Confessing the Faith

Sermon for Trinity Sunday based on the Athanasian Creed and John 3:1 – 17

Dear confessors of the faith: grace, mercy and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

“Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.  Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.”  Those are the first two verses of the Athanasian Creed which we just confessed.  They make quite a bold and serious confession of faith.  You must hold the catholic faith or you will perish eternally.  This is of course not referring to the Roman Catholic faith, but rather the faith of the whole Church throughout the world and throughout all time; the universal faith that is believed by all Christians.

The Athanasian Creed is one of the three creeds all Christians confess. The other two creeds, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, are more familiar to us since we confess them more often. However, for Trinity Sunday, it has been the custom to recite the longer Athanasian Creed.

A creed is a statement of what we believe. It is a summary of our faith as taught in Scripture. Historically, there came to be a need for creeds primarily for two reasons: to deal with false teachings within the church and to deal with false teachings outside the church in the form of other religions.

The Apostles’ Creed has its origins as early as the first century [cf. Irenaeus’s Adversus haereses]. It is a summary of the Christian faith founded on the Great Commission of Christ when He sent out His apostles to teach and to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles’ Creed thus confesses faith in the Triune God since Jesus instructed the nations to be taught and baptized in the name of the Trinity, and to confess such faith.  Thus, the Apostles’ Creed became a baptismal confession and is still used as such in our rite of Holy Baptism and in our remembrance of Holy Baptism.

The Nicene Creed was written in A.D. 325 to combat false teachers, especially one named Arius, who started teaching that Jesus is not really God. The heretic Arius taught that God the Son is not eternal with the Father and that He must have been created by the Father and can have no communication with or direct knowledge of the Father. He also taught that God the Son was thus not truly God, but some sort of demigod in a human body.

Such false teaching needed a response from the church, and the church did respond by condemning Arius and his teachings and by writing the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed thus confesses that the Son is equal with the Father and is very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father. The Nicene Creed thus confesses the Scriptural position of the church in the face of the lies which were causing trouble in the church.

The Athanasian Creed, written about a century later, fleshes out the Trinity further. It further delves into the mystery of the Trinity and precisely confesses what Scripture teaches us about the Triune God. But more than that, it provides us a bit of a wake up slap in the face. Sometimes we forget that to confess one thing to be true, we at the same time necessarily confess that anything that is opposed to this truth must be false. It is easy to say that we confess the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. It’s a bit harder to say that anyone who does not confess the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed is heading for eternity in hell, but that is in fact what necessarily must be true.

This is confessed in the Athanasian Creed as it starts out by saying, “Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.  Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.” The Athanasian Creed also concludes with saying, “This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.” In order to be saved, it is necessary to hold to the faith as taught in the Athanasian Creed, and to believe what the Creed confesses about the Trinity. Those who do not confess this cannot be saved.

You will notice that the Athanasian Creed uses very precise and careful language. Sometimes it may seem repetitive and long, but each phrase gives us exact language of the way Scripture describes the Trinity. If we use imprecise language or make up our own words it becomes very easy to fall into heresies like Arius did and others have because they tried to understand the incomprehensible.

The Holy Trinity is not something we can understand. We cannot possibly understand God. Three persons but one God? We don’t get it. How can this be? We don’t know. What does it mean exactly? We’re not exactly sure. But why should we think that we can understand God? Should we really be shocked that we cannot understand everything about the creator of the universe and also our creator? So we confess about God what He has told us about Himself even if we don’t fully understand it. We confess to the certainties that God has told us about Himself instead of making up our own thoughts and ideas about Him.

This confession of faith in a God that we cannot comprehend goes hand in hand with confessing the faith in situations that we cannot comprehend. God has not given us an explanation for everything that happens to us. He hasn’t told us why we go through certain difficult experiences.

Christians living in Syria may wonder why God is allowing Muslims to persecute them and desecrate their churches. Christians in Texas may be wondering why God allowed flooding to cause such destruction, ruin, and death. Christians in our congregation may be wondering why God is allowing them to suffer with pain, illness, or loss. We do not understand. But why should we think that we can understand God and His reasons? Do you expect a God that you cannot comprehend to do only what makes sense to you? If God would only do what makes sense to you there would have been no coming of God in the flesh in the person of Jesus. If God would only do what makes sense to you there would have been no death of the Son of God in your place. If God would only do what makes sense to you the water of your Baptism would have been nothing more than a sprinkling of water that does nothing.

