Day of Pentecost – 5 June 2022 – Year C

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 14^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St John: Verses 23–31:

 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹ but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

 

 

In a book called God’s Empowering Presence (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), New Testament scholar Gordon Fee shares a remark that one of his students once made to him about the Holy Spirit: “God the Father makes perfectly good sense to me, and God the Son I can quite understand; but the Holy Spirit is a grey, oblong blur.”

 

Why “grey,” I don’t know. Why “oblong,” I don’t know. But that’s what the student said—and to some extent, I think most of us can probably relate to that remark. We believe in the Holy Spirit. We know that he lives in us through faith in Jesus Christ. We confess that he is with us right here, right now, and every time we gather together around Word and Sacrament. But it’s pretty hard to picture or even describe this divine being whom we also sometimes call “the Holy Ghost.” How are we supposed to picture a “ghost,” much less a “Holy Ghost”?

 

I’ve always found it somewhat ironic that the longest season in the Church Year by far is the Pentecost season; for almost thirty straight weeks we focus on various aspects of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. And yet most of us would probably admit that of the three persons of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit remains the fuzziest when it comes to our understanding of who he is and what he does and exactly how he does it.

 

To be honest, the Bible doesn’t give us much help in picturing the Holy Spirit. Or perhaps, in a sense, it gives us too much help: there are so many different and contrasting pictures of the Spirit in the Scriptures. The Spirit appears as a dove; then as tongues of fire; then again, as a loud, rushing wind; in other places as a quiet whisper. It’s enough to make you say: Will the real Holy Spirit please stand up?

 

On the other hand, the Bible does provide some very clear and helpful information—divine teaching—about who the Spirit is and what he does for us as Christians. Over and over again in the Gospel of John, and here in our text from John 14, Jesus uses a very unique word to describe the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word is paraklétos, which literally means “one who is called to and stands by one’s side.” This word is translated in a number of different ways in various versions of the Bible: “Helper,” “Advocate,” “Comforter,” or (my personal favourite) “Counsellor.” ^{(vv 25–26)} “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you,” says Jesus. “But the Helper [the Comforter, the Counsellor], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”. I am going away, says Jesus, but don’t worry, don’t be afraid; let not your hearts be troubled. I am leaving behind for you and for Christians of all times and in all places a Helper, a Comforter, a full-time, free-of-charge Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, and the holy spirit is “the world’s best Counsellor.”

So, what does a good “counsellor” do? More important, what does this Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, do for us—and how does he do it?

 

According to Jesus in John 16, one of the most important things the Holy Spirit does as our Counsellor is a rather unpleasant thing. He counsels us by convicting us of our sin (Jn 16:8). He uses God’s Word to confront us with those secret or not-so-secret areas of our lives that are not pleasing to our heavenly Father, that are tearing down rather than building up our brothers and sisters in Christ, that are damaging our witness for Christ, and that are also hurting us, preventing us from enjoying the blessings that come through willing and joyful obedience to God’s commandments.

 

Now, this is not an easy job that the Holy Spirit has to do. The hard thing about it is not that he has to keep track of all our sins; that’s relatively simple for the Spirit as the all-seeing, all-knowing God. What’s hard about it is that the Spirit has to deal constantly with hard-headed people like us, who have a very hard time acknowledging our guilt and our sin.

 

Eldon Weisheit was a long-time Theologian and author who wrote some great books for and about kids, including several volumes of children’s sermons. In one of those books, Dr. Weisheit tells the story of one of the first children’s sermons he ever attempted as a pastor. With the children gathered around him, he held up pieces of paper with various words written on them and asked the children to raise their hands if they thought the words applied to them. He held up words like “short,” “tall,” “smart,” “strong,” “popular,” “handsome,” “pretty,” and so on, and each time at least some of the children raised their hands. Then he held up the word “sinner” and waited . . . and waited . . . and waited, until finally one youngster in the front row took hold of his little brother’s hand and lifted it high into the air.

 

We can’t help but laugh at that cute little story, but our laughter probably has—or at least ought to have—a rather “nervous” edge to it, because we know full well that it’s not just children who are anxious to point a finger at somebody else. I read another story recently about a woman who came to her counsellor confessing or complaining that she just didn’t feel she was growing in her spiritual life. When he asked her what she thought the problem might be, she immediately proceeded to tick off about a dozen reasons, all of which put the blame squarely on the shoulders of somebody else. “The pastor’s sermons don’t speak to me; the style of worship isn’t the way I’d like it to be; people at church are so unfriendly; my husband doesn’t support me; my children don’t behave the way they should,” and on and on and on. This counsellor said he took a deep breath, prayed a silent prayer, looked the woman in the eye and said: “Have you ever considered the possibility that the main problem in your spiritual life might not be the pastor, the people at church, your husband, or your children? Have you ever considered the possibility that the problem might have something to do with you?”

 

The best counsellors in my life have been people who’ve cared so much about me that they have dared to speak the truth in love, even when they knew the truth would probably hurt, even when they knew that they might suffer and be hurt as a result of speaking the truth. That’s the kind of Counsellor the Holy Spirit is. Always loving, always compassionate, always looking out for our best interests—but excruciatingly honest, never afraid to tell us the truth, too concerned about our welfare to hide from us the sin that’s harming us.

 

According to the Bible, we can actually help the Holy Spirit with his job as Convicter. Now, let me be clear: we cannot and did not in any way help the Holy Spirit bring us to faith in Christ. Dead people can’t help anyone with anything, and the Bible clearly says that ^{(Eph 2:5)} “we were dead in our trespasses” before the Holy Spirit alone “made us alive” through Word and Sacrament. But now that the Spirit has brought us to life and has come to live in us, we can strive to ^{(Gal 5:16)} “walk by the Spirit”, to keep in step with the Spirit. How? Let me suggest several ways: (1) By seeking to remain open at all times to the Spirit’s loving admonition and exhortation; (2) By opening up the Scriptures regularly (daily!) so that he can speak to us through the Word and show where and how we need to repent and amend our sinful ways; (3) By coming faithfully to God’s house to hear the preaching of God’s holy Word; (4) By refusing to argue with him when he clearly shows us where we need to confess and amend our sinful lives; (5) By remembering that before we can help get the splinter out of somebody else’s eye, we must (as Jesus said) get that log out of our own eye. (Most of us are pretty good at spotting other people’s sins; it’s our own sins we have trouble seeing and confronting.)

 

Fortunately for us, convicting us of our sins is not the Holy Spirit’s only job as our Counsellor. In fact, it’s not even his most important job. After all, even the devil knows how to accuse people of being sinners—the name Satan actually means “The Accuser.” The Spirit’s true or proper work is not to convict us but to comfort us with the Gospel, with the Good News of our forgiveness in Christ—which is something the devil would never do, even if he could.

 

According to Scripture, the Spirit convicts us not just to make us feel guilty but to lead us to true repentance, to prepare our hearts to hear and believe the comforting assurance of our forgiveness because of what our Saviour, Jesus, has done for us. As I mentioned earlier, some versions of the Bible translate this word “Counsellor” as “Comforter.” That’s a good and scripturally meaningful translation as well, because that’s the Holy Spirit’s ultimate mission and goal: to convince us and to keep on reminding us that although we are poor, miserable sinners, God still loves us more than we can possibly imagine and delights to claim us as his dear children in Christ Jesus.

 

The Holy Spirit carries out his role as Comforter in some very simple yet powerful ways. He speaks to us through the Scriptures and tells us that, because of what Jesus has done for us by dying on the cross, our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west, that though our sins are like scarlet, we have been made as white as snow through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also speaks through the words of the Ordained Clergy, who have been called by God to say to those who stand before God with humble and repentant hearts: “I forgive you all your sins,” not by my power, not by my authority, not by any special holiness in me, but in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ whom I serve on your behalf. The Holy Spirit also comforts us daily as we claim the promises God made to us at our Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and he comforts us by feeding us with the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins.

 

And there is still another way the Holy Spirit comforts us, and this way should not be overlooked or underestimated. The Spirit also comforts us through one another, as we speak to each other the words of forgiveness that Christ has spoken to us. Paul writes in: ^{(2 Cor 1:3–4)} “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God”. Even with all these other ways of receiving God’s forgiveness, there’s something special (at least to me) about receiving assurance of that forgiveness through the lips of another human being, especially someone close to us: through the lips of a wife or husband, father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister or Christian friend.

