Isaiah 40:25-31/1 John 3:1-3/St John 16:16-22
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The Easter lilies have wilted and been removed. They cannot remain forever. You cannot stay on the mountain top of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord. You must come down. You must go home. Live. Work. And even as the festival continues and you greet one another with joyous words of ‘Alleluia,’ still you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You have sorrow and sickness. Death still looms about you.
Our Lord Jesus knows this. He prophesies and prepares His disciples for it. Not only the Twelve that fateful night in the upper room, but also you. The words of the Gospel are for you. They are the living voice of Jesus. They are not locked away in history, separated and distanced from you, from your circumstance, from your situation. The Word of the Lord is living and active. And since the Resurrection they are always viewed in the glorious light of His blessed and holy Cross.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, spoke these solemn words to His disciples, A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me. For sorrow and for sin, they did not understand what He meant. Before their eyes were blind to seeing Him on the Emmaus Road after His Resurrection, their ears were also deaf to comprehending Him before His Passion and Crucifixion. Unbelief dulls the senses. Sin clouds the mind.
But just as the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah when they thought they could endure no more, when their sorrow was great, and they sat in confusion over the Lord’s promises, He said, Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these [stars]? He who brings our their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing. He comforted them and assured them of His protection and provision, His mercy and love.
So as the Lord comforted Israel, now the God of Jacob, YHWH enfleshed, Jesus of Nazareth, who sits at table with the Twelve, speaks words of comfort to His people. He catechizes them in the meaning of His Word. And His doctrine, rightly taught, consoles their timid consciences and troubled hearts. Pure doctrine always does.
A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see Me. Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
He is saying to them, “In a little while, in just a few hours, I will be taken from you, though I will go willingly. The mob shall come, carrying club and sword and spear, and haul Me off to a mock trial. I will not open My mouth. I will not defend Myself. I will go willingly, because in this way I will make you Mine again. I will bring you to My Father and you will have eternal joy. A little while I and you will see Me no longer. I will go to My Father by way of My death. But in being lifted up I will draw you to Myself. I will endure the Cross and despise the shame for the joy set before Me. And My joy is you.”
We view these Words in the Light and Truth of the glorious Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is not seen for a little while as He is taken from them in death. The Twelve and the women, all the disciples of Jesus weep and lament. The world rejoices. The devil rejoices. He dances on the grave of the Son of God, mistakenly assuming he’s won.
But then the little while of the three days and they see Him! Glorious and new, back from the dead never to die again! They know Him by His wounds, for He still and always will be the Crucified One; but He now imparts to them by way of His Word and Spirit a joy that cannot be taken from them.
And these sweet words of Jesus are for you as well, dear Christians! Though not yet seen with your mortal eyes for He has gone to the Father by way of His ascension, you will see Him again. You have sorrow now, you weep and lament, over your own sin that clings so closely, over that of others that affects you directly and indirectly. You walk through the valley of the shadow of death and you become more and more weighed down, bowed in sorrow and agony. Lift up your eyes and see, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).
Lift up your eyes and ears and hearts and minds, for He comes to you, with words of comfort and joy, bringing heaven down to earth in His Word and promises, by His Sacraments, through the holy liturgy. In many ways the Divine Service is preparation, is it dress rehearsal for death; your constant movement to and from the Altar of Christ, the Table of His Body and Blood; the Lord watching over your going out and your coming in at all times and forever.
He has brought you in, watching over your Baptism by which you are begotten from above by water and Spirit. There you died with Christ. But there you were also made alive in Christ. You were brought through the narrow and painful birth canal of the font, birthed into new life, a life hidden with God in Christ Jesus, seen under the cross and sorrow, but in truth, possessing the eternal bliss and joy of heaven that is already yours. You shall follow Him through suffering and death, in sorrow and pain, into the joy and peace of the resurrection and everlasting life.
St John drives this point home: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that is did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now. And in a little while, when He appears, you shall see Him; you shall be like Him, immortal, imperishable, sons and heirs of your Father in heaven, brought to Him by way of His Son.
Your hope is in Him. And this does not put you to shame. Even though the world rejoices, though it rage and fight, though it threaten and persecute, you have a joy that cannot be taken from you: the joy of sins forgiven, of life and salvation bestowed, of grace and mercy overflowing, of the love and favor of the Father, even in the midst of sorrow. For the Word Jesus spoke to His disciples on that fateful night endures for you, dear ones, His disciples.
So also on that sacred night our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and after blessing it, broken it and gave it to His disciples, both them and you, saying, Take and eat; take and drink. And His Word is not merely for them, locked away in history, but is for you, here and now. His Word causes this bread to be His Body, this wine to be His Blood. His Word gives you the forgiveness of your sins, strengthens your faith, turns your sorrow into joy. For here you see Jesus and in Him your heart rejoices. This cannot be taken from you, but is given to you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The Easter lilies have wilted and been removed. They cannot remain forever. You cannot stay on the mountain top of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord. You must come down. You must go home. Live. Work. And even as the festival continues and you greet one another with joyous words of ‘Alleluia,’ still you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You have sorrow and sickness. Death still looms about you.
Our Lord Jesus knows this. He prophesies and prepares His disciples for it. Not only the Twelve that fateful night in the upper room, but also you. The words of the Gospel are for you. They are the living voice of Jesus. They are not locked away in history, separated and distanced from you, from your circumstance, from your situation. The Word of the Lord is living and active. And since the Resurrection they are always viewed in the glorious light of His blessed and holy Cross.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, spoke these solemn words to His disciples, A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me. For sorrow and for sin, they did not understand what He meant. Before their eyes were blind to seeing Him on the Emmaus Road after His Resurrection, their ears were also deaf to comprehending Him before His Passion and Crucifixion. Unbelief dulls the senses. Sin clouds the mind.
But just as the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah when they thought they could endure no more, when their sorrow was great, and they sat in confusion over the Lord’s promises, He said, Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these [stars]? He who brings our their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing. He comforted them and assured them of His protection and provision, His mercy and love.
So as the Lord comforted Israel, now the God of Jacob, YHWH enfleshed, Jesus of Nazareth, who sits at table with the Twelve, speaks words of comfort to His people. He catechizes them in the meaning of His Word. And His doctrine, rightly taught, consoles their timid consciences and troubled hearts. Pure doctrine always does.
A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see Me. Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
He is saying to them, “In a little while, in just a few hours, I will be taken from you, though I will go willingly. The mob shall come, carrying club and sword and spear, and haul Me off to a mock trial. I will not open My mouth. I will not defend Myself. I will go willingly, because in this way I will make you Mine again. I will bring you to My Father and you will have eternal joy. A little while I and you will see Me no longer. I will go to My Father by way of My death. But in being lifted up I will draw you to Myself. I will endure the Cross and despise the shame for the joy set before Me. And My joy is you.”
We view these Words in the Light and Truth of the glorious Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is not seen for a little while as He is taken from them in death. The Twelve and the women, all the disciples of Jesus weep and lament. The world rejoices. The devil rejoices. He dances on the grave of the Son of God, mistakenly assuming he’s won.
But then the little while of the three days and they see Him! Glorious and new, back from the dead never to die again! They know Him by His wounds, for He still and always will be the Crucified One; but He now imparts to them by way of His Word and Spirit a joy that cannot be taken from them.
And these sweet words of Jesus are for you as well, dear Christians! Though not yet seen with your mortal eyes for He has gone to the Father by way of His ascension, you will see Him again. You have sorrow now, you weep and lament, over your own sin that clings so closely, over that of others that affects you directly and indirectly. You walk through the valley of the shadow of death and you become more and more weighed down, bowed in sorrow and agony. Lift up your eyes and see, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).
Lift up your eyes and ears and hearts and minds, for He comes to you, with words of comfort and joy, bringing heaven down to earth in His Word and promises, by His Sacraments, through the holy liturgy. In many ways the Divine Service is preparation, is it dress rehearsal for death; your constant movement to and from the Altar of Christ, the Table of His Body and Blood; the Lord watching over your going out and your coming in at all times and forever.
He has brought you in, watching over your Baptism by which you are begotten from above by water and Spirit. There you died with Christ. But there you were also made alive in Christ. You were brought through the narrow and painful birth canal of the font, birthed into new life, a life hidden with God in Christ Jesus, seen under the cross and sorrow, but in truth, possessing the eternal bliss and joy of heaven that is already yours. You shall follow Him through suffering and death, in sorrow and pain, into the joy and peace of the resurrection and everlasting life.
St John drives this point home: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that is did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now. And in a little while, when He appears, you shall see Him; you shall be like Him, immortal, imperishable, sons and heirs of your Father in heaven, brought to Him by way of His Son.
Your hope is in Him. And this does not put you to shame. Even though the world rejoices, though it rage and fight, though it threaten and persecute, you have a joy that cannot be taken from you: the joy of sins forgiven, of life and salvation bestowed, of grace and mercy overflowing, of the love and favor of the Father, even in the midst of sorrow. For the Word Jesus spoke to His disciples on that fateful night endures for you, dear ones, His disciples.
So also on that sacred night our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and after blessing it, broken it and gave it to His disciples, both them and you, saying, Take and eat; take and drink. And His Word is not merely for them, locked away in history, but is for you, here and now. His Word causes this bread to be His Body, this wine to be His Blood. His Word gives you the forgiveness of your sins, strengthens your faith, turns your sorrow into joy. For here you see Jesus and in Him your heart rejoices. This cannot be taken from you, but is given to you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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