Trinity Sunday - May 31, 2026 (Slides)
The M3 (Monday Morning Mail)
Your Legacy
Yesterday's sermon began with a brief video clip of St. Patrick's cemetery located off of Ashland Clinton School Road in the valley of Brandywine Creek. The video was set to the tune of Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow (LSB 880). The clip ended showing the tombstone of Sheri Thureen, a former member of Concordia who fell asleep in Jesus after a long battle with cancer. I mentioned that she had excelled in her career, climbing to the top. It all ended so quickly, as the cancer ravaged her body. I noted the two plants in front of the tombstone are probably for her two daughters. I then commented when you walk through a cemetery, you note the names on the tombstones, but we know nothing of the people buried there. Time has a way of erasing us, even when we achieve so much.
To make this point I showed an image of "David's Tomb" in Jerusalem--King David's tomb. For Jewish people there are few great than David. Yet, even his "tomb" likely is not the exact place of his burial. We don't know. What we know of David is recorded in the Bible. We think of the famous accounts recorded: David being chosen to fight Goliath, fighting Golatiah, his sin with Bathsheeba, and his encounter with Nathan the Prophet. Yet, for such a famous person, that is not much. Time has a way of erasing us, even people like David,
The next image showed the Apostle Peter preaching to the people on Pentecost. He proclaims David's tomb is there in Jerusalem. The people could go see it that day. Yet, King David is no more. His legacy is a mere memory.
The next image show my name, my birth date, my baptismal date, and my Asleep in Christ date marked with a question mark. None of us know that day. Only Jesus does. With time, however, our names will be lost to time, too! The people who know us will, too, die, and when people walk by our graves, nothing of our lives will be known.
That's why our baptismal identity is so important. Remember, it's on the tombstone I showed of myself. It will go on my real tombstone, too! The reason is that in baptims the Triune God's name is placed over mine. The God who has made me, redeemed me, and is sanctifying me--YHWH--puts his name over mine to claim me as his own. This means all his promises are for me. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, I will be raised from the dead, too. It's his name that matters. Not mine. It's God's legacy that gives my legacy meaning. Because he lives, I will live, too!
The last slide showed the same tombstone with the name Ancient of Days, born from eternity, and not death date. It is Jesus' name that matters. Because we bear his name, we will not die! This is the hope of the resurrection!