Category: Sermons

Who are the blessed who do not see?

Jesus Appears to the Disciples by William Hole

Our text for this morning’s sermon is from the Gospel reading which you heard just moments ago, these words:
“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those not having seen, yet having believed.”

Thus far our text. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to do some damage control on behalf of Thomas, our brother in Christ. Thomas, called the Twin, is more infamously known as “Doubting Thomas,” and honestly, I find it a bit unfair. So, in the interest of restoring Thomas’ good name, let us consider some details of this well-known pericope.
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Can These Bones Live?

Jesus Appears to the Disciples by William Hole

What gives the bones life? It is the Word of God. At the command of God, the Word was and is preached, prophesied to each and every one of us, whether it was when we were yet in the womb, or after a lifetime of being tossed about, rattling in the hot dust of the valley. When that word was prophesied over our dry bones, life covered us. Sinews and flesh, muscle and blood, indeed the very Blood of Christ covered our bones, and we stood upright.

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Jesus, the Guest, Becomes Host

The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road

… the scene described for us this evening in our Gospel reading is… pretty funny, really. We hear of two disciples of Christ in distress about the events surrounding Christ’s death, and our dear Lord just kind of lets them squirm a bit.
“You say the Christ was crucified? No, I never heard of it,” says the Christ who was crucified. Classic stuff. Beyond the humor of the situation, though, we have here Christ setting Himself as the Host for a meal, and using Scripture to tell
these disciples in distress about Who exactly is the Messiah. …for more, click on the title above.

Trembling and Bewilderment

Mary Magdalene and the Holy Women at the Tomb by James Tissot

This beautiful morning as we again celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ, we have heard of His Body no longer occupying a new tomb in which no one else had ever been laid. That a couple of His disciples had borrowed to place His Body in after He died on a cross. This account came to us from the Evangelist Mark’s record. He, apparently writing the account of St. Peter as many theologians argue (and there is really no problem with that understanding), provided a very brief account of the events of the first Resurrection Sunday….For more, click on the title above.

Easter promises: Fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection

Touch me not (Noli me tangere) by James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum

I exhort you in Christ Jesus: Do not for a minute dismiss what we celebrate here: For on this Easter morning, we celebrate nothing less than the triumph over death itself. Triumph over actual death—this is not some story we use as a mind-numbing agent, to make us feel better about life and its hardships in this world.
No, my friends, we rejoice that Christ has accomplished what all science, medicine and human effort cannot possibly do. He has conquered the grave. He has won the victory so that we can truly live forever in the gracious presence of God. …For more, click on the title above.

We killed our King

Christ Crucified by Svitozar Nenyuk

The text for this evening’s sermon comes from the Passion recorded in the Gospel of St. John, these words:
Therefore, [the Jews] cried out “Away with Him! Away! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king if not Caesar.”

Thus far our text. This is a bold claim made by the leaders of the faith in our reading this evening. This confession by the chief priests of the Jews has the entire history of the world and of God’s love for His people behind it. Let us consider all the implications of this demonic declaration…For more, click on the title above.

Jesus finished all God’s just demands, for you

Christ Crucified by Svitozar Nenyuk

Jesus, in the Gospel reading for today, speaks one Word, τετέλεσται [Tetelestai] (“it is finished!”). This He does before voluntarily handing over the Spirit. With one Koine (common) Greek Word, Jesus declared that all the Scripture that had prophesied of the Christ to that point in time had been completed. That means that Jesus finished all God’s just demands, for you….For more, click on the title above.

The Master who still serves!

Jesus washing the feet of his disciple by Bernardo Ramonfaur

On this Maundy Thursday, we are in what we in this place call, “the year of the Gospel.” From that, we have heard of Jesus, the Master Who still serves His servants. We have heard of Him washing His disciples. In that, He reveals Himself to be the Lord and Teacher Who wills to serve His followers by cleansing them. From that, we can learn that He Who serves His people desires His people to serve one another….For more, click on the title above.

Easter is a Victory, but Not for Everyone

Our eternal life won for us on the Cross by our Savior Jesus Christ is precisely why we call this week holy. The many ways we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ all pour out from our own reality as those who are forgiven, redeemed, and future citizens of the Heavenly City. …For more, click on the title above.