[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon THE THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER 26 April 2009 "I Am Alive!" Luke 24:36-49 LSB Series B Vicar Gerald D. Heinecke Soli Deo Gloria!

There are very few things in the world that bring more joy to a loved one's ears than to hear that someone who is in danger is alive and ok. One story is the surge in pirate attacks in Somalia, especially the number of ships captured and hostages taken.

One man, Captain Richard Philips, gave himself up so that his crew would not be taken. Once that had occurred it seemed as though the chances of him coming back alive were slim, but on Easter morning, Philips was dramatically rescued. This was confirmed when we immediately saw pictures of the Captain as well as when the family heard his voice.

In a similar way we learn about Christ's resurrection. As the Captain was in imminent danger of being killed we learn that Jesus was not just in imminent danger but was actually executed on the cross and placed in a tomb. Easter comes around and what happened? He wasn't there! There were reports of him being seen by the women, the Emmaus disciples, and even Peter, but confusion still abounds. What has happened to Jesus? He has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia!

This is what Jesus conveys as he appears to his disciples. Our text includes even more detail, As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them . . ."Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Every time I read a resurrection account I am amazed. It's because you cannot find a modern example of someone being resurrected who was clinically dead. The closest you come is CPR but even then the person who is brought back isn't resurrected, only resuscitated. Jesus was truly dead as was confirmed by the centurion in charge of the crucifixion. Yet here the disciples see Jesus. Jesus desires that they realize two things about him: that he is true God and also true man.

How is he true Man? Jesus says, "Touch me, look, open your eyes, I still have my flesh and my bones? I have the marks of the nails in my hands and feet. You still don't believe? I will eat something. A spirit cannot eat real food." The fact that Jesus is true man has important implications today. It tells us that he did not give up being a man after the resurrection. For all eternity he is true man. It tells us that we can partake of his true body and blood shed for us in the Lord's Supper. He is still the one who identified with all our weaknesses, yet was truly perfect, thus giving us the hope of eternal life on the last day, when we too will receive our eternal physical bodies.

How is he true God? Jesus was dead there's no getting around that. He was placed in a sealed tomb, and a Roman guard was put in place to insure no one would steal the body. Jesus rose from the dead. He is surely alive as he stands before them! We also see that Jesus is true God because he just appears before his disciples. Talk about freaking you out! If you saw a dead friend appear, right now you too would be startled and frightened!

Jesus exercises all his power as God. He shows that he is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He asks them, why are you troubled, why does doubt arise in your heart? What does this mean but to not believe in the precious work of God? They do not believe that Jesus is who he says he is. The Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This still throws so many people for a loop today.

How could Jesus take away all my sins? How are we not expected to do something to earn our salvation? How can Jesus give us this forgiveness without our decision to follow him? It is because he is true God. Our sin demands that they be atoned for. Peter's sermon in Acts 3 tells it true. God...glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate...you denied the Holy and Righteous one...you killed the Author of life. Your sins killed the Author of life.

Because this Author of Life is true God, the perfect sacrifice, he can do nothing but rise from the dead. He is the great I AM of Exodus and John. It is he who first spoke to Moses in the burning bush. Who spoke in what seemed to be riddles to the Jews. He shows them how I AM takes care of them: as the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, the true vine, and the resurrection and the life. Each time he shows a little more of who God is, and of what God has done for us. He is the great I AM and will never cease to be. I AM is ALIVE! God is alive!

Because Jesus is alive, you too can say, "I am alive!" Jesus declares victory over sin, death, and the power of hell. He can, and did, die for all of your sins because he is true God, begotten of the Father and became the perfect sacrifice for sins. His shed blood earns you salvation for the Father demands the life blood, not of animals but of man. All those animals that were sacrificed did not take away a single sin. They only prefigured what God would demand, a perfect sacrifice without any blemish of sin. You cannot even try to offer yourself up for sin because your imperfect stink of sin would be unacceptable.

No, it had to be Jesus. It had to be the Christ, and he had to be willing because we are not willing. At times we may willing to do something good. We may think we can decide to follow Jesus, but concupiscence always pulls us away. Thus it is God who comes to us through the waters of Holy Baptism, the spoken Word, and the grace given to us. It is just as Christ had to appear before his disciples.

He appears to them to absolve them of their sin of rejecting him. Yes, even the disciples rejected the notion that Jesus is God. They fled to a locked room scared that they were next to die. Christ comes to them, just as the Word comes to you now offering the absolution as Pastor lays before you every week. He says, "Peace to you!" just as the Holy Spirit offers you the forgiveness of sins through the Word and Sacraments.

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in you. He continuously makes you alive. It is why we are called upon to remember our baptism. You would have no forgiveness of sins if it was not first given to you in your baptism. And thus Jesus will send out his disciples, that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations. Forgiveness of sins is not found in what we do but in what God has done for us.

Jesus makes us alive because he is alive. It is why we see Jesus ate food and are told that the disciples touched and saw Jesus; so that you may believe that the work of Christ is completed! This newfound confidence given to them by Jesus is meant for us as well. How joyous it is to know that Jesus will always come to us! For if Jesus came back to the disciples who had all fled from him, you can be assured he will always send the Holy Spirit after you.

This is why we preach, because it is through the Word that you are made alive. Hearing that Jesus loves all people, and knowing that forgiveness is for all the nations we understand our vocation to continuously tell others about the work of Christ. When Jesus said forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed he meant continuously proclaim because that is the purpose of repentance. When the law brings about repentance forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed because that makes us alive.

Paul clearly understood what it meant for Jesus to be alive. Numerous times in his epistles he makes this clear. Romans 6, So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2, But God...even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. The best passage is Colossians 2, And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him (that is Christ), having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us...This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. A beautiful understanding that Paul has of our being made alive in Christ. All people are to rest assured in this promise of life and he repetitively states it to all these congregations.

Rest assured. Our Lord and Savior has risen from the dead. He has made know the fact that he is alive to his disciples. He did this through numerous appearances to many people, as many as 500 or more! Because he has risen from the dead we too will live forever. Our confidence in salvation is found in our baptism. It is here we learn that Jesus has given the power to the Holy Spirit to kill the Old Adam and make us alive in Christ. Our confidence in Christ allows us to proclaim, "I am alive!" and to tell others who has made us alive. Why do we rest secure knowing that we have been saved? Because, our Lord, Jesus Christ, is alive, and we have received and will continue to receive the confirmation of his victory through his gracious giving of the Word and Sacraments.