church

INI
Quasimodogeniti
The First Sunday after Easter
April 4, 2013
Ascension Lutheran Church, Tacoma WA
Paul Naumann, Pastor

WHAT IS AN EASTER OVERCOMER?
I John 5:4-12

Grace be unto you and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father, Amen. Today we turn to the First Letter of St.
John, chapter five, beginning with the fourth verse, as follows [ESV]:

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the
world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who
came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water
and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the
truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood;
and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God
is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever
does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the
testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony,
that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son
has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. So far the
Holy Word.

In Christ Jesus, Whose victory we celebrate during this Easter season, Dear
Fellow Redeemed,

If you travel in Christian circles and read Christian publications, it won't take
you long to run across the term "overcomer." In fact, you find it cropping up
again and again. There are Christian schools whose athletic teams are called
"The Overcomers." There's a sports stadium in Memphis called "The World
Overcomers Life Center." There's even a costume company that sells an
adult-sized costume for a character called "Overcomer Dog." Though I suspect,
looking at the photograph, that it’s just the McGruff the Crime Dog costume
only without the trench coat.

Why so much talk about "overcomers"? Because the Bible uses that term
surprisingly often. In particular, it seems to be a favorite expression of the
Apostle John - you'll find it in his gospel, his first epistle, and in the book of
Revelation. Whatever an overcomer is, it must be pretty good, because in
Revelation we hear our Lord Jesus making promises like this: "To him who
overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life." "He who overcomes shall not
be hurt by the second death." "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I
will be his God and he shall be My son." Wow! Whatever that is, I want to be
one of those! Well, the Apostle John explains the whole thing here in the fifth
chapter of his first letter. And this Easter season is the very best time to talk
about this, because it's the resurrection of Christ that enables us to achieve the
exalted status of "overcomer." Our theme today is a question:

WHAT IS AN EASTER OVERCOMER?
I. Someone who believes the testimony about Christ
II. Someone who receives eternal life through Christ

The first question, of course, is “overcome what?” What is it that an Easter
overcomer overcomes? John’s answer is, “the world.” It’s a broad term that
encompasses everything that opposes the Christian’s life of faith. Everything in
your life that holds you back. Everything that tempts you to sin. Everything
that frightens or discourages you. Everything that interferes with the kind of life
God wants you to have - a spiritually abundant and joyful Christian life, rich in
the fruits of faith. Can you think of anything in your life right now that fits that
description? I can. I’ve got a long list. If you do too, then take heart, because
John says that, as a Christian, you can and will overcome those things. For
everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the
world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

WHAT IS AN EASTER OVERCOMER? First, it’s someone who believes the
testimony about Christ.

When John says the victory that overcomes the world, he’s actually making a
rather clever play on words. Because in Greek, the word for “victory” and the
word for “overcome” are almost identical. In English it might sound something
like, “the triumph that triumphs,” or “the conquest that conquers.” John is
emphasizing the fact that there’s one thing that allows us to overcome the
world: our Christian faith. An EASTER OVERCOMER is someone who
believes the testimony about Christ.

Sound like something easy? It’s not. In fact, without the Holy Spirit it’s
impossible. Faith in Christ is a miracle worked by God. It’s also a huge
commitment. Some people don’t understand what a total commitment it is to
be a Christian. A very practical man once confessed: "I think I have either too
much religion or too little; I must either give up what I have, or get more. For I
have too much religion to let me enjoy a worldly life, and too much worldliness
to do justice to my religion." And it’s true that you can’t be a part-time
Christian – it’s all or nothing. Many people will describe the Christian faith as
being moderately important in their life. Think about that for a minute. It
doesn’t take long to realize that that statement is absurd. How can belief in
Christ be just moderately important? If the Christian faith is true, it’s the most
important thing in the world. If it’s not true, it’s the least important thing in the
world. “Moderately important” really isn’t an option.

So an “overcomer” is someone with this total commitment – this faith
commitment – to Jesus Christ. John asks, Who is it that overcomes the world
except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? If you’ll bear with
me, I’d like to touch briefly on a false doctrine that is often raised in connection
with this passage. Some use this and similar passages to overthrow the doctrine
of church fellowship. They say, “Let’s all get together! Even though we teach
differently on the sacraments, on conversion, on the end times, etc., etc., etc.,
it’s still OK for us to worship together (pray together, commune together) as
long as we all believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” But that doesn’t make
sense, if you think about it. E.g., just because you maintain the deity of Christ,
is it OK to deny His sacrificial atonement on the cross? No. Would it be right
to worship with someone who said Jesus never rose from the dead, just so long
as they confessed Jesus as the Son of God? Obviously not. Scripture says Mark
those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have
learned, and avoid them. John’s phrase here is like an icon or a placeholder – it
stands for the whole of Christian doctrine, not just the doctrine of Christ’s
deity. One author said, “The truth ‘that Jesus is the Son of God’ is not ONE
article of our faith but the sum of ALL of them. Not a piece of the Gospel but
the whole Gospel. We should not imagine that the truth can be cut into pieces,
and that we can deny this or that or even many pieces and still be true to the
Father and to His Son and to God’s children.” An Easter overcomer is someone
who believes all of God’s testimony in His Word, someone for whom every
truth of Scripture is precious and inviolable.

As we read on in our text, you notice that John takes up a lot of space talking
about testimony. Put yourself back in John’s time and you can see why that’s so
important. In modern courtrooms we have lots of different kinds of evidence –
videotape, DNA, fingerprints. In John’s day they had none of that. All they had
were witnesses, so witnesses were extremely important. And it was crucial that
testimony given by different witnesses agreed. That’s why John says, This is he
who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the
water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit
is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the
blood; and these three agree. This testimony agrees, and it is true. It tells us that
Jesus of Nazareth truly is the Son of God, sent to redeem you and me from our
sins. An Easter overcomer is someone who accepts this testimony about Christ
in simple faith.

What “water, blood and Sprit” is the Apostle referring to? What water, blood
and Spirit was it that proved Jesus is the Son of God, who was sent by His
Heavenly Father to redeem the world? What water, if not the water of Jesus’
baptism at the beginning of His ministry, where the Spirit descended in the form
of a dove, and the voice of the Father said, “This is my beloved Son in Whom I
am well pleased. Hear Him.” What blood, if not the blood Jesus shed on
Calvary at the end of His ministry, where He said “It is finished!” and
completed the work of our salvation? What Spirit is meant here, if not the Holy
Spirit that was poured out on Pentecost, the “birthday of the New Testament
Christian Church” and is still poured out today on every believer who enters the
kingdom of God?

All three of these witnesses agree, and an Easter overcomer is someone who
accepts their testimony, and believes it with childlike faith. But many people
don’t. For a lot of people, that testimony isn’t enough. What God says about
those people is frightening: Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar,
because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his
Son. Think about it – God went to all this trouble for sinful mankind. Not only
did He sacrifice His only Son to save them, but He provided all this witness, all
this overwhelming testimony to convince people that the salvation is true. If
you reject that testimony, you’re calling Almighty God a liar. What terrible
punishment will be reserved in eternity for those people. Those who heard the
testimony of God’s Word and rejected it. Those at whose hearts the Holy Spirit
knocked but received no answer. The writer to the Hebrews issues a chilling
warning: Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the
testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do
you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God
underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a
common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 10:28-29.

Up until now John has been talking about this testimony, the powerful
witnesses to it, and why we should believe it. Now he lays out what it is; he
tells us the content of the testimony: And this is the testimony, that God gave
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. And that brings us to our second point.
WHAT IS AN EASTER OVERCOMER? It’s someone who receives eternal
life through Christ.

This, of course, is the truth that makes this Easter season that we’re in right
now so joyful and encouraging. But there is note of warning here, as well. It’s in
the very last verse of our text – I wonder if you caught it: John says, Whoever
has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
It’s not politically correct to say so, but true Christianity is a very exclusive
religion. There is only one very specific way that a human being can be saved
from eternal suffering in hell, and that’s through faith in Jesus Christ. But that’s
not what most people think. Most people you talk to think nearly everyone is
going to heaven. But that’s not what the Bible says. Jesus said, “Many are
called, but few are chosen.” Most people think there are many different paths to
the same God, many different ways to achieve salvation. Is that what the Bible
says? The Bible says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14
"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and
there are few who find it. – Mt 7:13-14.

Not many. Only a few. Only a few will overcome and receive eternal life. Only
those who receive it through Jesus Christ. My dear friends, here’s my advice to
you this Easter season: get down on your knees and thank God that you belong
to that group. You are among those who “have the Son” by faith. By faith, His
righteousness belongs to you. By faith, His blood has atoned for you. This
Easter season offer up your praise and thanks to God that you are an Easter
overcomer! By the way, when John uses the Greek present tense in this passage,
it indicates clearly that he’s talking about an ONGOING process. As a
Christian you are overcoming the world every day. You are winning. You may
not have reached the finish line yet, but victory in Christ is already within your
hands.

And what a joy that is! What a joy to know that you’re winning. It’s like having
a ten-run lead in a softball game, or making a grand slam in bridge. The game’s
not over yet, but you already know you’re going to win. What a great feeling!
Likewise, the empty tomb of our Savior assures us that we will cross the finish
line victorious, that we too will one day rise to everlasting life. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this
mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength
of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Cor 15:52-57.

Author Alistair Brown tells of a favorite park near his home in which there was
an ancient oak tree. He walked past it on his way to work each day. One day he
noticed that a vine had grown up against its massive trunk. Days and weeks
passed, and he watched the parasitic vine grow larger and larger and surround
the tree. Finally the old oak was nearly covered with its leaves. Clearly the tree
was in danger of having the life choked out of it. But the city maintenance team
noticed the parasite, too. They destroyed it with one clean cut through its thick,
twisted base. That’s all they did – just that one cut. The vine still gripped the
tree, but soon the leaves turned brown and dried up, and one by one the
creepers fell away. Sin is a parasitic vine that reaches its destroying tendrils into
the life of every person - not just on the outside, but on the inside too! Without
rescue, we would all perish eternally. But Easter is the clean cut that kills the
vine of sin. The empty tomb proclaims Christ’s victory over sin, and ours as
well. Yes the creepers of sin still cling and have some effect. But sin's power is
severed by Christ, and gradually, sin's grip dries up and falls away. WHAT IS
AN EASTER OVERCOMER? Someone like you! Someone for whom Jesus’
resurrection has snipped the vine of sin! Someone who believes the testimony
about Christ, and someone who receives eternal life through Christ. God grant
that we may all be Easter overcomers, not just today, but tomorrow and every
day of our lives until we meet our Savior in heaven, AMEN.