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1 Year Lectionary – Second Sunday of Easter – Sunday, April 24, 2022 | 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
0:27	Alleluia he has risen from
0:30	the dead and behold he is going before
0:33	you to galilee alleluia eight days later
0:37	Jesus came and stood among them and said
0:40	peace be with you hallelujah the holy
0:43	gospel according to saint john the 20th
0:46	chapter
0:47	[Music]
0:55	on the evening of that day the first day
0:56	of the week the door is being locked
0:58	where the disciples were for fear of the
1:00	Jews Jesus came and stood among them and
1:02	said to them peace be with you
1:05	and when he had said this he showed them
1:06	his hands and his side then the
1:09	disciples were glad when they saw the
1:10	lord and Jesus said to them again peace
1:12	be with you as the father has sent me
1:14	even so i am sending you and when he had
1:16	said this he breathed on them and said
1:18	to them receive the holy spirit if you
1:21	forgive the sins of anyone they are
1:22	forgiven if you withhold forgiveness
1:24	from anyone it is withheld now Thomas
1:27	one of the twelve called the twin was
1:28	not with them when Jesus came so the
1:31	other disciples told him we have seen
1:33	the lord but he said to them unless i
1:35	see his hands in the marks of the nails
1:37	and place my finger into the marks of
1:39	the nails and place my hand into a side
1:41	i will never
1:43	believe eight days later his disciples
1:45	were inside again and thomas was with
1:47	them and although the doors were locked
1:49	jesus came and stood among them and said
1:50	peace be with you then he said to thomas
1:53	put your finger here
1:55	and see my hands put out your hand and
1:57	place it in my side do not disbelieve
1:59	but believe thomas answered him my lord
2:01	and my god and jesus said to him you
2:04	have believed because you have seen me
2:05	but blessed are those who have not seen
2:07	and yet have believed now jesus did many
2:10	other signs in the presence of the
2:11	disciples which are not written in this
2:13	book but these are written so that you
2:15	may believe that jesus is the christ the
2:17	son of god and that by believing you may
2:19	have life in his name this is the gospel
2:22	of the lord christ is risen
2:25	indeed hallelujah hallelujah in the name
2:28	of jesus amen
2:31	on the evening of that day the day of
2:33	the resurrection the first day of the
2:34	week the doors being locked where the
2:36	disciples were for fear of the jews
2:38	that’s how our gospel text begins and
2:40	i’ll take a swipe at the reformed here i
2:43	have to do it it’s just from time to
2:45	time you got to just challenge some of
2:47	the things they say so the reformed are
2:49	the ones who say that christ cannot be
2:52	physically present in the lord’s supper
2:55	and here’s the reason why because we all
2:58	know that bodies can only be at one
3:00	place at one time this was zwingli’s
3:03	stupid argument and therefore christ is
3:06	seated at the right hand of the father
3:08	so he can’t possibly be present
3:11	in the lord’s supper
3:12	well last time i checked despite
3:15	bethel’s
3:16	repeated attempts at trying to walk
3:18	through walls yeah human beings just
3:20	don’t have that ability bodies seem to
3:23	stop when they run into the matter of a
3:25	wall jesus here the doors being locked
3:28	the windows shut
3:31	there’s no way for him to get into this
3:33	right into this upper room so if you
3:36	were to ask an honest
3:38	calvinist how he did it you know if
3:40	you’re going to be consistent how did
3:42	jesus appear in the midst of the room
3:43	because we all know that well you guys
3:45	are experts on what human bodies can and
3:48	can’t do
3:49	and i will say this some calvinists of
3:51	the past have said well obviously while
3:54	they weren’t looking jesus snuck in and
3:56	climbed up through a window
4:01	no text says that so
4:04	just have to point that out this is one
4:06	of the weaknesses of the reformed view
4:09	but that being the case we’re going to
4:11	note that jesus christ by virtue of the
4:13	hypostatic union is both god and man in
4:18	one jesus and the communication of the
4:21	attributes of the divinity as it relates
4:23	to christ’s person have an impact on
4:26	what his human body is capable of doing
4:29	and so we’re going to note that christ
4:31	is capable of doing whatever christ
4:33	wants to do by virtue of the fact that
4:35	he is both god and man and this is one
4:38	of those things it’s weird to kind of
4:40	start a
4:41	sermon off with that but might as well
4:43	it’s that we’re just walking our way
4:44	through the text right so next it was
4:46	the important bit
4:48	jesus came and stood among them and
4:50	listened to the words that he said peace
4:53	be with you
4:55	notice that when jesus appears to his
4:57	disciples he doesn’t say
4:59	dudes what’s with this i was on trial
5:02	you guys scattered and oh man peter you
5:06	denied me three times to a slave girl
5:09	come on what’s wrong with you no notice
