Fifth Sunday of Easter

Christ Lutheran Church & School

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Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 7, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Acts 4:8–12, 1 Peter 2:4–10, John 14:1–11

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HE LIVES TO BE THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN

The gospel is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are meant for every man, woman, and child who ever lived. The gospel is also the most exclusive message in the world, for it maintains that salvation can only be found in one place—the person of Jesus Christ. Just listen to how Jesus speaks: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus doesn’t say, “I will show you the true way to eternal life.” The prophets and apostles could say that. But Jesus says, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life you crave.” And note that definite article: “the,” not “a”! Jesus is not a way into heaven. He is the way. There is no other way than through faith in the One who died and rose again.

The unbelieving world finds this claim—that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven—to be the most offensive teaching in all of Scripture. Yet this is the very truth upon which Christ builds his Church.

Seventh Sunday of Easter

May 21, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Acts 1:12–26, 1 Peter 4:12–17, 1 Peter 5:6–11, John 17:1–11

HE LIVES TO GIVE ME EAGER EXPECTATION OF GLORY The Church waits. The Church in Jerusalem waited for ten days between Christ’s ascension and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. The Church today waits through the millennia between Pentecost and Christ’s second coming. We are waiting for the gifts that Jesus promised. We live in eager expectation of glory! That glory is not dimmed by early suffering. Rather, our current sufferings only remind us of the glory that awaits us. We are simply following in Christ’s footsteps. First comes the cross, and then comes the crown. Knowing what is coming lets us view our current light and momentary troubles. They cannot mute the joy of living in eager expectation of glory. While we wait during this time between Christ’s ascension and return, we live knowing that we will suffer persecution for our faith in Christ, but God will work it for glory.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 17, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • 1 Peter 3:15–22

God accomplishes His purposes through the witness we give in word and deed.

Pentecost Sunday

May 28, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Acts 2:1–21, 1 Corinthians 12:3–11, John 7:37–39

HE LIVES TO POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT Fifty days after the Passover, God’s Old Testament people celebrated Pentecost (Greek for “fifty”). Pentecost commemorated the harvest gathering and was also used to remember the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, the start of the Church of Israel. Christ chose Pentecost to be the birthday of his New Testament Church too. By pouring out his Holy Spirit, Christ empowered the Church to gather in the great harvest of souls won by the Son. Pentecost is the third great festival of the Church, along with the Nativity and the Resurrection. The early church fathers mention the Festival of Pentecost often enough to lead many to believe it was celebrated annually at the time of the apostles. Pentecost closes the fifty-day period after Easter and ends the festival half of the church year. The Church dresses in red this day to remind us of the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift, as well as the blood of the martyrs, which was the seed of the Church.