Now this is something to sing about: Your Father in heaven has won the battle. He has won the battle against sin, death, and the devil for you. Those are enemies so enormous that all your might and all your life together with the lives of all other people who ever lived could not fight or win.
He has laid down the life of His only Begotten from eternity and taken it up again to live and to rule before His face as your advocate and your friend.
The chasm was too great for you to jump across. No effort on your part would ever make things right. Just as God created you out of love to be here and now, He also redeemed you then and there in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, Who is here and now, preaching to you
His anger is turned away,
And He comforts you.
Behold, God is your salvation,
You will trust and not be afraid;
For the LORD GOD is your strength and song,
And He has become your salvation.
Your song. Your song indeed. A song He has given you to sing even if you cannot sing in tune. It’s okay. His flesh and blood paid the price. You need not sulk. You need not worry. You need not be afraid. The forgiveness of sins and everlasting life shall be lavishly bestowed upon you, and already has been by the washing of regeneration, which is His baptism of you, as God your Father in heaven reached down with water and Word to encompass you into Christ Jesus, His life, his body, His love, His work for you, all of which He gladly imparts to you not just on this day, but forever and ever.
That’s something to sing about.
When your LORD Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life freely and took it up for you says, “He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you,” He is doing that very thing here and now. He is presenting first into your ears that His life is your victory. His death is your victory. His resurrection is your victory. He is your victory. He is all things. He came from the Father out of His everlasting love. He laid down His life out of that same everlasting love. And by His Holy Spirit He takes of what belongs to the Father and imparts it to you.
That has always been His aim. He did not , and does not, do this under duress. He does not whine, complain, balk, hesitate, or wish, but does what must be done to cleanse you from your filth.
There is no possible way you could wash yourself from sin. You might give it a try. You might try to cover it up so no one notices. But, as you know, in this day, God knows your heart. He made you. He brought you into this world. You’ve heard it. Every hair on your head is numbered.
So do not go about thinking He does not know. The rest of us may not. But we are not your judge when it comes to eternity. No man is. The One Who took upon Himself your flesh and blood and Who was crucified and is now risen from the dead for you is your judge, and He says this: The price has been paid in full. You are free. You need not fear.
That’s something to sing about.
When someone you love says they are going away, and you do not know if you will ever see them again, it fills your heart with sorrow. Their presence brings you friendship and joy. They speak your language. They know what you know. They share in your life in some way, even though, because of sin, there is a kind of distance. There’s always that distance, isn’t there? Even if it is between you and your spouse or your own children.
In this day, Christ Jesus tells you that it is to your advantage that He depart from the world in bodily form.
Let’s just ponder this from the most basic perspective: Just imagine that Christ Jesus, after laying down His life for you and taking it up again were still hanging around in His risen body for TV cameras and social media to make a spectacle of Him? You know that is exactly what would happen. He would be a star greater than Ringo Starr.
But no. He ascends to the Father, and embeds all that He is and says by His Holy Spirit into the Word that is preached to you this day, so that you, to your advantage, may partake of His glory in the midst of the communion of saints. There is no distance now between you and the Maker of the heavens and the earth.
He takes what is the Father’s and imparts it to you. This He can do, because as the Maker of all things visible and invisible, He has taken upon Himself your flesh and blood without sin, and made payment for your sin. He is risen from the dead.
That’s something to sing about.
It is difficult to believe. It is impossible to believe apart from the Holy Spirit. But it remains as a fact, that the benefits, the substance, the very being of God the Father are delivered to you in this place, and also daily and richly through the apostolic ministry He has set forth right here and right now.
That’s something to sing about.
And you do. How can you not? You say you cannot carry a tune in a bucket? I say you carry the most beautiful tune in your body and life as one who has been joined to Christ Jesus and his benefits, even if all you do is cry and scream like an infant.
This love. This love of God. This love which is from everlasting, and endures throughout time and eternity, is a love that will never die, will never grow tired. Will never grow old.
So sing some more, sing loud. Sing in tune our out of tune. Sing while putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness. Sing while in humility you receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. Sing as you, together with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven, come to this altar and receive into your mouth and body His body, and His blood, for indeed He is risen in His body, ascended to that Father, and on this day delivers you from all evil forever and ever.
