"The past, Present, and Future Merge in the Resurrected Christ"
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In the name of the Father and of the X resurrected Son and of the
Holy Spirit. [Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
"God spoke by the prophets long ago, His promise on oath recalling-
To Abraham made in former years: Of vanquishing foes appalling,
That those He delivered from their fears Might gladly and truly serve Him.
"You, child, will go on before the Lord As prophet, His way preparing;
To speak on behalf of God Most High, His counsel of truth declaring:
Rich mercy and grace for all whereby Iniquity is forgiven."
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
936:2-3)
First Reading...................................................... Acts
3:11-21 (Esp. 17-21)
17"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your
rulers. 18But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his
Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore, and turn again,
that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from
the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you,
Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the
things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Prologue: It's a familiar fact of traveling in a car, van, or other vehicle
with back and side windows as well as a front windshield. We look out the
back window or in the rearview mirrors to see where we've been or what we've
passed. We look out the side windows to observe where we are. And, we look
out the front windshield to see where we're heading. Life is much the same
way, especially when we observe birthdays and anniversaries of significant
events. They're opportunities to reflect on past years and occasions,
observe the present time of our life, and project ahead looking to see what's
coming.
Well, this annual "liturgical worship journey" is similar in that,
from today's perspective, we look back and see that we've celebrated the
birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; we observe that we're
presently in the fifty days of the Easter season that began on Resurrection
Sunday; and we're headed to celebrating His ascension followed by His
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on His disciples that enlivened them to spread
the Good News of God's free gift of forgiveness of sins, salvation, and
eternal life to all nations. In the context of that realization our sermon
text reminds us and emphasizes to us that .
"The past, Present, and Future Merge in the Resurrected Christ,"
about whom we read in the Letter to the Hebrews that "Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and forever." (Heb 13:8 ESV)
Today's First Reading (it's labeled that way because it's from the
Book of Acts instead of one of the Old Testament books) actually fast
forwards us ahead, even beyond Christ's ascension back to His heavenly
throne. It does so to permit us to see the total context and significance
of our Savior's earthly sojourn. This healing miracle that God performed
through Peter gave him and John an attentive audience and resulted in a ripe
opportunity to proclaim the Messiah's fully-completed atoning work for the
redemption of mankind. That meaningful proclamation began with .
I. The Soul-Challenging Question. (11-12)
11While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in
the portico called Solomon's, astounded. 12And when Peter saw it he
addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do
you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?"
Have you ever seen something so utterly amazing that you became
spellbound by it? That is, the astonishment of the event so captivated you
that you found yourself simply staring at it wondering if what you saw was
really real . or not.
God had just miraculously healed a lame man through His servant
Peter thereby making it possible for him to do something he had not done for
who-knows-how-long. "The man's feet became solid under his weight and his
ankles firm; both bones and muscles received not only the strength, but also
the ability to use this strength properly." As a result and with Peter's
assistance, "he jumped up; he stood upright at first, as if to test the
weight on his feet, or to feel the sensation of maintaining an upright
position. And then he walked about, with no trace of lameness . ." (Paul E.
Kretzmann in Popular Commentary of the Bible: The New Testament Volume I.
Copyright © Unknown, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 546.)
Because this former beggar-man had been a fixture at the Temple
gate for many years, many people were aware of his previous physical
infirmity. Seeing him now suddenly running, jumping, skipping, and hopping
made them realize that "A miracle had been performed which agitated and
shocked them, filled them with wonder and amazement." In fact, "Their
astonishment was mixed with admiration and awe verging almost upon stupor."
(Ibid.)
Undoubtedly those who saw the healed man wondered about and
probably even asked how it happened. The wrong conclusion then and by many
people who read this Biblical account today is that Peter performed the
miracle that enabled this man to walk. Of course, that wrong conclusion is
the result of misguided thinking that wants to place people in a position of
power. It's the result of the vast majority of the world's population then
and today that wants to ignore and even eliminate the reality of the
all-powerful Creator-God, who made and preserves His creation . and even
often repairs what becomes broken because of its sin-infested condition.
Even though many present-day people possess the knowledge, skill, and
ability to "fix" things and even people, the real truth of the matter is
that God is doing the fixing by means of the resources He gives the fixers.
So, the soul-searching question was not the people asking how this
lame man was healed. Rather, it was Peter's question to them (yes, and to
us today), "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at
us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?" Of course,
all of this was orchestrated by Almighty God Himself to provide another
opportunity for Christ's disciples to proclaim their Lord as the crucified
and resurrected Savior. Therefore, we have .
II. The Soul-Comforting Answer. (13-16)
13"The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of
our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied
in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14But you
denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to
you, 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To
this we are witnesses. 16And his name-by faith in his name-has made this
man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has
given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all."