But God, in His infinite wisdom did send His only Son into the world so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God became man and took the punishment of our sins on Himself, dying on the cross in our place. And you have been washed clean in your Baptism as you were born of water and the Spirit.

With Nicodemus we can ask, “How can these things be?” but we already have the answer. It can be because God is God. We cannot comprehend Him and we cannot comprehend what He does. But He tells us that He is one God in three persons, so we confess this to be true. He tells us Baptism saves (I Peter 3:21), so we believe that it is true. God tells us that He did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (Jn. 3:17), thus in faith we cling to His promises. Thus when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead and requires us to give an account of our deeds, we know we will have no sinful deeds of which to give an account because they are all covered by His blood. Psalm 32 says, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” We are blessed because our transgressions are forgiven. We are blessed because our sin is covered. Incomprehensible as this may be, this is what God tells us in his Word, and on this we can rely.

We cannot know why we have to face difficulties in our lives but we do know that God’s will for us is eternal life away from this world of sin and suffering. This He will grant to us for Jesus’ sake.

We thus continue to confess our faith in the words that God has given us in His Word, as summarized in our creeds. We will continue to confess that although we cannot comprehend God, He has given us His Word which tells us who He is and how we are to speak of Him and know Him. And we will continue to confess our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord who gave His life so that we might live with Him eternally. This is the catholic faith; whoever believes it faithfully and firmly will be saved. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Sermon for the Day of Pentecost based on Jn. 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 (Ezek. 37:1-14, Act. 2:1-21)

Dear vessels into whom the Holy Spirit has been poured: grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today is an important church festival celebrating the sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, as He promised on the fiftieth day after His resurrection from the dead. And the Holy Spirit continues to do today what He has done since Pentecost – He convicts and He bears witness about Jesus.

The Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word and Sacraments. We have no promise that He will work in any other way. We have no promise that He will work through miraculous signs although He has worked in this way. We have no promise that the Holy Spirit will work through dreams although He has also worked this way. We also have no promise that He will work in any way other than through the Word and Sacraments – whether through feelings, nature, unexplainable events, or strange coincidences. He has only promised to work through the Word of God and the Sacraments which are the visible Word.

And what is it that the Holy Spirit does? First, the Holy Spirit convicts. Our text says that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit convicts the impenitent sinner concerning his sins because he doesn’t believe in Jesus (v. 9). The Holy Spirit finds the impenitent, those who will not turn away from their sins, to be guilty because they are unbelievers. The Holy Spirit declares the impenitent to be guilty of sin, thus convicting them.

The Holy Spirit also convicts the world concerning righteousness. He convicts unbelievers concerning their own righteousness. Those who do not believe in Jesus believe that they can by their own reason or strength save themselves. They imagine that they can do good that pleases God. They imagine that although they are a skeleton in a valley of dry bones, they can raise themselves up and live. The Holy Spirit convicts them concerning righteousness because they have rejected the righteousness of Christ. They reject the Righteous One, so they are found guilty of unrighteousness. They are thus convicted concerning righteousness.

Finally, the unbeliever is convicted concerning judgment. The unbeliever is convicted concerning judgment because the ruler of the world is judged. Everything that the unbeliever holds dear and treasures and idolizes has been condemned along with the ruler of the world. Satan has been defeated and judged. Those who do not believe in Jesus have Satan as their master, and thus they are judged along with him. Thus, unbelievers are convicted concerning judgment.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, thus He convicts not only unbelievers, but He convicts believers concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment also. For believers, however, this is an entirely different matter.

First, the sinful nature of the believer is also convicted of sin. The Holy Spirit convicts the believer that he has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The Holy Spirit convicts the believer that he has sinned in thought, word, and deed. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, convicts believers that because of their sins, they deserve eternal punishment in hell along with the devil.

But a believer is not found guilty. A believer is convicted concerning righteousness because the righteousness of Christ covers all of his sin. Christ went to the Father, but He went to the Father by way of the cross. He fulfilled the Law of God for us who are unable to fulfil it, and He died on the cross, taking the punishment of our sins. He thus fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf and sent the Holy Spirit to convict us that our own righteousness is as filthy rags. But He also convicts us that the righteousness of Christ is given to us without merit or worthiness in us. He convicts us that although we were skeletons in a valley of dry bones, He has breathed life into us, making us alive in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

A believer, finally, is also convicted by the Holy Spirit concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. The evil one, the accuser who seeks to stand before the throne of God and accuse us day and night of the sins we are guilty of having committed has himself been judged. Satan has been cast out of heaven and has been judged. Even more, Jesus took our place in judgment. Guilty of nothing, Jesus stood in our place and was judged for our sins. He was judged for every sin of thought, word, and deed that we are guilty of committing. Jesus took the punishment of all of our sins so that we can walk away scot-free. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of this through Word and Sacrament, because the Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus.

God the Holy Spirit still does what He has done since He was sent by God the Father and God the Son. He convicts the world concerning, sin, righteousness, and judgment, and He bears witness about Jesus.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit bore witness about Jesus through the preaching of the Word. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles as they bore witness about Jesus. Through that preached Word, the Holy Spirit was also poured out on those who heard the Word, and three thousand came to faith and were baptized that day – three thousand souls from every nation under heaven. All those people of different languages heard the Gospel being preached in their own language! The Holy Spirit wants the Gospel understood, and to be heard by people everywhere, and He still continues this work today. That’s why we support the work of the Gospel here among us and through missionaries around the world. The Holy Spirit is still working through the Word to bring people of every language to saving faith.

Notice that the apostles were not babbling nonsense. The Holy Spirit did not make the apostles speak in tongues that nobody could understand, nor did He make them babble incomprehensibly. The Holy Spirit did not cause uncontrollable fits and convulsions, laughing or fainting, or cause the apostles to act drunk. It was the mockers who said they were drunk! So do not be fooled. The Holy Spirit who worked through the preached Word on Pentecost to bear witness about Jesus is the same Holy Spirit who works through the preached Word today to bear witness about Jesus.

People today who are engaged in babbling nonsense and fainting and fits and convulsions thus have nothing to do with the work of the Holy Spirit. God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (I Cor. 14:33). The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus. Babbling fainters bear witness about themselves. Convulsing gibberish-gushers bear witness about themselves. They draw attention only to their own foolishness. Whatever spirit is at work there, it is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus. The Holy Spirit causes the Gospel to be understood, not become garbled and lost in circus acts.

It is the Gospel that saves. The Good News of Jesus’ death on our behalf which was preached on Pentecost is the same Good News preached in the Gospel today. We have no promise of miracles or signs or speaking in tongues. Peter indicated that the prophecy from Joel concerning prophecy, visions, and dreams was fulfilled on Pentecost (Act. 2:16). And First Corinthians says that tongues will cease (I Cor. 13:8). And Jesus says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign” (Matt. 16:4).

We fall into the same garbled circus trap if we seek signs outside of God’s Word. We are not to seek signs in dreams, feelings, nature, unexplainable events, or strange coincidences. The Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word and Sacraments. We have no promise that He will work in any other way. The Sacraments are the only visible signs through which the Holy Spirit has promised to work. Scripture has promised that as water is poured over an infant’s head, the Holy Spirit is poured out in a washing of regeneration and renewal (Titus 3:5). Scripture has promised that as we eat the very body and blood of Jesus in the fellowship of this altar we receive the forgiveness of sins (Mt. 26:28). Seek no other sign. The Holy Spirit works through the means He has promised. He still convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and He still bears witness about Jesus.

The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name (Jn. 20:31). The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus through the Gospel which tells you all of your sins are forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross for you. The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus through the Sacraments which give you the forgiveness of sins there promised. This is the work the Holy Spirit did on Pentecost and continues to do today – He convicts and He bears witness about Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

What is Truth?

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter based on John 17:11b-19

Dear children of truth: grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

“What is truth?” Pilate asks Jesus this question during His trial (Jn. 18:38). What is truth? This question continues to be asked even today in the same cynical, indifferent way as Pilate spoke the words. The question is asked intending to say that any discussion of religious truth is pure speculation, as if we cannot know truth no matter what. What is truth?

The world and the devil would have you believe that there is no such thing as truth. Look at all the religions out there. Look at all the “Christian” denominations out there. Look at the fact that even the Lutheran church is split into different denominations, holding to completely different beliefs. Doesn’t everyone think that they’re right? How is it possible to know truth?

Jesus says in His prayer to God the Father, “Your Word is truth” (v. 17). The Word of God is truth. So if you want to learn the truth of God, you know where to find it – in His Word. His Word is truth. If you want to know God’s will for you, you know where to find it – in His Word. His Word is truth.

What would happen to Lutheran Church-Canada if we lost the truth of God’s Word? Then we could join the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). They, as a synod, do not believe that God’s Word is truth. They say that the Bible contains human opinion, cultural limitation and bias, as well as contradictory views of God’s word, ways, and will. Thus the ELCIC teaches that you can reject the Triune God and still be saved; you don’t need to believe in creation as taught in Genesis; you don’t need to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead or that Jesus was actually born of a virgin; you can abort babies, practice homosexuality, and ordain women to be pastors. See, when God’s Word is not truth, you can invent your own truth.

There may well be Christians within the ELCIC, but the teaching of that church body is unscriptural. The teaching of that church body is Satanic. They do not teach God’s Word so they do not teach the truth.

Herein lies the problem then when a visitor from the ELCIC visits our congregation and why they cannot commune. Over the last few decades, their church body has completely forsaken the truth.

Today our confirmands will confess their faith. They will confess that they believe God’s Word is truth. They will confess that they believe in the one and only true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They will confess that what the Bible says about creation, Jesus’ birth and resurrection, abortion, homosexuality, women pastors, and any other matter is true because God’s Word is truth. Our confirmands will confess what we confess, what our church confesses, and what Scripture teaches: God’s Word is truth. And our church believes that until our children have been taught the truth and confessed that they believe it, they should not be communed so that they do not eat and drink judgment on themselves or sin against the body and blood of Christ (I Cor. 11:27-29). We want what is best for our children because we love them and don’t want any harm, especially spiritual harm, to come to them.

Should we not then out of Christian love show this same concern for our visitors as we do for our children? Should we not seek to avoid any spiritual harm from coming to them?

Since we cannot judge hearts and we cannot see into anyone’s heart to see what they believe, we must go by what they confess. For our confirmands, we will take their confession today to be the declaration of what they believe. Those who belong to the ELCIC confess their agreement with the teachings of that church through their membership in that church body. Their membership makes a confession of what they believe. Yes, it is true, not every member in the ELCIC believes the false teachings of that church. But by their membership in such a heterodox church body, they confess that they believe what that church body believes. Those who are in such a false church yet believe that God’s Word is truth should abandon that false church and openly confess the truth. Scripture requires that only those who confess the truth are communed at the Lord’s Table.

Yes, we practise closed communion. Sometimes what this means is misunderstood. Closed communion just means that communion is open to everyone who has been taught in the truth of what Scripture teaches and has confessed that they believe it. That doesn’t sound so cold and unloving, does it? That’s what we do for our own children because we love them and want what’s best for them. We are following God’s Word on the Lord’s Supper, because God’s Word is truth. We do not want to lose the truth of God’s Word.

Lest this sermon comes across as nothing more than bashing the ELCIC, I should say that’s really not the point. The point is to be a warning and example to us. A warning and example for us to take heed lest we fall (I Cor. 10:12); a warning and example for us to not fall away from the truth. The second we give up one iota of truth, we are heading into trouble. The second we start to say, “Yes, that’s what God’s Word says, but it’s going to hurt feelings so we won’t do it”, then we are heading into trouble.

For the most part, ELCIC congregations didn’t start out in full-blown heresy on day one. They didn’t start out with homosexual pastors – first came the appeal for tolerance. They didn’t start out with women pastors – first came women readers in the Divine Service. They didn’t start out denying the Trinity – first came the denial of the Word of God being the truth. We need to take heed lest we fall from the truth. We need to cling to the truth of God’s Word even in matters that hit close to home; even in matters that oppose the view of our culture. We need to cling to the truth of God’s Word even in matters that cause the world to hate us (Jn. 7:14).

Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32) Abiding in God’s Word is abiding in the truth, and the truth will set us free. We do not want to lose the truth, because the truth sets us free.

That’s what Jesus prays in today’s passage from the High Priestly prayer. Jesus prays for His disciples but He also prays for the entire Church throughout all time. He prays for us. He prays to God the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (v. 17) Jesus prays that we would be sanctified, that is, made holy; set apart for God in the truth; set apart for God in His Word.

This has already happened. Just as Jesus in His prayer says that the disciples were already given to Him by the Father (v. 6), that they already belong to God (v. 9), and that He has kept them in the Father’s name (v. 12), so we also already have been given to Jesus, already belong to Him, and are also kept in His name.

The truth of God’s Word has set us free. It has set us free from the lies of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. The truth of God’s Word has set us free from the punishment we deserve for our sins because in His Word He tells us that Jesus took our punishment in our place, suffering and dying on the cross for us. God’s Word is truth. It is God’s Word of truth that keeps us in the Father’s name. It is God’s Word of truth that has brought us to faith and keeps us in the faith.

What is truth? God’s Word is truth. And you have been sanctified, that is, made holy; set apart for God in the truth; set apart for God in His Word. And Jesus prays for you that you would be kept in the Father’s name through His Word of truth: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Fullness of Joy for Mothers

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Mother’s Day)

Dear mothers and children of mothers: grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mother’s Day has its origin over one hundred years ago. If it wouldn’t have been started back then, it is unlikely it would be started in modern times. Motherhood was valued and held in high esteem one hundred years ago; it was exalted and praised. Not so much today. Today, motherhood is despised and held in low esteem. Everything good and beautiful about motherhood is scorned. Through in vitro fertilization, children are produced in petri dishes. In daycares, children are raised by strangers instead of their mothers. In schools, children learn that they don’t even need a mother – having two dads is just fine. And to top it all off, 315 children in Canada are murdered in their mother’s wombs every day, just because they are an inconvenience to their mothers. A woman’s career is now deemed to be so important that children can legally be murdered just so that the mother can act like she is not a mother.

How backwards our society has become! For women, submitting to and being attentive to a man is praiseworthy so long as that man is your boss and not your husband. Caring for children is seen as commendable and admirable so long as the children are someone else’s, not your own. Motherhood is seen as being the opposite of success. It is in fact seen as a failure. It is scorned and despised.

Indeed, from external appearance it can be understood why this is so. Where is the success in submitting to a sinful husband who is unable to love you as Christ loved the Church? Where is the success in sacrificing for your children who are ungrateful and even unaware of most of what you do for them? Where is the success in the hours of thankless labour in housework, chauffeuring kids to hockey practice, and preparing meals? Where is the success in always putting others ahead of yourself? If the only success for mothers is being remembered on one lousy day of the year for what they have done, that’s not all that great of a success!

But what does God say about motherhood? Eve, although created before the fall into sin and thus the most beautiful, wise, and perfect woman, is not named by Adam for any of these attributes, but for the fact that she is the mother of all the living (Gen. 3:20). She is named for the fact that she is a mother.

Does God not hold motherhood to be the most honourable vocation for women? After all, Jesus was born of a woman, His mother Mary. He was not born of man. Joseph had nothing to do with Jesus’ conception as He was conceived through the Holy Spirit. Jesus had no earthly father even though Joseph stepped into the role of father for Him during His childhood. Yet God gave the Saviour to the world through a mother.

One of the points of contention during the Reformation was that motherhood as well as fatherhood were not considered honourable vocations by the Roman Catholic Church, but inferior even to manmade observances (cf. AC XXVI.8-11; LC.I.4.105-107). The Roman church invented all kinds of supposed good works for women: going on pilgrimages, taking vows of chastity, and joining a cloister and becoming a nun. These were thought to be superior to the God-ordained vocation of motherhood.

The Reformation, however, shed the light of God’s truth on motherhood. The Large Catechism says in the discussion of the Fourth Commandment, “God has given this walk of life, fatherhood and motherhood, a special position of honour, higher than that of any other walk of life under it” (LC.I.4.105). Yes, we have the command of God to love our neighbour, that is, everyone even our enemies. Yet, in the Fourth Commandment, God gives us the command to honour our fathers and our mothers.

This is true for both fathers and mothers, but today, since I am speaking specifically about mothers, I will say that God places mothers next to Himself by commanding we honour our mothers. “Honour includes not only love, but deference, humility, and modesty directed (so to speak) toward a majesty concealed within them. Honour requires us not only to address them affectionately and with high esteem, but above all to show by our actions, both of heart and body, that we respect them very highly, and that next to God we give them the very highest place. For anyone whom we are wholeheartedly to honour, we must truly regard as high and great.” (LC.I.4.107)

A mother is God’s representative to her children. That’s why God commands us to honour our mothers. This is true regardless of how lowly, feeble, poor, or eccentric they might be. They are not to be deprived of their honour because of their weaknesses or failings, because motherhood was instituted by God and He ordained that mothers are to be honoured (cf. LC.I.4.108).

Despite our failings to hold motherhood in high esteem or to honour our mothers as commanded by God, God sent His Son, born of a woman, to die for our sins. Jesus died for our sins against our mothers. He died for our sin of not honouring our mothers. He died for our excuses of pointing at our mothers’ failures as if that was reason to not honour them as God’s representatives.

But Jesus also died for mothers, including His own mother. He died for the failures of mothers to act as His representatives. Jesus died for the times mothers have neglected their children and for the times mothers have not raised their children according to God’s standards. Jesus died for every sinful thought that has despised motherhood and thought of motherhood as a failure. He died for our sins of not seeing motherhood as the most honourable vocation for women. Jesus died for mothers who have aborted their children.

Let’s face it: motherhood is not always easy. In fact, it’s almost never easy. Yet, even in the midst of difficulties and trials, mothers can have fullness of joy. Jesus says, “Abide in my love.” Our Gospel reading immediately follows last week’s where Jesus says He is the vine and we are the branches. So Jesus is exhorting us to remain in Him. Remain connected to Jesus, receiving His forgiveness and strength. That’s how mothers can have fullness of joy, even in the midst of the trials of motherhood. That’s how mothers can have fullness of joy despite their failures to live up to God’s expectations of motherhood. That’s how all of us can have fullness of joy as we receive forgiveness from God for our sins against our mothers.

Remain in Jesus’ love. Jesus is present in His Word, giving you His forgiveness. Jesus’ true body and blood are present in the Sacrament of the Altar, giving you His forgiveness and strengthening your faith. Jesus continually gives His love to you so that His joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Jesus continually gives His love to mothers so that they may have joy in their sins being forgiven. Jesus continually gives His love to all of us so that we may have joy in our sins being forgiven.

Even though society despises motherhood, God does not. God holds motherhood as good and beautiful; as the most honourable vocation for women. Jesus died to earn us forgiveness for the times we have shown scorn towards our mothers and motherhood. He died to earn forgiveness for mothers and the times they have despised their role as mothers. So abide in Jesus. He continually gives you forgiveness for all of your sins and strengthens you in your life. He continually gives you His forgiveness so that His joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

God’s Green Thumb

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter based on John 15:1-8

Dear branches in the true vine: grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Even if you don’t have much of a green thumb, you are probably familiar with some basic gardening techniques. If you are trying to grow a plant that has dead branches, you probably know that the best thing to do with those dead branches is to cut them off. A dead branch isn’t only unproductive in that no fruit will grow on it, but it is also harmful to the rest of the plant. It takes nutrients that would otherwise go to other branches in the plant. A branch that has died because of disease can spread the disease to the rest of the plant if it is not cut off quickly. We know cutting off dead branches is good for the plant.

I suppose we could say that God has a green thumb. If anyone has the affinity and skill to grow gardens and plants, it is God. This is as true for the vegetation of the world, as it is for His vineyard, the church. Why would we expect God to be any less ready to cut off dead branches in His vineyard than we would be in ours? Jesus says, “Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away”; He removes them; He cuts them off (v. 2). And cut off, the branch is thrown away and withers, thrown into the fire and burned (v. 6).

