Blog Archives

Cantate (Easter 5): The Holy Spirit Teaches Us to Sing

4/30/2018

John 16:5-15
April 29, 2018

Children don't know what's best for them. It's true. They will often even argue with their parents to avoid doing things that are good for them. But parents generally know better than their kids about what's good for them. And this, in a far more superlative way, is the relationship between God and us. God knows what is good for us much better than we do.

Jesus' disciples are sorrowful, because Jesus is going to leave them. But he informs them that this is actually good for them, because if he does not leave them, the Helper will not come to them. The Helper, also known as the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, and Holy Spirit comes to us for our own benefit. If you are to be a Christian, you want the Holy Spirit to come to you.

When Jesus says that he is going to the Father, he's not saying he's going to take a long road trip. No, Jesus' path to the Father is through suffering and death on the cross. He will return to his Father risen from the dead with nail printed hands and feet and a pierced side, proof of his labor on our behalf.

So, why is to our advantage to receive the Holy Spirit, if the cost to receive him is Jesus' gruesome death upon the cross? Because, the Holy Spirit is sent by Christ to deliver to you all that Jesus has earned for you through his suffering and death: forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life. If Jesus does not suffer for your sins, the Holy Spirit has nothing to deliver to you. And if the Holy Spirit does not give to you what is Christ's, then you will die in your sins.

The Holy Spirit preaches. And in his preaching, he convicts, that is, he exposes the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Jesus. Unbelief is the root of all sin. The reason people disobey their parents, murder, cheat, steal, and lie, is because of a lack of faith in God. Unbelief causes one to disregard God's command, judgment, and providence. And in light of Jesus' crucifixion on the cross, which paid the punishment for all sin, unbelief becomes the only sin, as Jesus says in John 3:18, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Therefore, the Holy Spirit exposes the world of their sin by exposing them of their unbelief and rejection of Christ.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness, because Jesus goes to the Father. That is, the Holy Spirit declares the world righteous, because Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the world. Now, wait a minute. I thought the Holy Spirit convicted the world of sin. How can the Holy Spirit then declare the world righteous? Because the Holy Spirit must first convict the world of sin, before he can declare them righteous by God. This is what St. Paul says in Galatians chapter 3, "But the Scripture imprisoned everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." (vs 22) and again in Romans 11, "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all." The Holy Spirit convicts everyone of sin, so that he might have mercy on them all by declaring forgiveness won by Christ.

The Holy Spirit convicts all people of sin. There is no person, who is not under the condemnation of sin, because all people are sinners. Yet, Jesus died for the sins of all people. Therefore, there is not a single person, whose sins have not been forgiven by the merits of Jesus' death and resurrection. This is why the Holy Spirit convicts all people of sin, so that they can see their need for forgiveness. This is called preaching the law. This is also why the Holy Spirit convicts everyone of righteousness, by proclaiming that Jesus has taken your sins away. This is called preaching the Gospel. When people believe that their sins are forgiven, they are believing in an objective fact. Christ has earned forgiveness for everyone. Only lack of faith stands between a sinner and justification before God.

Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. The ruler of this world is Satan. His sole endeavor is to destroy Jesus' sheep and cause them to go to hell. He attempts to lead them into sin by enticing us sinners with our own sinful desires. And he accuses us of our transgressions before God himself. But now that Christ has gone to the Father by the path of his suffering and death, our adversary has been silenced, cast down, and condemned. He's judged once and for all. God's judgment is final. We are justified by the blood of Jesus. Satan's schemes have failed. This final judgment and imprisonment of the devil will take place on the Last Day, yet the Holy Spirit comforts us with this fact even now.

All this is to our benefit! It is good for us that Jesus went away and that he sends the Holy Spirit to us. Had Christ not paid our ransom, we would be trapped in sin. And had he not sent the Holy Spirit to us, we would be without faith and would not receive the victory from him.

Yet, an important question remains. How does the Holy Spirit do this? Where do we find the Holy Spirit's work? And this is a very frustrating thing. Because, although Jesus tells us that it is to our benefit that he send us the Holy Spirit, many, like stubborn children, refuse to believe Jesus that it is to their benefit to receive the Holy Spirit. Yet, there are many others, who, recognize that they need the Holy Spirit, yet seek him in all the wrong places. They seek the Holy Spirit by trying to speak in tongues or prophecy or through miraculous healings. Yet, it is not only Pentecostals and other charismatic groups that seek the Holy Spirit in these ways. Even Lutherans try to get a personal relationship with Jesus and contact with the Holy Spirit in completely unbiblical ways. They think they can get in touch with the Holy Spirit while in the deer stand or by meditating on their own thoughts.

So, how do you receive the Holy Spirit? How does he come to you? Through his word! St. Peter says, "Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21) The Holy Spirit speaks through Scripture. This also means that the Holy Spirit speaks through the preaching of the Gospel. On the night of his resurrection, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit," before he charged them with forgiving the sins of repentant sinners. And after Jesus sent his Holy Spirit upon his disciples on Pentecost, they began to preach the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit also works through the Sacraments, because the Sacraments depend on God's Word. St. Peter says, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) And St. Paul calls Baptism a washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)

So, you know from Jesus words that it is to your benefit that he send the Holy Spirit. And you should also know that the Holy Spirit comes to you through the ministry of preaching the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Wherever God's Word is preached and read, there the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And there the he takes what belongs to Christ, his righteousness, sonship, and kingdom, and he declares it to you through faith.

This Sunday is named Cantate Sunday. Cantate is Latin for sing! which from our Introit from Psalm 98 we sang, "Sing to the LORD a new song!" And, so it is important to note the work of the Holy Spirit in the music of the Church. The Church has always sung in its worship. Both our Psalm and Old Testament Lesson speak of singing to the Lord. The Psalms were composed to be sung, and many of them make reference to musical instruments and singing. Jesus sang a hymn as he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to begin his passion. And St. Paul instructs us to "address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." (Ephesians 5:19) Singing in Church is biblical and the Holy Spirit works through it.

There are two main reasons the Church sings, besides the fact that we have always sung: To glorify God and to teach the faith. The reason why the congregation chants portions of the liturgy is the same reason the pastor sings portions of the liturgy. It isn't to entertain. It is to offer our first-fruits to God and give him glory. This is also why we sing hymns. They give glory to God. We could save a lot of time and have a much shorter service if we just spoke everything. But we take the time to sing, because we want to offer God something beautiful and show that our worship of him is important to us.

Singing also helps teach. When you put words to a tune, the words are easier to impress upon the heart. This can be used for both good and evil. The heretic Arius, who denied that Jesus is God and whose false teachings lead to the Church constructing the Nicene Creed, popularized his false teaching through catchy songs. And I'm sure parents in this congregation are very concerned with the music popular today, which glorifies fornication, disobedience, and drug use. Just think of the Lady Gaga song, "Born this Way," which taught children that homosexuality is something you are born with and therefore is good. Even if the first claim were true, we know that just because you are born a certain way doesn't mean it is good. We confess every week that we are born poor miserable sinners. Nevertheless, that song and many others have taught millions of youth to accept sinful behavior as good. And if you think the music your children listen to won't have an effect on their opinions, you are mistaken.

Yet, music can also be used for great good. Singing is an excellent teaching tool. One of my greatest joys as a father is listening to my children sing portions of the liturgy and hymns that they've learned in Church, which confess their faith in their Savior Jesus. The hymns we sing in Church teach the faith. Pay attention to them as you sing them! They will instruct you in the way of truth and strengthen your faith in Christ. In these hymns, the Holy Spirit takes what is Christ's and gives it to you!

This is also why it is important to sing hymns at home, especially with your children! Listening to "Christian Music" on the radio isn't good enough. Much of the music, as we know, is mostly fluff, which appeals to emotion more than biblical truth. And much of it is even false doctrine, which teaches you contrary to what you were taught in your Small Catechism! The difference between the hymns we sing in Church, many of which were passed on to us from our fathers in the faith from generations past and much of the popular Christian music today is the difference between a well-balanced meal and Halloween candy! Just compare our hymn of the day, "Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice," with what is at the top of the Christian Music charts today. That hymn has fed countless Christians for nearly 500 years a well-balanced meal of Christ and everything that the Holy Spirit delivers to us sinners to make us whole.

If music doesn't teach the faith, it doesn't give glory to God. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will glorify him by taking what is his and giving it to us. The Holy Spirit does this, when he teaches us what is Christ's, his death and resurrection, forgiveness and Sacraments. When hymns teach the faith, they glorify Christ. When they do not teach Christ, they do not glorify him.

I encourage you to learn hymns by heart and to teach them to your children at home. Not just any hymns, but good hymns, which teach the faith. Hymns, which teach Jesus are powerful enough to fend off Satan. When even a 35 pound child sings, "Satan, here this proclamation, I am baptized into Christ," the ruler of this world flees with his tail between his leg. I've been hearing my daughter sing by heart the first stanza of our hymn of the month, "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands." Every time she sings this hymn, she confesses the saving faith. My prayer is that she will find comfort in this hymn and hymns like it even on her death bed.

Sing hymns that teach the Gospel of Jesus. Sing the liturgy, which pleases the ears of God. Don't make the excuse that you can't sing or carry a tune. God doesn't listen to your pitch, but to your faith. Notice how the Holy Spirit is at work in the hymns, which confess Jesus' work of salvation for you. God knows such hymns are good for you. O, sing to the Lord a new song! Amen.

1 Comment

Jubilate: Easter 3: Godly Sorrow is the Only Path to Eternal Joy

4/23/2018

0 Comments

John 16:16-23
April 22, 2018

"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." What does Jesus mean by "a little while"? Jesus tells us, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy." This little while speaks of two events. During both events Jesus departs from his disciples. And during both events his disciples weep and lament.

The first little while is when Jesus is taken from his disciples just a few hours after he speaks these words. His disciples see him, but only from a distance as he is flogged, condemned to death, and nailed to some timbers. Then his corpse is wrapped in linen, laid in a tomb, and hidden from the eyes of the outside world by a massive stone. For a little while, Jesus was not with them. They had great sorrow. Pilate and the leaders of the Jews drank wine and celebrated. Yet, on the third day Christ appeared to his disciples again and they rejoiced. Weeping tarried through the night, but joy came in the morning.

The second little while includes us Christians, because it is still going on. This little while began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father. His disciples carried on without their Lord physically with them. And in their Lord's absence they suffered much. Most of them died as martyrs. And Christians throughout the Church have shared in this sorrow.

To be a Christian, you will have sorrow. This is the lesson Jesus teaches us today. Yet, we must make a distinction between worldly sorrow, which unbelievers experience, and godly sorrow, which is experienced only by Christians.

We heard St. Peter in our Epistle lesson, "For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God." (1 Peter 2:20) Unbelievers also suffer in this life. Just because you are sorrowful, doesn't mean that you are suffering as a Christian. St. Paul makes a distinction between worldly and godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians chapter 7, "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

The worldly grief is a result of sin. The wages of sin is death. This involves both temporal and eternal punishment. Doing wrong is not good for you. There are consequences for sin. This is why St. Peter says that it not to your credit if you endure suffering as a result of your sin. You're not suffering as a Christian if your wife leaves you because you were unfaithful. You aren't suffering as a Christian if you lose your driver's license for driving drunk. You aren't suffering as a Christian if you get fired for being lazy or go to prison for breaking the law or if no one trusts you because you constantly lie or if your life falls apart, because you constantly avoid God's word and council. Such suffering is worldly grief, that is, grief without faith in Christ.

Unbelievers suffer for different reasons than Christians suffer, because they rejoice for different reasons. The unbeliever rejoices in worldly things, seeking pleasures that last only for a time. Frankly, the unbeliever's joy is self-serving. And it is this very joy that causes the unbeliever sorrow, because such joy is fleeting at best.

It is also important to note that godly grief isn't simply sorrow over sin. Worldly grief includes sorrow over sin. Sin is sorrowful. You don't have to believe in Christ to see the fruitlessness of sin. But such sorrow without faith in Christ is dreadful and hopeless. One can feel terrible for the wrong he has done and regret the harm it has caused himself, but if he does not seek Christ for forgiveness, this remains worldly grief. Worldly sorrow produces death, because worldly sorrow is without faith in Christ.

Godly sorrow is also caused by sin, yet not through sin alone, but through faith, which must battle sin in this life. Your sins cause you grief, because they cause your Lord Jesus grief. The Christian is sorrowful over his own sins, because his sins separate him from God. It is our sins that wounded Christ to his very soul upon the cross. Sin causes the Christian sorrow, because faith in Christ creates a heightened awareness of the damage sin causes.

