3rd Sunday of Easter Sermon
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Amen. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Please pray with me. Father in Heaven, bless us today that in the hearing of Your Holy Word Christ might draw near to, and abide with us. May the Good News concerning Christ abide in us. Through this same holy Word, strengthen us in the truth that even now we are united with You and with each other through the gift of Your Spirit given in Baptism. Open our eyes to see the presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread, and draw us into that presence to receive the gifts offered through His promises: The forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
In our Gospel reading for today we take a jump back. On Resurrection Sunday we heard St. John’s account of the empty tomb. (Mary rising early to prepare the body of Christ after His Sabbath rest in the tomb…her shock at the sight of the stone rolled away…her report to the Peter and John…the two disciples’ race to the tomb…the confusion that resulted at the sight of the grave cloths lying there empty just like the tomb…then we heard of Mary’s return to the tomb and her encounter with the risen Lord…and finally her second report to the disciples that day, that Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Then last week we heard the continuation of St. John’s account of that day. When Christ appeared to several of the disciples standing there among them in the locked room…but Thomas was not there. And so John tells us of the following week (the second Sunday), eight days later, when Christ again came to the disciples behind locked doors and stood among them, this time with Thomas there as well. Jesus then told his disbelieving, and disheartened friend, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27) And the result? Thomas now also believed, that Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
But in our Gospel account today (from St. Luke the Evangelist) we jump back again – back to the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Luke reveals to us that after the women had gone to the tomb and returned the first time, and after Peter and John went to the tomb and did not see Christ, they returned to the locked room and reported what they had seen (or rather who they had not seen; namely, Jesus).
After this report, two of those who were gathered in that locked room decided to get out of Jerusalem (on a seven mile journey) to Emmaus. We don’t know if they had stayed around long enough to hear Mary’s second report. That she had in fact seen the Lord. That she had clung to him for a moment and worshiped at His feet. Perhaps they did hear this incredible news, but it is clear from Cleopas’s word in our Luke reading today that he was unconvinced. Cleopas and another disciple of Christ were on the road discussing (perhaps even arguing about) all these things while Christ drew near to them…He walked right up to them, but they were kept from recognizing Him. Cleopas freely admits that he had heard the first report of the women…the news of the angel’s. But he and the other men thought it was nonsense (an idle tale).
They didn’t believe the reports of these women who they knew. Moreover, they didn’t believe Jesus’ own words that He had told to them time, and time, and time again before all these things took place. But now on the road as Christ drew near, hidden and strange to them, He opened up the Scriptures. Beginning with Moses and all the prophets He showed them all that had to take place concerning Himself. And their hearts burned within them while they listed. This burning of the heart is the refining fire of the Holy Spirit. It is the result of the Father’s sanctifying Word truth turning hearts of stone into living faith-filled hearts. Christ was clearing the dross of doubt and disbelief from their hearts so that they too would have eyes to see, and mouths to proclaim that Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
As they approached their destination it seemed that Christ was going to continue on His way. But they pleaded with Him to stay with them, for it was toward evening and the day was far spent.” We echo these words in the opening lines of the service of Evening Prayer on page 243 of Lutheran Service Book:
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.
The light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening.
And the day is almost over.
Let Your light scatter the darkness.
And illumine Your Church.
Yes, we like those two weary travelers need to stay in the Light of God’s Word Concerning Christ, that Word that proclaims Christ crucified and risen for our forgiveness, and justification. For it is that Word and that Word alone that gives us faith in the one whose Blood has covered all our sins. It is that word that first gave us new birth and eternal life through the washing of the Holy Spirit. It is that Word that sustains us in this faith and burns within our hearts, sanctifying us and opening our eyes to the glorious truth that, Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
Jesus open their eyes at last. As He gathered with this pair, this small household of believers He revealed Himself (His true presence) to them as He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Sound familiar?
During this pandemic season, as the Church is physically scattered (each of us in our own homes), it has been difficult in many ways. Perhaps most difficult however, has been how all of this has caused us to wrestle with physical and spiritual issues in relation to the Holy Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper).
We teach in our Church that the Sacrament of the Altar is Christ’s true body and blood. We teach that in receiving this precious gift from the Lord through faith we receive exactly what He promises: Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We teach that we should not seek to come to the altar of the Lord, or invite others to receive it in an unworthy manner (that is, not discerning the body and blood of the Lord, or making little of the gifts we are offered there).
But along with all of these things we also teach that our reception of the Sacrament is a confession. In our reception of Holy Communion there is this mutual confession with and before one another, that Christ has died for our sins, and that Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! He died. He rose. He ascended, and He is reigning on His throne and He will come again in glory to raise us up and to judge the living and the dead.
This confession is at the heart of a struggle right now among our churches, on whether or not our members should be gathering privately with the pastor to receive the gifts Christ gives to us in the Sacrament. Some ask, “If this mutual confession within and among the Church is a key part of Holy Communion, then shouldn’t we refrain from receiving it until such a time as we can receive it all together?”
This is a good and important question to ask. As I have looked at the Scriptures and prayed over these things, I have become convinced that it is a good thing for those of us who can gather together for the Sacrament to do so.
In Matt 18:20 Jesus says to the disciples with regard to the forgiveness of sins and receiving blessings from the Father in Jesus’ name that “where two or three are gathered in [Christ] name, there [He is] among them.” Christ gave the mysteries of God to His Apostles and the Church, and has faithfully given the Church pastors for the administration of these gifts to the Church.
And what Mysteries: The right Teaching of the Word of forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Savior. And more than just head knowledge, the proclamation of God’s promised forgiveness through Christ to all who repent and who believe the good news. And so we are invited to hear the word of God that it might expose our sins, and lead us to confession, so that we might receive the free gift of God’s forgiveness for us on Christ’s account.
A second great mystery of the faith is Baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – this washing of water and the Word that Christ Himself has given to the Church – unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. It is a blessed gift through which God promises us His Holy Spirit, as we clearly heard St. Peter proclaim in our first reading today. Through it we have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the abiding word of God.
Which brings me to back to that room in Emmaus. “Stay with us” they said, or put another way, “Abide with us, Lord.” In the consecrated bread and wine Christ comes into our presence hidden. He gives to us His body in the bread, and His very blood in the Cup; the new Testament in His blood, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. When we receive it we have the presence of Christ hidden in our midst.
In that home in Emmaus those two disciples gathered together with Christ in their midst though He was hidden in plain sight. He made His presence known to them in the blessing and breaking of the bread. Our Churches’ pastors have been called into the ministry of revealing Christ, where and when His Church gathers, no matter how few or how many.
Calvary, during this pandemic I have been inviting (and will continue to invite) our members to come by appointment for small household services of Confession and Absolution, prayer and Holy Communion. Though we long for the day when we can do this again all together as one congregation, we know that in our celebration of the Eucharist, we are joined together. We are joined together in the proclamation we make whenever we eat this bread and drink this Cup, that Christ died for our sins and for the sins of many. We each proclaim this and we join in the mutual proclamation of all of the faithful in every place and in every time and even those at rest in the nearer presence of Christ, until He returns. Yes we are united in the faithful reception of the sacrament of the Altar, not only with one another, but with Christ Himself.
May we each be strengthened in our faith through the remembrance of our Baptism into Christ, through the Word proclaimed concerning Christ, through the confession of our sins and pronouncement of forgiveness in Christ’s name, and through the faithful reception of the body and blood of Christ, wherever and whenever we may receive Him; For Christ who died is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
Please pray with me.
Heavenly Father, the Emmaus disciples ran back and proclaimed that Jesus, who died, is indeed alive again. May we all recognize Christ in the bread and wine and faithfully proclaim Christ’s death upon the cross for our sake as well as His glorious resurrection, until the day of His return; for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.