Second Sunday of Easter (April 27, 2025)

"Courageous Living Because He Lives"

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come,

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,

the firstborn of the dead,

and the ruler of the kings on earth. Amen.

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Easter gives us new life.

And Pentecost gives us the Holy Spirit, and courage.

In John 20,

the disciples hide behind locked doors,

paralyzed by fear.

But in Acts 5,

the apostles stand boldly in the temple courts,

proclaiming the risen Jesus,

even when faced with arrest and death.

What changed them?

One thing:

Jesus lives!

And because He lives,

He sends the Holy Spirit to live in them,

to empower them,

to breathe courage into their bones.

Today, the Word of God invites us into that same life:

Courageous Living Because He Lives, and Because His Spirit Lives in Us.

The Law will show us the reality of our fearful hearts.

The Gospel will show us the reality of the living Christ and His Spirit.

And Jesus Himself will stand among us again and say: "Peace be with you."

I. The Law: Fearful Hearts, Locked Doors

In Acts 5,

the high priest and his associates are furious.

Jealousy and fear consume them.

They thought that killing Jesus would end His movement.

But now, the apostles are filling Jerusalem with the message:

"Jesus lives!"

The religious leaders do what fearful hearts always do:

They try to silence the truth.

They arrest the apostles.

They command them not to speak about Jesus.

But the apostles respond:

"We must obey God rather than men."

And here, dear friends,

the mirror of the Law reflects us.

Because too often,

we have chosen differently.

We have hidden our faith when it was uncomfortable.

We have stayed silent when speaking was costly.

We have obeyed men rather than God.

Why?

Because fear still chains our hearts.

Like the disciples on Easter evening,

we hide behind locked doors —

doors made not of wood,

but doors of self-preservation, pride, and comfort.

And this is not merely weakness — it is sinful.

Jesus warns:

“Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words,

the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory,

and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)

God’s Law reveals that:

We have not trusted the living Christ.

We have not lived by the power of His Spirit.

And when we stand before the Law, we confess:

"Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Let's take a moment to reflect on our own fears and where we should seek God’s strength. I mean, think about a time when fear held you back from living out your faith. How might the Holy Spirit be calling you to approach this differently today? Let’s pause for a moment as we reflect on this question…

There is a great hymn in Hymns for the Family of God. Listen to this lyric:

Breathe on me, Breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what Thou dost love, And do what Thou wouldst do.

This prayer leads us away from fearful hearts and locked doors because,

II. The Gospel: Christ Lives and the Spirit Empowers

But thanks be to God,

the Law is not His final word.

Locked doors could not keep Jesus out.

Chains could not bind the risen Lord.

Fear could not defeat His love.

In today’s Gospel reading (John 20),

Jesus comes to His frightened disciples and says:

"Peace be with you."

Not: "Shame on you."

Not: "I’m finished with you."

But: "Peace."

He shows them His hands and His side,

the marks of their redemption.

He breathes on them and says,

"Receive the Holy Spirit."

Here is the turning point:

Christ Jesus breathes His Spirit into them.

Christ recreates them into bold witnesses.

Christ sends them out not in their own strength, but in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

And this outpouring becomes visible and full at Pentecost in Acts 2:

Bold preaching.

Healing of the sick.

Fearless proclamation.

The risen Christ lives.

And His Spirit lives in them — and in you.

In Acts 5,

when the apostles are arrested again,

it is not their strength that sustained them.

It was his Holy angels who opened the prison doors.

It is the Holy Spirit:

Speaking through them.

Healing others, merely by their shadow falling on others.

Dear friends,

this same Holy Spirit lives in you.

Not more, or less,

but exactly the same as the Apostle in Acts 5.

You are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

You are anointed with the Spirit of the living God.

You are empowered by God to live courageously — not because you are strong, but because He lives and His Spirit lives in you.

III. Application: Courageous Living Today

What does this mean for us today?

It means Easter is not just an event.

It is a way of life.

A Spirit-filled, courageous life.

In a world still locked in fear,

Christ sends you to proclaim His peace to others.

In a world still chained by sin,

Christ sends you to proclaim forgiveness.

In a world still ruled by death,

Christ sends you to bear witness to Life,

through faith in Christ alone.

And yes, there will be resistance.

There will be hostility.

There will be mockery.

There will be misunderstanding.

There may even be suffering.

But remember:

You are not alone.

Christ lives!

The Holy Spirit lives in you!

He breathes courage into your heart again and again through Word and Sacrament.

And when you fall — and you will —

He lifts you up.

When you falter — and you will —

He forgives you.

When you fear — and you will —

He speaks again:

"Peace be with you."

Dear friends,

you can live courageously — because He lives, and because His Spirit empowers you.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian during World War II. Bonhoeffer was deeply opposed to the Nazi regime and actively participated in the resistance against its oppressive policies. Despite the grave danger to his own life, he remained steadfast in his faith and convictions.

When Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned for his involvement in a plot to overthrow Hitler, he continued to inspire those around him with his courage and hope in Christ. Even in the face of execution, Bonhoeffer's last recorded words to a fellow prisoner were, "This is the end—for me, the beginning of life."

Bonhoeffer's life exemplifies the power of living courageously because of his faith in the risen Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. His unwavering commitment to doing God's will, despite the cost, illustrates how the resurrection empowers believers to face fear and adversity with boldness.

We too are called to live courageously. Bonhoeffer life reminds us that our strength comes not from our own capacities but from the living Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider your life and where you can be a witnesses of the faith

to a neighbor;

to a co-worker;

to a friend;

maybe a relative.

The very same Holy Spirit that sustained Bonhoeffer, and sustained the Apostles

LIVES IN YOU!

Conclusion:

Fear Not — Live Courageously

In Revelation 1,

John falls down before the risen Christ as though dead.

But Jesus lays His hand on him and says:

"Do not be afraid."

And today, Christ speaks that same word to you:

Do not be afraid.

Not because you are strong — but because Christ is.

Not because you are brave — but because His Spirit makes you bold.

Not because you have overcome — but because He has overcome for you.

We can live courageously, even in the direst circumstances, because He lives and His Spirit empowers us.

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

————

And today, dear friends, we are privileged to see this truth made visible before our very eyes.

In just a few moments, Landon David Sondrol will be baptized.

In Baptism, this little one will be united to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Baptism, the Spirit of the Risen Christ will be poured out, creating faith, giving life, and clothing this child with Christ Himself.

That means, Landon will not stand alone in this world.

The Spirit who made the apostles courageous will now dwell in this child — the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same Life.

This is courageous living — because He lives, and because His Spirit lives in us, even from our first breath of faith.

Thanks be to God for His marvelous gift!

Closing Prayer (St. Augustine of Hippo):

"O Lord, our Savior,

who hast warned us that thou wilt require much of those to whom much is given: Grant that we whose lot is cast in so goodly a heritage may strive together more abundantly to extend to others what we so richly enjoy; to the honor of thy Name, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."