+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 17:20
Theme: Future Faith
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Heaven is not a remote, confined location. Heaven is the dimension of God’s unmediated presence- as close as the person sitting next to you. Forty days after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ ascended bodily into heaven. The parting promise to His disciples was that He would return in the same manner in which He had left. His return will bring to an end existence in this fallen world. He will come again not to atone for sins, but to gather to Himself those who believe. The Scripture says, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”1 In this context, “to bring salvation” does not mean to proclaim the gospel, but to deliver believers from this world of sorrow to the bliss of eternity.
Meanwhile, as the church eagerly and confidently awaits His bodily and glorious return, the challenges of this world must be faced. The scope and influence of the Christian church in the future is beyond our knowing. What plans God has ordained for the nature and size of His church is a mystery that is revealed to us only as it happens. But this much we know with certainty: The word of God will accomplish its purposes and future believers will be gathered into the fold. Jesus prays today saying, “My prayer is not for them alone (the disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.”2 This general promise of future faith is realized in the specific details of the Holy Spirit’s work.
The church is entrusted with the means by which faith is created and nurtured, and is charged with being diligent in administering these gifts. The Augsburg Confession says, “In order to obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy Spirit produces faith, where and when it pleases God, in those who hear the Gospel.”3 The Holy Spirit converts and sanctifies and He is pleased to do it through the Word of God committed to the church.
Here we must come to terms with some fixed realities. Firstly, we are born in a state of condemnation. We are not born in a state of faith, but in a state of unbelief. That is the upshot of original sin. Left to ourselves, we are certainly lost for eternity. Secondly, even as believers, we do not have the luxury of playing fast and loose with God’s will. Nor do we have the leverage to negotiate or manipulate or even plea bargain. Going ahead with our sin, and planning to repent later, or arguing about exactly what constitutes a transgression of God’s will and what doesn’t only seems make headway from our perspective. In reality it’s like standing on the brow of the Titanic dreaming of a joyous reunion. Denial doesn’t change reality. It’s playing with fire. We are not in control.
And, thanks be to God that we are not in control! Salvation is by grace through faith. It is the work of God for us. Then we see that the living of our baptismal life mirrors our justification. Our growth in the faith, our place in the church here and now, our role in living Christ-like lives is molded, shaped and directed by the Word and Spirit. It is a life filled with joys, challenges and surprises. It is a life under the freedom of the gospel. We must understand that the details of our service to God are in His hands.
Today is the Sunday after the Ascension. Next Sunday is Pentecost. Fifty days after the resurrection the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples. And so begins the season of the church year in which we focus on living in the grace that is freely ours through Jesus Christ. In other words, the fact of our conversion- our being brought to the faith through Holy Baptism by the gospel- is worked out in our daily routine of living before God.
The church grows spiritually and adds new souls as it continues to center its life around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Life under the cross becomes not flippant and frivolous but focused and confident. Baptismal living is not aimless but purposeful. In Christ we learn the reason we exist. We have specific vocations in the real world. As we engage the challenges of sin we know the power rests with Christ. The Scripture says, “If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies.”4
Under the humility of the cross, but with confidence in the message of the cross, the Christian church must continue to let the world know that Christ has been sent from the Father and salvation is found only in Him. Everyday your lips and your lives attest to this message. We are the body of Christ in this place and within this community. What is your Christian vocation? You are not Paul. You are not an apostle. You may not stand before kings or councils as did Luther. But you are called to be a faithful witness of Christ to your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your parents, your friends, your boss, your co-worker; perhaps most importantly to people you don’t even like or even know. Will you be flawless in your witness? No! Will you often fail? Yes! If you didn’t your claim to be a Christian would be a sham. Does your seemingly small part matter? Yes; in absolutely every way. For Christ working through you will not fail. And this makes an eternal difference.
As Christians, we cannot be self-fashioned individuals going our own way. We are members of a living organism with Christ as the head. In unity of heart and mind we move forward in Christ’s mission. Resources must be ventured. Opportunities must be seized. Failures must be recognized. Transgressions must be repented of. Trust must be maintained. Love must prevail. Truth must always be adhered to. Forgiveness must always be sought and applied and believed. Christ seeks not a utopia on earth, but that on earth sinners may be shown the gate of heaven. One day all believers will trace the path of His ascension. Heaven is where Christ has already banished sin. It is our future.
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday of Easter
8 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 9:28
2 John 17:20
3 The Augsburg Confession, Article V
4 Romans 8:10-11
Monday, May 9, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
Sixth Sunday of Easter (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:27
Theme: Divine Peace
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Christ gives a peace that the world cannot give. This is no trivial promise. You cannot give something you do not have. The world does not possess this peace. The world can strive for cessation of hostilities among nations, it can work toward economic and cultural stability, it can offer armament for personal safety- and it should pursue these things. But it cannot give the peace that passes all understanding. His peace steadies the heart and consoles the soul. It does so even when life crumbles and collapses all around because Christ is immortal, immovable, immutable: He is incarnate love.
Pentecost draws near. The Lord makes careful reference to the Holy Spirit today. The disciples need the motive and the means to be steeled with tenacity. Presently they are timid and filled with uncertainty. They are not at peace. The ascension is at hand. The heavenly coronation of their Master seems too remote to give them courage. How will they cope? Jesus promises the sending of the Spirit. The disciples cannot conjure the Spirit, as by some pious, but magical incantation. He- the Spirit- gathers them from the darkness.
As God, He comes from God. The Spirit does not proceed from the church. He is not the collective consciousness of believers. The Spirit creates the church through the word. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Scriptures are the Spirit’s words as much as they are Christ’s words. The Spirit speaks. And He speaks only for the purpose of making known the Son so that all who know the Son may know the love of the Father as well. The Holy Spirit does not circumvent the public record of the divine will. The Holy Scriptures are that record: The books of the Old and New Testaments of the prophets and apostles. The Spirit does not run a clandestine operation. He speaks openly through the word.
Dear friends, it’s only through God’s word that we can truly know what threatens us and where we find help. We live in a culture that increasingly exalts science and downplays sin. If evil is not real, if judgment is not certain, if hell is not substantive, then we are wasting our time being concerned with forgiveness, grace, and salvation. If the justice of God will not be rendered, we might as well kick back with levity and frivolity and invite Epicurus to dinner. Perhaps that’s why so few are in church on any given Lord’s Day. If sin is only a projection of inadequate sensitivity to others there would be no need for the peace that the world cannot give. There would be no need for grace. The church could then become a philanthropic society helping to improve life only in the here and now. There would finally be nothing to be saved from. There’s no need for a Redeemer when a therapist or breadwinner can meet your most critical needs. Ah, but what needs are really most critical?
Should the conviction prevail that human crises are really so shallow then we will find ourselves in a parallel situation to that which Paul describes when he says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”1 If we believe we only need some guidance, aid, or protection, to help us journey through this life more easily we are to be pitied for missing the deepest challenges and opportunities of existence.
Ignorance is not bliss. Not when Satan is the headmaster. Under his tutelage there is no distinguishing between heaven and hell, there is no contrast between light and darkness, there is no distinction between love and hate because all under his power are blinded by the first deception, the promise made to Eve in the Garden, “You will be like God.”2 Dear friends, the eternal Son of God did not breach time and space in abject humility to wipe our runny noses and entertain us with cups of tea. He came to prepare us for the heavenly banquet and wipe away the tears caused by sin and death. Christ has been crucified and raised to life for us and for our salvation.
It’s easy to worry about the decline of Christianity in our culture today. But would Noah agree with the lament that too few are in church? He was one of only eight on the ark. Would Elijah resonate with the concern? Only 7000 believers remained in all of Israel3 How many attended the service on the cross that first Good Friday. A handful? We need not despair. For the sake of the elect the days will be shortened. The One who had triumphed over death says, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”4
The world we live in is a world that needs Christ. What can you do? Aaron and Hur propped up the arms of Moses as he held the staff of God in his hand. Only Moses could hold the staff. But others bore the weight that was too much for him to bear. You cannot carry the cross of another but you can be the support that eases their burden. Jesus says those who offer a cup of cold water will not lose their reward. Who dare to challenge His words? You can do nothing at all apart from Him; nothing godly and spiritual, that is. But with Him and through Him you can do all things. You can move mountains because He is the mover. You can remain unmoved when Satan blows through like a tempest because He is the anchor. You can run into the fray when others run for cover because He bears your armor. You can press through the darkness because He is the light of the world. You can touch lepers because his blood cleanses from all sin.
Dear friends, Luther reminds us in his teaching on the Lord’s Prayer that the kingdom of God comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit5. Where the Spirit is there is life. Though our physical frames will succumb to the power of death, we already have spiritual life that cannot be defeated. God’s promises will all come to fulfillment. The trumpet will sound. The valley of dry bones will become a festal gathering of the heavenly banquet. The Jordan will swell into the river of life. The desert of the Negev will be transformed into a new paradise. The faithful will rise. The brave and the timid, the weak and the strong, and those who were always too tender for this harsh and cruel world. And you will stand among them, lifted by the Spirit, beholding the Son face to face. You will have peace. Amen.
Christ is risen. Alleluia!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
1 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 15:17-19
2 Genesis 3:5
3 See 1 Kings 19:17
4 John 16:33
5 See Luther’s Small Catechism
Text: John 14:27
Theme: Divine Peace
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Christ gives a peace that the world cannot give. This is no trivial promise. You cannot give something you do not have. The world does not possess this peace. The world can strive for cessation of hostilities among nations, it can work toward economic and cultural stability, it can offer armament for personal safety- and it should pursue these things. But it cannot give the peace that passes all understanding. His peace steadies the heart and consoles the soul. It does so even when life crumbles and collapses all around because Christ is immortal, immovable, immutable: He is incarnate love.
Pentecost draws near. The Lord makes careful reference to the Holy Spirit today. The disciples need the motive and the means to be steeled with tenacity. Presently they are timid and filled with uncertainty. They are not at peace. The ascension is at hand. The heavenly coronation of their Master seems too remote to give them courage. How will they cope? Jesus promises the sending of the Spirit. The disciples cannot conjure the Spirit, as by some pious, but magical incantation. He- the Spirit- gathers them from the darkness.
As God, He comes from God. The Spirit does not proceed from the church. He is not the collective consciousness of believers. The Spirit creates the church through the word. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Scriptures are the Spirit’s words as much as they are Christ’s words. The Spirit speaks. And He speaks only for the purpose of making known the Son so that all who know the Son may know the love of the Father as well. The Holy Spirit does not circumvent the public record of the divine will. The Holy Scriptures are that record: The books of the Old and New Testaments of the prophets and apostles. The Spirit does not run a clandestine operation. He speaks openly through the word.
Dear friends, it’s only through God’s word that we can truly know what threatens us and where we find help. We live in a culture that increasingly exalts science and downplays sin. If evil is not real, if judgment is not certain, if hell is not substantive, then we are wasting our time being concerned with forgiveness, grace, and salvation. If the justice of God will not be rendered, we might as well kick back with levity and frivolity and invite Epicurus to dinner. Perhaps that’s why so few are in church on any given Lord’s Day. If sin is only a projection of inadequate sensitivity to others there would be no need for the peace that the world cannot give. There would be no need for grace. The church could then become a philanthropic society helping to improve life only in the here and now. There would finally be nothing to be saved from. There’s no need for a Redeemer when a therapist or breadwinner can meet your most critical needs. Ah, but what needs are really most critical?
Should the conviction prevail that human crises are really so shallow then we will find ourselves in a parallel situation to that which Paul describes when he says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”1 If we believe we only need some guidance, aid, or protection, to help us journey through this life more easily we are to be pitied for missing the deepest challenges and opportunities of existence.
Ignorance is not bliss. Not when Satan is the headmaster. Under his tutelage there is no distinguishing between heaven and hell, there is no contrast between light and darkness, there is no distinction between love and hate because all under his power are blinded by the first deception, the promise made to Eve in the Garden, “You will be like God.”2 Dear friends, the eternal Son of God did not breach time and space in abject humility to wipe our runny noses and entertain us with cups of tea. He came to prepare us for the heavenly banquet and wipe away the tears caused by sin and death. Christ has been crucified and raised to life for us and for our salvation.
It’s easy to worry about the decline of Christianity in our culture today. But would Noah agree with the lament that too few are in church? He was one of only eight on the ark. Would Elijah resonate with the concern? Only 7000 believers remained in all of Israel3 How many attended the service on the cross that first Good Friday. A handful? We need not despair. For the sake of the elect the days will be shortened. The One who had triumphed over death says, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”4
The world we live in is a world that needs Christ. What can you do? Aaron and Hur propped up the arms of Moses as he held the staff of God in his hand. Only Moses could hold the staff. But others bore the weight that was too much for him to bear. You cannot carry the cross of another but you can be the support that eases their burden. Jesus says those who offer a cup of cold water will not lose their reward. Who dare to challenge His words? You can do nothing at all apart from Him; nothing godly and spiritual, that is. But with Him and through Him you can do all things. You can move mountains because He is the mover. You can remain unmoved when Satan blows through like a tempest because He is the anchor. You can run into the fray when others run for cover because He bears your armor. You can press through the darkness because He is the light of the world. You can touch lepers because his blood cleanses from all sin.
Dear friends, Luther reminds us in his teaching on the Lord’s Prayer that the kingdom of God comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit5. Where the Spirit is there is life. Though our physical frames will succumb to the power of death, we already have spiritual life that cannot be defeated. God’s promises will all come to fulfillment. The trumpet will sound. The valley of dry bones will become a festal gathering of the heavenly banquet. The Jordan will swell into the river of life. The desert of the Negev will be transformed into a new paradise. The faithful will rise. The brave and the timid, the weak and the strong, and those who were always too tender for this harsh and cruel world. And you will stand among them, lifted by the Spirit, beholding the Son face to face. You will have peace. Amen.
Christ is risen. Alleluia!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
1 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 15:17-19
2 Genesis 3:5
3 See 1 Kings 19:17
4 John 16:33
5 See Luther’s Small Catechism
Monday, April 25, 2016
Fifth Sunday of Easter (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 13:31-34
Theme: Glorified In Love
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Love is the greatest1, so says the apostle. There could scarcely be a more commonly used term in modern Christianity than love. Love lies at the heart and centre of the Bible and our understanding of God and His will in Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”2 God’s love is all-pervading. It is the fabric that makes the existence of life possible. God’s love of the sinner is also unconditional. Without it we would perish eternally.
Yet, the commonplace use of the word love- we employ it with great latitude- leaves it open to misunderstanding. Distinctions are necessary. Context can be the key to those distinctions. Context is often a very reliable tool for discerning the intended meaning of a word or phrase. Contextual interpretation often happens intuitively by the participants in or witnesses to any particular conversation. For example, if at a wedding reception the groom says he loves his wife, and then in the next breath says he loves the genre of music chosen for their celebration, it hardly needs to be explained that His use of the word love is not the same in each circumstance. No one will be confused about whether he loves hip-hop music more than his bride. At least we’d hope, or the marriage is off to a precarious start!
So, what about love in relation to God? Danger ensues when we attempt to impose our understandings, as accepted and common as they may be, over God’s divine truths. If we’re going to operate under our own definitions of love (or of other concepts relating to human behavior and belief) then we’d better be very certain of how those definitions compare with Scripture. Otherwise, whether it’s intentionally, or unwittingly, we will find ourselves in direct conflict with the divine will. And that will always have consequences both in the present life and the life to come. God’s clear decrees and the Bible’s unambiguous truths are not subject to contextual reinterpretation to fit even our well-intentioned motives. Idolatry, for example, isn’t just wrong in certain contexts. It’s always a fundamental transgression of God’s will.
One of the powers and consequences of sin is that over time it impairs our vision and judgment. It’s essential that the Holy Spirit continually, rebuke, reform, and restore us through the word. Otherwise, human opinions inevitably replace divine truths. Then God’s word seems radically out of step. First Century Roman culture was so steeped in a polytheistic mindset they just couldn’t fathom the claim that there was only one true God. They were even prepared to make a place for this Jewish Messiah. But to worship Him alone was unthinkable. So deeply ingrained was their polytheistic thinking that while speaking at the Areopagus Paul makes reference to their altar built to “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.”3
Today our society is becoming indoctrinated with a materialist understanding of reality and with relativistic ideology pertaining to the dynamic of all human relationships. A pure materialist doesn’t believe there is a spiritual realm at all. Existence is made up only of combinations of atoms and their smaller components. Though not everything is currently observable, it is believed to be “scientifically” discoverable and measurable. The actual creation of matter becomes an unanswerable dilemma for the materialist. Relativism is the belief that there are no absolute truths. Everything is subjective and valued only according to context. What one individual or society holds to be valuable has no objective merit to those who hold a different view. It’s not hard to see how love is stretched to its relativistic limits.
