What Stops Us
John 14:15-21
Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text for this morning comes once again from the Gospel lesson, John writes, "many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue." Jesus tells us there are many people who believed in the Light. They even believed Jesus was the light, but remained away for fear of losing their position, family, or community.
So let us change our place in the world. Let me put you in a strange situation, but a situation Christians around the world are facing everyday. Maybe even some of you are facing these very questions. What would keep you from confessing the faith? Or just a little differently, What could someone do or say to you to stop you from believing in Jesus?
Most of us in the comfort of our home congregation, surrounded by friends and family would jump up and immediately shout nothing. We would stand up with Peter at the Last Supper and say we will never fall away.
What if you moved away from the support of your family? What if you moved into a community that did not have a Lutheran Church? What if you had to live in a place were being a Christian was against the law, or would put you out of the community? The disciples of Jesus were Jews. They were very much a part of the community. All their friends and family members were Jews. They shared their faith, worldview, and practices in common with the majority of people around them.
They found themselves after a very short time in the minority. They listened to the words of Jesus Christ. They came to believe what he said and taught to be true. They even watched as he was put to death, even as he for told. Beyond that they saw him in the flesh after he rose from the dead. They knew for certain, beyond a doubt. Thomas even received his special appearance, after he would not believe.
They became the minority almost over night. They found themselves under direct persecution by the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Friends and Family would have rejected them. So put yourselves in those shoes. Do you not confess something for fear of what other people might think? Do you reject something to be true simply because it is not what you were told as a child? I can point out to you how scripture tells us Noah gathered two of every kind of animal. I can point out to you that Jonah was swallowed by a large fish not a whale. I can even show you how God requests things of his people that does not sound good, right, and salutary to our ears.
Were you told lies when you were a child? Are you still telling your children those same lies? Or maybe the World around us has been lying to us. Maybe the World is telling our children lies. Did you know that Pluto is no longer considered a planet?
What could someone do or say to you to stop you from believing in Jesus? What could you discover that once known you would automatically stop believing? Or closer to our text, what could happen in the world for you to deny Jesus like Peter on Good Friday, or simply the authorities in fear of being put out of the synagogue?
I don't know about you. You might have to come up with something for yourself. But the one thing that strikes me more than the rest is the wages of sin is death. I know that I am sinner. I know that I have not lived a good life. I know that I deserve to be cast into Hell and burn for eternity. But I also know that Christ has died for my sins. He has taken my sins away. But the wages of sin is death.
Therefore, if you killed me and I didn't die, I think that might make me think twice about what I believe. Granted I even know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. So I know that even if I die, I will be raised from death on the last day. And on that last day, I will see my Redeemer in the flesh. But I know the power of God and the Peace of God and the mercy of God are all beyond my comprehension. And while I may say there are many things you can not believe along side of God.
For me the greatest thing is you can not look at your own life and say you have led a holy life. How can you look at the commandments of God, and think for one second that you do not deserve death. I may even think there are times when I have followed the commandments, which simply means I am lying to myself. But to think I have not done anything in my entire life worthy of death?
I know that I am a sinner. I know that all of you are sinners. And if God chooses to raise one of you from the dead, before the resurrection, Great! Even if God chooses to raise me from the dead before the last day, I will accept it. But to destroy death and the power of death is our last enemy to put under his feet.
I have told you my answer. If you want to test it, you will have to kill me, so please don't. But I urge you to think very much this week, about what God has done for you. Think about what Jesus Christ said and did for you. Even remember those around the world who are parted from support structures and friends, to strengthen their faith. Lastly, think about why you might not speak about Jesus in your community.
Do you bow to pressures of the world around you? Are you willing to speak out about politics, child rearing, and other social issues? Are you likewise willing to speak even bolder about Jesus Christ, both what he expects of us and what he has done for us?
You have sinned and the wages of sin is death. Christ died for you, so that you will not die eternally. Christ is risen for you as the first fruits of our resurrection.
The Peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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