κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

If you’ve been the recipient of one of my home visits, especially in the last couple of years, you undoubtedly have heard my favorite way to say goodbye. I hope to see you sooner rather than later. I love sharing the Gospel with you and administering the Sacraments: The sooner the better. I always pray your grief will become joy ... sooner rather than later. Sadly, death often gets in the way. Then it becomes later rather than sooner. Death always shocks us. It always comes at the most surprising time. We always want it to be later. Even when we can see that it’s imminent, it always comes as a surprise.  So we cry ...  COME, LORD JESUS, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, BRINGING JOY AND PEACE! This is the theme of our Gospel reading for this Fourth Sunday of Easter.  I. Even though Jesus had told his disciples three times that his death was coming sooner rather than later, they thought for sure that it would be much later, rather than so soon.  They didn’t understand who he...

[Jesus said,] I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sake of the sheep. ... And so he did. And now he’s risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! This is not only the definition of what it takes to be a Good Shepherd, it is literally the very definition and proof of what it means to be good ... period. His work is so very good, it is perfect. His work is complete. His work is heavenly and beautiful. His work fulfills all the purposes of God. He alone does what is good ... delivering to you your salvation on his account. JESUS ALONE IS GOOD BECAUSE HE LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOUR SAKE. This is our theme.  When we mention the Good Shepherd, I imagine most of us instantly recall from memory an image of a lamb resting on his shoulders, or like our bulletin cover today, a lamb cradled in his  arms. These images of the Good Shepherd are some of the most beloved in the world.  And what a beautiful image it is! ... It is an enduring image ... Warm ... Co...

Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them: Peace to you. And when he said this, he showed [his] hands and [his] side. Then, the disciples rejoiced (vv 19b-20a). I hear the same answer all too often. When asked, “What’s the Gospel?” ... too many of us will respond by saying simply, “Jesus died for me.” To which I am compelled to respond, “What’s good about that?  Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus isn’t dead!  BELIEVE THE GOSPEL! HE’S RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED! HALLELUJAH! THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD. While it’s true and extremely important that you know that Jesus died on the cross for you, sacrificing himself for not just your sins but for those of the entire world, it is equally important to remember and to proclaim that he is risen! As Saint Paul reminds us, For I gave to you in priority what I also received, that Christ died on behalf of our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third da...

So departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to announce [this] to his disciples ... Stop being afraid! I know you seek Jesus, who was crucified. ... But he was raised, just as he said. We’ve seen the empty tomb! We’ve seen our risen Lord! Stop being afraid! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! This is the message of Easter!  There is now nothing to fear!  You have been absolved of your sin on account of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... You who are baptized have been united in the death and resurrection of Jesus ... You who confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved. ... You who wait to celebrate his death and resurrection that brings the forgiveness of sins in the Lord’s Supper ... there is nothing to fear. Our Lord Jesus has broken the bonds of sin and death. He has risen to new life. He has fulfilled the promises of God. He has defeated t...

All these things you’ve heard are laid to rest because he who suffered and died on a cross has been laid to rest. All of this Scripture and so much more has been fulfilled. The Lord who rested after making the heavens and the earth, now rests from his work of redemption. The Lord has remembered his covenant. He has washed away the sin we brought upon creation. The Lord has blessed us all: Delivering his people ... you ... from the bondage of sin and death for the purpose of leading you into the Promised Land. He has accomplished salvation for you by being crucified on the Tree of Death, the cross, for the sins of the world. He has sprinkled clean water upon you, and given you a new heart and a new spirit, and now he is gathering us together to restore the fortunes he has prepared for you. Tonight we are seeing the end of death and the beginning of new life. For I know that my Redeemer lives. He has brought all of us through the fire and is granting us protection to boldly confess his h...

Virtually every word Jesus spoke from the cross was a Word on behalf of someone else. He thought of others first. He looked at his persecutors first and asked for their forgiveness first. He looked at the criminal to his right and gave him the promise of salvation. He looked at his mother and gave her a son. As he lived, so he died ... pleading, promising, giving. But there was one word in particular from the cross in which Jesus turned in upon himself. After hanging on the cross for hours, dripping in blood, gasping for air, he looked up into the blackened sky and uttered his bitter lament, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Mt 27:46)?  4. Who can describe this God-forsakenness? We like to think we know what it means to be God forsaken. We describe places like the Mojave Desert as such a place. But we can only imagine what it really means. We certainly can’t imagine what it must have been like for God’s only begotten son, the beloved one. We can only imagine the pain and...