All of Holy Scripture is Law and Gospel. Peter's mini-sermon is
an excellent example of that. His soul-comforting answer first of all
"charged his hearers with complicity and responsibility in the crime: 'You
killed the author of life.' What a devastating preachment of the law!"
(Richard D. Balge in People's Bible Commentary: Acts. Copyright © 1993
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 43.) That indisputable
indictment pinned Peter's hearers to the wall with shameful guilt that they
couldn't deny. It was not a means by which he made friends and influenced
enemies.
Of course, what Peter preached to his hearers then applies to all
of us today as well. Our many sins of omission and commission, those many
thoughts, words, and deeds that we think, say, and do contrary to God's Holy
Law as well as the many sanctified thoughts, words, and deeds that we
neglect to think, say, and do to glorify and honor God served to crucify our
Lord and Savior. "Here is a great paradox and mystery. The divine
originator and guardian of life was put to death. What man was required to
do and could not do-keep God's law-God came and did for us. The work of
salvation is divine work, and he who lived and died for our salvation is
divine. The God-man's work was successful and accepted by God, for 'God
raised him from the dead.'" In fact, "Peter and John were witnesses that
God had done this, and the healing of the crippled man was further
testimony. It was further [evidence of] the fact that Christ is alive and
that he acts in grace and power." (Ibid.)
The ultimate great, grand, and gracious healing that this
formerly-lame man received and that we also receive today is the forgiveness
of sins, salvation, and eternal life. That spiritual healing comes from
Christ's own personal "fulfilling of the Law, His life, suffering, and
death, [which were] a sufficient ransom for all people" and by means of
which "He . [overcame] death and the devil for us." (Luther's Small
Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986/2008 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 126f.) The Apostle Paul's declaration to the
Galatians that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a
curse for us" (Gal 3:13 ESV) reflected what the sons of Korah declared in
Psalm 49, "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his
life" (Ps 49:7 ESV) and what Peter later wrote in his first general letter,
"you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not
with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood
of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19
ESV) Make no mistake about it! God freely and generously gives us those
gracious gifts today in and through His Holy Word, Holy Absolution, Holy
Baptism, and the proper partaking of Holy Communion.
In conclusion, therefore, what was true for Peter's and John's
audience then is true for us today, namely, .
"The past, Present, and Future Merge in the Resurrected Christ,"
about whom His disciple John reported, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says
the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Rev
1:8 ESV)
Having once again formally celebrated our Savior's past historic
death and resurrection, let's realize that His atoning sacrifice provides
present pardon for all our sins and thereby insures future eternal glory
with Him in heaven. That was the merciful message of today's Collect in
which we prayed, "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."
Throughout these fifty days of the liturgical season of Easter we
will echo that prayer with the words of the Gradual, "Christ has risen from
the dead. [God the Father] has crowned him with glory and honor, He has
given him dominion over the works of his hands; he has put all things under
his feet." (adapt. from Matt 28:7; Heb 2:7; Ps 8:6 ESV)
It's what today's Gospel Reading informed us about the past,
present, and future having merged in the Messiah when ". Jesus himself stood
among [His disciples], and said to them, 'Peace to you!' Then he said to
them, 'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and
the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I
am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until
you are clothed with power from on high.'" (Luke 24:36, 44-49 ESV)
Today's Epistle Reading likewise communicated that same past,
present, and future three-dimensional theme that merges in the resurrected
Christ: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be
called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not
know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now,
and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears
we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who
thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." (1 John 3:1-3 ESV)
So it is that we continue our joyful Easter celebration with the
declaration, "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!" .
knowing that, as today's Introit stated, "In your presence there is fullness
of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. O Lord my God, I
cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Sing praises to the Lord, O
you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for
a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning." (Ps 16:11b; 30:2, 4-5 ESV)
So let's faithfully worship and obey "The Christ who came as a
baby, who comes to the hearts of sinners and makes them saints, [and] who
will come again on the day that God has set as the time to restore
everything." At that time, "The results of the fall will be reversed, and
then 'the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and
brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21)."
(Richard D. Balge. Page 45.) As we wait for that glorious day, let's
always remember and never forget that "God the Father has accepted the
sacrifice [of Jesus], He is reconciled to sinners. This fact He has
unmistakably confirmed by raising Jesus from the dead and by glorifying and
exalting Him to the right hand of His majesty." (Paul E. Kretzmann. Page
547.)
In the meantime, let's live our lives by thanking, praising,
serving, and obeying our gracious God even as we ponder .
I. The Soul-Challenging Question (11-12): ". why do you wonder at this,
or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made
him walk?"
and dwell upon .
II. The Soul-Comforting Answer (13-16): "And his name-by faith in his
name-has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is
through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you
all."
God grant it all for the sake of the risen Jesus Christ, His
humble Son, our holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X resurrected Son and of the
Holy Spirit. [Amen.]
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