Rejoice in the Lord’s victory feast.

Sermon for Trinity 2, June 30, 2019

This is the day the LORD has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Amen.

Isaiah 25:6-9  ⁶On this mountain the Lord of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and the finest wines.  ⁷On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations.  ⁸He has swallowed up death forever!  The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face.  He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth.  For the Lord has spoken.  ⁹On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God!  We waited for him, and he saved us!  This is the Lord!  We waited for him.  Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”

Rejoice in the Lord’s victory feast.

Dear friends in Christ,

            The most expensive wedding celebration in modern times reportedly cost $110,000,000, and the marriage didn’t last.  Twenty-seven hundred years ago, Isaiah prophesied about a royal banquet that was to be not just a wedding celebration, but even more so, a fight for life—for your life and mine.  Therefore, as we consider the words of the prophet, we will Rejoice in the Lord’s victory feast.

The first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah’s book contain many prophecies of woes, judgment, and destruction, but here and there, we find some of the most comforting Gospel ever written, and that’s what we have in our text this morning, pure Gospel comfort.  We are given a picture of a victory celebration God Himself was preparing for all people.  Isaiah tells us, “On this mountain the Lord of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and the finest wines.” 

Likewise, a few moments ago, in the reading from St. Luke’s Gospel, we heard Jesus speak of a man giving a great supper to which all his friends and neighbors were invited.  However, most of them preferred other concerns in place of honoring his invitation, leading the host of the celebration to throw the gates wide open so that his banquet would be filled with guests. 

In that parable, Jesus is referring to the same triumphant feast Isaiah was privileged to see.  With His parable, Jesus was warning the Judeans that by not heeding His invitation to believe in Him, they were putting themselves in danger of missing out on the victory feast that the Lord Himself was preparing—a banquet that will offer the best of the best of the best and is intended to bless all the peoples on earth.

The mountain of Isaiah’s picture is Jerusalem.  There Jesus would prepare His victory banquet, but it is more than just a festival celebration; it is the battle royal for the salvation of all people.  The Lord of Hosts, the One Man who could call down twelve legions of angels at any time would take care of all the preparations.  As invited guests, all that is left for us is to heed His royal call.

This grand victory feast is for all people.  There is no circumstance that would make anyone ineligible for an invitation to the Lord’s banquet.  Plus, this feast is solely God’s doing.  It is the work of the great I AM, and there is nothing you and I, or anyone else, will be asked to contribute to the party.  This is most definitely not a potluck.  No, the LORD Himself will provide all the ingredients, and nothing but the absolute best will be served.  Isaiah’s point is that this meal is the absolute best thing we will ever experience, an event for which the host has so amply prepared that the good things will never run out.  No earthly meal or party will ever compare. 

Now, we heard a few moments ago about a wedding celebration that cost millions of dollars, and I thought that was crazy.  However, the victory feast Isaiah saw would be infinitely more expensive.  Does that surprise you?  It shouldn’t, for the Lord’s victory feast cost the lifeblood of God’s Son. 

Remember, I said this text is pure Gospel.  This feast pictures the Good News of Jesus coming to God’s holy mountain to prepare a banquet of salvation for all people.  In preparing this feast, Jesus was waging war against the devil, the world, and our human flesh.  By never once falling prey to the devil’s temptations, never once succumbing to the desires of the flesh or the lusts and doubts so common among men, Jesus would offer His perfect holiness in exchange for our sin, and when at last all was completed, Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished.”  Christ then bowed His head in death, but three days later He rose from the grave in everlasting victory and from that point on, the Lord has been sending out His servants inviting all people to come and partake of His feast.

So, what has Jesus really accomplished for us?  Isaiah wrote, “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations.  He has swallowed up death forever!”  In Isaiah’s vision, the LORD pictures sin and death as a covering and a veil over all the people on earth.  Sin keeps us from knowing God as our first parents knew Him before the fall.  Sin keeps us in the dark about the truth and condemns us to death.  Sin and death had kept us cowering us in the shadows, separated from our Creator.  Yet, the psalmist wrote, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23:4)  David wrote this recognizing that our lives in this world are always under the shadow of sin and death.  But David also wrote these words believing that the promised Messiah would take away the sin and death that kept this world in darkness, and David believed God’s promise was already as good as done.

Isaiah reported, “He has swallowed up death forever!  The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face.  He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth.  For the Lord has spoken.”  Look at the picture Isaiah presents here: death swallowed up!  It’s gone.  Powerless!  Forever!  But, someone might complain, “What do you mean, we know all people still die?”  Yes, they do die physically, but for all those people who believe the invitation of the Lord our God, the great I AM who promised deliverance for a sinful race, physical death is no longer a worry.  Instead of a terrifying end, physical death has become simply our entry into the life of eternal celebration in heaven. 

And what a tender picture Isaiah gives us: the Creator of all things, the great I AM Himself, kneeling down and gently brushing away all our sorrows, wiping our tears, and comforting us with the certain confidence that when our believing brother, sister, friend, or spouse is called home to heaven, they are not dead but merely have stepped across the threshold into God’s eternal victory feast, already dressed in the brilliant white robes of Jesus’ perfect righteousness. 

Death which had for so long terrified the human race has been transformed into a blessed reunion with our Creator and Savior.  As St. Paul wrote, “When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’  ‘O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?’  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Hundreds of years before Jesus walked on this earth, Isaiah had full confidence in the vision God gave him, “for the LORD has spoken.”  Anything the Lord God promises is already as good as done, because God never fails, and never lies.  Indeed, He cannot lie.  He doesn’t change His mind, and nothing can ever stand in His way. 

When the LORD promises, you and I can have absolute faith in the result, just as Adam and Eve had full assurance that a Savior was coming to deliver them from death.  As Abraham looked up at the stars and knew that his descendants would be uncountable, and that the Messiah would come from his descendants to be his Savior from sin and death.  As Moses had no doubt in God’s promises, and King David was lifted up time and again by God’s assurances that a Son from David’s seed would reign on his throne forever.  Throughout history, those who trusted God’s promises experienced the grandest exhilaration when the angels carried them out of this life into the eternal victory celebration of life in heaven.  What they already enjoy is certain also for you and me, so Rejoice in the Lord’s victory feast. 

Are you wondering when you will receive your personal invitation to the Lord’s victory feast?  I can tell you, confidently, that you already have.  It was issued to you the moment the water of baptism was poured over your head and God’s covenant words were spoken on your behalf.  It was issued to you the moment you were told of Jesus and His sacrificial love for you that caused Him to leave His throne in heaven and come down to earth to live and die for you.  Your invitation is issued every time you hear the words of absolution assuring you that your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.  And every time you eat and drink Christ’s body and blood in His Supper, you again share in a foretaste of His victory banquet.

Isaiah wrote, “On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God!  We waited for him, and he saved us!  This is the Lord!  We waited for him.  Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”  If you read various commentaries on our sermon text, you’ll find differing opinions as to what time frame the LORD meant.  Some claim that Isaiah was given a vision of Israel’s return to Jerusalem after their Babylonian captivity.  Others point toward Jesus’ return at the end of the world.  A few point to Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.  However, we needn’t separate these things for they all go together in the vision and in God’s plan for our salvation.

As the faithful people of Judah waited in captivity in Babylon, they kept their eyes focused on the promises God had given their forefathers, promises of a Savior and a redemption.  When they were allowed to return home to the promised land, the faithful recognized that their true wait wasn’t yet over, but that the LORD would continue carrying out His plan for their redemption, and so they kept their eyes focused on God’s promises.  When Jesus walked on this earth, many recognized Him as God’s promised Messiah, but even among those who rejected Jesus and called for His crucifixion, some later repented of their sin and turned to Him for forgiveness and salvation, and in doing so, they also declared, “This is the Lord!  We waited for him.  Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” 

And isn’t that our story, as well?  We too have been invited to the eternal celebration of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil.  At the same time, how many of us haven’t allowed the pleasures of the world to distract us from the Lord’s victory feast?  How often haven’t we found ourselves more interested in earthly gain than heavenly peace?  How often haven’t our temporal families taken precedence over heeding God’s invitation?  How often haven’t we, too, made excuses when the Lord’s servants came to us delivering God’s invitation to celebrate His Son’s salvation victory? 

That, my friends, is to our shame, as is all of our sin.  But, what did Isaiah write?  “He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth.”  Yes, Jesus has taken away even these sins of weakness with His perfect life and sacrificial death.  Every sin was paid for by the slaughter of the holy Lamb of God so that we may rejoice in victory in His living presence at the banquet of heaven.

