Saint Philip & Saint James
Confirmation Sunday
1 May 2016 – Redeemer
Saint Philip and Saint James. It’s their day on the church Calendar today, but there’s not a lot about them in the New Testament. In fact there’s really nothing about James . He is James the son of Alphaeus. Sometimes he is called James the Lesser – because he isn’t James the Elder the brother of John, part of the inner three, Peter, James, and John. Nor is this James, James the brother of Jesus, who went on to be Bishop of Jerusalem. Our James today is James the lesser – James the James we know nothing about, except this – Jesus called him to faith and then called him to preach the Gospel as His Apostle.
We know a little bit more about Philip and what we learn of Philip is sort of embarrassing. He’s like the kid in confirmation class who asks questions that have obvious answers. Whenever he spoke the other apostles probably looked at him and said, “Come on Philip, everybody knows the answer.” But the fact is Philip’s questions are our questions – and we need to hear Jesus answer them.
So today Philip and James get their name in the bulletin. It is the day of Saint Philip and Saint James, but it really isn’t their day. It’s the Lord’s day because everything to celebrate and confess about James and Philip was given them by Jesus. Today your names are in the bulletin – right there in the middle and many of the people here today are here because your names are in the bulletin – Gaege, Lauren, Grace, and Aaron, but today isn’t about you. Today we rejoice and celebrate with you because of everything Jesus has given to you.
The text from Saint John 14 is a wonderful text for confirmation Sunday because it is the last sermon Jesus gave before He gave His disciples the Lord’s Supper. He’s getting ready to leave them, first in death, and then after His resurrection in the ascension, and He gives them His Word and His Supper to keep them in faith in Him.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” In this world you will have trouble, but you already know that, you’ve already had trouble. It doesn’t matter if you’re barely a teenager or you’re fifty something or 80 something you will be troubled. You might be troubled by your sin and the evil you’ve done. You might be troubled by fear or loneliness. You might be troubled by the death of those you love. You might be troubled by a world that hates God’s Word and God’s ways. Jesus says more than “Don’t worry about it.” He literally says, “Stop your hearts from being troubled.” Remember what Jesus says He does. When He told the demons, “Get out of here” they went running. When he told the stormy sea to be quiet – it became calm. When he speaks forgiveness to sinners they are forgiven,
When Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled” He takes on your troubles. He took on human flesh to take on your trouble. Jesus was a teenager once, just like you are, except without sin. He never rolled his eyes at his mom or fought with His brother. He cleaned his room before He was asked. He was tempted to sin, but never sinned. He had no sin of His own, but He took on yours – your brother and sister sins, your son and daughter sins, your lies, your anger, your disobedience. He never sinned and He took your sin. At the cross all that came together – Perfect Son, Perfect Sacrifice, carrying your sins – Christ Jesus died for sinners, for you and for me, teenager sin, pastor sin, parent sin. All forgiven, done, it is finished. Believe that and your heart can stop being troubled, because when you believe that – God the Father has you. Evil undone. Loneliness ended. Your sin forgiven. Nothing to be afraid of, not even death, because the Father has a place for you with Him forever.
In the midst of this farewell sermon of Jesus, Philip makes his request of Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” It’s one of those Philip moments, when one of the catechumens asks something so obvious the teacher just shakes his head. I think Jesus was shaking his head when he said, “Philip, how many years have you been in class. How long I have been with you, Philip? Come on, Philip, you know this. How can you say, “Show us the Father …Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”
This is what Jesus preaches to His apostles before His holy Supper. This is what He teaches you before you come to His table. I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Jesus is true God as the Father is true God. Jesus became man that we might see the Father, know the Father, and believe in the Father through His Son. Do you want to see the Father? Then look at Jesus. Don’t look at your feelings or your thoughts about who God might be or who you want him to be. The God of your head and heart will get you nowhere. Look at Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary, that little baby wrapped in a diaper. There is God for you – in Jesus – ready to risk His life for you in the womb of Mary and as a little boy when Herod wants Him dead. Look at Jesus, stripped of his clothing, nailed to the cross, suffering death and hell for you. There is God for you – bearing your sin, dying your death, enduring your hell.
All Jesus wants for His men – for Philip and James, and for you confirmands, and for all of you here today is this – to believe that whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father, and that seeing the Father in His Son you would believe in this Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And here is the amazing thing we celebrate not only on Confirmation Sunday, but all lifelong. Not only did Jesus do all of this for you, He even gives you the faith to believe in Him.
Twelve or thirteen years ago, on different Sundays throughout the year, the four of you were in the Lord’s house, for some of you that was right here at Redeemer. Very likely you were wearing a white gown, somewhat like you are today. You weren’t even two feet long and you weighed less than 10 pounds. You were helpless. You couldn’t walk or talk. Your mom and dad carried you everywhere, including to church that day. You were even more helpless before God. You couldn’t believe, save yourself, or decide you were in favor of Jesus. Your parents had passed their on sin to you and that meant you were dead, an enemy of God, the Devil’s child. You needed help, big time. But not to worry, that’s why Jesus came into the world. Before He ascended into heaven He told these same apostles – guys like James and Philip to baptize all nations (and all includes infants) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus promised that such baptizing would give the very faith we need to believe in Him. So you were baptized and as Jesus promised it worked – you believe in Him. That is what you will confess today. Your names are in the bulletin, but it’s not your day. It’s the Lord’s day, because Jesus did all this for you – He died for you. He showed you the Father and in that showed you the Way, the Truth, and the only life there is. He gave you baptism and in baptism the Spirit gave you faith so you could see the Father, know the Father, and be loved by the Father. Happy day of Saint James and Saint Philip. Happy confirmation. Happy Lord’s day. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
30 April 2016 anno Domini