Hands of Hypocrisy.

 

Sermon for 4^th midweek Lent, March 10, 2021

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

Mark 14:55-65  ⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they did not find any.  ⁵⁶Many testified falsely against him, but their testimonies did not agree.  ⁵⁷Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”  ⁵⁹Yet even on this point, their testimony did not agree.  ⁶⁰The high priest stepped forward and questioned Jesus, “Have you no answer?  What is this they are testifying against you?”  ⁶¹But Jesus was silent and did not answer anything.  Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”  ⁶²“I am,” Jesus said.  “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  ⁶³The high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses?  ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?”  They all condemned him as being worthy of death.  ⁶⁵Then some began to spit on him.  They covered his face and struck him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!”  The guards also took him and beat him. (EHV)

Hands of Hypocrisy.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            Oh, what a show the devil puts on.  It’s like actors in a play—when they are really good at their part, you see those actors and actresses not as they are in real life, but as if they inhabit the character they play.  The devil was a really good actor in the Garden of Eden.  He convinced Eve and Adam that God was the bad guy, that the Lord was withholding something good from His people, and that the devil just wanted to help them.  In our text this evening, we meet some more great actors, who wore the masks of God-fearing, righteous men, but oh their Hands of Hypocrisy.

People have wondered what motivated the members of the Sanhedrin as they put Jesus on trial.  Some say they were politically motivated in their desire to destroy Jesus.  The men of the Sanhedrin ruled their area of Palestine with much authority granted to them by their Roman overlords.  The members of that Jewish ruling council didn’t want to lose their lucrative and powerful positions.  In fact, in planning this arrest, the high priest, Caiaphas, had berated his colleagues, “You know nothing at all.  You do not even consider that it is better for us that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (John 11:49-50)  Rather than risk Rome putting down any perceived rebellion, which might put their positions at risk, those priests and leaders thought to eliminate that danger by eliminating Jesus.

A second possible motivation was religious.  The Pharisees, especially, prided themselves on obeying the laws as they saw them.  Some of that was the Mosaic law, but they went further.  In their work-righteous assumptions, they imagined that they did much more than regular folk to serve the God of their forefathers.  The truth, however, is that the bulk of their obedience was only a show.  It looked good on the outside, but inwardly, they were as hateful, scheming, and deceitful as the worst heathen. 

What really got their goat, however, is that Jesus publicly branded them as hypocrites, such as when He warned them, “Woe to you, experts in the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You travel the sea and the land to make one convert, and then when he is converted, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15)  More infuriating for those works-righteous pretenders, Jesus, this carpenter from Nazareth, had the audacity to tell them that to be saved they must believe in Him.  He told them, “You are of this world.  I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.  For if you do not believe that I am the one, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24)  For every time Jesus indicated that He is the Son of God, they jealously plotted His end.

A good case can be made for each of these motivations, but perhaps the greatest motivation was a personal, family hatred of the Lord.  Jesus understood what was driving those men.  He knew they were not members of His kingdom and though they pretended to be children of Abraham, Jesus had explained why they rejected Him when He told them, “You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning and did not remain standing in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44)

Because Jesus’ enemies didn’t believe in Him, they remained under the devil’s deceptive control.  As Paul would later write, “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)  Apart from faith worked by the word of our Savior, no one can believe in Him.  All of this should serve as a warning for us.  How often don’t we face the danger of these three motivations to reject Jesus?  As a political motivation, it could be the opposition of our neighbors who refuse the Bible’s teachings and enjoy mocking those of us who do believe.  That peer pressure might get us to question reality and turn us against the Savior who loves us enough to die for us.

Perhaps an even greater danger for us is the religious motivation.  Our old sinful nature loves to imagine how well we obey God.  It takes a perverse pleasure in comparing ourselves to our neighbors.  It is always easy to find some heretic, or criminal, or just a poor soul that stumbles who makes us look pretty good in our own eyes, especially if we fail to hold our own sins and weaknesses up to the mirror of God’s law. 

