THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 10, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
... View MoreTHE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 10, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
Divine Service III – Pages 184-202
Lutheran Service Book
OUR OPENING HYMN: 773 “Hear Us, Father, When We Pray”
The Invocation Page 184 Lutheran Service Book
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185
THE INTROIT Psalm 66:1.2a; 17, 19-20; antiphon: Isaiah 48:20b
With a voice of singing, declare this with a shout of joy to the end of the earth. Alleluia. The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob! Alleluia. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name. I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. With a voice of singing, declare this with a shout of joy to the end of the earth. Alleluia. The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob! Alleluia.
The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) (from Mark 10:47)
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you.
OUR COLLECT PRAYER:
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord., who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OUR BIBLE READINGS:
Old Testament – Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-9
Epistle – 1st Timothy 2:1-6
The Verse – Liturgical Text: John 16:
Gospel Reading - John 16:23-33
THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192
HYMN OF THE DAY: 895 “Now Thank We All Our God”
THE SERMON
Grace, peace, and mercy to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
In today's Gospel reading, our Lord speaks words that are both comforting and bracing.
He invites us to pray.
He promises that the Father hears us.
He assures us our sorrows will turn to joy.
And yet, in the same breath, He tells us plainly: “In the world you will have tribulation.”
This is not the kind of promise the world would write in a greeting card. But it is the counselling words of Christ.
And a promise that’s filled, not with despair, but with deep and unshakable comfort.
For Jesus does not leave us in tribulation.
He says: “Take heart; I have overcome the world.”
That’s the key to everything in this text.
Not that we’ll escape trouble.
But Christ has overcome it for us.
So, in Him, we too overcome.
Our Lord begins by talking about prayer.
“Whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”
These are astonishing words.
Jesus is opening the door of Heaven to His disciples.
He’s telling them that through Him, they have access to the Father.
Not as strangers.
Nor as beggars who have to settle for scraps.
But as beloved children who are heard.
This ties directly to what we hear in the Epistle reading from 1st Timothy.
St. Paul urges that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”
Why?
Because “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
This is the heart of Christian prayer.
We don’t pray because we are worthy.
Or because we’ve earned a hearing.
We pray because we have a mediator who directs us to.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
That means as Christians, we come before the Father clothed in Christ.
His righteousness becomes our own.
His beloved status before the Father is now ours by grace.
This is why Jesus says, “The Father Himself loves you.”
Not because of anything in us.
But because we are in Christ.
Because we believe that Jesus came from God.
This is pure Gospel — free, undeserved, overflowing grace.
And yet, Jesus knows the hearts of His disciples.
He knows our hearts as well.
So, He goes on to speak honestly about what lies ahead.
“The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered.”
And then: “In the world you will have trouble.”
This is where our expectations often falter.
We hear of the promises of prayer, of joy, and the Father’s love.
So we might be tempted to think the Christian life should be smooth and easy.
That if we pray “correctly,” or believe strongly enough, we’ll be spared hardship.
But Jesus says otherwise.
He tells us the truth.
There will be tribulation and suffering in this world.
There will be moments when we feel scattered, alone, even abandoned.
This shouldn’t surprise us.
For it was true, first, of Christ Himself.
He was the one who was forsaken on the cross.
Bearing the sin of the world, our sin.
Enduring the wrath we deserved.
And yet, even there, He was not ultimately alone.
“The Father is with Me,” He says.
And through His suffering and death, He accomplished the victory over sin and death.
“I have overcome the world,” Jesus explains.
This is not only a hope for the future.
It’s a present reality.
The victory has been won.
Sin is atoned for.
Death defeated.
The devil overthrown.
Christ reigns.
And this victory is given to you.
This is where the Old Testament reading sheds light on our Gospel.
In Numbers Chapter 21, the people of Israel are in distress.
Fiery serpents are biting them, and they’re dying.
So God provides what might seem a strange remedy: a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole.
Whoever looks at it lives.
This solution does not come by human reason.
But it is God’s appointed means of salvation.
And Jesus Himself tells us in John 3:14-15 that this points directly to Him.
As the serpent was lifted up, so must the Son of Man be lifted up on the cross, Christ told Nicodemus.
There, the cure for sin is given.
There, life is won.
And now, whoever receives the Gospel, the Good News of Christ, lives.
In the desert, the Israelites bitten by snakes looked at the bronze serpent on a pole to be healed.
Likewise, humans bitten by the “poison” of sin look to the lifted-up Jesus for spiritual healing and eternal life.
This is how we overcome the world.
Not by our own strength.
Not by avoiding suffering.
But by looking to the One who was lifted up for us.
By trusting in His victory and receiving His gifts, His means of grace.
This is also why our Lord says, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”
This isn’t the denial of sorrow.
Jesus doesn’t say that sorrow will vanish immediately.
He says it will be transformed.
Turned into joy.
Like a woman in labour, Jesus says elsewhere in this chapter, pain gives way to joy when a child is born.
