Category: Easter Vigil

Raised for the Sake of Our Justification

4/3/2021

James Tissot, The Resurrection, 1886-94. Public Domain.

Easter Vigil
Romans 4:25
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
April 3, 2021

“Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

If you ask any three-year-old child, who regularly goes to church, why Jesus died on the cross, you will hear something like, “to take away my sins.” This is the simplest answer that even our little children can accept. Sin is bad. You are punished for doing bad things. Jesus was punished for our bad things in our place. Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses. Yet, this is a very difficult thing to accept. Our guilty consciences do not want to accept this truth. Our reason is offended that Christ could be punished for the sins of another. Yet, this is clearly what the Bible teaches.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. … the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6b) “For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) “The Son of Man came not to be served by to serve, and to give his life as ransom for man.” (Matthew 20:28) St. Paul did not make up that Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses. This is the clear and persistent message of Holy Scripture. What we remembered this Friday was done in payment for our sins. Our sins were laid upon Jesus for him to take them to the cross.
And was raised up for our justification. What does this mean? The Greek can be translated one of two ways: He was raised up on account of our justification, or he was raised up for the sake of our justification. These seem to be two very different interpretations. The first says that Jesus was raised because of our justification. The second says that he was raised up so that we are justified. Which one is the correct interpretation? Well, they are both in fact true!
Jesus was raised up on account of our justification. That is to say, Jesus was raised up because we are justified. Jesus went to the cross bearing all of our sins. He bore the agony for them. Even before the chief priests laid a hand on him or even the betrayer kissed his cheek, Jesus was bleeding drops of blood in the garden with a soul agonizing to the point of death. So weighed down was he already with the guilt of the whole world. When Jesus paid the debt of our sin, our sins were taken away forever. They were drowned in the depths of the sea. They were nailed to the cross. They were washed away in his blood. They were released, covered, not counted, and whatever other language from Scripture you want to use to describe them. Jesus’ death paid the debt of our sin, so that they are gone forever.
And on account of this, because Jesus had no sin of his own to die for, Jesus was raised, because God accepted his payment for our sins and had declared us justified. Because God counted us just, Jesus rose from the dead. When Jesus rose from the dead, he was vindicated. What does it mean to be vindicated? It means to be declared innocent, to be proven to be in the right. Jesus had no sins of his own. He did not die for his own sins. Had Jesus had sins of his own, had he been guilty in any way, then he would not have risen from the dead. But, by the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead, he was vindicated. He was cleared of all guilt. Jesus’ resurrection proves that his teaching is the truth. Jesus’ resurrection proves that he is the Son of God. Jesus’ resurrection proves that we are justified before God.
Jesus’ vindication is our justification. Justification means that God has declared you righteous and innocent of all sin. Jesus was vindicated in his resurrection, because it proved that he had no sins of his own and that he had the power to pay for our sins. Jesus’ resurrection proves that we are justified, because had our sins been too much for him to pay, then he would have remained dead in the tomb.
And this then proves the second interpretation correct. Jesus was raised up for the sake of our justification. We are justified. How do we know? Because Christ is risen from the dead. If Christ did not rise, then we would still be in our sins. We would be of all people most to be pitied. Our faith would be in vain. Yet, since Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, we know that we are justified before God. How could we not be? If Christ died for our sins and is now risen, then our sins must be gone! So, it is clear, that Jesus was raised for the sake of our justification. God raised him from the dead not only to vindicate Christ, but to justify us!
We can only be justified through faith. That is to say, we can only receive a good relationship with God and receive the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection when we believe that God finds us innocent for Christ’s sake. We must not only believe that Jesus died and rose. We must believe that he has done this for us and for our salvation. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Abraham was declared righteous before he had done any works. God justified Abraham through his faith. This is how Noah was found righteous. This is how Moses was justified. This is how the three men in the fiery furnace were saved. It is through faith alone. But these things were not written for their sake only. They were written for us. We too will be justified before God through faith when we believe that Christ Jesus was delivered up to the cross on account of our trespasses and that he was raised, because God has justified us.
Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. But I don’t feel at peace with God. I feel my sin. But faith does not have to do with feelings, but with facts. God has justified us for Christ’s sake. But, because our sinful flesh still hangs on to us, we still sin and we still feel sinful. That is why we must repent of our sins daily and cling to the promise of Christ’s justification for us. Because we are justified, our new selves will fight against our sinful flesh. Everyday our sinful flesh will grow weaker. Everyday our new self will become stronger. Through this faith, we will continue to grow in love and confess Christ with our actions until we finally shed this sinful flesh once and for all and are raised with Christ in righteousness and purity forever. Amen.

