CHURCH

LUTHERAN

Our Savior's of Elderon

 Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.Luke 24:44-56                   INI                   Ascension Sunday 22

If I were to ask you which Bible passage you find most comforting, I wonder which one you’d pick? I’m sure some might pick the 23rd Psalm. Perhaps some might choose these words of the prophet Isaiah; Isaiah 41:10; 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or, perhaps some would choose these words of our Lord; 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

There is another passage that should also be a favorite because of the comfort it gives. It’s where Jesus says; “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Those are the words our Lord spoke as he was about to ascend into heaven. This coming Thursday is Ascension Day, the day our Lord visibly left this world and ascended into heaven. The words our Lord spoke that day give us the assurance that even though he removed his visible presence from us, he’s still by our side.

So, you see, the ascension of our Lord doesn’t mean that he’s no longer with us. It simply means he’s no longer with us in the same way he was with the disciples. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is present with us now more than ever, even though we can’t see him with our physical eyes.

The way the disciples reacted to the Savior’s ascension and his physical absence after that indicates that this was all part of God’s plan. We read from Luke; “50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

At times, we may get discouraged because God seems so far away. We tend to forget that our Lord has promised to be with us always. He will never leave us. But, sometimes in our human weakness, we only think of the things we can see and touch and none of us has ever seen or touched God.

However, the disciples didn’t feel that way. They weren’t discouraged, they were filled with joy. They realized that Jesus was still with them even though they could no longer see him with their eyes.

With the help and grace of God you and I can have the same faith. We can know that even after his ascension, our Lord Jesus is still always with us. He is with you now more than ever. He is always with you because of his person and his prescription.

JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

First of all Jesus is always with you because of  who he is. Because of who he is he can be with us and leave us at the same time. Jesus is the only one who can be in more than one place at the same time. And for him to do that, for him to be with us always, he must be God himself. Only God is omnipresent, that is, capable of being everywhere at the same time. As he said through the prophet Jeremiah; “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (23:24)

Because Jesus is God, the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is with you and all Christians everywhere through the power of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity. We don’t always see that, do we? Sometimes, especially during troubling times, we tend to think he’s not with us.

There’s an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” That statement is very true because we often only think about what we can see with our eyes. We tend to forget about what we can’t physically see.

When Jesus said to his disciples; “This is what I told you while I was still with you…” he was saying something very special. He was pointing out that the way he used to associate with them through his physical presence was ending and it wouldn’t be like that again. That’s why he told them; “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In John chapter 15 Jesus says; “He will testify about me.” (26) In other words, after removing his physical presence from the earth, Jesus is present with all believers through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus always keeps all his promises. We can see that by the fact he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. So also, he will keep his promise to be with us always. He said; “44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus is the key to understanding the Scriptures. That’s why he said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:26)

Jesus is the key, the way the truth and the life, because he suffered for our sins and died as punishment for them. Then he rose from the grave the 3rd day to assure us that God accepted his payment for our sins as payment in full and that we too shall someday rise to live eternally according to both body and soul.

It was 40 days after Jesus won forgiveness and heaven for us that he ascended into heaven removing his physical presence from us and giving us the promise that he’ll always be with us. The Bible is very clear, Jesus won forgiveness of sins and life eternal for us. He opened the gates of heaven for us. And all the blessings he won for us are ours as a free gift through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who works that faith in our hearts as he works through Word and Sacrament. So, yes, it’s true, now more than ever, Jesus is with us always.

However, Jesus can also be with us at all times  because of the great commission (2). Jesus said; “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:20) Luke writes; “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is the message of the Gospel that makes disciples out of people. It involves feeling sorrow over your sins. It includes the belief that Christ has paid for those sins by his suffering and death. And, finally, it includes the desire to turn away from those sins and not commit them anymore. True repentance recognizes that eternal life isn’t in our hands, it’s in the Savior’s hands. He gives it to us.

Many have the false idea they can get to heaven by their own good works. But that’s not true. Forgiveness of sin and life in heaven is not something people receive for what they do on earth. We read in Scripture; Ephesians 2:8-9; “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Forgiveness comes to the sinner who in faith repents of his or her sins. It comes as a free gift to those who admit their sins to God; to those who understand that there is no way they can earn forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only to those who trust in Christ for salvation.

AS followers of Jesus we can be certain that our Savior is always present with us in the message of repentance and forgiveness. The message conveys Christ himself. That’s why for the person who believes the message, Christ himself is present by faith.

However, our loving Savior is also present with us as we take the message of sin and salvation to other people. It’s not only the closing chapters of Matthew and Mark that tell us to take this Gospel message to all the world. Here in Luke we’re told by Christ that this message of; “47 repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

The Gospel of Luke really stresses that this message is meant for all people. In the Song of Zechariah, we’re told that John was to bring this message; “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:79)

In the next chapter, we learn from Simeon that Jesus is God’s salvation, “prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Later John proclaimed that; “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Many other passages say the same thing.

So yes, Jesus ascended into heaven. But he is still with us always. He is with us because of his person and his prescription. His person is our God and Savior and his prescription is to make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age. He is present through his Word as we carry out the great commission.

After Jesus disappeared into the clouds we are told that; they (the disciples) worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

Amen.

Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.Isaiah 65:17-25              INI           7th Sunday of Easter

The American author John Steinbeck was once told by his English professor that he would become a published author “when pigs fly.” As far as that professor was concerned, Steinbeck’s chances of writing a decent book were as good as the chances of a pig somehow sprouting wings and taking flight. But as it turned out Steinbeck did write popular books like Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. On all the books that he published he included the Latin phrase: ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig).

Flying pigs would indeed be a strange sight. In fact if you saw such a phenomenon, you would believe anything possible. Although our text doesn’t talk about flying pigs, it does speak about a time when lions will no longer devour zebras and wild beasts but eat straw like an ox. When this strange phenomenon happens Christians will see a new heaven and a new earth, we’ll never cry again, and we’ll live in everlasting harmony. It sounds too good to be true but it isn’t.

 

Our text was written by the prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Christ. He witnessed to an Israelite nation who had, by in large, rejected God. The Lord said through Isaiah: “I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me” (Isaiah 65:12). God was fed up with the Israelites and was going to punish them. Still he had kept a small group of Israelites faithful to him. To these believers God spoke words of comfort. Though they were surrounded by the wicked and their land was about to be run over by the Assyrians and then later the Babylonians, God had something wonderful planned for them. He said: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17a).

God was looking far into the future, to a time when his Son returns to judge the world. After the believers have been separated from the unbelievers, Jesus will make a new heaven and a new earth. No, after Judgment Day, heaven will not be in the heavens anymore. “Heaven,” the place where glorified believers will live forever with God, will be a new earth with a new sky. Contrary to the pictures you’ve seen, you probably won’t be sitting around on a cloud playing a harp in eternity; you’re more likely to be walking on grass like Adam and Eve did in the original paradise, the Garden of Eden.

But since God hasn’t given us many details of what this new world will be like it’s best not to speculate. What God does tell us is that in the new world, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17b).Veterans who now carry with them the horrific images of war will no longer wake in the middle of the night because bomb blasts invaded their dreams again. All the dumb comments we’ve made, all the shameful and foolish things we did in our youth, none of those failings will come to mind ever again.

What’s even better is that God won’t remember them! That’s why we don’t have to be afraid of Judgment Day. On that day God is not going to recount all the sins we’ve committed while everyone else listens. That file will be sealed and destroyed. In fact right now God constantly tosses the record of our sins into a vat of Jesus’ blood, as it were, where they dissolve like grains of salt in water.

But what about loved ones that don’t end up on this new earth with us? Won’t we be sad when we think about them? Listen to what God said in our text: “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19). I don’t know how God is going to take away the sting of a loved one not being there on that new earth with us, but he will do that because there will be no sorrow on the new earth. Perhaps God will selectively erase our memory and it just won’t occur to us that a loved one is missing. Or, more probably, those memories won’t cause pain because our thoughts will be in total harmony with God’s thoughts.

We will fully understand and rejoice at God’s righteous judgment as much as we’ll rejoice at his saving love. This may be too difficult for us to comprehend now but we have God’s word that nothing will make us sad in that wonderful place.

 

Perhaps the biggest reason there will be no crying in the new world is because there will be no more death. God expresses that truth in our text using a literary technique called litotes, or understatement. He proclaimed: “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

There won’t be miscarriages, stillbirths, or fathers dying when their children are still toddlers. Sons and daughters won’t get killed in car accidents. There won’t be any of that because there won’t be any death. Isaiah assures us of this earlier in his book when he wrote: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7, 8).

 

Of course you already knew that there would be no more death in paradise. But there’s even more to look forward to. God says of that place: “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain” (Isaiah 65:22, 23a).

 If you think that the new earth is going to be a place where we sit around and do nothing, think again. We will be working in the new world just as Adam and Eve were to work and care for the Garden of Eden. Only work won’t be work. Every day there will be like the rare day here where everything clicks and you can’t wait to get back to work.

 What exactly will we be doing? I imagine that the talents we have now will be carried over into that new world. Great musicians may keep producing great works of art. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events may keep doing that and you will love your work. You’ll never be frustrated by those who don’t return your calls or think that your ideas are dumb. Likewise you won’t think the people you are working for are a burden. You’ll live to serve them because you’ll be perfect just as Jesus is perfect and lives to serve us.

Yes, we’ll live in everlasting harmony with one another in that new world. God illustrates well that point when he says, “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25a). On the new earth, things will go back to the way they

were meant to be. Animals (if in fact there will be animals on the new earth) will no longer tear each other apart like you see them do now on the Nature Channel. They’ll live in harmony and so will we. No longer will we blame each other for our sins because there will be no more sin!

  The fact that we are headed to this wonderful place ought to keep us from giving up on life or from getting wrapped up in this life so that we lose focus and direction. The Apostle Paul put it this way. “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

Yes, the words of our text about the new earth should motivate and strengthen us for every good deed and word. For when we speak carelessly to one another and damage a friendship, we know that all is not lost. Jesus will create a world where that painful memory will disappear. So why bother holding on to grudges now?

Get an early start on that new life and forget the sins that have been committed against you, just as God has already forgotten the sins that you commit daily. And we will continue to sin in this life, won’t we? You could say that pigs will fly before we ever stop sinning. But pigs won’t have to fly before we’re assured of forgiveness. That’s because a lamb has climbed a cross.

Therefore we look forward to the day when lions will eat straw like an ox, and when believers will no longer cry but live forever in perfect harmony with one another. While we can’t circle this day on a calendar because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we can stay encircled in Jesus’ love by continuing to study passages like our sermon text. Keep doing this so that you too will one day set foot in that new world. Amen.