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THE 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”