Month: April 2023

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Fourth Sunday of Easter

~ Jubilate ~

Readings: Isaiah 40:25-31 | 1 Peter 2:11-20 | John 16:16-22

Text: John 16:16-22

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!

Among the many promises of God, we have our favorites:

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

“Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26)

But there’s another promise which the Lord makes in today’s Gospel. It probably won’t make anyone’s list of favorites, or appear on any funeral bulletin cover: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”  This is a promise we can count on being true today: Truly, truly, I say to you—Amen. Amen—You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. He does not say, if your faith is not strong enough, you will weep. Nor does He say, if you go astray, you will lament.  It’s true for every believer.  If you follow Jesus, you will weep and lament.  We should not be surprised when this life causes us grief and sorrow.  “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12) 

Honestly, though, we’d rather not weep and lament. To avoid this sensation, we distract ourselves with other things. We think of better times. We hope the world isn’t all that evil, because it looks like they’re enjoying themselves. Or wait to be rescued from this place. We find our escape from this road by not being on it, in any way possible. In our prayers, we ask for this weeping and lamenting to go away. We pray to be anywhere else.  Make the nightmares stop, make the grief and sorrow end, by taking us out of it, putting us somewhere else.

Is it then any wonder then why our world consumes so much entertainment? Are we surprised when so many people are way too busy for their own good? When’s the last time you had a truly quiet moment of reflection? Do not be so shocked by drug and alcohol addicts. They’re just doing what we do, only with stronger doses. We want to escape from suffering so badly, that many people will try anything. We will even judge God, whether He is good or not, by how well He can make our griefs disappear. But it never happens. He doesn’t do that. We are on the road to Emmaus. We do mourn and the bread indeed is bitter.

As one wise saint once told me at the death of her husband, we don’t have to like it.  So, we don’t need deny it and pretend it’s not that bad.  The hurt we experience is real when vows are broken.  It really is a dreadful violation when your home is robbed.  It’s painful to see like Walther League or a church choir, laid aside forgotten.  You can’t deny that it cuts deep when you see your friends and peers in the obituaries.  It’s not a figment of your imagination, and it does not mean your faith isn’t strong enough.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.”  Don’t be ashamed to weep. Don’t struggle to put on a good face and hide it from your brothers and sisters in Christ when they ask you how you’re doing. You have the Lord’s permission to lament.

But Easter comes after Good Friday: “Your sorrow will turn into joy.”  That’s the ultimate end of the promise, because Christ Himself has been to the grave.  Sin unleashed its fury on Him.  For three long days the grave did its worst, until by God its strength was dispersed.[1] Because God died for us, the sorrows of all who believe in Him will turn to joy.

Honestly, though, it can seems like shallow comfort in the midst of it.  That’s what makes the analogy Jesus gives so appropriate: “21When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” (John 16:21)  The suffering and anguish we face is like that of a woman in the throes of labor.  The pain seems to go from worse to worse. Every moment excruciating. She just wants it to be over.  Isn’t there any easier way? Any platitudes you try to offer her will be repaid with a punch to the gut: “In the end it will all be worth it!” “It could be worse.” “I know how you feel.”  The only thing that will really help is when the baby is delivered.  Then she can rest.  Then the joy can truly be appreciated.

The time of joy is on the horizon.  We are in the midst of labor pains, sorrow, weeping, and lamenting.  But the risen Christ is our guarantee that we will have joy that will not come to an end, which no one will be able to take from us. As Psalm 30 so memorably puts it, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Ps. 30:5)

The world around us rejoices—celebrating the pleasurable things of this world like prosperity, youth, technological advancements, and other new ways to feed people’s insatiable appetite for enjoyment. They look down upon us, as if we’re living in the “dark ages” and accuse Christians of spoiling their fun with what they call hate speech. But it’s only because the truth is that this world is passing away. The deeds done on it will be judged, and only the repentant and believing will be saved. Together with God, we pray for this for the people of this world, because we have hope beyond this life.

Today, we celebrate the Day of Resurrection, the hope of the new creation already begun now that Jesus is risen from the dead.  Even while we weep and lament in the old creation, we yet have a joy which no one is able to take from us—not the sadness of life, not the devil who lures us into despair and unbelief, not even the grave itself. Remember the words of St. Paul, “36 As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:36-39)

Really, it’s hard to imagine what that will be like now, yet we follow our Lord.  He was taken away from us for a little while as He lay dead and buried, but He rose on the Third Day (just as He said He would, and just as the Scriptures foretold).  All who belong to Him will likewise follow Him through the sorrow, the weeping, the dying…and the rising!  He promised that this would happen, and He promised that He will give us the strength to bear our labors until He gives us rest in death and ultimately resurrected life.