Biblically, love embraces both grace and justice. It is broader than those two realities considered separately. To be outside of Christ is to be outside of grace but not outside of justice. To incur God’s wrath through final, willful impenitence (that is, steadfast rejection of God and denial of the guilt of sin until the day of death) does not mean that God is no longer a God of love. God remains who He says He is. We cannot vindicate ourselves by trying to shift the blame to God. Not one person of any time in history, of any circumstance of prosperity or adversity, of any degree of faithfulness or denial, has been or will ever be outside of God’s justice. The Scripture says, “We will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”4
Love requires the demands of the law to be met: “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”5 At the same time love meets those demands. But it happens in a very particular way. Christ is the only one that fulfills those requirements. He is Love. But, let us not think these things can be fully understood by human intellect. They are ultimately matters of faith. The sheer immensity of God’s threatening presence in His words of warning (think here of God being referred to as consuming fire6) can only be understood by the unconverted or unrepentant person as a tactic of intimidation. God appears to be a tyrant, unreasonable and unable to be satisfied. What’s the use in trying to please Him?
On the other hand, who could understand that this God who cannot be pacified by humans would sacrifice His own Son! The Holy Spirit is required for us to believe that. The cross wasn’t very glorious from a human perspective. Yet it was God’s definitive revelation of love. The broken, beaten, wounded, dying Jesus fastened to this macabre instrument of death is the very image of God’s heart. Here justice was rendered. Here grace triumphed. Here, and nowhere else, in no other act, in no other way, was the means to balance the divine equation. In financial terms it was the avoidance of bankruptcy with full impunity. The saving love of God simply isn’t available to us apart from the cross. The risen Jesus now lives to serve us.
Baptism is the point the unconditional love of God first becomes accessible to us. In this promise of water and the word the Holy Spirit brings us into true relationship with the crucified and risen Christ through faith. The baptismal font is the point of departure from Satan’s domain and the place entry into the inheritance of the triune God. We leave the chaotic waters of unbelief where we are tossed about by every wave of human opinion and we find safe haven in the ark of salvation. God will see us through to the end. And the “end”, heaven, is really just the beginning.
John describes heaven today by listing key things that have been abolished. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”7 We have no direct frame of reference to understand how fantastic the new creation will be. But we can certainly relate to the experience of suffering in this life. Pain will be annulled. Grief will be eliminated. Death will be undone. Our resurrected existence will be completely freed from any of the consequences of sin.
The Christian pilgrimage is a life-long journey of coming to terms with the parameters of God’s love in Christ. Holy Communion is food for the journey. Paul prays that the Ephesians might be “established in love, [and] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…”8 The Scripture says, “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.”9 Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday of Easter
24 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See 1 Corinthians 13:13
2 John 13:34
3 Acts 17:23
4 Romans 14:10
5 Romans 13:10
6 See Deuteronomy 4:24
7 Revelation 21:4
8 Ephesians 3:17-19
91 John 4:9-10
Text: John 13:31-34
Theme: Glorified In Love
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Love is the greatest1, so says the apostle. There could scarcely be a more commonly used term in modern Christianity than love. Love lies at the heart and centre of the Bible and our understanding of God and His will in Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”2 God’s love is all-pervading. It is the fabric that makes the existence of life possible. God’s love of the sinner is also unconditional. Without it we would perish eternally.
Yet, the commonplace use of the word love- we employ it with great latitude- leaves it open to misunderstanding. Distinctions are necessary. Context can be the key to those distinctions. Context is often a very reliable tool for discerning the intended meaning of a word or phrase. Contextual interpretation often happens intuitively by the participants in or witnesses to any particular conversation. For example, if at a wedding reception the groom says he loves his wife, and then in the next breath says he loves the genre of music chosen for their celebration, it hardly needs to be explained that His use of the word love is not the same in each circumstance. No one will be confused about whether he loves hip-hop music more than his bride. At least we’d hope, or the marriage is off to a precarious start!
So, what about love in relation to God? Danger ensues when we attempt to impose our understandings, as accepted and common as they may be, over God’s divine truths. If we’re going to operate under our own definitions of love (or of other concepts relating to human behavior and belief) then we’d better be very certain of how those definitions compare with Scripture. Otherwise, whether it’s intentionally, or unwittingly, we will find ourselves in direct conflict with the divine will. And that will always have consequences both in the present life and the life to come. God’s clear decrees and the Bible’s unambiguous truths are not subject to contextual reinterpretation to fit even our well-intentioned motives. Idolatry, for example, isn’t just wrong in certain contexts. It’s always a fundamental transgression of God’s will.
One of the powers and consequences of sin is that over time it impairs our vision and judgment. It’s essential that the Holy Spirit continually, rebuke, reform, and restore us through the word. Otherwise, human opinions inevitably replace divine truths. Then God’s word seems radically out of step. First Century Roman culture was so steeped in a polytheistic mindset they just couldn’t fathom the claim that there was only one true God. They were even prepared to make a place for this Jewish Messiah. But to worship Him alone was unthinkable. So deeply ingrained was their polytheistic thinking that while speaking at the Areopagus Paul makes reference to their altar built to “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.”3
Today our society is becoming indoctrinated with a materialist understanding of reality and with relativistic ideology pertaining to the dynamic of all human relationships. A pure materialist doesn’t believe there is a spiritual realm at all. Existence is made up only of combinations of atoms and their smaller components. Though not everything is currently observable, it is believed to be “scientifically” discoverable and measurable. The actual creation of matter becomes an unanswerable dilemma for the materialist. Relativism is the belief that there are no absolute truths. Everything is subjective and valued only according to context. What one individual or society holds to be valuable has no objective merit to those who hold a different view. It’s not hard to see how love is stretched to its relativistic limits.
Biblically, love embraces both grace and justice. It is broader than those two realities considered separately. To be outside of Christ is to be outside of grace but not outside of justice. To incur God’s wrath through final, willful impenitence (that is, steadfast rejection of God and denial of the guilt of sin until the day of death) does not mean that God is no longer a God of love. God remains who He says He is. We cannot vindicate ourselves by trying to shift the blame to God. Not one person of any time in history, of any circumstance of prosperity or adversity, of any degree of faithfulness or denial, has been or will ever be outside of God’s justice. The Scripture says, “We will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”4
Love requires the demands of the law to be met: “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”5 At the same time love meets those demands. But it happens in a very particular way. Christ is the only one that fulfills those requirements. He is Love. But, let us not think these things can be fully understood by human intellect. They are ultimately matters of faith. The sheer immensity of God’s threatening presence in His words of warning (think here of God being referred to as consuming fire6) can only be understood by the unconverted or unrepentant person as a tactic of intimidation. God appears to be a tyrant, unreasonable and unable to be satisfied. What’s the use in trying to please Him?
On the other hand, who could understand that this God who cannot be pacified by humans would sacrifice His own Son! The Holy Spirit is required for us to believe that. The cross wasn’t very glorious from a human perspective. Yet it was God’s definitive revelation of love. The broken, beaten, wounded, dying Jesus fastened to this macabre instrument of death is the very image of God’s heart. Here justice was rendered. Here grace triumphed. Here, and nowhere else, in no other act, in no other way, was the means to balance the divine equation. In financial terms it was the avoidance of bankruptcy with full impunity. The saving love of God simply isn’t available to us apart from the cross. The risen Jesus now lives to serve us.
Baptism is the point the unconditional love of God first becomes accessible to us. In this promise of water and the word the Holy Spirit brings us into true relationship with the crucified and risen Christ through faith. The baptismal font is the point of departure from Satan’s domain and the place entry into the inheritance of the triune God. We leave the chaotic waters of unbelief where we are tossed about by every wave of human opinion and we find safe haven in the ark of salvation. God will see us through to the end. And the “end”, heaven, is really just the beginning.
John describes heaven today by listing key things that have been abolished. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”7 We have no direct frame of reference to understand how fantastic the new creation will be. But we can certainly relate to the experience of suffering in this life. Pain will be annulled. Grief will be eliminated. Death will be undone. Our resurrected existence will be completely freed from any of the consequences of sin.
The Christian pilgrimage is a life-long journey of coming to terms with the parameters of God’s love in Christ. Holy Communion is food for the journey. Paul prays that the Ephesians might be “established in love, [and] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…”8 The Scripture says, “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.”9 Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday of Easter
24 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See 1 Corinthians 13:13
2 John 13:34
3 Acts 17:23
4 Romans 14:10
5 Romans 13:10
6 See Deuteronomy 4:24
7 Revelation 21:4
8 Ephesians 3:17-19
91 John 4:9-10
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Fourth Sunday of Easter (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 10:27
Theme: The Shepherd Leads
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
You are part of “the Way”. The Way was a label given to the first followers of Jesus. The name itself implies there are alternative possibilities. It recognizes the distinction between good and evil; one which has eternal dimensions. Not all roads lead to the same destination. Not all pathways converge at the same point. One route escorts travelers to the kingdom of light. The others steer them to the domain of darkness. The Shepherd says, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”1 He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”2
Jesus says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch then out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”3 We can only know the Shepherd’s voice through the Shepherd’s word. Apart from the word of God there is no promise of the Spirit. Without the Spirit there is no faith. Without faith the punishment of sin remains. Only Christ can free us from the penalty of sin. The Scripture says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him”4
Dear friends, the doctrines of Christianity have been thoroughly examined over more than two millennia and they have withstood the test. This examination has involved repeated attempts to ignore, marginalize, or persecute those who hold to the basic teachings of the faith. For long periods Christian values were normative for the ethos of many societies. At other times and in other places Christianity has been and still is persecuted or illegal. Though there are always periods of ignorance, apathy, and even acquiescence by the church God promises the remnant will never fail to endure. This truth will become increasingly important for our morale.
Christ is the Lord of history. But His mission is not to make this world into a paradise. We must carefully weigh the words of the apostle, which say, “This world in its present form is passing away.”5 We are living on borrowed time. It is time lent to us by Him whose patience and compassion is beyond our comprehension. The Scripture says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”6 Defiance of God’s lordship and denial of our sinfulness expose us to swift judgment. Unresolved guilt is the cause of ultimate instability. Yet Christ casts our sins from us as far as the East is from the West.
Jesus is the way. The journey is secured by Him but it is not carefree. God is too wise to withhold adversity from us. He knows the necessity of proper discipline. Yes, self-control is one of the gifts of the Spirit, but rebelliousness is a virtue of the Old Adam. If we expect life to go flawlessly then we’ve grossly underestimated the power of sin. The egocentric capacity of human character is virtually unlimited. If we believe we can have our way without accountability and without penalty then the temptation to self-centeredness will be too hard to resist. Transparently or hypocritically, people always construct their own idols when they’re allowed to do so. Only the Holy Spirit can turn us from idolatry.
And this He does not fail to do. God’s grace declares us righteous in His sight. The baptized are cleansed. The baptized are gifted. The baptized are secured. The Lamb has shed His blood and through this power souls are purged, believers are equipped, and the faithful are rescued from the very jaws of hell. Mortality is penetrated by uncertainty. The next sunset might be the last one you see. The next meal might be the last one you eat. The next breath might be the last one you take. But would this be so bad? Assumptions are risky. Presumptions are sinful. Life is gifted. It is never deserved. Because we are always vulnerable to being led astray we must be continually called back to these truths. The Almighty God has no obligation to sustain us for a single hour. Yet, His steadfast love is unwavering.
All that is wrong will be righted. The lost will be found. They will reach the destination. The Scripture says today, “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”7Grief cannot prevail. Grief is a consequence of loss. Loss is symptomatic of a broken world. Yet, in Christ, all that is lost will be restored, all who grieve will be comforted, all who are estranged will be united, all this is dead will be made alive. Every tear will be dried up by the warmth of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. Darkness presses in, it seizes its opportunities, but it cannot triumph.
You are one of God’s elect and the gates of hell cannot shake the foundation on which you stand. Now, what can you do with this knowledge of security? What is the upshot for your daily routine at home, work, or school? It means you can be a steady presence in people’s lives of instability. Where anxiety reigns, you can bring a measure of calm. Where ungratefulness rules you can bring the perspective of thankfulness. Where there is darkness you can be a beacon of light. Where there is despair you can be an image of hope. Where there is hate you can bring a degree of love. Where lies and deceit are the order of the day you can beam with the brightness of God’s truth. Where there is confusion you can bring clarity. Where there is emptiness you can simply be a presence.
And you can do these things not in arrogance or for recognition but in humility and with discretion. You can do them not hoping to have the favour returned but because God’s favour rests on you. That doesn’t mean your baptismal life won’t be taxing or tiring. The apostle Paul said, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering.”8 How can he accept this struggle with such contentment and conviction? Because “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”9 Because Jesus said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”10 This blood of the Lamb is shed for you. His body, sacrificed for the transgressions of the entire human race, is given for you. Why can we also offer our “bodies as living sacrifices”11? The cross answers all enquiries. The Good Shepherd holds us in His hands. He will not let go. Perhaps we cannot see the destination, but He’s already there. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Easter
17 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 7:13-14
2 John 14:6
3 John 10:27-29
4 John 3:36
5 1 Corinthians 7:31
6 2 Peter 2:9
7 Revelation 7:17
8 2 Timothy 4:6
9Romans 5:5
10 Matthew 26:28
11 Romans 12:1
Text: John 10:27
Theme: The Shepherd Leads
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
You are part of “the Way”. The Way was a label given to the first followers of Jesus. The name itself implies there are alternative possibilities. It recognizes the distinction between good and evil; one which has eternal dimensions. Not all roads lead to the same destination. Not all pathways converge at the same point. One route escorts travelers to the kingdom of light. The others steer them to the domain of darkness. The Shepherd says, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”1 He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”2
Jesus says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch then out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”3 We can only know the Shepherd’s voice through the Shepherd’s word. Apart from the word of God there is no promise of the Spirit. Without the Spirit there is no faith. Without faith the punishment of sin remains. Only Christ can free us from the penalty of sin. The Scripture says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him”4
Dear friends, the doctrines of Christianity have been thoroughly examined over more than two millennia and they have withstood the test. This examination has involved repeated attempts to ignore, marginalize, or persecute those who hold to the basic teachings of the faith. For long periods Christian values were normative for the ethos of many societies. At other times and in other places Christianity has been and still is persecuted or illegal. Though there are always periods of ignorance, apathy, and even acquiescence by the church God promises the remnant will never fail to endure. This truth will become increasingly important for our morale.
Christ is the Lord of history. But His mission is not to make this world into a paradise. We must carefully weigh the words of the apostle, which say, “This world in its present form is passing away.”5 We are living on borrowed time. It is time lent to us by Him whose patience and compassion is beyond our comprehension. The Scripture says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”6 Defiance of God’s lordship and denial of our sinfulness expose us to swift judgment. Unresolved guilt is the cause of ultimate instability. Yet Christ casts our sins from us as far as the East is from the West.
Jesus is the way. The journey is secured by Him but it is not carefree. God is too wise to withhold adversity from us. He knows the necessity of proper discipline. Yes, self-control is one of the gifts of the Spirit, but rebelliousness is a virtue of the Old Adam. If we expect life to go flawlessly then we’ve grossly underestimated the power of sin. The egocentric capacity of human character is virtually unlimited. If we believe we can have our way without accountability and without penalty then the temptation to self-centeredness will be too hard to resist. Transparently or hypocritically, people always construct their own idols when they’re allowed to do so. Only the Holy Spirit can turn us from idolatry.
And this He does not fail to do. God’s grace declares us righteous in His sight. The baptized are cleansed. The baptized are gifted. The baptized are secured. The Lamb has shed His blood and through this power souls are purged, believers are equipped, and the faithful are rescued from the very jaws of hell. Mortality is penetrated by uncertainty. The next sunset might be the last one you see. The next meal might be the last one you eat. The next breath might be the last one you take. But would this be so bad? Assumptions are risky. Presumptions are sinful. Life is gifted. It is never deserved. Because we are always vulnerable to being led astray we must be continually called back to these truths. The Almighty God has no obligation to sustain us for a single hour. Yet, His steadfast love is unwavering.
All that is wrong will be righted. The lost will be found. They will reach the destination. The Scripture says today, “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”7Grief cannot prevail. Grief is a consequence of loss. Loss is symptomatic of a broken world. Yet, in Christ, all that is lost will be restored, all who grieve will be comforted, all who are estranged will be united, all this is dead will be made alive. Every tear will be dried up by the warmth of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. Darkness presses in, it seizes its opportunities, but it cannot triumph.
You are one of God’s elect and the gates of hell cannot shake the foundation on which you stand. Now, what can you do with this knowledge of security? What is the upshot for your daily routine at home, work, or school? It means you can be a steady presence in people’s lives of instability. Where anxiety reigns, you can bring a measure of calm. Where ungratefulness rules you can bring the perspective of thankfulness. Where there is darkness you can be a beacon of light. Where there is despair you can be an image of hope. Where there is hate you can bring a degree of love. Where lies and deceit are the order of the day you can beam with the brightness of God’s truth. Where there is confusion you can bring clarity. Where there is emptiness you can simply be a presence.
And you can do these things not in arrogance or for recognition but in humility and with discretion. You can do them not hoping to have the favour returned but because God’s favour rests on you. That doesn’t mean your baptismal life won’t be taxing or tiring. The apostle Paul said, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering.”8 How can he accept this struggle with such contentment and conviction? Because “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”9 Because Jesus said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”10 This blood of the Lamb is shed for you. His body, sacrificed for the transgressions of the entire human race, is given for you. Why can we also offer our “bodies as living sacrifices”11? The cross answers all enquiries. The Good Shepherd holds us in His hands. He will not let go. Perhaps we cannot see the destination, but He’s already there. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Easter
17 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 7:13-14
2 John 14:6
3 John 10:27-29
4 John 3:36
5 1 Corinthians 7:31
6 2 Peter 2:9
7 Revelation 7:17
8 2 Timothy 4:6
9Romans 5:5
10 Matthew 26:28
11 Romans 12:1
Monday, April 11, 2016
Third Sunday of Easter (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 21:7
Theme: “It Is The Lord”
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Life can be tedious. Our capacities are stretched. Our failures accumulate. Our scars accrue. Our faculties diminish. Yet, the resolve of the maturing Christian grows strong. The confidence of the seasoned believer increases. Conviction becomes more steadfast. And this is true exactly insofar as we understand that everything depends on God and not on us. Dear friends, we so easily forget that grace is not a human enterprise. It is the autonomous self-giving of God in Christ. So, even in the midst of tedium our lives can have purpose and joy. Blessings we cannot yet imagine lie beyond the horizon.
The Easter gospels continue to bring us into contact with the Living Lord who makes good on His promises. The occasion for the third post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples-this time by the Sea of Galilee- is remarkable for its mundaneness. Does it not seem incongruent, considering the past events, that some of the disciples are even out fishing at all? But, they were fishermen by trade. While their hands were occupied with nets their hearts were occupied with faith. They were still coming to terms with what the resurrection of Jesus meant, not only for their salvation, but for their vocation. They still needed more encouragement and direction from their Lord.
They spent the night fishing. They caught nothing. At daybreak Jesus stood on the shore. They did not recognize Him. He tells them to cast out the net again. At His command the net is filled beyond capacity. The miracle causes John’s eyes of faith to be opened. He identifies the Lord. Peter then plunges into the water to greet Him. At Jesus’ invitation for breakfast the Scripture says, “None of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.”1 Evidently, the glorified appearance of Jesus’ resurrected body wasn’t immediately recognizable to His followers. They caught 153 large fish; but Jesus had already provided all they would need.
In the context of these fishermen learning what it would mean to be fishers of men, Jesus also employs the symbolism of the shepherd and the sheep. This was especially necessary for Peter who needed to be restored in the wake of his denials. Jesus tells Him three times explicitly to feed the sheep. You see, God chooses not to rule the church directly through the Holy Spirit. He uses human agency. He uses fragile people to handle His infallible word. He uses mistake-prone people to handle His inerrant word. He uses sinful people to handle His holy and sacred truth. And so, the church has the pastorate, the Office of the Ministry. The church has undershepherds of the Chief Shepherd.
The work of pastors, and the term pastor comes from the biblical word for shepherd, is not symbolic. The church deals with real sins and real forgiveness for real people in real circumstances. Jesus stood before His disciples not as an illusory image of the mind convincing them to buy into some intangible ideology that denied the concrete evidence all around them. His physical frame consumed food among them and He taught them the way forward to address a fallen creation.
Here is the point: When we over spiritualize things we can deny (even if inadvertently) the implications of Christ’s incarnation. That is, we run the risk of engaging the truths of the faith only in the realm of ideas and not in concrete reality. Christianity is not fundamentally a symbolic religion. Certainly it has many important symbols but it is not symbolic in its essence. Jesus took on flesh and blood He didn’t remain pure spirit. He promises to restore creation in realiter, that is, in reality- tangibly and concretely. We are actual, tangible, material sinners. And we deserve actual punishment. Therefore, artificial or symbolic forgiveness won’t do. We would remain in the guilt of our sins. The Scripture says, “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight.”2
Consider the sacrament of baptism. It is full of symbolism. The water, for example, represents cleansing. But in reality, the Holy Spirit promises to be present to create faith and actually cleanse the soul from sin. Or consider the name into which we are baptized: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible talks about being reborn into God’s family or kingdom. Again, a nice symbolism exists here. But it’s not just ideological rhetoric. Through baptism we really do come into fellowship with the triune God and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom.
The same truth holds for Holy Communion. The meal may remind us of the last supper Jesus had with His disciples, but it’s much more than that. In the bread and wine we receive His body and blood. He meets us in these gifts in reality. Therefore a wicked or unbelieving heart can expect His rebuke and judgment. But the repentant soul receives His promised pardon and forgiveness. In the controversy over ordination which is raging within the LCA some essentially understand the pastoral office as symbolic. That it, the pastor is seen to represent Christ in some spiritual way but not in an incarnational way- as one who stands there in His stead, by His command, speaking on His behalf. This falls short of the biblical expectation.
Thankfully, Christ never falls short of expectations. He has already initiated His eternal kingdom. It’s helpful to understand the Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost events in this way. The Bible says believers have already entered into the Sabbath rest.3The Christian Sabbath began when the Lord Jesus breached time and space through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, rendered Satan toothless and bridged the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. So, every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week is the continuous day of the new creation in Christ. It is a prelude to the timelessness of eternity.
Nevertheless, because of a threefold weakness in human nature, 1) the need to work to provide for our earthly needs, 2) the need to work to prevent idleness that can lead to wasteful self-indulgence, and 3) the need for regularity to maintain good order, God has been conciliatory towards us and allowed ancient Christians to designate Sunday as a public day of spiritual rest and worship. Sunday is the day of the resurrection.
And what happens on the Sabbath, the day the Holy Spirit gathers His people into community around His word? What happens when the risen Christ is among us to serve? The sheep are fed. They are led “in the paths of righteousness.”4 Hardened hearts are admonished by the threat of the law. Wounded consciences are soothed by the comfort of the gospel. The timid are given courage. The lonely find companionship. The downtrodden have their cause championed by the Advocate. Those who feel they are without a voice have the clear communication of their needs fast-tracked right to the throne of grace. The company of angels is present too, assuring us that when our voices fall silent because of fatigue or the prayers of our hearts are stilled because of our frailty, they carry on the ceaseless praise of our Creator and Redeemer.
St. John described the future for us today, “I heard every creature in heaven and on earth…singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”5 This is already the present reality for some. Life can be tedious. But for believers it is never without purpose. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Easter
10 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 21:12 2 Colossians 1:22 3 See Hebrews 4:3
4 Psalm 23:3 5 Revelation 5:13
Text: John 21:7
Theme: “It Is The Lord”
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
Life can be tedious. Our capacities are stretched. Our failures accumulate. Our scars accrue. Our faculties diminish. Yet, the resolve of the maturing Christian grows strong. The confidence of the seasoned believer increases. Conviction becomes more steadfast. And this is true exactly insofar as we understand that everything depends on God and not on us. Dear friends, we so easily forget that grace is not a human enterprise. It is the autonomous self-giving of God in Christ. So, even in the midst of tedium our lives can have purpose and joy. Blessings we cannot yet imagine lie beyond the horizon.
The Easter gospels continue to bring us into contact with the Living Lord who makes good on His promises. The occasion for the third post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples-this time by the Sea of Galilee- is remarkable for its mundaneness. Does it not seem incongruent, considering the past events, that some of the disciples are even out fishing at all? But, they were fishermen by trade. While their hands were occupied with nets their hearts were occupied with faith. They were still coming to terms with what the resurrection of Jesus meant, not only for their salvation, but for their vocation. They still needed more encouragement and direction from their Lord.
They spent the night fishing. They caught nothing. At daybreak Jesus stood on the shore. They did not recognize Him. He tells them to cast out the net again. At His command the net is filled beyond capacity. The miracle causes John’s eyes of faith to be opened. He identifies the Lord. Peter then plunges into the water to greet Him. At Jesus’ invitation for breakfast the Scripture says, “None of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.”1 Evidently, the glorified appearance of Jesus’ resurrected body wasn’t immediately recognizable to His followers. They caught 153 large fish; but Jesus had already provided all they would need.
In the context of these fishermen learning what it would mean to be fishers of men, Jesus also employs the symbolism of the shepherd and the sheep. This was especially necessary for Peter who needed to be restored in the wake of his denials. Jesus tells Him three times explicitly to feed the sheep. You see, God chooses not to rule the church directly through the Holy Spirit. He uses human agency. He uses fragile people to handle His infallible word. He uses mistake-prone people to handle His inerrant word. He uses sinful people to handle His holy and sacred truth. And so, the church has the pastorate, the Office of the Ministry. The church has undershepherds of the Chief Shepherd.
The work of pastors, and the term pastor comes from the biblical word for shepherd, is not symbolic. The church deals with real sins and real forgiveness for real people in real circumstances. Jesus stood before His disciples not as an illusory image of the mind convincing them to buy into some intangible ideology that denied the concrete evidence all around them. His physical frame consumed food among them and He taught them the way forward to address a fallen creation.
Here is the point: When we over spiritualize things we can deny (even if inadvertently) the implications of Christ’s incarnation. That is, we run the risk of engaging the truths of the faith only in the realm of ideas and not in concrete reality. Christianity is not fundamentally a symbolic religion. Certainly it has many important symbols but it is not symbolic in its essence. Jesus took on flesh and blood He didn’t remain pure spirit. He promises to restore creation in realiter, that is, in reality- tangibly and concretely. We are actual, tangible, material sinners. And we deserve actual punishment. Therefore, artificial or symbolic forgiveness won’t do. We would remain in the guilt of our sins. The Scripture says, “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight.”2
Consider the sacrament of baptism. It is full of symbolism. The water, for example, represents cleansing. But in reality, the Holy Spirit promises to be present to create faith and actually cleanse the soul from sin. Or consider the name into which we are baptized: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible talks about being reborn into God’s family or kingdom. Again, a nice symbolism exists here. But it’s not just ideological rhetoric. Through baptism we really do come into fellowship with the triune God and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom.
The same truth holds for Holy Communion. The meal may remind us of the last supper Jesus had with His disciples, but it’s much more than that. In the bread and wine we receive His body and blood. He meets us in these gifts in reality. Therefore a wicked or unbelieving heart can expect His rebuke and judgment. But the repentant soul receives His promised pardon and forgiveness. In the controversy over ordination which is raging within the LCA some essentially understand the pastoral office as symbolic. That it, the pastor is seen to represent Christ in some spiritual way but not in an incarnational way- as one who stands there in His stead, by His command, speaking on His behalf. This falls short of the biblical expectation.
Thankfully, Christ never falls short of expectations. He has already initiated His eternal kingdom. It’s helpful to understand the Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost events in this way. The Bible says believers have already entered into the Sabbath rest.3The Christian Sabbath began when the Lord Jesus breached time and space through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, rendered Satan toothless and bridged the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. So, every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week is the continuous day of the new creation in Christ. It is a prelude to the timelessness of eternity.
Nevertheless, because of a threefold weakness in human nature, 1) the need to work to provide for our earthly needs, 2) the need to work to prevent idleness that can lead to wasteful self-indulgence, and 3) the need for regularity to maintain good order, God has been conciliatory towards us and allowed ancient Christians to designate Sunday as a public day of spiritual rest and worship. Sunday is the day of the resurrection.
And what happens on the Sabbath, the day the Holy Spirit gathers His people into community around His word? What happens when the risen Christ is among us to serve? The sheep are fed. They are led “in the paths of righteousness.”4 Hardened hearts are admonished by the threat of the law. Wounded consciences are soothed by the comfort of the gospel. The timid are given courage. The lonely find companionship. The downtrodden have their cause championed by the Advocate. Those who feel they are without a voice have the clear communication of their needs fast-tracked right to the throne of grace. The company of angels is present too, assuring us that when our voices fall silent because of fatigue or the prayers of our hearts are stilled because of our frailty, they carry on the ceaseless praise of our Creator and Redeemer.
St. John described the future for us today, “I heard every creature in heaven and on earth…singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”5 This is already the present reality for some. Life can be tedious. But for believers it is never without purpose. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Easter
10 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 21:12 2 Colossians 1:22 3 See Hebrews 4:3
4 Psalm 23:3 5 Revelation 5:13
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Second Sunday of Easter (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 20:19-31
Theme: Restored Disciples
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
The dead will be raised! Could there be a bigger obstacle to faith than this claim? Life sustained in perpetuity! Here all human explanations reach their limit. Our trust cannot be bolstered by the possibility that science will one day solve this riddle. The ancient patriarchs lived for more than nine centuries. Even if the human race should again reach such longevity we would still be categorically removed from eternity. Succumbing to death is not the natural cycle of things that we should be content to expect; it is wicked, evil through and through.
Christ has resolved the crisis of mortality. He raises the dead. Divine power has intervened and the hegemony of death has been overturned. This is His crowning achievement. Thomas couldn’t at first believe that Jesus Himself had risen. Perhaps his absence Easter Sunday represented greater despair than that of the other disciples? Maybe they had the same doubts? Regardless, as the flesh and blood Jesus stood before him doubt was overcome. We may be tempted to think that for the disciples faith was now redundant- after all, the living Jesus was in their midst. But the ascension was only forty days away. The query of their faith is truly no different than ours: Will the Son of God also resurrect me? His promise is emphatic-the trumpet will sound and it will be so!
Now, the risen Lord appears to His cowering disciples. They had promised not to forsake Him, but they fled in His hour of trial. Their reunion is not a casual rehashing of the dramatic events of the past few days. Jesus takes the initiative and sets clear direction for the future. First; the declaration of restoration, then; the proof of His identity, finally; the apostolic commissioning with the Holy Spirit. The declaration of restoration involves His decree of peace. The proof of His identity involves revealing the crucifixion scars. The apostolic commissioning involves the authority to forgive or retain sins.
Forgiveness. Reassurance. Authorization. The disciples were not yet superheroes of the faith. They wouldn’t begin to meet the apostolic expectations of Christ until Pentecost. They essentially had fifty days to adjust to the gob-smacking revelation of their Master. The Holy Spirit would fit them for the task. Never does the faith of any believer remain static. The temptations of Satan, the vicissitudes of life, the testing of the Almighty mean that our faith is always in a state of flux. It is not inanimate. But the object of our trust remains unshakeable. The Father does not falter. The Spirit does not weaken. The Son does not fatigue. Jesus gives the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, in turn, points people to Jesus. Only in this way is faith initiated, resuscitated, or strengthened.
Forgiveness is the lifeblood of our relationship with God. Dear friends, do not think it’s trivial that Jesus authorized His disciples to deal with sin. That was the key mandate of their commissioning. It was to be the content of all of their preaching and missionary endeavors. People must be called to repentance, not just initially, but again, and again, until they draw their last breath. Sin that results in loss of faith results in a severed relationship with God. If sin and its consequences are not resolved in this life then an individual remains separated from God for eternity. The Bible refers to this state of existence as hell.
When did Jesus experience hell? Not in the description from that phrase in the Apostles’ Creed which says, “He descended into hell.” That was to show Himself alive and proclaim victory. Hell is separation from God. It is such complete separation that all of God’s goodness, even the goodness enjoyed by the most depraved person in this life, is completely withdrawn. We have no way to approximate the experience. It must be taken as an article of faith.
