The Bethany Bullet Sermon Message - Week of April 12, 2020

From Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 12^th

Link to Worship Video for 4/12/20 – HERE

*If unable to open link copy/paste this into your browser: http://www.bethanylutheran.org/worship-service-resources/

*Direct link to Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/405242754

Link for printing Sunday’s Bulletin for 4/12/20 – HERE

*If unable to open link copy/paste this into your browser:  

http://216716c740411890a61b-baadebb03584b8c460640ee327586b9d.r93.cf2.rackcdn.com/uploaded/e/0e10118536_1586534603_easter-2020-updated.pdf

1^st Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25

2^nd Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Holy Gospel: Luke 24:1-12, 36-47

“Such a high priest meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” Hebrews 7

By His perfect sacrifice and His victorious resurrection Jesus has opened the kingdom of heaven to us, and all believers. We have through the Risen One become a royal priesthood. The Reformers saw in this Scriptural truth something which was out of step with the teaching of the medieval church. The Bible clearly taught that no longer do God’s children require an earthly intermediary to approach their Father, but they themselves have, through faith in Christ Jesus, direct access to God, they can present their petitions to Him, received from Him the fullness of His blessings, and share His Good News with others, without needed mediation of a priest or saint.

Though we are celebrating that Jesus has burst forth from the tomb, we are still, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, entombed in our homes. This is when the priesthood of all believers, what the Reformation dubbed this Biblical teaching, becomes all the more vital to understand, embrace and live out! YOU can go to the throne of God directly, through faith in Christ and for His sake, and bring your prayers and petitions to Him.

Of course, this teaching doesn’t make our faith life a solo event. Far from it, priest of God you can also intercede on behalf of your brothers and sisters.

V  You can, O priest of God, lift up our nation, and world in prayer in this time of need.

V  You can, O priest of God, speak a Word of comfort, peace or promise to troubled hearts, guilty consciences, and lonely spirits.

V  We can, O priests of God, declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light; and who will call us out of this present darkness into the bright future He has in store for His chosen people, His royal priesthood.

-Pr. Kevin Kritzer