John 10:22-30. Jesus: can we be sure?? 29/4/07

{22} Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, {23} and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. {24} The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." {25} Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, {26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. {27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. {29} My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. {30} I and the Father are one."

Can God or someone tell us plainly and clearly who Jesus really is so that we can know for sure that he is the one we should be following? This is the age-old question that is brought up again and again by many people. It is here then that we have God’s answer to this question. He puts it plainly and clearly for all; so there is no excuse. He is to be taken seriously.

But of course that does not satisfy many people today; just as was the case when Jesus himself responded to this very question. They are looking for excuses so they do not have to make any changes or commitment. They want to, as Jesus says, remain unbelieving. Here it is interesting that these Jews came to Jesus and throw the blame back on him. "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus is accused of not letting it be known that he is from God, despite the fact that he has performed miracle after miracle and telling them that he is the Good Shepherd and many other things. They want him to ‘give it to them straight.’ But in reality they are looking for some way that they can discredit him so that they can ultimately ignore him and continue on doing what they want to do with their own lives.

Now I would suspect that the situation is little different today. Still the questions are thrown forward to God and us about whether Christ and Christianity is truly the way to go. Is Jesus really God and the only way for us? How can you really claim that our God and the Bible is for real? Look if Jesus is the only way, why is it that this or that church is doing all those bad things? And I am sure we could come up with many more.
But what is it that they are really doing? Now I am sure that not all are simply seek to turn the focus away from themselves and put the onus elsewhere for the problem of their non-acceptance of Jesus. Not all are wanting to find excuses for their unbelief. Not all are looking for ways to get rid of Jesus and his knocking at their door. However from Jesus response, that was the case for those Jews, and I am sure for many today. Many want to remain in their unbelieving state, and be able to push the blame elsewhere for their actions.

However here we need to hear Jesus’ answer to these questionings. Whether we are believers who are being asked these questions, or are struggling with these issues ourselves. Jesus gives a good and clear response. "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me. And he certainly performed many mighty miracles as he walked this earth, that did speak powerfully to the people at the time. But that was back then. Do we have these same miracles today that can clearly point to Jesus being the Son of God?

Here though let us remember that the clearest and greatest miracle that was given and equally speaks to us today is Jesus’ death and resurrection three days later. There we have God’s clear proclamation that here in Jesus we have God powerfully at work for his people. This miracle is clearly attested to down through the ages as God’s statement to our world, that here in Jesus and his death and resurrection we have God at work for our salvation. If this was a simple ‘fairy story’ as many claim it to be, it would have long died out, as all the other stories that have been penned. Hear what one wise man said many years ago. (Acts 5:35-39) he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. {36} Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. {37} After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. {38} Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. {39} But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."


Jesus in our reading then goes on to say; My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. He knows those who genuinely listen to him and seeks his guidance and help. Those who seriously question him wanting answers, he speaks to them through his Word. They listen to what is said and read and thereby know that Jesus Christ is who he says he is.

When we read God’s Word through the eyes of faith we see that it all leads and points us to Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection for us and for our salvation. Yes it does make us acutely aware that we are poor, miserable sinners who are turned away from him and who constantly seek to live our own selfish lives. As a result of that we bring all kinds of suffering and heart-ache on ourselves and our world around us. But most importantly of all because we are sinful at the very core of our lives, we have broken our relationship with God, and have no way of making it right from our side. Without Jesus we are doomed to an eternity of hell.

But as we continue to read his Word, listening to what he says, we find his promises that point us always and ever to Jesus Christ his very own Son. There he tells us that God himself sent his own Son into our world in order to make things right between himself and us. Now because he is not only a loving God, but also a holy and just God, he had to punish our sin. So Jesus takes that punishment on himself so that we might have forgiveness for all of our sin: no matter who we are or what we have done. Nothing now need separate anyone of us from his love: neither life nor death; principalities or powers. Nothing now stands in the way of those who listen and trust in his Word.

As a result he says; I give them eternal life. All that we so desperately seek to hang on here and work so hard to gain: eternal youth; God has now given to those who listen to him. Without our striving, technology or anything else that we can come up with, he has extended to us. Eternal life is ours, guaranteed.

But there is more. He says; and they shall never perish. Yes that is you and me. Even those of us who are staring death in the face, he says have that assurance that that is not the end for us. Again nothing can will destroy us, no matter what the world out there says or throws at us. For this God who raised up Jesus also promises that we will not perish.

But there is even more. For he goes on to say; no one can snatch them out of my hand. No, not the devil; not some Islamic Jihad; nothing has the ability or the power to take away that which Jesus has won for us. Nothing. For he says: My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

As we his sheep listen to him, that is his promise and assurance to us all. Again remember that this is God’s very own Son who is saying this. So we can be sure. This is that very one who died on the cross and rose again three days later. This is his word and promise to each one of us.

But then, just in case we might still not be sure that this Jesus is quite so great, he makes his final, clear and telling statement: I and the Father are one. Jesus is making it quite clear that he is God Almighty himself. This is no lesser god; an angel; or some great prophet; no a human being whom God was at work in and through. No this is God’s very own Son; equal and one with his Father and the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus is the God Almighty himself, who is without beginning or end, and the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of all. To him belongs all glory and honour now and always. To him be praise and glory forever and ever.

So we are without excuse. He has told us plainly and clearly who he is and what he has done for us. He is Lord and Saviour of all. Except of course for those who want to remain in their unbelief. He has told us who he is and what he has done for us, so that we can be sure. We can trust him. We can listen to his voice and follow him. Here in Jesus we have the only way for us. The only One who truly is God and our saviour. He and his Word makes this plainly know to all.

With this assurance we can now go forward with confidence and certainty. For he tells us and promises that he has extended to us all that we need for this life and the next. So we can look to him, listen to him and follow him. And in that give all glory and honour to him whom it belongs; our great God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

John 20:19-23. Christ appears and sends. 15/4/07

“ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Here in this reading this morning Jesus has two Easter surprises for his disciples, and that includes us. He appears to them behind closed doors and he sends them out to do his work. What an Easter turn around! This is the man who was strung up to die and buried into the past; who seemingly has lost his chance to have an impact on the world; who was rejected by his own people; punished for all of our wrongs; deserted by all, even though he was innocent. This one bright hope for the future was thought to be gone.

So what do we find; his disciples hiding away behind locked doors. Frightened for their own lives, in case the Jewish leaders should come after them. Frightened to face the outside world for fear of ridicule. Depressed and humiliated because they had let their Lord down. Their whole world had fallen apart with the death of Jesus, and now they were hiding away in fear.

And yet despite the fact that they had let their master down: Despite the fact that their confidence, knowledge and everything else had failed them, and they now really haven’t got anything going for them, either as leaders or even witnesses for God, Jesus comes to them and gives them his peace and sends them out to be his witnesses. What an incredible turn around! What an amazing thing that Jesus has done here. It certainly doesn’t fit our modern approach to the church and peoples involvement in important positions.

But of course that was history. That was way back in the past. What has that that got to do with us and the here and now situations that we are facing in our lives? Yet, isn’t that you and me also? Are we so good in our faith and our living out our Christian lives; witnessing for Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that he gives? No, of course not! So often we fall into the same category as those first disciples: hiding away at home or work, or behind our church walls, or our committee involvement; Hiding behind our claim to be Christian, but not openly: uncertain and feeling bad because we also have let our Lord and others down: not wanting to face our friends and neighbours as Christian witnesses because we are afraid of being ridiculed or whatever. Yes, in many ways we are no different! We also have heard that Word of our Lord and we claim to be Christ’s followers, but too often are hiding away: from God, each other, and our community.

Yet, surprise, surprise! Today again our Lord Jesus comes to you and me. He is here in this service revealing himself again to us, and pronouncing his peace to us, and sending us out to live and be his witnesses. He is here, sharing his message of forgiveness. To each one of us he says, ‘Peace be with you”. So he is not here to tick us off because we haven’t been to church much lately, or because we have done this or that wrong, or that we haven’t done something that we should have. Sure it upsets and hurts him that we have done this, and he would certainly like to see more from each one of us.

But no, he is here to extend his peace to our lives: To free us from those guilty fears that we have for letting God, others and ourselves down: To pronounce to us that we are forgiven for all of our sin: that he did die for each and every one of us. He is here to remind us that we are accepted by God through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and to assure us that he does love us and has something far better in mind for us, and that there is meaning and a purpose to our lives. Even in the midst of the pain, hurt and loneliness that we human beings make for ourselves, that he is there with and for us, and that he does care: that even there he has forgiveness, life and salvation for us.

So yes, in his coming to us again and again he seeks to make us whole human beings again: at peace with our God, with others around us, and with ourselves. That is what he gives to you and me here today. He has come to say, ‘Peace be with you’. And just as there was no barrier to stop Jesus coming to his disciples: no closed doors and windows, or doubting hearts such as Thomas’ that could stop him from appearing to them and bringing that peace; so also for us, no matter who we are or what we have or haven’t done, or how closed off to God and others we are, or anything else: to each one of us he says, ‘Peace be with you’. Assuring us again that that is what he has in mind for each one of us, and that it is now available to us. It is ours. His death and resurrection is our guarantee that he and his forgiveness is for real and that it is for all people.

That brings us to the other reason for his appearance to those first disciples all those years ago, and to us today. The peace that he has for us, is also for all the people out there in the world around us, and he wants them all to know what he has done for them: that there is forgiveness for them also, and there is a new and better way for them in and through our Lord Jesus Christ: that he also has a wholeness of life for them that they will find nowhere else. He wants all of those people out there to know for sure that they also are loved: that Christ took the punishment that they should have received, so that forgiveness is there for them and that there is meaning and purpose to life, and they are a part of it.

So the message he has for us is also the message he sends us out with. He wants to bring peace to the whole of our broken, hurting world. So in coming to us and pronouncing his peace to us, he is also charging each one of us, and all of us together, with the task of sharing that message of peace. This is now our major role in life. We are not here to simply look after ourselves, and our own pleasures, and to maintain to own faith and nothing else. Jesus has taken care of that for us: we now have everything that is important. So he challenges us to look beyond ourselves, to the people around us. Even our gathering for worship now has that focus of allowing God to serve us, and strengthen and encourage us, so that we can serve the people around us. We study the Scriptures not for our benefit, but for the benefit of those around us. So that they too can know of the peace that God has for them.

And we can and must be diligent in this calling and challenge that Jesus here places before us. Look, we can do it! Remember, Christ has died and risen again for us: He is our living and all-powerful Lord and Saviour. This is a fact! This is not some fancy or wishful thinking. Jesus has risen from the dead. So we can go forward with confidence. On top of that, remember also, that Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit to guide and help us in this task. He is there in our lives to constantly remind us of all that our Lord Jesus has done for us and for the people around us. He is here in our Church reminding, strengthening, and building us up through the Word and the Sacraments for this very task.

So we are not alone in this. There is no need for us to be afraid. No need to hides ourselves and our faith away. We have every reason to go forward with confidence: willing to face everything this world can throw at us: willing to reach out to our friends and neighbours knowing, that we are not on our own, but that the Holy Spirit also goes with us. On top of that we have a most important message that our world needs to hear: a message that is vital for their wellbeing. Remember also that this message has helped millions and millions of people in the past: it has transformed nations: and it is just as relevant, helpful and powerful today.

The one who was rejected and died on the cross for us all, has risen from the dead. Jesus has risen and has spoken his word of peace to us. He is truly our Lord and Saviour, and so we have every reason to be overjoyed and confident: Every reason to say with Thomas, ‘My Lord and my God’: and every reason to share his message of forgiveness with others. Yes Easter goes on for us each and every day, because the risen Lord Jesus is for real and he has given us his peace. Let us now share this Good News with others, for he is risen, he is risen indeed. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Luke 23:46 Lent 2007

(46) Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

What a note of confidence and hope we have here in these last words of Jesus from the cross. On the blackest and darkest day of history, when all hope seems to be extinguished, there is this loud proclamation that leads and rests in the one sure hope that there is for us all: the safe, strong hands of the Almighty God and Father. Here Jesus himself can, at the crowning point of history, where he comes to do what had to be done for the salvation of humanity, can now say: “It is finished.” "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." He now places himself and all that he has done for us, into his Fathers hands.

When all else is gone: When all else is said and done; there is the Father’s hands that are strong and sure. There is now the sure trust that having done what he was sent to do, he can place his spirit back into the Father’s hands. Despite having gone through the terrible anguish of taking the full brunt of the punishment that God meted out on him for the sin of the world, Jesus can now rest his spirit back into his Fathers hands.

This evening let us reflect on this very point and so gain great assurance and comfort for us as we face our trials and darkness in this world of sin. As we look to Jesus and his death on the cross, we can also find that same assurance, that despite what looks to the contrary, there is still the Father’s hands awaiting us, in which we too can have the confidence that are there now for us. Even though we sin much and do not deserve to have God give us anything except what he laid on Jesus, we now can know and have confidence that the Father will also receive us.

This certainty only comes as the result of Jesus Christ. This Jesus on the cross, is God’s very own Son who came into our world, to do this very thing so that we can have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. This Jesus left his glory at the Father’s right hand to come to help us in our disastrous need.

Yes we human beings like to think that we are doing pretty well, thank you very much. We have got it all under control. Yeh, things go wrong, but that is the fault of my upbringing, sickness or whatever. But, by in large, we would like to think and believe that it is not our fault. We just have to get smarter and have more technology and we will overcome it all. In thinking this way we have lost the plot completely. And you and I are caught up in this thinking as well. We are all sinful, selfish people, whether we like to acknowledge it or not. And we are all caught up in this rebellion against God Almighty himself. As such we deserve nothing what-so-ever from him except his rejection and punishment.

If you don’t want to believe it, or accept that this is really the truth of the situation, have another look at the cross. No not that empty cross, that so many have in their churches: not just those nice, silver, glossed up crucifixes; but look at the rough, blood stained cross, with the brutalized, scourged, dying Son of God hanging on it. See the most horrific form of torture and punishment that could ever be laid on anyone. Then don’t tell me that that was because we are basically good people. Don’t tell me that is just a good example of servitude and giving, that we are now to follow. And don’t tell me that this is just a nice story: and the bones of the real Jesus are in there in that box that has just come to light. Don’t try to fool yourselves that this is no big deal. It is! Poor, wretched, miserable, rebellious people that we are; that is what we deserve.

Yet there we see, not us, but God’s very own Son. God himself, has come and taken that which you and I deserve, on himself. He takes our punishment on himself that we might now have all that belongs to him; all his goodness, heaven, eternal life, a complete and full relationship with God. The devil and our sin has been overthrown in Jesus death on the cross. Everything necessary for us and for our salvation has there in Jesus and the cross been brought to completion. Nothing more and nothing less is needed. Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation is there now possible for each and every one of us. More than that, it is now ours, guaranteed. Nothing now need separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

So now he can say: “It is finished.” "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Here, take careful note that he has not gradually weakened to the point that his spirit just departs from him. Here he does not die a broken, dejected being that has finally been overcome by it all. Although he was dying of wounds and intense suffering he could still rally his strength and die with a victorious shout.
No he knows very well what he has achieved by his suffering unto death. He has achieved what has been necessary for our salvation so now he can hand over his spirit into God’s hands, knowing that all has been achieved. Now he commits himself and all that he has done into his Fathers hands. Now he can give the victory shout. Now he can boldly and clearly tell the world that it has all been done for us.

Now that the Father’s will has been done, he can go home. He gives up his spirit voluntarily here only to take it up once again. Three days later he was to rises again so that all can know that this is for real. He gives his life into death: he gives his spirit into his Father’s hands, only to take it up one again so that we now have a Lord over death and life. Here we truly have our Lord and Saviour giving his life so that we can have life and hope.

Now we can go forward with confidence and certainty, for our Lord has truly committed himself to do all that was necessary for our salvation, and freely committed his spirit into the hands of his Father. We now surely can commit ourselves into his hands, for here we truly have one is supreme in every way. This Lenten season again we can be brutally honest with ourselves once again, for we know and can freely acknowledge that we are sinful and unclean. We can humble ourselves and commit ourselves totally into the hands of this one who truly loves us to death, and who has done all that was necessary for our salvation.

Instead of keeping our lives and our spirits for ourselves and our freedom to do as we would like, now we can turn back to the Lord once again, and give it all up to him, resting assured that our lives are in his safe-keeping. The Father’s hands have wrecked havoc over our rebellious, selfish lives and now are our sure, strong hands to delivers us unto eternal life with him in eternity.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has done so much for us through his death on the cross. And all of this he has done that I may be his own , live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.
To him be glory and honour now and always. AMEN

1 Corinthians 11:23-26. A new Covenant!! 5/4/07

(23) For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, {24} and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." {25} In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." {26} For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Here Paul reminds us that on the night before Jesus’ death on the cross he drew up a new agreement between God and his people. This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Here we then have something that is vital for our relationship between God and his people. God is establishing a new covenant; a new agreement between himself and us. In doing so he is saying that the Old Covenant is no longer applicable and with his death a new covenant needs to be established.

To understand why and the significance of this, we need to go back and understand first of all what the old covenant was, and then we will understand in a greater way the significance of this new covenant for us and foe our lives, week by week.

You may recall that instance where Abraham had been given the promise of many descendants, and a descendant through whom all people would be blessed, and that Israel would gain the inheritance of the land that God had promised them. But Abraham had trouble grasping and understanding if and how this could be possible. So God sets about making a covenant with him. He tells him to get a heifer, goat, ram, dove and a pigeon and to slaughter them in a special way. Then he would walk through the trail of blood, signifying that if this covenant was broken then this is what Abraham and his descendant could do to God himself: they could kill him. Thereby he assured Abraham and his descendants that they were guaranteed the inheritance of the Promised Land.

Some time later when Moses leads the people toward the Promised Land this covenant was revisited. Here God again reassures the people that he will be their God and they will be his people. He writes this agreement on those two tablets of stone that Moses brought down from Mt Sinai, where he stipulates that he is the Lord who has brought them out of Egypt, and he also states the Ten Commandments as the way that his people can live happily within that covenant relationship.

But he knows full well that the people will not always live up to their side of the agreement, so he gives them certain sacrifices to carry out when they have sinned. The blood of these sacrifice would remind the people and God of the covenant that he made with Abraham. Through that blood they were assured that there sin would not be held against them: they would still receive the promise of the inheritance and the full blessing of God.

However the covenant also stated that if this agreement was broken by either side then God would allow himself to be slaughtered. In this way it made the blood of the sacrifices effective. Every time that the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar or in the Holy Place it was a reminder that the Lord was going to die for the sins of the people so that the inheritance that he had promised would be guaranteed.

Every sacrifice then was a pointer to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Every sacrifice was a reassurance that God himself would make all things right for his people. Sadly, then as now, many no longer remember or recognised this fact. They too believed that it is what they did that ensured God’s blessing for themselves and the nations of the world. They too often were not like their father Abraham, who believed God’s promises, and this trust was credited to him as righteousness.

So we see that this old covenant was God’s reassurance to his people that he was true to his Word. It was a reassurance that God would punish himself for the failures of his people and to ensure that his inheritance and blessing would be guaranteed as he had promised. That covenant found its fulfilment in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. There God allowed himself to be killed so that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation could be extended to his people. All then who trusted God and his promises received all that God had in mind for them.

That then brings us to the night on which our Lord was betrayed, before going to the cross the next day. There Jesus knows that the old covenant is fulfilled and so sets up a new covenant whereby the people living this side of his death on the cross can receive the reassurance that their sin will not be held against them and that they too can have the full assurance that the inheritance that he has promised us will be ours.

Instead of looking forward to God’s promises fulfilled, he gave us a covenant meal whereby we can now not only look back, but be taken back to and given that which ensured forgiveness of sins, life and salvation for each one of us. He takes us to the foot of the cross and gives us his very body and blood which he shed on the cross so that this could be a reality for us.

We read: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

So he gives us Holy Communion: the Lord’s Supper, so that he can reassure us week by week that here the Lord himself died as a punishment for our failure to be the people that God wanted us to be. But he did so, in order that, all that God had promised us would be ours, guaranteed. Then so that we are constantly reassured of this he tell us to celebrate this special meal as often as we can.

In so doing, we are as Paul says, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. We are being proclaimed to and are telling one another that Jesus died so that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation is there for each and every one of us. Even though we have sinned much: even though we do not deserve it; Jesus gives us his very body and blood so that we can know for sure that this is so.

So here he gives himself to us so that we can be sure that he loves us and is for us. At every Communion service he tells us, “here is my very body and blood which was shed on the cross: my very presence is here with you so that you can be sure.” He doesn’t just give us some bread and wine, and say ‘remember’ that I love you and died for you: but says, “here IS my body – here IS my blood,” ‘here I am with you.’ ‘I am really and truly here for you – to assure you that I love you, forgive you, and have eternal life for you.’ And as an extension of that, he throughout our gatherings, joins us: he participates with us; speaks to us through his Word: listens to us in our prayers; and helps us through our fellow brothers and sisters. He is there to live in that close personal relationship with us every day; to be our God and our friend. And it is this that he established on that night when he was betrayed – before he goes to the cross and dies in our place, and then rises again three days later.

So here we have something that is absolutely essential for us and our wellbeing. It is the greatest – God promising and giving himself to us; assuring us of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation; reassuring us that he is with us and for us. He has made that covenant with us and shares that with us every time we come forward in Holy Communion; so that we can know for sure that it is so.

Now that Jesus has established and does all of this, surely we will now live in that relationship; seek to make the most it; and find peace and assurance in it. Surely we will not walk away from all of this and go back to living as if God is some distant and uncaring being out there somewhere: that he doesn’t have much at all do with us and our daily life. Surely if he has made us part his family; committing himself fully to us – we will now live in that relationship, and enjoy all the benefits, joys and security of it all; rather than go out and try to get through life on our own without God’s friendship and help; striving to ensure that we are good enough for God’s acceptance of us.

So to conclude, in the Lord’s Supper our God has set down this new covenant so that we can be sure that he is true to his promises that he has an inheritance for us in the Promised Land. His blessing does rest on us, even though we sin much and do not deserve it. He has sacrificed his Son so that all of this can be ours. And he gives us this special meal so that we can be reassured of this over and over again. So let us now make the most of living in this covenant relationship. It is the best that there is.
To God be the glory – great things he has done. To him be honour, glory and praise now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba