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Isaiah 12:1-6 James 1:16-21 St. John 16:5-15 *AudioClick for* Pastor Schultz Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas May 7, 2023 Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jesus has to go – and that’s a good thing. Jesus can’t stay here – and that is to your advantage. Today, we see Jesus speaking with His disciples in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday. He has washed their feet, fed their bellies, and now he is comforting their souls. He knew what would happen, but they didn’t. He knew it was time for Him to depart. Despite how painful this would be for the disciples, it would be to their advantage that Jesus depart. There were two departures on Jesus’ mind that night. First, there was the immediate and impending departure of that night. After the meal, Jesus went with the disciples to Gethsemane. There he was arrested, then tried, the condemned. From His disciples’ company, Jesus departed for the cross. He departed to die. He departed for their benefit. If He had not departed, then He would not have paid for your sin. If He had not departed, then death would not be defeated by His resurrection. If He had not departed, then Satan’s power would remain. St. Paul put it this way, “If Christ had not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:14, 17). Yes, Jesus’ first departure was for your advantage. Jesus had to go – and that’s a good thing! But the cross wasn’t the only thing on Jesus’ mind that Thursday night. He also had in mind His ascension into heaven. The ascension would come 40 days after Easter. That means, Ascension will be remembered by the Church in just about 10 days from now. This departure would also be difficult for the disciples, but to their advantage. They had gone through the roller coaster ride of Good Friday and Easter. They had seen their teacher murdered and resurrected. Then He appeared suddenly several times. Now, He would depart again. Not into suffering this time, but into glory. Also, this time, the disciples had Jesus’ promise that He would send the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit. This also was to their advantage. Our Gospel reading lists three things that the Holy Spirit will do. “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (Jn. 16:8). What does this mean? Well, think of this in terms of Luther’s explanation to the Third Article in the Small Catechism. If you would like to follow along, you can find the words of the Catechism in the hymnal on page 323. How does Luther begin his explanation? “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my lord, or come to Him.” This is the first work of the Holy Spirit. He convicts you of your fallen nature. He convicts you of your sin. He convicts you of your inability to believe, your sin-bound will, and your rebellion against God. If you were left on your own, if the Holy Spirit were not given to you through the water and the Word, then you could not and would not believe. And don’t think that you can do this all on your own now that the Holy Spirit has gotten the ball rolling. No, Luther did not write, “I could not believe”, as if he were talking about his pre-conversion self. No, he wrote “I believe that I cannot… believe.” Even now as a believer, you cannot sustain your own faith. It is only be the grace of God in the work of the Holy Spirit that your faith is sustained. This is the first work of the Spirit – He convicts you of your inability to believe. What is the second thing the Spirit does? He convicts the world concerning righteousness. But this is not your righteousness. No, the Spirit convicts the world of Christ’s righteousness as the only salvation. Luther said it this way: “But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way, He also calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” You are a sinner, but the Holy Spirit calls you with the Gospel. What is the Gospel? It is the proclamation that Jesus has paid your debt in full. He has suffered your death. He has won the victory. Now, the Spirit proclaims this promise, this triumph, this atonement to you. As St. John said, “[The Spirit] will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14). The Spirit convicts the world of Christ’s righteousness. He takes all the triumph, all the gifts, and all the victory that Jesus won on the cross and He gives that to you. He gives it through the Word read, through the water poured, and through the bread and wine consumed. Finally, the Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment. The “ruler of this world is judged” (Jn 16:11). Jesus has gone to the cross. He has triumphed over Satan. Now, Satan’s kingdom lies in ruins, and Jesus has risen victorious. But we have not yet seen Satan fully and finally judged. We still live in the midst of sin. There are still temptations all around. But you are judged not based on your sin or on how many times you fall into temptation. Rather, you are judged based on Christ’s righteousness. Luther concludes, “In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day, He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ Jesus.” In the act of forgiveness, what we had here today during Confession and Absolution, you are judged based on Christ’s sacrifice. On the Last Day, you will be judged again based on Christ’s righteousness. But for the time being, we live in the in-between. Jesus has departed – and that’s good. The Spirit has come. He’s come at Pentecost. He comes to you specifically through the water and the Word of your Baptism. But Jesus has not returned yet for the final judgment. What do we do in the mean time? Long story short, we sing. Today is called Cantate Sunday. There are a number of Sundays that have been named based on the first word or words of the Introit. Each of the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost are named in this way. What were the first words of the Introit today? “Sing to the LORD a new song. Alleluia!” So the word for today is “Sing!” But you might be self-conscious about your singing. Maybe you don’t have the greatest voice. In that case, repent. Psalm 100 says “Make a joyful noise to the LORD…” If a noise is all you can do, that’s fine! If you’re only going to sing when you have a perfect voice, that’s no better than me saying I’m not gonna go for a run till I can do a marathon. Whether your singing is lovely or nothing more than noise, sing. Staying silent is not an option. Why? Isaiah tells you why: “Sing praises to the LORD, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Is 12:5-6). These passages tell us that singing is commanded by God. Its important enough that it comes up several times. Not singing for you Christians is not an option. God calls you to sing! This should be as natural as crying at a funeral, or cheering for the Chiefs, or laughing at a joke. Christians sing because of what God has done for them. With all that God has done, how odd it would be to not sing. This is what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. But why? Think about it this way, on a psychological level. Can you say the National Anthem? Can you speak “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”? Without singing, could you recite the words to your favorite song on the radio right now? It’s tricky, isn’t it? Music engrains words twice as deep as merely reciting them. Now if that’s true for such trifling matters as songs for the radio, how much more true is this for hymns that take the narrative of the Bible and put it to music. That’s why we sing so much in church. That’s why I sing so much of the liturgy. It helps me remember it better. Like a kindergarten teacher teaching the ABCs with a song, the Holy Spirit uses music to teach the words that are most important to know. And singing is the proper response to all that God has done! To not sing is to say that God’s gifts are not all that great, that they aren’t all that special, that they aren’t even good enough to pull you out of your mumbling, monotone comfort zone. No, Jesus has departed to the cross for the forgiveness of sins – this is good. The Spirit has come and given these gifts to you – that’s great! God will lead you home to life everlasting – this is wonderful! So sing! Sing loudly. Make a joyful noise! Shout in response to all that God has done for you. He has forgiven you all your sins. He has risen from the dead and promises to raise you too. The Spirit proclaims all that Jesus has done to you today. Jesus gives you His own Body and Blood and the Spirit strengthens your faith through these gifts. God leads you home to life everlasting. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

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Isaiah 12:1-6

James 1:16-21
St. John 16:5-15

AudioClick for

Pastor Schultz
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
May 7, 2023

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Jesus has to go – and that’s a good thing. Jesus can’t stay here – and that is to your advantage. Today, we see Jesus speaking with His disciples in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday. He has washed their feet, fed their bellies, and now he is comforting their souls. He knew what would happen, but they didn’t. He knew it was time for Him to depart. Despite how painful this would be for the disciples, it would be to their advantage that Jesus depart.

There were two departures on Jesus’ mind that night. First, there was the immediate and impending departure of that night. After the meal, Jesus went with the disciples to Gethsemane. There he was arrested, then tried, the condemned. From His disciples’ company, Jesus departed for the cross. He departed to die. He departed for their benefit. If He had not departed, then He would not have paid for your sin. If He had not departed, then death would not be defeated by His resurrection. If He had not departed, then Satan’s power would remain. St. Paul put it this way, “If Christ had not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:14, 17). Yes, Jesus’ first departure was for your advantage. Jesus had to go – and that’s a good thing!

But the cross wasn’t the only thing on Jesus’ mind that Thursday night. He also had in mind His ascension into heaven. The ascension would come 40 days after Easter. That means, Ascension will be remembered by the Church in just about 10 days from now. This departure would also be difficult for the disciples, but to their advantage. They had gone through the roller coaster ride of Good Friday and Easter. They had seen their teacher murdered and resurrected. Then He appeared suddenly several times. Now, He would depart again. Not into suffering this time, but into glory. Also, this time, the disciples had Jesus’ promise that He would send the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit. This also was to their advantage.

Our Gospel reading lists three things that the Holy Spirit will do. “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (Jn. 16:8). What does this mean? Well, think of this in terms of Luther’s explanation to the Third Article in the Small Catechism. If you would like to follow along, you can find the words of the Catechism in the hymnal on page 323.

How does Luther begin his explanation? “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my lord, or come to Him.” This is the first work of the Holy Spirit. He convicts you of your fallen nature. He convicts you of your sin. He convicts you of your inability to believe, your sin-bound will, and your rebellion against God. If you were left on your own, if the Holy Spirit were not given to you through the water and the Word, then you could not and would not believe. And don’t think that you can do this all on your own now that the Holy Spirit has gotten the ball rolling. No, Luther did not write, “I could not believe”, as if he were talking about his pre-conversion self. No, he wrote “I believe that I cannot… believe.” Even now as a believer, you cannot sustain your own faith. It is only be the grace of God in the work of the Holy Spirit that your faith is sustained. This is the first work of the Spirit – He convicts you of your inability to believe.

What is the second thing the Spirit does? He convicts the world concerning righteousness. But this is not your righteousness. No, the Spirit convicts the world of Christ’s righteousness as the only salvation. Luther said it this way: “But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way, He also calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” You are a sinner, but the Holy Spirit calls you with the Gospel. What is the Gospel? It is the proclamation that Jesus has paid your debt in full. He has suffered your death. He has won the victory. Now, the Spirit proclaims this promise, this triumph, this atonement to you. As St. John said, “[The Spirit] will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14). The Spirit convicts the world of Christ’s righteousness. He takes all the triumph, all the gifts, and all the victory that Jesus won on the cross and He gives that to you. He gives it through the Word read, through the water poured, and through the bread and wine consumed.

Finally, the Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment. The “ruler of this world is judged” (Jn 16:11). Jesus has gone to the cross. He has triumphed over Satan. Now, Satan’s kingdom lies in ruins, and Jesus has risen victorious. But we have not yet seen Satan fully and finally judged. We still live in the midst of sin. There are still temptations all around. But you are judged not based on your sin or on how many times you fall into temptation. Rather, you are judged based on Christ’s righteousness. Luther concludes, “In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day, He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ Jesus.” In the act of forgiveness, what we had here today during Confession and Absolution, you are judged based on Christ’s sacrifice. On the Last Day, you will be judged again based on Christ’s righteousness.

But for the time being, we live in the in-between. Jesus has departed – and that’s good. The Spirit has come. He’s come at Pentecost. He comes to you specifically through the water and the Word of your Baptism. But Jesus has not returned yet for the final judgment. What do we do in the mean time?

Long story short, we sing. Today is called Cantate Sunday. There are a number of Sundays that have been named based on the first word or words of the Introit. Each of the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost are named in this way. What were the first words of the Introit today? “Sing to the LORD a new song. Alleluia!” So the word for today is “Sing!”

But you might be self-conscious about your singing. Maybe you don’t have the greatest voice. In that case, repent. Psalm 100 says “Make a joyful noise to the LORD…” If a noise is all you can do, that’s fine! If you’re only going to sing when you have a perfect voice, that’s no better than me saying I’m not gonna go for a run till I can do a marathon. Whether your singing is lovely or nothing more than noise, sing. Staying silent is not an option. Why? Isaiah tells you why: “Sing praises to the LORD, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Is 12:5-6).

These passages tell us that singing is commanded by God. Its important enough that it comes up several times. Not singing for you Christians is not an option. God calls you to sing! This should be as natural as crying at a funeral, or cheering for the Chiefs, or laughing at a joke. Christians sing because of what God has done for them. With all that God has done, how odd it would be to not sing.

This is what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. But why? Think about it this way, on a psychological level. Can you say the National Anthem? Can you speak “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”? Without singing, could you recite the words to your favorite song on the radio right now? It’s tricky, isn’t it? Music engrains words twice as deep as merely reciting them. Now if that’s true for such trifling matters as songs for the radio, how much more true is this for hymns that take the narrative of the Bible and put it to music. That’s why we sing so much in church. That’s why I sing so much of the liturgy. It helps me remember it better. Like a kindergarten teacher teaching the ABCs with a song, the Holy Spirit uses music to teach the words that are most important to know. And singing is the proper response to all that God has done! To not sing is to say that God’s gifts are not all that great, that they aren’t all that special, that they aren’t even good enough to pull you out of your mumbling, monotone comfort zone. No, Jesus has departed to the cross for the forgiveness of sins – this is good. The Spirit has come and given these gifts to you – that’s great! God will lead you home to life everlasting – this is wonderful! So sing! Sing loudly. Make a joyful noise! Shout in response to all that God has done for you. He has forgiven you all your sins. He has risen from the dead and promises to raise you too. The Spirit proclaims all that Jesus has done to you today. Jesus gives you His own Body and Blood and the Spirit strengthens your faith through these gifts. God leads you home to life everlasting.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

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