Text: Revelation 7:9-17 May 15, 2011
Theme: The Lord Is Our Shepherd
Dear friends in Christ.
If there is one picture that the Bible regularly uses to describe the relationship between us and our Savior, it would have to be the picture of a Shepherd and his sheep. This is the picture that King David used as he penned the well known, opening words of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd!” This is the picture that Jesus himself used again and again as regularly called himself the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. This is the picture that Peter used when spoke about how we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. And this is the description that the Apostle John records for us in our lesson for today. For this morning, our lesson comes to us from some of the most beautiful and most comforting words of the Scriptures. Our lesson comes to us from the Book of Revelation 7:9-17, which is John’s vision of Jesus Christ our Savior—the Lamb of God who will be our Shepherd!
Now, if you haven’t already done so, I invite you to open your Bibles to our Lesson from Revelation 7:9-17. I’ve always felt that Revelation is one of the easiest books to find in the Bible because it is the last book. In fact, I often tease my confirmation students by telling them that if they don’t know where Genesis and Revelation are in their Bibles, then they fail my class. But all silliness aside, the Book of Revelation, and indeed our lesson from chapter 7 bring us some of the most beautiful and comforting words of all Scripture. In fact, as we look at these words, just think about what an incredible picture the Holy Spirit paints for us through the pen of the Apostle John! What an incredible picture for us to see with John as it were; the picture of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God our Savior serving as our Good Shepherd who will one day call us out of this troubled world so that he might forever shepherd us in his heavenly kingdom where we will finally have rest from all our labors! This is the incredible picture of the Lord our Shepherd that John reveals as he writes in our lesson, beginning with verse 9: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)
How incredible that the Lord recorded this vision for us today! How incredible that the Lord our God knew the comfort we would need and centuries before we were even born he recorded this vision of comfort and assurance for us in the pages of Scripture. How incredible that the Lord our Savior reveals himself as our Good Shepherd who will one day call us out of this sin-filled and troubled world to our life of rest by our Shepherd’s side forever! What greater words of comfort could there be for us today, especially as we look around at the world in which we are living. In fact, with your permission, I would like to take a little informal survey. How many of you have found yourselves cutting back and stretching every single dollar you have? How many of you are trying to drive less or trying to combine your schedules so that you are traveling with more than just 1 person in the car? How many of you have felt the rising costs of prescription drugs or even found yourselves having to decide which prescriptions you really needed to pick up because all of them were just too expensive? How many of you have worried about insurance costs or wondered how you would get along without it? How many of you have found yourselves hoping and praying that the thing that just doesn’t seem to be quite right with your vehicle will go away, because you just can’t afford the time or the expenses of a break down? How many of you have faced unexpected bills that have eaten up more of your paycheck than you expected and have found yourselves struggling to cover all the other expenses while you wait for your next check to come?
If you raised your hand for any one of these questions, you are not alone. You are not alone because my family and I have faced each and every one of these questions again and again over the past 10 years, though in the last three years we’ve faced them more frequently. You are not alone because each and every person in this congregation has faced one or more of these questions on any number of occasions since our economy went sour. You are not alone because Christians throughout the world and throughout the centuries have faced these same frustrations or frustrations like them. Yet, even in the midst of these troubles, hardships and unrest, the Lord our Savior, our Good Shepherd gives us the most beautiful comfort in our lesson today. As John writes: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."…“Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” (Revelation 7:9-10,13-14).
This is the comfort our Good Shepherd pours out on us today! Though here on earth we deal with all sorts of frustrations and hardships, as Christians, we are even now wearing the white robes of righteousness won for us by Jesus on the Cross. Though we constantly feel the effects of sin in our lives and find that our garments are stained by our sins, each time we turn to our Savior in forgiveness, we are, in effect, washing our robes in his blood and making them clean once again. Though this is our daily practice here on earth, when our Good Shepherd calls us out of this troubled world to our home in haven, we will pass though the river of his blood one last time, and our robes will be made white forever. When the Lord calls us home to his throne in heaven, we will stand before him in eternal righteousness, innocence and blessedness, because Jesus has delivered us from death by his death and resurrection from the dead. There, we will praise our Good Shepherd because he has delivered us from this world of tribulation and sin. There, as we stand around the throne and the Lamb, we will give praise and thanks to our Good Shepherd who will give us rest in his kingdom forever. This is the picture that John paints for us as he records the Elder’s explanation of the great multitude: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17).
Here on earth, we have the exact opposite of rest. We feel the empty space between our ribs and hear the angry complaining our stomachs make when we don’t take time to feed them. We taste the clay of our cheeks and feel the crumbs of dirt that stick in our throats as our parched tongues cling to the roofs of our mouths. We are baked in the summer oven of this river valley as the flames of the sun descend upon us and the ever increasing humidity seeks to cook us from within. Though we seek the cooling shade of the trees where we might relax and find a cool glass of water, we know that that this rest will not last long. For before we know it, we will be forced back into the kiln of life where satan kindles the fires of temptations hoping that he might harden in our sins before he glazes us for eternal death and destruction in hell. But when our Good Shepherd delivers us to the rest he has promised us, we will know peace. When our Shepherd calls us home to his heavenly kingdom, never again will we hunger, never again will we thirst, the sun will not beat upon us nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our Shepherd, he will lead us to streams of living water, and God himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Though we cannot fathom the beauty that heaven affords, or even begin to comprehend the rest that heaven offers us from the trials, temptations, and hardships that we face each and every day of our lives, we continue to follow our Good Shepherd as he leads us on the path to eternal life. Though we may not know exactly what we will do in heaven, or exactly what is waiting for us there, we do know one thing for sure. We know that heaven is where our Shepherd is, and heaven is where we will live with him forever. We know that in heaven, we will no longer have to deal with all the trials, and hardships that this earth affords. We know that satan and his evil angels will no longer be able to tempt us or lead us astray. In heaven, we will be free from sin forever, and we will live with the Lord our God, our Savior and our Shepherd who will spread his tent over us.
What better picture could there be for us than the picture our Savior uses of himself as our Good Shepherd. For in the same way that shepherds care for their sheep, Jesus, our Good Shepherd cares for us. Though here on earth we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear any evil because our Shepherd is with us. He is the one who leads us to quiet waters, makes us to lay down in green pastures, and restores our souls. He is the one who gives us his comfort and his assurance in this life, and he is the one who will give us rest forever in his heavenly kingdom. What a day it will be when we join that multitude from every nation, tribe and people; a multitude that cannot be counted. What a day it will be when we stand before the Lamb, our Shepherd and serve him day and night in his temple. How amazing it will be when he spreads his tent over us, leads us to springs of living water, and wipes away every tear from our eyes!
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
God's Great Exchange
April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
Dear Friends in Christ
If you’ve ever tried to return home to the United States after traveling in a foreign country, then you know what going through customs is like. You know how you have to provide the proper documentation of who you are before they will even consider letting you in. You know how you will be asked all sorts of different questions by the custom agent before he or she will approve your credentials and allow you to enter. And you know that if you should fail to provide proper identification or fail to adequately answer the questions, you will be turned away and not able to enter at all. Yet with the proper documentation it is a very easy thing to pass through customs and return home to your own land. The same thing is true for us as Christians. Though we are citizens of heaven we are currently traveling outside of our home country, but we all know that one day we will stand at the border cross between this world and the next. One day we will be asked for our passports to eternal life. One day we will be asked why we should be allowed to enter our home land of heaven. It is because of this that I want to review with you the very hope and the very reason we have in looking forward to eternal life, and I want to begin by asking you a couple of questions. The first is, “If you were to die to night, are you sure that you would have eternal life?” …The second is, “If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you tell him?”
… Though I don’t expect you to give me an answer right here and right now, these are questions I want you to ponder as we continue today. For the answers to these questions are answers that only come through faith, and in doing so, they lead us into a right relationship with the Lord our God.
For a person to be in a right relationship with God, that person needs first of all to ask God what his requirements truly are. To find out what those are, we turn to the pages of Scripture where we learn in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And again in Leviticus 19:2, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” From this we learn that the very thing God demands of us is that we must be perfectly holy, completely set apart from sinners, without flaw of any kind, and absolutely perfect. This, in fact, is the very thing that Jesus said to a man who came to him asking , “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him with a question: "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' " Jesus told the man that he had answered correctly, God demands nothing less than perfection, a perfect love for him at all times, a perfect love for our neighbor at all times as well. Then Jesus said, "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:16-28). In other words, keep on doing this at all times. Show nothing less than perfect love toward God and your neighbor in all that you do, and say and even think, and you will live. Always put God first in your life, never use his name in a wrong way, never have so much as a single greedy, covetous, lustful, vengeful, jealous, hateful, or even selfish thought. Be such a perfect, holy, sinless person at every moment of your life, and you will live, that is be in a right relationship with the Lord your God and receive eternal life.
