St Peters Lutheran Church Port Macquarie

Fifth Sunday of Easter

:John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, so that you should love one another as I have loved you so that you love one another.

What defines you? Who are we? What should we do? You might be asking these questions as you look back at what this congregation once was and look forward with the knowledge that things are changing, even faster. Looking to the past we’ll also remember Resurrection Sunday that great celebration of the church year, and forward to Pentecost the birth of the church; 50 days between the two. I wonder, 2000years ago, what was going through the heads of those eleven disciples, we’ve heard their meetings with Jesus the two weeks after His resurrection, but now they’re waiting for something to happen, the coming of the Holy Spirit in power. Who are these eleven bludgers, what were they doing while they waited back in Jerusalem?

I don’t know but I’d guess that they were probably thinking a lot about what had happened those last three years with Jesus, and on that Holy Week, the resurrection, the death, and that last meal with His disciples, what He had said and what He had commanded, our text for today. He said many things that last night according to John, they cover from the end of chapter 12 through to His prayer in chapter 17 and arrest in chapter 18. That’s 4 chapters of conversation and teaching in one sitting, I don’t know many people who’ve done that. Through those words Jesus is preparing the disciples for what will follow, His glorification, the fulfilment of God’s great promises, forgiveness, reconciliation, renewal, and life everlasting. The glory of God in the crucifixion and the glory of Jesus in the resurrection! To God be the glory! And thank God! Jesus gave His entire life for you and me, for the disciples and all people; for our forgiveness and salvation. Better to save you than go on living, that was how Jesus loved you. And since His resurrection and ascension continues to love you, to live for your benefit.

And so, as He said on that last night, I’ll send a helper the Holy Spirit to be with you. And also He said, I live in you and you in me, together with the Father; the whole trinity in you and you in God. Together. But also, when Judas left to gather the mob, Jesus knew His death was soon and told the disciples what He had told others, where I am going you cannot come, yet. And where was He going? Peter found Him in the temple courts, John at the cross, Nicodemus in the grave site, but no one came with Him into new resurrected life, that death has no power over; at least not yet. He was glorified when He took on all our sin and it’s consequences, forgiving us and cleansing us by His blood; the Father was glorified in the fulfilment of His promises; And the Father glorified the Son, raising Him from the dead to new everlasting life. The disciples didn’t realise what Jesus was saying at the time, that last supper, I’m sure a painfully confusing time, ‘that’s wine Jesus, not blood, you don’t look like a vine.’ Confusing before His resurrection, but after and in light of it, Jesus helped them understand all He had said, that He is God and man, and He can remove all your sin, giving you peace, joy and life everlasting. This is true, but still the disciples after this explanation were told to sit and wait before they could tell anyone. So what were they defined by? Their confusion? Their waiting? Is that what defines Christians? Or as Jesus said, bringing something new, so that they are know by their love for each other. Love that finds it’s origin in Christ Jesus.

No other order or task could they do at this time, but Jesus’ glorification, His death and resurrection, forgiveness and life giving, meant that the disciples could do the same for each other, as Jesus first loved so that you love. Jesus in His death and resurrection has reconciled you to the one you have betrayed and ignored many times in your life, God Almighty, your creator. How often we forget Him, what He has done for us, giving us life, food, friends, family and all the rest; ignoring that and going our own way, at times not even loving and caring for ourself. This is our sin, our betrayal; but He doesn’t return the favour, He so loved all the world, even those traitorous humans, even you; so loved that He gave His only Son to reconcile us to Himself, to make things good again, to forgive and bring life and peace. And because you and I have that peace with God Almighty, we can have that peace and love for each other. God has forgiven you, He has given His whole life to forgive you; That is love; and He has done the same for every Christian so why would you hold anything against them? This is the one thing that the disciples could do while they waited, all the other commands to go into the world, teach, baptise, spread this wonderful news, they had to wait, but not this one. Love one another as I have loved you so that you love one another. This is what defined the disciples, they were reconciled to God and to each other, they thought of each other as more important than themselves, cared and forgave, in this new life they had in Jesus. And you too have this new life, one of peace, of joy, of love, to God and each other. So live!

And the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Joseph Graham.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Text:

John 27-28

“Hear Know Follow”

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give

them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch

them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28 ESV)

To hear, to know, to follow! These three little verbs sum up God’s interaction

with each of us in one succinct little statement. If we ask ourselves, “What is

my purpose in this life? Why did God put me here in this body, in this place?”

The answer simply comes back, “hear and follow”!

However, humanity has gone and become confused in the chaos of this

world. No longer is the simple call to hear, suffice. We have immersed

ourselves in the complexities of ourselves and what’s seen around us. And in

all the questions and searching we lose ourselves.

So what is the purpose of living? With all the science and technology, with all

the advances in medicine and health, with the ever increasing knowledge of humanity’s social interaction and the plight of peoples around the world, why is it that we are further from a satisfactory answer than ever before? Why is our society more depressed and hopeless knowing the very things that are

meant to get us into the secrets of our social fabric; the meaning of life?

Last week’s Gospel reading recounts Peter’s reinstatement where Jesus asks

him three times if he loves him to, “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my

sheep.” And here the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world,

takes away the sins of Peter, and now raised to life as the glorified Shepherd

in victory over sin death and the devil, appoints Peter as the first under-shepherd, the first pastor, to feed his lambs.

Now lambs are helpless little creatures. They sit at the bottom of a merciless

food chain, potential victims of foxes, eagles, crows, and other carnivorous

characters. They’re also victims of themselves it seems. My grandfather often

use to say after seeing a sheep flop down and sulk to death, “they die for

practise”! And anyone who’s ever tried to yard weaner lambs will see just how

frustrating it must be for God who seeks to keep us safe in his fold.

Yet the secret of our salvation is really no secret at all. It just we’re so much

like a sullen sulking sheep most of the time, we don’t realise the Shepherd of

our souls seeks us. But listening to our own hearts, we take flight from the

safety of God and his salvation and run further into trouble. Surely it is me

who’s the greatest hindrance to my Heavenly Father! Humanity certainly is

helpless!

And so we are! Lambs and sheep that run amuck! We run away, running from

the arms of safety into the sins of self. But our helplessness, your hopeless hunt

for meaning in your life, that leaves you battered and bruised, unable to think

straight anymore makes you …blessedly …helpless! But how can that be?

Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday! Jesus is that Shepherd! He has

endured Good Friday to be our Good Shepherd. Jesus became the broken

man on the cross, blessedly helpless, and now he is our help! The Blessedly

Helpless Lamb of God is now the Good Shepherd tending us his blessedly

helpless lambs.

You see this man, who proclaimed to be the Son of God, who is the Son of

God– One with the Father from eternity, bore the eternity of death and now

leads us and carries us through the valley of the shadow of death into the

eternity of life forevermore. He lifts you out of the helplessness of yourself, your

questions, your doubts, your tribulations and troubles in this life. How? The

Good Shepherd washes you in his Good Friday blood so you stand in robes of

white before the Father in the eternal house of the Lord.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with

him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a

resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with

him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so

that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death nolonger has dominion over him. For in the death he died he died to sin, once

for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3 –11 ESV)

And so we return to the text for today and the three verbs, “to hear, to know,

to follow”. Our purpose, having been made his children, his lambs, is to follow

him. We were created to glorify God, to worship him, to look to him and trust

him. Heartache comes in every person’s life, both Christian and not, when we

turn from this reality. So how do we follow the Good Shepherd when we in our

very nature constantly return to our silly sheepish ways?

To follow him requires knowing! But it’s here there’s a subtle surprise in the text.

We wrongly assume that it is us who need to know God by our own strength.

But being blessedly helpless we know that’s just not possible. Rather it is not us

who knows God but Jesus says, “I know them!” He knows you, his sheep!

“Knowing” is nothing short of being faithful, so Jesus is faithful to you. The

Good Shepherd constantly leaves the ninety-nine to look for you, the

blessedly helpless, lost one! You are his little lamb, he is the Good Friday Good

Shepherd. You can trust the Lamb of God who was faithful even unto death,

and now continues in faithfulness sending the Holy Spirit into your heart, willing

you to believe he who believes in you.

So Jesus knows you and you’re now free to follow him. He sends the Holy Spirit

to grow faith within, faith that hold fast to Jesus’ faithfulness towards you,

demonstrated on the cross. As faithful sheep of the Faithful Shepherd, the

Holy Spirit does in us who know we are blessedly helpless lambs that which we

are called to do, namely, to glorify God. And that is listening to him; hearing

his voice.

You hear the Shepherd’s voice when you hear the Word of God, the law and

the gospel. This is God’s rod and staff. God’s Word is our comfort as we pass

through the valley of the shadow of death. It teaches us about ourselves and

it guides us. It protects us from the self, and from the old evil foe. And

it returns us to the loving embrace of Jesus coming down from the cross in victory over our sin…. the Lamb in the midst of the throne is our Shepherd, and he

guides us to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Jesus says to you, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,

and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never

perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28 ESV)

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and

honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever!

Amen.” (Revelation 7:12 ESV)

Third Sunday of Easter

WHAT NOW?

: John 21:1-19

When you are not sure what to do, what do you do?

Peter is in that situation; he’s seen the risen Jesus, but he is unsure what to do next, so he does what he knows. Peter goes fishing.

Have you ever noticed that nothing changes if you simply keep on repeating what you have done in the past? Peter goes back fishing, goes back to what he knows.

Is that where Jesus is calling us to live; doing what we know, what we can reason out? What we have always done in the past?

Of course there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with repeating what you’ve done in the past. When things work, why change? We can learn from the past, building on our experiences.

But Peter was faced with a very different situation; he was facing something he’d never done before, so how could he know what to do? Have you ever been asked to do something you’ve never done before?

Jesus had appeared to the disciples. They knew he was alive; but what now? Jesus had breathed on them and said; ‘Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgive, if you don’t forgive them they’re not forgiven.’ But what now?

Unsure of his next move Peter goes back to what he knows; he goes fishing.

That reminds me of another encounter Peter had with Jesus, and it was right at the start of their relationship. Jesus again had asked Peter if he’d caught anything, and his response was the same. The story is recorded in Luke; “Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” (Luke 5:5-7)

Jesus uses this incident to re-direct Peter’s life; “Jesus replied to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!’” (Luke 5:10)

But now in the reading from John we find Peter, going fishing! Not fishing for people, just fishing. He’s lost his way.

Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your way? Not sure of what to do, let alone what the next step might be? Peter has lost his way, so he goes back to what he knew; fishing!

But that’s not where Jesus leaves Peter. Jesus again comes to Peter and the other disciples and repeats that incident. That incident where he gave Peter a whole new direction for life.

But at that point in time Peter totally missed it. There was just too much of Peter’s ego, too much of Peter’s ideas of how things would work out. Peter saw fame and fortune glittering before his eyes. A renewed nation of Israel, with Jesus as king and Peter right alongside.

Peter could see it all, the only problem was Peter interpreted Jesus’ words through the lens of power and influence. Through the lens of wealth and position, and he was going to be one of the top dogs.

But now we have a very much humbled Peter. He knows that Jesus knows of his denial. Peter had caved in; what good is he now? A failure; he’d been such a coward, especially after all his boastful words.

Maybe Peter was hoping to hide away in the obscurity of fishing. Peter was no doubt feeling guilty, regretting what he’d done. How could Jesus use him now; such a failure?

Do you notice the self-assured Peter, the Peter who knew it all, the bold Peter is gone? Now Peter is humble, broken, unsure of the next step. But now Peter is able to hear Jesus’ words through Jesus’ way of looking at the world.

Gone is the ambition to rule the world. Gone is the ambition to kill the Romans and dominate his enemies. Peter is broken; what now?

And then Jesus comes and pricks those memories; reminding Peter that he has been called to go and fish for people. And then Jesus asks; ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Three times Jesus asked; ‘Simon do you love me?’ Not to condemn Peter, but to heal him, to point Peter back in the right direction.