Jesus experienced hell not in the physical agony and mental anguish of enduring scourging, mocking, and having nails driven into Him. He experienced it when He uttered those words of Psalm 22 from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”1 It was then, when He was past the point of return, that the blackness of God’s absence engulfed Him. The key truth worth noting here is that Jesus’ experience of hell was part of His substitutionary work. It was the consequence of bearing our sins.
Modern skeptics who believe hell is just a tactic of the medieval church for scaring people into obedience have a very difficult problem when reading the gospel accounts. Jesus talked about hell frequently. He often warned of the dire consequences of being finally cut off from God. In His teaching about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus He also makes it clear hell is an irreversible situation. Through Abraham he says, “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”2 But these facts haven’t prevented the soft-soaping of the biblical teaching on hell.
Thankfully, hell is something that no one who dies in the faith will ever experience. The resurrection of Christ means we have direct access to the Father. He says, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.”3 Think how magnificent it is that we will never be without the loving presence of God in this life or in the life to come!
This same living Jesus is present with us in a special way in the sacrament. Because the right hand of God is everywhere- this creedal phrase refers not to Christ’s location, but to His authority and ability to rule over everything in both His human and divine natures- He can be present in these forms of bread and wine. That is His clear promise. Thomas put his fingers into the body of Christ and his faith was healed. Christ puts His body into your fingers and your faith is nourished by the same power- the power of the crucified and risen Lord.
Dear friends, the resurrection is always meant to be seen in its apocalyptic dimension. That is, the event of Christ’s resurrection is the preview of, and the source of power for, the resurrection on the Last Day. Remember this important detail that is often overlooked in the Passion Week account, “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”4 That is one of the things that happened immediately after Jesus’ death. Now, that’s a fascinating account by any standard. Vivid and tangible, it’s like a down payment on the promise to raise all the dead.
Easter is a 50 day season of joy. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection. Eternity is a timeless celebration of the life He secured for us on that day. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Easter
3 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 27:46
2 Luke 16:26
3 John 6:39
4 Matthew 27:52-53
Text: John 20:19-31
Theme: Restored Disciples
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
The dead will be raised! Could there be a bigger obstacle to faith than this claim? Life sustained in perpetuity! Here all human explanations reach their limit. Our trust cannot be bolstered by the possibility that science will one day solve this riddle. The ancient patriarchs lived for more than nine centuries. Even if the human race should again reach such longevity we would still be categorically removed from eternity. Succumbing to death is not the natural cycle of things that we should be content to expect; it is wicked, evil through and through.
Christ has resolved the crisis of mortality. He raises the dead. Divine power has intervened and the hegemony of death has been overturned. This is His crowning achievement. Thomas couldn’t at first believe that Jesus Himself had risen. Perhaps his absence Easter Sunday represented greater despair than that of the other disciples? Maybe they had the same doubts? Regardless, as the flesh and blood Jesus stood before him doubt was overcome. We may be tempted to think that for the disciples faith was now redundant- after all, the living Jesus was in their midst. But the ascension was only forty days away. The query of their faith is truly no different than ours: Will the Son of God also resurrect me? His promise is emphatic-the trumpet will sound and it will be so!
Now, the risen Lord appears to His cowering disciples. They had promised not to forsake Him, but they fled in His hour of trial. Their reunion is not a casual rehashing of the dramatic events of the past few days. Jesus takes the initiative and sets clear direction for the future. First; the declaration of restoration, then; the proof of His identity, finally; the apostolic commissioning with the Holy Spirit. The declaration of restoration involves His decree of peace. The proof of His identity involves revealing the crucifixion scars. The apostolic commissioning involves the authority to forgive or retain sins.
Forgiveness. Reassurance. Authorization. The disciples were not yet superheroes of the faith. They wouldn’t begin to meet the apostolic expectations of Christ until Pentecost. They essentially had fifty days to adjust to the gob-smacking revelation of their Master. The Holy Spirit would fit them for the task. Never does the faith of any believer remain static. The temptations of Satan, the vicissitudes of life, the testing of the Almighty mean that our faith is always in a state of flux. It is not inanimate. But the object of our trust remains unshakeable. The Father does not falter. The Spirit does not weaken. The Son does not fatigue. Jesus gives the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, in turn, points people to Jesus. Only in this way is faith initiated, resuscitated, or strengthened.
Forgiveness is the lifeblood of our relationship with God. Dear friends, do not think it’s trivial that Jesus authorized His disciples to deal with sin. That was the key mandate of their commissioning. It was to be the content of all of their preaching and missionary endeavors. People must be called to repentance, not just initially, but again, and again, until they draw their last breath. Sin that results in loss of faith results in a severed relationship with God. If sin and its consequences are not resolved in this life then an individual remains separated from God for eternity. The Bible refers to this state of existence as hell.
When did Jesus experience hell? Not in the description from that phrase in the Apostles’ Creed which says, “He descended into hell.” That was to show Himself alive and proclaim victory. Hell is separation from God. It is such complete separation that all of God’s goodness, even the goodness enjoyed by the most depraved person in this life, is completely withdrawn. We have no way to approximate the experience. It must be taken as an article of faith.
Jesus experienced hell not in the physical agony and mental anguish of enduring scourging, mocking, and having nails driven into Him. He experienced it when He uttered those words of Psalm 22 from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”1 It was then, when He was past the point of return, that the blackness of God’s absence engulfed Him. The key truth worth noting here is that Jesus’ experience of hell was part of His substitutionary work. It was the consequence of bearing our sins.
Modern skeptics who believe hell is just a tactic of the medieval church for scaring people into obedience have a very difficult problem when reading the gospel accounts. Jesus talked about hell frequently. He often warned of the dire consequences of being finally cut off from God. In His teaching about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus He also makes it clear hell is an irreversible situation. Through Abraham he says, “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”2 But these facts haven’t prevented the soft-soaping of the biblical teaching on hell.
Thankfully, hell is something that no one who dies in the faith will ever experience. The resurrection of Christ means we have direct access to the Father. He says, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.”3 Think how magnificent it is that we will never be without the loving presence of God in this life or in the life to come!
This same living Jesus is present with us in a special way in the sacrament. Because the right hand of God is everywhere- this creedal phrase refers not to Christ’s location, but to His authority and ability to rule over everything in both His human and divine natures- He can be present in these forms of bread and wine. That is His clear promise. Thomas put his fingers into the body of Christ and his faith was healed. Christ puts His body into your fingers and your faith is nourished by the same power- the power of the crucified and risen Lord.
Dear friends, the resurrection is always meant to be seen in its apocalyptic dimension. That is, the event of Christ’s resurrection is the preview of, and the source of power for, the resurrection on the Last Day. Remember this important detail that is often overlooked in the Passion Week account, “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”4 That is one of the things that happened immediately after Jesus’ death. Now, that’s a fascinating account by any standard. Vivid and tangible, it’s like a down payment on the promise to raise all the dead.
Easter is a 50 day season of joy. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection. Eternity is a timeless celebration of the life He secured for us on that day. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Easter
3 April, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 27:46
2 Luke 16:26
3 John 6:39
4 Matthew 27:52-53
Monday, March 28, 2016
The Resurrection of our Lord (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 24:3
Theme: No Body
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
There was no body. But the evidence to solve this mystery was pending. The first word Saint Luke the Evangelist records at the scene of the empty tomb is why. It is spoken by angels. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”1 Why did the women expect to find Him there? Why did they think He was no longer with them? Probably for the same reason we often act like He is no longer with us. They were looking for the wrong thing, at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The eyes of their heart were clouded with doubt and uncertainty. Sin can veil the brightest of lights. But this light, the Light of the World would not be veiled. Could it be that the crucifixion was not a defeat, but a victory? Dare they believe that the impossible had taken place? Christianity lives only by the confession that the Crucified One rose and left our sins in the grave. Every other appeal to His personage or use of His name is merely a variation on man-made religion.
A man by the name of John Crabtree served for the US military in Vietnam and was wounded. He was receiving a military disability pension from the government until one day he received an official notification of his own death. This meant that his government benefit would end. He wrote a letter to explain that he was very much alive but that didn’t seem to make any difference. He tried contacting the appropriate government officials but without success. They seemed to have his official death notice and that seemed to carry more weight than clear evidence of his existence. Finally, he contacted a local television station and they ran a human interest story about his plight. During the interview the reporter asked how he felt about his ordeal. The veteran expressed his frustration and added, “Have you ever tried to prove you’re alive!”
