foe, is out to get us. He has been a murderer from the beginning. The world around us, with its vain values and misguided messages, would lead us down the wrong path. False teachers, who twist and distort the word of God, would deceive us. Our own sinful nature would be of no help; it would only reinforce the wrong. These are the predators, these are the wolves, who would rip us sheep to shreds, if we’re out there on our own.

We need help. We need a shepherd. We need a shepherd who will defend us and protect us against the predators. We need a shepherd who cares about us sheep, who won’t run away when things get risky or dangerous. We need a shepherd who cares about us so much that he is willing to lay his life on the line in order to rescue us from the wolves.

And Jesus declares that he is that shepherd! “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Now think about that for moment. It’s kind of ridiculous, really. What shepherd in his right mind would actually be willing to die in order to save some sheep? I mean, sheep are just property. So you lose a few sheep. Big deal. Is that worth dying for? Well, in Jesus’ mind, it is! Jesus goes above and beyond the call of duty, way beyond.

Friends, Jesus laid down his life for the sheep. He laid it down by being lifted up on the cross. This was how Jesus defeated all our foes. At first it may have seemed that Jesus was losing the battle. But in reality, he destroyed death and gained the victory for life.

How so? Jesus willingly laid down his life for our sake. Nobody took it from him. He laid it down of his own accord. This was God’s plan all along, to rescue sinful mankind. What condemned us to death was our sins. So the answer, the rescue plan, had to be to remove our sins, to pay the price for them, which we were unable to do. But Jesus, God’s Son in the flesh, has done that rescue job for us. He paid the price we could not pay. His holy blood gained our forgiveness. The debt has been paid, in full. For you. And for the whole world.

Now the devil, the wolf, the accuser–now he has nothing with which to accuse you. Black sheep though you may be–you may have wandered from the flock and got caught in a thicket–now your wool is as white as snow. Your good shepherd has pulled you up and put you on his shoulders and brought you back home. Welcome back to the flock!

“By his dying he has destroyed death, and by his rising again he has restored to us everlasting life.” You see, Jesus has authority to lay down his life, and he has authority to take it up again. This is the resurrection we’re talking about here! Jesus didn’t just die; he rose again! Death could not hold him! The victory remains with life!

And Jesus shares his victory with us! Have you been baptized? Then you belong to Jesus’ flock! This is good! You get to live as long as your shepherd does–which is forever! This is God’s great good plan: To rescue you from your foes, to forgive your sins, and to give you life with Christ forever. This is pretty sweet!

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Now up to this point, I have been saying that “we” are the sheep that Jesus laid down his life for. Well, yes and no. No, in that none of us here are the children of Israel. Because those were the sheep that Jesus came for in the first place. As Jesus says elsewhere, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” So those are the sheep that Jesus is talking about here when he says, “I lay down my life for the sheep.”

But notice what he says right after that: “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also.” Hey, that’s us! We are those “other sheep.” Our ancestors were off in Germany or Sweden or England or Ireland, and they were really lost sheep! They were worshiping sacred oak trees or stars in the sky. Gentiles, pagans, groping around in the dark, not knowing who the true God is. But God in his mercy sent the saving gospel out to them. And this is how we “other sheep” have been brought into the fold. “I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Now you and I are part of that one flock, the worldwide church of God–the one flock following the one shepherd. Dear fellow sheep, let us listen to our shepherd’s voice! Let us follow where he leads! How do you hear your shepherd’s voice? One way: through God’s Word. Our good shepherd speaks to us through his word. This is why it is so important for every one of us to be within earshot of where the shepherd speaks. And this place, right here, is where that happens: in the church. Every week. This is where Jesus speaks to us.

The good shepherd speaks to us through preaching and teaching, as his undershepherd, the pastor, leads you into the green pastures of God’s Word. God’s Word will tell you the way to go in your life. “These are the paths of righteousness. Walk ye in them.” In the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus speaks to us. He says, “This is my body, this is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Our Lord prepares a table before us, a feast that our enemies cannot spoil. Here in the house of the Lord–this is where we hear our shepherd’s voice. Are you listening?

