Sermon Text 2025.02.23 — The resurrection body

February 23, 2025 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42

Dear Friends in Christ,

Louis XV, the king of France, ordered that no one should speak about death in his presence. He tried to avoid any visible sign or symbol or place that would remind him of the mortal nature of life in this world. Yet, the king could never escape this last great enemy. He died on May 10, 1774, at 3:15 a.m. Age 64.
Death is hard to ignore. God in the Scriptures doesn’t deny it or conceal it. We all die because we are sinners. Every human body will undergo decay in the grave. But the good news is that the curse and punishment has been removed through Jesus Christ. By His resurrection from the dead Christ has defeated sin, devil, hell, and death. The grave for the Christian becomes the gate to life eternal. We wonder what will that look like? Let’s answer that question as we examine . . . .
“THE RESURRECTION BODY”
A final resurrection is going to take place. Believers and unbelievers will be made alive on the Last Day. Believers will join their Savior and all the faithful in heaven. Unbelievers will be consigned to everlasting shame and contempt in hell.
Because as a Christian we live in our baptismal grace every day we can look forward to our own resurrection transformation on the Last Day.
The Apostle Paul was very good at rhetorical questions. He liked to pose a question, but then answer it. Paul asks, “Why am I in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day.” (v. 30-31) Paul is asking rhetorically, “Why would I risk my life for things I don’t truly believe in?”
I had an uncle growing up who knew how competitive I was. I still remember him telling me, “Every time you lose, a little part of you dies.” That has been true for me. But whether you feel that way about losing or not, you still see a little dying each day. Maybe your walk isn’t as brisk, your mind regresses, hair leaves your head but grows out of your ears, you remember being 25, but the movies, music, and TV shows shove off into the distance. At some point we all realize, this isn’t going to last forever.
Time in this world, that is. We do have a forever appointment with our resurrection body. Paul ever the questioner poses another one, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” The resurrection body is the same but different. The Lord who created our physical bodies will give us spiritual bodies. Our bodies in their present state or condition will be changed instantly. We will no longer have bodies full of lusts, no longer sinful, no longer limited by hunger, thirst, pain, losing, or mortality. We will have resurrection bodies free from the debilitating effects of our sin.
Imagine experiencing this by God’s grace. Stepping onto a shore and finding it heaven…taking hold of a hand and finding it Christ’s hand…breathing new air and finding it celestial air…passing from a storm to unbroken calm…waking up and finding it….home!
The first time she saw a dead child, Corrie ten Boom began to worry about her own death and the death of her loved ones. She thought, “What if I am persecuted and must suffer?” She went to her father with her fears. He asked her a question: “When do I give you the ticket when you take the train from Haarlem to Amsterdam? Three weeks ahead of time?” “Why, no,” Corrie replied. “You give me the ticket the day I need it.” “Right,” said her father. “That’s exactly what God does. Today you don’t need the strength to be brave if someone dies or you are persecuted. But when the time comes, the Lord will give you the ticket right on time.”
Fearing death may cause us to ignore it. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (Jn. 11:25). We can place our hand in Christ’s nail-scarred hand and face death with peace and confidence. As baptized believers, we have the ticket. We live in Jesus now with a foretaste of the feast to come. By God’s grace in Christ we anticipate our resurrection body.
Amen.

Sermon Text 2025.02.16 — More blessing or woe?

February 16, 2025 Text: Luke 6:17-26

Dear Friends in Christ,

Charles Schultz was the syndicated cartoonist who delighted millions with his Peanuts comic strip. He wrote a book entitled, “Happiness Is . . . “ For Linus, “Happiness is…a warm blanket”; for Snoopy, “Happiness is…a full dish of food.” How would you answer that question, “Happiness is….?”
In our Gospel for today Jesus speaks about being “blessed” or “happy.” But it looks a little different than how the world defines “happy.” The blessings of which Jesus speaks are centered in the cross and open tomb and a life of cross bearing for His sake. Let’s take a few minutes this morning to ponder what makes us happy and what challenges us. In your life do you have . . . .
“MORE BLESSING OR WOE?”
The beginning of our text shows large crowds coming to Jesus to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. Luke even says, “power came out from him and healed them all.” Now that would be a blessing.
This winter of 2025 has been full of sickness. Most of us have been touched with something. When you are sick and feel crappy, it is hard to remember when you felt well. But eventually you start feeling better and you thank God for his healing. So, we can relate to these crowds. They want to be near Jesus because he has given them a great gift – their health. Both physically and mentally. With this captive audience before Him, ready to listen to Him because of what He has just done, He shares his Word with the crowd.
Jesus starts on the positive side – blessings. But telling us we are blessed because we are poor? Ah, Jesus, are you sure you know what you are talking about? He does. We are poor in spirit. We see the need for a Savior. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.”
The next one – hunger. Again, how can this positive? Stomach growling. Body weak. But the followers of Jesus hunger for the bread of life and thirst for the living water of salvation. We look in faith to the Christ who hungered and thirsted for us and for our salvation. Jesus fills us with Word and Sacrament.
We are blessed if we weep now, because we shall laugh. I think we all understand this one pretty good. We have our moments of crying, but our moments of laughter are greater. Christ “will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 21:4). Christ gives us so much to be joyous about. Laughter is great for physical health and mental health. Smile, the Lord loves you.
The last blessing can again cause some confusion. Who wants to be hated and reviled and excluded? But we are to rejoice and leap for joy. Our reward is eternal. Our blessing is heaven. Perfection forever and ever. No more struggle or hunger or weeping.
The woes can stop us in our tracks. How do you get a horse to stop? Whoa! Spelled differently but the same concept. The woes are God’s reminder that He condemns those who live for today, neglecting the ways of our Lord and the care of His people. When pride and self-interest allure you, turn to the Lord in repentance. Daily He provides for all your needs and forgives you by grace.
I pray you have more blessing than woe in your life. Today is that wonderful reminder that because of faith in Jesus as Savior, salvation and forgiveness our yours. “Happiness Is….?” You can complete the sentence now . . . right?
Amen.