1 John 3:1-3
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today we're celebrating All Saints Day and our readings throughout throughout the day have pointed to all sorts of things that point to the the beauty of God's salvation, and the the eternity of what he has done for us. All Saints Day has a long history. It begins with the very first Christian martyrs. The when the church was gathering together and beginning to worship, very quickly, Christians were killed for the faith. And so what they started to do was they would celebrate and remember the anniversary of that debt day. So they would remember each saint in local places, in honor of their sacrifice of being called a murderer or a witness for the faith. Eventually, congregations started to exchange remembrance dates. And it wasn't very long before there were far more than 365 murders. You can imagine that having a new worship service every single day for every single murder would pile up very quickly. So the church decided that they were going to celebrate a calendar of martyrs and saints, and then pile up all the rest on a single day. Today, well, actually November 1, we're celebrating it today on Sunday. Now, this was just the saints, the murders, and those who were canonized in the church, they quickly moved to having another celebration for all the Christians who have gone on in the faith called All Souls Day, which is November 2. Now we in the Lutheran church, we don't really recognize a distinction between the saints that are on our calendar, and the saints that are not, since we are all holy and perfect in Christ, there is no extra special merit to those who we call, add that little title saint in the front of. And so today on No, well, November 5, as we remember, November 1, we remember all those Christians who have died in the faith, who've passed on into into Heaven, to be with their Savior, and await the day that he returns. And our readings point us to all of those things, point us to the reality of the promise of Christ, that those who have gone before us in the faith are with him, and the hope that we have as Christians while we to wait for that day. Today, I am looking at the Epistle reading from First John chapter three. And what it teaches is an important concept in the Christian Church, which theologians call the now. And the not yet. The now and the not yet. What we mean by that is that God has given us a gift in Jesus Christ, eternal life through our Savior. And we have it both now. And also not yet. Which is fun, right? How can you have something now and also not yet? Like if I have a book, I can read it now. And if I don't have it, I haven't not yet. But I can't do both. Right. Even if I order something on Amazon, and I technically own it, it still takes at least two days to get here. And so it's just not yet. But God has delivered us a promise that is both now. And not yet. We have the gift of God through our Savior, Jesus Christ of eternal life. He came he died for us. And he has given us His Holy Spirit, so that we can believe in him and receive that salvation by faith. And yet at the same time, it has not yet been fully fulfilled. We're still waiting for something. The promise is not yet as well. So we can say yes, we have eternal life now. And yet, also, not now. We are waiting for something more. And that's what I'd like to explore as we look at this passage from First John, chapter three. Let's dig in. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And so We are. This is part of the now piece of the promise that we are called children of God, not just called children of God, we are actually children of God. And we know this because everyone who is baptized has been adopted by God, through Jesus Christ. It begins with the story of Jesus's baptism. When he goes into the Jordan River, the father looks down on him and says, This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. And then it goes to the words that St. Paul gives us about our baptism. When he says, Do you not know that all who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into his death. We were buried with them. Therefore, by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. What that means is that in our baptisms, we joined with Christ, to die with him and to rise with him. Only a few chapters later, St. Paul tells us that we have this spirit of adoption as sons where he says, But you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him, in order that we may be glorified with Him. Similarily he says something like that in Galatians, chapter three, for in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, at put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. God has made you, his children, by baptism, by being adopted into the family through Jesus Christ. And this is the great love of God, that he came down to come to you. And that you don't have to wonder how Jesus's death and resurrection applies to you. It was put on you with water, and the word. You are children of God. And you have that right now. By the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, the next passage that John writes, gives us a reasonable question. He says, The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. He anticipates the question we might have. And it's pretty clear that question is, wait a second, if I am a son of God, adopted into his family, and God is all powerful, almighty, creator of heaven and earth, if he can speak reality into existence, if his son can walk on water and calm waves and create bread out of nothing. Why does life sometimes bad? Shouldn't we be on top of the world? Shouldn't the children of the Almighty king of creation have everything we want? Well, this is what he says. The reason why the world does not know us, it is that it did not know Him. That is it did not know Jesus. It's very simple. By being adopted into the family of God, we are adopted to be like Christ. And we have to remember what that story is like. Jesus took up across. He carried it as far as he could until his broken body could no longer lifted anymore, and someone else had to do it. And he went to the top of the hill. He was nailed there. And then he died. That was the ultimate rejection of the Son of God, all powerful, almighty Jesus Christ. That's what we're adopted into. we're adopted into a life of following our Savior. And it looks just like Jesus's
We are fortunate that we are unlikely to face that kind of suffering and death. We're unlikely to face the whippings and the beatings and the nailing to a tree. But still, the world does not know us. That's actually something to rejoice in. It's something to rejoice in when we're counted worthy to be rejected by others, just like our Savior was because it means we're in good company, right? When the apostles in the beginning of Acts were first arrested and beaten and released, they rejoice for being counted worthy of suffering for the name of Jesus. And so we too, can rejoice in that. Because our suffering is not just random pain. But following in the footsteps of our Savior. John continues, Beloved, we are God's children now. And what we will be, has not yet appeared. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. Now, John gives us hope. And knowing that the story of Jesus didn't end on the cross, you know, he went to the cross, and he was nailed there, and he died. And then they took him down, and they put him in the tomb. And by his own almighty power, he came back from the dead. Death could not hold him. And he came up. And all of his glory was revealed. This Jesus who was once hungry, who once got tired, who, who was broken and beaten and dead could now do amazing things that he never did while he was alive. While he was in his humble part of his ministry, he would disappear and reappear in places. He would walk through doors and appear to His disciples. Jesus appeared in all his glory at that moment. And what John is reminding us is that he is coming to appear again. He says, We are God's children now, just like Jesus rejected by the world, fit in a world filled with suffering. And on the day that he appears, we will be like Him. John is helping us imagine that there are two realities stacked on top of each other. In this fallen world, we have the reality that we see. It's the reality of sin and death and sadness, a reality where there's sometimes suffering and sometimes joy. And then we have another reality, the resurrected reality, the promise that God has given us through the sun Jesus Christ, this is our true identity. This is who God has made us by the power of the Spirit in our baptism, and both of them are layered on top of each other, existing simultaneously in the same space. And what happens when Jesus appears, the old will just go away. And all that will remain is who God has made us in our baptism. We will appear as he appears, we will rejoice in his salvation and fully received the gift that is promised. We have this now. And yet, the old is still on top of it. When the not yet comes when Jesus returns that will be gone. And everything will be perfect. As it says in our reading from Revelation, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. That is the vision of the hope that we have. That under the day Jesus returns. He will give us fully this promise. But what it also means is that we have that now. We are not waiting for eternal life. Eternal life is here with us just in a hidden way. On that day when he returns everything will be be revealed. Everything will be perfect. And even better. It will be revealed not just for the US who are here today, but also for all the Christians who have gone before us, all of the people who are up in heaven around the throne of the Lamb, waiting for the day of the return, they will rise from the dead, and they will appear as he is, and be like him just as we will. Whether it is tomorrow, or 1000 years from now, all Christians will return and rise from the dead, all Christians who are baptized into the sonship, to be children of God.
John continues, and everyone who thus hopes in him, purifies himself, as he is pure. So if we are children of God, if we have this eternal life and salvation Now, John says, well, let's live in it. Right? If you have been raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, just as Christ was, if you are united with Christ in His death, and resurrection, and made pure as children of God, let's live it just as Jesus did. were empowered to do that through the Word and the sacraments. And yet, it's difficult under the weight of this fallen world. That's why we're here to encourage one another to live in the purity that God has made us to live in the good works that God has created for us. As we leave this place, and go out into the world, to love and serve, and care, and the purity and perfection that God has given us, until we pass into the church that waits in heaven for Christ's return. This is the doctrine that we have heard the now and the not yet that we are God's children now and yet, the fullness of that promise has not yet been revealed. And our challenge is to live as God's children now, while we wait for the not yet when the perfection will come. In Jesus name, Amen.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai