Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Sermon for 12/27/11 "How Big?"

Sermon “How Big?”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Did you ever wonder just how big Christ's work on the cross was? Did you ever stop to contemplate how great his mercy and grace are? What about how far his atonement for sin will reach? The Scripture boldly proclaims Jesus as the savior of the world. He is the one who gave himself to redeem the world from sin and shame. And when he redeems us to himself, he does it all the way. There is no going back. There is nothing that Jesus has left undone. There is no doubt that Jesus himself has accomplished all we need to live in him.

Today, the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, we have readings from Revelation, from 1 John, and from John's Gospel. They all testify not to John, but to Jesus. How great is the Lord? John apparently had a long time to think about this, as the resurrection was probably sometime around the year 30 and John didn't die until some seventy years later. During that time he had time to learn that Jesus had borne all his sins, every last one of them, including those he committed purposely, including those he had already repented of again and again, including those he boldy condemned in his preaching and teaching. Jesus' death is sufficient to cleanse us from all sin. It's that big. John also knew that Jesus' mercy and grace was infecting all the world. He came to give us life, abundant life. And that life was as abundant for the man in his nineties as it was for the man in his thirties or for the child. He knew that God's grace was ready for everyone, and that as they received the grace of the Lord they would make his joy full as well.

How big is our Lord? He is great enough to watch over us for as long as we are here. He is great enough then to watch over us in eternity. He is great enough that he can take our sin and shame upon himself and still remain the Lord who is victorious over that sin and shame. And he is full of abundant grace.

So now may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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