Peter is healed by an amazing act of love, of grace, of mercy. He doesn’t deserve it, but that’s who Jesus is.

What a change; Jesus doesn’t give Peter a picture of kings in royal robs lording it over others, forcing them to do their bidding and disposing of those who don’t please them. Jesus let’s Peter experience the wonders of his gracious, loving nature.

What a change; Peter won’t fish for people using power and influence, but by telling his story. His story, which lives out Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness, the very mercy and forgiveness that Jesus lived out for all of us on the cross.

Jesus has caught Peter’s heart.

Jesus is saying; ‘Peter this is how you fish for people, with my undeserved grace and mercy, with my forgiveness, that you might catch their hearts. That when I say, “Follow Me!” they’ll come because they know me, because they trust me, because I’ve caught their heart.’

Peter has gone from building an Empire through dominating his enemies; killing them if need be. To proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, that through his words people catch Jesus, catch his love for them, catch the forgiveness he has won, catch the hope he brings, catch the new life Jesus offers in his kingdom.

Jesus has come to build a network of relationships, relationships based on his loving grace and mercy. A network of relationships that flow from the relationship all his disciples share with him.

For Jesus comes building a kingdom, not of winners and losers, not of the haves and the have nots, but a kingdom of loved people, loving one another; as Jesus does.

Notice we don’t love because the other person deserves it; Peter knew that only too well. He didn’t deserve it. We don’t love people because they’re perfect; Peter was anything but, he suffered from terminal foot-in-mouth disease. But it was Jesus love that healed Peter.

If we wait to be perfect before we act, we’ll never act. Jesus has loved us, forgiven us, breathed his new life into us. The healing comes from Jesus, and then we can step out and feed the people Jesus places in our lives. We can feed them with the very love, grace and mercy that Jesus has feed us on.

After this encounter Peter doesn’t go back fishing, for fish at least. His heart has been caught by Jesus, he now goes fishing for people, seeking to catch their hearts with the loving person, Jesus, just as his heart had been caught.

Peter’s ‘what now?’ had been answered. His way was clear, he applied Jesus’ grace and mercy telling his story of life with Jesus. Peter went and fished for people using Jesus’ network of loving relationships.

A network that caught us. What now? What will we do?

Jesus has invited us to catch people living out this network of love that he has created, seeking to catch people’s hearts. So they too have a heart to heart relationship with Jesus, trusting him with their lives, joyfully living with him as their king.

What are we going to do now?

Let us pray.

Jesus I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving your life that I might be set free to know your love for me and for all people. Thank you for forgiving me, and sending me to be your ambassador of reconciliation. Jesus fill me with the Spirit that I hear your answer to the ‘what nows’ of life. I invite you to show me the people you want me to share life with this week, making your love for them down-to-earth through me.

Pastor Tim Kock

Second Sunday of Easter

UNLOCK THE DOOR

: John 20:19-31

The Gospel for today presents us with a powerful image; the disciples were meeting behind, what sort of doors? Locked doors. And they were locked because of fear.The disciples response to their fear was to hide. The word ‘hide’ always reminds me of Adam and Eve; their response to their fear was to hide.

Interestingly they hide by painting their Dad out to be an ogre. Someone they had to lock out of their lives. Do you notice that’s the same with the disciples; where are the locks being locked from? The inside.

Now the disciples may or may not have had good reason to be afraid, but they were the ones keeping the doors locked. They were the ones who locked the door. Their answer to their fears.

Is locking the door; locking others out and locking yourself in, the best way to find life, life lived to the full?

I must admit that I’ve done a fair bit of ‘door locking’ in my life. I still do at times lock people out. I get angry and lock people out; they’re the problem, they need to change, I’ll stay away from them to keep myself safe. Are you ever tempted to lock the door, to shut people out in the hope of keeping safe? Where are your locked rooms?

Then Jesus does a wonderful, wonderful thing. Jesus comes right into the middle of that room, and what a difference he makes. He breathes life into those people. He brings hope. He gives direction and purpose. He now shapes their life, not their fears, real or otherwise.

I love seeing how Jesus works, because I know if you had to wait for me to open my locked doors, it would never happen. Actually if I heard you knocking, telling me to open my door because I was being silly, I’d lock my door all the more. Your condemnation wouldn’t get me to open my door, let alone my heart.

Jesus doesn’t knock on the door, he comes into the room. Not to condemn but to breathe life into his disciples. Jesus comes into the room and all of a sudden the disciples will have the desire and the strength to open the doors that they had locked.

Do you notice that the threat is still there when they unlock the door and step out? We just read from the book of Acts that Peter and John were dragged before the high council, so the threat was very real, but did you notice what was motivating Peter and John. It wasn’t their fear, but their trust is in God, their trust is in Jesus, their risen king. That’s why they say; “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

They are living free, they are living out Jesus call on their lives, and no fear, threat or condemnation was going to shape them. Jesus was the one who shaped them. Jesus had breathed his breathe of life into them, empowering them to continue his mission in the world under the same authority that he had.

They are living from the core of who they are in Jesus. Their life is now a living expression of who they are. In Jesus they are the ones who now shape the world, the world with all its threats and bully tactics no longer shapes them. Jesus has breathed his life into them, they have unlocked the door and walked out into life with Jesus, breathing his life giving presence into everything they see and do.

I don’t think the high council really understand what had happened. Peter and John aren’t simply following another teaching. They’re not obeying a new set of rules. They are changed people, changed from the core of their being; so now it is who they are that is being given living expression.

Who’s telling you to shut up? Who is feeling uncomfortable because you’re not controlled by them, but living from the core of your being in Jesus? Who is seeking to intimidate you?

If I was to lash out at those trying to control or intimidate me, I reckon that would be like me locking the doors again. Putting up my defences, fighting to keep them out. ‘You’ll never make me to what you want’. But that’s not what the disciples were doing.

They don’t lock their doors; they stay true to who they are in Jesus. Jesus shapes them, not the bully boys of the high council; who were locked up in their own fears. The fear of losing their place of worship and their nation. They were so locked up that they couldn’t see the God they worshipped even when he stood in front of them!

I don’t want to be like that, and thank God in Jesus we aren’t. Jesus has come and stood in the middle of our locked room and empowered us for life, life lived under his authority.

Jesus doesn’t simply give his disciples a mission to do, he’s given them life to live; life to share.

What’s the opposite of life?

We have life to live, life to share. That’s what Jesus came to bring; new life, in a new kingdom, where fear has no place, because perfect love drives out all fear, and Jesus is perfect love, love incarnate.

So where is the devil tempting you to exist in a locked room? Who is he tempting you to keep out, because you’ll feel safe in your locked room? Where is the world around you seeking to impose it’s ways on so that you’ll shut up and follow the crowd? Who’s seeking to condemn you taking the life right out of you?

Good News, Jesus specialises in breathing his life into people that they open the door on the new life he has, enjoying life with him as their king, in his kingdom. Jesus isn’t into locking anyone away, but he has come that you might have the freedom to live life to the full.

Jesus has breathed the Spirit into you; your life is now lived from the source of life, from the very core of who you are. You have the breath of God filling your lungs that you can live true to who you are. The world around you doesn’t mould you, Jesus has, Jesus does, Jesus will, so that you have become a change agent, an agent of life. In Jesus, you now change the world.

You change the world as you live true to who you are in Jesus, breathing the Spirit’s life giving presence into every situation; forgiving and not condemning, loving and not hating, serving and not being greedy. Jesus has invited you to join him in life, living life to the full. That makes you a change agent, and not a reactor to fear.

Does Jesus want you to be living as his change agent, breathing his life into every situation and person you meet this week?

Sure does; and in Jesus, you have what it takes, he has breathed the Spirit in you, he has forgiven you, he does love you, and he is returning. Returning to share his life up close and personal, so that we live life to the full, in his fullness.

So this week I’d encourage you to ask Jesus to reveal some of the locked rooms in your life, that you might invite him in that he might set you free for life. Invite Jesus in, and enjoy his breath of fresh air.

This week talk with Jesus about who to share this life with this week. Invite Jesus to lead you to another person that as you live from the core of who you are in Jesus, the life he has might be made real to them, that they might hear Jesus invitation to life, that they might discover him behind their locked door setting them free for life, life lived in all his fullness.

Let us pray.

Jesus, where is fear causing me to exist in a locked room? I invite you into those spaces; shed your light, your presence that I might be living life with you from the core of who I am in you. Jesus who are the people trying to shut me up, fill me with your breath of life that I live true to who I am in you bringing your life into this world of death. Jesus fill me daily with the Spirit that I grow to greater maturity in living true to who I am in you, living out this beautiful life you have won for me to share with you and all your brothers and sisters. Jesus come in, heal me, grow me, love me that I might be all you’ve dreamed possible.

Pastor Tim Kock

Second Sunday of Easter

: John 20:19
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Sometimes things can be pretty hectic, a lot can happen in one day, and you think back, how did all that fit in, surely that was yesterday? Maybe you felt that way last Sunday, food, family, God’s service, travel … For the disciples on that Resurrection Sunday I’d bet it was a hectic one too; going from devastation at their friend and teacher’s death; grief at the supposed lies that Jesus was the King to save the world; then waking up to confusion at the women’s news; then when Peter and John confirmed the empty tomb; fear of the Jews who had just killed their leader and probably were looking for the disciples and the body; two leave for Emmaus and come back with news of their conversation with the risen Lord; then Christ suddenly appears inside locked doors says a few words shows His body and just as suddenly leaves. Now I doubt most of us even remember how I started that sentence, but that all happened to the disciples in one day. Devastation, grief, confusion, curiosity, disheartened, surprise, joy, wonder, disbelief; all these emotions within 24hrs, certainly an emotional rollercoaster if there ever was one. Hectic! And into all this Jesus speaks peace.

To have all your plans destroyed, your position redundant, your friend and leader dead, and the authorities the ones who killed Him. Your whole world crumbled before your eyes, emotionally exhausted, from the heights of Palm Sunday your King welcomed royally, within a week His crucifixion; can we just go back to our lives before all this happened? But now the body’s gone, will the authorities come and try to kill us too? What can we do? And then, in the midst of this fear, worry and the darkening of the day, suddenly, there’s someone else in the middle of the room! Whose that? What’s, How’s…? Peace be with you. Holed up in this house for fear of the authorities, probably exhausted from the events of the previous week, Jesus comes to them bringing peace. Perhaps the disciples thoughts; What’s happened to Jesus my Lord, the promised Christ? He is alive! Am I following a madman to my own death and destruction? No, Jesus has ultimate power over death! What can I do to save myself? Peace, you don’t need to worry, Jesus has done it for you, He saves you.

Here Jesus first and foremost brings the peace that comes from knowing He is alive, their friend and leader is alive, but also that He has God’s power to appear where He wills and the truth that death has no power over Him. It’s not just a vision, but Jesus, body and soul, is fully alive, risen and glorified. God’s Word is true, Jesus is alive and so peace to you. Earlier Jesus had said that He would turn sorrow into joy (John 16:22); and how true that was this first Resurrection Sunday! From fear and terror, to wonder and joy in just two words. With His physical body, His scars He proves who He is and that He lives, and the disciples rejoice! What an amazing experience, what wonder, to have your whole world destroyed and now three days later restored and glorified! To be like Job in His devastation, seeing all you love destroyed, but then here to have it all suddenly restored and so much more! That wonderful joy and release of grief and fear, but then Jesus still has more to say, and again He says peace to you. First peace to allay fears then peace for calm to listen to the truth.

Peace to you, as the Father sent me so I send you. The mission of the church, the body of Christian believers, is to continue Jesus’ mission, to bring God’s Word of forgiveness and truth to the world. And He breathes on them, just as the Father breathed life into Adam, so now Jesus in new life breathes on the disciples and says, receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive anyone’s sins they are forgiven, if you retain them, they are retained. This is Jesus’ mission, what God sent Him for, to bring His forgiveness and condemnation of sin, truth and mercy. Now Christians are called to follow Him, to speak God’s Word of mercy and truth to all the world. And that Word has power, when I say to you today God’s Word of forgiveness, your sins are forgiven, God does forgives your sins. This is the grace that Jesus gave to the church and that you and the LCA have given to me to serve you. He also gave the authority to declare the truth, just as He did, that those who reject Jesus, who reject that they sin and reject Christ’s forgiveness are not forgiven. This is the truth, it is God’s Word, Jesus’ mission, and we need to be careful how we do this, so again you have entrusted me with the public working of His mission, but we all Christians also declare Christ’s truth to each other, forgiving one another and trying to lead all people back to Jesus, in word and action.

Now I don’t have all the answers, just a guide to speak the truth in love. However, we see how Jesus again, does His mission when we hear of Thomas the Twin. He was struggling, as we all do, with two people inside himself, the believer and the unbeliever. He was not with the twelve and when

they tried to fulfil Christ’s mission by telling Thomas the truth, He did not believe. Thomas was staying in His betrayal and rejection of Jesus. But Jesus again suddenly appeared. Did Thomas have a flash of fear? Again He had betrayed His Lord, will He now be struck down as that fig tree? No, rather Jesus brings peace to a troubled conscience. “Here are my wounds, touch them, do not be faithless but faithful, believe!” God’s Word works its forgiveness and Thomas makes the strongest declaration in the whole Gospel of John, ‘My Lord and My God.’ We know that Jesus was more than a man, more than a prophet, so much more than even the archangels of God. But throughout His life no one had confessed that He was God Himself. Now Thomas, who has been called the doubter, gives the strongest confession of trust and faith in Jesus, My Lord and My God. So Jesus shows His mission, bringing truth and forgiveness; then Thomas gratefully receives it. This is now our mission to together bring Christ’s Word of truth and mercy to each other and all people and receive it well from each other, responding in joy, trust and love; confessing together who Jesus is, Our Lord and Our God.

And so, the peace that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Joseph Graham

Good Friday

WHY DID JESUS DIE?

: Good Friday

Today I’m beginning with a simple question; Why did Jesus die?

What are some of the thoughts that come to your mind when you hear that question; Why did Jesus die?

Did Jesus die because we have an angry God and he was the sacrifice that was needed to appease God’s anger? Is God’s wrath the problem?

Or would you put it more like this; Jesus died to save us from our sin. What does it mean that Jesus saves us from our sin?

These questions aren’t meant to make you feel as though you’ve got to get the right answer or otherwise you’re wrong. I’m just asking questions to get us thinking about what Jesus did for us on the cross.

We take a whole day off work; or we used to, to stop what we’re doing to remember this most important event in our history; Jesus crucifixion. Why did Jesus die?

You’ll be pleased to know that Jesus didn’t die to save us from an angry God. His Dad isn’t angry. Actually his Dad is the personification of love; it’s his very nature, he can do no other. Whatever he does is love. That reminds me of 1 John 4:16 ‘God is love’.

Isn’t that Good News, “God is Love” and then John continues; “and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 Jn 4:16) What a wonderful relationship John is seeking to describe. But wait there’s more; “Such love has no fear.” (1 Jn 4:18) Did you hear that, ‘no fear’. “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” (1 Jn 4:18)

The perfect love mentioned is God, who’s very nature is love. It’s not just a character quality with him, it is who he is; love incarnate.

John reminded his readers of this earlier in his letter; “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.” (1 Jn 3:16) Wow did you notice that John gave part of the answer to our question; Why did Jesus die? Jesus gave up is life; in other words died, so that we might know what real love is, God’s love, his very person.

So at the heart of the cross is love, God’s love, in Jesus, reaching out to who?

I think God’s love is reaching out to those who don’t believe it, that they are loved by him. God’s love is reaching out to those who don’t feel loved, to those who feel they have to prove themselves. God’s love is reaching out to those who think along these lines; ‘if I don’t act nice people won’t like me, let alone love me.’ Or thinking like this; ‘You only respect those who earn your respect.’

Jesus is reaching out to those who live in fear, by fear, through fear. To those who think they have to prove themselves. To those who seek to find their answer to fear by taking control themselves.

Remember earlier I said; Jesus died to save us from our sin. Sin is what I’ve been striving to describe to you. Sin isn’t the bad things we do as much as the fact that we are born into this world not knowing we are loved. We are born into a world of fear, a world of so many insecurities.

Part of the fear is we have sought to answer our fears by taking control of our lives. I shape my identity through what I do and that other people speak well of me. And the ones who don’t, don’t count. I reject them, but that leaves me with a nagging fear; who’s rejecting me.

Have you ever noticed what a power the fear of rejection is; the need to be accepted, valued, wanted?

My greatest sin is when I trust in my successes to define me, to make me feel safe. My greatest sin is found in the things I feel make me a good person, because they’re what I trust in. Here is my answer to this all-pervading fear.

Why are these my greatest sin? Because they become the very things that stop me from knowing God’s love for me. I’d love to have a dollar for every time someone has said a phrase like this; ‘God would like me, I’m a good bloke. I won’t go to hell, I’m a good person’. And you know what; I’d say without exception everyone who ever said this to me was a good person. They were fun to be with. They were loyal, thoughtful, people of character.

And without exception they all doubted that God could be trusted. Actually most of them doubt God’s very existence. They didn’t sense that he loved them, that he was over the moon about them, that he’d go to hell and back to love them. They would say to me; ‘If God was real, why is the world in such a mess, why is there so much suffering and pain. God can’t be real and if he is we’re not interested.’

Here is why Jesus died on the cross; he wants to love you. He want’s your life, actually he wants you, to be a living expression of love, just as his life is. Remember love isn’t simply a character quality of God, it’s his very nature, it’s who he is. Whatever he does is love, he can act no other way, it is who he is.

Would you say that of your life?