Are you feeling a little sheepish today? I sure hope so! Because being part of the good shepherd’s flock is the best, the safest, and the most secure place to be! And full of adventure and good grazing too! And even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for our shepherd will be right there with us, to guard and to guide us and lead us through to the other side. And in this life, as we follow our good shepherd, his goodness and mercy will follow us, all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2021

“Witnesses: From Jerusalem to Worms to America” (Luke 24:36-49)

The disciples were in Jerusalem. They think that Jesus, their master, is dead and buried. Then suddenly Jesus is standing there in the room, and they don’t know what to think: “Is that really him? Are we imagining this? Is that his ghost? What’s going on here?” Then Jesus speaks: “Why are you confused? Didn’t I tell you I would rise on the third day? Well, here I am. So you think I’m a ghost, do you? Look, see my hands and my feet. See the nail marks there. Yes, it really is me. You can touch me and see that I’m no ghost. I’ve got flesh and bone, just like you do.”

Yes, Jesus really is risen from the dead. Physically, bodily, risen. No ghost. No hallucination. The disciples are a little slow on the uptake, but if this is true–man, what a marvelous thing this is!

Jesus has more to say to them. He says that everything he had told them during his ministry–even predicting his passion and his resurrection–that this fulfills everything written about him in the Scriptures. They hadn’t gotten it up to this point, but now they will. Jesus opens their minds to understand the Scriptures. And here’s what he tells them to sum it all up: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Brothers and sisters, do you want to know what the Bible is all about? Do you want to know what life is all about? It’s right here. It’s all about Jesus, who he is and what he has done for us and what this means for our lives. Jesus is the fulfillment of Holy Scripture. God’s plan for the ages, for this cosmos and all of humanity–it all comes to fruition in Christ. Jesus, the Son of God in the flesh, accomplishes God’s plan to redeem and restore sinful mankind. What was lost in the garden is regained in the cross and the empty tomb.

All the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament find their focus and fulfillment in Christ: The seed of the woman, who would stomp on the serpent’s head. The seed of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. The son of David, the Messiah, who would usher in an everlasting kingdom of blessing–all these promises of God find their “Yes and Amen!” in Jesus.

Jesus’ death on the cross was not a defeat. It was not a disappointment or detour from the plan. No, it was the plan! The Suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah, the righteous one who would suffer for the sins of the people and be their healing–it’s Jesus. Now it’s all starting to come together. It was there in the Bible all along, but now their minds are being opened to understand it all. Without God opening our minds to understand the Scriptures, the Bible remains a closed book. But when God does open our minds, and gives us the key in knowing Christ as our Savior, then the Bible becomes God’s book of life for us.

His own suffering, death, and resurrection–that’s part of what Jesus says is written in the Scriptures. And then he adds something else: “and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” You see, this is how Christ’s work for us is applied to us: through preaching in his name. And what is preached is repentance and forgiveness. What this means for our lives is that we repent of our sins and receive the forgiveness Christ has for us. Repentance means that we acknowledge that we are indeed sinners, desperately in need of God’s forgiveness. Otherwise, we would be lost forever. We have broken God’s commandments, and there is nothing we can do to make up for that. Forgiveness means that God has had mercy on us, that our sins are not held against us, because of what God’s Son Jesus did on the cross, shedding his holy blood for us.

And who will do this preaching of Christ crucified and risen, of repentance and forgiveness in his name? Jesus tells his disciples: “You are witnesses of these things.” “You, my disciples, you will do this preaching. You will be my witnesses. You will testify to what you have seen and heard and know to be the truth. I am sending you out for this very purpose. I will establish my church on the basis of this proclamation, and it will go out to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

And that is exactly what happened. Beginning from Jerusalem, the apostles bore witness to Christ and preached what Jesus here told them to preach. Peter on the Day of Pentecost: “This Jesus, whom you crucified, God raised from the dead, and of this we all are witnesses. Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.”

“You are witnesses of these things.” And that can involve some danger, some risk. The people to whom you are bearing witness may not like what you are saying. Again, Peter, in Jerusalem, testifying before the Sanhedrin: “This Jesus, whom you rejected–there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” A bold confession of faith, at a real point of risk and danger!

