All Saints Day
Text: Isaiah 26, Revelation 21, 22, Matthew 5:1-12
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Wieting
BLESSED ARE THOSE GIVEN TO BY GOD IN CHRIST
HIS NAME WILL BE ON THEIR FOREHEADS
To the church of God at Luther Memorial Chapel and University Student Center, called as saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear holy ones in Christ; this is the day we name the names of our dead – those who have died since last All Saints’ Day – names of those whose faces we will no longer see, whose voices we will no longer hear, whose hands we will no longer hold on this earth. For some of us these will be names we knew a little. For others there will be names intimately intertwined with our lives – names of a spouse or parent or close friend. These are the names of those with whom we had happiness and pain; agreement and disagreement; names of those who helped us and those whom we have helped. This day, on which we name the names of our dead, also calls to mind loved ones who died in other places or those who died in earlier years. It is good to remember with thanksgiving those who have died in the faith - for they are blessed. It is good to think about the church triumphant, for we in the church militant are the minority, and up ahead just a bit we will join them.
Death is something they had coming! At least that is what they said as they confessed their sin in this house of worship. Death is something that you have coming and that I have coming. At least that is what we confessed a few minutes ago. You see, here, in this place, we don’t have to pretend that we have all the answers. We don’t have to pretty ourselves up and make idols of ourselves. We are dying sinners, beggars before God, and we say so. In this place we can speak plainly about the curse of this ugly enemy, death. It leaves us and our loved ones with no more breath, no more brain waves, and no more heartbeat – not just for a few minutes - but evermore from this earth. In this place we can escape funeral parlor talk and euphemisms for death. Death is not a path for reincarnation. That is a deadly deception. Death is not natural, nor is it a friend. Here, in this place, as Christ comes among us we can speak honestly. We can say that our names also will one day soon be read and a bell rung if this same custom is still in use. Will it be next year for you or me or another decade? Lord teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Dear Christians, now we live in the night of trial and temptation. As Isaiah said, “My soul yearns for you in the night”. (26:9) The thought is sometimes expressed that now we live in the day and that as we get older and die we go into the night. Not so! This present time is the night and soon the light of God’s eternal day will break upon us. While we wait here, there is sickness and struggle and sorrow and loneliness and longing and loss. While we wait here, we are the target of Satan. Here below our earthly conflicts will never cease. We are dying sinners in a dying world - in constant need of God’s mercy and His gift of steadfast endurance.
Yet with all of our honest talk about death, we can also say, “death where is your sting”, “death where is your victory?” “The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.” “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Rev. 14:13).
Beloved, do you see our confidence for those we remember today? We read their names today trusting in the forgiveness won for them on Calvary by the Lamb who was slain. The deeds that followed them would never be enough except as a gracious gift of God. As Isaiah expressed it, “O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works.” How marvelous! In Christ, God does all our works for us! Another way of saying that might be “Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ”.
Jesus said it this way in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the beating heart of all our hope! This first beatitude sums up and carries in it all the rest. Each one of them is talking about the same people – the Bride of the Lamb - you, His saints. Not only are the saints poor in spirit (making no claims over against God), they mourn over the sin and death of this cursed world. Not only do they mourn over sin and death, they hunger and thirst for the righteousness that comes in Christ, for themselves and for others. Not only do they hunger and thirst for righteousness, they are mocked and insulted for such concern. Yet, the beatitudes are theirs as a gift.
This is so because Jesus who speaks the blessings is the blessing! He is the content of His own preaching and He turns the world’s ideas of blessedness upside down! The world says “blessed are the movers and shakers and money makers and pitiable are the meek. The Son of God in human flesh, says, “Blessed are the meek”. He is the peacemaker who makes peace with God for us by the blood of His cross! In fact, He is our peace (Eph 2:14). He is the pure in heart, the one with such singleness of purpose that He gave Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is the meek one who inherits the earth. In fact the Greek word for meek is used of no one else in the Gospels except for Jesus Himself. (Mt. 11:29 and Mt. 21) He is the merciful one who mercifully took away the sins of the people (Heb. 2:17). In fact the Greek word merciful is used of no one else in the New Testament but Christ.
Dear Christians, these beatitudes do not speak of different blessings earned by different categories of people as you often hear from television preachers. They are not if-then formulas for earning heaven. You see, the beatitudes cannot be done by anyone except Christ. To anyone else, they must be given. That’s why they are such beautiful news to you who have been baptized into His death. How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Jesus hungers for your righteousness so much that He does for you all your works. Notice that this is also how John describes those who enter the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem. They are not described as those who are humble enough or who try hard enough to make peace. Rather, only those enter it are those who keep faith, whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
His book of life has your name written in it because His tree of death had His name written on it, Jesus, the King of the Jews. In heaven the gates will never be shut, because those very gates were shut on Jesus when He became sin for us. Nothing impure will ever enter there, not even Jesus when He was covered with our impurity. That’s why God forsook Him! That’s why He suffered our eternal punishment! On the cross it could not be said of Him, How blessed, but only how cursed! How cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Gal. 3:13). His curse has become your blessing! Do you see the treasure the risen Christ comes to serve you today and each week in the Divine Service?
