Easter 4

Easter 4

April 17, 2016

John 10:22-30

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

On Easter Sunday we were given the face of the resurrection. On Easter 2 we had a faith experience with the person of the resurrection. Last Sunday we had fellowship with the risen Christ on the shore of Galilee. Now, in John’s Gospel we are given the true identity of this resurrected person.

Is He the same person as Jesus of Nazareth was? Has the resurrection made any difference in Him? Who is this glorified Jesus? Jesus tells us who He is – a divine shepherd, one with God, who know, keeps and gives eternal life to His sheep.

Our very lives depend on knowing who Jesus really is. If the people who asked on Palm Sunday about Jesus, “who is this?” had know who He really was, they could not have rejected Him. If Pilate had known, he would not have sentenced Him to death. If the religious leaders had known, they would not have plotted His death, for Jesus prayed, “They know not what they do.” At the well, Jesus said to the woman, “If you knew who it was who asked you for a drink, you would have asked Him for living water.” How is it that some recognized Jesus as the Christ? Men such as Simeon and John the Baptizer saw and believed. Others did not – men such as Philip, the disciples on the Emmaus road, Pilate and the Pharisees. How many today would recognize Jesus is they saw Him? What people do for the church depends ultimately on the degree of realizing who He is.

These words of the Savior bring the problem to us by telling of the Pharisees who directly challenged Jesus. They say, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” So, how do you know that Jesus is real?

1. From His words – “I told you.” Vs. 25a

A. In His conversation with Nicodemus –a Pharisee- Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 3:3

B. To the Samaritan woman at the well, He clearly revealed Himself to her as the Savior when He said, “I who speak to you am He.” 4:26

C. He had clearly taught them when He said, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.” 5:21

Transition: We know Jesus to be real by what He said. We know Him to be real by His mighty works.

2. From His works – “The works bear witness to Me.” Vs. 25b

A. The works Jesus did were those deliberate acts in which He demonstrated that He was the Savior of the world.
1. When He fed the five thousand. John 6
2. When He healed the man born blind. John 9
3. When He raised Lazarus back to life. John 11

B. His ultimate work was His work of salvation.
1. When He suffered for you and for me.
2. When He was crucified under Pilate.
3. When He died on the bloody cross and cried out “It is finished!” 19:30

Transition: We know Jesus to be real by what He said and by what He did. He is also known by those who know Him too.

3. His workers [Sheep] – “You do not believe because you do not belong to My sheep.” V.26

A. These did not belong, nor did they believe because they rejected Him.
1. He was not the teacher they were searching for.
2. He associated with those for whom the considered the “dirties” of this world.
3. He came for those who knew they were sick and were in need of a physician.

B. You too believe?
1. Then you are a part of His family.
2. You have been given this new life.
3. You too can be used of Him to tell His story in this world.

Your good shepherd speaks clearly and calmly to you this night. You are a sheep of His fold, a lamb of His flock, a sinner of His own redeeming How good it is to know that you are connected to the Savior, Jesus your true and good shepherd.

Image of the Good Shepherd (Wm. Dyce) found here: http://www.biblicalart.com/biblicalsubject.asp?id_biblicalsubject=789&pagenum=1

Time in the Word Easter 4

Time in the Word:
Preparation for next week, the Fourth Sunday of Easter

The icon on the cover shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In the upper corners, we see the stylized letters IC and XC, which are abbreviations for Jesus Christ in Greek. The Greek words on either side of the head of Christ say Ο ΠΟΙΜΗΝ Ο ΚΑΛΟΣ, meaning “The Good Shepherd.”

The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came from the Father and became flesh among us in order to rescue us, His sheep. He laid down His life for us and took it up again in order to give us eternal life. By the preaching of His Gospel, He calls His sheep to Himself and keeps them with Him forever. As they hear His voice and follow Him, “they will never perish” (John 10:28), for “no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29). In the same way, faithful pastors (literally, “shepherds”) “care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Therefore, with all the company of heaven, the Good Shepherd gathers his flock in worship, as they cry: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10).

