Easter 4 – 3 May 2020 – Year A

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 10^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St John: Verses 1 – 10:

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁷ So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Christ has risen!  He has risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  This morning we remember that the one who rose from the dead is our Good Shepherd.

In the time and place that Jesus first spoke the words we heard in today’s Gospel; sheep grazed on the open pasture.  There were areas of land that were not of much use for crops, but they still grew vegetation that sheep could eat.  It was in these wild, desolate areas that shepherds led their flocks during the day.

The main reason that sheep country was not suitable for agriculture was that the terrain was littered with stones of all shapes and sizes.  Shepherds often used those stones to build sheepfolds … an enclosure with walls high enough to discourage both animal and human predators.  Other times the shepherds would use caves or other natural rock formations for sheepfolds.  As the sun went down, the shepherds would bring their flocks together and lead them into one of these sheepfolds.  The sheep spent the night in the relative security of the sheepfold.

There was only one opening to the sheepfold and during the night a shepherd would sleep in that opening.  That shepherd became the door.  No predators could get in and no sheep could get out without waking the shepherd.  The only way in or out of that sheepfold was by that shepherd who had become the door of the sheep.

In the morning, each of the shepherds needed to lead his sheep out of the sheepfold.  To the uninitiated and even those like myself who have worked with sheep, this would seem to be a challenging task using conventional methods.  But, in the Middle Eastern Region, the sheep know the voice of their shepherd.  A shepherd would come to the entrance to the sheepfold and talk or sing to the sheep.  The sheep in the shepherd’s flock knew that this voice meant food when they were hungry … water when they were thirsty … and safety at all times.  They followed the voice.  The sheep in the other flocks didn’t know the voice and they ignored it.  All the shepherd had to do was start talking or singing and lead his flock out of the sheepfold to green pastures and still waters. 

An eminent journalist and travel writer of the early 20^th century, H. V. Morton, was an eye witness to this very thing.  Apparently, while he was in the Holy Land in the early 1930s, he was up early one morning in the countryside around Bethlehem.  Later, he recorded his experience in a book.  He wrote, “Early one morning I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem.  Two shepherds had evidently spent the night with their flocks in a cave.  The sheep were all mixed together, and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions.  One of the shepherds stood some distance from the sheep and began to call.  First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him; and so on until he had counted his whole flock” (H. V. Morton, In the Steps of the Master [London, 1935]).

This is the reason that shepherds made sure that the sheep knew their voice.  They spoke to the sheep.  They sang to the sheep.  The sheep grew used to the voice of their shepherd.  That voice became a source of comfort and security.  This confidence in the voice of the shepherd was very important for the sheep.

Jesus used this figure of speech to teach about His church.  The shepherd is Jesus Himself.  The flock of sheep is His church.  The thieves and robbers are the false prophets and teachers who would tempt His people to leave His church.  The voice that the shepherd uses to call his sheep is the Bible as it is taught in its truth and purity.  In essence, Jesus said that the members of His church will follow His word in the same way that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd.  Christ’s Word is our source of comfort and security.

Jesus words become even more interesting if you look at their context.  Jesus had just given sight to a man who had been born blind.  Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath and that really offended the Pharisees.  Perhaps you remember that the account of this healing was the Gospel reading about six weeks ago in the season of Lent.  You may remember that the Pharisees excommunicated the man who was born blind and they condemned Jesus as well.  By then, the man didn’t care because his faith was in Jesus and not in the Pharisees or the synagogue.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees by declaring that, even though they claimed to have spiritual insight, they were spiritually blind.  And because they insisted that they had spiritual insight, their guilt remained.  Then He began the teaching that we heard in today’s Gospel.  Therefore, when Jesus said, ^{(John 10:1)} “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber,” He was speaking directly to the Pharisees who condemned Him and who had thrown the man out of the synagogue.  He was saying that they were the thieves and robbers.

