✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠
Genesis 1,1-4a.26-31;2,1-4a 2513
Jubilate (3. Sonntag nach Ostern) 038 weiß
Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop † 1109
21. April 2013
1. O Almighty God, who shows to all people who are in error the light of Your truth, with the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant faithfulness unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, so that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession of faith, and follow all such things as be agreeable to the same (The Book of Common Prayer). Amen.
2. 26Then Elohim said: „Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.“ 27So Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them. 28And Elohim blessed them.
3. The Prophet Moses tells us that when Elohim had finished creating the universe, He rested from this mighty work. He blessed this day of rest, and commanded men and women to also take a weekly day of rest. Jesus Himself honored this commandment during His earthly life. His body also rested in the grave from His work on the cross.
4. The Psalmist declares: »O creation, say to God: „How awesome are Your deeds! Your power is so great that Your enemies come cringing to You“« (Psalm 66,3). On the 8. day, Jesus rose from His grave. Sunday now marks the day of resurrection and the new creation. Thus we join with all creation in praising Jesus for His awesome resurrection work.
5. Not all of creation, however, agrees with the Psalmist. We are all sinners, but there are some who are so thoroughly wicked that they rejoice in chaos, destruction and death. We have witnessed this evil attitude once again this past Monday with the bombs set off at the Boston Marathon. Rather than rejoice in life, health and activity, two brothers relished in serving up death and carnage upon human bodies and spirits. Our sermon text from Genesis espouses life and praises Yahweh God as the God who gives and sustains life as His good work in all of creation. Sinful people, however, would rather celebrate death and bring pain upon God’s creation, especially upon men and women who are His crowning achievement in all the universe.
6. This wicked attitude should not surprise us, for as Moses later tells us in Genesis 3: the devil deceived Adam and Eve into sin and rebellion against the Triune God. He tricked them into exchanging life for death and wisdom for lies. Jesus later told the Jews who opposed Him: »You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies« (John 8,44). The sons and daughters of the devil still carry out their murdering and maiming even in our day.
7. In the midst of such wickedness and heartache, the resurrection of Jesus shines forth as a beacon of victory and life. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection of all mankind (1. Corinthians 15,20-22). His resurrection is the guarantee of our resurrection at His command on the last day. All of creation, however, will benefit on this last day. The Apostle Paul writes in His Epistle to the Romans: »For I consider that the sufferings of this present time [καιροῦ] are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now« (Romans 8,18-22).
8. The Holy Scriptures teach that the decay and depravity of this world will not ultimately have the final say in our lives. Terrorists and murders can hurt people and take their lives, but the resurrection of Jesus promises to overcome the horrors of this world. On the last day, Jesus will restore life, make limbs whole and bring a new creation from destruction. The Introit praises Yahweh with the words of the Psalmist: »Shout for joy to Elohim, all the earth, Hallelujah. Sing the glory of His Name, Hallelujah.« (Psalm 66,1b-2a). Truly do we join in that praise and jubilation, for Christ Jesus is the Joy of God and the Glory of His Name. Jesus gives us this joy and glory now with forgiveness and faith and later on the last day with everlasting salvation.
9. The Scriptures furthermore teach that mankind’s sin and the curse levied against us by Yahweh will be removed by Jesus. Right now, we have forgiveness and absolution pronounced upon us for our sin, but on the last day Jesus will remove all sin and undo the curse. This is simply a return to the created order found in Genesis 1 and 2. When Jesus resurrects our body, it will be a body without any taint of original sinfulness. Our resurrected body will be a body and soul fully in the image and likeness of God. This is simply a return to original righteousness wherein we, by nature, will fear God and believe in Him every single second of our eternal existence. With original sin removed, the actual sins we now commit will also be a thing of the past; we simply will not commit any sin for we will be pure and holy by nature. Without sin, the curse upon sin will be unnecessary. This means men will no longer sweat and struggle in their work; women will no longer give birth in great pain; men and women will be once again in full communion with each other as equals created in God’s image and likeness; people will not grow old and die in the eternal life to come.
10. Many philosophically ask: Does history repeat itself, or is it linear? The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese pioneered the understanding that history is cyclical, meaning that mankind’s history alternates between Dark and Golden Ages. A staple of modern Western civilization is the understanding that history is linear, meaning that Event A occurs which leads to Event B and then Event C, and so forth; this is essentially the philosophy of cause and effect.
11. The Holy Scriptures view history as both cyclical and linear. In linear thinking: Adam sinned, which lead to war, suffering and other heartaches. God intervened with Jesus, the Second Adam, and redeemed mankind. In cyclical thinking: God created mankind to live in a perfect Golden Age, but Adam sinned and brought forth a Dark Age. God continues to intervene in history with the goal of returning mankind to a smaller version of a golden age. This cycle occurs over and over throughout the centuries. In the grand view of history, God is always cycling mankind back into the Golden Age, meaning that God is working to restore mankind, once and for all, back to the Golden Age of Eden. It works out this way: God created Adam and Eve to live in a Golden Age. Adam sinned and brought forth a Dark Age. God sent Jesus, the Second Adam, to restore mankind to the Golden Age. This golden restoration was inaugurated with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection; it will be brought to grand fulfillment on the last day when He restores all creation back to the idyllic nature of Eden.
12. We rejoice that God does not give up on His fallen, sinful creation. Jesus is the Golden Child, the one who restores mankind back unto God and the joys of eternal life in His Divine presence. On the 6. day of creation, Elohim proclaimed: »It is very good.« God the Father declared of Jesus: »Behold, this is My Son in whom I am well-pleased.« This Jesus suffered on the cross and rose from His grave, thereby meriting the proclamation once again of „very good“ unto fallen mankind in God’s eyes. On the last day, Jesus will declare of all Christian believers: »You are very good, for I have resurrected your body and soul in My image and likeness.« God be praised for all Jesus does for us! Amen.
13. Let us pray. O Risen Christ, who preserves the lives of His people, remind us of Your redeeming merit which promises us future, eternal victory so that we may patiently endure the sufferings of this fallen world as we hope upon the new Eden that arrives at Your return. Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
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