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Christ is risen. I think we could go ahead and end the service right now with that hymn. But if you were here a couple of weeks ago, you might be thinking, hey, what’s going on here? We sang this two weeks ago, and a few days ago, as Jonathan and I were here, he came over and we started talking. He said, you know, I’m thinking about changing the hymn of the day because we sang it a couple of weeks ago.
I was kind of surprised, as I said, mostly because I thought he was giving me the chance to be in charge of something. I don’t think that was really the case. But, you know, I said, hey, let’s keep this hymn in here because I just think it’s a great hymn. There’s all this great theology and Christology in it, and so it wouldn’t bother me if we sang it every Sunday. So if you missed a couple weeks ago, you need to go home and sing it again. But another thing, it’s not to mention the fact that I’d already started working this hymn into my sermon, so I couldn’t, I couldn’t go back there. So hopefully you kind of pick up on that in a few places.
Now this is the Sunday after the ascension of our Lord, and although this hymn, you won’t find it in the ascension section of the service book, it seems that since it has Redeemer in the title, it’s a hymn about the Redeemer. But I think it’s an appropriate hymn to sing today and meditate on it because it tells us about what Christ has done, what he is now doing, and what he has promised to do.
Now this past Thursday we did celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, and in the Gospel text today we are going back just a little bit before Jesus’ Ascension. But I’d really like the Ascension to really kind of remain a focal point for us this morning, especially as we hear Jesus begin to prepare the disciples for that day when he is no longer with them. For he has told them repeatedly that he is going to go away, that he has to leave so that he may go to be with the Father.
So I think there are at least two points that we want to both hear and see in this gospel lesson from St. John that I would like us to kind of think about, to contemplate, and meditate on, because they should be a source of comfort and assurance for us.
Those are the fact that, yes, we are being called to live in this world, to be witnesses, and even to suffer if we have to, if we must, and that in this we are to bring all things to God in prayer. And they are definitely linked to one another, because in this lesson we hear this prayer of Jesus, and it’s really just a very short excerpt from this longer prayer that Jesus has. You may have heard it referred to as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, and this prayer is kind of in the middle or maybe really towards the end of this longer conversation and discourse that Jesus is having with the disciples across these four chapters, and you may have heard that called the farewell discourse.
So Jesus is having this long conversation because the disciples, soon-to-be apostles, they must be prepared for this mission that he’s about to give them. They must be ready for battle, and as we see, as we will see, Jesus gives them everything they need. He arms them with all they need to be able to do the will of the Father. And as always, we see this pattern here because what he does for the Apostles, the disciples, he does for us also.
So maybe we think for a minute about this roller coaster of emotions that the disciples had to have been on kind of in this 42-3 days, something like that from the institution of the Last Supper now to his ascension. First they had this fear and doubt that came at his arrest and his trial, the utter anguish they felt at his crucifixion, then kind of this reversal of having joy at seeing the resurrected Lord as he appeared to them in different places, and now suddenly they have this uncertainty of being left alone after Jesus has ascended.
Of course, Jesus knows how they’re going to feel, and that’s why he has this prayer for them, so that he can encourage them. In fact, Jesus is praying specifically for their protection. Jesus has been the one, their shepherd; he has been the one to teach them, to love them, and really to protect them as well. But here he seems temporarily giving them back over to the Father because, honestly, the protection that he did provide was given by the Father himself anyway.
So Jesus prays to the Father for them to be kept in his name, and that is that they be kept in the Word, that they continue to believe in what Jesus has said and done. This work of Christ, it has sanctified them, but they need to continue to be sanctified as they face this awesome responsibility before them. The Word has spiritually changed them to the point that they should now be considered, as Jesus says, they should be considered really strangers and foreigners in the world.
To be not of the world means they are now in Christ. Although they aren’t of the world, Christ gives them this mission that they are to go into that very same world, that they are to take this word that they are remaining in and that they are to send it out to the world so that the world may find salvation in the word. And Jesus’ phrase here, “in your name that you have me,” shows unity between the Father and the Son. So as the disciples believe in Jesus, they too are one with the Father.
But the world, it stands opposed to Jesus, and so it stands opposed to the Father; it will be opposed to the disciples; it is opposed to us as believers. But the disciples are sanctified, and that is they’ve been consecrated for this mission that they are about to be sent on, that is before them, and they aren’t sanctified because there is some kind of inherent goodness about them or because they are godly men, although they surely are. They’re sanctified by this word which they have received and believed in.
So this mission that they’ve been given, that they’ve received, is solely based on the will and the desire of God the Father to bring the world to salvation, to bring at life. But in this, they are to anticipate and expect that the world will respond with indifference, perhaps even hostility, certainly hostility in the case of the Apostles.
And so Jesus prays right in front of them, aloud, specifically for them, so that they may be strengthened and encouraged, and so that, as he says, you may have my peace and joy, for in the world they will receive anything but peace and joy. Satan, as Jesus says, the devil, Satan, is going to stir up hatred against them; you’re going to stir up the world to hate them, and this battle that they have will not be against flesh and blood; it will be against his demons, it will be against the evil spirits of Satan, because he is preparing them for the fight as well.
So Jesus turns him over to the care of the Father. In military terminology, this is what they call a battle handover. When one unit is engaged in a fight or some kind of action, and another one comes to relieve it, at least temporarily. So as the Father has sent the Son, now the Son is sending them. The Father’s mission through the Son is now through them. And their ordination into apostleship, well, that’s pending. It’s coming soon. It will be enacted upon Jesus’ resurrection and his visitation to them.
And also, let’s not forget, he has promised to send them the Holy Spirit, the Helper. But to do this, he must go away. He must go to the Father. So when we see this relationship between the Father and the Son, that nothing is given or taken from each other, that they are together as one, that they are unified and united in purpose and action, we see the relationship that must and certainly will be continued and replicated among the Apostles, and for us, the relationship that we are to have with one another as believers.
Jesus says the disciples are already acting as one, for they have received the Father’s words from Christ, and they have believed that he has been sent by the Father, and they will go on doing so by remaining in the word and remaining in one accord. We hear that throughout Acts, how the Apostles were of one accord.
Now, I don’t title the books, but I’m wondering if the Acts of the Apostles is named what it is because we don’t want to focus on specific acts—Acts of Peter, the Acts of Paul, or any other specific Apostle. Now we know that this work of the Apostles is by the Holy Spirit, but they are unified in their actions of bringing the gospel to the nations. They’re unified in the Word, and when the Holy Spirit does come to them, then they will be now in full force beginning to carry out the mission of Christ. But you have to come back next Sunday to hear about that.
But what does this have to do with us? Well, first of all, today, as disciples of Christ, we really don’t find ourselves in any different of a situation than the disciples and apostles did after Jesus’ ascension. Jesus didn’t really just leave them. He doesn’t leave us as orphans, as he says. He didn’t say, well, good luck with all this, hope you fare well, because he didn’t mean for the church to ever be alone, to have to try to sustain itself, because far be it for simple men to think they know what’s best for the church.
We’ve seen this play out in recent disputes; I mean we saw it, we see it in Acts, but we see it here in the world now today, all these recent disputes among these various Christian denominations, so that when we do not abide in the Word, when we do not make Christ the head of the church, then the church is doomed to be torn apart. But we have to be in this world. And we say, why? Well, we have to remain here for the world’s sake. That sounds crazy, I know. But that’s so that the world may believe, so that the world may not perish in its own sin.
Think about, as bad as things may be, think about if we had no Christians in the world today, if we didn’t have the baptized in Christ here to influence and teach. For too many in this world are motivated by things that are not of the God—power, riches, wealth, fame, self-preservation. But we are motivated by something completely different, the love of God, because the love of God is in us, and so we have love for one another.
And this is crazy, too. We pray for those who we disagree with. We pray for those who mock us. We pray for those who hate us. We pray for our enemies. Not that they will be punished, but that they may come to faith, and if we suffer, then we must suffer, for it is a blessing. But we’re not alone in this, as I said. Our weapons in spiritual warfare are his name and word, and Christ also, as he has promised to do, sends us the Holy Spirit who fires us for this fight.
And let’s not forget that we have prayer, and we are to remain in prayer. Now, I know if you feel bad that you don’t pray enough or as often as you should or whatever, then know that I stand here too guilty of that. I know we get lazy, our prayers falter, or we think things like, well, God knows what I need or want, I don’t really need to ask Him or tell Him. Or maybe we think, well, why should I ask Him anything? He’s never actually answered anything I’ve asked for.
But let’s remember that our prayers are not heard for our sake, but for the sake of Christ, and we should pray in His name. We should pray for the bitter sufferings and death of Christ as we often do. Now, earlier in John’s gospel, he has told the disciples, Jesus has told the disciples, that to this point they have not asked anything in his name, but the day will be here soon when they will ask everything in his name, because Jesus is always there praying for us.
This past Thursday in his Ascension sermon, Pastor Wolfmuller was really stressing this eternal reign of Christ, how Jesus has been and is still seated on the throne whence he never departed, at the right hand of the Father. He still intercedes for us and prays that this word of his will protect us and keep us set apart for the world and from the world, for we are set apart. We too are being sanctified as a witness to the world, and what a comfort this should be to us.
Jesus prays for the disciples. The apostles pray that God’s will will be done, that they will be of one accord. We pray for one another, and we pray for the world. And Jesus became man, God incarnate, to be in that world, and the Apostles remained in that world, not as punishment, but that they might minister to it. And so we too are in that same world.
Jesus is the Word. The disciples believed in that Word, and they were kept in his name, and we still have the word with us today. Now St. John says we certainly have the testimony of men like himself, but he says that the testimony of God is greater and we have the Spirit, the water, and the blood who testify, and this testimony is that God has given us eternal life. This testimony brings Jesus, and with Jesus comes eternal life, so that life is given to us through Christ and through this testimony.
So to believe in the Son is to have life, and to not believe in the Son is to not have life. Now, some may ask, well, why does Jesus just pray for the disciples? Why doesn’t he just pray for the world? Well, it’s because he’s their shepherd, and his primary responsibility is to protect them, to lead them, above all other things.
But when he prays for their witness, for the effectiveness of their work in the world, the prayer is for the world. Now, Jesus prayed aloud again so he knows he’s praying, so they know he’s praying for them.
And sometimes you might hear somebody say, well you shouldn’t tell people that you’re praying for them. Just do it. But for people who are struggling with sin, for people who are mourning, for people who are in pain and have heartache, there’s nothing better to be heard than that you’re being prayed for.
So we are bold to pray to our Heavenly Father, face to face with Him, because as we are baptized children of God, for we confess in our baptism, and yes we confessed in Winona’s baptism this morning that we are now heirs of the kingdom of God, and that as heirs of the kingdom of God we have the right to call on him as our Heavenly Father just as we would call on our earthly father. And just as a good father doesn’t turn away the child, our Heavenly Father doesn’t turn us away when we come to him in the name of his only begotten Son through faith in him.
Now in a few moments we will have the prayers of the church, where we especially pray for God to protect and preserve us and bless our lives and the various estates of this world. We pray for the church; we pray for government that it would be ordering our lives in the right way, and we pray for our home life. And let’s recall, this is the church’s prayer. It’s not my prayer, it’s our prayer.
Yes, we have to live in this world of chaos, a world undone, which Christ ascended the cross to save. But like the Apostles, we are called to be holy in this world. To be holy is to be set apart, to be sanctified, but we have to ask ourselves for what purpose? So that we can pull up roots and exile ourselves and move out to some commune and put up walls and sit in our own little shelters and enclaves?
No. We are set apart for the work of the Lord in this world. So brothers and sisters, we have Jesus because he is still with us. The Word is with us, even though he’s with the Father. He comes to bless and serve us today in the Spirit, in the water, and in the blood, and to unite us in that same Word. Glory be to God the Father and to the unbegotten One. All honor be to Jesus, his sole begotten Son, and to the Holy Spirit, the perfect Trinity. Let all the worlds give answer. Amen. So let it be. Amen.
Now the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.