Lent
Romans 5:1–11
Epistle
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person— though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Exactly six months from today, the whole world will celebrate again one of the greatest days in human history—certainly the greatest day of the last century. On Sept 1 in the Western Hemisphere (or Sept 2 in Japan, where it was formalized), we'll reach the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II (1945). Peace. Of course, that peace left millions, perhaps sixty million people, dead, including over 400,000 Americans and 45,000 Canadians, many of whom are buried in Europe or the Pacific in cemeteries marked by rows and rows of white crosses.
It used to be that many such grave markers bore the initials "R.I.P." for the Latin requiescat in pace, meaning, with the same initials in English, "rest in peace"—words written and spoken on the dead. Is that really peace? Can there be peace when someone lies in the grave—whether death has come violently in war or "peacefully" in one's own bed? And what about while we live? Since the world never lives in peace, can we?
In today's Epistle, Paul's words follow on the previous chapters, where he made the case that we were among the dead—dead in our trespasses and our sins. Twice, Paul states that apart from Jesus, we have no hope and can expect only eternal death. No "resting in peace" for you and me. In ch 2, Paul announces: "For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law" (2:12). And again, Paul teaches us that "there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:22–23). The result of both is death.
Now here in our text, Paul continues to describe how desperate we were: "we were still weak" (v 6). There is never a good time to be weak. Weak in sin, weak in moral fortitude, weak in faith. That pretty much describes you and me. Yes, Paul goes on to say, "we were still sinners" (v 8). We know that's true, isn't it? Still true! We still sin. We still grumble and complain about each other. We still hold grudges and refuse to let go the sins of the past. Indifferent toward the pain and suffering of other people. Prejudice toward others of different races or languages. We still consider ourselves to be better than others. Yes, we know we're still weak, still sinners.
But it gets worse. Paul says we weren't just weak; we weren't just sinners; we were enemies of God. V 10: "we . . . were . . . enemies." Enemies of God.
Enemies? But God is so nice. He's the "Big Guy Upstairs," the doting uncle who gives you daily treats of bread and breath. It's hard to imagine being an outright, screaming-in-your-face enemy of God. But then look at the crowd in front of Pontius Pilate. "Crucify him! Crucify him!" goes the cry (Mt 27:22–23).
Yeah, like I said, we'd never do that. Enemies of God?
Yeah, world war! The whole world has been at war with God ever since Adam and Eve. Enemies. Not buds who occasionally step on one another's toes. Not allies who occasionally disagree about foreign policy. Not neutral nations who may not totally be on board but are generally sympathetic to the cause. No! Enemies! Every one of our sins puts us at war with God. Grumble and complain about others; enemies. Hold grudges because of things long ago; enemies. Indifferent toward the suffering of the poor and homeless; enemies. Discriminating against people of other races; enemies. By this point, you realize there was a real problem between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of your flesh, deeds, and doings! Our sins mean war! Our indifference isn't neutrality; it's opposition. Jesus says, "Whoever is not with me is against me" (Mt 12:30). Enemies of God! No resting in peace for us.
But . . . but! "While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (v 6). Despite our weakness, Jesus became weak in death. To see in Scripture the almighty Lord and Savior sweat blood and stumble down the street with a cross on his torn back and then his weak hands and feet nailed to the cross—what wondrous love is that! By doing so at the exact, right time, Jesus wrested from the devil the keys of death, and now Jesus holds them in his strong, resurrected hand. You are "died for" by Jesus. Weak and ungodly, yes, but washed in the peace-giving blood of Jesus, yes, strongly and mightily. Yes!
And as if he couldn't preach enough good news, Paul continues, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v 8). For you. While you were weak, the death of Jesus became your death in Baptism. While you were still a sinner, Jesus made you, a lost and condemned person, a saved and acquitted child of God through Baptism. You did nothing, have done nothing, to be saved. That point is clear: weak and a sinner. That isn't a great résumé to get the job done yourself. But Jesus takes what is crooked and wrong and not strong and makes you justified and strong and redeemed. Is that not a peaceful message, one that can give you rest even in the worst of times?
And we weren't just weak; we weren't just sinners. We were enemies of God! At world war with God! Yet, out of his great love for you and me, Jesus died for you, his enemy, and defeated your enemies—your enemies of the devil and sin and death. When "R.I.P." is said of you when you're dead, it won't be because you were an enemy of God and someone is now hoping, when it's too late, that you might yet find peace. Rather, that peace is yours now. You hold grudges? Christ did not hold grudges against those who murdered him. He has forgiven you. Indifferent toward the suffering of others: Jesus had compassion and forgave you. Prejudice toward others: Jesus died for all nations and people, including you. Your sins no longer stand between you and God. Reconciled by Jesus, you now have "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [which] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7).
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v 1). Being justified by Jesus means the Law has been completely fulfilled by him for you. Peace with God means the Lord Jesus Christ has taken away the discord of your sin, silencing the disruption of your disobedience. R.I.P. Rest in peace with God through your Lord Jesus Christ.
And this we do even as we live. When looking on the cross of Jesus and considering your own death, you can say that dying in Jesus is "character building"—the character of Jesus. In your Baptism, you have already died in Jesus (6:1–6). Jesus has made his death your death. Life will include suffering, but even when you suffer, such suffering produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope (vv 3b—4)—and what we all need in this dying world is hope, hope in the Savior Jesus.
The season of Lent presses on toward the cross of Jesus, where we see his most unrestful, unpeaceful death take place. There his reconciliation of the world, of you and me, between the Father and you, takes place through the Son, with the result of justification, rejoicing, suffering, endurance, character, and hope. Through Jesus' rest in a borrowed grave, you can find comfort in knowing that Jesus knows what it's like to "rest in peace"—completely, perfectly, quietly rest in peace—for you.
When a redeemed person of God is dying, and if it's possible for the pastor to be present, these final words from a familiar hymn may be sung:
Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr'ham's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing. (LSB 708:3)
"My body safe in peaceful sleep." Finally, you will have rest from your unjustified, indefensible sins, your weakness in sinning and disbelief, being called straightforward "a sinner" without compare, struggling with the animosity toward God only an enemy can have.
And yes, as we confess weekly, there is "the resurrection of the body"—your body—and "the life everlasting" (Apostles' Creed). Those confessed words are peaceful words. Those words are filled with hope and are worth inscribing in faith on a tombstone—yes, even yours.
Wherever we may be buried—in a military cemetery or the plot next to our country church—whatever may mark our grave—polished marble or weathered wood—if our lives have been marked with the cross, we will most surely rest in peace.
Today, Paul celebrates the end of the world war, and
We Rest in Peace Because Jesus Ended the World War.
"R.I.P."—Rejoice in the peace of Jesus, dear people of God. Fear not, and rest in his peace. Amen.