A, Holy Trinity Sunday - Genesis 1:1–5, Matthew 28:20b "Let There Be Light"

Genesis 1:1–5 (ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Matthew 28:20b (ESV) “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

With headlamps on our helmets, we descended into the entrance of the cave, descending down a series of stairs into what seemed the bowels of the earth.  Once underground our family stood in a large cavity looking up at the light streaming in through the entrance.  It was dark, but still we could see what was in the cave. 

We saw tree roots from trees above, sending down their feelers through the roof of the cave for water some twenty metres below.  There on the bottom were bones from animals who had unexpectantly fallen through a hidden hole in the forest floor to their death in the darkness below.

At the bottom of this large cavity, we walked past the bones into a smaller area with crystal formations of stalactites growing down and stalagmites growing up from the bottom.  The light from our headlamps lit up this subterranean wonderland.

We went further and further into the cave, following the directions, many other tourists had followed before. The light from the entrance was now far behind us, and the only way we could see was with our head lamps and torches.

At one point we had to squat, moving nearly on our hands and knees, to get through the narrows of the cave into the last open section to explore.  In there, we sat on a bench and marvelled at the rock formations.

 It then occurred to us if our lights went out, we would have been in a bit of bother.  There was no one around to show us the way out, if our five headlamps went out.  I suggested as we sat there in the silence that we should see what the darkness is like.  So, we turned off our lamps.

We had a saying in my family, when I was growing up as a child, that something is as dark as the inside of a cow!  Now I’m not sure how that saying ever came about!  I don’t know of anyone ever going inside a cow, to know how dark it might be.  But sitting there in that cave, I suggested to my family that this is what the darkness must be like inside a cow!

It was dark!  Usually after one’s eyes adjust to the darkness you can see something.  We sat there for some time, and one couldn’t even see their hand in front of their face.  It occurred to me that getting out of the labyrinth of tunnels of rock would be near impossible, even with guided walkways.  What would it be like in the darkness with nothing?  There was nothing to see!  One could only hear the sound of darkness. 

The sound of darkness is deafening silence!  But the sound of darkness within myself, my wife, and children, was a clamouring cry of chaos and uncertainty.  It would have been some hundreds of metres of ups and downs, lefts and rights, ducking under stalactites and steps back up to the cavern of light and rebirth back into the light of day.

In the beginning God said, “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”  (Genesis 1:3-5a ESV)

We don’t realise how much we need God to let the light be light for us.  It came very apparent to us in the bowels of a cave, we needed light.  Even though we had torches and headlamps, the thought of not having them was frightening.

We take the light of God’s creation for granted.  The light God shone to create the first day of creation was not so much the light we get from the sun, moon, and stars.  But rather, the light of time and the light of God’s presence in time, bringing light to the chaos of darkness.  The light of the sun, moon and stars was only to be created on the third day to order time into the brightness of day, and the soft night-time light, of stars and reflection from the moon.

But even the lit darkness of night, brings fear, like being in a cave in the dark with treacherous jagged crystals and rocks lying in wait, to cause injury to flesh and bone.

Little children are often fearful of the dark, not being able to see, their imaginations see the worst in what they cannot see.  Likewise, the elderly, prefer not to go out into the night, for fear of falling over, falling into the hands of the ill repute, or the coldness of the night.

However, since the fall of humanity just after creation, the opposite is also true.  Jesus says, “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19 ESV)

The truth of the matter is, we have become accustomed to darkness.  Then, once the light is returned, it’s like having a torch shone in our eyes after being in the dark.

Yet, from creation, God has continued to “let there be light”!  Every day that comes to be, God has let it be.  In God’s creation he provides for us, he uncovers the darkness for us, and he gives us life.

In the beginning of John’s Gospel we hear,   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:1–5 ESV)

The light that provides for us, uncovers darkness, and gives life, has not, and will not, become overcome by darkness.  This is the light of God’s Word which said, “let there be light”, and continues to say, “let there be light”, despite the darkness.

Jesus is the continuing Word of God’s light.  He says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

However, the question is, “How do we follow Jesus, when there is darkness within and all around us?”  We know that no one followed him to the cross!  All fell away from supporting Jesus in the darkness of night, leaving Jesus to bear the darkness of Good Friday alone.

But we also hear,  “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV)

Having just passed through Pentecost, we have heard how after Jesus’ death and resurrection, those who fled from the day of crucifixion, boldly bore the cross in their conviction and confession, even unto death!  God has sent the Holy Spirit, to let there be light in us. God is still letting the light shine in the darkness!   God is still saying, “let there be light!”

