Sunday, April 26, 2026 – Divine Service for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Devotional

Day 1: When Sorrow Becomes Wings

Jesus sat with His disciples hours before His arrest. “A little while,” He said, “you will weep—but your grief will become joy.” He pictured a woman in labor: anguish giving way to life. Their coming sorrow—His death—would feel like an ending. But resurrection would split the world open. His breath would stir their dead hopes. Their tears would water eternal joy. [26:36]

Jesus transforms sorrow’s weight into wings. He doesn’t erase pain but transfigures it. The disciples’ worst loss became their greatest gain. Your griefs are not dead ends. Christ reshapes them into doorways.

What sorrow feels final to you? Name it. Then name this truth: Christ’s resurrection outlives every grave. How might your present ache become a place for His joy to hatch?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come. But when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”
(John 16:20–21, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you one sorrow He is turning to joy.
Challenge: Write down one current grief. Beside it, write “Resurrection comes.”

Day 2: Eagles in the Canyon

Isaiah shouted to weary exiles: “Lift your eyes! The Creator tends every star.” God needs no rest. He gives strength to the faint. Those who wait on Him trade exhaustion for eagle’s wings. The Israelites saw only canyon walls. Isaiah pointed them to the sky. [14:56]

God’s might isn’t for superheroes. It’s for the drained, the defeated. He fuels walkers, not sprinters. The disciples hid after the crucifixion—yet Christ found them. Your weariness doesn’t disqualify you. It qualifies you for renewal.

Where do you feel bone-tired? Work? Parenting? Faith? Stop striving. Let Him lift you. What one step can you take today to “wait” instead of wrestle?

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
(Isaiah 40:29–31, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one exhaustion. Thank Him He never sleeps.
Challenge: Take a 10-minute walk. With each step, whisper: “You renew.”

Day 3: Exiles With Light

Peter called believers “exiles.” Live honorably, he urged, so critics see your deeds and glorify God. The early Christians faced slander. Their answer? Radical love. Servants submitted to harsh masters. Citizens honored corrupt emperors. Their conduct turned accusations into awe. [15:22]

You’re an ambassador, not a tourist. The world notices when you love troublemakers, forgive freely, and work faithfully. Your integrity in traffic jams, tax seasons, and tense meetings preaches louder than sermons.

Who dismisses your faith? Don’t argue. Serve them. What ordinary act could display Christ’s extraordinary love today?

“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
(1 Peter 2:12, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to make your actions whisper “Jesus” to one skeptic.
Challenge: Do one unobserved kindness for someone who irritates you.

Day 4: Joy No Thief Can Take

The Psalmist shouted, “Make a joyful noise!” even in chains. Yubilate Sunday echoes this: rejoice amid life’s “little whiles.” The disciples’ locked doors couldn’t block the risen Christ. Neither can your struggles silence His joy. [23:53]

Satan steals joy by fixing your eyes on storms. Jesus restores it by fixing your eyes on His scars. Your salvation isn’t a mood. It’s a fact. Baptismal water still dampens your brow. Absolution still cleans your conscience.

What circumstance shouts “despair”? Counter it with a louder “Christ is risen!” What hymn or verse can you declare over that lie?

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!’”
(Psalm 66:1–3, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus three things He’s done that no one can undo.
Challenge: Sing a resurrection hymn aloud (try “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”).

Day 5: Anchored Past the Storm

Paul listed every foe—death, demons, disasters—and declared, “None separate us from Christ’s love.” The disciples’ worst fear (abandonment) died at Easter. Jesus’ scars now anchor your hope. No gale of sin, failure, or loss can snap this tether. [36:32]

You don’t outgrow needing the Gospel. Like manna, it’s daily bread. Sunday’s absolution still covers Tuesday’s failures. Your joy isn’t tied to performance but to His promise.

When do you feel most unlovable? Hear Him say, “You’re mine.” What lie about God’s love must you replace with Romans 8 today?

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38–39, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one fear of abandonment. Claim His “nevers.”
Challenge: Write Romans 8:38–39 on a card. Tape it to your mirror.

Sermon Summary

The service opens with confession and absolution, grounding worship in repentance and the assurance of forgiveness. Scripture readings from Isaiah 40, 1 Peter 2, and John 16 frame the day: the Lord’s power sustains the weary, believers live honorably amid a watching world, and sorrow will give way to a joy that cannot be seized. The theme of Yubilate, rejoicing in the resurrection, threads through songs, psalms, and preaching, calling attention to joy as a theological reality rooted in Christ’s victory over death.

Scripture citations and hymn texts underscore joy as both gift and duty: joy appears in the Psalms, in Paul’s fruit of the Spirit, and in Hebrews where Christ endured the cross for the joy set before him. The text unfolds a pastoral logic: worldly ups and downs cannot be the measure of spiritual gladness. Instead, joy finds its firm basis in God’s unchanging love, Christ’s objective forgiveness declared in absolution, and the promised presence of the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing resurrection hope.

The sermon examines common ways joy gets eroded—failed plans, disappointed relationships, unmet expectations, and besetting sins—and identifies the devil, the world, and the flesh as relentless forces that divert attention from gospel promises. Using the parable of the sower, it contrasts shallow reception of the word with rooted endurance, urging believers to rehear the gospel repeatedly so its solidity renews daily strength. Joy appears not as fleeting feeling but as a resolute posture that endures sorrow, mounts like eagles, runs without weariness, and walks without fainting because it rests on Christ’s work.

Prayers, intercessions, and communal rites reinforce this conviction: petitions ask for faithful endurance, protection from sorrow that turns to despair, and grace to live as honorable witnesses. The liturgy returns to communion and the Lord’s Prayer, offering the sacrament as tangible assurance of forgiveness and unity. The service concludes with blessings for graduates and the congregation’s sending, commissioning all to live with unshakable joy grounded in the resurrection and sustained by God’s promises.

