The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 13, 2012 - Pastor Adam Moline
Acts 10:32-48 1 John 5:1-8 John 15:9-17
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Amen! Our text today comes from
the Epistle lesson just read especially these words, “For there are three that
testify: the Spirit and the water and
the blood; and these three agree.” Thus
far our text.
Dear friends in
Christ. We all know what testimony is,
we have all seen it, when in court a person puts their hand on the bible and
swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We have seen in court television shows and
news reports this very process take place time and time again. Witnesses testify to what they have seen,
they tell the truth about a situation, about what is going on.
And dear friends,
you too are witnesses. Every day of your
life you testify to that which is inside of you; that which is your hope, that
in which you live, breathe and have meaning.
You testify with you words, your thoughts and your actions. You testify, and your testimony isn’t that
good. You fall short time and time
again. You speak about people behind
their back. You get drunk, you curse and
swear. You look at pornography, you
hoard your money, you don’t give and share your wealth. You hate.
You steal. You skip church
whenever you feel like. You testify and
your testimony so often is “I’m really indifferent about God. I really don’t care too much. I know what’s best for me more than some old
archaic bible.”
You make this
testimony. I make this testimony. We openly and publically deny our faith time
and time again. We testify that we are
sinners. We testify that we don’t
believe in God, or at the very least that we really aren’t that concerned about
Him. We testify that our main concern is
me, myself and I.
Sin. Sin that fills each of us. Sin that infects each of us. Sin that defines who we are. Dear friends can’t you see it in
yourself? Don’t you know that it’s
there? “What a wretched man I am! What a wretched person you are! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
For that is what
scripture testifies to. If you are in
sin, you are dead. If you turn your back
on God, he will condemn you to eternal flames and fire and torture. He will send you to the outer darkness where
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, and where the worm will not die. Scripture’s testimony about sin is
clear.
Our actions and
words testify against us. Scripture
testifies about our sin. And when we are
confronted with this testimony, there is only one conclusion: We are doomed. We have no hope. Our sin is so great that there is no rescue
within us. We cannot by our own reason
or strength believe or save ourselves.
We have chosen the wrong course, and we cannot, no matter what we do,
change that course.
But there is a
testimony that is true, a testimony that speaks on our behalf. A testimony of three things that assure your
rescue, three things that testify that you are forgiven, that you will be
saved. Water. Blood. Spirit. These three agree in their testimony. That you are forgiven because Jesus has come,
has died, and has set you free from sin forever more.
There is Water
that testifies. Water that has washed
each of you. Living water that washes
your sin away, making you holy and blameless in the eyes of God. Water that in your baptism carried you
through the raging flood of sin in this world, just as it carried the ark of
Noah through the flood so many years ago.
In Baptismal water your sinful nature was drowned and killed, and a new
person, a holy person was resurrected with Jesus. Water testifies that you are forgiven.
There is blood
that testifies. Blood that was shed from
a cross, from the body of Jesus, from the body of God incarnate. Blood that poured out and speaks a better
word than that of Abel – that speaks a word not of condemnation but of
forgiveness. There is blood that
testifies, that as you were baptized with water you were covered in the blood
of Jesus washed whiter than snow. The
blood of Jesus atones for your sin before God.
It is a blood that testifies in place of your blood, blood shed instead
of yours.
This water, and
this blood both testified together on a Friday we call good, when as Jesus
cries out “It is finished” on your behalf, his own side was pierced, and what
poured forth? Water and blood! Water and blood that come from the dead and
risen again savior, water and blood that cover you to testify on your behalf
“not guilty!” “Not wrong!” Not condemned! Forgiven!
All in the name of Jesus. All for
your sake.
And finally the spirit testifies to
you today about the truth of this matter. He testifies in the Word of God that you have
now hear. He testifies in the hymns that
we have sung, the service we have participated in. He testifies to you through the words of this
sermon, delivered by this poor lowly sinner.
Dear friends, hear these words, as the Holy Spirit works faith in you –
You are forgiven in Jesus! The Holy
Spirit now calls you by the Gospel, Enlightens you with his gifts, and
sanctifies and keeps you in the one true faith.
You may be a sinner, yes, but you are a redeemed sinner through Jesus
Christ.
Water testifies that you are a new
creation in baptism. Blood testifies
that your sin was atoned for. And the
Spirit who now testifies and creates faith in you through his holy gifts.
Water, blood and spirit these three
testify – they testify that you belong to God.
Amen.
