Sermon for The Conversion of St. Paul: "Death and Resurrection"

 + The Conversion of St. Paul – January 25^th, 2026 +

Acts 9:1-22; Galatians 1:11-24; Matthew 19:27-30

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

There are a quite a few death and resurrection stories out there in the world of fantasy and sci-fi. Mr. Spock in Star Trek III. Aslan the Lion in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Sleeping Beauty.

 

What could these fictional characters in sci-fi and fantasy possibly have in common with the apostle Paul in real history? Something that is the heart of the Christian story. And St. Paul’s life. And yours and mine too.

 

Death and Resurrection.

 

Death we’re familiar with. Tragically familiar. But resurrection? That sounds too good to be true. Like a fairy tale. A legend. 

 

And yet, St. Paul’s conversion is a real life death and resurrection story built on the foundation of the greatest death and resurrection story of them all: Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

 

And this story takes place not in comic books or carefully crafted tales, but in human history. In real time and place. On a Friday afternoon, upon a cross, outside Jerusalem. Jesus is crucified under Pontius Pilate for you.

 

For Paul, Jesus’ death and resurrection meant his own death and resurrection. And that’s what he preached. Again. And again. And again.

 

 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him Crucified.

 

For Paul, as for Jesus, and for us…everything Jesus says and does. His life and teaching. His miracles and mercy. It’s a road that leads to the cross or from the cross. 

 

The Conversion of St. Paul is a death and resurrection story. For every time the Holy Spirit creates faith there’s a death and resurrection. 

 

Same goes for us. Baptism is our death and resurrection in Jesus. Christ crucified is the sum and substance of our faith as well.

Today we join St. Paul in rejoicing in and proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for us. For Jesus has also brought us back from the dead.

 

That’s precisely where Paul’s story begins. No doubt he felt alive, heading down that Damascus road breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. The high priest gave him a license to persecute. Then suddenly a blinding light. Heaven flashed before his eyes. Saul fell to the ground. Dead in his tracks. And the voice of Jesus rang out.

 

 “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

 

Saul probably thought he was going to die. The irony is that Saul was already dead — dead in trespasses and sin. His mouth was an open grave that spewed forth curses, bitterness, and deceit (Romans 3) against Christ and Christians.

 

He was blind – spiritually – and for three days, physically as well. On that Damascus road, Jesus stripped Saul of his boasting in the Law, confidence in the flesh, and zealotry, and revealed it for the rubbish it truly was.

Saul, who had so violently warred against Jesus and the Way, became utterly and completely dependent, like a newborn infant. Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do, Jesus said. Saul couldn’t even do that on his own. The men traveling with Saul led him, blind and helpless into Jerusalem. 

This is how our Lord converts us as well. We too, were enemies of God. The wages of our sin is death. Our hearts and breathe burns hot with threats and murder against our neighbors. There’s a little Saul in each of us who delights in doing whatever we think is right, and doing it with great zeal. We’re right there on the road with Saul. Enemies of God. Blind. Helpless. Utterly dependent. Dead…and in need of resurrection.

 

And that’s precisely where your story begins. You were dead  in trespasses and sin (notice the past tense)…But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

The wages of our sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

In Saul’s conversion, we see our own. We’re utterly dependent upon God’s mercy. It need not be as dramatic as experience like Saul. And yet with simple water and word, Christ gives us faith in Him the same way: death and resurrection. 

Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized.

 

Saul received new birth in baptism, and a new name too - Paul. He who used to persecute Christ is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

 

Paul’s story is a death and resurrection story. And so is yours and mine. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 

By God’s grace, how Paul lived. Walking in newness of Jesus’ crucified and risen life. By God’s grace, that’s how we live too. Each and every day…in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

A Blessed Conversion of St. Paul to each of you…

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon for Baptism of Our Lord: "Jesus in the Water"

 + Baptism of Our Lord – January 11^th, 2026 +

Series A: Isaiah 42:1-9; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Fishermen and mariners will tell you that whenever you’re near rivers, lakes, or ocean to keep and eye on the water.

 

Deep currents run swift. Those peaceful ocean waves also have violent rip currents. The tranquil, moving river hides a raging undertow. That pristine, peaceful lake suddenly drop off into the depths.

 

Keep your eyes on the water.

 

Holy Scripture does something similar. God tells us to keep an eye on the water. For wherever you find water in God’s Holy Word, you’ll soon find God working for your salvation.

 

When it comes to the streams and seas of Scripture, keep your eyes and ears on the water. Why? Jesus is in the water doing what he does best with water: rescuing. Delivering. Saving. 

 

The promise of Jesus’ rescue on the cross runs its course through all the waters of Holy Scripture. The rising tide of God’s grace and forgiveness swell the waterways of his word. Beneath the seemingly calm and placid surface of God’s Word runs a deep current that flows downstream from the rivers that watered Eden to Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan all the way to your baptism.

 

This is why Paul says “faith comes by hearing.” It’s easy to look at the Jordan River and see merely a slow-moving meandering river. But when you look with your ears you discover something far deeper in the waters of Jesus’ Baptism. The water trickles and winds its way through the land, but underneath the water there’s a battle raging.

 

When Jesus dips his toes and dives into the Jordan River the doors of the deep and the vaults of the heavens open up in a deluge of God’s divine grace. All the waters of Scripture come rushing in as John baptizes Jesus. There’s the waters of creation with the Spirit hovering once again. There’s the flood and the ark and the dove resting on the Son of God and the Son of Rest and the greater Noah. There’s the Red Sea waters parted once again in a greater exodus. There’s the Jordan River splitting in two as the heavens are opened and the Father says “This is my beloved Son”. The path to paradise is paved with water. The liquid highway to the cross runs through the Jordan River.

 

When Jesus steps into those ordinary waters of the Jordan River he’s doing something marvelous and wondrous. For wherever there’s water, there’s God working for your salvation, deliverance, and rescue.

 

Keep your eyes and especially your ears on the water. 

 

Below the calm surface the Son of God is stirring the waters of salvation.

God incarnate churns the wells of salvation.

God’s beloved Son is the Captain of our deliverance, battling the leviathan of sin. Drowning the dragon beneath the waves. Flooding the grave with his grace.

Beneath the verdant banks of the Jordan a violent victory over death has begun. The one who treads into the Jordan will tread the serpent and all our trespasses under his water-soaked feet. The one who drips dry the waters of the Jordan is the one who drips and drains his own blood on the cross for you.

 

John is right. Jesus needs no baptism. He has no sin to call his own. He’s the God-man. The Righteous Redeemer incarnate. And yet, this is what Jesus has come to do. To do what you and I cannot and will not do on our own. To fulfill righteousness. To forgive sin. To raise from the dead. To tear the grave open from the inside. To rend the heavens wide open, flood you with forgiveness, and wash you clean.

 

Jesus’ baptism is like those infant mommy and me swim classes. Babies can’t swim on their own. They need a substitute. Someone to hold them in the water and save them from drowning. So Jesus goes in first. Not only tests the waters, but turns and churns the waters for us, mixing the font with his mercy. Splashing us with his grace and goodness. Flooding us with forgiveness. All while we’re held safe and saved in his pierced and glorified hands.

 

Where our love for God ebbs and flows, Christ’s mercy for you in the Jordan River and on Jerusalem’s cross overflows with life and salvation. A steady stream of grace and steadfast love flows from Jesus’ wounded side into the cup. Onto your lips. Into your body. Over your head and over body and soul. Washing. Cleansing. Hallowed waters. A divine flood that works faith and forgiveness. A saving bath of blessing. A deluge of God’s goodness and mercy.

 

It is for you as it was for Jesus in the Jordan River that day. Where there’s water, there’s God working his great and gracious salvation. Soaking you with his saving gifts. Pouring out his promises upon you and into you. 

 

So it is with your baptism. The water appears to be ordinary tap water. And it is. And yet it’s more. 

 

Beneath the surface of those calm waters rests the cross. Underneath the smooth surface of the font runs a swift current of salvation. 

Below the calm surface the God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - is stirring the waters with his word and promise for you. 

God incarnate churns the wells of salvation into a whirlpool of faith, hope, and love.

God’s beloved Son is the Captain of our salvation, battling the leviathan of sin. Drowning the dragon beneath the waves. Flooding the grave with his grace.

 

From our eyes baptism looks ordinary. Plain. Maybe even a little boring. But beneath the surface a battle is raging. Those waters are a violent flood for our old sinful flesh. A naval victory over the ancient serpent. Jesus drowns our sin and shame. Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Jesus washes us clean with holy water. Holy words. His holy presence. Those waters are death and life all in one drop.

 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

 

Keep your eyes and ears on the water and the word. For there in the water. There in his word. There in his body and blood. There’s Jesus with you and for you. 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon for Christmas 2: "The House of Jesus"

 + Second Sunday of Christmas - January 4th, 2026 +

Series A: 1 Kings 3:4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 2:40-52

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?

