There are some interesting characters in the Bible. There is a man who killed another man in a fit of anger. Later he made excuses and tried to wiggle his way out of God’s call to lead his nation of Israel. You might know him as Moses. Another man absolutely ravaged Christ’s church, torturing and murdering Christians. He called himself the chief of sinners. You might know him as the Apostle Paul. Another man worked for a government that was godless, pagan, hedonistic, collecting taxes for that government from his own Jewish people. You might know him as Matthew.   

I don’t know what you’ve done in your lifetime, serving our nation’s military, or as a military spouse, or military brat, a government contractor – I don’t know everything, but I do know a few things, because some of you have shared those things with me. I know that you and I are very similar, and that we have a lot in common with Moses, Paul, and Matthew. We are sinners, with a strong natural inclination to do to the things we want to do, ignoring the things our holy, loving God wants us to do.  

I know this about me and about you, but I also know what kind of God you and I have. The same kind of God who showed grace and patience with Moses. The same kind of God who forgave Paul and called him to be an apostle in his Church. The same kind of God who called Matthew to follow him and ate and drank with all of Matthew’s tax collector buddies. No matter how great you think or believe your sin to be, it is not so great that it is beyond the reach of God’s grace. The price tag for your sin is not so costly that Jesus’ blood could not pay for it.  

Listen to these words from a man who knew the enormity of sin and who rested in the greater enormity of God’s grace for him:  

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). 

My friend, rest in the greatness of Jesus’ love, his sacrifice, his payment for your sin. Nothing is beyond his ability to forgive. You are forgiven. You are loved. 

Whether you are an officer or enlisted the Triune God has commissioned you for a very important task: Go and make disciples of all nations. That’s a tall order. But he also gives you the tools to do it: by baptizing…. and by teaching. Your commander-in-chief promises you, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus has all authority. After all, he is the one who died and came back to life from the dead. He gives you the authority to carry out this commission.   

He also promises, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).  

This is especially important to take to heart, considering the context of your calling. The military culture and community is not always friendly to people like you and me. They are not always receptive to Jesus’ words. Some can be a little rough around the edges. Not all of your coworkers and neighbors have the same religious foundation. Some make questionable moral decisions. Others are hurting because they are wracked with guilt. Some are hurting because of trauma or abuse or moral injury. They are no different from you or me.  

They are sinners who need forgiveness, like you and me. They are sinners who will one day die, like you and me. Like us, they need to know they have a Father who loves them so much, he planned the salvation of their body and soul from before the creation of the world. They need to know they have a brother who loves them so much, he took on human flesh to carry out the Father’s plan of salvation. They have a brother who lived to earn righteousness for them, just as he did for you. They have a brother who died to earn forgiveness them, just as he did for you. They have a brother who rose from the dead to win a resurrection from the grave for them, just as he did for you.  

Like us, they need to know the wonderful blessings of baptism: this water is God’s pledge that our conscience is clear because he washed us, cleansed us, and clothed us with Christ.  

You know these truths. You believe them. Now, confess them boldly, with courage, with love and patient instruction. You have been commissioned for this task.  

Jesus will be with you.  

Last month I was in our nation’s capital, and I took some time to walk around the National Mall. When I reached the Vietnam Veterans memorial, I walked around the statue of the three service members. As I stood behind the statues, I noticed that their gaze is fixed on the black granite wall upon which are etched the names of their fallen comrades in arms. Just then a group of men in wheelchairs rolled up. They were a group of Vietnam veterans on their Honor Flight. Some took pictures. Others just sat there with their hands folded, remembering… 

This made me think ahead to this weekend. On Memorial Day weekend we remember those who have died in service to our country. But we do not grieve the dead the way that the rest of the world grieves because we have hope. We know that Christ is risen and that he lives. Those who died while serving our country and died clinging in the risen Lord Jesus, they also live!  

 The apostle Peter quoted the prophet Joel in his Pentecost Day sermon in Acts chapter 2 and he said this: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). 

My prayer for you is that when you take time to remember this weekend – whether you do that on Monday at 3:00 PM local time, the National Moment of Remembrance, or you do that by sticking a flag in your yard, or hanging it on your garage, or laying a wreath on a tombstone – my prayer is that your soul is comforted with Jesus’ resurrection promise that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  

Jesus promised the one who was crucified with him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” This promise confirms that those who died in service to our country clinging to Jesus as their Savior – their souls are with Jesus right now in heaven. I pray that you are comforted with the knowledge that because Christ’s tomb is empty that one day their tombs and their urns will be empty, too. Their bodies will rise from the dead and they will live forever remember. The one who died and rose again never to die again did so, so that those who call on his name will never die and that includes you.

I don’t know how many movies and TV shows that I’ve watched where there was some military situation and someone bursts through the door or storms onto a battlefield and demands, “Who’s in charge here?!” It’s almost laughable because all that individual would need to do is to look at the rank on the uniform of the war fighters that are standing right in front of them and they would know that this guy or this gal is in charge. But that’s Hollywood.  

We ask this question in our own lives, don’t we? Deployed war fighters have reached out to me and asked, “Chaplain Horn, could you please pray for peace, wisdom for our leaders to make good decisions, for an end to this conflict, and strength for us because we’re awfully tired. We’ve been going nonstop since we got out here.” They’re not complaining. They’re just saying, “Here’s where we’re at and really… who is in charge here because there doesn’t seem to be an end to this.”  

You don’t have to be deployed to ask that question. We look at rising gas prices, the economic struggle that many of us face, the uncertainty with all of the things going on in our life and we even ask God this question, too, “Like who’s in charge here?”  

This past Thursday the Christian Church celebrated the Festival of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ’s ascension answers our question, “Who’s in charge here?”  

The apostle Paul talks about this in his letter to the Ephesians. In chapter one he offers this prayer on behalf of the Christians in Ephesus and says that he wants the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened so that they see the power of God for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19). And then he explains that power, “That power is the same as the mighty strength he asserted when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). No one else has that kind of power – not President Trump, not Putin, no one in this world has that kind of power to raise someone from the dead. Only God does. Paul says, “I want you to know that power.”  

And not only did he raise Christ from the dead but then he goes on to say this: “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:20). God raised Christ from the dead. Forty days later he ascends into heaven – not to be distant from us. Not to abandon us. Not to make us wonder, “Who’s in charge here?” But to answer that question. Paul says, “He is there far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Ephesians 1:21-22). Jesus ascended into heaven to rule and reign over all things. Even when it looks like he’s not reigning, even when we wonder, “Who is in charge here?” Jesus ascended into heaven to prove to us that he has all rule and power and authority, yes even over death and the grave, over your sin, over war, over all things – and to rule for your benefit because you are his church.  

Praise God that Jesus is ascended into heaven. Praise God that he is ruling and reigning for your benefit. Believe it. Trust it. Let’s pray about it.