The Pharisees serve as reminders to us.  There are still false teachers today who want to lead us away from our Good Shepherd.  They, like the Pharisees at the time of our text, are experts at taking the Word of God out of context.  They replace the true meaning of Scripture with their own opinion.  Jesus would condemn these false teachers even as He condemned the Pharisees and said, ^{(Matthew 15:7–9)} “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ⁸“‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁹in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Such false teachers will be with us until the Lord returns on the Last Day.

There are millions of false opinions and influences out there.  They come in all sizes, shapes, and styles.  At first, this might seem overwhelming.  How can we guard against false teachings if there are so many?  While it is never easy to guard against false teachings, it does become a little easier when you realise that all false teachings have one central theme.  In some way, shape, or form, they all encourage us to believe that we are at least partially responsible for providing our own salvation.  There may be all kinds of rituals.  There may be all kinds of teachings.  There may be many approaches.  But, in the end, somewhere inside it all, we will hear a condition … a condition that says, “When (or “If”) you do something, then you will receive something.”  It all depends on you.

It can sound ever so simple, such as: “God wants to bless you.  All you have to do is think happy thoughts and then He will give you a life of victory.”  At first, this sounds tempting, but then we realise, “I am the one who has to think happy thoughts.  I am the one who has to do something.”  It sounds so harmless and uplifting, but as soon as any part of the process depends on our action, it is false teaching.  It is a robber or thief trying to get into the sheepfold.  Any system that depends in any part on me will fail in the end because I will fail.  This is the failure of human frailty that leads us into the burdens and challenges of life; that robs us of peace and joy in our Lord. In the Apostle’s Creed we confess that “From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead” – those robbers who would deafen us to the Good Shepherd’s Word of life put us at risk of the unfavourable judgement of the Lord Himself.

Those who listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd will depend on Jesus Christ who has already earned eternal life for all.  His voice gives us His body for food and His blood for drink.  His voice is our safety from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  His voice is our comfort and security.  His voice gives us comfort and security especially when we have the faith (the same faith of the sheep) to put our total trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. His voice brings us to the realisation that peace, love and salvation is beyond our human power to achieve.

Instead of looking to our own power, the voice of Jesus tells us that He, the Good Shepherd, is the door to salvation.  When we go before God and confess, “I do not love You as I should,” the voice of Jesus tells us that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for us.  When we go before God and confess, “I do not love my neighbour as I love myself,” the voice of Jesus tells us that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for us.  When we go before God and confess, “I cannot bear the punishment I deserve for my sin,” the voice of Jesus tells us that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for us.  When Jesus hung on the cross for three hours and cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He endured the eternal punishment of hell for each and every one of us.  The truth proclaimed by the voice of Jesus is that God does all the work that gives us salvation.  We do nothing.  God does it all.  God the Holy Spirit even gives us the faith that receives this salvation.

We hear Jesus’ voice when we hear his teaching.  When Jesus instituted Holy Baptism, He also instructed the church to continue His teaching.  He said, ^{(Matthew 28:18–20)} “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Teaching the things that Jesus taught is an ongoing part of the church’s ministry to the baptised.  Baptism brings us into the flock of Jesus Christ.  Teaching the things that Jesus taught keeps us in that flock.  Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in His teachings makes it possible for us to recognise His voice and ignore the voice of the false teacher.

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.  It is He who loves God perfectly for us.  It is He who loves His neighbour perfectly for us.  It is He who died for us.  It is He who rose from the dead for us.  It is He who ascended for us.  He is the one whose body is the door to salvation.  It is He who calls us by name.  He has done all that we need.  And He has done it so that we can live with Him forever.  Amen

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Easter 3 – 26 April 2020 – Year A

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 24^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verse 13 - 35

¹³ Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶ but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²² Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

²⁸ As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴ They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Christ has risen!  He has risen, indeed!  Alleluia! 

There is a subtle, but very persistent theme in the events of the Resurrection as told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  It shows up in the announcement that the angels make to the women at the tomb. Listen to the angel’s words and you will hear a common thread.  In Matthew’s account, ^{(Matthew 28:6)} the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” In Mark, the angel said, ^{(Mark 16:7)} “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Luke’s account is the longest.  In his account, the angel said, ^{(Luke 24:6–7)} “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Did you notice the small, but very important idea that each angel had in their message?  Each of these accounts made it clear that an important part of the angel’s message of the Resurrection was a reminder that Jesus had regularly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead.  They all included an emphasis on the Word of Jesus.  And, since Jesus is God, this is an emphasis on the Word of God.

