Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ
This
fifth Sunday of the Resurrection is traditionally named cantate, oh sing! “Shout, and
sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion Israel
How
often does our sadness mirror theirs? For example, we don’t recognize what looks
like a curse is so often a blessing. So Jesus didn’t tell his followers what
they could not yet bear, such as how they would suffer for His name. They wouldn’t think that’s something to sing
about! Yet the church sings: “Behold, God
is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God
is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” There are reasons for this song. What
are some of the reasons? We will limit
ourselves to only three points from our text, and even that is a bit much.
First, about truth; second, about sin, righteousness and judgment; third, about
fellowship with God:
First, our Lord said the truth, all
truth, is given the church. How important is that? In an age that says nothing
is true, nothing remains, nothing can be counted on in the storms of life. But
the church is given the truth, the reliable, the sure, the enduring, the
ever-present, the living, the eternal. How is it given? James tells us: Of his own will he brought us forth by the
word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creation.
Also note the word is implanted (Jas 1:21 ).
Note that the new creation occurs through the word of truth. This word is
performative. It does what it says. God speaks and it is so. For this reason
Isaiah says: …call upon his name, make
known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. The
church repeats what the Lord says and does, so receiving and proclaiming “His
Name.” That’s how truth is given and
works in you. And remember truth is not a mere abstract concept any more than
the 10 commandments are mere opinions. Jesus said He is the truth, and the Word.
When
the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will
not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he
will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he
will take what is mine and declare it to you (Jn 16: 13 ) The Spirit of truth does what? He
guides, leads, and brings believers into the truth. Specifically, He glorifies, that is amplifies
and reveals Jesus Christ. Again, how does the Spirit guide the church into all
the truth? Literally, “he will not speak
of himself, but as he hears he will speak, and of the things to come, he will
announce to you.” The Holy Spirit
speaks the word as he hears… He hears what the Father and Son declare and that
is what He declares, revealing the Son. That’s why the church is bound to the
word in all things… because by the word she receives the Holy Spirit, and Christ,
and the Father. Only God’s word has that promise, not personal experience or
our reasoning.
Again, what does the Holy Spirit
reveal to the church? He will glorify me,
for he will take what is (ek) mine and declare it to you. Literally, “for
he will take out of me” and declare it to you. Remember, the word is
performative, and remember who is the
Word. This is about more than knowledge, but fellowship with God. This word is
no abstract thing, but the very life of God given to you. You received His life
when you heard and believed the gospel. The Holy Spirit announced the gospel in
Holy Baptism, for example, convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment, our
second point.
And
when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and
judgment… This is the bull’s eye of the Spirit’s ministry, of Jesus’ too
and the heart of God’s activity toward us. I’ve heard folks say all sorts of
things about “the heart of God,” often leading us away from what the Word
declares is the real heart of the matter. What does the heart-message mean that
the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment? And when (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will
convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning
sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go
to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the
ruler of this world is judged.
This
word includes the law calling sinners to repentance and the declaration of
Christ’s forgiveness, giving eternal life. As for the law, the Holy Spirit,
sent by the Son, convicts the world concerning sin, in relation to sin, of
evidence of sin, cutting our hearts because of sin in our hearts. The Holy
Spirit convicts, reveals, convinces, and creates sorrow over sin. Then the
heart of the matter is not external reform, but repentance, the heart-felt
confession that God exists and we’re in a heap of trouble. The tragedy is many
refuse the Holy Spirit, denying we are sinners by either rejecting the law or
by claiming to keep the law sufficiently. But those who receive this word
confess our actual state before God. And that’s the Spirit’s preparation to
receive good news.
As for the gospel, or as Jesus puts
it, concerning righteousness, because I
go to the Father and you will see me no longer; this is not about our
righteousness through obedience. This conviction from the Holy Spirit has to do
with Jesus going to the Father. This righteousness is of the cross, of Christ’s
atonement, of His finished work, of his resurrection and ascension, the gift
that justifies sinners. “Righteousness” is a forensic word, a court-room word,
a legal term. It is not about the criminal’s good qualities, promises to reform
or time spent in prison. The judge says to the law-breaker, “another took your
punishment; another paid the cost of your deeds, gave his freedom for your
captivity and traded his good reputation for you bad, so I say to you,
‘pardoned!’” In this way Jesus’
righteousness is given you. The Holy Spirit advocates
to you that Jesus righteousness is imputed to you, sinner, counted as yours.