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Easter Vigil 2019 I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting

4/23/2019

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The Resurrection,ca. 1562–63 Philips Galle Netherlandish. metmuseum.org Public Domain

John 20:1-18
April 20, 2019

Why did Mary Magdalene go to Jesus’ tomb so early on that Sunday morning? Mary Magdalene is known as the first witness of the empty tomb and of the risen Christ, but why was she there? She went there, as the other Gospels tell us, in order to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. You see, when Jesus died, they were in a rush to bury him. It was only a few hours before sundown. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night and runs until sundown Saturday evening. Jews are not permitted to do any work on the Sabbath. So, in just a few short hours Joseph of Arimathea got permission from Pilate to take Jesus’ dead body down from the cross, then they brought him to a nearby tomb in the garden, and he and Nicodemus hurriedly prepared Jesus’ body for burial, binding his body with a mixture of myrrh and aloes as was the burial custom of the Jews. But the women, including Mary Magdalene, did not have time to anoint Jesus with their spices before the men closed the tomb with a large stone and the sun went down. So, the women spent the Sabbath preparing spices to bring to Jesus’ body first thing Sunday morning.
But why? Why was it the burial custom of the Jews to wrap the body with spices? Why did Mary and the other women feel the need to put expensive smelling oils and rubs on a corpse? The answer: Because they believed in the resurrection of the body. Mary was at the tomb so early on Sunday morning, because she firmly believed in the resurrection of the dead.
Now, that might sound odd, because Mary was so surprised when she saw Jesus risen from the dead. She didn’t even recognize his voice or even his face through her teary eyes. If she believed in the resurrection, why was she so surprised? Well, because she didn’t expect the resurrection to happen that day!
Mary was a Bible-believing Jew. That’s why she believed in the resurrection. All faithful followers of the Lord believed in the resurrection of the dead. That is why it was the burial custom of the Jews to anoint a dead body with oils and spices. They treated the body with respect in order to confess their belief that God would raise that body from the dead. It is why we too treat our dead with respect and bury their bodies to await the resurrection.
The resurrection of the dead is taught throughout the Old Testament both implicitly and explicitly. In Job chapter 19 Job confesses, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” (vss. 25-27) God speaks through the prophet, Isaiah in chapter 26, “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” The prophet, Daniel sees in a vision, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (12:2)
The belief in the resurrection of the dead by the faithful is what caused Abraham to be so diligent in procuring a burial place for his wife, Sarah. It is why Jacob insisted that his children bury him in the promised land and Joseph’s last will was that his bones be carried out of Egypt and buried in Israel. The Psalmist confesses the resurrection of the dead in Psalm 6, “For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?”
Yes, there have been those who even claimed to worship the true God who have denied the resurrection of the body. Jesus himself shut down the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection when he said, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:32-32)
The resurrection of the dead has always been a firm belief of God’s people from Adam to Mary Magdalene. This is why when Jesus told Martha that her brother Lazarus would rise again, she faithfully answered, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” And there you see why Mary Magdalene was so surprised. She believed in the resurrection of the dead, but she was only thinking about the Last Day. She didn’t expect Jesus to rise on this day!
And that was the great lesson Mary learned on that day and which we learn today as well. Unless Jesus rises from the dead on this Easter Day, there will be no resurrection from the dead on the Last Day! When Martha so beautifully confessed the resurrection of the dead even as her brother laid dead in a tomb, Jesus answered her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)
When you think of it, it is quite remarkable that the Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead! God told Adam that on the day that he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would surely die. And he did die; first spiritually, and then eventually physically. And all Adam’s children died with the exception of Enoch and Elijah. As St. Paul tells us, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). All people are sinners. So, all people will die. So, why on earth did the Jews believe in a resurrection of the dead? Well, because they believed in the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus came to forgive our sins. He is the sacrifice foretold by Isaiah, who would bear the iniquity of God’s people. Jesus bore the sins of the whole world on his body and soul and died for them. Jesus bore not only the punishment of Roman soldiers and the shame from the Jewish people on the cross. Jesus bore God’s divine punishment for all sins upon his soul. Jesus made atonement for us and appeased God’s wrath. Scripture teaches us in Colossians chapter 2, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (vss. 13-14)
All the sins of the whole world were put on Jesus; sins, which keep us in our graves. Yet, Jesus, who took ownership of our sins, rose from the dead. There is not a sin you have committed or ever will commit that was not placed upon Jesus. And Jesus rose from the dead. That means that Jesus indeed took care of your sins. That means that you too will rise from the dead.
Mary Magdalene believed in the resurrection of the dead, but until she saw Jesus alive after his death, she did not understand how it would come about. Now she does. And she awaits the resurrection of her body even as we look forward to the resurrection of ours. All who believe in Jesus Christ will not only rise from their graves, but will live forever with him. Rejoice, my fellow Christians. You are not dead in your sins. Christ is risen. He is risen in deed. Alleluia! Amen.

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Keeping Vigil: The Christian Life

3/31/2018

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John 20:1-18
March 31, 2018

Tonight, we keep the Easter Vigil. To keep vigil means to keep watch. On this holy night we keep vigil for our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, this isn't simply us playing pretend, keeping vigil at Jesus' tomb with great anticipation for his resurrection from the dead. Christians have been keeping vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday, to keep watch for the return of the resurrected Christ. This holy evening is an appropriate time for such a vigil, because the fact that Christ rose from the grave gives us assurance that he will also return in his risen form and give to us new life.

Yet, keeping vigil doesn't simply mean to stay awake. We need to be attentive. We stay attentive for Christ's resurrection and glorious return by focusing on God's Word. The lengthy Old Testament lessons we heard tonight all point toward the fact that Christ would rise from the dead bodily and give new hope to all who believe in him.

It is also a tradition to perform baptisms during the Easter Vigil, because of the beautiful connection St. Paul draws between Christ's death and resurrection and Baptism, as we just heard, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His." (Romans 6:3ff)

And so, it is especially appropriate that Callel, Carah, and Emily were brought to the saving waters of Baptism tonight. On this night we are keeping vigil by focusing on God's Word and the fulfillment of God's Word in Christ Jesus. Yet, the entire Christian life is a life-long vigil, keeping watch for the return of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tonight Callel, Carah, and Emily began their holy vigil when they were baptized. Their entire life from now on will be one of hearing and learning God's Word and in-so-doing, they will be keeping watch, as our Lord Jesus warns, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13)

Our first reading on which we meditated tonight was the creation account from Genesis 1 and 2. This historical record should always be on the mind of the Christian, as we confess in the creed, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth." Our God is a powerful God. He created the entire universe with only his word! Which gives us confidence in the power of God's Word, to forgive, even to grant new birth to three small children with a few splashes of water! God is the source of all life and he is certainly able to give new life, as we know from the resurrection of Christ. God is the source of all things good. After each day of his creation, he called all his work, "good." So, we know that the new heaven and earth, which God will create to be our eternal habitation, will most certainly be good. All of our following meditations on Scripture must keep this in mind, that our God is the powerful creator of all things, that he exercises such power through his word, that he is the source of all life and can give new life, and that everything he does is good.

Our second meditation was on the flood account from Genesis chapters 7, 8, and 9. This account, perhaps above all others, shows us the necessity of our life-long vigil. Our Lord says in Matthew chapter 24, "For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. … Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." (vss. 37-39, 42) This certainly is a solemn warning. We can see ourselves being caught up in the cares of this world, distracted by eating and drinking, marriage, jobs, and pleasures, many of which are not sinful in and of themselves, but we permit these things to distract us from our vigil for our Lord. And if we fail to keep vigil, we will not be prepared, because no one knows when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead.