However, as it was for those men, the devil’s influence is obviously the most dangerous threat for us.  Satan still tells the same lies he has always told, and people still listen.  It can be subtle lies.  Suggestions like: God isn’t being fair to you; it doesn’t matter if you come to church; God doesn’t need your praise; or He just wants to use your money to build fancy buildings or make the preachers fat.  More insidious, though, is when the old evil foe convinces us that we are good enough and strong enough to get by without God’s help.  Why worry about what God says when we seem to be doing fine on our own?  Oh yes, if we are honest, we can identify our own hypocrisies. 

Those seventy-one men that ruled on Jesus’ life, and all the servants and attendants that assisted them, were playing the parts their demonic master had assigned them.  Some tried to come up with accusations that could be used against Jesus.  Many lies were told that night, but no two could agree on anything, so there was nothing that could be used in court. 

Finally, an exasperated Caiaphas took the matter into his own hands.  Remember, this man made his living and staked his reputation on pretending to be a faithful believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Like an actor on a stage, the high priest pretended only a desire to protect his people, yet with Jesus’ cooperation and in accord with the Father’s will, Caiaphas asked the question that would set Jesus up to die.

“The high priest stepped forward and questioned Jesus, ‘Have you no answer?  What is this they are testifying against you?’  But Jesus was silent and did not answer anything.  Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’  ‘I am,’ Jesus said.  ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” 

Caiaphas had already understood that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the promised Messiah.  He just wouldn’t believe it.  Caiaphas was the leading religious teacher of Israel’s people, a man who knew the Scriptures, who portrayed himself as a faithful God-fearing leader.  Yet, he despised the very Savior God had promised to send into the world for his sins.  In doing so, Caiaphas rejected the prophecies, the miracles, and Jesus’ own words.  So, imagine the high priest’s glee at getting the response he desired for the wrong reason.  To be sure, Caiaphas kept up his sham of piety as he expressed shock at Jesus’ truthful answer.  “The high priest tore his robes and said, ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?’  They all condemned him as being worthy of death.”

Hands of Hypocrisy voted to kill the Son of God.  The same hands that had often been lifted up in prayer to the Holy One of Israel were now raised against Him.  “Then some began to spit on him.  They covered his face and struck him with their fists, saying, ‘Prophesy!’  The guards also took him and beat him.”  If we now allow self-righteousness into our hearts, we might be tempted to think that we would never be so hypocritical, but don’t be so sure of yourself.  St. John later wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)  Every time we sin against God, every time we don’t trust Him completely, we too vote against His love.

Yet, we have a Savior in whom there was never anything false.  Jesus was always exactly who He claims to be, and He always lived exactly as His Father desires.  The Man, Jesus Christ, was in that place and position of weakness, because it was God’s will that His Son, Jesus, should suffer and die on our behalf.  Through Isaiah, God had prophesied, “He was taken away without a fair trial and without justice, and of his generation, who even cared?  So, he was cut off from the land of the living.  He was struck because of the rebellion of my people.” (Isaiah 53:8)

Our heavenly Father used the hypocrisy and wickedness of those men, and others like them, so that Jesus could carry out our redemption and the reconciliation between us and God.  Jesus willingly endured the wicked treatment He didn’t deserve, so that you and I will never have to pay the price for our sins.  The men with Hands of Hypocrisy thought they were saving themselves, yet God used their foolishness to bring salvation to the world. 

St John wrote in his letter, “If we walk in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)  When those hypocritical actors carried out their devious schemes, they were doing only what God had known all along they would do, so God used them to move His Son to the cross, so that Jesus’ blood and righteousness would cover you and me.  Amen.

May God be gracious to us and bless us.  May his face shine upon us and keep us in His mercy.  Amen.

Love the Lord for victory and life.