5:12	no scolding at all and there’s a reason
5:14	why and that is because
5:16	the peace that christ is referring to is
5:19	the peace that he won
5:21	he won this on the cross by defeating
5:24	the devil by defeating sin by defeating
5:28	death he did this by reconciling us to
5:30	the father by bleeding and dying for all
5:33	of our sins and so i would note kind of
5:35	front load it here are you terrified of
5:38	the day of standing before jesus because
5:40	you know the sin that you have committed
5:43	the things that you’ve done the things
5:44	you’ve left undone the things you should
5:46	have done the things you didn’t do the
5:48	things you thought that you shouldn’t
5:50	have thought the things you thunk that
5:51	you shouldn’t have thunk right all of
5:54	that note then christ does not come here
5:57	today to scold us either
6:00	you heard from the mouth my mouth the
6:03	authority given in this text to forgive
6:06	you of your sins not to scold you the
6:08	scripture is clear even though your sins
6:10	be as scarlet christ because of what he
6:13	has done for you makes you white as snow
6:16	and so that is an important thing so
6:18	christ comes speaking peace not scolding
6:21	not wrath because he suffered god’s
6:23	wrath in our place and then when he had
6:26	said this he showed them his hands and
6:29	his side and here i’m gonna do a little
6:32	bit of an analogy have you guys ever
6:34	noticed this that dudes have a thing
6:36	they do they like to like do the one-up
6:39	game when it comes to scars right oh you
6:42	think that’s a that’s an impressive scar
6:43	well let me show you the one that i got
6:45	right dudes are this is like a
6:47	testosterone thing and one of the best
6:49	depictions of this particular behavior
6:51	of men is in the movie jaws all right
6:55	you guys remember this movie probably
6:56	one of the best movies of all time
6:57	cinematically it’s just a well told
7:00	story so act three of jaws begins with
7:03	them out on the water in a tiny boat
7:06	it’s not that big of a boat hunting this
7:08	killer man-eating shark and after a day
7:10	of hunting the shark it’s night time and
7:13	what are they doing they’re have they’re
7:15	gathered around the cabin galley
7:17	table and
7:18	they start showing off their scars
7:22	hooper rolls up his sleeve and says take
7:24	a look at that that right there is from
7:25	amore hill bit right through my wetsuit
7:28	well quit not to be out then rolls up
7:30	his pant leg and says you see that right
7:32	there that’s a thresher shark right and
7:34	so they’re going back and forth the best
7:35	line in the in that portion of the movie
7:37	is when hooper opens up his his shirt
7:40	and says you see that right there that
7:41	one right there
7:42	mary ellen moffatt she broke my heart
7:44	right
7:47	it’s such it’s such a quintessential
7:50	thing about dudes and here’s the reason
7:52	why dudes do this it’s kind of a
7:54	testosterone kind of thing because it’s
7:57	not about the scar it’s about the story
7:59	about what gave you the scar right
8:02	yeah when you think of them like the
8:03	movie gladiator where they depict men
8:05	who’ve actually been in battle with
8:07	swords and things like this you know
8:08	they’ve got scars there’s their bodies
8:11	are marred and
8:12	mangled but here’s the thing if we think
8:15	about it in this context this is a great
8:18	testosterone moment jesus is showing off
8:20	his scars why because who did he go up
8:23	against the devil himself death and he
8:27	conquered it all oh those are the best
8:29	scars ever i have to do kind of a tim
8:31	allen thing from tool time
8:34	right
8:36	that is our conquering jesus these are
8:39	the best scars ever because they are the
8:42	scars of his victory in the battle that
8:46	he waged in order to set us free from
8:49	the dominion of darkness it is
8:52	so
8:53	good and again jesus said to them peace
8:56	be with you and this is the peace that
8:58	comes from the conquering christ as the
9:01	father now has sent me i even so i am
9:04	sending you and here jesus is doing
9:06	something very interesting this is the
9:09	beginning of the setting up of the
9:11	office of the ministry it begins with
9:13	the foundation of the apostles and
9:15	continues on to this day with pastors
9:18	who are called by the holy spirit to
9:20	preach the word to absolve people of
9:22	their sins and to administer the
9:23	sacraments and something interesting
9:26	happens here of a sentence that for
9:28	years kind of boggled me
9:30	in it and this is the sentence he says
9:32	and when he said this he breathed on
9:34	them and said to them
9:37	receive the holy spirit
9:42	and i’ve read this many times and just
9:45	looked at it
9:48	and drawn a blank
9:50	there it is it’s
9:52	pretty clear what occurred here but
9:54	what’s the significance of it
9:56	well if i could let me consider one way
9:59	of looking at this
10:01	back in the
10:03	book of genesis genesis chapter 2. it
10:05	talks about how adam was made and in
10:08	chapter 2 verse 5 it says when no bush
10:10	of the field was yet in the land no
10:12	small plant of the field had yet sprung
10:14	up
10:14	yahweh elohim had not caused it to rain
10:17	on the land and there was no man to work
10:19	the ground and a mist was going up from
10:21	the land and was watering the whole face
10:23	of the ground and then yahweh elohim
10:25	formed the man of the dust from the
10:27	ground and he breathed into his nostrils
10:30	the breath of life and the man became a
10:34	living creature
10:37	all right so
10:39	let me kind of make the connection here
10:41	and then we’ll pull in our old testament
10:43	text too because i think it makes the
10:44	point as well you see we because of adam
10:48	and eve’s sin were born dead in
10:49	trespasses and sins in a similar way
10:51	this imagery is the same as what we see
10:53	here in genesis there’s adam’s formed
10:56	but still lifeless body
10:59	and christ breathes into his nostrils
11:01	the breath of life and he says happy
11:03	birthday right the first thing he sees
11:06	is the the face of christ it’s his day
11:09	that he has created and so that’s the
11:12	idea now the church has been given the
11:14	holy spirit and the gospel itself and
11:17	christ by here
11:19	giving the spirit to his disciples who
11:22	become the apostles that it’s the the
11:26	image then is this that in the church
11:28	the holy spirit exists and resides
11:31	breathing the life of the good news of
11:33	god over
11:35	fallen sinful dead humanity and god
11:38	raises them from the dead through the
11:40	preaching of the gospel i think that’s a
11:42	good way to put it and it ties in really
11:44	wonderfully with our ezekiel text where
11:47	there’s the valley of the dry bones and
11:50	well poor ezekiel you know he’s asked by
11:52	god can these bones live well you you
11:56	you know god you know all things sure
11:58	you you tell me it says so prophesy to
12:01	the wind and what does he do he
12:02	prophesies to the wind
12:04	and the spirit of god comes and puts in
12:07	you and
12:08	put the bones back together and the
12:09	rattling and then they stand up that’s
12:12	what the gospel does for each and every
12:14	one of us sin isn’t our friend sin kills
12:17	sin is a toxin sin is a poison and it’s
12:20	it’s well effects are mortally
12:22	fatal and so you’ll note that christ
12:25	giving his church the spirit breathing
12:28	on them receiving the holy spirit it’s
12:30	that same imagery that god now is
12:33	raising dead sinners to the preaching of
12:35	the gospel through those whom he has
12:38	sent to preach the good news and of
12:40	course they have authority from him if
12:42	you forgive the sins of any they are
12:44	already forgiven if you withhold
12:46	forgiveness for many it is withheld one
12:49	of the great quotes i read this week in
12:51	my sermon prep on this
12:53	was from johan gerhart he had an
12:55	admonition for pastors in his sermon he
12:58	said pastors do not let these keys get
13:00	rusty make sure that they stay well
13:04	clean from lots of use use the keys that
13:07	god has given us often because we
13:09	sinners need to be set free from our
13:11	sins over and over and over again and be
13:14	assured of the forgiveness that is in
13:17	christ
13:18	so well thomas he missed the meeting you
13:20	know apparently he didn’t get the email
13:22	letting him know about
13:23	the meeting and so he wasn’t there when
13:25	jesus appeared and jesus shows him
13:28	kindness as well no scolding for thomas
13:31	thomas one of the twelve called the twin
13:33	was not with them when jesus came so the
13:35	other disciples told him we have seen
13:37	the lord but he said to them unless i
13:39	see
13:40	his hands and the marks of the nails and
13:42	place my finger into the mark of the
13:44	nails and place my hand into a side i
13:47	will never believe and it’s sad here if
13:50	you think about it because thomas is not
13:53	believing the report of his of the other
13:55	disciples they have no reason to lie to
13:58	him at all and he’s not listening to
14:01	them
14:02	and i think if you were to think of it
14:03	this way thomas is kind of a stand-in
14:05	then for the skeptical world and his
14:09	the mercy that christ shows him and
14:10	appearing to him is the same mercy that
14:13	god gives to those who have who struggle
14:15	with doubts regarding the veracity of
14:17	the christian faith christ doesn’t come
14:19	to school he comes to point this out and
14:22	so thomas is their saint if you would
14:25	the saint of those who feel like they
14:27	need
14:28	evidence to believe and the evidence is
14:30	given to thomas and his confession and
14:32	his report should be enough for them so
14:35	eight days later it’s sunday again the
14:38	day now that we referred to as the lord
14:40	day lord’s day his disciples were inside
14:43	and thomas was with them and although
14:45	the doors were locked jesus came and
14:47	stood among them and said apparently
14:49	jesus is a good lock picker you know and
14:52	he’s able to sneak in when no one’s
14:54	looking right
14:55	yeah although the doors were locked
14:57	jesus came and stood among them and said
14:59	peace be with you
15:01	so then he said to thomas put your
15:03	finger here and see my hands and put out
15:05	your hand and place it in my side
15:07	it shows him as well the scars
15:11	that were inflicted on his body
15:13	in his great battle even to save thomas
15:16	and i would note something here the fact
15:18	that christ has these scars
15:20	proves definitively that the body that
15:23	christ rose in is the same body that
15:25	hung on the tree when it’s it’s not some
15:28	different body it’s the same exact body
15:31	glorified now and immortal put your
15:33	finger here see my hands put out your
15:35	hand place it in my side do not be
15:38	disbelieving that’s the way the verbs
15:40	really work in greek do not be
15:42	disbelieving but believe and thomas then
15:45	utters this beautiful confession and his
15:47	words are most certainly true he
15:50	answered him hakurios
15:53	you are my lord and my god and that is
15:56	exactly who jesus is he’s our lord he’s
15:59	our god and he comes bringing us tidings
16:02	of peace
16:03	tidings of forgiveness and
16:04	reconciliation of joy evermore of a
16:07	salvation given as a gift he comes to us
16:12	not to scold us but to save us to bring
16:14	us to repentance so that we can be
16:17	adopted as his children and receive the
16:20	inheritance
16:21	assured by what christ has done for us
16:23	on the cross
16:25	so jesus said to him have you believed
16:27	because you’ve seen me
16:29	blessed are those who have not seen and
16:31	yet have believed and note that we are
16:34	among that group we
16:36	christ speaks to us today and says that
16:39	we are blessed we are truly blessed i
16:41	haven’t seen jesus i’ve never met him
16:44	i’ve never had coffee with him you know
16:46	if he were walking down the streets of
16:48	grand forks i don’t know if i would
16:50	recognize him unless he made himself
16:52	known but do not worry
16:54	we are blessed those who have not seen
16:57	and yet have believed and presently we
16:58	walk by faith not by sight
17:01	and it see you’ll note that seeing is
17:04	believing is the way the world thinks
17:06	but the reality is is that we know that
17:08	through the gospel hearing is believing
17:12	the holy spirit bro breathed on us
17:14	through the preaching of the gospel
17:16	breathed on us in the waters of baptism
17:19	when we were united with christ in his
17:21	death and resurrection and so having not
17:23	seen him with our own eyes we also can
17:26	say exactly the way job did that with
17:28	our very eyes even though we perish and
17:30	our skin fall off of us that with our
17:32	eyes we will see jesus someday
17:35	and christ has declared to us that we
17:37	are blessed
17:38	and now comes
17:40	the kind of the main thesis statement of
17:42	the entire scripture this is not merely
17:45	the thesis statement of the gospel of
17:47	john i love how our lutheran theologians
17:50	always point back to this and say this
17:51	is the thesis statement of all of the
17:54	bible
17:55	here’s what it says
17:57	now jesus did many other signs in the
17:59	presence of the disciples which are not
18:01	written in this book this is most
18:02	certainly true
18:04	everything that jesus did and said all
18:07	the miracles he performed they were not
18:09	recorded by the apostles
18:11	only the ones that were necessary right
18:14	and so he says but these things are
18:17	written so that you may believe that
18:18	jesus is the christ the son of god and
18:21	that by believing you may have life in
18:24	his name you see these words are theonus
18:27	they are god-breathed god the holy
18:29	spirit inspired the apostles to write
18:32	these words inspired john recalled his
18:35	memory perfectly so that he can fill in
18:38	the blanks that the synoptic gospels
18:40	didn’t give us regarding jesus so that
18:42	we might believe that jesus is the son
18:45	of god and by believing we have might
18:47	might have life in his name but that’s
18:49	also the reason why genesis was written
18:51	also the reason why exodus and leviticus
18:53	and numbers and deuteronomy why all of
18:55	them were written so that we would
18:57	believe same with isaiah and amos and
19:00	all the other books of the scripture
19:02	they’re all written so that you might
19:04	believe and note this that you might
19:06	have
19:07	life in his name sin is
19:11	death the wages of sin is death doubly
19:15	so mortal death second death there’s
19:18	nothing to be gained by sin but christ
19:21	came so that we might have life and life
19:24	by his name by his vicarious bleeding
19:27	and dying for our sins life that we
19:30	would never have to run away from his
19:33	presence and hide but instead like
19:36	joyful children run to him on the day of
19:39	his return so brothers and sisters the
19:42	fact that christ is risen from the dead
19:44	is great joy for us and great comfort
19:46	so as we’ve been saying for the past
19:49	couple weeks Christ has risen
19:54	amen

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