"Jesus Came to Rescue and Cleanse ALL Sin-Stained People"
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.]
"Thou hast died for my transgression,
All my sins on Thee were laid;
Thou hast won for me salvation,
On the cross my debt was paid,
From the grave I shall arise
And shall meet Thee in the skies.
Death itself is transitory;
I shall lift my head in glory."
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
548:2)
First Reading.................................................... Acts
10:34-48 (Esp. 34-38)
34Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no
partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is
right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel,
preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you
yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee
after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing
all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."
Prologue: Faithful God-fearing mothers unconditionally love all their
children equally. Of course, good parenting calls for individually treating
children according to their individual needs. But the self-sacrificial love
a Christian mother has for her children without faavoritism is a divine
virtue. We thank and praise God for such mothers, commend you into His good
and gracious care, and wish you a wonderful Mother's Day filled with His
blessings [tomorrow / today] and every day.
Speaking about unconditional love, our Declaration of Independence
boldly states that ". all men are created equal . ." Nevertheless, we
Americans are very familiar with and even plagued by past and present
prejudices . even to the point of treating unborn babies and older infirm
adults as trash by legalizing the willful killing of them by abortion and
euthanasia. Political, social, economic, racial, religious, and family
favoritisms are some of the more common partialities that Satan uses to
separate us from one another and, more tragically, from Jesus Christ
Himself. Probably the most blatant example of favoritism in the Holy
Scriptures is that of Jacob toward his favored son, Joseph.
To emphasize the utter severity and, at the same time, base
depravity of this truth, consider that there are many so-called Christians
who wrongly think that God loves and cares for only people who love Him and
trust Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of their sins, salvation, and
eternal life. That, of course, flies in the face of what Jesus Himself
taught in His Sermon on the Mount when He said that our heavenly Father
"causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous." (Matt 5:45 NASU) Add to that the additional
truths that God our Savior "desires all people to be saved . ." (1 Tim 2:4a
ESV); "[Christ] died for all . ." (2 Cor 5:15a NASU); and, of course, Jesus'
own declarations that ". God so loved the world . ." (John 3:16a ESV) and ".
I, . will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32 ESV) To summarize this
truth, "Christ testifies to all people without distinction that it is God's
will that all people should come to Him 'who labor and are heavy laden' with
sin, in order that He may give them rest and save them [Matthew 11:28]."
(Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions: A Reader's Edition of the Book of
Concord. Paul Timothy McCain, General Editor. Copyright © 2005, 2006
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 892.) We thereby recognize
the objective nature of the one true triune God's love for all mankind-not
just those who love Him or trust Jesus alone for forgiveness of their sins,
salvation, and eternal life.
In fact, Peter "Solemnly . began his address by stating that he
now of a truth comprehended and understood fully that God is not a respecter
of persons, literally, that He does not look upon the face of people. The
outward face, form, and bearing of people do not influence the judgment of
the Lord. This inclusive statement swept aside the confining bonds of the
Mosaic covenant, and proved to be the keynote of the entire mission-work of
the Church from that time forth. The reception of the salvation merited by
Jesus Christ is no longer conditioned by nationality, but by the condition
of the heart. The call to redemption is extended to all [mankind],
regardless of color, race, and language." (Paul E. Kretzmann in Popular
Commentary of the Bible: The New Testament Volume I. Copyright © Unknown
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 586.)
It's in the light of that vital certainty that today's First
Reading emphasizes the joyful fact that .
"Jesus Came to Rescue and Cleanse ALL Sin-Stained People."
The major benefit of that reality is the certain assurance and
comfort it gives all of us that God loves us-no ifs, ands, or buts about it!
His love for us and all people is absolutely indisputable despite what some
misguided (albeit perhaps well-intentioned) wannabe-Bible instructors
wrongly teach to the contrary. The unidentified author of today's Introit
confirmed his personal realization of this when he declared about God that
". he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!" (Ps
66:20 ESV) The Apostle Paul underscored this truth when he told the
Galatian Christians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave
nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus." (Gal 3:28ESV) Now, let's recognize that in view of that truth .
I. God Desires Us To Be Witnessing Witnesses. (39-43)
39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews
and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God
raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people
but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with
him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the
people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the
living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone
who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Being a witness means two distinct and, at the same time, related
things. First, it means to see something with our own eyes or hear
something with our own ears. Second, it means to honestly tell with our own
mouth what we saw with our own eyes or heard with our own ears.
Note well that the true definition of Christianity is "the life
and salvation God has given in and through Jesus Christ." (Luther's Small
Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986/2008 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO. Page 47.) It's not primarily or majoritively how we
live. Rather, it's our faith conviction. The faith conviction that defines
us as Christians is trust that Jesus Christ alone is "the way, and the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him]."
(John 14:6 ESV) It's believing that "there is salvation in no one else, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved." (Acts 4:12 ESV) That exclusive name is none other than "Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom [we] crucified, whom God raised from the dead . ."
(Acts 4:10 ESV)
The Holy Spirit planted that saving faith in our hearts through
Holy Baptism. Today He continually renews and strengthens it with the
reading and hearing of God's Holy Word, the declaration of Holy Absolution,
and the proper partaking of Holy Communion.
