Sermon for 23 June 2013, Proper 7C

Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.

Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-7

By Faith, or Under Law?

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 7C, 23 June 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

It is becoming a familiar list; important things St. Paul has written to safeguard our faith. Paul has told us that there is no other Gospel—no other saving faith. Any preaching but Christ is dangerous to faith. Giving in to those who deny the truth of the faith and demand things in addition to Christ is dangerous to faith. When Paul confronted Peter last week, we saw the beginning of the dangers of living under the law. In Chapter three of Galatians, St. Paul faces us up to the question, “Do Christians live by Faith or under the Law?” It is a good question. One way leads to certainty and life—the other to uncertainty and death.

Faith

23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 

Now we live in the freedom of Christ’s Holy Gospel. This Gospel doctrine has changed our lives. The Truth of the Gospel has set us free. All humanity lived under a curse—we could not keep the law. We could not do everything that is written in the Book of the Law. Christ redeemed us from this curse.

10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”  12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”  13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

By becoming a curse for us, by taking our cursed place so that we wouldn’t have to, He gives us all the blessings and promises of the Gospel. We have life! That is something the law could never do.

21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

When the Spirit created faith in you through the Word, through Holy Baptism, the Lord began giving you His Gifts. They are received. Faith receives them. Note that it’s not an active thing we do. It’s passive. God gives His Gifts. We receive them. We are no longer prisoners, no longer under the supervision of the law. We are heirs of an astonishingly rich treasure—all the promises of the Gospel!

No Longer under the Supervision of the Law

23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.  24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.  25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

 On verse 24, F. E. Mayer wrote, “The doctrine of justification is, as it were, the string on which all the pearls of Christian revelation are strung.”

All of Christianity hangs together or falls apart based on justification by faith. It is the scarlet thread that ties the Bible together. As Lutherans, you’ve heard this before. We are Lutherans because we are Christians. If the most important thing in Christianity is the Gift of salvation won on the cross by Christ for us and our receiving of that Gift by faith, then we should keep our focus and our message always centered on Christ and His message of justification by faith. We would want to be actively involved in a church that teaches this way—a truly Lutheran one. It wouldn’t make sense to make as our focus anything else. We have to reject churches that waste their time focusing upon less important things. We need to call our fellow Christians to repentance on that point.

The Law is no longer our supervisor, our custodian, our tutor, our pedagogue. Christ, the Great Teacher has come. He has taught us, has given us the Gospel.

19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed (capital S, Jesus) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.  20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

Without the law, people would have had free consciences to do whatever they felt like doing, and would have been unaware of the consequences. We have the law as a curb, to keep sin in check—to keep it from going out of control, as a mirror, to show us how dirty with sin we are, and as Christians, the law is a guide. We need the law to show us that we cannot keep the law. The law shows us our sin so that we would despair of ourselves and yearn for a Savior. The Gospel shows us our savior, crucified.

The Galatians seemed to be convinced that Christ crucified and risen wasn’t enough. They wanted to keep living by observing the law. Paul doesn’t mince words.

3 1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?  3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?  4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?  5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Is salvation by faith or under the law? The answer is obvious to us based upon Paul’s teaching in Galatians. Do we always live by faith, or do we feel more comfortable under the law?

          A decade ago, bracelets, t-shirts, and other Christian products with the letters WWJD were popular. The initials, as you may know, stand for the question, “What Would Jesus Do?”

It’s not a bad idea. Our Lord is a magnificent example of how to live. It can be dangerous however, if Jesus as example becomes more important Jesus crucified for you. Anybody can be an example. Only Christ could die and rise for you.

          It can be a good thing to think about what Jesus would do in a particular situation. Sometimes, the question can get ridiculous. What would Jesus do if he just drove his old uninsured Toyota into a Mercedes-Benz? Jesus didn’t drive. He walked or rode pack animals. We can’t answer, with certainty from the Word, the WWJD question in every situation. And, we’re dangerously close to putting ourselves in God’s place. “If I were God, I would have done this…”

          Yes, the focus is on Jesus. So far, so good. But what kind of Jesus is the focus upon? A Law Jesus. WWJD is not the best thing to follow because it turns our lives into a set of legalized actions and turns the New Testament and life-giving ministry and work of Jesus into a set of rules and laws to follow.

Instead, consider wearing a cross or a cross with Jesus’ body upon it, a crucifix. There you can see Jesus crucified for you, instant, visual, 3D Gospel!

          We can witness in a better, Gospel-centered way. We, like St. Paul should be presenting Christ as Crucified, chapter 3, verse 1. That’s what our Christian message is: We preach Christ Crucified! WWJD isn’t the worst idea, it’s just an incomplete, law-based, and insufficient one. It just doesn’t present the full Gospel-centered Christian message, faith in Christ Jesus.

Sons of God

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 

Years ago, in the wide open spaces of our West, a little girl was baptized. The next day at school her friends asked her why. She said, “I was a little maverick out on the prairie. When I was baptized, the Jesus’ mark was put on me, and now everyone knows that I belong to Jesus.” The word maverick was originally a man’s name. Samuel Maverick was a Texas cattleman who for some reason did not brand his cattle. Because of that, an unbranded animal, especially a lost calf, came to be known as a maverick, and such a maverick could then become the legal property of anybody who would catch and brand it.

We are all spiritual mavericks as we come on this human scene. We are lost as far as God is concerned, straying outside the boundaries of His ranch, far from the Father’s house and home. But in His seeking love and mighty Word, the Spirit finds us and creates and implants within us the precious life that we call faith. When the Spirit has branded us with this mark of faith, we are no longer mavericks but children in the family and household of God.

But sometimes, a Christian will wander away from the Church and from a loving shepherd. Sadly, there are consequences.

During the memorable retreat of Napoleon’s French forces from Moscow, the soldiers froze to death by the hundreds. It is said that at night they gathered together such combustible material as they could find and made a fire. Then, gathering around it as closely as possible, they lay down to sleep. In the morning, after a bitter night, those in the outer circles would be found frozen to death. They were too far away from the source of the heat. So the Christian’s strength in the warfare of life lies in close and constant communion with Christ by the means of grace. To withdraw from them may—and will eventually—prove fatal to faith. [To remain close to them is life.]

Do you know people who are sleeping too far away from the source of the heat? I know for a fact there are members of this congregation who have been inactive for five, ten, fifteen, even twenty years! How can you and I reach out to them together? If they’ve been in the outer circles long enough, it’s likely their hearts are frozen. When you see them, invite them to church. Or, grab a bulletin and intentionally go out of your way to run into them and tell them of the warmth and life that Christ offers them in the means of grace.

As we gather around Word and Sacrament, in close and constant communion with Christ by the means of grace, the Lord strengthens our faith and makes us all one in Christ Jesus.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The last portion of our text, seven verses from Galatians 4, explain the promise of our inheritance:

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

About the Cover: With so many demands on our time and tasks to occupy our hands, we often do not center our lives on God but just try to fit Him in around our plans—wherever it is convenient. But, oh, the extravagant love of our Lord! We may run to and fro, enslaved to business, but our Father’s gaze never varies. Though we fail to seek Him, He seeks us and makes us His own. No longer slaves to our own passions, we are beloved children of God.

Salvation is ours by promise, by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in the Scripture alone. No other Gospel can give you the promises God has given in Christ. Live no longer under the law, but as heirs, sons, in the freedom of the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins, new life, true freedom. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (Galatians 6:18)

Sermon for 16 June 2013, Proper 6C

Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.

Was: Galatians 2:11-21

Galatians 2:15-21; 3:10-14

Doctrine, Life

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 6C, 16 June 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

          No Other Gospel. No preaching but Christ. So far these are important truths St. Paul teaches us as he writes the churches in Galatia. These are not teachings that just sit on shelves like dusty old books, never to be taken down and read. No. These teachings, these doctrines show their usefulness by how they apply to daily life—to how they apply to your salvation, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone revealed by Scripture alone.

Doctrine. Life. Some teach that what one believes is most important. Others focus primarily on how people live. Which is the most important to Christianity? Consider that question as we begin with Galatians 2:14: But when I [Paul] saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas [Peter] before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Confrontation is the order of the day as Paul opposes Peter: “But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” How exactly was Peter in the wrong? 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Even Barnabas, longtime companion of Paul, was led astray. This is serious. In part, Peter was afraid of what one group of people would think of his holiness of life. Paul is troubled by the doctrinal implications of what Peter is doing—focusing on life.

The matter of circumcision is a Jewish matter. On the eighth day, each male child was to be circumcised. So says the law. What now? Christ has come. Is the law of circumcision still in effect? Do the Jewish ceremonial laws now apply to the Christians? No. The doctrinal problem is this: Peter is worried about those who disagree and say that the law of circumcision is still in effect. Peter is in danger of giving up the Gospel for another false-gospel that is really no gospel at all.

The first council of the church in Acts 15 declared that Gentiles were not to be compelled to be circumcised. Christians are not to live under the law, but in the freedom of the Gospel. If Christians gave in to the requirement to be circumcised, they would be confessing that Christ didn’t do enough for them to be saved. They would have been saying that additional works, outward actions were necessary to finish the work Christ did. Instead of giving in to the legalists, called Judaizers, they stood fast in the freedom of the Gospel. This is the message about Doctrine and Life that Peter needs to be reminded about.

Doctrine. Life. Which is more important? More importantly, we should ask whether this question is the best one we can ask. Is it really the right question to ask? If one were to say only, Christianity is how one lives one’s life, that would be wrong. It would be equally wrong to say that Christianity is only Doctrine. Christianity is Doctrine and Life.

In a multiple-choice test, it is always a good idea to take a look at answer C. Both A and B, Doctrine and Life, are important. We should instead look to see how the two are connected. A better question would be to consider “What is the proper relationship between doctrine and life?”

14 But when I [Paul] saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas [Peter] before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Life. In this case, it appears Peter is putting his emphasis on life, external customs, mere appearances. He was in a difficult spot. If he ate with the Gentiles, “sinners,” he would have offended the Jews. If he ate with the Jews, he would have offended the Gentiles. Apparently, Peter chose the path of least resistance, choosing not to teach either group about the freedom of the Gospel in such matters. As a result, Paul justly calls him to repentance for being a hypocrite.

One cannot preach the Gospel of Christ and then worry about what legalistic people think. One cannot preach Christ alone and give in when others say salvation is won because of things people have to do in order to be saved. Focusing solely on how one lives one’s life denies the importance of divine doctrine, God’s truth!

On the whole, non-Christians can be nice, friendly, clean-cut, patriotic, good people. Their life may be impeccable. They may well be good people. But that’s not the main point. Dr. Luther wrote, “Works without faith is idolatry.” In writing this, he is only saying what the apostle wrote: Anything done apart from faith is sin. Any unbeliever, by scriptural definition, cannot do good works in God’s sight. What one believes matters because apart from God-given faith, all is naught.

All people, Christian and non-Christian alike have the need to hear the message of the Scriptures that we believe, teach, and confess. All need to hear and hear again the Good News doctrine about Jesus Christ and His Gift of salvation that changes lives for all mankind!

Holiness of life should have a right and not a wrong place in our system of doctrine. The fruitfulness and beauty—the very life—of a tree depends not only on having roots and branches but on these being place in their natural God-created order. Let a tree be planted upside down, the roots in the air and branches in the earth, and I don’t have to ask how much fruit it would yield nor how long it would survive such idiotic treatment. Plant sanctification (a holy life) in the ground and justification (the Gospel doctrine of Christ) on top—expect this to flow from that—and a similar catastrophe will occur.

Holiness of life flows from the pure Gospel doctrine of Christ. It is not works that fulfill the law, but the fulfillment of the law produces works. Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law for us, giving us a solid, well-rooted foundation so that we, as faithful trees, can produce fruit, by faith in Jesus Christ.

Writing to his own people, Paul said: We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

St. Paul emphasizes correct teaching here, but not at the expense of life. Consider the dangers of doing so. If a person regularly attends our services, confesses his or her sins with us, prays with us, listens to the Word with us, and confesses the faith with us, it would be unthinkable for that same person to leave this place and behave like a pagan, cursing, carousing, committing adultery or another intentional, premeditated sin.

The Gospel doctrine of Christ is meaningless unless it reshapes who you are and what you do or don’t do. The Gospel is the source of a holy life. How does our doctrine change your life? This is the problem with Peter. His life doesn’t match his doctrine. Whenever that happens, there is trouble. The Holy Gospel does not change, but it changes us!

Fourteen years have passed since Paul’s first trip, his first pastors’ conference in Jerusalem. Both Paul and Peter have different areas of responsibility within the church. Paul’s Gospel message hasn’t changed—that’s because it isn’t his to change—it is the Lord’s.

Yet we, like Peter, are often hypocrites. You know it. I know it. We all suffer from the consequences of the difference between what we believe and how we live. We behave differently here than we do out there. We do not always forgive others as we have been forgiven. We do enjoy even a little bit of praise for things we have done, which makes our motive in doing such things impure. And which one of us doesn’t worry about what other people will think.

We need to be reminded of what Christ has done for us so that we will despair of trying to save ourselves. It takes a lot. We must die to the law and be crucified with Christ. St. Paul continues: 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

          This is such a contrast to the bookshelves full of self-help how to live the Christian life books found in so many generic Christian bookstores. We so need to hear the message that because Christ was raised from the dead, we now walk in newness of life.

In his youth, St. Augustine was a prodigal son. However, through the prayers, rebuke, and witness of his sainted mother, Monica, he was converted and became one of the great fathers of the church.

One day in his later life he was walking through a part of town he had frequented in his younger days. A woman recognized him and called out to him: Augustine! Augustine! Augustine ignored the call, so the woman cried out again: Augustine! Augustine! It is I! But Augustine, turning neither to the right nor the left, kept walking straight ahead saying, But it is not I.

The old I of Augustine had now died to sin. That I no longer lived, but Christ lives in him. The life he lived in the body, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him, the Christ into whose name he had been baptized. You and I have these same assurances, Gospel promises based on the Lord’s Word and His baptizing you.

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.         Christ died so that we may live in His new life. We die to the law so that we may live for God.

Cast away your own righteousness entirely and rely on faith alone. Take the focus off yourself! You are the problem. Reject yourself! Forget about yourself. You have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, but Christ lives in you. The life you live in the body, you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you.

C. S. Lewis writes at the very end of Mere Christianity: Look for yourself and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

No other Gospel but that of Christ alone can do what His Gospel doctrine does—it reshapes lives, especially your life.

The conclusion of our Epistle today comes from Galatians Chapter 3: For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

 About the Cover: Justified has been described as “just as if I’d never sinned.” God indeed administered justice, not on our wicked heads but on the blameless head of His beloved Son, thereby fulfilling the Law. Now, we stand justified, that is, declared righteous, as if we’d never sinned. Despite the fact that we have sinned, we are holy in God’s sight, justified, grounded on Christ crucified.

Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (Galatians 6:18)

Sermon for 09 June 2013, Proper 5C

The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.

Luke 7:11-17

Arise

The Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 5C, 09 June 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming

In the Name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Christ, Who Shared Our Mortal Life                                                      LSB 552

1	O Christ, who shared our mortal life     And ended death’s long reign, Who healed the sick and raised the dead     And bore our grief and pain: We know our years on earth are few,     That death is always near. Come now to us, O Lord of Life;     Bring hope that conquers fear!

Our Lord Jesus was not born into a world of make-believe, a world of “Once upon a time…” stories. No. He bore our grief and pain. He shared our mortal life. He knew what real life is like. And he came to bring life unlike humanity had ever seen before, a full human-ness we had lost in the Garden of Eden. Prior to this text, Jesus had just healed the servant of a Roman Centurion, a Roman Centurion with faith in the One True God. His servant was near death, yet Jesus healed with a mere word. Now, in a town called Nain, we are given a preview of Resurrection Day.

¹¹Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. ¹²As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. ¹³And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Jesus had compassion on her. This woman was in need of someone to care. According to the standards of her culture, this woman had lost everything. We are told she was a widow—we all know that means that she had lost her husband. And now, her son, her only-begotten son whom she loved, had died. This was a rough funeral for her, and those around her. They all needed comfort. They needed more than words, more than “it’s gonna be all right,” more than casseroles, more than nice music, more than a house full of family and close friends. This woman mourns for her son, her hope, her livelihood, her very future. And he’s now gone.

Often, we hear the words St. Luke was given by the Holy Spirit to describe these events and we forget their punch, their emotional impact. Especially when we read texts like this, we go by so fast, that we miss the important details of Jesus’ pastoral care. Jesus’ compassion identifies and suffers with the person in need. Crying before, during, or after a funeral is not sin. Not having faith in God and Christ and mourning as if there is no hope—that is sin because it is unbelief. Jesus Himself wept at the death of Lazarus. A short time later Jesus raised Him from the dead. Shedding tears is part of being human—male and female. It is an expression of a deep love. We miss those who have died because we still love them. Jesus does not give out greeting card platitudes. He does not speak of generic love from a generic “god,” but instead points her to Himself, God in the flesh, and the hope He and only He can bring. That is why He says, “Do not weep.”

7

Raising of the widow’s son (Luke 7:11–17) The ranks of death with trophy grim     Through ancient streets once trod And suddenly confronted You,     The mighty Son of God. A widow’s tears evoked Your Word;     You stopped the bearers’ tread. “Weep not!” in pity then You spoke     To her whose son was dead.

¹⁴Then he [Jesus] came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” ¹⁵And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. ¹⁶Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” ¹⁷And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

On TV news reports from the Middle East you can see people carrying caskets on their shoulders draped with their tribal, party, or national flag. Mourners gather around so closely in procession it makes us uncomfortable. We’re used to personal space. We’re used to land, lots of land and the starry skies above. But really, we’re most uncomfortable with death. We are part of a culture that will pay nearly anything to delay, deny, or prevent the reality of death. We don’t want to talk about it, even when the time has come for us or a loved one. We want to put off making the arrangements. We are in denial, shock, pain. We are helpless against this foe.

About the Cover: Darkness to light, blindness to sight, lost to found. The Bible gives us many images of transformation. One of the most vivid images, however, is death to life. Those who are dead have no agency and cannot make themselves alive. It takes the power of Christ to bring life. Just as Elijah announced to the widow, “See, your son lives,” so through Christ, “You, who were dead in your trespasses . . . God made alive” (Colossians 2:13).

We’ve all been part of a funeral procession. People are dressed in their finest, like a Sunday morning. Pallbearers are largely ceremonial these days, for the hearse does most of the work. Police cars suspend normal traffic laws as the line of cars with headlights glowing heads for a loved one’s final resting place. But never, never, never, has the procession been interrupted like this!

8	The ranks of death, the Lord of Life     Stood face to face that hour; And You took up the age-old strife     With words of awesome pow’r. “Young man, arise!” You ordered loud,     And death defeated lay. The widow’s son cast off his shroud     And strode from death away.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life—not merely on the Last Day, Judgment Day, Resurrection Day—He is the Resurrection and the Life now. We come to the Father only through Him. Here in Luke 7, Jesus gives a preview of how He would raise Lazarus and how He Himself would be raised in Luke 24. Death is powerless against the One who gives Life. The young man sat up, began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. “Do not weep” makes sense because of Jesus’ powerful word of Gospel, of Resurrection: “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

At your baptism into Christ, you died to sin. You were raised to new life in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself said to you, “Arise.” The white garment many of you wore was not merely a preview of a white funeral pall covering a casket. It is a preview of those in white robes, including you, gathered in worship around the Lamb on His throne. You are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb. White robes are our wedding clothes. On the Last Day, He will again say to you, Arise!

Next Sunday we are gathered by the Lord Himself around His altar along with angels, archangels, and the company of heaven’s saints. The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the feast to come. We sing along with saints and angels. Until you reach heaven yourself, you will never be closer to your loved ones who have died in Christ than when you commune at the Lord’s Table. Heaven and earth intersect. The Lord puts into your mouth His own Body and Blood along with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of your sins. He connects you to Himself with His Body and Blood, and therefore to all the living and sainted Christians into whom He has also put His Body and Blood. Death could not keep Jesus down, so those of us in Christ have nothing to fear of this ancient enemy. You have been forgiven. We are blessed with Holy Communion, what an ancient pastor called the “medicine of immortality” and “antidote to death.”

4	Death’s power holds us still in thrall     And bears us toward the tomb. Death’s dark’ning cloud hangs like a pall     That threatens earth with doom. But You have broken death’s embrace     And torn away its sting. Restore to life our mortal race!     Raise us, O Risen King!

Text: © 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, number 100010059.

Throughout this sermon I have sung stanzas of “O Christ, Who Shared Our Mortal Life.” LSB Hymn 552 speaks of comfort. All good hymns do. God has visited His people. And He still does today. The Lord gives His Word and the Holy Spirit to nourish us with His Gifts: Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Communion. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all your sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise you and all the dead, and give eternal life to all believers in Christ. Jesus will say to you, “Arise. “This is most certainly true. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.