WEBVTT STYLE ::cue { color: #ffffff; } 00:00:00.650 --> 00:00:02.126 In the name of the Father and of 00:00:02.148 --> 00:00:04.350 the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:00:04.689 --> 00:00:05.790 Amen. 00:00:07.890 --> 00:00:09.374 Luther says there's three 00:00:09.412 --> 00:00:11.070 parts to a good sermon. 00:00:12.050 --> 00:00:14.654 He suggests a preacher stand up, 00:00:14.772 --> 00:00:17.134 speak up, then shut up. 00:00:17.332 --> 00:00:19.246 And it's the third part that is 00:00:19.268 --> 00:00:20.640 always the most difficult, 00:00:21.010 --> 00:00:22.270 says Luther. 00:00:23.010 --> 00:00:25.526 It appears that Jesus comes in 00:00:25.548 --> 00:00:27.186 this text today and preaches 00:00:27.218 --> 00:00:29.350 the perfect sermon. 00:00:30.250 --> 00:00:33.622 It was late on the first 00:00:33.676 --> 00:00:35.122 day after the Sabbath, 00:00:35.186 --> 00:00:37.990 the doors being locked 00:00:39.870 --> 00:00:41.594 because the disciples were 00:00:41.632 --> 00:00:43.370 afraid of the Jews. 00:00:43.870 --> 00:00:45.660 Fear had gripped them. 00:00:46.190 --> 00:00:47.722 The events that had just 00:00:47.776 --> 00:00:50.300 transpired laid them low. 00:00:51.070 --> 00:00:52.730 They had been terrified, 00:00:53.150 --> 00:00:55.422 their consciences in 00:00:55.476 --> 00:00:56.830 terrible agony. 00:00:57.410 --> 00:01:00.014 They had not gone the last 00:01:00.052 --> 00:01:01.434 mile with the Lord. 00:01:01.562 --> 00:01:03.410 They had forgotten him. 00:01:03.480 --> 00:01:05.361 They had run away from Him. 00:01:05.495 --> 00:01:07.282 They didn't stand with Him. 00:01:07.416 --> 00:01:08.900 They denied Him. 00:01:09.670 --> 00:01:11.298 And Jesus comes. 00:01:11.464 --> 00:01:14.922 And the text says this one Jesus 00:01:15.086 --> 00:01:18.022 came into their midst and he 00:01:18.076 --> 00:01:20.646 stood and he said to them, 00:01:20.828 --> 00:01:22.934 Peace be to you. 00:01:23.132 --> 00:01:25.320 Two words peace to you. 00:01:27.390 --> 00:01:29.082 The two best words that could 00:01:29.136 --> 00:01:31.002 possibly be preached to 00:01:31.056 --> 00:01:32.410 suffering consciences. 00:01:33.390 --> 00:01:34.602 He doesn't say, 00:01:34.736 --> 00:01:36.426 let's recount the mistakes you 00:01:36.448 --> 00:01:37.466 made so we don't make 00:01:37.488 --> 00:01:38.540 them in the future. 00:01:39.870 --> 00:01:41.310 He says peace. 00:01:42.850 --> 00:01:43.840 And then 00:01:44.850 --> 00:01:47.054 He shows them His hands and 00:01:47.092 --> 00:01:49.630 His side and they rejoice. 00:01:51.890 --> 00:01:53.506 They remembered everything that 00:01:53.528 --> 00:01:55.780 He said. For a little while, 00:01:56.230 --> 00:01:57.662 the world will rejoice 00:01:57.726 --> 00:01:58.734 and you will be sad, 00:01:58.782 --> 00:02:01.890 but then you will rejoice. 00:02:02.630 --> 00:02:04.290 And now here it is. 00:02:04.440 --> 00:02:05.570 They rejoice. 00:02:06.490 --> 00:02:07.250 Behold, 00:02:07.330 --> 00:02:09.094 He is the lamb that takes away 00:02:09.132 --> 00:02:10.358 the sin of the world. 00:02:10.524 --> 00:02:12.194 And He points to the bloody 00:02:12.242 --> 00:02:14.040 marks in His own body 00:02:15.530 --> 00:02:17.742 where the Lamb accomplished 00:02:17.826 --> 00:02:20.250 the death for their sins. 00:02:21.070 --> 00:02:23.994 And He says, Peace be with you. 00:02:24.192 --> 00:02:27.580 Peace. Your conscience is clear. 00:02:28.990 --> 00:02:30.810 Without a clear conscience, 00:02:30.970 --> 00:02:32.814 it's impossible for us to be 00:02:32.852 --> 00:02:34.350 certain of our salvation. 00:02:34.770 --> 00:02:36.522 Without a clear conscience, 00:02:36.666 --> 00:02:39.086 it's impossible to believe in 00:02:39.108 --> 00:02:41.262 Christ with certainty and also 00:02:41.316 --> 00:02:43.600 to serve our neighbor in love. 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:47.022 He gives everything here with 00:02:47.076 --> 00:02:49.440 just two words peace to you. 00:02:50.370 --> 00:02:52.766 And look at my hands 00:02:52.948 --> 00:02:55.280 and my side. You. 00:02:57.460 --> 00:02:59.070 And Jesus said to them again. 00:03:00.490 --> 00:03:01.950 Peace be with you. 00:03:02.100 --> 00:03:03.374 They would need it. 00:03:03.492 --> 00:03:05.166 It would be one week later when 00:03:05.188 --> 00:03:07.070 the Thomas incident occurs. 00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:08.318 Still, 00:03:08.404 --> 00:03:09.710 they're locked up behind 00:03:09.780 --> 00:03:10.910 closed doors. 00:03:11.890 --> 00:03:14.170 They need peace constantly. 00:03:14.330 --> 00:03:15.520 And they will. 00:03:16.610 --> 00:03:19.726 Just as the Father sent me, 00:03:19.828 --> 00:03:21.760 also I send you. 00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:25.200 The Father sends Jesus specifically. 00:03:26.250 --> 00:03:27.254 The spirit of the 00:03:27.292 --> 00:03:28.582 Lord is upon me, 00:03:28.716 --> 00:03:30.962 Isaiah prophesied about Jesus. 00:03:31.106 --> 00:03:33.046 Because the Lord has anointed me 00:03:33.067 --> 00:03:35.058 to bring good news to the poor, 00:03:35.154 --> 00:03:36.726 he has sent me to bind up 00:03:36.748 --> 00:03:37.742 the broken hearted, 00:03:37.826 --> 00:03:39.386 to proclaim liberty to the 00:03:39.408 --> 00:03:41.226 captives and the opening of 00:03:41.248 --> 00:03:45.114 prison to those who are bound to 00:03:45.152 --> 00:03:46.586 proclaim the year of 00:03:46.608 --> 00:03:47.900 the Lord's favor. 00:03:49.470 --> 00:03:51.630 The Lord was sent from eternity, 00:03:52.370 --> 00:03:54.314 the God man to accomplish 00:03:54.362 --> 00:03:55.470 the task. 00:03:56.610 --> 00:03:59.018 And now he sends his apostles 00:03:59.194 --> 00:04:02.350 with the same word apostello, 00:04:02.710 --> 00:04:05.662 I send you with a sacred divine 00:04:05.726 --> 00:04:08.542 mandate and task to proclaim 00:04:08.606 --> 00:04:09.459 good news. 00:04:10.390 --> 00:04:11.293 Our fathers, 00:04:11.341 --> 00:04:13.458 all of them saw in this text 00:04:13.543 --> 00:04:14.450 and several others, 00:04:14.519 --> 00:04:16.197 the institution of the office of 00:04:16.204 --> 00:04:19.142 the ministry which follows from 00:04:19.196 --> 00:04:20.709 that of the apostles. 00:04:21.209 --> 00:04:23.842 And at the same time, Luther, 00:04:23.906 --> 00:04:25.254 both early and late in his 00:04:25.292 --> 00:04:26.950 career, Dr. Walther, 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:29.606 virtually all of the Orthodox 00:04:29.638 --> 00:04:31.034 Lutherans saw here, 00:04:31.072 --> 00:04:34.538 too the fact that lay people 00:04:34.624 --> 00:04:37.034 speak the Gospel in their own 00:04:37.072 --> 00:04:39.610 vocations and are sent to speak 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:41.614 forgiveness where they are 00:04:41.652 --> 00:04:44.350 placed. And it must be spoken. 00:04:44.930 --> 00:04:46.554 It has to be spoken. 00:04:46.682 --> 00:04:48.190 It's the gospel. 00:04:48.530 --> 00:04:50.222 And while he said this, 00:04:50.276 --> 00:04:52.698 he breathed on them, saying, 00:04:52.804 --> 00:04:55.409 receive you the Holy Spirit. 00:04:56.470 --> 00:04:58.126 Whosoever sins you forgive, 00:04:58.158 --> 00:04:58.846 they are forgiven 00:04:58.878 --> 00:05:01.234 unto them whosoever sins you 00:05:01.272 --> 00:05:03.409 retain, they are retained. 00:05:04.070 --> 00:05:05.510 This sounds very easy, 00:05:05.580 --> 00:05:06.440 doesn't it? 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:09.142 I was in a meeting with a couple 00:05:09.196 --> 00:05:10.674 of different church 00:05:10.722 --> 00:05:11.714 judicatories, 00:05:11.762 --> 00:05:13.510 let's say one of them not 00:05:13.580 --> 00:05:14.950 the Missouri Synod, 00:05:15.370 --> 00:05:16.914 where there had been conflict 00:05:16.962 --> 00:05:19.370 for decades over many different 00:05:19.440 --> 00:05:21.820 actions and failures to act, 00:05:22.350 --> 00:05:24.774 insults and offenses 00:05:24.822 --> 00:05:26.154 taken and given. 00:05:26.352 --> 00:05:28.506 We talked long and hard for a 00:05:28.528 --> 00:05:31.306 full day about the texts that 00:05:31.328 --> 00:05:33.130 have to do with reconciliation, 00:05:33.470 --> 00:05:35.746 with fellowship, with koinonia, 00:05:35.798 --> 00:05:37.018 with forgiveness. 00:05:37.193 --> 00:05:39.134 And after talking for more than 00:05:39.172 --> 00:05:41.594 a day about these profound texts 00:05:41.722 --> 00:05:44.014 and agreeing completely on the 00:05:44.052 --> 00:05:45.594 philosophical and theological 00:05:45.642 --> 00:05:48.014 grounding of forgiveness and 00:05:48.052 --> 00:05:50.490 koinonia and its necessity, 00:05:50.650 --> 00:05:51.630 I asked the question, 00:05:51.700 --> 00:05:54.046 so how would all of this apply 00:05:54.148 --> 00:05:55.762 in the case of XYZ, 00:05:55.826 --> 00:05:57.765 which was one of the actual 00:05:57.948 --> 00:05:58.900 naughty issues? 00:06:00.570 --> 00:06:03.070 There was an explosion. Boom. 00:06:07.570 --> 00:06:09.706 Intense anger, 00:06:09.818 --> 00:06:12.910 intense responses. Intense, 00:06:13.970 --> 00:06:15.870 intense reaction. 00:06:17.570 --> 00:06:19.374 It is as though what we had just 00:06:19.412 --> 00:06:20.606 talked about for a day and 00:06:20.628 --> 00:06:22.430 a half didn't even exist. 00:06:27.110 --> 00:06:29.162 But then, I thank God, 00:06:29.216 --> 00:06:30.940 the Holy Spirit took over, 00:06:33.470 --> 00:06:36.010 and one by one round the table, 00:06:37.870 --> 00:06:39.514 we all began to admit where 00:06:39.552 --> 00:06:40.860 we had fallen short 00:06:43.409 --> 00:06:47.306 and to offer apologies 00:06:47.498 --> 00:06:48.830 and forgiveness. 00:06:49.970 --> 00:06:52.586 And we backed up and pushed, 00:06:52.618 --> 00:06:54.560 as the old bluegrass song says, 00:06:55.490 --> 00:06:57.122 and moved forward to a better 00:06:57.176 --> 00:06:59.970 place by the gift of the Spirit. 00:07:02.790 --> 00:07:04.366 Confession absolution wasn't 00:07:04.398 --> 00:07:06.854 talked about much when I was at 00:07:06.892 --> 00:07:09.606 seminary. And when I went 00:07:09.628 --> 00:07:10.642 out into the parish, 00:07:10.706 --> 00:07:12.566 I quickly learned that I was 00:07:12.587 --> 00:07:14.454 involved with a lot of 00:07:14.492 --> 00:07:17.122 counseling cases with marital 00:07:17.186 --> 00:07:18.742 couples and other people having 00:07:18.796 --> 00:07:20.010 difficulties in their lives. 00:07:20.080 --> 00:07:21.866 And you'll find out as you go 00:07:21.888 --> 00:07:24.010 out that you, after a while, 00:07:24.080 --> 00:07:27.210 will be sure that you can't hear 00:07:27.280 --> 00:07:28.346 anything stranger than 00:07:28.368 --> 00:07:29.420 you've already heard. 00:07:30.030 --> 00:07:32.126 And everything goes into the 00:07:32.148 --> 00:07:34.394 ear, like going into a tomb. 00:07:34.442 --> 00:07:36.320 It's not repeated to anybody. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.484 An old pastor told me, you know, 00:07:41.522 --> 00:07:42.924 anytime somebody comes in for 00:07:42.962 --> 00:07:44.156 marital difficulty or 00:07:44.178 --> 00:07:44.616 something else, 00:07:44.658 --> 00:07:46.784 I always take them through 00:07:46.822 --> 00:07:48.400 confession and absolution. 00:07:49.700 --> 00:07:51.650 And so I began doing that. 00:07:52.180 --> 00:07:53.840 Anybody that came in for family 00:07:53.909 --> 00:07:55.724 difficulty, personal challenges, 00:07:55.852 --> 00:07:58.244 couples began taking them right 00:07:58.282 --> 00:08:00.368 to the front of the church, 00:08:00.464 --> 00:08:01.940 which is always empty, 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:05.248 and sitting in the front pew 00:08:05.424 --> 00:08:06.870 with couples together. 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:08.020 John, 00:08:08.090 --> 00:08:10.436 do you acknowledge that you have 00:08:10.457 --> 00:08:11.956 had hard feelings against your 00:08:11.978 --> 00:08:13.656 wife and thought ill of her and 00:08:13.678 --> 00:08:15.204 sinned against her? Yes, Pastor, 00:08:15.252 --> 00:08:16.484 I do. Jill, 00:08:16.532 --> 00:08:18.344 do you understand that what 00:08:18.382 --> 00:08:19.416 you've done has hurt your 00:08:19.438 --> 00:08:21.496 husband terribly and it has been 00:08:21.518 --> 00:08:22.824 wrong for you to think this way 00:08:22.861 --> 00:08:24.515 and act this way? Yes, Pastor, 00:08:24.548 --> 00:08:25.370 I do. 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:27.096 Do you believe that my 00:08:27.118 --> 00:08:28.196 forgiveness is God's 00:08:28.228 --> 00:08:30.456 forgiveness? Yes, Pastor, we do. 00:08:30.638 --> 00:08:31.464 In the stead, 00:08:31.662 --> 00:08:33.015 by the command of Christ, 00:08:33.117 --> 00:08:34.360 you're forgiven. 00:08:36.819 --> 00:08:38.000 So vital. 00:08:40.180 --> 00:08:41.744 It's so vital for us 00:08:41.782 --> 00:08:42.751 to live that way 00:08:42.806 --> 00:08:44.203 as Christians in the church. 00:08:44.251 --> 00:08:45.116 We are sinners. 00:08:45.148 --> 00:08:46.480 We will always sin against 00:08:46.550 --> 00:08:47.728 each other, fall short, 00:08:47.814 --> 00:08:49.264 disappoint one another. 00:08:49.462 --> 00:08:51.056 Our personalities will be 00:08:51.078 --> 00:08:53.260 prone to drive us apart. 00:08:53.420 --> 00:08:55.664 The institutions we serve and 00:08:55.702 --> 00:08:57.612 the responsibilities we serve 00:08:57.675 --> 00:08:59.036 will be prone to push 00:08:59.068 --> 00:08:59.870 you apart from your 00:09:00.090 --> 00:09:01.614 Elders or your ladies group, 00:09:01.652 --> 00:09:03.360 or that one person. 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:08.864 And as pastor and as other 00:09:08.902 --> 00:09:09.516 church leaders, 00:09:09.548 --> 00:09:11.104 you'll be the first one 00:09:11.302 --> 00:09:13.680 called upon to repent. 00:09:14.660 --> 00:09:15.756 To lead your parish 00:09:15.788 --> 00:09:16.880 in forgiveness. 00:09:18.260 --> 00:09:19.452 To lead your parish 00:09:19.516 --> 00:09:21.120 in repentance, 00:09:22.260 --> 00:09:23.648 and to lead by speaking 00:09:23.734 --> 00:09:24.880 the gospel. 00:09:26.140 --> 00:09:26.904 Luther said, 00:09:26.942 --> 00:09:28.376 preaching on this text that 00:09:28.478 --> 00:09:29.864 the resurrection has 00:09:29.902 --> 00:09:31.400 to be distributed, 00:09:32.460 --> 00:09:33.912 and the resurrection is 00:09:33.966 --> 00:09:35.690 distributed by words. 00:09:39.020 --> 00:09:41.004 Jesus speaks just such a 00:09:41.042 --> 00:09:42.910 paucity of words here. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:46.430 Peace be to you. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.500 Look at my hands and side. 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:55.810 The sacrifice is paid. 00:09:58.260 --> 00:10:00.320 The payment has been accepted. 00:10:01.140 --> 00:10:02.336 The world has been 00:10:02.358 --> 00:10:04.530 exonerated in me. 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:08.450 Peace be to you. 00:10:08.980 --> 00:10:11.120 That has to be what you preach. 00:10:12.260 --> 00:10:14.080 Whatever else you preach and 00:10:14.150 --> 00:10:15.424 whatever styles you use, 00:10:15.462 --> 00:10:16.988 and there are many in various 00:10:17.084 --> 00:10:18.840 blessed things, et cetera, 00:10:19.260 --> 00:10:21.480 that has to be what you preach 00:10:22.140 --> 00:10:24.250 for the sake of Jesus Christ, 00:10:24.780 --> 00:10:27.752 the forgiveness of sins and 00:10:27.806 --> 00:10:29.400 a peaceful conscience. 00:10:30.140 --> 00:10:31.290 Without that, 00:10:32.060 --> 00:10:33.610 we have not Christ. 00:10:34.460 --> 00:10:34.872 God 00:10:34.926 --> 00:10:35.656 grant in the name 00:10:35.678 --> 00:10:36.244 of the Father, 00:10:36.292 --> 00:10:37.336 and of the Son and of the 00:10:37.358 --> 00:10:38.420 Holy Spirit. Amen.