Encore Posts: Once every four years, the world pauses to watch the Olympics. Among the most exciting of the sports contested are the foot races, where the fastest men and women to ever walk the earth run nearly as fast as each other, the winner crossing the finish line a few thousandths of a second ahead of the others. The crowds That pack the stands cheer them on. The loudest are coaches urging them on.
The Book of Hebrews uses is image to describe the assembly of the church triumpant — all of God’s holy ones — his saints — who have died and now live in God’s presence forever. They form a “great cloud of witnesses” cheering us on. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Also our coach, Jesus, stands at the finish line. We focus on him as we run our race because he endured the cross before us and for us. When we worship, we enter eternity and join them, the “whole company of heaven”, in praising God.
All Saints’ Day is an ancient celebration — begun in the Eighth Century (700s AD) It was intended celebrate all the Saints that did not have a special day assigned for them. Lutherans have kept this day a sort of Christian Memorial Day. We remember the Christians in our lives who have died and now rest with Christ, especially those who entered eternal life in the last year. It is a joyful day, more so than the day of their funeral, where grief is more intense. Most parishes read their names during worship. Some use other ways to remember — distributing flowers, lighting votive candles or other practices special to them.
Yet our celebration is not about the saints — even our loved ones. It is about Jesus, their Savior, who by his death has destroyed death and by his resurrection opened the kingdom to all believers. He is the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God. It is because he is risen that they — and we — will rise on the last day. So, we dry the tears in our eyes, for he is risen! He is risen indeed! Allelujah!
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
This year has been quite a wild ride. All Saint’s Day last year we were not even aware of the virus that would wreak havoc well into this year. We had no idea that nursing homes would close up and keep family members and pastors from doing their visiting with their loved ones and shut in members. It changed a lot of what could be done for folks in compromised health situations. I don’t honestly remember the last visit I made to a person in the hospital.
We all were humbled and are continuing to be humbled this year in one way or another. The things we have taken for granted have been taken away in large part. Science and Medicine once something considered all knowing has been questioned repeatedly from all kinds of people for their lack of knowledge about this virus. I think it is right to say that God has knocked down many of our idols, cutting off their hands or smashing their faces, showing how useless they are when it comes to life and death.
Some may ask, why is God doing this? What kind of judgement is this? It is the kind that is supposed to lead all to repentance, turning to Him and receiving from the forgiveness of sins He so richly and lovingly provides to us poor miserable sinners who need his forgiveness, mercy, and love.
That’s what the saints of the Lord Jesus Christ know. They know where to turn when life turned sour, when a plague hit, when things got rough, they knew to call upon the name of the Lord, coming to him in repentance, seeking His mercy. When they sinned in thought, word, or deed, they came to the Lord confessing their sins and seeking God’s grace and favor. For that is God’s character. He is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love.
I think about those men and women who were called home in our congregation since the last All Saints’ Day service. I was not able to do some of their funerals. Funerals I longed to do, for I knew that their funerals would have been a glorious last testimony speaking of the mercy and grace of their Lord Jesus Christ, in whose blood their own robes were made white, pure, and holy. They were covered in the blood of the Lamb, and thus made holy for the sake of Him who died to save the world from its sin.
Many of you probably have been paying attention to the additional services that we have been hosting on random days of the week. And if you watch the live streams you might remember seeing the names of various saints. Like James of Jerusalem, Luke, Peter and Paul. The list goes on. You might ask yourselves why we remember them and why have a service on Nov 1st for All Saints. First and foremost, the men and women remembered with their own day in the church, God used them to point us to Christ. Think of the writers of the New Testament books. They have left for us the very Words of Christ so that we might believe and have life in Christ with them. They even allowed their own blunders and sins to stand so that we might learn from them and see the grace of God in granting the forgiveness of sins on account of Christ. Christ used the quick to speak but slow to think Peter. He forgave and used a murderer in St. Paul to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. He used a tax collector to write the great catechetical Gospel we call Matthew. The list goes on and on. They want us to be in everlasting fellowship with Christ, and thus also with them. But they also give us examples in the faith to follow. Paul for instance on a few different occasions speaks to the church, saying, “Imitate me and the Lord.” God used them to glorify not themselves but to glorify the salvation won for them over sin, death, and hell, by their Lord Jesus Christ. It is ultimately always about Christ and what He has done for us by his death and resurrection.
So it is also, with the saints in our own day. We can give thanks to God for their lives of faith through which they looked to the Lord God for grace and mercy but also loved and served their neighbors. Perhaps it was mowing the church yard or making sure the widow down the street was being taken care of and able to get her groceries. Maybe it was teaching the children of the town in the old country school. Maybe it was using their voice to lead the choir and congregation in singing praises to the Lord. But what was their motivation? Like the saints of old, to glorify Christ and to give thanks to God by serving their neighbor just as God had served them in love, removing their sins from them for the sake of their Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.
All Saints’ Day remembers and gives thanks to God for the unnamed saints, those from every tribe and nation who were called by the very Gospel, which you yourselves have heard and believed, into faith in Jesus Christ the Lamb whose blood sets us free to be the people of God. We may sing this hymn today, we may not, but I do encourage you to look at it if you get the chance. The hymn is 678. We sing for all the unsung saints, that countless nameless throng, who kept the faith and past it on. With hope steadfast and strong Through all the daily griefs and joys, No chronicles record, Forgetful of their lack of fame, but mindful of their Lord.
You might not now all the saints. But you are bound to them by the bond of love that is Christ Jesus. You make up one body, Christ’s body, the Church. While you might not know them all, the more important thing is that Christ knows you and He knows you by name. For He called you by name at the waters of your Holy Baptism where you received that white robe of righteousness, His righteousness. There were watched clean of your sin and made God’s own Child. You then are a saint already. Having been made one at your Baptism.
So God looks at you and sees Christ’s righteousness. You have been clothed, as have your sins. You in your Baptism are made new, regenerated, reimaged in Christ’s image and likeness. A living faith in the Lord will naturally produce works that are good and loving towards your neighbors. But will you always do that? Will you love your neighbor as yourself as the Lord requires in His Law? Of course not, while you are a saint you are also a sinner on this side of Heaven. You are still in your sinful flesh, and you are still fighting against the Old Adam daily. That is why we confess the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die that a new man should arise and emerge to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. This life in which you now live by faith in Christ Jesus is one that is a daily battle. It is one where the world, our own sinful flesh, and Satan himself will fight and battle against us. You will be persecuted for your faith in Christ Jesus. You will be ridiculed for holding the line of Scripture when it comes to 6-day creation, God’s institution of Marriage, life beginning at conception, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the list goes on and on. The world, you own weak flesh, and Satan will work mightily to make you doubt all of these things and ridicule Christ.
Yet, here we are. Where Christ promises to be for you and for your salvation. And where Christ is, that is where His Saints gather. And no, I am not just talking about ourselves here in these pews. But really the whole host of Heaven who are already singing the praises of the Lamb who was slain for their salvation, whose blood makes their robes white.
The life and faith of the saint is a daily battle. We need to be strengthened. We need the cleansing of Christ’s saving blood often because our robes are often dirty with our sins. Only Christ’s blood covers the stains and blots them out, as far as east is from the west. And we get that every time our Lord comes to serve us in His Divine Service. He gives us the forgiveness we need and also gives his body and blood to strengthen us in this faith. Rejoice and be glad and be at rest in your Savior Jesus.
And here is Christ with all his faithful, those who have gone before us, those who have written their testimonies, those who are unnamed and unknown to us, and those saints we hold most dear, and we are participants together with them all singing the great hymn of praise. Not looking to ourselves but to the Lamb who was slain.
