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Series B – Third Sunday of Easter – Sunday, April 19, 2015 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:29	the holy Gospel According to Saint Luke
0:31	chapter 24 verses 36-49
0:35	while they were still talking about this
0:37	Jesus himself stood among them and said
0:39	to them peace be with you
0:42	they were startled and frightened
0:44	thinking they saw a ghost and he said to
0:45	them why are you troubled and why do
0:47	doubts rise in your minds look at my
0:49	hands at my and my feet it is I myself
0:52	touch me and see a ghost does not have
0:55	Flesh and Bones as you see that I have
0:58	and when he had said this he showed them
1:00	his hands and his feet and while they
1:02	still did not believe it because of joy
1:04	and amazement he asked them do you have
1:06	anything here to eat and they gave him a
1:09	piece of broiled fish and he took it and
1:12	ate it in their presence and he said to
1:14	them this is what I told you while I was
1:16	still with you everything must be
1:18	fulfilled that is written about me in
1:20	the law of Moses the prophets and the
1:23	Psalms and then he opened their minds so
1:25	that they could understand the scripture
1:26	and he told them this is what is written
1:28	the Christ will suffer and rise from the
1:30	dead and on the third day on the third
1:33	day in Repentance and forgiveness of
1:35	sins will be preached in his name to All
1:37	Nations beginning at Jerusalem you are
1:39	witnesses of these things I’m going to
1:42	send you what my father has promised but
1:44	stay in the city until you have been
1:45	clothed with power from on high
1:50	in the name of Jesus
1:53	so our text this morning is the gospel
1:55	text and we’ll walk back through it if
1:57	you want to have your Bibles open and
1:59	I’ll be reading it from the ESV because
2:01	for particular reasons but here’s what
2:03	it says as they were talking about these
2:04	things Jesus himself stood among them
2:06	and said to them peace to you now real
2:11	quick by way of historical reminder
2:15	have some visual aids
2:18	this is a
2:20	a scan if you would
2:24	of a newspaper on VE Day Victory right
2:28	Germany surrenders
2:30	and you think about that okay you think
2:32	about the war that began in what 1938
2:35	and continued on into 44.45
2:38	and of the millions of people that died
2:41	this was a terrible horrific war and
2:44	many of us our parents fought in these
2:48	in this war or they participated in this
2:50	war we know relatives who might even
2:52	have some people out here in the
2:53	graveyard never know who who perished in
2:55	that in that battle right it was epic
2:58	and so when Victory finally came it was
3:00	a big deal and then
3:02	here’s a scan if you would of the
3:05	Indianapolis Star and uh on VJ Day the
3:10	war has ended Truman and that was also
3:12	not only did they get news that the war
3:14	had ended but they also got news that
3:16	the U.S Indianapolis USS Indianapolis
3:17	had been uh had been sunk and 883 people
3:22	were killed so you know big news but the
3:26	headline the big headline is peace peace
3:28	and of course we’ve all seen this
3:30	Photograph this is like a famous
3:32	photograph from Life Magazine at the
3:33	time right of the sailor kissing the
3:35	nurse in Times Square peace is a big
3:38	deal and so when we hear Jesus’s words
3:41	this morning as they were talking about
3:44	these things Jesus himself stood among
3:46	them and he said to them peace to you
3:48	think of it as that kind of Peace the
3:51	kind of peace that comes after a major
3:53	victory the end of hostilities the you
3:57	know that’s what’s going on here and
3:59	this is so because of the fact that God
4:02	himself is torn down the wall of
4:04	hostilities and was in Christ
4:05	reconciling the world to ourself a good
4:08	cross reference that helps us unders
4:09	stand this is second Corinthians chapter
4:12	5 verses 17-21 here’s what it says
4:15	therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a
4:18	new creation the oldest passed away
4:20	behold the new has come and all of this
4:23	is from God who through Christ
4:24	reconciled us to himself and gave us the
4:28	ministry of reconciliation that is in
4:31	Christ God was reconciling the world to
4:33	himself not counting their trespasses
4:35	against them and entrusting to us the
4:38	message of reconciliation so in a sense
4:41	think of it this way we as Christians as
4:45	the church get to go out and do this
4:49	and tell people victory has been won the
4:52	war is over Christ has won and peace has
4:57	been declared
4:58	peace between you and God that’s what it
5:00	means to talk about the ministry of
5:02	reconciliation so Sunday after Sunday
5:05	after Sunday here what do we hear we
5:08	hear about this peace one for us by
5:10	Christ the kind of peace that comes
5:12	after a long epic drawn out War
5:16	and so therefore the text continues we
5:19	are ambassadors for Christ that’s right
5:23	we Christians we’re the ones who are
5:25	ambassadors for Christ I was um reading
5:28	about evangelism during the time of the
5:32	earliest Christians did you know that
5:35	the earliest congregations never had
5:37	evangelism Sunday
5:39	it’s just true it’s the weirdest thing
5:41	no when you read about how Christianity
5:43	spread before uh well churches were
5:47	legal think about it okay your your job
5:50	is to go and Proclaim something about
5:52	Jesus and somebody’s going to believe
5:55	this about Jesus and join the Christian
5:57	church and be catechized and learn what
6:00	Christ taught all with the knowledge of
6:03	knowing that they could
6:05	at any moment without warning
6:08	be called to deny Christ and worship
6:11	Caesar and if they refused they could be
6:13	martyred
6:15	that’s how dire things were and yet the
6:18	church grew how did it grow then people
6:21	weren’t coming to church and if you came
6:22	to church and they found you out
6:25	you could die
6:28	in fact there’s a story in the church
6:29	fathers of a congregation that met well
6:34	in a cemetery of all places and and when
6:38	the pastor would consecrate the Lord’s
6:40	supper and you know and and they would
6:42	sit and he would say take you know
6:44	basically the on the Lord on the night
6:46	when I was our Lord was betrayed he took
6:48	bread and we had given thanks he broke
6:49	it and gave it to the disciples saying
6:51	take eat this is my body which is given
6:53	for you and then he consecrates the the
6:55	wine and says you know on the same night
6:57	also he took the cup after supper and
7:00	when he had given thanks he broke it to
7:01	gave it to them saying take drink this
7:03	is the blood of the New Testament in my
7:05	blood given for you for the Forgiveness
7:07	of your sins and then he would say you
7:09	know
7:10	you know peace be with you and they
7:11	would say Amen but they were so joyful
7:14	and joyous about the fact that Christ
7:17	was coming to them in his body and blood
7:19	in with and under the bread and wine
7:21	that when they said the amen it was
7:24	really loud a loud joyous amen it wasn’t
7:27	oh man it was oh man yeah
7:31	and they got found out
7:33	as a result of that and some of them
7:34	died but how did Christianity spread
7:37	under those circumstances
7:39	well the way it spread was in workshops
7:44	spread in kitchens
7:47	it spread
7:48	out of the park it spread as people were
7:52	going about their daily business and
7:54	doing their work slaves talking to other
7:57	slaves Bankers talking to bankers
8:00	you know Sailors talking with other
8:02	Sailors Christianity spread because the
8:05	people who had the good news
8:07	they took this idea of being an
8:10	ambassador seriously and so they were
8:13	ambassadors going out and proclaiming
8:16	Christ’s Victory and peace with God and
8:18	so the text says this therefore we are
8:21	ambassadors for Christ and God himself
8:23	is making his appeal through us so we
8:26	implore you on behalf of Christ to be
8:28	reconciled to God for our sake he made
8:30	him God made Jesus to be sin who knew no
8:34	sin so that in him we might become the
8:37	righteousness of God
8:40	you want the church to grow
8:43	tell everybody what Christ has done tell
8:45	them about the victory let them know
8:48	that peace has been declared between us
8:50	and God because of what Christ has done
8:52	for us then the church will grow
8:55	but our text then continues but they
8:57	were startled the apostles were startled
8:59	and frightened and they thought they saw
9:01	a spirit or a ghost
9:03	and he said to them why are you troubled
9:06	and why do doubts arise in your heart
9:08	see my hands and my feet that it is I
9:10	myself touch me and see for a spirit
9:13	does not have Flesh and Bones as you see
9:15	that I have what an amazing savior he
9:18	considers the wounds that he received on
9:21	the cross as tokens as marks as Battle
9:24	Scars to be you know shown off to people
9:27	you you look at you ever have you ever
9:30	been in company of men when they’re
9:31	trying to show off their scars you know
9:33	yeah I got this one you know while I was
9:36	fighting a mako shark in Hawaii you know
9:38	and then somebody has another right you
9:40	know Jesus’s scars are his hand on his
9:42	hands and in his side and he’s and these
9:45	are not tokens that he shuns in fact