In the Revelation, St. John was given a vision of martyred saints crying out "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10)  In other words, God’s people wonder, how long until Judgment Day?  And the answer came to them, “that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (Revelation 6:11)  Thus, while the martyrs rest in heaven, the Christian Church on earth continues to wait eagerly for the Lord’s return, all the while recognizing Jesus as God’s Son, following Him as our Lord and Savior, worshiping Him, going to Him for comfort and help in every trouble, carrying His invitation to the far corners of the earth, and praising the Triune God for the salvation we couldn’t gain, but He has given to us through faith in Christ Jesus.

This morning as we gather in worship, and the Lord feeds us with His holy Word, and especially, each time we come to the altar and partake of Christ’s true body and blood in the bread and wine, we declare before God and man, " Look, here is our God!  We waited for him, and he saved us!  This is the Lord!  We waited for him.  Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”

Dear friends, trust always in the forgiveness and salvation Christ prepared for you on Calvary.  Know that all your sins were removed from you and put on Him, and for them, He paid the due penalty.  Rejoice for Jesus’ victory and that you have been invited to His eternal celebration, a banquet feast so magnificent that we can only begin to visualize its glory.  Rejoice in the Lord’s victory feast.  Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore.  Amen. 

Praise God He made Himself our God.

Sermon for Trinity Sunday, June 16, 2019

Almighty, everlasting God, by Your grace alone we are called into Your kingdom, that we might confess the true faith, acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, enjoy the blessing of Your providence with sincere thanksgiving, and in the power of Your divine majesty worship the true Unity; we give You our most hearty thanks and praise that, in Your holy Word, You have granted to us the clear and abundant revelation of Your being and purpose; and we humbly pray, give us grace to acknowledge, honor, and praise You always as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, who lives and reigns, one true God, now and forever.  Amen.

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

Romans 11:33–36  ³³Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how untraceable his ways!  ³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his adviser?”  ³⁵“Or who has first given to God that he will be repaid?”  ³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen. (EHV)

Praise God He made Himself our God.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            This morning, we contemplate and celebrate the mystery, majesty, and unity of the Trinity.  And, as we do so, we go forward with the understanding that this side of heaven we will struggle to understand the full depths of it all.  At the same time, Praise God He made Himself our God.

We live in a time when it is said that knowledge is expanding at an ever-increasing pace, and truly, mankind is discovering marvelous things about the universe, and we have technologies that were largely no more than science fiction just a few decades ago. 

At the same time, the majority of people in our world often imagine they have progressed far beyond what is really true, for as our explorations and manufacturing creativity have increased, so has our self-centered arrogance.  Even among Christians, today, it is common for people to question God’s Word, outright reject portions of it, or to twist it to say whatever new fancy they desire.  Just as common among many people is the idea that whatever god you worship is as good as any other.  In fact, to hold tight to faith in the God of the Bible leaves one open to mockery and attack.

In addressing the mystery of God, St. Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how untraceable his ways!”  How can we truly comprehend the omnipotence of God when everything in this universe is inside the vastness of God and yet God is not found in any part of this world as the pantheists imagine.  Instead, the physical world is the evidence that the Triune God is far greater than any other living thing, for He created it all by the power of His command.  And still, God is not a part of the physical world.

How can we understand God when His Spirit is uncontained by anything yet encompasses everything?  How can we understand the mystery of God when He is One Being yet three distinct persons in that One God?  How can we understand God when the Second person of the Three in One became part of our own human race by taking human flesh into the Godhead through the incarnation?  The answer is—we truly can’t wrap our minds around all of this.  In fact, apart from what God Himself reveals, we can imagine none of it.  Praise God, He wanted to reveal Himself to us, so that He might save us from the curse of sin and the condemnation it deserves.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his adviser?”  “Or who has first given to God that he will be repaid?”  Paul quotes the admonitions of the prophets to remind all of us that God’s ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)  As we gaze around this world, what part of its creation resulted from our creativity?  We weren’t there when God laid down the foundations of the earth and stocked its treasures. 

Much of our modern world is in uproar over the idea that we have to save the planet, but what is left unsaid is why.  Many of those who scream the loudest would claim there is no god, but if God didn’t exist, what difference would it make whether the world continues on?  There would be no reason to worry about whether the human race, or any other creature, would continue on in the future.  Yet, the conscience knows there will be a judgment, so the unbeliever, especially, fears God’s final reckoning.

You see, the human mind understands justice.  In fact, we crave it when we feel wronged.  But, oh how we fear it when we are the guilty ones.  By nature, mankind always expects that whatever made this marvelous world will judge us at some point.  We understand unconsciously that there will be some kind of evening out somewhere along the way.  Some people talk about karma, the imagined way of the playing field being leveled out over time.  But, who could ever imagine our Creator taking the punishment for the sins of the world upon Himself?  Who could imagine God becoming Man to make us acceptable to God?

All religions apart from Christianity scoff at those ideas.  At best, most of them see God as some distant being who takes no active role in the world.  Even if they confess a single deity, they see him through their own imaginations.  They see justice as something to be devised by men—carried out by works of retribution or self-sacrifice.  However, our text says, “Or who has first given to God that he will be repaid?”  What could we as sinners offer to God to mollify His just anger?  All we have to give is sin.  Everything else already belongs to God because He created it and gave it into our stewardship.  Whatever sacrifice we might think to make is only giving to God what is already His.

That’s why the Holy Spirit through Paul teaches us, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen.”  Only Christianity reveals to a world of sinners the God who made all things, then when betrayed by mankind promised a Savior, and ultimately entered this world to be that Savior in the body of a Man.  The God who made us, and everything else in creation that benefits us, also gave Himself as our Savior.  Praise God He made Himself our God. 

As we examine our own lives, it soon become apparent that we, too, have often sinned by questioning God, or His motives.  We might wonder why sometimes too much rain falls, or too little.  We might question why God allows death to steal away our loved ones.  Certainly, many question why God allows so much evil to continue in this world, as if it is God’s fault that people are wicked. 

That’s why to be truly Christian, truly a servant of the living God, and truly a member of His kingdom and family is simply to bow before God in humble acceptance of everything He has revealed about Himself, and about us.  So, when God’s law says we are sinners, we accept that as true, and believing Him, we fall to our knees in repentance pleading for His proffered mercy. 

When we look at the wonders of creation, we see God showing us His infinite wisdom, creativity, and generosity.  We look at what God has given us in our bodies, and we marvel at how it all works and how God continues to give life from one generation to the next in every kind of His creation.  However, more than just looking at the material world, we accept what God has said about the immaterial things.  Those things we cannot see are vastly more important than the things we can see, for this material world will be passing away, even as we witness its deterioration day by day.

God created this world to provide all things for His special creation, a creature formed individually in God’s own image.  That was the human race—created in perfection but ruined by the fall.  Yet, even after the fall into sin and our rebellion against our Creator, our Creator didn’t turn His back on us.  God continues to form us one baby at a time in the wombs of our mothers.  “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)  In spite of the wickedness of the world, and each of us individually, God allows everything to keep going and provides for all living things with the goal of saving for entrance into His heaven those who will believe in His mercy and grace, having been perfected by His atoning love.

Even beyond what God daily and richly provides for all living things, He gives us so much more by the power of His Word.  Through the Word made flesh God reveals Himself to the world.  Through the promises of the Gospel in His word, God reveals the rescue mission He has been working since Adam and Eve first listened to the snake.  In the person of Jesus, we see both God’s righteous justice and His perfect, unlimited grace.  God’s justice demands perfect obedience or condemnation unto death.  God’s love provided His perfectly holy Son to take our place in the condemnation.  In the person of Jesus, we see God’s forgiving, healing, creative power.  In the person of Jesus, we see God’s compassion for the fallen and weak.  In the person of Jesus, true God and true Man, we find peace with our Creator.

Furthermore, because we could never find God on our own, the Father and Son together send the Holy Spirit to transform our lives.  The Holy Spirit comes to us in Word and Sacrament to rouse us from the chains of death and spiritual blindness to give us sight and life, faith and hope, a new heart and a new home in His spiritual world.

Dear friends, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  That’s the God we have.  He tells it like it is.  Because of sin in this world, our lives on earth will be full of trouble.  Yet, rather than end the world before the appointed time, God came down from heaven to set us free from the bonds of death and the devil.  Thus, for the short while we remain here, we are not left alone, for Christ reigns at His Father’s side, interceding for us, ruling the world for our everlasting good, and sending His Holy Spirit to rescue us from darkness by the glory of His light. 

Without God’s continual intervention we would all be lost, but God doesn’t leave our salvation to chance—He intercedes on our behalf.  That’s the amazing goodness of the Triune God—merciful, loving, and kind beyond human imagination.  Praise God He made Himself our God.  Amen. 

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto everlasting life.  Amen.

Salvation is in the name of the LORD.

Sermon for Pentecost, June 2, 2019

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Joel 2:28-32  ²⁸After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.  Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.  Your old men will dream dreams.  Your young men will see visions.  ²⁹Even on the servants, both male and female, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.  ³⁰I will show warning signs in the heavens and on the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  ³¹The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying day of the Lord.  ³²And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  So on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has promised, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

Salvation is in the name of the LORD.

Dear friends in Christ,

            There is an old saying that “Some people can’t see the forest for the trees.”  I could give numerous examples of this, but none would serve better than our sermon text.  Some people get so caught up in Joel’s prophesy about signs and wonders that they miss the truly important point, which is that Salvation is in the name of the LORD.

Through the prophet, Joel, God Almighty declared, “After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.”  Some will, of course, focus on the “After this,” wondering with great speculation when this prophesy will be fulfilled.  Again, the point for us isn’t that we need to be concerned about the exact time but to focus our attention of what the Lord plans to do for us.  When we take God’s Word as a whole, it soon becomes evident that this prophesy is fulfilled after the Old Testament time frame, in other words, after Christ has lived and died for us all.  God will pour out His Spirit abundantly, and not just for a few but for all sinners, which means for all people who ever live. 

Our Epistle lesson showed us the fulfillment which Peter confirmed as he quoted this prophecy for the crowds of Jewish believers who questioned what was happening on Pentecost when everyone heard the wind of the Spirit, saw the tongues of flame on the disciples and heard them speak in diverse languages.  God was pouring out His Spirit for the blessing of all people yet to come.

The Lord God said, “Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.  Your old men will dream dreams.  Your young men will see visions.  Even on the servants, both male and female, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”  Some who miss the forest for the trees focus their attentions and their efforts on the signs.  Some go so far as to say that you’re not a real Christian if you don’t speak in tongues and prophesy future events.  But as they look for miraculous signs, they overlook the main miracle God intends here.  The primary miracle is that, through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit gives faith in Christ which gives us forgiveness and salvation.

Furthermore, there was to be a change between the Old and New Testament times.  In the past, only the prophets had the privilege of hearing messages from the Lord.  Even they only had a portion of the saving Word that God was giving through time.  That doesn’t mean they didn’t have enough to know salvation.  Rather, their faith was in an incomplete revelation. 

Those who seek further revelations, today, often do so because they are unsatisfied with what God has revealed.  However, in the words of the Bible, given through His apostles and prophets, God has given us everything we need to know about Jesus and the salvation He has won for all who will believe.  We need no further or greater revelation, nor does God promise to reveal day to day events.  Furthermore, this message of salvation isn’t withheld from the common person but is available to all people, rich and poor, mighty and small, men and women, rulers and servants.  To us God pours out His Spirit through the hearing of the Word and by the grace of Baptism.  In turn, we proclaim the message of God (which is what a prophet does) to any and all with whom we have the call to teach.

None of this means that we are all public preachers, or that we will all speak in tongues or be gifted with any of the other miracles God used to confirm who seal of authority on Jesus’ apostles.  The need for those signs has passed.  It is enough that Salvation is in the name of the LORD.

Now and again, Christians will run into people who are worried and stressed about the end times.  They want to know when the world will end, or how that end will take place.  Some of these worriers are Christians, but many faiths have people who are concerned about the end.  In fact, this is a natural state, for it is hardwired into every soul that there is a God who will judge us.  Joel told us that there would be many signs before the day of judgment happens, just as Jesus too foretold many signs that would take place before His return in glory. 

Joel was told, “I will show warning signs in the heavens and on the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying day of the Lord.”  Among the many other signs Jesus told us to watch for as a prelude to the last day, He said, "Immediately after the distress of those days " 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'  At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29-30 NIV 84)

The point of all those signs foretold by the prophets, and Jesus Himself, is to remind us to be ready at all times.  The Lord has not chosen to reveal in advance on what day He will return.  This too is for our good.  Lest people foolishly put off believing, or turning to Christ in repentance, while living in sin and debauchery expecting to switch allegiances just before the last moments of our journey on earth, believers are left here to serve the Lord in gladness and faith.  Those who live serving the devil’s wiles will likely continue in them right up until it is too late.  Salvation will not be found in gambling on the day of Jesus’ return.  Rather, Salvation is in the name of the LORD.

And that brings us to the point of our text, and really, the point of Joel’s whole book and the Bible, too: the Lord promised, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  So on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has promised, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”  God has made salvation available to those who believe and trust in Him.  Already in the early part of history, the Bible tells us, “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.  At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 4:26 NIV 84) 

What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?  It is worship and prayer, confession and absolution, asking for forgiveness and help in every need and trusting God’s answer in all things.  Does that sound at all familiar?  It’s what we still do every Sunday, and what we do as we journey through life in Christian faith—calling upon the name of the Lord for forgiveness and the promise of salvation through faith in Christ, holding to all of God’s Word as the full and final authority for living and for salvation unto eternal life. 

And where is this found?  Joel pointed to Mount Zion and Jerusalem.  It is the place of God’s presence, the place where Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world, where God the Father put His faithfulness on the line as He took out His justice for the sins of the world on His Son. 

Now, again, in those who are caught up in looking at the trees but miss the forest, you will hear all kinds of talk about the Christian Church needing to take back present day Jerusalem.  Many evangelicals and others think that present day Israel in important in making a way for Jesus to return.  Yet, that’s all focusing on externals that accomplish nothing.  Jesus has already done everything needed to save us.  He has already promised to prepare a home in heaven for His followers.  He emphatically stated that His kingdom is not of this world.  Therefore, the politics of this world are irrelevant. 

Today, Mount Zion and Jerusalem, the presence of God, is found in the hidden Church wherever the Gospel is proclaimed in its truth and purity and the Sacraments are rightly administered.

Joel prophesied, “There will be deliverance, as the Lord has promised, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”  I think this is such an interesting turn of a phrase for our modern ears.  If you study biology, you will learn of the difference between species that are existing and those that are surviving.  A species that exists is alive but no longer reproducing enough to keep itself going.  It is destined to extinction.  A surviving species is doing well through good times and the tough times that come along in the world.  There is a similarity among people.  Survivors are those who believe in Jesus, trust that He has redeemed them from sin, death, and the devil, and has them in His care unto life everlasting in the heavenly home He has prepared for us.  On the other hand are those who merely exist through this world.  Yes, they are physically alive, but they have no future.  When their bodies lie in dust, there time of grace comes to an end and the only future for them is eternal torment in prison prepared for the devil and his followers.  What a horrible fate awaits those who don’t believe.

But dear friends, for you and me and all who believe in Jesus with sincere hearts, we have the assurance that God Almighty has poured His Holy Spirit on us, and therefore, we will survive through whatever this world might throw against us.  The Lord God has redeemed us, cleansed us of our sins, washed us in the blood of His Son’s sacrifice, and raised us to life everlasting.  That’s what it means when the Lord God teaches that Salvation is in the name of the LORD.  Amen.

Now to the King eternal, to the immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The Spirit comforts us with Christ.

Sermon for Easter 7, June 2, 2019

Elect in the sanctification of the Spirit: grace to you and peace be multiplied forever from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

John 15:26-16:4  ²⁶“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.  ²⁷And you also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”  ^16:1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.  ²They will put you out of the synagogues.  In fact, a time is coming when anyone who murders you will think he is offering a service to God.  ³They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.  ⁴But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you may remember that I told them to you.  I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.” (EHV)

The Spirit comforts us with Christ.

We pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks to You that through Your Holy Spirit, You have appointed us to bear witness of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: we humbly pray, since the world hates such testimony and persecutes us in so many ways, grant us courage and comfort, that we may not be offended by the cross or entrapped by the torments of this world, but continue steadfastly in Your truth and be always found among those who know You and Your Son, until we obtain eternal salvation through the same Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            To an unbeliever, it might sound like Jesus’ disciples would be getting a raw deal.  They were called to proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the world and King of all creation, but here, Jesus promised them that if they were faithful in their service, they could expect to be thrown forcefully out of the synagogues, hunted down by His enemies, and likely even killed. 

Most people would naturally expect that serving the Son of God would bring better perks.  Indeed, Peter once asked Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you!  What then will there be for us?" (Matthew 19:27)  Thus, we see that even Jesus’ closest disciples were expecting rewards, not persecution, and I think that most people, today, still expect to benefit themselves by being faithful.

However, in this short text, Jesus lets us know that while we are here on earth, being a Christian won’t always be easy.  As we consider our Savior’s words this morning, remember that Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure from this world.  Jesus wanted to assure His followers that though He was leaving this world, and they wouldn’t be able to see Him every day, they needn’t be afraid, for they would not be alone as they carried out the tasks He was giving them. 

Because it sounds like Jesus is warning His followers, you may, at first glance, not catch the comfort promised here, but from this text, we should learn that The Spirit comforts us with Christ. 

Jesus was telling His disciples about the Helper.  The Greek word is “paraclete.”  You will see it translated, “Helper,” “Advocate,” or “Comforter,” but another good choice is “Counselor,” as we see it here.  If you break down the word from its verb root, parakaleō, it means someone who calls you to his side, so it makes a really good, descriptive name for the Holy Spirit.  He is the One who calls us over to Jesus.  So, we can see why this third person of the Trinity is often called the Helper, Comforter, or Counselor.  He is the one who counsels us with comforting news—the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Now, I will grant you that the disciples already knew Jesus.  As He said, they had been with Jesus from the beginning, under His kind instruction for three years, already.  They had heard Jesus teach so many things, seen His many miracles, yet they still didn’t truly understand His mission.  They had some weaknesses in their understanding that kept them from fully grasping the salvation Jesus had come to win for us all, but when His Helper would come, their understanding and faith would grow by leaps and bounds. 

Today, you and I need to understand how the Spirit works.  There are lots of people in our world who think the Helper’s visit always comes in some grand physical or emotional experience like He came to the disciples on Pentecost.  Yet, Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.”  The Holy Spirit is not some wild force running His own entertainment show sprinkling miraculous signs here and there.  Rather, “the Counselor…the Spirit of truth,” comes to us in the testimony about Jesus Christ.  In other words, Jesus tells us that the Spirit comes to us in the proclamation of the Gospel. 

Now, notice that Jesus doesn’t say that the Spirit will teach people to obey some new law, and He doesn’t say that the Spirit will be waging wars in the physical world.  The Spirit isn’t even sent to protect us from all the troubles, problems, and persecutions the enemy sends against us.  Rather, the Spirit testifies of Christ Jesus.  Whenever and wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit is teaching us to trust in the forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life that Jesus won for all. 

Those who preach salvation by works of law are following some other spirit.  No amount of obedience to any law will ever make us right with God, because by nature we are always imperfect in our obedience.  However, The Holy Spirit comforts us with Christ.  Jesus has done everything necessary so that we can stand before His Father without fear, as the Spirit testifies through St. Paul, saying, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Jesus told His disciples, "And you also are going to testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”  The Spirit would be working in and through the disciples, because they had been chosen to witness every part of the work Jesus accomplished on earth, so that they could proclaim to the rest of us their eyewitness accounts.  The twelve, in particular, were chosen to observe the events and actions of Jesus’ life and then to proclaim to the world what Jesus had said and done: His holy life, His miracles that defied the laws of nature, His suffering and death on the cross, His resurrection from the grave on the third day, and ultimately, His glorious return to heaven.  Jesus’ disciples witnessed it all, and they testify to all generations that follow, so that we have verification of the salvation Jesus has won for us. 

A few of the disciples were also given the task of writing down the words of the Spirit so that no one would be left out.  Peter later declared, “Prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)  And St. John wrote, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

In the days immediately after Jesus’ death, His disciples were terrified of those who might seek their harm.  But what a change we saw after the Spirit came to them.  For the rest of their lives, they boldly proclaimed Christ crucified wherever they went, to friend and foe alike, to the slave and humble citizen, to governors, priests, and kings.  And when commanded to stop, Jesus’ followers could only declare, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20)  That had become their chief purpose, and also ours. 

Some of you may think that I am up her preaching about Christ because it’s my job, and some people may think you talk about Jesus because you are obeying His command, but we preach Christ crucified because we can’t help ourselves.  The Spirit motivates us to speak through the peace of knowing the salvation of our God.  The joy of hearing the Good News of Jesus compels us to share our faith with others.  No human command makes us preach the truth of Christ, and no prohibition will stop the believer who is motivated by the Spirit to speak. 

Out of love, Jesus was preparing His disciples for the opposition they would face.  So that they would not be dismayed nor turn away from His salvation when threats, jail time, torture, beatings and even death came their way, Jesus said, " I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.  They will put you out of the synagogues.  In fact, a time is coming when anyone who murders you will think he is offering a service to God.  They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.”  Throughout history, unbelievers have reacted violently to the message of the gospel.  Stephen was the first to be killed for preaching Christ.  Many more would follow in his footsteps. 

According to church tradition, of all the apostles, only John may have died a natural death.  In the centuries after Christ’s ascension, thousands upon thousands of Christians were marched to their death for the sport of unbelievers, yet like the apostles when they were beaten and imprisoned, these witnesses went “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:41) 

In the middle ages, too, many people died because of the laws of evil men who misused the church.  Martin Luther was excommunicated, with his life under constant threat, because he wouldn’t deny his faith in Christ Jesus.  Even today, people suffer and die for their faith in Jesus, yet the Spirit continues to strengthen believers against the trials and torments of those who refuse to know Jesus or the Father.

Jesus said, "They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.”  We shouldn’t be surprised that those who reject Jesus will also reject us.  His grace terrifies them.  It reminds them of their sin against God which the corrupt nature doesn’t want to admit.  The men who stoned Stephen were confident that they were serving their God, but what it really showed is that they were serving a false god, a god of this world, an idol, but not the Father in heaven.  The same is true today.  Those who reject Christ may believe they serve a god, but it’s not the true God who created the world and then died to save it from sin and the devil.

Still, through all the trials and torments this world dishes out, The Spirit comforts us with Christ.  Through Word and Sacrament, the Spirit fills Jesus’ followers with comfort and hope, strengthening us so that we never lose faith.  To protect us from despair, we are assured that just as Jesus rose from the grave, so shall we.  Because Jesus paid for all our sins and took the punishment we so rightly deserved, our Father in heaven has declared us forgiven of all sin for Jesus’ sake, so the curse of sin no longer hangs over our heads.  As the Holy Spirit assures us, “whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.” (Romans 14:8)  We are comforted by the knowledge that the Lord has a home for us in heaven that nothing in this world can ever compare to, or take away.

So, my friends, when we face trouble or persecution for our faith, we can rest assured that this is exactly what Jesus said we should expect for following Him.  Trouble itself doesn’t comfort us, for this world is full of trouble.  Rather, when we suffer for Jesus’ sake, the Spirit assures us with the comfort of Christ Jesus and His Gospel.  With Christ’s body and blood, the Spirit assures us that God’s Son sacrificed His life for our sins.  All our sins have been washed away by the blood Jesus shed on the cross, and the words of the Spirit proclaiming Christ’s glory and His resurrection tell us that the Father is satisfied. 

You may be wondering about the final sentence of our text.  Jesus said, “I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.”  Jesus wasn’t withholding information.  The disciples simply hadn’t needed to know this earlier.  And, it wasn’t just that Jesus was protecting them from the world, for Jesus continues to preserve and protect all who follow Him.  The psalmist wrote, “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)  Jesus was protecting His disciples, but there is more to the story. 

While Jesus still walked with His disciples here on earth, the forces that opposed the Father were concentrating on defeating Jesus.  The devil didn’t much care about stopping the disciples while he still hoped he could bring defeat God’s Son.  So, for those thirty-three years, the devil, and all those who were his, concentrated their wicked efforts against Jesus.  All the torment that Satan could dish out; all the abuse that those who hated Jesus and His Father could bring to force, Jesus took for you and me.  For you and me and all His disciples, Jesus carried the full weight of pain, sorrow, and opposition.  So, if you ever feel like the world’s persecution is too hard to bear, know that Jesus has already lived through that for you. 

More than that, Jesus carried the whole world’s load of grief, guilt, and shame so that you can know that no matter what this world throws against you, your home in Paradise is secure.  Your Savior is already there preparing a place for you.  The world can kill your body, but it cannot take your life.  The Spirit assures us time and again that our salvation isn’t up to us.  It was accomplished for us by Christ Jesus.  Believe in Him and the troubles of this world are soon over, for Jesus will take us home, just as He promised Peter in response to the question of what would be ours for leaving all to follow Jesus: "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matt. 19:28-29 NIV 84)  As always, The Spirit comforts us with Christ.  Amen.

            The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto everlasting life.  Amen.