resurrection – All Saints Lutheran Church and School

A sermon for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Jerome Leckband.

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus meets a funeral procession in the town of Nain and restores life to the dead son of a widowed mother. This account reveals the very heart of our Lord: He is the God of power, who can raise the dead; the God of compassion, who sees our grief and acts in mercy; and the God of grace, who comes to help us before we even ask.

Just as Jesus spoke life into the young man—“Young man, I say to you, arise”—so He speaks life into us. By nature we are spiritually dead in sin, but through His Word and Holy Baptism Christ raises us to new life with Him. We are united to His death and resurrection, forgiven, and made alive to live by faith in the Son of God.

This new life transforms how we face suffering and death. Even in trials, we trust that God’s love is at work, shaping our faith and fixing our eyes on the greater promise: eternal life with Christ. The miracle at Nain points us forward to the final resurrection, when Jesus will again speak the life-giving word and raise all the dead to be with Him forever. Until that day, we live in the comfort of His compassion, His victory over death, and His abiding presence with us. Listen to the whole sermon below.

We rejoice that God continues to enlarge His family! At the Great Vigil of Easter this past Saturday, All Saints’ Parish had the privilege of witnessing and participating in the new birth through water and the Word of Baby Edith, Iris, and Will in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. God promises in His Word that through the washing of Holy Baptism, He joins us to the death and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 6), causes us to be born again (John 3), saves us and causes us to become regenerate through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3), and cleanses us of all our sin (Eph. 5). We celebrate that these three children of God have received such precious and eternal gifts!

Baptism now saves you…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:21

We also got to hear the public confession of Iris, Will, Brian, Megan, and Ethan and witness their confirmation in the holy catholic faith of their baptism. Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” These five were glad to boldly confess their faith and hope in Christ and in the gifts of forgiveness and life He gives through His holy Word and blessed Sacraments. Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who brought these your servants to new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, freeing them from sin: send upon them O Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety; fill them with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer of Confirmation