439. Tuesday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, thou Son of the living God,
let me hear thy voice. Amen.
John 5, 25-29. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
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Death is a separation of that which belongs together. When Adam fell from God, he died; and thus all men are now by nature dead in transgressions. This is the spiritual death which becomes eternal death, if a man be not born again before his time of grace is gone by. Of these “dead” the Lord says, that they “shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live.” He, he is the Living One forever, who by becoming man brought life again into the human race; and his voice contains life, so that all who hear it are quickened. Now, this voice of the Son of God is nothing else than the gospel which is preached in his church. If you hear it, hear the heavenly truth which it contains, you come to life again through the life of the Son of God. He speaks it in such a way that the dead hear; and all who will hear rise from the dead, and live in God. But many stop their ears, and remain in death. Nevertheless, the time shall come when every man must hear. As we all are by nature spiritually dead, so we all are likewise subject to the death of the body; but the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth. The good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, glorified, body and soul enjoying eternal life and happiness; while the wicked, who in this life did not hear his voice, shall come forth unto the resurrection of damnation, wretched in body and soul, condemned to suffer in everlasting fire. — Hear, then, ye children of men; hear now the voice of the Son of God, and live!
Merciful God, give us the open ear of the spirit, that we may obey thy call, and may become heirs of life. Lord Jesus, thou who didst become man for our sake, and by thy death and victory didst purchase ownership in the whole human race, so that thou hast the power to judge us all; grant, we beseech thee, that we may behold thee with joy when thou shalt come in the glory of thy heavenly Father. Quicken us now, that we may enter in with thee into the life eternal. Amen.*
The Savior then comes unto our graves;
His mighty command is given:
Then break from the deep the ocean waves,
Each tomb and restraint is riven.
All earth hears the cry: Ye dead, come forth!
In glory we go to meet him.
Then open the heavenly portals wide,
The names of God’s saints are given.
God grant that we all in faith abide,
And rise to the bliss of heaven!
Our Father, may we in that great hour
Find none of our dear ones missing!
[TLH 592, ELH 525, alt.; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.