5 Cs and a J - Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Easter - Jubilate

Fourth Sunday of Easter, Jubilate, April 21^st, Year of Our + Lord 2024
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches, Custer and Hill City, SD
5 Cs and a J – John 16:16-22

Audio of this sermon, with the readings, may be accessed HERE.   

    Almighty God, You show those in error the light of Your truth, so that they may return to the way of righteousness. Grant faithfulness to all who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Church, that they may avoid whatever is contrary to their confession and follow all such things as are pleasing to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   

     To err is human, to forgive divine; so says Shakespeare.  To err means to make a mistake, to mess something up.  Sinning is one category of error, the most important category.  So, we should know that word.  But why do we err?  Why do we so often do the wrong thing, or say things about Christ and salvation that are erroneous, untrue, or think thoughts completely opposed to God’s Word? 

   Consider the Collect of the Day for this Sunday, the summary prayer that collects the themes of the readings.  We prayed the Collect together as we entered into the Holy Space God creates through the speaking of His Word.  We asked God to return those in error concerning His Truth, that they be returned to the way of righteousness.  We prayed that those who have publicly entered into Christ’s Church be enabled to avoid all things contrary to their confession.  And that we follow Christ in a God-pleasing way.  These don’t seem like grand and glorious aspirations.  Today’s Collect is more of a prayer to be drug across the finish line of faith, a prayer for God to protect us from the ruin that is always nipping at our heels.  Which all too often is the prayer we need most. 

     Why do we err?  Why do we turn away from God and His Way?  Well, it is true to say, “Because we are sinners.”  But, is that all we can say?  Can we go a bit deeper, understand a bit more, about why we sin?  I think so.  In fact, I’ve come up with a little memory device that might help us understand and remember something about this life as sinner-saints.   Christians are sinners who have been declared to be saints, decared holy by God, through faith in Jesus Christ.  It’s a challenging life, and we can always use help in remembering the basics of the faith.  So, today, a memory aid for you, an acronym.  I’m sure you’re going to think it’s great! 

   The acronym is CCCCCJ.  5 Cs and a J.  O.K., that’s a lot of alliteration.  Hearing it spoken out loud, I have to admit, CCCCCJ may not be the best acronym ever.  But humor me; let’s see how it works. 

Confusing:  The first C is for Confusing.  The Word of God is good and true and powerful, and without error.  But we are not so wise, so God’s Word is confusing to us.  We often err in our understanding of the Word, like the disciples in our Gospel. 

   Jesus, speaking of His imminent crucifixion, burial and resurrection, tells His disciples:  "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."  The Eleven don’t get it.  Even though Jesus had predicted His death and resurrection many times, they can’t seem to understand that Jesus is again referring to it.  This “now you see me, then you won’t, then you will again” is easier for us to understand, since we know the whole story, from this side of the Resurrection.  However, this is hardly the end of statements in the Bible we find confusing. 

   We might even be confused by John’s sweet words this morning about being children of God.  We spend a big part of our childhood wishing we were grown-ups.  God through His Word certainly calls us to grow up, to be built up, to become mature in our faith.  And yet, we are also called to be child-like, trusting, submissive to our loving heavenly Father.   Which is it?  Are we to be child-like, or mature?  It’s confusing, as the Word of the Lord so often is to us.  But then, why wouldn’t the Word of the Creator, the Almighty, be beyond us mere humans? 

    Your Lord does not want you to remain confused.  But which is it?  Are we to be children, or mature? 

    Both.  As is often the case with spritual either-or questions, the answer is both.  Is God one, or is He three?  Both.  The One True God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Is Jesus a man, a flesh and blood human being, or is He God?  Both.  Is the Supper we eat at this altar bread and wine, or is it the Body and Blood of Christ?  Both.  These are mysteries, Godly truths that exceed our capacity to fully comprehend or explain them.  They are also true, precious to us, and to God.  For these mysterious truths are intimately connected to the Good News of our salvation. 

   God in His Word, which He promises is true, indeed, which must be true if we are to have hope, God’s Word declares all these mysteries to be true, and necessary.  God is One, the One Source of all, the Supreme Being, the Almighty Source of all things, all action, all existence.  If there were more than one god, they could not be supreme nor almighty.  God is One, or He is not God.  And yet, if God were not Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then the Father could not send the Son to be our Savior.  Nor could the Son give us the Holy Spirit to sustain our faith and guide us in the Way, while He prepares a place for us in heaven.  God is One in Three, and Three in One, and we rejoice.    

     The responsibility for human sin lies with us humans, and justice demands the debt be paid.  So the Savior must be able to suffer and pay, as a human.  And yet, no mere human could pay for his or her own sin, let alone for the sins of others.  The Savior, to pay the debt of all mankind, must also be infinite, that is, He must be God.  If Christ were not truly God and Man, susceptible to suffering and death, and yet also almighty and indestructible, we would have no hope of forgiveness.  And so we celebrate Christmas, the revelation that the Son of God has become a child, so that we might be redeemed, and be called children of God.           

    There is also a bit of mystery in being forever a child of God vs. becoming mature in our faith.  It is not nearly so deep as the Holy Trinity or the Two Natures in Christ, nor as the Lord Supper.  We can almost wrap our minds around the continual call to be children, joyfully dependent on our Father, while at the same time needing to grow up into Christ and be more and more wise, for ourselves, and for others.  Christian wisdom is founded on the truth that we are always children to God, always dependent, always learning, always growing, always maturing. 

      But back to the problem of confusion.  Our fallen minds are just as impacted by sin as our aging, aching bodies or our sinful desires.  Our reason cannot comprehend all that God has to say; His Word is confusing to us, on our own.  This is especially true when evil surrounds us, when death threatens us, or takes one we love, when we really want the good, but we keep seeing bad.  Always, but especially in times of trial, we must have the Holy Spirit’s help to rightly understand.  And, we know where to turn to hear His voice, and He has promised to help us. 

    Thankfully, our confusion does not disqualify us from the kingdom.  We will not reach perfect understanding in this life, but God will keep us in faith, by His Word.  He has promised.  At the same time, confusion is not to be accepted, nor used as an excuse to give up trying to grow in the Word.  In fact, the first and last step in seeking wisdom is always to hear and ponder and seek understanding in God’s Holy Word.   

Confrontation and Conviction:  The next two Cs are Confrontation and Conviction.  Sometimes we may plead confusion as an excuse to quit seeking God’s Truth, but in reality we have other reasons for rejecting a particular Word of God.  Some passages of Scripture and some articles of the faith are all too clear, but we simply don’t like them, because of the way they confront us in our sin.  We may proudly reject God’s permanent call to be His child.  We may deny the Word that says suffering is a gracious thing.  We may explain away or simply ignore the “Thou shalt nots” that we don’t like.  Every thought, word and deed that is contrary to God’s way of righteousness, every hint of selfishness, every perversion of a good gift into an evil excess, such as we do with sex and food and money and technology and personal freedom, every time we declare our independence from God, every time we sin, God’s Word confronts and convicts us.  And our sinful natures’ hate that. 

     Our sinful natures do not want to die.  Submitting to the truth of God’s Law, submitting our wills to His will, is to kill our sinful nature.  We as sinners naturally give in to the power of sin, and reject God and His Word.  With the Holy Spirit’s help, we as children of God are called to fight our sinful inclination.  This struggle with sin is a daily affair, which may even tempt us to give up trying.  But, because God wants you, His Word still comes.  The conviction that His Truth brings into our souls tempts us to run away, tempts us to defy and flee the God who seeks to be close to us.  But where can we hide from God? 

     Conviction, of course, brings guilt.  Many times the worst suffering for the Christian is dealing with the conviction that God’s Word brings, revealing sins we thought we had hidden, even from ourselves.  But no matter how we try to hide, God in love continues to confront us with His convicting Word, so that He can bring us to this morning’s final two Cs.

Conversion and Confession:  These are the last two Cs.  When we are guilty, when we are broken, when confusion and conviction bring us to our knees, when our struggle to understand God’s Word combines with the realization that we are guilty sinners, unworthy of God’s care, then, God in His amazing grace converts us, again.  When we are weary and heavy laden, when we realize that our way ends in ruin, God sends His Word again, His better Word, His converting Word.  God sends the Word of Jesus, risen from the dead, reaching out His arms to show us His nail scarred hands.  Jesus comes, saying “Peace to you.”  “Fear not, I have overcome your sin, your guilt, your death.”  “Fear not, you are forgiven.”  “Your sins, which were as red as scarlet, are covered over and made white as snow by my cleansing blood.”       

     And so, like newborn babes, we crave the pure spiritual milk of the Gospel.  Astounded by God’s forgiving love, our hearts cry out “Abba, Father.”  The knowledge of our sin makes us realize we deserve to be orphans, spiritually father-less, without hope for the future.  But the Father comes to us through Jesus, and with Thomas we confess, “My Lord and My God.” Like a woman who endures the pain of delivery and then rejoices that a child has been born into the world, we rejoice in Christ’s forgiving love, that gives us new birth, that converts us, and makes us confess His Holy Name. 

Joy:  The J is for Joy.  As in, what joy to confess that for the sake of His Son, the Father calls us His beloved children.   The Holy Spirit re-creates our hearts by this word of grace, by the Word of Jesus, crucified and resurrected.  God re-creates our hearts, turning us from confusion and sin and guilt, turning us to see our Savior, reaching out to us again, speaking words of blessing, gathering us to His table, reminding us that the promises He made to us in our Baptism last forever.  In joy we confess: God’s own child I gladly say it, for the Father has called me by the forgiveness and love of His Son. 

  The light of the Gospel shines on us, and our hearts are filled with joy.  Like Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, like Thomas, our doubts are dispelled by the voice of the Risen Christ.  Like a mother, overwhelmed with love and joy to be holding her newborn baby, we rejoice in the Gospel, knowing that we have been re-born, through God’s grace.  Like a guilty criminal, surprised to hear the judge announce his pardon, we are amazed at the blessing we’ve received.  Confessing Jesus’ victory for us, we go forth in joy. 

    This confession and the joy it brings is what we asked for in the Collect of the Day.  So, let’s pray it one more time: 

     Almighty God, You show those in error the light of Your truth, so that they may return to the way of righteousness. Grant faithfulness to all who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Church, that they may avoid whatever is contrary to their confession and follow all such things as are pleasing to You; for in You and Your salvation You provide true joy for us, the joy that flows from Your peace, which is beyond understanding and which keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, unto life everlasting, Amen.