The flood also gives us a picture of Baptism, as St. Peter writes, "God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:20-21) Noah's flood is an historical event. It really did happen. Scripture declares it and even geological records verify it. Yet, this cataclysmic event also serves as a type of Baptism, that is, it gives us a visual lesson of what happens in Baptism.

God destroyed all life on earth through the flood because of the great wickedness and violence of mankind, as is made clear in Genesis chapter 6, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (vs. 5) Likewise, within hearts of Callel, Carah, and Emily, from their conception, was only sin and evil. They were inclined toward sin and unbelief and away from true faith in God. So, just as God washed away all sin in the great deluge, so also, he washed away all sin in the hearts of Callel, Carah, and Emily as water was poured upon their heads in Baptism. Of course, the little bit of water that wet their hair did not wash away their sins, but the Holy Spirit, who works through God's Word in the waters of Baptism did this.

And as Noah and his family were kept safe in the ark, separated from the wicked world and death, so Luther's Baptismal prayer requests that God grant that Callel, Carah, and Emily be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving God's name at all times with all believers in God's promise. Baptism places the baptized into the safety of the Church, where Christians keep vigil and are made a distinct people, separated by God from the unbelieving world. And so, in our meditation on Noah's flood, we recognize the great work God does and continues to do in Baptism.

Our third meditation was on God's deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea from Exodus chapter 14. This too connects to Baptism, as they entered the water as slaves, but came out free. And their slaveholders, who followed them into the sea drowned in the tides of the sea. And so, Callel, Carah, and Emily entered Baptism as slaves of Satan, sin, and death, but they emerged free citizens of heaven. And all sin and death was drowned in the Baptismal waters, even as Pharoah and his army were drowned in the Red Sea.

This is a wonderful illustration of Baptism. Yet, it is important to note that Israel did not enter immediately into the promised land after crossing the Red Sea. And neither do the baptized enter heaven immediately after Baptism. Rather, as Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years between their crossing of the Red Sea and final crossing of the Jordan River, so we baptized children of God must contend in the wilderness of this world, keeping vigil until we cross the Jordan into heaven. Baptism isn't a magic trick that gives salvation even to those who do not have faith. St. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness." (vss. 1-5)

And so, we should guard ourselves from the misleading notion that Baptism saves apart from faith. Those who cross through the Red Sea must keep constant vigil on God's Word lest they deny the salvation granted them in their Baptism.

Our fourth meditation is a favorite Bible story of many children. And why shouldn't it be? God's tremendous miracle kept the three men alive in a fiery furnace! Yet, our focus for this meditation is on the words of the three men before they were thrust into the fire. "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." These three men had faith that God could save them from the fiery furnace, but they did not necessarily have faith that he would. Nevertheless, they refused to worship a false god. They would have rather burned to death than break their vigil. And they teach us a great lesson. God certainly is able to save you from many physical disasters. And he has no doubt rescued you from many calamities, most of which you are oblivious of. Yet, these three faithful teach us that nothing in this life is as precious as the heavenly gift God gives to those who trust him. It is better to die than deny Christ, who bought us.

Our final meditation is on the resurrection from John chapter 20. This is the event to which all Scripture points. And it is this historical event on which our vigil depends. As St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. … But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (vss. 12-14, 20-22)

This is why we keep vigil! This is why we have faith that Christ will return and give new life to our mortal bodies. This is why we daily turn from our sins and remember our baptism, that we are joined to Christ's death and resurrection and shall experience eternal life without sin! This is why we come together on the first of the week every week to celebrate Christ's resurrection, because this gives us hope in our own resurrection! This weekly gathering is essential to our life-long vigil.

The resurrection of Christ is proof that what we heard Jesus suffer last night for our sins was not in vain. Our sins truly are washed away, and all who are joined to Christ in faith will live again. We look forward to Christ's return with hope. And through this hope we are given strength to watch another hour. Here we learn that our vigil is not in vain! May God bless your vigil this evening with increased faith and may he keep you in your vigil until you meet its glorious end. Christ is risen! Amen.