Jesus Himself made this very clear in the reading we just heard.  Jesus joined two of His disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. ^{(Luke 24:13–16)} “¹³That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶But their eyes were kept from recognizing him”. Notice that Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself to them.  Instead, He first taught them from the Word of God.  The opening words of their conversation show how much they need this instruction.

Jesus greeted them by asking a perfectly natural question. ^{(Luke 24:17)} “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” This gave the two travellers the opportunity to express their grief at Jesus’ death.  In their grief, the two travellers stood still, looking sad. ^{(Luke 24:18)  18}Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” From these words, we learn that the news of Jesus’ crucifixion had spread throughout Jerusalem.  Cleopas assumed that anyone who had been in Jerusalem would know all about it.

Then Jesus asked one of those open-ended questions that gave Cleopas and his friend an opportunity to talk.  He said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, ^{(Luke 24:19–24)} “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²²Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

This is a very good summary of Jesus’ ministry.  It even speaks of the resurrection.  The words, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” even proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah.  The only problem is that they didn’t believe that it was true.  Their words showed that they knew everything they needed to believe in Jesus.  Never the less, from their point of view, it was more like a dream than reality.

Right then and there, Jesus could have said, “Here I am!  The accounts of my resurrection are true!”  He could have shown them His hands, feet, and side.  He could have shown them that He was alive, but He didn’t. Instead, He began an intense Bible Study.  He said to them^{, (Luke 24:25–27)} “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Before Jesus revealed Himself to these two disciples, He showed them Christ in Moses and the prophets … what we would call the Old Testament.  He taught them that the entire Old Testament points to Christ.  He used the Old Testament to show these two disciples that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer as they had witnessed with their own eyes and ears.  He showed them, from the Old Testament, that the very heart of what it meant to be the Christ was for the chief priests and rulers to deliver Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified.  According to the Scriptures, this is exactly what the Christ came to do and experience.  The very testimony that they gave when they explained the happenings in Jerusalem … who Jesus was … what He experienced … His suffering and death … this very testimony points to Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Holy Scriptures.

Last week we heard John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room.  When Thomas saw the Lord, he confessed, ^{(John 20:28)} “My Lord and my God!” Jesus responded to Thomas and said, ^{(John 20:29)} “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus did that with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  In this account, Jesus pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the proof of His resurrection before He revealed Himself to these two disciples.  They did not know it was Jesus talking to them, but still they believed because of the testimony of the Holy Scriptures.  They believed without seeing.

When Jesus first joined the disciples, they had the facts exactly right, but the facts depressed them.  The facts depressed them because they did not interpret the facts in light of the Holy Scriptures.  They did not understand how the crucifixion fit into the plan of God.  They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,but they did not understand that the crucifixion was the way that the Christ did the redeeming.  It was as Jesus opened the Holy Scriptures to them that they began to understand that, in the crucifixion, Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but He redeemed the entire world.  Jesus opened the Gospel of the Old Testament to them, and the Holy Spirit called them by that Gospel.  The Holy Spirit created faith in them even though they did not recognize that it was Jesus Himself who taught them.  Not only did the Holy Spirit bring them to faith, but they became an example of ^{(John 20:29) “}those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

There are many devout Christians who really wish they could have heard the Bible class that Jesus gave on that road to Emmaus.  How wonderful it would be to hear God’s Word taught by the perfect teacher.  While we cannot know every last detail of His teaching, but if I was to pose the question “What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?”  The official answer is: “Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, is the heart and centre of the Scripture and therefore the key to its true meaning.”  This is a primary principle of Biblical interpretation taught by the Scriptures themselves and demonstrated in today’s Gospel:  ^{(Luke 24:27)} “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”.These words teach us that you have not fully explored a passage in Scripture until you have learned something about Jesus from that passage.  Jesus Himself tells us that the Bible teaches us that it is ^{(Luke 24:26)}“necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” It is by this suffering that Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but also redeemed the entire world.

Now that Jesus had taught them from the Holy Scriptures, it was time for them to share a meal.  As they talked, the two disciples ^{(Luke 24:28–29)} “drew near to the village to which they were going.  [Jesus] acted as if he were going farther, ²⁹but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them”. This is common Middle Eastern hospitality at work.  There were no Motels or other public lodgings.  As travellers came to the end of the day, those who had farther to go, acted as though they would continue their journey.  Those who had arrived at their destination, insisted that other travellers stay with them and enjoy their hospitality.

Hospitality included a meal.  When you stayed at someone’s house, they would serve a meal to you.  They would bless the food and serve it to you, the guest.  But something changed as this guest came to eat with these two disciples.  Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His hosts.  He became the host and served them.  . ^{(Luke 24:30–31)} “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. ³¹And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him”. Jesus was the invited guest, but He became the host.  He took the bread.  He blessed it.  He broke it.  He gave it.  Jesus served the two disciples.  It was as Jesus served them with this meal that He finally revealed Himself to them.

This pattern of teaching and then eating is very common in the Bible.  The Gospels record many meals that Jesus had with a wide variety of people.  Every time there was teaching before eating.  First there is teaching from the Word of God.  Then there is a meal with the Christ.  This meal in Emmaus was different in that it is a meal after Jesus rose from the dead.  In this meal, Jesus began teaching the disciples that although they could not always see Him, He was always with them.  He was with them in disguise on the road as He taught from God’s Word.  He was with them as He broke the bread and they recognised Him.  He was still with them even after He disappeared from their sight.

This pattern of hearing God’s Word and then eating God’s meal has made its way into the liturgy of the church.  We follow the pattern that Jesus used as we first have the Service of the Word where we hear the teaching that Jesus has passed on to us through the writings of His apostles.  We continue that pattern as we eat a meal with Jesus and all the company of heaven even as Jesus gives His body and blood for us to eat and to drink.

Even though we cannot see Jesus, He has promised to be with us.  He is with us as we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit uses it to strengthen our faith.  Then, after we hear teaching that is based on the Word of God, we have a meal with Jesus where He feeds us His true body and His true blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus comes to us in His Word.  He comes to us as His Word falls on our ears and He comes to us as the Word combines with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper.  In each case Jesus reveals Himself to us.  He is with us just as He was with the Emmaus disciples.  We have His promise and by His promise He gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation.  Amen

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Easter 2 – 19 April 2020 – Year A

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 20^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St John” Verses 19 – 31:

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

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

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

Poor old Thomas!  Every year, we celebrate Easter and then, the following week, we pick on Thomas.  He was a late arrival to the meeting and so he missed Jesus.  He uttered that ultimatum: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”  Then, a week later, Jesus again appeared and said, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  One could be forgiven for thinking that Thomas was failing in his duties as a disciple.

The fact is however that the scepticism of ALL the disciples is one of things that contributes to the credibility of the Easter accounts in the Gospels.  Before Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples none of them believed.  Luke the Evangelist records: ^{[Luke 24:9–11]} “Returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, ¹¹ but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them”.  Notice that it states that the apostles … all of them … thought the witness of the women was an idle tale.  This is not the way stories usually went at that time.

There are people who insist that the account of the resurrection is made up, but the entire style of the account of the resurrection does not match the style of other religious literature of the time.  If the resurrection story was a figment of the disciples’ imagination, we could surely expect a story of self-loyalty and self-sacrifice as they attended to Jesus and offered up prayers from the cross to the tomb until they rejoiced when He rose in glory.

What actually happened was that Jesus told the disciples that He would suffer, die, and rise from the dead and the disciples just didn’t get it.  Instead they quarrelled over who among them was the greatest.  When it finally became clear that Jesus was going to allow himself to be arrested and taken in for trial, the disciples ran for their very lives.  When witnesses began telling the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, the disciples thought that the witnesses were having delusions.  The disciples didn’t just doubt, they flat-out rejected the idea that Jesus rose from the dead.  The accounts pretty much portray the disciples as unbelievingdeserters.  That was not the way to start a new religion in that day and age.

The truth of the matter is that while Jesus lay in the tomb, the disciples were unbelievers.  They were pagans.  They were lost in unbelief and sin.  They weren’t just doubting; They were unbelieving.

Unbelief is the way that all people begin this life.  The very purpose of Holy Baptism is because God’s Word teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own.  We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation.  The psalmist tells us: ^{[Psalm 51:5]} “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me”.  Out of boundless love, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is the reason it is so important to hear the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel.  Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  Here are the disciples hiding behind locked doors … afraid … disheartened … unbelieving.  Regardless, Jesus came to them with peace.  He was gentle.  He was patient.  He showed them his hands and his side.  He gently and carefully restored their faith in Him.  Now they knew.  Not only did Jesus die on the cross, but He also rose from the dead.  He encouraged the disciples to examine His wounds and verify that it really was Him.

We hear Jesus give peace three times in today’s Gospel.  That is Jesus’ main mission, earning and giving peace.  Long ago, the enemy seduced humanity into hostility toward God.  We don’t have peace with Him.  We are His enemies.  But Jesus Christ, the Son of God entered into our humanity and lived a perfect life under the law.  He willingly allowed His enemies to nail Him to a cross.  While He hung on that cross, He endured the punishment that we, the enemies of God, deserved.  Then He died and rose from the dead.  In this way, He earned forgiveness for all people.  He earned peace with God and He offered that peace to the disciples and He still offers that peace to us today.

In fact, it is in the very Gospel that we just read that we hear how Jesus transmits His peace to us.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  This is nothing other than Jesus installing these men as Apostles.  The very word apostle comes from a Greek word that means to send.  Jesus said that He is God the Father’s apostle, the one sent from the Father.  Now He is commissioning these disciples to be His Apostles, ones who are sent directly by Him.  These Apostles will take the very peace that Jesus has given to them and proclaim it to the world.

Do you see the irony in this?  These are the men who often quarrelled about who is the greatest among them.  These are the men who abandoned Jesus at His greatest need.  These are the men who thought the stories of the resurrection were idle tales.  These are the men who stared vaguely every time Jesus told them He was going to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. These are not people chosen for their great faith and insight; in fact in the faith department, they are pretty ordinary – much like you and me. 

Can you imagine? they are the one whom Jesus sent.  They are the ones the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church in Ephesus: ^{[Ephesians 2:19–20]} “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone”.  The Apostle Paul states that these men are the foundation of the household of God.  Paul is talking about men who were unbelievers who abandoned Jesus until He showed Himself to them.  Now Jesus is sending them.  Now they are Jesus’ Apostles.  

There is only one way that an unskilled group like this can carry out the mission of Jesus.  God has to do the work.  It has to be God working through these men that makes them the sent ones.  They are like God’s people of old who often came to the battle ready to fight only to discover that God had already won the battle.  They thought they were coming as soldiers, but they only ended up being witnesses to the victory God won for them.

The very foundations of the Christian Church in this world was laid there, at that moment, in that locked room. Here were the men who, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, would lead Christ’s Church on earth through to Pentecost and beyond.

Jesus gave them a special authority.  He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  He gave these men the authority to administer the very forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned on the cross … the very forgiveness of sins that gives us peace with God.

We read about the work God did through these apostles in ^{(Acts 5: 40-42)} “When they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹ Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus”.  On Easter morning, they were frightened unbelievers.  Later, they rejoiced at the suffering they received in the name of Jesus.  Only God can work a change like that.

The apostles have long since died, but by divine inspiration we have inherited their teachings in written form in the New Testament.  Their writings still tell us that Jesus saved us from sin with His perfect life and His sacrificial death.  Their writings tell us that we have God’s promise of resurrection because Jesus did not remain in the tomb, but rose to immortal life and ascended into heaven. Their writings continue the work that Jesus gave to them when He called them to be His sent ones, His Apostles.

Over the years, the Holy Spirit has worked through the Apostles to establish congregations of believers in many places.  As the Holy Spirit established these congregations, He also established the Office of the Holy Ministry and the fellowship of believers. As written in: ^{[Ephesians 4:11–12]} “[Christ] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”. Friends in Christ; we are that collective fellowship of Saints empowered by Christ Himself to bear witness to His truth in the world.

Once again, today’s Gospel demonstrates the overwhelming generosity of God’s mercy.  Jesus showed Himself to a group of unbelieving deserters.  He gave God’s peace to them.  He commissioned them to be His Apostles … His sent ones.  He breathed the Holy Spirit into them.  He gave them the authority to administer the very forgiveness that He earned for them and all people on the cross.  These men deserved none of this, but they received it all by God’s grace as a gift.

God continues to work in grace and mercy today.  At birth, every one of us is a selfish, enemy of God.  Regardless, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  Jesus gives His peace to us.  The Holy Spirit still works in us by the power of the very Word that Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim.  The forgiveness of sins is still proclaimed from Christian sanctuaries across the world.  In all of these ways and more, Jesus still comes to us inspires each of us to turn to our brothers and sister in Christ with the blessing, “Peace be with you.”  Amen.

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds I Christ Jesus. Amen

Easter Sunday – 12 April 2020 – Year A

Grace and peace to you from God our father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 28^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Matthew: Verses 1 – 10:

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Christ is Risen! Welcome, happy morning! Age to age shall indeed say, “Hell today is vanquished, heaven has won today!” The prophet Jeremiah wrote “The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the intentions of His mind. In the latter days, you will understand this.” That day is today. The Lord has accomplished everything according to His plan! Christ is risen! The chains of death cannot contain our Saviour. Death is conquered. Not only that, but we have been freed from the slavery of sin, death, and the power of the devil. The Lord has turned mourning into joy.

We have heard of the awesome sights that occurred on Good Friday, when our Lord said, “It is finished.” Great signs which included the earthquake and the tombs opening. Many of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised from the dead, and walked into Jerusalem appearing to many people. Imagine what it must have been like to see your loved ones returning to you from the grave alive and well! Your world would be shaken like an earthquake! Your face wouldn’t know what expression to make – smiling, crying tears of joy, maybe even a little frightened at what was going on. After all, once we die, we tend to stay buried! We would be overcome with many simultaneous emotions.

We welcome this happy morning! Can we try to imagine the “happy morning” of the last day when all people are raised, and God gatherers his faithful to Him in everlasting life! What will that be like? It’s fun to speculate about things that haven’t been revealed to us – but we do know that there will be many joyful reunions in heaven on that day.

Mary the mother of James and Joseph and Mary Magdalene arrived at Jesus’ tomb expecting things to be just as they had left them. They came very much expecting to see what we see when we come to visit a loved one’s grave. What they saw next turned their world upside down! Another earthquake shook the ground and a magnificent, radiant angel appeared to them. “Do not be afraid!” he said. Wow!! What would we possibly expect to feel in witnessing such a sight?! Truly, this is well outside of our human experience.

The Angel speaks a revelation “He is not here, for He has risen! …. Now go and tell the others!” St. Matthew records that they left with fear and great joy! They go joyfully, in spite of their fear, because everything they thought they knew was turned upside down. They left the tomb believing, but struggling with their belief. There’s only one place to go when we struggle with this sort of conflict. Remember the father of a boy afflicted with a demon, who asked Jesus to heal Him “if it was possible?” Jesus replied, “With God all things are possible.” The father replied, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Even when it is right in front of our eyes, sometimes we find reality hard to believe. Even these women who heard Jesus say “I will rise again on the third day” struggled with a conflict of belief and unbelief.

We also are not strangers to struggle in our lives. We don’t like to be reminded of our selfishness or our sinfulness. We don’t like to think about our lack of dedication to spending time in God’s word. We don’t want to be reminded that we are lacking in our living, active faith. Sometimes we are ashamed of who we are.

Our human feelings mislead us! Do we think our self-doubts can keep God away? Do we think that trying to build a wall of perceived unworthiness between ourselves and God, as thick as a tomb door, can keep Him out? Before the foundations of the world were laid, God marked us as His and planted a seed of faith, and Jesus tells us that seed is a rock so strong not even the gates of hell with withstand it! The love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit shake the very earth to get to us. He has chosen us. He loves us with a love beyond human comprehension.

Do not be afraid – that is the message of the Angel of God! Trust is what Jesus has to offer us! Faith is what Jesus brings to us this morning. Hope in the gift that as He died and rose for us, we too die and rise with Christ daily – a new creation, sins forgiven! Lord we believe, help our unbelief! And they ran off to tell the others...

Then the women suddenly saw Jesus, alive and well. He also said to them “Do not be afraid!”  Indescribable human emotion? There are just no words to describe what those women felt that first Easter morning.

Here stands our Lord Jesus Christ, Conqueror of sin and Victor over death. Jesus did this for each and every one of us. Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid this morning and all your mornings to come, because God’s kingdom belongs to us! So enormous is God’s love for us, that He sent His only Son to die for us, to pay for all of our sins. Do not be afraid, because Jesus did not stay dead! He is not here. Do not be afraid because when this life is over, we will see our risen Saviour.

The earthquake that first Easter morning shook the earth. The sight of our risen Saviour shook the very foundations of these two women’s faith in a heart-quake of belief as the first witnesses to the truth of God’s power and love. The aftershocks of that witness continue to reverberate around the world as the message of repentance and belief that Jesus is our Saviour, too, spreads throughout the world. A tomb cannot contain our living God. Minor inconveniences like language and culture, or even hostile oppression are no barrier preventing the spread of the Gospel message! Christ is risen for us! Death is only the beginning.

For now, we wait. We remain in this fallen world and continue to be tormented by sin. But we take comfort in the fact that Christ is risen. We put our hope in the empty tomb. We look with Mary Magdalene into that empty tomb and see the two angels, one at the head and one at the foot of where Jesus lay, with the grave clothes in-between, mirroring the golden cherubim on the lid of the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat in the middle. When the curtain in the temple veiling the most holy place was torn in two on Good Friday, it was to show that God was no longer hidden from His people. God was exposed on a cross for all to see. Now we see the empty tomb and remember Christ did all this for us. He is not here in the tomb. He is here in the churches and everywhere the faithful Christians gather to partake of His Sacraments and hear His word read and proclaimed.

For Jesus’ disciples, the past few days must have seemed more than a little chaotic. Jesus explained everything to them, but they did not understand. They started to understand once they witnessed that empty tomb. They understood more when they saw their risen Lord.

It is the same for us. Our lives are pretty chaotic, too. The world moves quickly and confusingly, and more and more in a non-God-pleasing manner. We have chaos inside us as we wrestle with our faith and our sinful nature. But we have rock solid hope. It is the rock solid hope in the forgiveness of our sins, life and salvation earned for us by Christ. That is where we turn when illness strikes. We pray for healing, if it is God’s will. But we can also be certain that when our lives end, heaven is our home. When financial trouble crushes our spirits both as individuals and churches, we pray that God will show us relief, it is God’s will. But we can also be certain that this, too, shall pass – and treasure beyond measure is laid up for us in heaven. No matter the chaos in our lives, we have the sure order and calm where Jesus has told us we will find it. In Christ’s Church on earth, in our places of Christian worship. Here we find our extended church family to care for each other. Here we sit in a hospital of the soul, where the medicine and healing we need to go back out into the chaotic world is distributed. We are thus fortified to continue on our various vocations until that final happy morning that we will indeed welcome.

We will be reunited with the entire body of believers in Christ Jesus and begin an eternal, sinless, perfect life with Him. Rejoice in the Lord always, and remember – He is risen! Christ is risen for us! Alleluia!

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human comprehension, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen