Jesus Wins—Resurrection Renewal

Jesus Wins—The Renewal of Resurrection Expectation

Gods Word for us on this Day of Resurrection comes from Acts 10, where the apostle Peter says: "We are witnesses of all that [Jesus] did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." This is the Word of the Lord.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is our confidence; it is the foundation of the holy Christian Church. As the apostle Paul put it in 1^st Corinthians, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…" This message makes the Christian faith absolutely unique, and that is precisely why skeptics and false teachers of every era have aimed their biggest guns at Jesus' resurrection—they figure that if they can destroy the credibility of Jesus' rising from the tomb, then they have effectively destroyed Christianity. The thing of it is, they're right, as Paul reminds us. "If Christ has not been raised…your faith is useless."

And so the Church has endured attack after attack on the reality of the resurrection, and I'm not going to honor those viewpoints today by getting into specifics. But the bottom line is this: if the anti-Christian scholars and other world religions and cult groups are right, then the Biblical account of the resurrection is the biggest hoax of all time. If, on the other hand, Christianity is factually reliable, the resurrection is the greatest single event the world has ever seen.

So is the resurrection of Jesus factually reliable? Or do we just have to "take it on faith?" To help answer these questions, I'd like for you consider the change that took place in the followers of Jesus. What happened in the wake of Jesus' resurrection is unprecedented in human history. In the span of a few hundred years, a small band of seemingly insignificant people succeeded in turning an entire empire upside down. As a poet once wrote, "they faced the tyrant's brandished steel, the lion's gory mane, and the fire of a thousand deaths." Why? Why did they do it? Because they were utterly convinced that they, like their Master, would one day rise from the grave. As Peter reports, they ate and drank and spent time with someone who had died and come back to life. Because of Jesus, they lost their fear of death.

Now here's a key question. Does anyone think that the disciples of Jesus would have faced torture, persecution, and cruel death for what they knew to be a lie?

Dr. Simon Greenleaf didn't think so. Dr. Greenleaf was a Professor of Law at Harvard, and was considered the greatest American authority on common law evidence of the 19^th century. Examining the evidence for the resurrection, he wrote: "As one [apostle] after another was put to a miserable death, the survivors only prosecuted their work with increased vigor and resolution. The annals of military warfare afford scarcely an example of such heroic constancy, patience, and unblemished courage. They had every possible motive to carefully review the grounds of their faith, and the evidences of the great facts and truths which they asserted were pressed upon their attention with terrific frequency. It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had Jesus not actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact."

As Professor Greenleaf says, the disciples of Jesus were thoroughly transformed by the resurrection. No one is a better example of this than Peter. Good old shoot-first-ask-questions-later Peter; old open-mouth-insert-foot Peter, old jump-out-of-the-boat-get-scared-and-start-to-sink Peter. The same man who once was afraid of being exposed as a follower of Jesus and who denied it vehemently was transformed after the resurrection into a bold leader and preacher, and would go before the same council that had put Jesus to death and say, "I cannot help but speak about what I have seen and heard." Church historians tell us Peter went on to suffer a martyr's death. It was Peter who stood up and delivered the message we heard in our first reading today; a message that we recognize twenty centuries later as the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Here's what he said, "We are witnesses of all that [Jesus] did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10: 39—43)

What are we to make of this? Peter was totally changed, and every other witness of Jesus' resurrection appearances was totally changed. They had seen life come out of death, and so had no fear of death any longer. Their one concern was to spread the news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection to anyone who would listen. They had nothing to gain, from the world's perspective. By sticking to this message, they risked losing their lives. And that was the entire point. They had seen with their own eyes a new kind of life—life that death cannot touch—and they went for that life with every ounce of their being, no matter what the world threw at them—the life found only in Jesus.

Because Jesus rose, He still lives; and because Jesus lives, His new kind of life is still available to you. Pursue this new kind of life that death cannot touch with every ounce of your being. The resurrection of Jesus is still changing the world; let it change you. Let it change the way you handle death; let it change the way you look at life. Let it overwhelm you with the truth: that your forever life with God has already begun.