The problem is, as we know, what God demands of us is the very opposite of what he sees. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). That means that each and every one of us has sinned in one way or another, and because of our sins, we have fallen short of God’s glory. It’s like going to Wal-Mart to buy groceries or things that you might need. You go around all the isles, spending a few hours shopping and getting all that you need, and finally when you fill that you’ve filled your cart full enough, you go to the check out. As the cashier rings up your purchases, you dig out your checkbook only to find that you ran out of checks yesterday, and completely forgot to put a new book in. So you look in your purse, or your wallet, for a check card or credit card of some kind, only to find that you’ve left them home as well. Now, you as you begin to search for some money, you know that it will be entirely fruitless because you left all your cash at home. Though you hunt and hunt for through your pockets, all you are able to find is two quarters, a dime and a nickel. The problem is, you have fallen short of that $150 tab that the clerk has just finished ringing up, and your sixty five cents will by no means cover that bill. Now, you have no choice but return home completely empty handed. That is what our sins have done to us. For in the same way that a lack of money separated you from the possibility of buying groceries, the Bible tells us, “your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God” In fact, in the end, our sins will finally separate us from our God forever, as Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)
So then, what can we do? If God sees in us the very opposite of what he demands, what can we do to change it? Well, some might say, “I’ll try harder. I’ll keep trying my best to sin less and less every day.” The problem is, of course, as James tells us, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10). Another person might come up with the idea of balancing out the sins I commit with all sorts of good deeds. If I come home in a bad mood, yell at my kids, and argue with my wife, I’ll take them all out for a special dinner to make up for it. The problem is, even if we could balance out our sins, they would still be there. We would not be able to get rid of them, and we would still be stuck full of sins, completely lacking in holiness, worthy of nothing more than death. Another might give in to the fact that he is not perfect, he might say, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not as bad as that guy over there.” Though comparing ourselves to another might make us feel pretty good about ourselves in the short term, when we look up, and compare ourselves to God, we realize that we are still destined for eternal damnation. Though these ways might seem right and logical to us, in the end they lead only to death and damnation. (Proverbs 16:25)
So then, what can we do! If we are so filled with sins and so lacking in holiness that we can only look forward to eternal death. If we can do nothing to remove our sins, and every sin we commit means we are guilty of breaking all of God’s law that we cannot possibly keep it ourselves to earn eternal life, what can we do? The answer is nothing. But even though there is nothing that we can do, it is God who has done it all for us! This is God’s remedy.
God’s remedy centers in a person. That person is his own Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus is the one about whom the Bible tells us, that though he was true God, he was also true man. Though he was true God from eternity, he became fully human, exactly like you and me in every way, except he was without sin. Jesus was completely holy, completely without sin! In fact, what God demanded, Jesus did 100%
There was even a time when Jesus flat out asked his enemies, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46). But no one could. Even when Jesus was on trial and the Jews were seeking to have him crucified, even then the accusations brought against Jesus did not agree. Even when false witnesses were coached on what to say, they still couldn’t make their stories agree. It’s as if the Lord himself were telling the world, “There’s no one who can find one fault in my Son. He lived an absolutely holy, sin free life.”
But even though he had lived his holy, sin-free life, his life still ended in death on the cross. But his death was not in vain, as Isaiah tells us, “The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) God transferred all our sins over to Jesus and let him pay the penalty for them. In the same way that we can easily transfer money from a savings account to a checking account, the Lord transferred all our sins over to Jesus account, and sent him to the cross with those sins, so that through his death, their payment would be covered. And when Jesus died, he cried out in a loud voice to let us know that his payment was complete that our sins had been forgiven.
It’s like being back at Wal-Mart, fishing in your pockets, fining nothing more than sixty-five cents. As you’re about to apologize to the cashier, and take your leave, someone from the line behind says, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for your things.” That’s what Jesus did for us. He paid the penalty in full for us. He took our sins upon himself so that we could be in a right relationship with our God. This is exactly what the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the same way that the Lord transferred our sins to Jesus, He transferred Jesus’ righteousness and holiness to us. Through Jesus, we become the righteousness and holiness that God demands. For God has covered us with the news cloths of Jesus’ holiness so that he no longer sees our sins, but only the Holiness and righteousness that Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection. This is God’s great exchange! He takes my sins and gives me Jesus’ Righteousness so that now, in his eyes, I am filled with holiness, completely devoid of sinfulness, and I am now in a right relationship with my God. The very thing that God demands of me, he has now given me. Not because I have earned it or deserved it, but because of his great love for me.
What a blessing this is indeed! For now that I am in a right relationship with the Lord my God through Jesus Christ my Savior, I receive his great blessings indeed. I have received forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt. I have received the gift of eternal life and new life of faith. I have received the Lord’s guidance for life and his answers to prayers. I have received the gift of Christian fellowship and the power for living for the Lord. These are the great gifts and blessings the Lord has given me through this great exchanges. My sins on Jesus, Jesus’ righteousness on me, the gift of the forgiveness of sins, a God pleasing life, and eternal salvation forever in heaven.
So now, what about you, do you believe this? Do you know what you have to look forward to? Of course you do! If you were to die tonight, would you have eternal life? Absolutely! If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you answer? Heaven is mine through Jesus Christ my Savior. This is God’s great exchange! The very thing he demands of us, he gives us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Give thanks to God for what he has done for you, for he has given you eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Easter Sunday
Dear Friends in Christ
If you’ve ever tried to return home to the United States after traveling in a foreign country, then you know what going through customs is like. You know how you have to provide the proper documentation of who you are before they will even consider letting you in. You know how you will be asked all sorts of different questions by the custom agent before he or she will approve your credentials and allow you to enter. And you know that if you should fail to provide proper identification or fail to adequately answer the questions, you will be turned away and not able to enter at all. Yet with the proper documentation it is a very easy thing to pass through customs and return home to your own land. The same thing is true for us as Christians. Though we are citizens of heaven we are currently traveling outside of our home country, but we all know that one day we will stand at the border cross between this world and the next. One day we will be asked for our passports to eternal life. One day we will be asked why we should be allowed to enter our home land of heaven. It is because of this that I want to review with you the very hope and the very reason we have in looking forward to eternal life, and I want to begin by asking you a couple of questions. The first is, “If you were to die to night, are you sure that you would have eternal life?” …The second is, “If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you tell him?”
… Though I don’t expect you to give me an answer right here and right now, these are questions I want you to ponder as we continue today. For the answers to these questions are answers that only come through faith, and in doing so, they lead us into a right relationship with the Lord our God.
For a person to be in a right relationship with God, that person needs first of all to ask God what his requirements truly are. To find out what those are, we turn to the pages of Scripture where we learn in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And again in Leviticus 19:2, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” From this we learn that the very thing God demands of us is that we must be perfectly holy, completely set apart from sinners, without flaw of any kind, and absolutely perfect. This, in fact, is the very thing that Jesus said to a man who came to him asking , “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him with a question: "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' " Jesus told the man that he had answered correctly, God demands nothing less than perfection, a perfect love for him at all times, a perfect love for our neighbor at all times as well. Then Jesus said, "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:16-28). In other words, keep on doing this at all times. Show nothing less than perfect love toward God and your neighbor in all that you do, and say and even think, and you will live. Always put God first in your life, never use his name in a wrong way, never have so much as a single greedy, covetous, lustful, vengeful, jealous, hateful, or even selfish thought. Be such a perfect, holy, sinless person at every moment of your life, and you will live, that is be in a right relationship with the Lord your God and receive eternal life.
The problem is, as we know, what God demands of us is the very opposite of what he sees. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). That means that each and every one of us has sinned in one way or another, and because of our sins, we have fallen short of God’s glory. It’s like going to Wal-Mart to buy groceries or things that you might need. You go around all the isles, spending a few hours shopping and getting all that you need, and finally when you fill that you’ve filled your cart full enough, you go to the check out. As the cashier rings up your purchases, you dig out your checkbook only to find that you ran out of checks yesterday, and completely forgot to put a new book in. So you look in your purse, or your wallet, for a check card or credit card of some kind, only to find that you’ve left them home as well. Now, you as you begin to search for some money, you know that it will be entirely fruitless because you left all your cash at home. Though you hunt and hunt for through your pockets, all you are able to find is two quarters, a dime and a nickel. The problem is, you have fallen short of that $150 tab that the clerk has just finished ringing up, and your sixty five cents will by no means cover that bill. Now, you have no choice but return home completely empty handed. That is what our sins have done to us. For in the same way that a lack of money separated you from the possibility of buying groceries, the Bible tells us, “your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God” In fact, in the end, our sins will finally separate us from our God forever, as Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)
So then, what can we do? If God sees in us the very opposite of what he demands, what can we do to change it? Well, some might say, “I’ll try harder. I’ll keep trying my best to sin less and less every day.” The problem is, of course, as James tells us, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10). Another person might come up with the idea of balancing out the sins I commit with all sorts of good deeds. If I come home in a bad mood, yell at my kids, and argue with my wife, I’ll take them all out for a special dinner to make up for it. The problem is, even if we could balance out our sins, they would still be there. We would not be able to get rid of them, and we would still be stuck full of sins, completely lacking in holiness, worthy of nothing more than death. Another might give in to the fact that he is not perfect, he might say, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not as bad as that guy over there.” Though comparing ourselves to another might make us feel pretty good about ourselves in the short term, when we look up, and compare ourselves to God, we realize that we are still destined for eternal damnation. Though these ways might seem right and logical to us, in the end they lead only to death and damnation. (Proverbs 16:25)
So then, what can we do! If we are so filled with sins and so lacking in holiness that we can only look forward to eternal death. If we can do nothing to remove our sins, and every sin we commit means we are guilty of breaking all of God’s law that we cannot possibly keep it ourselves to earn eternal life, what can we do? The answer is nothing. But even though there is nothing that we can do, it is God who has done it all for us! This is God’s remedy.
God’s remedy centers in a person. That person is his own Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus is the one about whom the Bible tells us, that though he was true God, he was also true man. Though he was true God from eternity, he became fully human, exactly like you and me in every way, except he was without sin. Jesus was completely holy, completely without sin! In fact, what God demanded, Jesus did 100%
There was even a time when Jesus flat out asked his enemies, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46). But no one could. Even when Jesus was on trial and the Jews were seeking to have him crucified, even then the accusations brought against Jesus did not agree. Even when false witnesses were coached on what to say, they still couldn’t make their stories agree. It’s as if the Lord himself were telling the world, “There’s no one who can find one fault in my Son. He lived an absolutely holy, sin free life.”
But even though he had lived his holy, sin-free life, his life still ended in death on the cross. But his death was not in vain, as Isaiah tells us, “The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) God transferred all our sins over to Jesus and let him pay the penalty for them. In the same way that we can easily transfer money from a savings account to a checking account, the Lord transferred all our sins over to Jesus account, and sent him to the cross with those sins, so that through his death, their payment would be covered. And when Jesus died, he cried out in a loud voice to let us know that his payment was complete that our sins had been forgiven.
It’s like being back at Wal-Mart, fishing in your pockets, fining nothing more than sixty-five cents. As you’re about to apologize to the cashier, and take your leave, someone from the line behind says, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for your things.” That’s what Jesus did for us. He paid the penalty in full for us. He took our sins upon himself so that we could be in a right relationship with our God. This is exactly what the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the same way that the Lord transferred our sins to Jesus, He transferred Jesus’ righteousness and holiness to us. Through Jesus, we become the righteousness and holiness that God demands. For God has covered us with the news cloths of Jesus’ holiness so that he no longer sees our sins, but only the Holiness and righteousness that Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection. This is God’s great exchange! He takes my sins and gives me Jesus’ Righteousness so that now, in his eyes, I am filled with holiness, completely devoid of sinfulness, and I am now in a right relationship with my God. The very thing that God demands of me, he has now given me. Not because I have earned it or deserved it, but because of his great love for me.
What a blessing this is indeed! For now that I am in a right relationship with the Lord my God through Jesus Christ my Savior, I receive his great blessings indeed. I have received forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt. I have received the gift of eternal life and new life of faith. I have received the Lord’s guidance for life and his answers to prayers. I have received the gift of Christian fellowship and the power for living for the Lord. These are the great gifts and blessings the Lord has given me through this great exchanges. My sins on Jesus, Jesus’ righteousness on me, the gift of the forgiveness of sins, a God pleasing life, and eternal salvation forever in heaven.
So now, what about you, do you believe this? Do you know what you have to look forward to? Of course you do! If you were to die tonight, would you have eternal life? Absolutely! If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you answer? Heaven is mine through Jesus Christ my Savior. This is God’s great exchange! The very thing he demands of us, he gives us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Give thanks to God for what he has done for you, for he has given you eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! (John 11:17-27, 38-45)
April 10, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
There are well over three hundred verses in the Bible which speak of Jesus’ resurrection. Some of them tell us that Jesus resurrection was a sign for believers, others speak of it as an answer for believers doubts. Some speak of the resurrection as the central message of the Gospel itself, while others tell us how Jesus’ resurrection is a guarantee that all his teachings are true. Well, today, as we study the Word of God before us, we will be looking at a lesson that doesn’t exactly speak of Jesus resurrection from the dead, instead we will stand before Jesus our Savior as he tells us and assures us that he, himself, is the Resurrection and the life. In fact, I invite you to open your Bibles to John 11 so that we can take a look at these events together and listen as Jesus tells us that He is the Resurrection and the life.
Now, if you think about it, as Jesus speaks to us in John 11, he is giving us a great comfort. For the truth is, one of the hardest things that you and I have to cope with in this world is death. It is a difficult thing for us to deal with because it is such an unnatural event. Even though it has become a part of our lives, it was never intended to be a part of our lives when God created this world for us. But as it is, it is one of the many sorrows that we face in our lives as we journey through this vale of tears. It was also a sorrow with which Mary and Martha had to contend, as we hear in our text today: “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.” (John 11:17-19). Though it isn’t part of our text today, if we were to read the verses shortly before where our text begins, we would find that Mary and Martha had sent a message to Jesus telling them that their brother Lazarus was seriously ill. Jesus, in turn and responded that “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4). However, unknown to Mary and Martha he stayed where he was for two more days so that by the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days.
Now, upon first glance, this may seem like a cruel and heartless thing for Jesus to do. Yet what Jesus did would ultimately serve as a comfort for both Mary and Martha. As John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’ ” (John 11:20-26).
When Martha met the Lord at the edge of town, it was Jesus who comforted her in the midst of her sorrow and misery with the words of sweetest Gospel. For when she expressed her anguish that Jesus had not been there to heal Lazarus when he was sick, Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again. That, in itself, was a comfort to her, for she knew he would rise again on the last day. But what Jesus said next was truly a comfort. For in telling her that he was the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was assuring her that her brother who had come to faith in Jesus Christ was now living with the Lord in heaven.
This is the same comfort that you and I receive in our sorrows. For we know all too well the pain and anguish of death. Far too often we are forced to watch our friends and loved ones growing older and more feeble. Far too often we are forced to gather here to say our final farewells to those we love. Yet even in those times, we are assured of the Lord’s comfort when we hear Jesus speaking to us and saying: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:26). In those beautiful words, we are reminded that all of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ our Savior will never die. Though we will face physical death when our bodies finally stop working, at that moment the Lord’s angels will carry us to his side where we will live forever. Though our bodies will decompose and fall apart in the ground, Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life will raise them up at the last day and give us new and glorious bodies, which we will have for all eternity. This is the comfort, which the Lord gives us in our sorrows--the knowledge that this world is not our home, the knowledge that we will live with him forever when he finally calls us to our eternal rest. This is the comfort we receive, and this is the comfort that strengthens our faith in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the Life.
There’s an old Indian proverb that tells us, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” Though this phrase has become a cliché in our day and age, it still is a very true statement. For how often haven’t you found yourself quickly growing stronger, more confident, and even more determined in that face of adversities, but growing only moderately in the face of no conflicts? This is exactly what the Lord did for Martha in our text today. For even in the midst of her sorrow, Jesus gently led here to a deeper understanding of who he was, which in turn strengthened her faith in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ ”(John 11:20-22).
Though every time we think of Mary and Martha, our thoughts naturally turn to the account of Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and Martha rushing around trying to get everything ready for her guests; we cannot help but be struck by the strength of Martha’s faith. For even though Jesus had not been there to heal her brother and keep him from dying, she was confident that God would give Jesus whatever he asked for. This was the part of Martha’s faith that Jesus was looking to strengthen. He was looking to strengthen her faith by correcting her understanding of him as the Christ. For with these words she clearly stated that she believed Jesus could do anything, but she thought that he would first have to ask God for permission to do it. This was the misunderstanding that Jesus cleared up for her when he said, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ ” (John 11:25-27).
