⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹²[Jesus said:] “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
¹³Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.
¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you.
¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
¹⁷These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ Who lives and loves you so that you may love others. Amen.

Introduction

    Beloved, that is what God has declared us. There is nothing more mysterious than self-sacrificing love even though we see it clearly displayed in our precious mothers. You know that expression, “he has a face only a mother could love” and while we might be stingy, there is something placed in the hearts of parents by God’s grace that lets them love beyond reason.

That mystery of love isn’t exclusive to mothers. The mystery of love is precisely the gift of God’s grace that we are given and commanded to give. Let’s get something straight from the beginning – the command to love is the Law of God. We don’t love as purely as we are commanded, if we did we wouldn’t need to set aside a day to express love to our mothers, it would be done every day. Yet, God’s love is poured out on you and me through Jesus Christ, so that we can pour out that love to people around, even people we find unlovable.

The Father – source of all love

For all of the theological words we use to describe God, Omniscient, Omnipresent, omnipotent, etc. none of them have as much wonder as what John says in his epistle to the church, “God is Love.” It was from love that God created the world, not that God was lonely but that He wanted to express His love. And while life may not seem like God loves us, look at that picture of paradise that we find in the first chapters of Genesis – God placed humankind in the midst of the Garden of Eden where there was no doubt of the goodness of God’s love.

Even in the Fall, God continued to show His love. Rather than simply executing His justice on those who had broken His command, He promised even in His wrath to send someone who would take away the eternal consequences of sin and restore His creation back to His loving presence.

To do this wonderful thing required God’s love. It’s one thing to sacrifice something you don’t care about but it’s entirely another to sacrifice something or someone you love. God sent Jesus, His beloved son into this world to restore His creation. Jesus is loved by the Father in spite of what it looks like on Calvary. Remember the Father’s words at Jesus’ baptism and again at the transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son.” Jesus had no doubt of His Father’s love for Him, in the Garden of Gethsemane He was committed His life into His Father’s hands, and at the Cross of Calvary He committed His soul into His Father’s hands. Jesus had complete confidence in His Father’s love and because of that walked even the painful road to the cross.

Even more than Jesus’ confidence we too can see the Father’s love for Jesus because the Father raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 10:9). Just as the scriptures declare, He didn’t let His holy one see decay.

Jesus loves His disciples

As the Father loved Jesus, Jesus loved His disciples. You might have wondered why the Gospel’s record Jesus calling His disciples to follow Him, and at least one answer is that He needed those men to receive His love. I am reminded of how one dramatization of the calling showed Jesus calling from among the crowd the disciples like someone picking teams on the playground. And we usually think about strong and honorable men among those twelve, but this text makes me think that those twelve were not the cream of the crop. You have fishermen and tax collectors one is suspected of being a thief and they give him the treasury to hold; no even in calling these men Jesus was choosing to show His love to people because He chose to show His love.

And Jesus continued to love His disciples despite their weaknesses. Remember Peter? Jesus continued to love Peter even when Peter tried to derail the entire journey to Jerusalem and Jesus had to call Peter Satan. Jesus continued to love Peter even when Peter denied Jesus three times that dark night while Jesus was enduring the trial from the Sanhedrin. Jesus continued to love Thomas even while Thomas refused to believe the words of the other disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus continued to love Judas even knowing from the beginning that Judas would be the one to turn Him over to His enemies.

Jesus loves all of His disciples, including you and me. You and I know what is in our hearts, how we have forsaken Christ for our own goals. We have looked at God’s creation as a source of our own pleasure and self-satisfaction. We have looked at people as a means to our own ends instead of fellow redeemed. We have looked at God’s Word as a burden to study and read instead of the blessed gift of life. We have even looked at the gathering of the saints as an hour out of OUR lives instead of a gathering to share in God’s blessings. And still Jesus loves us. Creation continues even in its fallen state to provide so much for us through the Father. The ink has not disappeared from the Bible and the doors have remained open to invite us into God’s presence.

Jesus continues to love us by giving His gifts in Word and Sacrament. The Baptismal promises have not gotten any weaker because of our unfaithfulness, but remain strong because of Jesus love for every sinner. The gift of His body and blood is still there in, with, and under the bread and wine so that we may have God’s love. And Jesus continues to love you today because He is alive.

Now it’s our turn to love

Now it’s our turn to love. Our Father has poured out His love on Jesus who in turn pours out His love on us, what do you suppose is next? We have been loved so that we can love others. This is what it means to be God’s creation, God’s Holy People – to love as we have been loved.

Shall I give you an argument to love? Listen to what Jesus’ says in this passage, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.” Or remember that Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive? Think about how ridiculous the church would look if baptism were contained is some bubble and you couldn’t come near it, or if the Holy Supper were just set up here and all you could do was stare at it? These things would not be gifts but cruel jokes like a mirage in the dessert promising refreshment and giving death. No, Jesus has poured out His love into you that you may love.

In fact, if you withhold love there is a greater issue. You are breaking God’s command, plain and simple. You are willingly sinning and causing God’s love to come to a stagnant. You know that in the middle east there is a sea called the dead sea – named because there is nothing lives in those waters – it is too salty for anything to live. The dead sea has become so salty because for centuries the rivers have poured water into it but there is no outlet and as the sun evaporates the pure water from the sea, the salts and minerals are left behind.

As God has poured an abundance of love into us through His Son, we have that abundance of love to pour out into the world around us. Instead of being critical of what people are, we can love them as God as loved us. Someone once said that if you want to be accepted go to a bar, if you want to be judged, go to a church. Do we judge? Sure we do, when we decide who is and isn’t worthy to receive our love because of the way they behave, the choices they have made or what they look like.

I know it’s hard, I’m not immune to those same thoughts – the ordination, collar and robe haven’t scared Satan away far enough that he doesn’t whisper those thoughts into my ears too. What is important is for us to confess those sinful thoughts and pray God’s grace to love despite our reluctance to love.

Conclusion

Jesus loved us by pulling us out of our sins and setting us on the rock of His love. We can love people by reaching out to others through any means at our disposal to experience God’s love. Jesus gives some examples of what that love looks like – visiting the sick, comforting those who grieve, giving to the poor, speaking up for those who are silenced, these are just a few. In fact, you could get a bigger picture of what God wants by applying the Golden Rule – what have you received, that is what you are to give away.

The greatest love you can give to someone is to bring them to know Christ Jesus. Just as mothers have for centuries spent time with their children teaching them the Word of God, you too can speak to your neighbor, friends, relatives, and enemies at just the right time for them to hear and receive the blessings of Christ.

connected to the vine

¹[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
²Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
⁸By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction

    Last week our local Green Haus held their annual Geranium sale. Geraniums are some of the most incredible plants. They can bloom several times over the summer. When one bloom dies you can pinch it off and another comes up in its place.

When Jesus talks about pruning, He doesn’t speak of harming the branches but of making the vine more fruitful. When Jesus cleanses and prunes His people, we bear new fruit as we receive life in Jesus death and resurrection. Only the forgiven branches bear fruit.

Fruitful because you are forgiven

    God desires us to bear fruit, the fruit that comes out of love. God’s love is the motivation for any and all fruit that we might bear. Jesus even describes His church as a well-cultivated vineyard. We all know how the world works; a dog eat dog world where you have to look out for number one because everyone is looking to knock you down for their benefit. Not always, but normally you do things for selfish motives; recognition, relieve guilt, create affinity, just to name a few. How do you know when that fruit is sour? You know those fruits are sour when the benefits desired are not realized and the “love” stops.

    Not so for you who are in the church. Our motivation for loving doesn’t come from the taste of the fruit, but from the love God has shown to you. Jesus has come that we would know now and forever that we are beloved children of God. We are lavished with God’s love as we heard last week, and grafted into Jesus Christ – a love that never ends. In Baptism we are grafted into the very source of love; grafted into Jesus Christ by His promise. That love has been proven never to come to an end, not even death could stop Jesus from pouring His love into you.

    What happens when you realize you are forgiven, and of how much you have been forgiven? You respond in love. That love is revealed when we join in praising our God for His mercies and blessings and in the offerings we gladly give to Him. But that love is also poured out in the way that we treat one another, showing love through our words and actions, being patient and generous are the fruits of God’s love to you.

Fruitful because you are in the vine of Christ

    What happens when a branch is cut off from the vine? You know, it dies because it is no longer nourished and soon withers and dies. What happens when you cut yourself from God? Don’t fool yourself for a moment that neglecting His Word or skipping church once in a while doesn’t matter. It matters each and every time. It’s peculiar that we pray for rain and know how important it is to tend to the soil for our crops. But when it comes to tending to our very souls we are so negligent as to believe that there are things more important than knowing God’s Word. It is entirely true that we can know something of God from nature and from our conscience but only God’s Word can reveal to us the Will of God and the mercies He has for us in Jesus Christ.

    Jesus even warns that branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off and removed from the vine. Even those who have confessed Christ can fall away by neglecting to tend to these vital issues. And you don’t have to imagine hard to understand. You don’t keep the lawnmower that won’t cut or the car that won’t run. If these things cannot be restored, they are cast off. Jesus wants you too, but not at the cost of loosing others. If you are not in a Bible study group or neglecting daily study, I urge you now; don’t go another day cutting yourself from God’s nourishment not just for your sake but for the sake of those around you, the neighbors and family you have been called to love.

    Oh, but let me also remind you that even those branches that are fruitful are going to be pruned. Not cut off from the branch but trimmed away. There are parts of our lives that suck away from God’s purpose for your life and He will work to show you how those dead branches need to be eliminated. When Christians find their wealth taken away, that may well be God pruning away those unhealthy parts of your life. At other times the connection between the pruning and the change may seem hard to connect; sometimes God takes away our health so that we can be shaken from trusting in earthly joys and cling to Him for our life.

Fruitful even beyond your imagination

    What fruits God has brought forth in you! Consider how God has worked for these generations to bring so many to the baptismal waters and to faith. Consider how you have personally given to support your church and the mission of God around the world.

    But that fruitfulness has not ended. You, yes you have fruit to bear. Don’t say that you are too old or too worn out to produces fruit. That would be true if the source of your power was in you, but it’s not. The source of your power is the love of Jesus Christ. The reason we proclaim and remember that Christ is alive is to remind you that your power is not exhausted or worn out. And be warned, the more you cling to the things of this world the less you can hold on to Christ and the salvation He has given to you. Instead, consider for a moment the value of the souls that can be rescued from the power of Satan through those resources God has put in your care. Take joy in the fruit that you are bearing. What good is a healthy apple tree that is stingy with its fruit?

Conclusion

    If we don’t care for the geraniums they will soon be ugly and dying because they are not able to bear the flowers that they were made to bear. If we do not tend to the fruit that we are to bear, we will soon be covered with the wilting remains of the old fruit and have no room for the new fruit to bloom. Listen to God’s Word, be feed and nourished. Stop admiring the past as if your fruit bearing is over and look to what God has for you to do today and tomorrow. If you stop bearing fruit, Christ has already said that you will be cut off. As Christ’s mercies never come to and end, you have a never ending supply of love to give to the world.

dream, Go, Be, and Live

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, ²for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. ⁸It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God hears our prayers. Amen.

Introduction

    Today, Krista you have become our object lesson. Not too long ago you stood alone and boldly confessed your faith as the only confirmand that year. I don’t think anyone could be more proud of you and the courage you displayed that morning. This morning it is our desire to bless you with encouragement and prayers as you move to the next stage of your life. I pray that what you have received from God while with us will continue to grow and mature just as you encounter opportunities to be the dear child of God He has made you in your baptism, through the gift of faith.

Your class motto: Dream what you dare to dream, God where you want to go, Be what you want to be, Live! Like most of the class mottos, these words are reflections of profundity for you and for all of us to hear. God’s Word is always our source of life, and as you continue permit me to share with you and everyone what God’s Word means in light of this class motto with those verbs, dream, go, be, and live.

Dream

Your life is filled with dreams. For several years you dreamed of reaching graduation and during those years you have dreamt about so many accomplishments. You have been involved in so many activities and while not every dream may have been realized, those dreams have kept you motivated and pointed in the direction you wanted your life to go. As you came into one dream, you already set your heart on another dream. That isn’t being fickle, that is being focused on your future.

Scripture is filled with dreams. Often times God speaks to people through dreams and at other times God lets the dreams of people lead them into the future. Listen to God in your dreams, and test those dreams with what God has revealed in His Word. As you move into your next stage of education you already of a dream of what you hope to do with your life. Let that dream, sanctified by God’s grace continue to keep your life focused on doing what God has prepared for you to do.

Go

As you go from this place, Go knowing that wherever you go, God is with you. In fact, the Great Commission reflects the same verb, Go. Just as you have been born in Christ and brought to know Him, you now carry His message of salvation wherever you go. In whatever relationships and activities you engage you are going with God’s grace. Go boldly into those places where the light that you received in Holy Baptism will shine brightly. Go in God’s grace to bear fruit that will change the lives of people you touch. Go and be a blessing because you are a dear child of God.

From the very beginning of creation, it was always God’s desire to see His presence fill this planet. Adam and Eve were commanded to bring that presence throughout the world. In the Tower of Babel, God confused the languages to cause His will to be fulfilled. At Jesus’ ascension, He told His disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world.” You are now part of that will of God, going into this world to carry that light of God’s mercy.

Be

Your dreams have brought you this far, and dreams are making you go on into your future. As you dream, and as you go, remember to be. Be what you want to be – God is not putting a straight jacket on you that insists you have to be a cookie-cutter image of others. God has made you unique in your experiences and your make-up. He has already adopted you as His precious daughter and made you One with Christ. Now, as these things have been poured into you, be yourself – dearly beloved in Christ.

Others will try to mold you and shape you. You will be tempted to model yourself after other people. Even our best role-models will never be a substitute for who you need to be. Certainly, you have already adopted from those who are in your life, Mom, Dad, Brothers, and friends. These are people God has placed in your life for a reason. Now as you mature and move away, it becomes even more important to be yourself.

So, be who you want to be.

Live (Conclusion)

    Dream, go, be and Live. Earlier in proverbs we heard “…do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” You have something because you are in Christ. On one level this class motto is a cry of freedom, but in Christ, you have life. Just as you have been taught and come to believe, that Christ has loved you and taken your place so that you may live, take His blessings and live. Take His blessings and carry them in your heart and in your living because they are the words of life.

    Krista, whatever your dreams, wherever you go, whatever you want to be – do so with the life that God has given you in Christ Jesus.

The best part of having the Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who has rescued us. Amen.

Introduction

    Few Sundays are cherished as much as the theme of this Sunday – Good Shepherd Sunday. When we are looking for comfort and to have our relationship with God renewed, we look to the One who has proven Himself willing to go to all lengths to rescue and save us. At the time of a funeral, these words carry a solemn and yet hopeful tone of God’s care. In the midst of blessings, we can remember Who it is that is guiding our steps. And in all things we can remember the promises that are ours forever.

There are wonderful blessings in the Good Shepherd…

Blessing of peace

One blessing that is given to you by this Good Shepherd is the gift of peace. That gift of peace is promised in His Holy Word; the green pastures that nourish the soul. Here, among the brothers and sisters we are able to receive the Word together in Bible Study, Sunday School, Worship, and in prayer that is guided by His Word. Here there is peace in the still waters – still and yet living – life giving waters. Having been washed in the blood and washed in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, these waters provide exactly what we need to live.

Blessing of Guidance

The Good Shepherd blesses you and me with guidance. But it’s not the kind of guidance of a task master; it is the guidance of knowing who we are and who’s we are. The Psalmist says, “He restoreth my soul” and with that we are pointed back to the waters of baptism and God’s declaration of identity. When you know who you are and who’s you are, well everything changes. Children who are adopted often go through a period of identity crisis, but through the legal and emotional declarations, they are family; while they may not be blood, they are family.

God has declared that you are His own dearly beloved children – cherished and adored by our Father. St. Paul writes that before you were adopted into His family you were children of darkness, but now you are children of the light. We are sons and daughters of the King and as beloved children of God we are called to dwell in Him as He dwells in us. Even as we call ourselves by His name, Christian (belonging to Christ) He has placed His name on us.

Blessing of life

The Good Shepherd blesses us with life. We remember this Psalm at so many funerals and in times of distress because of the promise of life. The story is told of a father trying to comfort his two children at the passing of their last grandparent. As they were driving to the funeral service they met an oncoming semi. As the truck approached, he called their attention to the shadow that was cast across their driving lane. After the truck passed, he asked them, now, which is better, to be hit by the truck or hit by the shadow of the truck? Of course the children answered, “the shadow.” And the father explained how death, though it is dark and ominous can no longer hurt us because we are in Christ and as the Good Shepherd says, “He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26), Jesus has proven that He can give life, not only did He raise Lazarus and others in His earthly ministry, but He has overcome death itself when He rose from the grave on the day of the Resurrection. It is the Good Shepherd who gives us life.

Blessing of Table

    The Good Shepherd doesn’t only give you a green pasture of His Word and the refreshing waters of baptism, but He prepares a table for you even in the presence of your enemies. As Christ prepared His disciples for His crucifixion, He told them that he was going to prepare a place for them. In the Revelation of St. John, the Apostle records what He sees in heaven as the great marriage feast of the Lamb. A couple of weeks ago we heard the invitation of the prophet to come to the feast of rich foods and well aged wine. All of this has been prepared even while our enemies would try to pull us away from that feast.

    Already in the Church, God has prepared a foretaste of the feast to come in the Holy Supper. At the altar we receive the gift of life and salvation, a promise of what God has prepared for you for eternity. This table is the table of the Good Shepherd.

Best blessing of all

    All of these things are the blessing of the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for you and me. Because the Good Shepherd has blessed us with all of these things we are able and even eager to respond to His blessings by blessing others. But, do you know what the best blessing that comes from Jesus as the Good Shepherd? The greatest blessing is being one of His sheep and receiving His blessings because of His great mercy and love.

Hey – we started a Bible study last Sunday, some of you “accidentally” walked in and saw that we are examining the resurrection hope that we have and what it means. Please join us and become rooted in the word! If you can’t join us, or if you are joining us and want to use your Ipad or Android type of device, I’ve prepared the Bible study in the YouVersion app. Download the app from the respective markets and hit this link in your mobile browser.

bible.us/e/MEy

The Bible study will be published to the Web by Saturday and remain available through the Weekend.

¹⁹On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
²³If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

²⁴Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God hears our prayers. Amen.

Introduction

    This Sunday goes by a lot of names, Quasimodo Geniti Sunday because of the first line of the introit, Low Sunday because people tend to skip this Sunday after all of the Easter services, and Doubting Thomas Sunday because of this incident with Thomas. Names are interesting because some are descriptive and others become self-fulfilling prophecies; there is something to optimistic and pessimistic expressions.

Thomas has this adjective added to his name as doubting Thomas, but I would have to propose that he would rightly be called honest Thomas. We all have situations in our lives that are beyond belief; witnessing a miracle buzzer shot from the far side of the court to win a game or the amazement of the mother holding her child for the first time.

This Christian religion is not a religion of faith but a religion of fact. That is not to say that faith isn’t important, but faith has to be grounded in something real and tangible. Having a strong faith that isn’t rooted in solid fact is something like trying to climb a ladder that isn’t supported by anything. But our faith is founded in history and that is where we must begin.

Thomas

Thomas doesn’t deserve the moniker as a doubter; all of the disciples doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. On that first day Jesus appeared to Mary at the tomb and to the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus then finally to the disciples gathered in the upper room. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to any of them that their doubts were laid to rest. I say they doubted the resurrection because they were locked up for fear of the Jews; all of the disciples were struggling with this unbelievable message.

Thomas has done us a favor by his absence from that first encounter. He has done us a favor in showing that doubt and disbelief are natural reactions to this message that the disciples of Christ proclaim. How often have you sat down to share the message of Christ with someone you care about and have danced around the issue of the resurrection because of your own doubt? How often do we avoid talking about the resurrection because of our own questions? And we know in our hearts how empty the imperative, “You just have to believe” is to our own ears and to the person to whom we are sharing.

We don’t have to resort to such a legalistic challenge as demanding that someone believe, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. What we have to share are the facts.

Fact 1 – the tomb was empty – Anyone who claims that Jesus was not crucified displays ignorance, Josephus and other historians have given more evidence of the events of Good Friday than you can imagine. Still the fact that Jesus was crucified isn’t unbelievable. The challenge to the message of the disciples of Christ is the fact that the tomb was empty. If Jesus were still in the tomb, the enemies of Christ would have only needed to hold a press conference and Jesus of Nazareth would have been forgotten like others who had made the claim to be the Messiah. There is only one conclusion then – the tomb was empty.

Fact 2 – The disciples (and Paul) believed that Jesus is alive – They believed that Jesus was alive because they proclaimed this message throughout their lives. So, you might think that they were con artists or delusional. Con artists propose a lie for some sort of gain, what did the disciples gain? Persecution, rejection, physical danger, and for all except John execution – would you live a lie for that sort of gain? No, they believed it – but were they delusional? If it were one or two maybe even just a handful of people that might be possible. But remember that last week (1 Corinthians 15) we read that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time most of whom were still alive.

We are sent out

So, Jesus appears to His disciples to give them this evidence to carry out to the world. This is the same evidence we carry out in our world. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to believe and tell people that Jesus rose from the dead, the facts point to that conclusion. Faith isn’t about if Jesus rose from the dead or not – these are facts that rattle around between the ears. Faith comes to play when we ask, what does this mean? THAT is the divine command from God to the church – Jesus sent His disciples out to proclaim the peace of God because of Christ’s resurrection.

History is history – the evidence is there and don’t shy away from telling people what Christ has commissioned you to tell. If you are still having trouble sharing this message, talk to me and I’ll be happy to help you learn again what the facts reveal, not the lies of doubts. As we tell people of what Christ has done, we can begin to share the peace of Christ with them.

Conclusion

This Sunday we are reminded that doubt isn’t something to be ashamed of but something we can openly share. We turn doubt into a shameful thing when we give the “spiritual” answer when Christ has given a real answer. Here, Christ has appeared to Thomas so that his doubt would be replaced by faith that proclaimed Christ to be “My Lord and My God!” And we have heard that message so that God can give us peace in Christ Jesus, peace that we have from God and peace that we can bring to the people around us. In this way, Christ has blessed us with peace, a peace that endures.

⁶On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. ⁷And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. ⁸He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. ⁹It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

God’s grace, peace and mercy are yours in Jesus Christ. Christ is Risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia). Amen.

Introduction

    How long have we waited again for this blessed season! You who are gathered here are ready to celebrate this time; celebrating it with leisure, recreation, and probably a meal. These feasts are not just feasts for the Church but certainly feasts for families. I suspect that many of you have that Easter meal on your mind so let me be brief so that you can quickly return home and savor every moment with your family and friends.

The Prophet Isaiah has called us to this vision of heaven and what do we see but a feast! This is a stark contrast between the fast foods and empty foods that we have too often in our busy lives. The same parallel is meant to remind you that we live in a spiritually impoverished world filled with some of the same empty spiritual talk. Empty because we look in the wrong places for a nourishing meal. And dear brothers and sisters, there is no more filling meal than what Christ offers to you here in His Body and Blood – an undeserved gift that He prepares for you this day!

This feast is enduring

The problem with any feast is that it is already growing old and cold. You who are cooking are doing everything you can to have all of the foods prepared as close to the same time as possible because you know the importance of everything being just right. But within the hour, the “magic” of that meal has already begun to fade. That is not to say its wasted or unimportant – simply the fact that these feasts will fade. Not only does the meal fade, but there is also a sadness of seeing the empty seat where loved ones are supposed to be. We can, and should rejoice while we can, but we know that sooner or later, our seats will too be vacant some day.

This feast that God has prepared is different. The shroud and tears have been removed for all who trust in Him. The meal that God prepares does not grow old, it gives to us again and again what Jesus gave to His disciples that first Holy Supper. And the seats are not vacated, moved perhaps, but not vacated. When we come to this Sacrament, we join with the heavenly hosts who are already on the other side of this veil of tears. The empty tomb makes this impossible feast possible and promised in Christ.

A meal that Sustains

Other feasts bring what only the sinner can bring to the meal. These are foods that are delicious in every way, but the nourishment is temporary, and as hard as we try too many meals are accompanied by family struggles and conflicts.

What God has prepared for us is a meal that the Holy One of God has prepared. This is a meal that sustains us forever. God gives us Himself – living, dying and rising from the dead that we might have the true body and blood to bind up our broken hearts and give strength to mend those broken relationships. He begins with a meal that proclaims what the angels promised at Jesus’ birth; peace on earth, Good will to all. From that solid promise we have the grace to both announce forgiveness to one another and even the courage to ask for forgiveness.

Oh, the bread and wine may not seem satisfying to our taste buds or to satiate the hunger pangs. But this meal of Christ body and blood is filled with the grace of God the gift of life and salvation. The empty tomb makes this impossible feast possible and promised in Christ.

A feast for all people

And this is a meal that we can all share. The feasts of the Old Testament were for the Jewish people, but this is a meal for all nations. This is a meal that graces and makes people His own. This is a meal that takes away the veil of disgrace for failing to follow His commands. This is a meal that pulls away the shroud of darkness of death. This is a meal that joins all who partake to one another because it binds us into Christ Jesus. This, because it is prepared by our Heavenly Father is a family meal unlike any other – imagine for a moment the faces of brothers and sisters who have come to this meal to feast as forgiven sinners. The empty tomb makes this impossible feast possible and promised in Christ.

Conclusion

The world thinks that it has the market cornered on feasts. Look at how the commercials try to tell you that this is the best food that you can possibly eat. From the finest restaurants to the fastest food, but the best that they can do is satisfy the hunger for a short while.

The victory of Christ over death is the never-ending feast over sin, death, and the power of the devil. The Holy Supper is the meal of salvation and life with God and one another for all eternity. This is the finest meal that will sustain God’s people forever because He has swallowed up death forever and wiped away our tears with the hope of eternal life. The empty tomb makes this impossible feast possible and promised in Christ.