Christ has risen! The arch enemy has been felled. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”2 What is this victory? It is the final triumph over sin, disease, death and destruction. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”3 The resurrection is the ultimate victory over uncertainty, hopelessness, fear and despair. Our unrighteousness put Him on the cross, but His sacrifice spares us from eternal death. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”4 Nothing can separate us from Him.
Jesus’ appearance to His followers was an unexpected reunion after His resurrection. Many thought evil and death had permanently separated them from their Lord. But there is no separation that God cannot overcome. The cross is the center of every reunion. It is the center of the reunion between God and the human race. It institutes the eventual reunion of all who believe. Easter is the celebration of the union that took place on Calvary. The resurrection means full enjoyment of life in the triune God. Peace has been made between God and man.
On Easter the allure of worldly things loses its luster. The value of life is reassessed according to eternity. Our purpose of existence is reoriented in line with a higher calling. It doesn’t matter if we’re busy raising our kids, nursing our health, mending our relationships, or just trying to make ends meet. All of these things have new meaning because of the humility of Christ’s sacrifice and the vibrancy of His resurrection. Charlemagne was one of the great rulers of the Roman Empire in the Middle Ages. Crowned in the year 800 A.D., He reigned for 46 years and was known as a wise and benevolent Christian monarch. When he died, he was buried seated on a throne in royal robes with an open Bible on his knee. His finger was pointing to those words of Jesus that live on when kings are dead and empires are dust, “What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his own soul?”5
Dear saints, we are called to be ambassadors of the resurrection joy. We have a charge and an opportunity to spread life in a world of death; to spread hope in a world of despair, to spread Christ in the very midst of Satan’s kingdom. Christianity is not a spectator sport. To treat it as one is to not really to be a follower if the risen Lord Jesus at all. A humble and grateful heart is shown in an obedient life. Christ died to put your sins to death and rose to give you life. It is a life that begins the moment you believe. That is why the Bible refers to baptism as a new birth. The power of Easter becomes accessible to us in baptism. The baptismal life is a life lived in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ.
Dear friends, if after someone hears the message of how Jesus Christ sacrificed everything for us, he or she still needs a reason to make sacrifices on behalf of others, then the message hasn’t truly been taken to heart. Yes, direction and encouragement may be needed. We all need that. But good works flow freely from faith. If devotion to Christ must be coaxed and wrung out of us at every turn, then we have again been enslaved to the law. If we must be told, “do this,” every time when we already know what to do, then our sinful nature is winning out over our Spirit-led life in Christ. You can live with focus and determination, in sacrifice, because you live in forgiveness. From this day, go forward with the sinful nature put to death in your life. The Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”6 And again, you have “been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”7
Easter does not mean all of the difficulties and struggles of your life will suddenly dissolve and happiness will always prevail. But the resurrection does mean that in the midst of your daily struggles you can have joy. No matter how wrong things go or how severe your struggles you can never be robbed of the promise of life eternal. There is a sublimity of beauty and joy that is well beyond our knowing in this life. It will be revealed in heaven, but we can anticipate it now. The Scripture says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”8 Death has no hold on Him and therefore it has no permanent power over us. Amen.
There was no body in the newly christened tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Your body won’t remain in your grave either. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Resurrection of our Lord
27 March, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 24:5-6
2 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
3 Romans 8:37
4 Romans 6:23
5 Mark 8:37
6 2 Corinthians 5:17
7 Romans 6:4
8 Philippians 3:20
Text: Luke 24:3
Theme: No Body
Dear Saints of our Risen Lord,
There was no body. But the evidence to solve this mystery was pending. The first word Saint Luke the Evangelist records at the scene of the empty tomb is why. It is spoken by angels. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”1 Why did the women expect to find Him there? Why did they think He was no longer with them? Probably for the same reason we often act like He is no longer with us. They were looking for the wrong thing, at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The eyes of their heart were clouded with doubt and uncertainty. Sin can veil the brightest of lights. But this light, the Light of the World would not be veiled. Could it be that the crucifixion was not a defeat, but a victory? Dare they believe that the impossible had taken place? Christianity lives only by the confession that the Crucified One rose and left our sins in the grave. Every other appeal to His personage or use of His name is merely a variation on man-made religion.
A man by the name of John Crabtree served for the US military in Vietnam and was wounded. He was receiving a military disability pension from the government until one day he received an official notification of his own death. This meant that his government benefit would end. He wrote a letter to explain that he was very much alive but that didn’t seem to make any difference. He tried contacting the appropriate government officials but without success. They seemed to have his official death notice and that seemed to carry more weight than clear evidence of his existence. Finally, he contacted a local television station and they ran a human interest story about his plight. During the interview the reporter asked how he felt about his ordeal. The veteran expressed his frustration and added, “Have you ever tried to prove you’re alive!”
Christ has risen! The arch enemy has been felled. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”2 What is this victory? It is the final triumph over sin, disease, death and destruction. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”3 The resurrection is the ultimate victory over uncertainty, hopelessness, fear and despair. Our unrighteousness put Him on the cross, but His sacrifice spares us from eternal death. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”4 Nothing can separate us from Him.
Jesus’ appearance to His followers was an unexpected reunion after His resurrection. Many thought evil and death had permanently separated them from their Lord. But there is no separation that God cannot overcome. The cross is the center of every reunion. It is the center of the reunion between God and the human race. It institutes the eventual reunion of all who believe. Easter is the celebration of the union that took place on Calvary. The resurrection means full enjoyment of life in the triune God. Peace has been made between God and man.
On Easter the allure of worldly things loses its luster. The value of life is reassessed according to eternity. Our purpose of existence is reoriented in line with a higher calling. It doesn’t matter if we’re busy raising our kids, nursing our health, mending our relationships, or just trying to make ends meet. All of these things have new meaning because of the humility of Christ’s sacrifice and the vibrancy of His resurrection. Charlemagne was one of the great rulers of the Roman Empire in the Middle Ages. Crowned in the year 800 A.D., He reigned for 46 years and was known as a wise and benevolent Christian monarch. When he died, he was buried seated on a throne in royal robes with an open Bible on his knee. His finger was pointing to those words of Jesus that live on when kings are dead and empires are dust, “What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his own soul?”5
Dear saints, we are called to be ambassadors of the resurrection joy. We have a charge and an opportunity to spread life in a world of death; to spread hope in a world of despair, to spread Christ in the very midst of Satan’s kingdom. Christianity is not a spectator sport. To treat it as one is to not really to be a follower if the risen Lord Jesus at all. A humble and grateful heart is shown in an obedient life. Christ died to put your sins to death and rose to give you life. It is a life that begins the moment you believe. That is why the Bible refers to baptism as a new birth. The power of Easter becomes accessible to us in baptism. The baptismal life is a life lived in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ.
Dear friends, if after someone hears the message of how Jesus Christ sacrificed everything for us, he or she still needs a reason to make sacrifices on behalf of others, then the message hasn’t truly been taken to heart. Yes, direction and encouragement may be needed. We all need that. But good works flow freely from faith. If devotion to Christ must be coaxed and wrung out of us at every turn, then we have again been enslaved to the law. If we must be told, “do this,” every time when we already know what to do, then our sinful nature is winning out over our Spirit-led life in Christ. You can live with focus and determination, in sacrifice, because you live in forgiveness. From this day, go forward with the sinful nature put to death in your life. The Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”6 And again, you have “been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”7
Easter does not mean all of the difficulties and struggles of your life will suddenly dissolve and happiness will always prevail. But the resurrection does mean that in the midst of your daily struggles you can have joy. No matter how wrong things go or how severe your struggles you can never be robbed of the promise of life eternal. There is a sublimity of beauty and joy that is well beyond our knowing in this life. It will be revealed in heaven, but we can anticipate it now. The Scripture says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”8 Death has no hold on Him and therefore it has no permanent power over us. Amen.
There was no body in the newly christened tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Your body won’t remain in your grave either. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Resurrection of our Lord
27 March, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 24:5-6
2 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
3 Romans 8:37
4 Romans 6:23
5 Mark 8:37
6 2 Corinthians 5:17
7 Romans 6:4
8 Philippians 3:20
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