Encore Post: On a chilly October morning, Martin Luther left the Black Cloister to walk to the Castle Church. A light breeze blew a few leaves across his path. When he passed Saint Mary’s Church, a few students hurried to join him. As they walked along, they asked questions about their last lesson. The town was busy that morning. Children played in the street. Farmers came to sell their crops. and goods. Pilgrims walked along the same street. They hoped to see the relics on display in the church. Relics are parts of a deceased holy person’s body or belongings that are kept as objects of reverence. Luther walked up the stairs to the door of the Castle Church. He moved several notices nailed there to make room for his announcement. After nailing his call for a disputation — that is, a conference — to discuss the power of indulgences, he headed for his classroom. It was an ordinary day, but one that would change the world.
Luther’s announcement on that ordinary day, October 31, 1517, touched off an explosion throughout the Western Christian Church. Known as the 95 Theses, Luther’s announcement seemed to suggest that the pope did not have the power to offer indulgences. Pope Leo X sent a messenger to convince Luther to apologize for his comments and to be quiet. Instead, Luther studied the Bible even more carefully. Finally, at a disputation between the reformer and Johann Eck was held in Leipzig, Germany, Luther said that much of what Jan Hus had said was right. Then, in the days that followed the debate, Luther wrote that the church was mistaken about other beliefs.
In 1520, Pope Leo X condemned Luther’s teachings as heretical and threatened to excommunicate him. Undeterred, Luther burned the pope’s letter, as well as many of the church’s books, in a bond fire in Wittenberg. Later, at the Diet of Worms in 1521, an assembly of the officials of the Holy Roman Empire, Martin Luther was condemned as an outlaw.
The 95 Theses themselves were not all that important. Yet because they were like lighting the fuse for a bomb, they set off the explosion that brought the precious Gospel back to light in Christ’s Church. From the rubble of that explosion rose the the Lutheran Church. That is why we thank God for Martin Luther on October 31st.
Encore Post: Gnostics, pagans, agnostics, and atheists all tell us that the body is meaningless. The atheists will say that there is nothing beyond death. The Gnostics and pagans will say that the soul is the true nature of a person. Now, freed from this mortal coil, the dead are on to a permanent spiritual existence.
This is not so, dear Christians!
The unnatural, violent separation of body and soul in death is a temporary state. In the resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, and the life everlasting that follows thereafter, we will be reunited with our bodies in perfected glory.
“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! ”(Job 19:23-27 – KNJV)
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”(Philippians 3:20-21 – ESV)
So, what do we do between now and then?
In Christianity, we have maintained a high view of the body of those who die in faith in Christ. Our treatment of the dead flows out of our understanding of the resurrection. We confess that our Lord is not done with this body. He will restore life and vigor to our bodies and our souls to the same. We also confess the resurrection in the way we treat the bodies of the blessed dead.
We practice rites and rituals at the time of death These include: the commendation of the dying, comforting of the bereaved, the funeral service, and the committal at the graveside. It’s erroneous to say these things are only for the living. We practice these rights for the living and the dead both. Now, there should be no confusion here. The disposition of the dead is determined entirely by the forgiveness of sins by the atoning work of Jesus and faith trusting in that same promise. But, God is not done with the remains. So, we take great care to place the bodies of our loved ones into a safe resting place until the day of resurrection.
The scriptures have some indications of the practices we mimic. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob are all buried in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the Hittite in Mamre. (Genesis ch. 23, 35, 49, & 50) The Cave of the Patriarchs is a religious pilgrimage site to this day. It is visited by Jews, Christians, and Islamists. The Islamist side of the Herodian building has a wall separating it from the other side. All visitors still visit the same site.
The committal at the grave site is a significant part of these collected rites. Your pastor blesses the body in its casket/coffin for the last time. He blesses the grave itself. In many cases, the Pastor will remain with the body from its entrance into the church, though the funeral and interment, and leave only when the grave it being filled. He does this to serve as a visual representation of Jesus in whose stead and by whose command he speaks. In burial, we place our deceased loved ones to rest in a bed in the earth. There their bodies rest securely under a blanket of earth until the Lord’s return.
