Easter IV- John 16:7

The Epistle and the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Easter both raise many meaningful points. This time, I would focus on John 16: 7a where Jesus tells the disciples, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away." As on some other occasions, the disciples must have wondered what the Lord meant. They loved, respected, and depended on Him. Despite their limited understanding, they believed that He was the Redeemer. So how could His departure be good for them?

Our Lord gives a general answer in the second part of the verse. His departure, His return to the heavenly Father, is connected with the Sending of the Holy Spirit. The divine plan for human redemption included Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. Only after Christ completed that work could the Holy Spirit fully come upon the disciples and guide them into their mission for Him. The disciples had to move beyond dependence upon His earthly physical presence. They needed to mature and become less tied to localities such as Capernaum and Jerusalem.

This dynamic still applies to us as Christians. Our risen and ascended Lord watches over us and intercedes for us at the right hand of the heavenly Father, And He comes to us throughout the world by the Holy Spirit working through Word and Sacrament. In this way, He offers us grace to continue His mission.

Easter III- John 16: 16-22

The traditional Gospel for the Third Sunday after is from St. John 16:16-22. These verses are from our Lord's Farewell Discourses to the Twelve on Maundy Thursday,  As on many occasions, the disciples were slow to grasp Jesus' teaching about His death and resurrection. He compares the situation to motherhood. The labor pains are all too real, but the result is joyful. Jesus warns the disciples of the real pain and sorrow of death and separation, but He also predicts the joy of His renewed presence. Our Lord concludes in John 16:22, "And ye now, therefore, have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" (KJV).

The Easter season focuses on how the disciples come to appreciate Christ's whole ministry, especially His rejection, passion, and death, in light of His resurrection. His sufferings and their separation from Him do bring them great sorrow, but His resurrection brings them profound joy. And this joy is so powerful that it transforms them.  They learn to follow Him in new and deeper ways. Experiencing the joy of His resurrection presence with them, they are empowered to serve Him through all the sorrows and joys of this world. 

The Gospel words about sorrow and joy still apply to believers. We still have earthly sorrows and joys. But there is a great joy which transcends passing circumstances- there is the joy of knowing the presence of the risen Christ with us. Through His Word and  His sacraments, we sense His presence in this life, and we anticipate His presence with us eternally. Alleluia! Christ is risen! 

St. Philip & St. James/Easter II 1 May 2022

On this day, the Church commemorates the apostles Philip and James. There is not a great deal known about these two apostles. The reason for their connection and the choice of May 1 to commemorate them seems to come from a later event. On the first of May in the late 500s AD, their supposed remains were moved to a new basilica in Rome.

Both apostles have names common in the first century. Philip is a common Hellenistic Greek name. Philip the Apostle is mentioned several times in the Gospels for bringing people to Jesus and asking questions. The name James is a medieval British transformation of Iacobus or Jacob, a very common Jewish name. The James honored on this day seems to be James the son of Alphaeus in the lists of the Twelve (Mark 3:18). 

Although not as distinctive as some other New Testament disciples, Philip and James were part of the life and witness of the Church. They were members of the community that learned directly from our Lord, and they went out proclaiming His message before and after the Resurrection. In quiet ways, they helped found the Church, and according to ancient tradition, they ultimately witnessed by giving their lives. They worked to bring others to Christ. So on their feast day, we remember and give thanks for their faith and service as we do for many little-known and unknown witnesses.

Today is also the Second Sunday after Easter. It has often been called Good Shepherd Sunday because of the Gospel from St. John 10:11-16. Two times in these verses, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10: 11 and 14). These are "I AM" sayings where Christ alludes to His divine nature (see Exodus 3:14). Jesus has a unique identity; Christ is not just "a" good shepherd, but rather "the" good shepherd. 

The meaning of being the good shepherd means is emphasized in the Gospel. Jesus says, "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (10:11- and in slightly different words in 10:15). Any conscientious shepherd faces danger for his sheep, but Christ the Good Shepherd does more. He offers Himself as a sacrifice for His flock. 

However, Jesus goes even further. Later in John 10. our Lord points out that since He lays down His life voluntarily, He can also take His life up again (10:17-18). In other words, the Good Shepherd does more than just die for His sheep. He also rises to life again and continues to care for His flock. Thus, Christ can affirm, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father" (10:14). The relationship between Christ and His flock is deeply personal and loving; it reflects the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. There is a closeness and a deep knowledge of one another. There is an abiding and profound commitment and affection.  In this way, Good Shepherd Sunday is an affirmation of resurrection faith.