Seventh Sunday of Easter

Seventh Sunday of Easter (B)

The Baptism of Paul Gerhardt Grahn

May 12, 2024

Text: John 17:11b-19

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!

            What petitions, what kinds of things do you pray for a child (or an adult for that matter) who has just been baptized?  What should we pray for little Paul Gerhardt?  And what petitions, what kinds of things do you pray for a catechumen, a confirmand, like Elsa, as she prepares to make her good confession of Christ next Sunday, and receive for the first time His saving body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar? 

            It seems to me we can’t do much better than the petitions Jesus prays for His disciples in our Holy Gospel, in what we call His “High Priestly Prayer.”  What does He pray?  First of all, “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11; ESV).  That is a prayer that our Father in heaven would keep the dear child in his or her Baptism.  Baptism is where we receive God’s Name, the Name given to, and revealed in, Jesus Christ the Son.  And what is that Name?  It is the Triune Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  “Keep them in Your Name,” that is, “keep them as Your Christians, Your children, keep them in the one true faith.  That they may be one, even as we are one,” that is, “keep them united to the holy Church, in communion with one another, even as through Holy Baptism You have brought them into the unity of the Holy Trinity.”  High stuff, that. 

            And now, the rest of the petitions flow from that.  “Keep them in Your Name.  Keep them in the Church.  Keep them as Your faithful Christians.”  Which is to say, “Guard them, lest they be lost, like that ‘son of destruction’ (that is, of course, Judas).  Fulfill my joy in in them (the joy of Christ, which is not that illusive happiness that so many wish for themselves and their children, whatever that is supposed to be, free from all pain and sorrow, but the deep joy of the Crucified, who is risen, a joy that permeates and perseveres in pain and sorrow, and redeems that pain and sorrow in light of the resurrection).  Keep them in Your Word.  In spite of the temptations and hatred of the world.  In fact, don’t take them out of the world, but grant that they proclaim Your Word in the world, and themselves be salt and light in the world.  Keep them for the sake of the world.  And keep them from the evil one.  From his temptations.  From his accusations.  From his murderous lies.  ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth’” (v. 17).  “Sanctify,” “consecrate,” they are from the same Greek word, “to set apart as holy,” being the idea.  Jesus says He consecrates Himself, sets Himself apart as holy, namely, by His sacrificial death for sinners, so that they, His Christians, you, may be sanctified, set apart as holy, in truth, which is to say, in His Word.  He sets His Christians, His Church, you, apart as holy, for the purpose of sending you into the world to confess Him.  And here, particularly, He sends His Apostles for this purpose, and the preachers who follow in their train.  So you might say, Jesus’ prayer is that the Father keep His Christians in the apostolic faith, under pastoral care. 

            Those are pretty good things for us to pray for little Paul, and for Elsa, and for all the children of our Church, and for one another, and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The prayer of Jesus informs the prayer of the Church.  Indeed, our prayer, for ourselves and for others, flows from Jesus’ prayer for us.  In fact, when you look through these petitions from the High Priestly Prayer, what are they but riffs on the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer?  Especially the first three petitions, that God’s Name be hallowed, His Kingdom come, His will be done.  And the last two, that we not be led into temptation, but that we be delivered from the evil one.  All addressed, not to some far distant deity, but to our Father.  “Holy Father, keep them,” Jesus prays.  All Christian prayer is bound up in the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.  That is a wonderful catechetical exercise you can undertake as part of your devotional life, your prayer life, and as you teach your children.  How do the things I’m asking for in prayer fit into the Lord’s Prayer?  Because, if they fit into the Lord’s Prayer, I know these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven.  He wants to hear them, and He will answer. 

            And what is His answer to Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, to the Lord’s Prayer?...  “Yes.”  What else could the Father possibly say to His own Son’s prayers?  “Yes.”  And so, to our prayers, too, prayed in Jesus’ Name.  But “Yes” in a way that is so much bigger than our petitions.  “Yes” in a way beyond our ability to comprehend, and so, “Yes” in a way that often appears to our finite, fallen minds as “No.”  But understand, it is as Paul writes to the Corinthians, “the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.  For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:19-20).

            Christ is God’s Yes.  And that is not just a nice sounding phrase (though it is very nice… very Lutheran-y, isn’t it?).  Think how the Father does the keeping of us in His Name (our Baptism, the faith), and in the unity of His Church.  He does it by the very voice of Jesus in His Word.  And the bodily presence of Jesus in His Supper.  Jesus prays for us, that the Father keep us, and the Father answers (“Yes”) by giving us Jesus.  Not just spiritually.  Not just in our hearts.  Audibly.  And bodily.  As present for and with you in Word and Sacrament, as you are present here with Him.  In fact, if you can imagine it, He is present more so, and more fully, than you are.  Because our glorified and ascended Lord fills all things

            Okay, but that’s not all… The Spirit is God’s Yes.  Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and our Holy Gospel this afternoon is pregnant with the Spirit.  As we are baptized into God’s Name, as we are kept and sanctified by His Word, as we receive Jesus in the Supper, what… or better, who… is the dynamic power accomplishing that?  The Spirit. The Spirit who inspired the Holy Scriptures and speaks to us in them.  The Spirit poured out on the Apostles that first Pentecost.  The Spirit poured out on us in our Baptism.  Because He is the Spirit who descended upon Jesus at His Baptism, and who abides with Him, and we are baptized into Jesus.  Where Jesus is, there is the Spirit of the Father, proceeding from Father and Son.  Here is Jesus, audibly and bodily present with us, still breathing His Spirit upon us and into us, the Lord and Giver of life (as we confess Him), breathing life into us, that we live in the very life of the risen Lord Jesus. 

            That’s how our Father answers when you pray for the newly baptized, the confirmands, and all your fellow Christians.  His answer is Christ.  His answer is the Spirit. 

            Now, this prayer is the privilege and responsibility of the whole Church of God, and of every Christian individually.  But it is the special privilege and responsibility of baptismal sponsors (or Godparents, as we often call them) who swear before God and His Church that they will do this very thing.  A number of you serve as Godparents in this congregation, and even if you don’t, you may someday, or you may have occasion to select Godparents for your own children, so, I’d like to say a word or two about this.

            It used to be that the Godparents were those to whom you entrusted the custody and raising of your children, should you die before they are grown.  There is undoubtedly great wisdom in that, because you want to entrust your children to people who share your confession of faith, and will raise them accordingly.  But, be that as it may, that isn’t what Godparents swear to during the baptismal rite, as you heard it today.  What do they promise?  First, that they will pray for their Godchildren faithfully (and I would suggest, even daily).  Sarah and I are up to 8 Godchildren (if I’m counting right), and that is something we take very seriously.  Pray for your Godchildren by name.  And look for Godparents who will do that for your children.  Second, Godparents swear that they will remind their Godchildren of the blessings of their Baptism, constantly encouraging them in repentance and faith.  You do that by your words, true, but also by your Christian example.  Your faithful attendance at Church and Bible Study, your love for Christ, your love for others.  Here, too, baptismal anniversary cards are a good idea, or even just random reminders, “Hey, remember, you are God’s own child, baptized into Christ.  Never forget that.  I was there.  I saw it.”  And third, they swear that they will make every effort to see that their Godchild is brought up in the Christian faith, catechized, and faithfully attending the Divine Service.  Place the Scriptures in the hands of your Godchild, and speak God’s Word into their ears.  Make sure they have a Catechism, and use it, and that when the time comes, they attend Catechism class.  There are some great resources for this at CPH, by the way.  May I recommend just two, especially for young kids: The Lutheran Story Bible, a beautifully illustrated volume with simplified, but Bible text, based on the ESV translation.  And then, a little set of books called Follow and Do, based on the six chief parts of the Catechism.  It’s really an illustrated Small Catechism.

            Now, I want to remind you all that, on several occasions, the congregation, as a whole, has answered as Godparents, so really, what I’m telling you applies to everyone here: Pray for the children of the Church.  Pray for all your fellow Christians of all ages.  As the Body of Christ, pray Christ’s prayer.  Speak God’s Word.  Remind.  Encourage.  Help our children to be here in worship.  Sunday School.  Catechism Class.  Pray.  God hears, and He answers.  He keeps us in His Name.  Christ.  The Holy Spirit.  God’s “Yes.” 

            Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.                           

The Ascension of Our Lord

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter (B)

May 5, 2024

Text: John 15:9-17

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!

            Our Lord Jesus Christ does not consider us mere servants.  He calls us friends.  Think of that.  The God of the universe, the Almighty Creator of all that is, the eternally begotten Son of our heavenly Father, calls you and me His friends.  He came for this very purpose, to make it so.  God came down, the eternal Son of the Father, born in time, to be one with us, flesh of our flesh, to suffer and die for us, for the forgiveness of our sins, who is risen and lives for us, that we may have life and friendship in Him.  That is the reality into which we are baptized.  No longer mere servants, but friends. 

            For a servant does not know what his Master is doing.  The servant simply follows orders.  The Master does not owe the servant an explanation, a rationale for the things He commands.  Often the servant has no understanding of the objective of his task, and in many cases, he has no personal interest in it, other than to keep his job.  He is simply to carry out his duties, no questions asked.  We may call ourselves servants of God, and that is certainly true.  But not in the sense of servile obligation.  We have a different motivation for our service.  And that is love for our Friend who has saved us and made us His own.  He has taken us into His confidence and companionship, and He has given us to share in the blessing of His success.  So His business is very much our business.  We know His business, and we get to participate in it, as His trusted and beloved confidants. 

            To be a friend of Jesus is not unlike the ancient office of “Friend of the King.”  That there is such an office is not to say that we have to pay someone to be the King’s buddy.  The “Friend of the King” is the King’s companion and counselor, his right-hand man.  He is the consigliere, the Secretary of State, the King’s closest advisor.  In the Bible, Hushai the Archite (you remember him, right?) served as David’s “Friend of the King” (1 Chron. 27:33), while Zabud (another beloved biblical hero… don’t you know him?) served in that capacity for King Solomon (1 Kings 4:5).  To be “Friend of the King” was a high honor.  The possessor of that office had the King’s ear, His love and absolute trust, and he shared in all the joy and blessings of the Kingdom.  But so also the possessor of that office loved the King and showed himself to be loyal and trustworthy, treating the King’s business as his own, even at great personal risk.  For example, when Absolom rebelled against his father David, Hushai became David’s spy, pretending to defect to Absolom’s camp, and passing on secrets (2 Sam. 15-17).  Imagine if he had been found out.  David had entrusted Hushai with his very life.  So… “Friend of the King.”

            Well, you are not simply the “Friend of the King.”  You are the Friend of Jesus!  You are the Friend of God.  And just think what that relationship means for who you are and what you do, for your very identity, and your mission, your purpose, in life.

            First of all, what does it mean that Jesus is your Friend?  It means that in love, He chose you for Himself.  By grace.  Not because you deserved it.  And not because you chose Him.  You did not choose Him.  He chose you (John 15:16).  (So much for “making a decision for Jesus.”)  Just as the King elects His own “Friend,” so Jesus elects you, He chooses you. 

            And then He brings about the reality by His agape love for you.  Agape love.  Jesus’ love is not just a sentimental feeling in His heart.  Agape is the self-giving, sacrificial love of the cross.  It is the love written in Jesus’ blood and death for sinners, for you.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (v. 13; ESV).  The amazing thing about the love of Christ, agape love, is that it does not love what is already loveable.  No, God’s love fashions its own object.  It looks upon what is unlovable, that which rejects all love, and loves it unto death, loves you unto death, fashioning you into the object of His love.  See, this is an acting love.  It does things.  It creates the new reality of this relationship, this friendship.  This love led Jesus to become your Substitute on the cross, to die for your sins.  This is the love in which Jesus is risen from the dead and lives for you, and rules all things for you from the right hand of the Father.  This is the love that keeps you close, so that you abide in Jesus, as a branch connected to the Vine.  And so His love flows into you, and through you, and out toward other objects of His love.  And so you share in the fulness of His joy.

            What does it mean that you are Jesus’ friend?  It means that you stay close to Him.  You abide in Him, and in His love.  Which is to say, you abide in His Word.  You are continually in His House, and at His Table.  You know how it works among friends.  He is ever in your home.  And you are ever in His.  You rejoice in the good things He puts before you, and you are confident in your position before Him, because you know that He chose you and He made it so by His love and death. 