It is best for us to bury a body in a casket/coffin. Our Christian burial practices are different than the pagans. We confess the resurrection of all flesh. The pagans confess the end of the flesh. In their confession burning the remains, scattering the remains, or exposing the dead for scavenging are all “natural” treatments of an empty vessel. Since they do not believe in a resurrection, they treat the body like refuse. Christians have only recently begun to embrace cremation as an acceptable practice. It is not the best option.
“But, Pastor, can’t God put them back together?” Yes, but that’s the wrong question. What’s the best option? Burial of the body with great reverence and care, confesses the resurrection in word AND in deed. It does not challenge or test God. Instead, bodily burial reinforces God’s promise concerning the body.
“What about those burned in fire/destroyed in combat/buried at sea?” We will often go to extreme examples to carve-out defenses for less-than-defensible positions. We do our best based upon circumstances. When there’s near total loss, we bury what we can. Even the military will place limited remains into a casket for transport home to be buried.
Even burial at sea is also a deliberate, careful practice. The body is sent to rest in “the deep.” Davey Jones’ Locker or some other euphemism is a place. It’s not a place like cemetery. But, it is a place in its concept. All of the dead buried at sea go to rest in the deep together like those buried in a cemetery.
Mandy and I have intent for each other. For our bodies, we prefer to be buried without embalming in meager wooden boxes, preferably a coffin in style. The eight surfaces of a coffin continue to confess the eighth day baptismal promise in which we rest. We do not want a viewing of any sort or an open casket. Everyone knows what’s in that box. There’s no need to imply something else. And, lastly bury us among other Christians awaiting the resurrection on the last day.
Let us confess Jesus Christ, even in death.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX and Mission planting pastoral team: Epiphany Lutheran Church Bastrop, TX
Encore Post: We have two examples of the dead interacting from where they await the resurrection of all flesh. These two share little with us. But, we need to know what they do share.
In Luke 16, we have parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. In torment in Hell, the nameless Rich Man is allowed to see Abraham and Lazarus. He speaks with Abraham. There is no interaction between he and Lazarus. The Rich Man sees nothing else of Heaven or Earth. And Abraham defines their positions thusly: “…between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26)
We are probably safe in assuming that this is an abnormal interaction. The Rich Man sees neither Heaven itself, nor the chasm separating them. His address to Abraham directing him to order Lazarus reveals no change of mind or understanding about his own state or lack of authority. He is hardened in his wickedness.
St. John reveals the souls of the martyrs under the altar, who speak. “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:9-11)
These saints under that altar have no love for the sin in the earth. They are purified of all sin. As a result, they see the whole earth as evil and in need of vengeance. We don’t want the souls at rest in heaven to see us. They will only see our sin. Jesus has compassion for us and is saving us. They do not and cannot save us. In part, this is also why we do not pray to the saints. They would cry out for our blood, if they could hear us.
Thanks be to God, that we are separated from there. We have one mediator between God and Man, between Heaven and Earth. Jesus, speaks for us, forgives our sin, and prepares a place for us. In faith we await our own admission. In faith we will rest secure. In faith we will receive a crown of glory we do not deserve.
Hang tight – What About the Disposition of Our Remains? comes next.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX and Mission planting pastoral team: Epiphany Lutheran Church Bastrop, TX
Encore Post: In a previous post, I explained that death is the violent separation of our souls from our bodies. The body itself decays and returns to the ground in one fashion or another. God’s sentence on all human beings is fulfilled: “to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) For the soul of Christians, it has become the gate to paradise. For souls of those without faith in Christ, it leads to hell.
Atheists and many pagan religions see death as the complete end of human life, They believe what our senses and the instruments people have created tell them. They cannot fathom a world without decay and death. “Change and decay in all around I see,” (Abide with me, stanza 2) seems to be reality. Eastern religions believe the the universe is god and that souls are reborn until they work off their negative Karma, At that point, they believe, the soul ceases to exist, merging into god. Mormons believe that souls go to one level of heaven or another, ultimately growing into being gods themselves.
