All Saints Day, I John 3:1-3

Nov. 4, 2012; All Saints Day; Texts: Ps 149; Revelation 7:9-17; I John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12; Title: Behold What Awaits. Pastor Tim Beck  

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

We have great hope on “All Saints Day,” a day commemorating our Lord’s faithfulness. We commemorate his faithfulness to believers before us, to us, and to those after    us.  We rejoice, knowing He is faithful today and forever. Saint John emphatically tells us why our Lord is faithful, and to what end. He says See! Behold!  That means take notice, pay attention. Pay attention to what? See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. Consider God the Father’s love, consider the kind of love, and consider that He gave it to us keeping us in it from our baptism unto today.

          But why does John need shout “see, behold!” Is it because we often fail to behold, to consider, to believe what He has done for you, His great love toward you, His end for you? Saint John calls us to repent from many needless cares.  Behold His love! Look! God’s love is given to us… to us, to the whole church.  For example, we commemorate the saints who died in that love yet live; for the Father’s love is to us, in the plural, in the unity of Christ’s body, the church. God’s love was given to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Moses, to David, to the prophets, to all who believed both great and small. That same love keeps the persecuted in China and the faithful in the U.S.A. It keeps the few believers in Tunisia in the faith, and too the many in Madagascar. That love preserves the church around the world until the Day of the Lord arrives, when we shall be gathered into one visible communion.  There is great comfort in “All Saints Day,” because our Saviour preserves the whole body of Christ… including the comfort that we shall again see our loved ones who died in Christ. 

          We are united with all who believe the one faith delivered for all time, to all who trust in Him who delivered us by grace. The Father, as we pray, “our Father” has given His love. He gave it at the very beginning, continued to give it and gives it to this very day. Behold the duration of His love. It is not just for a moment, but from the beginning of time until His return. It was for fallen Eve and Adam, Abram’s re-naming as Abraham. It continued through the deliverance from Egypt and carried on in the time of the Judges, when the knowledge of faith took a sad spiral downward. It was given to Ruth the Moabite who believed in Israel’s God, who as Naomi’s daughter in law, was favored to be an ancestor of the promised Christ. It was steadfast to David as a shepherd, as a fugitive, and as a king who committed adultery and murder; yet repenting was forgiven and called a man after God’s heart. It was true to the kingdom of Judah despite the nation’s apostasy; so too the Lord kept faith alive through Judah’s exile and return. It was truly manifest in glory when the Son of God was made flesh and lifted up for all to see.  It was true during the early church, in dark ages, in the Reformation, in the days of philosophy dominating Scripture in our own time, and until the end of time. Behold the duration of his love, the love of God given to a fallen race that bespeaks us righteous.

          Then behold the purpose of His love, the love by which God becomes “our Father,” a love which takes rebellious wooden-headed dolts and names us beloved. Behold His purpose that we become children of God, pure and holy in His sight. To those born blind in sin John says “See, behold!” Love came to our race, to all who seek God in all the wrong places if we seek Him at all. See His love declare Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.  Behold the love of God that broke through to justify sinners.  See his redemptive love that called us into His kingdom; a love we cannot earn or demand, and that we do not deserve or often even desire. Behold the love manifest in the Son of God’s humiliation, death and resurrection. Behold that love which through Holy Baptism is given us. Behold the life once poured out upon the cross that is now poured into our mouths and souls, that we, beloved by God, look forward to the eternal feast.  See, you redeemed of the Lord, how because of His visible love you believe, you even believe the purpose of his hidden love.         

          The Father knows how we turn our baby-head from mother’s spoon.  So behold His love hidden under the law, hidden under disciple, hidden by an angry face. See how the blessed Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. See how despite our acting like reproved infants who scowl, mope, hide, and fight, He convinces us we need His mercy. And thank God his hidden love teaches us to confess sin not in a vague, impersonal way, but from a bleeding heart cut by the law. Then behold, how he coaxes us to say those hard to pronounce words, “I’m sorry, I’m guilty.”  Then behold Christ declare: “I forgive you. Welcome home.”  Behold the Holy Spirit who works such a good work in you.  And behold the Father’s mercy that made you his child, and keeps you as His child. Although we still sin; yet believers in Christ are delivered from the law’s condemnation. Christ’s righteousness is counted as yours, freeing you from the devil’s accusations, the world’s rebel ways and the torment of your fickleness.  This is All Saints Day, and you too are saints. You are saints in Christ Jesus your Lord. You are holy because God the Father made you his child, writing the Triune name on you.

          You and all believers throughout time are saints, despite doubts, faults and failings that you feel today, despite being simultaneously sinners. Justified, baptized, given new life through the forgiveness of your sin, you were blind, but now you see.   So you, who see justification, behold also the sanctifying love of God that keeps you in the faith.  Behold His word change your perspective. Despite sin in you, you believe what God sees. You are a saint. The Holy Spirit dwells in you.  So by faith you do outrageous acts, like get out of bed on Sunday morning to hear a sermon, to continue in Christ’s Word. You ask neighbors to hear of Christ with you, and freely give hard earned money to support the church, bringing children and grandchildren to receive water with the Word. And by faith, you enter the Father’s presence worshipping with all the saints. You eat the ascended Christ’s true body and blood in a fore-taste of the feast to come.

          You have entered into the eternal; for we are God’s children now, who in eating and drinking Christ say this prayer: “Maranatha.” “Lord, come quickly;” for we await what we shall be, when the sin that dwells in us is fully cleansed in our consummated fellowship with Christ. Perfect righteousness and perfect joy are the purpose of the Father’s love for you.  Behold your future in the love of God. Behold the love of God that gave us eternal life, and keeps us in a living hope until the glorious day. Do not give up the fight. Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.  Purify yourself. And how do you do that? Confess your sins and look to Christ.   The word “purify” is sacrificial language, the language of atonement, when the blood of the sacrificial Lamb was sprinkled upon the sinner. Christ purifies us by grace. He will complete that purification in us. So resist sin and admonish one another. Set your mind on things above, where Christ is…for God’s children have a future.    The troubles in this life are not your future.

          You are children of God awaiting the glory that shall be yours. When he appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is. This life’s mortal enemies, sin, death, and the devil, will be gone. Every tear will be wiped away when you see the Lord. The declared righteousness of Christ will be fully realized within you.  You shall be jubilant, because you shall see Him as He is and live.  This is your future, and faith’s desire, to see God.  It shall be granted. It is the Father’s will for you. When He appears we shall see like we’ve never seen before. Those who have gone before us already shine. What happened to Moses who saw a reflection of God’s glory in the law?          His face beamed, for a time, so that the people begged him to veil it. In the transfiguration, how did Moses and Elijah appear? They were brilliant in appearance. How much greater the glory of Jesus Christ! And He promises to share His glory with us. All dross shall be removed from His bride, the church. All mysteries shall be revealed in the perfection of God’s being.  The uncertainties faith tastes in this life will dissolve. Questions of “why was this my road” will be satisfied. Countless blessings will be ours in the marriage feast of the Lamb, in our joyous fellowship with the Lamb. You will sing with your transformed loved ones who died in the faith. You will see Adam, Abel, Abraham, Aaron, Abijah, Abigail, Abinadab, Abidan, Abihail, Abednego, and all a’s to z’s.

          Together we will worship the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne, our shepherd, who clothed us in robes washed white in His blood. The love of the Father has been given unto us, the fountain of life in the Son, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, one God who keeps us in His love until that Great Day. That’s why He named us His in Holy Baptism. That’s why He teaches and strengthens us in His word. That’s why He feeds us the food of immortality in His Holy Supper. In these we participate in fellowship eternal – eating and drinking the One who is both host and guest, who promises that those who suffer with him will reign with Him.  Behold His love. Behold the kind of love; behold the duration of His love; behold the work of His love; behold the purpose of His love Behold the future of His love.  His love justified you, sanctifies you and keeps you to eternal life in Christ. See, behold! God’s love is given to us!

           

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Amen.)