 

So much more could be said about the counselling ministry of the Holy Spirit: we could talk about how he prays for us with groans and sighs too deep for words, and how he teaches us to pray to our dear Father in heaven. We could talk about how he counsels us to know right from wrong and to discern God’s will for our lives; how he helps us to grow up in our faith, so that we can move from the milk to the meat of God’s Word; how he gives us gifts to use in service to others and how he empowers us to be Christ’s witnesses; how he guards and protects us against the evil one and keeps us strong in the faith until the Last Day. One of the reasons that the season after Pentecost is so long is because there’s so much to talk about when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

 

What I’d like to emphasise this morning, however, is that all of these other works of the Holy Spirit are based on and grow out of the Spirit’s dual work as Convicter and as Comforter. If we ever forget that we are sinners, we might as well forget everything else we’ve learned about God and about the Christian faith, because, as John says in his first letter, ^{(1 Jn 1:8)} “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”.On the other hand, if we poor, miserable sinners ever stop believing that we are forgiven, we might as well stop believing everything else, because if God’s message of forgiveness is a lie, then how can we believe anything else he tells us in his Word? If we can’t be sure that we’re forgiven, what does it matter what we do? Why should we pray? Why should we serve? Why should we witness? What would there be to witness about?

The Holy Spirit’s job is to make sure, first of all, that we never forget that we are sinners, and secondly, to make sure that we never stop believing that we are God’s precious, holy, forgiven children through the life and death and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Everything else that he does for us and in us and through us depends on his work as Convicter and as Comforter. And as he convicts and comforts us day by day, he promises to work powerfully in our lives in many other ways as well, as we allow him to, as we invite him to, as we work with our divine Counsellor to be and become the holy people that the Holy Spirit calls and empowers us to be. We pray, “Come Holy Spirit come shine upon us, cleanse us, cheer us, dwell within us, and reign supreme in our hearts and lives. 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 7 – 29 May 2022 – Year C

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 17^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St John: Verses 20 – 26:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

 

 

Did you know you are mentioned in the Gospel reading for today? You are. Jesus is talking about you–in fact, he is praying for you–in the passage known as his “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17. In the first part of that chapter, Jesus has been praying for his disciples, the ones he would be sending out soon as his apostles. You know, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew etc. – the ones who have been with Him for three years. But then at verse 20 of John 17, Jesus shifts his prayer to include others, as well. He says: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. . . .”

When he says “these only,” he’s referring to the disciples he’s just been praying for, those who would be his apostles. But then he goes on to say: “but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” And here he is talking about you - us. For we are among those who have believed in Jesus through the apostles’ word–the inspired witness of the apostles that we find in the New Testament Scriptures. Through the gospel that has been preached to all Christians through the ages, through the apostles’ teaching, through the Holy Sacraments the apostles were commissioned to pass on to the church from generation to generation–through the apostolic ministry of Word and Sacrament, you and I have come to believe in, trust in, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And so you and I are included in this prayer of Jesus when he prays for “those who will believe in me through their word.” Here in his High Priestly Prayer” …. Jesus Prays for Us.

Now what are the things that our Lord prays for us? What does he want for us, what is his will for us? Several things. The first thing he asks for us is this: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

This is the unity of the church Jesus is praying for here, a unity not based on warm fuzzy feelings or in holding hands and singing Kumbaya, but more than that, it is a unity created by God’s own work of binding us to himself, giving us the gift of faith, his work of uniting us in the life of the triune God. 

Notice how Jesus describes this unity: “just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us,” and again, “that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.” In theology, this is what we call the “mystical union,” that all believers in Christ are one, incorporated into the life of the one true God, in the one true church. You know how we say in the Nicene Creed, “I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic church”? Well, we believe in it, that is, we believe there to be but one church, because that is what God has created and what Christ here is praying for. This is the “una sancta catholica et apostolica ecclesia,” the “one holy catholic”–“catholic” in the best sense, meaning “universal”– the one “in all times and all places” church, consisting of all believers made holy by the blood of the Lamb and trusting in him, the church built on the foundation of the holy apostles. This is the unity that Jesus is praying for – praying for us – here in his High Priestly Prayer.

This is the ‘Grace of God’, that he has brought us into his one church! The Holy Spirit has given us faith to believe in Christ our Saviour, and now we know the Father’s love. We all believe in one true God, and we all have been baptised in the name of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This is a God - established unity that cannot fail. This unity exists even now, in spite of all the divisions and fractures and errors we see in visible Christendom. And this unity will last forever, when by God’s grace those warts and flaws in the church will no longer be seen, when they will be healed – when Christ will present the church to himself as a bride radiant and beautiful, holy and without blemish.

