Archive for the ‘Resurrection’ Category

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Genesis 17:1

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

This was the confirmation verse (a verse given specially at the time when He publicly confessed his faith in Christ) for the first man at whose funeral I officiated today.

God speaks to Abram and says:

“I Am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.”

Most translations use the word “blameless” here.  The original Hebrew literally means “complete,” or “whole.”  Elsewhere in the OT this word is translated as “with out blemish” and even “perfect.”

We often read this as a command.  The God who creates this covenant with Abram declares his just requirement of those who would be his:  Be whole. Be complete. Be without blemish. Be Perfect.  This is God’s demand.  That we would be perfect in love for him and for one another.  But who among us (let alone Abram!) has done this?

The original language does leave room for this to be a promise–not merely a command.  “Walk before me and you will be: complete, whole, without blemish, perfect.”  How wonderful. How true.

For there is one (and ONLY one) who has truly been totally whole, complete, without blemish and perfect: Jesus, the spotless “lamb of God.”  This Jesus lived a perfect life on our behalf.  His own righteousness, his own perfection is credited to our account as we trust in him.  And our wicked thoughts, words and actions are given over to him wholly (along with the deserved punishment for these acts) through his death on the cross.

The end result is that all who trust in Jesus are counted whole, complete, without blemish and even perfect in the sight of God on behalf of Jesus. wow.

Not only that, but Jesus has promised to one day return and raise our bodies from the ground making them gloriously new. On THAT day–we will experience, not merely by faith, but by sight our own wholeness, completion and perfection in Him.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Posted in Death and Resurrection, Perfection Of Christ, Resurrection, Trust, forgiveness | No Comments »

And Then There Were Three

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

I can’t recall ever having three funerals in one week–nor five within a month’s time.  But that’s what I’ve got.  Two more this Friday.  I appreciate these opportunities, actually.  At a funeral, people are confronted with the reality of death and I have the opportunity to point them to Jesus as the only answer, the only hope that we really have in this world.  Life is short–even if lived fully as our current ages would recon–in the span of eternity.  We need the forgiveness and life that only Jesus brings.

Posted in Being A Pastor, Death and Resurrection, Jesus, Resurrection | No Comments »

Funeral

Monday, July 19th, 2010

We have a funeral this morning for a dear woman of our congregation.  While there is obvious sorrow at such times, we do not grieve without hope. (see 1 Thess. 4:13)  No.  We have great hope.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life.  (see John 11)  We cling to Jesus who will raise up even our mortal bodies and make them like his glorious body.  (see Philippians 3:21)

After the service, after the luncheon, there will be the committal of her remains to their resting place with these words:

“We now commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body, by he power that enables him to subdue all things to himself.

May God the Father, who created this body, may God the + Son who by his blood redeemed this body, may God the Holy Spirit who by Holy Baptism sanctified this body to be his temple, keep these remains to the day of the resurrection of all flesh. Amen.”

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Because He Rose….

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

….We have the assurance that our sins are forgiven.   The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that God, the Father accepted as sufficient, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins.  Jesus was raised for our justification. (Romans 4:25).  That it would be apparent to all that we have been “declared righteous” in the sight of God for the sake of Jesus who gave His life for us.

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Because Jesus Rose From the Dead….

Friday, April 16th, 2010

We know that He is who He says He is.  That is, He is the very Son of God.  He is the Messiah of Israel.  His rising from the dead proves that His claims were true.

Romans 1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God– 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Because Jesus Rose From the Dead….

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

We learn that Jesus’ Word is true and that He is trustworthy.

In Matthew 16, (and many other places) Jesus told His disciples what would happen in the future:

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

The Resurrection validated Jesus’ prophetic voice (see Deuteronomy 18:15-22).  It proved that He really is “the Resurrection and the Life” as he proclaimed to Martha. (See John 11:25-26)  His Word is true.  He is worthy of our trust.

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“Because Jesus Actually Rose From the Dead….”

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

What does it really mean that Jesus walked out of that grave alive?    People came up with a lot of applications on Sunday.  During the week, I’ll attempt to add them here.  I’ll add the first one tonight.

Posted in Expanding On the Sermon, Resurrection | No Comments »

An Open Note to Cancer

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Dear Cancer,

You are evil.  Yes.  You are a wretched result of humanity’s rebellion against its Creator, but you are still evil.  I hate the suffering you cause, the fear you try to stir up, and the division of families you hope to accomplish.  But your reign of terror will end.  You will NOT have the last word.

For at the return of their Lord Christ, they will rise.  These bodies that you torment and ravage will rise again, gloriously restored to an even better condition than when you first assaulted them.  Your days are numbered.  You WILL be destroyed.

Posted in Resurrection, The End Times, The Third Article, Trial and Temptation | No Comments »

Funeral and Committal

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

We were in Upper New York State yesterday for the funeral of my wife’s grandmother.  We’ll miss her much, but we are confident that she is now “at home with the Lord.” (see 2 Corinthians 5:8)  I appreciate funerals for those who trust in Christ–even loved ones.  I appreciate that reminder of my own frailty, my own mortality.  And I appreciate the repetition of the promises that we cling to in hope and trust, the promises of the Resurrection to eternal life because of Jesus, who himself is the “resurrection and the life.” (see John 11:25ff.)

My favorite part includes the following words spoken at the graveside committal:

“We now commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subdue all things to himself.

May God the Father, who created this body, may God the Son, who by his blood redeemed this body, may God the Holy Spirit, who by Baptism sanctified this body to be his temple, keep these remains to the day of the resurrection of all flesh.”

Such confidence, such hope in the face of our common enemy: death.

Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

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Our Weakness In the Face of Death

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Here’s another great passage from “The Cancer Ward:”

“Her ties in life, which had seemed so strong and permanent, were loosening and breaking, all in a space of hours rather than days.  In the clinic and at home she was unique and irreplaceable.  Now she was being replaced.  We are so attached to the earth, and yet we are incapable of holding onto it.”

Wow.  This speaks powerfully of our mortality.  Of our smallness in the face of that which is so much stronger than are we: death itself.  There is nothing in and of ourselves that can stop the hand of death. Nothing.

But thanks be to God!  There is One who is stronger than death, the Lord Jesus Christ who himself came back to life and promises to us that we too shall live again.

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