9:47	these are the best scars ever Jesus
9:51	trumps everything because these are the
9:53	scars he sustained in that epic battle
9:56	for our Salvation in which by dying he
9:59	won and so he can he keeps these not
10:03	only to show them to people but to
10:05	comfort us with them and he Comforts the
10:06	disciples see it’s I
10:08	all right don’t have any doubts
10:11	so when he said said this he showed them
10:13	his hands and his feet and while they
10:15	still disbelieve for Joy they were
10:17	marveling and said and he said to them
10:19	have you anything here to eat and they
10:22	gave him a piece of broiled fish and he
10:24	took it and ate before them so it’s
10:27	really me ghosts don’t eat fish by the
10:30	way I you know it’s true I mean I’ve
10:33	never seen one of those paranormal shows
10:35	where they put fish out and the ghost
10:36	eats it up you know it just doesn’t
10:38	happen you know it’s kind of a weird
10:40	thing to do now this is kind of a funny
10:41	little side note and as I Was preparing
10:44	for the sermon I actually checked to see
10:47	how the some of the church fathers had
10:48	handled this text in their sermons and
10:52	every single one of them thought that
10:54	there was some kind of important
10:56	spiritual significance to the fact that
10:58	Jesus ate fish
11:00	but none of them agree as to why that’s
11:03	so and so it’s kind of funny and so I’ve
11:06	decided that I’m gonna I’m gonna go
11:08	ahead and Hazard a guess as to what the
11:10	spiritual significance is to the fact
11:12	that Jesus ate fish John doesn’t put
11:15	details in here like this just to throw
11:17	them away right so maybe there’s some
11:19	kind of spiritual significance and so
11:22	take this for what it’s worth but I
11:24	think there’s a connection here between
11:25	Jesus and Jonah
11:27	this is what’s going on here and so you
11:30	think of Jonah type and Shadow pointing
11:31	us to Jesus well take a look at this in
11:34	Jonah chapter one here’s what it says
11:36	now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the
11:38	son of amitai saying a rise and go to
11:40	Nineveh that great City and call out
11:42	against it for their evil has come up
11:44	before me but Jonah Rose to flee to
11:47	tarshish from the presence of Yahweh
11:50	he went down to Joppa found a ship going
11:53	to tarshish and he so he paid the fare
11:55	and went down into it to go with them to
11:59	tarshish away from the presence of the
12:01	Lord
12:02	and if you know the punch line there’s a
12:04	very specific reason why Jonah fled
12:07	and the reason why he fled according to
12:10	this this book itself is because he
12:12	didn’t want the ninevites to be forgiven
12:15	he knew that God was merciful he knew
12:18	that he was forgiving and the last thing
12:20	he wanted was those dirty rotten
12:22	innovites those evil blood-sucking war
12:26	criminals that they are who make the
12:28	Nazis look like school girls right he
12:30	the last thing he wanted them to be is
12:32	Forgiven that’s why he fled
12:35	true so here’s what happens the Lord
12:38	hurled a great wind upon the sea Good
12:41	Luck running from God that never works
12:43	out by the way
12:44	so there was a mighty Tempest on the sea
12:46	so that the ship threatened to break up
12:48	then the Mariners were afraid and each
12:51	one cried out to his God and they hurled
12:53	the cargo that was in the ship into the
12:55	sea to lighten it for them but Jonah had
12:57	gone down into the inner part of the
12:59	ship and had laid down and was fast
13:01	asleep so the captain came to him said
13:03	to him what do you mean you sleeper
13:06	arise call out to your god notice Jonah
13:10	isn’t afraid at all you know
13:12	if I die perfect those ninevites will
13:15	never be forgiven so perhaps the God
13:18	will give a thought to us that we may
13:20	not perish
13:22	so they said to one another come let us
13:23	cast lot so that we may know in whose
13:25	account this evil has come upon us
13:27	casting lots we see that happening at
13:29	Jesus’s cross I think there’s a parallel
13:32	here right so they cast lots a lot fell
13:34	on Jonah then they said to him tell us
13:37	on whose account this evil has come upon
13:39	us what is your occupation where do you
13:41	come from what is your country I don’t
13:43	know what people are you
13:45	question after question after asking
13:47	yourself he says all right
13:50	he says I’m a Hebrew I fear Yahweh the
13:53	god of Heaven who made the sea in the
13:55	dry land then the men were exceedingly
13:58	afraid and said to him what is this that
14:00	you have done for the men knew that he
14:02	was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh
14:04	because he had told them so then they
14:06	said to him what shall we do to you that
14:08	the sea May quiet down for us for the
14:11	seed grew more and more tempestuous it’s
14:14	as if you know this as the story is
14:16	developing in the sea is getting more
14:18	hungry right feed me feed me give me
14:21	Jonah right so so Jonah said pick me up
14:25	hurl me into the sea
14:27	and then the sea will be quiet it’ll
14:29	quiet down for you for I know it is
14:31	because of me that this great Tempest
14:33	has come upon you nevertheless the men
14:35	rode hard to get back to dry land but
14:37	they could not for the seed grew more
14:40	and more tempestuous against us and
14:42	God’s saying ah you’re not getting away
14:43	therefore they called out
14:46	to Yahweh oh Yahweh let us not perish
14:50	for this man’s life and lay not on us
14:52	innocent blood for you o Yahweh have
14:54	done as it pleased you
14:57	I hear Pontius pilate’s words in these
15:00	words where Pontius Pilate pulls out
15:02	that bowl and washes his hands and says
15:04	I’m innocent of this man’s blood
15:07	so they picked up Jonah
15:09	hurled him into the sea and the Sea
15:12	ceased from its raging then the men
15:15	feared Yahweh exceedingly and they
15:17	offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and they
15:19	made vows
15:20	and the Lord appointed a great fish to
15:23	swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the
15:26	belly of the fish three days
15:28	and three nights
15:31	Jesus in Matthew chapter 12 when he was
15:34	challenged about what he was doing he
15:36	said this for just as Jonah was three
15:39	days and three nights in the belly of
15:40	the great fish so will the son of man be
15:43	three days and three nights in the heart
15:45	of the Earth
15:46	think of it this way
15:48	Jonah kind of points us to Jesus and the
15:51	sign of Jonah’s death and resurrection
15:53	and that’s really what it was in a sense
15:55	right three days and three nights in the
15:58	belly of a fish in the heart of this
15:59	home the Deep
16:01	Jesus is Jonah in that sense so there’s
16:05	the tempestuous raging of God’s Wrath
16:09	against our sin
16:12	and we know we’re all doomed despite all
16:15	of our efforts to safely make it to the
16:18	promised land to shore to safety there’s
16:21	no way around it it doesn’t matter if we
16:23	take the boat north or south or east or
16:26	west whichever direction we’re going to
16:28	go the Raging of God’s anger and wrath
16:30	against our sin
16:32	gets even Wilder
16:35	and so what do we do we take Jesus and
16:38	we throw him overboard
16:40	to certain death
16:42	and then the fish swallows him up that’s
16:44	what death is it swallows him up whole
16:48	and then
16:50	there’s peace
16:52	and calm
16:54	it’s miraculous right and see that’s
16:57	what Jesus did he was our sacrifice for
16:59	our sins and he spent three days and
17:02	three nights
17:03	in the heart of the Earth the belly of
17:06	the fish the Deep the to home and so I
17:08	think the reason why Jesus is eating
17:10	fish here on this account is because
17:12	it’s kind of like this have you ever
17:13	seen one of those comedies where the
17:16	hero does something epic but it’s kind
17:18	of ridiculous that he did it you know
17:21	you think about you know some you know
17:22	some comic movie where you know maybe
17:24	like
17:25	um yeah like a Chevy Chase character
17:27	right you know he’s out in the woods and
17:29	there’s a bear and and so rather than
17:32	run he decides to stand his ground right
17:34	and you know the Chevy Chase can’t
17:36	defeat a bear but they don’t show what
17:38	happens it just looks like they’re
17:39	getting ready to clash and then the next
17:41	scene they show Chevy Chase wearing a
17:43	big bear skin rug right yeah it’s kind
17:46	of like that so Jesus here the reason
17:48	he’s eating fish because he’s he’s
17:51	chewing on death he’s chewing on the big
17:53	fish that swallowed up Jonah I think
17:55	it’s typologically in some sense
17:57	connected to that now that may be a
17:58	little bit of a stretch regardless of
18:01	the of what the spiritual meaning is we
18:04	do know that the story of Jonah is all
18:06	about Christ and his victory over death
18:08	and here Jesus is comforting his
18:11	disciples and not with words of you know
18:14	you guys really blew it you messed up
18:16	instead it’s all about peace and that’s
18:19	the peace that comes through Christ’s
18:20	victory
18:22	so Jesus then reminds them he says then
18:25	he said to them these are my words that
18:26	I spoke to you while I was still with
18:28	you that everything written about me in
18:30	the law and the prophets and the Psalms
18:33	must be fulfilled who’s the Old
18:36	Testament about
18:37	Jesus in fact Jesus here this just so
18:41	you know this is the same day as Jesus’s
18:43	resurrection this is Easter Sunday but
18:46	it’s in the evening and Jesus had just
18:48	spent some time with some of several of
18:51	the disciples as they traveled to Emmaus
18:53	and he held their eyes so they couldn’t
18:55	recognize them and he opened to up them
18:58	the scriptures to show them that the
19:00	Christ must suffer and die and rise
19:02	again and that the scriptures were about
19:03	Jesus in fact you can always tell
19:06	somebody whose mind has been opened by
19:08	the Holy Spirit to know what the
19:09	scriptures are about because they
19:11	realize it’s really all about Jesus and
19:14	what he’s done in the law of Moses the
19:16	prophets and the Psalms so he opened
19:18	their minds to understand the scriptures
19:20	and he said to them thus it is written
19:21	that the Messiah should suffer and on
19:24	the third day rise from the dead and
19:27	that repentance and forgiveness of sins
19:30	should be proclaimed in his name to All
19:33	Nations
19:34	repentance and the Forgiveness of sins
19:37	there’s many churches today that err on
19:39	one side or the other they will preach
19:42	repentance and it’s all law and you
19:44	leave wondering will I make it is there
19:48	any way for me to be saved and then you
19:50	have other churches they preach all love
19:54	but they all ever mention the law
19:56	and that’s an error too we’re to preach
19:59	both repentance and the Forgiveness of
20:01	sins law gospel sin Grace because you
20:05	truly do not understand the grace of God
20:06	until you understand
20:08	your dire condition
20:11	because of your sin
20:13	that you’ve earned hell
20:14	by all of your sin and your breaking of
20:17	God’s Commandments when you truly
20:19	understand that that’s what you deserve
20:21	and that Christ paid that for you then
20:23	you’re ready for Grace you’re ready to
20:25	hear the good news of what Christ has
20:27	done you’re ready to hear about Christ’s
20:29	Victory and the peace that Jesus is
20:33	talking about then truly becomes good
20:35	news because in this sense if you were
20:38	to look at it this way
20:40	think of it historically and in parallel
20:42	you were born a Nazi
20:46	and remember who won the war it wasn’t
20:48	the Nazis
20:49	but see you were born a Nazi and despite
20:53	all of your war crimes
20:54	you were granted a pardon
20:57	by what Christ has done for you you see
20:59	that’s kind of the the idea so then
21:02	Jesus says you are witnesses of these
21:04	things and behold I’m sending the
21:05	promise of my father upon you but stay
21:08	in the city to our clothed with power on
21:11	high
21:12	and so because of what Christ has done
21:14	Jesus here appears to the disciples on
21:17	the evening of Easter and tells them
21:20	peace and he shows them his hands and
21:23	shows him the wound in his side eats
21:26	fish with them and in the same way kind
21:28	of a similar way on the eve of the end
21:32	of the world when this day of creation
21:35	if you would is finished Jesus will
21:37	appear to us as well
21:39	and he will appear to us bodily and his
21:43	words to us because we are in him and we
21:45	are forgiven and we are baptized
21:48	his words to us are going to be the same
21:50	peace to you that peace that he won on
21:53	the cross is for you and you will see
21:55	him with your eyes and you will see the
21:58	male marks in his hands and you will see
22:00	where the spirit was thrust in his side
22:02	in the same exact way and his words to
22:05	you will be the same peace
22:08	peace
22:09	here then again the words
22:12	of the epistle reading see what kind of
22:14	love the father has given to us that we
22:17	that’s me and you that we should be
22:20	called children of God and so we are and
22:23	the reason why the world does not know
22:25	us is that it did not know him beloved
22:27	we are God’s children now and what we
22:31	will be has not yet appeared but we know
22:33	that when Jesus appears we will be like
22:36	him because we shall see him as he is
22:39	behold what kind of love the father has
22:43	lavished on us
22:45	peace Jesus says peace peace to you he’s
22:50	one he suffered for your sins the breach
22:53	between God and man has been fixed the
22:56	war is over the hostilities are ended he
22:59	is one you are pardoned you are in
23:01	Christ you are forgiven and Jesus says
23:04	to you today peace
23:06	in Jesus name amen
23:08	[Music]

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