 

God’s house is a foundational phrase in Scripture. It signifies who God’s people are. His household. The location where God dwells with us...in his house. The dwelling place of God is with man.

 

The dwelling place of God is also a 12 year old boy in the Father’s house. The Lord whom no earthly temple can contain, sits with the rabbis. Asking. Answering. Fulfilling. 

 

The ancient promise of the Father. Not only is Jesus in the temple. Jesus is the temple. And the priest. The altar. The sacrifice. The Lamb. 

 

And in Jesus, we become members of the Father’s household. His holy people. A holy family. Through the blood and life and death of the Son.

 

Jesus goes to the temple for the same reason he is born in Bethlehem and dies in Jerusalem. 

To redeem you, to destroy the temple of his flesh, raise it up three days later, and build his house with each of you as his living stones. 

 

Jesus goes to His Father’s house, not only for himself, but foryouus. For us who have the attention span of 12 year old boys, Jesus was perfectly attentive to God’s teaching. For us who have disobeyed every letter of that Law, Jesus knew every word – and kept every word of that Law for you. For us who fail to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, Jesus rejoiced in hearing and learning God’s word. For us who fail to honor our father and mother, no matter our age, Jesus honored both his Heavenly Father, and went down to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was submissive to his earthly parents.

 

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?

 

The foundations of this house reach down through the ages, back to Genesis. We may not think of the Garden of Eden as a temple, but it was. Beneath the verdant canopy, sacred trees buttressed God’s garden cathedral; holy fruit adorned its walls and ceilings; and God dwelt with Adam and Eve, giving them his goodness, mercy, and life. 

 

This was the house that Jesus built for Adam and Eve and all humanity. But this house did not stand forever. Adam and Eve preferred to fashion their own temple with their own hands out of fig leaves. Another house was needed.

 

And so the Lord told Moses to build a tabernacle. Wood. Gold. Silver. Bronze. Fine linens and garments, gems and tapestries. Oil for the lamp stands. Incense and fire for the sacrifice. Every square foot of that tabernacle was designed to give God’s holiness to unholy people. God dwelt with his people, was present with his promises in his holy house, and forgave sin by the shedding of blood. 

 

This was the house that Jesus built through Moses for all Israel, for the Passover, foreshadowing Christ our Passover Lamb who is sacrificed for us. Still, another house was needed. 

 

And so the Lord commanded David to build a house. The movable tabernacle became the magnificent temple. From Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion, God established his house. But it was Solomon, not David who built a holy habitation for the Lord. God’s promise passed down through the generations, from David to Solomon to Mary. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

 

This was the house that Jesus built through Solomon for Israel. And yet, as glorious as Solomon’s temple was, it did not last. Solomon’s wisdom turned to folly.

 

But in the fullness of time, Gabriel came to Mary fulfilling Isaiah’s words: Unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given.

 

I must be in my Father’s house. And he was, first in the temple of Mary’s womb, then in the temple in Jerusalem. An infant priest born to be our great high priest on the cross. 

 

Only now, everything that was true about the temple of old resides in Jesus. Jesus is your holiness, your cleansing, your redemption, your forgiveness. His blood is your blood, shed for you. His life is your life, lived and died for you. His death is your death so that when he rolled the stone away you rise with him. He reigns and rules for you. Intercedes for you. Laments and rejoices with you.

Even on the throne of heaven, Jesus is your temple, not of stones and wood and brick, but flesh and blood and bone, all for you.

 

I must be in my Father’s house.

 

The next time Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover, He went to be the Passover Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world for you. And by his dying and rising, Jesus fashioned for himself a new house, a holy habitation in his own body. With his pierced hands Jesus builds his house and brings you home by his holy wounds. 

 

As St. Paul writes, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

 

In the water and word of your Baptism…God dwells with you and you with him. Jesus is here with you and for you, just as he was in the temple at age 12. Here he resides in the temple of bread and wine. His flesh and blood are given for you along with his peace, presence, and pardon for sin. Here he does for us what he did for the rabbis that day in the temple, only better. His word not only amazes, but atones. Absolves. Raises us from the dead.

 

All of this means that the same Word who became flesh, and Jesus who sat in the temple at 12 years old promises to be with you in every age and every season of life. He declares that you are a holy habitation of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

 

I must be in my Father’s house. And so must we. Today as we gather around the Lord’s table. And forever in the heavenly temple prepared for you by Christ before the foundation of the world. Jesus was in the Father’s house so that you will be welcome in the Father’s house forever.

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.