So it is with the Christian life.
Our present sufferings are real, not imaginary.
And they’re often not insignificant.
But they’re also not the final word.
Christ’s victory is. And that victory reshapes everything.
Even now, in the midst of trouble, we have peace.
“Peace I leave with you,” Jesus says in the same farewell discourse.
“That in Me you may have peace.”
Notice where peace is found.
Not in the world.
Nor in circumstances.
But in Him.
This is why a Christian can have peace even when things are outwardly falling apart.
Because our peace is anchored in Christ’s finished work.
In His overcoming the world.
Martin Luther once wrote words that capture this truth: “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.”
That’s exactly what Jesus is teaching here.
We don’t have to twist God’s arm.
We don’t have to convince Him to care.
The Father Himself loves us.
And so, we come to Him boldly.
Confidently.
Not because we are strong.
But because Christ is.
And so, brothers and sisters, what does this mean for us today?
First, that we should pray.
Not as a last resort.
But as a first response.
We’ve been invited.
Commanded, even.
To pray individually, and together in the Church, in worship, where the Third Commandment tells us we should be.
To bring our needs, our fears, our concerns before the Father.
For ourselves and one another.
For all people, as St. Paul says.
And we do so in the confidence that we are heard.
Secondly, it means that we should not be surprised by tribulation.
When suffering comes, it does not mean God has abandoned us.
And it doesn’t mean our prayers have failed.
It means that we are in a world that Christ Himself has already overcome.
And thirdly, it means we should take heart.
Not in ourselves, but in Christ.
His victory is sure.
His promises are certain.
And His joy will not be taken from you.
Even now, we have that joy, that peace.
You have access to the Father through Christ.
We have His gifts within the Church—His forgiveness in the Absolution, His Word, His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
One day, the sorrows and troubles of this world will be gone.
And the joy will be complete.
Until that time, we live by faith.
We pray in Christ’s name.
We endure in His strength through His victory.
“Take heart; I have overcome the world,” Jesus says.
That is the promise, the comfort.
That is the Gospel.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT Page 194
THE LORD’S PRAYER
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR
INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is 627 “Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Saviour”)
Post Communion Collect (Left-hand column) Page 201
Salutation and Benedicamus Page 201
The Benediction Page 202
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 3, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
Divine Service III – Pages 184-202
... View MoreTHE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 3, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
Divine Service III – Pages 184-202
OUR OPENING HYMN: 537 “Beautiful Saviour”
The Invocation Page 184 Lutheran Service Book
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185
Introit Psalm 30: 1-5; antiphon Psalm 149, verse 1
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly! I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Glory Be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen. Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) (from Mark 10:47)
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you.
Collect Prayer:
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Our Bible Readings:
First Reading – Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
The Gradual (adapted from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6)
Christ has risen from the dead. God the Father has crowned Him with glory and honour, He has given Him dominion over the works of His hands; He has put all things under His feet.
Epistle Reading – 1st Peter 2:2-10
Gospel Reading – John 14:1-14
THE NICENE CREED Page 191
HYMN OF THE DAY: LSB 526 “You Are the Way; Through You Alone”
THE SERMON
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
“Let not your hearts be troubled.”
These are the words our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the night he was betrayed.
They are not casual words.
They’re spoken into a moment of fear, confusion, and sorrow.
The disciples have just heard that Jesus is going away.
They don’t understand where He’s going.
They don’t understand why He must go.
And so, their hearts are troubled.
Into that anxiety, Jesus says: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, these words are not only for the disciples then.
They are for you, now.
Because our hearts are often troubled.
We know what it is to live with uncertainty.
To face grief, illness, conflict, and fear.
We know what it is to wonder what lies ahead.
And into all of that, Jesus speaks the same comforting words.
He doesn’t tell us to ignore our problems.
Or to pretend everything is fine.
Instead, Christ directs us to faith.
“Believe in God; believe also in Me.”
The comfort He gives is not found in our will or strength.
The peace He offers is found in Himself, the only Son of God, God in human flesh, our Saviour.
And so, He continues: “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
Here is the first great reassurance.
Jesus is going away—but not to abandon His disciples.
He will prepare a place, an eternal home, a new promised land for the Church.
He is going to the cross, to the grave, but He is also going to rise again.
He will ascend to the right hand of the Father, the position of power.
And in all of this, He is preparing a place for you, also.
This is not just a future promise.
It is a present reality, grounded in His saving work.
Because by His death and resurrection, He offers the Father’s kingdom to repentant sinners who receive the Good News of Him as Saviour.
By His blood, He creates salvation and a renewed life where there was none.
By His righteousness, He gives you a standing before the Father you did not earn.
Martin Luther once wrote on this passage: “Christ goes to prepare a place for us not by building with wood or stone, but by His suffering and death, by which He opens heaven and makes room for us.”
This is the heart of today’s Gospel text.
Our place with God is not prepared by our efforts.
It is prepared by Christ’s cross.
And because He has done this, Jesus gives you a promise: “I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Notice how personal that is.
He doesn’t simply say, “You will go to heaven.”
He says, “I will take you to Myself.”
Your hope is not just a place.
Your hope is a Person, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
To be with Christ is eternal life.
To be with God is the end of all trouble.
And yet, even now, the disciples struggle to understand.
Thomas says to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?”
It’s an honest question.
It is also a question that echoes in every human heart.
How do we find the way to God?
How do we know that we are going in the right direction?
Can we be sure?
To these questions, Jesus answers with one of the most profound and exclusive statements in all of Holy Scripture: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
He doesn’t say, “I will show you the way.”
He says, “I am the way.”
The way to the Father is not a set of instructions.
It is not a mystical ladder you must climb.
The way is Jesus Himself.
To believe in Him is to be on the way.
To trust in Him is to already belong to the Father.
Lutheran Theologian Johann Gerhard, who lived from 1582 to1637, reflected on this beautifully when he wrote:
“Christ is the way according to His humanity, by which He leads us to the Father; He is the truth according to His divinity, revealing the Father; and He is the life as the one who gives eternal life to all who believe.”
This means that everything you need for salvation is found in Jesus.
He is the way — we do not need another path, there is no other.
He is the truth — we do not need another revelation.
He is the life—we do not need to find another source.
And so, Jesus continues: “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
Philip, still confused, says, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus responds with a gentle rebuke: “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Here is another great comfort.
God is not hidden from you.
He’s revealed in Christ.
If you want to know what God is like, look to Christ.
To His mercy toward sinners.
To His compassion for the suffering.
To His willingness to go to the cross.
There you see the Father’s heart.
There you see the fullness of God’s love for you.
And this matters, because troubled hearts often imagine God wrongly.
We can imagine Him as distant, as harsh.
Some see Him as a relentless avenger.
But Jesus shows us the truth.
God is love.
The Father gives His own Son for you.
Then Jesus speaks of the works that flow from faith.
“Whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
These “greater works” are not greater in power than raising the dead.
They are greater in scope.
Because through the preaching of the Gospel, the risen and ascended Christ works through His Church to bring life to the world.
And here we see a connection to our First Reading from Acts.
The apostles appoint the first deacons to serve the needs of the Church.
Among them is Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
Stephen proclaims Christ boldly, even in the face of opposition.
And though he is martyred, the Gospel continues to spread.
These are the “greater works ” – Christ working through His people to bring the message of salvation to the ends of the earth.
And you are part of this.
As those who believe in Christ, you are called to confess Him.
You are called to live in the faith He has given you.
You are called to serve the neighbour in love.
Not to earn your place in the Father’s house, but because your place has already been prepared.
And finally, Jesus gives this promise concerning prayer: “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
To pray in Jesus’ name is not to use a magical formula.
It is to pray in faith.
It is to pray trusting in His Word, His will, and His promises.
It is to pray as those who belong to Him.
And He promises to hear and answer.
Not always in the way we expect.
Not always according to our timing.
But always for our good and for the glory of the Father.
Dear friends in Christ, your hearts will be troubled.
This life does not spare us from sorrow.
But we are not left without comfort.
Christ Himself is your blessed assurance.
He is the way to the Father.
He has revealed the Father’s love.
He works through you for the sake of His Kingdom.
And He hears our prayers.
Even more than that, He will come again, to take you to Himself.
And on that day, every troubled heart will be stilled.
Every tear wiped away.
And you will dwell in the Father’s house, forever.
Until that day, live by faith.
Trust in His promises.
Cling to His Word.
And “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
P: Blessed are You O Lord, our God, king of the universe, for you have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
C: We give You thanks Father for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully take communion
and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come from the body and blood of Christ.
P: Father, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Preface
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God.
For in the mystery of the Word made flesh, You have given us a new revelation of Your glory; that seeing You in the Person of Your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen.
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR
INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said:
“Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying:
“Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Grant us peace.
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is 622 “Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared”)
Post Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page 201 of our Hymnal
Salutation and Benedicamus Page 201
The Benediction Page 202
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 733 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 26, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
... View MoreTHE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 26, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
OPENING HYMN: 475 ”Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing
Lutheran Service Book
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185
The Verse (from Romans 6:9; Luke 24:32)
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. Alleluia.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Alleluia.
THE KYRIE (Lord Have Mercy)
Congregation:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And with thy spirit.
COLLECT PRAYER: Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OUR BIBLE READINGS:
First Reading -- Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 (antiphon: v.1)
Epistle Reading -- 1st Peter 2:19-25
Gospel Reading -- John 10:1-11
THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192
HYMN OF THE DAY: 666 “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mIu4H6pO3A&list=RD8mIu4H6pO3A&start_radio=1
THE SERMON –
Today, in this Easter season, we turn our attention to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
John 10:1–10 is not only a beloved passage; it’s a deeply revealing one.
Jesus tells us who He is, what He gives, and how He alone saves.
In a world filled with spiritual confusion and false promises, this text is not just comforting — it is essential.
Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Here, our Lord draws a sharp and unavoidable contrast.
There is the thief.
And there is the Shepherd.
There is destruction.
And there is life.
There’s no middle ground.
And so, the question before us is: Whose voice are we hearing?
Because the voice we follow determines whether we’re led into eternal life or destruction.
Jesus speaks these words within the larger image of a sheepfold.
He is not only the Shepherd.
He is also the gate.
“I am the door of the sheep,” He says.
This is not poetic excess.
It is a bold and exclusive claim.
To say that He is the gate is to say that there is no other entrance into the flock of God.
No other path to forgiveness and redemption.
This is exactly what Jesus declares in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
This teaching is deeply needed in our own time.
Many today claim there are other roads to God.
That all religions lead to the same destination.
But Christ denies that.
If He alone is the gate, then all other supposed entrances are illusions.
They are, in fact, the work of the thief.
And this brings us to Martin Luther’s insight in his sermon on this text.
He draws our attention to the difference between the true Shepherd and the thief.
The thief, Luther says, is someone who does not describe Christ rightly.
And that is anyone who doesn’t proclaim salvation as God’s free gift in Christ alone.
In Luther’s day, this took the form of teachings that burdened consciences with human works.
The medieval church, like the Pharisees before it, taught that one must cooperate with grace, perform certain acts, and accumulate merit in order to be saved.
Today, the Catholic Church teaches the same error, as do many other churches.
They insist that Christ is not the all-sufficient Saviour.
He becomes, instead, a helper, even a life-coach, just one player in a larger system of salvation.
But this is not the voice of the Shepherd.
It is the voice of a stranger.
And what does the thief do?
Jesus tells us plainly.
He steals, kills, and destroys.
False teaching is not harmless.
It robs Christ of His glory.
It robs troubled consciences of comfort.
False teaching destroys faith by directing the sinner inward, back to his or her own works.
And in the end, it kills, because it leads away from the only true source of life.
This is why correct theology matters so much.
The Good Shepherd, by contrast, gives life.
Abundant life.
What does that mean?
It does not mean a life free from suffering.
It doesn’t promise earthly prosperity or ease.
The Apostle Peter reminds us in today’s Epistle that the Christian life includes suffering, even at times unjust suffering.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,” Peter wrote.
The abundant life that Christ gives is not measured by worldly standards.
It’s measured by the forgiveness of sins.
By peace with God, and freedom from sin, death, and the devil.
It is the life of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Notice how complete that statement is.
Because the Lord is your Shepherd, nothing is lacking.
Not because you possess everything in this world.
But because you have been united to the One who gives everything that truly matters.
Psalm 23 tells us: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” “He leads me beside still waters.” “He restores my soul.”
This is the work of the Shepherd.
He provides, leads, and restores us to true life in this world, and the paradise of Heaven.
Even in the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear.
Why?
Because Christ is with us.
This is the heart of the Christian life.
Not that we are strong.
But the Saviour who gave His life for us is present.
Not that we find our way.
We can’t, the Bible makes clear.
But that He leads us.
How does He lead?
Christ tells us, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Luther emphasized this point.
The sheep do not follow by sight.
They follow by hearing.
They recognize the voice of Christ in His Word.
This is why the Office of Preaching is so vital.
For through preaching, the voice of the Shepherd is heard.
Not because of the man who speaks.
But because of the Word that’s proclaimed.
Where Christ is preached in His truth, there the Shepherd is speaking.
Where forgiveness is declared in His name, there the gate is opened.
Where the Word is given purely, and God’s Law and Gospel are properly divided, the sheep are fed.
This is what we see in the early Church in Acts.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.”
They gathered around God’s means of grace, His Word and Sacraments.
And they lived because of His gifts.
Faith is not a human achievement, but a divine blessing.
Brothers and sisters, this remains true for us today.
The Shepherd still speaks and calls.
Yet the thieves remain.
Voices that may sound appealing, but do not bring life.
Any teaching that adds to Christ, any doctrine that says His work is not enough, any theology that shifts the burden of sin back to you, is not the Shepherd’s voice, but the thief.
And it leads not to life, but to loss.
Therefore, cling to Christ.
Listen for the Gospel.
Hear the promise of forgiveness won by His cross.
For the declaration that you are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
This is the voice that gives life.
Jesus says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
To enter through Christ is to receive His Good News.
It is to trust that no one can snatch you out of His hand.
This exclusive claim is not a harsh restriction.
It is a gracious clarity from the real Saviour.
The Good Shepherd has laid down His life for you.
He has borne your sins in His body on the cross.
And He has risen from the dead.
Now, He lives to shepherd you forever.
So even in this world, where many do not know Him, you are not lost.
He leads us beside still waters and restores our souls.
And He will bring you safely through the darkest valley, into eternal light.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT -- Page 194
P: Blessed are You O Lord, our God, king of the universe, for you have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
C: We give You thanks Father for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully take communion and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come from the body and blood of Christ.
P: Father, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us.
LORDS PRAYER
C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Preface
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God.
For in the mystery of the Word made flesh, You have given us a new revelation of Your glory; that seeing You in the Person of Your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen.
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR
INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1st Corinthians 11:23-25)
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said:
“Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper,
and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying:
“Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
LAMB OF GOD (AGNUS DEI)
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Grant us peace.
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is 636 “Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness”)
POST COMMUNION COLLECT (Right-hand column) Page 201
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS Page 201
BENEDICTION Page 202
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 19, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
... View MoreTHE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 19, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
OPENING HYMN: 466 “Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia”
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 of our Hymnal
The Verse (from Romans 6:9; John 20:29b)
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. Alleluia.
Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures. Alleluia.
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you.
Collect Prayer:
O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Our Bible Readings:
First Reading – Acts 2:14a, 36-42
Psalm 116:1-14 (antiphon: v.5) Epistle Reading – 1st Peter 1:17-25
Gospel Reading – Luke 24:13-35
THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192
HYMN OF THE DAY: 627 “Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Saviour”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1QxrWUqEsw&list=RDJ1QxrWUqEsw&start_radio=1
THE SERMON –
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
On the first Easter afternoon, two disciples walked down a road to Emmaus with heavy hearts.
They had heard rumors of resurrection, but they could not yet believe.
Their world had collapsed on Friday, and though the tomb was empty, their hope was still buried.
They walked away from Jerusalem—away from the place where Christ had promised life—because they couldn’t yet see what God had done.
Then Jesus came and walked with them.
But they didn’t recognize Him.
This is one of the most striking features of the Emmaus account.
The risen Christ is right there—walking beside them, speaking to them, opening the Scriptures—and yet they don’t know Him.
Their eyes are kept from recognizing Him.
Not because He’s absent, but because He is present in a new way.
St. Augustine once preached on this passage and said, “They did not recognize Him while He was speaking; but when He broke the bread, then their eyes were opened.”
Augustine went on to say that Christ teaches us here to “recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.”
The Saint was not inventing a new idea; he was receiving what Luke tells us.
Christ is known in the Scriptures, and Christ is known through His Sacraments.
This is the pattern of the Church’s life.
This is the pattern of our life in Christ.
The two disciples are confused, disappointed, and spiritually blind.
They know the facts of the Gospel, but they can’t yet see the meaning.
They can’t yet see the victory.
For Christ, for us.
And so, Jesus comes to them.
He doesn’t wait for them to climb out of their doubt.
He doesn’t wait for them to understand or to find Him, or to make a “decision” for Him.
He finds them.
This is how Christ always works.
He comes to us in our weakness, in our confusion, sorrow, and in our sin.
He comes to us through His Word, even when our hearts are slow to believe.
And He comes to us in His Sacraments, even when our eyes are dim.
The Emmaus road is not just the story of two disciples.
It is ours.
Jesus begins by opening the Scriptures to them.
He preaches Himself from Moses and the Prophets.
He shows them that the Christ must suffer and enter His glory.
And He instructs them that the cross was not a failure, but the fulfillment of God’s plan.
As Jesus speaks, something happens inside them.
“Did not our hearts burn within us,” they later say, “while He opened to us the Scriptures?”
This is what the Word of God does.
It sets the heart aflame.
It reveals Christ, creates faith.
It drives away despair and shows us that the crucified One is the risen One.
Martin Luther once preached on this text and said, “Here Christ is made known in the breaking of the bread, as He has commanded us to do in His Supper. Thus He reveals Himself to us also, not in His bodily form, but in the Sacrament.”
Luther’s point is simple: Christ shows Himself through the means He has chosen—through the Word and Sacrament that opens eyes.
The disciples’ hearts burn with the Word.
But they still don’t recognize Him.
Not yet.
When they reach Emmaus, Jesus acts as though He will walk on.
But they urge Him: “Stay with us.”
And He does.
He reclines at table with them.
He takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them.
And in that moment—their eyes are opened.
They recognize Him.
Then He vanishes from their sight.
Why does He vanish?
Because they no longer need to see Him with their eyes.
They have seen Him where and how He wills to be seen.
Martin Chemnitz, the great Lutheran theologian of the second generation, wrote on this passage saying, “Christ was recognized by the disciples in the breaking of the bread, which the ancient church rightly understood as a testimony of His presence in the Lord’s Supper.”
Chemnitz is not saying that the Emmaus meal is the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
That happened on the evening of Holy Thursday.
But he’s saying that the Church has always seen here a pattern, a testimony: Christ reveals Himself sacramentally.
The Word opens the heart.
The Sacrament opens the eyes.
This is not an accident.
This is the shape of Christian worship.
It is the shape of our Divine Service.
And it is the shape of your life in Christ.
The risen Jesus isn’t recognized by sight.
He’s recognized by faith.
And faith is created and sustained by the means of grace.
You do not walk that dusty road to Emmaus, but Christ still walks with you.
We don’t sit at that table, but Christ feeds you at His table in Communion.
We don’t see Him with our eyes, but we hear Him in His Word and receive Him in His Supper.
This is not metaphor.
Nor a symbol.
Nor a memory.
This is real presence.
The same Christ who broke bread for them gives you His own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
When we come to the Lord’s Supper, we are not reenacting Emmaus.
Yet we are living in the same reality.
Christ is here.
Christ is present.
He is giving Himself to you.
And our eyes are opened—not to see Him with earthly sight, but to recognize Him in faith.
The disciples don’t stay in Emmaus.
They rise that very hour and return to Jerusalem.
They go back to proclaim the risen Christ.
This is what the Word and Sacrament do.
They work faith within us.
They fill us with joy that we are forgiven freely for Christ’s sake.
They give us a message to share.
“We have seen the Lord,” the disciples say.
And so do you.
We have seen Him in the Scriptures, and in the breaking of the bread.
We have seen Him in the forgiveness of our sins and in the life He gives.
And now, you go out into the world—not alone, nor in sorrow, not in confusion, but with Christ walking beside you and dwelling within you.
The Emmaus account is the story of how Christ deals with His Church today.
He comes to us in our weakness.
He strengthens faith and sends us out with joy.
Your risen Lord is not far away.
He is present in His means of grace within the Church.
And so, we pray with the Emmaus disciples: “Stay with us, Lord.”
And He does.
In this life, and for eternity.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
P: Blessed are You O Lord, our God, king of the universe, for you have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
C: We give You thanks Father for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully take communion and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come from the body and blood of Christ.
P: Father, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us.
LORDS PRAYER
C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Preface
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God.
For in the mystery of the Word made flesh, You have given us a new revelation of Your glory; that seeing You in the Person of Your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen.
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER – PAGE 197
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Grant us peace.
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is 636 “Soul Adorn Yourself with Gladness”)
Post Communion Collect (Left-hand column) Page 201 of our Hymnal
Salutation and Benedicamus Page 201
Benediction Page 202
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 644 ”The Church’s One Foundation”
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 12, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
... View MoreTHE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 12, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
OUR OPENING HYMN: 475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
(Lutheran Service Book)
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 of our Hymnal
The Verse (from Romans 6:9; John 20:29b)
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. Alleluia.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Alleluia.
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you.
Collect Prayer:
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Our Bible Readings:
First Reading – Acts 5:29-42 Psalm 148 (antiphon: v.13) Epistle Reading –1st Peter 1:3-9 Our Gospel Reading – John 20:19-31
THE NICENE CREED Page 191
HYMN OF THE DAY: 610 “Lord Jesus, Think on Me”
THE SERMON –
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The doors were locked.
The disciples were afraid.
The world outside was uncertain, even hostile.
And rumours were swirling.
Jesus had been crucified.
The tomb was found empty.
Mary Magdalene spoke of seeing the Lord.
But fear lingered.
And so, the disciples gathered behind closed doors, unsure of what would come next.
Into that fear and uncertainty, the risen Christ comes.
“Peace be with you,” He says.
Not once, but twice.
And then He does something remarkable.
He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
These words are not incidental.
They’re not an afterthought.
They go to the very heart of what Christ gives to His Church in that moment, and now.
Here, one week after Christ’s resurrection, the risen Lord institutes what we in the Church call the Office of the Keys.
That is, the authority Christ gives to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of the repentant. and to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant.
This is not merely a symbolic act.
It is not a general encouragement to be kind or forgiving.
It is a concrete gift.
A divine office.
One of the means of God’s grace by which the forgiveness won on the cross is actually delivered to sinners.
Notice what Jesus does.
He shows them His hands and His side.
The scars are still there; the marks of the cross remain.
The forgiveness He now gives is also not abstract.
It’s grounded in His real suffering and death.
The same body that was crucified now stands alive before them.
And from that crucified and risen body comes the authority to forgive sins.
This is crucial.
The Office of the Keys isn’t based on the worthiness of the disciples.
They had fled.
They had failed.
And yet, Jesus entrusts this office to them.
Why?
Because it is not their power.
It is His.
They are simply the instruments through whom Christ Himself continues to speak and act.
This is the Biblical, Confessional Lutheran understanding.
When a Pastor speaks absolution, it is not merely a human word.
It is the voice of Christ Himself.
In the office He commanded.
As our Lord said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.”
That’s not a wish.
Nor a possibility.
It is a promise; a certainty.
When the Church forgives sins in Christ’s name, those sins are truly forgiven in Heaven.
Martin Luther spoke about this beautifully.
In the questions and answers found in the Small Catechism, we read, “When the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command…this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.”
This is no small thing.
It is everything.
Because the greatest need you and I have is the forgiveness of sins.
Not just advice.
Nor improvement.
Not moral encouragement.
Forgiveness.
We live in a world that sometimes feels guilt, but doesn’t know what to do with it.
People carry burdens.
Regret.
Shame.
Fear.
And often, they’re told to look within themselves for peace.
