Sermon for the Feast of All Saints

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Baptism of Mary Rose Hansen

Jesu Juva

“I’m a Child of Paradise!”

Text: 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:2-17; Matthew 5:1-12

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

See what kind of love the Father has given to Mary Rose, that she should be called a child of God; and so she is. The child of Logan and Melody according to the flesh; a child of God by her new birth by water and the Spirit. 

She is now numbered among the 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, for she has been marked, sealed, with the sign of the cross upon her forehead. A member of the church on earth, the Church Militant, exactly numbered, all known to our heavenly Father.

But she is also now numbered among that great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages . . . clothed in white robes. For here in this water, she has been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. She is a member of the Church Triumphant, though not there yet. For there is but one Church, spanning time and space. Transcending time and space. In heaven, triumphant and at rest; on earth, militant; still pilgrims on the way. 

But as one Church, we here join our voices with theirs, one great chorus of praise to the Lamb who was slain who has begun His reign. Holy, holy, holy we sing with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. And Mary Rose has joined us in that today. Her mouth may not be able to form or speak the words, but her spirit can. And does.

OK - enough about Mary! 

See what kind of love the Father has given YOU, that YOU should be called children of God; and so YOU are. Everything I said about Mary is true for you as well, by virtue of your baptism. For as John goes on to say in his Epistle, Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared . . . It will, one day, appear. For that vision of heaven, all the saints gathered around the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white robes . . . that’s you! You’re in there. That’s not just the saints that lived before John that he is seeing. Jesus is pulling aside the curtain and giving John a glimpse of eternity. John is seeing outside time and space. And so he sees the saints of the past and of the future; from Adam and Eve, to his brother and brother apostles, you and I and Mary, and even those not yet born . . . and I would add to that Mary’s brother, Philip - there. Safe. Free from sin. Risen from death. In peace and joy. 

Because, as one of the elders goes on to tell John, he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Their peace and joy, their no more hunger or thirst or scorching heat, their comfort is because of this sheltering. And the word John uses there is the word for tent or tabernacle. Now it’s not translated into the English that way because we don’t have a verb form of that word in English! I tented you, or I will tent you. We don’t talk like that. But - and some of you probably know where I’m going with this! - that’s the word John uses to speak of the incarnation - of Jesus becoming flesh. And the Word became flesh and dwelt - or tented, or tabernacled, or sheltered - among us (John 1:14). 

So when the Son of God came to save us, He tented in our flesh and blood. He was the new tabernacle. But not in a superficial way only. He took on our flesh and blood and made it His own, forever. And in that flesh and blood He not only died on the cross for us and rose from the dead for us and ascended into heaven for us, He is sheltering us forever. His flesh and blood is our tent now, and our dwelling place forever. That’s why Paul says of baptism (and as we sang in the baptismal hymn) that we are not just baptized BY Christ, but INTO Christ Jesus. Baptism puts us into the tent of Jesus’ body and blood.

That’s why baptism is such a incredible gift! It is our comfort, our refuge, our shelter in the midst of an evil and wicked world. As we make our way through the wilderness of this world to the Promised Land of heaven, we remember: I am baptized into Christ; I’m a child of paradise (LSB #594). 

Beloved, we are God’s children now - this is true for us now . . . but, John goes on to say, what we will be has not yet appeared. That is, you are a child of God now. True. You are in the great multitude now. True. But what do things look like now? What do we see now? Well, not that, right?! There is no heaven on earth. Still we live in an evil and wicked world. We live in the Church Militant. We live in the midst of strife and sin and death. That’s what we see - in the world and in ourselves, too! - and it causes us to struggle. Struggle to believe it. Struggle to live as who we are in Christ. 

And it is a struggle, this life. You know it. For how often, instead of waving palm branches, we wave a fist. Instead of praise, we criticize and demean. We rebel against our parents. How often are we are restless for what we do not have instead of resting in what we do. Doubting instead of rejoicing in the words and promises of God. Fearing the world more than we trust in God. How often do we feed out lust instead of our souls. Hungering and thirsting for what is passing away instead of what is eternal. I know you shouldn’t . . . and yet, I do. You know you shouldn’t . . . All those things. Your sinful nature dragging you down . . .

But at such times when the struggle is real and great, remember who you are: a child of God! You may not look it or feel it, but that’s why we don’t rely on what we see or feel! You may think you do not deserve such an exalted status - and that’s true! You don’t! It’s a gift. Which is why we don’t rely on what we see or feel or deserve - we rely on the words and promises of God. And today, these words: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. So we ARE. 

Because what God call a thing, that’s what it is. Not so for us. Our words don’t do that. Only His. Our words wishful thinking at best; sinful, deceiving, misleading, and destructive at worst. Some might call a man a woman, or a woman a man, but that doesn’t make it so. Some might call a baby just a clump of cells, but that doesn’t make her so. Some might say any two people can marry, or even that we don’t need marriage, that it is obsolete, but that doesn’t make it so. You might look at yourself in the mirror and think: No way you’re a Christian! Look at you! But Jesus said: I baptize you. You are my child. And so you ARE. Not because you’ve done it, but because He has. Because God’s word does what it says. His words are creative words; creating words. God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Jesus tells the dead to rise, and they do. He rebukes demons and they flee. And in the same way He says you are my child, and you ARE. He says I forgive you, and He DOES. He says this is My Body and this is My Blood, and it IS. 

And so you are sheltered from the sin and evil and death in the world and in you, because like Mary today, you are baptized into Christ. 

So in the midst of the struggle of this world and life - yes, your struggle against sin, and yes, your struggle against doubt, this reality is true for you, too, - at the same time! - what we heard Jesus say today . . . You are poor in spirit. You mourn. You are meek. You hunger and thirst for righteousness. You are merciful. You are pure in heart. You are peacemakers. And you are persecuted for all this, by a sinful world and a raging devil. And you are blessed. Because you are called sons of God and yours in the kingdom of heaven. 

Beloved, we are God’s children now, [even though] what we will be has not yet appeared; though now we live this mixed up life! But we know that when he appears - when Jesus returns, John goes on to say - then we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Then it will all come to pass. Then we will see what we do not yet see. Then we will see as John saw, that great multitude in heaven, in peace and joy and rest. Then we will look at one another and not see the sin, but Christ. That we do not see or feel that now doesn’t negate the promise. The promise we, with John, have a glimpse of now, in the Word and by faith, even in the midst of this not yet world, in the midst of the struggle. But that day is coming . . . and coming soon, I hope!

Mary received that promise today, was given a new life, and a promised eternal inheritance. She looks the same, but she isn’t. For today we saw God’s love and grace in action in the baptism of Mary Rose, as Jesus took a sinful human being, created her anew, forgave her all her sins, and said, You are my child. And she is. The sign of the cross was put upon her, and so marked her, sealed her. And now her parents are going to teach her about that - about what happened today, and that sign of the cross. And every time she makes it - with her little hands, her teenage hands, or her old wrinkled and aged hands - every time she makes the sign of the cross she will say, I am baptized! That’s who I am! Sheltered by Christ and His cross, raised to life in His resurrection, and in that great multitude in His ascension. I’m a child of paradise! 

Yes, yes you are, Mary Rose. And so are all of you. All saints.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Congregation at Prayer

For the Week of Pentecost 23 (November 2-7, 2026)

Invocation: In the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Speak the Apostles’ Creed. 

Verse: Matthew 25:13 – “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Hymn of the Week:  Lutheran Service Book #514 “The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us”

Hymns for Sunday: 515, 514, 618, 663, 701, 689, 821

Readings for the Week: [The readings for Thursday-Saturday are the Scriptures for this coming Sunday.]

Monday: Psalm 70

Why is the psalmist in a hurry? What is his hope and confidence?

Tuesday: Micah 6:6-8

Why do sacrifices without faith fail to produce the fruits and good works God desires? How should we come before the Lord?

Wednesday: Philippians 3:17-21

How does living for this world and life make one an enemy of the cross of Christ? How should we think and live and act?

Thursday: Amos 5:18–24

How does Amos describe “the Day of the Lord?” Why are their sacrifices unacceptable? What hope do we have? Whose sacrifice is acceptable? Why?

Friday: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Why does Paul call death “sleep?” When Jesus comes again, what will happen to all people? Is this encouraging to you?

Saturday: Matthew 25:1-13

How were the foolish virgins foolish? Was it lack of oil or lack of faith? How did this make them not ready? What were the bridegroom’s (Jesus’!) frightening words to them?

The Catechism - Baptism: What does such baptizing with water indicate? [Part 2] Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six: “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4

Collect for the Week: Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers:  Please pray for . . .

+ yourself and for all in need (remembering especially those on our prayer list).

+ God’s blessing, wisdom, and guidance for our congregation’s Board of Evangelism and Outreach.