Jesus lives! And now is death/But the gate of life immortal; This shall calm my trembling breath/When I pass its gloomy portal./Faith shall cry, as fails each sense,/Jesus is my confidence! Amen. (TLH # 201, st. 5)

Good Friday—The Renewal of Faith

Chances are you have heard someone describe pain they are experiencing as "excruciating." You may be familiar with excruciating pain yourself. It may not surprise you, then to learn that the word "excruciating" comes directly from the Latin word excruciates which means, "out of the cross." When someone describes pain as excruciating, they're really saying that it is like being crucified.
It's hard to imagine a more painful way to die than crucifixion. And yet, one thing I fear is that Jesus' death on the cross has become a type of Christian cliché. You hear it so often: "Jesus died for your sins." Those words can be spoken so easily. Are we becoming numb to the crucifixion of Jesus? I pray not. The greatest act of love is displayed by the man on that cross. In Jesus' bloody death lies our salvation. In Jesus' crucifixion lies our escape from the pit of hell. Let's not be in a hurry to leave the scene of the cross.

Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a means of capital punishment. It was designed to produce a slow death with a maximum of pain and suffering. In some places, it was customary to tie the crucified to the crossbar with ropes. The Romans preferred to use nails. Archaeological digs have indicated that these nails were tapered, square-shafted iron spikes about 5 to 7 inches long. With arms outstretched, but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the crossbar. The driven nail would crush or sever the large median nerve, producing bolts of fiery pain in both arms.
The feet were usually fixed to the front of the cross, and again, the Roman practice was to use an iron spike. The knees would be bent. The spike was placed on top of the leading foot between the second and the third toe, and the blow was delivered.
The major effect of crucifixion, beyond the blinding pain, was a tremendous interference with normal breathing. The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would fix the muscles in an inhaling state. In order to exhale, one would have to push up on the feet and flex the elbows and shoulders. That move would put the entire weight of the body on the feet and cause searing pain. The wrists would also pay a terrible price for that maneuver. Each effort at breathing would become more agonizing and exhausting and would eventually lead to asphyxiation. If the crucified lingered on too long, the executioners could speed the process considerably by breaking the legs below the knees, which is what happened to the thieves on either side of Jesus.
This is what we mean when we say, "Jesus died for your sins." We're talking about iron spikes, forged in the fire of human sin, causing catastrophic damage to Jesus' body. We're talking about his muscles straining beneath the suffocating weight of our disobedience. At the moment of Jesus crucifixion and death, all of the righteous anger of God was focused on his Son with laser precision. The nails became agents of God's justice.

Can you hear this and allow it to pass into the realm of "Ho-hum, Jesus died for you, yeah, we know, we've heard this a thousand times before"?

Can you hear this and not grieve? Grieve for Jesus, sure, but even more so, grieve the fact that my sin caused this horrible event? Our sin nailed him to that cross.

Can you hear this and not be moved to say: "It should have been me. I deserved this punishment, not Jesus. I know what I have done—the temptations I've given into; the terrible ways I've treated people; the greed and the lusts that consume me. I know what I haven't done: I haven't loved my neighbor as I do myself; I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities to my family; nor have I put God first in every area of my life or come close to serving him as I ought. It's only right that I should pay for those sins; for all my sin. It should be me."

And God says: "No. My Son will pay for you. He will be your substitute. He will stand in for you on this cross. He will know what hell is really like; so that you will never have to know. Though you deserved punishment, I will punish my dear Son instead. You are spared. The price is paid. You are free."

The relief and gratitude that you feel at the hearing of this news is nothing less than the renewal of faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, powered by the Holy Spirit. Yes, this is what we're talking about when we say, 'Jesus died for your sins."

Maundy Thursday—The Renewal of Christian Unity

The Renewal of Christian Unity

Let's begin with the end in mind: The Lord's Supper is nothing less than being touched by God Himself. Here in this church, Jesus serves us with His body and blood. We come here to be forgiven in a way that involves all of our senses. In Holy Communion, we come into contact with Christ, and we are changed. We can never be the same again.

At least that's what the Lord's Supper is supposed to be like. But how often is it that way for you?

Have you ever come to the Lord's Table with no thanks in your heart? How often have you sung, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory" like a dirge—with no lifting up of your heart—with no joy of sins forgiven?

Do you sense a closeness with Jesus as you commune? Do you open yourself up to him here?

One of the saddest, most misinformed views of the Lord's Supper is from the person who says, "I don't go to the Communion unless I've really been improving in my spiritual life; unless I've really cleaned up the things I've done wrong, and have really become worthy of going to communion." While it's true that Saint Paul urges us to examine ourselves that we might receive the Sacrament in a worthy manner, that 'worthiness' has nothing to do with what we bring to the table. The 'worthy manner' of Paul is a simple trust that Jesus is hidden in bread and wine, and that He comes to this table to forgive our sins. The 'worthy manner' of Paul is an admission of our unworthiness and the belief that Jesus comes to feed unworthy sinners, to pass along the forgiveness He purchased on the cross.

As the hymnwriter Augustus Toplady once wrote: "Nothing in my hand I bring/Simply to thy cross I cling." I bring nothing to the table, yet Jesus still meets me there to give me what I need most. In a blessing that only faith can comprehend, you participate in the body and blood of your Lord Jesus, an idea so important that Paul says it twice in 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

For that reason, the Lord's Supper is intensely personal. At the same time, we need to grasp the powerful community experience that's happening here, too. Again, as Paul writes, "Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."

Maundy Thursday—the Thursday when Jesus gave the mandate "Do this in remembrance of me"—is a time for renewal of Christian unity. It is a time for renewal in the mission we share of communicating Jesus to our community. It is a time to share our joys and sorrows. It is a time to take a stand together against Satan. We will not be such easy prey for our Enemy when we stay in fellowship with one another, and our fellowship is strengthened every time we come to the Lord's Table together. There really is no such thing as a solo Christian. We need each other. Alone, we stumble. United in Christ, we move ahead, doing far more together than we could ever do by ourselves.

A little girl once got lost in a large cornfield. It was winter, and the temperature was far below freezing. Rescuers searched for her for hours, but to no avail. Finally, one person suggested that the group start at one end of the field, and holding hands, survey the field in a systematic way. Finally, they found the child, who was in very serious condition. The father cried out to God, "Dear Lord, why didn't we join hands before?"

"Why didn't we join hands before?" Isn't it time to do that? It is time for renewal of our Christian unity. When we join hands, we do much better at finding the lost. Jesus will renew us in that unity at His Table. He will come and fill us with His gifts. He will come and make us a body of Christians who take Him out into our world. Our participation in the body and blood of Jesus will always lead to action. That's just how Jesus is.

One more thing needs to be said about the community experience of the Lord's Supper. Not only do we share the joy of Jesus' presence as we commune with our Christian family, but we also stand in mystical fellowship with all those who have died in the Lord—a fellowship that is heightened at the moment you commune.

Have you ever been in a church that had a semi-circular communion rail going halfway around the altar? Its design is meant to illustrate that the circle is completed as it goes around the altar and up around the throne of God as we sing with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory! Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed Is He that Cometh in the name of the Lord!"

They sing with us—the great saints of ages past—your grandparents—your parents—your spouse—your brother or sister—your child—all of your loved ones who have fallen asleep in Christ. At the moment you commune, you come as close as you'll ever come in this life to doing what they're doing right now—enjoying direct contact with your Lord God Almighty, and praising Him endlessly.

Aware of that circle that extends into heaven, we have joy and peace. It's an intensely personal experience, for when you eat and drink at the Lord's Table, He enters you and changes you with His forgiving love. It's also a community experience, for you are bound together with others here in time and there in eternity in our living Lord Jesus.

So come, with all your sin; with all your burdens; with all your weakness. Come, with all your happiness; with all your thankfulness and joy. Come hungry for the forgiveness of your sins and the renewal of this family of faith. Come trusting in your Lord's promise that his body and blood were given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Come and feast at the heavenly banquet prepared for you. Amen.

What Do You Expect?

One major problem people face in relationships is when expectations are not clearly communicated—if they are communicated at all. Most people are not mind readers. We need to know what our spouse expects of us—what our parents expect of us—what our boss expects of us—what our teachers expect of us—even what our friends expect of us--so we have something to shoot for. It isn't fair to punish someone for not living up to expectations that have never been stated—but that doesn't stop it from happening all the time.

Expectations are a part of life. You call 9-1-1, you expect help to come. You go to a movie, you expect to be entertained. You go to church, you expect to hear about Jesus. You'd have a right to be disappointed if those expectations weren't met.

And so it is that some of you came here today with the expectation that you would hear about the events of Palm Sunday. You would hear about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. You would hear about people waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna!" which means "Save us now!" You would hear about people laying their garments on the road and the Pharisees voicing their disapproval. Now, make no mistake, this is a victory parade—the King has come to the city of peace in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy. At the same time, it is worth asking: what were the expectations of the people who were waving the branches and cheering for Jesus? What were they expecting Him to do?