But there is no peace there.
Only uncertainty.
Questions.
Only the lingering doubt: “Am I truly forgiven?”
Into that uncertainty, Christ speaks a clear and certain word.
“Your sins are forgiven.”
Not because you feel it, or deserve it.
But because He died and rose for you.
And He has placed that forgiveness into the mouths of His Church.
So that you can hear it.
So that you may believe it.
This is why absolution is so precious.
It is not merely a part of the liturgy.
It is not a ritual to be endured.
It is Christ Himself coming to you with His forgiveness each Sunday.
Each time the words are spoken:
“I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Those words are for you.
Personally.
Individually.
Certainly.
And they do what they say.
They forgive sins.
They free the conscience.
And restore peace.
We also see these words reflected in our other readings today.
In Acts, the apostles stand before the authorities and boldly confess, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Apostles were beaten and abused.
They suffered.
And yet they rejoice.
Why?
Because they know they are forgiven.
Because they know Christ is risen.
Because they have been entrusted with a message that no power on earth can silence.
And in 1st Peter, we hear of a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A hope that sustains us even through trials and persecution.
Through suffering.
Even through death itself.
But that hope is not vague.
It isn’t abstract.
It is grounded in the forgiveness of sins.
Because where there is forgiveness, there is life and salvation.
This is why the Office of the Keys matters so deeply.
It’s not about authority for its own sake.
It is about the delivery of Christ’s saving work to repentant sinners.
It is about bringing the treasure of the cross into your ears, your heart, and your life.
And yes, there is also the other side of the Keys.
The withholding of forgiveness.
The goal here is not condemnation.
But so that the unrepentant may be called to repentance – recognition of and sorrow over sin.
So that those who persist in sin, without sorrow, may be awakened.
So that they too may come to receive forgiveness.
Even this, is an act of love.
Because Christ desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1st Timothy 2:4)
But for those who repent, who confess their sins, the word is clear and unwavering.
You are forgiven.
Fully.
Freely.
For Christ’s sake.
Dear friends, this means you don’t have to wonder.
You do not have to guess or search for signs within yourself.
You have the external word.
The spoken absolution and promise of Christ.
And that is enough, for it is certain and sure.
Finally, we come to the closing words of John’s Gospel for this chapter.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
This is the purpose of it all.
The signs.
The resurrection.
The giving of the Holy Spirit.
The institution of the Office of the Keys.
All of it is written so that you may believe.
And by believing, you may have life.
Not just knowledge or information.
Life, now, and for eternity with the risen Jesus.
And how does that life come to you?
Through God’s Word and Sacraments.
Through the forgiveness of sins.
So, when you hear the absolution, you are hearing the very purpose of John’s Gospel being fulfilled in your ears.
Christ is assuring you that He is indeed the Son of God who has taken away your sin.
Like the disciples, the doors in our lives may be or seem closed at times.
Fear may creep in.
The world can be hostile.
But Christ still comes.
He stands among His people today in His Church.
He speaks His peace.
Breathes His Spirit.
And forgives.
“Peace be with you,” He says.
And in that peace, believers have victory over death.
You have the Saviour Himself.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT Page 194
THE LORD'S PRAYER
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR
INSTITUTING THE LORD`S SUPPER PAGE 197
Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) Page 201
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is LSB 641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”)
Post Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page of our Hymnal
Benedicamus and Benediction Page 202
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 484 “Make Songs of Joy”
RESURRECTION SUNDAY
April 5, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
... View MoreRESURRECTION SUNDAY
April 5, 2026
Pastor Tom Steers
Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto
-- A Confessional Lutheran Church
OPENING HYMN: 457 “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
Lutheran Service Book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9a41CvVEHw
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 of our Hymnal
The Introit
Exodus 15: 2a, 6, 13, 17-18
2“The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation. 6 Your right hand, LORD,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, LORD,
shattered the enemy.
13 In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. 18 “The LORD reigns
for ever and ever.”
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you.
Our Collect Prayer: Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Our Bible Readings:
First Reading – Isaiah 25: 6-9 Psalm 16 Epistle Reading – 1st Corinthians 15: 1-11
Gospel Reading – Mark 16: 1-8
THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192
HYMN OF THE DAY: 464 “The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu5Ctty9kiA
Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen!
Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah!
THE SERMON –
Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
Halleluiah!
Today we celebrate nothing less than God’s victory over sin, death, and the devil.
And through our Saviour Jesus Christ, it is your victory as well.
It’s that personal, that real.
The Apostle John wrote:
“For this is how God loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
You can place your name in that verse.
For God so loved you, that he gave His only Son to die on the cross, so that you would live.
But the cross was not the final word, nor was the tomb, but the resurrection!
The resurrection is the center, the core of the Christian faith.
The Apostle Paul said it clearly in 1st Corinthians:
“If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our preaching and faith is in vain . . . .”
“But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead,” Paul wrote, “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
There were many witnesses to the truth of the resurrection: the disciples, the women at the tomb, and hundreds of people who the Bible tells us saw the resurrected Jesus.
That truth today has become the world’s largest religion.
But this is much more than about numbers.
It’s about victory over the one thing we cannot escape from on our own -- death.
The prophet Isaiah wrote of Jesus 700 years before the birth of Christ, saying,
“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces.”
Today we say and sing Halleluiah in our Easter Service, again and again.
The word comes from the Hebrew, it means: Praise God!
Praise Him for the greatest rescue mission that has ever taken place.
The rescue of God’s most prized possession in all the universe, His children -- us.
That victory through Christ is what the joy of Easter is all about.
Of course, 2,000 years ago on the first Easter morning the mood was not festive for those who followed Christ, for the women who were going to His tomb.
Jesus had risen, but no one knew it yet.
The first Easter began in grief.
Christ’s followers hadn’t even been able to give Him a proper burial; He had died too close to the Sabbath.
By the time Joseph of Arimathea could get permission to remove the body from the cross, they didn't have the opportunity to prepare it according to custom.
So, as soon as the sun went down on the Sabbath, they bought spices and supplies to complete the burial.
Everything was arranged to get an early start the next morning.
During their walk to the sepulcher though, the women realized they’d forgotten something, ‘Who would roll the stone away.’
But as they approach the tomb, the stone was the first thing they noticed.
It looked as if an angel from Heaven had tossed it aside.
And in fact, that’s exactly what happened.
The Apostle Matthew wrote, "An angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it." [Matthew 28:2]
And it was an angel of God who told the women, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen . . . .”
The first part of the angel’s message tells the women they won’t find Jesus where they expect Him to be.
Then the angel says: "Go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you."
The angel was instructing the women to share the good news of Christ’s resurrection.
I love that the angel says, ‘tell his disciples and Peter.’
Peter, who had denied our Lord three times.
Peter, who was ashamed and mourning.
But also, Peter, who was forgiven, and who would receive the role of an apostle.
Jesus wasn’t where the women expected Him to be.
Jesus is never where people with minds focused on this world expect Him to be.
We come into this life with a ‘God-shaped’ space inside of us.
We all have questions:
-- Why are we here?
-- What’s the meaning of life?
-- Does anything happen after death
-- Is there hope for an afterlife?
These questions reveal our desire for something, or someone, who is bigger than us – someone who’s in control – who has all the answers.
Or in other words – God.
Down through the centuries different people have developed their own expectations of God.
They’ve tried various ways to fill that empty space in us where God belongs.
These man-made religions teach that somehow, through some worthy action on our part we can discover God by ourselves, and earn His favour, earn forgiveness.
But honest people quickly find they can’t save themselves.
Because as human beings, we’re imperfect, we fail.
We find ‘self-salvation’ doesn’t work.
Or as the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 3:23: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . . .”
That’s why our salvation must come from outside us.
We realize the true plan of redemption is one that only God accomplishes.
It was a plan announced to Adam and Eve right after the fall in the Garden of Eden.
In Genesis 3:16 God said that from the offspring of the woman would come One who would crush Satan’s head, but that he would strike this Saviour’s heal.
It is a reference to the crucifixion, and to Christ who would save the world from its fallen state by making of Himself the one perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices.
The one true faith, Christianity, is an ‘unexpected’ one.
Instead of making us fix our own brokenness, God does it for us through the cross of Christ.
Again, the Apostle Paul explained we: “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. (Romans 3:24-25)
By faith, not by our own efforts.
The resurrection proves that Christ’s sacrifice was acceptable to God the Father as the complete payment for sin.
A death and resurrection we are united to in our Baptism.
Yet, some may ask, if God is so unexpected, how can we know Him so He can fill our emptiness with His salvation?
Here, the Third Commandment guides us – Honour the Sabbath Day.
We find God in His true Church where the Word of God is preached and taught correctly, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered properly.
Faith is worked within us by the Holy Spirit using God’s means of grace: Word and Sacrament.
Christ has ascended to Heaven, but He’s remained with you
-- in the water of Baptism
-- in the bread and wine of communion which are His true body and blood.
-- and in His life-giving Word.
Christ has kept His promise to rise from the tomb.
And as believing Christians, He will keep His promise to You when He said: "I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
Christ has risen!
He has risen indeed.
Halleluiah! Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
P: Blessed are You O Lord, our God, king of the universe, for you have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
C: We give You thanks Father for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully take communion and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come from the body and blood of Christ.
P: Father, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Preface
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God.
For in the mystery of the Word made flesh, You have given us a new revelation of Your glory; that seeing You in the Person of Your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen.
THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER
Page 197
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Have mercy on us.
P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world,
C: Grant us peace.
The Distribution
(Our hymn during distribution is 636 “Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness”)
Post Communion Collect (Left-hand column) Page 218 of our Hymnal
Benedicamus and Benediction Page 218
OUR CLOSING HYMN: 488 “He Is Risen! Glorious Word”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMgyfG0BbHE
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