Dear Christian friends:

You of the Confirmation Class are much like the disciples in our text. You are finishing your first period of training in Jesus' Word and work. That was true of the disciples who had gathered on the mountain in Galilee. They had followed Jesus for three years while He taught them many things about God's kingdom.

They had seen Him suffer and die on the cross on Good Friday. They saw Him alive on Easter and now a short time later meet Him here on the mountain in Galilee. They have finished their first, basic training. Jesus will ascend to heaven in a few days. So now He sends them to teach and preach and baptize. They were disciples. Now they are apostles.

You of the Confirmation Class have studied for two years in confirmation class and several years before that. All this time you have been disciples (followers and learners). Now it is time for you to become apostles, to teach others and help others to know the Savior Jesus. Don't think you are finished with Jesus and His Kingdom because you are confirmed today. You are promoted to more responsibility to accept more mature work and duty in Jesus' Church. For this you will need to study God's Word more and more and go to church regularly and to the Lord's Supper often.

To encourage his disciples to take up their new responsibilities Jesus has a last word for them before He ascends into heaven. It is a very important last word. It helped the first disciples very much. It can help you too.

First, He tells them that He has all power, which God the Father has given to Him. Why? Because He obeyed the Father and came to earth from heaven and died on the cross to take away all our sins. "Therefore God very highly exalted Him and gave Him a name which is above every name, that before the name JESUS every knee should bow and every tongue confess that He, Jesus Christ, is Lord." (Philippians 2:9-11)

Jesus is our Lord. We must listen to Him. Woe to any one who refuses to listen to Jesus Christ and believe in Him and obey Him. He only is Savior. He only is Helper. If we defy Him we are lost. We owe Him worship, love, praise, honor and devotion and we must cheerfully gladly listen to Him and do what He tells us.

What does our great, wonderful Lord Jesus tell us? His last command is, "Make disciples of all people". That means we are to go and try hard to win many people in every nation to faith in Jesus Christ. How? He says, Go and Baptize, Go and teach. Baptize in whose name? Teach in whose name? Teach Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teach the Holy Trinity. Today is Trinity Sunday.

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River the Father said from a bright cloud, "this is My beloved Son, I am very much pleased with Him. Then we read that the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus in the dove.

The Father loved us and sent His Son to live and die for us on the cross. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

At Christmas we remember how wonderfully the Father loved us and gave His Son through Mary. She laid Him in the manger of Bethlehem. During Lent and Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter we remember the Son, Jesus: How he loved the Father and us and obeyed and died, then arose with glory and victory on Easter day.

The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost to the first disciples. He comes to us today and teaches us to believe and trust in Jesus. No man can believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit. He is our teacher from God.

These things we must teach and preach to people here at home and in all nations. That means for us to work and help and pray. It means to support our home church, Synod and Missions. This is hard work. Only a few active church workers. Many are sitters and beggars and sleepers. There are two thousand deaf in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Only about one hundred active members.

Sometime you will be alone. You will feel to give up. Sometimes people will laugh at you and mock you! They will say, "You are stupid because you work hard for church and support it. Don't let that bother you! Don't give up. The wicked unbelievers want you to quit. The devil wants you to get fed up with church.

So Jesus says another last word of comfort to you, "I am with you always." He will comfort you and encourage you and support you. You never walk alone when you obey Him and do His work.

I have found that true in my life. Sometimes I in the past felt like quitting. But always Jesus came to comfort me and encourage me. He always sent someone to help when I thought there was no help.

Jesus never fails! That is His last Word to you. I hope you will always remember Matthew 28:18-20 all your life.

Amen.