Yet God, who made the heavens and the earth, begs to differ. Souls continue to exist after death. Jesus declared of Christians, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26), “Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:25–26) The same thing is true of those who do not trust in Christ. (Job 19:25-27, Luke 12:20, Matthew 25:12, 30, 46) So, the souls of Christians, children of God that they are, go to be with Jesus in Paradise, waiting for the day of the Resurrection of their bodies.
Even our bodies, which decay, will rise to life again. When Jesus returns in glory, the souls of the saints will be with him. He will call them from the grave, transform them into a transformed, immortal body. (Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18) There is a lot that is a mystery in the intermediate state, which is what theologians call the time when souls are separated from their bodies. We should expect this, since we are sinners and the saints in heaven are purged from sin. The saints in heaven have every tear dried from their eyes and we live in the valley of the shadow of death, filled with suffering and tears. Time no longer exists for them and time is our constant taskmaster. Mostly, they see Jesus and much about him is beyond our understanding. (see John 5:24, 1 John 3:2-3)
Because we love deeply our parents, spouses, friends and children, it is hard for us to be parted from them in death. It is also difficult to be satisfied with what we can understand about their current state. Many of the things we say about them, we cannot find in scripture. Most of the times these thoughts are harmless and comforting. We are better off, however, being content with what we do know. Our Christian dead are with Jesus. They left their sins in the grave, for they were baptized into Christ, who paid for them on the cross. Jesus greeted them home with joy, drying every tear from their eyes. Soon enough we will join them. Unless Christ returns first, we will rise from the grave with them and be transformed to be like Jesus.
So, then, we are comforted as those who have a sure and certain hope. We grieve, but we eventually receive the peace of God. Their death teaches us to number our days and tighten our grip of his promise that those who believe in him will never die.
Rev. Robert E. Smith Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana
Encore Post: This is one of a host of throw-away platitudes we may say at the death of a Christian. We’ve inherited… Or, more correctly, we’ve been infected by the language of a faithless culture around us. In the absence of the faith, in the absence of the certainty of the resurrection promise of Holy Baptism, the pagan world speaks from ignorance to sloppily salve suffering in grief.
None of these words come from an evil intent. It’s honorable and good to try to speak peace to those in grief. But, we’d do better to stick to the words and themes of the bible.
“Heaven needed another angel.”
No, we don’t become angels when we die. Heaven’s angels are fixed in number. They are created heavenly beings. (Colossians 1:16) They are the messengers of God. The angels are His army, His mighty host. (Joshua 5:14-15; 1 Samuel 17:45) The angels are fearsome in appearance. (Luke 2:9-10) And, God has charged His angels to protect and defend us from the minions of the Evil One.
The Evil One, Lucifer, the Devil was also one of God’s angels. (Luke 10:17-18) He and one third of the angels in heaven rebelled against God. They were cast out. (Revelation 8:10-11; 9:1-3) Satan and His demons (angels) now dwell in hell apart from God and make war to separate us from the Love of Jesus.
God didn’t send His Son to suffer and die to redeem the fallen angels. He did that for us. We are loved and have been redeemed and forgiven in a unique way. Saying that we will become them denigrates the Angels. It diminishes God’s love for us to deny that our path to eternal salvation remains human and regains our flesh on the last day. Not angels – fully perfected human beings.
“He’s gone. She’s in a better place.”
Where’d he go?! Is she in a better place, like Antigua? He was hooked-up to an awful lot of machines the last time I saw him.
The science-y view of nothingness beyond death leads to language like passing away. They are “gone” in that there’s nothing more. When we say someone has gone to a better place. We’re agreeing that we don’t know where. It’s a grief-softening move for those without hope. But, we have great hope and a tremendous promise.
We Christians have more to say that that. We can speak the Words of the scripture to console and correctly locate our loved ones. The blessèd dead in the faith are at rest in Christ. The better place to which they’ve gone has a name. They have gone to heaven! We should leap at the chance to name the place where they are. That’s true, consoling, faithful, and beautiful.
The scriptures say that someone has died. (see all of Genesis 5). If we’re still uncomfortable saying someone has died, the scripture still give us softer words. These softer words contain and still confess the hope we have.
