Nov 12th Sermon (St. Andrew’s Woodhaven)

Joshua 14: 1-3a, 14-25; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 and Matthew 25: 1-13

 

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to be able to share with you on Remembrance Sunday. I say this because I am related to many who have served in the military, especially during War time. My Father served in the military for 25 years and we moved around quite a bit. I lived in five different cities (seven different homes) by the time I was eleven. This would officially qualify me as a military brat.

As mentioned, I have had many relatives serve during war time (especially WWII). My grandfather on my mother’s side (Charles), went to fight in Europe along with his two younger brothers (Allan and Billy). Billy was a Sargent prior to the war and was part of one of the first Canadian regiments to deploy to Europe, while Allan and my grandfather served together in the same infantry platoon.

After a few months serving alongside one another, they arrived at a compound close to the Holland/Belgium border. This area was where most of the fighting was at that time. One morning, the regiment arranged into formation and began to march out of the compound, out of two different exits. One of the exits was fired upon and my uncle Allan (along with most of his comrades) were killed. Those who marched out of the other exit were unharmed, which included my grandfather.

My grandfather then quickly faced the quilt of not being able to protect his younger brother. He developed a sense of “why not me”. This was exasperated just a few weeks later when Billy was killed. Billy was on his way to meet his superiors when the armoured vehicle he was driving in was hit by an explosive. Their younger siblings Norman, Elsie and Blanche who are alive today, still mourn the loss of their brothers.

War is painful, it leaves deep wounds. It is difficult to comprehend. Yet it is a permanent reality in this world. For now.

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One of my duties as a Pastor is to teach and preach in such a way that I can help prepare others to confront death. We will all confront death when relatives, friends and neighbours pass away. We will also have to walk with others through this ordeal. But we also face death ourselves, and we need to be prepared. When the trial of death occurs, we must not turn away from Jesus and the gospel, thinking that he has let us down. We need to believe that whether we live or die that Jesus is a good and faithful Lord.

With that in mind, today I want us to focus primarily on our New Testament reading in Thessalonians. As this scripture instructs us to do “I want to encourage you with these words.”

For us to believe that Jesus is good in both life and death, we need to understand what the scripture says about the reality of death and the hope of the resurrection. Thankfully, we do not have to avoid this difficult topic as Christians, because we can confidently face death with the power of the gospel. All too frequently the church has allowed itself to be caught up in attempts by our culture to ignore pain, suffering and death.

Although Christians can be very thankful that those who are dead in Christ are no longer suffering, we must nevertheless realize that death is not our final destination. This is because we await the hope of the Resurrection and the reality of a new creation. Christians can look death in the face and believe there is hope. We can be confident that death will not have the last word. The basis of our hope is that Jesus is a good and faithful Lord. That in his first coming he destroyed the power of death, and that in his second coming he will put an end to death and dying and will bring Resurrection.

This means that one day there will be no more war. As we are bombarded today by all the atrocities in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine (among many others), this should give us hope. As we remember our fallen loved one’s, this should give us much hope.

In 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 Paul’s concern was precisely this issue, hope in the face of death. When the Apostle Paul had first planted the church in Thessalonica, he left the church with much hope, not only amid their suffering but also regarding their future. However, at some point, the Thessalonians moved from hope to despair. They were grieving about those who had died, and that sadness was causing them to question whether the gospel is good, and whether Jesus is a good and faithful Lord.

Paul then sought to clarify these issues to provide hope amid despair. A hope that should still shape our lives today so that we can believe that whether we live or die, Jesus is a good and faithful Lord. A hope that allows us to face whatever trials come our way.

In this scripture passage, we can uncover four points that help us better comprehend the fullness of this hope:

  • Christian Hope does not ignore the Grief.

Christian hope does not ignore the pain and grief. The hope we have as Christians does not ignore pain and grief, but rather redeems it.

Grief is a part of life. God created us with the capacity for relationships. When we lose a relationship to death, there will be intense grief. Christians need to acknowledge this struggle of grief because it reflects the reality of loss in this sinful world.

Although we realize that grief will be part of the struggle of this life in the face of death, we must also grieve with confident hope. That is why Paul instructs “Not to grieve as others who do not have hope” (v. 13). Our Christian hope transforms the pain and grief to the point that we realize that death does not have the final word.

As we journey from grief to hope, we will grow in our faith and love of Jesus.

  • Christian Hope is Grounded in Christ’s Death and Resurrection

Here it should be noted that our hope in the Resurrection is based on our connection to Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul notes a parallel between the death and resurrection of Christ, and the death and resurrection of those who believe in Christ. Paul sets this parallel to point out how powerful our union with Christ truly is. If Jesus died and rose again, that will also happen to Christians who believe in Christ.

Therefore, our resurrection from the dead is surely true because Jesus Christ has already been raised from the dead, and we are united to him.

Our hope is that we are united in Christ. When Christ died, we died. Christ was raised, so we will also be raised. Our hope is fixated on Christ’s death and resurrection. This means it is a guaranteed hope because Christ has already been resurrected.

This is why it is so important for the church today to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus.

 

  • Christian hope is focused upon Christ’s Presence

A third point is that our hope is focused upon the very coming, or to be more precise, the presence of Christ. In verse 15 we read “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep”. When Jesus appears, he will be present with us in a way that he is not present at this time. He is Immanuel, God with us, and when he returns, he will fulfill the covenant promise that he will be a God to us, and we will be his people. This coming presence will far exceed his presence in our lives now.

The word for coming (Parousia) that is used in this text, refers to the second coming of Christ. This also makes sense in terms of the way it is used in Greek and Roman literature outside the Bible. Parousia designates the arrival of a dignitary. For example, when Caesar came to a city, his arrival would be described as the Parousia of Caesar. In the ruins at Corinth (south-central Greece), archaeologists found “advent coins” commemorating Nero’s visit to Corinth. This coin was made during Paul’s lifetime, so Paul was not creating a word here. He was using something his contemporary audience would know about, to describe the coming of Jesus Christ.

The coming of the Lord to those who believe in him, will be similar to the coming of Caesar to the city of Thessalonica. When Jesus comes, we will be in his presence.

Paul indicates that those who are alive at the coming of Jesus do not have an advantage over those who have died. The hope we have for those who have died that they will be present with Jesus, comes from this passage.

 

  • Christian Hope is Consistent in Life or Death

Our hope does not change whether we are dead or alive. This might be a surprise to hear at first, but part of Paul’s larger point here is that the living and the dead have the same hope, the Resurrection.

Paul’s purpose here is that whether we are alive or dead when Jesus comes back, Jesus will bring a completely new reality bound up in the resurrection. In verses 16 to 18, Paul provides a sequence of events.

  • The Lord himself will descend from heaven.
  • The dead in Christ will rise first.
  • We who are alive will be caught up together with them.
  • We will always be with the Lord.

The point of this sequence is to help us see that the dead in Christ will not miss out on the resurrection hope. In fact, they are eagerly anticipating it.

Our hope as Christians is not eclipsed by death. We believe in the resurrection of our body because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Death does not determine our fate, and it is not the determining factor regarding the goodness and faithfulness of Jesus Christ. He has overcome death. Whether we remain alive for his second coming or pass away before that time, Jesus is indeed our good and faithful Lord.

Conclusion

To conclude, I would like to look back to the story I shared about my grandfather and great-uncle Allan. As time moved on, it became clear to my grandfather that he was not able to control what happened that day. However, my grandfather did have a choice on how to live the rest of his life. Thankfully, he decided to live in the Resurrection hope. Over time, he handed over his quilt and grief to his good and faithful Lord.

Living in the Resurrection hope brings about abundant life now. It is a choice to choose life.

This relates to today’s reading in Joshua. In the Old Testament reading, we read about Joshua pleading with the people. He asked them to choose if they will live lives that serve the One true God, the God who brought them life out of Egypt, the God who lives forever. Or if they will serve the other gods who bring death, destruction, and hopelessness. When we choose to live in the Resurrection hope, we are therefore also choosing to honour and serve the one true God with our lives.

Living in the Resurrection hope also helps prepare us for the death, because we are confident that death is not the end. Living a life of hope that prepares us for death resembles the five wise bridesmaids in our gospel reading. They trusted in the goodness and faithfulness of the bridegroom, even if he was delayed. We can trust in the goodness and faithfulness of Jesus, even if his coming again is after we pass away.

Christian Hope in the Resurrection:

  • Does not ignore grief, rather redeems it.
  • Is grounded in Christ’s death and Resurrection.
  • Is focused upon Christ’s presence.
  • Is consistent in both life and death.

It is a hope that brings us ultimate comfort. Especially on a morning like today when we remember fallen friends and family, who sacrificed themselves for others like you and me.

It is a hope that reminds us how good and faithful our Lord Jesus really is.

A hope that brings encouragement to me, knowing that my great uncles (Billy and Allan) are eagerly anticipating the Lord’s return.

May the words of this scripture encourage you as well.

All honour and praise to our good and faithful Lord Jesus.

 

Amen.