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LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 90

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

“The Lord has spoken.” Jesus spoke from the cross
on Mount Calvary: “It is finished!” The Lord spoke
profoundly when the angel rolled the stone away
from the tomb and it was empty. The angels’ message
to the women at the tomb resounds from the highest
throne in heaven throughout the generations: “Why
do you seek the living among the dead? He is not
here, but has risen.”
And yet, we are frightened of that grave. Why?
Martin Luther has this to say: “Thus it is not the
fault of dying and burying that you are frightened
of them, but it is the fault of your flesh and blood,
which cannot understand that its disease, death, and
grave mean nothing else than that God is laying you
gently like a child in a cradle or a bed, in which you
will sleep sweetly until the Last Day.”
There is nothing to fear or dread. The words of the
hymn ring true: “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
Jesus says, “Everyone who lives and believes in me
shall never die” (John 11:26). The Lord has spoken.
Death has been swallowed up in victory. Christ is
risen. Life is His gift to us.

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U P O N T H I S R O C K • Sermon

All that remains is the victory feast. We are blessed
with a taste of that every time we receive our Lord’s
body and blood in the Sacrament. It is the banquet
of salvation. God Himself has replaced the curse of
sin with the blessing of forgiveness. God Himself
has destroyed the disgrace of death and has given
us life. Go to Revelation 22. The way to the tree of
life is no longer patrolled by an angel with a flaming
sword. John tells us, “The angel showed me the river
of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the
throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of
the street of the city; also, on either side of the river,
the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding
its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the nations. No longer will there be
anything accursed” (Rev. 22:1–3). Eat and live.
The Lord has spoken. Death has been swallowed up
by Him who is the resurrection and the life! “The
Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer”
(Ps. 18:2). Of whom shall I be afraid? “Thanks be to
God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57)! Amen.

“Commemoration of the Faithful Departed”