The Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 21, 2024

The Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 21, 2024

Joy possesses an exuberance bordering on, and often erupting in celebration. Joy arises from a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment. Joy is drawn from us by the presence of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ promise is true: no one can take our joy from us. Our joy comes in the presence of Jesus Christ who has also given us another promise, “I will be with you until the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). Often, Jesus’ presence is obscured from us, covered over by the cares, trials, and afflictions of this world broken as it is by sin. At those times, the obscurity demands to be ripped asunder, rolled back, so that the presence of Christ would shine on us again and we would know our joy once more. The Apostle Paul has put it like this, “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” (Ro. 5:3-4). The Apostle James puts it like this, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” (Ja. 1:2). The Apostle Peter tells us, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Pe. 4:13). Suffering with its concomitant obscuring of our Lord’s presence demands the hearing of promises such as these so that the light of their truth will shine in the midst of suffering’s darkness.

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant us such ears that we would hear our Lord’s promises in your Word whenever Jesus’ presence becomes obscured by our afflictions. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant us, in the hearing of your Word of promise, that the Holy Spirit would work upon us a faith that comes to possess us. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant that being possessed by such faith we come to confidence in the presence of Jesus Christ even as we are afflicted and tormented. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant that this satisfaction and contentment extend to my neighbors both near and far such that I do not covet what is theirs. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant that my joy in the presence of Jesus Christ bursts into celebration such that my neighbors will be drawn in and celebrate as well. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant that the Institute of Lutheran Theology knows such joy in the presence of Jesus Christ. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Heavenly Father, you would have us satisfied and content, joyous, in the presence of Jesus Christ. Grant that such joy accompanies me all the days of my baptism and shines its light upon the darkness of the days while I wait for Jesus’ manifestation in glory. For Jesus’ sake. Amen