And it didn’t stop at Jerusalem in the first century. The church’s witness and bold confession of the faith continued. Next stop: Worms, a city in Germany in the 16th century. Emperor Charles V, the head of the Holy Roman Empire, has called together a diet there, “diet” meaning an official imperial meeting, with the princes and rulers of the various territories present. To this Diet of Worms, the emperor has summoned a professor from the University of Wittenberg. His name is Martin Luther. The reason the emperor has ordered him to appear is because this Luther has been causing quite a ruckus over the past few years, challenging and denouncing the papacy and the Roman church in his writings. The emperor wants him to publicly take back what he has said and written. Luther, though, is hoping to have an opportunity to explain his reasons for writing these things. So the pressure is on. The tension could not be any higher.

And there was real risk here. A century earlier, a reformer named John Hus had been burned at the stake for challenging the Roman church. What would happen to Luther? Sure, the emperor had promised him safe conduct, but what if he changes his mind?

So Luther, this little monk and professor, is standing before Emperor Charles V, the most powerful man in the world. Luther is asked two questions: 1) Are these your writings? There’s a pile of his books and treatises lying on a table. And question 2) Will you or will you not retract what you have written? Luther was hoping for a discussion of the issues. Instead, he is limited to simply giving answers to the two questions.

First answer: “Yes, these are my writings.” But then the second question, Will you or will you not recant? Luther’s answer came on this date, April 18, 1521, 500 years ago today: “You ask for a simple answer. Here it is: “Unless you can convince me by Scripture, and not by popes or councils, who have often contradicted each other, unless I am so convinced that I am wrong, I am bound to my beliefs by the texts of the Bible. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Therefore, I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Friends, this is a bold confession! Placed under enormous pressure, faced with real danger, Luther made the good confession. Why? What gave him this courage? He said it: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” It was the Word of God, the gospel word–this was the only thing that gave peace to Luther’s troubled conscience. This gospel word told him of a Savior who forgives sins and gives eternal life to those who trust in him. So how could he recant that? He couldn’t. God’s Word is more powerful than all the emperors and popes and councils who have come down the pike. You may burn me at the stake, but you cannot take my salvation from me. Here I stand. I can do no other.

“You are witnesses of these things.” The apostles were those witnesses in Jerusalem. Luther was such a witness at Worms. And now what will we do here in America? Friends, the risk is real here in our country, in these days. Cancel culture would like to cancel out the church’s witness. The world does not like to hear that this or that favorite sin of theirs really is sin. But we are called to preach repentance. And so when the church speaks the truth, our society will try to make us apologize and take it all back. Instead of “Here I stand,” they want us to say, “Here I cave.” So which will it be?

It’s not that we think we are superior or without sin ourselves. No, that’s not it. But Jesus has told us to preach repentance, so that people will then be ready to hear the gospel of forgiveness. If people don’t think they are sinners, they’re not going to feel much need for a Savior. But a Savior–this Savior, Jesus Christ–is exactly what we have. This is the Savior you have. He gives real peace to your conscience, the peace and forgiveness and eternal life he won for you by his death and resurrection. “You are witnesses of these things,” Jesus tells his church. Yes, we are his “Witnesses: From Jerusalem to Worms to America.” Here we stand. We can do no other. God help us. Amen.

Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2021

“Believing Is Better Than Seeing” (John 20:19-31)

The doors were locked. The disciples had locked themselves in, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, who had just had Jesus killed a couple of days earlier. And since they were Jesus’ disciples, if it became known where they were, the authorities might come after them, too. So the disciples were afraid and were staying behind closed doors.

But if a sealed tomb couldn’t keep Jesus in, a locked door couldn’t keep Jesus out. He passes right through and stands in their midst. “Shalom aleichem,” he says, “Peace be with you,” a standard Hebraic greeting. But when Jesus says it, it’s a little more than standard! Jesus really does convey peace when he speaks it! This is a blood-bought peace, peace purchased by the blood that God’s Son shed on the cross. Peace between heaven and earth. Peace between a righteous God and sinful man. Jesus made that peace for us on the cross, where he died for the sins of the world. Jesus packs real peace into his words, when he greets us with “Peace be with you.”

