In Jesus Holy Name April 21, 2010
Text: Matthew 16:13-15 Easter V Redeemer
“Confirmation: A Day For Decision”
(read the text)
It is still a good question. The validity of the question Jesus asked Peter has not changed.
Today is Confirmation Sunday, a day that is part of a long Lutheran tradition. Some churches have pictures of confirmation classes on their walls that go back as many as 100 years. It is a day filled with much honor. Many of us here have memories of interview with the church elders, sitting in the front row of the congregation with white robes or new suits. It was a big family day, relatives would travel for miles to be with you. (in the 10:15 service show the confirmation photo of Grandma Eisberg from the 1890’s)
Parents and sponsors, grandmothers and grandfathers all want to hear you answer the question that Jesus asked: “Who do you say that I am?”
It is not a new question. It was asked in the 1st century and now in the 21st century. As Jesus strolled around the temple during the festival of Dedication, Jewish leaders were asking…. “How long will you keep us in suspense? Are you the Messiah?” John tells us the answers varied.
Some of the Jews thought Jesus was demon possessed and was raving mad. Others disagreed. (read John 10:19-20)
In a recent article from Christianity Today (April 2010) Gerald McDermott told about his hike in Galilee on the 40 mile path from Nazareth to Capernaum. Along the way he visited with Jews, Arab Christians, Muslims and asked what they thought about the man from Galilee. Many Arabs believed that Jesus walked on the water, raised Lazarus from the dead. Marweh at age 23 was a college graduate and a mother of two believed in the virgin birth but does not believe that Jesus is God…. He was only a great prophet. Another man, Gutman Lock, a Jewish religious teacher in Jerusalem stated that Jesus was a Jew but his “delusions” prove he had a demon... Not much has changed since the first century in regards to the claims of Jesus.
When we began our “confirmation classes” one of the first memory cards our confirmands were given required them to memorize the answer to this question?
Christianity is one of many world religions. What makes a person a Christian?
a. Believe in the doctrine of the Trinity
b. Believe that Jesus is God in flesh
c. Believe and accept justification by faith
d. Imitate Jesus
Then through out the year they studied the bible, Luther’s small catechism and memorized bible passages like: Colossians 1:15: “Christ is the visible presence of the invisible God, the first born of all creation, by him all things were created.” Or Ephesians 2:8-9 “for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it is a gift of God…” or II Corinthians 5:21 God made (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In his book Future Shock, Alvin Toffler explains how in this modern world of rapid change, confusion over choice, we all need a “stability zone” of regular habits, rituals, beliefs and a reference point that keeps us grounded.
We and our Confirmands who live in the 21st century are surrounded by Biotechnology: genetic engineering, artificial life, bionic medicine. Technology, nanotechnology are out running our theology and ethics. Issues of abortion, genetic engineering, euthanasia, designer babies, corrective surgery on infants not yet born are all part of the biotechnology. If you have a pace maker or a knee or hip replacement you are already part human and part machine.
We live in a pluralistic culture where many different religious voices clamor for our allegiance. It is a culture that tells its children… “there is no truth”. Satan has managed to take truth out of the culture so that people now believe that one point of view is just as valid as another…. We have arrived back at Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What is truth?”
Did you ever think that a Christian like Franklin Graham would be denied the right to speak at the Pentagon Day of Prayer? 2010 The world is still trying to deny Jesus, and the day of judgment coming…
Several years ago a very popular murder mystery novel was made into the movie: “The Da Vinci Code”. It was a great read if you like murder mysteries. It was written by Dan Brown. It had twists and turns. For those of you not familiar with this novel, the Da Vinci Code claims that Jesus was secretly married to Mary Magdalene. At the crucifixion of Jesus she was pregnant. The mystery novel relates how Mary Magdalene escaped to Gaul, modern day France. She gave birth to a daughter from whom descended ancient kings of France.
The existence of the blood line and descendants were kept secret until discovered by the Crusaders (1099) and then the Knights Templar were established to keep the secret and protect the blood line.
Jonathan Morris, a priest who writes a column for Fox News had this to say about the Da Vinci Code. “Dan Brown is capable of passing fiction for fact….because Christians don’t know their faith, what and why they believe in Jesus. That is not Dan Brown’s fault.”
This is the culture we are living in. This is the culture these confirmands are living in. And so, as parents, and grandparents we are rightly concerned about their spiritual formation. For the past year we had them do their own study in the bible. Today they stand before the congregation to confirm their faith. They know that confirmation is not graduation from church….
Listen to some of their comments which they made to the elders:
“I know that Jesus created everything. Without Jesus we humans wouldnot even be alive at this moment. The other reason I say that Jesus means life to me is because he died for me on the cross and rose from the dead. If we lived without Jesus… this world would be a mess.”
“Jesus is my savior as he should be everyone’s savior. My bible verse said: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Well that verse to me means that there are people who heard the preaching of His word but didn’t really listen to it and went about their day not even caring. But if you listen and obey ….his word it can change your life and we are blessed through doing so.”
“…confirmation is starting us on our journey in the real world and adulthood (kind of)the most important thing to remember for the rest of our lives is that God is there and we need to believe and trust in Him. …that sounds easy but ….the devil is going to be tempting us in so many difficult and unique ways…”
My bible verse reminds me that “I can give everyting to God, like my problems, worries, and fears and know that God will always be there to help me get through them…..where it says “he will never let the righteous fall, I think it means he will always be there and loves us so much that we can get past any situation in our life, trusting in him….”
“My bible verse is Romans 1:16 “for I am not ashamed of this good news about Jesus… it is the power of God at work saving everyone who believes…” I don’t know if pastor gave me this verse on purpose but I feel it strongly describes me as a Christian. I am the type of person that fights for what I believe … I am not ashamed of this good news…”
In this world culture, God is still seeking to connect to those who are drifting in a cultural sea of religious pluralism without a rudder. People want to know what gives life value.
God created every human being with a desire to be connected to Him. God is sending you and me. We live in this culture, but we are not going to be a “gated community”, a “gated church”, isolated from the world. God is at work in the hearts and minds of our irreligious, non-Christian, unbelieving friends. You and I are the vessels God uses to communicate His love and to clarify His truth to people He cared enough to die for.
As disciples of Jesus we know that we have been reconciled, accepted by God. He is our friend. The bible tells us that God has justified us, he sees us just as if we had never sinned because of our faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the grave. (Romans 5)
How can the unchurched, non believing, irreligious person know and experience this love of God? How can they believe in God if they don’t have a true picture of God? How can they hear about God’s love without someone telling them. Someone has to be sent. (Romans 10:14) We are sending these confirmands into the world where they live work and play….so that the Holy Spirit can use them to lead others to Jesus.
Your parents, your grandparents encouraged you and worked with you in your study of God’s word so that someday your own grandchildren will look at your confirmation photo’s and say… that’s my grandmother, that my grandfather.
May God grant you the wisdom to pass on your faith in Jesus to the next generation.