In that Day, the words of Psalm 66 which we prayed at the beginning of the service will be entirely fulfilled: “Shout for joy to God, all the earth. Sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!” (Ps. 66:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

[1] Christ is Arisen! Alleluia! (LSB 466, st. 2)

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Third Sunday of Easter

~ Misericordias Domini ~

Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16 | 1 Peter 2:21-25 | John 10:11-16

Text: John 10:11-16

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Lost Sheep published 1864 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Presented by Gilbert Dalziel 1924 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/A00792

People sometimes say, “If you want it done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself.” Whether it’s cleaning the bathroom or fixing something that broke, sometimes this is true. Maybe that’s how the Lord felt when He was speaking through Ezekiel: “Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” After all, no one on earth seemed to get it right. Later in this part of chapter 34, He says, “21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue my flock.”

As Jesus is speaking to the crowds, it doesn’t seem like it’s gotten any better either: “12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

It’s not for lack of instruction. He had made it clear what He had done, and what He expected of His people. The Lord, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery [Ex. 20:1], never betrayed them. But it seemed like they just couldn’t live up to their end of the covenant! In fact, in sharp contrast to the people’s faithfulness, the Lord uses a marriage analogy in Jeremiah 31:

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

And for us to understand this, remember these sacred vows which husbands and wives take in the presence of God:

P [To the bridegroom]: Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will.

P [To the bride]: Will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ? Will you love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will. (LSB p. 276)

When we hear the words of these solemn promise, it can bring tears to our eyes. Tears of joy in the promise of years to come, of gratitude that God would give us such a gift as this man or woman.

It also brings tears of regret for our failures and those promises made to us which were not kept—the times we have bristled at what it really means to be with them in all circumstances till death, for the husband to sacrificially (not selfishly) love his wife, and for the wife to submit to her husband and not dismiss him as an oaf.

These marriage vows are a humbling reminder to us that our promises—our most heart-felt and solemn oaths—are always subject to failure. But there is faithfulness in the world, upon which we can stake our very lives: the faithfulness of God.

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

When we hear the story of God throughout Scripture, it resounds with His faithfulness. He is the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful God who never speaks an idle promise, or says what He is unable or unwilling to do. He is the Good Shepherd, who truly does the utmost for His flock. He never leaves, nor forsakes them. He leads them to streams of living water and restores our souls [Rev. 7:17, Psalm 23:3].

He is intimately acquainted with each piece of His world, and especially of man and woman in it. He redeemed even when our parents and us had turned to sin and rebellion. He rescued from slavery as He had promised, despite the power and stubborn refusal of a wicked ruler. [Exodus 12-14] Under a different tyrant, when the fires of hell threatened, He faithfully took the place of His people so that they would come out without even the smell of smoke. [Daniel 3]

This is the very faithfulness we need to be saved. All of us have turned aside. All of us have failed. But He has forever remained the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful Savior, the Good Shepherd:

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This is God’s solemn promise to you. It was sealed, not with a ring, but with His own blood upon the cross. He gave you this pledge in the saving waters of Baptism. And because we fail each day, He gives the pledge of His faithfulness in the Lord’s Prayer and in the Absolution. He is so committed that He even gives us the sacrifice He made for us to eat and drink. This is a foretaste of what He is bringing His bride to, as He tells us in Revelation 19:

Yes, He wanted it done right, and He did it Himself. He laid down His life for His sheep, for His Bride, that we may live with Him eternally.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Second Sunday of Easter

~ Quasimodo Geniti ~

Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14 | 1 John 5:4-10 | John 20:19-31

Text: John 20:19-31

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen from the dead, our paschal lamb has been sacrificed, our mouths are filled with Hallelujah’s/Praise the Lord.[1]  But, what does all this mean for us day by day?  What has really changed about our lives?

Something that hasn’t changed is weakness and fear.  Just look at the disciples.  The event that has bearing on all eternity has taken place, and they’re living like business as usual.  Even more so, they’re living as if Jesus were dead and the Jews are coming to snuff them out too.  Not just once, even.  The second time, even after Jesus has come, they still sit behind locked doors in fear of what men can do.

In a similar vein, we might rejoice to be in worship with the Lord and our brothers and sisters, but later today we’ll sin again and fall into old habits.  We fall back into thinking and living as if God were dead and we’re the ones whose lives matter most.  Take an honest, godly look at this past week.  How often have you defied God or even dared Him to keep you from sinning?  How many other people have you sinned against by your thoughts, words, or actions?  Honestly, did Easter have any effect on us?

This dichotomy often leads us to frustration, verging on despair that we’re not doing something right. The devil would love for us to believe that because we can’t seem to overcome various sins, that we must not really be saved.

But that’s precisely when God enters into our locked doors with the peace which changes everything.  “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” for you; your sins are atoned for.  Yes, God is grieved by your sins, but His Son willingly bled and died so that you would have forgiveness and eternal life.  Believe that even you have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Listen to how the Word of God speaks of even the grossest sins: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11) These are sins with big consequences, irreparable relationships, some of crimes punishable with jail time. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified—there is where Holy Absolution comes in to release you from your sins and give you peace with God and strength to bear the crosses of this life.

It is our patient, loving Lord’s pleasure to proclaim this good news again and again.  With the disciples in the Upper Room, twice He greats them with a message of absolution: “Peace be with you.”  And this is exactly what He intends to keep on doing for the people who “believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.”

That’s exactly what Jesus is doing when He says to His disciples, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”  If we were spiritual enough to understand the Gospel, and strong enough to always lay hold of His forgiveness, the Lord would have done no more than leave a Bible at our doorstep.  See? It’s a how-to guide on peace with God.  It’s not that simple.

First of all, we have as hard a time forgiving others as Thomas does believing the report of ten eye-witnesses.  We dwell on how others have hurt us. “Yes, but the fact is he hurt me!” It keeps us up at night.  It clenches our jaws when even a hint of the memory passes.  The deeper the sin cut, the wider the chasm to cross to arrive at forgiveness.

Secondly, we are prone to hold the Lord’s forgiveness in our minds, but not let it enter our hearts.  This is a weakness of faith, which acknowledges the facts of the Gospel, but fails to grasp the “for you” of it. This type of malformed faith can easily die in despair, believing the lie that our own sins can’t be covered by the blood of Jesus. Something we’ve done can eat us up, disturb our dreams, and make us loathe the person in the mirror.  Yes, with our minds, we know Christ’s death covers all of our sins and that we are God’s children.  But sometimes that isn’t enough to break through to our troubled heart.  We need outside help.

The Lutheran confessions explain, “So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news.”[2] 

The Prophet Isaiah described this poetically: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation.”[3]  The Lord wants that proclamation of good news to continue.  It’s the bedrock upon which His Church is founded.[4]  His Church is a place where sins are forgiven for His sake.  The repentant hear that word of peace and rejoice at its sound.

Forgiveness proclaimed is so foundational that on the night of His resurrection, He institutes three key things for our good: Corporate worship (coming together) around His Word, The Pastoral Ministry, Confession and Absolution.  He wants His sin-killing, life-giving Word spoken and taught.  Yet, as I said before, we need that Word of reconciliation and peace to come to us.  Knowing this, our gracious Lord sends us His called servants, jars of clay that carry heavenly gifts, stewards who bear the mysteries of God.[5]

The Lord said to those ten who were gathered, in fear for their lives, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  Are these men granted special powers that others don’t have?  Certainly not by themselves.  Just as the prophets of old, they echo what the Lord says.  Their solemn duty is to speak forgiveness to all who repent, and to withhold forgiveness from all who despise the Word of the Lord.  That’s exactly what God says in the Scriptures.

Next is what we call today private confession and absolution. “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Absolution has so many factors working against it: the “me and Jesus” sentiment that American Protestantism breeds; the post-Covid isolation; and sin itself which, from the very first day showed that it would rather cover things up and blame others instead of confessing to God.  But Jesus knows what you and I need: the cure to sin. That cure comes in more than one way, and among the most potent is confessing your sins out loud before God in the presence of His called minister, so that Jesus, who sent that man, may declare to you, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Finally, what we see in Thomas is the danger of excluding yourself from corporate worship. The ten disciples are gathered together, but Thomas is willfully absent. We find out that it was intentional, because of how he responds to the others saying the Lord lives: “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.” Thomas puts God to the test by demanding that He do things Thomas’ way. And because he says God must fulfill this demand of his, Thomas teeters on the edge of deadly peril, of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He’s putting himself above God, and then when he loses salvation, is he going to blame God for not doing enough? What demonic reasoning!

Now, Jesus does condescend to Thomas’ demand, but that was one time and to teach us all a lesson: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” God will not tolerate our putting him to the test by neglecting His messengers, refusing to be released from our sins, and withdrawing from the fellowship of the saints to our own peril. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7-8)

The elders and I were talking this way about the best way to minister to those who show up so rarely in church, but somehow have time on Easter Sunday. What can we do for those for whom Christ is just so unimportant that they can go months and years without having His Word of peace to come them? The first thing is to pray that the Lord would make them desperate for their Lord. Whatever has dulled their appetite for the Words of Eternal Life, let it perish, so that their soul would be saved! Another part of that is to reach out to them, not merely to remind them of “one more thing they ought to be doing,” but to invite them to have their sins forgiven and life restored by Jesus, just as the disciples did for Thomas. Finally, to deny them the Lord’s Supper until they realize their error. I’ve made the mistake of communing people, hoping that somehow receiving the Sacrament would lead to their reconversion, but I was wrong. Our Lord teaches us here that the Sacrament of the Altar and the Absolution are for those who are broken by their sins and whose hope is in Jesus.

From the very beginning, the Lord Jesus made His Church to be a place of forgiveness for sinners (including pastors).  In the midst of the world and our heart that constantly cry out for justice and vengeance, the Lord has made His Church to be a haven from storms both internal and external.  As often as you are buffeted by your own sins and the sins of others against you, your Savior brings His peace right into your ears.  As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and on His authority I say, “Peace be with you,” through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

[1] Psalm 146:1

[2] Augsburg Confession V 1-2

[3] Isaiah 52:7

[4] Matthew 16:18-19

[5] 2 Corinthians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 4:1

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The Resurrection of Our Lord

Readings: Job 19:23-27 | 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 | Mark 16:1-8

Text: Zechariah 6:1-15

Crowned King and Priest

            Alleluia! Christ is risen! When the crowd saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowd cheered. The Jews grabbed palm branches and waved them in the air. They threw their coats onto the road. They sang Psalm 118 and cried out, “Hail, Son of David!”

            These Jews were excited, because of Zechariah 9:9, which reads:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

            By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus made a statement. He is the King of Israel! And since it was Passover, the Jews hoped that this King was coming to rescue them from the Romans. Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and then went straight to the Temple. Why go there?

Zechariah: The Priest-King Comes

            Zechariah was a prophet 500 years before Jesus was born. He was sent by God to encourage the depressed and despondent Jews after the Exile in Babylon. One day, God spoke to Zechariah. “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold…” Zechariah found these Jews and they gave Josiah gold and silver. And what did God tell Zechariah to do with these treasures? “Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.”

            Zechariah made an elaborate crown. He brought it to Jesus, the high priest. I know, in your Bibles he is called Joshua. Jesus is just the Greek way of pronouncing the name Joshua (see also Ezra 3:2). Nevertheless, Zechariah put the crown onto the head of the high priest. Then, I imagine that Zechariah put a hand on his shoulder and gestured toward the East. He said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.’”

            Immediately, Jesus the high priest remembered that Isaiah had once described the dynasty of King David as a mighty tree that would be cut down, and yet Isaiah also said, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1) A King from the line of David was coming. Also, Zechariah had spoken of this Sprout before in chapter 3: “Behold, I will bring my servant the Branch… and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.” (Zech 3:8-9) The priests of Israel were signs, foreshadowing this coming Man into a greater priesthood.

            Well, Zechariah told the high priest that this Sprout was coming. Just as the Jews were rebuilding the temple, this Man would build a Temple. Also, Zechariah said, “13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne.” And then, he said, “And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” This Man would be a King and a Priest—the two offices would be combined in this Man. Then, Zechariah told Jesus the high priest to keep the crown in the temple as a sign—that is, as a reminder that the Priest-King was coming to Jerusalem.

Jesus Received a Different Crown

            Back to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and headed straight to the Temple. You might expect that the scribes and priests were waiting for him, and that they would kiss Jesus and kneel before him. You might expect Caiaphas the high priest to place Zechariah’s crown on Jesus’ head. After all, that’s what the priesthood should have been expecting, as Malachi foretold: “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple” (Mal. 3:1)

            If this is what you expect, you are quickly disappointed. The scribes and the priests scowled at Jesus. They grumbled about His entrance. They hatched a plan to kill Jesus. They paid Judas thirty silver pieces to betray Jesus. They sent a mob to arrest him. They brought Jesus before the Jewish Council and Caiaphas, the high priest. They condemned him to death.

            When Caiaphas and the council took Jesus to Pilate, the soldiers mocked Him. You think you are a king, do you? Well, every king needs a crown! Instead of giving him a crown of gold and silver, they gave Jesus a crown of thorns. Later, they nailed Jesus to a cross and killed him.

What Does Easter Mean?

            A group of women watched Jesus die. They loved Jesus. They wept for him. Since Jesus was dead, they thought all their hopes were dead too. The visions of Zechariah must be for another time, if ever. Sin and rebellion had won again. After a Pharisee buried Jesus, these women observed the Sabbath Day, although I am sure their spirits did not rest on this particular Sabbath. And then, they went to the tomb the following morning with the remaining spices.

            When they got there, the tomb was opened. They did not see the body of Jesus. Instead, they saw a young man dressed in white. He said, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

            Those poor women ran from the tomb. They were trembling with fear. They were completely bewildered. The tomb was opened, the body was gone, and a strange man delivered a strange message. What does this all mean?

Easter: God Makes Jesus King

            Well, the risen Jesus appeared to those women and then he appeared to the disciples. Jesus appeared and he wasn’t merely alive. He was immortal and majestic. And Jesus said to his followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” (Matt. 28:18).

            When Peter heard those words, he began to understand. Caiaphas thought that Jesus was not the long awaited King. And so, he condemned Jesus to death. By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father has overturned the verdict of Caiaphas. God has declared, “Jesus is who He says He is!” More than that, when God raised Jesus from the dead, he crowned Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords. Thus, when Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, he said to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, “[On the third day] God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” (Acts 2:36).

Easter: God Makes Jesus Priest

            Jesus was raised from the dead. Forty days later he ascended into heaven. The disciples watched him. They saw his feet leave this earth and his body pass through the clouds. They saw Jesus enter the heavenly Temple—into the immediate presence of the Father. And as he ascended, he raised his hands and blessed them, just as the high priest blesses Israel at the temple in Jerusalem. (cf. Num. 6:24-26)

            And suddenly, they understood. When God raised Jesus from the dead, he appointed Jesus the last High Priest. God accepted our Lord’s sacrifice on Easter Day and has granted this Man access to his presence. And now, Jesus intercedes for us inside the heavenly Temple.

No More Fear or Guilt

            Dear saints in Christ, the disciples did not understand the significance of Easter, until they saw the risen Lord and witnessed his ascension. After Jesus was killed, the disciples were still hiding.

            Can you see them? They were huddled together in a small house with the doors locked. They were paralyzed with fear, unable to do much of anything. And they were crushed by guilt because they abandoned Jesus. Peter is especially crushed. He is in the corner and won’t look anyone in the eye, because he denied his Lord three times.

            And then, the risen Lord appears and everything changes! They see the risen Lord! They see that God has overturned the verdict of Caiaphas. The crown of thorns has been removed from his head and the Father has crowned him with glory. They don’t have to fear the Jews or anyone, because Jesus reigns as King! And their guilt is lifted, because they have a High Priest who has taken away their sins!

            And so, we join the women, and the Apostles, and the whole Church in heaven and on earth to celebrate the coronation of our King and the ordination of our High Priest.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

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Easter Sunrise

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-9 | 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | John 20:1-18

Text: Zechariah 6:1-8

Joy Comes with the Morning

     Some of us are not “morning people.” I am, but others look at me like I’m weird. If we had an Easter Sunrise service at 6am, I’m afraid I might be the only one here! Now, we might have trouble getting ourselves out of bed early, but apparently God is a morning person.

According to God, the morning is not a time for groaning or scowling, but the morning is a time for rejoicing. Psalm 30:5 is an inspired Word of the Lord and it says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” I want to reflect on that last bit. Joy comes with the morning.

Examples of Morning Joy

     Why would anyone rejoice early in the morning?

     Well, you might rejoice in the morning, because God has saved you from your enemies. Consider the Israelites. They were slaves in Egypt, but Yahweh sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: “Let my people go!” When Pharaoh refused, Yahweh sent plague after plague to punish the Egyptians. Finally, Pharaoh released the Israelites. When the Israelites were gone, Pharaoh changed his mind. His chariots pursued Israel to the edge of the sea.

     What did God do? He split the sea in two, so that Israel could pass through to the other side. Then, when the Egyptians pursued them through the sea, God closed the sea and drowned the Egyptians. According to Exodus 14:27, God drowned the Egyptians when the morning sun appeared. Joy comes with the morning!

     Then, the Israelites came to Mt. Sinai. According to Exodus 19:16-17, Yahweh appeared to the people on the morning of the third day. He made a covenant with these people. He became their God. Joy comes with the morning.

     Many years later, the Israelite army rose on the seventh day (Josh. 6:15). They got up early in the morning. Why would they get out of bed so early? They got up to march around Jericho and they witnessed God knock down the mighty walls. Joy comes with the morning.

     Psalm 46:5 says, “God shall help Zion, just at the break of dawn.” Lamentations 3:22-23 delivers these comforting words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Yes, it is clear that God likes showing grace to his people in the morning. And his grace fills us with joy.

Zechariah

     In the final vision of Zechariah, the prophet sees two mountains that are the color of bronze. Many scholars think that the mountains have a bronze appearance because it is the early dawn. The golden sun is peeking over the hills and shining upon them.



Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.”  (Zech. 6:1-8)

     We know that Zechariah chapters 1-6 contain a series of visions. These visions were given to the prophet in a single night. So, it would make sense that the final vision happens early in the morning.

     What happens in this vision? At dawn the chariots of God go into the north and south to put down the enemies of God, so that the Spirit of God can rest. In the first vision, the enemies of God were resting (Zech. 1:11). In this vision, the Spirit rests. Also, at dawn the high priest is given a crown as a sign that the Branch will come (but you’ll have to wait till the divine service to hear about that!). This Branch is a Man, who is both Priest and King.

     Early in the morning, Zechariah sees the victory of God. And he is told about the One who will achieve this victory—Jesus Christ, the final High Priest and eternal King. Of course, God delivers this Gospel in the morning. Joy always comes with the morning!

The Resurrection of Jesus

     We know that very early in the morning some women visited a tomb. They were shocked to see that the tomb had been open. They were horrified when they saw that the body was gone. They came to anoint the body of Jesus, who was crucified, but who had taken him away?

     Angels tried to deliver the good news to these women. Jesus was once dead and buried here, but no longer. He is risen! Jesus lives! Joy comes with the morning!

     Then, Jesus himself appears to the women. He was once a corpse, but now he stands before them. Nails were driven into his hands. Indeed, they still bear the scars, but his hands are no longer pale, cold, and lifeless. They are flushed with color, warm to the touch, and they wipe away the tears of the women. Joy comes with the morning!

     The world tried to kill Jesus, but Jesus broke death’s power. He took away the world’s greatest weapon. He conquered the world that killed him, disarming the world. The world might threaten you with death, but these are empty threats. The martyrs will be resurrected and granted the crown of life. Joy comes with the morning!

     The Father raised Jesus from the dead. In doing so, the Father appointed Jesus as our High Priest and our King. Now, we have a Man who intercedes for us always. Now, the One who rules the cosmos shares our flesh and blood and he cares for his brothers. My friends, truly joy comes with the morning!

Conclusion

     Many people don’t wake up easily. Some mornings, even I don’t want to leave my warm bed when it is dark and cold. Give me some time and coffee before I’m ready to face the day.

On the other hand, I am a Christian. As a Christian, I am definitely a morning person, because that is when God brings joy. And I cannot wait for the dawning of the eternal day, when I will see my risen Lord and experience the fullness of salvation. Joy will come with the morning and will never end! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

~ Original sermon by Rev. Alexander Lange ~

Posted on

Paschal Vigil

Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

P   [To the bridegroom] Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will.

P   [To the bride] Will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ? Will you love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will.

When we hear the words of these solemn promise, it can bring tears to our eyes. Tears of joy in the promise of years to come. Tears of regret for our failures and those promises made to us which were not kept.

It’s a humbling reminder to us that our promises always have a contingency. They’re always subject to failure.

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

When we hear the story of God, it resounds with His faithfulness. He is the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful God who never speaks an idle promise, or says what He is unable or unwilling to do.

He created everything that is, intimately acquainted with each piece of His world, and especially of man and woman in it. He redeemed even when our parents and us had fallen into sin and rebellion. He rescued from slavery as He had promised, despite the power and stubborn refusal of a wicked ruler. Under a different tyrant, when the fires of hell threatened, He faithfully took the place of His people so that they would come out without even the smell of smoke.

This is the very faithfulness we need in order to be saved. All of us have turned aside, all of us have failed. But He has forever remained the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful Savior:

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This is the solemn promise He has made to you in His Son. He will never forsake you or fail you. Thanks be to God!

In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.

Posted on

Good Friday

Readings: John 19:1-16a | John 19:16b-42

Text: John 19:1-42

Who is your King?

Israel had often confessed this:

“The Lord became king…when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together” (Deut. 33:5)

“Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” (Ps. 24:8)

“The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us.” (Isa. 33:22)

But they had even more often denied it:

“Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex. 17:7)

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6)

“We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)

That day, they were being asked who their king was. They threw their lot in with Pontius Pilate and Tiberius Caesar. Hardening their heart, they forgot this: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever” (Ps. 146:3-6)

There will be times when we will be asked whom we are loyal to: Either to Him who has delivered us from sin, death, and hell, or people who promise an earthly kingdom of contentment and peace.

But like the people who threw their lot in with Egypt or Rome, they will be disappointed because the power of those rulers is only for a time. Their glory is a façade which one day will be ripped away. And who will they meet when this world passes away, but the true King?

They can try to strip Jesus of His kingship, but they don’t have the power to do this. We too, can harden our hearts and try to get out of His reign, but it’s only delaying the inevitable. To this King has been given the authority to judge the earth—to judge rulers, and to judge every person.

Repent before it is too late. Bow before the true King of the universe. “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Ps. 2:10-12)

The rulers of this world are no lasting help! Put not your trust in President Biden or Donald Trump, in the power of AI, or the social contagions of each year. These have no power to save at the last, and whatever power they exercise now is not theirs, but has been entrusted to them from above for a time.

We have heard once again tonight what this King has done for the sake of His rebellious subjects who would not honor him. What happened to the Israelites and the hard-hearted Jews has been written for our learning. May it wake us up from our slumber to consider the right fear of God the King. He desires all to be saved, but only through faith in His Son: His holy, innocent suffering and death, His rest in the tomb, and His glorious resurrection and ascension.

The King will return, His holy angels with Him, and His judgment will be carried out:

3          The books are opened then to all,
    A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
    When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
    In thoughts and words and actions.

4          Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
    And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
    And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
    To Satan be delivered.

5          My Savior paid the debt I owe
    And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
    My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
    There is no condemnation! (“The Day is Surely Drawing Near” LSB 508:3-5)

At the hour of our death and in the day of judgment, good Lord, deliver us!

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Posted on

Maundy Thursday

Readings: Exodus 12:1-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 | John 13:1-15, 34-35

Text: Exodus 12:1-14; John 13:1-15 (34-35)

“The Nearness of God’s Redemption”

In the Passover, God provided salvation from death by the substitute of another. But this couldn’t be the fullness. No lamb could take the place of a person, for how had a lamb sinned and deserved a bloody death? The crude whole-roasted lamb, whose blood set the people free, ultimately could not our place.

At that time, the Lord was present among His people in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And even though He mighty acted on behalf of His people, He was still far removed from them, “For man shall not see me and live” (Ex. 33:20).

What mercy God showed in that he didn’t remain as far removed as a lamb is from a person!

The great love of God could not stay distant—God remembered His mercy, He saw our affliction, and God knew [Gen. 8:1; Ex. 2:25]. It moved Him to come near, even more so than seeing the cruelty of the Egyptians.

The Lord, who once delivered His people with a metaphorical “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 5:15) then did so concretely. To His people—suffering in the flesh and harassed by the devil, sin, and death—He came as Immanuel, God with us.

Behold this Lamb of God, by whom He saves not just the sons of Israel, but takes away the sins of the world. He came in our flesh to be condemned for our sin, to suffer our death. For He was not as far removed as a Lamb, but He became our brother, yet without sin. He was like us in every way, except sin (Heb. 2:17). Therefore allegorically, He is the true spotless Lamb whose blood shields us from destruction.

Unlike those bloody sacrificial lambs whose ashes were discarded outside the camp, Christ the Lamb of God has risen over death as its master. This is the Lord God who has joined Himself to us. He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20), and indeed that is truer than it was for His ancient people, Israel. His living Word is spoken in our congregation, His benediction is upon us and our children, His Baptism unites us with His death and resurrection, and—especially on this night—are we comforted and strengthened by His Body and Blood, broken and shed for us.

Here’s how Martin Chemnitz explained this heavenly and saving union:

“Our body is the body of death, but in that same body of ours which the Son of God assumed from us, death was again destroyed. Although our sins have separated us very far from God (Is. 59:2), so that we have been alienated from the grace, righteousness, and life of God (Eph. 2:12), yet the Son of God has brought very close to us those heavenly blessings which had been removed far from us (Eph. 2:13-19)…

Moreover, in His Holy Supper He joins Himself to us in that flesh, so that we may be strengthened by this most certain pledge of the salvation and glorification of our nature; for He does not blush to call us brothers. Therefore, because we are such, He also joins Himself to us in that flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14). Flesh brought death into this world and, again, the flesh of the Son of Man was given for the life of the world in order that he who eats the flesh of Christ may have eternal life. (John 6:54)” (Martin Chemnitz, Two Natures in Christ, pp. 55-56)

And that’s the whole picture of God’s deliverance. It’s not just about Him delivering us from adversity, but that He also dwells with us, giving us His peace, His strength, and His keeping with His mighty saving arm, and His hand once outstretched upon the cross for you and me. Take comfort in this meal because it is not just a symbol of a lamb, but the very Lamb of God who once was slain and now lives and reigns that we might live with Him.

At last this is how He gives us the command: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) For Israel it was the commandments and the statutes which set them apart, and the Lord who dwelt in the midst of the congregation. But in Christ we have more: We have the Living God, who has made us people for His own possession, living in us and doing His work in the world. He has washed us in the Red Sea of Baptism, making us die to sin and live before Him. To love one another as He has loved us is the result of His dwelling in our midst. Whenever we see a coldness or hard heart in ourselves or our brothers, it must be drowned and die in our Baptism. And living in God’s abundant mercy, people will know that we belong to Him, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Posted on

Palm Sunday

Holy Baptism of D.S. Grohn

Readings: John 12:12-19 | Philippians 2:5-11 | Matthew 27:11-54

Text: John 12:12-19 (Procession Gospel)

Many of our favorite English translations label this section the “Triumphal Entry.”  But this term can be somewhat misleading.  The Evangelist doesn’t call this a triumphal entry, because it isn’t one…yet.  It definitely has the features of the triumphal entry of a king returning from war.  But there’s something missing: there has been no great battle yet, there are no captives, and the King is riding not on a horse, but on a donkey.  Suffice to say, this is not the kind of triumphal entry the crowds were expecting.

Image by macrovectora on Freepik

They welcomed Jesus because they had seen the signs He had been doing: the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11), the healing of the man born blind (John 9), the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6), and the healing of the lame man at Bethesda (John 5).  Yet all of these were signs of why Jesus had come into the world.  The crowds were often blinded by the brightness of these signs, so that they were disheartened when Jesus spoke of His true identity as God’s Son, and what the Son would do to save this world.[1]

The crowd that journeyed the two miles from Bethany to Jerusalem was not misplaced in their hopes for healing, forgiveness, and resurrection—“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”  These are all things which God has promised to His redeemed people.  But the crowds were not expecting how Jesus would bring all of that about.  John even admits that the disciples didn’t grasp the full significance of Jesus entry into Jerusalem, until after He was glorified by His death and resurrection (12:16).

Jesus would bring triumph, but not before being rejected by all His people (even His own disciples), suffering at the hands of the chief priests and Roman soldiers, lifted up on a cross to bleed and die.  And all of this was beyond the understanding of the crowds.

What they could see was that Jesus was a King, very similar to Solomon, the direct son of David.  His entry into Jerusalem paralleled Solomon’s, as it says in 1 Kings 1:

38Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah… had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

The people hoped that just as Solomon unseated the illegitimate king Adonijah, so Jesus would unseat Herod Antipas.  They hoped for the restoration of Israel as a powerful nation. They had hoped that this Son of David, Jesus, would restore the earthly land of Jacob to Israelite power.

Yet, by nature, none of us hopes for the sort of King that Jesus really is.  Later in Holy Week, Jesus would tell Pontius Pilate that He really is a King, but “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”[2]  Jesus does not conquer lands, rain down fire on His enemies, or make the streets run with their blood.  His reign is established through servanthood, as Isaiah wrote,

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.5

What kind of King would suffer such torment from His servants, and on behalf of His servants?  Yet, this is the sort of King who Jesus is.  But all of these things remain hidden until God makes them known to men.  As Isaiah wrote in the next verse, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”[3]

In eight days’ time, God would make it clear how His servant King was to triumph.  By the light of the Holy Spirit, God would open the disciples’ eyes to see Jesus’ triumph and where His Kingdom is established.

Jesus truly is the “King of Israel,” as the crowds cried out on Palm Sunday.  Yet He’s different from every previous king.  Even Solomon, whose reign enjoyed peace, had to shed blood of wicked men.  But under the reign of King Jesus, He sheds His own blood for the wicked.  His rule is not temporal and it does not end in His death, as all the other kings’ rule had.  In fact, His rule begins with His sacrificial death for the people, and continues in His resurrection forever and ever.

The past kings of Israel were successful based on how much of the inherited land they controlled.  Yet the land which King Jesus wins for His people is not part of this decaying, cursed world.  The inheritance which He wins for His faithful is the new heavens and the new earth, which shall never pass away or be taken away by force.  The rule of King Jesus has begun even now, not in countries with borders, but in human hearts.  Jesus says you enter His Kingdom when you are “born of water and the Spirit”[4] in Baptism.  He promises that whoever thus “believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”[5]  And the Evangelist John sums up His entire Gospel by saying, “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.”[6]

All of the spoils and benefits of God’s Kingdom come through the Son being offered up on the cross, the true Passover Lamb for our sins.  In eight days’ time, Jesus Christ will be declared victor over the devil, victor over sin, and victor over the grave.  That is His triumph and everyone who hopes in Him will never be put to shame.[7]

You who now believe in Him share in His triumph.  His victory is certain and His Kingdom shall last forever.  It is for you and for your children. His eternal victory has been gifted to young Dorothea, even though in and of herself she is weak and sinful. This victory has been delivered in humble means, but with the certain and powerful Word of God. You are born from above, of water and the Spirit, baptized into His death and resurrection, so that you can take up this taunt:

   “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
   55“O death, where is your victory?
   O death, where is your sting?”
   56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.[8]

In the Name + of Jesus.  Amen.

[1] Controversy arose in John 5:18-47, John 6:22-66, John 8:31-59, John 9:8-41, and John 11:45-57

[2][2] John 18:36

[3] Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1

[4] John 3:5

[5] John 3:16

[6] John 20:31

[7] Psalm 119:116

[8] 1 Corinthians 15:55-57