Gained Heaven
We can say that they have “gained heaven.” “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
At Rest
We should say they are “at rest.” “Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Revelation 6:11)
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)
If you go through an old Lutheran church yard (cemetery), you’ll see a curious thing. When the grave stones switch from English to German, the common phrases switch too. “Loving mother/father and beloved child” give way to something else. You’ll see things like: “Hier Ruhet.” “Ruhet in Gott,” or “Ruhe’ in Christi.” These mean: here rests, rest in God, and rest in Christ.
Let’s stick with the language and imagery of the Bible.
Hang on tight – What does happen when we die? comes next.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX and Mission planting pastoral team: Epiphany Lutheran Church Bastrop, TX
Encore Post “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” quipped Benjamin Franklin. He was right about death at least. In 1997, a satirical online newspaper ran this headline: “World Death Rate Holding Steady At 100 Percent.” They were right. All but two people in the history of the world have died — including God in the person of Jesus Christ! Yet all people fear death because it means that, in the end, they will lose control of everything. We do everything we can to extend life and in our age we have done quite well at it. Yet still all people will die and some quite young.
Physically speaking, death is a process that happens as our vital organs cease to function. Practically speaking, medical science pronounces death when the heart stops without possibility of reviving it or when brain waves cease.
Yet, death is much more than the end of our physical life. It is the judgment of God on sin. Since sin cuts us off from the source of our life, God himself, we will die. When God forbid Adam from eating the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he warned: “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:17). When Adam fell, he pronounced his sentence — and ours. “you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)
There is also another aspect of death that is not about the end of physical life. The essence of our life, our spirit — our soul is violently separated from our bodies. For Christians, who are redeemed by the atoning death of Jesus, the soul separated from its body by death is cleansed of its sin, relieved of pain and grief, lives in paradise with Christ and the souls of all who are redeemed. There they wait for the second coming of Christ. On that day, the Lord will call their bodies from the grave, reunite their souls and bodies, transforming them to be fit for eternal life.
Rev. Robert E. Smith Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana
Encore post: Some days, our world can be quite unpleasant. Sickness, pain, suffering, grief and death are often a part of our life. Wars and rumors of wars shout at us from every television, computer and cell phone. One person shooting another, collapse of bridges, decay of our morals and rule of law, tornados, hurricanes, ice storms — everything seems out to get us. So it is no wonder we worry about when it will all end. When and how will our days come to an end? When will the end of the world come? What’s next for all of us?
In theology, this subject is known as Eschatology. The word comes from the Greek word ἔ̣σχατον (Last, final; last things) and means the study of last things. It covers both the last things for you and me (the end of our time) and the last things for the world (the end of all things) Because God is the cause of both end of things, there is much we cannot and will not understand. We should expect this: God is our creator and we are creatures. Although we are redeemed by the blood of Christ, adopted as his children in Holy Baptism, have a New Adam or New Eve living within us, we still struggle with our Old Adam or Eve. So, anything that involves him or describes him will be beyond our understanding. Death, heaven and hell, the Second Coming of Christ — all these things — are filled with such subjects.
So, as we consider such things, there are some things to keep in mind. First, is God knows all this. Second, God does not leave us to figure it all out. He sent his prophets, evangelists and apostles through whom he spoke to us. They recorded these words in Holy Scripture. These words are trustworthy above all things. He tells us in it what we can know about last things. Sometimes these things don’t fit together according to human logic. When truths seem contradictory, we believe both are true, trusting in the God who loves us and gives us both truths to comfort us and lead us to everlasting life.
Rev. Robert E. Smith Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana
Encore post: Fall brings changing colors to landscapes in northern areas of the United States. Green leaves change to a breathtaking variety of red, orange, yellow and brown. People will drive miles to just take in all in. The beauty of it all brings out praise of God for his creation.
In Lutheran Churches, colors change in the sanctuary almost weekly during late October and early November as the church marks the last weeks of ordinary time. This time begins with red paraments for Reformation Day, celebrated on the nearest Sunday before October 31. Red is the color used for the Holy Spirit and his work and martyrdom.
The color soon changes to white for All Saints’ Sunday, celebrated the Sunday after November 1, All Saints’ Day. White is the color of the resurrection, celebration and the saints, who wash their robes white in the Blood of the Lamb.