The same light of life that sustains all of creation, now sustains us with the light of his Son.  This is not the knowledge of good and evil, discerned through the human spirit of desire.  But it’s through God giving us the knowledge of God’s glory in the forgiving face of Jesus Christ, shone in us by the Holy Spirit.

This is why Paul says to the Romans, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.  So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.”  (Romans 13:12 ESV)

We can do this because the day of our resurrection has been enlightened within us, casting out the chaos and fear of darkness.  The Holy Spirit has ushered in God’s creative Word, enacting within us God’s baptismal power, which says, “Let there be light”.

Even when everything around you is suggesting the darkness is winning, God wants us to remember that the darkness has not overcome the Light of God.  We have a God of Triune creative and recreative power! 

In addition to this, the Son of God, who is the Light of the World, promises you and me, saying,  “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b ESV)

Even when creation dies, and God promises us that it will, even then, without sun, moon, and stars, the light of eternal life will shine on us, as we glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forever around the Triune God’s throne of glory.  Amen. 

A, Lent 4 - John 9:5, Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 "God's Light and His Power"

John 9:5 (ESV) “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14b ESV)   

How?  How does one, who sleeps with the dead, rise?  Is this an impossible proposition?  A human cannot raise themselves!  But with God, all things are possible!

Jesus comes to a man born blind in the precincts of a synagogue.  One could imagine the blind man wondering how he might exist with his blindness.  He has to live off the charity of those coming and going to hear the Rabbis teach.  There was no way this fellow would ever expect to enter the synagogue physically or spiritually, because of his blindness and the religious stigma he bore for being blind. 

The disciples testify to the reality of their blindness and lifeless thinking by questioning Jesus about the sinfulness of either the man or his parents causing his blindness.

“He obviously did something really bad to deserve this!” 

“What do you expect when his parents are the way they are!”

These may or may not have been the thoughts of the disciples, who didn’t suffer with the same physical blindness.  Yet these very same thoughts, easily come from our hearts when we’re faced with the same kind of situation. 

God calls us to judge with a right judgement.  But this is judgement made with all the blindness of self-righteousness, without seeing ourselves in the Light of God.

Just as Samuel looked with blindness at Jesse’s sons, and the disciples at the blind man, we look with blindness too.  We need to hear what God says to Samuel, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV)

Why is it we do not see as God sees?  And how can we look, as God looks?  

Jesus says, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5 ESV)

We need the “Light of God”, “the Light of the World”.  The light of God is Jesus Christ, and the power of this illuminating Light in our lives is the Holy Spirit.

Notice here the Holy Spirit is the power of the Light!  He has to be, since Jesus is still in the world, but hidden by his ascension to the right hand of God.  God the Father and God the Son are present, since they are greater than time and space.  In fact, time and space exist in God’s eternal hands!

In the peace of our Heavenly Father’s presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to be convinced in the Word made Flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, who says to you, “I am the Light of the World.”

But the problem remains.  How, if we are blind, can we see this light?  If we are blind, out in the cold, stumbling around in death, is it by sheer accident that we feel its warmth and enter into the light?

No!  It’s here we need to hear the word of God from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter five.  Hear from verse six, a couple of verses before the start of the lectionary reading for today.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ …be filled with the Spirit, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 ESV)

If someone tells you, you must find Jesus or have more faith, realise these as empty words. Like the disciples judging the blind man, Samuel looking for a King of Israel, or you and I projecting our blind judgement on sinners (as opposed to us), we first need the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, so we can see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. 

The illumination of the Holy Spirit makes us children of the light.  All the fruit of this light is found in Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who is good, and right, and true! 

Therefore, because our baptism is a Holy Baptism, because our communion around the body and blood of Jesus is a Holy Communion, and because the Holy Word of God has its fulness in the holy risen Son of God, we are forgiven and fed with the power of God in the Holy Spirit. 

As a result, we can discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  The works of darkness can then be exposed.  The first work of darkness exposed by the Holy Spirit is the darkness within.  This darkness is your apathy towards hearing God and allowing the Holy Spirit to reenergise you with his power.  Over against continuing in your own power to judge good and evil. 

Allowing the Holy Spirit to power your judgement will immediately enable you to see your sin.  Do not be frightened of this!  The fear that arises within you, is the same fear Adam and Eve felt in the Garden.  The devil seeks to do the same to you as he did to them by separating you from God’s peace through your sin and sinfulness!   

However, you now have the power of the Holy Spirit illuminating Jesus Christ, so trust in what you have received.  The knowledge of Jesus Christ always wins out over a knowledge of good and evil.  The Holy Spirit empowers you in the knowledge of Jesus Christ!

It seems Paul makes a statement of contradiction, saying, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12 ESV)

Do we expose, or do we not speak about the works of darkness?  It all depends on how we talk about these works and whose they are!  Exposure through confession, brings all into the Light of Christ, giving sight to those once blind.  Whereas, speaking about them boastfully or as gossip, plunges us into darkness, and exposes our blindness. 

So, we take no part in unfruitful works by exposing our own works of darkness in confession.  This is the Holy Spirit removing the blindness.  Similarly, praying with others in their confession, intervening on their behalf also brings them into the Light of God. 

When we walk in the light of God, we allow God the Holy Spirit to use us in leading others out of death into life.  This is submission to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

It may seem shameful to talk to others about the struggles we have with our sinfulness.  But if it is spoken of, in the power of the Holy Spirit,  the power and shame of secrecy is dispersed by the Light of Jesus Christ.

Some might charge us as being boastful about our sin or trying to justify it.  But in reality, “coming out” to others as a forgiven sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit, requires one to sacrifice their pride and be exposed as weak and in need of divine help. 

No one boasts over the sin one needs forgiven; over the sinful nature we know condemns us to death.  Rather we cry, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner!” 

So, in God’s Light and in the power of the Light we boast, having been forgiven, and not our sinful nature or the sin that comes from it!

Just as it was not the will of God, that the man at the synagogue was born blind because of someone’s sin, it is not the will of God that you continue under the condemnation of sin either. 

But rather, just as Jesus Christ removed his blindness to display the works of God’s light and power,  the Holy Spirit is the power of God, to enlighten you in the forgiveness of God’s Holy Word and Sacraments!  Amen.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Holy Spirit, you are the true and constant support in every need, a Spirit of truth and promise, God’s finger, the water of life, a heavenly fire, which warms cold hearts and ignites them with true love for God.  You have revealed yourself to the apostles with wonderful gifts in a powerful wind and fiery tongues.  We ask you now therefore, to come into our hearts, to strengthen and gladden our ignorant consciences.  Sanctify us with your blessing and be unto us the holy assurance of our redemption and salvation.  Amen.[1]

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[1] Prayer by J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, from Treasury of Daily Prayer, p1111, Concordia Publishing House

C, Commemoration of the Reformation - John 8:31-36 "Unhidden Truth"

John 8:31–36 (ESV)  Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”  Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practises sin is a slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus speaks to the Jews who believed him.  Beforehand when he spoke, he sought to convince those who did not believe him.

We hear in John chapter seven, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”.  (John 7:37–39 ESV)

For the moment, I want you to hear him refer to “living waters”, but also note Jesus’ reference to the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit.  I will speak more about the Holy Spirit later, in relation to the Reformation and Martin Luther.

With Jesus’ promise of “living water” flowing out of those who believe in him, he also says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12 ESV)

Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, “living water” will flow out of them, and whoever follows Jesus Christ will have the “light of life.”  Living light and living waters!  Life-giving waters, life-giving light!

The Pharisees did not want to believe and said to Jesus, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true”.  (John 8:13 ESV)

Jesus then addresses the hearers concerning his and God’s truth.  To those Jews who believed, he concludes his monologue, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”.  (John 8:31–32 ESV)

I invite you to revisit John 8:12-36 and notice the word “truth or true”, how many times it occurs and how Jesus refocuses truth on his knowledge.  In fact, a thematic thread concerning truth, flows throughout John’s Gospel. 

Fifty-five references focus the hearer of John’s Gospel on truth or what is true.  Some will be quite familiar to you.  “I am the way the truth and the life” (John 14:6), “Sanctify them in the truth your word is truth” (John 17:17), and Jesus’ and Pilate’s exchange, “[Jesus answered…] I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth…”  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37b–38a ESV)

So as Pilate asks, we can ask, “What is truth?” How does “truth” connect with the freedom Jesus proclaims to us?  Plus, how has this truth and freedom come to us through the Reformation and writings of Martin Luther as well as others of the Reformation?  

Let’s return to the passage before us today.  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31 ESV)

Three times “true or truth” is mentioned in this verse.  In the New Testament there are two words used for truth.  One of these words is borrowed from the Hebrew, and is often doubled for emphasis, in the same way as we use adverbs.  This is the word “Amen”.  We hear it said, “Truly, truly, or verily, verily, or amen, amen, depending on your bible’s translation.  It means, “Yes!  It is so!”

The other, which occurs fifty-five times in John is the Greek word, alethes (al-ay-thace), which is two words, the first being the negative, “not”, and lanthano meaning “to lie or hide”.

This makes Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What is truth?”, shine with all the double-speak and sarcasm of politicians throughout the ages.  “What is not a lie or what is not hidden?  Everything is hidden and a lie of sorts!”

But it also sheds light on the purity of Jesus’ word too.  If you abide in Jesus’ word, you are his unhidden disciples, and you will know what is unhidden, you will know what is not a lie, and these words that unhide, that are not a lie, will set you free!  Jesus’ word unhides, it exposes and reveals, and in doing so it gives freedom. 

This is the opposite of what one would expect.  A full disclosure or confession is what Adam and Eve feared most leading them to hide from God.  But now Jesus’ word unhides so we can be covered with his robes of justification and righteousness.

The question also must be asked, “What needs to be unhidden?  What has kept us from the freedom to which Jesus points us?”

Jesus makes it quite clear that we lose our freedom through sin.  He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin”.  (John 8:34 ESV)

Amen, Amen, yes, yes, sin keeps us from freedom, Jew or Gentile, man or woman, adult or child, pastor, or parishioner!  All, but Jesus, are enslaved to sin!  All, but Jesus, hide and lie!  What is truth?  What is not hidden?  What is not a lie?  Jesus Christ Son of God and Son of Man is truth personified, unhidden, without a lie.

He is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!  Our help from God! 

“Yes, your honour, I do the crimes, but my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has done the time!”

Now that Jesus has been glorified at the right hand of our Father in heaven, and we have access to him by faith alone, we have been given the Holy Spirit to bring us to him.  With Jesus, he justifies and makes you righteous with his blood.

The Holy Spirit brings us to the living waters.  He continually proceeds from God the Father and God the Son to bring us, out of our darkness of sin, into the light of life.  He does this by faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and Scripture alone!

The Reformation was a realignment back under Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Martin Luther was born into a Christian Church that had lost Jesus Christ.  He was still there, knocking on the door of people’s hearts.  But he had been covered up by humanity’s love of goodness borne in the righteousness of the self.

The Christian church was being enslaved by sin, while individuals within Christendom had lost their freedom through faith being replaced with the desire of one’s own feelings.

In practice, they had replaced the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, makes holy and forgives, with the human spirit who desires through self-love to climb up to God.  The starting point and the goal of this desire was egocentric.  Human desire and the satisfaction of this want was the goal. 

Humanity had become enslaved to itself in the church.  Humanity needed to be set free from itself so the one true Holy Spirit could once again lead us to the unhidden, one true body, one true hope, one true faith, one true Lord Jesus Christ, who puts us right, and justifies us in one baptism, before the one true Father and God of heaven. 

Because the devil and the world wills your old Adam to rise up against the baptism in which he was drowned, you and I need to daily welcome his death through the truth of confessing sin, having the lie and liar within exposed, and having the truth within ourselves unhidden.  Jesus’ unhidden truth kills sin and our old selfish selves with his light and life.

We cannot climb up to God through our own desire, the truth of our sinful nature is that we are too weighed down by sin to climb anywhere, let alone up to him.  Believing we can, and working accordingly, is believing a lie, wastes time, and distracts us from receiving God from where he is given.

As children of the Reformation, we are called to wash our robes in Jesus’ righteousness.  The Holy Spirit is the only spirit that will lead us to do this.  Left to our own spirit we will end up seeking to wash our robes in our own righteousness, where we find ourselves being enslaved by a lie once again.  Our own spirit will see us hidden again from living free to be in Jesus Christ.

So, practise your freedom!   Be true Christians!  Reveal, repent, reform each day under Jesus Christ.  Remain in God’s word, in Jesus Christ.  Be disciples, disciplined to receive God’s love.  Walk in your true unhidden weakness with Jesus Christ, with God’s Word made flesh.  If you want to put on the truth of Jesus in your life; read, study, and listen to God’s written Word!

Jesus’ life and death is for you, and it will set you free.  Amen.

Lord God Holy Spirit, free us from ourselves to receive the true life-giving waters, the true life-giving light that comes into the darkness of our days and lifts us into an eternity of light and life where you reign, together with the Father and the Son, one God, now and forever, truly, truly, Amen, and Amen!