By the way, “Advocate” is the name
Jesus gives the Holy Spirit, “the Paraclete.” The KJV and some Bibles translate
this as “Comforter,” some as “Helper” and that is a beautiful picture, although
not the heart of the word’s meaning. For example, in 1st century
secular Greek, in the Greek translation of the Hebrew scripture, in the Greek
New Testament and in the early church fathers, the word has this in common: Paraclete
uniformly means “advocate;” and a particular kind of an advocate… a court
advocate, the counsel for the defense, or so says one of my fat reference
books. The advocate goes to the accused’ side and intercedes before the judge
on his behalf. And hearing the verdict,
the Holy Spirit says to the convicted sinner, you are pardoned. You are covered
with the righteousness of Christ. You are forgiven and regarded as holy and
undefiled. This is not about a person’s actual righteousness, about the Holy
Spirit indwelling so that the believer desires the things of God, loving God
and neighbor. That follows justification. Pardon is what is applied to the
unworthy; and by Christ’s imputed righteousness God the Father regards us as
sons, heirs to eternal life (Glory, alleluia!).
And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged (vs
13)… those who refuse Christ’s
righteousness will be judged in the same manner as the ruler of this world, the
devil. By the way, the judgment of Satan has occurred, simultaneous with his
rebellion. He remains under judgment and is bound for hell. However, all who
believe in Christ’s justification have passed out of judgment. Therefore, since
the ruler of this world is judged, he is no longer your master, your enslaver, your
devourer. You belong to Christ. And
you are already receiving an inheritance of eternal life, to be received in
full when our Lord returns, now and yet coming.
Meanwhile, we begin to experience the
life of God in Christ Jesus. Again, that’s called sanctification. It includes
the desire to please God and serve one’s neighbor; it is faith’s fruit of love.
This is what the Holy Spirit grows in us through the word as we gather to hear
and receive the Word. Rather than Satan’s darts, the Word penetrates you so
that, our third point, you have fellowship with the Triune God.
All
that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine
and declare it to you (v 15). This fellowship comes out from Jesus Christ,
out of our sin-bearer, our redeemer. It comes out of Him, the Holy Spirit
taking it and declaring it to you. His declaration does what it says. You are
pardoned with the righteousness of Christ; the Father regards you as
righteousness, and as sons, heirs, dear children. In Holy Baptism you died in
Christ and rose to new life. You belong to God as children, and as children
have fellowship with the Father. This means much more than nodding your head
and thinking, “Oh, that’s a very nice thought.” These things are announced so
that you who inherit them live in what Christ has and is, given to you.
For this reason God the Son became
man, suffered, died, rose and ascended so that the disciples no longer just
gazed upon Him with sad eyes. By Christ’s death they are promised restoration
to God’s image, to actual righteousness, to fellowship with One God who
perfectly communes in His three persons. So why were they and we also,
afflicted with sadness and so many other spiritual maladies? If we were no
longer were sinners, we would be bouncing balls of happiness… because of whose
we are. Yet in this life, we are simultaneously saint and sinner. We who are
justified and have the Spirit still struggle, for the sake of faith. We are
saved by grace through faith. Yet what we are becoming and shall be is certain,
and there is joy in that. Our Lord will complete His work in us no matter our
moments of gloom.
For a good reason He went away, so
that our fellowship in Him will be and is complete. We have an inheritance,
fellowship with God in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit leading us to all truth
through the word. And that truth, Christ for us and in us, gives us joy even
if, since we live in the world, we will suffer for the name of Jesus. So we return to Christ’s death in Holy
Communion, because from it comes our life. Here is another font by which we
receive Christ’s word, given with His living body and blood. We who receive
forgiveness of sin have life and salvation. That’s why this fifth Sunday of the
Resurrection is named cantate, oh
sing! “Shout, and sing for joy, O
inhabitant of Zion Israel
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