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Vigil of Easter: Those Who Sow in Tears Shall Reap with Shouts of Joy

4/15/2017

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Psalm 30
Psalm 126
John 20:1-18

"Those who sow in tears
Shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
Bearing the seed for sowing,
Shall come home with shouts of joy,
Bringing sheaves with him." Psalm 126:5-6

"Weeping may tarry for the night,
But joy comes with the morning. …
… You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloths,
That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Psalm 30:5b, 11-12

Jesus sows in tears and reaps with joy. Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was a gardener. Indeed Christ is the Gardener. In fact, he himself is the Seed, prophesied of by God himself in the garden; the Seed promised to be at enmity with the ancient serpent, the enemy of God and all who belong to him; the Seed promised to crush the head of Satan; the Seed that would be sown with tears and bloody sweat.

Jesus sowed his very body and soul in tears; tears for the sins of mankind, tears for those for whom he prayed, "Father forgive them. For they know not what they do!"; tears that streamed down his cheeks as he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!"; tears for Jerusalem; tears for you and me; tears mixed with sweat and blood, poured into the earth crying for forgiveness.

These are not tears of despair and neither is the joy in Jesus' resurrection one of surprise. No, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing as he shed those tears for you. He was making the field ready to bear much fruit, as he himself said before his death, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24) And so our Lord knowingly fulfilled Scripture and his own words by dying for the sins of the world, for your sins and mine, by being sown into the ground, buried in the earth, dead, yet with the certain hope of rising from the dead and bearing much fruit. That fruit is you and me and all who believe in this Seed of Eve, sown into the ground for our sake.

When Christ rose from the dead, he fulfilled what was spoken by King David the prophet in Psalm 30,

"I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
And you have healed me.
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit." (Psalm 30:1-3)

Our sister Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb. Like us she kept vigil for her Lord. We Christians weep. We mourn our sins. We mourn the pain our iniquities bring upon our Lord. We mourn the destruction of the world, which God created to be good. These are not tears of despair. Rather we sow with tears of faith as those humble, who will be exalted by God. We weep with Christ, rejecting the riches of this world, rejecting the fleeting pleasures of this life, so that we may reap a life much greater without sin or sadness, as Jesus said, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25)

Those who will not weep, who will not mourn their sins will not reap in joy. Many choose to rejoice in this life, and so they will lose it. Their joy will turn to sorrow.
And so we weep. We repent of our sins. We plead to God for forgiveness. And we rise out of the dirt forgiven and alive in Christ. And so even tonight is fulfilled in us what was spoken by the Psalmist,

"When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongues with shouts of joy;
Then they said among the nations,
'The LORD has done great things for them.'
The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad." (Psalm 126:1-3)

Jesus was sown into the heart of the earth, fertilized and watered with his own tears, sweat, and blood. And he bore much fruit. You are that fruit. Jesus is your Gardener. He has sown you into his own tomb and watered you with his blood and tears, as St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) You have been united to Christ in his death and resurrection. You have been sown with him into the ground, with blood and tears. As surely as the baptismal waters washed you, so is this true. So in faith do you rise from the grave every day, sins forgiven. Your sins are buried in Jesus' tomb. Just as Christ rose justified before God the Father, so too do you stand with a right relationship with your God.

We Christians will continue to weep, because we continue to sin. And we continue to live in a world that hates our God and Savior. People continue to fall away from the faith, scandal continues to shake the church and our homes, and temptation and death prey on us. So we weep tears of faith, keeping vigil for our Lord, praying, "Thy kingdom come, forgive us our trespasses, lead us out of temptation, deliver us from evil." And every time we repent, God raises us up. And just as surely as God raised up Jesus after he was sown into the earth, so too will you be raised up. St. Paul preaches, "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power." (1 Corinthians 15:42-43) And so you who die today will rise with Christ.

Weeping may tarry through the night, but joy comes in the morning. Morning is coming. You weep now, but your weeping will end. The prophecy of St. John is still yet to be fulfilled,
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)
Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

Raised for the Sake of Our Justification

Easter Vigil 2019 I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting

Keeping Vigil: The Christian Life

Vigil of Easter: Those Who Sow in Tears Shall Reap with Shouts of Joy

Rev. James Preus

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