This Is What We Preach :: Luke 24:36-48

Then [Jesus] opened their minds for the purpose of understanding the Scriptures, and he said to them, ‘In this way, it is written: The Christ [was] to suffer and arise out of the dead on the third day, and upon his name, repentance and the forgiveness of sins [is] to be preached into all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are martyrs of these things (vv 46-48).

[Prayer]

Almighty God, you have called your church to witness that in Christ you have reconciled us to yourself. Grant that by your Holy Spirit, we may proclaim the good news of your salvation so that all who hear it may receive the gift of your salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

[Introduction]

In the name of Jesus ... Hallelujah! He is risen! ... 

There is no better way to celebrate Easter than proclaiming this Good News. And to think we get to proclaim this every Sunday because every Sunday is Easter. It doesn’t matter if the season is Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, or after Trinity ... every Sunday is Easter Sunday. This is why today is called the Third Sunday OF Easter. We are not in the season of Easter ... today is Easter. Sunday is the Day of Resurrection. This is the day the Lord has made. This is the day the Lord reveals that the new creation has begun. He called you here and gathered you here, to enlighten and sanctify you as we celebrate with him the eternal life he has created for us in the resurrection. 

If you attended our Easter Vigil, you were reminded that this celebration began in baptism, which proclaims we died with Christ and have been raised into the new life. This celebration continues whenever we eat his bread and drink his cup in the Supper, thus proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes again ... as he does every Sunday. His word shows us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given to us. Behold, he is always with you.

THIS IS WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US TO PREACH EVERY LORD’S DAY. 

I.

Two Sundays ago with the celebration of Easter, we began a series of sermons hyper-focused on this day, the Day of Resurrection and the Gospel it proclaims.

The first word we heard came from a young man on Easter Sunday wearing a white stole ... an angel ... a proclaimer of Good News. The word angel comes from the word for proclamation. The first recipients of that proclaimed Gospel were three women at the tomb where Jesus had been laid to rest for the Sabbath. Don’t be overwhelmed with wonder, the angel told them (Mk 16:6). He has been raised! ... In other words, He is risen! ... This is a present reality. Alas, they were overwhelmed by that Gospel. They fled from the tomb ... trembling and astonished, and they said nothing to no one (Mk 16:8) ... just like so many of us do, all too often. But it didn’t stop the Good News from sounding forth! Thus, we continue to preach. 

The second word we heard came last week when Jesus himself opened the minds of two of his disciples on the Way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35). He showed them ... just like he does for us ... how all the scriptures ... Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms ... were written to proclaim this Gospel ... the only Gospel ... and that it is necessary to do this. Faith comes through hearing this Gospel and knowing Jesus in the breaking of bread (24:35), learning ... like Luther that ... It’s not the eating and drinking that do great things, but the words written here: Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This is the Gospel. God uses his means of grace to kindle faith in such a way that we come to know this and feel compelled to rush back to Jerusalem, or Appleton City, to announce to everyone that ... Hallelujah! He is risen! ... And we have seen him. We know him.

And now today our celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ picks up right where we left off on Easter. Evening has come. And as they were discussing this [good news, Jesus himself] stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you! (v 36)

This is what we have been given to preach! 

II.

We do this because ... just like the disciples in the upper room on the evening of Easter Sunday ... again that would be today ... we too become terrified and full of fear that Jesus is here. 

How can that be, we ask ourselves. It’s not like we actually see him physically, is it?

Luke tells us that the disciples thought they were seeing a spirit (v 37). They were struggling to believe that Jesus actually would do what he told them at least three times in no uncertain terms ... that he would die on a cross ... be buried, and then ... rise from the dead on the third day ... and that this is the Gospel. They struggled to believe that when faced with the fire of hell like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God would deliver them, too (Dan 3:8-28). 

How can this be true, the unbelieving world around us continues to ask. Don’t you see how the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain (Ps 2:1). Where is this peace Jesus spoke of? Where is God? Don’t you see all the sickness and death around us? And how can God die? How can Jesus rise from the dead? How can God not require me to do something to receive salvation? 

So Jesus appeared in their midst, and he said to them, Why are you troubled? And for what reason do thoughts ... reasons or rationalizations ... arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet because I am he, Jesus said to the disciples. Touch me ... or maybe we should say investigate me with your tactile senses and hands ... and behold that a spirit does not have flesh and bones just as you see me having (vv 38-39). 

To prove the point, while the disciples were still disbelieving from the joy and being amazed, Jesus said to them: Do you have any food here? Then they gave him part of a broiled fish. And having taken it, he ate before them (vv 41-43).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Hallelujah! He is risen! ... He is your peace.

This is what we have been given to preach! 

III.

Then [Jesus] said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you [while] being with you: It is necessary to fulfill everything written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning me. Then he opened their minds for the purpose of understanding the Scriptures (vv 44-45).

And today, we are still doing the same thing. That’s because there’s only one Gospel (Gal 1:7) ... and it’s all about Jesus. Every Word. Every song. Every sacrament. All the time. Jesus was born without sin, and he lived without sin, so that he could crucify our sin. Jesus shed his blood for you and your sin. And because God is just and the justifier of the one who has faith, he raised Jesus, demonstrating that you will not die into eternity. You will live because he is Risen! 

We defect from the Gospel when we stop believing what it says ... that though we were dead in our sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1), Christ Jesus suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Pt 3:18). We defect from the Gospel when we stop believing that he actually crucified the passions of our flesh ... and carried the overwhelming desire of our flesh to the cross and died on the cross. We defect from the Gospel when we disbelieve that he is risen and we have new life! As Paul says, God who is rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead ... he made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with him (Eph 2:4-6). Yes, He is risen! The Victory’s Won. It is for you.

IV.

This is the Gospel that was preached to Adam and Eve in the Garden. This is the Gospel that was preached to Abraham on the mountain. This is the Gospel preached by Peter and Paul ... and then Luther and Walther. This is the same Gospel that was preached to your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. This is the only Gospel we have been given to preach, even when some people try to stop us and keep us from receiving the forgiveness of sins.

He gave you this victory in Holy Baptism, which preaches his death and resurrection ... cleansing us, washing us, rejuvenating us, giving us new life. Jesus gave you his victory by uniting himself with us in the Holy Supper ... coming to us, calling us, gathering us to feed us, nourishing our faith. Our Risen Savior and Lord presents the church to himself in glory so that she is holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27). And now you, his disciples, continue gathering to hear his word proclaimed and to receive his sacraments given. This is the Gospel we preach.

And because of it, as Peter teaches us, now we understand that ... Though we have not seen him, we love him. And even though we do not see him now, we believe in him and are filled with a glorious and inexpressible joy as we await the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls (1 Pt 1:8-9). This is what he has given us to preach to the ends of the earth ... even here some 6,600 miles from Jerusalem. 

[Conclusion]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, make it your goal from now on to receive this Good News in Word and Sacrament whenever it is proclaimed and administered. God desires that this Good News be preached everywhere at all times because repentance and the forgiveness of sins come through its proclamation. You, the people of God, are witnesses to this truth ... because ... Hallelujah! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! ... In Jesus’ name.