A Little While John 16:16-22

Easter 3 – Jubilate
(May 2 – 3, 2009)
John 16:16-22
“A Little While”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is from the Gospel lesson. We focus on Jesus’ words, A Little While.

Jesus Christ is always full of surprises, always full of reversals and apparent contradictions. He says things that don’t make sense, at least not to our dull ears and misted eyes. So when we come to a text like today, it’s somewhat like a “here we go again, Jesus is talking about suffering, and I still don’t get it.” The mind turns off, faith shrugs, and we move on to other things.

Yet when Jesus talks about life on this side of the resurrection, there are always two halves: suffering and healing, pain and healing, sorrow and rejoicing. That is how God talks, and it is how we are to understand our lives here on earth. St. Paul writes about it this way:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

Yet so often we are more like the people of Israel. In Exodus fifteen we read that as the children of Israel were led by the Lord, they wandered for three days and found no water. But when they finally came to Mara, the water they found was so bitter they couldn’t drink it. Sometimes we have to drink bitter water in the wilderness of this world. Sometimes the cup that the Lord gives us is the cup of cross and tribulation (Ps. 75:9), just as our Lord drank gall and vinegar from the cross (Matthew 27:48).

We all face crosses and trials of various kinds here in this life. They may be physical trials, they may be emotional or personal, they may have to do with family or work. Or the trials you face may be of another sort entirely, that no one else even knows about! The trials of this life can be very painful and grueling, just as that bitter water was so hard to swallow for the children of Israel so many years ago.

But God showed Moses a tree which he was to set down into that bitter water in order to make it sweet. God does the same for you. He sets before you the Tree of Life, that is, Jesus Christ in His Word (Rev. 22:2). As one pastor put it many years ago, “When we sink the Tree into the bitter waters of cross and tribulation, when we ponder Christ’s cross and suffering, also when we seize and take to heart the comfort of His Word, even through that our cross becomes light and sweet” (Johann Gerhard). This is what Jesus is talking about when he says, Come to me, all you who are worn out and overburdened; I will refresh and renew you. Take my yoke upon yourselves-for My yoke is gentle and My burden is light (Mat. 11:28-30).

Our text today about the little while of Jesus going and coming teaches us four things about the doctrine of the theology of the cross. First, it teaches us that all true Christians will be subjected to the cross in this life; second, that our reason cannot understand the mystery of the cross; third, it shows why our Lord places us under the cross; and finally, what kind of comfort the Christian may receive by the power of His Word.

First of all, the Scriptures repeatedly teach that the Christian will be under the cross their entire life. Jesus says in Matthew 16:24: If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself and take his cross upon himself and follow me. And Saint Paul says that We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). And St. Paul says again in 2 Timothy 3:6, For those who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus have to suffer persecutions. And we hear in Hebrews 12:6, For whomever the Lord loves He chastises. And Jesus repeatedly says in reference to His own suffering that this must happen or it is necessary that the Son of Man suffer and the like.

Perhaps the way to think of it is like this. Our Lord wants to make you into living stones that build up the body of Christ. You are His workmanship, His work of art. Now stones, in order to be used in building, must be chiseled and polished and worked until they are just right. God is, in effect, chiseling you out and polishing you for the kingdom of God. He is working away at your unbelief and sin, removing the impediments to faith and building you up into His own image, the image of His only begotten Son.

But this is truly a mystery if there ever was one. This is the second point of our text. The disciples didn’t understand, and neither do we. When we are faced with trials and tribulations in this life, our natural response is much more one of complaining and murmuring against God, than it is rejoicing that He has made us worthy to be fashioned into His likeness. It is a mystery that only God can reveal to us by His Word.

3. So why is it that God must lay crosses and tribulations upon us? It works this way: Our rebirth comes through faith, and faith comes from the Word of God, but the Word of God is seldom planted apart from the cross and tribulation. When things are going perfectly in your life, when you are happy and making money, when everything goes right in your life, who needs God? So in order to cultivate the ground of your heart, God sends tribulations and trials, so that you will hear His Word and trust in Him all of your life.

Now perhaps at first glance this seems mean. I suppose that to a young child, when a parent disciplines them, it does appear just mean. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Our heavenly Father chastens us and allows trials and tribulations precisely because He loves us. When cross and trial grieve you, rejoice and be glad! For this is a sign that God has not abandoned you, but rather that He loves you so much that He wishes to fashion you into something even greater.

4. Jesus’ cross and empty tomb give you a lens for seeing the world and your own life. The devil, the world and your own sinful nature all want you to look at the trials and sufferings of your life, and believe that by them God is proving He has abandoned you. But Jesus in our Gospel today gives you hope. A little while, he says. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? A little while. That’s how long the suffering and trials of this life will last.

Now while you and I are stuck in the middle of things here on this earth, a little while may seem like a terribly long time. We may cry out with the Psalmist, How long, O Lord, how long? Our little while may seem more like the Israelites four hundred years of slavery in Egypt, or their seventy years exiled in Babylon. But just like the Israelites as they prayed in Psalm one hundred twenty six:
1 When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations, ”The LORD has done great things for them.”
3The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. (Psalm 126:1-3)

Christ our Lord may leave for a little while, as He says in this text, but He returns again and again by Word and Sacrament to give you the strength you need to go on with life. Trust that Christ will take care of you. He who died on the cross and rose again for your salvation will see you through. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Daily Readings for 4th Sunday Of Easter

Daily Lectionary

May 3 - 9, 2009

Fourth Sunday of Easter: Leviticus 8:1–13, 30–36; Luke 9:1–17
Monday: Lev 9:1–24; Luke 9:18–36
Tuesday: Lev 10:1–20; Luke 9:37–62
Wednesday: Lev 16:1–24; Luke 10:1–22
Thursday: Lev 17:1–16; Luke 10:23–42
Friday: Lev 18:1–7, 20—19:8; Luke 11:1–13
Saturday: Lev 19:9–18, 26–37; Luke 11:14–36

NEXT WEEKS LESSONS: CANTATE—THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Though Jesus has departed from us visibly to the right hand of the Father who sent Him, yet this is to our advantage. For Jesus–who is Lord over all creation, who intercedes for us before the Father, who is preparing a place for us in heaven–has sent the Helper, the Spirit of Truth. (Jn 16:5–15) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights” through Christ. (James 1:16–21) The Holy Spirit helps us by taking of what is Christ’s and declaring it to us. In the Word of truth the Spirit works repentance and delivers to us the forgiveness of sins, the righteousness of Christ, and victory over the devil. For the ruler of this world is judged and defeated by the cross. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit we have been brought forth to new life in Him who is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Confident of our resurrection with Christ we confess, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.” (Is 12:1–6)


Collect
Our merciful Father, the God who alone make minds of the faithful to be of one will, cause Your people to love what You command and to desire what You promise, that among the manifold changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Old Testament: Isaiah 12:1–6 [First song of Isaiah]
Epistle: James 1:16–21 [Every good and perfect gift]
Holy Gospel: John 16:5–15 [Spirit promised]

Daily Lectionary for the 4th Sunday of Easter

Daily Lectionary

Third Sunday of Easter Exodus 32:15–35, Luke 6:39–49
Monday Exodus 33:1–23, Luke 7:1–17
Tuesday Exodus 34:1–28, Luke 7:18–35
Wednesday Exodus 34:29—35:21, Luke 7:36–50
Thursday Exodus 38:21—39:8, 22–23, 27–31, Luke 8:1–21
Friday Exodus 39:32—40:16, Luke 8:22–39
Saturday Exodus 40:17–38, Luke 8:40–56

NEXT WEEKS LESSONS: JUBILATE—THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

The people of God are pilgrims and sojourners in this world, looking ahead to a destination yet to come. (1 Peter 2:11–20) Though we are now children of God, the fullness of what we shall be has not yet been revealed. (1 John 3:1–3) We are those who wait on the Lord. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:22–33) Jesus tells us that the wait is just a little while. “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16–22) Though you must experience sorrow for a time, though you must live as strangers in a world that is at enmity with Christ, yet your sorrow will be turned to joy when He returns. “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:25–31) The little while of weeping shall be replaced with an eternity of rejoicing in the presence of Christ the crucified and risen Savior. “And your joy no one will take from you.”

Old Testament Isaiah 40:25–31 [On eagle’s wings]
Epistle 1 Peter 2:11–20 [Living as free men]
Holy Gospel: John 16:16–22 [Grief into Joy]

Misericordias Domini – Mercies of the Lord

– Easter 3 –
Misericordias Domini – Mercies of the Lord
(April 25–26, 2009)
John 10:11-16
“The Shepherd Who Dies for the Sheep”

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for this morning is from John chapter 10, Jesus the Good Shepherd.

I suppose that one of the interesting things about this text is the word good. At first glance, this certainly is a common word. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who cares for His sheep, even to the point of giving His own life. But if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, that means that there must be bad shepherds out there, who seek not to feed and care for the sheep, but to fleece them and turn them into mutton.

Our Lord speaks about this in the Old Testament reading from Ezekiel chapter 34. In our Old Testament reading the Lord commands Ezekiel to prophecy against the false shepherds in Israel. These shepherds were not interested in feeding and caring and protecting the sheep. Rather, they wanted to eat and feed themselves. They were interested in their own selfish gain, and in feeding their own bellies.

Of course, the great bad shepherd is none other than Satan himself. Satan would like nothing more than to lead you away from quiet waters and give you the poison of false doctrine instead of the green grass of God’s Word. The so-called shepherds of this world would love to see you leave God’s presence and go off foraging on your own in the world. For without the protecting care of the Good Shepherd, you are a lamb for the slaughter.

This is why it is so dangerous for us to abandon hearing God’s Word and receiving His body and blood here in His Church. There is always one part of us that honestly believes that we don’t need God. Jesus’ death and resurrection is all fine and good, but when it comes to my salvation, well, that’s my own problem. I’ll work out my own faith and life, thank you very much. But this view completely misses point of our text, and really the whole point of the resurrection.

Let me explain. Our Lord promises in Ezekiel that He Himself will feed His flock and care for them. He will not delegate His responsibility to another. God Himself will feed and take care of you. So where does God feed you? He feeds you here, at His altar, with His very body and blood. This isn’t simply a rite we do because we’ve always done it. The Lord’s Supper is the very heartbeat of the Christian faith. All of God’s work on the cross and in the empty tomb goes into your mouth and soul in Holy Communion. This isn’t like an option on a car, where you can get the electronic windows if you want them. Jesus is what shapes and defines your faith, for He is the one that gave you faith. And the way Jesus shapes your faith is by coming to you in his Word and in His Sacrament. Without Him, you are a lost sheep, hopeless and alone. But with Jesus, you are a part of God’s flock, and He Himself takes care of you.

Hear again the deep connection between the Father and Jesus and you. Jesus said in our Gospel lesson: I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. What our Lord is saying is that the connection between you and Jesus is as close as the connection between Jesus and the Father. As Jesus said elsewhere in John, I and the Father are one.

We live in a day and an age when it is so easy to feel alone or to be alone. I remember a thinker once saying that television has made it possible for a million people to laugh at the same joke at the same time and still feel lonely. But this is not only true of television. Our lives are so compartmentalized and categorized that we can easily be disconnected from our family, from friends, from church, and it seems even from God Himself. This loneliness in some ways is an extension of the separation and loss that we all experience because of sin. Sin drives a wedge between you and God, and between you and others. It creates gaps and holes of loneliness that we all feel at time.

This is where Jesus’ words in our text bring such comfort to the lonely and downtrodden. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. Jesus is not simply the God who died and rose again from the dead three days later. He is the God who has come into your midst, who binds up your wounds, and who leads you beside the quiet waters of Holy Baptism. Jesus is the good shepherd. He is the one who can restore your soul. He is the bridge that reconnects you to God Himself. He is the link between you and all eternity. He is the door to the heavenly mansions, and the one who will walk with you through the valley of the shadow of death. By His stripes you are healed.

So where does this put you this morning, as we reflect on the tender mercies of God? It puts you in His care. It means you are not alone. Indeed, it means that when you eat His body and drink His blood here today in the Sacrament of the Altar, that you are connected to God in a way that is more profound and deeper than any kind of emotional high or feeling could ever give you. God’s tender mercy toward you means He cares for you so much that He sent His Son to die. It means that this same risen Son is now in your heart and soul through Holy Baptism, and that when you hear His Word you are connected to eternity itself. Now that may sound kind of pie-in-the-sky or unrealistic. I suppose it is to the world. To the world there is nothing happening here. But to you, God Himself is giving you everything.

Hear again part of the words from our Introit:
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,*
on those who hope in His mercy.
To deliver their soul from death,*
and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;*
He is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:1, 18–20)

Notice that it says our soul. It doesn’t say my soul. It says our soul. We are God’s flock, God’s church. We are in this together. By participating in His life, we have life in each other. You are not alone.

We in the Christian Church hope in the mercy of God. God will see you through whatever troubles may come upon you. Now that doesn’t mean he’ll wave a magic wand and make everything better. Rather, it means that God will give you the most important thing of all: He will give you Himself. As Saint Peter wrote in our Epistle: For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

God calls you and gathers you together into His holy flock. You are not alone. You are now a part of God’s family. So rejoice in His Easter mercy! For this is what Christ won for you at the cross and in the empty tomb. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. And that goodness comes to you now in His risen Son, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Easter 1 – April 19, 2009) John 20:19-31

Quasimodo Geniti
(Easter 1 – April 19, 2009)
John 20:19-31
“Peace be with you”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning is from John 20. We focus on the words, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, Peace be with you.

We have heard the story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We have heard how he crushed Satan and won salvation for all who believe His Word. This is the victory of God over all the powers of darkness and despair. So why is it that the Sunday after Easter always seems like a letdown? In the Church year this Sunday is sometimes called Low Sunday. I’m not sure if this refers to low attendance or how low the disciples felt in our Gospel lesson, but it is certainly true that things are different for the disciples and for us.

Our Gospel lesson takes place the evening Jesus’ rose from the dead. Last week we heard of the morning’s events. Jesus rises from the dead, and appears to Mary Magdalene, and says her name. When she went to tell the disciples, though, they didn’t believe her. They thought she was crazy, or perhaps was drunk. So that brings us to this week’s lesson
In our text the disciples are hiding behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Jesus has risen from the dead, but the disciples are afraid. They are afraid of the Jews, they are afraid they are going to be found out, they are afraid that they have put their hope in a dead God. What could be more pathetic than that?

That is how it goes with our faith, too. It’s easy to feel good on Easter morning. The music, the readings, the beauty of the service, everything points to the wonder of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. But what about later? What about after the glow of the resurrection seems to wear off? What about those times when you are alone with your sins. What about those times in your faith-life when you feel like you can get no breath, when you feel like you are choking or being asphyxiated because it just isn’t in you?

We’ve all been there. Like the disciples, our emotions as Christians ebbs and flows. There are times when we feel close to God, but there are other times when we feel far away and distant, unconnected, afraid and alone. That is where the disciples were that first Easter evening. They were there with you.

This is how Satan seeks to work on you, my friends. The last thing Satan wants you to believe is the connection between Easter and your faith. If He can convince you that Christ’s death and resurrection were just events from a storybook a long time ago, if he can convince you of that, then Jesus’ resurrection from the dead has no meaning. That is Satan’s ploy. He seeks to convince you that you don’t believe. He is willing to lie, deceive, convince, do whatever he can in His power to draw you away from Christ’s words of forgiveness and life.

Left to yourself, you are stuck, right there in league with Satan. But you are not left to yourself. That is the point of our Gospel lesson today. Jesus appears in the midst of them and says, Peace be to you. Jesus knows His disciples don’t believe in Him at that time. He knows that they are filled with unbelief and doubt. He also knows they are full of fear at the Law and that they need to hear words of comfort and hope.

So He says to them, Peace be with you. Notice how tender these words are in the ears of the disciples. Notice how tender these words are to you. Peace. The wall of separation between God and man was broken when Jesus burst forth from the tomb. God and man are not longer at enmity; they are no longer at war with each other. They are at peace. But like prisoners of war, the disciples have not heard the news. They haven’t received the fruit of Jesus’ work on the cross and in the tomb. So Jesus preaches to them and says, peace be with you.

They are great words. With those words Jesus comforts you and gives you hope. Jesus died and rose again from the dead to put those words in your ears. Peace be with you. He doesn’t pummel with the Law, he doesn’t mock them or condemn for their unbelief, although I suppose the disciples deserved it, as do we. No, Jesus gives them the only thing that could actually make a difference. He gave them peace. As Jesus uses the word here, it means the same thing as forgiveness. He forgives them their sins. They are gone.

But Jesus isn’t satisfied to simply forgive the since of the eleven some 2000 years ago. No, He then gives them the peace again, and says to them: whoever sins you forgiven, they are forgiven; and whoever’s sins you hold back, they are held back.

In Lutheran theology we call this the Office of the Keys. Jesus gives the Keys to the disciples, now called the Apostles or sent-ones. He gives them the keys and says that their work, they life task is to be about forgiving sins. They are to release sins, get rid of them and cast them into the depth of the sea.

That is the work of the Christian Church. That is why we gather here Sunday after Sunday. God draws you to this house week after week so that He can say to you, Peace be with you. I forgive you your sins. That is the point. God does forgive your sins. Remember the words from the end of our Gospel lesson, These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.

God puts His peace on you. He gives it to you, freely, not because of any merit or worthiness on your part, but because of His great and abundant mercy, which knows no bounds. This is what the world doesn’t get about Easter. For so many, even for many Christians, Easter is about the drama of the event or the pageantry or whatever. Now we do make a big deal about Easter. But we do so because Jesus died and rose again for us. Remember again the words from the Creed: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the virgin Mary and was made man. God came down to earth with a purpose.

The old title for this Sunday is Quasimodo Geniti, from the Introit, which begins, “As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word.” The power of Easter lies in the Word of God. For it is in that Word of God, peace be with you, that all of Christ’s work on the cross and in the tomb becomes yours. God puts those words of forgiveness in your ears in absolution, which we heard about during our Lenten midweek series. He puts those words into your ears here on Sunday.

He puts those words on your heart in Holy Baptism. And He puts those words of forgiveness in your mouth in His Holy Supper. As we prayed in the Introit, open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Our Lord gives you His very Word made flesh here today. Receive it with thanksgiving, for all of God’s work is now given to you. Peace be with you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Easter Morning (April 12, 2009)

Easter Morning (April 12, 2009) Mark 16:1-8 “He is risen!”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text for this morning is from the Gospel lesson just read from Mark chapter 16. We focus on the words of the angels, He is risen!

The last and greatest enemy of mankind is death. As we gather here this morning to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection from the dead, this message of the angels first of all reminds us of why Jesus had to die and rise again from the dead. From the time of Adam, death has been our lot as human beings. No amount of medical advances or health kicks or anything else under the sun will stave off grip of death upon humanity. There is no escape for any of us. Even the most innocent to our thinking have death as their inheritance.

But what’s worse is that we know it is our own fault. We can’t blame this death on someone else, not even on our parents. As we heard on Good Friday, it is your sin that put Jesus to death on the cross. And it is your sin that brings about your own death. As St. Paul rightly said The wages of sin is death. That’s your payment for you sin. Left to your own devices, you will get what you deserve: death.

This is what the women are thinking about as they bring the spices and ointments to Jesus’ tomb. Their Lord is dead, so they go to give Him a proper burial, hopeless as it may seem. They went, but in their grief they forgot about the stone at the entrance of the tomb. But behold! The stone was gone! An angel was at the entrance to the tomb, and told them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Their grief in the face of death is now joy in the face of indestructible life. Only God Himself could roll away the stone. Only Jesus could face even death itself for your salvation and come out victorious. The cost was great. He suffered death itself for you. He died the death of a common criminal. Everyone abandoned Him. God Himself abandoned Jesus on the cross. All of God’s wrath for sin was taken out on our Lord at the cross. Paul rightly said that the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is risen from the dead, and that changes everything. You no longer have to fret and worry over your sins. They went with Jesus to the cross and to the tomb. And that’s where they shall stay forever.

God’s gift to you is nothing less than eternity for this sake of His crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Saint Paul in our epistle lesson calls this a mystery. That is the same word for sacrament. It is a mystery that only God can unravel. We may not understand it all. We may not be able to piece it together or explain Jesus resurrection, as we would like. But it doesn’t matter. It is a mystery. But it is a mystery that we may rejoice in for all eternity.

This mystery, this sacrament of the resurrection came to little Thomas this morning in the waters of Holy Baptism. What a wonderful day for a baptism! God once again gives His Church the gift of eternal life poured out on the cross for Thomas. As Saint Paul said, Death is swallowed up in victory. This Easter is Thomas’ entry into new life. Death no longer has dominion over him. Now He is in God’s kingdom. Now He is God’s adopted son and heir not to death, but to eternal life. As our Lord said, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of God. Our Lord has blessed Thomas with the gift of life, a real life in Him that will last forever.

What is true for Thomas is also true for you. God has set eternity in our hearts, as Solomon wrote many years ago. Our Lord has put eternity on you in the waters of Holy Baptism. Saint Paul said in Romans chapter six,
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:3-11)

When we celebrate Easter, we are not simply remembering an event that happened 2000 or so years ago. This isn’t a history lesson, my friends. Every time your hear the Gospel, every time the waters of life are poured out on a new child of God, every time you hear His Word of absolution or eat His body and blood, every time God comes to you in these many ways, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead becomes yours. It truly is a mystery. This is why we call every Sunday the Lord’s Day. This is why every time we gather together in the divine service, all of God’s work of salvation becomes yours once again.

Soon God will put eternity into your mouth in the mystery of the Lord’s Supper. For there the power of Jesus’ resurrection is yours like no other place. You are not a walking corpse, scrambling on this earth to make a buck and get by until you die. No! You are a living child of God. Eternal life is yours, now, today. This is the feast of victory. This is the life that will never end.

The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.