By revealing himself to her as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was calling on her to look to him in faith. He was calling on her to place her trust in him as Lord and God. Jesus was calling on her to recognize that he and the Father were in perfect harmony. He did not have to ask permission to perform miracles. Rather, as Lord and God he was the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. This is what gave strength to Martha’s faith and caused her to confess: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27).
Our Savior is doing the same thing for us today. For by revealing himself to us as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus is strengthening our faith in him as our Savior. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just a human being who lived on the earth years ago. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just the Son of God who had power to do a few miracles. Rather, he is calling on us to realize that he is the Almighty God, who holds the power of life and death in his hand. He is the Lord of the Universe, who keeps the planets in their orbits, the stars in their courses, and preserves life in this world. In fact, he is calling on us to confess with Martha, that he is the Christ, the Son of God who came into this world to save sinners! For that is why Jesus came. He came into this world to save us from our sins, by his victory over death.
In football, whenever the top two teams in their divisions meet, you will often hear the announcers exclaim, “This could easily be a preview of the Super Bowl!” Well, if there had been announcers broadcasting Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, one of those announcers could easily have said, “This could well be a preview of what we’re going to see in just a few short months!” He could easily have said this, because when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he demonstrated his power over death, and when he demonstrated his power over death, he was assuring us that he would win the victory over death by his resurrection from the dead.
For when Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead, his whole purpose was to show all the people there that he, the Resurrection and the Life was the one who would always be victorious over the power of death. This is why Jesus waited for four days before he came to raise Lazarus. He waited so that even the mystics in the crowd who believed that the soul hung around the body for three days after death would have to admit that Lazarus was truly dead and that Jesus had truly raised him and won the victory over death in this showdown. John tells us, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (John 11:38-45).
Here it was a showdown between life and death. In one corner was Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. In the other was the grave, which had held Lazarus for the past four days. And in the silence as the stone was being removed, one could almost hear the cry of, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” For there could be no question in anybody’s mind of the fact that Lazarus was truly dead. They knew that after four days in that Mediterranean climate his body had begun to seriously decay. And yet, Jesus commanded them to open the grave! Then, when the grave was opened Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” It wasn’t that he cried out to be sure that Lazarus would hear him back in the cave. It wasn’t that he yelled so loud because he had a better chance at raising him if he spoke that much more loudly. Rather, Jesus cried out in a loud voice so that everyone there would know that he was the one who had power over death. He cried out so loudly so that all the people standing there would hear his proclamation and be assured that he had won the victory over death.
Our Savior is assuring us of the same thing today. Through his raising of Lazarus from the dead, he is assuring us that he indeed has won the victory over death. But more importantly, he is giving us a preview of the events to come. For in just a short time from now, Jesus will be going to the cross, suffering, and dying for our sins. But from this display of his power, we can be assured that he will win the victory over death, because he is the Resurrection and the Life. This is the assurance our Savior is giving us today. The assurance that if he was able to raise Lazarus from the dead, if he was able to raise himself from the dead, then raising us from the dead will be no problem whatsoever! This is the victory of which our Lord assures us, and this is the comfort we have in him! Because Jesus has mastery over death, we know that he has saved us from death. Though we will all one day close our eyes in the sleep of death, we will wake at our Savior’s side in his heavenly kingdom. This is the assurance we have in knowing that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He has won the victory over death.
What a wonderful comfort to know that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He is the one who comforts us in every sorrow. He is the one who continually strengthens our faith in him. He is the one who has won the victory over death! He is the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever believes in him will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in him will never die.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
There are well over three hundred verses in the Bible which speak of Jesus’ resurrection. Some of them tell us that Jesus resurrection was a sign for believers, others speak of it as an answer for believers doubts. Some speak of the resurrection as the central message of the Gospel itself, while others tell us how Jesus’ resurrection is a guarantee that all his teachings are true. Well, today, as we study the Word of God before us, we will be looking at a lesson that doesn’t exactly speak of Jesus resurrection from the dead, instead we will stand before Jesus our Savior as he tells us and assures us that he, himself, is the Resurrection and the life. In fact, I invite you to open your Bibles to John 11 so that we can take a look at these events together and listen as Jesus tells us that He is the Resurrection and the life.
Now, if you think about it, as Jesus speaks to us in John 11, he is giving us a great comfort. For the truth is, one of the hardest things that you and I have to cope with in this world is death. It is a difficult thing for us to deal with because it is such an unnatural event. Even though it has become a part of our lives, it was never intended to be a part of our lives when God created this world for us. But as it is, it is one of the many sorrows that we face in our lives as we journey through this vale of tears. It was also a sorrow with which Mary and Martha had to contend, as we hear in our text today: “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.” (John 11:17-19). Though it isn’t part of our text today, if we were to read the verses shortly before where our text begins, we would find that Mary and Martha had sent a message to Jesus telling them that their brother Lazarus was seriously ill. Jesus, in turn and responded that “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4). However, unknown to Mary and Martha he stayed where he was for two more days so that by the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days.
Now, upon first glance, this may seem like a cruel and heartless thing for Jesus to do. Yet what Jesus did would ultimately serve as a comfort for both Mary and Martha. As John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’ ” (John 11:20-26).
When Martha met the Lord at the edge of town, it was Jesus who comforted her in the midst of her sorrow and misery with the words of sweetest Gospel. For when she expressed her anguish that Jesus had not been there to heal Lazarus when he was sick, Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again. That, in itself, was a comfort to her, for she knew he would rise again on the last day. But what Jesus said next was truly a comfort. For in telling her that he was the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was assuring her that her brother who had come to faith in Jesus Christ was now living with the Lord in heaven.
This is the same comfort that you and I receive in our sorrows. For we know all too well the pain and anguish of death. Far too often we are forced to watch our friends and loved ones growing older and more feeble. Far too often we are forced to gather here to say our final farewells to those we love. Yet even in those times, we are assured of the Lord’s comfort when we hear Jesus speaking to us and saying: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:26). In those beautiful words, we are reminded that all of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ our Savior will never die. Though we will face physical death when our bodies finally stop working, at that moment the Lord’s angels will carry us to his side where we will live forever. Though our bodies will decompose and fall apart in the ground, Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life will raise them up at the last day and give us new and glorious bodies, which we will have for all eternity. This is the comfort, which the Lord gives us in our sorrows--the knowledge that this world is not our home, the knowledge that we will live with him forever when he finally calls us to our eternal rest. This is the comfort we receive, and this is the comfort that strengthens our faith in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the Life.
There’s an old Indian proverb that tells us, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” Though this phrase has become a cliché in our day and age, it still is a very true statement. For how often haven’t you found yourself quickly growing stronger, more confident, and even more determined in that face of adversities, but growing only moderately in the face of no conflicts? This is exactly what the Lord did for Martha in our text today. For even in the midst of her sorrow, Jesus gently led here to a deeper understanding of who he was, which in turn strengthened her faith in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ ”(John 11:20-22).
Though every time we think of Mary and Martha, our thoughts naturally turn to the account of Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and Martha rushing around trying to get everything ready for her guests; we cannot help but be struck by the strength of Martha’s faith. For even though Jesus had not been there to heal her brother and keep him from dying, she was confident that God would give Jesus whatever he asked for. This was the part of Martha’s faith that Jesus was looking to strengthen. He was looking to strengthen her faith by correcting her understanding of him as the Christ. For with these words she clearly stated that she believed Jesus could do anything, but she thought that he would first have to ask God for permission to do it. This was the misunderstanding that Jesus cleared up for her when he said, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ ” (John 11:25-27).
By revealing himself to her as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was calling on her to look to him in faith. He was calling on her to place her trust in him as Lord and God. Jesus was calling on her to recognize that he and the Father were in perfect harmony. He did not have to ask permission to perform miracles. Rather, as Lord and God he was the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. This is what gave strength to Martha’s faith and caused her to confess: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27).
Our Savior is doing the same thing for us today. For by revealing himself to us as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus is strengthening our faith in him as our Savior. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just a human being who lived on the earth years ago. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just the Son of God who had power to do a few miracles. Rather, he is calling on us to realize that he is the Almighty God, who holds the power of life and death in his hand. He is the Lord of the Universe, who keeps the planets in their orbits, the stars in their courses, and preserves life in this world. In fact, he is calling on us to confess with Martha, that he is the Christ, the Son of God who came into this world to save sinners! For that is why Jesus came. He came into this world to save us from our sins, by his victory over death.
In football, whenever the top two teams in their divisions meet, you will often hear the announcers exclaim, “This could easily be a preview of the Super Bowl!” Well, if there had been announcers broadcasting Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, one of those announcers could easily have said, “This could well be a preview of what we’re going to see in just a few short months!” He could easily have said this, because when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he demonstrated his power over death, and when he demonstrated his power over death, he was assuring us that he would win the victory over death by his resurrection from the dead.
For when Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead, his whole purpose was to show all the people there that he, the Resurrection and the Life was the one who would always be victorious over the power of death. This is why Jesus waited for four days before he came to raise Lazarus. He waited so that even the mystics in the crowd who believed that the soul hung around the body for three days after death would have to admit that Lazarus was truly dead and that Jesus had truly raised him and won the victory over death in this showdown. John tells us, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (John 11:38-45).
Here it was a showdown between life and death. In one corner was Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. In the other was the grave, which had held Lazarus for the past four days. And in the silence as the stone was being removed, one could almost hear the cry of, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” For there could be no question in anybody’s mind of the fact that Lazarus was truly dead. They knew that after four days in that Mediterranean climate his body had begun to seriously decay. And yet, Jesus commanded them to open the grave! Then, when the grave was opened Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” It wasn’t that he cried out to be sure that Lazarus would hear him back in the cave. It wasn’t that he yelled so loud because he had a better chance at raising him if he spoke that much more loudly. Rather, Jesus cried out in a loud voice so that everyone there would know that he was the one who had power over death. He cried out so loudly so that all the people standing there would hear his proclamation and be assured that he had won the victory over death.
Our Savior is assuring us of the same thing today. Through his raising of Lazarus from the dead, he is assuring us that he indeed has won the victory over death. But more importantly, he is giving us a preview of the events to come. For in just a short time from now, Jesus will be going to the cross, suffering, and dying for our sins. But from this display of his power, we can be assured that he will win the victory over death, because he is the Resurrection and the Life. This is the assurance our Savior is giving us today. The assurance that if he was able to raise Lazarus from the dead, if he was able to raise himself from the dead, then raising us from the dead will be no problem whatsoever! This is the victory of which our Lord assures us, and this is the comfort we have in him! Because Jesus has mastery over death, we know that he has saved us from death. Though we will all one day close our eyes in the sleep of death, we will wake at our Savior’s side in his heavenly kingdom. This is the assurance we have in knowing that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He has won the victory over death.
What a wonderful comfort to know that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He is the one who comforts us in every sorrow. He is the one who continually strengthens our faith in him. He is the one who has won the victory over death! He is the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever believes in him will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in him will never die.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Embrace the Flame that Jesus Kindled (Luke 12:49-53)
Dear friends in Christ.
When I was about 12 I became the grill master for our family. Though it started off rather slowly with only a few opportunities, I quickly embraced my new position because I loved everything about it. Though we didn’t have a gas grill, or even a Weber, I embraced every part of my task, but my favorite part was lighting the charcoal. Now, you have to understand, we didn’t use lighter fluid. We had a charcoal lighting cylinder type of thing. We placed crumpled newspaper on the bottom. Over the newspaper was a metal grate where we first put the charcoal we had used for the last grilling before we added the new stuff. I can still remember how fun it was to light the newspaper kindling and watch as the flames grew, lighting first the older charcoal before it light the new. I remember watching with amazement as the kindling gave way to glowing briquettes that eventually produced flames that leaped out of the top of that cylinder. Well, in the same way that I used to kindle the flames that cooked the food on our family’s grill, our Savior has kindled the flames of faith that we embrace in our hearts to this day, by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
In fact, now that our Savior has done kindled the flame of faith in our hearts, our we hear our God calling on us to embrace the flame that Jesus kindled. To do that we want to take a closer look at our Gospel lesson in Luke 12:49-53, which can be found on page 1032 of your Bibles. As you’re turning to Luke 12:49 let me refresh your memories as to what has been going on. Though we’ve been studying chapter 12 for the last three weeks, we have not been wanting for good teaching. After all, it was in this chapter that Jesus warned us against all kinds of greed as he taught us to find our true wealth in the Lord our God. It was in this Chapter that we saw just how precious we are to the Lord our God and how the Lord invites us to rejoice as we look forward to the return of our Savior; knowing that our God has already given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven through faith in Jesus. Now, today, as Jesus continues his discourse with his disciples and the crowd of thousands he is revealing to us the very nature of his mission here on earth, and he is inviting each and every one of us to embrace the flame that Jesus himself kindled when he went to the cross. Let’s look at Luke 12:49-51 where Jesus is speaking and says: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:49–51, NIV)
As Jesus spoke to the thousands who had gathered to hear him, he revealed to them the very purpose of his mission here on earth. Though so many had thought of the Messiah as the great peace bringer who would bring an end to the Roman tyranny, re-establish the sovereignty of the Jewish Nation, and rule on the throne for many years, returning the glory days of David and Solomon along with the same level of peace and prosperity, Jesus clearly revealed that his mission was not an act of peace, but an act of war! Jesus mission was to infiltrate satan’s territory, to seek out the lost sheep of Israel, and to proclaim freedom for the captives. This is what Jesus had been doing for the last three years as he cut a path of destruction through satan’s territory. Not actual destruction, mind you, but spiritual destruction; for everywhere that Jesus went he proclaimed the gospel of salvation. He preached the harshest law against the self-righteous servants of satan who thought that they did not need Jesus; and he preached the sweetest gospel of forgiveness to those whom he rescued from satan’s grip; soothing their wounds with the salve of his grace. Now, with only a few months left, Jesus is already preparing himself for the final showdown, the final battle between himself and satan, our enemy—the battle where Jesus would light the fire that will cover the earth. Look back with me at what Jesus is saying in verses 49 and 50: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (Luke 12:49–50, NIV)
With only a few months before the conclusion of his earthly ministry, Jesus tells us that he is more than ready for the conclusion of his mission. He is more than ready to completely destroy satan’s power over us by his death and resurrection from the dead. This is the baptism of which Jesus speaks—his crucifixion where he would forgive the sins of the world, destroy the power of the devil, forever, and where he would kindle the flame that would burn in the hearts of every man and woman until the very last day. This is the flame that was struck when Jesus was crucified; the flame that burns in some hearts as the flame of faith and the flame that burns in other hearts as the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus was by no means eager to see people turn against him in unbelief, he knew it was best to carry out his saving work so that some might believe, be freed from satan, be forgiven of their sins, and receive the gift of eternal life. Though Jesus was by no means eager for his disciples to suffer and be persecuted, he knew that the result of his death and resurrection would be that the message of salvation would be preached to all people. Though Jesus was by no means eager for us to suffer persecution and divisions because we have embraced the flame that Jesus kindled—the flame which now burns in our hearts as faith—he knew that we would find peace, comfort and strength in the message of salvation whenever we faced fiery persecution from those who do not believe. He knew that because we had embraced the flame of faith that Jesus himself had kindled in our hearts, we would take comfort in the knowledge that satan’s power had completely been destroyed. We would take comfort in the knowledge that our enemy no longer holds any power over us. We would take comfort in the knowledge that eternal life in heaven is waiting for us because Jesus’ death and resurrection has washed us clean of all our sins; lighting the flame of faith which we have embraced since we were little children!
The problem is, however, that even though we have embraced the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in our hearts by his death and resurrection, there are many others who have not embraced it. Instead they have embraced the flame of offense and unbelief where Jesus is concerned, which is exactly what Jesus is speaking about in verses 51-53 of our lesson today. Let’s take a look at what Jesus is saying in Luke 12:51-53: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51–53, NIV)
Sadly, this is exactly what we are seeing in our world today! We are seeing more and more divisions where Jesus is concerned. We are seeing more and more people who are embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus completely destroyed satan’s power when he went to the cross, satan still hasn’t given up! Unlike Lee who simply rode away after the surrender at Appomattox, satan has refused to surrender. Even though Jesus has completely forgiven all sin, satan continually works in the hearts and minds of people doing everything he can to cause people to take offense at the idea that 2000 years ago, some man died on a cross and rose again from the dead. Whenever the message of salvation through faith in Jesus comes up, he is right there whispering to the heart about how foolish it is to believe something like that. He is right there stoking the fires of logic against the idea that the death of some person could possibly forgive sins, because something like that is simply too easy to believe. He is right there in the brain, screaming about how difficult salvation truly is and that if we ever want to attain it we must get busy right now to make it happen for ourselves. Thus, more and more people each day embrace the flame of offense and unbelief rather than the flame of faith.
But what is even sadder still is that we see these very divisions coming to light in our own families! Some of you have seen your own children, who so firmly embraced the flame of faith begin to loosen their grip on that flame and allow the flame of doubt and offense to take up at least partial residence in their hearts soon after the day of their Confirmation. Some of you have seen teens on our own families begin to question the value of worship, fight against their need to go and be bored for an hour by the Word of God, and even begin to keep themselves from fueling the flame of faith that Jesus kindled in their hearts. Some of you have watched your children leave the nest for school or work knowing that now it is up to them to make the decision to embrace the flame of their faith or to allow the flame of offense and unbelief to grow in their hearts. Some of you have seen your adult children change as they began embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Some of you have faced the frustration of divisions between you and your children or you and your family because these very divisions have taken hold and not every member of your family is embracing that flame of faith that you hold so dear. Some of you may even be at your wits end because of the heart ache you feel for your family, your children, or even your relatives and you are worried about what you can do. Some of you may even be angry with the Lord for allowing such terrible divisions to come from the flame he kindled when he went to the cross.
If you have ever faced divisions like these, or if you’ve ever been worried that they might happen to you, allow me to share with you an illustration of God’s faithfulness to encourage you as you embrace the flame of faith that God himself kindled in your hearts. This illustration comes from a sermon by James MacDonald, which I’m sure that God saw to it that I heard when I was running errands so that I could share it with you. (Clip)
Though some of you may be facing divisions in your families, always remember the faithfulness of our God. Though some of you may be facing difficulties with children who are beginning to embrace the flame of offense rather than the flame of faith, place them in the Lord’s hands through prayer. And trust what the Lord has to say. Look back at Luke 12:52-53 with me one more time, and as we read pay attention to what Jesus does not say. “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:52–53, NIV)
Though our Savior tells us that divisions like these can come into our lives, he does not say that they are permanent. He does not say that once the flame of offense and unbelief begins to grow in your heart forever will it dominate your destiny. He also gives us the very weapons we can use against divisions like this. For even before we face divisions like these we need to live our faith as an example to our families, to our children, and even to others. We need to speak with our children and teach them the precious truths of salvation so that as proverbs says, “when they are old they will not turn from it.” We need to encourage our children as they grow, especially if they begin to fall from their secure footing of salvation. We need to pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, and pray for ourselves, for our children, for our families, for our friends, for those who are slipping, for those who are struggling to hold on to the flame of faith, for those who have begun to embrace the flame of offense and unbelief, for those who have fallen away from the faith completely, and especially for those who have not yet heard the message of salvation. We need to do this so that our Savior might kindle or rekindle the flame of faith in the hearts of those who are struggling, fallen away or who have never heard the message so that they too can live in the salvation that Jesus won for them and once again embrace the flame of faith that he first kindled in their hearts.
So, dear friends, heed the invitation of your God to embrace the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in your hearts. Embrace it in the same way that I embraced the task of grilling and lighting the charcoal for my family. Embrace it, feed it, and watch it grow into an all consuming flame of faith; one which you will never set aside or let go of, ever.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church,--Le Sueur, MN
When I was about 12 I became the grill master for our family. Though it started off rather slowly with only a few opportunities, I quickly embraced my new position because I loved everything about it. Though we didn’t have a gas grill, or even a Weber, I embraced every part of my task, but my favorite part was lighting the charcoal. Now, you have to understand, we didn’t use lighter fluid. We had a charcoal lighting cylinder type of thing. We placed crumpled newspaper on the bottom. Over the newspaper was a metal grate where we first put the charcoal we had used for the last grilling before we added the new stuff. I can still remember how fun it was to light the newspaper kindling and watch as the flames grew, lighting first the older charcoal before it light the new. I remember watching with amazement as the kindling gave way to glowing briquettes that eventually produced flames that leaped out of the top of that cylinder. Well, in the same way that I used to kindle the flames that cooked the food on our family’s grill, our Savior has kindled the flames of faith that we embrace in our hearts to this day, by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
In fact, now that our Savior has done kindled the flame of faith in our hearts, our we hear our God calling on us to embrace the flame that Jesus kindled. To do that we want to take a closer look at our Gospel lesson in Luke 12:49-53, which can be found on page 1032 of your Bibles. As you’re turning to Luke 12:49 let me refresh your memories as to what has been going on. Though we’ve been studying chapter 12 for the last three weeks, we have not been wanting for good teaching. After all, it was in this chapter that Jesus warned us against all kinds of greed as he taught us to find our true wealth in the Lord our God. It was in this Chapter that we saw just how precious we are to the Lord our God and how the Lord invites us to rejoice as we look forward to the return of our Savior; knowing that our God has already given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven through faith in Jesus. Now, today, as Jesus continues his discourse with his disciples and the crowd of thousands he is revealing to us the very nature of his mission here on earth, and he is inviting each and every one of us to embrace the flame that Jesus himself kindled when he went to the cross. Let’s look at Luke 12:49-51 where Jesus is speaking and says: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:49–51, NIV)
As Jesus spoke to the thousands who had gathered to hear him, he revealed to them the very purpose of his mission here on earth. Though so many had thought of the Messiah as the great peace bringer who would bring an end to the Roman tyranny, re-establish the sovereignty of the Jewish Nation, and rule on the throne for many years, returning the glory days of David and Solomon along with the same level of peace and prosperity, Jesus clearly revealed that his mission was not an act of peace, but an act of war! Jesus mission was to infiltrate satan’s territory, to seek out the lost sheep of Israel, and to proclaim freedom for the captives. This is what Jesus had been doing for the last three years as he cut a path of destruction through satan’s territory. Not actual destruction, mind you, but spiritual destruction; for everywhere that Jesus went he proclaimed the gospel of salvation. He preached the harshest law against the self-righteous servants of satan who thought that they did not need Jesus; and he preached the sweetest gospel of forgiveness to those whom he rescued from satan’s grip; soothing their wounds with the salve of his grace. Now, with only a few months left, Jesus is already preparing himself for the final showdown, the final battle between himself and satan, our enemy—the battle where Jesus would light the fire that will cover the earth. Look back with me at what Jesus is saying in verses 49 and 50: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (Luke 12:49–50, NIV)
With only a few months before the conclusion of his earthly ministry, Jesus tells us that he is more than ready for the conclusion of his mission. He is more than ready to completely destroy satan’s power over us by his death and resurrection from the dead. This is the baptism of which Jesus speaks—his crucifixion where he would forgive the sins of the world, destroy the power of the devil, forever, and where he would kindle the flame that would burn in the hearts of every man and woman until the very last day. This is the flame that was struck when Jesus was crucified; the flame that burns in some hearts as the flame of faith and the flame that burns in other hearts as the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus was by no means eager to see people turn against him in unbelief, he knew it was best to carry out his saving work so that some might believe, be freed from satan, be forgiven of their sins, and receive the gift of eternal life. Though Jesus was by no means eager for his disciples to suffer and be persecuted, he knew that the result of his death and resurrection would be that the message of salvation would be preached to all people. Though Jesus was by no means eager for us to suffer persecution and divisions because we have embraced the flame that Jesus kindled—the flame which now burns in our hearts as faith—he knew that we would find peace, comfort and strength in the message of salvation whenever we faced fiery persecution from those who do not believe. He knew that because we had embraced the flame of faith that Jesus himself had kindled in our hearts, we would take comfort in the knowledge that satan’s power had completely been destroyed. We would take comfort in the knowledge that our enemy no longer holds any power over us. We would take comfort in the knowledge that eternal life in heaven is waiting for us because Jesus’ death and resurrection has washed us clean of all our sins; lighting the flame of faith which we have embraced since we were little children!
The problem is, however, that even though we have embraced the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in our hearts by his death and resurrection, there are many others who have not embraced it. Instead they have embraced the flame of offense and unbelief where Jesus is concerned, which is exactly what Jesus is speaking about in verses 51-53 of our lesson today. Let’s take a look at what Jesus is saying in Luke 12:51-53: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51–53, NIV)
Sadly, this is exactly what we are seeing in our world today! We are seeing more and more divisions where Jesus is concerned. We are seeing more and more people who are embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus completely destroyed satan’s power when he went to the cross, satan still hasn’t given up! Unlike Lee who simply rode away after the surrender at Appomattox, satan has refused to surrender. Even though Jesus has completely forgiven all sin, satan continually works in the hearts and minds of people doing everything he can to cause people to take offense at the idea that 2000 years ago, some man died on a cross and rose again from the dead. Whenever the message of salvation through faith in Jesus comes up, he is right there whispering to the heart about how foolish it is to believe something like that. He is right there stoking the fires of logic against the idea that the death of some person could possibly forgive sins, because something like that is simply too easy to believe. He is right there in the brain, screaming about how difficult salvation truly is and that if we ever want to attain it we must get busy right now to make it happen for ourselves. Thus, more and more people each day embrace the flame of offense and unbelief rather than the flame of faith.
But what is even sadder still is that we see these very divisions coming to light in our own families! Some of you have seen your own children, who so firmly embraced the flame of faith begin to loosen their grip on that flame and allow the flame of doubt and offense to take up at least partial residence in their hearts soon after the day of their Confirmation. Some of you have seen teens on our own families begin to question the value of worship, fight against their need to go and be bored for an hour by the Word of God, and even begin to keep themselves from fueling the flame of faith that Jesus kindled in their hearts. Some of you have watched your children leave the nest for school or work knowing that now it is up to them to make the decision to embrace the flame of their faith or to allow the flame of offense and unbelief to grow in their hearts. Some of you have seen your adult children change as they began embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Some of you have faced the frustration of divisions between you and your children or you and your family because these very divisions have taken hold and not every member of your family is embracing that flame of faith that you hold so dear. Some of you may even be at your wits end because of the heart ache you feel for your family, your children, or even your relatives and you are worried about what you can do. Some of you may even be angry with the Lord for allowing such terrible divisions to come from the flame he kindled when he went to the cross.
If you have ever faced divisions like these, or if you’ve ever been worried that they might happen to you, allow me to share with you an illustration of God’s faithfulness to encourage you as you embrace the flame of faith that God himself kindled in your hearts. This illustration comes from a sermon by James MacDonald, which I’m sure that God saw to it that I heard when I was running errands so that I could share it with you. (Clip)
Though some of you may be facing divisions in your families, always remember the faithfulness of our God. Though some of you may be facing difficulties with children who are beginning to embrace the flame of offense rather than the flame of faith, place them in the Lord’s hands through prayer. And trust what the Lord has to say. Look back at Luke 12:52-53 with me one more time, and as we read pay attention to what Jesus does not say. “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:52–53, NIV)
Though our Savior tells us that divisions like these can come into our lives, he does not say that they are permanent. He does not say that once the flame of offense and unbelief begins to grow in your heart forever will it dominate your destiny. He also gives us the very weapons we can use against divisions like this. For even before we face divisions like these we need to live our faith as an example to our families, to our children, and even to others. We need to speak with our children and teach them the precious truths of salvation so that as proverbs says, “when they are old they will not turn from it.” We need to encourage our children as they grow, especially if they begin to fall from their secure footing of salvation. We need to pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, and pray for ourselves, for our children, for our families, for our friends, for those who are slipping, for those who are struggling to hold on to the flame of faith, for those who have begun to embrace the flame of offense and unbelief, for those who have fallen away from the faith completely, and especially for those who have not yet heard the message of salvation. We need to do this so that our Savior might kindle or rekindle the flame of faith in the hearts of those who are struggling, fallen away or who have never heard the message so that they too can live in the salvation that Jesus won for them and once again embrace the flame of faith that he first kindled in their hearts.
So, dear friends, heed the invitation of your God to embrace the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in your hearts. Embrace it in the same way that I embraced the task of grilling and lighting the charcoal for my family. Embrace it, feed it, and watch it grow into an all consuming flame of faith; one which you will never set aside or let go of, ever.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church,--Le Sueur, MN
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Plant Your Faith in the One who Holds Power over Death (Luke 7:11-17)
Series: Cultivate your Faith in the Lord
Week 2: Plant your faith in the One who Holds Power over Death (Luke 7:11-17)
Dear friends in Christ.
How old were you when you were first affected by the power of death? For me, I was 13. I was the one who answered the phone that Thursday afternoon when Grandma called to tell us that Grandpa was in the hospital. He had been hanging storm windows, getting the house ready for winter when he simply collapsed. The ambulance had come and taken him to the local hospital, but within an hour of admission he was flown to the major hospital in La Crosse. That evening my parents jumped into the car and left for Wisconsin, where they spent the next few days essentially living in the hospital with Grandma and mom’s two sisters. On Sunday evening, when Mom and Dad returned home, they told us that Grandpa had died earlier that morning, that we would be packing, getting a good night sleep, and heading out in the morning, on our way to a funeral. Though this is something that happened 25 years ago, I can still remember my shock and surprise at death’s power to separate me from my Grandpa. I can still remember looking for comfort and solace as the Pastor shared the Word of God with us, and I remember how that word helped cultivate my faith and encouraged me to plant my faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death.
Since that day 25 years ago, I have seen the power of death at work on many, many occasions, just as so many of you have also felt it. For the truth is, most of us here have seen the power of death at work separating us from friends or loved ones. Some of us have stood guard at grave sites, honoring fellow members of our armed forces with the presentation of a flag, a salute, the firing of guns, and taps. We have gathered here in our sorrow to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends when death has wielded its power to separate us from our loved ones. Whether that death came expectedly after a long battle with a terminal illness or it came suddenly and unexpectedly through an accident, a murder, a suicide, a natural disaster, or even from natural causes, no matter how death might come, it’s power to separate us from our loved one is what causes us such great pain and sorrow, grief and heartache.
This is something that most of us have already experienced in a very personal way, as death has already separated us from dear friends or loved ones. But even if you have yet to experience the painful separation of death in such a personal way, the Lord knew that one day, each and every one of us would feel death’s power of separation, which is why he included the account of Jesus raising the young man of Nain from the dead. He included it as a comfort for us in the face of sorrow and an encouragement for us to do the very thing the people did who were present that day, namely plant their faith in Jesus who holds power over death. In fact, let’s take a closer look at that account today. Open your Bibles our Gospel lesson, to Luke 7 and we will take a closer look at how we cultivate our faith in the Lord by planting our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. Luke writes in chapter 7 beginning at verse 11: “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. ” (Luke 7:11–17, NIV)
Imagine the scene. Jesus and his disciples had been traveling with large crowds of people following after him ever since he preached the Sermon on the Mount, as we heard last week. In fact, as you remember, after Jesus finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount, he and his disciples together with a large crowd, traveled to Capernaum, where he was amazed by the great faith of the Centurion, whose servant Jesus healed without even stepping foot in the Centurion’s house. Now, soon after that, Jesus traveled with his disciples and a large crowd of people to Nain, a city about 20 miles Southwest of Capernaum. There, as Jesus was approaching the town gate with his large crowd of followers, a funeral procession was leaving the city with a large crowd of mourners following behind. The two groups of people met at that city gate, exactly as Jesus planned it, and there, hundreds if not thousands of people planted their faith in Jesus because they saw him demonstrate his power over death.
As soon as Jesus saw the widow who had lost her only son, his heart ached, he was filled with compassion for her, and he immediately sprang to action. After telling her that she no longer needed to weep, Jesus immediately gave her the ability to fulfill his command. He walked purposefully to those who were carrying the young man, placed his hand on the coffin in an authoritative way so that the men stopped in their tracks, and he spoke to the young man as if he was only sleeping, commanding him to get up. Immediately the young man sat up and began talking! This young man who had been completely lifeless was now alive! Though death’s power had separated him from his mother, Jesus revealed his power over death by reversing death, restoring life, and giving this son back to his mother, alive! Can you imagine the joy that now filled this woman’s heart as her son who had been dead, was given back to her alive! Can you imagine her amazement as death’s power of separation was broken by 8 simple words spoken by Jesus! Can you imagine the fear and the awe that passed through the crowd that day as hundreds, if not thousands of people saw a dead man brought back to life! For on that day, as Jesus demonstrated his power over death, many, many people planted their faith in him as they praised God saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16, NIV) Many, many people planted their faith in Jesus as the Messiah who so clearly displayed his power over death itself, and they spread the word about him wherever they went, so that news about Jesus spread throughout the entire land of Israel.
Well, just as so many people planted their faith in the Lord Jesus as the one who holds power over death, so, also as we cultivate our faith in the Lord, we seek to do the same. We seek to plant our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, because we know that he is the one whose power and authority far surpasses the power of death itself. And that is what we have done! In fact, since we were little children, the faith which the Holy Spirit planted in our hearts is the faith that trusts in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. Since we were little children, we have been taught about Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have learned how he was born on earth as a little baby; how he grew in wisdom, stature and the fear of the Lord. We learned how Jesus regularly demonstrated himself as the Savior by teaching them to repent and believe the good news of the kingdom of heaven. We learned how Jesus taught the people that he was the Son of God, the Savior who had been promised, who had come into the world to save sinners. We saw the miracles that Jesus performed, turning water into wine, healing those who were sick, restoring sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, driving out demons, and yes, even raising the dead. Since we were little children we have known and believed that this Jesus is our Savior, whose death and resurrection have freed us from our sins and the fear of death forever!
Now, with this miracle of Jesus raising the young man of Nain back to life, we are being given the opportunity to plant our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. We are assured that just as Jesus raised this young man back to life, so also the Lord will raise us back to life as well. Though our sinful nature demands that we must all, one day, succumb to the consequence of death, as we have planted our faith in Jesus, we no longer have to fear death because our Savior has destroyed the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil. (Hebrews 2:14-15). We no longer need to fear death because God has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) We no longer need to fear death, because our faith has been planted in Jesus, our Savior. Our faith has been planted in the one who took the slate of our sins and wiped it clean by his death and resurrection. Our faith is planted in the one who has transformed death into nothing more than a sleep—a sleep from which we will awaken, one day, in the halls of heaven.
Because of this, we can be certain that even though we must one day feel the painful separation that death brings, we know that it is but a temporary separation. We know it is but a temporary situation because we know that through faith in Jesus we will one day be reunited with all those who have gone before us to the halls of eternal life. We know that even though we have had to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and even friends, we know that those who planted their faith in Jesus have merely fallen asleep in him and have woken up by his side in the halls of heaven. Though it is painful to be separated by the ones we love, through faith in Jesus, we know that one day, when the Lord calls us home, we will be reunited with all those who have gone before us. We will be with the Lord forever!
So, dear friends, as you leave here today; continue cultivating your faith in the Lord. Plant your faith in the rich earth of Jesus Christ your Savior. Water it daily with the cool waters of the Word of Life. Till around it with the Law and fertilize it with the Gospel so that this simple plant of your faith, might grow into a great and solid tree of righteousness in the forests of the kingdom of God.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Series: Cultivate your faith in the Lord.
Week 2: Plant your faith in the One who Holds Power over Death (Luke 7:11-17)
Dear friends in Christ.
How old were you when you were first affected by the power of death? For me, I was 13. I was the one who answered the phone that Thursday afternoon when Grandma called to tell us that Grandpa was in the hospital. He had been hanging storm windows, getting the house ready for winter when he simply collapsed. The ambulance had come and taken him to the local hospital, but within an hour of admission he was flown to the major hospital in La Crosse. That evening my parents jumped into the car and left for Wisconsin, where they spent the next few days essentially living in the hospital with Grandma and mom’s two sisters. On Sunday evening, when Mom and Dad returned home, they told us that Grandpa had died earlier that morning, that we would be packing, getting a good night sleep, and heading out in the morning, on our way to a funeral. Though this is something that happened 25 years ago, I can still remember my shock and surprise at death’s power to separate me from my Grandpa. I can still remember looking for comfort and solace as the Pastor shared the Word of God with us, and I remember how that word helped cultivate my faith and encouraged me to plant my faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death.
Since that day 25 years ago, I have seen the power of death at work on many, many occasions, just as so many of you have also felt it. For the truth is, most of us here have seen the power of death at work separating us from friends or loved ones. Some of us have stood guard at grave sites, honoring fellow members of our armed forces with the presentation of a flag, a salute, the firing of guns, and taps. We have gathered here in our sorrow to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends when death has wielded its power to separate us from our loved ones. Whether that death came expectedly after a long battle with a terminal illness or it came suddenly and unexpectedly through an accident, a murder, a suicide, a natural disaster, or even from natural causes, no matter how death might come, it’s power to separate us from our loved one is what causes us such great pain and sorrow, grief and heartache.
This is something that most of us have already experienced in a very personal way, as death has already separated us from dear friends or loved ones. But even if you have yet to experience the painful separation of death in such a personal way, the Lord knew that one day, each and every one of us would feel death’s power of separation, which is why he included the account of Jesus raising the young man of Nain from the dead. He included it as a comfort for us in the face of sorrow and an encouragement for us to do the very thing the people did who were present that day, namely plant their faith in Jesus who holds power over death. In fact, let’s take a closer look at that account today. Open your Bibles our Gospel lesson, to Luke 7 and we will take a closer look at how we cultivate our faith in the Lord by planting our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. Luke writes in chapter 7 beginning at verse 11: “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. ” (Luke 7:11–17, NIV)
Imagine the scene. Jesus and his disciples had been traveling with large crowds of people following after him ever since he preached the Sermon on the Mount, as we heard last week. In fact, as you remember, after Jesus finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount, he and his disciples together with a large crowd, traveled to Capernaum, where he was amazed by the great faith of the Centurion, whose servant Jesus healed without even stepping foot in the Centurion’s house. Now, soon after that, Jesus traveled with his disciples and a large crowd of people to Nain, a city about 20 miles Southwest of Capernaum. There, as Jesus was approaching the town gate with his large crowd of followers, a funeral procession was leaving the city with a large crowd of mourners following behind. The two groups of people met at that city gate, exactly as Jesus planned it, and there, hundreds if not thousands of people planted their faith in Jesus because they saw him demonstrate his power over death.
As soon as Jesus saw the widow who had lost her only son, his heart ached, he was filled with compassion for her, and he immediately sprang to action. After telling her that she no longer needed to weep, Jesus immediately gave her the ability to fulfill his command. He walked purposefully to those who were carrying the young man, placed his hand on the coffin in an authoritative way so that the men stopped in their tracks, and he spoke to the young man as if he was only sleeping, commanding him to get up. Immediately the young man sat up and began talking! This young man who had been completely lifeless was now alive! Though death’s power had separated him from his mother, Jesus revealed his power over death by reversing death, restoring life, and giving this son back to his mother, alive! Can you imagine the joy that now filled this woman’s heart as her son who had been dead, was given back to her alive! Can you imagine her amazement as death’s power of separation was broken by 8 simple words spoken by Jesus! Can you imagine the fear and the awe that passed through the crowd that day as hundreds, if not thousands of people saw a dead man brought back to life! For on that day, as Jesus demonstrated his power over death, many, many people planted their faith in him as they praised God saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16, NIV) Many, many people planted their faith in Jesus as the Messiah who so clearly displayed his power over death itself, and they spread the word about him wherever they went, so that news about Jesus spread throughout the entire land of Israel.
Well, just as so many people planted their faith in the Lord Jesus as the one who holds power over death, so, also as we cultivate our faith in the Lord, we seek to do the same. We seek to plant our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, because we know that he is the one whose power and authority far surpasses the power of death itself. And that is what we have done! In fact, since we were little children, the faith which the Holy Spirit planted in our hearts is the faith that trusts in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. Since we were little children, we have been taught about Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have learned how he was born on earth as a little baby; how he grew in wisdom, stature and the fear of the Lord. We learned how Jesus regularly demonstrated himself as the Savior by teaching them to repent and believe the good news of the kingdom of heaven. We learned how Jesus taught the people that he was the Son of God, the Savior who had been promised, who had come into the world to save sinners. We saw the miracles that Jesus performed, turning water into wine, healing those who were sick, restoring sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, driving out demons, and yes, even raising the dead. Since we were little children we have known and believed that this Jesus is our Savior, whose death and resurrection have freed us from our sins and the fear of death forever!
Now, with this miracle of Jesus raising the young man of Nain back to life, we are being given the opportunity to plant our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. We are assured that just as Jesus raised this young man back to life, so also the Lord will raise us back to life as well. Though our sinful nature demands that we must all, one day, succumb to the consequence of death, as we have planted our faith in Jesus, we no longer have to fear death because our Savior has destroyed the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil. (Hebrews 2:14-15). We no longer need to fear death because God has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) We no longer need to fear death, because our faith has been planted in Jesus, our Savior. Our faith has been planted in the one who took the slate of our sins and wiped it clean by his death and resurrection. Our faith is planted in the one who has transformed death into nothing more than a sleep—a sleep from which we will awaken, one day, in the halls of heaven.
Because of this, we can be certain that even though we must one day feel the painful separation that death brings, we know that it is but a temporary separation. We know it is but a temporary situation because we know that through faith in Jesus we will one day be reunited with all those who have gone before us to the halls of eternal life. We know that even though we have had to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and even friends, we know that those who planted their faith in Jesus have merely fallen asleep in him and have woken up by his side in the halls of heaven. Though it is painful to be separated by the ones we love, through faith in Jesus, we know that one day, when the Lord calls us home, we will be reunited with all those who have gone before us. We will be with the Lord forever!
So, dear friends, as you leave here today; continue cultivating your faith in the Lord. Plant your faith in the rich earth of Jesus Christ your Savior. Water it daily with the cool waters of the Word of Life. Till around it with the Law and fertilize it with the Gospel so that this simple plant of your faith, might grow into a great and solid tree of righteousness in the forests of the kingdom of God.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Series: Cultivate your faith in the Lord.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