 

Sermon for Lent 3, Oculi, March 3, 2021

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Revelation 2:1-7  To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write: The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lampstands, says this:  ²I know your works, your labor, and your patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil people.  You have tested those who say they are apostles, but are not, and have found them to be liars.  ³Indeed, you do have patient endurance.  You have endured hardships on account of my name and have not become weary.  ⁴But I have this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  ⁵Remember, therefore, the state from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the works you did at first.  Otherwise I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, if you do not repent.  ⁶But you do have this: You hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  ⁷Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the one who is victorious I will give the privilege to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (EHV)

Love the Lord for victory and life.

Dear blood-bought friends,

            What do you suppose Jesus would say if He dictated a letter to you?  In the book of the Revelation, Jesus commands St. John to write seven letters to churches in the Roman province of Asia which is in present day Turkey.  These seven letters follow a definite pattern in which the Savior expresses some point of commendation for most of the churches, but He also lists some serious faults that endanger the spiritual lives of those people involved.  He adds admonition to do right, calls the reader to hear, and makes a promise to those who are faithful.  So what would Jesus say to you?

I won’t pretend that I can answer that question for you individually, but this letter to the Ephesian congregation certainly bears important reminders about which Christian believers in our times should also be concerned, for we too suffer some of the same faults and weaknesses.  It seems best to break down this letter by passage, so we learn to Love the Lord for victory and life.

The identity of the speaker is found in the preceding chapter, and this is obviously the Lord Jesus.  To John He says, “To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write: The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lampstands, says this:”  The preceding passages tell us the seven stars are the angels, or messengers, God provides to the churches.  These represent the pastors assigned to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord in those congregations.  The golden lampstands represent the Word of the Lord being proclaimed in those places.  Taken together, this is the church in the world. 

The Lord holds those preachers in His hand.  This might indicate His protection of those men, yet perhaps the best interpretation is that the Lord pictures pastors as the tools He uses to bring the light of His Word to the world.  Remember, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the Light of the World.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)  And to the believers, He says, “You are the light of the world.  A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.  People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket.  No, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)  Thus, we should remember that the local congregations are not alone in the Christian faith.  The Lord Jesus is with us as we gather around the Word.  He is leading, guiding, empowering, and protecting us as we shine His light while we journey through this perilous life with the promise of forgiveness and salvation in our midst.

So, we know the who—now for the what: Jesus said, “I know your works, your labor, and your patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil people.  You have tested those who say they are apostles, but are not, and have found them to be liars.”  Here, the Lord also speaks to us.  We can and should remain faithful to God’s word, and we should test those who proclaim a message saying, “God said.”  Like the Ephesian believers, we are right to be discerning in what we teach.  We are to proclaim God’s Word without alteration, mixing, or deception, offering forgiveness and salvation through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.  Thus, our practice of disciplining fellow believers when they fall, and of keeping ourselves separate from false teachers, and those who mix truth with falsehood, is to be commended.

Jesus also commended the congregation when He said, “Indeed, you do have patient endurance.  You have endured hardships on account of my name and have not become weary.”  By the time these letters were written, Christians in the Roman empire had endured several rounds of horrible, intense persecutions in which many Christians were tortured or killed.  In the provinces, especially, worship of idols and emperors led to Christians being hated, mocked, and abused as traitors to the empire.  If that doesn’t sound like what is happening in our times, the only thing lacking is being thrown to the lions or sword simply for our faith.  Yet, those Christian believers endured despite everything thrown against them. We, likewise, should patiently endure the troubles and opposition of this world with confidence in all Jesus has done to give us life that never ends in the glory of heaven. 

Later in the letter, Jesus also commended the congregation saying, “But you do have this: You hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”  We don’t know a lot about the Nicolaitans, but they appear to have followed the teaching that since Jesus died for all sins, and by grace we are freed from sin, we are completely free to do anything we desire, so they become notorious for their extreme immorality and passioned indulgence of intoxicants and wicked acts. 

We would like to think that we hate such things too.  However, as the society we live in becomes ever more polluted with various immoralities: lust, greed, polygamy, polyamory, gambling, drunkenness, sexual ambiguity, self-indulgence, open hostility to authority, and vices too numerous to mention, do we even notice wickedness, anymore?

This all sounded like so much faithfulness in the congregation, but then comes the damning rebuke: “But I have this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”  How sad and terrifying this is to hear.  A congregation that was doing so much that is good had forgotten its first love.  And what would be the first love of the Church but the Bridegroom Himself?  The church at Ephesus was so busy doing all that they should that they forgot why they were doing it.  No longer was the love of Christ, their Savior, the motivating power.  No longer was their love for God driving their behaviors, so no longer loving Christ, they could not love their neighbors either.  Now, they were just following the rules or traditions.

The First and chief Commandment is this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)  This love was no longer there, but without Christ at the center of everything we do, there is no longer saving faith, and without faith we are still in our sins, which is why the Lord says He will remove the light of His Word and salvation from their midst if repentance doesn’t take them back to believing and trusting and loving the Lord Jesus.  As Jesus taught while encouraging persistent prayer, “Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night?  Will he put off helping them?  I tell you that he will give them justice quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-8)  Will Jesus find faith among us when He returns?  That is the question, isn’t it?

Jesus said, “Remember, therefore, the state from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the works you did at first.  Otherwise I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, if you do not repent.”  Like with the Ephesians, Jesus calls for us to repent and do the works we once did.  Repentance means turning away from anything that doesn’t trust in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.  That includes pleading for forgiveness of all our sins, but also means trusting that we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.  It means forgetting about earning any part of our salvation but firmly holding to the truth that Jesus has accomplished everything needed to reconcile us with His Father.  It means that we no longer seek after the things of this world but find our treasure in the things above, especially in the love and forgiveness of our God.

Jesus closes this brief letter with the encouragement, “Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the one who is victorious I will give the privilege to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”  The Lord who lived, died, and rose again for you and me wants all people to be saved.  He wants us to listen to every word of saving truth He has provided in the Bible.  He wants us to trust that He has paid for all our sins, every weakness, and every shortcoming found in us.  Jesus wants us to know, to remember, and to cherish that we have life everlasting through faith in Him, because God the Father loves you and intentionally gave His beloved Son into death so that your sins are removed from you forever.  The Light of our Savior reveals the one way to heaven which is Jesus Himself, because He has already lived a perfect life in your place.  Jesus has already suffered the full punishment for your guilt.  Jesus has conquered the old evil foe on your behalf, and the Father has counted all of Jesus’ perfect, successful work as yours, so there is nothing to keep you from His Father’s mansion above.

As we all confess, there is much in each of our hearts that would have condemned us before God.  Our thoughts, actions, and desires are never pure.  Our faith is often far too weak.  Yet, for you and me, Jesus was never short of the perfect holiness we need.  Indeed, through faith, for Jesus’ sake, His Father has counted all of us as righteous, perfectly faithful, and completely pure and holy.  St. Paul wrote to the Roman congregation, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

Dear friends, return to your first love every moment of every day.  Love the Lord who lived for you, died for you, and rose again so that He could reign for you forever.  Love the one Man who could never betray or hurt you, the Son of God and Man who has opened the riches of heaven for you and for all.  Love the Lord for victory and life.  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.

Hands of misguided zeal.

 

Sermon for 3^rd midweek Lent, March 3, 2021

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

John 18:4-11  ⁴Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”  ⁵“Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.  “I am he,” Jesus told them.  Judas, the betrayer, was standing with them.  ⁶When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they backed away and fell to the ground.  ⁷Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”  “Jesus the Nazarene,” they said.  ⁸“I told you that I am he,” Jesus replied.  “So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”  ⁹This was to fulfill the statement he had spoken: “I did not lose any of those you have given me.”  ¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.  The servant’s name was Malchus.  ¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath.  Shall I not drink the cup my Father has given me?” (EHV)

Hands of misguided zeal.

Dear friends in Christ,

            Zeal!  We think of it as a good thing, and in the right hands at the right place and time, it certainly is.  We want our employees to have zeal for doing a good job.  Politicians and coaches make a living promoting zeal in their supporters and team members.  Without that strong enthusiasm among those who are aiming for a goal, there is little likelihood of success.

Yet, what happens when zeal goes too far, or becomes misguided?  What happens when zeal goes beyond healthy enthusiasm?  I think we all realize that bad things can happen.  Overly zealous people caused a dangerous riot in our nation’s capital just about two months ago.  Last summer, zealous anger led to rioting and looting in the streets of many of our cities.  Overly zealous believers of a variety of religions, and/or political causes, have caused the deaths of millions of people just in the last century or so, not to mention the many killed in the more distant past.

Not surprisingly, when we speak of zeal for the Lord, Peter’s name is usually the first one mentioned.  Peter was one of the first men Jesus called as a disciple, and Peter was often bold and impetuous, a man of action, always ready to defend Jesus, but not always understanding the kind of trouble his misguided zeal could cause.  So tonight, we consider Hands of misguided zeal.

As this event takes place, Judas had just led a mass of soldiers, servants, and guards to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.  Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”  “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.  “I am he,” Jesus told them.  The first thing we notice is that Jesus knew well in advance exactly how this night would play out.  The leaders of Israel sought to do away with Jesus in secret without raising the suspicions of the common folk who might support Jesus.  Judas was hoping to gain his small reward without anyone perceiving his terrible guilt.  But Jesus knew!  Jesus knew it all, and every detail happened only through Jesus’ willingness to endure it.  Furthermore, Jesus controlled everything.

Jesus asked the mob who they were looking for, and when they answered, “Jesus the Nazarene,” He replied in a very powerful way.  In English we read, “I am he,” but the Greek is two little words, Ἐγώ εἰμι—“I am.”  Those are the same two words that had incited Jesus’ enemies to try to kill Him on several occasions because they understood He was claiming to be God.  Naturally, if that were not the reality, they would have had a case against Jesus.  But those two words that night came with power.  This is the same Lord who met Moses at the burning bush.  The same Lord who led the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  The Lord who has power over life and death.

John reports, When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they backed away and fell to the ground.  Many have speculated on what could cause those tough soldiers to fall to the ground at those two words, but imagine meeting your Creator face to face even if you don’t realize it.  Did all their sins flash before their eyes?  Did the obscene nature of their rebellion against God enter their minds?  Who can know?  Regardless, Jesus was in charge of this arrest.  He had it all under control.

Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”  “Jesus the Nazarene,” they said.  “I told you that I am he,” Jesus replied.  “So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”  This was to fulfill the statement he had spoken: “I did not lose any of those you have given me.”  Just as He had spoken to His heavenly Father moments before Judas led that gang into the Garden, Jesus made sure to protect those He had called to serve.  Most assuredly, in any other arrest carried out under the pretense of stopping a rebellion, not only the leader but all those who supported and followed him would have been rounded up for trial or worse.  But this night, not one hair would be disturbed among those who followed Jesus.  No one would lay a hand on any of Jesus’ disciples because His hands protected them as they do us.

That is when Peter’s misguided zeal came into play.  Not long before, Peter had made such a wonderful confession about who Jesus is, but the disciple followed that by rebuking Jesus for saying He was going up to Jerusalem to suffer and die.  Peter was misguided that time too, just as he was when Jesus confronted the mob sent to arrest Him.  Peter grabbed his sword, unsheathed it, and swung wildly.  To say Peter was not a trained swordsman is putting it mildly.  He did manage to cut off a servant’s right ear.  However, if Jesus had not been in control, this would have ended in a massacre.  In any other similar situation, those elite Roman soldiers would have dispatched with those eleven disciples in seconds.  Worse yet, if Peter had succeeded in stopping Jesus’ mission, there would salvation for no one.

But Jesus was in control.  What really made Peter’s zeal misguided is that Jesus entered that garden knowing exactly what would happen and why.  Furthermore, Jesus did not need anyone’s help.  Jesus was in that place and position only because God the Father had assigned Jesus to carry the sins of the world to the cross.  Jesus was in that garden because He was fulfilling His Father’s will to save people like Peter and you and me.

The poor servant, Malchus, bore the brunt of Peter’s enthusiasm.  We can imagine his pain and shock.  However, Jesus immediately took the time to help even His enemy.  Luke tells us that Jesus responded, “Stop!  No more of this!”  Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him. (Luke 22:51)  Peter was so concerned about protecting his Lord, yet Jesus lovingly took a moment to do His last miracle before He went to the cross.  Again, Jesus was in complete control of everything.

There is often a temptation among Christians to assume we have to protect Jesus or defend His Word.  We see that type of response among some other religions, as well, where they will willingly shed blood to make converts or to defend their idol.  However, we have a Savior who doesn’t need our protection.  We have a Savior who entered our world on a mission of salvation.  “He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) 

Some Christians in our times like to think that our job as Christians is to change the world politically, materially, and ethically, and though we are to be shining lights and willing servants in the world, our primary zeal should be seen in trusting solely in Jesus and telling the world about what Christ has accomplished to save all people.

Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath.  Shall I not drink the cup my Father has given me?”  Here we get to the crux of the matter.  Peter and the other disciples were still dreaming about an earthly kingdom for Jesus to rule, but Jesus didn’t come to reign over a kingdom on earth.  Jesus came to rescue us from the troubles and trials of life in this broken world.  Jesus came to reconcile us with Almighty God, and only Jesus could do it. 

Previously that night, Jesus had prayed to His Father that if there were another way, let it be done, but Jesus knew there was no other way, so He willingly, gladly submitted to the humiliation of being arrested and falsely accused so that our innocent Savior could take all our sins and the sins of the world on Himself.  “No one comes to the Father, except through me,” (John 14:6) Jesus had told His disciples.  That night Jesus was completing the pathway.  Jesus would drink the cup of bitter suffering and death.  He would drink down the poisonous accusations, the bitter rebellions against the God of love, and all our toxic wickedness so that He could be sin for us.  By because He had become sin for us, God demanded Jesus’ life in our place.

The psalmist wrote, “You crown Him with glory and honor.  You make Him the ruler over the works of Your hands.  You put everything under His feet.” (Psalms 8:5-6)  This is the King who suffered and died for you.  God’s Son, Jesus truly died for your sins, but He also rose triumphant over sin, death, and the devil.  Accordingly, having conquered all things, Jesus now reigns over heaven and earth, and He is ruling all things so that those who believe in Him, who are called according to his purpose, will be saved.  We also have His promise that He is returning to judge the world.  Trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and life, He shows us that we don’t need to be afraid, because when He returns, Jesus will receive His people into glory, while the rebels and the wicked who reject Him will be cast out forever into the darkness.

There are Hands of misguided zeal among us too at times, I suppose.  It is easy for us to imagine that we have to do something to help Jesus save us, or that our weak efforts to obey the law may somehow make us more worthy of saving.  Many teach that we have to do our share.  But, Jesus has it all under His control.  Nothing we could do will ever add to what Jesus has done.  He lived the perfect life we could never match.  Jesus obeyed His Father in heaven in every thought, word, desire, and action, and though Jesus was completely holy, humble, and obedient in everything, He took our sins to the cross, bore our shame, our guilt, and our death, so that we might be counted holy in His Father’s eyes, so that we will be welcomed into the mansions of God’s glory through faith in Christ Jesus.  Furthermore, Jesus sends to Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament to give us faith in Him and to guide us in living God-pleasing lives here on earth.

Dear friends, let us close by remembering how Peter lived after Jesus rose from the grave.  No longer was Peter consumed with a desire to protect Jesus.  Instead, Peter, and all the apostles, became zealous to tell the world about all that Jesus has done, and still does, to give us forgiveness and everlasting life.  May we, likewise, always use our hands not to strike but to pray, our time not for anything but to serve, our lives not to strike out against the enemies of our Savior, but to show them His hands of love, especially how Jesus stretched them out on the cross of death so that we all might live.  Amen.

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

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.