Pray gladly to speak boldly of God’s grace.

 

Sermon for Epiphany 3, January 26, 2025

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  He gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—to whom be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Acts 4:23-31  ²³After Peter and John were released, they went to their own friends and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said.  ²⁴When they heard this, with one mind they raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you are the God who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.  ²⁵By the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  ²⁶The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’  ²⁷For certainly, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.  ²⁸They did whatever your hand and your plan had decided beforehand should happen.  ²⁹Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness ³⁰as you stretch out your hand to heal and as signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  ³¹After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken.  Also, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (EHV)

Pray gladly to speak boldly of God’s grace.

Dear bold believers in Christ Jesus,

            Back in about 1960, a country singer by the name, Ferlin Husky, sang “When troubles surround us, when evils come, the body grows weak, the spirit grows numb.”  I don’t know how the lyrics of that song, “Wings of a dove,” affected his hearers concerning the troubles of their day.  We tend to imagine life was simpler and more peaceful back then, but today, because of the rapid publicity given to any news story, troubles constantly batter us, and many of us may think troubles have become overwhelming.

Of course, trouble isn’t a new phenomenon in our world.  Murders have been happening since Adam and Eve had their first few children.  War has been wiping out lives for almost that long as well.  Rebellion against parents and immorality didn’t begin in the 1960s, but thousands of years ago God destroyed the world through the great flood precisely because “The Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts and plans they formed in their hearts were only evil every day.” (Genesis 6:5)  Today, whenever you turn on the news, or open the browser on your phone or computer, most of what you see will, again, be bad news, or reports of people applauding perversion, and many mocking the truths God has given through His Word.

Now, all of this most likely doesn’t do much to encourage you, and as we explore the situation behind our sermon text, one might expect that Jesus’ apostles, also, would have been discouraged.  Instead, though, their example encourages us to Pray gladly to speak boldly of God’s grace.

The men Jesus sent out to proclaim the Good News were in trouble with the authorities.  The apostles were preaching in the name of the very Man the Jewish rulers had killed to rid themselves of His supposed troublemaking.  Now, some weeks after Jesus’ body had been cast into the tomb only to rise again on the third day, and after Jesus’ ascension to heaven, those same Jewish leaders were afraid of how Jesus’ disciples’ preaching about Jesus might affect their positions of honor in the land.  In fact, the members of the Sanhedrin would have gladly executed all those apostles, except that the crowds were against that conspiracy, so to maintain some measure of public respect, the rulers were forced to back away from their murderous desires.  Then, because of a miraculous healing, the crowds were accepting these apostles as messengers from God, which left the authorities with few immediate options for punishment, so the rulers and elders threatened them and commanded them not to preach in Jesus’ name.  However, remaining faithful to the Lord, the apostles were gladly refusing to obey that command.

Peter, John, and the other apostles were well aware that this wasn’t the end of their troubles.  They knew from Jesus’ own words that persecution, and even death, would come their way for carrying on this ministry.  That brings us to our sermon text.  Here, we see the result of what we might expect would make those men afraid.  “After Peter and John were released, they went to their own friends and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said.  When they heard this, with one mind they raised their voices to God.”  Just imagine, these two men reporting on the wicked threats and commands of the ruling council, and that congregation of believers responded with bold and confident prayer!

First, notice what those believers did not pray for.  They didn’t complain about injustice.  They didn’t ask God to destroy their enemies (That, in itself, was a complete change from earlier in their lives).  They really didn’t even ask God to protect them from the evil they would undoubtedly face.  No, those early Christian believers began their prayer, instead, with recognition of God’s power and the truth of His Word:

"Master, you are the God who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.  By the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’  For certainly, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.  They did whatever your hand and your plan had decided beforehand should happen.” 

They offered up their glad thanksgiving for all God’s mercy to them, but they didn’t stop there.  Rather, they quoted David and applauded that God is in control regardless of enemy actions.

In Romans, chapter 8, St. Paul promises that God works all things for our eternal good.  Now, God does not cause sin, and He is not the author of sin in our world.  Nevertheless, even the unrighteous anger and hatred of wicked men will be turned to God’s purpose and plan for God’s will is always done.  Jesus’ death on the cross took a conspiracy of Roman and Jewish authority and the shouts of an agitated crowd.  Those, natural enemies conspired to destroy Jesus, but while they did succeed in killing Him, it was all according to God’s eternal plan, as was Jesus’ resurrection on the third day.  God allowed the hatred and rejection of those wicked sinners to work for the good purpose of accomplishing His salvation plan.  Of course, that good thing is not a credit to the wicked, for their rejection of the Christ remains their curse.

However, we can learn from the disciples’ prayer.  They didn’t pray that God destroy their conspiring enemies.  They didn’t pray that no harm would come to themselves or other faithful Christians.  Instead, they prayed for the strength to do the will of God and for God to make His plans succeed.  They prayed, “Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness as you stretch out your hand to heal and as signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus."  They prayed with confidence that God would continue to do the very things the defiant rulers hated.  Jesus’ disciples prayed that regardless of consequence, God should embolden them to speak His word faithfully, proudly, and confidently among all kinds of people no matter the circumstance or danger.  They asked for “the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness.”  Thus, they asked God to use His mighty power to bring attention to their cause so that more people might hear the Good News, and believing it receive everlasting life.

Do you recognize how the attitude of Jesus’ disciples had changed?  Once, when James and John saw that a certain Samaritan village didn’t welcome Jesus, “They asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?’” (Luke 9:54)  At that time, they were thinking of Jesus’ kingdom as one of power and might.  Now, after everything they had seen Jesus do, teach, and perform, they understood that God’s kingdom is one of grace.  Again, on the night Jesus was betrayed, His disciples ran away in fear, not recognizing that Jesus was in control of even that evil.  Therefore, we see that their attitudes were transformed completely.  Rather than seek to destroy their enemies, or to hide from them, they henceforth aligned with God’s will that “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

So, how should you and I consider this text?  Should we consider it an interesting bit of history with little application to ourselves?  Or, should we follow their example and Pray gladly to speak boldly of God’s grace?  Our answer comes from what happened after Jesus’ followers lifted up their prayer.  The Lord himself confirmed that what they prayed for was God pleasing and good for us to emulate.  “After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken.  Also, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” 

In answer to their prayers, God filled them with His Spirit and poured out His grace upon them all.  He blessed their work, and we know from history that their work did not go unnoticed.  Most of those apostles, and many ordinary believers, gave their lives for the preaching of the Gospel.  However, that didn’t stop the proclamation of the Good News.  Instead, it fueled the spread of the Gospel across the Mediterranean region and eventually the world.  The Christians became one in heart and mind doing God’s work of saving souls from sin.  Really, they are why we are here today. 

Because of the faithful testimony of Christ’s apostles, and the fervent prayers of fellow Christians, you and I have heard the Gospel and believed it to our salvation.  Likewise, you and I have opportunity to pass along this Good News to others around us, and many more yet to come.  God knows there is plenty of opportunity to find sinners in our world.  There is plenty of need for us to pray for boldness from God that we too might proclaim His treasures of grace so that friend and foe alike might hear the God News and believe.  Just as Jesus encouraged His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

In our times, we also hear distressing news of pagans trying to destroy God’s people by the sword or attempting to convert people to their perversions by fear and force.  At times, we too are tempted to hide from the opposition or remain silent when we have opportunity to speak about Jesus.  However, the Lord doesn’t grow His Church and grant forgiveness and salvation by intimidation or force.  Instead, God sends out humble men, often poor and simple in the eyes of the world, but well-educated in God’s ways and God’s Word.  He sends out believers like you and me, who, with confident faith and glad thanksgiving for our forgiveness and salvation, offer prayers for His power and blessing, so that we too might share His Good News in a troubled world.

Dear friends, by the power of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, God made you a follower of Christ.  Not that you must travel the world speaking to people in other tongues, but He gives you the power and opportunity to be a Good News teller at home—with your children and to your neighbors, telling them of how Jesus lived for them, died for them, and rose again, announcing with power to the world that Jesus gained the victory over sin and death.  His victory has given you forgiveness of all your sins, peace with God, and an everlasting home in God’s heaven above.  This is the message He gives you to share: peace to all who believe in Jesus, God’s Son.

Fellow servants of Christ, “When troubles surround us, when evils come, when the body grows weak, and the spirit grows numb,” Pray gladly to speak boldly of God’s grace.  Amen.

The LORD is good.  His mercy endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Amen.

Faith makes you precious to the LORD

 

Sermon for Epiphany 2, January 19, 2025

To all those loved by God…called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Isaiah 62:1-5  For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.  For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth shining brightly, and her salvation burns like a torch.  ²Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings will see your glory.  You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will assign to you.  ³Then you will be a beautiful crown in the Lord’s hand, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.  ⁴You will never again be called Abandoned, and your land will never again be called Desolation, for you will be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land will be called Married, because the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.  ⁵For just as a young man marries a virgin, your sons will marry you, and just as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, your God will rejoice over you. (EHV)

Faith makes you precious to the LORD.

Dear friends in Christ,

            In the days of the Old Testament, the Lord often compared His relationship with Israel to a marriage between husband and wife.  That description assumes a pure relationship in which the wife is faithful to her husband and the husband (in this case God) is both unselfishly loving and a perfect provider for His beloved.  In that scenario, Israel brought nothing to the union.  The picture is of a slave girl rescued from bondage and transformed into a queen of great beauty with all the riches of the kingdom generously given to her by her husband, again God.

In the New Testament, this picture is continued with the Christian Church being the bride of Christ.  Through faith, Christ puts His name on us.  By His life, death, and resurrection, Christ has rescued the Church from her bondage and brought her into His kingdom of glory to reign at His side in the heavenly mansions above.  Considering those two scenes as really one, we see how Faith makes you precious to the LORD.

“For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.  For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth shining brightly, and her salvation burns like a torch.”  In this picture, Isaiah represents all messengers of God’s grace.  In our times, that could be missionaries, pastors, teachers of God’s Word, and parents or friends sharing the Good News of salvation with their children, friends, neighbors, and even enemies or people across the planet we may never meet.  The Lord of heaven and earth has made it clear that His salvation is intended for all people who will believe in His Son, not just a select few; therefore we will not, and dare not, be silent in the proclamation of the Gospel because “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)  Just as St. Paul explained to Timothy, “There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness.  The Lord, the righteous Judge, will give it to me on that day, and not only to me but also to everyone who loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

Next, the Lord describes His bride—first Israel, but in reality the whole Christian Church of all times.  “Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings will see your glory.  You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will assign to you.”  Looking forward to what His Son, Jesus, would do for the people of Israel and for all the people of the world, for all sinners everywhere of every time in history, God promises righteousness.  This righteousness is the glorious perfect obedience and trust that Jesus lived in our place.  From the moment of conception in Mary’s womb, the Man Jesus remained without any sin and without any rebellion of even the most minor kind. 

Now, it is physically and literally impossible for us who were born under the curse of sin to fully comprehend how completely pure in thought, word, and deed Jesus lived.  We can’t imagine a life without any kind of darkness in it, without any shameful desire or selfish thought, because we are immersed in Adam’s fallen nature since the moment we were conceived in our mother’s wombs.  On the other hand, Jesus could not, and would not, go against anything His Father in heaven had commanded or willed.  I have always marveled at how any other children Mary might have had would have had to face living with a perfectly obedient older Brother.  But Jesus’ holiness counted for those children as well as you and me. 

Having been born into the slavery of sin, with each of us covered in the filth of our guilt, there was nothing appealing in any of us that would make God desire to have us in His family.  However, being pure love, God chose to rescue the whole assembly of Christianity out of this world of bondage.  Just as Israel didn’t deserve rescue from their Egyptian overlords, so there was nothing pleasing about any human that would have made God love us.  Yet, our Creator chose to love.  He speaks that love to us every time the Aaronic blessing is spoken over us at the end of our worship services.  That is equivalent to God repeating His marriage vow to His Bride, the Church, as the Lord explained through Moses, “In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:27)

The Lord brings us into this covenant relationship through faith in His Son.  As the Lord brings us to believe in Jesus through the hearing of His Word and the power of Baptism, He pours out Jesus’ holiness over us, cleansing us and dressing us in the righteousness Jesus lived for all people.  Consequently, when God looks down from heaven, it is the glorious perfection of His Son that He sees in Christian believers.  Thus, Faith makes you precious to the LORD.

Having been delivered from our bondage to sin by faith in Jesus, having been cleansed of all guilt in the washing flood of Baptism, and having been dressed in holy perfection as the Bride of Christ, “Then you will be a beautiful crown in the Lord’s hand, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.  You will never again be called Abandoned, and your land will never again be called Desolation, for you will be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land will be called Married, because the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.”  How often in the history of world has the devil whispered in the ears of sinners, “God doesn’t love you; God has ignored and abandoned you; God hates you; He doesn’t appreciate you.”?  These are the most common lies the devil weaves into every temptation and fear. 

We have read how Satan used these same lies against Adam and Eve.  Even Abraham, the great father of faith, fell prey to the devil’s temptation that God was neglecting to keep his promise to give him a son, so Abraham tried to get an illicit son from a substitute slave girl.  You and I fall prey to these lies whenever we feel we can’t trust God, every time we desire something He hasn’t given us, and whenever we fail to submit to our Lord’s instructions.  Yet, the Lord remains faithful to all His promises in His own perfect time.  The Lord God of heaven and earth addresses Satan’s wicked accusations here in Isaiah’s prophecy.  Our Creator has reclaimed our lives out of sin’s bondage and death and rescued us from condemnation and exile from His presence. 

Having committed Himself to our eternal glory, God made us His crown jewels.  With Jesus paying the ransom price for our freedom with His holy life and innocent death, it is the equivalent of God exchanging His beloved Son for our eternal glory.  So that no one and no evil angel can accuse us of sin in God’s heaven, He makes us clean, holy, glorious in His sight.  God counts us as His valuable treasure at the cost of the blood of His own dear Son, when Faith makes you precious to the LORD.

Having been brought into this marriage covenant with God, who can steal us away?  Though the devil may whine and rage, he can’t accuse us before God.  Now, that doesn’t mean we need not be wary of his lies.  The devil is a chained beast growling out many deceptions and deceits.  We dare not play with that conniving serpent nor tease him by drawing close and hoping to escape his claws.  Yet, with Jesus at our side, no man nor evil foe dare intervene to separate us from God’s love.  This side of heaven, we are safe as we walk with the Lord Jesus, trusting Him to protect and care for us.  Then, when we are brought home into His mansions of heaven, we are eternally safe from the devil’s schemes, for the old evil foe is forever banished from God’s presence, condemned to spend eternity in the depths of hell’s fires.

Isaiah wrote, “For just as a young man marries a virgin, your sons will marry you, and just as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, your God will rejoice over you.”  Those of you who are married, remember the joyous days of your honeymoon immediately after the wedding.  Remember the times you had with your beloved before any disagreements or differences of opinion marred your time together.  This is but a foretaste of the loving relationship God has established with you.  Because God is holy, pure, and true, He will never neglect you, never mistreat you, and will always guard and protect you.  His joy over your rescue and union with Him is unconditional and never ending.  Jesus declares, “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

Throughout Epiphany, we celebrate God making Jesus known to the world.  Today, we also celebrate God making us part of His family and His heavenly treasure, for cleansing and purifying us until we shine like jewels in God’s heavenly crown.  We sing with joy and delight that He has chosen us out of all the wretched refuse of mankind to be part of His beloved Bride, the Church.  Thanks be to Jesus for loving us enough to sacrifice all so that we might live in glory at His side in heaven.  Thanks be to Jesus, for Faith makes you precious to the LORD.  Amen.

May the LORD our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers.  May he never leave us or abandon us.  May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways.  Amen.

The Lord Jesus is your comfort and strength.

 

O Lord, we are gathered in sorrow, yet not as those who have no hope.  We thank You for all the blessings bestowed on our sister in faith, now fallen asleep, and for all the blessings given through her.  But most of all, we thank You for making her Your dear child by faith in Jesus Christ.  Give us to have that same trust in Jesus always.  We ask this all in His holy name.  Amen.

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

For our hope in time of sadness, we read the words of our God in Jesus’ name:

Isaiah 40:1-11  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  ²Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her.  Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.  ³A voice is calling out: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord.  In the wasteland make a level highway for our God.  ⁴Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be made low.  The rugged ground will become level, and the rough places will become a plain.  ⁵Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.  Yes, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.  ⁶A voice was saying, “Cry out!”  And I said, “What shall I cry out?”  All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like a wildflower in the countryside.  ⁷Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the Lord blows on them.  Yes, the people are grass.  ⁸Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.  ⁹Get up on a high mountain, O Zion, you herald of good news.  Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you herald of good news.  Lift it up!  Do not be afraid!  Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”  ¹⁰Look, God the Lord will come with strength, and his arm is ruling for him.  Look, his reward is with him.  The result of his work is in front of him.  ¹¹Like a shepherd he will care for his flock.  With his arm he will gather the lambs.  He will lift them up on his lap. (EHV)

The Lord Jesus is your comfort and strength.

Dear friends of June Kosen, and especially you, her family: Sherry, Eric and Taunya, Lance and Laura, grandchildren and spouses, and great-grandchildren,

            It is no secret that there is a lot of pain and sorrow in this world.  Today, again, we experience, in a very personal way, the pain of loss that death has inflicted on all of us.  In too many ways, death seems to rule everything.  Most of us try to put off death as long as possible, because death scares people.  It’s why some people get a thrill out of trying to cheat death.  Yet, there is no denying that death comes calling for everyone, and that is because death is the curse put over the world because of sin.

Now, I don’t mean this as an insult, but June was a sinner.  The evidence is right in front of us again with her passing.  On the other hand, this truth didn’t shock June.  She readily confessed that she was a sinner.  She didn’t want to be, of course.  No, the truth is, she loved her Lord.  She truly tried to live her life according to God’s plan and will for her.  Yet, June recognized that God is God, and she is not.  However, June knew Jesus as her Savior, and as the poet wrote, “That has made all the difference.”  With Jesus as her Savior, June is now experiencing death-conquered, with her soul residing eternally in heaven.

We would be remiss if we failed to notice that death had been troubling June for a long time.  Death attacked her through the hardships and trials of life, with a motorcycle accident, two serious bouts with cancer, and with the loss of some of those near and dear to her, especially, the loss of her dear husband, Byron, just days more than a year ago.  In fact, June’s heart finally stopped beating on the anniversary of Byron’s funeral, one year ago last Saturday.

Truth be told, the curse of sin, which is death, causes all the troubles in our world; it is the root cause of all the hardships, failed relationships, and pain in our lives, and there is no escape from death’s curse except through the Savior promised in our sermon text.  Here, through the word of God given to Isaiah, we see that The Lord Jesus is your comfort and strength.

God commanded His prophet, Isaiah, to address those who mourn, “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.  “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her.  Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  This is a direct prophecy of the forgiveness and salvation God has given the world through His Son.  Jesus came into the world to pay our debt to God for the guilt of our disobedience and rebellion against His will.  We can rejoice, today, even in our sorrow, because Jesus paid all the debt June owed.  He paid for your sins and mine, as well.

If you’ve ever had a mortgage, car payment, or any burdensome debt, you probably were eager for the day it would be paid off.  Then, what relief you felt when you burned your mortgage or received the clear title to your car.  In a time of loss like this, we may not feel the joy that is now June’s.  The weight of her earthly debt is now lifted completely.  Today, June walks in glory.  Reunited again with her beloved Byron, her parents, and so many others who have gone before, June is at peace in company with the Lord Jesus who was her source of peace and hope throughout all the trials this life threw against her, because her Lord declared, “Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  This doubling is God’s declaration of a debt paid in full granting freedom from sin’s burden and everlasting peace with God.

The prophet wrote, “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.”  God first revealed His glory in Jesus though hidden in human flesh.  God’s own Son came into this world to live holiness for us, so that we could be found righteous in God’s eyes.  Jesus then gave His life on a cross in full payment for all sin.  The world may call it shameful.  Many today think it of no consequence, but by His humility and death, Jesus gave us the opportunity to experience His true glory in His Father’s home in heaven, and by His resurrection from the dead on Easter morning, Jesus gave us sure proof that He will raise us from the dead on the last day, just as He promised. 

Today, the glory of the Lord is also seen in how He rescues us from the curse of sin.  June received a foretaste of God’s peace at her baptism when the Holy Spirit marked her as God’s own dear child, and washing her clean of all guilt, He dressed her in Jesus’ righteousness, making her radiant in God’s eyes.  As radiant as June was at her Christmas Day wedding to Byron, wait until you see her again glorified in the heavenly realm where every vestige of sin’s curse is forever removed, and death can trouble her no more.

On May 6, 1956, June confirmed her God-given faith in Jesus, and I can confirm that throughout her life, June didn’t waver in that saving faith.  Her trust in Jesus carried June through the pain of her accident and cancer treatments.  These last months as her health deteriorated and loneliness brought so much pain, she clung firmly to the salvation and forgiveness she has in Christ Jesus.  Furthermore, as I told you all last year at Byron’s funeral, it was their sincere wish that you all enjoy that same peace and confidence in what Jesus has done for you, so that at all times The Lord Jesus is your comfort and strength.

Through Isaiah, God in heaven declared, “Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’  Look, God the Lord will come with strength, and his arm is ruling for him.  Look, his reward is with him.  The result of his work is in front of him.  Like a shepherd he will care for his flock.  With his arm he will gather the lambs.  He will lift them up on his lap.”  There are many idols and false gods worshipped in our day and time, but June knew and believed the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as her Savior from sin and death.  Today, June’s faith in Jesus is rewarded. 

Last Saturday, the Good Shepherd, who has been taking care of June from the day she was born, came to carry her home.  Though she was wounded by the troubles and trials of life in this sin-broken world, Jesus was always with her and watching over her.  Now, as her remains rest in peace until the Glory of the Lord returns to gather all His elect, June’s soul dwells in peace with her Savior, safely at home forever where the devil, the world, and death can never trouble her again.

After His ascension to heaven, Jesus gave the apostle, John, a glimpse of what is to come for the believer in Jesus.  In that Revelation, John “heard a loud voice that said, ‘Look!  God’s dwelling is with people.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)

Today, we have our tears, and tears will come over us from time to time as we remember loved ones like June.  Yet, for her, last Saturday was the beginning of eternal joy and peace.  Likewise, we will see her again when the Lord returns in glory to judge the world as He promised.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul assured and comforted us for the future saying,

Look, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  But once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory.  Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

The remains we will bury this morning will rise again, glorified and triumphant with Jesus, and re-united with her soul, June will dwell for all eternity in the glory of heaven, along with all those of us who will believe in Jesus and with all those believers who have gone to heaven before her.  May this confidence always be with you that The Lord Jesus is your comfort and strength.  Amen.

The peace of God, established and won for you and for all by the sacrifice of God’s own precious Son, be with you always to the very end of the age.  Amen. 

The Mighty One put Himself in your baptism.

 

Sermon for Baptism of Jesus, January 12, 2025

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

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22  ¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ.  ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water.  But someone mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  ¹⁷His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor.  He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”… ²¹When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  While he was praying, heaven was opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with you.” (EHV)

The Mighty One put Himself in your baptism.

Dear friends waiting for Christ,

            There is an interesting contrast between the two main people in our text.  First, you have a unique individual with an unusual lifestyle who the crowds want to elevate to celebrity status for his powerful preaching, and at the same time, you have the One who John was sent to serve, the Son of God who humbled himself in such a way that the crowd doesn’t yet recognize Him.

Just as God had planned, John came out of the wilderness, where his diet consisted of honey and wild locusts, and he was dressed in camel hair clothing.  Normally, nothing about that should have attracted the crowds, but John came preaching a powerful message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sin in preparation for meeting the Messiah.  The Jewish authorities didn’t know what to make of John.  They questioned his right to do what he was doing, but John continued to treat people like the sinners in need of salvation that they and all people truly are.

Jesus, however, was walking undetected among the crowds.  The Son who came down from heaven to rescue people from sin and death humbled Himself to appear as an ordinary person.  He hadn’t yet begun to preach, nor to demonstrate His true power among the masses, but here in Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus begin His mission as The Mighty One put Himself in your baptism.

Amazed by his preaching, the crowds began to wonder if John the Baptist was the Christ God had long promised to send.  He fit some of the prophecies and his preaching was having a powerful effect on the crowds.  Thus, those expecting the Savior questioned whether John was the one they were seeking.  In humble response, John immediately rejected their imaginations and set the record straight: “I baptize you with water.  But someone mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  Informed by the Holy Spirit, John had no misconceptions about his role.  He was the servant sent ahead.  His task was to make people aware of their need for the Savior.  John righty recognized that he also was a sinner who had no right to claim anything more than being the lowliest servant to the King.

John’s attitude is one we would rightly follow.  None of us is worthy to be elevated into a position of glory.  Whether we might be great at what God assigns us to do, or not, we don’t measure up to the perfection God demands to inhabit His house of glory in heaven.  To people living ordinary lives just like you and me John warned, “His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor.  He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  John’s preaching shows that sin and rejection of God’s promised Savior will not be tolerated, because God in His mercy was sending the solution to our guilt.

On the other hand, we meet Jesus, born of Mary, but not of a human father.  Rather, Mary became pregnant as the Holy Spirit came over her and the Son of God entered human flesh to live in our humble condition in such a way that we could be counted righteous and holy before God.  Thus, the One Man who is true God, with all God’s power, authority, and glory, appeared to those coming to John as an ordinary resident of Nazareth—a carpenter’s son, following in Joseph’s trade.

In this text, though, we see what is really going on with Jesus.  When Matthew reported on Jesus’ baptism, he tells us that John protested Jesus coming to him to be baptized.  John recognized his own need for salvation, even as he also recognized that Jesus didn’t need to repent.  However, you and I needed Jesus to be baptized.  You see, if Jesus isn’t connected with Baptism, our baptisms would have no effect for us.  Therefore, for you and me, The Mighty One put Himself in your baptism.

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.”  In being baptized, Jesus wasn’t repenting of any guilt for He had none for which to repent.  However, Jesus goes to John to be baptized so that our sins, and all the sin of the world, would transfer to Jesus.  By entering into the Baptism covenant, Jesus is exchanging His righteousness for our guilt. 

It is exactly what the Father in heaven planned for Jesus to do.  Of course, not just to be baptized.  God’s plan for Jesus includes so much more.  God gave His Son into human flesh so that Jesus could live for you and me, so that Jesus would experience the harsh effects of sin in the world, so that Jesus would experience all the terrible temptations that so trap us into guilt yet remain without any sin, nor any rebellion against God’s will and plan for mankind, and so that Jesus would know the rejection of man even after displaying the power of God.

In all of this, Jesus was doing precisely as His heavenly Father sent Him to do.  Unlike you and me, Jesus entered into His ministry without ever once sinning.  At the same time, He is willingly giving His holiness into our need and taking upon Himself all the guilt of our sinfulness, our broken promises and forgotten good intentions, and our rebellion against what God desires for His people.  The holiness Jesus was transferring to His people is confirmed for us in the words God the Father spoke from heaven.  While he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with you.”

Whenever you feel tempted to sin, whenever you feel pain or sorrow for the effects of sin in our world, whether that be disease afflicting your body, or death stealing away someone you love, whether it be the things troubling your conscience when you know you have done wrong, done things that hurt others, or just go against God’s law, or when you feel the sting of sin as someone else is causing pain and trouble in your life, know that your Savior has felt those very same troubles and hurts.  Jesus lived in our flesh, walked in our path, and felt the struggle of daily life in a sin-damaged world.  He knows our needs and our pain.  Therefore, Jesus spent His whole earthly life living the perfect selflessness, perfect humility, perfect submission to His Father’s will, and perfect obedience to the law so that we could be counted holy.

Jesus so well-pleased His Father that you and I can remember our baptisms confident in the forgiveness, righteousness, salvation, and eternal life that Jesus has transferred to you and me.  Each time we confess our sins, here in worship, among brothers in faith, or in your home among family members, the Holy Spirit has assured us that through Baptism all your sins were put on Jesus and His righteousness is now credited to you.

However, lest anyone be so foolish as to imagine that we have a get out of eternal prison free card.  This gracious gift is not given to those who continue in their rebellious ways.  Jesus promised us, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)  At the same time, Jesus confirms the warning John had been preaching, for Jesus said, “I am the Vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:5-6)  A different metaphor than John preached, but the result is the same.  Those who seek salvation in any other place or thing than Jesus Christ will be thrown out into the outer darkness and pain of hell.

Dear friends, because God so loved the world, He gave His own dear Son into suffering and death so that He could offer and give to you the forgiveness, perfect righteousness, and reconciliation we need to live with Him forever.  That was granted to most of us as we were carried to the font as infants.  There, through water and Word, God claimed us as His own dear children.  There, He connected us with Jesus and all He accomplished so that we might be saved.  There, the Holy Spirit entered our lives, washed away our guilt, and began the new life in us that your parents and the Church have been nurturing in you since that day. 

As you return to God’s Word in your worship, Bible classes, daily reading, and prayers be confident in all that God has promised so that you have life and salvation and a Savior who knows what you are going through.  You have a Savior who gladly hears your prayers and answers them.  God continues to do this for you because He never changes, and He never denies Himself.  His Son is exactly the same.  Jesus lived for you—died for you—rose again from the dead to show that He will also raise you from the grave when He returns in full glory on the last day, and He now reigns in majesty for your eternal good.  All this is guaranteed to those who believe, because The Mighty One put Himself in your baptism.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.

 

Sermon for Epiphany, January 5, 2025

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Amen.

Acts 13:46-49  ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas responded fearlessly, “It was necessary that God's word be spoken to you first.  But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, look: We are now turning to the Gentiles!  ⁴⁷For this is what the Lord has instructed us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.”  ⁴⁸When the Gentiles heard this, they were rejoicing and praising the word of the Lord.  All who had been appointed for eternal life believed.  ⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was being carried through the whole region. (EHV)

Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.

Dear blessed of the Father,

            Imagine a family being granted a gift of riches so vast that it would be greater than the wealth of people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet, or perhaps even all three combined, and yet the recipients of the gift refuse to accept that gracious offering because they imagine they can make more money on their own.  Or imagine a prisoner held in the depths of the world’s most notorious prison, only days from his scheduled execution, when that hopeless prisoner is granted a full pardon but he refuses it because he doesn’t like the messenger who brings that decree of freedom to him.

We really don’t have to imagine anything so incredible, because that is shown to us precisely in what Luke reports here in our sermon text, and the same thing continues to happen in our world still today.  People turn down God’s grace: His release from sin’s condemnation, His immense generosity of complete forgiveness of all sin, and His free gift of an eternal home in the mansions of heaven, all rejected for the poorest of reasons, or no reason at all.

Paul and Barnabas were sent to proclaim the Good News of the forgiveness and salvation Jesus has won for all people.  The first week that Paul preached in this town, many Jews believed and were glad to hear more of what Paul had to tell them.  Their gladness poured out to others over the course of that week, and their enthusiasm brought many, many more people to the synagogue to hear Paul speak the next week.  That is where we find them in our sermon text, leading people to Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.

Though some of the Jews had gladly received the Gospel, others had decided on a different agenda.  Offended that Paul was teaching free grace in Christ Jesus without the requirement of obeying all the Mosaic and Pharisaical law, they began a near riot and drove Paul and Barnabas out of the synagogue.  In other words, they became zealous for their religion of works and refused to hear how Christ had fulfilled all the law’s demands on their behalf.  These zealous individuals flatly refused to believe that Jesus had accomplished salvation for them, and particularly, they rejected the idea that Gentiles could be saved by God’s Christ without works of law.

As my introduction hinted, they threw away the gift of eternal life in heaven by denying the riches of God’s grace.  They rejected the forgiveness God granted to the world on the basis of Jesus’ life and death in our place.  Paul bluntly stated the outcome of their rebellion, “It was necessary that God's word be spoken to you first.  But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, look: We are now turning to the Gentiles!”  By rejecting the Good News of what Jesus has done for the world, those people judged themselves unworthy of God’s mercy.  By their actions, they shouted to the face of God that Jesus isn’t good enough for them.  The end of such foolishness is everlasting torment in the depths of hell.  And like so many places in the centuries since, when God’s precious Gospel is rejected, the Holy Spirit moves on with His lovingkindness to rescue other sinners.

To the believing Christian, the actions of that Jewish crowd seem incomprehensible.  Why would anyone throw away such a great, everlasting gift, such a release from the eternal prison prepared to hold the devil and his wicked angels?  What on earth could possibly be so enticing that one would forgo the greatest gifts ever given?

My friends, before we exalt ourselves over those rebellious Jews, we better examine our own hearts.  How often do we forget the great benefits God has granted us through faith in Jesus?  How often do we find His Word not worth our time to hear?  How often do we question God’s plan and care for us?  How often do we judge other people not worthy of our forgiveness, as if we deserved the forgiveness granted to us by the Father?  If we are truly honest with ourselves, the realization of our own selfishness and guilt should lead us to react just like those Gentiles who so gladly heard and believed what Paul preached.

The truth is, Jesus wasn’t sent to save just the Jews, or Americans, or any other nationality or race, so we can rejoice because He gave His life for all people.  Isaiah tells us what God long ago promised His Son, the appointed Savior, “It is too small a thing that you should just be my servant to raise up only the tribes of Jacob and to restore the ones I have preserved in Israel, so I will appoint you to be a light for the nations, so that my salvation will be known to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)  When Simeon picked up the Baby Jesus in the temple, he spoke with exultation, “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32)  Therefore, moved by the Holy Spirit, Paul confirms this by saying, “We are now turning to the Gentiles!  For this is what the Lord has instructed us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.”  By God’s grace, salvation and forgiveness of all our sins has been gifted to you and me so that we are led by the Gospel to Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.

God sent His Son to be the Redeemer and Savior of all people of earth.  Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world.  He paid for you and me.  Jesus didn’t ask “Who will be worthy of God’s grace?” because no one who has ever been born from the seed of Adam has been without sin.  We all have been guilty and worthy of everlasting separation from God in the unending torment of hell.

The truth is we didn’t deserve God’s grace.  We didn’t deserve Jesus living and dying for us.  Furthermore, not one person ever made a decision on his own to believe in Jesus.  Not one person ever found forgiveness and salvation apart from the proclamation of the Gospel.  It simply doesn’t and can’t happen, because the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed by faith, for faith, just as it is written, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17)

Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel, the most one could ever do is fall into the trap of relying on self-righteousness which isn’t righteousness at all, because all people are corrupted body and soul by sin.  This sin comes to us through our natural inheritance from our parents.  Along with that inborn sin comes condemnation before God and a complete lack of ability to please Him.

However, now is the time to Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.  You see, God didn’t ask whether some could work their way to heaven; He knew exactly what had to be done to reconcile us with Him.  So that our relationship with God could be restored, God made the plan, He did the work, He prophesied what we needed to see in a Savior, and He sent His Holy Spirit through the Word and His messengers to tell us how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for our salvation, and through that Good News His Holy Spirit works in us the ability to accept God’s Gospel message and believe it.

Remember how you came to believe in Jesus.  For most of us, we were blessed already as infants to be baptized, through which we were given faith by the power of the Gospel as St. Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit to declare, “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.” (1 Peter 3:21)  Naturally, that newly-given faith had to be nurtured by the hearing of the Word of God’s grace so that our faith continued to grow, just as others, such as the Greeks and Romans who heard Paul preach on his missionary journeys, came to believe by hearing the Good News, because “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

“When the Gentiles heard this, they were rejoicing and praising the word of the Lord.  All who had been appointed for eternal life believed.  And the word of the Lord was being carried through the whole region.”  One might ask, how could they not rejoice at such Good News?  Yet, we know many still do not believe.  It is truly incomprehensible to the believing mind that anyone would reject Jesus, but the truth is, we only believe in Jesus because God in His mercy elected us to believe and worked everything so that we hear His Good News, and faith is granted to us through that message of peace.

The doctrine of election is hard for the sinner to accept, because we always want to make ourselves acceptable to God.  That arrogant boast of our own efforts has to be pummeled down by the power of the law.  But if the law is all we knew, we would live every day like we are fighting the heavyweight champion of the world, being continually knocked down by its punishing blows until any hope of life was pounded out of us.

However, God does not save us by Law.  He saves us by the gift and promise of His Savior Son.  We are redeemed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  What is now given to us is the forgiveness of all sins, freedom from punishment and condemnation, and the opportunity to rejoice for the gifts of God’s love and to tell others about what Jesus has done for us all, so that they too can enjoy these precious gifts of forgiveness, salvation, peace with God, and eternal life in heaven.  When we daily keep what Jesus has done for us clearly in focus, we will gladly, willingly, continually through good times and bad, with friend and stranger alike, Rejoice in the Word of salvation many reject.  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.