The disciples are mind-boggled: “Whoa! We thought you were dead, Master! They nailed you to that cross! You died! The soldier speared you in the side! They took you down and put you in a tomb! And sealed it! With guards around! How can that be you?” But then: “Wait a minute, boys. Maybe we’re imagining things. This must be some sort of hallucination. You know, we’ve been pretty stressed out lately.” “Or is it–can it be–his ghost?” “No, no, this is no ghost. It really is Jesus! Alive! In flesh and bone! God must have raised him from the dead! Look! He’s showing us the marks in his hands, where they drove in the nails. He’s showing us his side, where the soldier pierced him with the spear! Yeah, it really is him! Risen, alive! Wow!”

Well, how about those disciples, huh? Lucky them! They got to see Jesus, in the flesh, risen from the dead. They saw him with their own eyes. They touched him with their own hands. Too bad we’re not that lucky. Yeah, look at the advantage they had! Easter evening Jesus comes to them and shows them his hands and his side. No wonder they believed!

Well, most of them, at least. Thomas wasn’t there that night. Later, the other guys tell him, “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas is thinking: “Oh, yeah, right. What have you guys been drinking? He was crucified, remember? Just a few days ago. He’s dead, Jim–yeah, you James and John and Peter and the rest of you. He’s dead. Roman soldiers don’t mess up on things like that. There’s no way I can believe what you guys are saying. It’s just crazy wishful thinking.” “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Well, the next Sunday, Thomas was in the house that night, there with the rest of them. Guess who shows up? Jesus. Again, through the locked door. Again, with the hands and the side. This time Jesus does it for the benefit of Thomas. “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

See? Seeing is believing. Thomas gets to see. The rest of them got to see. And they believed. Oh, those lucky, fortunate disciples! If only we could have been in their position! Then we would be strong Christians, and we wouldn’t falter in our faith. Right?

Wrong. That’s not how Jesus sees it–or says it. He tells Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus corrects Thomas. He says that seeing is not an advantage. Seeing is not the same as believing. In fact, Jesus turns it around. He says that believing is better than seeing.

What’s going on here? What does Jesus mean by “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”? And what does this have to do with us? Well, that is us! We are the ones Jesus is talking about when he says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” So Jesus thinks we are pretty “blessed”! We are the fortunate ones! Believing is better than seeing.

We’re like the people John is writing his gospel for, people living long after the events he reports. John writes for folks who had never seen Jesus up close and personal like he had. There were only a small number of persons in the world at that time who had gotten to see Jesus during his ministry, and even fewer who saw him after he had risen from the dead.

Although, there were enough eyewitnesses who did attest to the bodily resurrection of Christ. Jesus wanted a core of witnesses who could verify the factuality and physicality of his resurrection. As Peter would later testify, “We are witnesses of these things.” As Paul would later write: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

So there were enough eyewitnesses to establish the facts at the time. But it wasn’t the seeing alone, it wasn’t the seeing per se, that produced faith. Seeing, by itself, is not the same as believing. No, there were lots of people who saw Jesus in the flesh who did not believe in him. His opponents, for example. They saw him, but they rejected him.

Friends, you and I are like all the millions of Christians around the world, going back to the first century. We have never seen Jesus, yet we believe in him. And Jesus calls us “blessed.” We still receive the blessings that come to us by faith. What you don’t see is what you get. You don’t see the peace that Jesus gives. You don’t see the forgiveness of sins or the sure hope of everlasting life. You don’t see the Father’s love, the presence of Christ, or the gift of the Holy Spirit. You don’t see these things. But God gives them to you, nonetheless. What you don’t see you still get.

The blessedness of believing rather than seeing is a consistent teaching in the New Testament. Peter wrote long after Christ had ascended into heaven, and he said to Christians just like us: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Likewise, Paul writes in Romans: “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Again Paul writes, in 2 Corinthians: “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” And again: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” In the Book of Hebrews it says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” All these passages are saying the same thing: What you don’t see is what you get! Eternal things, like the salvation of our souls and the redemption of our bodies. We don’t see those things with our eyes. Yet this is our certain hope, as sure as the resurrection of Christ himself.

So how does it happen? How do we get this faith that trusts in Jesus Christ? Answer: By the Word! It is the Word of God that gives us the faith to believe in Christ our Savior. It is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, who he is and what he has done for us. The Holy Spirit works through the gospel means, Word and Sacrament, to give us that saving faith and to keep us strong in it. There’s no other way. God’s Word is what we need.

This is why John writes, at the end of our text today, the purpose statement for his gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the 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.” It’s the gospel, the good news of Christ, as it is preached to us, taught to us, sacramented to us–it’s the gospel that the Holy Spirit uses to create faith to trust in Christ and to keep us strong in that saving faith. As we learned in the explanation to the Third Article of the Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” The Holy Spirit works saving faith in us, our whole life long, from start to finish, and the means that he uses to do this is the gospel.

So what is the takeaway today? Two things: 1) Jesus really is risen from the dead, victorious over sin and death, and he gives us life in him. And 2) Since faith in Christ is created and nourished through the Word, it is essential that we regularly be in the Word.

Today our risen Lord Jesus comes to us through our locked doors, through our fears, and he reassures us with his words: “Peace be with you. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That’s us! Dear friends, believing really is better than seeing! Thank God that you believe in Jesus Christ, your risen Savior! And thank God that you have his Word here for you, in this church, to give you that faith in Christ! Praise the Lord!

The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day
April 12, 2020

“Alleluia! Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” (Matthew 28:1-10)

“Alleluia! Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

“He is risen indeed!” Over many centuries, this is how the church has joyfully responded to the great Easter proclamation. Why such an exuberant response? Because of the glorious good news that precedes it, the news that Christ is risen. This good news of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ brings reassurance and restoration to troubled, weary hearts. His resurrection calls forth our joyous response. On this Easter Day, then, on this most glorious of mornings, the whole church in heaven and the church on earth–all across the earth–hears the good news, “Christ is risen,” and we rejoice to respond, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

But first comes God’s word to us: “Christ is risen.” That’s what the angel said to the women at the tomb: “I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” This is the great fact of the resurrection stated–or I should say, understated—in such simple yet profound words. The reality of the resurrection itself is the first thing that grabs our attention. Jesus really did die, he was buried, and he lay in the tomb since Friday. Now he is arisen, alive, risen from the dead! Jesus Christ is the destroyer of death and the Lord of life. By his resurrection from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ is declared to be the Son of God in power. The grave could not hold him. Our Savior broke the chains of death, and by his resurrection he has brought life and immortality to light.

“I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. . . . He has risen.” This announcement by the angel brings together the two central events at the heart of the gospel, and they are: Christ’s death and Christ’s resurrection. On the cross, Jesus finished the work of our redemption. And now his resurrection declares the sufficiency of his saving work. The resurrection testifies to the infinite worth and the astonishing effect of his atoning sacrifice. You see, on the cross Jesus Christ made the perfect sacrifice for all the sins of the whole world. Nothing else would do.

This is the good news for you: The holy precious blood of God’s own Son saves you. God has acted to save you from your sins and from the death you deserve. God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified for you! This is how much God loves you! Amazing! What grace! What a gift! And as a result, God is now at peace with you! God is reconciled to us sinners–he must be–for the sacrifice of the Son has been accepted by the Father. Easter shows that Good Friday did the job. Nothing left to be done. It is finished, complete. Christ’s death paid for all our sin and overcame death itself. The crucifixion and the resurrection together declare the glory and grace of our God. And we hear it now in the angel’s words: “Jesus who was crucified . . . has risen.”

What’s more, says the angel, “He has risen, as he said.” Just as he said! Jesus himself had foretold his resurrection. Not only had he predicted his passion, his suffering and death, but with it he also promised that on the third day he would be raised to life. The disciples didn’t understand it at the time, but Jesus had told them, nonetheless. Therefore the resurrection attests to the truthfulness of all of Christ’s teachings. His words, all of them, are true and trustworthy. They are sound and sure. Indeed, they are Spirit and life. Jesus has the words of enteral life. There is nothing more trustworthy for you to rely on. You can stake your life on the word of Christ.

You know, right now we are facing a lot of uncertainty in our life. There are uncertainties about our health and safety. Can I leave my home and go out in public? There are uncertainties about our economic future. Will I have a job when this thing is over? When will that day come? Will my life savings be evaporated by then? Plenty of uncertainty for all of us.

But there is one thing that we can be absolutely sure of. And that is the completed work and trustworthy word of Christ. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. And amid all the uncertainties of this life, we have this solid rock on which to stand: The promise of the Lord that he forgives us of our sins, he has given us eternal life, and he will come again and raise our bodies to live with him forever. This–this is most certainly true!

Friends, you can depend on what Jesus tells you. Follow him, keep on following him and listening to his voice, as he preaches his word to you, as he teaches you what it means to be his disciple. His words are trustworthy and true, as the resurrection so powerfully demonstrates. “He has risen, as he said.”

Now you would think this proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection would bring forth nothing but pure joy. But our text says that the women “departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy.” Yes, their joy was great, yet it was mixed with fear. They weren’t sure how to put this all together.

But Jesus meets the frightened women, and he calms their fears. “Greetings!” he says. “Be of good cheer,” in other words. Jesus reassures the women with the sound of his familiar voice. He greets them with a word of well-being. And happiness and joy certainly come to these women, now that they see their Lord before them and hear his voice.

Then Jesus gives them even more reassurance: “Do not be afraid.” Fear not, for the perfect love of Christ drives out our fears. The fear of punishment, the fear of God’s judgment, the fear of death–all these fears are overcome by the comforting voice of Jesus our Savior. Jesus speaks these same words of reassurance to us today: “Greetings! Do not be afraid. I have risen from the dead. I have conquered the grave. I have the keys of Death and Hades. They are a defeated enemy. Listen, I am not angry with you. God is not angry. Listen, I have good news for you! You are forgiven. You have life with me. I give it to you freely. Be reassured by my resurrection.”

So amazing is this grace of our risen Lord! And now he says to the women, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” This is in reference to his disciples when he says, “Tell my brothers.” But think of it, these are the same disciples who had deserted and denied their Lord, in his hour of trial, just a few nights earlier. Yet here Jesus calls them his brothers. In doing so, Jesus is speaking pardon for their lack of faith. He is speaking restoration. Jesus is restoring them to his fellowship. Instead of saying, “Forget those guys, they blew it! They were faithless when it came to crunch time”–no, instead of that, Jesus says, “Go and tell my brothers.”

Restoration to fellowship–this is a gift that Christ gives to his disciples, both then and now. Today Jesus speaks his word of restoration to you, as well. Have you wandered from the faith? Have you absented yourself from the fellowship of Christ’s church? Today Jesus is restoring you. He is calling you back to himself, back to his family, the church. Jesus calls us sinners his brothers.

What hope, what riches are ours as a result! Martin Luther writes: “If now Christ is our brother, I would like to know what we still lack? Brethren in the flesh have common possessions, have together one father, one inheritance, else they would not be brethren. So we have common possessions with Christ, and have together one Father and one inheritance.”

Brothers and sisters, in Holy Baptism, you and I were united to Christ, and we were made God’s children. Now we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Our Lord’s resurrection, then, is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection life has been delivered to you in the waters of Holy Baptism. On this Easter Day, my fellow baptized Christians, take hope in the victory over death that Jesus gives you. You have been raised with Christ to newness of life even now, and on the day when Christ returns, we will share in his bodily resurrection and the life that lasts forever.

Dear friends, today the Lord’s messenger announces the good news of Easter to us: “Jesus who was crucified . . . has risen, as he said.” Today our risen Lord himself cheers us with his presence, his familiar and comforting voice speaking to us his reassuring, restorative words: “Greetings! Do not be afraid. I call you my brothers and sisters.” Now hearing these gospel words, what other response could we have but one of joy and worship? This is why we say, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Today we join with all Christians around the world in one big joyous Easter worship. Temporary isolation cannot stop or muffle the joy that bursts out from within us.

Jesus Christ, our crucified Savior, is risen from the dead. He is here with us now, as we are gathered in his name. Our response then? We rejoice to worship him, to give our Lord the highest honor and praise. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” “Therefore let us joyful be and sing to God right thankfully loud songs of alleluia!”

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!