The Palm branches for which this day is named provide a major clue. Palm fronds were a symbol of triumph. Today we would wave a flag or a sign. But during the years of the Roman occupation, the palm branch took on even more symbolic value. Dr. Paul Maier writes that "the palm was the national emblem of an independent Palestine. These were Jewish flags!" Having seen Jesus do the miraculous, many were convinced that He would use His power to break Roman rule and turn back the clock to the glory days of King David. When they shouted, "Hosanna/Save us now," they were shouting: "save us from these rotten Romans." When Jesus is blessed as the King of Israel, the people have a political kingdom in mind. Their expectations of Jesus were colored by their circumstances, and when their Messiah-led rebellion seemed to end in utter failure at the cross, well, we don't hear anyone shouting "Hosanna" at Calvary, do we? In less than a week's time, those Messianic expectations were dashed to pieces.

Expectations. What expectations do you have of Jesus? Could it be that our expectations are similar to those held by the people on the Palm Sunday parade route? Those folks wanted Jesus to lead them straight to glory, to get rid of what they perceived to be their biggest troubles, and many abandoned Him when He did not. Don't we want a Palm Sunday Jesus? Don't we often expect Jesus to answer all our prayers with a "yes"? Don't we expect God to only improve our quality of life? Don't we tend to pull away from Him a little (maybe a lot) when He doesn't do things our way? The God we want is one that will guarantee us victories in life—that with a little bit of God, not too much, mind you, our general mood will be better, our relationships will be more fulfilling, we'll feel better about ourselves, maybe find a better job, have more money to go around, we'll have more security and prosperity in our lives. Are those expectations right? Is that why Jesus went to Jerusalem that day?

Jesus' own expectations were always crystal clear. He told his disciples in straightforward language that he was going to Jerusalem to die and rise again on the third day. His disciples were confused by this and you may remember that Peter tried to talk Jesus out of it. There is irony to the shouts of "Hosannas" and "Save us nows" of that first Palm Sunday, because that's exactly what Jesus had come to do—just not in the way anyone expected.

Jesus did not ride that donkey into Jerusalem to improve our lives but to save them. The King of Kings did not ride into Jerusalem to replace Roman rulers but to rescue the human race. Jesus did not endure the agony of the cross to change the political landscape, but to fundamentally change us. Instead of marching immediately to a throne, Jesus stumbled up the hill of Calvary and was executed. This was not some miscalculation on Jesus part—it was the plan. It had been all along. God had a choice—he could either punish you for your sin, or He could punish someone else instead of you. His own Son Jesus was that "someone else." Jesus answered the Hosanna request. We are saved now because Jesus took our death sentence. The King took the punishment His people deserved. This was not the salvation that anyone was expecting. It's not always what we're looking for from God. But what Jesus has done meets our deepest need. You can know you are loved. You can know that you are forgiven. You can know that God is for you, not against you.

Jesus did not go straight to glory on Palm Sunday—the cross came first—but Jesus would be glorified. That would happen three days after His death, when He would physically resurrect and live again. I think it's safe to say that no one in Jesus' inner circle really expected this to happen, even though Jesus had told them in advance. But here we see God delighting in doing the unexpected and, indeed, the impossible. He lives after dying. He leaves the grave behind. If you believe that Jesus rode into Jerusalem to go to the cross and then live again, and that He did it to benefit you, then you will also leave the grave behind. You can expect to be with the Lord forever because of Jesus' actions on your behalf. This is the Christian faith in its most purest form. "Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish, but have eternal life." Everything else that happens to you in your life, whether wonderful or terrible, happens around the core of this expectation. The greatest joys we experience in this life are blessings, to be sure, but they cannot compare with heaven and the life of the re-created world to come. The pain and sorrow of life and the grief and terror of death are balanced by Jesus' suffering and death and overturned by His resurrection.

Whatever your expectations of Jesus were when you entered this building today—please hear me on this: Jesus has died your death and offers you a brand new life. You are forgiven of all your sin. You have eternal life starting right now. Jesus is alive and He is with you in your pain as well as your joy. He has joined Himself to you in Holy baptism and is absolutely faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you.

To which we can say: "Hosanna! Save us now, Lord Jesus!" Amen.