Before we are too ready to start thinking of those people we know that don’t come to church and think that those people are who Jesus is talking about, I say, “Not so fast!” Yes, it is true that those branches that are not connected to the vine and receiving the nutrients of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation here in the Divine Service have cut themselves off from Christ. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about. He’s talking about branches that are in Him, not disconnected from Him. He’s talking about branches that are in the vine; branches that are receiving the nutrients from the vine and yet are dead, producing no fruit.

Well, yikes, that’s scary, because that means Jesus is talking about me! If we start to look at the fruit in our lives, maybe from a distance we can convince ourselves we’ve got some good fruit. We might say, “Well, I’ve been faithful to my spouse. I work hard in my job. I teach my children Bible stories at home and I bring them to church. I give offerings at church.”

But if we look closer, we have to admit that we haven’t been so faithful to our spouse. We’ve had sinful thoughts. We’ve said sinful things. We’ve been selfish even when it comes to our spouse, to whom we have been joined by God as one flesh. And we haven’t worked quite as hard at our jobs as our hours might suggest due to the time we waste. We haven’t been as faithful in teaching our children about God as we should have been. We’ve given to God a little offering out of our excess, but nothing indicating that the work of the Gospel among us and around the world is important.

Upon inspection, we have to admit our fruit is not only pretty sparse, but also pretty rotten. We have to admit that we have not been bearing much fruit. We have to admit that God the Father, the vinedresser, would have the right to cut off any of us dead branches at any moment.

But before we harden our hearts and think that the pastor is wrong, our fruit must be good, or before we despair and think that God will cut us off and throw us into hell as we deserve, let us consider the whole picture.

What fruit does a branch produce? If I hand you a branch from a grape vine, what will grow on it? Absolutely nothing. You can water it all you like and give it as much sunshine as you like, but it will produce nothing. You can fertilize it and trim it, you can even sing to it, but it will produce no fruit. A branch alone can produce nothing.

So also we alone can bear no fruit. As Jesus Himself says, “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (v. 4). It is not the branch that produces the fruit, it is the vine. The branch cannot get nutrients in any other way than being connected to the vine. Thus, a branch needs to be in the vine to produce the fruit of the vine.

The Son of God came to earth, and took on our flesh. He always produced perfect fruit, from His conception to His ascension. He never had selfish fits of crying as a baby. He never disobeyed His mother as a boy. He never went through rebellious teenage years. He never slacked off at work or wasted time. He never neglected to teach everyone around Him. He gave everything, even His very life for us. Jesus didn’t get angry at God the Father in His suffering at the end of His life. He didn’t despair in death. He produced perfect fruit from start to finish.

Through Baptism we, dead branches, were grafted into Jesus, the vine. See, it has nothing to do with our fruit. It has to do with the fruit of the vine, the fruit of Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (v. 5) Whoever abides in Jesus bears much fruit. Abiding in Jesus, we bear much fruit because it is His fruit, not ours. Thus we will bear fruit. Thus we do bear fruit.

Jesus also says, “Every branch that does not bear fruit he cleanses, that it may bear more fruit” (v. 2 note ESV translates the Greek word as “prunes” but it is the same word that appears in v. 3 – already you are “clean”). Jesus cleanses us so that our bad fruit is forgiven and His good fruit is credited to us. Jesus continues by saying, “You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

The Word of God spoken to you in your Baptism means that you are already clean. The Word of absolution spoken to you again today means that you are already clean. The Word of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, “Take eat, this is my body; take drink, this is my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sins”; this word means that you are already clean. And this Word continues to nourish you and keep you in Jesus, the vine. This Word continues to nourish you and produce the good fruit of Jesus through you. It is this Word that can bring back even those who have cut themselves off from Christ, so that they might be grafted back in to the true vine to receive spiritual nourishment to eternal life.

Yes, on our own, we are dead branches. But in Christ, the true vine, we are alive and nourished. In the true vine, Jesus produces good fruit in us. In Jesus, all of His good fruit is credited to us, and the Father continues to cleanse us from our bad fruit so that we might bear more fruit.

We really must say God does have a green thumb since He takes dead branches like us and by grafting us into Jesus the true vine, produces a bounty of good fruit. God knows how to take care of His vineyard, and He nourishes and prunes us so that we will forever remain in Jesus, who is the true vine. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.