Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
JOHN 16:33 (23-33) “OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOR GIVES US PEACE IN HIMSELF” Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter [Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27] In the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) INTRODUCTION: Dearly beloved fellow peacelovers as well as, hopefully, peacemakers. Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, (Matt 5:9) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Faithful God-fearing mothers play an important role of peacemakers in Christian families. No matter how young or old their children may be, Biblebelieving Immanuel-loving mothers devote much time and energy to making and preserving peace among their children. For that and many other selfsacrificial acts of love we thank all the mothers here [this evening/morning] [and listening in on our radio broadcast] and we honor you as Jesus honored His own mother, Mary. May you have a truly wonderful and God-blessed “Mother’s Day.” A very brief sampling of His “peace” statements reveals the following things Jesus said about peace JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 2 of 13 that the four Gospel-writers recorded. From the pen of St. Matthew we hear Jesus say, (Matt 10:34) “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” We hear Jesus through the pen of St. Mark say, (Mark 9:50) “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” St. Luke wrote the following statement that Jesus spoke, (Luke 7:50) “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Finally, St. John recorded that Jesus said, (John 14:27) “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” “Peace” was a major topic with Jesus. That was also true with the Apostle Paul, who began each of his letters that are collected in the New Testament with a greeting that included at least, (Rom 1:7) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That peace about which Jesus spoke and St. Paul wrote is not what the world understands to be merely the absence of war, conflict, and contention. Rather, it is God’s gracious gift of being reunited with our heavenly Father and one another through the God-man Jesus Christ (something that results in the absence of war, conflict, and contention). It’s what St. Paul stated in his letter to the Ephesians, JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 3 of 13 “For he himself [Jesus Christ] is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Our text for today emphatically drives that message home by informing us with our Lord’s own words that ... (Eph 2:14) Transition: OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOR GIVES US PEACE IN HIMSELF knowing that Through Jesus We Have Peace with the Father because The Father Is Always with Jesus. I. THROUGH JESUS WE HAVE PEACE WITH THE FATHER. [24-28: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”] We struggle with the twin challenges of peace and prayer. When in one or more situations of fear, fright, anxiety, or whatever Satan uses to try to disrupt peace, we do well to pray. When we do so it’s absolutely essential that we … JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 4 of 13 A. Pray to the Father through Jesus. A brief Bible-based catechetical review reminds us that (LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM WITH EXPLANATION, © 1991 “We should pray A. in the name of Jesus, that is, with faith in Him as our Redeemer; B. with confidence, that is, with firm trust that for Jesus’ sake our prayers will be answered; [and] C. according to God’s revealed will.” Could it be that when it seems that God doesn’t hear or answer our prayers it’s because we neglected to pray in Jesus’ name and according to God’s will? Jesus gave us the perfect example of praying according to God’s will when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, (Matt 26:39) “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” After all, (Ibid,, © 1991 CPH, pp. 172.) “God hears the prayers of all Christians and answers them in His own way and at His own time.” God Himself reassures us of that when He tells us in His Spirit-inspired Holy Word, (Isa 65:24) “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” and St. Paul testified to that when he said, CPH, pp. 171.) JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 5 of 13 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” Consider also God’s gracious invitation to pray and His promise to respond that Asaph composed, (Ps 50:15) “... call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Jesus personally invited our prayers and promised to respond when He instructed in His “Sermon on the Mount,” (Matt 7:7-8) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Our prayer activity both honors and glorifies the Almighty Triune God and confesses our trust that He cares for us. In fact, ... B. Our Faith in and Love for Jesus Invites the Father to Love Us. Earlier in John’s gospel narrative he recorded that Jesus said, (John 14:13) “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” That is, all that Jesus said and did was for the purpose of honoring the Father. In like manner, the faith we confess in and the love we (2 Cor 12:8-9a) JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 6 of 13 have for Jesus honor the Father and, thereby, invite Him to love us. Of course, His love for us is a completely self-sacrificial love that moved Him to send Jesus into this sin-filled world to atone for our sins. He accomplished that with His holy life, innocent suffering and death, and triumphant bodily resurrection from the dead. He did so to defeat Satan, sin, and death itself thereby gaining for us forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. The result of His atonement activity was that ... Transition: OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOR GIVES US PEACE IN HIMSELF knowing that Through Jesus We Have Peace with the Father because The Father Is Always with Jesus. II. THE FATHER IS ALWAYS WITH JESUS. [2932: “His disciples said, ‘Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.’”] The “KISS” acronym tells us to “Keep It Simple and Succinct.” Like many present-day preachers, Jesus often went JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 7 of 13 beyond keeping things simple and succinct because He had to give extra explanation for His hearers to understand what He was telling them, even as we often have to do today. After doing so on this particular occasion, His disciples excitedly exclaimed that they now grasped His message, believed that He truly was the Son of God, and would remain faithful to Him! Nevertheless, … A. His Disciples Would Be Scattered. That activity of being scattered referred specifically to the time of Immanuel’s capture, trial, and crucifixion. Fear, fright, and despair filled them to such a degree that they abandoned Him who had never abandoned them. Fearing for their own safety, they “scattered to the four winds,” so to speak. Jesus said about this scattering activity, (Matt 12:30; Luke 11:23) “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” He also warned that, (John 10:12) “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” Not only would they be scattered, but ... B. His Disciples Would Abandon Him. Jesus knew that the scattering activity would lead to JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 8 of 13 desertion. So, He warned His disciples even as Zechariah had prophesied hundreds of years earlier, (Matt 26:31) “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” Sadly, many people—even we who profess to possess the Christian faith—scatter and abandon Jesus today. How? The most prevailing way some do so is by giving priority to activities of this world over gathering together with fellow believers in the public setting of the divine service where God nurtures us with His Holy Word and the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion. Others do so by neglecting to pray and read the Bible daily; by refusing to tell the Good News about Jesus; and by disobeying God’s clear commands about obediently living our lives for His glory and honor and our personal good health and welfare. Yes, His own disciples scattered and abandoned Jesus and we do so today as well. But His Father never abandoned Jesus except the one time when our Savior had to bear the full load of our guilt on Calvary’s cross for us alone. That guilt that He bore in- JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 9 of 13 cluded our sins of scattering and abandoning Him Who promised, (Matt 28:20) “... I am with you always, to the end of the age.” His real presence with us through Word and Sacrament gives us real strength to remain faithful to Him in the face of the many temptations, trials, and challenges Satan, the world, and our sinful flesh throw at us. That is, His presence with us is proof positive that ... Transition: OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOR GIVES US PEACE IN HIMSELF knowing that Through Jesus We Have Peace with the Father because The Father Is Always with Jesus. CONCLUSION: We heard in today’s 1st Bible Reading that (Acts 16:9 & 15) “... a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And after she [Lydia] was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.” Acts of merciful help by personal presence promote peace and tranquility. Paul personally went to help the Macedonians by telling them the Good News about Jesus. Lydia gratefully responded by JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 10 of 13 urging Paul and his companions to receive her hospitality. Togetherness is the emphasis. And that’s what peace is … togetherness with God through faith in Jesus Christ and thereby with fellow Christians. In the divine service setting, God gives us His peace-giving presence through His Holy Word and His Holy Supper. In addition, we heard in today’s Epistle Reading, (Rev 21:9-11) “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” The ultimate and eternal peace-presence with God will be when He brings His faithful elect to live with Him in His glorious mansions of heaven. There His saints will be forever united with Him in “the holy city Jerusalem”, where the relationship will be restored to what He originally intended and even created. As we continue our journey there, let us follow the example of our victorious Savior, who gives us peace in Himself by being peacemakers who promote and pass on His peace to one another, others, and the whole wide world. God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our holy Savior. Amen. JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 11 of 13 In the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. JOHN 16:33 (23-33) “OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOR GIVES US PEACE IN HIMSELF” INTRODUCTION: (Matt 5:9) Faithful God-fearing __________ play an important role of peacemakers in Christian families. (Matt 10:34; Mark 9:50; Luke 7:50; John 14:27) “_______” was a major topic with Jesus and the Apostle Paul. (Rom 1:7) That peace about which Jesus spoke and St. Paul wrote is God’s gracious gift of being __________ with our heavenly Father and one another through the Godman Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:14) I. [24-28] THROUGH JESUS WE HAVE PEACE WITH THE FATHER. We struggle with the twin challenges of peace and _______. A. Pray to the Father through Jesus. Could it be that when it seems that God doesn’t hear or answer our prayers it’s because we neglected to pray in _______ name and according to _______ will? _______ gave us the perfect example of praying according to God’s will. (Matt 26:39) “God hears the prayers of all Christians and answers them in His own _____ and at His own _____.” (Isa 65:24; 2 Cor 12:8-9a; Ps 50:15; Matt 7:7-8) Our prayer activity both _______ the Almighty Triune God JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 12 of 13 and ____________ our trust that He cares for us. B. Our Faith in and Love for Jesus Invites the Father to Love Us. (John 14:13) All that _______ said and did was for the purpose of honoring the _______. The Father’s _____ for us is a completely self-sacrificial _____ that moved Him to send Jesus into this sinfilled world to _______ for our sins. II. [29-32] THE FATHER IS ALWAYS WITH JESUS. The “KISS” acronym tells us to “K_____ I__ S_______ and S__________.” Jesus often went _______ keeping things simple and succinct because He had to give extra ____________ for His hearers to understand what He was telling them. A. His Disciples Would Be Scattered. That activity of being ____________ referred specifically to the time of Immanuel’s capture, trial, and crucifixion. Fearing for their own _______, they “scattered to the four winds.” (Matt 12:30; Luke 11:23; John 10:12) B. His Disciples Would Abandon Him. Jesus warned His disciples even as ____________ had prophesied hundreds of years earlier. (Matt 26:31) His own ____________ scattered and abandoned Jesus and ___ do so today as well. (Matt 28:20) His _____ presence with us through Word and Sacrament JOHN 16:33 (23-33) Sunday, May 13, 2007 6th Sunday of Easter Page 13 of 13 gives us _____ strength to remain faithful to Him in the face of the many temptations, trials, and challenges Satan, the world, and our sinful flesh throw at us. CONCLUSION: (Acts 16:9 & 15) Acts of merciful _____ by personal presence promote peace and tranquility. Peace is togetherness with _____ through faith in Jesus Christ and thereby with fellow ____________. God gives us His peace-giving presence through His Holy _____ and His Holy _______. (Rev 21:9-11) The ultimate and eternal peace-presence with God will be when He brings His faithful elect to live with Him in His glorious mansions of _______. As we continue our journey there, let us follow the example of our victorious _______, who gives us peace in Himself by being peacemakers who promote and pass on _____ peace to one another, others, and the whole wide world. Amen.