            And so, for this reason, you keep His Commandments.  Not to gain position with Him.  (You already have that.  You are the Friend of the King!  That is your identity.)  But precisely because you are His friend.  Now, of course, this is not to say that you don’t sin, and for that, you constantly repent and ask forgiveness.  As you often must among all your friends.  But it deeply grieves you when you sin (doesn’t it?), because you know you’ve let Him down.  But then, you also know how friends are reconciled.  Confession.  Forgiveness.  And continuation of the relationship in love.  So, restored, you go on living according to His Commandments and doing what He gives you to do, because He loves you, and you love Him. 

            And for His sake, you love one another.  Because finally that is His Commandment.  Love.  Love for Him, the first and greatest Commandment.  And the second, like unto it... Love for your neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39).

            Now, this is not to say that Jesus commands warm and fuzzy feelings in your heart toward your neighbor.  He is giving you to love with His love, and that is to say, agape.  Well, what does that mean?  It means loving your neighbors, and especially your brothers and sisters in Christ, even when they are unlovable.  In fact, it means loving your enemies.  Seeking their good.  Forgiving their sins, being patient with their weaknesses, caring for them, even dying for them.  It is risking rejection, and when rejection comes, suffering it for them.  It is never to require them to earn your consideration.  It is utter self-giving… in Christ, who gave Himself for you.  It is wonderful when those you love are, in fact, lovable.  And that does happen.  Quite often, thank God.  In that case, the loving is much easier.  But Christ’s command is to follow Him, and do as He does, even, and especially, when it is hard, because that is who you are.  Jesus’ business is self-sacrificial love for sinners.  And as “Friend of the King,” that is your business, too.

            And, beloved, that is not just to sit back and love them in your heart, from afar.  That is not how Jesus loves.  Jesus loves you incarnationally.  He came… He comes… in the flesh, to you, and for you.  When you love your neighbor, you become the incarnational presence of Jesus for him.  That means getting your hands dirty.  It means contact.  Action.  Interaction.  For his good.  For his salvation.  Speaking to people.  Responding to people.  Conversation.  Hospitality.  Communion.  “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth,” St. John writes (1 John 3:18). 

            We live in such a virtual world.  Online.  Hands off.  Heads down, buried in screens.  For whatever good it may offer, social media has ruined us.  We don’t know how to be social anymore, really present for and with one another.  After Easter, we visited family in the Columbia Gorge, and went on a hike in the beautiful early spring weather.  So many people on the trail.  But as we walked along, not one of them… not one… would look us in the eye or respond to our greetings.  Not because they were being mean, but because people just don’t do that anymore.  Now, that seemed rather extreme to me.  But you know that is the trend.  What happens when you walk through Wal-Mart (talk about a soul-sucking place)?  Even walking in the neighborhood, I’d say only about 50% of people will interact for the fraction of a second it takes to acknowledge another’s presence and existence… to acknowledge, beloved, the Image of God before each one of us in the face of another human being. 

            Let it never be said of a Christian, that he will not acknowledge the Image of God.  Let it never be you.  Loving with the love of Jesus means many things.  Let me suggest it at least means this: When you see another divine-image-bearing human being, look at them.  Look them in the eye.  Look at them with the love of Jesus.  See Jesus in them.  And say hello.  Maybe that is all that will happen.  Maybe your greeting will be ignored, or rejected.  So be it.  Christ’s love is ignored and rejected continually.  Maybe it will lead to a handshake and a conversation.  Whatever the case, remember that you have been injected into the situation, by God, as the “Friend of the King” (there are no accidental meetings).  You are Christ’s ambassador wherever you go.  Don’t ignore anyone Christ wouldn’t ignore. 

            And now, especially among one another, among your fellow Christians, here, in this place, among those with whom you go to Communion…  As Friends of the King, Jesus calls you to be friends of one another.  Greet each another with Christian love and friendship.  Look one another in the eye.  Encourage each other.  Be for one another, with one another, really present, incarnationally present to each other.  Help one another.  Serve one another.  Sacrifice for one another.  Bear with one another.  Abide in Christ’s love, and so love one another.

            Finally, never underestimate the importance of prayer.  Prayer, too, is an incarnational reality.  In the Lord’s bodily presence, you speak (with your mouth and vocal chords) to Him as to a Friend.  He gives you to speak to Him about His business.  About His Kingdom.  About your needs.  About your neighbors, your brothers and sisters, and about their needs.  And he hears.  And He answers.  Always.  Because He loves you.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”  Such is the Savior’s love for you.  And that love has been vindicated.  For Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.