Sermon Illustrations for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (2018)
Illustration
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
This is the first time after Easter that we find the disciples even mentioning Judas Iscariot. We find Peter describing that the actions of Judas were foretold by the prophets, and that Judas truly was one of the disciples. There is no indication of blame or hate for what Judas did. No condemnation in the words of Peter. Do we treat those among us who take significant and seemingly negative actions in the same way? Not always.
This might not seem like the most significant action in this passage -- after all they set about electing a new twelfth disciple, but I think it is important to stop and think about our own feelings about Judas. Judas believed that if Jesus was pushed to the brink of death, then he would overpower the oppressive Roman rulers and soldiers. That’s the vision of the Messiah the Zionists had. Imagine his amazement then when Jesus does not rebel, does not act, but simply sacrifices himself in love and forgiveness. It’s no wonder Judas is in so much despair that he takes his own life. What he, and we, sometime do not understand is that God loves us and forgives us. Maybe we should be about forgiving each other as well?
Bonnie B.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
One of the first elections in the New Testament. There was, of course, the vote to kill Jesus! Don’t you wonder what Justus did after he lost the election? We are never told. Today, we are often told what happened to those who lose elections in our country. Some try again and some even succeed later. But in the case of Judas, in our text, he was replaced so that there would be 12 Apostles. 12 seems to be a holy number. There were 12 tribes and there were 120 there that day. That is 10 for each tribe. So there was now one Apostle for each tribe. How sad it is when one of an important number is a traitor. Look how many that Trump chose for high offices that were later thrown out by him. Some because he felt they were traitors.
Churches have elections and some are chosen and some lose. We presume that the ones who lost will still be faithful church members. It is possible that the losers were just as qualified, which made it a difficult choice?
It seems that God has a plan that he prepared for centuries before. Even David knew it was going to happen even though he did not know Judas by name. Jesus must have known that plan, but the death on a cross was so horrible that he even prayed in the garden that it might pass from Him. But he knew it was God’s plan so he just accepted it. Would we do the same? Probably not if we knew the horror of that death, but at least Jesus could look forward to his resurrection. Will we give up everything for the reward that God has promised? I hope so! Our church is there to help us discover what that reward is.
Bob O.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
According to a 2006 Pew survey, 1 in 4 Americans felt God is distant (Paul Froese and Christopher Bader, America’s Four Gods). There is little reason to believe that these numbers have changed much in the last decade. We need more attention to God’s presence to us in the Holy Spirit, to what Peter testifies in the lesson (v.16). Martin Luther makes clear to us the Spirit’s witness. Without the Spirit’s constant presence, he once proclaimed in a sermon, no one would have faith:
Mark E.
1 John 5:9-13
You either have it or you don’t. I think most of us have heard those words at some point in time. I know for me, I heard them the first time in seventh grade shop class. I was a decent student who tried hard to get good grades. Most of the time, I was able to do that. I wasn’t always the most gifted in an area, but I was able to work hard and get an A. Shop class was different. I worked as hard as I could, but I wasn’t able to make or build things that others in my class were able to build. I remember the frustration as I would sand and sand the wood block that we were making into a pen holder. It just never got smooth enough. My folks came to open house and visited my classes. They knew that I was just barely getting a B in his class. He was polite to them and told them that I worked hard. He added these words. “He just doesn’t have it. He isn’t good with his hands.” You either have it or you don’t.
That story came back to me as I read again this passage in 1 John 5. Here is another case of “you have it or you don’t.” The stakes, though, are much higher than an A in shop class. You either have the Son and have eternal life or you don’t. There is no middle ground. Which describes you?
Bill T.
1 John 5:9-13
There is some discussion about exactly who John is. Which John are we’re talking about when we’re talking about the Gospel of John and the Letters of John, The apostle John? Most people say no. The Beloved Disciple? Well, he certainly seems to be the subject of the Gospel, but the author? A figure know as John the Elder or John the Presbyter, known to early church historians as an historical figure with an important role in early church history? Maybe.
What is interesting are the parallels between the letters and the gospel. If the same person didn’t write them both, the author of the letters seems to know the gospels very well.
Consider this verse from today’s lectionary reading, 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
And compare it to John 20:30-31, where the Evangelist mentions: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”
These documents are written for the same reason -- that we may come to believe in Jesus and through his name have eternal life.
Frank R.
1 John 5:9-13
Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, was always fearful of the state of his soul, fearing it to be condemned to hell for his lack of obedience to the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. No matter how dedicated he was to the required offices of being both a priest and a monk, he feared that salvation had always escaped him, and at best he would be assigned to purgatory upon his death. To amend his sins he made a pilgrimage to Rome. In the Holy City he embarked upon every ritual of redemption sanctioned by the Vatican. One such appointment was climbing Pilate’s stairs, 28 marble steps, on hand and knees, kissing each one while reciting the Pater Noster, which is Latin name for our Lord’s Prayer. Each one of the 28 marble steps acted as an indulgence that would lessen one’s time in purgatory. Luther elected not to engage in this exercise for himself, but for another. Luther directed that his indulgences be for Grandpa Heine, that his time spent in purgatory would be lessened. Having completed the legalistic ritual, at the top of the steps Luther raised himself to his feet and in disillusionment of what he had just done and exclaimed, “Who knows whether it is so?”
Application: It is a question of who could possibly know if this made any difference in releasing a soul from purgatory. Luther further doubted that kneeling on 29 marble steps could be an effective method for personal forgiveness. One may have a feeling of self-righteousness for completing such a grueling task, but did it really refresh the soul Luther questioned? This is why, according to our lectionary reading, the testimony if God must be in our hearts.
Ron L.
John 17:6-19
When I came to Nepal as a missionary, I was hated by the government. They would throw me in jail if I tried to convert anyone. Most of my seminary students were even hated by their own familes. They knew they were sent into the world to serve the God they had come to know and love. All of them paid a price for their service. Several of them told their family and friends, that the God they worshipped had risen from the dead and that he was the only God we can know. We should be sure to say that we have only one God. God is in the form of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I had a Muslim tell me that we worshiped three gods, not one. I asked him, “How many people am I?” He said “you are only one.” I answered him, “But I am a father because I have children and I am a son because I have a father, and I have a wife because I am a husband. I am three in one also!”
The disciples were given to Jesus, and now he gave followers to the disciples. That is still true today. Either our parents or a pastor helped me to know God, and now it is our job to help others know him. The truth of God has been passed on from one to another for 2,000 years and will keep going until we are all protected by the name of our Lord. His name carries his power! That is our job as Christians and church members.
Bob O.
John 17:6-19
Jesus says that Christians do not belong to the world (vv.13-14,16). An anonymous document of the early church, The Lettter To Diognetus, nicely described what this entails for the faithful:
John 17:6-19
My heart overflows with the knowledge that Jesus claims us as his own and therefore as God’s. It is not surprising, but it is so very important to remember that Jesus prays for us, prayed for us and shared all that he was and is with us. What gifts we have received!
Jesus calls us his own. Jesus teaches us and leads us into relationship with God our creator. Jesus protected and protects us. Jesus gave us God’s word and encouraged us to live in, to rest in, the kin-dom of God rather than in the world. That’s a tough thing for us. We are deluged with the world and its messages every day. Yet, just as Jesus belonged to God, we belong to God. Resting in the arms of Jesus, in the embrace of God, in the truth of God’s love and word is what helps us move from the world toward God. We are God’s own. Seek God! Seek peace and love and grace! Truthfully, that is what Jesus intended.
Bonnie B.
This is the first time after Easter that we find the disciples even mentioning Judas Iscariot. We find Peter describing that the actions of Judas were foretold by the prophets, and that Judas truly was one of the disciples. There is no indication of blame or hate for what Judas did. No condemnation in the words of Peter. Do we treat those among us who take significant and seemingly negative actions in the same way? Not always.
This might not seem like the most significant action in this passage -- after all they set about electing a new twelfth disciple, but I think it is important to stop and think about our own feelings about Judas. Judas believed that if Jesus was pushed to the brink of death, then he would overpower the oppressive Roman rulers and soldiers. That’s the vision of the Messiah the Zionists had. Imagine his amazement then when Jesus does not rebel, does not act, but simply sacrifices himself in love and forgiveness. It’s no wonder Judas is in so much despair that he takes his own life. What he, and we, sometime do not understand is that God loves us and forgives us. Maybe we should be about forgiving each other as well?
Bonnie B.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
One of the first elections in the New Testament. There was, of course, the vote to kill Jesus! Don’t you wonder what Justus did after he lost the election? We are never told. Today, we are often told what happened to those who lose elections in our country. Some try again and some even succeed later. But in the case of Judas, in our text, he was replaced so that there would be 12 Apostles. 12 seems to be a holy number. There were 12 tribes and there were 120 there that day. That is 10 for each tribe. So there was now one Apostle for each tribe. How sad it is when one of an important number is a traitor. Look how many that Trump chose for high offices that were later thrown out by him. Some because he felt they were traitors.
Churches have elections and some are chosen and some lose. We presume that the ones who lost will still be faithful church members. It is possible that the losers were just as qualified, which made it a difficult choice?
It seems that God has a plan that he prepared for centuries before. Even David knew it was going to happen even though he did not know Judas by name. Jesus must have known that plan, but the death on a cross was so horrible that he even prayed in the garden that it might pass from Him. But he knew it was God’s plan so he just accepted it. Would we do the same? Probably not if we knew the horror of that death, but at least Jesus could look forward to his resurrection. Will we give up everything for the reward that God has promised? I hope so! Our church is there to help us discover what that reward is.
Bob O.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
According to a 2006 Pew survey, 1 in 4 Americans felt God is distant (Paul Froese and Christopher Bader, America’s Four Gods). There is little reason to believe that these numbers have changed much in the last decade. We need more attention to God’s presence to us in the Holy Spirit, to what Peter testifies in the lesson (v.16). Martin Luther makes clear to us the Spirit’s witness. Without the Spirit’s constant presence, he once proclaimed in a sermon, no one would have faith:
If Christ did not sit at the right hand of God, or daily pour out his Holy Spirit, the Christian faith would languish, for it is contrary to all human reasoning and opposed also by the devil. Therefore, if there were not this daily outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the devil would not allow a single person to cling in faith to Christ... (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.171)John Calvin contends the Spirit is “the power of God” (Institutes, pp.142-143). When Christians are tired, feel burned out and low on energy, then thinking about the Holy Spirit is a reminder that they have more energy or power than they may feel right now. We are driven by the Spirit, like a car depends on gasoline, like a lamp is only lit with electrical power. Neurobiological research implies this conclusion. Insofar as the brain chemical dopamine is secreted in spiritual activities and dopamine stimulates our energy, life in the Holy Spirit seems to enhance our energy (see John D. Salamone and Mercé Correas, “The Mysterious Motivational Functions of Mesolimbic Dopamine,” Neuron (2012):470; Dean Hamer, The God Gene, esp. p.71).
Mark E.
1 John 5:9-13
You either have it or you don’t. I think most of us have heard those words at some point in time. I know for me, I heard them the first time in seventh grade shop class. I was a decent student who tried hard to get good grades. Most of the time, I was able to do that. I wasn’t always the most gifted in an area, but I was able to work hard and get an A. Shop class was different. I worked as hard as I could, but I wasn’t able to make or build things that others in my class were able to build. I remember the frustration as I would sand and sand the wood block that we were making into a pen holder. It just never got smooth enough. My folks came to open house and visited my classes. They knew that I was just barely getting a B in his class. He was polite to them and told them that I worked hard. He added these words. “He just doesn’t have it. He isn’t good with his hands.” You either have it or you don’t.
That story came back to me as I read again this passage in 1 John 5. Here is another case of “you have it or you don’t.” The stakes, though, are much higher than an A in shop class. You either have the Son and have eternal life or you don’t. There is no middle ground. Which describes you?
Bill T.
1 John 5:9-13
There is some discussion about exactly who John is. Which John are we’re talking about when we’re talking about the Gospel of John and the Letters of John, The apostle John? Most people say no. The Beloved Disciple? Well, he certainly seems to be the subject of the Gospel, but the author? A figure know as John the Elder or John the Presbyter, known to early church historians as an historical figure with an important role in early church history? Maybe.
What is interesting are the parallels between the letters and the gospel. If the same person didn’t write them both, the author of the letters seems to know the gospels very well.
Consider this verse from today’s lectionary reading, 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
And compare it to John 20:30-31, where the Evangelist mentions: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”
These documents are written for the same reason -- that we may come to believe in Jesus and through his name have eternal life.
Frank R.
1 John 5:9-13
Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, was always fearful of the state of his soul, fearing it to be condemned to hell for his lack of obedience to the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. No matter how dedicated he was to the required offices of being both a priest and a monk, he feared that salvation had always escaped him, and at best he would be assigned to purgatory upon his death. To amend his sins he made a pilgrimage to Rome. In the Holy City he embarked upon every ritual of redemption sanctioned by the Vatican. One such appointment was climbing Pilate’s stairs, 28 marble steps, on hand and knees, kissing each one while reciting the Pater Noster, which is Latin name for our Lord’s Prayer. Each one of the 28 marble steps acted as an indulgence that would lessen one’s time in purgatory. Luther elected not to engage in this exercise for himself, but for another. Luther directed that his indulgences be for Grandpa Heine, that his time spent in purgatory would be lessened. Having completed the legalistic ritual, at the top of the steps Luther raised himself to his feet and in disillusionment of what he had just done and exclaimed, “Who knows whether it is so?”
Application: It is a question of who could possibly know if this made any difference in releasing a soul from purgatory. Luther further doubted that kneeling on 29 marble steps could be an effective method for personal forgiveness. One may have a feeling of self-righteousness for completing such a grueling task, but did it really refresh the soul Luther questioned? This is why, according to our lectionary reading, the testimony if God must be in our hearts.
Ron L.
John 17:6-19
When I came to Nepal as a missionary, I was hated by the government. They would throw me in jail if I tried to convert anyone. Most of my seminary students were even hated by their own familes. They knew they were sent into the world to serve the God they had come to know and love. All of them paid a price for their service. Several of them told their family and friends, that the God they worshipped had risen from the dead and that he was the only God we can know. We should be sure to say that we have only one God. God is in the form of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I had a Muslim tell me that we worshiped three gods, not one. I asked him, “How many people am I?” He said “you are only one.” I answered him, “But I am a father because I have children and I am a son because I have a father, and I have a wife because I am a husband. I am three in one also!”
The disciples were given to Jesus, and now he gave followers to the disciples. That is still true today. Either our parents or a pastor helped me to know God, and now it is our job to help others know him. The truth of God has been passed on from one to another for 2,000 years and will keep going until we are all protected by the name of our Lord. His name carries his power! That is our job as Christians and church members.
Bob O.
John 17:6-19
Jesus says that Christians do not belong to the world (vv.13-14,16). An anonymous document of the early church, The Lettter To Diognetus, nicely described what this entails for the faithful:
For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor customs which they observe... They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners... They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven... To sum up all in one word -- what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.1, pp.26,27)About the world’s hatred of Christians, famed modern theologian Karl Barth once wrote:
The Christian is not hated as a human individual who is repulsive to the one who hates him on account of his personal being and action. He is hated as the bearer and representative of a specific claim and cause... not because they are Peter, Paul, or John, but because they represent to all men and to the world the alien and intolerable cause of the Kingdom, the coup d’etat of God. (Church Dogmatics, Index Vol., p.364)When we become preoccupied with God’s love, become owned by God, then doing good and holy things come a lot easier. In a sermon on this week’s lectionary texts Martin Luther proclaimed:
How can there enter into the heart of the Christian who believes he has received ineffable and eternal treasure trough the Son of God, the inclination to permit his neighbor to suffer a trivial want when he can easily extend relief? Much less would it be possible for the Christian to injure or to do injustice to the neighbor for the sake of shamefully gaining some advantage. (Complete Sermons, Vol.4/1, p.238)Mark E.
John 17:6-19
My heart overflows with the knowledge that Jesus claims us as his own and therefore as God’s. It is not surprising, but it is so very important to remember that Jesus prays for us, prayed for us and shared all that he was and is with us. What gifts we have received!
Jesus calls us his own. Jesus teaches us and leads us into relationship with God our creator. Jesus protected and protects us. Jesus gave us God’s word and encouraged us to live in, to rest in, the kin-dom of God rather than in the world. That’s a tough thing for us. We are deluged with the world and its messages every day. Yet, just as Jesus belonged to God, we belong to God. Resting in the arms of Jesus, in the embrace of God, in the truth of God’s love and word is what helps us move from the world toward God. We are God’s own. Seek God! Seek peace and love and grace! Truthfully, that is what Jesus intended.
Bonnie B.
