Mid-Week Lenten Vespers, 2018
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Daylight Savings Time
The Hymn #523 Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 24 p. 128
The Lections The Passion History
The Lections The Passion History
The Sermon – I AM the Resurrection
The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Collect for Grace p. 45
The Hymn #552 Abide with Me
The Hymn #552 Abide with Me
I AM the Resurrection
John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
This raising of Lazarus is the turning point in the mission of Jesus. Once this has happened, Jesus has completed His work. In other words, everything afterwards is inevitable. By raising Lazarus from the dead, in front of a crowd of local and Jerusalem people, Jesus confirmed His reputation as the Christ the Son of God. The rest of the Gospel concerns His death and resurrection.
There are several important details about this miracle. Jesus delayed coming, and this meant Lazarus was dead for days, as witnessed by his friends and famil
Another detail was the disciples' fear of consequences if they came near Jerusalem. Doubting Thomas expected to die because of the hostility of the religious leaders.
The fame of Jesus had gone forth across the land, so there was both the anticipation of His coming to see His friend, but also the crushing disappoint of Lazarus' death.
This disappointment brought out the clear confession of faith in Jesus -
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
When Jesus countered by saying "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Jesus tested her faith. Was it simply faith in eternal life (which we see all over today) or faith in Him as The Resurrection and The Life?
She said, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."
This is a dominant theme in John's Gospel. First of all, He teaches the necessity of faith in Him as the righteousness of God. Secondly, He elicits a confession of faith in Him as the Savior. Both parts are important - His true nature and our confession of faith in Him, His divine mission and titles of majesty.
This is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit in the Word. I was recalling today about being kidded by a Methodist minister at a meeting. He mentioned our churches being close together. I said, "That important because Wesley has his experience of the warming of his heart after hearing Luther's preface to Romans read in church."
That was a turning point in Wesley's life because he read a clear confession of faith in Jesus through Luther's words. Even then there was great confusion from so many false teachers, but the clear truth struck Wesley. When there are so many confused voices, faith is not clearly taught. He knew he lacked a firm conviction of the truth, and this experience taught him that the Gospel Word has an effect (faith) and affect (he felt it within).
How strange that there are so many efforts to take us away from the very source of faith - the Gospel Word - and entertain us, inspire us, recruit us, or make us feel so guilty we do something really significant, like becoming vegan or joining a social justice warrior group.
Confusion and clamor are worse than ever before, so the need for the stability of the Word is even greater. We can see that where some like Gerhard and Luther have struggled with the Word and the issues of the day, they have spiritual treasure to share with us. The greatest concentration is found in the Gospels and Epistles. The Holy Spirit teaches us so much in them that we can resist any false doctrine and all the temptations of the Evil One.
If anything, the turmoil will increase as worldly wisdom becomes even more radical and more people are confused. But the Word who fashioned the universe is still within the hearts of believers to guide them to eternal life.
Greek Lesson - I AM the Resurrection and the Life
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν καὶ εἶπεν οὕτως ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέν με πρὸς ὑμᾶς
11:25 ειπεν αυτη ο ιησους εγω ειμι η αναστασις και η ζωη ο πιστευων εις εμε καν αποθανη ζησεται
14:6 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εγω ειμι η οδος και η αληθεια και η ζωη ουδεις ερχεται προς τον πατερα ει μη δι εμου
