[Machine transcription]
Christ is risen. I think we could go ahead and end the service right now with that hymn.
But if you were here a couple of weeks ago, you might be thinking, hey, what’s going on here?
We sang this two weeks ago and a few days ago as Jonathan and I were here
he came over and we started talking and he said,
you know, I’m thinking about changing the hymn of the day because we sang it a couple of weeks ago.
And I was kind of surprised, as I said, mostly because I thought he was giving
me the chance to be in charge of something. I don’t think that was really
the case. But, you know, I said, hey, let’s keep this hymn in here because I just
think it’s a great hymn. There’s all this great theology and Christology in it, and
so it wouldn’t bother me if we sang it every Sunday. So if you missed a couple
weeks ago, you need to go home and sing it again. But another thing, it’s not to
mention the fact that I’d already started working this hymn into my sermon,
so I couldn’t, I couldn’t go back there. So hopefully you kind of pick up on that
in a few places. Now this is the Sunday after the ascension of our Lord, and
although this hymn, you won’t find it in the ascension section of the service
book, seems that since it has Redeemer in the title, it’s a hymn about the Redeemer.
But I think it’s an appropriate hymn to sing today and meditate on it
on it because it tells us about what Christ has done, what he is now doing, and
what he has promised to do. Now this past Thursday we did celebrate the Feast of
the Ascension of our Lord, and in the Gospel text today we are going back just
a little bit before Jesus’ Ascension, but I’d really like the Ascension to really
kind of remain a focal point for us this morning, especially as we hear Jesus
begin to prepare the disciples for that day when he is no longer with them, for
he has told them repeatedly that he is going to go away, that he has to leave so
that he may go to be with the Father. So I think there are at least at least two
points that we want to both hear and see in this gospel lesson from St. John that
I would like us to kind of think about, to contemplate, and meditate on, because
they should be a source of comfort and assurance for us, and those are the fact
that, yes, we are being called to live in this world, to be witnesses, and even to
suffer if we have to, if we must, and that in this we are to bring all things to God
in prayer. And they are definitely linked to one another, because in this lesson we
hear this prayer of Jesus, and it’s really just a very short excerpt from
this longer prayer that Jesus has. You may have heard it referred to as Jesus’
high priestly prayer, and this prayer is kind of in the middle or maybe really
towards the end of this longer conversation and discourse that Jesus is
having with the disciples across these four chapters, and you may have heard
that called the farewell discourse. So Jesus is having this long conversation
because the disciples, soon-to-be apostles, they must be prepared for this
mission that he’s about to give them. They must be ready for battle, and as we
see, as we will see, Jesus gives them everything they need. He arms them with
all they need to be able to do the will of the Father. And as always, we see this
pattern here because what he does for the Apostles, the disciples, he does for
us also. So maybe we think for a minute about this roller coaster of emotions
that the disciples had to have been on kind of in this 42-3 days, something like
that from the institution of the Last Supper now to his ascension. First they
had this fear and doubt that came at his arrest and his trial, the utter anguish
they felt at his crucifixion, then kind of this reversal of having joy at seeing
the resurrected Lord as he appeared to them in different places, and now
suddenly they have this uncertainty of being left alone after Jesus has
ascended. Of course, Jesus knows how they’re going to feel, and that’s why he
has this prayer for him, so that he can encourage them. In fact, Jesus is praying
specifically for their protection. Jesus has been the one, their shepherd, he has
been the one to teach them, to love them, and really to protect them as well. But
here he seems temporarily giving them back over to the Father because,
honestly, the protection that he did provide was given by the Father himself
anyway. So Jesus prays to the Father for them to be kept in his name, and that is
that they be kept in the Word, that they continue to believe in what Jesus has
said and done. This work of Christ, it has sanctified them, but they need to
continue to be sanctified as they face this awesome responsibility before them.
The Word has spiritually changed them to the point that they should now be
considered, as Jesus says, they should be considered really strangers and
foreigners in the world. To be not of the world means they are now in Christ.
Although they aren’t of the world, Christ gives them this mission that they are to
go into that very same world, that they are to take this word that they are
remaining in and that they are to send it out to the world so that the world may
find salvation in the word. And Jesus’ phrase here, in your name that you have
me, it shows unity between the Father and the Son. So as the disciples believe in
Jesus, they too are one with the Father. But the world, it stands opposed to Jesus,
and so it stands opposed to the Father, it will be opposed to the disciples, it
is opposed to us as believers. But the disciples are sanctified, and that is
they’ve been consecrated for this mission that they are about to be sent on,
that is before them, and they aren’t sanctified because there is some kind of
inherent goodness about them or because they are godly men, although they surely
are. They’re sanctified by this word which they have received and believed in.
So this mission that they’ve been given, that they’ve received, is solely based on
the will and the desire of God the Father to bring the world to salvation, to bring
at life, but in this they are to anticipate and expect that the world
will respond with indifference, perhaps even hostility, certainly hostility in
the case of the Apostles. And so Jesus prays right in front of them, aloud,
specifically for them, so that they may be strengthened and encouraged, and so
that as he says, you may have my peace and joy, for in the world they will
will receive anything but peace and joy. Satan, as Jesus says, the devil, Satan is
going to stir up hatred against them, you’re going to stir up the world to hate them,
and this battle that they have will not be against flesh and blood, it will be
against his demons, it will be against the evil spirits of Satan, because he is
preparing them for the fight as well. So Jesus turns him over to the care of the
father. In military terminology, this is what they call a battle handover. When
one unit is engaged in a fight or some kind of action, and another one comes to
relieve it, at least temporarily. So as the father has sent the son, now the son
is sending them. The father’s mission through the son is now through them. And
their ordination into apostleship, well, that’s pending. It’s coming soon. It will
be enacted upon Jesus’ resurrection and his visitation to them. And also, let’s
not forget, he has promised to send them the Holy Spirit, the Helper. But to do
this, he must go away. He must go to the Father. So when we see this relationship
between the Father and the Son, that nothing is given or taken from each
other, that they are together as one, that they are unified and united in purpose
and action, we see the relationship that must and certainly will be continued and
replicated among the Apostles, and for us, the relationship that we are to have
with one another as believers. Jesus says the disciples are already acting as one
for they have received the Father’s words from Christ and they have believed that
he has been sent by the Father and they will go on doing so by remaining in the
word and remaining in one accord. We hear that throughout Acts, how the Apostles
were of one accord. Now I don’t title the books, but I’m wondering if the Acts of
the Apostles is named what it is because we don’t want to focus on specific acts,
Acts of Peter, the Acts of Paul, or any other specific Apostle. Now we know that
this work of the Apostles is by the Holy Spirit, but they are unified in their
actions of bringing the gospel to the nations. They’re unified in the Word, and
when the Holy Spirit does come to them, then they will be now in full force
beginning to carry out the mission of Christ. But you have to come back next
Sunday to hear about that. But what does this have to do with us? Well, first of
all, today, as disciples of Christ, we really don’t find ourselves in any
different of a situation than the disciples and apostles did after Jesus’
ascension. Jesus didn’t really just leave them. He doesn’t leave us as orphans, as
he says. He didn’t say, well, good luck with all this, hope you fare well, because
he didn’t mean for the church to ever be alone, to have to try to sustain
itself, because far be it for simple men to think they know what’s best for the
church. We’ve seen this play out in recent disputes, I mean we saw it, we see
it in Acts, but we see it here in the world now today, all these recent
disputes among these various Christian denominations, so that when we do not
abide in the Word, when we do not make Christ the head of the church, then the
church is doomed to be torn apart. But we have to be in this world. And we say,
why? Well, we have to remain here for the world’s sake. That sounds crazy, I know.
But that’s so that the world may believe, so that the world may not perish in its
own sin. Think about, as bad as things may be, think about if we had no Christians
in the world today, if we didn’t have the baptized in Christ here to influence and
teach. For too many in this world are motivated by things that are not of the
of God. Power, riches, wealth, fame, self-preservation. But we are motivated by
something completely different, the love of God, because the love of God is in us,
and so we have love for one another. And this is crazy, too. We pray for those who
we disagree with. We pray for those who mock us. We pray for those who hate us.
We pray for our enemies. Not that they will be punished, but that they may come
to faith, and if we suffer, then we must suffer, for it is a blessing. But we’re
not alone in this, as I said. Our weapons in spiritual warfare are his name and
word, and Christ also, as he has promised to do, sends us the Holy Spirit who fires
us for this fight. And let’s not forget that we have prayer, and we are to remain
in prayer. Now, I know, if you feel bad that you don’t pray enough or as often
as you should or whatever, then know that I stand here too guilty of that. I know
we get lazy, our prayers falter, or we think things like, well, God knows what I
need or want, I don’t really need to ask Him or tell Him. Or maybe we think, well,
why should I ask Him anything? He’s never actually answered anything I’ve asked
for. But let’s remember that our prayers are not heard for our sake, but
for the sake of Christ, and we should pray in His name. We should pray for the
bitter sufferings and death of Christ as we often do. Now, earlier in John’s
gospel, he has told the disciples, Jesus has told the disciples, that to this
point they have not asked anything in his name, but the day will be here soon
when they will ask everything in his name, because Jesus is always there
praying for us. This past Thursday in his Ascension sermon, Pastor Wolfmuller was
really stressing this eternal reign of Christ, how Jesus has been and is still
seated on the throne whence he never departed, at the right hand of the Father.
He still intercedes for us and prays that this word of his will protect us
and keep us set apart for the world and from the world, for we are set apart. We
too are being sanctified as a witness to the world, and what a
comfort this should be to us. Jesus prays for the disciples. The apostles and the
pray that God’s will will be done, that they will be of one accord. We pray for
one another, and we pray for the world. And Jesus became man, God incarnate to be
in that world, and the Apostles remained in that world, not as punishment, but that
they might minister to it. And so we too are in that same world. Jesus is the Word.
The disciples believed in that Word, and they were kept in his name, and we still
have the word with us today now st. John says we certainly have the testimony of
men like himself but he says that the testimony of God is greater and we have
the Spirit the water and the blood who testify and this testimony is that God
has given us eternal life this testimony brings Jesus and with Jesus comes
eternal life so that life is given to us through Christ and through this
testimony so to believe in the Sun is to have life and to not believe in the Sun
is to not have life. Now, some may ask, well, why does Jesus just pray for the
disciples? Why doesn’t he just pray for the world? Well, it’s because he’s their
shepherd, and his primary responsibility is to protect them, to lead them, above
all other things. But when he prays for their witness, for the effectiveness of
their work in the world, the prayer is for the world. Now, Jesus prayed aloud again
so he knows he’s praying, so they know he’s praying for them. And sometimes you
might hear somebody say, well you shouldn’t tell people that you’re
praying for them. Just do it. But for people who are struggling with sin, for
people who are mourning, for people who are in pain and have heartache, there’s
nothing better to be heard than that you’re being prayed for. So we are bold
to pray to our Heavenly Father, face to face with Him, because as we are baptized
children of God, for we confess in our baptism, and yes we confessed in Winona
amazed baptism this morning that we are now heirs of the kingdom of God, and that
as heirs of the kingdom of God we have the right to call on him as our
Heavenly Father just as we would call on our earthly father, and just as a good
father doesn’t turn away the child, our Heavenly Father doesn’t turn us away
when we come to him in the name of his only begotten Son through faith in him.
Now in a few moments we will have the prayers of the church where we
especially pray for God to protect and preserve us and bless our lives and the
various estates of this world. We pray for the church, we pray for government
that it would be ordering our lives in the right way, and we pray for our home
life. And let’s recall, this is the church’s prayer. It’s not my prayer, it’s
our prayer. Yes, we have to live in this world of chaos, a world undone, which
Christ ascended the cross to save. But like the Apostles, we are called to be
holy in this world. To be holy is to be set apart, to be sanctified, but we have
to ask ourselves for what purpose? So that we can pull up roots and exile
ourselves and move out to some commune and put up walls and sit in our own
little shelters and enclaves? No. We are set apart for the work of the Lord in
this world. So brothers and sisters, we have Jesus because he is still with us.
the Word is with us, even though he’s with the Father. He comes to bless and
serve us today in the Spirit, in the water, and in the blood, and to unite us
in that same Word. Glory be to God the Father and to the
unbegotten one. All honor be to Jesus, his sole begotten Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, the perfect Trinity. Let all the worlds give answer. Amen. So let
it be. Amen. Now the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guards your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