That’s Jesus goal, hope, dream. That as you discover and grow in his love, he is allowed to re-create you as a person who is shaped by his love, that your identity is wrapped up in his love, that fear is banished, replaced by this wonderful all-pervading sense of being loved. Jesus’ goal, his hope, his dream for you is that your life is a living expression of the love in your life, the love he has for you. The love he has for you flowing into every area, into every aspect because now, in Jesus, it’s become who you are; wow!

Do you notice that has nothing to do with you being better than anyone else. It has nothing to do with you proving your worth through what you do; because that ends up putting people down. They feel the need to prove themselves and soon we’re competing; who’s top dog.

Why did Jesus die?

Jesus was born, lived and died to create trust in his Father, to create love in us, a love which goes beyond a character quality to being the very essence of who we are so that when we act, it’s an act of love, because like Jesus, we are living true to who we are.

That’s why Jesus didn’t jump in and stop Adam and Eve from talking with the devil, God’s goal, hope, dream is that we love as we are loved. That we live from the core of who we are; loved. Jesus isn’t interested in robots always do what they are programmed to do. Jesus is after a genuine relationship of love.

Can you trust this guy with your life; with your sexual choices, with your financial choices, or will he screw you? Is he just in it for what he can get out of it?

What does Jesus; his life, death and resurrection say to you?

Today we are reminded that Jesus poured out his life for these people only to be abandoned, betrayed, beaten, ridiculed, laughed at, nailed to a cross to prove to everyone what a joke he was. Jesus was deliberately nailed to a cross to prove to everyone that he was cursed by God.

They mocked Jesus; ‘come off the cross and we’ll believe you. Save yourself, if you can’.

But Jesus doesn’t come off the cross, that would have just cemented us in fear. Jesus doesn’t save himself, but he goes to hell and back, so we don’t have to, so we don’t have to live unloved, fearful, forever proving ourselves, forever fearful of what others might do, or not do. What a hellish way to exist.

No Jesus chooses to die on the cross so that he might create, birth in us his love, his very nature, that we too might live in that wonderful freedom and joy of being true to who we are no matter the circumstance. Life has now become a wonderful opportunity to give living expression to the love we now are, the love we now have, for that is what Jesus has created us to be. In Jesus you are Father’s children, chosen and marked by his love, the delight of his life. In Jesus, that’s who you are, so you can now grow in living true to who you are.

Jesus invites you to invite him in to love you; that’s what forgiveness is, Jesus reaching out and loving you personally. Jesus doesn’t force himself on us; that’s not love, but he has gone to hell and back because he loves us, more than his own life and now invites you to invite him in, to recreate you that your life becomes and matures as a living reflection of the loved person you are in him.

Today Jesus invites you to invite him in, into every area of your life, that he might love you.

The invitation is yours. I pray you make some time to talk with him about it today.

Pastor Tim Koch.

Easter Sunday

JESUS IS SPEAKING

: Easter Sunday
HI FIVE… JESUS IS ALIVE!

Leading up to Easter we’d been focusing on the idea of ‘Listening to God’. Of course you can’t listen to someone who doesn’t exist or who is dead.

Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is ALIVE! He’s not dead. God’s not dead; in fact through Jesus he has opened his heart and soul to us. He’s invited us to share life with him, up close and personal.

Of course Jesus was killed because people didn’t want to listen to him. People didn’t like what he was saying, they felt threatened, they were worried about losing their influence and control, they didn’t want to change, they liked the way things worked for them, they didn’t want another king because they were happy playing at being their own king.

And people are still trying to shut Jesus up today. They’re still trying to kill him, or at least kill his followers. Jesus is still seen as a threat. People don’t want to be told what to do. People what to be free, free to do what they want when they want; so who do you think you are to tell me what to do. People still seek to kill Jesus, to shut him up.

When Jesus was crucified people mocked him. No different today; if you stand with Jesus, you’ll be mocked; labelled irrelevant, out of touch with the latest research, or just plain stupid, labelled as robbing people of their freedom, after all who do you think you are to judge people.

Have you noticed in the media how as a general rule those who claim to have Christian values are mocked, or more and more attacked as bigots who are out of touch with reality? I might be wrong, but it seems to me that in many and varied ways Jesus is being told to shut up. His followers are being killed, quite literally, all over the world.

But guess what; you can’t shut him up, because Jesus is alive. He is alive and well. Not only alive and well, he’s still speaking, he’s still king, and he is bringing in his kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is near.

We’re not left with some good teaching; that’s one of the subtle ways of trying to shut Jesus up. He was a good teacher. No, Jesus IS a good teacher, but oh so much more. Jesus is still speaking.

Do you know what he is saying?

I love listening to him speak to me through the words he spoke to his disciples when he came into their locked room, where they were hiding because of fear. They’d been shut up.

Jesus comes in and says; “Peace be with you.” A traditional greeting at that time would have been ‘Shalom’. That’s the Hebrew word we translate as peace. The thought behind it was fullness of life with God. So it goes way beyond not having any conflict but a life that is rich and full. That’s Jesus’ words to us this morning; ‘Peace be with you’; I want you to have life, life lived to the full.

Jesus is saying; ‘I’m here to invite you into my life that together we might discover and enjoy Father’s love, that we might be living it. Living out this deep, rich, full relationship which brings out the best in us. Lives flowing in, with and under Father’s love as we become a living, breathing expression of that love. Jesus is inviting you to share this wonderful life with him. He has such great hopes and dreams to live with us.

Jesus is alive, you can’t shut him up.

You can chose to ignore him, but Jesus is speaking, Jesus is inviting you, inviting all people to share life with him in Father’s love. To share life with him growing a community that reflects Father’s love.

That’s why Jesus is inviting and not forcing us. Force, brute force, can make people do what you want, but it can never create a loving environment, let alone create a loving person.

People sought to use brute force to shut Jesus up; did they create a loving world through this force?

Jesus takes the brute force that was directed to get rid of him, and comes back, not with totally brutal force, but with amazing love. Jesus forgives. Jesus opens his heart and soul so that we might know without a shadow of a doubt that we are loved. Jesus offers life; life in all his fullness. Life lived from the core of who we are; Father’s child, chosen and marked by his love the delight of his life.

You can choose to ignore Jesus and go on doing things your own way. You can choose not to listen and live by sanctified reason. You can choose to treat Jesus as a figurehead, but of no real influence in the way you live. You can choose to ignore Jesus, because he loves you too much to use brute force just to get his own way.

Jesus is speaking; not to condemn you, but to love you. Jesus is speaking, inviting you into life where you live secure in the new identity he has won for you through his death on the cross.

Jesus is speaking so that we might be able to grow and mature in this new identity we have been given. That identity results in a living expression of God’s very nature; that’s why we live love. In Jesus, it’s who you are; did you hear that? In Jesus you are, not might be or could be if you try really hard. No, in Jesus you are Father’s child, chosen and marked by his love, the delight of his life. That’s who you are.

Now, together with Jesus, your life is a wonderful voyage of discovery, as you grow and mature in this relationship. In Jesus you now have the wonderful freedom to share life with him as together you grow in discovering this wonderful new identity that you have.

Have you ever noticed that people don’t live free when they are left simply to go off and do whatever they want when they want? I soon discover that I’ve become a slave to something or someone. I become a slave to my desire to be praised; hearing people say what a person of worth I am. Slaves aren’t free.

Knowing who you are creates freedom. And the freedom we have in Jesus not only creates freedom for me but for every other person in his kingdom. I don’t discover my worth in competition to you, rather I live out my identity lifting you up to be all that God has created you to be, celebrating life with you.

Jesus is alive and well; speaking life. Speaking life into all who will listen, so that they might discover their new identity in Father, and live free being true to who they are.

Jesus is inviting you to be part of his life, to share living with him. If you can’t hear him, just ask him to remove the curtain, because you want to hear. Just ask, and listen, he’s speaking.

Jesus is inviting you to share life with him, but he won’t force himself on you, he’s waiting for your response. For Jesus is out to create genuine love, and he knows loved people love, and that when people are loved well they’ll love well.

Jesus is inviting you in; I’d encourage you to invite him in. To invite Jesus into your life, your home life, your work life, your leisure life, your sex life, your economics, and even your politics. Daily invite him in because you accept his invitation to love you in every area of life, so you can be living loved, and not just reacting.

Jesus is speaking, he’s alive. Daily make time to chat and talk about life with him. That’s how you invite him in. Invite Jesus to send the Spirit and to lead you into all areas of life that you might be growing, discovering the fullness of life that come when you live loved; loved by Jesus, loved personally each day through the Spirit being there to share life with you.

Jesus is speaking, he’s alive. Invite him in and listen; enjoy the relationship and be all that he has dreamed possible. Go and live loved.

Pastor Tim Koch.

Maundy Thursday

Psalm 116:12

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?”

bible

Here we are tonight, commemorating the last supper Jesus had with His friends before He died for you and for me. The night He lowered Himself to the rotten job of cleaning filthy feet that had trodden the dusty paths of Palestine. Serving His disciples, His students and followers, the ones who should’ve ordinarily speaking served Him. Then eating with them and miraculously, mysteriously giving His body and blood to them for forgiveness even before He had died for their sins. And finally giving a new command, a mandate, saying, “love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). Then what follows are those dreadful events we remember in the coming days. Dreadful for Jesus, He sweat blood, but also wonderfully hopeful and joyous, for in His dying He freed many captives and in His rising He brings them with Him into new marvellous life.

That is His story and it is yours too, who trust His words. So what shall you return to the Lord for all the goodness He’s given you? We struggle in this world, to do what is right and to not do what is wrong, we suffer through drought and even plenty. Afflicted by the devil, by sickness, by expectation, by the tyranny of time and money, even in our resting we are tempted to forget the wonder of what God has done for you. He created us and all that is, He gives us life and sustains us knowing what is best for everything’s benefit but we constantly forget what He did, that He sustains us and that all we have is given by Him. Instead we go our own ways, away from God and the source of life, into sin and death, broken relationships, betrayal and lies. We seek to make ourselves masters of our own universe, but what we think is best for us often is most harmful. It’s easy to see this when we think about eating sweets, or meat and alcohol, even that desire to just stay in bed; but also our desires to build up wealth and safety for this life and to please everyone are also ultimately harmful. This is sin, our sickness that drags us away from God.

But even in our sin, in this slimy hole we can’t escape He sent His Son to save us, Jesus Christ (Psalm 40:1). Despite our rejection of God and His great love for us He is merciful to us, and seeks our good, salvation and freedom from sin, death and the devil. The Lord is gracious and righteous, full of compassion, He protects the unwary and when the psalmist was brought low He saved Him (Psalm 116:5-6). Jesus gave His life to save you, to bring you true and ultimate rest in God. He gave His life for His disciples, even though they all broke their promises, to stay with Him, to love as He loved, He died for them too, freeing them from sin, He forgave them. Just as He forgives you. And so as the psalmist asks, what shall we offer to the Lord for all this wonderful and merciful goodness He has freely given?

I will life up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all people. Serving Him with thanksgiving throughout this new life He has given, listening to Him, even at this dreadful time of betrayal. Striving to love each other as He first loved us, giving His whole life, from birth to death and beyond, for you and me. Listening to the Word of God, to Jesus, trusting Him and looking to Him for the mercy and forgiveness we so often need. He has given us everything and still He gives more. Thank God for His mercy and great love for you and me, call on His name in your time of need and in your time of plenty Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!

And the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Joseph Graham.

Easter Sunday

1 Corinthians 15:22
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Resurrection Sunday the Great Celebration of life over death, Jesus bursting from the grave to new and vigorous life! He, just like all people descendent from Adam, died; died on the cross. He was buried, but death could not hold Him, death is defeated and in Jesus there is no fear of that final enemy. Still today we search for ways to delay death, try to fight that enemy that comes for all people; many intelligent people are searching for a way to prolong our lives here on earth, to improve the quality of life as we age and even to try and find a way for immortality in this life. Certainly much good has come from this, but this world is not perfect, it is sick with sin and suffering. Our forefather Adam and Eve the mother of the living, turned away from God and went their own way; they left the source of all life, God Almighty, and tried their luck with the serpent and knowledge. And still today all humans are good children of that couple, seeking for more, for immortality, stability and power in this life, going our own way and rejecting God’s love and life itself. We all face death because of our sin and like an addiction we cannot get out by ourselves.

But we are not by ourselves. Jesus is with us. The Holy Spirit was sent to walk alongside you, to advocate and encourage you. In baptism God promises that we are now His children, restored to His family like the prodigal son. In baptism we are together with Jesus, we are joined back to the source of life, so now death has no power over us (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)! Jesus says that those who believe will not perish, even if they die, still they will live (John 11:25)! Glory to God our Father! This is the wonder of Resurrection Sunday, that Jesus rose from the dead, not to die again as Lazarus, the widows child, or any number of people who have come back from being dead. Death no longer has any power of Jesus, He rose from the dead not just for His everlasting life, but for yours. If we are joined with Him in His death to sin, surely we will rise again in a new, everlasting and glorified life like His (Romans 6:1-14; Philippians 3:21).

Jesus rose, and as certain as that is, you who are joined to Him in baptism and Holy Communion have life everlasting. On Good Friday we see our sin and evil destroyed, wonderful thing that this is, without the new life of today we are left suffering in this evil world. But this world is not the end. Those scientists that seek to extend life, even if they are successful will not reach the peace, joy and love that only the Triune God provides. With Jesus we are truly free from sin, from guilt and shame, free from the destruction our desires bring on ourselves, freed from sin, death and the devil. Yes will still suffer temptation and evil in this world, just as Jesus did, but just as it was promised that we would be freed from the power of sin and death, so He has promised, that just as He died and rose, so too you and I will be renewed when He returns at the resurrection of the dead, when sin, death and the devil will be destroyed. Now this wonderful comfort, you are forgiven, you are in Jesus a new creation a new life, this is not just for you, but for all people!

We heard from Acts Peter’s realisation that salvation was not just for the Jews, but for all people in all the world, for us and every different type of person. This offer of forgiveness and new life is for all people. So Jesus told the disciples to preach, to speak of His love to all people, to testify that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead and that everyone who trusts His forgiveness is forgiven. It does not matter if you are Greek, German, Tigrinya, Australian, rich, poor, the nicest person down the street, a rapist, or even a politician; this message, this Good News, is for all people. For all people have turned away, all have sinned, all people face death, but God rich in mercy, many times more merciful than us, does not wish our destruction, rather that all people turn back to life, to love, to Jesus Christ, the King of kings, Lord of all and saviour of sinners. In sin all die, but in Jesus all will be made alive.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, now and forever. Amen.

Pastor Joseph Graham

Good Friday

Text: John 19:28-3028

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished,and so that Scripture would be fulfilled,Jesus said,“I am thirsty.”29A jar of wine vinegarwas there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.30When he had received the drink, Jesus said,“It is finished.”With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.It is finished.

We wonder why Jesus’ ministry had to end this way.Why was it necessary for Jesus to die?They are very reasonable questions, but they are not questions that we would ask if we truly understand what Jesus promised.Take St Peter for example.Jesus prophesied that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.Peter objected and said, “Never, Lord –this will never happen to you”.But did Peter hear Jesus properly?It is very likely that Peter didn’t hear fully what Jesus said.It is likely that once he heard Jesus say that he must be killed that he stopped paying attention.And that’s what death does.When we hear about death, especially about the death of someone we love it can also make us wonder why.Why does life end?Why is it necessary to die?But Peter needed to listen to Jesus and the totality of what he said:asHe said that after he was killed, on the third day he would be raised to life.But even as Christians we don’t always think of that when we are confronted with death.We don’t automatically think of eternal life when someone we love dies.We are usually so grief stricken thatwe cannot see past the reality of death.Even St Paul acknowledges that when he speaks of Christ’s victory over death.He says: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Whereas death no longer has victory because of Jesus’ death and resurrection it certainly still carries its sting.And that sting is evident every time we sit at the bedside of a loved one –as we watch the coffin lowered into the grave, as we visit the gravesite of our loved ones –the sting of grief in death remains.But Paul also reminds us that we grieve but not as those who have no hope.We have hope because we know that the grave will not hold Jesus for long. We know that on the third daythat he will rise.But those 3 days are so long when it’s someone we love.Even though we know that we will be reunited with all our loved ones as we await the resurrection, it is so hard because the grief is so deep.Asking “why” about death or questioning God’s love because of death won’t remove the sting of death from our experience.Our loved ones will continue to face the reality of death and we shall continue to face the reality of our own death.Death is a reality of life.The only way to truly findcomfort in death is to listen carefully to what Jesus said about his own death.On the third day I will be raised to life.Without death there can be no resurrection.Without Jesus’ resurrection,we can never see death in any other way than an horrific event.Even Jesus’ own death is meaningless without that final part that Peter missed –on the third day I will be raised to life.To outsiders, a battered and broken Jesus who could no longer hold his head up and died in humiliation and defeat could not possibly be anything but a reminder of the pain and finality of death and no hope at all. But to those who believe into him, the true Son of God has completed his great work of defeating death and he cries out “it is finished”.But what is finished?Death’s victory is finished.As St Paul says, “the message of the cross if foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”.And the power of God is,that just as Jesus has been raised from the dead,we too shall be raised to eternal life.Jesus’ announcement, “It is finished,” is clear and simple. No long explanations of how –no detailed sermon of what you have to do.Just “it is finished.”Jesus has completed his task that God sent him to do. He came so that you and I can have forgiveness and eternal life. He came to give us the victory of death –the same victory over death that he achieved. He came to ensure that we would enter his kingdom of heaven and live forever.That’s why Jesus had to die because in order todefeat death he had to die and rise from death.And just as Jesus has risen from the dead, we too shall live a new life when we die.Thanks be to God who gives us the victory over death. Amen