Entering the Church Triumphant through the Church Militant

All Saints Day Sermon| Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| November 3, 2024

All Saints Day is a celebration of the Church Triumphant. John tells us of his vision in Revelation 7, where he sees an innumerable crowd clothed in white robes, praising and worshipping Christ the Lamb as He sits on His throne. They are joyful and righteous. They sing praises to Christ ever in His presence. Nothing can harm them. Not even the sun may strike them. They lack no good thing; they hunger and thirst for nothing. And they are there in paradise, because they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ.

The Church Triumphant is the Church which has passed out of the tribulation and has entered into her glory. The prophets, apostles, and all the saints who have gone before us, including our dearly departed in the faith, now enjoy their Sabbath rest as the Church Triumphant. This is what we are celebrating. And we do not only celebrate it for those who have gone before us, we celebrate for ourselves. We believe that we too will join the Church Triumphant.

There is only one Church. Those who enter the Church Triumphant do not enter a different Church than what we belong to today. We are even now united with the Church Triumphant in what is called the mystical body of Christ. It is fitting that little Kliff is baptized on the day we celebrate all the Saints, because he has joined the one holy Christian Church, that is, the Community of Saints, which exists both on earth and in heaven. Those in the Church Triumphant have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Yet, they did that when they were still here on earth. In Baptism, God washes us clean from all our sin in Jesus’ blood and clothes us in a garment of Christ’s righteousness. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 5, “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the Church to Himself in spender, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” And so, by the power of His Word, Christ joins His redeeming blood to the water of Baptism, so that those who believe and are baptized may wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. When Ananias restored the sight of Saul (Paul), he said to him, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” (Acts 22:16) And St. Paul wrote in Galatians 3, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” So closely Paul joins faith to Baptism, so that those who believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior, should believe that in Baptism, Christ has washed their garment with His own blood, which He shed on the cross, and has clothed them in a robe of Righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).

And so, little Kliff today wears a white robe, bleached white from all sin and imperfections with the blood of Christ, and is a rightful member of that heavenly throng. Yet, he is not in heaven yet. None of us are. And Jesus’ message for us on this celebration of the Church Triumphant is quite different from what we would expect. While John tells us in Revelation that the Church Triumphant will lack nothing good, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” While John tells us that the Church Triumphant will have every tear wiped away from their eyes forever, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn.” While the Church Triumphant neither hungers no more nor thirsts anymore, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” While the Church Triumphant boldly and loudly sings a victory song to God, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” And while the Church Triumphant enjoys complete peace, so that not even the sun may oppress them, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

So, why the great contrast between Scripture’s description of the Church Triumphant and how Jesus describes the blessed? They are members of the same Church, the same Community of Saints, the same mystical body of Christ. Yet, St. John records, the Church Triumphant has come out of the great tribulation. We, the blessed on earth, are still in the great tribulation. The blessed who are going through the great tribulation are the Church Militant. Jesus tells us these Beatitudes to encourage His saints who are still going through the great tribulation, the Church Militant.

Today, little Kliff joined the ranks of the Church Militant. Although in his Baptism, He has received from Christ everything He needs for salvation and to be a member of the Community of Saints, he will not enter the Church Triumphant until he dies or Christ returns. His Baptism doesn’t mark the end of His journey, but the beginning. His citizenship and ours is in heaven. So, as long as we live on this earth, we are going through the great tribulation. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) It is in this great tribulation that Christ won for us salvation by His blood on the cross. And so, it is in this great tribulation that Jesus washes us with that blood and gives us everything we need to enter His Church Triumphant. So, we must follow Jesus through this tribulation, until we reach our journey’s end.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are not necessarily materialistically poor, but rather, they do not consider anything on this earth their true treasures. Rather, they store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust may not destroy and where thieves cannot break in and steal (Matt. 6:20). This is how King David, who was considerably wealthy humanly speaking, said, “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought of me.” (Psalm 40:17) And so, Jesus tells you that you are blessed in heaven when you recognize that nothing on this earth is your true wealth, but your wealth is stored for you by Christ in heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” As with the poor in spirit, those who mourn do not weep all the time. In fact, Paul tells them to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4). Yet, Jesus says they mourn, because they do not rejoice in what the world rejoices, just as they do not consider wealth what the world considers wealth. With these words, Jesus exhorts us not to find our reason for rejoicing in the things of this world or to forget that we are in the great tribulation. In Ezekiel 9, the Lord commanded a man to put a mark (which looked like a cross) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and mourn over the abominations committed in Jerusalem. It was those who received the mark, who would be spared when the executioner went through the city. And so, mourning the sin and evil in this world and setting your hopes in heaven is a sign that you are marked by Christ as one redeemed. Yet, rejoicing with the world in her evil and joining in her sin, sexual immorality, and selfish indulgence, is a sign that you are not part of the Community of Saints.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” This does not mean that Christians should be silent or non-political. Rather, Christians should loudly speak the truth and push for godly government, which promotes what is good, protects the defenseless, and discourages moral degeneracy. However, as you treat one another, you should be meek and gentle, not seeking to win your own advantage, but willing to turn the other cheek when offended and to give your cloak also to him who demands your tunic. Those who do not serve their own pride will inherit the new heavens and the new earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” If you are a Christian, you recognize that there is a lack of righteousness on this earth, a lack of righteousness among people, a lack of righteousness in your own heart and among your own words and deeds. You not only want to be forgiven and declared righteous, but to be transformed by that forgiveness, so that you sin no more and that you may live where only righteousness dwells. Christ promises you that you will be satisfied when this world passes away.

The merciful are those who forgive the trespasses of others with the confidence that our heavenly Father forgives their trespasses. The pure in heart are those who daily clean out of their hearts all idolatry and love for evil, so that their hearts may be a sanctuary for God alone. They shall see God, for they shall be like Him. The peacemakers seek reconciliation, that is, to make friends with their enemies, instead of getting revenge. They shall be called sons of God, because they follow their Father’s example, who reconciled the world to Himself through His Son (2 Cor. 5).

Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, that is, on account of Christ are especially blessed, because they are constantly reminded that the world hates them as it hated Christ. Jesus tells them to rejoice, because they are in good company with the prophets, and most especially Him.

And this is where we get to the main point of these Beatitudes. These Beatitudes describe the Christian going through the great tribulation, because they describe Christ going through the great tribulation. Christ clothes you in a white robe of righteousness, washed in His blood, not so that you may go on sinning and conforming yourself to this wicked world, but so that you can make it through this tribulation with your salvation intact. And so that you turn from sin and do not take off your robe of righteousness, these Beatitudes direct your focus at Christ, so that you may see who your Savior is and also follow His holy example. Jesus was poor in spirit, forsaking all the riches of this world for the sake of His heavenly kingdom. He wept over Jerusalem and all who turn from life. He was silent before His accusers and Pontious Pilate instead of defending Himself. And in great hunger and thirst for our righteousness, He went to the cross and drank down to the bitter dregs God’s wrath against all our sins. His mercy knows no bounds, as He died to forgive our sins. His heart was pure toward His Father and remains the only way that one can see the Father. He made peace between God and man through the blood of His cross. And He suffered the greatest persecution and blasphemy for the sake of our salvation, so that every unkind word and mistreatment you receive for the sake of Christ draws you closer to your Savior.

It is Christ who went before us in this great tribulation. And it is Christ who goes with us in this tribulation. Although, we are baptized once, we wash our robes every day in His blood, by returning to our Baptism through repenting of our sins and trusting in Christ’s promise of forgiveness. John’s words about the Church Triumphant give us hope for those who have gone before us and for ourselves in the future. Yet, Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes give us certainty that we are blessed now amid our tribulation. We are God’s children now, although we do not yet see what we will become. So, we will continue to purify ourselves with the blood of Christ, daily repenting of our sins and gladly hearing His Word, with confidence that we will come out of this great tribulation to join the Church Triumphant. Amen.