The Final Witness - Sermon for Good Friday, A+D 2023

2023 Good Friday Sermon
The Final Witness 

   Back in 2000, once it became apparent that Y2K was not the end of the world, I applied to attend Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, to study to become a pastor.  Included in the application process was a required interview with the president of the district to which the applicant’s congregation belonged.  For me, that was Dr. David Ritt, of the English District, LCMS.  The English District is different in several ways, including that it is non-geographic, with churches in dozens of states, and that they call their senior ecclesiastical leader Bishop, instead of President. My Bishop’s office was not close.  So I met Dr. Ritt at a motel somewhere in Pennsylvania as he was traveling through the area. 

    I only clearly remember two things about this interview.  First, Bishop Ritt explained the need for our face to face meeting, a serious conversation, and background checks.  You see, he knew of cases of convicted felons being admitted to our seminaries under false names and pretenses.  Bishop Ritt paused and looked me directly in the eye:  “So, David, are there any skeletons in your background that I should know about now, before I give a recommendation?”  Objectively and in retrospect, Bishop Ritt was truly caring for the Church by asking this question.  But subjectively for me, that was an uncomfortable moment.  But my skeletons are pretty tame, so we were able to move on. 

    The second thing I remember was that Dr. Ritt gave me one piece of pastoral advice:  “Assuming you make it,” he said, “remember this:  Every time you climb into a pulpit, you will be a dying sinner, preaching to a congregation of dying sinners.” 

    Good advice.  Now, it might seem a little gloomy, and I don’t think Pastor Ritt meant that preaching has to be always dark and serious.  Humor and irony and wonder and joy all belong to Christian preaching.  But if we forget the stakes, if we choose to ignore reality, we will be at risk of slacking off on preaching the truth.  We all tend to avoid the truth sometimes, because it’s uncomfortable to speak frankly about sin and its consequences.  This was Bishop Ritt’s point: we must speak of our sinfulness, for the sake of being able to generously apply the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus has forgiveness and new life for all who turn from sin and seek His mercy. 

    Remember, a preacher is a dying man, preaching to a bunch of dying sinners.  Good advice, and fitting for us this evening.  For the dying Sinner has returned yet again to give the Final Witness. 

   Two days ago we talked about Good Friday at CSC², our Wednesday children’s ministry (at ORLC).  Why, I asked, do we call the day that Jesus died on the Cross “Good Friday”?  It was encouraging to hear the kids correctly answer the question.

    The children knew the answer.  They knew the truth, that God loved the world in this way:  He gave His only begotten Son into the Cross, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.  What was unquestionably unjust, unfair and horrible for Jesus is wonderful for us.  For we, without any worthiness in us, receive from the Cross the justice of God.  And in Christ, the justice of God is an eternal ‘Not Guilty’ verdict.  We are declared by the blood of Christ to be innocent, and so we are pleasing to God.  This is the unearned gift of forgiveness and wonderful, forever and ever life.  The way to real and lasting life with God runs through the death of Jesus on the Cross.  And so, a frightening and terrible and dark Friday, the darkest ever, is truly Good, for us. 

    This is the Witness of the Sinless One, who became the Sinner, in our place.  Now, to be sure, the light that shines in such a way as to enable us to see the Cross as ‘good’ is the light that comes with the Resurrection.  Suffering and dying are followed by rising and ruling victoriously.  It is in the glory of the Resurrection that the Witness of Christ Crucified can be believed as good and right and wonderful. 

    And so, as we live our lives in Christ, we are dependent.  We are still pursued by death, still plagued by our own sin, still persecuted by the sin of the world, which hates the message of the Cross.  So, we are dependent.  Even as we dare to share this story with other people in our lives, we are dependent.  We are joyfully dependent, dependent on the Witness Jesus gave on Good Friday.  Our entire Church Year, our whole Sunday Service, and our best hymns and sermons, all of these seek to deliver, in many and various ways, this Good News that God the Father has spoken to us, by His Son.  Jesus, God made man, is the sinless Sinner who bears witness to our acceptance, our forgiveness, our “beloved-ness” in the eyes of God the Father.  Because of your faith in Christ, the Father sees you in and through His Son Jesus.  The Father sees you through Jesus, and smiles. 

     In dark times, and on sunny days, may the Holy Spirit bless us with eyes and hearts that stay fixed on the love of God, poured out on Calvary, the love that washes us clean and feeds us for eternal life.  This is our witness to each other, and to the world, because this is God’s Final Witness, to all people, in the Name of Jesus, Amen.