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I just returned home from the 2009 Oklahoma District Conference. Pr. Christopher Hall was elected as one of our VPs. Also, Pr. Eric Brown was elected as one of our circuit counselors. Congratulations to these fellow Okie LCMS bloggers.
Pr. Henke was elected as our new DP with Pr. Myles Schultz as our 1st VP. Pr. Dave Nehrenz joins Pr. Hall as our other VP.
Finally, the conference seemed to go well. I still think we could eliminate half the presentations and get it done in a single day… or at least allow for more time on the golf course or at the hospitality room.
No, the title is not a Styx reference…
A man named Harry Kalas passed away last week. Many of you may not know this man. Those of us who did know him, knew him only by his voice. Harry Kalas was the Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies, the MLB team. Since 1971 he had called their baseball games on radio and television. His baritone voice was also heard on documentaries for NFL films. He was most recognized for his trademark call of home runs, “This ball’s outta here.” Upon his death, the president of the Phillies, David Montgomery, made an interesting comment. He said, “We lost our voice today.” He was the voice of the Phillies. Now the voice of Harry Kalas has been silenced forever. Sure, people may hear it on a recording, but it will only be a recording. Sure, people may repeat him, but it will not be Harry Kalas, only an imitation. He will not speak again this side of the grave.
If our Lord Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, then His voice also would have been silenced forever. If our Lord Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, then the Church would have nothing to say. But He is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Our Lord is risen and His voice continues to speak. His voice has filled the ears of sinners throughout the world for the past two millenia, effecting life and salvation.
In the Gospel lesson, Thomas, His disciple, certainly never expected to hear Jesus speak again. He had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion from a distance. He saw Jesus’ limp corpse taken from the cross and placed in the grave. So when the other disciples told him they had seen the Lord, he was a tad skeptical. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas would have to see this for himself. A man who was dead is now alive? Who had ever heard of such a thing? Thomas refused to believe in Jesus’ resurrection unless he saw the living, walking, talking proof with his own eyes. Of course his doubt is not surprising. The apostolic witness to the resurrection is beyond ordinary human experience. Yes, we can understand doubt. Unfortunately, some prefer to consider such doubt about the Risen Christ as a badge of courage or honor. While doubt about the resurrection is not surprising, it is entirely misguided and out of touch with reality. In the words of St. John, to deny the testimony about Jesus is to call God a liar. People may doubt and disbelieve the Christian proclamation, “He is risen!”, but it does not change the truth about the Resurrection. The day will come when all will see the Risen Jesus with their own eyes.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Today is the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our Lord has trampled down death by death. Our Lord has triumphed over sin and hell. Death has been swallowed up in victory! Alleluia!
On that first Easter morning, as the women made their way to the tomb, they had no expectations for anything other than anointing a dead body. At Calvary they had watched Joseph of Arimathea sloppily lavish myrrh on Jesus’ corpse and then quickly wrap the cadavar with linen cloth. While they appreciated the effort, the body of Jesus would need to receive proper care. You can’t expect a man in a hurry to do the job right. So they made their way to the tomb. Now these women were faithful and looked forward to the resurrection of the dead one day. They believed the Word of the Lord in Job, “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” As such, they believed in the careful and respectful handing of the lifeless remains of their dead. All they wanted to do on that first Easter was to reverently, ritually prepare Jesus’ dead body. That morning, they only expected to unwrap the corpse; attend to it; anoint it; and then carefully rewind the linen cloth around it. This would be their act of devotion to their teacher. He had done so much for them, but now He was dead. They had once even believed that life in the Kingdom of God was at hand through Him, but now His own life was gone. The least they could do was give Him a proper burial. This was all they expected as they walked together in the early morning hours.
Let us go to Calvary and witness the events of Good Friday, but not as if we were contemporaries of Jesus. We are not people of the mob; we are not Roman Soldiers, we are not Pilate; we are not Peter; nor are we Judas. So let us not pretend as if we were those people. Rather, let us stand at the place called the place of the skull with Jesus as ourselves, the people we truly are.
We gather on the edge of the crowd as modern people, born and raised in this advanced, technological age, living in the most affluent and depressed culture the world has ever known. We go to Calvary after almost 2,000 years of Christendom, which means we have heard this story countless times. We have heard it so many times it may even bore us. We go to Calvary having seen crosses before, but only pretty ones, neat and clean ones. Our crosses are not instruments of death. They are instruments of jewelry, constructed of fine metals, bedazzled, and ornate. So let us modern, comfortable, bored people go to Calvary to see our Jesus.
We have all heard the saying, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Our experience suggests this saying is true. We know that death is certain. We are reminded of this often. We started our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday with the clear reminder, “From dust you are and to dust you shall return.” We have witnessed family and friends die in the course of our life, and death is all around us. Death is certain. This is true. And, of course, this is tax season. We might even suspect that taxes may be as certain as death. After all, the annual deadline to submit our taxes is just around the corner. Around this time of year, we start asking each other the important and sometimes troubling question, “Have you finished your taxes?” Bound up in that question is the yearly ritual of completing the paperwork—gathering appropriate forms, scrounging for receipts and records, and making calculations. Whether we have to pay or we await a refund, the almost sacred act of mailing or emailing our finished taxes gives a sense of relief. To finish your taxes is to remove a heavy burden. We are able to breathe a sight of relief, “Yes, I have finished my taxes. They are done! I have completed the task!” For us, death and taxes are certain. Even today they come together in our Lord’s words from the cross.
The sixth saying of Jesus from the cross is a single word, tetelestai-“It is finished.” The word was commonly used in the first-century business world. When an obligation was fulfilled, a job was completed, an order finalized, or a task carried out, then tetelestai-“It is finished.” When taxes were paid or a tribute was offered, then tetelestai-“It is finished.” When a debt had been paid in full to a merchant, then tetelestai-“It is finished.” When Jesus has paid the eternal debt of our sin and succumbed to the burden of our condemnation in His suffering and death, then he cries out, tetelestai-“It is finished.”
Not the city, of course, but the state of pop country music. The masses may love it, but the songwriting and performances are canned and predictable. Some country music award show is on the TV right now and causing me to rant. Poor theology and geometry and all. I really should follow the advice of John Prine and “Blow up your TV throw away your paper, Go to the country, build you a home, Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches, Try an find Jesus on your own.” It sounds good, except for the last line, of course. If it was up to me I’d never start looking and certainly never find Him. Anyway, you will never hear John Prine… Chris Knight, Bleu Edmundson, James McMurtry, Slaid Cleaves, The Gourds, The Gougers, Drive-By Truckers, or anyone worthwhile on popular country radio. I am so thankful for XM… now to blow up the TV.
Today our Lord enters into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. As we wave our palms, we are again made mindful that His love knows no bounds. Consider the extent of our Lord’s love: His incarnation in the womb of Mary; His simple birth; His dirty cradle; His common upbringing; His ordinary adolescence; and the unseemly company He kept during His earthly ministry. He did not come to claim His rightful throne on a war steed with a fierce army, but on an ordinary donkey with His most loyal followers being cowardly and weak. “Hosanna, the King of Israel?” Jesus Christ, the God-man, humbled Himself in such ways and in every way only to be crowned with thorns and enthroned on a bloody cross. The love of our Lord Jesus Christ allowed Him to be bound and nailed naked to a cross, a shameful and humiliating death, so that He might secure salvation for all who call on His name. He gave up everything so that sinners, rebels against God, might possess all things, even forgiveness for our sins, eternal life, and salvation from death and hell. His love certainly knows no bounds.
Even today our Lord entered into this place through His word joined to ordinary water at His holy font of Baptism. He entered with us, in time and through the Divine Service by His Word. Just as He deigned to enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, He deigned to come in our midst through the sacramental gift of Holy Baptism. More specifically, our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself for the sake of young Will this morning so that He might receive the washing away of His sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and faith. There was a day that the same Lord Jesus Christ deigned to do the same for you. In this humble and loving gift of Baptism, Jesus Christ bound the power of His death and resurrection to you, just as He bound Himself to Will. Whether on a donkey or in water, our Lord Jesus Christ humbles Himself so that sinners might have salvation. This is the extent of God’s love for you, for Will, and for all who receive His gifts. His love knows no bounds.
Today our Lord will even enter into this place through His word joined to bread and wine at this altar. He will enter with us, in time and through the Divine Service. Just as He deigned to enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, He deigns to come in our midst through the sacramental gift of Holy Communion. Our Lord Jesus Christ will humble Himself and feed us His holy body and blood for our forgiveness and redemption. He will ride into our midst through bread and wine. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord. God of pow’r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in he highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” Whether on a donkey or in Holy Communion, our Lord Jesus Christ humbles Himself so that sinners might have salvation.
The love of our Lord Jesus Christ knows no bounds. He enters the womb. He sleeps in the cradle. He lives in Nazareth. He suffers rejection. He rides a donkey. He suffers on a cross. He washes in Holy Baptism. He feeds in Holy Communion. He does all of this for you and for me. It is shocking that God does this for us, people who indulge themselves at every chance; people who rebel against God’s Word and God Himself; people who are bored with His gifts; people who long after fame and fortune; people who live unreflective and unrepentant lives; people who attack and destroy others without thinking twice. Yet in His puzzling, boundless love, Jesus Christ humbled Himself for sinners who exalt themselves. He binds Himself to us through Word and Water, Word and Bread and Wine, to deliver us from our bondage to sin and death. This is how our Lord rides, all so we may be forgiven and exalted for eternity. “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Indeed. +INJ+
