1 Corinthians 15:20–28; the Last Sunday of the Church Year; November 23, 2014;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church; Creston & Mount Ayr;

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There it is. All laid out right in front of you. Christianity in a nutshell. Jesus Christ risen from the dead. In fact, back just a few verses before this text you find out how critical the issue of Jesus’ resurrection is. Listen to what it says:

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17–19, ESV)

So that says, no resurrection of Jesus, no resurrection of you and me, no Christianity.

Do you realize what this actually means? If there is proof that Jesus is still in his grave, then we are all wasting our time this morning. All of Christianity hangs in the balance. It’s actually in the Creed (http://catechism.cph.org/en/creed.html). It’s all stated as fact, at a particular time. Some folks have said that the most important words of the Apostles’ Creed are “suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Pilate was a real person in real history. Jesus was a real person in real history who actually suffered crucifixion under a real Roman government in a real place at a real time. And, more importantly, rose from the dead in a real place and time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilate_Stone) Now, you might not think this is important, but St. Paul says differently. Other religions are based in unverifiable or mythological events, or even founded on people that can’t be shown to have even existed. Our faith isn’t like that. Christianity is uniquely historic. It claims to be just that. And in fact in many places in the New Testament, the writers encourage people to check that what is claimed about Jesus is what actually happened. (Acts 26:26, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11) Everything that we believe about Jesus is verified to be true because Jesus rose from the dead. It isn’t even an arguable point. If Jesus is alive, what he says is true. It is Jesus himself that hangs his whole reputation on his resurrection. (See Matthew 13:38-42, Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 27:62-63, Mark 8:31, Luke 11:29-32, John 2:13-22) When the Jews asked for a sign that he was who he said he was, Jesus says to wait for his resurrection. After all, who are you going to believe? Centuries of scholars who are dead in their grave, or the one who came out of his grave alive again?

So the question is: How do we know Jesus is risen? God doesn’t leave that to chance. He doesn’t put the answer in your heart so you can feel that it’s true. That’s what the other false religions do (i.e. Mormons and their “burning in the bosom” to verify that the Book of Mormon is true, http://carm.org/are-you-mormon). He gives you something objective, outside of yourself, to rely on. It’s written down in a historically reliable text. Of course, I’m talking about the Bible. We in the faith believe that it is God’s Word and therefore perfectly reliable. But did you know that the New Testament in particular is the most historically verifiable document from the ancient world. There are more copies and fragments of the New Testament than any other documents in ancient history. Everything we know about Ancient Greece, Rome, Homer, Aristotle, Plato, and the Trojan horse, all of it is based on very much less historical record than what happened to Jesus Christ and his followers. (http://carm.org/manuscript-evidence) If you deny the accuracy of the New Testament then you have to deny everything we know about the ancient world. The copies were made closer to the originals in time, and there are more of them than any other. For example: We have only 600 ancient copies of Homer’s Iliad written down many centuries after the events and the copies many centuries after that. We have over 20 thousand copies of the New Testament, from copies made within 100 years of the originals that were written within 30 years of the events.

So the documents are accurate, but does that mean that the writers are telling the truth. The writers claim to be witnesses or close associates of witnesses of Jesus life, death and resurrection. But maybe they made it all up. Well if they did, they are going against Jesus clear teaching that lying is a sin (John 8:44). It is also important to note that the Gospel accounts of Jesus life are not identical. They are from 4 different points of view. Any judge will tell you that identical testimony points to lying, it’s call collusion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collusion). Also, the disciples don’t tell a very flattering account of themselves. People don’t usually lie to make themselves look foolish. And there are a great many external non-Christian sources that verify the events written in the Gospels. Archeology it the friend of the testimony of the writers. Over and over again the details in the New Testament have been verified by archeological finds. And another thing; the documents were circulating within the lifetime of other witnesses, both hostile and friendly. There is no record of hostile witnesses denying what was written. They had motive, means and opportunity. The Jewish religious community could have spoken out against what was written if it was a lie. But they didn’t.

Now look at where we are. Faith is not required to see that the disciples recorded what Jesus said and did. Faith is required to see that what Jesus said and did is for me. But we can see that what was written is an accurate record of Jesus life and words. So what about what he did and said? He says that his is God. In fact, he is God in human flesh. He says that he has come to bring forgiveness to the world, and to restore a perfect creation. But anyone can claim to be God. Usually we lock people up who do that. The author C.S. Lewis said that Jesus’ claim makes him a lunatic, a liar, or God (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6979-i-am-trying-here-to-prevent-anyone-saying-the-really C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952). So, what makes Jesus claim different? Once again it is the resurrection. Jesus basis all that he say on his resurrection, he predicted it and pointed to it as proof. He was crucified, dead and buried. The disciples recorded in gory detail what happened to Jesus on the cross. The events leading up to his death, are in fact, the bulk of the discussion of the Gospels. And they were public, “Not done in a corner.” According to the writer of Acts (Acts 26:26). The disciples on the Emmaus road were surprised that anyone wouldn’t have heard of what happened to Jesus. There can be no doubt that he died on the cross and was buried in the tomb. And then, the writers describe seeing him alive again. If you are dead at point A and alive at point B, then what you have is a resurrection. One of the first Creeds of the church was "Χριστός ἀνέστη!" Christ is risen! "Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!" He is risen, indeed! It wasn’t wishful thinking, or some made up hope. It was based on eyewitness testimony. When the disciples were writing the Gospels, people who saw Jesus alive after his resurrection were still around. And the disciples encouraged investigation. The grave is empty. The enemies of the church only had to produce a body to disprove everything that was written. No body was produce even though many people had good reason to discredit the disciples.

All this is to say what St. Paul says.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

Jesus is exactly who he says he is. He didn’t do some pointless miracle to prove it, he rose from the dead. It is, in fact, the most important miracle that could ever be done. Death is in your sight. It doesn’t matter if it happens by accident, disease, or old age. It is the most real and basic problem with your life. You are facing death. God says, it is sin. You sin, so you will die. And not only death but eternal punishment in hell. So serious is sin that God cannot tolerate any of it in his presence.

But Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection. He was dead on the cross, then he rose from death. He says that his death is the total payment for your sin. And he promises resurrection for you. Someday soon, Jesus will appear again. And he has promised on that day he will destroy death. Actually, he’s already done it. He died and rose from the dead. In that truth he promises to do the same for you. He is the only one in all of history who can say it and mean it. It is what our faith is about. And it is founded on Jesus. His life, death and resurrection. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

All Saint’s Day; November 2, 2014;

 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Death is an awful thing. It tears apart all that God intended to be together. It separates the body from the soul. It separates people, in relationship with one another, from each other. One classic western movie says it like this.

It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have. (Bill Munny, Unforgiven, 1992, IMDB.com)

Death can even separate us from God forever. Those who have no relationship with God in life will be forever separated from him in death. Eternal death is forever punishment in hell. God’s just punishment for rejecting his love and care.

And here we are, on All Saints Day, suffering the separation that death brings. And if you doubt me, just look at our long list of names on The Role of the Saints. We are separated from these loved ones and we mourn their death. To be sure, we don’t mourn, as St. Paul says, as those who have no hope. These have the glorious advantage of being with Christ, awaiting for the resurrection of the body, just as we are waiting for the resurrection of the body. This is the great hope of our faith, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

There are always lots of questions when we talk about death. Especially, we want to know about our loved ones who have died. God’s Word does not give us all we want to know. But it does tell us these things. The dead in Christ are “with Christ”. Remember Jesus comforting the thief next to him as they faced death together. “…today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) And Saint Paul says the same thing. Death involves separation from the body, but being with Christ.

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8, ESV)

And additionally, he adds in Philippians (1:23), to be with Christ is “far better” than merely earthly existence. He is talking about the absence of the effects of sin, fear of death, pain and suffering and trouble. The dead in Christ are with him. They have no cares about the sinful world. (Isaiah 63:16) They do not communicate with the living. They do not return to this world. (Luke 16:27-31) Martin Luther was reluctant to speak about this intermediate state, but he spoke of the soul that is alive, at rest, and fully aware of Christ’s presence and blessing.

And finally, God tells us that those who have fallen asleep in Christ are looking for the resurrection. (Revelations 6:10-11) Their redemption is finished but not yet complete. They (and we) will not live in eternity as disembodied spirits. But in our newly created, perfectly human, physical bodies. That is the ultimate Christian hope, the reason Jesus was born, lived, died and resurrected. Christians long for the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. In fact, when the question of those who have died is discussed in scripture, most often it is deferred to a discussion about the resurrection.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, ESV)

Notice how he says we should encourage each other on the question of “those who are asleep”. Encouragement is found in the second coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead and being together with Christ forever in our resurrected, human bodies.

And so, as means of encouraging each other in the face of the separation caused by death, let’s talk some more about the resurrection of the body.

One of the best places to see the importance of the resurrection is at a Christian funeral. The typical Lutheran funeral is packed full of references to the resurrection of the body. In the best funerals our readings from God’s Word and our hymns highlight the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. Easter hymns are particularly nice at a funeral. And there is good reason for that, it is this very encouragement in the face of death. The service begins as we cover the casket with a big cloth called a Pall. It’s a reminder of God’s promises that those who have been baptized into Christ are promised what our Lord achieved, the resurrection of the body. We read St. Paul’s words of encouragement as it is draped on our loved ones coffin.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3–5, ESV)

The promise of Holy Baptism is a physical, bodily resurrection like Jesus.

But my favorite encouragement comes at the cemetery. We carefully take the body of our loved one to be placed in the grave. And we again hear readings that comfort us with the promise of the resurrection. If you have never gone to the cemetery committal service I would encourage you to do it next time. I like Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 15 read at the grave.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–57, ESV)

The resurrection is indeed the greatest of all mysteries. Our bodies die and decay in the ground, our souls are with Christ, and yet God will raise us to our changed body that will last forever. That which is mortal, that is our currently sin racked body that is subject to death, will put on immortality. Death is swallowed up in Jesus’ victorious death and resurrection. Death has no victory over us because Jesus has died on the cross to suffer our eternal punishment, our separation from God, and we have been given the victory, that is the resurrection of the body. Sin is what gives death its power, and sin is dead in Jesus death, eliminated in Jesus’ resurrection.

In death our soul and body are separated. The wages of sin is a harsh reality that God hates. But it is the necessary curse of sin. (Genesis 3:19) Death is terrifying because it is a tearing apart of that which God created to be eternal, the human person, in both body and soul. So much of the worldly philosophy that the physical world is unnecessary or somehow evil has crept into our theology. We Christians place the body in the grave with great care, for God’s good keeping until the resurrection. It is a part of us that will be restored. It is not a shell to be lightly cast off. The promise of God is that we will live eternally, physically in our same body.

Listen carefully to the culmination of the graveside service:

We now commit the body of our brother/sister to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subdue all things to Himself.

May God the Father, who created this body; may God the X Son, who by His blood redeemed this body; may God the Holy Spirit, who by Holy Baptism sanctified this body to be his temple, keep these remains to the day of the resurrection of all flesh. Amen.

Death is our lot. It is the wages of sin. We will suffer the separations caused by death until our Lord returns. Come, Lord Jesus! But, we have the promise of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. We have the promise of a joyful reunion with those who are asleep in Christ. We have the promise of being with our Lord, Jesus Christ forever. The Crucified One has risen from the dead to make it so. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 1:3-9; The Second Sunday of Easter; April 27, 2014;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mount Ayr, Iowa;

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 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.” (1 Peter 1:3–9, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

St. Peter tells us that we have a living hope that is founded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And indeed, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that makes all the difference for Christianity. St. Paul agrees:

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, ESV)

It is impossible to overestimate the value of the resurrection to your life of faith. The resurrection is the proof that what Jesus offers, all of his work, and chiefly forgiveness of sins that he won on the cross, is real. Like one of my professors once said. If Jesus had gone around making hair grow and billiard balls, it would’ve indeed been a miracle. But it is a miracle that would’ve meant nothing, except to bald billiard balls. (Dr. John Warwick Montgomery) But Jesus most important miracle, his resurrection from the dead, attacks the real problem of the human condition. The celebration of Easter is all in recognition of the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead. Jesus resurrection is the key to everything that plagues human beings. It’s the key because the resurrection is the defeat of death. Not just death in general, but your death! This is why St. Peter calls it a living hope. It’s not just a living hope because it’s based on Jesus passing through death to life, but it is a sure hope founded in the promises of the one who is living and was dead. It is the resurrection of Jesus that makes all of his promises true.

In the book of Hebrews the author writes,

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

It is the assurance of our hope that St. Peter is talking about. We have assurance and all that Jesus has done because he was stone cold dead on the cross but walked again out of the tomb on Easter morning. His death is our forgiveness and his resurrected life is our assurance that is forgiveness is true. St. Clement of Alexandria wrote, “Christ rises again in us according to our faith, just as earlier he died in us because of our unbelief.” (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, volume X I, page 69) and again, St. Paul,

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

The idea firstfruits is the very first fruit of the harvest. It’s the promise of everything that is yet to come. And so Jesus resurrection is the promise of our resurrection. The promise of your resurrection!

But the resurrection is nothing without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, because the life of Jesus after the resurrection is the life of Jesus that was sacrificed into death because of our sin. The resurrection without forgiveness is a resurrection to eternal hell, not “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you.” And it is indeed an inheritance. One earned by Christ, not earned by you. It is given to you, “according to [God’s] great mercy.” To quote St. Paul once again in his letter to Pastor Titus,

[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5, ESV)

God in his mercy sent Jesus Christ to the cross to suffer the punishment of our sin. With that punishment satisfied there is forgiveness for all sin. And as St. Peter and St. Paul both state, “he has caused us to be born again to a living hope” and “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” “Born again” and “washing and regeneration” are the very same thing. St. Peter even makes it more clear in chapter 3 verse 21 of this very same letter.

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 3:21, ESV)

The appeal for a good conscience is forgiveness applied to you and me in faith through Holy Baptism. Baptism means that God forgives you, saves you. That Jesus death and resurrection are your death and resurrection. His death is your forgiveness and his resurrection is your life forever.

St. Peter applies the meaning of the resurrection directly to you. He says that since Jesus has suffered your punishment, God does not need to punish you. Therefore, nothing of your life in this world is punishment from God. St. Peter says that as you wait for the resurrection you rejoice. That is, you take joy in the fact of your resurrection promised in Jesus. Even though, at times, in this life we are “grieved by various trials.” Because of God’s promises made to you through Holy Baptism, these various trials are not punishment but testing. Because Holy Baptism is your personal promise, that Jesus is connected to you. His death is your death. His punishment on the cross for sin is your punishment on the cross for sin. And his resurrection from death is your resurrection.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3–5, ESV)

This wonderful verse is what we read at the beginning of a funeral service. That’s because the promise of Jesus death and resurrection, your death and resurrection, stands there in the face of your death.

So, this means, that as hard as life gets you have the promise of the resurrection. So the hardness of life is nothing but a test to push you closer to Jesus. When sickness is a trial for you and reminds you of your death, you know that the resurrection is at hand. The sickness may kill you, but you will rise again. When work is hard and unsatisfying, you look forward to the resurrection when work will all be joyful in the presence of Christ. When your friends and family let you down, when your relationships with them are shattered because of sin, you look forward to the resurrection. After the resurrection, human relationships will be perfect, unspoiled by sin. When your body is less than it once was, you look forward to the resurrection when your soul will be rejoined to your body and you will be perfect and perfectly human in every way. And when you suffer the separation of death, you look forward to the resurrection, when all those who have died in faith will rise to new life together with Christ.

It is all there in the “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” It’s the power of the dead made alive. It’s the promise of the one who was dead and is alive, who can make you alive again after death. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:1-14; The Fifth Sunday in Lent; April 6, 2014;

 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mount Ayr;

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”” (Ezekiel 37:1–14, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Resurrection is coming! And I'm not just talking about our celebration of Easter in two weeks. I'm talking about THE Resurrection. The Resurrection the Jesus talked about in the gospel of John:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:25–29, ESV)

And the Resurrection that was Job's hope:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25–27, ESV)

And Ezekiel, standing in the valley of the dry bones, saw this vision of The Resurrection. He was led there by the Hand of the Lord and in the Spirit of the Lord. God himself, Yahweh, brought him out to the valley to show him how he would restore hope to dead and dying people.

First of all, for Ezekiel, and the people of Israel, his vision was about their hope in God restoring them to the land he had promised. They were in exile. Their sin had caused God to send the Assyrians and the Babylonians to remove them from the land. They had done exactly what God told them not to do. They worshiped the gods of the Canaanites. And now in exile, God seemingly so far away, they had lost hope. And so God gave Ezekiel this vision to restore their hope. If God can restore life to the dis-articulated bones of slain soldiers left to rot in a valley, they could indeed trust that he would restore them to the land that he promised them.

They would be restored to the promised land. The Messiah would come. He would save his people from their hopelessness. There would be a resurrection of the dead. God's people would live again with God forever. This has always been the hope of God's people.

A physical, fleshly, real bodily resurrection, is the hope. You and I, and all of our loved ones who have gone before us, will be resurrected as in the vision of Ezekiel. The hope and focus of God's people, the holy Christian church, the Communion of Saints, is in God's promise of the resurrection of the body. We speak it in the creeds. "I believe in… the resurrection of the body." It is a return to what God created human beings to be. Flesh and blood, living breathing, walking talking, touching holding, eating sleeping, bodily human beings. And restoration of creation for created human beings.

In the meantime, we live in an exile. As we live every day in the valley of the shadow of death, death knocking at our door, threatening everything that we are and have, it's easy to lose hope. Hospitals care for the sick, and yet the sick still die. Automobile accidents loom around every moment behind the wheel. Our bodies age and we are unable to do all that we used to do. We struggle with the loss of independence. That loss is a sign of coming death. And all the technology in the world cannot prevent the disappearance of even a single airplane full of people. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). And the wages count heavily against us. My death, your death is a matter only of time.

But the resurrection is coming! That is our goal. That is our hope. The resurrection brings hope to hopeless people. People facing death. But it is not just life after death. It is the resurrection after death. And first there must be death. You cannot be raised from the dead, until you are dead. Just when death will seem to have its victory over you, your joy, your hope, is in the promise of the resurrection.

Next week, as we will hear on Palm/Passion Sunday, Jesus will ride the donkey into Jerusalem hailed as the King. He will ride in, clear the Temple, eat the Passover, pray in the garden, be arrested, betrayed, beaten, mocked, denied, and nailed to the cross. Crucified, dead and buried, Jesus will lie in the stone cold tomb. And then, on Easter, the breath enters him, and he breaths again. God raises him from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Jesus' death is the wages of your sin paid in full. God's death on the cross for you. His resurrection is the promise of your resurrection. No matter how death comes to you, on the day of resurrection, your dead body will hear the voice of God and you will rise to life again, sinews, flesh and skin.

This is the promise of hope restored. The resurrection of the flesh, the body. An end for pain and suffering, forever. An end for sin, forever. An end for death, forever. The beginning for new life, forever.

Ezekiel proclaimed the good news that God's people would return to the Promised Land. They would know the God who delivered them from Egypt was still their God. And what was true for them is true for you and me. It is even a fuller and richer promise for us.

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” The word of the Lord came to me:” (Ezekiel 37:13–15, ESV)

And so, it is in the promise of THE resurrection, we face death. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Luke 7:11-17; The Third Sunday after Pentecost; June 9, 2013;

Podcast Powered By Podbean

 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.” (Luke 7:11–17, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus has been traveling, teaching and healing all over the region. Right before this Luke tells us of how Jesus healed the centurion's servant without even being present. Jesus comments on the great faith of the Centurion who sent word that he was not worthy for Jesus to come under his roof. But as a man under authority he knew that Jesus had authority to heal even without being present. He had faith that Jesus could just speak the healing and it would be done.

Soon after this Jesus travels to a town called Nain. As always a great crowd follows him wherever he goes. As he approaches the city they come across to funeral procession. A young man has died the only son of a widow. She is in desperate straits. Her husband has previously died leaving her only means of support her now dead son. She weeps not only for the separation but also a loss of security and means of support. She has lost hope. She is overcome with grief. The young man was off to his grave followed by his grieving mother. But instead of death they meet life.

When Jesus sees the widow he has compassion on her. Compassion here is a deep-seated, gut wrenching, wanting to help kind of compassion. It comes not just from her need but from her situation. Jesus hates what death does. It destroys relationships. Cancels hope. Leaves people desperate for the way things were and should be without death. It binds us up in grief. This is the woman's only son. Luke uses a word for compassion that literally means to spill out one's guts. The word is σπλαγχνίζομαι. It's a very strong word that sounds exactly like what it means. It's the word used in the sacrifice of animals. The animal would be split open and the entrails spill out on the altar, σπλαγχνίζομαι. It's the kind of self giving compassion that's shown by the good Samaritan and the father of the prodigal son. It's the kind of self giving compassion that leads Jesus to sacrifice himself on the cross for the sins of the whole world. In fact he comes to save the widow, the dead son, you and me through the giving of himself as the sacrifice for all sin. Sin brings death. Death brings separation. Separation is the center of lost hope and grief. Jesus pours out his mercy on the woman by raising her son to life. Jesus tells her to stop weeping. Although her grief is understandable Jesus begins the miraculous removal of her grief with his word.

Jesus speaks, touches the funeral Bier, raises her only son from death and restores the widow's hope. Jesus' touch brings healing and life. But the great crowds gathered around would at first be appalled. To touch the dead was a great taboo and made you ritually unclean. It's exactly why the bearers stop dead in their tracks. But, it is the opposite of what everyone thinks, Jesus word and touch, instead, makes the unclean clean. In his word and touch he removes corruption and death. He brings an end to the curse of sin and does exactly what God has promised to do. At the dawn of humanity Adam and Eve brought the curse of death on themselves and all human beings. They rejected God and his commands by the direct disobedience of his word. God promised to send his own son to destroy that curse and bring life forever.

So, Jesus speaks life into the dead man, the widow's son. He commands him to rise. Life returns to the man and he begins to speak. His speaking shows the extent of the miracle. The only son is truly alive and restored to his mother. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus said he would do these very things. In his own home town in the synagogue he read the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”” (Luke 4:18–19, ESV)

"These things are fulfilled in your hearing!" Jesus is saying he's the one who does these very things. He shows it in this town. He has released the dead man from captivity to death. He has released the widow from her captivity to grief. He shows compassion and the Lord's favor.

The people, the great crowd, react in fear. They recognize Jesus as God's messenger, one who would do God's will among them. But they miss that this prophet must go to the cross. They see Jesus is a teacher and a miracle worker. They see Jesus as one who has come to make their lives better. But, the complete picture of how Jesus does what he has come to do is only clear with the suffering and dying of God's only son on the cross. He comes to destroy not only the consequences but sin itself. To make an end of sin and death Jesus hangs between heaven and earth, forsaken by God the Father, suffering an eternity of hell for everyone. This is where the real release from the bondage of death begins. This is where the real restoration of hope begins. In the completion of all that he has come to do Jesus restores our relationship with God. He puts away the thing that separates us from him. And all those who are connected to God will have eternity with each other. When Jesus raises this only son of the widow from the dead he points to his own resurrection on Easter Sunday. And he shows that he can and will raise all the dead. This small restoration of the widow and her son is a picture of Jesus, the only son of God, raised from death as proof that his sacrifice on the cross is complete. And a revelation of his power over our great enemy death.

Dear Christian friends. In the face of death… And you do face death every day. You face the fact of your own coming death and suffer the hopelessness and pain of separation caused by the death of those you love. You face the very real bondage of grief that never seems to end. In the face of death we have one thing the people gathered around Jesus at Nain did not have. We have the cross. We have the resurrection. We have the good news of Jesus Christ. Every time you gather here you hear Jesus speak to you the promise of life through the forgiveness of sins. That is all he does for you in his life death and resurrection. And every time you hear Jesus say these things to you he begins the miraculous removal of your grief. Just as he did for the widow he promises to give you back your loved ones who die in faith. He promises to return with his holy angels and raise all the dead and bring eternal life to all believers in Christ. This is the final defeat of all that is evil in the world. This is the final and of sin and death. Jesus does all this through his spoken word and touch. He speaks the words of truth right into your ears. And you hear of God's great love for you and see it in Jesus on the cross. In, with, and under bread and wine Jesus touches your tongue and makes the unclean clean. He removes your sin and restores your relationship with God. He puts right inside of you the forgiveness you need. He increases your faith by feeding you with himself. The growing of your faith increases your trust in Jesus and all of his promises. And so, He frees you from the bondage of your grief. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1.Corinthians.15.20-28; The Last Sunday of the Church Year; November 20, 2011;

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–28, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. This is the simplest yet most important of Christian creeds. If fact, our whole faith rides on it. A few passages before this Paul makes it very clear.

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, ESV)

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV)

It is that simple, we stake everything on Jesus' resurrection. If Jesus' bones are still buried somewhere in Palestine we may as well go home and go to bed because nothing we do here means anything at all. As foolish as the crucifixion of Jesus is to the world, that is that God died on the cross, the resurrection is the miracle that seals the deal for them. When skeptics look at you when you claim to be a Christian they think you are naive, or crazy, or uneducated, or... anything but rational. That's because people don't raise from the dead. There's a whole cemetery full of the proof for that. And yet, here we are confessing, "I believe in the resurrection of the body." Here we are listening to preaching that claims Jesus' resurrection. Here we are claiming that not only did the resurrection happen but it proves that Jesus' death (that is God's death) on the cross means the forgiveness of our sins. But, it would seem, it is a house of cards built on an irrational belief. Or so the skeptics say.

And yet, over the centuries many skeptics who have undertaken the task of proving Jesus dead and buried forever, have come to believe that he is not dead and decomposed[1]. The proof is here in the historical accounts. The Gospels are an accurate record of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But reading them and studying them isn't just an academic or historical exercise. We know that the record of the Good News of Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again has God's power of changing the hardest of hearts, the most skeptical of skeptics. It is wholly because in this book (the bible) God speaks the truth. And the truth works miracles.

And that brings us to "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead." Paul is telling you and me what is so important about the resurrection of Jesus. The power of the resurrection isn't in it's proof. The power of the resurrection is in what it means. Jesus' resurrection is the miracle of miracles. Because Jesus really did rise from the grave, because he was dead and is now alive death is undone. You see, any old miracle worker and do any old miracle. But it doesn't mean a thing for you because no miracle can stack up to the promise of eternal life, that is the result of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. That's what Paul means by firstfruits. Jesus is rose from the dead and Jesus promises the same for you. Saint Peter calls this a living hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

Living hope has a double meaning. The hope that we have isn't some pious wish but a solid promise. A living hope, that we will be living forever because Jesus himself died but now he lives. Without this promise of living there is only death. Death with no resurrection takes away everything you have. It separates you from the people you love. It ends all hope. Death is the destiny of all the sons and daughters of Adam. Death is the result of sin.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12, ESV)

It really doesn't matter that Adam's sin caused death to come into the world. Your sin, by itself, brings you death. It is the ultimate problem of everyone. People die; old people; young people; rich people; poor people. All people hate death. All people want there to be a solution for death. Jesus' great miracle is the miracle of solving the death problem. He is the firstfruits. His promise to you is that you will be made alive.

Now get out your hymnal and turn to p 278. Read the Remembrance of Baptism together with me. Where is says [name] speak your name. Where it says [his/her] say "my".

In Holy Baptism [name] was clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness that covered all [his/her] sin. St. Paul says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"

We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

St. Paul says,

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

You see, we die with a living hope. The promise of resurrection. The solution to the big problem. Paul calls it the last enemy. And every day that enemy seems to have his way. Year after year we lay our loved ones in the ground. We gather in this building and confess our faith in the firstfruits. We mourn, and rightly so, because the enemy has struck a blow. And you and I are next. In Adam we all die. But God has more in store for the dead.

Then comes the end. The Apostle says. The word end is teloj. "It means the purpose or goal of an event viewed in terms of its result." The result of death, the result of his resurrection, the result of his coming again is just this.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–57, ESV)

Dear Christians, Jesus Christ is, in fact, risen from the dead. Your life in Christ means exactly this. Christ, the firstfruits of the dead, promises you resurrection. In him you have a living hope, that is a true and certain promise of living forever. Your enemy death has been destroyed. And even though he will seem to win by taking you, in Holy Baptism, Jesus death and resurrection guarantees your death and resurrection. There is nothing more sure and certain.

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

[1] Ludwig Wittgenstein, p. 9. Tractatus Logico-Theologicus. Dr. John Warwick Mongomery.

Luke 24:36-49; Third Sunday in Easter, April 26, 2009

Powered by Podbean.com

 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “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. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:36-49, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Touch me and see! Jesus said to the disciples. Touch me.

They immediately touched him. They were convinced, clutching his body and his very breath. For this reason they despised death itself and proved its victors. (Ignatius of Antioch on Luke 24:36ff; b. 25AD d. 102AD).

There is something about a dead body; the coolness of it; the stillness of it; life drained away leaves only cooling flesh. To touch the dead is to feel death, first hand; to wonder at the change. To touch the dead is to touch your own life leading to your own death. To know that it will be you, still and cool soon enough. To touch the dead is to see all that you have drain away from you in to the darkness of doubt and fear. This is death as we see it and feel it and fear it. One pastor told me of a time when he was at the death bed of a woman in the hospital. After she died, her daughter touched her face to rearrange her hair. “Oh, Mother’s cold,” and pulled up the blanket over her dead mother’s shoulders as if to warm her. There really is no mistaking it by touch. The dead have the touch of death. Death doesn’t just make us feel cold, it makes us cold.

The disciples were there; cold in the locked room; huddled together having seen Jesus dead. He was dead. There can be no doubt about that. The women went with Joseph of Aramathea to the tomb, where the cold dead body of Jesus was laid, wrapped in its burial cloth; drained of life’s blood; pail and stiff; pierced hands; pierced feet; pierced heart. Cold as clay. Dead Jesus.

You can hardly blame the men for doubting the women who claimed to see him alive after he was dead. Peter and John ran to the tomb and found no Jesus, only Jesus’ neatly folded burial cloth. What Jesus had said seemed so real and true when he was alive, but when he bled to death on the cross, when the spear was shoved into his side, any words about living again after death seem as cold as the grave. They know the coldness of death is permanent.

And then two disciples came from Emmaus and said they saw Jesus, alive and walking and talking on the road. They said he told them how everything he did was written in Moses and the Prophets. And that he must suffer and die and rise again. And that they were foolish not to believe everything he had told them. But how could it be true?

And then, he is there, Jesus himself, standing among them. Even though they had just been talking about him being alive, when he is there, they can only be afraid. Even when they longed for him to be alive, Jesus alive is a threat. They had deserted him, and left him to die. They ran. They hid. They lied. They denied. What they deserve is cold death.

But Jesus brings peace. “Peace be with you! Shalom Aleichem.” There is only Good News in the Savior’s words. No threat of death. No retribution for their doubts and faithlessness, only peace. His Word is forgiveness and life. And there is more for them. “Touch me and see! I am alive. Blood flows again through my veins. See I have flesh and blood and bone. What was dead is living. What was cold is warm. Touch me and see.”

They push toward him and reach out unsteady hands. They reach out to convince themselves that he is alive and not dead, warm and not cold. They reach out to touch flesh and bone and blood. They reach out to feel the warmth of a living human body. And Jesus is all that. They come near enough hear and feel his breath. And press their fingers into the nail prints in his hands. And look into his eyes. Jesus lives. He does the impossible. He was cold in death and now warm with life.

And suddenly the disciples hate death. They despise it. They curse it. And they don’t fear it anymore. Standing among them is death defeated. This is no phantom, no ghost. This is flesh and blood that has passed through death to life. This is the Enemy vanquished, death undone. This is the sure promise of warm, physical, bodily, eternal life. They see through death to life. They long for life. They trust the Savior to do for them what he has done for himself.

We hold on to his promise, too. We face death’s coldness in sure and certain hope of our own resurrection to warm, physical, bodily eternal life. Our Lord gathers us to hear his Word of promise. He comes here for us to touch in his body and blood, bound together with bread and wine. We open our ears and mouths and hear and taste and touch Jesus. Our hunger for life through death is satisfied. Our faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus is built and strengthened by His promises. We hate death. We despise it. We curse it. And sometimes we don’t really fear it; for we go though death, just as Jesus did, to new eternal life. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Job.19.25-26; Sunrise Service, Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ

Powered by Podbean.com

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Easter Sunday at last! We begin with and repeat that wonderful Easter greeting. We gather at the point of the sunrise. We dress in bright clothing... fill the church with flowers... plan to be with family... and repeat the Easter greeting again... Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Today is the easiest theme to figure out. It's Joy! Even at seven in the morning. And we sang that great hymn this morning I Know that My Redeemer Lives. It is one of my favorite Easter hymns. In the older blue hymnal it wasn’t in the Easter section, it was in the funeral section. When we sing that hymn it’s just that same as saying Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Now the really amazing thing about those words is they weren't first spoken on Easter. They were spoken under very different circumstances. They come from the middle of the book of Job. Now you remember Job. He's the guy that lost everything. Satan went to God and asked. “Hey, have you seen that guy Job down there?” God answered that He had. “Well, he's doing pretty well isn't he? He's a great guy doing everything right, huh?” God agreed. “He wouldn't be so high and mighty if he weren't so rich. If he had some trouble in his life he'd be first in line to tell You to take a flying leap.” God listened. “I've got a deal for you,” Satan continued, “you let me take away some of that stuff and we'll just see how good he really is.” God allowed it. “Only,” God commanded, “don't touch him.” And so the accuser did just as God said. And in a matter of a few moments Job lost everything, one of his servants came to tell him that his oxen and donkeys had been stolen by marauding hordes and his servants were all killed. Before he even finished speaking another breathless servant came and reported the same for his camels. Before he was finished another came with the worst news yet. His children were all killed by a freak twister. But even in the face of all that loss, Job's faith didn't waver. He blessed God in spite of all that had happened to him. Now Satan wasn't satisfied so he went back to God. “Well?” God asked. “That's nothing.” the devil replied. “He's still got his health. If you took that away he'd crumble into a pile of doubt and despair.” “Ok,” God answered. “But don't kill him.” And so Satan let him have it. Job was covered with sores from head to foot. He was miserable. He itched so mercilessly that he had to use pieces of broken pottery to find relief. And still Job didn't give up. When his wife told him to curse God and die, he refused. When his friends said he must have insulted God do deserve such punishment, Job didn't budge. He insisted that he was clean. Now collectively we know all about this kind of stuff. It happens to us all the time. Our hearts ache when we lose loved ones to death. Our lives loose meaning when we can't work anymore. Moving away from home for the first time is an adventure but the broken home ties are hard to live with. The possibility of failure in school seems to loom over our heads all the time. Sickness makes it impossible to do what we want to do. Anytime we set out to start anything we know full well we may not finish. The shadow of death covers everything we do. So we understand what Job was going through. Well, at least a part of it. It just that he got it all at once. Most of the time we just aren't as patent a Job. I know that I am not. In fact, there are times when I fell like curling up in a little ball in the closet. You've been there, too. You've felt a bit of what Job felt. Wondering why God allowed all this to happen. The answer? I don't know. Job never knew either. He had doubts, too. He asked God to tell him what he'd done to deserve all this trouble. God didn't answer. Job's wife and friends gathered around him and spoke what they thought was comfort and instead made things worse.
And that brings us to these two verses that Job speaks. Out of the depth of his despair, when there was nothing left to hang on to, Job gives us a glimpse of what's in his heart. And that glimpse is a glimpse of faith. It is such a powerful confession of faith that it has inspired God's faithful people for generations. Yet it is a very simple confession too. I know that my Redeemer lives. What a line packed with meaning. There in the ashes of his life, Job proclaims that God will deliver him. God himself with save him. You see, that word Redeemer is packed full of meaning. He was using a specific word there that referenced a member of your family who would come to your rescue when you were in trouble. Your Kinsman-Redeemer was to speak up for you in court should you need a defense. If you lost your land, your Kinsman-Redeemer was required to buy it back to keep it in the family. If you lost you freedom to slavery your Kinsman-Redeemer was required to buy you back. If you lost your life, your Kinsman-Redeemer was required to marry your wife and have your children to carry on your name. Now Job had lost everything. He had no relatives left to act as Kinsman-Redeemer. And yet he says that his redeemer lives. Besides when God is the one who has allowed all the trouble you have to come into your life who can speak in your defense to God except God himself.
Do you see the remarkable thing that Job is saying here? The flesh and blood man, Job, is declaring that he believes God will come to his defense as a flesh and blood relative... a kinsman. One like himself. He will see him, Job goes on. My eyes will behold him... with these very eyes he says. A real, physical Savior to redeem him from the trouble that God has caused him. One to stand in his defense in God's courtroom. Satan may accuse Job of being a phony, but Job believe God will come in person to his defense. What a statement of faith. God did restore everything to Job. But the words that Job spoke don't really come to a complete meaning until a few thousand years later.
Job.19.25-26; Sunrise Service, Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus ChristAnd so He did. Not so long ago we marveled at a God-in-the-flesh wiggling infant in a manger. It's easy to forget, as we stare in wonder, that He was born for a purpose. And that purpose was to die. But still Jesus was born God in human form. He's Job's Kinsman-Redeemer. He's our Kinsman-Redeemer, one of us, our relative, flesh and blood, a whole complete human being... yet more than human, God also. He stood on the earth, just as Job said he would. He walked on it. He slept on it. And He bled and died on it. That's the Kinsman-Redeemer part. Jesus stood before the authorities and faced the death penalty. In fact He stood before God and faced the sin penalty. He pleaded our case in this way, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” “I'll take it instead.” And He did. On the cross He carried the very heavy load of our sin. His death in place of ours.
I know that my redeemer lives! Here's the most important part. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! He's not still dead. His lifeless body lying in the grave didn't stay there. He died our death and He rises our resurrection, too! He's bigger than death. He's a Kinsman-Redeemer like no other. One who can do whatever He wants. And what He wants is described by Job very clearly.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Jesus didn't die for Himself. He died for us. He didn't rise from the dead for Himself either. He rose for us. That's what Job was talking about. Seeing God, in the flesh, in a resurrected body. New and clean and fresh without the trouble that comes with our sinful lives.
At the second service today, we'll talk about our connection to this great victory over death. We'll start it all out by speaking God's Word written by St. Paul. (Words which, by the way, we begin every funeral. p. 278)

Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him, through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have new life. If we have been united with Him in His death, We will certainly be united with Him in His resurrection. (Rom 6:3-5)

I know that my redeemer lives! And He promises that even though I will die, He will raise me to new life again. And in Job's words, I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. When we are raised from the dead and stand face to face with our Crucified and Risen Lord, all our earthly troubles will melt away into nothingness. These problems that cause us so much trouble now will seem as if they are nothing. You see, all that stuff that we think is so important doesn't really mean a thing, compared to the Redeeming Love of our Kinsman-Redeemer Jesus. The love that caused him to suffer and die for our sin. And a love that is so great that he rose again from our grave to live and breath again. And He lives right now. I know that my redeemer lives! Right now he's alive. Right now he's speaking about me to God the father, defending me. Forgiving my sins... Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Easter Sunrise, March 23, 2008. Matthew 28:1-10

Powered by Podbean.com

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10, ESV)

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

As I was preparing for this service this morning I noticed something that I hadn’t noticed before. Something that at first seemed strange and different. Maybe you’ve noticed it, or maybe you just took it for granted. But, for me it was really the first time I really took notice of it. The Easter story, the account of the Resurrection of Our Lord, the highest point in the church year, “The most holy Christian Holiday” (as they so often say in the News media), the most joyous day of the year for Christians, all it takes place in a cemetery. Maybe that doesn’t seem strange to you. But I have a difficult time putting all the normal events of Easter, all of our celebrations, in a graveyard. Maybe I can explain it this way. Little Billy is 2 years old. He’s wearing he new Easter suit, its one of those with a white shirt and a little vest. He’s running across the grass in search of Easter eggs. Mom is standing there with her hand at her mouth holding back tears of joy, “He’s just so cute!” she says to herself. Dad is following close behind making sure Billy sees all of the eggs hidden in the grass… Dad kneels next to his son. “Billy, I see a really nice one. Look over there, next to that gravestone!”

Or picture this; a large group of people has gathered together, they are all wearing their “Easter Best.” It is a joyous Easter festival! There are little girls in new spring bonnets… flowers butterflies, ribbons and curls, perfume and makeup; little boys in new spring suits, women in fresh flower print dresses and men who normally are found in coveralls, actually wearing ties. Everyone is joyful and happy. There is laughter and singing, even trumpets. As you look out over the crowd here and there between the people are gray and white tombstone stones sticking up. And even a mound of fresh dirt marking a recent burial. It seems to me an odd picture, an inconsistency. Something is defiantly out of place. Somehow, Easter and the graveyard don’t seem to go together.

Well, I guess it really isn’t hard to understand… Easter is a springtime festival. Everything we do reminds us of life. Mountains of lilies, bright Easter colors, buckets of pastel M&Ms, even the white paraments on the altar remind us of life. The grass is at least thinking about turning green again several of you farmers are already itching to get into the fields. (some of you have already been there) Easter is about life. It’s about spring, or so it would seem.

The graveyard on the other hand, is about separation and death. When we visit there we do so with tears, not joy. We do our best to make them pleasant places, with green grass and trees; nice quiet peaceful places to visit; but they are not places of great joy. They are not places of life. So it would seem, Easter and the graveyard don’t really go together.

Yet, here we are with this text in front of us, an account of how the two Mary’s went early in the morning to “look at the tomb,” to the graveyard. I wonder exactly what they expected to see there? Were their steps a confusing combination of grief, sadness, and yet hope? Did the words Jesus spoke about his death echo in their minds? Did the words Jesus spoke about his resurrection give them some small portion of hope? After all, they wanted to look at the tomb. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus wouldn’t be there, dead. Maybe, just maybe, they’d find just what he had told them they’d find, that he was really alive again. One thing is for certain. They went to the graveyard to see Jesus. And it was Jesus that they found. Well, first they found an angel, and an empty tomb. I wonder how it felt to stand in that graveyard, that place of death, and look at the place where a dead body should have been and find it empty. “I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who you saw crucified, dead and buried….” The angel said to them, “but you won’t find him in the grave anymore. He is risen! See the grave is empty! And that is good news that you need to tell his disciples.” The women were afraid, but they were also filled with joy; an uneasy combination of faith and unbelief; of hope and fear. And so they ran. They ran to do what the angel told them to do. And suddenly there in that place of death, there in that graveyard, stood Jesus, not dead but very much alive. The angel told them that he was alive. What the angel had told them was true. Jesus had told them that he would rise from the dead. What Jesus had told them was true. Jesus Christ, their crucified Lord had conquered death. There he stood before them, and all they could do was grab hold of him and worship at his feet.

Jesus conquered death! Two nights ago we gathered in this same place and remembered the price paid by Jesus for our sins. We remembered the punishment he bore for us as he bled and died on the cross. We all left in silence, maybe even with a confusing mixture of sadness and joy. Because we knew that what Jesus did, he did for us. “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” That means that his death on the cross was our death, too. When he died for the sins of the world he died for your sins and mine. “We were therefore buried with him, through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised form the dead through the glory of the father, we to may have new life. If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly be united with him in his resurrection.” You see Jesus conquered death. He conquered your death. The resurrection of Jesus is assurance to you that even though you will die, you too, will rise again, just as he did. And that’s what those women found when they visited that graveyard in Jerusalem. They found the resurrected Jesus. They found the living Jesus and the promise of their own resurrection.

We’ve made some visits to the graveyard this year. We’ve been there. And we will undoubtedly be there again this coming year. What do we expect to find there at the graveyard? Do we go with an uneasy combination of sadness and joy? Do we go there looking for Jesus? Do we go there remembering that Jesus stood in a graveyard, resurrected to life? You see, it may seem that Easter is about life. But would it surprise you if I said that Easter isn’t really about life. Easter is really all about death. It’s about an end to death forever. It’s about the victory our Lord won over death. It’s about Jesus Christ standing in the cemetery alive. It’s about you and me, and all those we’ve laid out in the ground of our cemetary, alive again, because of Jesus Christ our Risen Lord.

Well ok, I’m not saying that we should have met in the cemetery this morning. But I am saying that the cemetery is the perfect place for Easter! That is where Easter means everything. That is where we see first hand what it means that Jesus Christ is risen today! Amen.

He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Second Sunday of Easter, April 15, 2007, John 20:19-31

Get the Podcast Here!

¹⁹On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." ²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld." ²⁴Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "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." ²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁷Then he said to 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." ²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹but 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 20:19-3,ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It's a week after Easter. We are still joyful, basking in the glow of that wonderful day. The lilies aren’t here, but they are still bright. We're still singing Easter hymns (and we will for several more weeks!). Joy is still the overriding theme of our worship. But is very clear from our text that that is not the mood of the disciples on that first Easter (at least not yet). It was third day after Jesus had been crucified. Mary had run to them saying that she had "seen the Lord." But, instead of being joyful, they were afraid, they don’t believe what Mary says, “You are speaking like a crazy woman!” The news was too much to believe. Suddenly, unexplainably, miraculously Jesus passed through the walls and the locked doors stood among them. "Peace be with you. Shalom 'Alekem." (v. 26) The simple and common greeting may have gone over the Disciples heads, if Jesus was just your normal, everyday visitor. But it was anything but a simple and common greeting coming from the risen Jesus Christ. After all, before his suffering and death, "peace" is what he said he would bring them.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' (John 14:27-28a, ESV)

And maybe they didn't quite see it just yet. But the peace that Jesus brings them was the direct result of the "It is finished" he spoke on the cross. The peace Jesus brings, he brings through his suffering and death. It is the peace that passes all understanding. It is the peace that comes from sins forgiven. It is the peace that comes from sinful people being reconciled to God. "God and sinners reconciled." (The Lutheran Hymnal, 94)We sing in the well know Christmas hymn, but it would be a good hymn for today, too.

The disciples had their doubts. They didn’t believe what Mary Magdalene had told them. But now Jesus stood among them. He relieves their fear and doubt and ends their unbelief by showing them the wounds from his crucifixion. Only he would have those specific wounds in his hands and side. See, don't doubt that it is me! Don’t doubt that I am alive. I'm the very same one whom you saw crucified, dead and buried. This translation says they were glad (v. 20) when they saw him. Maybe that's a little understating it. They were overjoyed. Just as Jesus promised, their sorrow was turned into joy. Their fear and unbelief was turned to belief. His love for them, and for us, is unmistakable. It's proved by the nail marks. It's proved by the spear that pierced his heart. It was proved by his death. It is proved by his victory over death and the grave. This is the way that God shows his love for the world; that he gave his one and only son to die in our place, and to rise again from death, for us.

That is the joy that the ancient church celebrated. It was tradition in worship to say the words Maranatha! It means Come Lord now. You can almost see them saying it even many years later with a pregnant pause in the expectation of Jesus appearing again, just as he did that day. That joy is also our joy as we gather in his name, and in the shadow of his promise. Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with you. (Matt 18:20) Right here in the midst of our doubts (yes we do have them!) Right here in the midst of our sorrow and pain. Right here in the midst of our illness and fear. Right here in the midst of our despair and guilt. Right here in the midst of our insecurity and worry. He comes here, sight unseen, to bring us the peace of sins forgiven. He comes to bring us the joy of God and sinners reconciled. Did I say, "Sight unseen?" Well, that's not exactly right is it? When we gather together in his name, we are the Body of Christ. As I was sent, so I am sending you. (John 20:21, ESV) In our sorrow and our pain we bring Jesus message of peace to each other. In the midst of our illness and fear, we bring Jesus message of peace. In the midst of our guild and despair we bring Jesus message of peace. And it is a message that we have not just for those gathered in this room, but a message of peace for the whole world.

The disciples didn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead at first. Thomas didn’t believe either. He wasn’t there to witness Jesus appearance. We don’t know why he wasn’t there, but when the others tell him what they had seen, he refuses to believe, without proof. 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. (John 20:25, ESV) It would be easy to get down on Thomas. But really he was only asking for what the others had already seen. They had disbelieved just as much as he did. Jesus changed their unbelief to belief by an appearance, and he does the same for Thomas. A week later, on Sunday again, Jesus appeared to the disciples in that same locked room. Peace be with you! he said to them. And then specifically to Thomas, Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbeliever, but believe! (John 20:27, ESV) These amazing words of Jesus show us that even though he wasn’t there, Jesus knew what Thomas had said. He provides the proof that Thomas demands. We don’t know if Thomas actually took Jesus up on his challenge, but it seems that the sight of Jesus alone was enough for him. My Lord and My God! (John 20:28, ESV) He says. It is a personal confession of faith that comes from the lips of the most skeptical disciple. They are directed to Jesus in such a way that they confess exactly what Thomas now believes. Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. Jesus is God. Jesus is his Savior.

You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. (John 20:29, ESV) Jesus confirms Thomas’ strong statement of faith. His unbelief is swept away by the reality of the presence of the risen Lord.

It is easy to have doubts about our faith. Just look at the disciples. They just didn’t believe that Jesus could have possibly risen from the dead. They were afraid and locked themselves behind closed doors. Thomas was separated from them when Jesus came. He just wanted to see for himself. He wanted the big miracle. Even after they had seen Jesus they had doubts about what they were to do, and how they were to do it.

We are tempted to think that we would have a stronger faith if Jesus would just appear right here in front of us, just as he did for them. And even if he doesn’t appear in person what if he would just appear in other big ways. When we are sick and suffering we just want him to heal us. I once heard about a woman at the funeral of a strong Christian friend who died of cancer. “Wouldn’t it have been a powerful witness if God would have just healed her cancer?” Forgetting what a powerful witness the woman was in her acceptance of God’s will and her coming death. It is doubt that makes us want God to work the way we want him to work. It is doubt that says that we shouldn’t have to struggle in life. It is doubt that says we shouldn’t have to suffer. Doubt is the opposite of trust.

And that’s why we gather here in this place. Not because we trust perfectly, but because we don’t trust perfectly; because sometimes we just don’t believe what Jesus says. It’s the Risen Christ who sets aside our unbelief by coming to us. He shows himself to us in his Word. The whole bible is about Jesus. That’s what St. John means when he says, These things are written that you may believe. (John 20:31, ESV) When we hear it spoken to us Christ comes to us and strengthens our faith. When you hear the wonderful words of Jesus, “Peace be with you!” you know that your sins are forgiven, and your doubt is chased away by Jesus presence in His Word.

Jesus also shows himself to us in bread and wine. In some churches the communion wafers have an imprint of Jesus on the cross right on them. Ours have a little cross. That reminds us that Jesus comes to us in his very body and very blood, right there in the palm of our hand. It’s the same Christ there that stood before Thomas and said touch me and see. Right there in Holy Communion Jesus says to you touch me and see; take and eat this is my body; take and drink this is my blood. (Matt 26:26-29, ESV) He shows himself to us in another way; the Body of Christ is seated all around you in your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a brothers and sisters confessing a common faith. That’s what it means that we’ve joined this church. We believe, teach and confess the truths of scripture according to the Lutheran Confessions and that other churches don’t have the whole truth. Just as the father sent me, so I am sending you. Jesus sends us to each other. He sends us to our neighbors to confess the truth about who Jesus is and what he has done. Look and see Jesus in the concern and love that he shows you through your friends, neighbors and relatives here. As we live and work and play together we show that Christ is indeed among us.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. (John 20:29, ESV) That’s me and you. We don’t have the benefit of seeing the Risen Lord in his glorified body like Thomas did, standing before us. But He is here none-the-less, and we are blessed. We are blessed because we have all that we need, in His Word and Sacraments. We have a way that we can be sure that he is with us and all that he has done is for us individually. All that we need is provided by God himself and that is what makes it sure. After all if it were dependent on anything in us it would only be full of doubt.

But this text is about faith that cancels doubt. These are written that you may believe, he says, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing in him you may have life in his name. (John 20:31, ESV) That’s the Peace that Jesus brings to us. Peace that cancels our unbelief and our doubt. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.