Catechetically speaking, faith consists of the three-part recipe
of knowledge, assent, and confidence. The basic ingredient is knowledge
that comes from witnessing-seeing and hearing with divinely-tuned eyes and
ears-what God has revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It's ultimately all
about the Object of saving faith, namely, Jesus Christ. After all, He
atoned for our sins with His holy life, innocent suffering, crucifixion
death, and majestic resurrection from the dead. We formally celebrated His
resurrection-victory a short five weeks ago and continue to celebrate it
each and every week in the divine services. We do so because He won for us
the forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life that comfort us now and
safeguard us for the eternal future.
But today's text instructs us that it's vitally important for us
to not simply see and hear those truths about Him who is the truth, but that
we also tell one another and others those truths so they also become
acquainted with Jesus and receive faith in Him from the Holy Spirit. We do
that when we personally speak and live the truth about Jesus to family
members, friends, and acquaintances. We do so when we "A. . remain members
of the invisible church, Christ's body, by sincere faith in Christ, our
Savior; B. . [remain] faithful to that visible church, or denomination,
which professes and teaches all of the Bible's doctrine purely and
administers the sacraments according to Christ's institution; C. . avoid
false teachers, false churches, and all organizations [such as the Masonic
Lodge and the animal lodges, and even other quasi-Christian congregations
and denominations] that promote a religion that is contrary to God's Word;
[and] D. . maintain and extend God's church by telling others about Jesus
Christ, by personal service, and by prayer and financial support." (Luther's
Small Catechism with Explanation. Pages 162.)
The Reverend Doctor Ken Klaus, Lutheran House Speaker Emeritus,
referred to a sad tragedy in his sermon just two weeks ago when he said, "I
would be less than honest with you if I ignored one of the great scandals
which has rocked the Christian world. That scandal is centered around
beloved pastors and priests who have taken advantage of the trust placed in
them by members of their parish. You've read the headlines. You know how
these men of the cloth took advantage of young men and women who had been
entrusted to their care. That thousands have lost faith in the Lord Jesus
because of their sins cannot be understated." ("Not All Paths" #79-34.
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on April 29, 2012. By Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus,
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour. Copyright © 2011 Lutheran Hour
Ministries, St. Louis, MO.) That's why it's so vitally important to
identify, become a part of, support, and remain with a ". congregation of
saints [Psalm 149:1] in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments
are correctly administered." (Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions: A Reader's
Edition of the Book of Concord. Page 37.)
In addition, we also witness to the truth when we support with our
prayers, personal encouragement, and monetary gifts the many men and women
especially of our church body, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and her
recognized service organizations that devote themselves to purely telling
the Good News about Jesus in a formal way both locally and globally. The
joyful result of such, among other things, is that .
II. God Will Cause Witnesses' Witnessing to Bear Spiritual Fruit.
(44-48)
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who
heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come
with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out
even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and
extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47"Can anyone withhold water for
baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
they asked him to remain for some days.
What is spiritual fruit? Saint Paul identified it as
self-denying, self-sacrificial love . the love which God showed us through
His Son our Savior, Jesus Christ and, as I mentioned at the beginning of
this sermon, devoted Christian mothers show their children . no matter what
their age. He declared to the Corinthians that "faith, hope, and love
abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13 ESV)
and to the Galatians that "the fruit of the Spirit is love," immediately
followed by a list of how that love manifests itself, namely, with "joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control . ." (Gal 5:22-23 ESV) In both instances, love is the single
fruit of the Spirit.
In addition, it's the love about which Saint John wrote in his
first general epistle, ". let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not
love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his
love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might
live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. . since God so loved
us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we
love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1
John 4:7-12 NIV)
In essence, then, the spiritual fruit that God will cause
witnesses' witnessing to bear is the love that we show by obeying God's Holy
Law. The Ten Commandments succinctly summarize that Holy Law, about which
Saint Paul wrote that "love is the fulfilling of the law." (Rom 13:10 ESV)
Jesus Himself expanded on that some years earlier when He stated, "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:37,
39 ESV) So it is that we longingly beg God in today's Collect, ". by Your
holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by
Your merciful guiding accomplish them . ."
In conclusion, therefore, the bottom line is that "He who came as
Savior of all will come again as judge of all. Peter's words in this sermon
are a beautiful summary of the gospel. They remind us of the Second Article
of the Apostles' Creed. Jesus' name is the revelation of who he is and what
he has done. It is the gospel in a nutshell. Those who hear that name and
believe in him receive the forgiveness of sins. That is true of Jew and
Gentile alike, of 'everyone who believes in him.'" (Richard D. Balge in
People's Bible Commentary: Acts. Copyright © 2005 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO. Page 118.) All of that boils down to the simple
statement that .
"Jesus Came to Rescue and Cleanse ALL Sin-Stained People."
Today's Epistle and Gospel Readings, both of which come from the
pen of Saint John, made that all the more clear. In the Epistle Reading he
taught that "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of
God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey
his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments." (1 John 5:1-3a) And in the Gospel Reading he recorded Jesus'
own divine instruction, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These
things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy
may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his
life for his friends." (John 15:9-13 ESV)
Let's all of us strive by the Holy Spirit's power to obediently
follow Jesus' teaching. By doing so, we will certainly show that we know
that .
I. God Desires Us To Be Witnessing Witnesses. (39-43)
As witnessing witnesses we will thereby also sound forth our
joyful understanding that, as the Easter Gradual states, "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) We do so with
grateful celebration that .
II. God Will Cause Witnesses' Witnessing to Bear Spiritual Fruit.
(44-48)
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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