The love of God who lives in us leads to a life of obedience. Jesus’ promise of another Counselor is a loaded one: the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do what Jesus asks. This Sunday’s lessons teach that love for our risen Lord means obedience to His commands. Only Jesus’ promises make that possible.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. Christ’s message is so exclusive that it rejects all others. There is only one way to the Father, and that way is a person. The exclusivity of salvation resting in the person of Jesus Christ is a rock against which the unbelieving world crushes itself, but upon which God builds his Church. The Redeemer Lives to be the only Way to heaven.

On Good Shepherd Sunday we see how sharp the contrast is between true shepherds and false shepherds. All is determined by their relationship to Christ, the only gate for the sheep. The Redeemer Lives to be my Good Shepherd.

After forty days of repentance, the Church bursts forth in praise during Easter. Easter is the oldest festival and season celebrated by the worshiping Church. For a full week-of-weeks (49 days) the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ on the Sundays of Easter, which culminate on the 5th day, Pentecost. The Redeemer Lives!

In the face of doubt, Christ gives us proof and peace. To the doubting disciples, He gave certain proof that led to certain peace. Through His Word and sacraments, Jesus gives the same proof to all people of all time. The Redeemer Lives! He lives to give me proof and peace.

The Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord is the high point of the Christian Church Year. We celebrate Christ’s victory over death that is ours by faith. The Paschal Candle, as a symbolic reminder of the risen Christ, helps us to celebrate the fact that the darkness of sin and death has been overcome by the resurrection. The Paschal candle will burn throughout the Easter season until Ascension.

In the early church, the Easter Vigil was when the catechumens were baptized and received their first Communion. Baptism remains a central focus in the Vigil today. Even when there are no baptisms, the congregation takes the time to remember their own baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection. The service traditionally was held late at night so that the pastor’s statement, “Alleluia! Christ is Risen” and the people’s response would be at midnight.

The word “Tenebrae” means “darkness” and refers to a worship service in which the progressive extinguishing of candles represent the approaching death of Christ. The Tenebrae service is one prolonged meditation of the suffering of Christ. The service is divided into seven chief parts. At the end of each part, the sanctuary will become darker. At the end of the service, the church will be very dark.

The Three Holy Days of Christendom continue on Good Friday with a service that focuses on our attention to the words Christ spoke while on the cross. In these words, we see the depth of our Savior’s suffering as well as the depth of His love for us.

(This is the typed sermon from the 8:00 a.m. service, so there may be some… read more