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THE 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”