Your hope is sure in God’s Chosen One.

 

Sermon for Lent 2, Reminiscere, February 28, 2021

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Isaiah 42:1-7  Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.  I am placing my Spirit on him.  He will announce a just verdict for the nations.  ²He will not cry out.  He will not raise his voice.  He will not make his voice heard in the street.  ³A bent reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not snuff out.  He will faithfully bring forth a just verdict.  ⁴He will not burn out, and he will not be broken, until he establishes justice on the earth.  The coastlands will wait for his law.  ⁵This is what the true God says, the Lord who creates the heavens and stretches them out, who spreads out the earth and everything that it produces, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk on it.  ⁶I am the Lord.  I have called you in righteousness.  I will hold on to your hand, and I will guard you.  I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to be a light for the nations, ⁷to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the prisoners out from the dungeon, and to bring those who sit in darkness out of prison. (EHV)

Your hope is sure in God’s Chosen One.

Dear elect of the Living God,

            What must I do to be saved?  That question has tormented mankind for as long as people have existed.  Some of the ancient pagans, much like modern day pantheists or earth worshippers, had no thought for eternity but imagined they could use sacrifices and rituals to appease the forces of the environment so that life in the here and now remains pleasant.  Others, who were concerned about what happens after we die, have answered the question in a variety of ways.  Some have taught that to reach some sort of peace, one must achieve a state of consciousness above the worries of the world.  Some have demanded submission to authority as a means to satisfy a god’s justice.  Others insist that a law code must be followed to obtain eternal life, and still others follow a mixture of all these teachings.  Yet, not one of those various belief systems could bring anyone any closer to eternal life.

Now, I know that many people in our world blindly doubt their need for a Savior, yet anyone who honestly examines himself will be forced to admit that we are not perfect, and though the human race has been quite imaginative at developing gods and pretending to know how to satisfy such idols’ demands, the truth is there is only one God who created the world and everything in it, who will judge all things in the end.  That God demands perfect holiness, and nothing less will satisfy.  Furthermore, He shows us that we all have sinned and fall short of His glory.  So, what are we to do?

Two thousand years ago, a Baby was born who brought the one and only answer to the question.  In answer to a man who thought himself righteous, Jesus agreed that perfect obedience of the law could save, but it was soon made readily apparent that no human being was up to the task.  However, Jesus also spoke the intriguing statement, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)  An interesting part of this all is that Jesus wasn’t offering a new promise.  In fact, the promise of a Savior is almost as old as the world.  The comfort for all of us today is that Your hope is sure in God’s Chosen One.

Our sermon text is a Messianic prophecy.  Every part of it proclaims the Savior God planned to send.  Through His prophet, God declared, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.  I am placing my Spirit on him.  He will announce a just verdict for the nations.”  Because you and I always fall short of the righteousness of our Creator, we would expect deserved condemnation, but God sent His Son into our midst to be the one Man who could make us right with God.  Jesus told His disciples, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)  At His baptism, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and the Father in heaven declared His delight in His Son, and because you and I and all people needed a merciful verdict to be saved, Jesus would bear God’s justice for the sins of the world.

Transitioning just a bit, I have to ask, how many of us have complained when we didn’t think we were getting a fair shake?  We live in a time when equity is a rallying cry for millions.  Any possible advantage one person might have over another is considered a grave offense.  Any short fall in outcome becomes a reason for protest.  Yet, the Chosen One would be different. 

For you and me, Jesus lived life unconcerned about any unfairness He might endure.  Though being the true Son of God who rightfully owns all things, Jesus didn’t protest about the unfairness of being born into poverty and meekness.  Though all the power of the universe rests in Him, Jesus never once complained about the government’s authority or even abuse of its role.  Instead, Jesus bowed meekly to the rules of His day and lived in perfect obedience to all authority and rule.  Then, when the most terrible injustice in the history of the world was being carried out on His own body, Jesus remained silent.  Though false witnesses accused Him, He never lashed out or complained.  He didn’t even give an answer in the hope of being set free.  The prophet said, “He will not cry out.  He will not raise his voice.  He will not make his voice heard in the street.”  Instead, Jesus submitted to the cruel violence of death on a cross so that He could bear the guilt for all the sins of the world and take on Himself not just the earthly punishment for our sins, but the eternal death as well.

During all His time living as a Man on earth, Jesus did nothing that should offend anyone.  All who knew Him marveled as “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” (Luke 2:52)  Even Jesus’ enemies complained, “Look!  The world has gone after him.” (John 12:19)  Isaiah had written, “A bent reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not snuff out.  He will faithfully bring forth a just verdict.  He will not burn out, and he will not be broken, until he establishes justice on the earth.  The coastlands will wait for his law.”  These truths remain: nothing would stop Jesus from carrying out His mission of salvation, His purpose was reconciliation between God and the human race, and He would not grow weary of serving His Father in achieving that goal.  At the same time, Jesus remains the gentlest soul when it comes to reaching out to the hurting and lost.  His righteous life will never offend anyone but the most arrogant offenders, and all those who recognize their sins and shortcomings will eagerly desire to learn of the salvation Jesus has won.

Your hope is sure in God’s Chosen One.  The second half of this text is the Father speaking to His beloved Son.  At the same time, it is a message of hope for you and me, because being united with Jesus by faith, the promise becomes ours as well.  The Almighty declared, “This is what the true God says, the Lord who creates the heavens and stretches them out, who spreads out the earth and everything that it produces, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk on it.  I am the Lord.  I have called you in righteousness.  I will hold on to your hand, and I will guard you.”  Until that moment Jesus hung dying on the cross for your sins and mine, God the Father was working all things so that Jesus’ life and mission would be a perfect success.  But, if you know the passion story, you know that the time came when Jesus had to pay for you and me with His life by enduring the separation from God that we had earned with our imperfections. 

In righteousness and love, God chose to punish His own beloved Son in our place, and though Jesus hung dying on that cross, bereft of His Father’s care, God was still there behind the scenes protecting the Man, Jesus, and bringing Him back to life again on the third day just as planned.  God’s promise is validated and certain—Jesus lives, and because He lives every promise God has given throughout time is certified as true.  That means that God’s promise that He remembers the sins of His people no more is certain for all those who believe in His Son, Jesus, as our Savior, for “He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works.” (Titus 2:14)

We have a sure hope in the promises of our God.  Through Isaiah, He declared, “I am the Lord.  I have called you in righteousness.  I will hold on to your hand, and I will guard you.  I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to be a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the prisoners out from the dungeon, and to bring those who sit in darkness out of prison.”  This is God’s message to His beloved Son.  God made a covenant to the world that our sins have been removed through the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  From that tragic death followed by glorious resurrection outside of Jerusalem came the message that the whole human race needed.  Then, after Jesus rose from the grave, His disciples were emboldened by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the light of Jesus to the world, and that Good News has come down to you and me. 

Therefore, we can now go about our lives with the sure confidence that every sin and weakness that troubles us has been forgiven in Christ.  And when we are afraid of what the world might do to us, we can remember that though the world did everything in its power to destroy the Savior, He now lives and reigns at His Father’s side, and from there, He directs all things for our everlasting good.  As we examine our hearts and see that we are unfit for service in the kingdom of heaven, we are lifted up by the joyous promise that Jesus has purified us of all sin and made us fit for His kingdom.  The righteousness we need does not come from ourselves but from Him.

Therefore, whatever trouble comes your way, whether it is hardship, persecution, trial, depression, fear, poverty, or the burden of guilt for your sins, know that Jesus has given you the sure hope of life that never ends, for just as He lives so will we.  St. Paul wrote, “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death…We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.  For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Romans 6:3-5)  Paul also added, “Even when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ by forgiving us all our trespasses.” (Colossians 2:13)

Dear friends, once, our eyes were blind to any possible hope.  Once upon a time, we were bound in the chains of sin and death.  Before we learned of Jesus and His saving work, we were imprisoned by the devil’s accusations and our own guilty consciences.  But now, we have been freed from the burden of sin.  No longer must we work for the evil one, for Jesus has purchased us with His blood.  This is the promise Isaiah was privileged to share with the Israelite people all those centuries ago.  That promise still fills us with joy and hope, for Jesus, God’s Chosen One, lives, and because He is risen indeed, Your hope is sure in God’s Chosen One.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Hands of betrayal.

 

Sermon for 2^nd midweek Lent, February 24, 2021

Grace, mercy, and peace to you all from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

John 13:21-30  ²¹After saying this, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: One of you will betray me.”  ²²The disciples were looking at each other, uncertain which of them he meant.  ²³One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side.  ²⁴So Simon Peter motioned to him to find out which one he was talking about.  ²⁵So leaning back against Jesus’ side, he asked, “Lord, who is it?”  ²⁶Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread, after I have dipped it in the dish.”  Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  ²⁷As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.  So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do more quickly.”  ²⁸None of those reclining at the table understood why Jesus said this to him.  ²⁹Because Judas kept the money box, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the Festival,” or to give something to the poor.  ³⁰As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out.  And it was night. (EHV)

Hands of betrayal.

Dear friends in Christ,

            Betrayal!  The word itself sends chills up our spines.  We hate the idea of any friend betraying our darkest secrets or exposing us to shame or pain.  How much more we would dread being caught betraying a good friend?  How could we ever expect to face that person again?

When we study the Bible, we soon realize that this is God’s story and God’s message of salvation to the world, so it is be easy to wonder why there is so much betrayal found in those pages.  We might consider King David, upon whose throne God had promised his descendant would reign forever, but David’s life was often troubled by betrayal.  Long before David became king, the king David served so faithfully tried to kill him on numerous occasions.  Later, David’s son, Absalom betrayed his father by trying to steal the kingdom away from him, and in that rebellion, David’s trusted advisor, Ahithophel, turned against David to join the attempted coup. 

We could mention others who betrayed David, and David’s betrayals too, but David was so troubled by his trusted friend turning against him that he wrote, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9 NKJ)  If you’ve ever watched a mixed martial arts battle, one of the most devastating moves is a spinning kick that ends with the heel catching the victim in the face or the side of the head.  Successfully delivered, that move often results in an immediate knockout, so we likewise call a friend’s betrayal, “a kick in the teeth.”  Ahithophel’s betrayal of his friend and king foreshadowed what Judas was doing to Jesus, right down to his suicide when his betrayal failed to make him a success.

Throughout history, it has been exceedingly common for parents to name their children using Biblical names.  There have been countless Peters, James, Pauls, Marks, Marys, Deborahs, Michaels, Davids, Ruths, Noahs, Gideons, Annas, Jonahs, and the list goes on, but since the New Testament was written, you have to look pretty hard to discover any new babies being named Judas.  Why?  Because betraying the Savior of the world burns and shames like almost nothing else.

Betrayal hurts because it is so personal, but it also hurts because while it usually happens in secret, its devastating consequences are often seen publicly.  So, how could Judas get involved in such a tragedy?  What would make this man, who obviously had been in Jesus’ inner circle, turn against the Savior of the world?  The answer comes down to greed.

Greed became a cancer in Judas’ heart.  Was it always there?  We don’t know.  We do know that Jesus called Judas to be one of the twelve who were to be His witnesses testifying to the world of the salvation Jesus was accomplishing for all people.  Yet, somewhere along the way, the silver that clinked in the money bag got the best of Judas.  Actually, the devil who got the best of Judas.  Satan used the trust Jesus and His disciples had placed in Judas to turn Judas against his Lord.

Perhaps greed took root when Jesus first foretold His suffering and death.  Maybe Judas decided, then, that he might as well get something out of this discipleship.  Maybe it had been there all along as a secret urging in his heart.  There was earlier evidence of Judas’s greed.  When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with precious nard, Judas was aghast.  He said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” [John reports] “He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.  He held the money box and used to steal what was put into it.” (John 12:5-6)

A little theft here, sticky fingers there, and pretty soon Judas was consumed.  As his greed grew, his faith diminished, so Judas struck a deal; he went to those who were seeking to kill Jesus, and Judas agreed to a trade—his Friend for thirty silver coins.  Worse, Judas traded his eternal salvation for silver that wouldn’t have lasted a year, and in fact, that he never got to spend.

Judas’ greed is a lesson for all of us.  Have you ever considered your little sins inconsequential?  Who doesn’t, right?  Many people imagine that only really serious sins will lead to damnation.  However, little sins eat away at our faith nibble by nibble.  Oh, we maybe don’t take a big bite of death with things like murder, grand larceny, treason, or rape, but by a thousand little cuts, the devil chisels away at our faith as he tempts us with the little sins.  How long does it take for an occasional swear word to turn into a steadily filthy mouth?  How long does sleeping in on Sunday mornings turn into feeling no need for God’s Word?  How long does it take for little glimpses at racy pictures in a magazine or on your phone or laptop to turn a man on to a porn addiction?  It doesn’t matter what sin it is, if we hide it in our hearts, it is not only dangerous, it is actually a betrayal of the Savior who loved us enough to sacrifice His life for us on a cross.

Did you ever imagine that your betrayals are hidden?  Our neighbors don’t always see those little sins, do they?  They don’t always know what is in your thoughts and desires.  Maybe even your family doesn’t notice.  The other eleven disciples had no clue about Judas’ greed and betrayal, but Jesus knew.  King David once wrote, “Lord, you have investigated me, and you know.  You know when I sit down and when I get up.  You understand my thoughts from far off.” (Psalms 139:1-2)

Jesus point blank declared, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: One of you will betray me.”  And all twelve expressed shock and befuddlement.  “The disciples were looking at each other, uncertain which of them he meant.  One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side.  So Simon Peter motioned to him to find out which one he was talking about.  So leaning back against Jesus’ side, he asked, “Lord, who is it?”  Those twelve men couldn’t imagine this happening.  Most likely even Judas was surprised Jesus knew, but like the deceitful sinner he was, Judas didn’t repent.

Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread, after I have dipped it in the dish.”  Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  Jesus knew the plans Judas had to betray Jesus.  The Father in heaven always knew.  Furthermore, it wasn’t that Jesus wanted Judas to betray Him.  Rather, Jesus tried numerous times to call Judas to repentance, but the urgent calls fell on deaf ears. 

We need to beware that we don’t allow God’s calls to repentance to bounce off us.  God loves us even when He is making us squirm with guilt as the law is preached.  Just as Jesus wanted to save Judas from his self-destruction, Jesus calls for you to turn to Him in repentance and trust.  Because here’s the thing, Jesus was giving His life into death for Judas, and for you, just as much as for anyone else.  Jesus died for the sins of the world.  He gave His holy, precious life as a ransom for you.

Judas again failed to repent.  As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.  So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do more quickly.”  The devil had Judas firmly hooked.  Because faith in Jesus was gone, Jesus turned the man loose.  This was not God giving up on Judas, but rather, Judas giving up on Jesus.  Jesus was determined to suffer and die on that weekend as the Passover Lamb of God.  He gave Judas every possible chance not to take part in the destruction of his soul, but to the wicked ones Judas went.  John reports, “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out.  And it was night.”

That last phrase rings sadly in the ear.  It stands there all by itself—darkness had come.  Yes, it was dark outside, but it was especially dark in Judas’ future.  He was firmly under the devil’s control now.  His heart was hardened against the Lord he had followed for three years.  Later that night, Jesus gave Judas one more chance to repent when the man led that band of soldiers to arrest Jesus, but it didn’t succeed.  When Judas finally realized the horrible thing he had done, he gave himself into destruction.  Yet, that didn’t have to be, because Jesus was paying for Judas’ betrayal too.

We may wonder, how could Jesus give His life for a wretched sinner like Judas?  Why would Jesus go to the cross pleading for His Father to forgive those who betrayed Him, abandoned Him, falsely accused Him, whipped and beat Him, and nailed Him to the cross?  Jesus did that out of love.  Because God loves all the sinners of the world, because Jesus loves His Father in heaven, and because He loves you and me, because of love, Jesus became our Substitute, and God abandoned Jesus in our place.  There in the hours Jesus hung bleeding and dying on the cross, God was treating Jesus as if He had committed Judas’ and Ahithophel’s betrayals.  God turned against the Son He loved counting all your sins, your betrayals, as though Jesus had done them, not you.

The prophet wrote, “We all have gone astray like sheep.  Each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has charged all our guilt to him.” (Isaiah 53:6)  Before He went to the cross, Jesus knew your sin, and He knew that only He could save you.  Therefore, because He loves you, Jesus gave His body and blood into death bearing all your guilt, so that you, being cleansed of all wickedness, may live with Him forever in heaven.  You see, though He truly died and was buried, our great Lord and Savior didn’t stay dead.  On the third day He rose from the grave in glory to announce to the world God’s victory over the rebellious traitor who had brought all mankind into sin.  Yes, win Jesus did, and His victory is now given to us by faith. 

After Judas left the upper room that night, Jesus instituted the supper we still celebrate, and every time we partake of that holy meal, Jesus is right there with us in, with, and under the bread and wine, personally bringing to you again the reconciliation of God.  Again, and again, Jesus tells you in the Supper that you are forgiven for the sake of His body and blood, broken and shed on the cross.  Jesus lives, so that you will live also.  All of your betrayals have been taken from God’s memory and He remembers your sins no more.  Amen.

Glory be to Jesus Who in bitter pains poured for you the lifeblood from His sacred veins.  Amen.

For you, Jesus did what He had to do.

 

Sermon for Lent 1, Invocavit, February 21, 2021

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Matthew 16:21-23  ²¹From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.  ²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord!  This will never happen to you.”  ²³But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men. (EHV)

For you, Jesus did what He had to do.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

            Peer pressure and selfish interests have led to many a downfall.  How many parents have warned their children that bad company corrupts even good people?  It’s true, isn’t it?  We all warn our children to beware of friends that might lead them astray.  We don’t tell them that their friends are all bad, but that they need to be on guard against anyone that might try to convince them to experiment with drugs, casual sex, foolish driving habits, and any number of other assorted dangers.

On the other hand, it isn’t just our children that are at risk from peer pressure and selfish interests.  Perhaps, we as adults are even more in danger.  Once we escape our parents’ control, it is easy to buy into the world’s delusion that we are free to do and act and believe in any way we desire.  In our culture, obeying our feelings has become an almost ruling authority.  An “if it feels good do it,” attitude prevails.  If you want something, take it.  If someone offends you, destroy them in any way possible, especially from the safe anonymity of your computer keyboard or phone app.  Bully anyone who disagrees.  If you don’t like what the Bible says, deny its truth, or find some church or religion that takes away the conflict irritating your soul.  All of these are part of modern-day peer pressure. 

Peer pressure and self-interest rule when couples are encouraged to live together before marriage or when hooking up is viewed as just a fun date activity.  If a pregnancy comes at an inconvenient time, kill it.  If a marriage gets boring or tough, cut the cord and move on.  If life gets difficult, find someone else to blame, expect the government to eliminate any hardship, and by all means play the victim card no matter the real cause.  All of these things are evidence of sinful self-interest that rules our world, today, and likely pretty much always has.

We would like to teach our children to avoid all of that, but the reality is the problem isn’t just out there, it is right here inside all of us.  When sin entered the world, real love left us as hearts became cold, loveless, godless, and selfish.  We enter this world corrupted with the original or inherited sin that afflicts our whole world, and without intervention from outside the world, we would leave this life condemned to spend eternity in hell.

Peer pressure and self-interest were right there in the room when the events of our sermon text took place.  Jesus had something important to teach His disciples, but they didn’t like what Jesus had to say.  As so often was the case, it was Peter who spoke up.  He refused to accept His Lord’s prediction.  Self-interest was ruling the moment.  Peter could not accept His Lord, Teacher, and Friend dying, especially dying before His kingdom could be established.  Thus, when Jesus told His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord!  This will never happen to you.” 

Sometimes, selfishness seems like a good thing.  On the outside, Peter wanted His Lord protected from harm.  He wanted Jesus to be with them always.  Peter wanted to continue learning from the One he knew was his Savior.  In fact, Peter would soon be promising Jesus, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” (Mark 14:31) Still, the disciples suffered from the same affliction that had trapped so many other Judeans.  They expected the Messiah to establish a kingdom on earth, and with it, a grand future right there for those who followed Jesus. 

We see the same type of selfish thought when people question how God can allow suffering to continue in our world.  We see it when we ask why God would let someone we love die.  Peter had the audacity to reprimand Jesus for saying such a shocking thing.  Peter took on the role of one who would instruct God on how God should do things.  But, don’t think any of us are innocent in this type of arrogance.  How many of us are not at least occasionally guilty of telling God how we think things should be done when we pray?  How many of us have not complained when God doesn’t do what we say?

One person in this account would not allow self-interest and peer pressure to rule Him—our dearest Friend and Savior, Jesus.  For you, Jesus did what He had to do.

Matthew reported, “From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.”  Jesus told His closest friends that HE HAD TO DO THIS.  There was no other option.  Jesus wasn’t going through all this for vain self-glory.  Jesus didn’t do it because there would be benefit for Himself.  He wasn’t doing anything for any kind of earthly fame or fortune. 

Jesus had to go through this suffering and death, because it was the only way to save you and me from everlasting torment and separation from His Father in heaven.  Jesus had to do this, because it was God’s plan since before Adam and Eve fell into sin.  Jesus had to experience all that evil, betrayal, and pain because the Scriptures had to be fulfilled to the very last dot, so that the devil couldn’t win even one point in his rebellion against God.  Jesus had to do it, because His love for unlovable sinners, like me and you, simply wouldn’t allow the perfectly holy God-Man to do anything less.  Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

When Peter foolishly assumed to protect Jesus and instruct Him in the way things should be, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!  You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.’”  In that moment of selfish delusion, Peter had become an adversary to his Lord.  It was the devil tempting Jesus all over again to take an easy way out of God’s plan.  At the same time, to give up God’s plan to save would mean handing the victory to God’s enemy and allow the serpent to crush God. 

The peer pressure Jesus felt in that moment was one more terrible pain.  Jesus had been instructing these twelve men and many other followers for a good long time now.  He had never given any indication of setting up an earthly kingdom, and He had told them several times of the sacrifice He would make to save sinners.  Jesus loved all those people with an undeniable love, a love so great He was willing to bear any pain in order to free them from Satan’s chains.  It is the same love Jesus has for you and me.  For you, Jesus did what He had to do.

Because you and I are so often caught in selfish interests, and because we truly have often succumbed to peer pressure encouraging us to violate the commands God gave to protect us from the devil’s lies, and because we were all totally corrupted by the selfish nature we inherited from our parents, Jesus left His home in heaven to live for you and me.  For sinners like us, including all people, Jesus set aside the glory of His divine nature to live among us in poverty and meekness, never once putting His own thoughts or desires ahead of His Father’s will nor over what was needed to save us.

God had more than once declared, “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” (Ezekiel 18:20)  Because we are all born in sin, God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no human may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)  God’s perfect righteousness and justice could not allow sin in His presence ever.  Thus, without divine intervention, we all would have been lost forever.

At the same time, God is perfect love; therefore, God was willing to sacrifice, not His justice, or His truth, but God was willing to sacrifice His Son in our place.  St. Paul wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “This saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’” (1 Timothy 1:15)  Jesus did what He had to do, because “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)

If we truly examine ourselves in front of the mirror of God’s law, especially focusing on our thoughts and desires, we will find nothing but selfishness, broken promises, weakness, and rebellion. Yet, this is exactly why Jesus said He had to do what He had to do.  God’s Son recognized that we couldn’t save ourselves.  On our own, we couldn’t hold out any hope for our children.  On our own, we were destined to spend eternity in the pit of despair prepared for the devil and his wicked angels. 

Therefore, in His great love for us, God put Jesus in charge of rescuing us from sin, death, and the devil, and Jesus had no intention of letting you down.  Instead, because God loves each one of you in ways we cannot in this life fully comprehend or experience, Jesus suffered the betrayal and abandonment by all His friends.  He endured an unjust trial in which no one would speak a word in His defense even while lie after lie after lie was spoken against Him.  Jesus endured all the scourging, beating, and mockery that sadistic, trained torturers could dish out, and He willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross to suffer and die, and to be humiliated with burial in a borrowed tomb. 

Then, so that you would know without a doubt that God is satisfied with this punishment for the sins of the world and that Jesus has removed your sins as far from you as east is from the west—so that you would know assuredly that those who believe in Jesus will not suffer God’s wrath but will live with Him forever, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day in glorious victory so that He could share His victory and life with you.  For you, Jesus did what He had to do.  Amen.

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Hands of repentance.

 

Sermon for Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Luke 18:9-14  ⁹Jesus told this parable to certain people who trusted in themselves (that they were righteous) and looked down on others: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple courts to pray.  One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.  ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  ¹²I fast twice a week.  I give a tenth of all my income.’  ¹³“However the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes up to heaven, but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  ¹⁴“I tell you, this man went home justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (EHV)

Hands of repentance.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            I believe you can tell a lot about a man simply by looking at his hands.  You can tell if he spends much time outdoors.  You can tell whether he makes his living with physical labor or more genteel pursuits.  Most of the men I grew up near had hands that were darkly tanned in the summer, rough hands made strong and calloused by lifetime use of pitchforks, shovels, hammers, and wrenches.  For years, my own hands were lined with callouses and dirt and grease filled cracks, but also some scars from having them in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

This Lenten season, we will focus on the hands of those who surrounded Jesus as He walked this earth, and especially, at the hands of the One Man who would willingly give His hands into the punishment of death for sinners like you and me.  Tonight, we begin our consideration of The hands of the passion by taking a look at Hands of repentance.

The account of the Pharisee and tax collector is widely known.  Most of our children know it from their Sunday school lessons, and certainly, you have heard sermons on it in the past.  Tonight, we envision their hands—hands that will give us a glimpse into their hearts, because Jesus didn’t just see the position of their hands, He saw right into the heart of those two men, just as He will all of us when we stand before His throne.

“Two men went up to the temple courts to pray.”  Certainly a worthy thing to do on any given day.  Both men began their prayer by calling out to the same address, “God.”  However, that name is all the two prayers have in common.

If you think about it, you could almost imagine what it would be like if that Pharisee were here praying this evening; he would stand boldly right up front near the steps leading up to the altar, hands lifted up as was commonly done by the Jewish priests as they lifted up their hands to God pleading for His help for the people.  In contrast to the priests, however, this Pharisee lifted his hands boldly and proudly calling out in his heart, “Look here God.  Look at the great specimen You have here in me.”

To the world, the Pharisees looked like the ideal believers.  Everything about their religious life was designed to show their piety and commitment to obeying the law.  It took a certain amount of wealth to be a member of the Pharisaical sect; an ordinary believer wouldn’t qualify.  They dressed in fine robes, fasted two days per week without unduly stressing their bodies by physical labor.  Furthermore, they could and did tithe above and beyond what the Mosaic code called for.  A poor person couldn’t match up without putting his family in dire straits.  The Pharisees worked hard to put on this pious display, and they made sure their neighbors could see it. 

The day Jesus first told this parable, you can almost see the listening Pharisees nodding in agreement with the prayer the man prayed.  The Pharisee began, “God, I thank You.”  It is a beautiful way to begin our prayers, and every prayer we pray would well include our thanks to God, for He has given us everything we have and need.  Yet, there was a difference to this man’s prayer.

The Pharisee wasn’t actually thanking God for anything.  Years ago, Mac Davis had a big hit in country music singing, “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.”  That song could have been written by this Pharisee.  He didn’t say, “God, I thank You for all You have given to me and made of me.”  Rather, he lifted himself up to God as if God should be proud to be seen with that Pharisee.  “God, look at how much I have made of myself so that I don’t really need You at all.”

As that Pharisee stood there with his hands lifted high and his voice boasting loud and clear, he was letting everyone know how much he was doing to make God happy.  More than that, they were all to hear how miserably the others compared.  In his own eyes, that Pharisee imagined he had kept the commandments, unlike his neighbors who he slandered in his heart.  In fact, he thought he was doing so well that he had outdone what God commanded.  How could any of his neighbors compare?  This tax collector sharing the room was just another example of how far short his neighbors had fallen.

Now, perhaps the people in the temple that day were impressed.  It’s hard for us to know, really, but was God impressed by this self-promoting, arrogant display?  We remember God’s word to Samuel, “The Lord does not look at things the way man does.  For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  God looks at a person as with a spiritual x-ray or MRI.  He sees everything inside our thoughts, words, deeds, and emotions too.

I grant you that some of what I have just said is speculation.  Perhaps the Pharisee wasn’t trying to show off in front of his neighbors.  Maybe he was just trying to convince himself that he was good.  Luke doesn’t tell us exactly what this man was thinking, but his uplifted hands and arrogant tone certainly hint that he felt no need for God’s compassion.  Furthermore, “Jesus told this parable to certain people who trusted in themselves (that they were righteous) and looked down on others.”  Jesus was giving His audience a mirror’s view into their own deceitful hearts.

On the other hand, the people in the temple that day probably didn’t pay much attention to the tax collector.  Most Jews of that time didn’t want anything to do with such people.  They were considered traitors for corroborating with the Roman government and cheaters because they were allowed to collect whatever they could as long as they met Rome’s demand.  Anything above that, the tax collector was allowed to keep for himself, and many publicans made themselves rich at their neighbors’ expense.

Now, we have no way to know what grievous sins this tax collector may have committed.  We do know, however, how he felt about all his sins.  The mirror of God’s law reflected an ugly picture to his eyes.  The tax collector knew well that he could never measure up to the holiness God requires.  So, there stood that tax collector—head down, eyes looking down to the ground in shame, hands not lifted up for pompous attention, but clenched in fists and beating his chest in agony over the depths of his sin and depravation. 

The tax collector saw in himself what God’s law told him God saw in him, which is nothing to offer but sin.  Nothing good at all to be held up for God’s praise.  Unlike the Pharisee who compared himself to the most grievous sinners and thought his neighbors all fell into that group, the tax collector compared Himself to the holy requirements of a perfect Creator, and recognized himself as a worthless, helpless sinner with only one thing to plead, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

This may be one of the shortest prayers in the Bible.  The tax collector doesn’t ask for anything else.  He doesn’t offer any positive contribution.  In humble faith, the tax collector simply turns to the One God who offers unmerited mercy and grace.  All the sacrifices that had been offered in the temple throughout the centuries had been testimony of God offering forgiveness by the shedding of blood. 

We are not told what sacrifices those two men brought to the temple that day.  Most assuredly the guilt-ridden tax collector would have offered some sin offering.  Still, he knew what he offered could not buy God’s grace.  He knew that all those temple sacrifices pointed to something greater: the sacrificial Lamb God had promised to send to take away the sins of the world, His own dear Son.

Of course, Jesus didn’t tell this parable only for the benefit of those few Pharisees.  He told it also for the benefit of people like you and me who come to an Ash Wednesday worship service knowing that we haven’t measured up to the Law’s demands.  Jesus told this so we don’t measure our confession against the people who aren’t here, or to the ones stuck in prison for whatever crime they have committed.  Jesus told it so that we don’t compare ourselves to those who have wandered away from the faith, or who don’t live in their daily lives as the law commands. 

Instead, Jesus wants each of us to look into our own hearts with His piercing vision so that we see reflected in the mirror of the law a graphic image revealing every wicked thought, word, deed, and desire, that we confess every failure to obey His Father in heaven, every time we go against His will, and every time we neglect to love truly as we should.  Then, to those of us broken by what we see, Jesus holds out His pierced hands that bled to take away all our iniquities, so that He might lift us up before His Father in peace.

You see, while we confess our great shame, we need to remember that there is one more person important to this account, the Savior who told the parable.  Of all the people in the history of the world, only Jesus had the record to hold up to God’s judgment without fear.  Jesus always obeyed His Father in heaven.  He kept every law without fail.  Jesus honored His mother and father and was the perfect child about whom no one could complain.  In addition to all that, Jesus was regularly found with His hands folded in prayer to His heavenly Father, not boasting about any of His own accomplishments, but thanking His Father in heaven for revealing His will, for the gifts we are given, for all good things, then seeking His Father’s guidance and strength to carry our God’s plan to save.

Jesus had the perfect record of accomplishments about which He could boast, but instead of boasting, He lowered Himself to live among us, and bearing the guilt of all our sins, He endured the indignity of dying as a criminal on the cross.  In Jesus, we find the purest, humblest life, and the surest love, according to which He took on Himself all the sins of the world.  The guilt of every impudent boasting, false humility, disobedience, rebellion, hatred, fear, and arrogance of every person who has ever lived was laid on Jesus.  All of this, so that the Father in heaven would count you and me as holy and truly humble in His sight.  Because “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him,” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus assures us of complete forgiveness when He spoke about the repentant tax collector, saying, “I tell you, this man went home justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

True Hands of repentance do not reach up to God boasting and saying look at me.  Rather, they are folded in humble confession and prayer to the One who promises to hear our prayers and answer them for our everlasting good.  True Hands of repentance also reach out in faith partaking of the body and blood of our dear Savior in the bread and wine He has blessed so that we receive in His Supper the assurance and reassurance that all our sins our forgiven because of what Jesus lived and sacrificed for us.  The truly repentant boast of nothing good in themselves but look to the God of mercy and grace for forgiveness and healing, the God who declared, “Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.  Your walls are never out of my sight.” (Isaiah 49:16)

Dear friends, live humbly and faithfully with Hands of repentance.  Amen.

Now to him, who is able, according to the power that is at work within us, to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.

Christ suffered to bring you to God.

 

Sermon for Quinquagesima Sunday, February 14, 2021

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.  Amen.

1 Peter 3:18-22  ¹⁸ Christ also suffered once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in flesh but was made alive in spirit, ¹⁹in which he also went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison.  ²⁰These spirits disobeyed long ago, when God’s patience was waiting in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.  In this ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.  ²¹And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  ²²He went to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. (EHV)

Christ suffered to bring you to God.

Dear blood-bought friends,

            In this world, we are often afflicted by people telling us what to do.  From little on, parents tell us how to behave.  Later, our teachers tell us to do this or do that, as our parents still do.  When we are in our teens, we chafe under these instructions and we eagerly look forward to escaping from others’ control, only to discover that the same thing continues in adulthood.  We all have bosses who tell us what to do.  Even the president of the country is answerable to the people.  The government seems to never stop coming up with new ways to tell us what to do, and don’t get me started on peer pressure and social media, because those two things might be the most overbearing of all.

Now, as much as we might chafe under the burden of all these commands, our human nature sometimes seems to like being told what to do.  Of course, it is especially true that we like telling others what they should do.  Something known as “the opinion of the law” runs deep in us, and therefore, it is often the opinion of people that the Bible tells us what we must do to please God.  That opinion of the law often leads people to many false notions about the Bible and its purpose.  Therefore, you must know first of all, that while the Bible does bring law, its main purpose is to teach us how Christ suffered to bring you to God.

The words of our sermon text come in the context of Peter explaining why we should endure persecution and suffering for our faith.  Peter recognized that being a Christian believer usually doesn’t lead to being popular in the world.  The fact of the matter is Jesus said, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too.” (John 15:20)  Thus, we shouldn’t be dismayed if the world hates us; that simply indicates that they see Christ on us.

Peter reflects Jesus’ words here as he writes, “Christ also suffered once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”  Truly, this is the message of the Gospel, and the core of the Scriptures.  The Son of God came into this world, not to be served (Matthew 20:28), but to do everything necessary to bring us into God’s kingdom of grace.  Jesus didn’t come to give us a list of heavenly demands that must be met before God would be satisfied.  Rather, Jesus came to do what we could never do. 

Many people in our world want to burden you with commands designed to appease their idea of what God wants.  This affliction also troubles many even in Christian churches.  What they don’t realize is that whenever someone teaches that you must do your part in order to be saved, they are really working for the devil’s side.  Hear again what the Holy Spirit caused Peter to write, “Christ also suffered once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”  Jesus suffered once for all—the one righteous Man for the whole unrighteous human race.  If there remains anything you must do to merit God’s grace, Jesus suffered for nothing.  Even just demanding that you must make a decision to believe involves denying what the Scriptures clearly teach about the inability of a sinner to make that decision.  If any part of salvation involves us accomplishing it, then God is a liar. 

Because God cannot lie, Christ suffered to bring you to God.  The Son of God coming to earth to live and suffer and die for you and me is the culmination of all God had promised throughout history.  In the Garden of Eden, God told the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.  He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)  The wall of hostility between God and all people, that the devil built when he brought sin into the world, would be moved by God Himself from between us and God to between us and the devil, so that reconciled with God, we will be separated from the devil forever.  

God promised Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 22:18)  One descendant of Abraham would bring peace between God and mankind.  We could quote many more prophecies that point to God’s plan to rescue us from the predicament of sin and death by the Son of God and Man, but finally Jesus declared, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)  And, on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)  Therefore, there is nothing for us to do to win peace with God.  Jesus has done it all, and Peter’s letter confirms that everything needed is accomplished because Christ suffered to bring you to God.

Now, there are many in our world who might even agree with what I have said so far who will still tell you that you must do something to come to Jesus or to show God that you really do believe.  One of the things they pick on is baptism.  Even many who believe in Jesus claim that baptism is something we must do to show God that we believe.  I have two study Bibles that both claim Peter’s words here do not mean what they say.  The translations both agree that Baptism saves, but in the notes down below they tell the reader, “No it doesn’t.”  How ridiculous and audacious it is to call the Holy Spirit a liar.

“He [Jesus] was put to death in flesh but was made alive in spirit, in which he also went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison.  These spirits disobeyed long ago, when God’s patience was waiting in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.  In this ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.  And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  Nothing here speaks about us doing anything for God; rather, it teaches what Jesus does for us.

Jesus was put to death to pay the penalty we owed for sin.  Jesus was also raised from the dead so that death could no longer have any hold over us.  Jesus preached to the spirits in hell to show the devil that the victory of God’s Son is complete and unchangeable.  Never again can the devil accuse us before God.  Never again will Satan be able to claim ownership over mankind.  Never again will anyone have any reason to doubt God’s commitment to saving those who believe in His Son.  Furthermore, Jesus commanded baptism because this is the way God welcomes us into His kingdom of grace.  The power isn’t in our decision, or the baptizers skill, or any other human work.  Instead, in Baptism, God brings forth—gives birth to, we might say—a new living spirit connected with Christ Jesus in each sinner who believes, and that brings salvation to a formerly lost soul.

“Baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  One of my study Bibles says that baptism symbolizes the salvation we believe in.  Hogwash!  The water of Noah’s flood didn’t symbolize God saving them.  Rather, God used the water that was destroying the unbelievers and every living thing from the earth to lift and carry the boat in which eight lives were preserved.  God decided long before the rains fell to have Noah build a boat in which to ride out the flood.  God instructed Noah in how to build the boat, and God sealed Noah and his family in that ark for their year-long stay that delivered them to new life.

Likewise, Peter reminds the believer that baptism isn’t commanded to remove filth from our outsides, but rather that through the water and the word of Baptism, God moves us from certain death and destruction to a new and lasting life connected with Jesus Christ.  As St. Paul wrote, “You were buried with Christ in baptism.  And in baptism you were also raised with him through the faith worked by the God who raised Christ from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)  We have “the guarantee of a good conscience before God” not because of anything we do, but because in baptism, God has connected us with His perfectly holy Son with whom He is well-pleased.

You and I have to live with many people who want to tell us what to do—politicians, bankers, parents, teachers, and even many well-meaning Christians, but no one dare tell God what He must do.  Likewise, no one dare tell Jesus that what He did for us is not enough.  Because Jesus truly has finished all the work His Father ordained Him to do here on earth, “He went to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” 

All things in heaven and earth are now under Jesus’ authority just as the Scriptures prophesied.  As the psalmist had foretold, St. Paul reports, “God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)  Jesus too said, “Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)  And again, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Yes, I know, I know, Jesus tells us what to do, but He tells us not as someone demanding we do something to preserve our good life or to be saved, but rather, He speaks as One who loves us and will never abandon us, inviting us to share the amazing grace, life, and salvation we have been given with the many more who are still trapped in the devil’s deceits, but for whom Christ has paid.

In our lesson this morning, Isaiah prophesied of the Christ who was coming to end our torment at the devil’s hand.  Isaiah was told, “Look!  Your God will come with vengeance.  With God’s own retribution, he will come and save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)  Jesus, God’s own Son born of Mary, came into this world to rescue you.  He endured the vengeance that was due for every sin and every rebellion against the Creator of us all, and with God’s burning vengeance, Jesus crushed the devil’s head.  By suffering the punishment we each deserved, Jesus has set you free from the devil, death, and sin.  He set you free, and in baptism, He gives you a new life to dwell with God forever.  Christ suffered to bring you to God.  Amen.

Amen.  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever.  Amen.