A Deeper Dive into What We Believe

Who is Jesus?

There is one question that everyone must solve, and that is, did Jesus of Nazareth rise from the dead? Because if he didn’t then the Christian faith and the church is bogus and you need read no further. But if he did, then he conquered the strongest force in the universe (death and decay), and if he conquered that, then he is above all things and Lord of all. And if he is Lord of all, then our whole lives are defined by what he has to say about our condition, along with all that he promises to us. It’s worth figuring out who Jesus is.

At Saint John Lutheran Church we believe that Jesus did rise from the dead. The world of death and decay is evidence that we are all under a capital sentence. The crime is called sin. We’re just no good at keeping God’s perfect law; and the law is his to make and ours to obey. We are all sinners. There was nothing we could do about it.

Jesus lived a perfect life and gave his righteousness to us, taking our sin to himself. That’s why he had to die. It was a trade he was willing to make because he loves us. But because he lived a sinless life, death could not keep him in the grave. He broke the power of death by rising to life so that a day will come when we too rise from the dead.

So who is Jesus? Jesus has been God from all eternity. He united himself to us humans when he was born of the Virgin Mary in the moment of conception. From that time on, he has had two natures (divine and human) in one person, Jesus Christ.

How do we know about Jesus?

The source document for knowing about Jesus is the Bible. Much of it was written before Jesus lived on this earth. We call that The Old Testament. He trusted and quoted those writings. His closest followers wrote down many of his actions and words. These we call the New Testament. We trust those too because they are eye-witness accounts that are reported by unremarkable people without guile. Furthermore, those actions and words of Jesus fulfill what was predicted of him in the Old Testament hundreds of years before.

Who is God?

God is three persons in one God; the Father, the Son (that would be Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. How that can be, we do not know, but then, if we understood him, we would be God (which we are not). Christians are comfortable with this mystery.

These three persons in one God exist and have always existed in loving communion. Furthermore, God has extended that love in his creation of the universe. We benefit from that love in his gifts of life, everything necessary to support that life, in good human relationships, in beauty and joy, and above all in the forgiveness of sins that come with faith in Jesus Christ.

How does that faith come to us?

While Jesus died and rose from the dead 2,000 years ago and far, far away, the benefits that come to us come through faith alone, and we have faith because the Holy Spirit brings Jesus to us in the Word of God and in the Sacraments. We receive these gifts from Jesus in the local church because we need them. The church is the institution God has established to get Jesus to this tormented and dying world. The church is a local gathering of people who know they are sinners and who receive our Lord’s healing medicine of forgiveness together. The church is a hospital. There are no perfect people in the church. When you visit, don’t expect to find “good” people, only forgiven sinners. When you consider visiting, don’t wait until you have your life pulled together. Just come. We all need Jesus. You need Jesus.

How does God’s word come to us?

The Lord God has chosen pastors to preach the word of God in every place. A pastor proclaims what is in the Bible, conscious of the people to whom the Lord has sent him. It’s very relational, because Jesus is relational.

What are sacraments?

A sacrament is something material to which God has attached a promise. Our Lord attaches his word to water in baptism. He commanded that it be done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In baptism we receive forgiveness of sins. We are clothed with Christ in baptism. Baptism covers us with Christ so that when God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin; he sees Jesus, and he smiles.

Our Lord has also attached his word to bread and wine so that it is his body and blood. How can that be? We have no idea. It is a mystery. Still, it seems a small matter that someone who was able to break the strongest power in the universe (death and decay) could speak and bread and wine would be his body and blood. We eat and drink the body and blood of the Lord for the forgiveness of sins. But wait! Don’t we get forgiveness of sins in baptism and believing his word? Absolutely! Why then the redundancy? It’s because our Lord is generous. How much forgiveness of sins do you want? (I hope you will answer, “as much as I can get.”)

The future

There is so much good in this life and we understandably treasure it and try to preserve it. There is also much anxiety, sadness, sorrow, and finally death. Followers of Jesus suffer all that stuff in this life and take it seriously just like everyone else. It’s just no fun. But followers of Jesus also recognize that a day is coming when he will raise us from the dead to be with him in unending joy and wonder free from all sickness, sorrow, and sin. People from every nation, from all tribes, peoples and languages, will be with us taking in all that joy and wonder too. There will be peace, contentment, and joy unlike anything we can currently imagine. How do we know that? Because he promised it, and he always makes good on his promises in his time. There’s just so much to look forward to in Christ Jesus.

Curious and want to learn more?

You can learn about The Lutheran Church – Missouri synod here: https://www.lcms.org/.

You can read the full text of The Book of Concord here: https://ctsn.edu.in/library/resources/for-the-church/book-of-concord/.