Pastor T.C. Arnold Jesus
said, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go
away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I
will send Him to you.” It is
“to your advantage” that the Holy Spirit comes. The coming of the Spirit is
one of the most taken-for-granted events in our personal history. We have no
history as the people of God unless that history is begun by the Holy Spirit.
The only way in which we can even utter statements of our faith is by the
influence of the Holy Spirit. The person of the Spirit will be front and
center for us on Pentecost – the “birthday” of the Christian Church. However,
today in the midst of Easter, we take a closer look at Jesus preparing His
disciples for what is yet to come in the coming of the Holy Spirit. And when
our Lord goes away and the “Holy Spirit” comes, it will be well noted that
nothing is impossible. To
illustrate this I would like to go to another part of the Gospels – to Matthew
chapter nineteen to be exact. You have heard this story and it’s worth
repeating. Once a rich young man, who was also a very moral man, came to Jesus
and asked Him a crucial question; “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus told him, “Obey the commandments.” But somehow the rich young ruler
didn’t think that was good enough. He told Jesus he had been doing this since
he was very young. Then Jesus puts it on him. He says, “Sell everything
that you have. Give the proceeds to the poor and come and follow me.” The
Scriptures tell us that the rich young man went away very sad because he was a
man of great wealth. We
might think – “what’s so strange about this account in the Scriptures? It
sounds right to us.” He was a rich man and the Lord Himself says that rich men
have as much of a chance of getting into the kingdom of heaven as a camel going
through the eye of a needle. The disciples didn’t have much trouble with what
Jesus said. They were on the opposite end of the economic scale from the rich
young ruler. Mostly, they were poor fishermen. Besides that they had “forsaken
all and followed Christ.” When they saw that the rich man was a highly
moral man, in the best sense of the word, when they saw this highly moral man
walk away, a man whom Jesus loved, they said, “Who then can be saved?” With
the way that the disciples reacted to the rich young man walking away
sorrowful, they understood that the poor do not automatically have a better
chance of getting into heaven than do the rich. In fact, it might well be that
a person who is wealthy in anything might have a difficult time getting
into the kingdom of God. You see, what we end up doing is unnecessarily
restrict the meaning of “wealthy.” We think of it as economic wealth – how
much money we have in the bank – in stocks – in assets. Is it not possible to
have a wealth of poverty as well as a wealth of riches? A wealth of knowledge
as well as a wealth of riches? A wealth of wisdom as well as a wealth of
riches? How about a wealth of family heritage, a wealth of pleasures, a wealth
of good reputation as well as a wealth of riches? To all
those who are wealthy, we are all wealthy in one respect or another, to all
those who in one way or another are wealthy in themselves and by themselves, to
all of us comes Christ’s reply, “For men to enter the kingdom of God is
impossible!” We are not Christians because it is possible for us to do the
things necessary to get into heaven. With men, this is impossible. That needs
to be emblazoned across our minds, our hearts, and our lives. “But
everything is possible with God!” Or, to put it another way, God sends His
Spirit – the Holy Spirit – to us – for our advantage, as John
says. What stronger language is there than in the Nicene Creed: “I believe
in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Giver of Life.” Since our Lord is no
longer with us in the flesh, the Holy Spirit has the task of being the Lord and
the giver of life. That is to say, no life comes from God unless it comes
through the Holy Spirit. Here is our God the great giver to the rich – you and
me. Here is our God who uses Himself to bless us with everything we don’t
deserve. It is indeed “for our advantage” that the Holy Spirit comes. We are
rich in so many ways. The people in our lives have made life “richer.” Perhaps
moms have been that source of “richness” in our lives – especially when they
have been there telling us of the great gifts of God – that make us rich. Martin
Luther says in the explanation of the second article in the Small Catechism
that “In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and
the sins of all believers.” Turn, if you would, to page 323 in your
hymnal. We are blessed to have the Small Catechism printed right in the front
of our hymnal that we are using this morning. That is another reason why the
hymnal makes such a great devotional book for you at home. If you don’t have a
hymnal – let me know. We can you get one and they are not expensive. Let’s read
together the explanation of the Third Article beginning after the question “What
does this mean?” [I believe that
I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come
to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with
His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way
He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on
earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In This
Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all
believers. On the Last Day
He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all
believers in Christ. This is most
certainly true.] This
Christian Church that the Lord has made you a part of by His grace and through
your faith has given you a precious knowledge that I hope you don’t take for
granted. You have the knowledge of life, the knowledge of grace and the
knowledge that our Lord is with you always and never forsakes you. You are
rich with knowledge and you are rich with the Holy Spirit. And although it
would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle – you will see
life eternal in the riches of heaven one day. The reason – because with God
nothing is impossible – not even your forgiveness. I know
how we feel sometimes – I’m not worthy – I haven’t done enough – I have done
way too much (in the way of my sins). There is no way that all my sins are
forgiven. I have heard it from members of this parish-family many times and
the assurance for you and them is the same. They say, “I hope I go to heaven.
I hope I am forgiven of all my sins.” I hear it almost every week. I hear it
because of the same short-comings that you and I carry around together. We
think: how can the impossible be possible. The
reality is: the impossible is possible – with Christ. Jesus says to His
disciples, “He (that is the Holy Spirit) will glorify me, for He will take
what is mine and declare it to you.” That is good news, beloved in the
Lord. The reason: what Jesus has to give is “life saving.” And that is what
the Spirit does today. He gives you what belongs to Jesus. Do you know what
belongs to Jesus? This is what belongs to Jesus: death to life, imperfection
made into perfection, the sinful made righteous. This is what Jesus did and by
the Holy Spirit – it all belongs to you. What
God has done for you today is “to your advantage.” Today, the Spirit is with
you – coming by way of a promise to carry along the forgiveness of sins won by
Christ in the Word and Sacraments. May God richly bless you and keep you this
day and everyday as Christ makes you His own through the Holy Spirit. Amen. The
peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. Amen.
5th
Sunday of Easter
John 16:5-15
May 10th,
2009