Monday, 11 April 2016—Psalm 78:70–72; 79:13; antiphon, John 10:14, 15b—Sunday’s theme of the Good Shepherd Who Cares for His Sheep is set by the Introit. The Good Shepherd is really a Noble Shepherd, who loves the sheep of His flock so much that He lays down His life for the sheep. He guides us with His skillful hand throughout our lives into His eternal kingdom. In response, we can do nothing else than give thanks to Him forever, and make future generations aware of all the Good Shepherd has done for them by recounting His praise, and by making known to all the salvation we have through His death and resurrection.

Tuesday, 12 April 2016—Psalm 23—All three readings for Sunday use sheep and flock imagery. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalm of the Day is the beloved Twenty-third Psalm. It speaks of the Good Shepherd, whom we know is our Lord Jesus. He brings true peace and comfort to us, even in the presence of our enemies and when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, for He has overcome all enemies. Even as our enemies—sin, death, and the devil—surround us, we take comfort in the table He has prepared before us. At the Lord’s Table, He feeds us with His body and blood, given and shed for us for the remission of all our sins. We have true peace, for we have peace with God.

Wednesday, 13 April 2016—Acts 20:17–35—The devil hates Jesus, and hates all whom He has redeemed, that is, the Christian Church. In this farewell address by St Paul to the pastors at Ephesus, where Paul had served for a year and a half, he warns that the devil will try to attack the flock of God by way of false teaching. False teaching slips into a congregation subtly, speaking things which appeal to people and their feelings, shifting the focus from what God has done for us in Christ to what we can do for God. We must ever be on our guard, that the whole counsel of God is taught among us, especially the forgiveness of sins earned for us by Jesus Christ, by the shedding of His own blood.

Thursday, 14 April 2016—Revelation 7:9–17—What a beautiful picture of the Church we have placed before us! Redeemed children of God, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. Their white robes show that they have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. These Christians, having been called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified by the ministrations of the Holy Spirit, now surround the throne of God and sing praises to God and to the Lamb, just as the Church on earth does in the Divine Service.

Friday, 15 April 2016—John 10:22–30—The message of the Bible is not hard to comprehend: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to redeem sinners by His perfect life, His suffering, death, and resurrection. Yet, many do not believe. They reject the words and deeds of Jesus because of the hardness of their hearts, just as many people rejected Him when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago, despite seeing His works and hearing His teaching. But the members of His Church, His flock, hear the voice of their shepherd, and He gives them eternal life.

Saturday, 16 April 2016—The sheep/shepherd imagery is carried forth also into the Hymn of the Day, The King of Love My Shepherd Is (LSB #709). This is a hymnic version of the Twenty-third Psalm, married to a pretty Irish tune.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Easter 3

Easter 3

April 10, 2016

John 21:1-14

This is the third appearance of the risen Christ to His disciples. The setting is simple, normal—Jesus appears amidst the everyday occupations of a fisherman. He performs a miracle, in which they recognize Him as the Lord. Once again, Jesus shows that He is concerned for us in our everyday lives. Peter is so overjoyed when He recognizes Jesus, that he immediately swims to shore. The disciples eat breakfast with Jesus, the account once again proving the bodily resurrection of our Lord, as ghosts do not eat food. Truly there is joy for the disciples in meeting the risen Christ.

How satisfied are you with your life? Interesting question isn’t it? Consider the disciples of Jesus. They had given so much to the cause of Christ. They had followed Him for years sacrificing career choices, family commitments, and their status among peers – for what? They had seen Him die and then rise again but where did that leave them? Peter the (concernment) spokesman for the disciples says to his friends, “I’m going fishing”, as if to say “I’ve had enough…I’m going back to a life and a world that is at least predictable.”

Where do you find yourself today? Can you identify with these 1st Century followers of Jesus? In the gospel lesson for today we see a contrast between life without Christ and life with Christ. This begs the question – are you living BC – before Christ, or AC – after Christ has come into your life.

1. BC – life before Christ entered your life – I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Vv. 1-3

A. This can be a life of discouragement frustration and hopelessness – “I’m going fishing.”
     1. Peter and his fiends had invested three years of their lives following the Savior.

     2. But what had that in investment of time produced? They had witnessed Jesus’ passion, suffering, death and resurrection. But what did it mean to them? Had there been a significant change in their lives? Peter was content to get back to a familiar way of living, his former life. “I’m going fishing.” The kingdom had not arrived, and they had to make a living.

B. The result of such labor and effort – “he caught nothing” But the former life proved to be fruitless for Peter. His enthusiasm ended in frustration, for no fish were caught.

     1. What he thought would bring him contentment, joy, and peace lead to nothing.

     2. He had nothing to show for all of his effort.

Transition: There was life for Peter before Christ entered his life. Notice his life after his encounter with Jesus.

2. AC – life after Christ enters your life – Vv. 4-14

A. Fruitfulness, a miracle of fish, 153 fish. Jesus originally called Peter after he had caught a great amount of fish. The Savior had said to him, “from now on you will catch men!” Once again Peter is called into kingdom work. Peter is given a re-call. These are encouraging words for us to hear. Peter was given another chance. The Savior is the author of second chances. Peter who was content to drop out is re-instated. Having been recovered he is re- charged for future kingdom building.

B. The food - Jesus provides it – it is given to provide nurture, growth, and strength. Daily the Savior feeds us as He give us His Word not only to strengthen but to encourage us to go back to where we work and live to be witnesses for Him.

C. The Savior offers us an opportunity for fellowship, “Come and have breakfast” with Me! This is why you have come this day. To re-connect with the Savior; to have hear His voice, to be strengthened by His Word and Sacrament.

With a single minded purpose the Savior comes to His own to provide for them. Had He not come to these friends His cause would have been lost and His mission in vain. Peter experienced not only the Lord’s forgiveness but the opportunity to be used by Him for a second time. May the Lord continue to use you to speak His word of peace in this world.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS for personal and congregational use

Lucas Cranach & Albrecht Durer, Artists

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. – Hebrews 12:1

Time in the Word - Easter 3

The Good Shepherd Feeds His Lambs

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (Rev. 5:12), who by His cross has conquered sin and death. With His blood, He has “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nations” (Rev. 5:9). This same Lord Jesus visits people of all nations and calls them to Himself by the Gospel, even as He “revealed Himself again to the disciples…after He was raised from the dead” (John 21:1, 14). He restored Simon Peter to faith and life and commissioned him to feed His lambs and tend His sheep (John 21:15–17). Likewise, He revealed Himself to Saul of Tarsus and brought him to repentance, so that the persecutor of Jesus might carry and confess His name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15–16).

Time in the Word
4–9 April 2016
Preparation for next week, the Third Sunday of Easter

Monday, 4 April 2016—Psalm 145:4–7, 9; antiphon, Psalm 145: 10—This Song of Praise by King David leads off the last six psalms, all of them songs of praise. As redeemed children of the Lord, our greatest delight shall always be to give thanks to Him, to bless Him, to commend His mighty works to others, to declare His mighty acts, to meditate on His wondrous works, to speak of the might of His awesome deeds, to declare His greatness, and to sing aloud of His righteousness!

Tuesday, 5April 2016—Psalm 30—Sunday’s psalm was composed by David when he dedicated the materials for the building of the Temple (1 Chronicles 22:1–6), and may have been used at subsequent dedications: at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chronicles 7:4–10) and in 165 bc at the Jewish Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah; see 1 Maccabees 4:54–59; 2 Maccabees 10:1–9; John 10:22). The psalm is one of thanksgiving to God for preservation of physical life (vv. 1–5) and spiritual life (6–10). Finally, the last two verses give thanks to the Lord for His mercy forever.

Wednesday, 6April 2016—Acts 9:1–22—During Eastertide, all of our  first readings are taken from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke’s history of the Church during the Apostolic Age. Here, we have the account of the conversion of Saul, a learned Jew who zealously persecuted Christians. But, after being commissioned to be an apostle by the risen Christ, Paul, as he would henceforth be known, became an even more zealous ambassador for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His encounter gave him the joy of a new life in the risen Lord.

Thursday, 7April 2016—Revelation 5:1–14—As all of our Eastertide first readings come from the book of Acts, so all of our epistle readings come from the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St John. In this portion of John’s vision, he wonders who is worthy to open the scroll containing the counsel of God, His plan of action. Only the Lamb, who was slain, but is alive, is worthy to do so.

In response, those surrounding the throne of God sing a song of high praise to the Lamb. The joy of the resurrection is carried out in the joy of praising the risen Christ in heaven.

Friday, 8April 2016—John 21:1–14—This is the third appearance of the risen Christ to His disciples. The setting is simple, normal—Jesus appears amidst the everyday occupations of a fisherman. He performs a miracle, in which they recognize Him as the Lord. Once again, Jesus shows that He is concerned for us in our everyday lives. Peter is so overjoyed when He recognizes Jesus, that he immediately swims to shore. The disciples eat breakfast with Jesus, the account once again proving the bodily resurrection of our Lord, as ghosts do not eat food. Truly there is joy for the disciples in meeting the risen Christ.

Saturday, 9April 2016—The Hymn of the Day, With High Delight, Let Us Unite (LSB #483), continues the theme of joy in Christ’s resurrection. The whole Church on earth, together with those already in heaven, as we saw in the epistle, joins together in singing joyous songs of high praise to the risen Lord Jesus Christ, our salvation.

Collect for the Third Sunday of Easter: O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of praise and supplication: Lord God, creator of heaven and earth, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we praise You for the abundant mercy that You this day so richly have provided for us, blessing us not only with daily bread for our bodies but also with heavenly food for our souls. Grant that Your living and powerful Word may abide in our hearts, working mightily in us to Your glory and for our salvation. We commit ourselves to Your divine protection and fatherly care. Let Your holy angels be with us that the evil foe may have no power over us. Look in mercy on Your Church and deliver it from all danger and adversities. By Your Holy Spirit comfort and strengthen all who are in affliction or distress, and grant Your abiding peace to us all; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Easter 2

Easter 2

Enough! Thomas had had enough of this secrecy. James and John had met with Jesus - in secret - asking to be seated at His left and his right. The Council had met - in secret - to obtain an arrest and a conviction. They had met - in secret - with Pilate to secure the tomb. And now, after all this, his so called friends had come up with this fabricated story - of Jesus magically appearing before them. “I don’t buy it! I don’t believe it. Unless I see with my eyes the marks of How wounds and place my finger in his hands and my hands at His side I will not believe it!”

1. Like Thomas we do not have an eye-witness experience of the risen Christ.

A. Thomas was not present.
1. Possibly he was distracted involving his time in some other activity so he wouldn’t have to concentrate on the present reality – an empty tome and no body.
2. Possibly he had give up and checked out. Why remain with the other disciples? Jesus was dead. What more could be said?

B. For us the resurrection happened some 2,000 years ago.
1. We do not have the experience of seeing Jesus with our own eyes.
2. Can you have faith without witnessing Jesus Christ alive from the dead?

Transition: Like Thomas we have not personally witnessed Jesus Christ alive from the dead. The Easter proclamation is powerful beyond comprehension.

2. The message of the Resurrection is incomprehensible.

A. Dead men do NOT come back to life again.
1. Thomas had been there. He personally witnessed the crown of thorns, the nails, the spear. He new Jesus had died.
2. He had witnessed Jesus’ burial. He knew of the safeguards the Elders had arranged with Pilate; a tomb sealed and the guard which was posted.

B. If Jesus were alive He would have to appear before him just as He had to the rest of the disciples.
1. He would have to witness the marks of Jesus’ Passion.
2. These scars and visible marks on Jesus’ body would let him know that the same Jesus who had died by crucifixion was in fact alive. A counterfeit Jesus would not do.

C. What convincing proof does this world need to believe in the resurrection?
1. The claim is still true today 2,000 years later – dead men do not rise.
2. We trust in the same testimony of those eyewitnesses. John in his first epistle would later write, What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- 1 John 1:1

Transition: Thomas’ life was latterly changed once he became an eyewitness of Jesus bodily raised from the dead.

3. Seeing is believing.
A. Upon witnessing Jesus’ appearance Thomas changed from a skeptic to a believer.
1. These visible scars now become the marks of faith.
2. All speculation of what might have happened is now gone. Thomas too became an eyewitness of Jesus’ resurrection.

B. We have the testimony of these eyewitnesses.
1. The testimony of Scripture is undeniable.
2. The testimony of these eyewitnesses remained consistent starting in Jerusalem spreading throughout the world, “we are witnesses of these events.

The Savior’s words to Thomas are meant for you this day. “Blessed are those who believe even though they have not seen! Lord, grant us such a faith as this!

Image of St. Thomas the Apostle found at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/Caravaggio_incredulity.jpg

April

April 3,                  2^nd Sunday in Easter – Divine Service Setting 1

                                John 20:19-31 – That you might believe

April 10                 3^rd Sunday in Easter –Divine Service Setting 3 without communion

                                John 21:1-14 The Good Shepherd Feeds His Sheep

April 17                 4^th Sunday in Easter – Divine Service Setting 2

                                John 10:22-30 The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep  

April 24                 5^th Sunday in Easter – Matins

Examination of the Confirmation Class of 2016

O God, for our redemption You gave Your only begotten Son to the death of the cross and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity forever;

We are now in the Easter season. Because of a cross and empty tomb we stand as a forgiven people. Because Jesus lives we to shall live. Easter has always been for Christians the feast of feasts. There is no event more important to the Christian. Its primacy was shown by the fact that the resurrection was celebrated each Sunday and for this reason each Sunday of the church year is considered a festival. The importance of Easter can be seen in the fact that Easter is preceded by a period of preparation – the Lenten season of 40 days. Easter is now observed for a season of 50 days. Easter is so important that the entire church year revolves around it.

Other festivals and seasons depend upon the date of Easter, which varies from year to year. The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22. The last time it occurred was 1818 and the next time will be 2285. The latest possible date for it is April 25. The last time it occurred was 1943 and the next time will be 2038.

The early followers of Jesus based their faith based upon an historical rising from the dead. The uniqueness of Christianity and the truth of Christ as the Son of God depends on the resurrection. Do we today profess to believe in the real resurrection because we know that the whole Christian faith depends on it? The resurrection is the basic good news of the gospel. Without it, Christianity has nothing to say that other religions have not already said.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and his appearance we are bold to say:

1.      Jesus’ resurrection was a resurrection of the body – not a soul leaving the body at death.

2.      Jesus’ resurrection was not a physical resurrection like Lazarus’ but it was a resurrection of a spiritual body that could not die again because of its immortal nature. See – 1 Corinthians 15:32-44

3.      This risen body was both recognizable and unrecognizable. Jesus could eat and still pass through closed doors. See- Luke 24:42, John 20:19

4.      The resurrection was an act of God. Jesus did not rise on his own power or desire. The Father promised through the prophets that He would destroy death and save His people. He sent His Son to die and rise again. It was the Father who raise Jesus from the dead. See- Acts 11:30

5.      The resurrection is not a happy ending to a tragic story to make people feel good. The resurrection is an integral part of the cross. (This is why we have a crucifix in the front of our church!) The two are inseparable – death and resurrection. The resurrection confirms Jesus as the Son of God and assures man that Jesus is the Christ.

6.      The resurrection confirms the words and promises of Jesus. It gives hope to mortals that death was destroyed and life with Christ is made possible for all eternity.

7.      The resurrection is a personal experience. Christ lives in me. Or, am I a deluded fool? Do I really know Jesus, talk to Him in prayer? Am I giving my life to a corpse? Ultimately, the resurrection is not something of proof, demonstration, nor argumentation. It is a matter of personal faith based upon personal experiences with the risen Christ.

We are Easter people. The resurrection of Jesus is the power of God. It is the Father’s work. It is the miracle of miracles. With God, all things are possible!

    

Almighty God, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. We humbly pray that we may live before You in righteousness and purity forever;