In Jesus Holy Name November 3, 2024
Text: Revelation 7:9-17 All Saints Day, Redeemer
“All Saints Day, A Day of Remembering”
It is possible that many of us are still recovering from “All Hallow Eve” and thus may have overlooked November 1st , an important religious “holy” day. The theme of today’s worship finds its roots reaching deeply into the soil of church history. Christians have gathered to worship God and thank him in word and song, as they remember their loved ones. The celebration of All Saints Day is not new, as far back as the 3rd and 4th Century the early believers set aside one day a year to remember and honor all Christian martyrs. It is a day of remembering.
At the same time we know that the apostle Paul began his letter to the church in Corinth with these words: …to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints ….. all those who call on the name of Jesus Christ……..” The Apostle Paul began his letter to the congregation at Ephesus with these words…..”to the saints in Ephesus.
St. Paul called these Christians saints, not because they were leading exemplary lives, but because they belonged to God through their baptism. In Deuteronomy 6 Moses reminded the Israelites that they “were a people holy to the Lord their God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people His treasured possession.” I might add, not because of their behavior but because of God’s love.
The Apostle Peter, writing to his fellow Christians picks up on the same theme reminding them and us that we are now the new “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God so that we may declare the praise of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonder light” and truth. Both Paul and Peter are making the point. We are all saints by virtue of our baptism into Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Phyllis McGinley writes: “The wonderful thing about saints is that they were human. They lost their tempers, got hungry, scolded God, were egotistical or testy or impatient in their lives, made mistakes and regretted them. Still they went on doggedly blundering toward heaven.” Her words echo Luther when he said that we are both “saint and sinner” at the same time.
Martin Luther used the term: “Simul Justus et peccator”; Meaning that we are at the same time saint and sinner. I love the way the writer to the Hebrews (10:14) “For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Ah, there it is…. We are “holy” because God has transferred to each believer the perfection of Jesus, whose sacrificial blood shed on the cross removed our sin, and thus we are seen by God “holy in His sight, without blemish, free accusation” if we continue in our faith in Jesus. (Colossians 1:21 23) We are in the process of continually “being made holy” by the work of the Holy Spirit living through us. We are sinners by virtue of our behavior, living in the fallen image of Adam, but made holy, by virtue of our faith “in Christ”.
Through out the scriptures the saints are the people of God. A saint is a forgiven sinner. The saints are those Christians who do Christ’s work. They are members of local congregations through out the world. You and I are saints of God…made holy not by our own efforts….but made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ. We have been saved…in order to do good works. (Ephesians 2:9-10)
In the act of baptism, commanded by God, the child (or adult) crosses the “threshold” into the family of God and no longer stands outside the grace, love and mercy of God.
It is in that baptism moment that we are pronounced holy by God because Jesus has taken away our sins by nailing them to His cross. (Col. 2:13-14)
The Augsburg Confession states…”It is also taught among us that saints should be kept in remembrance so that our faith may be strengthened when we see what grace they received and how they were sustained by faith. Moreover, their good works are to be an example for us, each of us in our own calling.”
(Article XX)
In the 2nd century, Polycarp, the Bishop of the church at Smyrna was burned at the stake because he refused to call Caesar “God”. Before the fire was 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.
These and all who have been martyred because of their faith in Jesus now rest under the altar of God in Heaven until Jesus returns. John writes in Revelation 6 “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God.” “They were given a white robe and told to wait a little longer…”
This is why, on this All Saints Day, the church stops to remember the cloud of witnesses, family members, brothers and sisters in the faith who have died holding to the secure promises of forgiveness and salvation, guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Look at our windows. They are our reminders.
You know the names. Sometimes you even choose to sit in a different place…just so you can see the window that reminds you of a loved one. A saint now privileged to stand in the presence of Jesus. We all look forward to that day when the trumpet sounds and the Lord returns and we shall rise.
I am reminded of the words of great hymn:
O blessed saints in bright array, Now safely home in endless day.
With palms they stand, who is this band before the throne of light.
These are the saints…..they sing their songs in endless light,
Praise the Lord, who with His word sustained them… on their earthly way…
The Bible tells us that “God is love.” That’s why Jesus reminds us to: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
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 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. (Read Romans 5:1-2,6)
Last week we heard these words of scripture: “There is 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 tradeoffs; you do this and your God will give you what you want.
In contrast to every other faith, every other religion, Christianity is alone in promising a resurrected glorified body. Christianity and Christianity alone can claim, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Jesus entered this world to offer His perfect life for our sinful existence. He died the death our sins deserved; He paid the punishment price of our disobedience. Jesus took our place. He rose, physically from the grave.
That’s why Paul could write: “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
Every martyr stood firm unmovable on this promise of God. Yes, they gave up their earthly existence, and now rest at the altar of God awaiting their resurrected body. Love God and love our neighbor. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to a bright young Jewish lawyer who had been keeping the commandments to worship God but wanted to limit who his neighbor was.
The words of Jesus are true. He is my “soul keeper”. He has planted His words in my heart. I belong to the “soul keeper”, Jesus. If by chance you are afraid or unsure of your eternal address…. Listen to and accept the promise of Jesus: “In My Father’s house are many rooms and I will prepare them for your arrival… I my self will come and take you to be where I am.”
“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.
The Apostle John writes in Revelation: “When the Lamb opened the 5th seal I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the testimony of God and the testimony they maintained. They called out in a loud voice. How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our death.” On this day, we await His return.
