[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon ALL SAINTS'DAY 01 November 2009 "The One True Saint" Matthew 5:1-12 LSB Series B Vicar Jeffrey M. Dock Soli Deo Gloria!

All Saints' Day. A day to celebrate all the saints. Seems pretty obvious. Even if someone had never heard of the day, they could probably take a guess as to its purpose from just the name. All saints. So who are the saints? It depends on who you ask. An unbeliever (assuming they didn't immediately think of the NFL team) would probably say it's those people who've done really good things. Sold all their property and gave the money to the poor, or who devoted their lives to taking care of the sick, or some other really impressive good work. It's a title you earn, and hence the expression of thankfulness when some helps you "Oh, you're a saint!"

So what comes to your mind when you hear the word 'saint'? Perhaps you think of some of the more famous New Testament leaders, such as St. Paul or St. John. Or perhaps you think of really devout Christians who lived in centuries past. The people we think of almost always share two traits in common. One is that they lived a long time ago, and the other is that they were an exceptional example of the Christian faith. But then you have to face this peculiar biblical teaching that calls the people of God (all Christians) saints. Including you and me. Now how could that possibly be? We know ourselves and our own sins a little too well to really think that. Imagine yourself being enshrined in stained glass, or icons of you decorating a church after your death. This past Wednesday was St. Simon and St. Jude day. Not too long ago, we celebrated St. Michael's day. Are we really on the same level as they?

We're quick to answer no, but before we dismiss this as a gracious overstatement on the part of God, it might be helpful to look at what the word saint actually means. It simply means "holy one." A saint is someone who is holy. A saint is someone who is holy in God's sight. And that is what we are. That is what everyone who passes through the waters of Holy Baptism is. We're not holy because of something we've done, or some inherent goodness God saw in us. Instead, we're made holy. We're made holy because of God's perfect mercy, shown to us in His Son Jesus Christ.

His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy One of God¹. Jesus is the Holy One. To be a saint is to be holy, so it can rightly be said that Jesus is "The Saint of God." He is the only real saint. The only one who has earned the title, you might say. He is the One who lived a holy and sinless life, perfectly submitting to His Father's will. He is the one who suffered and died for our sins upon the cross. And in that suffering and death, something truly incredible happens. The Holy One of God ceases to be Holy. Indeed, Jesus becomes sin as he bears upon Himself the sins of all mankind. And we, who are not holy, are there made holy. We, who are not saints, are connected with Christ and through faith are called saints. Christ gives us His holiness (His sainthood), and takes in its place our sins. We are made Holy, that is, made into saints.

Think of how often you hear the word Holy. We are members of the Holy Christian Church. We are made members in Holy Baptism. We hear the words of the Holy Bible read to us. We receive forgiveness in Holy Absolution. We partake of Holy Communion. This isn't some adjective tacked on just because we wanted to make these things sound cool. It really means something. For the sake of Jesus Christ, you are made holy (made saints) and now partake of the holy things. You are all saints because you are all holy. God has said it, and it is true. There aren't multiple levels here. It's not like some are sort of holy and others are really holy. You either are a sinner or you are forgiven. You either are clothed in your own sins, or you wear Christ's robe of righteousness. You either do not believe or you believe. There is no ambiguous gray area. There is white and black, light and darkness, Saints and everyone else. And you are saints in God's eyes for the sake of His Son.

You are God's Church. You are members of Christ's body. You are the Holy Spirit's Temple². You are the work of the Holy Trinity who dwells within you. Other denominations often talk about relics, which are bones or possessions of the saints that contain great power. But forget them; you have no need of them. Your very flesh is a holy relic, washed and sanctified by God. You take into your mouths the eternal food that is the very body and blood of God. Angels surround you, guarding you and rejoicing in the good works you do. Those who see your good deeds give glory to your Father in Heaven³. When we confess in the Creed our belief in "One Holy Christian and Apostolic Church" we are confessing ourselves. For we are members of that One Church, made holy in Holy Baptism and set apart from the world. Saintly, orthodox, sanctified, evangelical, glorified, righteous, holy, and perfect.

That's a lot of adjectives to describe you. If you think all the good things that were just said about you are too good to be true, they probably are. From our own experience, we know that we are not as good as God says. We'd squirm in our seats if the apostle Paul wrote us an epistle addressed to "God's saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church." We are sinners. All those adjectives are gifts given freely to you. They are not yours by right. You haven't earned the gift of holiness. You haven't earned sainthood. Instead, all those adjectives perfectly describe Jesus. And He gives them to you, taking your sins. It's not a fair exchange, that's for sure. God doesn't get very much out of this. But God is love, and love is never self-serving. Love always desires to give, and that is what God does when He calls you a saint. He gives. He gives His Son into death. He gives His word. He gives His Spirit. He gives joy, peace, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord. He gives you holiness.

And he keeps you Holy. That's an important point, often overlooked. Too often Christians fall into the trap of seeing the Gospel as a one-time thing. You are forgiven at one point. You're made holy in God's sight. But then, it becomes up to you. Can you remain holy? Have you prayed enough? Can you do enough acts of charity? The holiness is a gift given once, but now we must maintain it. We must keep ourselves holy. But that is foolishness. We cannot do it. Left alone, we could not remain saints anymore than we could make ourselves saints in the first place. That's out of our reach. We drift away, doing things positively un-saintly. And God calls us back. He brings us to repentance that we might receive anew the gift of forgiveness. Christ is the one who makes us holy in the first place, and is the one who keeps us holy.

We struggle in our faith and belief, and so are called to the meal of the Saints. The Lord's Supper. There we partake of Jesus, the one true Saint who feed us with Himself. Moreover, here at the Lord's Supper we join in a banquet. A banquet needs guests. Who are these guests? They are not simply your fellow communicants here at Immanuel. It is bigger than that. It is not even all those Christians who will kneel at various altars throughout the world to receive the Lord's body and blood this Sunday. It is bigger than that. It is all the people of God. Every man, woman, and child called into God's kingdom. Every saint throughout all time. From St. Adam to St. David. From St. Isaac to St. Peter. From St. Luther to every one of your loved ones who has died in the faith. Here, at the Lord's Table- you are joined by every Christian who has ever lived or who ever will live. This is a feast of the saints. All saints. Angels, and archangels, and all the company of Heaven laud and magnify God's glorious name together with you today.

Here is your certainty of the salvation of all saints. Here in the Divine Service. The Lord, crucified for your sins, and raised again now feeds you with Himself. You join together in songs and prayers to God. And not just you alone, but all Christians. All the saints. The Lord has delivered His faithful ones from their troubles into His glorious presence. Too often we see Heaven as some sort of place, far away from us. But that is wrong. Heaven is being with Christ. And here Christ is, offering Himself to you for the forgiveness of sins. So here we join with all the company of Heaven in worship, joining with their voices and the angelic choirs in eternal praise to God. The way to be close to the saints who have gone before us is to be close to Christ, and to receive his life-giving body and blood. For the saints above in glory, and the saints below who struggle with sin and unbelief, are all united with the Son of God here at this altar.

Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." First and foremost, that is a description of Jesus. He who cried "I thirst⁴" upon the cross thirsted not for earthly water which would be sweated from Him. He thirsted for righteousness. Not righteousness for Himself, for He was the Saint who is perfectly righteous and holy. Instead He thirsted for righteousness on your behalf. And there upon the cross, He won it. He earned your salvation. And He was satisfied⁵. So righteousness is now given to you. You who hunger and thirst for righteousness are called to this altar. Here you eat and drink the medicine of immortality. Here you are united with Christ and to all the saints. Here you are made holy. Here you are satisfied, and Christ's words are fulfilled. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for here Christ feeds you and all the saints.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

¹ John 6:69
² Acts 20:28, Eph 5:30, 1 Cor 3:16
³ Matthew 5:16
⁴ John 19:28
⁵ Isaiah 53:11