"Tearing Down the Walls (Part 1)"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text which serves as the basis for this morning’s message is from the Gospel reading for today, John 20:19-20: "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

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

There are two ways to understand Easter, two ways to look at Christianity, two ways to understand our relationship with God our Father in heaven.

The first way understands that there are many things that stand between us and God, many things getting in the way between you and a right relationship with God. Things like doubt, things like confusion, things like fear, things like sinfulness, things like death. All these things act like walls between us and God, they keep us from knowing God, they keep us from following God. It’s as if we’re barricaded from God by all these walls.

So, the question is, how can we get to God through all these walls?

Well, this "first way" says, YOU must find a way to get through those walls, or get around them, or get over them. For example, if doubt is a wall separating you from God, you must get rid of your doubts about God. YOU must remove the wall, or get over it, or get around it. If confusion is a wall separating you from God, same thing. YOU must remove the wall, or get over it, or get around it. If sinfulness is a wall separating you from God, if a guilty conscience separates you from God, remove it, get over it, or get around it. Then, once you’ve cleared all those walls out of the way, God will be there, you’ll know Him well, you’ll be able to rejoice in a right and close relationship with Him.

So, this "first way" says, if you feel distant from God, if you don’t know God well enough, if you feel guilty before God, then seek Him, find Him, get rid of all the walls that stand between you and Him, overcome the barricades that hold you from God—and once you do that, there He’ll be. It’s up to you.

Of course, this "first way" makes a critical assumption. It assumes that these walls between us and God are walls that we are able to overcome from our side. The wall of doubt, we assume, is a wall we can overcome if we try hard enough. The wall of confusion, we assume, is a wall we can overcome if we try hard enough. The wall of sinfulness, we assume, is a wall we can overcome if we try hard enough.

But, are these assumptions valid? Are we, by our own strength, able to overcome the walls of sin and doubt and confusion and even death?

Well, we could try I guess. And we might make some progress. But if we look at our track record in this regard, if we look at past experience, then we’d have to be honest and say that things like sin and doubt and confusion and death are not walls that we can get through on our own with any real success. These walls we’re talking about are not just flimsy drywall covered by one coat of plaster. These walls are much stronger than that, much more stubborn than that.

Look at these disciples in today’s Gospel lesson from John 20. It’s Easter evening. The disciples have locked themselves in a room. They’re surrounded by walls. Does that sound familiar? They’re frozen by fear—fear of persecution, fear of the future, fear of death—maybe even fear of Jesus, since most of them had abandoned Jesus right when He had needed them most. The "first way" I was just describing to you would tell these disciples to get over their fears and get themselves out from behind these walls. But that’s not happening. The doors are locked. These disciples are going nowhere.

But watch closely what happens next. Here comes the exciting part. There’s another way to understand Easter, another way to look at Christianity, another way to understand our relationship with God our Father in heaven. This other way isn’t about you and I breaking through our walls to get to God. It’s about God breaking through our walls to get to us. John tells us that "Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." In other words, they couldn’t break out from their walls. But Jesus could break in. And He did. The doors were locked. But Jesus appeared among them anyway.

And when He did, walls started falling right and left. Jesus said "Peace be with you." There goes one wall. There goes the wall called sin. There goes the wall called "guilty conscience." There goes the wall called "regret." All these things that take away our peace with God, Jesus had gone to the cross to pay for. Now, because Jesus had received in their place their punishment for their sins, these disciples are at peace with God. Now, because Jesus has received in your place your punishment for your sins, you disciples are at peace with God. The dividing wall of sin has been removed. Romans 5:1 says "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

But Jesus wasn’t finished yet. More walls are coming down. After He says "Peace be with you," He shows them His hands and feet. That is, He shows them the wounds He suffered on the cross. He shows them that He really is the guy that died on the cross. He shows them that He who was dead is, in fact, now alive again. Death has been defeated. As Paul says, "Death has been swallowed up in victory." There goes another wall. In Jesus, by Jesus, the walls of sin and death that would separate us from God have been destroyed.

In the next few weeks, the disciples would watch many walls come down. Doubt was the next wall to go—look at what happened to Thomas. Walls of fear would be destroyed. Walls of confusion would be knocked down. Easter is the Good News that God has broken through the walls to save us. Easter is the Good News that God still breaks through the walls to save us. To this day, through His Word, God tears down walls to save us. He proclaims to us the Good News that Jesus died and rose again to save us from sin and death. Through Baptism, He calls us by name into His family and declares us to be covered by the righteousness of Jesus. Through the Lord’s Supper, He strengthens us in our faith as we He comes to us in His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Walls coming down, as God reaches down to save us.

What walls still trouble you in this world? What things still try to stand between you and God? Do you struggle with doubt? Is there a certain sin weighing heavily on your conscience that you can’t seem to get away from? Are you having trouble forgiving someone who has sinned against you? Are you afraid? These walls may seem insurmountable to us—and the truth is, they are! But they are not insurmountable to God. During these Sundays in Easter we’re going to walk with these disciples and see how Jesus broke through their walls. And we’ll see how that same Jesus still breaks through our walls today.

Because nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus.

To which we respond: Christ is risen! Alleluia! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

"Tearing Down the Walls (Part 2)"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text which serves as the basis for this morning’s message is from the Gospel reading for today, John 20:25 "Thomas declared, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

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

As you’ve probably figured out by now, this world we live in is not an easy place to cultivate and keep a strong relationship with God. There are so many things around us and within us that stand between us and God; things that get in the way between you and a right relationship with God; things that distract us from God. Things like doubt, things like confusion, things like fear, things like sinfulness, things like death. All these things act like walls between you and God, they keep you from knowing God, they keep you from following God. It’s as if we’re barricaded from God by all these walls.

So, the question we’re asking during these Sundays after Easter is, how can these walls be overcome? How can these walls be brought down so that we can grow deeper in our relationship with God?

And the specific wall we’ll talk about today is the wall called "doubt"—the wall that the disciple Thomas struggled with in today’s Gospel reading. Thomas doubted that Jesus really had been raised from the dead.

So, what is doubt, exactly? Look at the way Thomas describes his doubt. He begins his doubt statement with the word "unless." I think that’s key. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, etc. I will not believe it," says Thomas. So I think doubt, basically, is to go before God with any sentence that begins with the word, "Unless..." Doubt is testing God, with the assumption that God can’t pass the test. Doubt is saying to God, "Do such and such," with the assumption that God can’t do such and such. Doubt is saying to God, "Be such and such," with the assumption that God can’t be such and such. Doubt, basically, is telling God what He can’t do.

And that doubt can come in a variety of forms. Some people say God can’t have created the heavens and the earth. Some people say God can’t have raised Jesus from the dead. God can’t help me in my sickness. God can’t restore this broken relationship with my friend or sibling or spouse. God can’t be interested in what goes on in my daily life. Doubt is telling God what He can’t do.

And we shouldn’t be surprised when doubts trouble us. All the people we read about in the Bible—all the people we call "Bible heroes"—like Abraham and David and Deborah and Peter, everyone except for Jesus had doubts at one point or another. We live in a sinful and broken world. By nature, our sinful minds tend to turn inward, to turn away from God. We’d rather trust in ourselves than trust in God. We’d rather trust in what we can see right in front of us, rather than in what God says is true. And this broken world we live in doesn’t help us any because it encourages us to doubt. And, to top it all off, the Devil is always nearby asking the question he’s been asking since the Garden of Eden: "Are you sure God really said that?"—casting doubt in other words. We should not be surprised, therefore, when we are troubled by doubt.

So what can be done to get over or get through or get around this wall called "doubt"?

Many religions teach that it’s up to YOU to find a way to get through whatever walls might be holding you back from God. If you feel distant from God, if you feel guilty before God, if you have doubts about God, then take it upon yourself to seek Him, find Him, get rid of all the walls that stand between you and Him, overcome the barricades that hold you from God—and once you do that, there He’ll be. It’s up to you. It’s your problem, so fix it.