The next week or two, the color returns to the green of Pentecost or Trinity season (the name depends on how your church counts the Sundays of ordinary time) Green is the color of life and growth. It is also used in Epiphany Season.
The theme for the last three Sundays of the church year is preparation for the Second Advent of Christ. In fact, in some lectionaries, the Sundays are referred to as the Third-Last Sunday, Second-Last Sunday and the Last Sunday of the Church year. Some churches call the last Sunday the Sunday of the Fulfillment or Christ the King Sunday. Some churches change color to white.
Finally, the new church year begins with a change to the color blue or purple for the season of Advent and the beginning of a new church year. Purple is the color of repentance and is traditionally used for Lent — where the church fasts to receive Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Mary. Blue is the color of hope and used more recently, where Advent is celebrated as a season of joy.
One more color change happens in some churches (to white) in the United States for Thanksgiving Day, which is the celebration of the good gifts God has given to us and our thanks to him for these blessings.
Enjoy this season of meditation, joy, expectation and hope as we consider the various blessing Jesus has given and will give to us because of his love for us, shown by his incarnation, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension and soon return in glory.
Note: This sermon was preached before the Confessions Study held on the 3rd Thursday of every month at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, IN. The sermon text comes from the daily lectionary found within Rev. Peter Bender’s Lutheran Catechesis.
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“And you shall guard to do all which YHWH your God commands you. You shall not turn to the right or to the left. In all the words which YHWH your God commands you, you shall walk in order that you live and in order that it be good with you, and in order that you may prolong you days on the earth which you will take possession of.” (Dt. 5:31-32My translation)
Those words probably sounded pretty good to the people of Israel when Moses spoke these words to them again. You and I know that this is part of the Mosaic Covenant. All the words which the Lord speaks here to Israel through Moses are contingent upon the works of the people. “You shall observe.” “You must observe every word of the Lord’s commands.” “If you want to live, to truly live, then you must hold to the commands given.” Some people might like their odds with such commands. But you and I both know how Israel fared under such a burden. Peter speaks about the burdens in Acts. The Law is a yoke that no one is able to bear by their own strength. Yet, we have been given these words to live by. So what do we do with them?
Perhaps it’s best we go back to the original context of the covenant. The Lord God heard the groans and the cries of His people Israel. They had been under the burden of the Egyptians, and the Lord God, had promised even further back that He would remember Abraham’s descendants in Egypt and that He would give to them the Land promised to Abraham. The Lord remembered, and He knew what He would do to bring them salvation. The Children of Israel were not perfect before His act of salvation. But instead, the Lord God acted in love and in accordance with His promise made so many years before to Abraham. He brought Israel up out of Egypt by His mighty Right Hand. He bared His arm in triumph over Pharaoh and Egypt. And it is after this act of deliverance that the Lord speaks to Israel at Sinai. Now the Law was already on their hearts, but now at Sinai, the Lord God clarifies how He would continue to bring about the promise He had made to Abraham and to Adam and Eve. Israel, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would be a kingdom of priests. They were to be beacons of light; they were to be different from the world because they knew their saving God. They knew His name, and they were to call upon Him. They were to teach and preach to the rest of the nations about their God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, and the one who had redeemed them from the clutches of Egypt, that house of slavery and death.
Like Luther’s explanation of the First Article, God acted first in love. He created, sustained, and defended the children of Israel, so having experienced all that, then it would be Israel’s duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey the Lord their God. Not because Israel was afraid of Him, but because Israel did not wish to “let God down” similar to how a son does not desire to do a crummy mowing job and thus lose the respect of his father. No, the son desires to do good because he knows his father loves him, and he does not want to let him down. Is this not what Israel is called to do as well? To desire to do good because they were God’s chosen possession and instrument to prepare the rest of the nations for the blessing that was to come from the Messiah who was to be born from their line?
But what happened? Rebellion.
Not even 60 days after all the events that transpired to bring Israel from Egypt to Sinai, upon receiving the original stone tablets with all the words of the Law upon it, Israel chased after idolatry. The golden calf was set up and worshipped as if the Lord was a calf. This flew in the face of the command to be different from the nations. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you Shall love the your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your might.” So much for teaching this to their sons.
But are we, in this generation, any different? How many of our own people fail to teach the word of God to their own children? Have we fallen into the same type of holes? Are we teaching our children well or are we letting the world catechize them? Our children are being catechized one way or the other, may God have mercy on us all.
We cannot take this opportunity for granted and we cannot assume that our own children will just grow up and remain Christian because of living with a pastor as a father. There is too much evidence to the contrary. Our Lord tells us to teach, and so we ought to do that.
And if you teach by your own strength, you might do well for a while. But if you teach yet are not being taught and fed yourself, you will be no better than Israel of Old. Your bones will dry up, and you will be spiritless. You and I cannot do teach or even believe in what God has done for us in love by our own reason or strength. God did not send His son for us because of anything you or I have done to earn such a gracious visit, but He did it out of His own compassion and love. He acted first. Be fed His love. Know for yourself who this Lord and God is, know that He has called you His own possession. You are a chosen one. You are made Holy by Him, and you have been granted to hear the words of eternal life as well as believe them. That word first preached to your own ears has gone from the ear to the heart and now from the heart to the mouth so that you might do that which our Lord commands now. You and I are no longer under the curse of the Law, but we are justified on account of the One who has been sent, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. It is through Him and Him alone that w are blessed and made new. No longer is the Law of God only there serving to accuse us, but it is there showing us what children of God do because we are God’s children. This is how we live. We live by God’s Word. We live by faith trusting that Christ has come to save. And He grants us strength so that we might live in righteousness and purity before God even now as we receive from Him the forgiveness of sins by the preaching of His and the administration of His Sacraments.
You and I get to know the Lord as the Lord who has created, sustains, redeems, and sanctifies us. And we get to teach this to our children. May we be blessed in the task to raise up our physical children as well as our spiritual children in this holy faith. Let us not lose hope in the midst of this endeavor but cling to the promises of Christ our Lord, who is ever with us in the task. It He who gives the Word. It is He who gives the Growth. It is He who brings His Harvest home. You and I are blessed to be part of the work. God be praised now and ever for what He has done, having sent the only begotten One into the world to make a people for Himself. May we never forget or lose sight of this good and gracious gift which we get to proclaim. The message of Christ Jesus who came to seek and redeem us lost and condemned souls.
In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
That’s just an attention-grabbing title. I absolutely DID NOT have a vision from God. But, I spoke with a person who claims just that. Not only that they had a vision. But, that the vision exposed Jesus’ will for Christians. Furthermore, they were to share with revelation with everybody.
Now, you might wonder what this matters to us. It is a direct concern for Christianity in our constant plight to seek only truth and purge error. The summary, rule, and norm of the Christian faith is the Holy Scriptures. Everything we believe teach and confess flows from that. The bible is also the cornerstone upon which heresy is dashed to pieces.
You may recall a story from a brother or sister in Christ, who had a positive, christianish supernatural experience. Maybe they felt the passing of the presence of a loved one, who had just died miles away. Perhaps, there was a vision of an angel. Or, they may have had a near-death experience seeing deceased loved-ones and Jesus. These dreams or visions have internally consistent proofs.
The loved ones look and speak like themselves. The angels are warm and loving. The Jesus just looks perfectly peaceful. They appear in a lighted scene, surrounded by light, clouds, or unidentified people.
The errors abound. Grandma and Grandpa in a loving embrace in a place where “they neither marry nor are given away in marriage.” (Mark 12:25) The appearance of angels that aren’t terrifying like all of the ones in the scriptures. A Jesus recognizable by His warmth or something, instead of His wounds. (John 20:24-29)
When pressed, the vision/dream reporters will say some thing like, “I just knew.” Or, “I felt this over whelming peace.” Or, “I knew it was Him when he spoke.” All the proofs are internal. The technical term for this is “self-referential.” You cannot refute a truth that doesn’t have an external proof or source. My feelings, sensations, or internally secret knowledge are above reproach.
What’s the harm? You might ask. I pray there is none. And, I’m quick to give this option. It was the pious imagination of a Christian expecting to see good things. The good things aren’t right in your imagination. But, no harm, no foul, ja? I recently had an interaction of a darker sort with a person. Their identity will remain hidden to conceal their sin.
The person said, “My being in the presence of the LORD happened [in a near death event], and Jesus Christ was in front of me, with arms outstretched, face aglow with love, welcoming me. The scene was like the garden of Gethsemane and the tree branches formed a tunnel; I experienced a peace beyond words. Jesus was emanating a soft, warm glow … People I knew were there, and some I didn’t, and they were so content, just standing together, waiting I suppose for the new Earth.”
This has many of the hallmarks of a vision/dream as we’ve heard before. The warmth, the glow, the people, the tranquil scene, and the sense of peace. So far this isn’t horribly bad. It’s prob’ly untrue. But, there’s no harm just yet.
Buckle up, buttercup! The person next said, “Jesus was emanating a soft, warm glow and without moving his lips, I received kind of a blast of information, and I also got a glimpse of Heaven. People I knew were there, and some I didn’t, and they were so content, just standing together, waiting I suppose for the new Earth. In the midst of them was my [gay uncle, who] loved the LORD.”
Now, we’re entering the danger zone. This unscarred “jesus” speaks without words. He’s delivering secret knowledge. Put your Christian ear protection on quickly in these situations. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Nothing in the scriptures is wrong, outmoded, or abrogated.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3) Everything claiming Christianity must agree with the Word of God and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) Be on guard, test visions, dreams, or prophecies with the scriptures.
Any claimed Jesus or angel will never speak against the revealed Word. If this “jesus” doesn’t look like the revealed Jesus, bearing the marks of your salvation by which He’s know, be on guard. If this “jesus” disagrees with the actual Jesus, beware.
The person then said, “The first thing Jesus Christ said was ‘you don’t have to be perfect’, and that He isn’t concerned about sexuality; He accepts those who know Him as their LORD and Savior and his concern is about self righteousness , and the lack of love we have for one another.” Is this consistent with what Jesus actually said? No, it’s not.
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” You do have to be perfect, if you expect to earn salvation. Jesus was perfect, without sin or error. Ministering to sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes, He forgave their sin. And He told them to “sin no more.”
St. Paul also teaches in the Word of God at the end of his lengthy diatribe about salvation by faith not works, “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31)
This person specifically attacked Leviticus for condemning homosexuality, which is true. It’s is God’s Word and it does. But, does the New Testament speak that way too? Let’s test the spirits. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Homosexuality is specifically included in the list of vices from which Christians must flee.
St. Paul also teaches in the Word of God according to 1 Timothy 1:8-11 “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”
When, not if, we transgress the Law, we remain in need of forgiveness and the command “Go and Sin no more.” Love can never embrace or encourage sin of any sort. Homosexuality is absolutely included here. In forgiveness, we are to turn away from it like all other sin and vice.
The person finally said, “After being in His presence on another occasion, I was compelled to somehow get that message, which isn’t some new revelation, across to those around me, including the LCMS.” This wasn’t pious imagination. This certainly wasn’t Jesus speaking. This man was likely visited by a demon. I can say this because the demon’s words are consistent with the Devil’s temptation in the garden. “[The Serpent/Satan] said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’’?” (Genesis 3:1) If your vision disagrees with scripture, it is false. This one does. And, it is false.
But, it sounded “right” from the start. That’s true danger, dear Christians. Looking for a revelation from God apart from His revealed Word invites all manner of evil into our hearts and minds.
Now, some visons or dreams may be true. German Lutheran pastors have been reporting Muslims coming to them because of Jesus’ instruction them in dreams. Now, these dreams are reported to be troubling and frightening. In the dreams, Jesus tells them to go to a certain place at a certain time and speak to a certain priest. In hesitant fear, the people comply, learning about the true Jesus, and converting to Christianity.
That conversion can be a death sentence. The difference here is that the dream leads directly to the external truth. The Jesus in these dreams tells the dreamers to go to where they will learn of Him. No secrets or hidden truths are given; just a command: go and hear.
In many and various ways, God spoke to his people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. (Hebrews 1:1-2a; LSB 238)
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar Sole Pastor Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool La Grange, TX And Mission Planting Pastoral team Epiphany Lutheran Church, Bastrop, TX
