In Jesus Holy Name November 4, 2007
Text: Revelation 6:9-11 All Saints Day, Redeemer
“The Saints of God”
November 1st was “All Saints Day.” But our culture, our children, our economy celebrated “All Hallowed Eve” with great enthusiasm. What did we gain? Millions of dollars spent on candy and costumes, raised sugar level in every child, a nightmare of frustration for every parent and teacher.
The early Christian believers, as far back as the 3rd and 4th Century set aside one day a year to remember and honor all Christian martyrs.
The word Martyr conjures up scenes of Roman arenas where early Christians were pitted against wild animals. Martyr, the root meaning of the word is “witness”. It was first used in reference to early Christians like Stephen, (Acts 7) and later the apostle James, who were put to death for their confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
In the 2nd century, Polycarp, the Bishop of the church at Smyrna was given a choice. He was unwilling to call Caesar “God”. He was taken to the stake. Before the fires were lit, his captors said: “Come now, bishop, where is the harm in just saying ‘Caesar is Lord’ and offering incense, when it will save your life?”
Polycarp replied: “eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I then blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
Through the centuries countless others have made the same confession. The Apostle Paul was put to death by Nero. One of Martin Luther’s fellow monks was captured in the Netherlands and burned at the stake. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and shot in 1945. Rachel Scott, a devout Christian teen, active in her youth group at Orchard Road Christian Church, was the first student killed in the Columbine High School Massacre, April 20th 1999.
Another new but unfamiliar name, whose soul now rests at the altar of God because of the Word of God and the testimony he maintained was Pastor Bae Hyung-Kyu. Pastor Bae led a medical team from South Korea to Afghanistan. The plan was to alleviate physical and spiritual suffering. But the Taliban terrorist had another agenda. On July 19th 2007, radical Islamic insurgents kidnapped 27 South Koreans traveling by bus through southern Afghanistan.
During 40 days of captivity the team members from Saemmul Community Church, located south of Seoul, Korea were relocated, beaten and made to endure forced labor.
The Muslim Taliban tried to convert the Christian hostages. Pastor Bae Hyung-kyu refused. He was shot ten times, in the head, chest and stomach. Another hostage was also murdered. The others were released after a 20 million dollar ransom was paid. Guess whose taking the brunt of the criticism? It’s not the Taliban. It’s not the Korean government. It’s the Christian community. A Korean newspaper wrote: “religious groups should realize once and for all that dangerous missionary and volunteer activities in Islamic countries…..harm Korea’s national objectives and place other Koreans under tremendous duress.” (Christianity Today November 07 p. 22)
Saints are not only those who confessed Jesus Christ as Lord at the cost of their earthly existence. Saints are also you and I who live and claim Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The Apostle Paul began his letter to the congregation at Philippi: “Paul & Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi.” His letter to the church at Ephesus begins with the same words…..”to saints in Ephesus. The faithful in Christ Jesus.”
He plainly calls all Christians “saints”. The Christian is a living paradox; a perfect saint by justification by faith, a very imperfect saint according to his personal life. Martin Luther wrote: “We are all saints, to call yourself a saint is an act of gratitude and confession to God who blessed us…for God has sanctified you in baptism and adores you with His holy word.”
Last week we heard these words of scripture: “There is a righteousness from God that comes by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
My Friends. No other religion offers such a message. All others demand the right performance, the right sacrifice, the right chant, the right ritual, the right experience. Theirs is a kingdom of barter and trade offs; you do this and your God will give you what you want.
Those who live in the kingdom of Jesus know that Christianity is different. It is a kingdom where membership is given not purchased. God speaks a word of grace, undeserved, difficult to comprehend, hard to believe. God, because of Jesus, his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave pronounces every believer, “not guilty”. He declares us righteous, at peace with Him, all our failures pardoned, all our sins forgiven.
How can a God who is righteous simply turn his back on all our sin? How can He just dismiss the enormous debt that we had accumulated? Can God just sweep it under the rug? No!
That is what the cross is all about. God placed all our sins, all the commandments we have broken on the cross of Jesus and left them there…and by that process He takes away Satan’s ability to accuse us. God did not spare his own son.
Paul writes in Romans: “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Jesus.” In Romans 6:22 Paul writes: “but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
The cross is not just a symbol of execution and death, now it is a symbol of grace, God’s undeserved love for sinners. A saint confesses this reality.
Denise Bonderman, from Hannibal, Missouri, tells about an experience with her final exam in the youth ministry class at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri:
‘When I got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with us before the test. Most of his review came right from the guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I had never heard. When questioned about it, he said they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn’t argue with that.
“Finally, it was time to take the test. “leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one, and I’ll tell you to start,’ our professor, Dr. Tom Hufty, instructed.”
“When we turned them over, to my astonishment every answer on the test was filled in. My name was even written on the exam in red ink. The bottom of the last page said: “This is the end of the exam. All answers on your test are correct. You will receive an A on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced grace.”
We very seldom experience grace like that. More often we experience the cold hard reality of justice. At the foot of the cross of Jesus we hear the words, “you are forgiven”. There is no more need for self-justification. It is a gift of grace.
Every martyr stood firm unmovable from this promise of God. Yes, they gave up their earthly existence, and now rest at the altar of God awaiting their resurrected body. We who are still alive are also saints in the eyes of God the creator and judge as we stand under the umbrella of God’s grace demonstrated at the cross.
May God fill you with the same joy, hope and conviction to be a bold saint until that precious day when you and I can stand in the holy presence of our loving Father with all the saints who have gone before.
“Behold a host, arrayed in white; like thousand snow clad mountains bright. With palms they stand…before the throne of light. They sing their songs in endless light.
O blessed saints in bright array now safely home in the endless day….His word sustained them on their way.