I don’t find much comfort in that approach, to be honest. If I’m the one having doubts, and someone tells me to look inside myself for a way to get past the doubt, what good is that? I doubt that I can solve my problem of doubt! It’s a vicious circle. If I’m in charge of solving the problem of my doubt, I’m not going to get very far.

But watch closely how Thomas’s doubt is overcome. And watch closely WHO overcomes Thomas’s doubt. It isn’t that Thomas himself finally breaks through the wall of doubt. It isn’t that Thomas solves his own doubt problem. No, God breaks through Thomas’s wall of doubt. God solves Thomas’s doubt problem. John 20:26 and following: "A week after Easter, the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them this time. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." In other words, Thomas couldn’t break out from his wall. But Jesus could break in. And He did. Thomas was locked behind a wall of doubt, saying Jesus CAN’T have risen from the grave. But Jesus walked right through the wall, stood in front of Thomas and said, "Oh yes, I can!"

And here’s another beautiful example of the joy and the power and the comfort of the Christian faith. Every other religion you’ll find in this world tells us that God is hidden behind all kinds of walls. He’s hidden behind walls of doubt, walls of confusions, walls of sin, walls of regret, walls of death. It’s an impossible maze of walls. According to these other religions, God says "Come find me!" And you and I are supposed to spend a lifetime trying to find God.

But Christianity is the exact opposite of that. Christianity isn’t about you trying to find God. Christianity is all about God tearing down the walls to get to us. Jesus is God in person tearing through sin, tearing through confusion, tearing through death, tearing through doubt, so that He can stand before us and say, "I know you think I can’t. But here I am. Because I can!"

To this day, Jesus continues to tear down walls of doubt. How does He do it? Look at the last verse of John 20, the conclusion of this story about Thomas’s doubt. God says "These accounts of what Jesus said and did are written down 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." Notice two things about that verse: First, this verse assumes that the responsibility for overcoming your doubts and bringing you to faith rests solely and completely on God’s shoulders. God is the one in charge of overcoming your doubt. It’s his problem, not yours.

And secondly, this verse tells us how God overcomes your doubts and brings you to faith. He does it through His Word. The Word made flesh, which is Jesus. The Word written down in the Bible. The Word we see and taste in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These things, this Word, is what God uses to bring you into faith, strengthen you in faith, keep you in faith, that you may have life in His name. Romans 1:16 says "The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." God’s Word is more than just a rabbi walking around Galilee, it’s more than words on a page, it’s more than water in a bowl or bread and wine on the altar. God’s Word is living and active. God’s Word is powerful. God’s Word is able to create faith where there was no faith before, strengthen weak faith, and draw us closer to God. God’s Word is God Himself at work to create and strengthen your faith.

So, what do you do when you have doubts? Whether they be doubts about God or God’s Word or God’s will...

A. Don’t panic. You’re not the only one. The Bible is filled with people who doubted.

B. Put your doubts in God’s hands. It’s His problem to overcome, and He is more than capable of doing so. Don’t tell God what He can’t do. But pray as the man in Mark 9 prayed when he came to Jesus asking Him to help his boy who was suffering from convulsions. The man said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief."

C. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, as it says in Colossians 3. Listen to God speak to you through His Word, through His sacrament. Listen and keep listening. Listen especially to His promise to you that nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from the love God has for you in Christ Jesus.

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

"Showing up with Nothing"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This morning’s message is based on the words of Jesus as recorded in today’s Gospel reading: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

In most cases, showing up with nothing is a bad thing.

Showing up at work with no energy to do your job is a bad thing.

Showing up for a test at school with no knowledge in your head regarding the subject matter is a bad thing.

Showing up at the restaurant cashier with a full belly but no wallet or checkbook is a bad thing.

Showing up this coming Wednesday with no card or gift for your Valentine can be a very bad thing.

Generally speaking, showing up with nothing is a bad thing.

So what do we show up with when we come before Almighty God? What do we bring before God when we want to ask Him for something, or thank Him for something, or worship Him? Surely we ought to bring something!

Maybe we ought to show up with a nice offering. An impressive chunk of money to give to God so that He’ll hear my prayer and grant my request.

Maybe we ought to show up with a long list of things we’ve done for God in the past. A list of all the times you served in the church, the times you helped your neighbor, the times you were kind in the face of anger from a friend. All the good things you’ve done, all the bad things you haven’t done—show up with such a list and God will hear your prayer, God will receive your worship.

Maybe we ought to show up with a great knowledge of the Bible. If we show up with all the right answers to every question, then God will smile upon us and welcome us into His family.

What do you show up with when you come before Almighty God? You can’t just show up with nothing, can you? Everywhere else you go in this world—your job, your neighbor, your spouse—your supposed to bring something to the relationship. What is it we have to bring to our relationship with God?

Jesus addressed this question in a story He told in Luke 18. There were two men who went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ In other words, the pharisee did not show up with nothing before God. He showed up with a nice big check for the offering plate. He showed up with a long list of good things he’d done, bad things he hadn’t done. He showed up so filled with the knowledge of God that he felt like he could practically put words in God’s mouth. He was confident that God would hear his prayer and smile upon him and grant him whatever he asked.

But the other man in the temple, the tax collector, stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ In other words, this tax collector did the unthinkable—he showed up before God with nothing. No offering. No list of good deeds. No smug attitude. He brought nothing. He knew he had nothing to bring.

And Jesus said that it was the tax collector, who showed up with nothing, who went home justified before God, rather than the pharisee, who showed up with everything.

Now, how could that be? Why wouldn’t God want to reward the pharisee, who brings so much to the relationship? Why wouldn’t God bless and lift up the pharisee, who was obviously a very religious man and had so much to offer? Why would God, instead, lift up the tax collector, who showed up with nothing?

Because, as far as God is concerned, the emptier you are before Him, the more He can fill you up with good things. The more humble you are, the higher He can raise you up. The poorer you are, the richer He can make you.

But if you come before God already filled up, there isn’t much room for what God wants to give, is there? If you come before God already satisfied with the things of this world, how can He give you anything? If you’ve already got everything all figured out and doing fine on your own, why would you need God.

Which is why Jesus says in today’s text from Luke 6, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man." In other words, "Blessed are you when you show up with nothing."

So when we come together for worship here at Grace, what do we show up with? When we come before God for prayer, what do we show up with? We show up with nothing. This morning, first thing, we admit before God that we have sinned against Him and against each other with thoughts, words, and deeds. We admit that we are not worthy to stand before Him. We admit that we have nothing. We are poor in spirit. We hunger for righteousness, for a right relationship with God.

To be poor sounds like a bad thing. To be hungry sounds like a bad thing. To be empty sounds like a bad thing. But when we show up with nothing before God, poor, hungry, and empty, He is happy to fill you up. Psalm 23:5 says "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

And with what does my cup overflow, when God fills it?

My cup, your cup, overflows with joy. Joy anchored in God's love. In John 15, Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love...I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." We rejoice in the Lord, always, in the knowledge of God the Father’s great love for us which He has so clearly shown through His Son, Jesus. 1 Peter 1 says "In this you greatly rejoice: that God in His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and that God in His great mercy has blessed us with an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade."

In other words, my cup, your cup, overflows with an eternal joy from God. This is not a joy based on worldly things, which are so temporary and unreliable. This is not a joy based on a pay raise or a new car or on the fact that the Colts won the Super Bowl. This is a joy based on divine things, eternal things—the love God has for you in Jesus Christ His Son. The love God expressed to you when Jesus gave His life for you on the cross to take away your sins. The love God applied to you individually when, in baptism, He declared you to be His own, He called you into His family, forever.

To be filled with that joy, with God’s joy, is an amazingly powerful thing. God’s joy gives you strength through the hard times. God’s joy gives you peace through stressful times. God’s joy gives you wisdom through confusing times. Knowing that your sins are forgiven, knowing that you’re headed for heaven, knowing that nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, is to know true joy.

So, empty yourself. Show up with nothing before God. Acknowledge the poverty of your spiritual condition. Pray "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." As we sing in the hymn "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me":

And God will be happy to fill your cup to overflowing.

Amen

Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.

"Light for Darkness"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Said the prophet Isaiah some seven centuries before Christ,"‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.’"

When God first spoke these words through Isaiah, He meant them to be extremely good news—the kind of news worth getting excited about, the kind of news worth shouting about. Thick darkness covered the people, but the light of God’s glory has come! Exclamation point! Wow! Amazing! Go crazy!

Maybe you didn’t hear me. This is unbelievably good news we’re hearing here. This is stand up and dance good news here. Let me say it again: Thick darkness covered the people, but the light of God’s glory has come! Wow! Amazing! Go crazy!

You’re not jumping up and down. You’re not very excited. I’m sure you think this is good news, but maybe it’s not THAT good of news. This is news we’ve heard before. This is news we’ve heard a hundred times before.

And besides, this business about thick darkness covering the earth is a bit overstated, don’t you think? Things aren’t all that bad. We live in a very enlightened era. These are very bright and prosperous times. Today’s world is not nearly so dark as Isaiah’s must have been. So when we hear that the light of God’s glory has come, we yawn, we say "ho-hum," we move on to other things. If we are convinced that the world is bright enough as it is, then news that the light of God’s glory has come is not a big deal.

But as far as Isaiah was concerned, this news was a big deal. This was huge. As far as Isaiah was concerned, the world was desperately dark, and the light of God’s glory was a much needed solution. So what was this darkness of which he spoke? What made that darkness so bad? And what made the light so good? Maybe if we can see what Isaiah saw, we’ll be more ready to join him in celebrating the coming of the light.

In the several chapters preceding the passage I read to you a moment ago, Isaiah gives us several examples of this darkness he speaks of.

In Isaiah 56, the prophet speaks of the darkness of unfaithful shepherds—prophets, pastors, the people whom God had called to watch over His people, spiritually. These pastors weren’t doing their jobs, says Isaiah. These pastors are blind, says Isaiah. They lack knowledge. They’re watchdogs that won’t bark when danger comes near. These pastors, these prophets do nothing but lie around and get drunk and think only of their own selfish gain, telling the people what they want to hear, what makes them comfortable, rather than what they need to hear. A blind shepherd makes for blind sheep. That’s part of the darkness Isaiah speaks of.

But it’s worse. The darkness deepens.

In Isaiah chapter 57, the prophet speaks of the darkness of worshiping false gods. Idolatry, in other words. Almost as soon as God had called the Israelites out of Egypt, they struggled with idolatry. In Isaiah’s day, hundreds of years later, they struggled with idolatry. They were attracted and tempted by the gods that the nations around them were worshiping—false, invented gods that promised quick prosperity and easy sensuality. False gods which in some cases were in fact demons that demanded child sacrifice, and sometimes the Israelites obeyed. These blind sheep led by blind shepherds were worshiping idols. That’s part of the darkness Isaiah speaks of.

But it’s worse. The darkness gets even thicker.

In Isaiah chapter 58, the prophet speaks of the darkness of false worship. In other words, even when the people were gathering to worship the one True God, they were doing so falsely, they were faking it. They were going through the motions of worship without taking it seriously. On the same day that they worshiped, they ignored the poor. On the same day that they fasted before the Lord, they refused to provide clothes for the naked. On the same day that they cried out Hallelujah, Amen before the Lord, God of Israel, they refused to speak to their own families. These blind sheep led by blind shepherds were worshiping idols—and even when they worshiped the true God, their worship was a sham. That’s part of the darkness Isaiah speaks of.

But it’s still worse. The darkness becomes overwhelming.

In Isaiah chapter 59, the prophet points to the sins of the people. In verses 3 and 4 he says "your hands are stained with guilt, your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice, no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies, they conceive trouble and give birth to evil." And what is the result of all this rebellion against God? In verse 2, "your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Is there anything darker than that—to be separated from God? Isn’t that the core definition of hell itself—separation from God?

So, it was very dark in Isaiah’s day. Thick darkness. Darkness covering all the peoples. It was a nasty situation.

But what about today? Are we in darkness? Is today’s darkness as thick as it was back then? Let’s do some comparing of our day with Isaiah’s day.

Are there pastors today who, as in Isaiah’s day, think only of themselves and tell the people only what they want to hear, pastors who are blind watchdogs that won’t bark at the spiritual dangers threatening us?

And do we struggle with idolatry today? Are we tempted to worship false gods around us, false gods that promise quick prosperity and easy sensuality? Are we attracted to the idols of money, and shopping, and pornography, and substance abuse, and gossip? Are we attracted to that greatest of all false gods—ME?

And is our worship sometimes a sham—do we say one thing in church but practice something else at home or at work? Do we nod our heads at the news that God loves us, then turn around and refuse to love our neighbor? Does God’s calling to live lives that please Him go in one ear and out the other?

And are we sinful? Do we rebel against God, doing things He has specifically told us not to do?

Our answers to these questions can only be "yes." Yes, we are in darkness—as much, if not more, than in Isaiah’s day. Yes, it is a thick darkness, so thick that we’re blinded to the things of God. Yes, it is a darkness that covers the nations. Yes, the whole world struggles and stumbles in this darkness called sin. Yes, this is a darkness from which we cannot free ourselves.

It would appear that we’re finished. But God isn’t finished yet. In 59:15.  "The Lord looked and saw that there was no one to intervene, so his own arm worked salvation for him. The Redeemer will come to those who repent of their sins, declares the Lord." We cannot save ourselves, but God can. We can’t find our way out of this darkness, but God can find us. And God, in fact, has. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." You and I hear that news as people who were lost, people who were blind, people who had no way out. Now, there is a way. Now, there is light.

That light is the Lord’s Redeemer, the One He sent to save us from our sins. In John 8:12 Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Jesus came to overcome the darkness of sin. He healed the sick, He made the blind to see, He fed the hungry. He died on the cross in payment for the sins of the whole world and rose again in victory over sin and death. Your light has come. Your light is Jesus.

And God has taken that light of Christ and planted it within you. He has called you to repentance and faith in Jesus. He has called you to be His own. 2 Corinthians 4, "For God made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Your light has come. That light is Jesus. That light lives within you. It gives you peace with God, and forgiveness of your sins, and a new life, and an eternal life.

And that light living within you also brings you a calling. A calling to live in the light. A calling to be the light wherever God sends you. Ephesians 5 says "you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light—light which consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—and find out what pleases the Lord."

How appropriate it was that at Jesus’ birth, a light shined. A star shone in the heavens. A light which proclaimed the good news "‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.’" Wow! That’s amazing! Alleluia! Amen!

"When Is Easter?"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

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

When is Easter?

Christmas is December 25 no matter what. Valentine’s Day is always February 14. Groundhog Day is February 2 every year, without fail.

But Easter jumps around. Last year it was March 27. Next year it will be April 8. This year it’s April 16. When is Easter?

Well, there’s a complicated history in the Christian Church as far as how to determine the date of Easter. It has to do with the date of Passover which is calculated according to the Jewish lunar calendar. But as far as we’re concerned it comes down to this: Easter is always on the Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. That’s when Easter is.

But there’s another way to answer that question. When is Easter? For the earliest Christians, Easter wasn’t just a once-a-year celebration—they considered every Sunday to be Easter. Every Sunday for those first Christians was a day to remember THE Sunday when Jesus our Savior rose from the grave. On Saturday they would worship in the synagogue with their Jewish friends and neighbors. On Sunday they would gather with their Jewish friends and neighbors who believed that the Messiah had come. And they would celebrate Christ’s glorious victory over death.

To this day, we retain that tradition in the Christian Church. We Christians tend to worship on Sunday because that’s the day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. So, for us, Easter isn’t just once a year, it’s every Sunday. For example, throughout the year we often pray this prayer of thanksgiving before communion:

So, when is Easter? Every Sunday, for Christians, is a mini-celebration of Easter.

But wait, there is yet one more way to answer that question. When is Easter? Listen to this passage from Romans 6: "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 Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

What is Paul saying? Paul is saying that at your baptism, you were connected to Jesus. And through that connection of baptism, the things that happened to Jesus have now also happened to you. When Jesus died, you died. When Jesus was raised, you were raised with Him. Paul is saying that Easter is something that happened not only to Jesus. And Easter is something more than just a celebration in church. Easter is something which has happened to each of us. We each have died. We each have risen again.

When the Bible says you died, it means your former sinful, self died. Your old self died. The person that was a slave to sin died. The person you used to be died. And who did you used to be? The Bible tells us that ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, we each are born into this world sinful—which means we’re born into this world spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God. That’s who you used to be.

But, in your baptism, that old sinful self, that person you used to be, died with Jesus. In your baptism, the sinful person you once were was buried with Jesus. Now that you have been baptized, you no longer are who you once were. That former self has died.

And, in your baptism, you also rose with Jesus. You became a new person. You became a new creation. You are no longer spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God. You are no longer a slave to sin and death and hell. You are no longer headed for destruction. You have risen. Now you’re a new person, living a new life. The Bible says "The old has gone, the new has come." And another passage says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."

As new creations, we’re forgiven. As new creations, God has declared us to be righteous and holy. As new creations, we seek to live our lives in thanksgiving to the God who raised us to new life.

So, when is Easter? Easter, for me, was September 11, 1966—the day I was baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. Easter, for you, was the day you were baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

But one more thing. The devil, the world, and our own sinful bodies don’t want us to remember who we are. They don’t want us to remember that our old sinful selves have died. They don’t want us to remember that we’re new creations in Christ. Sometimes—too often, in fact—they succeed in leading us to forget who we are. Every time you sin, the devil or the world or your own body has succeeded in convincing you to go back to what you once were.

So, remember your baptism. Daily, remember your baptism. Daily, repent of your sin. Turn away from sin. Die to sin. And daily, in Jesus’ forgiveness, rise to new life. Remember again who you are in Christ. As Paul writes, "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." And in another passage, He says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

So, when is Easter? This year, Easter is April 16. And in the Christian Church, Easter is every Sunday as we remember and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. For you, Easter was the day you were baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. For you, Easter is every day, as you daily die to sin and rise to newness of life, remembering who you are in Christ.

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

And by His grace, we can each say as well: I also have been raised to new life.

Alleluia! Amen.

"Monday-Morning Quarterbacks"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text this morning is from Mark 1:36-37, "Simon and his companions went to look for Jesus, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

It is my prediction that by this time tomorrow morning there will be a great many Seattle Seahawk fans doing some serious Monday-Morning Quarterbacking. They’ll be lamenting their loss. And they’ll be talking all about what should have been done. What should have happened. They’ll be second-guessing their quarterback. They’ll be second-guessing their head coach. They’ll be saying to each other, "If only such and such had happened, we would have won."

"If only." Isn’t that a phrase we like to use in this world? "If only." "Second-guessing." "Hindsight is 20-20." "Monday-Morning Quarterbacking." We’ve got lots of phrases in our vocabulary to refer to that tendency of ours to look back and wonder what might have happened, to look back and think about how much better things could have turned out if only things had gone the other way.

Jesus’ disciples were familiar with this concept as well. There were times when they watched the way Jesus did things and questioned whether He shouldn’t have done it differently. Take, for example, our Gospel reading for today from Mark 1.

We pick up the story from last week where, as you remember, Jesus is so far playing a perfect game. He is baptized by John. God the Father says He is well-pleased. Jesus resists the temptations of Satan in the desert. Jesus calls disciples to follow him and they do. Jesus heads for the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath and He begins to teach with authority. The people are amazed. They’re even more amazed when Jesus tells a demon to hush and leave and the demon does just that. So far, a perfect game!

Then today we hear more from Mark, that from the synagogue Jesus goes to Simon and Andrew’s house. There they find Simon’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. Jesus went to her, took her hand and helped her up. She was healed. That evening the whole town was gathered at the door. And Jesus healed many with various diseases. And he drove out many demons. Still, a perfect game! To the disciples this must have looked like the fourth quarter in which the home team is winning by 40 points. And the star player, Jesus, is performing perfectly.

But then, Jesus does something unexpected. Something strange, even. Just when things are going perfectly, just when it appears Jesus has this game in the bag, He leaves. Very early in the morning, Mark says, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. He didn’t even tell anyone where he was going. Simon and his companions frantically hunted Jesus down and when they finally found Jesus they said, "Everyone’s looking for you!" In other words, come back to Capernaum! There are still sick people who need healing! There are still demons who need hushing! Get back in the game!

But Jesus said, "Let’s go somewhere else—to another village—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." Somewhere else? Another village? Right when things are going so beautifully in Capernaum? Yes, that’s the plan. And Jesus traveled throughout Galilee.

What kind of play calling is that? The game is nearly won and the star player walks off the field. I’m sure that if you were one of those in Capernaum who hadn’t been healed yet, or one of those who hadn’t been delivered from demons yet, or one of those who hadn’t heard Jesus preach yet, that you’d be doing some serious second guessing. Some serious Monday-morning quarterbacking. Why did Jesus leave Capernaum before the job was finished? Why did Jesus leave before the game was done?

In fact, don’t we disciples today continue to ask those very same questions about Jesus? Why does Jesus sometimes seem to be playing a perfect game, and other times He seems to have walked completely off the field? For example, why does Jesus miraculously heal some among us but others are left sick? Why does Jesus miraculously deliver some people from great harm, but others suffer terrible injury or even death? Why are some of us blessed with Jesus’ preaching and teaching through the Scriptures, but a great many other people in this world have no access to the Scriptures? Do you see what I’m getting at? At the end of the day, we’re left scratching our heads. On the one hand, we’re thankful for what Jesus has done. On the other hand, we’re wondering why He hasn’t done more. Why He stops when He does. Why He doesn’t do things the way we would do them. Why He sometimes seems to leave before the game is done?

The Bible gives us some answers to those questions. For example, James tells us that sometimes we don’t get help from Jesus for a very simple reason: we don’t ask for it! We’re so busy trying to take care of the problem ourselves that we fail to look to Jesus.

And the writer to the Hebrews tells us that sometimes God allows us to suffer difficult things in order to discipline us. Suffering, in the long run, can actually do us some good.

And Jesus Himself made it clear that in this world you will have trouble, you will have tribulation. There’s no getting around it, really, since we live in a world which has been so horribly corrupted by sin and evil. Sickness and suffering and death cannot be avoided.

But even those answers only partially satisfy. There are still times when you and I look at the situation around us and we say, like Simon said, "God, everyone’s looking for you!" In other words, God, come back! There are still sick people who need healing! There are still demons who need hushing! Get back in the game!

And you know, maybe that’s the point. Maybe sometimes we need reminding of the answer to the question, "Who’s in charge here?" Do you or I call the shots, or does God? Of course, we’d like to be in charge. We’d like to be able to say to God, "God, go take care of that." "Right now." "Hurry." And we’d love it if God would hear that command and obey and go running right to where we sent Him to do whatever it was we told Him to do.

And some Christians take this approach in their prayers. They seem to think that if you tell God exactly what you want and do so with enough faith and sincerity, that God will do whatever you tell Him to do every time you tell Him to do it. As if you have some magical power over God and you can make Him do what you want Him to do.

But, of course, we know that’s not true. God is God, and you and I are not God. And that means that there will be lots of times when God does things, or doesn’t do things, that our simple, finite minds simply do not understand. Maybe when those kinds of things happen, the only thing you and I DO understand is that God’s in charge. Not me.

When C.S. Lewis wrote his series of books called "The Chronicles of Narnia," he portrayed the Jesus-figure as a cat. Aslan, the Jesus-figure, is a powerful cat, a lion. Why do you suppose C.S. Lewis chose a cat to be the Jesus-figure?

Why didn’t he make Aslan a dog, for example? Dogs, generally, are easier to get along with than cats. Dogs are generally more easy to train. You can teach them to fetch and sit up and roll over and hunt. Dogs look to their humans as their masters to be served. They like to please. They like to obey. Why didn’t C.S. Lewis make Aslan a dog who likes to please, who can be trained, who goes wherever you tell him to go? Wouldn’t it be nice if God were like that? We could be the master, telling God what to do and when.

But C.S. Lewis didn’t make Aslan a dog. He made him a cat. A powerful cat. A lion. And cats are very different than dogs, aren’t they? You don’t train cats, really. They pretty much train you. Cats don’t look to their humans as their masters to be served; cats consider themselves to be the master and humans are the servants. Cats consider themselves to be in charge in the house. They’re very independent. They do what they please.

So C.S. Lewis made Aslan a cat. A lion. And not a tame lion either. A lion who loves his people and does great things for his people. But a lion that sometimes you just can’t figure out, a lion that sometimes does things that don’t make sense. At the end of the day, that’s just the way it is. There will be times when we don’t understand. Because God is God. And we’re not.

Think about what Jesus did on Calvary. He died on the cross for your sins and mine. Does that make sense? Can you figure that one out, that God would sacrifice Himself to save sinners like you and me? No, it doesn’t make sense. But, it’s true! We can’t figure it out, but it’s true! Thanks be to God!

So, how do we approach this God who we so often can’t figure out? Do we try to tell him what to do? Do we pretend that we’re in charge, rather than He? Do we go up to God and say to Him, "Fix this problem. Now. On my terms. In my time."?

No, let’s approach him like the man in Mark 1:40, the next verse after today’s Gospel reading. Mark says a man with leprosy came to Jesus. And what did the man say, "Jesus, heal me now"? No. "Jesus, you HAVE to fix this problem"? No. "Jesus, if you’re really in control you’ll take care of this right now"? No, he said it this way: "Jesus, if you are willing, you can make me clean." No demanding. Just a simple, humble faith that leaves all things in God’s hands.

May we learn to pray the same way.

Amen.

"Advent Pointing"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text this morning is the Gospel reading for today, John 1:7-8: "[John] came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Advent is a good time for reflection. Spiritual reflection on things having to do with our relationship with God and our place in His plan. Reflection on our sin and our need for a Savior. Reflection on our God that loves us so much He sent His Son to save us. Advent is a good time for reflection.

And reflection is generally viewed as a passive activity. It’s something you sit and do in silence. Reflection is a very quiet, meditative thing.

But Advent is also a time for action. During these Sundays of Advent we’ve been focusing on certain actions which help us prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth. First, we talked about the action of Advent Waiting. Last Sunday, we talked about the action of Advent Cleaning. Today, we’re going to talk about the action of Advent Pointing. Advent is a good time for pointing.

We would all agree that this is a season for pointing. We walk through the stores and our children begin pointing. Look at that! Look at that! I want THAT for Christmas! Lots of pointing going on. We drive through the neighborhoods and again, we begin pointing. Look at the lights on that house. Look at the lights on THAT house. This time of year gives us much to point at.

But I want to talk to you this morning about a different kind of pointing. An Advent kind of pointing. A John-the-Baptist kind of pointing. John-the-Baptist pointing is somewhat deeper than pointing out Christmas lights. John-the-Baptist pointing is somewhat more powerful than pointing out toys at Walmart.

John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. That is, he was the last of the ones sent by God to point forward to the One who would come to deliver God’s people. The One who would come to bring peace and rescue. The One who would come to bring both new life and hope. Get ready for this One to come, said John the Baptist. "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight the way of the Lord." There is one coming after me, John the Baptist said, who is so much greater than me that I am not worthy even to stoop down and untie his sandals. John the Baptist, like so many other prophets before Him, pointed FORWARD to the Messiah, coming soon.

And how is the "way prepared for the Lord?" How is a person made ready for the One who is to come? John the Baptist was ready to answer that question. He pointed again. This time, he pointed INWARD. He pointed inward to the hearts of the people and to the sins which he knew to be living there and he said "Repent." The way is prepared for the Lord when His people come to recognize their sins and are sorry for them. The way is prepared for the Lord when His people are brought to the realization that there are sins in their hearts which need removing–mountains that need to be made low, valleys which need to be raised up, paths which need to be straightened. To repent is to admit your sinfulness. To repent is to admit your inability to save yourself. To repent is to admit your need for a Savior. John preached repentance.

In other words, in addition to pointing FORWARD to the Messiah, coming soon, John the Baptist also pointed INWARD, to the hearts of the people, with the message: Repent of your sins.

But John the Baptist was not finished pointing. He also pointed OUTWARD. Having preached repentance, he then pointed to the One who saves people from their sins. John the Baptist did not point to himself. He pointed outward, to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John the Baptist pointed outward, to Jesus, sent from God to be the Savior of the world, to be the sacrifice that pays once for all the sins of the whole world. Look to Jesus, John the Baptist said. Trust in Him, not in me, John the Baptist said.

John pointed FORWARD to the Messiah, coming soon. John pointed INWARD, to the sinful hearts of the people and said "Repent." John pointed OUTWARD, away from himself, to Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Lots of pointing going on back then. Lots of pointing which we need to be doing still today. This is Advent pointing.

Therefore, this Advent, I point also.

I point you forward to Jesus who is coming again. I point you to the many promises that Jesus made that one day He will return in glory. In Matthew 24, Jesus said "You must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." In Revelation 22, Jesus says, "Yes, I am coming soon." That’s a promise, and Jesus will keep it. I point you forward to Jesus who is coming again.

And how are we to be prepared for the coming of the Lord? How is a person made ready for the One who is to come? I point again. This time I point inward. Inward into your heart and to the sins which live there.

I point out that sin, I call attention to your sin, because when Jesus comes again in glory He will come to judge the living and the dead. Yes, to JUDGE the living and the dead. Jesus will judge you. Jesus will judge me. Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus will welcome the righteous into heaven with Him and cast the unrighteous into the outer darkness. John the Baptist said (Matthew 3) that Jesus would clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. That kind of judging is scary.

But the judging is made even scarier by the fact that the judge is Jesus--Jesus, the Son of God, God in human flesh, who can see all things. He sees into the very depths of our hearts. There is nothing we can hide from Him. There is no sin He won’t be able to see.

Therefore we must be ready when He comes. There can not be any sins standing in the way. Mountains must be made low, valleys raised up, paths straightened. So I point out your sin and I call you today to repent of your sin. Acknowledge your sin. Confess your sin. Admit your inability to save yourself. Admit your need for a Savior.

And having pointed FORWARD to Christ coming again, and INWARD to our sins and our need for a Savior, I now point OUTWARD to the One who saves us from our sins: Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. When Jesus first began His public ministry He went to the synagogue in Nazareth and began reading from Isaiah the prophet the same verses that we read in our Old Testament reading for today. Jesus read,

And then Jesus rolled up the scroll and said, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." In other words, the Good News Isaiah foretold has arrived. Jesus IS the Good News. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus went to the cross for you. Jesus suffered and died for you. Jesus took your punishment in your place for your sins. Now, as Isaiah foretold, He has clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in robes of righteousness. He has covered us with forgiveness. He has removed that which stands between us and God. He has lowered the mountains. He has raised the valleys. He has straightened the paths. Through Jesus, because of Jesus, by faith in Jesus, we have the forgiveness of our sins, we have a new life of freedom and hope here on earth, we have eternal life in heaven.

Therefore, Jesus’ return as Judge is not something we point to in fear. It’s something we point to, we look forward to, with hope and joy. Because Jesus is our Judge, but He is also our Savior. Jesus is our Judge, but He is also the One who suffered and died in our place for our sins. Jesus is our Judge, but He is also at the right hand of God interceding for us, arguing in favor of our salvation, so to speak, as it says in Romans 8. We are covered with His righteousness.

We point forward to Jesus coming. We point inward to our sin and need for a Savior. We point outward to the one who has come to save us and who will come again in glory to bring us home to heaven with Him.

Amen.

"Imitate Christ"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text this morning is from the New Testament Lesson for today from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

I want you to imagine with me this morning a T-Ball game comprised solely of four-year-old children. Scary thought, I know. Many of you don’t have to imagine because you’ve witnessed these games personally.