+ the Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Congo, for God’s wisdom, blessing, guidance, and provision.

+ God’s blessing, guidance, and provision for our Synod’s Soldiers of the Cross program.

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer from the Catechism.

Now joyfully go about your day (or to bed) in good cheer, child of God!

Collect for the Week © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.

Lutheran Service Book Hymn License: 110019268

Sermon for the Festival of the Reformation

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Jesu Juva

“A Truth Worth Proclaiming”

Text: Matthew 11:12-19; Romans 3:19-28; Revelation 14:6-7; Psalm 46

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our remembrance and celebration of the Reformation at the end of October always coincides with, and honestly often gets overshadowed by . . . no, not Halloween! (Though that’s true, too.) I was thinking Election Day. Which these days is often scarier than Halloween! Polls, doom sayers, endless ads, mudslinging, and every election now, we are told, is the most important election of all time. Everything has become political, it is said, and politics has wormed its way into everything. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone’s opinion is right, of course! Because truth is not objective, we are told, but subjective. Not out there, but in here. The truth is not black and white, not unchangeable, but shades of gray, and fungible. A belief which has led to greater and greater polarization, demonizing, confusion, and violence.

I don’t know if it’s worse now than before. That’s just recency bias, I think. The belief that everything is worse now, or everything is better now, than it was before. That thinking is just a manifestation of sin - sin which is man curved in on himself, consumed with himself, focused on himself, rather than on God and on others. Recency bias is just that on a larger scale. It is society curved in on itself.

For polarization, demonizing, confusion, and violence is nothing new. We heard it from Jesus today. He said, From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. That was, of course, first and foremost true of Jesus Himself, who is the kingdom of heaven, the king of heaven, in human flesh. He was accused of being demon-possessed. He had mud slung on Him, called the illegitimate child of Joseph and Mary. He was opposed by those who held political office. And ultimately suffered the violence of flogging and crucifixion. That was true also of John, who was beheaded by a politician. And if we had the time, we could take this all the way back to the beginning, when Abel suffered violence at the hand of his own brother, Cain. 

But why is this? Why the violence? Why is the church seemingly always out-of-step with the world, not mourning when the world mourns, or dancing when the world dances? 

The answer, I think, is simple. And we heard it in the reading from Romans today. The truth that there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And that is the eternal Gospel spoken of in the reading from Revelation today. The truth which is trans-political, trans-cultural, trans-national, not subject to change with the times, but objectively true no matter who you are or when or where or how you live. Because the truth is that we don’t have a politics problem, we have a sin problem. We just don’t want to admit it. 

So you may have heard the little slogan, especially around this time of the year when we remember the Reformation, ecclesia semper reformanda, which means, the church is always reforming. It’s true, if understood correctly. Sadly, it’s not so much these days by those who take it mean that the church must change with the times . . . which usually means change our definition of sin, or at least, not talk about it so much. But to what end? That the demonization and opposition end? That the church be bigger and more successful? More influential? But if she’s already been influenced by the world to change, and given up the truth, what does she have left? The church, then, is just echoing what the world says and parroting the latest pablum.

So instead of ecclesia semper reformanda, it would be better for us to say, ecclesia semper paenitens - the church is always repenting. That is, instead of changing our definition of sin to make ourselves feel better and looking for loopholes, explanations, and exceptions; instead of demonizing others and pointing out their sin rather than my own; instead of relying on and looking to politics to solve our problems, we instead fall on our knees at the foot of the cross and say, God, be merciful to me, the sinner (Luke 18:13). 

Because really, that’s what the Reformation was all about. It wasn’t a rebellion, it wasn’t a revolution, though it is often co-opted it to be those things - it was a repenting and turning to the cross. But not repenting as punishment, as humiliation and self-abasement and somehow earning God’s favor and making up for my sin by myself and beating myself up. People were already doing that! It was repenting, acknowledging the truth of my sin, and turning to the cross and finding the mercy of God there. The Reformation was about the truth that the righteousness of God wasn’t a demand for us to fulfill, but a gift for us to receive.

So you’ll also often hear quoted this time of year the first of Luther’s 95 theses, that When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent, He willed the entire like of believers to be one of repentance. Which is true. But don’t stop there! There’s 94 more theses after that one! Including this one, number 62: The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God. The eternal Gospel that while yes, it is true, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, this is true as well, that those same “all” are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That is to say, that if our sin is the objective truth, so is our redemption.

Being popular, being accepted, is easy. Just tell people what they want to hear and do what they want you to do. Mourn what the world mourns, and rejoice in what the world rejoices in. Don’t change the world with the Word, let the world change the Word. That might save you from suffering demonization, opposition, and violence now, but also usher in an eternity in hell.

OR . . . you can repent. And instead of trying to justify yourself and what you do or did, and how you think and what you want, because that’s what loopholes, explanations, and exceptions do; instead of trying to justify yourself, repent of all that! Give it up! And receive the mercy of God. The mercy of God Jesus died on the cross to provide for you and give to you. The mercy of the forgiveness of all your sins. Of not just forgetting about them or hiding your sins for a while, but having them wiped out by the blood of Jesus. His blood poured on you in Baptism, spoken upon you in the Absolution, preached to you in the Gospel, and fed to you in the Supper. Grace upon grace. Because we need it! Because sins are stubborn things! But the grace and mercy of God is greater; the true treasure of the church.

Now you’d think such a message of good news would be welcome! But if sins are stubborn things, pride is the most stubbornest of them all! Pride which doesn’t want to face or admit or confess our sin and so wars against repentance, and so wars against the Gospel. That’s why God’s Word is full of such statements as these: the first shall be last, and the last first. The exalted will be humbled, and the humble exalted. Our pride must first be killed, our self-reliance and self-exaltation and self-preservation, which ain’t easy! But then a new man can arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever (SC, Baptism IV). 

A new man to live before God forever, yes; but to also live before man now. To live the Gospel in a difficult, sinful, and sin-fulled world. And maybe for you that is in politics, and if it is, God bless ya! We’ll pray for you! But for most of us, it is on a much smaller - but no easier - scale. In our families, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods. Speaking a truth that won’t be welcome, that will be opposed and demonized and even spark violence. And we’ll be tempted in two ways. First, be cowed into silence, to live and let live. Or the opposite, go in full fury and try to change the world in a day. Don’t do either of those things. 

Rather, rely on the one who promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. Rely on the one who died and rose for you. Live in your callings. And be patient. Be still, and know that I am God, as Psalm 46, the Mighty Fortress psalm says. Or, Be still and know that I am God, not you. And that’s one of the other great benefits of repentance - it is not trying control things myself, it is relying on the one who is in control. In control even while hanging on the cross, when Rome and the Jewish leaders thought they were in control! Nope! Even there, even then, Jesus was in control, laying down His life, not having it taken from Him. Laying down His life in love for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And if that is true, then He is in control even in the turmoil of this life, even the turmoil of your life.

So live in your callings. And be patient. Because heterodoxy, or we could say falsehood, or sin, is always in a hurry; but orthodoxy, or the truth, is not. Not that the truth isn’t important - it is! But as a man you may have heard of, GK Chesterton, explained it: Heterodoxy or falsehood or sin is always in a hurry because it seeks to conquer the present moment; it is restless and frantic to change with the times. Orthodoxy is not because it rests upon the permanence of eternity. True orthodoxy is patient, timeless, and has no need to rush because it rests on enduring truth. Or better to say, because it rests on the one who is the enduring truth - Jesus Christ. And so we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, Thy will be done. And know that it is. The devil could not stop it. The world cannot stop it. Christ is risen! And that changes everything. 

And that confidence and faith is what enabled Luther to say: I simply taught, preached, and wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philipp and Amsdorf, the Word did its work. The Word made flesh, that it, through the Word here preached and given. 

Well, this sermon has come a long and winding way! So let me sum it up this way: We live in a frightening, very political world. The temptation to give in to fear or trust in politics is always with us. The true church is out-of-step with the world, and we shouldn’t expect it to be otherwise. And the truth - the truth of our sin and the truth of our Saviour - will bring division and violence. But as we sang in Psalm 46, We will not fear! We will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea . . . though the nations rage and kingdoms totter. And why? The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. He is with us in the flesh, risen from the dead, and with the fortress of His Word and Sacraments. 

So we will repent. Ecclesia semper paenitens. And we’ll take refuge in Christ. Because whatever happens in the world, and however this latest election turns out, Jesus and His truth, His word and promises, will never change. And no matter what the government is, and no matter who tries to stamp out the truth, the truth shall remain. The Gospel is eternal. For Christ is risen from the dead! And in Him, so will you, and so are you. In Him, living a life that is eternal. And that is a truth worth celebrating and proclaiming.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.