Category: Sermons

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Some things can’t be bought with money. The things which are imperishable, undefiled, and unfading are often priceless. Money can’t buy the things which are priceless. And what you have been given by the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed priceless, more precious than gold, for in His gift you have life now and for eternity.

Our Gospel lesson takes up to the resurrection according to St. John, the first evening of the Week, the first Easter Day, when the apostles had locked themselves in their rooms for fear of the Jews. And all of a sudden there is the Risen Lord Jesus, speaking, “Peace be with you”. And what kind of peace this was for the disciples. This is not some kind a worldly sense of understanding peace. This is much more than a cease-fire treaty. No, this peace is something much more profound and lasting. This peace reached down into the very core of the beings of the disciples. For upon giving them this peace, Jesus establishes them as those who would be sent out to do His work, forgiving the sins of the repentant as well as withholding that forgiveness from the unrepentant.

And this work of the apostles and now those men who have been called into the Office of the Holy Ministry to forgive sins continues on to this day for you. The peace given to the disciples is a peace which emboldens them to proclaim the work of Christ to all the nations, starting in Jerusalem. It is a peace which we sing about in the great Easter hymn Awake My Heart in Gladness, the 5^th stanza.

Hear the words:

The world against me rages, its fury I disdain;
Though bitter war it wages, It’s work is all in vain.
My heart from care is free, no troubles trouble me.
Misfortune now is play. And night is bright as day.
 

Only can we truly sing this hymn and feel this way when we are given the peace of Jesus.

You see wrapped up in the preaching of the death and resurrection of Christ, you have life and eternal peace. The peace is wrapped up in knowing it is Christ’s death which covers your sins and your offenses against God, and you are account righteous by God for Christ’s sake. That Jesus paid for your sins by giving himself at the cross for you. Indeed it was our sins which hanged him to the cursed tree. But it was in this very act that God our heavenly Father exalted Christ. In other words, Christ’s glory and the glory of the Father was manifested in showing grace and mercy to us poor miserable sinners, thus bringing us peace.  

And now He gives this peace in the blessed words of the Absolution: “Your sins are forgiven you on account of my bitter sufferings and death.” And what peace that is for those who are afraid and in the dark of night.

For those disciples now apostles, for they were being sent out to do Christ’s work in the world, as we heard in the reading from Acts, they take a beating for what they preach. Just before that Peter had been ordered by the council of the teachers of the Law to stop preaching Jesus and him crucified. And so Peter says those famous words, “We must obey God rather than men.” Peter and John and the rest of apostles for that matter are emboldened to preach the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection because they are at true peace, and they know exactly what they have to give to those who have ears to hear such proclamation. Peter has something to give to his hearers that is priceless, far more precious than even fine gold. He has the proclamation of our Lord Jesus Christ’s death for our sins and his resurrection for our justification as well as the Baptism and Supper which our Lord Jesus Christ institutes. And in hearing the Gospel of Christ proclaimed via these means, faith in Christ is being created and strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles then are not seeking these beatings out. Yet, they do not run from them, either. They saw just how Christ had suffered for preaching and teaching the Truth. And they were told they too would suffer and be handed over to the Synagogue and governors, etc. They are given Christ’s peace and endure the suffering that comes with following Christ. The apostles also were not without the Son, for by the Holy Spirit, they were being reminded of the Words of Christ, to make them their own and then proclaim them to you. They were ready to suffer for Christ’s sake. And the witness of those apostles still is being proclaimed to you. Even this day.

Hold onto this priceless gift, for it is your life and salvation as well as your peace. Do not neglect it. Do not be let this precious gift be like pearls before swine. Do not think God’s grace cheap either. Your salvation might be free to you but it was far from free for our Lord. God the Father paid dearly for our salvation. He gave up his Son. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to die to save. He paid for our salvation with his own body and blood. Only the blood of God incarnate would pay your redemption price. And God did do this. He paid your redemption price, and has done it in great mercy for you.

Peter and John in our reading from Acts suffer for their preaching of the Name of Jesus Christ. But as I said earlier, they were given the peace in the promise of our Lord Jesus, which far outweighed their temporary earthly suffering, for something far better awaited them. And something far better also awaits you. But indeed, our faith will be tested just as their faith was tested in their sufferings for the Name and proclamation of Christ. May Christ be merciful to us in that hour.

We might not be in the same situation as those specific apostles being beaten for their proclamation of the name of Jesus. But we are in very uncertain times, when government seems to be ever encroaching upon religious liberty, as well as, removing the voice of the believer’s from the public square. But let us not forget the promise of Christ’s peace which in with us by grace. By the grace of God, Peter and John were able to rejoice, as the text of Acts says, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” They saw their present sufferings as a participation in Christ’s sufferings. For by their suffering and even by our own sufferings for the sake of Christ we are being made ready for the glories to come for the sake of Christ Jesus who suffered for us. Christ suffered and has entered eternal glory by his resurrection, and we having been united to Christ, having been born again by Holy Baptism will be brought into the same glory for the sake of Christ. Let us then be bold and follow in the example of the apostles, and proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and the salvation found only in Him.

Peter and John held on to the precious gift and proclaimed the excellencies of the grace and mercy of God. Pastors called to you still proclaim the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who saves us from everlasting death and hell. And indeed, preaching His name, brings you His peace. Peace that the world does not know, nor can it know without believing the voice of Christ in the preaching of His Word.

Jesus did many signs and wonders in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name. Jesus when speaking to Thomas extols those who hear and believe. Hear then the proclamation of the Name of Jesus and take it to heart, for He has shown you mercy and has saved you from your sins. Peace be with you. Your sins are forgiven on account of Jesus. May Jesus’ peace be with you forevermore, just as He has promised. Cling to the priceless promise of eternal salvation by faith. Your faith shall be tested, and probably is being tested even now with all that is happening around us. But let us rejoice in the trials that our Lord God put before us, for by them our faith is being refined and strengthened, to the glory and honor of Christ.

You have not seen him, yet you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  Be then at peace in trials of faith, cling to Christ in faith, for Christ is risen, and we too shall arise to the imperishable inheritance awaiting us.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Rev. Jacob Hercamp 
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 
La Grange, MO

©2020 Jacob Hercamp. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

I want you to close your eyes for a second and imagine yourself as one of those disciples who was walking away from Jerusalem from our text in Luke 24. Can you put yourself into their shoes? Luke says plainly, that they were some of Jesus’ disciples. But here the men are walking away from the Holy City of Jerusalem down trodden and full of sorrow and probably some fear. While we don’t know the exact conversation that the two men had on the road they were having, what we do know is that their conversation revolved around the events of the past days.

Perhaps that conversation went like this:

Has it really been two days since we saw our Teacher hanging on the cross? Those words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” still chill my bones. Where do we go from here? 3 years of following him. 3 years of getting our hopes up. He had to know the priests wanted to get rid of him. They tried to stone him once. I don’t want to stay in Jerusalem any more. For if that’s how they treated our teacher, what is in store for the followers like us? We are likely next to hung from a cross. Emmaus is not too far, perhaps there we can find some shelter. But who is this man following us? He seems to be catching up to us.

What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?

Excuse me? You can’t be serious right? Have you not heard? Have you been living under a rock? Do you really not know the events that have just transpired in Jerusalem? Jesus of Nazareth was hung on a cross and was killed. And we were all but certain that he was the One who was promised to Come, the Messiah who was going to redeem Israel. But he was crucified on a cross at the hand of the chief priests and the Romans. And to add to all this, some of the women in our group said they saw Jesus alive this morning along with a vision of angels telling them Jesus had risen from the dead. Dead men don’t rise from the dead.

“O Foolish Ones, and slow to heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Well, I haven’t really thought of that. What do you mean? Tell us more that we might understand. Are you saying Moses, the great prophet spoke about Messiah?

Indeed, Moses, the prophet whom the Lord knew face to face, spoke often of the Messiah. Listen to his own prophesy: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—and later Moses spoke that the Lord would put my words in his and he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

And many other places in the writings of Moses, the Messiah is promised and spoken of. The Lamb of the Passover, the promise of the seed of the woman, the promise of Abraham, Moses interceding for sinful Israel after the golden calf. The preaching and teaching concerning Day of Atonement. The blood of the Lamb cleansed the people, the Messiah’s blood would have to be poured out in suffering to cleanse the people of sin once and for all.

Okay, so Moses. Who else?

Isaiah spoke of Messiah in this way: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5).

No! The Messiah was to usher in his kingdom and bring peace, He was supposed to restore Israel to its rightful place and break off the chains of Roman tyranny. He was supposed to be the king riding and leading Israel to victory!

But the King did come to the daughter of Zion riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey triumphantly. And His victory and your victory were sealed at the cross. It was indeed necessary for the Messiah, the Christ, to suffer and die. He did not come to free from Roman tyranny, but something much bigger and worse: He came to free the world and redeem you from sin and everlasting death.

Huh? We are learning a lot. Maybe we should open up the scrolls of Moses and the Prophets a bit more because we are getting schooled right now. Sir, where did you say were from? Okay, so what about the women’s reports? The prophet David, King of Israel writes in his 16^th psalm of the resurrection of the Lord’s Holy One, “I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the paths of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The Messiah would be indeed be raised from the dead.

Sir, we have much to learn. Our stop is almost here, please stay and tell us more.

Bread and wine await us for our dinner along with other good things. Wait. What is this? The man from the road has taken the place of host for this meal? Didn’t we invite him to this feast?

“Come the feast is prepared,” he says. “Take and it, this is my body which is given  for you.” (Luke 22:19)

This is He! This is the Messiah! This is Jesus, the Christ!

No faster than you see Him and He vanishes. Where did He go? One thing is for sure: Jesus is alive!  He is risen from the dead! We saw Him in the breaking of the bread!  Come let us go back to Jerusalem to tell the others this wonderful news!

Our fears are gone; Jesus is victorious like He said He would be! Why did we doubt the women? Why were we afraid? Christ has triumphed! He is living! We know He is alive, He is with us in the breaking of the bread.  Lord, forgive us for our foolish and sinful thoughts. Why did we doubt! For the Lord has done all things well, He has been raised from the dead. And He has freed us from sin and death forever more. Alleluia!

Come then, let us go to Jerusalem to tell the others what we have witnessed in the breaking of the bread. That our eyes are opened to the resurrection of Jesus at the breaking of the bread. Trust Christ’s own Words, it was necessary for Him to die and suffer for our sisn, and like He said He was to rise again from the dead, and He Did to the glory of the Father! Do not walk in sorrow, do not be forlorn. Christ accomplished what was said of him in the Law and the Prophets. That he would suffer and die and rise and enter into his glory.

He died to save you from eternal death, and He who claimed you at the Font as his own, wakening you to new life now and forever through the Water and the Word, now gives to you his own body and blood that was broken and poured out for you at the cross for you to eat and to drink that you may receive and participate in Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. It is the medicine of immortality. Take heart and eat of the feast prepared by your savior, Jesus Christ, who has risen from the dead, for He is there in the breaking of the bread. That is the place of his glory, his Supper given for you.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Rev. Jacob Hercamp 
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 
La Grange, MO

©2020 Jacob Hercamp. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com