Key Takeaways

1. Joy anchored in the resurrection Joy rests on the historical and present reality that Christ rose and that his victory gives believers a future that no circumstance can undo. This anchors hope beyond the flux of feelings and situations, making joy a theological posture rather than merely an emotional state. Recalling the resurrection reframes sorrow as temporary and shapes steady courage for daily life. [36:59]
2. Forgiveness restores and reorients hearts Absolution functions as more than legal relief; it reorders conscience, frees the heart from guilt-driven paralysis, and enables worship that trusts God’s mercy. Regular hearing and embracing of forgiveness resets affections toward gratitude and service. That restoration fuels spiritual stamina and clears the path for genuine joy. [29:42]
3. Joy persists despite changing circumstances True joy does not hinge on health, comfort, or success but on the unchanging promises of God. This perspective allows grief and tears to coexist with inward gladness, because joy derives from what God has promised and accomplished, not from immediate experience. Holding this tension cultivates resilience in trials. [33:46]
4. Enemies aim to steal that joy The devil, the world, and the sinful flesh seek to distract attention from Christ and to make faith judge itself by appearances. Awareness of these enemies helps believers recognize patterns that uproot joy and prompts deliberate practices of hearing, reading, and believing the gospel. Vigilant, repeated reception of God’s word thwarts their tactics and preserves joy. [32:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:28] - Confession and Absolution
[13:14] - Opening Prayer
[14:08] - Isaiah Reading and Promise
[15:22] - 1 Peter: Sojourners and Witness
[17:58] - John 16: Sorrow to Joy
[23:24] - Yubilate: The Call to Rejoice
[24:14] - Joy Throughout Scripture
[29:22] - Gospel, Forgiveness, and Strength
[32:20] - Parable and the Enemy of Joy
[36:09] - Nothing Can Separate Us
[41:57] - Prayers and Intercessions
[45:40] - Communion and Thanksgiving
[77:04] - Blessing for Graduates and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 16:20-22 (ESV)
"Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."

Observation Questions

In John 16:20-22, how does Jesus contrast the disciples’ temporary sorrow with their future joy? What imagery does He use to explain this transformation?
According to Isaiah 40:28-31 (referenced in the sermon), what does God promise to those who "wait for the Lord"? How does this connect to the idea of joy as a posture rather than a feeling?
The sermon mentions that "the devil, the world, and the flesh" seek to steal joy. What specific tactics or examples of these attacks were described? [32:48]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22)? What makes this joy unshakable compared to worldly happiness?
How does the parable of the sower (referenced in the sermon [32:20]) illustrate the difference between shallow, temporary joy and joy rooted in Christ’s promises?
The sermon states, "Joy derives from what God has promised and accomplished, not from immediate experience." How does this truth reframe the way believers might interpret suffering or unmet expectations?

Application Questions

What practical steps can be taken to "rehear the gospel repeatedly" (as urged in the sermon [31:05]) when daily struggles or failures threaten to erode joy?
How might someone recognize when their joy is being attacked by "the devil, the world, or the flesh" in their current circumstances? What habits or practices could help them refocus on Christ’s victory?
The sermon highlights that forgiveness "resets affections toward gratitude and service." In what areas of life do you need to embrace forgiveness more fully to experience this reset?
How can believers support one another in maintaining "resolute joy" during seasons of grief or disappointment, as modeled in Romans 8:38-39?
The sermon urges living as "honorable witnesses" in a watching world. What specific actions or attitudes would reflect unshakable joy rooted in the resurrection to those around you? [15:22]

Sermon Clips

28s

#ForgivenessRenewed

“There is resolute joy in the midst of all the crushed hopes of your life and it is firmly rooted in Christ and in his gospel. It's the forgiveness of sins that comes to you new every morning as the rising sun. It comes to you new every Sunday. I forgive you in the name of the father and the son of the Holy Spirit and those are objective declarative words spoken with authority not for me but from Christ himself for your good.”

33s

#CleansedAndFree

“To know for sure that your conscience is cleansed, wiped free, and clean, and set at peace because of what Jesus Christ has done for you. He shed his body and his blood upon the cross for the forgiveness of your sins and this is your joy. It causes your heart even though it may be tired to mount up with wings like eagles and soar. It moves your heart in joy to run and not be weary to walk the path that the father has sent before you and not faint.”

36s

#RestoreJoyDaily

“You hear this? Your heart hopes and exalts in it and you believe it and you need to hear it again and I need to hear it again and again and again. This great joy needs to be restored in us over and over again. You need to hear it over and over again. In spite of the the sorrow over your sins, over what you have thought in your mind, the words you have spoken with your lips, the deeds you have done with your hands.”

52s

#StrengthInChrist

“When you tempted with all of your might, with all of your willpower to set aside that dragging weight of that temptation that so easily entangles you, the sin of pride, or the sin of sloth, of greed, anger, of resentment, lust, or gluttony, to have that taken away from you but you could not put it aside. There is still hope for you. There is still hope for you strength, not in your joy, but in the joy that you have in Christ Jesus who has called you and marked you as his own and who will never depart from you but is always by your side as your good shepherd and lord. He is your strength and your shield.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookings, SD This sermon · AI assistant

What secures Christian joy despite life's sorrows?

How does forgiveness relate to enduring joy?

Who seeks to steal the believer's joy?

Sunday, April 26, 2026 – Divine Service for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Devotional

Day 1: When Sorrow Becomes Wings

Day 2: Eagles in the Canyon

Day 3: Exiles With Light

Day 4: Joy No Thief Can Take

Day 5: Anchored Past the Storm

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Sunday, April 26, 2026 – Divine Service for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Share