[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD SUNRISE 04 April 2010 "We Shall See God" Job 19:23-27; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; John 20:1-18 LSB Series C Vicar Jeffrey M. Dock Soli Deo Gloria!

In the name of Jesus + Amen

Christ is risen! There is a profound joy in speaking those words from this pulpit. For in doing so, I proclaim what Christ gave to His church to proclaim. Here is the testimony of the apostles and evangelists, the preached message of all Christian pastors from the time of Jesus up until the present day. Christ is risen! Sins have been forgiven, death itself is swallowed, and the Devil has lost his power. Christ is risen! The grave could not hold Him. Sin could not stick to Him. The Devil could no defeat Him. "O death, where is your sting?¹" Christ is risen!

In what form did He arise? Our readings today provide us an excellent opportunity to explore "the resurrection of the dead" which we confess we believe in every Sunday in the words of the Nicene Creed, and also the "resurrection of the body" which we confess in the Apostles' Creed. So let us look at the resurrection body in the simple chronological order of our readings, discovering what we can learn from Job's prophecy, Christ's appearance following His death, and Paul's sermon on the resurrected body.

Job got his wish. He starts off his famous speech saying "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in rock forever!" God answered his prayer. Ever since these words were penned they've been part of the scriptures of the church. They've been a customary reading at funerals, and have provided much comfort and peace to Christians facing death for thousands of years. Not everyone gets the same answer that Job did. As much as I might wish that this sermon be carved into rock and remembered by Christians for the rest of eternity, it probably isn't going to happen. I count myself lucky if you, my hearers, will even remember what I have said come the 10:30 service. But in Job's case, his beautiful testimony to the coming Messiah and the resurrection body he shall have is preserved for us. Job confesses what we confess every Sunday in the Creed. We know that our Redeemer lives, and that one day in our flesh we shall see God. With our own eyes, and not with those of another.

Listen to that statement. In our flesh. This flesh. This flesh you see before you. Your eyes that you use to watch me even know. Our bodies shall rise from the dead. Our flesh and blood shall see God. Whether you skin is the baby smooth skin of a newborn, or the wrinkled flesh of old age. Whether you're in good health, or your flesh has been torn apart by cancer and disease. Whether you're able to spring out of bed in the morning, or you wake up with the typical aches and pains of old age. The infirmities and condition don't matter. What does matter is that God created this flesh. He created it from nothing, and He treasures it. You who have been washed clean in the waters of Holy Baptism now dwell in a sanctified vessel of flesh. A holy relic treasured by God. And it will last forever. Even though it may become dust in the ground, still this very flesh you see before you, shall again live. That is God's promise to us. That is what Job prayed might be inscribed and spoken of forever. In our flesh we shall see God.

This is not a mere spiritual resurrection where we float around as ghosts. This is not some sort of hazy idea of Heaven where we're somehow different people. We shall be the same people. We shall be raised physically from the dead. God does not forsake His children, and that does not refer to just your souls. It refers to your body as well. Your physical earthly bodies will not be abandoned to the grave. God will shelter them even there, and they will rise again. In your flesh, you shall see God.

Now look to our Gospel reading. Christ rose again from the dead. This is reality. This is flesh and blood. Jesus died and then rose again. His body bled. He had no breath left. He was pierced with a spear and laid into a tomb. And then, He came back to life. Christ's only difference was that, because his body was sinless, He did not see corruption in the tomb. His flesh did not rot, did not smell, and did not turn to dust. All those things shall happen to our bodies though. Dirt we are, and to dirt we shall return. But our comfort is found in Jesus who rose again. He had walked every step of this life with us. He was conceived even as we are conceived, was born as we are born, thirsted as we thirst, mourned as we mourn, and died as we shall die. But this next step He walks ahead of us. He rises again from the dead, and promises that at the Last Day we shall follow Him. Jesus, who rose from the dead, promises that we His brothers and sisters shall rise as well.

In Christ is our sure and certain hope. Christ's death defeated sin, and His baptism united us with Himself. He is the Son of God who has made us heirs of God's kingdom and children of the Father, who is now Our Father. And the Father will not abandon His loved ones to death. He who raised Christ from the dead shall certainly also raise us. Christ is our guarantee of that. The head cannot rise and leave the body behind. Christ has been raised from the dead, and so also shall you be raised.

This is not always easy to believe. Often we are like Mary in the Gospel reading today. She turns around, sees Jesus standing before her, but does not recognize Him. Her eyes are blinded by sin and clouded with unbelief. But at Christ's words, Mary sees and understands. We who are walking darkness have seen a great light. We who are lost and confused hear the voice of Jesus and find our doubts relieved and our fears dispelled. We who are blind now see. Such is the power and mercy found only in the Son of God. Such was the sight given to us in Holy Baptism. Such is the faith which is strengthened when we hear God's word and feast on His flesh. His risen, perfect, ascended flesh offered freely at this altar. At the glorious feast to come, we shall stand in our flesh around the table of God and we shall see God. We who shall be without sin shall see God face to face, enjoying the Communion we were meant to have. A communion which starts here at this table where we are given a foretaste of the feast to come.

Does keeping your physical body scare you? It is true we are accustomed to this flesh, and probably can't imagine life without it. But do you really want it forever? We are all too aware of the frailties of this body. We know how much pain it is capable of feeling. We know its weaknesses and inability to always do what we desire of it. But hear the Word of God spoken by Paul in our epistle reading and take heart. "This perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality." The bodies we are used to shall be what we have in the Resurrection of the dead. But they shall be changed. What is now imperfect shall be perfected. What is weak shall be made strong.

Currently, our bodies are not perfect, for they are corrupt. They are soiled with sin. They are tempted by false pleasures and empty promises. But in the Resurrection, this shall no longer be. The sin which persists in our flesh on this earth shall be once and for all removed from us. The sinful world full of lies, pain, and misery which surrounds us shall be no more. In Baptism, your sins were forgiven, and you were taken from the world and placed safely into the ark that is Christ's church. At the Resurrection, you shall experience that more fully. What is believed and seen now by faith shall be there seen and felt in flesh. Sin shall be no more. Tears shall be wiped away. Your flesh and blood shall be perfect, imperishable, and immortal. This fallen corrupted world shall be replaced by the paradise that was intended. And then, with your perfect, imperishable, immortal eyes you shall see the perfect, imperishable, and immortal God.

We shall see God. Even after our skin is destroyed, in our flesh we shall see God. With our own eyes, and not those of another. For we know that our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, lives. And He promises that we shall live as well.

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

¹1 Cor 15:55b