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BULLETIN
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Easter 6 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 25, 2025
Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27, John 16:23-33
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Text and Audio: immanuelhamiltonchurch.com click “sermons”
Text: pastorjud.org
Audio: pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
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How amazing and wonderful would it be if you found a portal to heaven; an opening in the space-time continuum that would transport you to eternal life with Jesus. In this sin-sick world, how many would line up to go through the portal to leave behind this life of sorrow and struggle and be transported directly to heaven? If only there was a portal to heaven. Well…I recently discovered that portal… in a shoebox of old documents.
Now, I am not very good at saving things from important events, but I am impressed that others are. After Mary Spoerl died, Tim brought me a box of historical documents of the church that Mary had been saving for many years. She had some newer items -- a copy of the bulletin from my installation as senior pastor here in 2006 and also some older ones. She had the 25th anniversary booklet for the Immanuel Ladies’ Society that took place in 1922; 7 years before Mary was even born. That one is in both German and English. Altogether, the shoe box contains a nice little collection of historical Immanuel documents. Perhaps Tim should not have entrusted them to me. One booklet is from the dedication of this church building on April 1, 1951. I don’t believe I had ever seen this one before and it has great descriptions of the building.
The exterior architectural style is that of a Norman-Saxon parish church. The dramatic change of pace in the tower with its massive walls at the base and its slender and cross-surmounted…spire at the top lifts the eyes heavenward and encourages a spirit of devotion and reverence. Those who behold and enter the structure will have no difficulty recognizing it as “The House of God and the Gate of Heaven”. The Gate of Heaven. This church is a portal to heaven.
“The massive oak doors, the paneling above them and the large wooden cross which is the center of interest in the entrance are a source of delight to every observer. To all who pass, the entrance announces that, “we preach Christ and Him Crucified””
As you come through the doors, “the low ceiling of the Narthex may well serve to remind all who enter that humility is required of those who desire to come into the presence of God, and all who leave, that their walk among men should likewise be humble.”
“Once in the nave, the worshipper automatically follows the admonition, “Life up your hearts” as the high open ceiling lifts his eyes and thoughts upward. The details and appointments lend emphasis to the fact that this is a place set apart. It takes one away from that which characterizes the market and the fire place. Here one can commune with his God and meditate upon those things which are not of this world.”
“The center of attention in the oak-paneled sanctuary is the altar, also of oak, with its three-fold elevation…the IHS design, symbolic of the Lord Jesus Christ, is carved into the front of the altar.” IHS are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek.
In 1963 the front windows of faceted glass chunks were added with the stars of heaven, the creator’s hand, representing God the Father with beams of light going throughout all the windows. The Agnus Dei, Christ the Lamb of God, is resting on the Holy Bible with a flag of victory. The dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. On top, the Alpha and Omega, show Christ is the eternal God; the A and the Z, the beginning and the end. The communion wafer and chalice, the grapes and wheat for God’s gift of the Lord’s Supper. The shell, a symbol of baptism. The cross on the world telling of our mission to make disciples of all nations.
In 2007-2008 we renovated the sanctuary and added the 16 side stained glass windows and the windows in the doors to the narthex. We chose 16 scenes to depict God’s story from creation through redemption to eternity with Jesus in the holy city of New Jerusalem. Under the creation window we have the tree of life and under the last window of the heavenly city we have the tree of life again. Eternal life lost in Eden will be restored on the Last Day. This gate to heaven will bring you to heavenly city, the new Jerusalem.
In our reading from Revelation today we have John’s description of the holy city from his vision while in exile on the island of Patmos. Revelation 21:10–11 (ESV) 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
John is trying to describe the holy city shining with the glory of God, using inadequate human language. He describes the layout of the city, Revelation 21:12–13 (ESV) 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.”
Twelve gates with angels and the names of the tribes of Israel from Old Testament times facing east, north, south and west welcome people from all over the earth. Revelation 21:14 (ESV) 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
In the description of the holy city we see the unity of ancient Israel and the New Testament church. As Dr. Louis Brighton, a late professor at Concordia Seminary, describes it, “Thus by means of the wall with its twelve gates John is reminded that, as there has always been only one covenant of grace embracing the entire people of God, those of old by faith in the promise of the Messiah and those by faith in the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ, so now the true Israel of God will be in the new heaven and earth as represented by the new Jerusalem.”[1]
Paul uses this same kind of language in…Ephesians 2:18–21 (ESV) 18 For through him [Jews and Gentiles] have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”
In the verses skipped over in our reading today John describes the measurements of the city; 12,000 stadia long and wide and tall; a perfect cube -- 1,380 miles in each direction. It is a massive, perfect cube bringing to mind the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple; the place of God’s holy presence. Entrance to the Holy of Holies was reserved for the high priest once a year with a blood covering. At Jesus’ death, the curtain in the temple was torn in two -- showing that we can now approach God covered by Jesus’ sacrifice. In the holy city to come, the people of God, covered by the blood of Jesus, will be the Holy of Holies.
There will be no temple in the holy city. There will be no need for churches in the holy city pointing to the Lord. The Lord God the almighty and the Lamb will dwell with the people of God. There will be no need for separation between God and man. As Brighton writes, “The saints of God in their state of righteousness and holiness and perfection after the resurrection can now look directly into the face of God.”[2]
There will be no night in the holy city for the glory of God gives the city light and its lamp is the lamb. Revelation 21:24–25 (ESV) 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
The twelve pearl gates are always open for there is no night, no danger, no threat, no evil. The whole creation will be united in praising God and the Lamb. It will be a place of eternal peace and praise for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. The way to the Father is through Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
As a child of God -- as a follower of Jesus -- this is your future. In baptism your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. You receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and you will live forever with God and the Lamb in the holy city of New Jerusalem. You found the portal to heaven. By faith through the Holy Spirit you have come here to the house of God, the gate to heaven. You enter and humbly get on your knees and repent of your sins and hear the Good News that your sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus. You praise the Lord and hear the Word of God. You come up through the arched gateway to the altar of the Lord to receive a foretaste of the feast to come. You receive into your mouth the Body and Blood of Jesus to strengthen and preserve you on your journey to life everlasting. Here, you are covered by the robe of Jesus’ righteousness that covers all your sins. Here you are at the gate to heaven. And while we are blessed to have a building that points us to Jesus, the gateway is not the building. The gate to heaven is the gathering of the saints of God. Together, you are the Body of Christ, the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints. Gathered together, you, the saints of God, with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven sing praises to God.
Hearing God’s Word and receiving His gifts you go forth from humbly from this house of God to live out your identity as a saint of God in humble love and service to others in this world. This is the gate to heaven and together you look for the day to come when Jesus will return in glory and take you to be with Him forever in the holy city of new Jerusalem.
For now you live as the light of Christ in a world of sin and evil. Stay alert, the world strives to pull you in and smother you with its darkness. It is a dangerous world, but you know where the portal to heaven is and you can invite others to join you in the house of God on the journey to the Holy City where you will live with Jesus forever. Amen.
[1] Louis Brighton, Revelation, CPH pg. 612
[2] Revelation, Louis Brighton, CPH, pg. 618