"Fearlessly Facing Our Death!" Job 19:23-27

April 17, 2022
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

The reality of our sin and death has been shattered by the greater reality of Christ's physical resurrection for us! Sermon Text: Job 19:23-27. Sermon Theme: "Fearlessly Facing Our Death!" Preached for Easter festival service, 17-April-2022, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Tell City, Indiana by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.

Episode Notes

  Easter Festival Service                     17-April-2022
Sermon Text: Job 19:23-27
Sermon Theme: “Fearlessly Facing Our Death!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. He was dying. He knew it - painfully his body screamed death allowing him little rest. His wife knew it - she told him to curse God and die. He was dying - his community knew it - quarantining him so his death wouldn’t infect the healthy. He was dying. All the business he built was gone - robbed and stolen away. He mourned the sudden tragic death of all his ten sons and daughters killed by a sudden tornado. Hope of seeing his children’s children died with them. Truly the Lord had given and the Lord had taken away. He had come from his mother’s womb naked with nothing and would return the same. He was dying - his skin rotted with painful festering boils. He had accepted good from God’s hand should he also not accept evil?
    He was dying. His friends knew it - they find no words of comfort, only plead with him to repent of his sin before he dies to stand before God’s just throne of judgment. He must have done evil things for such evil to suddenly flood into his life - it seems reasonable to these wise men.
    He was dying and so are you! Maybe like Job your heart breaks over loved ones whom you’ve had to bury. Maybe like Job your health is failing and your disease is terminal. Maybe like Job it seems that your faith is futile without hope. Maybe like Job your well meaning friends only call your sins to mind. Maybe like Job your finances collapsed your property is gone - your dreams are shattered. Maybe unlike Job you are young, healthy, filled with vitality - still you are dying. If you don’t believe me - trust God’s Word - Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—” The prophet Isaiah’s word to King Hezekiah rings true for you: Isaiah 38:1 ....., "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' " The statistics on death are impressive - 100 out of 100 people will die. Happy spring! Go home and find some Easter eggs! Is this where the sermon ends?
    He died. The Life of the world died! The only begotten Son of God in our flesh died! In Jesus God died! His crucified dead cold body was laid in the tomb! He suffered! He died! For our sin! The innocent Passover Lamb - Jesus has been sacrificed for us - once for all upon the cross shaped altar on Calvary. Today we hear the rest of humanity’s story the young man in a long white robe preaches to you, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is Risen!”  
    Job was dying, but he had a living hope! He didn’t fear death for he knew and trusted in Jesus’ victory over death. Today, learn from him how in Jesus we are :”Fearlessly Facing Our Death”
      Job is most likely the oldest book in the Holy Bible, predating the books of Moses. In the midst of dying Job has hope. What is the fountain of hope in facing death? (vs.23-24) It is in the written Word of God! Job’s hope wasn’t found in his feelings or experiences, but in what God had spoken and promised in His Word. The Word that God had caused His prophets to record in writing. Job wished that his words could be made permanent. Inscribed in a book, more than that carved into a rock and filled with lead. Still he longed for a word greater than his - one that would last forever. He longed for the Word of Jesus. Jesus who promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words shall by no means pass away!”(Mark 13:31).
    To fearlessly face our death we need a word greater than Job’s - a man who would die. We need the word of a Man who will never die! The Word of Jesus - who died and physically walked out of His grave - the Word of the Man nevermore to die! His Word drives away our fear in the face of death. Listen to His voice as He promises you, “Because I live, you will live also!”(John 14:19).
      The Word of God fixes our eyes upon Jesus - the Lord of Life! (vs.25) God the Holy Spirit comforts us with true knowledge. Job knew his Redeemer. His goel - a blood relative who would pay all his debts lived. Jesus - Job’s Redeemer - your Redeemer - my Redeemer - has been promised from before the foundation of the world. He is, bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh - God who becomes one of us to buy us back from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil! He goes into suffering and death to pay our debt - then He takes up His life again! Our Redeemer lives! He enters our world standing upon the earth. He takes His stand upon the cross to pay us back from our enemies. He takes His stand upon the earth as our resurrected Lord! He still stands here upon His earth - here today within His Church in His Word preached, water poured, bread and wine blessed with His Word.
        Dying Job had hope for his living Redeemer drew near to him in suffering. It was under the cross, in the school of grief, sorrow, trials, and suffering that our Redeemer Jesus draws near!
        The Word of Christ fills us with His life. Resurrection life - and hope on the other side of our grave. (vs.26) Job believes in the resurrection of the body. Death and corruption entered this world through sin. From dust we came to dust we shall return - Adam’s sin infests us all. Greater than the truth that our skin will rot away, is resurrection reality. Our death is swallowed up by the Jesus life - resurrection victory is ours in His flesh and blood!
This isn’t something Job feels or wishes may happen - he knows - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that in his flesh he shall see God. For his living Redeemer has reconciled sinful man to our holy God and Father by His sacrifice upon the cross. .  
      Dear Christian - this you know! You know that your body, even after death, the grave, and decay do their worst - you shall see the Lord Jesus in your flesh! How do you know? Your flesh was baptized by Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection. Into your fleshly ears Jesus has spoken you forgiven with peaceful Easter words of absolution. Into the mouth of your body our Lord Jesus has placed His living body and blood in bread and wine. The Lord’s Supper assures you that your body will rise. Fearlessly face the day of your death by coming into the Lord’s House to receive His life giving gifts every Sunday. As the Saxon Lutherans confessed in their Visitation Articles of 1592: “5 That the body and blood of Christ are received in the Supper, not only spiritually, which might be done out of the Supper; but by the mouth, with the bread and wine; yet in an inscrutable and supernatural manner; and this for a pledge and ascertainment of the resurrection of our bodies from the dead.”
      Job fearlessly faced death for he knew that his living Redeemer would call him forth from the grave. His body would rise freed from sin and all its effects of disease.(vs. 27) Your Brother Jesus has physically risen from the dead. His resurrection assures you that you too will rise from your grave on the Last Day. Death cannot tear this hope away from us. We have a living Redeemer - Jesus. He calls you by name. He knows you better than you know yourself. In the Life of the world to come - you shall see Him for yourself. Your eyes shall behold Him and not a counterfeit.
    Job’s heart yearned for the day when death would release him and he’d see Jesus face to face. Dear Christian - set your heart upon Easter - though you mourn now - trust in Jesus’ Word - know that He lives - know that you are redeemed - know that your body shall be raised imperishable - know that with your eyes you shall see Him in eternity! Cling to His Word preached and His resurrection victory given you in baptism, absolution, His Word preached, and His Supper fed you.
    You are dying - but Jesus lives! Your death is swallowed up by His resurrection. He has baptized you into His death and resurrection victory! Today He rescues you from death and the devil. Today He works forgiveness of all your sins - God remembers them no more ! Today He seals to you eternal salvation! Daily die to sin throwing it all upon your crucified Savior! Daily rise forgiven to new life in the power and strength of your Risen Lord and King! Fearlessly face the day of your death for - “The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!”Amen.



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