St. Paul says, "godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation." Repentance is not simply feeling bad for what you've done wrong. It is turning to Christ for forgiveness and desiring never to sin again. Yet, as long as the Christian goes on living in this world, he goes on sinning. So, each of us Christians are constantly sorrowful, repenting of our sins and calling to him who will deliver us from this body of death.

Godly grief is to be constantly at war with the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh. Satan attacks you with lies. He attempts to get you to question God's promises to you. He accuses you of sin, in an attempt to get you to despair and become convinced that you aren't a Christian. He'll do anything that will knock you off the Rock of Christ.

You are also in battle with the world. Although stories of battle seem glorious in storybooks, they rarely feel so glorious as the battle rages. It's not fun to be at enmity with the world. We want the world to like us. We want people to think we're smart and nice. We want to have friends, who respect us. We want to be at peace with our parents and our children. Yet the Psalmist says, "For my father and mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in." (Psalm 27:10) and our Lord says, "For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36) Battling the world is great and glorious if your enemies are strangers you don't care about. But when faith in the Gospel of Christ sets your own flesh and blood against you the glories of battle get old fast.

And so, the sorrow of the Christian is more intense than most are willing to bear. It sets you against your very self, as Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

This is not suffering that you experience as a result of sin alone. This is suffering that comes as the result of having faith in Christ in this sinful world. The devil, the world, and your sinful flesh hate Christ. Realizing this is painful. But if you do not realize this, then you will never know Christ Jesus. Godly sorrow is the only way to eternal joy. Before God makes us alive, he first lets us taste death. Before he leads us to light, he first makes us aware of the darkness around and within us. He makes us experience our weakness before he endows us with power, he makes us sinners before he makes us saints. He humbles us before he exalts us. This is the path of repentance and faith in Jesus. It is sorrowful, but it is the only path to Christ.

Jesus said, "So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." Our sorrow is dependent on the fact that we do not see Jesus. When we see Jesus again, our hearts will rejoice and no one will take our joy from us. To be a Christian means that you want to be with Christ Jesus. He is more precious than the entire world, which includes all riches, health, family and friends. This hymn expresses it perfectly, "Lord, Thee I love with all my heart; I pray Thee, ne'er from me depart, With tender mercy cheer me. Earth has no pleasure I would share. Yea, heav'n itself were void and bare If Thou, Lord, wert not near me." Heaven would be an empty wasteland if Jesus were not there. We want to be with Jesus. He is our rock, our fortress, our life, our everything. This is what faith gives us. And this is why we have sorrow.

We have sorrow, because we live in a world where Jesus is departed from us. When asked why his disciples did not fast, Jesus answered, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Matthew 9:15) This is the chief, yes, the only reason for godly sorrow. We are separated from Jesus. St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, "We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (vss. 6-8)

Our faith gives us sorrow, because faith makes us want to be with Jesus. But Jesus is away. Yet, faith also gives us much joy, because we know by faith that Jesus will not always be away. He will return and our hearts will rejoice again.

Faith, which gives us so much godly sorrow now also gives us reason to rejoice in our sorrows. For Christ has not left us without hope, but with a certain promise of his return and our salvation. And also, Jesus is not entirely away from us. Rather, at Jesus' departure into heaven he said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Jesus is with us even now, so our faith causes us to rejoice even now.

True, this is not the complete joy we will experience when Christ will banish all earthly sadness and sinning and wipe the last tear from our eye. Yet, through faith we do have joy. Jesus is with us in his Baptism, just as he promised. And so, through faith in this midst of sorrows we rejoice. Jesus is with us in his teaching. Sound doctrine brings comfort in the midst of sorrow. Jesus' disciples were sorrowful, because they did not understand what he meant by a little while. Jesus comforted them by explaining what he meant. And in his explanation, he gave them a promise that they would see him again and they would rejoice with an invulnerable and everlasting joy.

It is also important to note the setting of these words from Jesus. They are sitting at the table where Jesus instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood. This is much more than simply a remembrance meal, although it certainly is that. In this meal, Jesus feeds us his true body and blood and imparts to us every blessing from his glorious throne. We feast on the fruits of the cross, which gives us friendship with God. Through this Sacrament, Jesus is always with us, even as he is far away.

Jesus does not leave us high and dry. He doesn't leave us to sorrow without joy. Rather, in our sorrow he gives us joy that only faith can receive, so that we are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. Godly sorrow is not despair. Godly sorrow always has the assurance of joy. Godly sorrow is not something we should wish to avoid. Rather, we gladly follow this road of sorrow. For by this path we will reach the joys that can only be found in Jesus. And this joy will never be taken from us. Amen.

0 Comments

Misericordias Domini (Easter 3): One Flock, One Shepherd

4/16/2018

0 Comments

John 10:11-16
April 15, 2018

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ said, "And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." This one flock is the holy Christian and apostolic Church. But it doesn't look like one flock, does it? It looks like a bunch of different flocks that teach a bunch of different teachings and follow a bunch of different shepherds. Even in our town there are more churches than we care to count, each with a different message. So, it is important for us to remember that to confess that there is one Church is a matter of faith. We don't see one united Church. Yet, we believe that there is only one Church, because holy Scripture clearly tells us that there is only one Church, even as there is only "one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism." (Ephesians 4:5)

Only those, who belong to Christ's one flock will receive eternal life. This is why Jesus warns so often to beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15-16) Jesus tells us that we will recognize false prophets by their fruits, that is, by what they teach. Likewise, you will recognize the true Good Shepherd by his voice, that is, by what he teaches. This is why our Lutheran confessions define the Church as where the word is taught in its truth and purity and where the Sacraments are rightly administered (Augsburg Confession VII) and also as "the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd." (Smalcald Articles XII)

Yet, the word of God is often not preached purely and the Sacraments are often not administered rightly. Yet, even in places where the Word of God is not always taught correctly, Christ's sheep can still be found. Just consider the many centuries before the Lutheran Reformation under the Papacy when throughout the world everyone was taught to trust in their own good works, in relics and indulgences, and to pray to saints. Yet, we know that God still kept his faithful remnant even then, as he promised, and as we have evidence from the beautiful hymns and sermons written even in that time, which confessed the unadulterated Gospel.

And so, we learn that the one true Church is invisible. We can't see it with our eyes, yet we believe in it by faith. The Church is invisible, because we cannot see into peoples' hearts. There are people, who belong to churches that teach falsely, yet they still have true faith in Christ. And there are people who belong to churches that teach correctly, like Trinity Lutheran Church does, yet in their hearts is hypocrisy. There are true sheep within unorthodox congregations and false sheep within orthodox congregations. In this sense, they are in the true Church, but they are not of the true Church.

This also can give us comfort when we consider the many who belong to unorthodox and heretical congregations. Our Good Shepherd Jesus says, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice." (Matthew 23:2-3) What Jesus means by this is: The scribes and Pharisees read to you the words of Moses and the Holy Scriptures. So, listen to the word of God, which they speak to you. But, the scribes and Pharisees teach falsely about God's Word, so do not do as they teach and practice. This is, sadly, how Christ's true sheep have often had to live in this sinful world. The priests and bishops were wolves in sheep's clothing. Yet, they still read the Gospel in the Divine Service. So, God has preserved the faith of his Christians through his Word, even in the midst of false teachers.

And this can give you comfort if your loved ones belong to an unorthodox congregation. The ELCA teaches much false doctrine. They claim that the Bible has errors, they call good what God calls sin, and they even compromise on the very Gospel of justification by grace through faith alone. Yet, if the Scripture readings are still read in their churches, God's holy lambs can still live among them. And the same can be said of many congregation, which still permits the Word of God to be read in their services. For where the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard, there his sheep will gather.

Yet, this does not mean that it doesn't matter whether you go to an orthodox or unorthodox congregation. Jesus still warns us to beware of false prophets. It is your duty as a Christian to mark and avoid false teachers. And Christ's lambs, who currently live within heterodox congregations should flee, so that they can drink of the pure water of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, does not teach two different and conflicting things about Baptism, the Lord's Supper, or the very Gospel of how you are saved. The reason why there are so many different churches that teach so many different things, is because the devil has sown seeds of discord. If churches only taught what Jesus teaches, all churches would be in agreement. While it is possible for a Christian to survive where the Word is not kept in its purity, God warns against it. It is the duty of every Christian to find where God's Word is taught in its truth and purity and be joined to the one flock.

The Christian Church is invisible, but that does not mean that it is impossible to find. The Christian finds the one true flock, by finding the one true Shepherd. Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice." To know the Good Shepherd, you need to listen to what he says about himself. Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd." With this statement he claims a lot about himself. When Jesus the man calls himself the Good Shepherd, he claims to be God himself. Our Old Testament lesson states, "For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep." And the most popular Psalm begins, "The LORD is my shepherd." When Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, he calls himself the LORD.

Jesus, the man is also true God. He is the Good Shepherd. What does the Good Shepherd do? Jesus tells us "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." There is only one Good Shepherd. And he lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus suffered and died, so that he might save his sheep from eternal death. We wandered like lost sheep, yet he bore the consequences. If you find a Jesus, who is not true God and true man, you have found a false Jesus. If you find a Jesus who does not die for his sheep, he is not the good shepherd. Jesus tells us how we will know him. He lays down his life for us.

This is also how you identify whether your pastor is a true servant of God or a false preacher. Does he preach Christ crucified? Does he present you with your Savior Jesus? When you listen to him preach, do you hear a guy spouting off his opinions or do you hear the voice of your Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for you?

After Jesus' resurrection he asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" After Peter answered, "yes" each time Jesus responded, "Feed my lambs." When Jesus ascended into heaven he left the care of his precious lambs into the hands of his apostles and preachers. The job of a preacher is to feed Jesus' sheep what Jesus has prepared for them to eat. A pastor's job is to make sure that Jesus' sheep hear His voice. This means that pastors must preach above all that Jesus Christ laid down his life for the sheep by dying on the cross for their sins. Pastors must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ alone. They must baptize in Jesus' name, distribute Christ's body and blood in Jesus' name, forgive, exhort, rebuke, and teach in Jesus' name. Christ's sheep do not go to church to hear the ramblings of some guy. They go to church to hear the voice of their Good Shepherd. A pastor's job is to get out of the way, so that the sheep can hear Jesus' voice.

The word "pastor" means shepherd. But no pastor is the Good Shepherd, except Jesus Christ. Yet, Jesus charges his pastors with the task of bringing his voice to his sheep. So, Jesus also warns against hirelings, whom he does not send. Hirelings do not care for the sheep. They take advantage of them. They feed on them, wear their wool, drink their milk, but when the wolf comes they flee, so that the sheep are killed and scattered. This happens in real life when pastors and other false teachers do not teach Jesus' sheep the truth from Scripture, when they present their own wisdom over and against Jesus' words. So, when Satan comes and attacks with temptation to sin or accusations against the conscience or doubt over your own salvation, the sheep have no defense. They can't stand on Jesus' words to defend themselves from Satan's attacks. So, they fall into sin, despair, and unbelief. The hireling does well when everything is going well. But when Satan attacks his empty words bring no salvation. Only the words of the Good Shepherd can rescue from Satan, sin, and death.

And so, it is important for you to identify yourself as a true lamb of Jesus' fold. But how do you do this? Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice." You must be able to tell the difference between the voice of your Good Shepherd and the voice of a hireling, which will scatter you from the true flock. Martin Luther writes, "If we want to be Christ's sheep, we must have acute ears to distinguish Christ's voice from all others." For you to recognize your Savior's voice, you need to know what he preaches.

This is why it is so important for you to continue to read and pray your Catechism, even many years after you are confirmed. The Small Catechism is a summary of Christian teaching from the Bible. It tells you what you need to know to be a Christian. If you regularly pray your Catechism, you will be able to recognize whether your pastor is preaching the truth or lies. St. John writes, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) But how can you test the spirits, if you yourself do not know what God says?

This also means, that if you want to be Jesus' lamb, you need to listen to preaching. First, you need to identify whether what your pastor preaches is from Christ. And if it is, then you must listen with joy, learn, and be comforted. This also means, that you will not listen to the voice of a stranger. When a preacher teaches contrary to what your Savior Jesus has taught you in his Word, mark and avoid him.

If you will be Christ's little lamb, it also means that you have gone astray. "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Jesus calls sinners to repentance. His flock is filled with broken, starving, and dirty sinners, whom he has washed, fed, and bound up. Christ sought you out when you didn't seek him. He died for you when you were out wandering. He gathered you into his arms by preaching the free forgiveness of sins to you.

And this is why Jesus' sheep want to be part of his fold. Jesus cares for his sheep. What you receive in the Sacrament of the Altar is more precious than anything you could work your whole life to gain. The words you hear, which forgive your sins, calm your guilty conscience, and give you assurance of God's love for you are more important to you than food, drink, clothing, or all the money in the world. We get beat up by the world and Jesus heals us. And we will follow him through this valley of the shadow of death until we finally reach the green pastures of heaven through Jesus blood and righteousness alone. Amen.

0 Comments

Quasimodo Geniti Sunday (Easter 2):The risen Christ gives the keys to the kingdom of heaven to his Church.

4/9/2018

1 Comment

John 20:19-31
April 8, 2018

When Jesus rose from the dead he proved that God the Father accepted his payment on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Everything that separated us from God and barred us from eternal life was destroyed. His resurrection is a shout of victory that rattles the very depths of hell. Jesus won. Our sins are washed away. Peace with God is made. Sinners now have access to heaven. And this is what Jesus says when he says to his disciples, "Peace be with you." This is the message of the mark of the nails and the spear; God's peace to you.

Jesus won a tremendous victory with his resurrection, but God desires to give us the victory. He does this when Jesus says to his disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." With these words Jesus places the victory of his resurrection from the dead and all the benefits that flow from it into the mouth of the Church. It is now Christ's Church, which is the sole possessor of the forgiveness of sins, which are the very keys to heaven. This is what Christ said to St. Peter in Matthew chapter 16, "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (vss. 18-19)

Again St. Paul says this very thing in Ephesians chapter 2, that after God raised Jesus from the dead, "he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (vss. 22-23) God has given Christ to the Church to be her head. The Church is Christ's body. Everything that belongs to the head belongs also to the body. This means, that the Church is the sole owner of Christ's victory over death, the forgiveness of sins, the very Gospel. This means that the only way to heaven is through the ministry of the Church.

People get uncomfortable with that language, because people often think that the Church is a human organization constructed by people. But the Church is not a man-made institution. Christ Jesus established his Church through his suffering and death on the cross. When I say that the Church is the sole possessor of the keys to heaven and only through the ministry of the Church can someone enter heaven, I am saying that only through faith in Christ's word can anyone be saved. And the Church is, by definition, where the word of Christ is preached in its truth and purity and where the Sacraments of Christ are rightly administered. Where there is the preaching of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and people who hear and believe this preaching, there is the Church. Where this word is absent, so also is Christ's Church absent.

Martin Luther wrote on this same text, "Christ places his suffering and resurrection in the mouths of his apostles and subjugates under them all the power of the devil and of hell, together with heaven and eternal life." Jesus has done all the work to save us! The benefits of Christ's resurrection are now given through the word alone, which means that they are received through faith alone. By placing all the power of his resurrection into the mouth of the Church, Christ has made it clear that your salvation does not depend on your good works or your ability to reform your life or on any amount of effort on your part. The only access you have to Christ's victory over sin, death, and hell is through his word. And the only way you can receive this victory is through faith in his word.

This should be of great comfort for you, because your salvation does not depend on shifting sand, but is founded on the rock of God's Word. God cannot lie. If he says that your sins are forgiven, then your sins are truly forgiven. This message has the power to bring comfort to even the most bereaved conscience, and even more than that, it has the power to give life to your mortal body.

Pastors ordinarily forgive sins, yet when a pastor is not available any Christian can speak the forgiveness of sins and it is true even before God in heaven, because Christ has given the power to forgive sins not to individuals, but to his whole Church. Yet, people object to the idea that ordinary men can forgive sins. Yet, it is not through the power of ordinary men that the sins are forgiven, but through the power of God himself. When Ezekiel prophesied to the bones, it was God's power working through Ezekiel's words that gave life and breath to the dried-up bones. And for this same reason, your Small Catechism teaches you that in the absolution "we receive forgiveness from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven."

It is the chief duty of the Church to proclaim the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake. And the pastor doesn't forgive sins only when he declares the absolution (whether privately or publicly). The pastor forgives sins when he baptizes and when he distributes Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament, and when he preaches the Gospel in his sermon. In the words of Baptism, the Sacrament of the Altar, and the preached Gospel is the very power of Christ's resurrection. And when you believe these words you receive all the benefits of Christ's victory over death, just as Jesus said, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven."

Christ gives his Church the awesome authority to forgive sins. Yet, he also gives his church authority to withhold forgiveness. This teaching is even more controversial than ordinary people having authority to forgive sins. Of course, the authority to forgive sins comes from the same source as the authority to withhold forgiveness: Christ himself. And while many disagree with the practice of the church withholding forgiveness from openly unrepentant sinners, this is not a humanly-contrived practice, but an explicit command from Christ. And believe it or not, Jesus knows how to shepherd his sheep better than any of us.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 18 that if a sinner refuses to listen even to the church, "let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." And St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." (vss. 4-5)

From St. Paul's words we learn why Jesus gives the command to remove unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation. Paul tells us it is "so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." The goal is always for the sinner to repent and receive forgiveness of sins. But if a sinner does not repent, he cannot receive forgiveness. Yet, if a sinner does repent, even if he has been removed from the congregation through excommunication, the repentant sinner should be welcomed back as a lost brother returning home, or as a son, who is raised from the dead (Luke 15:32). As St. Paul speaks of the same excommunicated sinner in 2 Corinthians 2, "For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him." (vss. 6-8)

The other reason for removing openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation is for the sake of the weak. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump.", St. Paul says. The church only has authority to remove openly unrepentant sinners, because none of us can see the hearts of individuals and we are forbidden to judge (Matthew 7:1). But openly unrepentant sinners hurt not only themselves, but others, by leading them into sin or scandalizing them, so that they flee from the church. So, the binding of sins to sinners, who refuse to repent not only benefits the sinner, so that he can repent and be forgiven. It also benefits the whole church by setting a good example.

The authority to preach the Gospel is the authority to forgive and retain sins. This means that it is the duty of the preacher of the Gospel to also preach the Law. Without the bitterness of the Law, the Gospel will be as appetizing as rich food to someone who's belly is ready to burst. St. Paul writes, "For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died." (Romans 7:8b-9) What this means is: apart from the Law, although sin is active in our members, it is hidden from our conscience. This is why St. Paul writes, "Apart from the law, sin lies dead." It is not that sin does not exist or that we don't sin. But rather, we sin without realizing the great danger we are in. But when the Law tells you what your sins are (for example, in the Ten Commandments), then sin comes alive in your conscience and burdens you greatly, so that, as Paul says, you die. You must become aware of your sins and their danger in order to receive the Gospel, which rescues from sin.

Pastors preach the Law, so that you become abundantly aware of the danger you are in; that you deserve to be punished in hell; that your sins separate you from the love of God. This preaching of the Law has the ultimate goal of you repenting of your sins, so that you can receive the forgiveness of sins through faith. The Law is also preached, so that Christians know that they do not have saving faith if they continue in sin without repenting. True faith causes Christians to constantly turn from their sins and seek absolution. This does not mean that Christians do not sin. It means that Christians constantly seek the remedy for sin, which is forgiveness from Christ through his death and resurrection.

The Gospel must predominate over the Law, because the forgiveness of sins is the primary task of the Church. This is why Christ placed his resurrection victory into the mouth of the Church. The Law is a servant to the Gospel, used to drive sinners to repentance by enlivening sin in their conscience. The Church does not preach the Law in order to drive people away from Christ, but so that they seek Christ, who alone offers safe-haven from their sins.

Christ won a great victory for you in his resurrection; a victory that gives you peace with God and eternal life. The only way for you to receive this victory is through faith. So, Christ put all the power of his resurrection into his Word and placed this word into the mouth of the Church, so that he might transfer his victory into your heart. Hear these words: Your sins are forgiven. These are not empty words, but words empowered by the very resurrection of Christ. They have Christ's authority and are true even before God in heaven and are believed by him and his angels. These words have the power even to raise your dry bones to new life. These words have the power of Christ's resurrection. And if you believe them, so do you. Amen.

1 Comment

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

Cantate (Easter 5): The Holy Spirit Teaches Us to Sing

Jubilate: Easter 3: Godly Sorrow is the Only Path to Eternal Joy

Misericordias Domini (Easter 3): One Flock, One Shepherd

Quasimodo Geniti Sunday (Easter 2):The risen Christ gives the keys to the kingdom of heaven to his Church.

Rev. James Preus

Archives

Categories