How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ. He gives His blessings to you not by spoonfuls or bucketfuls but by the river of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is bright as crystal, clean and holy. The pure river of the water of life that flows in heaven flows to you through the water of your baptism. That’s where the Holy Trinity put His name on you as the sign of the cross marked your forehead and your heart.
The tree of life that stands on either side of the river and bears its fruit brings its healing to you through the Bread of Life. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of our synod taught that the holy Supper with the body and blood of Jesus Christ is the new Tree of life which stood in Paradise, which Christ has now again planted in His kingdom of Grace” (TBOWC – p.43). Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Today we read the names of our dead. As we do so, however, God comforts us. In Christ, even though they have died, yet they live. You see, death with all of its finality is not the final act. Christ tasted death for us and rose in victory over it. Where the head goes, the body follows. Those who have died in the faith, receiving Christ’s forgiveness are still the body of Christ. As our risen and living head comes into our midst today, He does not do so in isolation from His body. Your brothers and sisters in Christ whose names you remember join us today in worship. With angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven we sing with them their song, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. He has done for them all their works. Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ Jesus. By His giving, they now abide in security and perpetual joy. By His giving they now abide in a great city of universal and everlasting peace, the heavenly Jerusalem. Its very walls are salvation.
There is no false worship there, no idols, no counterfeit temples. There is no false worship there because God and the Lamb are the temple. “No longer will there by anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” There is only one throne, not a multitude of little altars to the idols of nature and the human spirit. The one eternal throne is the throne of God and the Lamb for as Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” and “No one comes to the Father except by me”. The one who was crucified, the Lamb who was slain, is the risen one who sits on “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:3). Nothing is outside of His hands and His authority, including your death and mine. He already sees the time and manner of our death. He holds it in His hand and will not let you go even through the valley of the shadow of death. That’s a beautiful place to rest your thoughts each day and night.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Happy All Saints Day! Rejoice and be glad. Rejoice also for those who have died in Christ, for their joy is now full. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” – all of their holy deeds which Christ Himself has done for them. In the Name of Jesus - Amen
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Wieting
BLESSED ARE THOSE GIVEN TO BY GOD IN CHRIST
HIS NAME WILL BE ON THEIR FOREHEADS
To the church of God at Luther Memorial Chapel and University Student Center, called as saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear holy ones in Christ; this is the day we name the names of our dead – those who have died since last All Saints’ Day – names of those whose faces we will no longer see, whose voices we will no longer hear, whose hands we will no longer hold on this earth. For some of us these will be names we knew a little. For others there will be names intimately intertwined with our lives – names of a spouse or parent or close friend. These are the names of those with whom we had happiness and pain; agreement and disagreement; names of those who helped us and those whom we have helped. This day, on which we name the names of our dead, also calls to mind loved ones who died in other places or those who died in earlier years. It is good to remember with thanksgiving those who have died in the faith - for they are blessed. It is good to think about the church triumphant, for we in the church militant are the minority, and up ahead just a bit we will join them.
Death is something they had coming! At least that is what they said as they confessed their sin in this house of worship. Death is something that you have coming and that I have coming. At least that is what we confessed a few minutes ago. You see, here, in this place, we don’t have to pretend that we have all the answers. We don’t have to pretty ourselves up and make idols of ourselves. We are dying sinners, beggars before God, and we say so. In this place we can speak plainly about the curse of this ugly enemy, death. It leaves us and our loved ones with no more breath, no more brain waves, and no more heartbeat – not just for a few minutes - but evermore from this earth. In this place we can escape funeral parlor talk and euphemisms for death. Death is not a path for reincarnation. That is a deadly deception. Death is not natural, nor is it a friend. Here, in this place, as Christ comes among us we can speak honestly. We can say that our names also will one day soon be read and a bell rung if this same custom is still in use. Will it be next year for you or me or another decade? Lord teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Dear Christians, now we live in the night of trial and temptation. As Isaiah said, “My soul yearns for you in the night”. (26:9) The thought is sometimes expressed that now we live in the day and that as we get older and die we go into the night. Not so! This present time is the night and soon the light of God’s eternal day will break upon us. While we wait here, there is sickness and struggle and sorrow and loneliness and longing and loss. While we wait here, we are the target of Satan. Here below our earthly conflicts will never cease. We are dying sinners in a dying world - in constant need of God’s mercy and His gift of steadfast endurance.
Yet with all of our honest talk about death, we can also say, “death where is your sting”, “death where is your victory?” “The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.” “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Rev. 14:13).
Beloved, do you see our confidence for those we remember today? We read their names today trusting in the forgiveness won for them on Calvary by the Lamb who was slain. The deeds that followed them would never be enough except as a gracious gift of God. As Isaiah expressed it, “O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works.” How marvelous! In Christ, God does all our works for us! Another way of saying that might be “Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ”.
Jesus said it this way in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the beating heart of all our hope! This first beatitude sums up and carries in it all the rest. Each one of them is talking about the same people – the Bride of the Lamb - you, His saints. Not only are the saints poor in spirit (making no claims over against God), they mourn over the sin and death of this cursed world. Not only do they mourn over sin and death, they hunger and thirst for the righteousness that comes in Christ, for themselves and for others. Not only do they hunger and thirst for righteousness, they are mocked and insulted for such concern. Yet, the beatitudes are theirs as a gift.
This is so because Jesus who speaks the blessings is the blessing! He is the content of His own preaching and He turns the world’s ideas of blessedness upside down! The world says “blessed are the movers and shakers and money makers and pitiable are the meek. The Son of God in human flesh, says, “Blessed are the meek”. He is the peacemaker who makes peace with God for us by the blood of His cross! In fact, He is our peace (Eph 2:14). He is the pure in heart, the one with such singleness of purpose that He gave Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is the meek one who inherits the earth. In fact the Greek word for meek is used of no one else in the Gospels except for Jesus Himself. (Mt. 11:29 and Mt. 21) He is the merciful one who mercifully took away the sins of the people (Heb. 2:17). In fact the Greek word merciful is used of no one else in the New Testament but Christ.
Dear Christians, these beatitudes do not speak of different blessings earned by different categories of people as you often hear from television preachers. They are not if-then formulas for earning heaven. You see, the beatitudes cannot be done by anyone except Christ. To anyone else, they must be given. That’s why they are such beautiful news to you who have been baptized into His death. How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Jesus hungers for your righteousness so much that He does for you all your works. Notice that this is also how John describes those who enter the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem. They are not described as those who are humble enough or who try hard enough to make peace. Rather, only those enter it are those who keep faith, whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
His book of life has your name written in it because His tree of death had His name written on it, Jesus, the King of the Jews. In heaven the gates will never be shut, because those very gates were shut on Jesus when He became sin for us. Nothing impure will ever enter there, not even Jesus when He was covered with our impurity. That’s why God forsook Him! That’s why He suffered our eternal punishment! On the cross it could not be said of Him, How blessed, but only how cursed! How cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Gal. 3:13). His curse has become your blessing! Do you see the treasure the risen Christ comes to serve you today and each week in the Divine Service?
How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ. He gives His blessings to you not by spoonfuls or bucketfuls but by the river of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is bright as crystal, clean and holy. The pure river of the water of life that flows in heaven flows to you through the water of your baptism. That’s where the Holy Trinity put His name on you as the sign of the cross marked your forehead and your heart.
The tree of life that stands on either side of the river and bears its fruit brings its healing to you through the Bread of Life. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of our synod taught that the holy Supper with the body and blood of Jesus Christ is the new Tree of life which stood in Paradise, which Christ has now again planted in His kingdom of Grace” (TBOWC – p.43). Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. How blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Today we read the names of our dead. As we do so, however, God comforts us. In Christ, even though they have died, yet they live. You see, death with all of its finality is not the final act. Christ tasted death for us and rose in victory over it. Where the head goes, the body follows. Those who have died in the faith, receiving Christ’s forgiveness are still the body of Christ. As our risen and living head comes into our midst today, He does not do so in isolation from His body. Your brothers and sisters in Christ whose names you remember join us today in worship. With angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven we sing with them their song, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. He has done for them all their works. Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ Jesus. By His giving, they now abide in security and perpetual joy. By His giving they now abide in a great city of universal and everlasting peace, the heavenly Jerusalem. Its very walls are salvation.
There is no false worship there, no idols, no counterfeit temples. There is no false worship there because God and the Lamb are the temple. “No longer will there by anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” There is only one throne, not a multitude of little altars to the idols of nature and the human spirit. The one eternal throne is the throne of God and the Lamb for as Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” and “No one comes to the Father except by me”. The one who was crucified, the Lamb who was slain, is the risen one who sits on “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:3). Nothing is outside of His hands and His authority, including your death and mine. He already sees the time and manner of our death. He holds it in His hand and will not let you go even through the valley of the shadow of death. That’s a beautiful place to rest your thoughts each day and night.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who are given to by God in Christ.
Happy All Saints Day! Rejoice and be glad. Rejoice also for those who have died in Christ, for their joy is now full. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” – all of their holy deeds which Christ Himself has done for them. In the Name of Jesus - Amen
posted by Luther Memorial Chapel at
11/09/2006
