"Behold, I make all things new" (May 2, 2010)
By Rev. Steve Bagnall

In our gospel Jesus tells the disciples that they will experience a period of deep sorrow, but with the promise that after the sadness will come great joy. Today our confirmands experience the sorrow with public questioning and in two weeks they will experience the joy of confirmation. -- If they pass!

But that isn’t really what He meant. First and foremost Jesus was referring to the upcoming devastation the disciples would feel when he died. A little while and they would not see Him, and they would experience sorrow and dread beyond anything they had ever imagined. But then, on the third day, when they believed all was lost, Jesus would return with a message so powerful that sadness would never reach the core of their hearts again. Jesus would rise from the grave, death would be defeated, the disciples’ sins would be forgiven and their death would now be the pathway to God, and their bodies would be raised on the last day.

And this is the foundational meaning for us, too. Our sins are forgiven, our salvation is won, our eternal sorrow is removed.

But there are additional ways that Jesus’ words apply to us. At the time of the Resurrection the disciples thought Jesus would establish heaven on earth, that He would keep His eternal promises at that time. But no. There was a wait, a time when Jesus would return to the throne of heaven, a time when we would not see His face directly or hear His voice without the intermediary of the pastor or another voice. This time is necessary, so that more people may come to faith, more be saved.

You and I must rejoice that this delay is happening, because we were born into it. If Jesus had established paradise at that time you and I would never have known Him, never have received eternal life and a place in His family. It is definitely by His love and mercy that Jesus has left us in this interim, this middle time of waiting for His return.

But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy time. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. As Jesus describes it, “you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.” Isn’t that the time we inhabit? Sure the blessings of God continue to abound, sustaining us and revealing His love. But this is also a time of sorrow for the Christian’s heart.

Every day in America alone, about 3,700 babies are aborted, lives ended in their own mothers’ wombs. The world rejoices at what they call “reproductive rights”, and along with the Lord, the Christian heart weeps.

A husband’s anger boils over and he berates his wife, or even strikes her, or a mother hits her child in anger; people use their money for luxuries and wasteful extravagances while the hungry cry themselves to sleep and the Church begs for funds to spread the gospel to the hopeless millions; every night so many drink themselves into oblivion, unable to stop, or seeking escape, or just wanting bravado to live their lives of immorality – and we see, and we weep.

Unmarried couples share the marriage bed, lost souls look for fulfillment with the next partner, or the next, the less-popular child is picked on mercilessly, the criminal steals and threatens and hurts and throws his life away by damaging the lives of others, and we weep.

Racism lives in the hearts of many, Christians are persecuted and even killed for the Faith, hard-working families are evicted when jobs disappear, scared young people cut themselves for attention, or just to assure themselves that they can still feel something, while others disappear into the depths of drugs, war separates families at home and destroys them on the battlefield, and the Christian sees, and the Christian cries.

And we see that we are part of this all, we are sinners and our lives cause pain, pain to others, pain to ourselves, pain to God – and we weep.

And into this sorrow comes Jesus. He sees us and we see Him and we rejoice. In this same broken world filled with sorrow Christ also pours His blessings. Babies are born and baptized and grow up, Families gather for dinner, people are joined by God for a life married as one. Healing penetrates sickness and restores our loved ones. The love of friendship, the joy of a green spring, or the smile of a third-grader. Soldiers return home, wars and, young people – and not so young people – confirm their faith in Christ Jesus, and the family of God lives the blessed life as one.

And sinners, broken and lost sinners, those who have no hope, addicts, and adulterers, those who suffer after having an abortion and liars and those who give in to anger, prostitutes and greedy ones, those who pick on others, and those who are picked on, sinners, you and me, we come to Jesus and He speaks. He is here. He touches us, and we’re healed. In our souls we’re healed and lifted and restored to His family. We’re forgiven, and we see, we see that the weeping of today is only for today. The day will come, surely it will come, the day when Jesus will come, when He will come for me to receive my soul or when He will return to claim the entire earth, but that day will come and the weeping will be gone forever. All these sadnesses will be passed and they will be no more. And our sin, even the desire to sin, will be gone forever.

This is the promise of Jesus to all who trust Him for forgiveness – a promise fulfilled for those who have already left this world, those described in Revelation, a promise of hope for us who carry on, “God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

And so, as the Church, built upon our one Foundation, the death and resurrection of Jesus, together, we press on to the goal, eternal glory. And Jesus says to us, “Behold, I make all things new.” Amen.