Christ died for..?

Lent 2, 2021

Romans 5:1-11

“Christ died for..?”

Recording of Redeemer Lutheran Church worship service.

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

            It’s bound to happen that there will be someone you know that likes to boast about their accomplishments. Sometimes this can start to get on your nerves. I remember a classmate at the Seminary that seemed to boast about everything. For example…if I got a 92% on a hard exam he boasted about getting a 95%. And if I lamented that I had failed on a quiz and earned a 52% he would boast about doing even worse and earning a 48%. It wasn’t a “sorry to hear you didn’t do well…if it makes you feel better…” He always seemed to do better than me and worse than me. The boasting drove me nuts.

          I have heard and seen those outside of the Church express those same feelings towards Christians and the Church. Some see Christians and the Church as boasting about being better people. They see Christians as being similar to the Pharisees in Jesus’ time that focused on themselves and for others to be as good as they were. When the world sees that…they see the Church as being filled with hypocrites. And too often they might be right in their assessment.

          There are many Christians that seem to boast. There are some that will say that as Christians they no longer sin. There are times when it seems Christians claim to be better than those around them. The Church is filled with hypocrites…for the Church is filled with sinners. Forgiven sinners.

          Yet Christians should be boasting. Kind of sounds absurd at this point doesn’t it. But what does Scripture say in our text? “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

          Did you catch the part about boasting in there? kaucwmeqa is translated as “rejoice” in our text. Yet it can also be translated and might be better translated as boast. Saint Paul says: “boast in our hope…” and “boast in our suffering…” Yes, we rejoice…but we also boast; we speak out with pride about our hope and suffering.

          Why would we boast about these things? What are we really boasting about? This makes all the difference. Christians ought boast of Christ in any and in every situation…especially during the struggles of this life!

          Our boasting is in Christ alone and what He does. We boast that Christ has brought peace and hope. We boast that Christ has reconciled the world and won salvation for all. Our boasting should never be about ourselves; what we have done; what we have earned. Our boasting is always about Christ and what He has done…not only for me…but for the world.

          Christians get to boast; rejoice, shout out… that Jesus died for all! That all are sinners. That all are born sinful. That all are enemies of God. That all fall short. All of us… you, me, and everyone in this world… all of us need a Savior. And we get to boast that Jesus died for all people! Not just the wealthy or poor. Not just those who are important or well known. Not just a few people. Not just for Germans…or Europeans, or Americans. Not just for Lutherans. Christ died and rose for all! And offers all forgiveness and life.

          Truly, Jesus was born for, died for, and rose for the ungodly; for God’s enemies! Jesus came to save the worst among us, the lowest among us, the unwanted among us. ALL. And make no mistake…each and every Christian is a sinner and before faith an enemy of God. But that’s what makes this text to wonderful…that we rejoice and boast about it.

          “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)

          Dear brothers and sisters in Christ you have much to boast about. You may boast about the peace you have through Christ. You may boast of the hope you have in the resurrection. You may boast that in Christ you have been made a child of God. You may boast that you have been saved and promised life eternal in paradise. And you may boast that these wonderful blessings that bring you joy are for EVERYONE!

          These gifts allow us to be like this… “there once was a family that lost three of its four children within just two weeks from a virulent disease. One child was left, a four-year-old boy. The family had buried the third child just two weeks before Easter. On Easter morning the parents and the remaining child went to church. The mother told her Sunday school class about the resurrection of Christ. The father read the Easter story in Sunday school as he led the devotions. People who knew of their great loss wondered how they could do it. On the way home, a 16-year-old youth asked his father, “Dad, that couple must really believe everything about the Easter story, don’t they?” “Of course they believe it,” said the father. “All Christians do.” “But not as they do,” said the youth.”

          By faith live your Christian life in such a way that rejoices, confesses, shares and boasts to the world Jesus and His resurrection. Boast and rejoice in a way that shows the world that your faith; your hope, your joys…even in the midst of problems and suffering. Rejoice and boast for all good gifts are from God and they are offered for all.

          Rejoice! Boast! Christ has died for you. Your sins are forgiven. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.