EASTER – April 12, 2009

SCRIPTURES – Isaiah 25:6-9; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8 

Newsweek magazine came out last week with an issue that declared, in bold red letters in the shape of a cross, “THE DECLINE AND FALL OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA.” The article inside was more blunt. It was titled, “The End of Christian America.” It based this headline on the results of the American Religious Identification Survey, which recently reported that the percentage of people in the U.S. who claim to be Christian has dropped 10 percentage points since 1990, from 86% to 76%. Is Christ truly no longer that important in our country? Perhaps the problem that Newsweek’s article reflects is that far too many people who claim to be Christians don’t know what Jesus taught, don’t follow His teachings in their lives, and say nothing about Him outside of church. As a consequence, their faith easily fails when challenged. And, even if they do live the Christian faith, they do not speak of Christ as the reason for how they live. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” says Jesus (Matt. 5:16). Do we?

 

The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has changed everything for us! Because of Jesus, we can live confidently and securely: even in these troubled times; even when dealing with sickness or injury or pain and sorrow; even when facing death. Because of Jesus, we can speak with confidence about God. We can, and should, say with the prophet Isaiah:

"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!"

 

THIS IS OUR GOD!

 

The man Jesus, for He is God. His resurrection from the dead proclaims this loudly and clearly. And, as St. Paul says, by His Gospel, the good news of His life, death, and resurrection for us, we are being saved. By His Gospel, the news about Him, our lives are changed and we are raised from death to life and from fear to confidence. How important is this Gospel, this news about Christ!

 

But, what is the Gospel? What does Jesus teach? Since our salvation depends upon believing and holding fast this Gospel, we had better know it. What does Jesus teach? I have summarized His teaching for you. “Behold, this is our God!” says Jesus:

  •  God is the Holy One, who demands holiness.

    • Leviticus 19:2 – “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

    •  Matthew 5:48 – “You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 2.   

  • And yet, we are not holy.

    • 1 John 1:8 – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

    • Isaiah 64:6 – “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”

    • Psalm 14:3 – “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

    • Matthew 15:19-20 – “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person."    

  • The unholy will be punished.

    • Psalm 5:4-5 – “You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.”

    • Matthew 5:29-30 – “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

  •  Jesus is our only hope of being rescued from this punishment.

    • John 3:16-17 – “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that who- ever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

    • Matthew 20:28 – “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

  • He died and rose to be our life.

    • John 11:25-26 – “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.”

Let there be no uncertainty, no lackluster confession. This is our God, and there is no other! No other god who is proclaimed has done this: come down from heaven to take our sins and judgment upon Himself and die for us, and then risen from the dead to give us a new and eternal life with God. Jesus is God, our God. He has rescued us!

 

"Behold, this is our God; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!" Let us not go forth from this day’s celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection to say nothing to anyone because we are afraid of doing so. Let fear give way to confident hope! Rejoice in your hearts and say:

He lives and grants me daily breath; He lives, and I shall conquer death;

He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there! (LSB #461) 

 

And then, rejoice with your mouths. Do not go forth this day to out of fear say nothing to anyone. Go forth to “Let your light shine before others.” Go forth to speak of Christ’s victory for us all! For, His victory is not only in His bodily resurrection. It is in the good news of His death and resurrection. As St. Paul says, “By this Gospel preached to you, you are being saved.”

 

Thank you, heavenly Father, for Jesus! Thank You for saving us from our sins by His life, death, and resurrection for us. Thank You for giving us eternal life in Him. We can look forward to living forever in heaven! Thank You for the glad and happy lives we can live now because of Him. Thank You for the sweet sentence of His precious Gospel. May it gladden our hearts forever!

I know that my Redeemer lives; what comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my ever-living head!