Here’s how a four-year-old T-Ball game works. You walk each player to his or her place on the field. You make sure each player is pointed in the right direction, has the correct hand in the glove. You put the ball on the T. You give the batter a bat. And the batter swings and--eventually, two or three or ten tries later--hits the ball.

Now what? Well, chaos, that’s what. The batter may or may not know where first base is. If the batter makes it to first, he or she may or may not know where second base is. The fielder may or may not be paying attention. If a fielder happens to pick up the ball, he or she won’t necessarily know what to do with it. It’s an interesting game. Parents shouting, coaches yelling, balls flying, kids running everywhere.

Distraction is your enemy in four-year-old T-Ball. You need those children to pay attention, to stay focused. But they are easily distracted. An airplane in the sky or a friend across the field or the fact that they may need to go to the bathroom can keep them from paying attention to the ball.

On the other hand, imitation is your friend in four-year-old T-Ball. At some point you have to put a stop to all the chaos. And you show them what to do. You say to them, "Do what I do." You line them all up behind you. And then you run from first, to second, to third, then home. And most of them follow you. Eventually, they learn, by imitating.

So distraction is the enemy. Imitation is the friend. And that’s how four-year-old T-Ball works.

Now why am I telling you all about four-year-old T-Ball? Because, when you think about it, four-year-old T-Ball is a lot like adult Christianity.

Think about it. God calls you onto His team. He saves you by grace. He declares you to be holy and precious and dearly loved and headed for heaven, covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He forgives your sins, for Jesus’ sake. Now, as Paul says today in Philippians, we are to run for the goal. Strain toward what is ahead. Win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus. In other words, live a life worthy of the calling you have received in Christ Jesus. Live your life on earth according to the fact that you actually, ultimately, belong in heaven. It’s as if God has taken us out onto the playing field of life. He’s set us in a certain place, pointed us in a certain direction. And he says "Go!"

And what happens when we "Go" in this world? Ideally, we would go straight toward heaven. Ideally, we would live Christ-like lives. We would avoid temptation and do only God’s will. We would in all things remain true to the God who saved us. We would be examples of God’s love to the world around us. We would run straight ahead, straight for the prize of heaven and never be turned in one way or another.

But the reality is, our Christian lives often end up looking like a four-year-old T-Ball game. We are easily distracted. We are tempted to follow those who, as Paul says, "live as enemies of the cross of Christ." Their god is their stomach, their mind is on earthly things. Life, for them, is all about food and drink and alcohol and drugs and sex and pornography and money and possessions and power and popularity. Life, for them, is all about me, all about the pursuit of personal pleasure. You and I are easily distracted by that perspective. Too often, we find ourselves chasing after them, all caught up in the things of this world, headed in the wrong direction.

And what is the result of our being so distracted? Chaos, that’s what. Hardship. Suffering. Breakdown. Injustice. Relationships fall apart. Families fall apart. Churches fall apart. Societies fall apart. And that’s only what happens right now. Paul says there’s something even worse in the future for those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. He says their destiny is destruction.

This is not what God wants for you.

So God shuts the game down, in a sense. And He says "Repent." Turn away from all the distractions and turn toward God. Turn away from sin and listen to God. Confess that you have sinned against God by thought, word, and deed.

And God, in His great love for us, welcomes us back! He says to us again, "You are mine. I have loved you from eternity. I sent Jesus to die for your sins and rise again. In Him, your sins are forgiven." In other words, He leads us back to our place on the playing field. He puts the glove back on our hand. He points us in the right direction.

And then he says "Now, imitate." Do what I do. Follow me.

For example, Ephesians 5:1 says "Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Follow Jesus. Do what He would do. Before and after Ephesians 5:1 we’re given quite a number of specific examples of what it means to follow Jesus, to imitate Him. It says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." It says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger." It says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up." It says, "Stay away from sexual immorality. Stay away from greed. Stay away from obscenity." It says, Live according to who God says you are, not according to what the world says you are. In other words, live as children of light. Follow Jesus. Imitate Him. Do what He would do.

So, above all, we are to imitate Christ. But in addition to Christ, we’re given other examples to follow, to imitate. In Philippians, Paul says we should imitate him. "Join with others in following my example," Paul says, "and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Follow Paul’s example. Follow the example of anyone who is living a Christ-like life. Down through the ages, God has given us a great many good examples whom we should imitate. Some of these people we’re to imitate are known as saints in the church. People who were gifted by God to live lives that were particularly faithful, lives that were particularly good examples. We’re not to worship these saints. But they’re good examples to imitate.

We are to imitate their deeds as we seek to put into action our calling to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and when we love our neighbors as ourselves.

And we are to imitate their faith. Faith which repents of our sins. Faith which repents of the chaos we cause when we become so distracted. Faith which stands humbly before our perfect God, admits our sins, and turns to Him for mercy.

And that same faith also trusts. Faith trusts in God’s wonderful words of comfort and love which say to each of us that in God is merciful. And in His mercy, He sent Jesus to save us from our sins. And for Jesus’ sake, God forgives us all our sins. Faith trusts that Jesus died and rose again in victory over sin, death, and the devil. And that victory is ours as a free gift from God, received not by earning it, but by trusting it, by faith.

And then, faith follows. Faith imitates. Faith lines up behind Jesus, pays attention, stays focused, watches what He does and strives to do the same things He does. To love as He loves. To forgive as He forgives. To serve as He serves. Together with Paul, we forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to gain the prize that God has already won for us in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

"The WHYs of Easter: Jesus Came to Claim You!"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text this morning is from the New Testament lesson for today, 1 Peter 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

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

For three months now we have been concentrating on the WHAT of the life of Jesus. We’ve been reflecting upon WHAT He did while He was on earth. We celebrated His birth. We read of His teachings. We heard about His miracles, His suffering, His death, and His resurrection. All of this is WHAT Jesus did.

But, now that we have celebrated WHAT Jesus did, I’d like to consider with you WHY Jesus did all of these things. Why did Jesus come? Why did He teach? Why did He suffer, die, and rise again? Another way to ask this question is to ask, "What does Jesus have to do with me?" Good for Him that He was born. Good for Him that He preached and performed miracles. Good for Him that He rose again from the grave. But, what does this have to do with me? WHY did He do all these things?

It’s a very good question. Many people ask it, and conclude that Jesus really DOESN’T have much at all to do with me personally. Many people conclude that what Jesus did was good, and admirable–amazing even. But what Jesus did doesn’t apply to me much at all, doesn’t have much effect on my life, on my decisions, on my perspective, on my attitude. Many people conclude that Jesus earned Himself a place in history, but He has very little to do with the present, especially my present. Therefore, Jesus is ignored for the most part.

Maybe you’ve met people who have this attitude. Even many Christians have this attitude. Maybe in some ways YOU have this attitude.

And if you DO have this attitude, you’ve been sorely misled. You’re missing out on at least 50% of what the Bible has to offer you. The Easter message is not just that Jesus has provided A cure for sin and death, the Easter message is that Jesus has provided a cure for MY sin and death! It’s not just that SOMEONE who was lost and wandering around confused and hopeless in life; it’s that I was lost and have been found! It’s not just that A blind person was made able to see; it’s that I was blind and now can see. I can see hope. I can see purpose. I can see forever. And so can you. That’s why Jesus did what He did.

Luther’s Small Catechism deals with our question this way. After spending 25 pages or so explaining WHAT Jesus did, the Catechism finally asks, In conclusion, then, WHY has Christ redeemed you? Then, the Catechism gives three reasons from Scripture why Jesus redeemed you. Today we’ll focus on just the first reason. Jesus came "that I may be His own": that is, He came so that I am now righteous and blameless in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

In other words, Jesus came to claim you.

Okay, well, so what? Jesus came to claim you. Claiming doesn’t sound like that big of a deal. Last week I went to the dry cleaners and claimed my suit. I gave the lady my claim check. She gave me my suit. I walked out of the store. Not a big deal. Why should the fact that Jesus came to claim me be any different?

Well, sometimes, claiming things IS a big deal. If, for example, I went to the dry cleaners and someone else was there making a claim for my suit, then there could be trouble. Or, if two different people claim to have won the same lottery prize, there’s definitely trouble. And, it wasn’t that long ago in this part of the world when two different parties sometimes laid claim to the same piece of land. In that case, claiming something could result in somebody getting shot. Sometimes, claiming things IS be a big deal.

Which was certainly the case when Jesus set about to claim you. See, the problem was, there were other parties also claiming you. Three other parties who claimed that you belonged to them and not to God.

One of the things that claimed you was sin. You could say that sin owned you. God is a perfect God who demands complete perfection from you. And, God is a perfectly just God who will not tolerate any imperfection, any sin, and will in fact punish eternally anyone who does sin. You and I have been sinful from birth. You and I sin every day. Therefore, because of our sins, we stand condemned before God. In that way, sin claims us. Sin says to us, "You belong to me and not to God."

But Jesus came and claimed you from sin. He took your guilt and your punishment upon Himself and suffered and died in your place. Now, because of Him, your sins are paid for. They’re gone. All of them! And you are now free in the forgiveness He gives. Free to praise God. Free to look forward to heaven. Free now to live your life in grateful service to the God who saved you. Sin had you. But not anymore. Jesus has you now.

But something else claimed you, also. Death claimed you. Death owned you. Because death is the end of life. Death is the end of a relationship with God. Death is the punishment we justly deserve for our sins. There is no avoiding death. In that way, death claims us. Death says to us, "You belong to me and not to God."

But Jesus came and claimed you from death. He took your guilt and your punishment upon Himself and suffered and died in your place. But, on the third day, He rose again! He didn’t just suffer death, He defeated it. He overcame it. And He gives that victory freely to you and me and all who believe. And you are now free in the eternal life He gives. Free to live your life with hope, with joy. Free now to live your life in grateful service to the God who saved you. Death had you. But not anymore. Jesus has you now.

But one more thing claimed you. The devil claimed you. Satan owned you. Satan loves to accuse you of your sins. Satan loves to tempt you away from God. Satan’s goal ultimately is to destroy you, eternally. Satan claims us. Satan says to us, "You belong to me and not to God."

But Jesus came and claimed you. He claimed you from Satan. Jesus fully and finally defeated the devil when He rose from the grave. And we, who belong to Jesus, are conquerors with Him. Therefore the devil can no longer accuse you or me of our sins. And you and I are now able to resist his temptations. And nothing now, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, not even Satan himself, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, you’re free. Free to live your life in grateful service to the God who saved you. Satan had you. Death had you. Sin had you. But not anymore. Jesus has you now.

Why do you think we get so excited at a baptism? Why do you think the angels in heaven rejoice when even one sinner repents? Because at that moment, Jesus is laying claim to that soul. At that moment, Jesus is telling death, and sin, and Satan all to take a hike. Jesus is saying to that individual, "you, now, are mine." Galatians 3:26-29: "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Why did Jesus do what He did? He came to claim you. And that’s exactly what He has done.

But be aware--beware--of one more thing. Sin, death, and Satan are all very sore losers. They’re stubborn. They don’t give up. Until at last we’re delivered safely into our heavenly homes, our three enemies will continue to pursue us, inviting us to go back to what we were, tempting us to live as the rest of the world does, to put ourselves first and God last.

But we have been claimed by Christ! In John 15, Jesus said, "You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." Therefore, let us live as those who belong to Christ. We don’t belong to the world. We don’t belong to sin and selfishness. We don’t belong to hopelessness. We don’t belong to Satan. We don’t belong to death. We belong to Christ. So the Catechism asks, What do you therefore confess about Jesus Christ, the God-man? Answer: I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Redeemer, whom I love and serve with my whole life.

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

Amen.

"THE Pivotal Event"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text this morning is from the New Testament lesson for today, Colossians 3:1, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

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

I’d like you to think this morning for a moment about the pivotal events in your life. The crossroads of your life, those key turning points where things came together in such a way that they changed your life forever.

For example, some would point to the first time they met their spouse as a pivotal event in their lives. After that meeting, everything changed in their life. Or, some might point to the birth of their child as a pivotal event in their lives. Some might point to the day they opened the mailbox and found that registered letter from Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes as a pivotal event in their lives.

On the other hand, pivotal events are not always positive. Sometimes, it isn’t something wonderful that changes our lives, it’s something tragic that changes our lives. For example, some would point to the END of their marriage as a pivotal event in their lives. Some point to the DEATH of a child as a pivotal event in their lives. Some point to the day they opened their mailbox and found inside not a letter from Publishers Clearing House, but a letter from a lawyer, or a letter from a collection agency, or a letter from the sheriff as a pivotal event in their lives. Pivotal events can change your life forever–sometimes for the good, sometimes for the not so good. After we’ve experienced a positive, wonderful, pivotal event, we say, "I’m never looking back. It’s clear skies from here on out." But, on the other hand, after we’ve experienced a negative, tragic, pivotal event, we say, "You know, I don’t know if I’ll ever get past this."

Problem is, in this sinful world we live in, we tend to run into more negative pivotal events than positive. And, to make things worse, our sinful flesh tends to remember better the bad things that happen, rather than the good. And, to make things worse yet, the devil loves to remind us of all the things that have gone wrong, all the things we’ve done wrong, rather than all the things that have gone right. Put all that together and you’ll find that if you’re going to focus on the pivotal events of your life in this world, you’ll almost certainly end up disappointed. Disappointed in yourself, disappointed in those around you, maybe even disappointed in God. There are a great many people today living their lives as those who will never get past the past.

May I suggest to you this Easter morning that your focus ought not be on the pivotal events that this world gives you, but on the pivotal events that God, in His Word, gives you. May I suggest to you that your identity, your purpose, and your hope in this world do not come from things or events of this world, but come from God.

And what are these pivotal events that God gives us? There are three of them. And they’re given us in the Bible. In God’s Word you’ll find three pivotal events that explain who God is and who you are.

The first pivotal event is in Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve come to a crossroads, a pivotal event in their lives, an event which would change the rest of their earthly lives. God had created the world and everything in it. God had created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. God had told them that they could eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So far, so good.

But the devil came along and said, "Why should you have to listen to God? Why don’t you do what YOU want to do? If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you’ll be like God. You’ll get to decide what’s right and wrong and determine for yourself what you do and don’t do. Go ahead! Take the fruit!" And Eve took some of the fruit and ate it, and she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

And that act of rebellion against God, that fall into sin, was a pivotal event for Adam and Eve. It changed the rest of their earthly lives. And it was not a good change. Now they were confronted with all sorts of terrible things which previously had been unknown to them. Now they had to deal with shame and blame and suffering and sweat and pain and death and, worst of all, separation from God. These are the things that sin does to people. These are the things that sin does to God’s perfect creation. Sin destroys. Sin tears down. Sin separates. Surely there were many times when Adam and Eve looked back at that pivotal event and said, "You know, I don’t think we’ll ever get past that."

What sin did to Adam and Eve, sin has also done to every one of their children, including you and me. Once sin entered into the world, it permeated and corrupted all of creation. Still, to this day, the devil comes to us with the same question, "Why should you do what God tells you to do? Why shouldn’t you do whatever you want?" And all too often, our answer is the same as that of Adam and Eve. We sin against God. And then we’re faced with the terrible consequences of sin in this world. Sin destroys. Sin tears down. Sin separates. Separates us from God. Separates us from each other.

This sinfulness is a pivotal event for us. It changes the rest of our earthly lives. And it is not a good change. Because of sin, you and I often think to ourselves, "You know, I don’t know if I can ever get past this." And you know what, you’re right. You can’t. This is one of those pivotal events that we can never get past. We cannot overcome or get rid of sin. We cannot achieve the perfect life that our holy and perfect God requires. We cannot get out from under the wrath of a perfectly holy and just God who must punish our sin.

We cannot get past the pivotal event of our sin. But God can. In fact, God did.

The Scriptures proclaim to us another pivotal event–the events which we have come to celebrate this morning. In His great mercy and love, God promised that He would send One who would crush Satan’s head. God promised that He would provide a substitute to receive in our place that punishment which we deserved. God promised that He would send One who would be the Way out from under the punishment of our sin, One who would be the Truth that sets us free from the slavery of sin, One who would be the Life that overcomes even death itself. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for us, for our sins.

And Jesus did just that. He died for your sins. That is to say, He came to pay the price of death for your sins and mine, in our place. His death was payment for the sins of the whole world.

And on the third day, He rose again. He rose because sin had been paid for. He rose because death and the devil were defeated. He rose as the first of many who, by faith in Him, will rise also and enjoy that same eternal victory in heaven.

Now, because of what Jesus has done, God counts you and me as forgiven, as holy and dearly loved. Now, because of what Jesus has done, we are covered with His righteousness. Now, because of what Jesus has done, we are reconciled with God once again. The separation that sin caused has been overcome. For a world which had been so horribly corrupted by sin, this redemption from God in Christ was truly a pivotal event.

The first pivotal event was the fall into sin, by which the world was separated from God. The second pivotal event was Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, by which the world was reconciled with God. Which leads us, then, to the third pivotal event God has for you in His Word.

Which is His calling to you, individually, specifically through His Word. For most of us, this happened at your baptism, where God came to you individually and specifically and said, "You are mine. You belong to me. What Jesus did, He did for you." This creation of faith in our hearts, this establishment of a relationship with God, this baptism is for each of us a pivotal event. A pivotal event which changes us for the better, not just in this world, but in the next as well. A pivotal event in which we each die to sin and rise to newness of life in Jesus’ love and forgiveness. A pivotal event according to which we can now say, "You know, I don’t ever have to look back again." I was a slave to sin, now I’m a child of God. I was headed for hell, now I’m headed for heaven. I was one who lived with no hope, no purpose, no identity. Now, I have all three, because of Jesus.

Therefore, as Paul says in today’s New Testament lesson, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

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

Amen.

"Will Yours Be a Matthew or a Luke Christmas?"

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text which serves as the basis for tonight’s message is the story of Jesus’ birth as given us in Matthew chapters 1 and 2.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

You may or may not be aware that the Bible provides us with two separate accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ. One account is in Luke–a portion of which we read earlier tonight–the other is in Matthew. They both tell the same story, but they come from different perspectives, they include different details. They do not contradict each other. They simply use two different approaches to describe the same set of events.

You’re probably more familiar with Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. It’s the more popular version. Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth is very bright, very glorious, very wonderful. Luke’s account tells us a lot about Mary and the things she experienced. There’s lots of singing in Luke’s account. There’s a baby in a manger. There are shepherds out in the fields. There’s an angel saying "Do not be afraid." Lots of joy and peace and faith and trust. Which makes Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ very comforting, very uplifting.

Matthew, on the other hand, gives us a darker account of Jesus’ birth. Matthew tells us that Jesus’ birth was not all singing and dancing, not all fun and games. Matthew’s account tells us a lot about Joseph and the things he experienced. There are no songs in Matthew’s account. There’s no manger scene. There’s an angel delivering to Joseph the very troubling news that his fiancee is with child. And there’s a King Herod who wants to kill the baby as soon as it’s born. And there’s a desperate escape to Egypt in the middle of the night. Lots of fear in Matthew’s account. And confusion. And loneliness. And stress. Luke’s account is very heavenly minded. Matthew’s account is more down to earth.

Both of these accounts are true. They don’t contradict each other; they simply focus on different details. And in doing so, they provide for us a balanced view of Christmas.

And balance is something we need at Christmas, don’t we? Because this holiday, more than any other, tends to make us lose our balance. You’ve probably noticed that. The world says Christmas is supposed to be totally along the lines of Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. Christmas is supposed to be peaceful. It’s supposed to be happy. It’s supposed to be filled with joy. At Christmas, you’re supposed to be overcome with an overwhelming sense of warmth and peace and good will toward men. You’re supposed to sit in front of a warm fire in a beautiful house surrounded by all your loved ones with a cup of hot chocolate in your hands. You’re supposed to be completely calm and content, in a state of perfect Christmas bliss. Try to meet all those expectations and you’ll quickly lose your balance. Rarely, if ever, will any of us attain that level of perfection in this world. What we do achieve is a lot of weariness with Christmas: it never seems fully to meet our expectations.

Which brings us to the other end of the scale, another kind of Christmas. A darker Christmas. A Christmas more along the lines of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth. A Christmas filled with more negative feelings and emotions, like worry and weariness and regret. A Christmas filled with loneliness and doubt and fear. A Christmas in which you find yourself wishing for things you don’t have, wishing you’d done things differently. A Christmas in which you find yourself starting to sound an awful lot like Charlie Brown at Christmastime, telling Linus that "there must be something wrong with me. Because Christmas is coming and I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel. I always end up feeling depressed." To which Linus very helpfully replies, "Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy’s right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest!" There are many Charlie Browns in this world. We all play that role from time to time. When we do, we’re out of balance again.

So it seems that we’re stuck either way–out of balance in either one direction or the other. The world says Christmas has to be bright and happy but it rarely, if ever, is. Then, we end up disappointed and down and thinking, "Maybe Christmas has nothing to offer me."

But guess what. God did not give us just Luke’s account, as if we’re always supposed to be bright and happy at Christmas. Nor did God give us just Matthew’s account, as if we’re always supposed to be dark and down at Christmas. God gave us BOTH Luke and Matthew. God tells BOTH sides of the story. Whether Christmas is bright and glorious or dark and difficult, the point of the story remains the same.

And what is the point of Christmas? Perfect worldly bliss? No. Total despair? No. In Luke, the point of Christmas is given when the angel comes to the shepherds and says, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." In Matthew, the same point of Christmas is given when the angel comes to Joseph and says, "You will name the baby Jesus, which means ‘the Lord saves,’ because He will save His people from their sins." In other words, whether you’re feeling up or down, peaceful or stressed, the point of Christmas is that God Himself personally, directly, and decisively, came to save you from your sins. Whether you’re having a Luke Christmas or a Matthew Christmas, the Gift God gives at Christmas is still given for you and to you.

Christmas as given us by the world is very much out of balance. But Christmas as God gives it to us in His Word is perfectly balanced. It’s a balance of Law and Gospel. It’s a balance of justice and mercy. It’s a balance of repentance and faith.

What is the balanced Christmas story? It’s a story about a very imperfect world, a world wrecked and ruined by sin. It’s a story about very imperfect people, people wrecked and ruined by sin. It’s a realistic story, in other words. It deals with the reality of sin in our lives.

It’s also a story about a God who hates sin--a God who is perfectly just and therefore must punish sin. But that same God is also a God who is merciful, who loves His children and would not abandon His children to the punishment they deserved. So, God came up with a plan that balanced both His justice and His mercy. He came up with a plan in which He could punish sin and be merciful at the same time.

According to the plan, God wrapped Himself in human flesh. God became one of us. John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." He came in order to receive in your place the punishment you deserved for your sin. He came to be your substitute on the cross. And by His death, your sins and the sins of the world were paid for once and for all.

It was a very balanced plan. It was a perfect plan. According to this plan, God’s perfect justice was met. But at the same time, by His mercy, you and I, by faith in Jesus, are set free. We sing about this perfect plan in many of our Christmas hymns, such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," verse 3:

The end result of all of this is that every one of us in this room can celebrate tonight. Whether you’re happy or sad, whether you’re having a Luke Christmas or a Matthew Christmas, whether you’re feeling like Charlie Brown or Linus, the Gift God gave that first Christmas is a Gift given also for you. Rejoice that God did not wait to give His Gift until all your emotions are in order. Rejoice that God did not wait to give His Gift until you accomplished a perfect Christmas. Rejoice that God did not wait to give His Gift until you earned it. God has given us salvation and eternal life freely, by His grace, according to His mercy. The Bible says, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Therefore, the door to heaven is open. The Gift is given. Your salvation has been accomplished. Acknowledge your sins before God, repent of them, believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord and you will be saved, your sins will be forgiven, you will be given new and eternal life in Christ. For that, we can all be thankful this Christmas.

Amen.