John 20:1-8. He is risen , indeed!! 24/4/11




(1) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. {2} So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" {3} So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. {4} Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. {5} He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. {6} Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, {7} as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. {8} Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.



He is risen – He is risen indeed! The Lord Jesus has risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.



Now just think about that for a few moments: a man who has been dead for some considerable time has come alive again, and continues to live. Surely this is the most exciting news that this world has ever heard. Surely the media will be all over this story, and it would be headlines the world over. For is this not what we as human beings yearn for; longed after; and spend countless hours researching and experimenting for, in order to give and extend life out as endlessly as we possibly can? Here now in Jesus it has happened. All this and more has been opened up to humanity!



This surely now would be news that we all want to hear and be a part of. Surely, this news now changes the whole outlook and meaning of life. Now the whole outlook and orientation of life changes markedly. Here we have that which has the power to revitalize and give hope to a world that has lost its way and is fast dying. Yes, surely the world over would want to know this wonderfully good news.



Is it any wonder that those early disciples were ‘over the moon’ about this news, once they had comprehended it. No wonder, many of them would stop at nothing in their quest to tell others about this earth-shattering news. No wonder, Christianity spread very quickly in those early years of the Church and has continued to do so ever since; in fact going all over the world. This news has now gone into every country and changed the lives of countless millions of people. What news this is! What fantastic, life-changing news is this that we are hearing again this morning! He is risen! The Lord Jesus has risen from the dead!



Yes, here again, we have the message that can bring our country back to life again. The same power that brought Jesus back to life can also, along with the message of Good Friday, bring life to this dying nation of ours. The Easter message has that which can give to our community that which it so desperately needs. But first we must get beyond the messages that are going out to people in our country at the present time. In many ways little has changed from that of that first Easter Day.



"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" These words were spoken by the women who went to the tomb that morning. But how often don’t we hear similar sentiments spoken today.



"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" Is this not a problem as to why so many are not in our midst today? Why so many are out and about ‘enjoying’ themselves, instead of taking time to receive and reflect on the Good News of Jesus Christ? Very few today are prepared to sit down and seek to understand what God has to say to us in his Word. Instead we prefer to run around like ‘chooks with their heads cut off’ trying to please ourselves. We are looking for life and finding death. We have taken Jesus out of our spirituality and wondering why it all is so dead and that we have to find more and greater feelings and experiences.



Others are like those first women who went to the tomb; ‘Where is the Lord? Where is the Lord? We can’t find him anywhere; someone must have taken him away. Where is he? They are looking for a dead Jesus who is confined to history or to some fictitious story, so they don’t know where they are really looking. The Bible is no longer God’s Word, but simply contains bits and pieces that we can use, as we think they are important. And isn’t that the way so many are living and acting in our world today; whether they be ‘christian’ or otherwise.

The message goes out that Jesus is dead, and that life is all up to us and what we make of it. Our security and hope lies in health, wealth and happiness: We must take care of and renew our environment; and at funerals we hear of how ‘so and so’ lived a good life and therefore he will be OK. They have relegated Jesus to just a good example for us to follow.



Others again are no different from the Pharisees; in that they are trying to remove Christ and Christianity from the world scene. He makes life too uncomfortable for them, by challenging them to admit that they are far from perfect and in need of that help which only Jesus’ death on the cross can give. They want their ideas of religion, humanity and the priority of individualism to rule. Even after Jesus’ resurrection they are still trying to cover up the story, and remove those who try to tell this Good News.



Others again are like Pilate and try to do the right thing, yet do not know what the truth is and where to find it. In the end they succumb to the mob rule, rather than to stand by what they believe to be the truth.



Sadly for so many the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection is not getting through to them, or they are relegating it into the area of just a nice fictitious story, that is not all that relevant to their own lives.



So here again we need to hear the message of Easter. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! This is for real! The Lord Jesus is risen from the dead. God is alive and his power is at work in our world. Jesus said the grave would not hold him; so now everything else he said and promised is also valid and true. We have now got so much to go forward with into the future. Now there is power to turn the lives and hopes of our world upside down and give us a new and exciting life before us.



Yes, now we know that Jesus does have everything under control, and that in connection with him everything will work out OK. Sure, that does not mean that he will remove all difficulties and hardships from our lives. After all we can see what happens when everything goes well for us; we very quickly forget him and what he has done for us.



But in the midst of our troubles and suffering we now know that Jesus has our lives under his watchful care; and we know that he will not allow anything to take our salvation and eternal life away from us.



It is now there in Jesus and the certainty of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that he has made possible, that we now have all the security we could ever want or need. No matter whether it be, little or plenty – sick or well – the risen Lord Jesus now ensures that we have all that we need in order to cope with our daily life; to keep our relationship with him alive and well; and enable us to love the people around about us. Now we can live and work each day joyfully and confidently, doing what needs to be done.



