St. Paul Lutheran Church
Sermon by Pastor Balogh

APR 27, 2008 - listen to this sermon in mp3!

John 14:19b Because I live, you also will live.

 The words of our text for today are so very important for us to grasp.
I say that because these words are indeed the heart and core of our
Christian faith.  What these words say are really the basis for what St.
Paul would later write in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter
15.  Paul would write under inspiration of the Holy Spirit and say, "If
Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your
faith.  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about
God."
 Now one would think that these powerful and clear words would be taken
to heart by the Christian community!  Not so!  I would venture to guess
that in today's world 6 or 7 of the ten major church bodies in the world
deny the actual physical resurrection of Jesus.  6 or 7 of the ten major
church bodies of the world allow their Seminary professors and Biblical
scholars to teach that "the resurrection of Jesus" was nothing more than
"spiritual symbolism."  In the book, Christian Dogmatics, a primary
textbook for a major Christian denomination the following is said of the
resurrection of Jesus.  Mythological symbolism contributed to the
interpretations of the event of the resurrection.  The question has
become acute in modern theology whether in the resurrection we are
dealing only with a myth or with a truly historical event.  Since we are
endowed neither with divine qualities nor with and immortal soul in the
Platonic or gnostic sense, meaningful existence beyond death must be a
resurrection of the dead.  This hope is expressed in the Apostle's Creed,
where we say that we believe "in the resurrection of the body."  This
does not mean a biological revivification, such as is found in the case
of the young man in the village of Nain or Lazarus.   Contrary to other
'resurrection' stories in the Bible, Jesus is not perceived as having
returned to this life.  His resurrection was not a resuscitation
indicating that in certain exceptional instances people can be returned
to their former state of life."
 If you paid attention to those words you clearly learn two things.  You
learn that this textbook does not teach an actual physical resurrection
of Jesus.  Such an interpretation they say, is nothing more than
"mythological symbolism".  The other thing you would have learned is that
to these people the idea of a resurrection is useless simply because they
do not believe that man has an immortal soul in the first place!  This
whole fact of denying the actual physical resurrection of Jesus is
widespread and accepted by many.  And this, despite what Paul wrote, that
if there is no resurrection your faith is futile and useless.  Only those
committed to unbelief would continue to attend such churches.
 The importance of the resurrection to our faith is clear.  Jesus makes
it clear.  He does this in the words that are before us.  Let's then
consider these words and their implication for our souls.  Our theme will
be: BECAUSE JESUS LIVES...  1st. His words are true.  2nd. The Counselor
will come.  3rd.  He will live with us.  4th. We will live!
 There is something very important to know when you contemplate these
words.  That something is the fact that Jesus spoke these words on the
night of Maundy Thursday while he was still in the Upper Room with the
disciples.  He is speaking to them of things they need to know.  For
instance, he has already warned Peter of his denial.  Judas has already
left in a huff because Jesus clearly identified him as the betrayer and
an unbeliever.  Starting in chapter 14, our chapter, Jesus begins to
offer his disciples words of comfort.  You know how this chapter starts
out.  It starts, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God;
trust also in me."  There is the heart of all that Jesus speaks of.
Trust! Trust in God and trust in Jesus.  We are to have that trust
because everything that God promises and everything that Jesus promises
are one and the same thing.  If you want the comfort of God, then simply
trust in God and His Son.
 Of course, there is the rub.  We are to trust in Jesus with the same
intensity, the same unwavering confidence that we have in God the Father.
 For that matter this idea is so important that Jesus goes on and
explains to his disciples that the way to the Father is Him.  Jesus even
tells them that to know Him is to know the Father.  Now remember, in this
whole discussion Jesus has also been telling his disciples that he is
going away.  Going to prepare a place for them.  He is, of course,
speaking of his coming crucifixion and death and the victory that will be
his through that terrible ordeal.
 You can fathom how the disciples reacted to this "I'm going away' news.
It saddened them.  That's when Jesus extends to them the promise of the
Holy Spirit or as he is called in our text, the promise of the Counselor.
 The Counselor will come and be with them.  The Counselor will lead them
into all truth.  The Counselor will cause Jesus to dwell in them.  Though
Jesus was going away, he was not going to leave them as orphans, alone
and afraid.  He was going to come and be with them in some unique ways.
Here is where our words come into play.
 The hinge to all that Jesus is saying, the foundation of this truth he
has revealed to them depends on one clear and absolute thing: BECAUSE I
LIVE...  Then notice the words of the next verse.  They say, "On that day
you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in
you."  What in the world is Jesus speaking of?  He is speaking of his
resurrection and the absolute facts his resurrection brings to life.
 The facts are simple.  Because Jesus lives, because Jesus comes back to
life the disciples can and will know that His Words are true.  It is only
then after the resurrection that the disciples begin to put the whole
puzzle together.  Judas had betrayed Jesus, just as he said.  Peter had
denied Jesus not only as he said but even within the time frame Jesus had
given.  On the third day, Jesus did rise from the dead, just as he said.
That means that He had gone to heaven to prepare a place for them.  That
means he had won the forgiveness of sins and eternal life for the world.
That means Satan is defeated and the gates of hell are slammed shut for
those who believe.  That means that everything Jesus has said, declared,
proclaimed and promised is fact.  True, absolute, unwavering, unchanging,
God filled fact.
 Facts?  Tell me those facts again.  Well, like our theme says, Because
Jesus lives we know his words are true.  Since God had promised the
Messiah would suffer, die and rise from the dead...and since Jesus did
just that He is the fulfillment of everything God's word promises.
Everything God's Word says is true.  Jesus is his Son.  Jesus was born of
a virgin.  Jesus is the very embodiment of God the Father himself.  God's
Word is true because He lives.
 Or consider the promise of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises that once he
lives, he will send to the disciples and all believers the Holy Spirit.
As I said before, the Holy Spirit will guide the church in God's truth.
The Holy Spirit will cause the very spirit of Jesus to dwell within us.
It's true, we are not left as orphans, Jesus is with us, living in us, an
intimate part of our lives of faith.  When Jesus ascended to heaven he
proclaimed, "I am with you always."  He is.  That's the job of the Holy
Spirit that Jesus sent exactly as he said.
 But do note what else Jesus said.  The world will not accept the
Counselor of God.  The world will consider Jesus and his promises, Jesus
and his redemption a crock, one big hoax played upon the world.  The
world we are told will hate Jesus and all that he stands for.  It doesn't
matter what the world says and thinks.  Jesus' words are true.  The Holy
Spirit is with us and has been ever since that wonderful day of
Pentecost.
 Still there is more.  Because Jesus lives he has promised that He lives
with us.  Here is one of the most comforting promises our Savior extends.
 We are not alone.  We are not in a position where we have to fend for
ourselves or wonder if God is taking care of us.  He is.  Listen to these
words of Jesus, "You will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in
me, and I am in you."  The end result of the resurrection of Jesus for
this life is revealed here.  In this life Jesus will be with us, in us,
we are told.  Jesus is that still small voice, in us, that guides our
way.  Jesus is the one in us who causes us to rejoice in the good and
feel shame in our sins.  Jesus strengthens and comforts, assures and
affirms our status as his dear children.  We know this all the more as we
keep the Word of God in our lives.  The better we know the Bible the more
assured we are of this truth of Jesus.
 But beware.  There are those who though an outward part of the church,
still believe Jesus dead and buried.  They have rejected his truth,
spurned his Spirit and cast aside his Word.  They are the hypocrites who
deny God's majesty and think they can do whatever they want and God will
just have to accept them!  No, Jesus makes it clear that the true
believer hears and obeys his commands.  The true believer is filled with
love for Jesus and it is clear that Jesus' love is in that person's life.
 Because Jesus lives, He lives in us.
 Then there is that final marvel of what God promises us in Jesus.  It is
the simple revelation of our text, "Because I live, you also will live."
Jesus died and came back to life, call it what you like, vivification,
resuscitation or reanimation, it doesn't matter.  What you need to know
is that Jesus actually and physically came back to life and because he
did, he then promises that the same will happen to us.  We may die in
this world, but it is not the end.  Jesus promises to take our eternal,
immortal soul to be with him in heaven.  And when the time is fully come,
Jesus on the great day of Judgment, will return to this world to bring
all the dead back to life.  Those who believe will be reunited with their
bodies to live with him forever in heaven and those who do not believe
will be reunited with their bodies to suffer eternally in hell.  We know
this is true because Jesus says it hinges on his resurrection, it hinges
on "Because I live..."
 Can you imagine then a Christian church that doesn't teach the physical
resurrection of Jesus?  They can't preach sin and salvation because there
is no Savior.  They can't preach eternal life and the wonders of heaven
because to them it is nothing more than a spiritual state, really, a lie
for you to believe in this world.  They can't even preach that God is
with you, because if Jesus doesn't live then it follows that we don't
live either.  What do they preach?  Well, if you pay attention you will
know they simply preach works.
 Not us!  We preach Christ crucified and risen for the redemption of our
souls.  Jesus has won eternal life and salvation.  Jesus dwells with us
and makes his home with us.  Jesus sends his Holy Spirit upon us to give
us the gift of faith and eternal life.  Jesus promises us that one day we
will physically and eternally live with Him in heaven.  All of this
because of this one simple truth that Jesus points to as the foundation
of it all: "Because I live you also will live."
 I pray that the wonder of the Savior and his resurrection be yours.
Amen.