Jesus prays for us, unworthy sinners. Jesus’ prayers are for unity in spirit and in love. Jesus’ prayers are for a unified kingdom, undivided by human judgements and doctrinal rulings. Jesus’ prayers are that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth of His Word.  Jesus prays that we will have the faith and will to do everything we can to walk in the oneness God has given his church. To make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Jesus prays that we will speak the truth in love, so that the church will be built up and grow strong, not being blown around by every wind of doctrine, but rather holding to the faith once delivered to the saints. Jesus prays that we will work for concord in the church, seeking consensus in the pure doctrine and striving for a God - pleasing uniformity in church practice. This is a fitting follow-up to what Jesus is praying for us.

And there is an outcome that will follow, as we dwell in God and he in us and we are built up in the one apostolic faith. Our oneness in God results in mission, as Jesus says: “so that the world may believe that you have sent me,” and again, “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” More and more people will come to faith in Christ as the church lives in, and manifests, and testifies to, the love of God in Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This is the love of God we have received and experienced, and that love then shines through us out into a sin-darkened world, drawing more and more people from every nation into the one holy church.

It’s happening all around the world today. What Jesus is praying for in this prayer is coming to pass as the church grows and the gospel goes into every corner of the world. In Africa, In Asia, in South America, the church is growing by leaps and bounds. In Ethiopia, in Kenya, in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, in Argentina and Peru, we see the church expanding and new beachheads for the kingdom being established on every shore.

This is the same gospel that has saved us, my brothers and sisters. It speaks of God’s own Son coming down from heaven and being made incarnate here on earth. It is the good news of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, bearing the sins of the world in his body on the cross. He is the one and only Saviour God has given for all men everywhere, the only one you need. In him you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Christ won this for us on the cross, purchasing our salvation with his precious blood. And then he rose, victorious in the strife, defeating all our foes for us – death, the devil, the grave, the condemnation that you and I deserve by our sins. These all are overcome by the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Christ our Saviour. Now ascended into heaven, he sits at God’s right hand, ever living to make intercession for us as our own High Priest. And he will come again at the last day, to take us home to be with him forever.

And that then is the other thing Jesus prays for us in this prayer of his in John 17. Jesus prays to his Father as follows: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Jesus prays this as he is about to go to the cross, to complete the saving mission for which he was sent. Then will come his resurrection and, forty days after that, his ascension into heaven. So when Jesus prays that we may be with him where he is, to see his glory, this is talking about our eternal life in heaven in the age to come. There we will see his glory, undimmed and undiminished. There we will be with him, and we will see him face to face. What a glorious day that will be! An endless, joyful eternity with our Lord and with all his people, in a paradise restored and made even better!

It’s what we see described in the reading from Revelation. The new Jerusalem, the holy city. The river of the water of life, flowing through the city, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life–that tree we were barred from, when we were driven out of the garden after our fall into sin. But when the new day comes, when Christ returns and takes us home to be with him forever, then we will have access to the tree of life, eternal life, ours as a gift. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life.” That’s us. We have had our robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb, our sins washed away in the waters of Holy Baptism. Therefore, in Christ, we will have the right to the tree of life.

Friends, this is paradise restored – creation restored, and made even better. No more sin or sorrow or death. Only life and abundance and joy. The blessed vision of seeing our Lord Jesus in his glory. The joy of worship around the throne with the whole company of heaven. The heavenly banquet feast. This is what we have to look forward to. This is our hope, our lively hope that animates all our days. We look forward to that day with great expectation. “Come, Lord Jesus!” is the church’s fervent cry. And, dear ones, this will be the ultimate fulfillment of Jesus’ own prayer, his High Priestly Prayer, the prayer he prays for us, that we may be with him where he is. God grant it, for Jesus’ sake. 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 6 – 22 May 2022 – Year C

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

The text for our meditation is written in the 14^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St John: Verses 23 – 29:

 

23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25 ‘All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28 ‘You heard me say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe’. 

 

 

In a campaign speech, the famous British statesman Winston Churchill poked fun at the jargon creeping into government. "There is a lovely one about houses and homes," Churchill said. "In the future they are to be called accommodation units. I don't know how we are going to sing the old song ‘Home Sweet Home’. It would go like this, "Accommodation Unit, sweet, Accommodation Unit, there’s no place like our Accommodation Unit."

 

While the statesman was having a bit of fun, there is a certain truth in what he said - there are a lot of homes that are merely accommodation units.

 

We read and hear stories of children who have a home that is sheer hell. For them, home is a place of sorrow, insecurity, hurt, pain and abuse. For some, home is the place where they suffer to the point of death.

 

Home! What is a home? – Ideally …. A home is a place of joy, security, comfort and love.

For a child, home is a safe place; it’s the place where they grow and learn; it’s where they are loved and in return give love. Home is the place we like to be; the place we like to come ‘home’ to. It’s our resting place after a hard day. Home is the place where we live. 

 

How does this relate to our text – Well, Jesus and his disciples are sharing together a meal on the day before Good Friday. Jesus tells them that he will soon go away. In John 13: 33, they ask him if they can go with him, but Jesus replies, "You cannot go where I am going" - "But we will be left alone," the disciples replied. "When I go, you will not be left alone". 

 

And then Jesus goes on to tell the disciples; "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” 

 

These words give all faithful followers of Jesus a wonderful promise. This special home that Jesus is referring to here, provides us with everything we need —everything necessary to be happy and secure, to receive comfort and love.

 

At this point, it is clear Jesus isn’t only talking about being safe and secure in our heavenly home after our death. He is especially talking about the here and now. – John 14 is very much a “Preparation Text” His disciples were afraid of what would happen to them during their life in this world; and their fears were very real. Jesus wanted to prepare His disciples and us for the time He would no longer be physically on earth. You see His disciples sensed then what we now know to be true; and that is that being a disciple after Jesus left was not going to be easy. 

They were living in a world that was hostile to the grace and love of God. All of them would face every kind of hardship and suffering imaginable as they went about telling others about Jesus, their Saviour. Almost all them would face death at the hands of the enemies of Christ.

 

Imagine the fear and confusion that filled their hearts when Jesus was arrested, sentenced and crucified. Jesus knew all this and now reassures them that they can be secure and safe at home with the Father and the Son; to give them heart and to warm their spirits.

 

Home with God is the place of shelter and protection; being nurtured and comforted. Home with God is being able to retreat from the day’s problems and worries; being loved in spite of all our weaknesses. The picture of being at home with God would have been particularly encouraging and strengthening for the disciples when they were anxious and stressed about how they would face so much hostility in the world.

 

Friends, Jesus is also saying to us, "We will come and make our home with you". He is making us a very wonderful promise. He is promising to be present with us; to live with us and provide for our needs, as we journey through this life. As we live in this world, He is dwelling with us; we are able to enjoy His closeness in the same way that He is close to the Father

We get an idea of just how important Jesus being close to us is when He describes His relationship with the Father. In fact, in John 10:30, he says, "The Father and I are one."  In His promise Jesus is bringing us into an intimate relationship with the Holy Trinity - Heaven on earth.

In John 10:14,15, Jesus tells us, "As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me." - Again that tells us something of the intimate way Jesus knows and cares for each and every one of us – He knows us by name – He knows our very nature – He knows our every weakness and failing …...

 

If that worries you and makes you feel ashamed and unworthy, then listen again to Jesus response to us - today we hear Jesus say to us, "We will come and make our home with you". –  Friends, that is a promise that if we, though sinners at birth, open our heart to His grace, the fullness of our great Triune God will make His home there.

 

You know, there is nothing new here; the notion that God makes his home with us is no modern-day revelation. The Old Testament is full of pictures describing God as our dwelling place (our home), or God’s people living in the house of the Lord. 

 

Psalm 27 says, "One thing that I ask of the Lord, … that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling" (v 4,5).
And Psalm 90, "Lord you have been our dwelling place (our home) through all generations" (v1). 

 

In the midst of our limited, chaotic, challenging lives, in a world where the evil one would have us feeling permanently insecure, Jesus is our one sure source of true security. It can be said that He gives us small portions of eternity right now, as we journey through this life. This happens whenever He gives us the physical as well as the spiritual strength to meet the challenges that confront us.

 

 He gives us rest when we are weary of life so that we can experience the freshness and newness of another day. He is our centre of retreat when the world’s pain, problems and demands are closing in on us. In an often hostile, dangerous world, His hospitality is so wonderful and inviting. What a marvellous promise,  that Jesus and the Father have made their home with us! What a reassurance of peace.

 

Jesus then adds to this picture of the security of home by saying that the Father will send a Helper, a Counsellor, namely the Holy Spirit to teach us to know and understand what Jesus has said; he will nurture our faith and trust; and he will help us remember that we belong to God; we are members of His household and so are protected and cared for. 

Then he goes on, ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 

Christ's peace is a settled state of the heart, which is not affected by the outward circumstances, and which outward conflicts cannot destroy. The peace that Christ gives comes from knowing that whatever may happen, you and I have a Saviour who will never forsake us. Even in the face of our worst sin, he will not forsake us. He died for us. Even when our life is in danger, we are at peace, because He has conquered death and He will never leave us.

 

Philosophers often describe peace as the absence of conflict, fear, trouble and suffering. For the Baptised Christian, peace is more than the absence of something. Peace, true peace, is the presence of someone – and that someone is Jesus. He has come to make His home with us and that brings true peace into our lives. 

 

His love, forgiveness, protection, help, comfort – brings the peace we so much need in our troubled life. Peace is knowing that Jesus will stand by us and, to use the words of St Paul, ^{(Romans 8:39.)} that “There is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord” 

 

All this builds up to a wonderful picture of being at home – home with God; secure and safe, nurtured and cared for.  We do not have to be paralysed by our fears and troubles. God makes a home within our lives—a home of love, security, joy, peace, confidence and hope.

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this word from Jesus today is truly a great one, especially when we are being harassed and feel helpless in the face of life’s difficulties. But there is a danger that in this warm cosy state that we become complacent in our faith! Our Biblical command as written in Matthew 28 is to ‘Preach, Teach and Baptise’ and to bring that same peace and love to others. He gives us security in his home so that we can make a difference in the world and in the church, and in the lives of others. Inactivity or apathy is the greatest danger that faces the Christian church today, It significantly contributes to the decline in numbers of practicing Christians, and changes this country from one where Christian values are the norm to where they are now just another marginalised choice.

 

May our prayer be "Lord, forgive us for our cosiness and apathy, and stimulate us that Your will be done on earth". We have a Saviour who has died for us, who gave his life to forgive us, who has claimed us as members of his own family in baptism, and given us incomprehensible peace; but this peace can only be complete in us if it flows through us to our brothers and sisters in Christ

The celebrated Dominican Monk, Damasus Winzen, who had suffered a great deal in his life, and subsequently died in 1971, wrote just before his death, "When I look back upon the 70 years of my life, I see quite clearly that I owe my present inner happiness, my peace, and my joy essentially to one fact: I am certain that I am infinitely loved by God.”

 

May we, like this man, know and share the peace and presence of God in our lives. Let us reassure and be reassured by the words of Jesus, "Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid. … My Father loves you, and we will come to you and make our home with you."  Amen.

 

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

 

Easter 5 – 15 May 22 – Year C

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 he 21^st Chapter of the Book of Revelation: Verses 1 – 7:

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold,  the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and ^rI will be his God and he will be my son.

 

 

“A Whole New World”: If you have seen the Disney film Aladdin, on his magic carpet Aladdin sings about it, but now in our text God promises He will deliver it. Are you looking forward to it? You should be, and today I’ll tell you why.

Yes, a whole new world. That’s what John sees in our reading today from Revelation 21. A new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem. And he who is seated on the throne says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” We’re coming into the last two chapters of the Bible now, and we get a glimpse of where all this is headed. And it is new, and it is glorious, and it is something to be ardently looked forward to.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” John has been witnessing the unfolding of history before his eyes, through a series of visions, and now he comes to the conclusion, the resolution of all that has been revealed thus far, the goal toward which everything is going.

A whole new world. Why? What was wrong with the first one? Do I even need to ask that question? You see the world we live in. It is filled with death and destruction and decay. All around us we see sorrow and sadness and sickness. And all within us we see sin, sin lurking inside and making its way out in the things we say and do and think. This old world and our old sinful nature are pretty messed up, seriously in need of a major renovation project. Well, that’s what God is going to do. He’s going to make all things new.

A new heaven and a new earth. Here in Revelation we’re coming to the end of the Bible, as I say, but now think back to the beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Including the man and the woman. But then something happened. Sin entered the picture. Sin entered us. We rebelled against our Creator. We broke his commandment. We wanted to be our own God. And so the curse fell upon mankind. “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” The death sentence, being driven out of the garden and cut off from the tree of life. Discord, friction between husband and wife. Futility in work. Futility in creation. Things don’t work right. Nature itself gets fouled up. Disasters, death, and danger. And it’s been that way ever since. We could use a whole new world.

Isaiah had foretold it. Isaiah 65, where the Lord says: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.” Isaiah had foretold it, and now in Revelation here it comes. New heavens and a new earth, and also a new Jerusalem: “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

“New Jerusalem”: Well, again, what was wrong with the old one? If you know your Bible, you know the answer to that question: Plenty. There was plenty wrong with the old Jerusalem. Even though it was meant to be a holy city, set apart to be the dwelling place of the Lord in his temple–even so, old Jerusalem behaved in some very unholy ways.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” Yet Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.” Which is what happened, of course. Old Jerusalem had lost its holiness and missed its Messiah, rejecting the very king sent by God. And so, God would send destruction on old Jerusalem in the form of a Roman army.

But now here in Revelation there is coming a new Jerusalem, a truly holy city, at last. And notice where this new Jerusalem is coming from. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” That’s always the direction where things you can be sure of are coming from. From God to us. Just as the Son of God came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation. So likewise does the new Jerusalem come down from heaven to earth. When God does the coming down, it is holy and it is sure.

“Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Oh, this city will be beautiful! “Glorious things of you are spoken, Zion, city of our God; He whose word cannot be broken formed you for his own abode.” And so it will be. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” This is the fulfillment of God’s plan for the ages. God and mankind together again, at peace, reconciled, dwelling in harmony and sweet fellowship. Paradise restored. What was lost in the garden is restored in an even greater way in the new Jerusalem.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Imagine this. What will be so wonderful about this whole new world is what will not be there, what is no longer there that is here now. No more death. No more tears. No more mourning or crying or pain. Disabilities and degenerative diseases–gone. Divorce and depression–over. Loss and loneliness–things of the past.

“Behold, I am making all things new.” Notice, God says he is making all things new. That is different from saying, “I am making all new things.” No, you will still be you. God is going to raise up your body, only it will no longer be subject to death and decay. No more breaking down. No more getting frail and wearing out. No, you will be fitted out for eternity, ready to go. You know, mankind was never meant to die in the first place. Our sin spoiled that. But when God makes all things new, our bodies will be renewed, restored, raised up whole and glorious, transformed and transfigured–a real physical body, your body, but perfected in a way we can’t even imagine now.

And this creation will be restored, too. At this time of year we see all the beauty of springtime in full bloom–flowers and trees blossom, and fields greening up. But now multiply that by an indefinite amount and you might be approaching the beauty that is in store in the world to come.

How can we be sure of all this? Because God says so. You can count on his word. “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Trustworthy and true, the profound Word of God. Trustworthy and true, the promises of God to you, to me.

And God said to John, “It is done!” “It is done.” A fait accompli, a sealed deal, you can take it to the bank. “It is done!” John must have been reminded of a word he had heard years earlier: “It is finished.” That’s what Jesus said on the cross, as he was hanging there, dying for the sins of the world. And because Jesus did die for those sins, your sins and mine, our debt has been paid, the goal has been reached, and the deal has been sealed, good as gold. Jesus’ “It is finished” on the cross guarantees the “It is done” in the new Jerusalem. And the proof is in the resurrection of Christ, when he conquered the grave and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. “Because he lives, we shall live also.”

“It is done!” God says. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” It’s all a gift, God’s free gift to you. Are you thirsty? Drink up. Drink from the spring of life-giving water he offers you free of charge. You get a taste of that today as you drink from the cup of blessing here in the Lord’s Supper, Christ’s own blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. “And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.”

“And I will be his God and he will be my son.” I’m reminded of what John says in his epistle: “See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God, and so we are. . . . Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” It’s from John’s epistle, but it really fits in with his vision of the new Jerusalem. Because one day we too will see this new Jerusalem. One day we will see this new heaven and the new earth. One day we will see the one seated on the throne, making all things new. We shall see him, and we will be at home, at last.

When will this take place? In a little while. It may seem like a long time to us, but in the big picture of things, it will only be a little while. “A little while, and you will see me,” our Saviour says to his disciples. So hold tight, hold close to Christ. “Lift up your head, for your redemption draws near.” “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Yes, dear friends, a whole new world is on the way. A new heaven and a new earth. The holy city, new Jerusalem. A holy people, a new you, and a new us, God with us forever.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Amen

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