Now we can even face death, and have the sure hope that because Jesus has risen from the dead, so also will we rise to be with him in eternity. Not because of our goodness or anything else other than the fact that he died on the cross for our forgiveness and was raised again so that we can be sure that it is all for real.



Yes, He is risen! – he is risen indeed. And now because he lives, so also will we live. This is the most exciting news that we have ever heard and will ever hear. Here is the most important news that our world could ever hope to hear. We have got every reason to be over the moon. We have got every reason to help others to get to know that this Good News is important for them also.



What a great day again that this is; what a day to celebrate. He is risen! He is risen indeed! The Lord Jesus has risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. Hallelujah! AMEN.



Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

John 19:30. ‘It is finished!’ 22/4/11




When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.



"It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. The Son of God, bowed his head and gave up his spirit. What a terrible situation this is, that the very Son of God should be brought to death itself. Why should one so great and innocent be brought to this point? The situation of evil must surely be extremely great that God’s very own Son is brought to the point of death by it.



Here though we are brought to the understanding that it is humanity; you and I, that has brought this situation to this point. What a sad indictment on our society; on our world. In fact, that surely is a shocking statement of where we are at. This really brings us face to face with the reality of where, even we, who think we are not too bad, are at today. We have driven Jesus to death.



I wonder how many today will note and take to heart the seriousness of this point. I am sure most people, even today, are burying their heads in the sand, or the chase after pleasure, to the point that they do not even consider that it is us that have caused this terrible situation. We certainly are not too willing to acknowledge that each of us are responsible for his death on the cross.



However, this weekend we are called to think seriously about the events surrounding the cross, and the importance of accepting the depth of what it means for us. Here our focus is drawn to the circumstances of an innocent man dying the cruellest of deaths, for crimes that he has never committed. Anyone who has seen the movie, ‘The passion of the Christ’ cannot help but be moved by the terrible suffering that he underwent. It was absolutely sickening to see what he would have gone through. What a shocking, awful event. What a tragedy. Jesus, God’s own Son going through all of that, even though he had done nothing wrong.



What is wrong with us? What have we come to in our thinking, when we can allow, or more to the point, cause, such a thing to happen, without it churning us all up inside; without us asking all kinds of questions; and without us falling on our knees in shame? Particularly when we realize that it was you and I that put him there.



Here we are today getting ourselves all worked up about all kinds of things that are happening in the world around us. But when it comes to this event we acknowledge that perhaps it has happened; maybe it was even important, but we very quickly move on to think about other things. We put a positive ‘spin’ to it all and then move on to think about our own pleasures and happiness. How blatantly arrogant and self-centred is that? How callous and stupid are we really?



Here on Good Friday we have that which brings to light the central core to what is wrong with our world. Here we have that which even reveals the very nature of what and why all the terrible things that are happening around us; and why things are the way they are, today. Yet we very quickly want to ignore having to think about it. We very quickly want to bury our heads in the sand and go on thinking that our world is basically OK; and that we are alright; that mankind is basically good; and that we are evolving into a better world.



When are we going to wake up? When are we going to force ourselves to understand? The heart of all the problems in our own lives and in the world around is that we are rotten to the core. All of us. That is why there are still wars and rumours of wars: that is why there is so much corruption and selfishness: that is why there is so much sickness and death: That is why there are so many hurts and frustrations. Because of our rotten nature that is at the very core of our lives we cannot and we will not ever avoid it in this world of ours.



All of the technology in the world. All the progresses ever made over the centuries, cannot and will not remove the wickedness that is at the very heart of our lives. There always has been, and always will be, suffering, sin and evil. As long as the world stands we can no longer avoid it. And particularly while we human beings and we as individuals, look in the direction we are for our answers to making this world a better place. Technology, the conservation movement, the rights of the individual, equality, or whatever, will not eradicate that which is at the core of our lives. While we continue to focus on those things to improve our situation, not only will we continue to have the problems that we are having, but it will all end in hopelessness and destruction: We will end up needlessly suffering the same consequences as Jesus; no far worse.



Any honest look at humanity and history will tell us that without taking Jesus and his death on the cross seriously, will mean that we will continually go round and round in circles getting nowhere. Until we take notice of what God and his Word has to say with regard to sin and our rebellion against God; and its consequences; then Jesus and his death on the cross will have little meaning for us; and our ‘christian’ message will have no impact on the world around us. We all will continue to wander aimlessly through life; chasing one dream after another, and only finding death.



However, as we recognise and acknowledge that humanity is sinful and rotten at its core then we will find that there is an answer: there is a way out. Today we are reminded of, and commemorate, that way out; that Good News. Here today in the midst of all of the evil and wickedness that is there in our world, we find One is not tainted as we are: one in whom no sin is found. Here on the cross we find God’s own Son, come into our world to help us out of our mess.



Out of love for his wayward, rebellious people, he freely comes and takes all of our sin and wickedness on himself. He allows us to send him to the cross, so that in turn he might take our punishment on himself. He pays the price that is needed for us to be forgiven. He took the full force of evil on himself so that instead of damnation and eternal separation from God, we might have life and salvation. He is forsaken by God Almighty himself, because of us and our sin. But in turn he extends and freely gives us forgiveness of sins, life and salvation: to each and every one of us. Jesus died so that we might live with God for all eternity. A seeming tragedy has been turned into the greatest victory of all time. It is finished! He has won through for us, despite who we are.



Now we are assured that despite who we are, nothing need ever separate us from the love of God, here or in eternity. Jesus, there on the cross, not only reveals to us the true reality of our sin and wickedness, But also God’s answer to it.



So now instead of being left shattered and hopeless; or searching and naive, as we try to find our way in a sinful, rotten world, we can have peace and contentment. Now instead of trying to pretend and prove to ourselves and others that we are not so bad, we can be real and acknowledge that we are far from being the kind of people that we should be. We can do so; first because that is the reality of our situation before God; but also because we now know that Jesus, out of his divine mercy and goodness, has died for us and for our salvation.



Now then we can also look up with humble admiration and awesome wonder to this One who has extended life and salvation to an otherwise dark and gloomy world. Now we can follow Jesus as he moves amongst the lost and lonely of this world, sharing with them the Good News of what he has done for us all. No longer need we be overly concerned as we face the reality of a world gone wrong, because we now know that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. As we look to him and his death on the cross we know that he loves us and forgives us. Yes, we know what he says about those who turn their backs on him and reject all that he has done for them, but we look to him and trust that he will keep us on the narrow way.



So, now today, as we are again brought face to face with Jesus and his death on the cross, for us and for our salvation, let us have the confidence to go forward from here, with our focus fixed on Jesus there on the cross. Every day as we look to the cross we realize that it was us who put him there, and so we are able to be realistic about life and the problems and troubles that we face. But we can then go forward with absolute admiration and thankfulness toward Jesus for his dying there in our place. Then as we keep the reality of the cross before us we can have the confidence to face each day as it comes, and even death itself, knowing that it cannot separate us from him.



Yes, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. But he did so, that life would not be finished for us. So to him be all glory and admiration, now and forever. AMEN.



Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Do this in remembrance of me!! 21/4/11




For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: 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." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes



Here in this reading tonight we are reminded of one very significant and important aspect of life here on earth for us as Christians. If there is one thing here in this life, that is to give us encouragement and strength for living it here in these words: here in this meal that we are about to partake of, which Jesus gave to us for this very purpose. Because we have difficulty in coming to grips with the Christian faith and life, and because we look for some assurance that God is with us, loves us, and forgives us, the Lord gives us this very special meal.



Our Lord knows very well that you and I get things out of kilter: that we find it difficult to remember that there is more to the Christian life than simply living a good life and coming to church a few times a year and then as long as we live a reasonably good life the rest of the time, then we will be OK. He knows that we either, fail to think about all that is wrong and sinful in our lives, or that we despair about whether we will be forgiven at all. He knows that we are tempted to place greater emphasis on ourselves and what we do, feel, and that kind of thing, than on what he has done for us in his death on the cross. He knows that we desperately need something physical and observable to assure us that he is present with us, in a world that is way off the track. All this is why he gave us something extra special to help us out: something to help us to never forget that which is vitally important for us.



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."



You see, Jesus gives us his very body and blood which he shed on the cross, so that we remember the importance of his death on the cross for us. In fact every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper, it is a day of remembrance; a day when we recall his death for our sin, and are reassured that we are forgiven: that we are a part of God's family; and that it is he who is all important in life for us.



But this request by Jesus is more than simply asking us to commemorate Jesus' death as an event in the distant past. It is much more than an opportunity to think back to what it must have been like that weekend when Jesus died and rose again. It is more than remembering the words and happenings that are recorded for us. It is more than simply recalling that night that Jesus shared this meal with his disciples and the events that followed. The Lord's Supper is much more than that.



So this is not now just some nice occasion for us to do something which merely reminds us of a past event. Instead, every time this meal is celebrated, past, present and future are united. The past event of the night before Jesus was betrayed and his death on the cross the next day, becomes for us his saving presence here and now. Jesus is really present with us here at the Altar Rail. We are inexplicably joined to that first Supper with the Lord and his disciples as we kneel at the altar rail – we are also kneeling at the foot of the cross with Jesus dying before our very eyes. Jesus’ actual body and blood is here given to us in the bread and wine to save us and reassure us this evening. At the same time, we at the Altar Rail are also joined into the heavenly feast with our Lord in his glory. There we also celebrate the great victory feast of all time, as God gathers together all who are saved into his glorified presence.



Think about that for while. This is amazing stuff. It is packed full of so much that is strengthening and encouraging for us. But of course, most important of all, is the fact that Jesus is truly present here with us tonight and every time we celebrate Holy Communion. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we hear the words, ‘given and shed for you for the forgiveness sins,’ There we hear Jesus say to each one of us, ‘take and eat this is my body which hung on that cross for you, taking the punishment which should have been yours. Drink this blood which comes from my body, as I hung there on cross, so that you can be sure that your sins are forgiven you; absolutely sure. Take my body and blood into yourselves and know that I go with you as you live out your life every day.’



As our liturgy indicates week after week, in this Supper we are communing with the Lord, which is extremely comforting and encouraging. But also we are communing with every other true Christian past, present and future. So Holy Communion is not just a matter between me as an individual and the Lord, but it is a communing and fellowship with all like minded believers. That is why we drink from the common cup; to signify this unity and oneness. In the common cup we are united there, not only with other Christians in our congregation, but also with the angels and arch angels and the whole company of heaven: All receiving that which God would have for us , and then in turn us all joining in thanks and praise to the Lord Jesus for what he has done. So there we do have an extraordinary event – an extraordinary meal: something that surely has to be one of the greatest encouragements we can get for our Christian life.



Yes, here in the Lord's Supper we have the heart of life – the heart of our worship. For Paul here and for the Church throughout the ages, this Holy Communion is central to the ongoing existence of the Church in this life. We are God's forgiven people, joined in this meal to Christ and our fellow believers, both here and in eternity, strengthened both bodily and spiritually through the very presence of the Lord. With the same body and blood that you eat and drink, I do the same; and so does every other Christian. You then have Christ in and with you, just as I do; and we are united in this very special way. So we all become one - part of the one body of the Lord Jesus Christ.



We, all together then, are being encouraged and encouraging each other, to focus on that which is truly important in life. Our Lord and each other, keeps pointing us to the cross: to Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that he offers each one us and all of us as a whole.



That is why Paul goes on to say, 'When you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim Lord's death until he comes.' You see, every time we come together at the Altar we are being told, and are telling each other , that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we can be here today, and that we can be quite sure that we are forgiven and that eternal life is ours: that we can be quite sure that Jesus lives with us now as individuals and as a group; that he goes with us out of here into our everyday life; and that he stands there with us in our work, sport or wherever we might be. At the Lord's Table we are proclaiming that the events of that first Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are very special events, and that we are joined to it in a very special way. Through this we are further encouraged and strengthened to go on in our Christian life, and to face the future with confidence, peace and contentment because we know that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.



So in many ways this is a victory celebration. A victory celebration ahead of time, and despite what we see when we look at ourselves, it is a celebration that far exceeds what many may do after they have won a footy grand final or whatever: Because here we continue to join with the Lord and all Christians in a lifetime victory feast – an eternal celebration. Yes, the victory that Jesus has won for all, through his death and resurrection. That victory is also ours now too as we are joined to the Lord and each other. It is here now as we come to the altar and receive the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every time we come forward, that same assurance; that same Lord, comes to us again and again, making us quite sure that we are forgiven and that we are one with the Lord Jesus, and that he goes with us into every aspect of our lives.



So in a few moments time, come forward and join with our Lord and those first disciples; with Christians of all times and places; and receive these gifts and assurances. Come and remember in a special way, Jesus and his death and resurrection, for you personally and for us all. Come and remember the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive him again as Lord and saviour. AMEN.



Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Matthew 21:1-11.                   Who is this Jesus!!                              17/4/11

 “ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,  saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:  "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"  The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Who is this Jesus fellow, riding into town – into the hearts and lives of people?  Who is this one who is receiving shouts of Hosanna as he comes to town? What are we to make of him? Certainly, this Jesus and his coming to Jerusalem has turned the world upside down. Certainly, his coming has evoked all sorts of different responses from the people of his day, in Jerusalem, and down through the ages since.

Here this morning it is good for us to ponder over all of this; for we too are in danger of having the same attitudes as those of Jesus’ day and missing the whole point of who Jesus is and what he had come for. Too often we also want a Jesus of our own making who will be and do what we want him to be and do. Too often today, so many, even who claim to be Christian, have missed, or more to the point have chosen to ignore, the real Jesus and what he came to this earth and to Jerusalem for. So as we reflect on the attitudes of those in Jerusalem, let us see in ourselves and in our community around us those same attitudes. Then let us understand anew who this Jesus is and what he came for.

Now to begin with, we need to appreciate the fact that the people of that day were looking forward to and longing for the Messiah to come. They were seeking after the one God said he would send who would establish his kingdom. As they were under Roman rule, this was something that was very strong in their thinking at that time. But we need to recognise that they were looking for an earthly king who would drive out the Romans and establish a huge world-wide kingdom.

Then along with that, we have this Jesus just having raised Lazarus from the dead. So this along with all the other miracles that he had performed suggested to them that here was certainly someone who would be good to have as their king. Can you imagine it; if you get sick this guy can make it all better; we don’t have to work for our food, for this Jesus can just provide plenty of it; and yes, we don’t even have to worry about dying because this Jesus can bring us back to life again. Just the sort of king we want. Give us health, wealth and happiness without us having to lift a finger.

Is it any wonder that they shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"  Is it any wonder that they were yelling out; ‘Save us!’ ‘Help us!’ ‘Give us all of this!’

And today are we any different? What do we want Jesus in our lives for? Far too often it is so that he can give us what we want so that we can comfortably cruise through this life. We even have it proclaimed from our churches; it is all about health, wealth and happiness; here and now. Gimme! Gimme! Give me it all; and if I don’t have it then God is the biggest mongrel out. We keep missing the point, over and over again. That is what he cried for, when he came down the hill into Jerusalem. ‘If only you knew what it is that makes for peace. If only ....

But they, like us today; when he did not do what they wanted him to; ‘Crucify him. Crucify him’. Yes these same people who were proclaiming him king, a few days later, was shouting for his blood. Get rid of him! He is not the god that we want. We don’t want a god who makes claims on us, we just want someone who will give us what we want; when we want it.

If only they knew what makes for peace. If only, we had more sense.

Yet surprisingly, Jesus still comes riding into town, even though he knew that this was the attitude. Yes, he chooses carefully, when and how he would come into town. He comes on the foal of donkey, to clearly portray to the people that he was not coming as an earthly warrior king. Also that he has come to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet. His coming was to fulfil the many promises that were given in the Old Testament to God’s coming to save his people.

He comes as they are about to celebrate the Passover: that time when they remember that God delivered them from the Egyptians all those many years ago. The Sacrificial Lamb of Passover was also given the significance, that they had forgiveness for their failures to live and be the people that God expected them to be. The sacrificing of the lamb was understood as having true significance because it was connected to the sacrifice of the Lamb that God would send, which would take away the sin of the world. All of this was the highlight of the days ahead. Jesus has come to be the true Passover Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. But the people failed to recognise all this. They failed to even want it.

Along with that, he comes as the Son of David; as the promised Messiah who would come to establish God’s kingdom. He is even acknowledged as being sent from the Lord. All this, being exactly the case, even though the people did not understand the true significance of it all. Yes, here was God himself, come to do what was necessary for God’s true kingdom to be established. They have every right to hail him as Lord and King.

Here was the Messiah who has come to bring peace to humanity; to you and me: A peace which passes all understanding and allows us to be at one with God without fear and trepidation. A peace which allows us to come into God’s presence, despite our sinfulness. Here is the one who is come to take the burden of life from us; and allow us to live with confidence and hope; knowing that now, nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Can you imagine what all this means for us. All because of this Jesus and what he has done for us, we can go forward in peace. Through our baptism, we are connected to this Jesus and therefore can have that absolute assurance that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We don’t have to wrestle with the uncertainty of whether we have done enough, or have enough faith or anything else. This Jesus has done it all for us. So again, we don’t have to have miracles; or great, health, wealth and happiness, for we are connected to him who has won everything important for us. This Jesus and what he has done for us is absolutely unbelievable: beyond our wildest expectations. Despite our sinfulness he has done it all for us.

So now we don’t just hail him as King, we live under his amazing kingship. We live for him; we live according to his rules; he becomes the centre of our world; not us. He is Lord of us and all that we do. He is around whom everything gravitates. His Word directs all that we say and do. We don’t continually direct who God should be and what he should do for us. Who do we think we are? He knows what makes for peace; for he is the Prince of Peace. He is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. So we listen to him and we follow him, even when he says that means taking up our cross and having our difficulties in this life.

Here again let us be quite clear that it is his death on the cross, which we focus on next Friday, which is absolutely central to who he is and what he has done for us. There alone is what gives us the peace, hope and salvation that we need. So much of the garbage that is focussed on by many Christians is the same as it was for those people of Jesus day. We have taken our focus off of that which is central; and we are listening to all kinds of rubbish that puts us back under pressure and uncertainty; a constant looking for something more and something better.

No, here in Jesus and what he came to Jerusalem to do is what is vital for us all. May we all this coming Easter weekend take the opportunity to reflect on; and most importantly be further strengthened and enlivened by our Lord as we celebrate with holy awe this Jesus and what he came to do as king for you and me. May we truly sing our: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"  as we appreciate who he truly is and what he came to do, for us. Again, to him alone then be all glory and honour, now and always.  AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Romans 8:6-11                                    Life or death??                                    10/4/11

{6} The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; {7} the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. {8} Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. {9} You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. {10} But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. {11} And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Our readings this morning deal with the issue of death and life. Do we and will we live death or life? Well, what a silly question; of course we want life; and we want it to the full. We want the very best that we can possibly have; and we want it now. Yet tragically, for many, they not only end in death, but their whole life is death. Their very chasing after life is a constant confrontation with death.

However here we are reminded that in the face of, and in death itself, God has and gives life; and does it to the full and to eternity. God’s Spirit brings to life; and ensures life, in the midst of death. Until we face death and come to terms with it, we are not really able to live as we can and should.

Now we know that at Easter, God in the death of his Son Jesus, gave life to all mankind. But so many in the world do not want this life, but instead choose to live death. For us also, there is that constant danger that we will, and do, chase the worldly view of life, which is death. God’s life in us gets overshadowed by the death that constantly surrounds us, and a chasing after that which leads to death. So this Lenten season we are made aware of the seriousness of a life lived apart from God, and our need to return to the life that His Spirit has brought to us.

So with this most basic and important issue before us, let us think this through a little more deeply. As we look at the world around about us, we get the idea that everyone wants to live life to the full. Their aim is to have everything that they believe will give them a full and peaceful life.

So in order to live, we look to health, wealth and technology, along with large amounts of leisure time, and a selfish and self-centred outlook. We could add many other things as well, but these are the kinds of things that we would say constitutes living. Our minds and our society tells us that these are the things we need in order to live.

However our sinful minds twist this even further to say things like, eat, drink and be merry, to excess and you will live; and when you become fat and  ill, take a pill or have some cosmetic surgery or the like. When that no longer works, just drink a little more and take few drugs to blot out thinking about it; and you will continue to live.

Our sinful mind also tells us that we don’t just need enough wealth in order to live comfortably, but we need more and more, even if it is at the expense of someone else. We have to have in excess if we are to really live. The Bible tells us that, The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Gal 5:19-21)  Yet this is what we so often believe is living.

But even more than that, the sinful minds, believes that we can live without God. We don’t need to listen or take seriously what he has to say; but instead to do our own thing; do what we think is right and good. Most significant of all, it takes the focus off of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, and puts it on our working hard at doing the right thing, whatever that might be. This we are sure is what real living is all about.

Here note that even we as Christians get caught up in this kind of thinking to a greater or lesser degree. From the least to the greatest, we all struggle with many of these aspects of the sinful nature. We even try to twist and turn things in order to justify ourselves and our thinking, and to make it seem right and good for us to do these things. And we think that we are living.

Yet in our more sober moments and as we reflect on what God has to say to us in this regard, we know that it is not living. We know it is death. And what is death? It is nothing else other than a lack of living – death is the absence of living. That is there in our lives again and again. We know full well that our life is far from full and that it lacks that something, even though we can’t put our finger on the issue. We all too often experience weakness, frailty, evil and death in our lives; and know that there has to be something more and better.

So where is this life that is so very much needed by us all? How can we find and have this life that we desperately long for? It is here that we need to acknowledge that we cannot look to where the world out there is looking for life and expect to find it. Their chasing after life is death. Our text here tells us that sinful, selfish, self-centred man, is death and their best efforts will end in death. So the ways and means that we and our world look to in order to find life are futile. We need to look elsewhere.

We need to acknowledge that we have no way and no hope from our human perspective – that we are the walking dead; and then receive and live out the way that God himself has given, if we want this life. Look to ourselves and we will find only death. However, allow the Spirit to connect us to Christ, focus us on him, and for him to control us, and then have life, and have it to the full.

The key for us then is Christ and God’s Spirit; Not ourselves and what we do or don’t do. So here, we are reminded that as Christians we are controlled by God’s Spirit, and thereby have life. We have life in all of its fullness, because now we are controlled by the Spirit of God; because he is in us; and because he is in us so is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now to make sense of this we go back to our baptism, where God himself promised to work in our lives to give us that life which we need. There at the font, God not only washed us clean from all that is in our lives that is less than perfect; but connected us to himself and all that Jesus Christ did in his death and resurrection for us; as well as that we there had God’s Spirit come to live within us.

So, now as we go forward in life we have that Spirit at work in our lives, continually pointing us to that which is the fullness of life within us. He is there directing our attention to Jesus Christ, and in particular his death on the cross; for it is there that we know that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation; there we know that we are now declared righteous by God himself: that is that we are right with God because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Because we are right with God, we are alive; we have everything that is important.

So continually, we have the Spirit pointing us to and seeking to keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can know that we have life in all of it fullness. It is there that we have the real work of the Spirit. Any attempt that is made to suggest that it is because we have this, that or the other gift, and that it is because we use these gifts, or that it is because we have masses of people jumping up and down, that there is the reason that we know that we are alive and that there is the Spirit; are leading us back to death. It is Christ alone who is our life and our assurance of salvation; and it is there that the Spirit of God seeks to turn our focus and keep our focus. This thought that there has to be something more, is nothing other than the sinful man in us trying to draw us back to death.

But it is here though that we so often run into difficulty, in that, if we are connected to Christ and thereby have life in all of its fullness, why is it that we still face great difficulty, struggles and even death itself? Yet this Spirit again here points us to Christ and the suffering that he faced as he walked through life in this sinful world. He reminds us, that as Christians we too will suffer in this life and that we too will have to take up our crosses as we follow him. But in the midst of that cross-bearing we are assured that he is right there with us and that he is using this suffering for good. In that suffering, the Spirit points us away from ourselves, and our self-sufficiency, again to our Lord Jesus and the life that he has won for us here and in eternity.

Here, the point is made, that just as Christ was raised from the dead after his life of suffering and his death, so also will we who are connected to Christ also certainly be raised to the new and perfect life with Christ that he promises us. A little further on in this chapter, we are told that in fact, nothing in all of creation can now separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. So, we are given that certainty that in Christ we have life in all of its fullness, even though things make not seem that way outwardly at the moment.

So here in the midst of Lent, as we now draw nearer to the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are encouraged to recognise that our sinful selves seek to find life elsewhere other than in Jesus Christ; and yet all these other attempts to find life are futile; they are and will be death to us. So we are drawn again to look away from ourselves and the ways of the world, and allow the Spirit of God to turn us back to Christ and his death on the cross and there find that life which we so desperately long for and need.

In Christ, and with his Spirit at work in our lives focusing us on Christ and his death on the cross, we can go forward with confidence that we have life and we have it to the full. Knowing that, we can then give all glory to our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: for to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

John 9:30-41. Blind to Reality!! 3/4/11

(30) The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. {31} We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. {32} Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. {33} If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." {34} To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. {35} Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" {36} "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." {37} Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." {38} Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. {39} Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." {40} Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" {41} Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

There is a saying that goes something like this: ‘there are none so blind as those who think that they can see.’ Now in many ways that is a real little gem of a saying, as we have any number of know-alls running about today who seem to be blind to the reality of what is happening around about them. They seem to know so much, and yet at the same time they seem to have no understanding of that which is important; and little or no concern for the people involved. In other words, they have knowledge but no wisdom. Every day we seem to come face to face with this sort of thing; and I am sure you know what I am talking about, without me elaborating. So that saying, speaks a very real truth with regard to a problem we as humanity have that is well worth us considering again and again.

The same thing also applies very much within Christian circles as well; so we all had best be careful here that we do not fall into the same trap. In the Gospel reading today, we can see the very same attitude at work in the church of Jesus’ day. So this very same point is made for us here, and so we would do well to ponder the significance of what Jesus is saying in this regard.

We are living at time when the reality of this message is ever so prevalent within Christianity, despite our technology, education and opportunities. Spiritual blindness is as big a problem today as it has ever been before; in fact perhaps, even more so. There are any number of situations that could be referred to in this regard. Today there are many devout, sincere people, who in reality are blind to where God would have them be. They are ignoring and changing God's Word to suite themselves and the popular thinking of the day, whilst ignoring 2,000 years of church history. There are those who think they have all the answers and who know what God wants for them and others, even though it goes against the clear Word of God. Then there are those who claim to be Christians, even though they know nothing about Jesus and the importance of his death on the cross: for them being a Christian is just living a good life.

Now compare this thinking, with that which those people of Jesus’ day were thinking, as we find here in this reading. There were those who thought that either the blind man or his parents had sinned badly and therefore he had the problem of blindness. Others in their self-righteousness were critical of the blind man and his parents; and even of Jesus himself. In fact, they proclaimed that Jesus was nothing but a fraud and a trouble-maker because he healed the man on the Sabbath. They knew the Scriptures back to front and up side down, and they were sure that they were competent to make these judgements. But even the blind man could acknowledge that this miracle had to be God’s at work through this man Jesus. Finally, Jesus himself says that they have got it so wrong and are in great danger. Their focus and emphasis was all wrong, they were relying on themselves and there knowledge and not God Almighty himself.

Now we can run into the very same danger today by simply putting the emphasis on our traditional Lutheran and confessional heritage without knowing why, and making it into a set of rules and regulations. Or by following the liberal, charismatic, Church-growth line and do the same thing; putting the focus on ourselves and what we must do and be like if we are to have salvation. Or we can sit back and say, ‘she'll right mate; I'm not doing too badly; I'm baptised, confirmed and living a reasonably good life, and I haven't gone crazy;’ but still be blind to what is so important.

The key issues are here put in front of us again through this reading, and we cannot and must not go past them in any way, shape or form.
Here we find in the very first instance that Jesus comes to the blind man and gives him sight. The blind man was in many ways helpless with regard to his sight: he could do nothing to improve his situation. There was nothing he or any other human being could do that would give him his sight: not even by him or his parents living such a good life. In fact, we are even told that his blindness simply happened so that God could display his work in order that Jesus might be seen to be the One who was sent from God to save the world.


From the human point of view, he was blind and doomed: there was no way around it. We try and twist and turn things this, that and any other way in order to keep some semblance of pride in ourselves and our abilities; but that was the reality of his situation. The same of course applies to our spiritual blindness: by our own effort and understanding we are in trouble - big trouble – and humanly speaking there is no way out. We are unable to be good enough to be acceptable, or to be able overcome our sin. We are even unable to see, understand and believe in the love, forgiveness and salvation that comes to us through Jesus, without God’s help. From the human perspective, we are doomed to an eternity in Hell.

In this event of the blind man, it was Jesus who steps into his life and into humanity and does something about correcting and righting his disastrous situation. He alone does what no one else can do; he gives light and life to not only the blind man, but to all who are doomed. In a very simple and unspectacular manner, he changes the future of humanity. Whether it be as here, using a little mud and sending the blind man off to wash in the bath; or more importantly by his very suffering and death on the cross. For it is there that we have the most miraculous change of all take place: ensuring forgiveness of sins, life and salvation for all.

But Jesus doesn't leave it there: he doesn't give sight to the blind man and then forget him. The poor guy faced enormous hassles after that miracle, and has to come to terms with what happened, as well as to deal with the people around him who were seeking to deny the reality of what had happened. Most importantly, he has to come to grips with who this Jesus really is. It is there that Jesus again seeks him out and helps him in light of the hard time he is having in this regard. Jesus doesn't abandon him in his crisis; but comes to him and points him to the one who is all important. He assures him that now he has that which every person needs. He leads him beyond his immediate hassles and beyond thinking of himself, to Jesus Christ himself.

It is there that we come to the most vital point of all. It is belief - trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that is paramount to everything. In the final analysis, it is Jesus Christ that is all that matters. Where I'm at, what I do or don't do has no bearing: even how strong or weak this faith is and how much I know does not matter. It is the Lord Jesus and what he has done that gives us any standing - any new life at all. It is he who saved us and who has done everything necessary. All we called to do is to believe it – to trust him and what he has done for us – to cling to him as the only real hope that we have: Trusting that he alone has won eternal life for us through his death on the cross and his resurrection.

Then to help us to continue to remain strong in this faith our Lord gave us baptism where he joins us to himself and his death and resurrection, so that we can be sure that he forgives us and accepts us into his family for all eternity. Sunday after Sunday, day after day as we read God’s Word and listen to what he says to us in the Bible we are pointed to our sinfulness and God’s answer to it through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also, every time we come forward to the communion rail and receive Jesus very body and blood which he shed on the cross for us, we are assured again and again that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

It is there in those issues that we have the dividing line between spiritual blindness and true insight - between life and death – spiritually and eternally: and it those truths that we need to hold near and dear to us and not let go of under any circumstance. Our Lutheran confessions espouse this very thing and that is why we hold so strongly to them. These truths are that which the true Church throughout the centuries, ever since the time of the writing of this very gospel, has held as of utmost importance. We are to hold to these basics rather than a lot these other thoughts that are peddled about and which our human self longs for, but which have no lasting value.

No matter how well we might know or do anything is not the issue if we are blind to the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and the importance of what he came to do for us in his death on the cross. If we think that we can ignore him and cast off the importance of his death on the cross as not being all that relevant, then look out. The Old Testament lesson today makes that quite clear: close our eyes to the reality of God himself and where he fit into our everyday picture, then don't be surprised when the Lord looses patience and brings great trouble and hardship our way. If we think we can see and have it all under control rather than looking to him and what he has done, then look out.

The Lord Jesus Christ alone is where reality is. Let us not be blind this very important matter. Cling to him above all else and trust that he alone has taken care of that which is most important of all. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish