Matthew 5:21-37 - Jesus Cuts Through the Fake News - February 12, 2023

Have you run into any fake news lately? Fake news is defined as false information or misinformation which is published with the appearance of being authentic, factual news. [1] In spite of social media’s alleged efforts at fighting fake news, every time a new story breaks, two or more competing narratives are created – each one claiming that the rest are just “fake news.” This fake news phenomenon has apparently grown so problematic that a few years ago Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, said that it is “killing people’s minds.” [2] Well, whether Mr. Cook realized it or not, he is simply raising a concern that Jesus first raised over 2000 years ago. Only, Jesus’ concern was not that fake news was killing people’s minds, but that it was damning their souls. As we continue our walk through our Savior’s Sermon on the Mount this morning, Jesus cuts through the fake news that filled the world in his day and ours.

Jesus begins by addressing a prominent fake news headline: You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.’ In quoting Exodus 20, Jesus is not calling the commandment God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai fake news. But over the course of 1500 years, the teachers of Israel had artificially limited the 5th commandment to mean that the only way a person broke it was by literally committing murder. It was this twisted view of the 5th commandment that led the Jewish leaders to believe that, even though they had conspired against Jesus, hunted, arrested, illegally tried, unjustly convicted, and finally handed the Son of God over to Pilate for crucifixion, that they were innocent of his blood and blameless before God.

What have you heard about the issues of life and death lately? Have you noticed that even as the rate of violence and murder have increased dramatically in the past few years, it is most widely reported only when it fits a certain narrative or when a “hate crime” label can be attached? Have you heard people claim that “words are violence” even while the lives of the most helpless in this world (unborn babies) continue to be snuffed out at a horrific rate? Have you heard that the lives of the terminally ill or severely handicapped are not worth living and that it is an act of love to assist their suicide? Aren’t we sometimes tempted to think that God isn’t really concerned about the hatred in our hearts and the loveless words on our lips – or typed by our fingers on social media – as long as we don’t act on them? The world says many things about hatred and murder. So how do you decide which of them are true? The only solution is to turn to a trusted source, to Jesus, and listen as he clarifies God’s will.

But I tell you, Jesus says with divine authority, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’ [3] will have to answer to the Sanhedrin. The teachers of Israel had left out one very important word from their interpretation of the 5th commandment, a word that is sadly lacking from our culture’s definition. You, every part of you, is prohibited from any murderous thought, word, or action. Martin Luther commented in a sermon on these verses: you may find as many ways to kill as you have organs. You may use your hand, your tongue, your heart; you may use signs and gestures; you may use your eyes to look at someone sourly or to begrudge him his life; you may even use your ears if you do not like to hear him mentioned – all this is included in [do not murder] (LW 21:74). The point Jesus wants to drive home is that all hatred, whether it ends in violence or murder or not, is a sin against the 5th commandment. A sin that puts the sinner in danger of hell fire. Yes, the physical act of murder is condemned by God, but so is bullying, abortion, euthanasia, angry social media screeds, reckless driving, vengeful and vindictive attitudes. God looks at the heart and the attitude he demands is one of love, not hate. 

But just as important as understanding what Jesus does mean is understanding what He doesn’t mean. Jesus doesn’t mean that judges and police officers and parents are forbidden from being angry with and punishing those who break the law or rebel against their authority. In fact, the modern theory that convicted criminals shouldn’t be punished due to so-called “social justice” is fake news that directly contradicts God’s definition of justice. [4] Nor does Jesus mean that all taking of life is forbidden: in Romans 13 God explicitly authorizes the government to punish lawbreakers and use the sword to take the lives of capital criminals and enemy combatants: he does not carry the sword without reason. He is God’s servant, a punisher to bring wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4).

And the teachers of Israel didn’t limit their meddling to the 5th commandment; they also had a corrupted understanding of God’s 6th commandment regarding adultery and divorce. Jews living in Jesus’ day were taught that any filthy thought, word, or action was ok as long as it didn’t end in intercourse. Are we being told anything different today? Isn’t the main discussion of sex in our society based not on whether or not it is right or wrong, but on how anyone should be able to have sex with anyone else as long as they do it safely and responsibly? If you doubt this, visit a health class at any public high school and suggest abstinence as the only form of birth control that is 100% effective at preventing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (not to mention it is the only form approved by God) – you will be laughed out of the building. And as far as divorce goes, in Jesus’ time, a man could divorce his wife for almost any reason – even if the only reason was that he had found a prettier woman to marry. [5] The societal issue was not whether divorce was right or wrong, but that it should be done properly – that a husband give his wife a document of divorce before sending her on her way (Deuteronomy 24:1). Today, many people don’t even give passing consideration to whether divorce is morally right or wrong, but how to do it properly: so that the possessions are divided fairly, reputations are preserved, and the children and pets are cared for. Consider the source of this fake news: the spiritually dead, unbelieving world which is under Satan’s control (Ephesians 6:11-12). It is not a trustworthy source. For the truth, we must turn to Jesus.

But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Adultery doesn’t begin with the act, Jesus explains, but – as we saw with King David – it begins in the heart. The result is that God not only forbids the adultery that takes place in a shady motel, but the adultery that takes place in front of the computer screen and in the imagination. So what are we to do in a world which plasters smut on billboards and pumps its filth right into our homes? Is Jesus serious about gouging out our eyes and cutting off our hands? Think about it this way: would throwing away an eyeball or hand remove the desire from your heart? No, Jesus wants us to gouge the lust out of our hearts, where every adulterous action originates, through repentance. Then, and only then, have you really removed the offense from God’s eyes. And, when the sinful desire has been removed from the heart, the hand and the eye will follow suit. Even though it is nearly impossible for 21st century Christians to avoid sexual temptation, the new life God has created in us controls even the muscles of our neck and the hand that holds your smartphone. The Christian does not have to look and give in to temptation; he or she can walk away, turn away or exit the website.  

Our unbelieving, godless world is filled with fake news concerning divorce, but Jesus says that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, cause her to be regarded as an adulteress. And whoever marries the divorced woman is regarded as an adulterer. Divorce is never God’s will – and he only allows it after the union has already been broken by adultery or desertion (1 Corinthians 7:15). Marriage as God defines it is a lifelong union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). When divorce happens, sin has always been committed and the result is always that the union God intended to last a lifetime is shattered. Divorce is never, ever God’s will. I have heard it said: “it’s not that simple, pastor.” That’s right. In this world, sin has created an ugly mess of marriage and divorce. But according to Jesus (and this is where you have to ignore the world’s fake news) a sinful situation does not change God’s will. God’s will is not situational, it is absolute. Regardless of what the world, our emotions or reason say, Jesus tells us that no one has the right to bend, twist or redefine God’s will regarding marriage to suit difficult circumstances or selfish desires.

Finally, Jesus’ disciples had also heard all sorts of fake news about swearing and taking oaths. Again you have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘Do not break your oaths, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ Evidently in Jesus’ time people were taught that some oaths were more serious than others. If you swear by the hair on your head, you’re not real serious. If you swear by God, you are absolutely serious. What have you heard about the words and language we use? Have you heard that intentions are more important than words? Have you noticed that a man’s word isn’t what it used to be? Have you ever heard or used the excuse “I know what I said, but that’s not what I meant”? Have you fallen into the habit of using God’s name as an exclamation point rather than to pray, praise, and give thanks? How many of us have stood before God and promised to faithfully conform all [our] lives to the teachings of God’s Word, to be faithful in the use of Word and sacrament, and in faith and action remain true to God as long as [we] live and then later acted as though that confirmation vow meant nothing? We have heard all sorts of things about our use of language, but Jesus says:

Do not swear at all…instead, let your statement be, “Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Whatever goes beyond these is from the Evil One. What does this mean? As believers, we know that God is always present and always listening to the words we speak. Therefore, there is no need for a believer to swear in his or her personal life. Believers should be so honest and have such a reputation for integrity that nothing more than a simple yes or no is needed to affirm the words they have spoken and the promises they have made. Anything beyond this only and always comes from the devil, the Father of lies (John 8:44). At the same time, Jesus is not forbidding all oath taking or swearing. Swearing, for example, in a courtroom, at the altar in a marriage vow, even the oath we made when we were confirmed are all appropriate and God-pleasing because they are demanded by him or his earthly representatives.

Jesus has clarified God’s will concerning murder, adultery, divorce, and our use of language. Where does that leave us? Does the phrase “poor, wretched sinner” come to mind? Does mourning over past sins of thought, word and action wrench your soul and constrict your throat? Do regret, pain, and guilt weigh heavily on your heart? Do you realize that you could never live up to the standard God demands? Good, because that means the law has done its job. God hasn’t given us his Law to make us feel good about ourselves or show us the way to heaven – because it’s very clear that it can only lead to the dead end of hell. We have heard the law and the law’s main purpose is to filter out the fake news and clearly show us our sins against God.

But don’t despair, consider once more the source: Even as Jesus was preaching this sermon, he was obeying God’s Law perfectly in our place. He didn’t just talk about the Law; He lived according to it for 33 years. As he teaches us about the holy life God expects from us, he was busy living the only perfect life that could satisfy God’s holy demands – and through faith, his holy life is your holy life. You have heard the law, now look to the cross and hear Jesus say it is finished (John 19:30) – knowing that the “it” was his perfect sacrifice which washes away all of your sins against all of God’s commandments. Ignore the world’s fake news and listen to the real Good News: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). Jesus didn’t just come to preach the law; he came to free you from the law’s impossible demands. We are not forgiven because we keep God’s commands; we want to keep God’s commands because he has already forgiven us. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you can go in peace. Go back to your life as Jesus’ disciple, go out to salt the earth and light the world with the real news of law and gospel. Don’t let the fake news spread by the world and the devil or created by your reason or your feelings define right and wrong. Listen to your Savior – he’s the only one with the real, and really good news. Amen. 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news

[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/02/10/fake-news-killing-peoples-minds-says-apple-boss-tim-cook/

[3] Raca was an insulting name in Aramaic, which meant something like numbskull or empty-head.

[4] Proverbs 24:23-25 - To show partiality when administering justice is not good. 24If anyone says to a guilty person, “You are innocent,” people will curse him. Nations will denounce him. 25However, it will be pleasant for those who convict the guilty. A wonderful blessing will come upon them.

[5] https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Gittin.9.10?lang=bi

1 Peter 2:9-12 - Your Christian Identity - February 5, 2023

You’ve no doubt noticed that something every generation since the beginning of time has taken for granted – that there are only two genders and you are either one or the other – has become one of the main targets of the relativistic, subjective, postmodern spirit of our age. (And I use the term “spirit” intentionally, because it is clearly a manifestation of the work of hell’s evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12)). At issue is whether gender is an objective biological fact or a subjective psychological or emotional opinion. The result has been a nationwide identity crisis: there’s a crisis over which bathroom or locker room or which athletic event or even which pronouns apply to a person. And yet, as troubling as those things are (especially when they are forced into the minds of young and impressionable children), they are only symptoms of a deeper problem. They are symptomatic of a world that is alienated from God and lost in the darkness of sin and unbelief searching for personal identity and purpose. This shouldn’t surprise us. Identity is important – it’s who you are. So…who are you? How do you identify yourself? Male, female, son, daughter, father, mother, white, black, rich, poor, high school dropout or college graduate, employed, employer, jobless, retired, Republican, Democrat, Independent…the world demands that you identify yourself according to these categories. Is that really all we are? The sum total of our feelings, our body parts, our skin color and politics? Not according to God. This morning Peter helps us to define and understand our Christian identity.

At the center of this identity debate is the battle between objectivity and subjectivity. Our society, in large part, has elevated subjectivity over objectivity. For example, I am free to identify myself as a Caucasian, heterosexual, monogamous, Christian male – not because those are objective realities, but because that’s just how I choose to self-identify – and I can change it tomorrow if I want. It’s dangerously absurd. But not as dangerous as those who claim the right to self-identify before God – and demand that he accept it. There are obvious examples: the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons – cults who have hijacked the name of Christian while denying Jesus’ identity as God and Savior – which is the central doctrine of Christianity. But there are more subtle examples too. People who attend church but secretly idolize power or popularity or wealth. People who claim to be Christian and yet don’t faithfully attend worship. And, maybe most humbling of all, people who claim to be Christian and yet by word and deed join St. Augustine in his honest but unbelieving prayer: Lord, make me good…but not yet. [1] There is a theological and logical fallacy behind these claims. It is the lie that creatures can claim an identity different from that given them by their Creator. That was the lie that led to Satan’s fall from heaven, Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden, Israel’s fall into destruction, and countless Christians’ fall from faith. We creatures don’t have the right or authority to identify ourselves before God. Only God can truly and objectively identify us. And he only has two categories.

Peter spells them out: At one time you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. At one time you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy. There was a time when we had no identity before God. We were less than nothing in his eyes. We not only didn’t deserve his favor and love, we deserved only his wrath and punishment (Ephesians 2:3). We didn’t possess citizenship in his kingdom or membership in his family. We could assert every imaginable claim, we could grumble and protest – but none of it could change the fact that by nature we were not God’s people, we were not entitled to his mercy, we could not call on him in prayer, live a life pleasing to him, or hope to live forever with him in heaven. We were lost, dead, and blind; doomed to a meaningless life on earth and imprisonment in hell forever. By nature, damned sinner is the only identity we own. That’s the real identity crisis everyone faces.

What changed? What happened? Did we somehow make a choice or change our clothes or hair or have some surgery to change our identity? No. What happened was that little word “but.” Did you notice it there 3 times in verses 9 and 10? But, but, but. What stands behind that but? God. God happened. God changed us. He didn’t just change our label, he changed our hearts and, as a result, our lives. He called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light. Peter explained this in the beginning of this letter, where he addressed the elect, temporary residents in the world…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1-2).

Whether you can pinpoint the precise moment this change occurred is not important. The important thing is acknowledging who is behind this change, this conversion. God chose you. The Spirit sanctified you – setting you apart from the rest of the godless, unbelieving world (1 Corinthians 12:3). Obedience to Christ, which is just another term for faith, was planted in your heart through the water and Word of baptism. Having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, your old identity – along with all its sinful desires, words and actions – has been stripped off and thrown away. While once we were like refugees standing outside God’s kingdom carrying only our dirty, worthless, sinful rags as identification, we now stand before God clothed in the perfect robes of Christ with Baptism as proof of our identity. We are God’s people. Not because we have earned it, but only because we have received his mercy.  

Now, that might sound a little abstract. What does it mean to be God’s people? Peter explains: you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession. You are a chosen people. Our world condemns discrimination. God practices it. Out of 8 billion people, God chose you. And unlike the world’s identity groups this choice wasn’t based on your birthplace, gender, skin color, or politics. Look around at the proof. God has chosen men and women, married people and single people, those who never went to college and those who have received their doctorates, white and black, nurses, mechanics and artists, young and old. The Christian church is the most diverse organization in the world. And yet none of those things played a factor in God’s decision to choose you, Jesus’ decision to die for you, or the Spirit’s decision to bring you to faith, keep you in the faith and give you the hope of everlasting life. In a world that divides people along lines of race, gender, and social status – God unites us under one banner: undeserving sinners chosen by God, saved by Jesus and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

You are a royal priesthood. In the OT, the only people who could properly, personally approach and serve God were the descendants of Aaron, members of the designated priestly family (Exodus 28:1). If you wanted to pray, you had to go through them. If you wanted to offer a sacrifice, they had to offer it on your behalf. But in the NT, God threw out that rule book. You don’t need a priest to pray for you, you can pray directly to God through Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). You don’t need the blood of a lamb or a black robe or an altar to serve God – your life is a living sacrifice and the world is your temple (Romans 12:1). Wherever you go and whatever you do – even eating and drinking – you do it as a royal priest (1 Corinthians 10:31).

You are a holy nation. Holy? Really? Here’s where that dispute between subjective feelings and the objective reality come into conflict in our hearts and minds. Do you feel holy? Didn’t we just self-identify ourselves as natural born sinners, disobedient in thought, word and action? Don’t the devil, the world and our own consciences condemn us? Yes. And so subjectively, we don’t feel holy. But according to Peter, you are objectively holy, in two senses. You have been set apart from the sinful world as a nation special to God. And, second, through faith in Jesus your sins have been washed away. It is finished (John 19:30) applies to your sins and your forgiveness. Don’t listen to what anyone else says – not even your own conscience. God has declared you to be holy and so holy is what you are – right here, right now.

Finally, you are the people who are God’s own possession. That brings us full-circle. Humans have an inherent need to belong. We want to belong to our families, our group of friends – and when that doesn’t satisfy – Facebook groups and political groups and groups marching in the streets. But whenever you turn on the TV or scroll through social media you see the hopelessness, helplessness and confusion that results from belonging to the groups the world creates. Kids will change their pronouns and even undergo unnecessary surgery just to fit in. So don’t. Don’t identify yourself according to the world’s categories. You belong to God. Whatever else you might be, you are first and foremost a Christian. No one can take that from you. That is your identity. Know it. Believe it. Cherish it.

And then…live it. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and temporary residents in the world, to abstain from the desires of the sinful flesh, which war against your soul. Live an honorable life among the Gentiles so that even though they slander you as evildoers, when they observe your noble deeds, they may glorify God on the day he visits us. One of the greatest lies that Satan has sown in the church is that once you become a Christian, the struggle is over. Peter says just the opposite. Becoming a Christian isn’t the end of the struggle, it’s the beginning. God made us Christians, now we are to live as Christians. Christians who strive to abstain from the desires of the sinful flesh and instead live…honorable [lives]. This means war. And the fiercest and longest struggle is not against the unbelieving world but right here, in our own hearts – it is a war against the person we see in the mirror. The sinful nature doesn’t want to belong to God – it wants to be its own god. And the way it rebels is by leading us to live and believe everything that is contrary to God. In other words, it tempts us to sin. Now we may argue: “I can’t stop sinful desires from popping up in my heart and head – especially in this godless world.” True. No one is denying that. Martin Luther compared sinful desires to birds: “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest there” (LW 42:73). You won’t be free from sinful desires until God stops that sinful heart of yours from beating. But that’s not an excuse for giving in to them. Remember who you are! Remember what Jesus died to make you and give you! You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And, when you fail – and you will! – come back to the cross, come to his holy Supper, drop your sins at Jesus’ feet in confession and leave forgiven, refreshed and strengthened to continue to struggle.

But, be warned. When you do that, people will notice. The world, which struggles with its own identity, will recognize and mark you as an alien, a stranger in their darkness. It will hate you and persecute because you don’t join in their evil ways (1 Peter 4:4). Don’t be surprised by it. Embrace it as evidence of your true identity. And, know that this honorable life that Peter refers to is not some set of special, heroic good works. He’s not calling us to solve poverty or end violence or leave our homes and families to dig wells in third world countries. He’s talking about living as a Christian in your average, every day, normal life. If you read the rest of his letter, you’ll understand what Peter is talking about: quiet submission to governing authorities (1 Peter 2:13-17). Respect for employers and supervisors, even the bad ones (1 Peter 2:18-25). Honoring marriage – whether married or single – and living our gender in a way that glorifies God (1 Peter 3:1-7). And, in general, carrying out whatever role God has given you in life: child or parent, husband or wife, employer or employee (1 Peter 3:8-12). Even things as simple as changing the dirty diaper, taking the time to instruct and discipline your children, and patiently putting up with your spouse’s irritating habits and forgiving their sins – all are offerings God welcomes from his chosen people. But remember why you do it. It’s not so that the world may see your good deeds and glorify you. It is so that the world may observe your noble deeds and glorify God. Your quiet, moral life may lead your unbelieving neighbor to ask you why you live the way you do (and what a great opportunity to declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness!) – but it may not. Either way, in this life or on Judgment Day they will join us in giving glory to God. (They won’t have any choice (Philippians 2:10)). And for us, there is no higher calling and purpose in life.

Our world appears to be suffering from a severe identity crisis. It’s sad but it’s not all that surprising – apart from God you don’t have an identity and you can’t find one anyone else. But by God’s grace you know better; you know who you are; you are so much more than your body parts and accomplishments and politics. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession. From your baptism to your grave you are a Christian. And wherever life leads you, you have a purpose: to proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Amen.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo

Matthew 5:1-12 - You Are Unconventionally Blessed - January 29, 2023

Have you ever found yourself “blessed” in a way that you or maybe the world at large doesn’t normally consider a blessing? I wouldn’t dare to suggest that things like having red hair or being taller or shorter than average are unconventional blessings – because I don’t want to get myself in trouble. In time you may come to see how these things are indeed blessings from God, but still, they remain unconventional blessings. They make you unique, special – they often lead to both unique challenges and opportunities. At first glance, that’s how we might see our Lord’s blessings in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the poor, who mourn, who are gentle, who hunger and thirst, who are merciful, who are persecuted and insulted. You’re blessed if this describes you? Really? That’s, by definition, unconventional. Dictionaries define unconventional as “not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed.” [1] As we receive our Lord’s blessing this morning, we will grow in our appreciation of our blessed status before God, especially because it seems so unconventional and backwards to the world.

Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount: Blessed. In Greek, makarios. It’s not an emotion. It’s not “being happy.” It’s not jumping up and down for joy. It’s a condition, an umbrella under which you live. You are blessed, Jesus says to his disciples, and he repeats this word 9 times, each time looking at it from a different angle – like turning a diamond to view its different facets. The first four relate to our relationship with God. Blessed are the poor in spirit…those who mourn…the gentle…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Ah, but that’s not what the devil or the world or your flesh want you to believe. Even more troubling and disgusting, that’s not what many Christian churches teach. Their message is the opposite. Blessed are the rich in spirit, the glad and the happy, the strong and powerful. That’s the conventional message, isn’t it? That’s the central message of every religion other than orthodox Christianity. The whole point of God is to use him to become a winner. Placing your trust in God is like hiring a consultant to improve your life. God is only useful if he helps you get your life in order, maximize your potential, raise your self-esteem, help you be all that you can be.

That’s conventional. Follow the rules and God will reward you. Believe in Jesus hard enough, give enough, “name it and claim enough big things” – and it can all be yours: health, wealth, happiness, love. After all, it worked for the mega-pastor on the stage, didn’t it? He’s the picture of success. Expensive suit, luxury car, pretty wife, private jet; squeaky clean, honor roll kids. The message is clear even if no one says it out loud: God is on the side of winners. The NFL conference championships are today. Isn’t it funny how God will only be found on the side of the winning team? “I’d like to thank God for helping me make that game-winning catch or last second field goal.” You never hear anyone say “I’d like to thank God that I missed the tackle that could have sealed the game; for allowing me to drop the game-winning catch.” But humanly speaking, it seems like those are the blessings Jesus is giving us today.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Not financially poor; but poor in spirit. The spiritually bankrupt. Blessed are those who recognize that they have nothing to offer God but their sin and guilt, their messed-up lives, their broken hearts, their dysfunctional marriages and families. Blessed are those who understand that they can’t please God. Blessed are those who realize they haven’t kept a single commandment perfectly. Blessed are those who, like the tax collector in the temple, can’t even lift their eyes to heaven but beat their breasts and can say nothing but God, be merciful to me, a sinner (Luke 18:13).

Blessed are those who mourn. We saw a nation (or at least a football stadium) in mourning just a couple weeks ago, didn’t we? Mourning – and praying – after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin literally dropped dead on the field (praise God for the people and technologies that brought him back to life). In a broader sense, you mourn when someone has died. Blessed are those who experience the pain of death? Yes. Those who weep over the awful results of sin in their lives and the lives of others – up to and including death. Why? Why is a grieving person blessed? Well, consider this: when is person most likely to seek out the kind of comfort that can’t be found anywhere else but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? When everything is going great in their lives? When their career is on cruise control and their families are perfectly Instagram worthy? No. It’s when sin intrudes and ruins everything; when they are grieving the effects of sin, then they are ready for the Gospel, then they are prepared – like soil that is plowed up and turned over (Matthew 13:8) – to be comforted. Blessed are you when you mourn and repent of your sins, for then the comfort of the Gospel is yours!

Blessed are the gentle. No, that’s not the way it is. Blessed are those who rant and rave in order to get their way and their expectations met. Jesus’ logic is obviously backwards, isn’t it? If you want the world to be your oyster, you’ve got to squeeze it; demand your rights to it; trample others to get it. But Jesus says that you get the earth by inheritance, as a gift. It’s so unconventional. It cuts against the grain, the way we run our lives. We want to be strong, in charge, in control. Gentle? When have the gentle ever won?

Well, if you’re here it’s because you believe that Jesus is the ultimate winner – and he was not only gentle, he wore it as a badge of honor. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29). Jesus is gentle – and that’s where his strength lies. It’s the unconventional kind of strength – strength that turns the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), that asks his Father to forgive his executioners (Luke 23:34), that lays down his life for his enemies (John 15:13). And this is the first hint we need to properly interpret these Beatitudes: these blessings are first and foremost about Jesus. None of these blessings are ours by nature. But they describe Jesus perfectly. And through faith we receive these blessings that rightly belong to him.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. No, it’s not just having a growling belly or a parched throat. You can fill yourself with food and drink – and many of us will today when we leave here. But you can’t fill yourself with righteousness. You can’t make yourself holy. Oh, you can do outwardly righteous things, you can post all sorts of politically correct messages on social media, but you can’t make yourself righteous. You can’t cleanse your own heart or your own past. We are only blessed when we hunger and thirst for a righteousness that is not our own. When we hunger and thirst for Jesus, as Paul says God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). What we hunger and thirst for as sinners, what man-made religions and philosophies and virtue signalers are really looking for – even though they don’t know it – can only be found in Jesus. He’s the only one who can fill us with the righteousness we crave.

The next five beatitudes turn us to others. To our relationship with our spouse, children, parents, neighbors, etc. Blessed are the merciful. Those who love the unlovable, who take time for their enemies, who set aside their goals and dreams for their spouse, their children, their fellow believers. Do you know what the most important expression of mercy is? Especially in marriage, in the family, in the church? Forgiveness! As we pray forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:9-13). God has shown mercy to you, by not punishing you as your sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). How could you not reflect his mercy to others – not holding grudges, not demanding a pound of flesh, not waiting for a chance to get revenge? Only believers can understand this verse. Unbelievers cannot understand mercy…not really. When unbelievers are wronged, they seek vengeance, they protest, they riot. Why? Because only the forgiven can be forgiving. Only those who know God’s mercy in Christ can be merciful to others.

Blessed are the pure in heart. “Ignorance is bliss,” it’s been said. Is that true? In this verse it is. To be ignorant, unfamiliar with evil is to be blessed. The person who leads a “Leave it to Beaver”, sheltered lifestyle is blessed by their distance from evil. That’s unconventional. I’ve heard parents say that they don’t want to send their child to a Lutheran school because they don’t want them to be sheltered and naïve to the evil of the world. What sense does that make? What parent would say “I want my child to drink spoiled milk because I don’t want to shelter them from toxins”? At the same time who can claim such purity? Proverbs asks who can say, “I have purified my heart. I am cleansed from my sinfulness” (Proverbs 20:9)? I can’t. Can you? Well, yes. Yes, you can, but not on your own. On your own all that comes out of your heart are evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and blasphemies (Matthew 15:19). But the blood of Jesus has purified your heart (1 John 1:7).

Blessed are the peacemakers. This isn’t an inner peace; this is making peace, bringing it to others. They shall be called sons of God. Why? Because they are chips off the old block; clones of God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus. But that’s not who we are by nature, is it? Who wants to get in the middle of a fight between coworkers? Who wants to step into the breech between the couple whose marriage is on the rocks? Who wants to mediate between fellow church members who are quarreling? You know what’s likely to happen if you do that, right? Some of that anger will get turned on you. Yep, but you do it anyway – because that’s what Jesus did. He stepped into the breech between God and us and we crucified him and God abandoned him to hell. But by his death he brought you peace (Romans 5:1).

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. There are two important qualifiers in there: 1) blessed are you. You the disciple. You the baptized believer. This does not apply to unbelievers. And 2) because of me. Because of Jesus. You’re not blessed when people insult you because of your political beliefs, because of the football team you cheer for, or because you post something foolish or offensive on social media. You are blessed when you are insulted because you speak the truth of God’s Word to the world’s lies about abortion and sexuality and gender identity. You are blessed when you confess the true God as the one who will graciously take believers to heaven for Christ’s sake and will send unbelievers to hell – even though many today mock such beliefs. [2] When those things happen – and they will happen – don’t be sad; rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven! When you face that kind of persecution for the name of Jesus, you are following in the footsteps of Moses, David, Peter and Paul – footsteps that lead to heaven!

These are unconventional blessings, aren’t they? They turn our whole world upside down. Why should we risk living in such an unconventional way? It’s not because by doing so we earn our reward in heaven. That’s conventional thinking. We risk living this way because our reward is already safe and sound in heaven. Remember, these beatitudes are first and foremost about Jesus. He is the one from whom all blessings flow. He is the One who became poor to make us rich. He is the one who left the glory of heaven to mourn with us in our sin. He is the gentle one, the one who turned the other cheek, who went as a Lamb to the slaughter. He hungered and thirsted for our righteousness, and by his body and blood shed on the cross we are filled. His mercy knows no bounds. His heart is pure. He is the peacemaker, the One who brought peace between God and us by bleeding and dying. He is the one this world can’t help but persecute, who is hated to this day despite the fact that he died 2000 years ago.

Jesus is the Blessed One described in these verses. And because you are baptized into him, so are you (Romans 6:1-4). These are not commands. This is not a “to-do” list. This is who you are through faith in Jesus. You are richly, if unconventionally, blessed! Rejoice and be glad! Amen.  

[1]https://www.google.com/search?q=unconventional+definition&oq=unconventional+definition&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.4477j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[2] https://people.com/sports/aaron-rodgers-opens-up-about-religion-to-danica-patrick-i-dont-know-how-you-can-believe-in-a-god/

Matthew 4:12-17 - The Light Has Dawned - January 22, 2023

How did you feel this past Monday? Was it harder to get out of bed and get going than normal? Did the gray skies and rain clouds make you feel like just staying under the covers? Were you a little gloomy and depressed? Did you know you were supposed to be? This past Monday, January 16th, was labeled by some in the media as Blue Monday. In 2004, a British professor named Cliff Arnall, developed a formula for predicting the most depressing day of the year based on factors including weather, debt, and failed New Year’s resolutions. According to him, “Credit card bills are a big problem after Christmas. Snow, ice and floods are causing worries, and many feel a lack of motivation.” Also, “The deaths of so many…has also worried people by reminding them of their own mortality.” [1] Well, even if you weren’t depressed last Monday – you might be now. While Blue Monday was originally nothing more than a pseudoscientific marketing stunt intended to drum up business for travel agencies and tropical resorts, it contains an element of truth, doesn’t it? Our world and our lives are covered in a blanket of darkness and depression – and not just on the third Monday in January. For that and many more reasons, it is good for us to be here because in this world of darkness, the Light has Dawned.

The circumstances surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry did not seem to suggest that he came to bring light. First, his ministry began in earnest only after he heard that John was put in prison. John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the OT prophets (Matthew 11:11), had been imprisoned by Herod for having the guts to point out that he was sinning by taking his brother’s wife, Herodias, as his own (Matthew 14:3-5). A year later, John would be beheaded by Herod as part of a foolish oath he had sworn to Herodias’ daughter (Mark 6:14-29). Dark. Gloomy. Depressing.

Second, the place where Jesus chose to begin his ministry was not exactly the proverbial shining city on a hill. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.” Before Palestine became a territory of the Roman Empire, the northern region of Israel was known as Zebulun and Naphtali – named after Jacob’s sons and their extended families who had settled there. This was not a place you would choose to live if you had a choice. For two reasons. First, Galilee was a military “no-man’s land.” Whenever a foreign invader from the north set its sights on Israel, they came through Galilee. The landscape and people of Galilee bore the scars of centuries of invasions. Second, after God had handed over the 10 Northern tribes to Assyria in 722 BC, Galilee was partially repopulated with foreigners from other countries. From the perspective of the Jews, Galilee was not only filled with “illegal” immigrants, it was filled with unbelievers who brought their immorality and idolatry into the Promised Land. I suppose if, instead of single-family homes, the development outside those doors was designated as a camp for poor, desperate, idolatrous Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, we might begin to have an idea of Galilee’s population and reputation. Galilee was a place of deep darkness, socially, politically and spiritually. And yet this was where Jesus decided to set up his home base and begin his ministry.

Why? Why wouldn’t Jesus start his ministry in a place like Jerusalem, where the Temple was, where the teachers were, where the rich and powerful were, where he would have the best chance of finding outwardly good, obedient, righteous Jews? Because, as Isaiah had prophesied 700 years earlier, Jesus came to shine the light of God’s grace in the darkest – and, most unexpected – of places. The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and on those dwelling in the region and the shadow of death a light has dawned. As Jesus would make explicit later: I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13). So that’s what he did. He went right into the heart of darkness. He went to the people who were the most hopeless, whose spiritual lives were the most messed up, who were suffering with various diseases and suffering severe pains, the demon-possessed, those who experience seizures, and the paralyzed. Then he healed them (Matthew 4:24). Jesus made his primary mission to visit those who didn’t know God, didn’t know the way to God and had no hope that God could or would ever have compassion on them.

This is still how Jesus operates today. The lighthouse of his church, which revolves around the Word and Sacraments don’t exist for those who have life all figured out, to those who are happy and healthy and wealthy; his compassion and forgiveness are not for those who don’t want it and don’t think they need it. Jesus still comes to those who feel like they’re blindly stumbling through life, who don’t feel happy or healthy or successful, to those who are hopeless, helpless, and on the verge of despair. Practically speaking, those who think the church is only for “good” people, don’t understand who Jesus is or what the Gospel message is all about. The Christian church, this Christian church, is not for “good”, righteous, perfect people. If you’re one of those, or if you think you are, you might as well leave now, because we have nothing to offer you. Jesus comes exclusively to people who are broken, people who are wandering in the fog of doubt and uncertainty, people who feel left out, alone, and abandoned, people who are suffering physically, financially, spiritually.

The parents who bring their babies here to be baptized do so because they recognize that their baby inherited more than their brown eyes or larger than average feet, they inherited original sin and therefore a death sentence in God’s courtroom. The Absolution is not for good, righteous people, but for confessed, convicted sinners. Holy Communion is not for the best of the best, but for the self-confessed worst of the worst. Jesus didn’t come to shine light in a bright place. He came to shine light into the darkest places. And, if you’re like me, this makes you very happy, because even if we don’t look it and no one would guess it, we know that darkness surrounds each one of us. If you are broken, despairing, depressed, if you’ve messed up life so badly that you don’t think you can ever put it back together, if you feel like you’re just wandering through life without aim or purpose, if you know that you need more than a handout and a piece of advice – you know that you need a Savior – rejoice, because a Light has Dawned in the most unexpected of places – Jesus is here for you.

In that unexpected place, he proclaims an unexpected message. Dr. Arnall, the guy behind Blue Monday, suggested some ways people could cheer themselves up. He writes “the easiest way to be happy is spending more time with people who love you and like you as you are…Use Blue Monday as a springboard for change, whether it is to lose weight, stop smoking, embark on a dream or change jobs. Make the most of your life and live it to the full.” Isn’t that typical of the world’s advice to those who are desperate and struggling? If people disapprove of your sinful lifestyle – go find people who will accept you just the way you are. If you’re unhealthy, start watching your diet, get a gym membership and a good pair of running shoes – and get out there and win your health back. If you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, follow these 12 steps to recovery. If you’re lost and hopeless, dream big and chase that dream. If your marriage or family are broken, read this book to fix it or, alternatively, just abandon it and start over with someone else. Look inside. Believe in yourself. You. You. You. Do. Do. Do.

There’s only one problem with that line of thinking – if you truly are lost and wandering in darkness (no matter what kind of darkness it is) – you know that the worst part is that you can’t find your own way out. You know that the biggest problem isn’t some outside factor, temptation, or situation – the problem is far more serious, far deeper – the problem is right in here, our own sinful hearts. No outside factor can make you unhealthy, addictive, lazy, unfaithful, or hopeless. The darkness we see in our world is just a visible manifestation of the darkness that lives in every human heart – including in our hearts. So telling you to find hope and light in yourself is like telling a blind man to try really hard to see – it just leads to greater darkness. That’s why, when Jesus steps in to bring light, his message is dramatically and unexpectedly different from anything the world can offer.

Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near, he preaches. The light Jesus shines into the darkness has two parts: the first is repentance. The basic meaning of repentance is to turn or return. With this call to repentance Jesus is taking off the blindfold, showing us the reality and leading us to confess the truth – the truth that by and large, the darkness in our lives don’t come from the outside, but from within. Jesus came to shine the focused light of God’s truth which dispels our dark tendency to blame our problems on the weather, on the political atmosphere, on a difficult set of circumstances, on any physiological or psychological factor or on other people. The source of darkness is not out there. It’s in here (Mark 7:1-23). And secondly, he wants us to turn from the idea that we can escape the darkness ourselves, that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, that we can make the desperation and despair go away if we just try hard enough. We can’t. That’s what Jesus shows us by leading us to repentance with the mirror of the Law. That’s what Jesus wants us to see. That’s what Jesus, our God and Savior, wants us to confess. That’s his call to repentance. That’s unexpected.

But not as unexpected as the second part. The kingdom of heaven is near. Sin has a tendency to put us in a sick, self-destructive cycle. I sin because I’m a sinner so I’m going to keep on sinning. The world’s solutions to that destructive cycle are, at best, temporary therapies that do little more than mask the real problem. 12 step programs might change behavior but they can’t change the heart. Medications and therapy treat the symptoms but they can’t do anything about the source. Surrounding ourselves with people who accept us just the way we are might make us feel good but it doesn’t make us good in the eyes of God. The remarkable news, the light that Jesus has come to shine into hearts stuck in the cycle of sin is that he has come to heal, to fix, to solve the source of all our problems – he has come to bring the light of God’s forgiving grace into our sin-darkened hearts. It’s not that he ignores our sin. It’s not that he’s unaware of how ugly we are on the inside. The unexpected message is that God knows exactly who we are and loves us anyway. He comes to us, not because we’re good, but because we’re not.

He loves us so much that he sent the Light of his life, his Son, to live among us. Jesus was born like us, grew like us, endured the darkness of temptation and loneliness and depression in this world like us. And the fact that of all places Jesus began his ministry among the people of Zebulun and Naphtali should assure you that he doesn’t care how dark your life is, he doesn’t care how much sin he will find, he isn’t afraid to wade into the worst situation because his mission is to remove every last remnant of that darkness from your heart and life. He doesn’t tell you to trust yourself or be a better you. He doesn’t tell you to clean up your act and then he will love you. He tells you to trust him and believe that his blood has scrubbed every last drop of sin from your heart and that you are now wearing the bright white robe of his innocence. Jesus didn’t come to tell you or show you how to beat the darkness of sin, death and the devil yourself, he came to defeat the darkness and save you from it forever. And that is exactly what he has done. On the cross he swallowed the darkness of sin and the shadow of death and on Easter morning the blazing light of his resurrection destroyed their power forever. That’s the only light that pierces the darkness of this world and our hearts; the only solution that crushes the power of death and can break the cycle of sin in our lives. That’s the unexpected message Jesus came to bring and continues to proclaim through his Church still today.

I’d like to be able to tell you that spring will be here tomorrow. That the darkness of winter will soon be over. I’d like to be able to tell you that because you cling to Jesus in faith, all your problems will go away. But I can’t. All the conditions that Dr. Cliff Arnall described as causing Blue Monday – the weather, the bills, the failed resolutions, all the other problems – will still be there. But in this dark world – a world of sin, a world of death, a world of people like us – a Light Has Dawned. Jesus has come to shed light in the most unexpected places – our own sin-darkened, hopeless, helpless hearts; with an unexpected message – God has forgiven all our sins and promised to take us to live in his glorious light forever. May the brilliant light of God’s grace in Jesus brighten every aspect of your life this week. Amen.

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/15/blue-monday-2017-could-bluest-ever-says-expert-behind-equation/

John 1:29-41 - Look, the Lamb of God - January 15, 2023

The bad news is that the Packer’s season is over. The worse news is that now we have to endure months and months of speculation over whether Aaron Rodgers will return next season. But there is good news: the church’s season is not over – far from it! We are in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means the appearing or revealing of something that we could never have discovered on our own; something that could only be known by divine revelation. For example, we could never have known that the baby born in Bethlehem was born to be our Savior, the Savior of the Gentiles, too – if God hadn’t revealed it through the example of the Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-13). We could never understand, much less believe things like where this world came from or where we go when we die unless God revealed them to us. The same is true of the phrase – or more fitting, the title of Jesus – at the center of our text: the Lamb of God. If the Holy Spirit hasn’t granted you knowledge and insight through the Word, this title would make about as much sense as if I were to point at you and call you a cow, a pig, or any other barnyard animal. But there’s a good reason that we sing or speak this title nearly every single week in worship. This title is a summary of the heart of Christianity.

As we catch up with John the Baptist, still preaching and baptizing in Bethany beyond the Jordan (John 1:28), he found himself under hostile interrogation by some men from Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders were jealous of this wilderness prophet’s popularity, so they sent some priests and Levites (the Jewish religious lawyers) to attack his character in order to discredit his message (this political smear tactic we see employed so often today is nothing new!). “Are you the Christ? Or Elijah? Or one of the other great OT prophets raised from the dead?” they demanded (John 1:25). In other words: who or what gives you the right to baptize and preach? It’s helpful to note how John responded to this attack, because it guides us when people question or criticize Christianity today. John didn’t take these accusations personally; he didn’t get offended or angry. Instead, he did what every Christian should do when questioned about their faith: He pointed to Jesus. In John’s case, he simply made it clear that whether you like me or respect me or not is irrelevant – but the one who is coming after me, He’s the one you need to listen to and believe (John 1:26-27). John knew that his ministry was not about him but Jesus. And the next day, He had the opportunity to do more than merely talk about Jesus.

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’ I myself did not know who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he would be revealed to Israel.” Now, Jesus and John were cousins, so it’s fair to ask: “how can John say that he didn’t know him?” Here’s where that idea of Epiphany or divine revealing comes in to play: John certainly knew Jesus, but he didn’t know Jesus’ true identity or what he had come to do. Nor could he, because Jesus’ true identity and purpose were cloaked in humility under flesh and blood. Only when God the Father spoke from heaven and the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove at his baptism, were John’s eyes opened (John 1:32-34). In that moment God revealed to John that this man, his younger cousin, was no less than the Son of God, who John later pointed to and further identified as the Lamb of God.

Which brings us back to our original question: why did John call him a Lamb? Why not the Messiah or the Christ or the Savior? Understanding this requires a short OT history lesson. While worship for us in the New Testament revolves around four basic elements: God’s Word and water, bread and wine; worship for God’s Old Testament people revolved around the bloody sacrifice of animals – especially lambs. God foreshadowed this practice already in the Garden of Eden when he slaughtered an animal to cover Adam and Eve’s naked shame after the Fall (Genesis 3:21), but it didn’t become the formal focus of Israel’s worship until after the Exodus, when the Angel of the Lord passed through the city, killing all the Egyptian first-born sons, while sparing the Israelites who had painted their doorposts with the blood of thousands of lambs (Exodus 12:1-13). This occasion, known as Passover, was to be an annual festival for the Israelites – when they would recall God’s miraculous redemption by eating bread without yeast and roasted lamb. In addition to the annual Passover festival, each day two lambs were sacrificed in the temple (Exodus 29:38-39). These daily sacrifices alone would amount to over 700 lambs sacrificed in Israel each year. This type of bloody, sacrificial worship might seem cruel and even offensive to people today, but God designed this system of sacrifice to send a very clear message: sin is serious. Sin must be paid for – and the cost is death (Leviticus 17:11; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22). Either we must die or someone or something must die in our place, as our substitute.

That’s what makes the title, Lamb of God, so important. Jesus has taken every ounce of the guilt that drips from our hearts and lives, and the threat of eternal punishment that guilt deserves and put it on his own shoulders. This is the meaning behind the festival of Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – when the high priest would lay his bloody hands on the head of a goat, known as the scapegoat – and lay the sins of the people on him and send him into the desert – never to be seen again (Leviticus 16). Every time you hear, sing, or think about Jesus as the Lamb of God – as we will sing in the Agnus Dei right before Communion – that’s what you should be picturing. Picture God lifting the burden of sin and guilt off of your shoulders and placing it – and the sin of the whole world – on Jesus. This is the essence of the Gospel – God sacrificed his own Son in our place. We deserved to die forever in hell, but Jesus did it for us.

And…you’re all still just sitting there. I just announced that Jesus died in your place, to give you eternal life – and no one is clapping, no one is shouting, no one is jumping up and down for joy. A touchdown this afternoon will probably generate more of a reaction than this Gospel message. Why is that? Why does a football game create more excitement than the Gospel? If we are indifferent to the Gospel, it’s probably for one of two reasons: pride or despair. 1) Pride, in that the devil has succeeded in convincing us that we don’t need Jesus, we don’t need his sacrifice, we are pretty good people all by ourselves. But what did John say? Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. If you’re in this world, you have sin – sin that you need to have taken away if you don’t want to suffer its punishment forever. 2) Despair, in that the devil might convince you that you don’t deserve Jesus’ sacrifice, you don’t deserve to have your sins forgiven. Every page of Scripture reveals Jesus as the Savior of the whole world, but the devil whispers “yeah, but it’s not talking about you, not this time, not after all the horrible things you did, not after those filthy thoughts you had, not with all the people you’ve hurt.” Is he right? Are we undeserving? Are we unworthy to come forward to eat and drink the body and blood of the Lamb? Well, yes! We aren’t worthy to be forgiven. We don’t deserve to receive the Lamb’s sacrifice for our sins. But that’s the point. NO ONE DOES. This sacrament is not for good, holy, righteous people – it’s for bad people, wicked people, damned sinners – people like you and me. As Jesus told the self-righteous Pharisees “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). If you feel the weight of your guilt and shame, if you know your sin and wish to be free of it, if you recognize that standing up and coming forward to this table isn’t a sign that you’re a good person – but a public admission that you are not – then this sacrament is for you. Here Jesus invites you to lay your sins on him and receive his forgiveness – and don’t let Satan convince you otherwise. And if that’s not better than a touchdown – I don’t know what is.

How should we respond to such undeserved kindness, such unspeakable love? Apart from giving high fives and jumping up and down, the first and most important thing we can do to thank Jesus for his sacrifice is exactly what Andrew did – follow him (John 1:37) – for the right reasons. When Jesus asked those two disciples what are you looking for? They could have said, power, wealth, health, and happiness – like many today do. But John didn’t call him the Lamb of God who takes away the pain, sadness, hardship, or poverty of the world. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That’s why you follow him, why you first sit at his feet in worship and Bible study and Sunday school and private devotions – and why you then follow him with every thought, word and deed every day of your life. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away your sin. Follow him by reading, hearing and meditating on his Word!

But it doesn’t stop there. What’s the first thing Andrew did after he followed Jesus? He found his brother Simon Peter and said to him: we have found the Messiah! John pointed Andrew to Jesus and Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered what witnessing or evangelism or outreach – whatever you want to call it – actually looks like, this is it! I find this description so refreshing. There are so many burdensome myths out there about evangelism: 1) First, you have to be targeting total strangers; 2) you need to have a carefully crafted message that panders to whatever identity group you’re targeting (as if “millennials need one thing…gen Xer’s another and Boomers, well who cares about them, they’re old”); and 3) outreach is often focused inward, it’s often about doing cute things that make us feel good about ourselves – even if they are totally ineffective; and 4) the most important thing is the numbers – even though individual souls often get lost in the desire to boost the numbers. Andrew’s example dispels those myths. Evangelism doesn’t start with perfect strangers; it starts with the people you already know – often people living under your own roof. (For example, parents, your mission field is your children; etc.) And you don’t have to have a carefully curated message that panders to the exact profile of person you’re talking to – no matter who you are talking to, you’re talking to a sinner; you know what they need and you know where to lead them. Because evangelism is not about you or how clever the program is or how well-spoken you are. It’s about Jesus. It’s about leading fellow sinners to Jesus, one at a time.

And where is Jesus? If you don’t know that by now, then I have utterly failed you. Jesus has promised where two or three have gathered together in my name, there am I among them (Matthew 18:20). In other words, he is present wherever his Word is preached and his sacraments are administered in line with his commands and promises. We can say without a shadow of doubt that Jesus is present here. In recent years, some people have pitted evangelism against worship. In fact, some have given the impression that that the real work of the church happens outside of these doors; outside of the invocation and the blessing. The truth is that gathering together around Word and sacrament is the whole point and goal of outreach! Here is where Jesus is. Here is where you follow Jesus and find forgiveness. And here is where you bring others to follow him too.

Now, I understand that thinking about the Lamb of God who had to bleed and die on a cross to take away your sins may not be as exciting as an NFL playoff game. It may even be a little offensive that the innocent Lamb of God had to die in order to save you from your sin. But this good news will still be true no matter who wins or loses today, Jesus died so you could live. And even if you don’t give anyone a high five as you walk out of church this morning, there are two things you can do: first, thank God for the John or Johns’ in your life, those people who pointed to Jesus, who revealed him to you as the Lamb of God who has taken away your sins; and, second, think of just one person in your own life who needs to hear this message, who you can point to Jesus and say “follow him.” It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be as simple as inviting them to church. You know who Jesus is and you know where he is. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Know him, follow him and bring others to him. Amen.

Ephesians 3:2-12 - God's Master Plan Revealed - January 8, 2023

Just outside those doors a new neighborhood – called Juniper Ridge – has sprung up from the farm fields in just the past few years. Many of us witnessed the progress from farmland to surveyor’s stakes to earthmovers to roads and finished homes. It was captivating to watch this project become a reality. It’s also remarkable to think that long before the first earth-mover moved the first yard of earth, before the first foundation was dug, this entire project was nothing more than a plan in a developer’s mind (or on his computer). When it was being proposed, there were skeptics. How’s it all going to fit? Will anyone want to live there? How are they going to get it passed by a village board, which is rumored to be…difficult? That’s why, before Veridian received permission to start their Juniper Ridge project, they had to present a master plan, showing where and when and how they planned to build those homes and parks and streets. Now when we look out at the finished homes and roads, it seems obvious how it would all go together. But only a few years ago, it was hard to imagine. That’s kind of how it works with God’s good and gracious rule of this world and our lives. It’s hard to grasp and hard to know your place in it unless you know the plan. This morning, Paul reveals God’s master plan of salvation.

As fallen – and yet proud – humans, we tend to think we know what God’s plans are – or at least ought to be – and that they will always make sense to us. Boiled down, we expect that God will reward those who do what is right and punish those who do what is wrong. But what happens when God doesn’t work the way we expect him to? When bad things happen to good people and the wicked seem to thrive? Don’t we wonder about God’s plans, question them, even get angry at him for not doing what we expect, when we expect it? Occasionally, the passing of time gives us perspective – we can look back with 20/20 hindsight and say “Oh, yeah, that’s what God was doing. Duh.” But in the moment, God’s plans often leave us confused and frustrated. (By the way, that’s nothing new. Study any believer’s life in the Bible and you will see evidence that God’s ways are far above our ways (Isaiah 55:9)).

And yet, while God’s plans are often a mystery to us, they aren’t to him. Everything that happens is according to God’s perfect blueprint. It’s a massive, mind-numbingly intricate, eternally expansive blueprint, but a blueprint nonetheless – not all that different from Veridian’s master plan. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in this universe and in your life follows God’s plan down to the day, minute and second. One of the things that makes God’s blueprint far superior to any developer’s is that he never has to change his plans, there are never any unforeseen challenges, no obstacles that frustrate his will. Oh, it may seem like things get in the way all the time. Snowstorms ruin your travel plans. Southwest airlines can’t find enough people to fly their planes. Babies are born outside God’s institution of marriage – or worse, murdered before they can take their first breath. [1] Jobs are lost. Cars break down. Families are divided. Spouses divorce. Cancer kills and wealth evaporates. Did God really account for all of those disastrous effects of sin in his master plan? He sure did. He assures us: I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). We know that. We try to trust that. But it often seems like a mystery. That’s where Paul comes in. His special calling was to reveal how God’s plan was eternally for us.

Now, if you’re at all familiar with the first 39 books of the Bible, you might question that statement. In fact, you might start to think that right from the beginning God’s plan only involved saving a select group of people – which did not include us. Around 2000 BC God chose a man named Abraham and promised that he would bless him and make his family as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 12:2-3). God made the same promise to Abraham’s son Isaac, his son Jacob, and Jacob’s sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel. On Mt. Sinai God separated this ever-growing family from the nations around them. He gave them their own laws, their own diet, their own temple and rules for worship, their own nation, and the promise that the Savior would come from them. Only members of this family were allowed to worship in God’s temple. Non-Jews were considered unclean (Revelation 11:2). [2] And the Lord made no secret of his favoritism. He told them you will be my special treasure out of all the nations, although the entire earth is mine. You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). So, where were we in this master plan? Aren’t we just plan B; just a fallback plan when God’s original plan failed? No. And that’s the mystery.  

This mystery is that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and people who also share in the promise through the gospel…To me – even though I am the very least of all the saints – was given this grace: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to enlighten everyone about the administration of this mystery. In past ages this mystery remained hidden in God, who created all things. When you hear mystery, don’t think of a murder mystery podcast or Dateline NBC. It’s not a mystery that requires human investigation. It’s a mystery that requires divine revelation. But here’s what Paul wants us, non-Jew Gentiles, to be certain of: we were part of God’s plan long before we were born, from before the creation of the world. This was done according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. God did not start with the Jews and then, when that experiment failed, decided to move on to the Gentiles. You were eternally part of God’s plan, even though for centuries it was a mystery as to how he would carry it out.

Flattering, humbling even, isn’t it? To think that God has been thinking of you since before creation and that he actually planned every minute detail of his entire blueprint around you thousands of years before you were born. But that’s definitive evidence that we are saved by grace, isn’t it? Before we were born, God had drawn up a blueprint to save us. The same God who keeps the planets spinning in their orbits, who guides the orderly procession of the seasons, who directs the vast orchestra of everything in the entire universe cares so much about us – just specks of dust on the timeline of history – that he made us the crown and goal of his master plan. Every time a baby is baptized we witness this plan in action. Those little ones squirming in your arms were created by God and given to you at this time and this place so that he could reach out of heaven with water and the Word to adopt them into his family and make them heirs of his heavenly kingdom. And what’s true of the little ones we bring to this baptismal font is true of all of us. You have your own history that somehow resulted in you hearing the Gospel and believing that God has saved you for Jesus’ sake (Acts 17:26). A history carefully crafted by God from beginning to end. Flattering. Humbling.

And…embarrassing when we compare God’s eternal plan for us to our plans for him. Now that the holidays are over, I imagine many of us have begun planning out our 2023. Birthdays and anniversaries, school breaks, holidays, vacations, weddings, doctor’s appointments – even where and when we’ll watch the Packers game later. We plan and schedule even the most minor details of our lives. You know one thing that you won’t find on my calendar – I checked – and I’m guessing I wouldn’t find on yours either? Time for prayer, time for Bible study, time specifically and intentionally set aside for the One who wrote his entire plan for us.

Now, I’m not saying that we never pray, never study our Bibles, never take time for devotion and meditation. After all, we’re here today, aren’t we? Never taking time for God is not the problem. Compartmentalizing God is. God gets an hour – or maybe two – on Sunday mornings; he might get a shout-out before meals and before I go to sleep – but the rest of my life, that’s mine. I have a plan for my life, and if God wants to help – he’s welcome – but if not, he can take a back seat as follow my plan and chase my dreams. Is that really any way to thank the One who carefully laid the foundations of the universe, set the days and seasons, controlled governments and empires, and sent his One and only Son to this earth to die for you and your salvation? Can we really only find a few minutes here and there for the one who put us at the center of his eternal plan? That doesn’t mean that we need to be praying or reading our Bibles every waking moment – after all, God has given us vocations as mothers and fathers, employers and employees, students and teachers – but it does mean that as we carry out those vocations and plan our schedules God should always be at the very center. He’s the one who gave us a life to live and time to schedule. He’s the one who gave us our jobs, marriages, and families. But let’s be honest. Even if we only made one resolution for 2023: to keep God at the center of our lives every minute of every day (out of obedience to the 1st Commandment) – we wouldn’t and couldn’t keep it, would we? We’re not capable of it. We’re too self-centered.

You know what? God in his multifaceted wisdom even planned for that. He knew who we would be and how we would act. He knew that our schedules would be perpetually self-centered and that he would be relegated to an occasional cameo appearance in the drama of our lives. That’s why he designed his master plan for you, not around you. Everything he created, he created for you. Every promise he made, he made for you. Everything he had written down over the centuries, he had written for you. Every time he steered the events of this world in a certain direction, every monumental miracle he performed and every little undetected detail he worked out behind the scenes he did for you. And, as the climax of his whole plan, he sent his Son.

God’s plan was eternally for us, but it was always about Jesus. That’s why our sermons and hymns and Bible studies and church year are not about us; they’re about him. But the amazing thing we discover when we examine his life is that His life was for you too. When Jesus was perfectly obedient to both his earthly parents and his heavenly Father – he did it for you. When he went toe to toe with the devil in the wilderness – he defeated those temptations for you. Every law Jesus obeyed, he obeyed for you. Every temptation he fought off had you in mind. Every word he spoke, every miracle he performed, every comforting, compassionate look he gave had you in mind. When he was being whipped by the Roman soldiers, guess who he was thinking about? When the angry mob was screaming for his crucifixion, guess who he was thinking about? When he was carrying his cross out to Golgotha, when nails were pounded through his hands and feet, when he was hanging there naked for all the world to see his shame and agony, guess who he was thinking about? He wasn’t up there for his own good. He was there for you, for your forgiveness. He was there to give his life for yours. He was there to die so that you might live. You were at the center of every moment of Jesus’ life and death. The Bible is about Him. But from beginning to end, his life was for you. You were his obsession.

And you still are. Jesus has risen. Jesus has ascended into heaven. Jesus has taken his seat on his heavenly throne and is in full control of all things at all times. But even now, everything he’s doing, he’s doing for you. If we could see Jesus’ agenda right now there would be trillions of things on it – but it’s all for you. Wind chills and snowstorms…Jesus has his hand on that thermostat. The passing into and out of office of elected leaders – the King is ruling those kings (yes, even when they struggle to elect a Speaker of the House). The ebbs and flows of the stock market and your blood pressure – Jesus is controlling them all for you.

And that’s the way God planned it all along. From the very beginning to the very end, his plan was that through the gospel, you and I would be fellow heirs, members of the same body, and people who also share in the promise through the gospel…according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. God planned to make you a member of his family in Baptism, to preserve and strengthen your faith in Word and Sacrament – and he’s done that. God planned to make available to you all the blessings that membership entails: forgiveness of sins, new life – free from sin and guilt, the hope of salvation. God planned that you will experience the joys of heaven forever as a result of Jesus’ work. God determined that you and your salvation would always be THE master plan. And on Epiphany, the day the mystery is revealed that Jesus came to save us, too, we see that what God plans always happens. Happy Epiphany! Amen.

[1] (It’s estimated that over 44 million babies were aborted in 2022) https://notthebee.com/article/abortion-1-cause-of-death-worldwide-again

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/Court-of-the-Gentiles.html

John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh - December 25, 2022

Ever since the very first Christmas, people have been trying to capture the essence of this sacred day. They try to capture it in a photo, a song, a movie, in decorations and traditions. Maybe the most obvious example of this attempt to capture Christmas is the snow-globe – Christmas with snow that lasts year-round! But try as they might, all their attempts fail. You can’t capture Christmas in a picture of your family in ugly sweaters, a corny Hallmark movie, or a child’s toy filled with fake snow. Only the words before us this morning, the inspired Words of Scripture have truly captured the essence of Christmas. When you look past the lights and the gifts, the family and the food; when you scrape away the sentimental music and family traditions and the winter weather delays – even the angels and shepherds, the stable and the manger, this is what remains: the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.

John’s words are simple (even in the Greek!): the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. But what does this mean? We could spend every second of every day plumbing the depths of these simple words and never reach the bottom. The shepherds – who were there – could only repeat the things they had heard and seen (Luke 2:17). Mary herself could only ponder things so far above her understanding that her heart must have nearly burst (Luke 2:19). On that first Christmas, it took angels – those mighty messengers of God – to explain the meaning of all of this (Luke 2:10-14). And today we can only scratch the surface of this divine mystery.

In the first verse of his gospel, John identifies this baby lying in a manger as the same Word who was God and was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). This baby is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) who designed and engineered the universe – from the largest galaxies to the smallest atoms. This is the Word who called forth day and night, sun, moon and stars, land and sea, plants and trees, fish and animals – out of nothing (Genesis 1). This is the Word that breathed life into a lump of clay and shared with mankind his image – his immortality, his holiness, his love (Genesis 1:27). This Word has always been, ever is, and ever will be (Revelation 4:8). 2000 years ago, that Word was conceived in the womb of a virgin and born to dwell among us. When you capture this, hold on to this, believe this, then you have captured the real essence of Christmas.

No other religion in the history of the world has ever conceived anything even close to this divine mystery. Sure, the Greeks and Romans had their myths of gods and goddesses occasionally “appearing” on earth (usually either to chase women or engage in war) – but they didn’t voluntarily give up their superhuman powers. Sure, there are many religions which (falsely) teach that flesh and blood humans can or will one day become gods. The world believes that through science and technology we can regain immortality and become “gods.” But only Christianity turns it all upside down by proclaiming that God became man. You could not make such a religion up and get away with it, not even 2000 years ago. But it stands because it happened. In Bethlehem of Judea. When Augustus was the Roman Caesar and Quirinius was the governor of Syria (Luke 2:1-2). It happened at a specific time in a specific place, with witnesses and consequences – just like any other historical event. The Word became flesh.

Why? The Word became flesh because that’s what we are. Flesh. While we try to avoid and deny our flesh and all its limitations and implications and pretend to be “enlightened,” and “wise,” and “powerful,” with our lofty ideals and oversized egos, but the Word willingly took on our humanity. We strive to be more than human, “supermen and superwomen” – to control not only our lives but to imagine that we can control the world around us. But the same God who created the universe was willing to become a baby; to play in his mother’s lap and accept the praise of filthy shepherds. We are human, sinful humans – fallen sons and daughters of Adam. The only-begotten Son of God became what we are (without the sin, of course) – because, left to ourselves, we are lost.

He came to be with us under the Law (Galatians 4:5), the holy Law of God that condemns us, that shuts our mouths, that fills our hearts with terror at the consequences of our sin, that keeps us awake at night and makes even Christmas anything but a wonderful time of year. But he came full of grace and truth. He came not to judge us but to save us; not to take us captive but to set us free; not to bring more laws for us to follow but to keep all of the laws we haven’t. He came to save sinners – of which I am the worst…and so are you (1 Timothy 1:15). He came to be your Shepherd and your friend, to lay down his life for you (John 10:11; John 15:12). The Word became flesh to save you, all of you, your body and your soul, by suffering the consequences of your sins and giving you eternal life as his free gift (Romans 6:23).

John testifies that we have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father. John was not there in Bethlehem. He came to know and follow Jesus much later (John 1:35-37). But he was an eyewitness to His miracles, including his transfiguration – that moment where Jesus revealed his full glory as God to sinful human eyes. With his own ears he heard the voice from heaven declare him to be the Son of God (Matthew 17:1-8). He was there to see him die in the darkness of Good Friday (John 19:26-27). And he was among the first to see his empty tomb (John 20:3). He stood gaping as the Word made flesh ascended into the clouds to his Father’s right hand (Acts 1:1-11). John was even privileged to receive the words and visions the Word spoke to him in what we call the book of Revelation. John saw Jesus’ glory: glory covered in humility, divinity wrapped in our humanity.

In Jesus, the Word became flesh to reverse the spiral of history – to reverse what the first man had done. The image of God, so disfigured and tainted by Adam, is now restored (Romans 5:12-21). Now, through faith in Jesus, God sees us as fully what he intended us to be from the beginning because he is fully one of us. At the hand of John the Baptist he was baptized into our place (Matthew 3:13-17) and when we were baptized, we were baptized into him (Romans 6:3-4). So as we follow the course of Jesus’ life through the church year – from manger to the empty tomb – we are actually tracing our life’s story. His birth, his obedience, his suffering, his dying, his rising – is our birth, our obedience, our suffering, our dying, our rising. Your sin became his. His glory becomes yours. The Son of God accepted the death you and I deserved so that we might enjoy the eternal life he earned!

This is Christmas summed up in just eight words: the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We might wish that we could have been there. We may wonder what that first Christmas was like. But there is no need for us to go to Bethlehem – unless you want to go as a tourist. You will not find the flesh and blood of Jesus there. But don’t worry – the Word no longer invites us to meet him in a stable; he invites us to meet him in the Word we can read and understand, in, with, and under the bread and wine we can taste, in water we can see and touch. That’s where the Word made flesh encounters our flesh, where our sins are forgiven, where we die and rise to new life. Because the Word became flesh we don’t have to go groping about blindly for God on earth (as so many do) or in heaven (as if we could, anyway!) (Romans 10:6-8) because he comes down to us to dwell with us still today. He dwells among us in Word and Sacrament to serve us. He dwells among us to save us. He doesn’t make his dwelling among the rich and the famous, the proud and the happy, the good and the righteous – in Fortune 500 boardrooms or White House situation rooms. He makes his dwelling with us: the weak and the lonely, the sad and the tired and the distressed and the dying. He comes here to serve us – and then he equips us with beautiful feet to bring the good news that the salvation of our God has come to others (Matthew 20:28; Isaiah 52:10).

Long after the gifts are opened and forgotten, after the decorations are packed away, after the holiday break gives way to a new work week – this is what endures. God is with us in this baby born of Mary named Jesus. He dwells among us so that we too may see his glory, hidden then in human flesh and blood, hidden now in Word and Sacrament, and soon – very soon – to be revealed in power and glory. The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. Whatever else you do today, hold on to this. Because this is Christmas. Amen.

Christmas Eve Lesson Introductions - December 24, 2022

Our Dire Predicament

The first and most important question we should ask tonight is: why? Why spend Christmas Eve here instead of in our warm homes eating Christmas cookies and exchanging gifts? Why bother traveling back 2000 years to a little place called Bethlehem? Why did God send his Son to be born as one of us? Why was all this necessary? We will never fully appreciate Christmas or find joy in it that can last beyond tomorrow unless we answer the question: why? Genesis 3 explains why. Not only the “why” of Christmas but why our world and we are the way we are – broken, depraved and evil. God had created a perfect world and two perfect humans – Adam and Eve – to live in it and care for it. But these perfect humans rose up in rebellion against their Maker by disobeying his only command and eating the forbidden fruit. This single act of rebellion resulted in a world and a human race that had fallen from its original perfection into the dire predicament described by the Apostle Paul in Romans: just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Because we are born of sinful parents we are born to sin. And because we sin we will die. And that’s not even the worst of it. The death we deserve isn’t just the separation of body and soul but separation from the love of God forever in hell. Being born to die and be separated from our God forever – it doesn’t get more dire than that. Listen as the ugly, underlying necessity, the why of Christmas is explained in Genesis 3:

First Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                         Genesis 3:8-19

8They heard the voice of the Lord God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14The Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. 16To the woman he said: I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing. With painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, but he will rule over you. 17To Adam he said: Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat from it,” the soil is cursed on account of you. You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life. 18Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you, but you will eat the crops of the field. 19By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the soil, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Hymn 32                                                                                                                                                   When Sinners See Their Lost Condition

Rescue Promised

One of the more unfortunate and universal side-effects of the total and utter depravity of human nature is that we are a proud people. Just like Adam and Eve proudly ate that fruit thinking that it would make them like God, so we continue to overestimate our own power and ability. We also underestimate the truly desperate nature of our situation. And, as a result, we often underestimate what it would take to rescue us from our dire predicament. Many to this day believe that God sent Jesus to earth to be a guide, an example, or a teacher – to show us that we have the potential to make everything right with God if we just put our minds to it. This goes hand in hand with the natural human belief that there is no problem that we can’t overcome given enough time, money and effort. This illusion of self-sufficiency is nothing less than proof that we don’t even realize how deep the darkness is in which we live. The reality is that when God looks at us, he doesn’t see a bunch of willing, energetic volunteers who just need a helping hand or some positive encouragement – he looks at us and sees nothing less than a graveyard of dead souls who need nothing less than a miracle to raise them to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Christmas is not just a cute children’s story (like those about fat men in suits and reindeer with glowing noses), Christmas is not God’s offer to help us help ourselves. Christmas is nothing short of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the world. In God’s great Christmas rescue, God alone sent his Son, God alone became man, God alone will establish his king over his kingdom, and God alone will restore peace between himself and us. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this – without any help from us. Therefore, to God alone – and to his Son, be glory now and forever!

Second Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                     Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned. 6For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings. He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Hymn 47                                                                                                                                                                      Behold, a Branch Is Growing

An Unexpected Plan

Isaiah had prophesied that God would send a King to rule his people. Kings are supposed to be born in palaces, not stables; to queens, not peasant girls; in capital cities, not tiny villages; they’re adored by visiting dignitaries, not filthy shepherds. But such were the details God revealed in his unexpected plan to save the human race. These unexpected details reveal one of the key truths for understanding the ways of God both 2000 years ago and the ways of God today. This truth is spelled out by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians: God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised thing, and the things that are not, to do away with the thing that are, so that no one may boast before God (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Just as God chose the little insignificant town of Bethlehem to be the birthplace for his eternal Son – the truly Good Shepherd who would lay down his life on a cross for his sheep – so God continues to work in meek, humble, and seemingly foolish ways today. He continues to distribute the salvation Jesus won on the cross through humble means: through sinful men proclaiming Absolution of sins, through men and women teaching the Gospel, through the plain water of baptism which washes away sin, through normal bread and wine which are the true body and blood of Christ. This place and these means might not seem like much to a world that revels in displays of wealth and power and glory – but, as Micah makes clear, it was God’s plan all along to use humble and unexpected means to bring salvation to the ends of the earth – even here, even now, even to you and to me.

Third Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                            Micah 5:2-4

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. 3Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child. Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel. 4He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.

Hymn 65                                                                                                                                                                         O Little Town of Bethlehem

The Plan Revealed to Mary

Crazy and ambitious plans are often met with doubt and skepticism. When John F. Kennedy announced the goal of landing a man on the moon back in the 1960’s, many Americans didn’t believe or support his plan. Just a few years ago the idea that a car could actually run on just a battery seemed like nonsense to many, and today we see Teslas and Rivians all over the place. Closer to home, just 25 years ago, starting a church in McFarland – much less doubling its size in less than ten years – seemed to be an impossible dream. And yet, here we are. But all of these pale in comparison to the precise details of God’s plan to save the world. It’s not just the fact that virgins don’t give birth – that’s not actually the greatest miracle of Christmas – it’s the fact that God could become a man at all. Gods don’t do that. That’s impossible. Many still doubt the truthfulness of the virgin birth. They think of it as nothing more than a fairy-tale or myth. Is that true? Is this plan unexpected? Yes. Is it unlikely? Yes. Is it impossible? Nothing will be impossible for God. Therefore, when it comes to the words and works and plans of God, we must set aside our reason and our skepticism, and instead respond in faith to the Words and promises of our almighty God like Mary did: Lord, if this is how you’ve chosen to save me, may it happen to me as you have said.

Fourth Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                       Luke 1:26-38

26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 29But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37For nothing will be impossible for God.” 38Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Hymn 61                                                                                                                                                                    Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

The Plan Revealed to Joseph

If you think it was hard for Mary to believe God’s plan, just imagine what it was like for Joseph! You discover that your fiancé is pregnant – and you know it’s not yours. Now, this may have been the 1st century, but they weren’t dumb – they know where babies come from. Joseph knew that women don’t spontaneously become pregnant. He had every right to divorce her. Then the angel showed up in his dream, to tell him an even more unbelievable story: that the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And not only that, but that he should name this baby boy Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. So just to summarize, Joseph was supposed to believe that Mary had not been unfaithful, that the baby growing in her had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that this baby would be the Savior of the world. How could Joseph – or anyone for that matter – believe this unbelievable plan? Matthew gives us a hint when he says all this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” For Joseph and for us, faith doesn’t come dreams or reason – faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17). Joseph knew the OT and knew that Isaiah had prophesied 700 years earlier that the Savior would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) – that’s how he believed. That’s how we believe, too! Read the Word, hear the Word, meditate on the Word, share the Word, and trust that through the Word, God will create and strengthen faith – even in things that seem impossible or unbelievable – just as he did for Joseph.

Fifth Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                    Matthew 1:18-25

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” 24When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son. And he named him Jesus.

Hymn 40                                                                                                                                                                  O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is

Christmas: God’s Plan in Action

All of the lessons we’ve heard so far tonight take us right back to our opening question, don’t they? We’ve seen again tonight that God chooses humble, lowly means to work seemingly impossible salvation – and the faith to believe it – for sinners. But the question still remains: why? Why would God go to such impossible extremes just to save a human race that for all intents and purposes hated him and despised his goodness? That’s the real mystery of Christmas. If we focus only on the lowliness or the impossibility or the irrationality of Jesus’ birth, we’re really missing the point. The point of Christmas is not that God can do impossible things – creation and the Flood teach that. The point of Christmas is not that God chooses the lowly and humble and unexpected things as instruments of his power on earth – if you look at any of the people in the Bible – or look around at the people gathered here to worship the newborn King – you see that truth on display. No, the point of Christmas is that it proves that God’s love for us is wider and higher and deeper than we would have ever imagined.

And that’s important, especially at Christmas, which is said to be the happiest time of the year – and yet, it seems that love is growing cold at an alarming rate – not just out there in the world but even in our own families, our own marriages, our own hearts. This lack of love may take many forms: depression, loneliness, conflicted or separated families. It sadly often results in the fact that more people than any other time of year experience depression or even desire to end their lives. Maybe you are struggling with some sin or some guilt or loneliness or some dark memory that clouds your joy this night. There is only one cure, one light that can shine through the darkness of despair and depression sin has sown in our world: the impossible, unlikely, unearned, and undeserved love of God – embodied in a little baby boy born in a manger. Finally, that is what this night is all about. We are here to celebrate a birth two thousand years ago that promises us life that will go on for all of eternity. All because God so loved the world. All because God so loved me. All because God so loved you. You may not feel loved for many reasons tonight – but look at that baby in the manger and know beyond all doubt that God’s love is for you! Even if you don’t get a single gift this Christmas, even if you are celebrating all alone, you have God’s love, and God’s love is and will always be enough for a very merry Christmas.

Sixth Lesson                                                                                                                                                                                           John 3:16-18

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Hymn 19                                                                                                                                                                   Love Caused Your Incarnation

Ephesians 2:13-18 - Jesus Comes to Bring Peace - December 18, 2022

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind (Luke 2:14). In a few moments these children will echo the words of that well-known angelic hymn. Think about the key words of that hymn: peace and good will. Would you describe 2022 as a year of peace and good will? Or do those words ring hollow when you look at your life and the world around you? Does it ever seem like peace and good will are things that can be printed in Christmas cards and children can sing about, but the rest of us know to be just an impossible dream? Do you ever look around at your life or your family or the world around you and think “peace? No, I don’t see much peace. I see worry, frustration, hatred, jealousy, murder, terrorism and war?” That’s the reality, isn’t it?

And because of that reality, the obvious absence of peace, many are tempted to think “let’s just skip Christmas, it’s just a contrived distraction from a far from peaceful reality anyway.” If that thought has ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone. In fact, the leader of the largest Christian church in the world – Pope Francis – said something similar just a few years ago. “Christmas is approaching: there will be lights, parties, Christmas trees and nativity scenes…it’s all a charade. The world continues to go to war. The world has not chosen a peaceful path.” [1] Is he right? Were the angels lying? Is Christmas just a charade? Should we just skip it this year?

First, we need to take an honest look at what really causes unrest and destroys the peace in our lives and in the world. The devil is very good at leading people to all sorts of mistaken conclusions as to why they lack peace in their lives. “If I could only afford to buy my kids what they want this year, we would have a peaceful Christmas.” “If only my family would lend a hand with getting everything ready, I would have peace.” “If only inflation would ease up, if the price at the pump would go down, then I would have peace.” “If only the political parties would work together instead of constantly bickering; if only everyone or no one had a gun; if only we would open or close our borders; if only Russia and Ukraine would stop fighting – then, we could have peace.”

I’m not saying that those issues aren’t real. They are. But they are only symptoms of the underlying problem. The underlying problem is much deeper and far more widespread. The real reason we don’t have peace in our lives is because as sinners we don’t have peace with God. And that problem is rooted in here, in my heart and yours. Jesus says that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and blasphemies (Matthew 15:19). Isaiah says that your sins have hidden God’s face from you (Isaiah 59:2). If you find no joy, no comfort, no peace in Christmas – the problem isn’t with Christmas, the problem is with you. The real, root problem for the lack of peace in our lives and our world isn’t family or inflation or religion or politics – it’s the sinful heart that beats in my chest and yours that makes us fear and hate our God. And no gift, no card, no treaty, no law – and no, not even canceling Christmas this year – can fix that problem.

So instead of ignoring the problem or hiding in the basement until the lights and trees go away, we need to embrace the real message of Christmas. Hear again Paul’s words. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace…And he did this to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by putting the hostility to death on it. He also came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

At Christmas, we can’t overlook the real, deeply rooted problems of our sinful hearts and our broken relationship with God – but neither can we forget that that’s exactly why Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The angels weren’t lying – Jesus came to bring peace. When the Son of God put on human flesh – he also took all of our selfishness and anger, all of our resentment and grudges, every sin, every hurtful word and loveless action on his shoulders. He carried that load from Bethlehem, through his ministry in Galilee and Judea, all the way to the cross – where he paid for every ounce of that sin with every ounce of his precious blood. By paying for the sins of the world – including yours and mine – he created peace by tearing down the wall of sin that separated us from God. And this Christmas, His gift to all who believe in Him is just that: peace for our minds and hearts – even if there is no peace out there – because he gives us peace that reconciles us to God!

Now, the more cynical among us might think “if that’s true, why, after 2000 years of Christmases, is our world as broken and filled with hate as ever? Where is this peace that Jesus promised to bring?” Here’s where we need to reorient our understanding of peace. Our minds tell us that there can only be peace when we have enough money. Our emotions tell us that peace means everyone being nice to each other (often, at the cost of ignoring sinful behaviors and lifestyles). Our government tells us that to get peace, every threat must be neutralized. Our media tells us that peace is Republicans and Democrats getting along. Charities argue that there can only be peace when no one is cold or hungry this Christmas. Activists say that there can only be peace when there is perfect equality among people of every age, race, gender, etc. Otherwise, they say, there can be no peace.

Paul wrote to people who were at each other’s throats just as much as our families, our coworkers, our politicians and our world often are. The Jews were God’s chosen people and made sure everyone knew it – they thought of the Gentiles as filthy dogs. The Gentiles weren’t obligated to keep the seemingly silly Jewish ritual laws and despised them as arrogant and self-righteous. This hostility even led to war and terror attacks just as bad as we’ve seen in our world in recent years – in 70 A.D. the gentile Roman destroyed Jerusalem and razed the temple to the ground. And yet, what does Paul write? Christ Jesus…made the two groups one by destroying the wall of hostility that divided them.

When you observe the issues that cause not just differences but hostility and division between people today – it quickly becomes clear that no amount of money, presents, charity or diplomacy can fix those problems. There’s only one thing – or rather, one person who can: Jesus. Only when broken, sinful hearts have been reconciled to God through Jesus can they truly be reconciled to one another. Only when I remember that God has forgiven my mountain of sin, can I forgive the sins of another. Only when I know that God has forgiven my imperfections for Jesus’ sake can I be patient and compassionate with the imperfections of others. For a world broken by unrest, terror, hatred and hostility – the solution is not to cancel Christmas, but to hold on even tighter to – and sing even louder – the good news the angels preached to those shepherds that night long ago: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind (Luke 2:14). It may seem too good to be true. It’s not. In Paul’s day, in spite of the previous hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles, they eventually stood side by side to worship their Jesus Christ as their Savior. During WWI, German and British soldiers declared a truce on Christmas in 1914 and sang Christmas carols and even played soccer together. [2] I didn’t watch a second of the FIFA World Cup this year, but I heard reports that some of the teams (namely, the team from Fiji) sang Christian hymns before and after their matches [3] – that’s a glimpse of the peace Jesus brings to this sin-broken world.

And I challenge you this Christmas season, to look for and take advantage of the gift of peace Jesus came to give to this world. Look around your Christmas gathering and see the friend or relative or coworker who has hurt you in the past – remember that forgiveness is Jesus’ gift to you and can be the most precious gift you could give to them. Look at these children, listen as they – instead of talking about a fat man in a red suit or a reindeer with a red nose or what they expect to find under the tree – are proclaiming with joy the good news that a Savior has been born to us – he is Christ the Lord. And, as you worship Jesus this Christmas, notice how people from all different backgrounds, all different ethnicities, all different political parties unite at the manger in Bethlehem to worship Jesus in peace and unity. This baby really is God in human flesh. This man really is the Savior of the world. He really is our peace! Should we skip Christmas this year? No. Because only this baby in the manger in Bethlehem can bring peace to our sin-broken hearts and peace to this sin-broken world. Glory to God in the highest! Merry Christmas! Amen.

[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3327115/Pope-says-Christmas-charade-atrocities-like-Paris-massacre.html

[2] https://www.history.com/news/christmas-truce-1914-world-war-i-soldier-accounts

[3] https://twitter.com/themiddleborne/status/1594354912036786177

Matthew 1:17-25 - Jesus Is the Son of Mary - December 14, 2022

This Advent we’re asking the single most important question in the world: who is Jesus? It’s also one of those questions that seems to have nearly as many answers as there are people willing to answer it. Some say that Jesus is a therapist – he helps us cope with life’s problems, and forget about the past; tells us how special we are and not to be so hard on ourselves. Some say Jesus is basically a stereotypical millennial – he drinks fair-trade coffee, enjoys spiritual conversations, proudly drives a hybrid and goes to film festivals. Some say Jesus is a coach – that if you call on him and point to heaven, he will help you catch touchdowns and drain 3-pointers. Some say Jesus is a spiritual guru – that he hates the structure of religion, the confessions and denominations, the pastors and doctrines – and would rather have people searching for god in nature – or silently meditating and searching for the god within. Some say Jesus is merely a good example – he shows us how to be better people so that we can make the world a better place. But we’re interested in the real Jesus – the Jesus of Matthew 1. Matthew has told us that Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham and, tonight, the Son of Mary.

So altogether there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to Christ. Matthew summarizes salvation history in three sets of fourteen – or, perhaps, counted another way, in six sets of seven. This theory argues that if you happened to be a native speaker of Hebrew – this last detail would make you cringe. (It would be like me leaving out the last line of “Happy Birthday.”) In the Bible, seven appears to be the number of completeness – starting with the seven days of creation (Genesis 1); the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:7-13); the seven words of the cross; the seven churches of Revelation (Revelation 2-3); etc. But regardless of whether we accept that theory or not, the story of salvation Matthew has described so far in chapter 1 is clearly incomplete – this story lacks an ending. And maybe that’s Matthew’s point. Jesus is the one who will usher in the final act of God’s plan of salvation. Jesus completes the story of salvation – and the names given to this Son of Mary show us how.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found (presumably by Joseph) to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. This is really a remarkable series of events. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes for a moment. He wasn’t dumb. He knows that babies aren’t conceived spontaneously. It’s hard to blame him for deciding to divorce her – but it’s also to his credit that he wanted to do so quietly, because God’s Law mandated that adulterers were to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). But what’s even more amazing is what happened next: as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

By the power of the Holy Spirit Joseph believed the angel’s words and took Mary home as his wife and then named her son Jesus. Jesus means “the LORD saves.” From what? He will save his people from their sins. Let that sink in for a moment. When you think of Jesus, look to Jesus, call on him in prayer – what are you asking him to save you from? Certainly, we all have problems – be they financial, political, psychological, medical, or interpersonal – and Jesus is certainly capable of saving us from those problems – he proved it by his words and works on earth. But that’s not the primary reason he came – and we should repent for thinking so little of his saving power. Jesus came to save us from much more than those issues. That’s why the angel didn’t tell Joseph to give Mary’s child a name that would indicate his expertise in medicine, economics or psychology. Those are issues we can work on, we can learn from experts to deal with, we can plan for and find treatment for – but sin, what can we do about that? That’s why the angel left no room for misunderstanding what the job of Mary’s Son would be: he will save his people from their sins.

Mary’s Son is Jesus – the one who saves us from our sins. But he’s only that because he’s more than that – he’s more than just the Son of Mary. Matthew continues: All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah 7:14]: “Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” “God with us” is one of the major themes of Matthew’s Gospel. It first appears here; it appears in the middle, when Jesus promises that where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them (Matthew 18:20); and then, in the last verse of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus promises surely I am with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Sure, Big Brother may be tracking us everywhere – but only in Jesus is “God with us.”

Jesus is our Savior because he is also Immanuel, “God with us.” Jesus – that little, helpless baby in Mary’s arms – is God entering our muck and mire, our chaos and confusion. He’s with us in the manger, yes. He was with us for thirty some years on this earth, yes. But we see God not only with us – but for us – most profoundly on the darkest day in human history – that day when humanity grabbed hold of Mary’s Son, arrested him, mocked him, condemned him, tortured him, and then nailed him to a tree – all of which were really just expressions of the attitude first exhibited by our first parents in the Garden of Eden after they had eaten the forbidden fruit – which can all be summarized by the statement: “Get away! Leave us alone, God!” Ever since then, the world has been telling God to get away. Why do businesses forbid their employees from saying “Merry Christmas”? Why have the Ten Commandments been torn out of public places and Bible reading and prayer banned from public schools? Why does our world want to stuff Christmas back into a box and shove it into a closet as soon as the last present is opened on December 25th? These are all manifestations of the sinful nature screaming: “Get away! Leave us alone, God!” But a better question might be: why do we, by our words and actions, make it clear that we want nothing to do with God? Why do we make up all sorts of excuses to avoid reading our Bibles, praying, worshipping or giving up our pet sins? Aren’t we also telling God to get away from us? And that, truly, is what we deserve: to have God abandon us forever in the depths of hell.

Which is precisely what makes the birth of this child to Mary so important and so worthy of our time and attention and worship and praise this Advent season. Mankind, from the beginning, has been telling God to stay away. God, from eternity, knew that the crown of his creation wouldn’t want anything to do with him. And yet, God loved us too much to let our story end unfinished in hell. He not only sent his Son to come to live with us and among us; he sent him to live for us – to never fail to fear, love, and trust in God above all things; and to die for us – for each and every time we have expressed our failure to fear, love and trust in God above all things by our thoughts, words and actions. But, most importantly, he rose again for us – proof that not only are our sins forgiven but that in Jesus, God is with us each and every day – not to hurt us but to help us. And through the means of grace – the Gospel in Word and Sacrament – God is still with us to deliver the forgiveness and salvation his Son won by his life, death and resurrection to us.

In these final days before Christmas, casual conversations with our friends and family – and even perfect strangers – often consist of discussing how your preparations are going; if you’ve finished your shopping, cooking, travel, etc. And, unless, we’re delusional, I don’t think any one of us will be able to say that we’re finished until December 26th, when the cleanup and thank you writing starts. If you find yourself in a conversation like that, take a moment to remind yourself – and maybe that person – that Christmas isn’t really about us or our preparations – it’s about the Son of Mary, whose names reveal his identity and work. He’s Jesus – because he will save us from our sins and Immanuel – because he is God with us, was the one person able to say it is finished (John 19:30) from his cross. Matthew’s genealogy left God’s story of salvation unfinished – but Jesus finished it. In Jesus your sins are forgiven and God is with you – and that’s all you really need for a happy ending to your Christmas story this year and to your life story eternally. Amen.

James 5:7-11 - Good Things Come to Those Who Wait - December 11, 2022

Is there anything harder for sinners like us to do – and do well – than wait? Especially this time of year, and especially for children, waiting is a real challenge. And it’s hard to blame them, isn’t it? Christmas trees, lights, and yard decorations have been up for weeks already. The mailbox that’s normally just filled with junk mail and bills is now filled with glittery Christmas cards and mysterious packages show up on the porch. Christmas carols fill the air and Christmas movies fill the TV. It’s no wonder kids get so impatient – they are surrounded by the signs of what is to come and they want it to be here now. But it’s not just kids, is it? Maybe as adults we’re not fixated on Christmas presents, but we’re always waiting for something. We wait for test results. We wait for the end of the work week. We’re waiting for a raise, waiting for retirement, waiting for our children to grow up and move out. Waiting is difficult in a whole host of situations. This morning James helps us find patience in the most important waiting game: waiting for our Savior’s coming. James teaches us that Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Why, do you think, it seems to get easier to wait for Christmas the older you get? Is it because instead of fun toys we get to open up ugly sweaters or compression socks? Is it because we know how much we still have to do? Is it because we’ve come to understand that Christmas can never live up to the hype? Or, is it because when you have some years under your belt you have a better perspective on what Christmas means in the larger scope of life? Having the proper perspective makes a big difference in how we wait.

That’s James’ point: therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. In other words, take the long view. We’re anticipating the day we meet our Lord…so let’s fast forward and see what that day will look like. When he returns, he will divide all of humanity in half – the sheep on one side and the goats on the other. The sheep he will take to heaven and the goats he will cast into the fires of hell (Matthew 25:31-46). On that day, the list of what really matters grows very short. When a person is standing before their Judge only one thing matters: the presence or absence of saving faith in Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16). All the things that consume our time and attention now: wealth, possessions, prestige, power, pleasure, presents are put in their proper place – they either aided our faith or detracted from it. That is the end we all are looking forward to, a conclusion to life that no one will be able to avoid. Viewing all of life in light of that serious and significant moment will help us keep the present in its proper perspective.

In that sense, according to James, we’re all like farmers: see how the farmer waits for the valuable harvest from the ground, patiently waiting for it, until it receives the early and late rain. There are no shortcuts in farming. A farmer can’t do much to speed up the growth of his crops. In 1st century Palestine, the farmer counted on rain around the end of October to soften up the land so he could begin his plowing and planting. Then in March or April, when the crops were blooming, the farmer watched for the spring rains to come, to provide the moisture that would fill the heads with fruit. If either rain failed to fall, both crop and farmer were doomed. Therefore, the farmer learned patience. He learned to recognize that the timing was out of his control. He worked hard, but when he was done working he put it in the Lord’s hands. He knew that worrying and questioning God’s care and control wouldn’t squeeze even one drop out of the clouds – so, in view of the valuable crop that was coming, he was patient and waited for the Lord.

Likewise, James writes you be patient too. Strengthen your hearts because the coming of the Lord is near. We know that the Lord is coming. We know it because he has promised it (Revelation 22:20). We know he will keep this promise because he has kept all of his other promises. We know he’s coming and we anticipate it more than any Christmas party or present. But worrying about it or questioning God’s wisdom and love will not make it come any faster. We need to have the proper perspective. We need to take a page out of this farmer’s almanac and leave the timing up to God. We need to see life now from the perspective of our Lord’s coming – because we know, like the farmer, that good things come to those who wait.

But waiting often leads to other problems, doesn’t it? When people are stuck waiting in line at the restaurant or grocery store, their tempers get short and they get annoyed at little things. When children are idly waiting for Christmas Day they start to pick on each other and whine and complain. Is it any different as we Christians wait for the second coming of Jesus? Not in James’ experience, and, if we’re honest, not in our experience either. We know the Lord is coming. We don’t know when. We know we should be busy carrying out his work. We don’t always agree on how that should be done. We each face our own unique pressure that comes from anticipating something that most of the world regards as a ridiculous myth. And what happens? We grow impatient and frustrated. All day long at work we restrain ourselves only let loose on our families when we get home. We expect patience and understanding when from others but we hold our fellow believers to an impossible standard of perfection. Instead of building one another up and encouraging one another when they face trouble in life, we tear each other down.

Knowing human nature, James writes: Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look! The Judge is standing at the doors! James warns us against even the grumbling and complaining that we might consider minor. (“How could they do that, not do that; how could they say that to me, how could they not talk to me?”) Grumbling and groaning is the opposite of joyful and eager waiting. In fact, when we grumble against other believers, we are effectively pushing Jesus out of his place as Judge – which is what we are supposed to be waiting for together. When we are casting a critical eye towards others, do you know what we’re not focused on? Christ. To put James’ warning in different terms, he’s saying: “Hey guys, Jesus is coming back very soon and he’s bringing amazing gifts. When he does, do you think he wants to see his children fighting with each other when they’re supposed to be building one another up as members of his body, His Church? He’s almost here. Be patient – especially with one another.”

I think we all like to imagine that we’re patient people, and maybe to those who don’t know us well, we may even appear to be patient. But just ask those who know us best – our parents, spouses and children – they will likely paint a very different picture. If patience is such a rare virtue, what’s the secret to getting it? I hate to sound like a broken record, but the secret to patience is the Law and the Gospel. Law and Gospel that might be summarized in James’ words: the Judge is standing at the doors! How many times should that Judge have knocked down those doors, grabbed you by the throat and tossed you into hell this past week for your moaning, groaning, complaining and impatience with others? Did he? Your presence here today proves that he didn’t. But that doesn’t mean that the Judge hasn’t issued his verdict. He did. On Good Friday God the Father lost his patience with mankind and unleashed his rage on Jesus. God was far less patient with his own perfect Son that he is with us. He allowed him to be betrayed, denied, tortured, nailed to a tree and tossed into the depths of hell. That’s what it looks like when God’s patience runs out. The good news is that Jesus endured that impatience in our place – so that all that God has left for us is an enduring patience, yes, even though we continue to sin and rebel against him every minute of every day.

That’s why we need to be in the Word – in the Law and Gospel – every single day! In the Word we are reminded that the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy…he does not treat us as our sins deserve. He does not repay us according to our guilty deeds…as distant as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our rebellious acts from us (Psalm 103:8-12). If our holy God, faced with the enormity of our sin, is patient with us, putting up with our failures and graciously waiting to forgive us when we repent (2 Peter 3:9), then who are we to grow impatient with the weaknesses of others? Jesus has not come yet, not because he’s testing our patience, but because he is exercising extreme patience with us. As we wait for him, let us be patient with one another, building one another up, not tearing one another down – for good things come to those who wait…patiently.

Finally, waiting in a world that loves to persecute Christians demands perseverance. James has help for us here, too: brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering with patient endurance. See, we consider those who endured to be blessed. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and have seen what the Lord did in the end, because the Lord is especially compassionate and merciful. When you think about the OT prophets, it’s hard to think of one who didn’t face persecution and yet, by God’s grace, persevered. Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc. But the example James cites is Job. Job, the most righteous man on earth at his time (Job 1:1), persevered in faith even as Satan unleashed his fury on him. Satan robbed Job of his property, his health, and his family. His suffering was made worse as his friends and his wife tempted him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). And yet, even in the midst of almost unimaginable suffering, Job trusted God’s wisdom and love and handed his troubles over to God: the LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. May the name of the LORD be blessed (Job 1:21).

The difficulty for us is defining the suffering we as Christians living in 21st century America actually face. We can freely worship our Lord and Savior without fear. We can talk about Jesus with our family and friends and they probably won’t chase us out of town. Being open about our faith won’t lead to a prison sentence. We can’t really imagine life in the early church where Christians had to be careful about who they worshipped with for fear that they might be a government spy who would hand them over to be tortured and murdered. We aren’t black-listed from employment or refused service because we believe that Jesus is coming again to take us home.

But Job’s confession still serves as a pretty good summary of the struggles we face today: the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Sometimes the Lord gives us challenges to face. He gives us an immoral boss or back-stabbing coworkers, a rebellious child or financial struggle. Other times he allows comforts to be taken away. He takes away our dreams, our jobs, our loved ones. He takes away our hearing or sight or health or wealth. And, we face a trial that believers in the OT and the early NT didn’t: it’s been 2000 years since Jesus promised that he was coming back soon! Soon? 2000 years? This world of instant gratification teaches us to think that patient, perseverant waiting is for suckers. To silently endure pain and persecution, trusting that Jesus is coming soon to take us out of this world, sounds to most like utter foolishness. Satan pelts us with doubt; leading us to wonder if Jesus is ever going to return. In the face of it all, by God’s grace, we persevere. Not because we have super-human faith. Not because we completely understand God’s hidden hand in our world or our lives. We wait and we persevere because we know the good things Lord has brought about in the lives of the saints in the past, because he comes to us here and now in Word and Sacrament to give us good things, and because we know when he returns he comes bearing the gift of heaven. We wait and we anticipate the Lord’s coming and until that happens, we rest in his grace, because we know the Lord is especially compassionate and merciful. We persevere because of who God is. He gives us perspective. He sows patience in our hearts and gives us the strength to persevere.

Whether you’re 7 or 70, waiting isn’t easy. James reminds us that good things come to those who wait. It starts with perspective. View everything in life in light of the end – when the Judge returns in glory – for then you will be able to see what is truly important now. It continues with patience. Be patient with each other because God, our merciful Father, has been patient with you. And, right to the end, persevere. Trust that God has never left his children hanging and he won’t start now. May Jesus give us this rare combination of perspective, patience, and perseverance so that he finds us eagerly waiting for the good things he will bring when he returns. Amen.

Matthew 1:1-2 - Jesus Is the Son of Abraham - December 7, 2022

More attention, more devotion, more praise; and more criticism, more opposition and more hatred have been directed at Jesus than any other person in human history. There’s really no comparison. Every recorded word that Jesus spoke has been sifted, analyzed, scrutinized and debated – letter by letter – by both believers and deniers – more than all other kings and queens, authors and artists, philosophers and scientists combined. Even 2000 years after his death, there isn’t a moment on earth that millions are not studying what Jesus said and did. Here’s a man who was born in the little town of Bethlehem 2000 years ago, and yet his birth still marks the dividing line of human history: BC – “before Christ;” and AD – Anno Domini, “the year of our Lord.” Just who is this person? Who is Jesus? That’s the question we’re asking during this Advent season. Matthew is serving as our guide. Tonight he informs us that in addition to being the royal Son of David, he is also the Son of Abraham.

While Jesus is clearly the most famous and important son of Abraham – he wasn’t the first famous and important one. That title belongs to Isaac. The story of Isaac is one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible. Abraham and Sarah had been trying to have children their entire marriage – and rightly so, for God had promised Abraham that he would have a son from whom would spring a people too numerous to count and through whom all people on earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 15:5). Roughly 25 years after God had first made his promise, at the ripe old age of 100 for Abraham and 90 for Sarah, he kept his word and Isaac was born. Isaac in Hebrew means laughter. No doubt the birth of Isaac gave great joy to Abraham and Sarah – as the birth of any child does. But it wasn’t long before God gave this horrifying command to Abraham: now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you (Genesis 22:2).

While God has never commanded us to do anything remotely close to sacrificing our only son (the son through whom the Savior would come, no less) – we can imagine what he felt, right? We’ve all had those days when the world seems to be coming apart around us; when our lives seem to be falling apart. When the OBGYN tells us to sit down and proceeds to tell us that the child we are so eager to welcome into this world has a severe birth defect – and may not survive. When our employer calls us into his office and tells us that cuts have to be made for the good of the company – and we are one of those cuts. When the burden of PTSD or depression seem to get heavier day by day. When our – or our children’s – marriage is on the rocks and it doesn’t appear like it will survive. When the doctor calls to say that tests confirm it is cancer or Alzheimer’s or dementia. When we get the call that yet another friend or relative has died…and we have yet another funeral to attend – it can feel like your world, your life is falling apart around you.

And at those times in life, it’s easy to get lost. We’re tempted to lose ourselves in our jobs or hobbies or social media or Netflix or substance abuse. We express our pain by lashing out in anger and hatred and revenge. Satan tempts us to believe that the pain will go away if we destroy our marriages, rip apart our families, abandon our friends, or even put an end it all. But, as dangerous and damaging as those temptations are, none of them are his ultimate goal; his ultimate goal is to lead us to blame God for the pain and the hurt – and to walk away from him in unbelief. Let’s not be so naïve as to pretend that we haven’t been there (or at least close) – and, if you haven’t, you will. But it’s at those times that we need Jesus the most. It’s at those times that Jesus’ words and work are most important. Because Jesus knows what it’s like – he knows what it’s like to have your life turned upside down.

Before we get there, let’s remember the context of this test. This text didn’t come out of the blue. Some time later God tested Abraham Genesis 22:1 tells us. God had prepared Abraham to face this test by making – and keeping – many promises. He had carefully and safely guided Abraham from his birthplace of Ur to Haran and then to Canaan – just as he promised (Genesis 12:1-3). God had made Abraham a very wealthy man – just as he promised (Genesis 13:2). God had shown Abraham the land of Canaan which his descendants would eventually inherit (Genesis 15:18-20). God had given Abraham and Sarah a son when they both were well beyond child-bearing years (Genesis 21). God had given Abraham comprehensive preparation for this test.

God has prepared us, too, for the tests we will face in our lives – like those we mentioned before. Through baptism, absolution, the Gospel and Holy Communion God regularly delivers to us the grace, faith and power he has promised us. Through these means of grace, he gives us courage and confidence, insight and wisdom. These means of grace – these ways in which God reaches down out of heaven into our lives to assure us of his presence and promises – also remind us that whatever test we’re facing – it’s not random, it’s not an accident. Every trial we face is, in fact, ultimately a test administered by God our Father.

Theoretically, I think, we can all agree with that premise, that fact: that God never sends a test into our lives that he hasn’t prepared us for. But that doesn’t answer the larger question: Why? That’s the question we ask most frequently when we’re going through a period of testing, isn’t it? Why do we have to undergo this testing at all? Why me? Why now? Why this? Do you know what God’s answer is? We aren’t told that Abraham asked this question – but Job certainly did (Job 42:1-6). It’s the classic parent answer: “Because.” Satisfied? No? Well, God’s answer doesn’t end there. Peter explains: because of this you rejoice very much, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various kinds of trials so that the proven character of your faith – which is more valuable than gold, which passes away even though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7). Why does God test us? “Because,” he says, “because I love you right where you are but I love you too much to leave you where you are.” The tests God puts us through refine us; they mature us; they season us; they humble us – in the end, they lead us to despair of life in this world and to long for heaven. In other words, God tests us to strengthen us – that is, to strengthen our faith in him – so that we will be saved – that’s a good purpose for testing, no?

God’s testing of Abraham shows us that God prepares his people for the testing he gives and the purpose for the test. Finally, it teaches us that God provides provision for the test – he provides a way out. Back to Genesis 22: Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD Will Provide.” So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (Genesis 22:13-14). In times of testing, this is what we need to remember – the same God who spared Isaac’s life on that mountain and provided Abraham with a way out is our God – a God with a proven track-record of providing for his children in times of testing. Our God saw Joseph sitting in Pharaoh’s prison and provided a miraculous way out (Genesis 41). He saw the people of Israel enslaved in Egypt and provided a way through the Red Sea (Exodus 7-14). He saw a teenager named David facing off against a giant named Goliath and provided a stone to strike him down (1 Samuel 17). He saw Daniel thrown into a lion’s den and provided angels to close their jaws (Daniel 6). In every test, God provides a way out. Paul says God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Of course, God has provided the ultimate provision for us in Jesus. Jesus also willingly took the wood of his sacrificial cross and carried it up a mountain – a mountain which some believe was the same on which Isaac was almost sacrificed – now referred to as Calvary. There would be no substitute this time. Well, more accurately – there would be no substitute for Jesus because he was that ram, he was our substitute. We were the ones who deserved to be marched out to Calvary and nailed to a tree – but Jesus took our place. He was arrested abruptly. Tried unjustly. Sentenced callously. Mocked repeatedly. Abandoned ruthlessly. Beaten brutally. Crucified barbarously. But then Jesus passed the ultimate test – he rose from the grave victorious! God reversed the curse. Jesus is alive – never to die again. Death has no power over him – or over any who belong to him! Jesus lives to provide what we need when we are faced with even the hardest tests of life. Once more, back to Paul: my God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Whatever test you’re facing in this moment, Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on the cross is proof that God will provide.

Thinking back to the account of Abraham and Isaac, there’s one thing that’s always struck me as strange, maybe even shocking: Abraham’s attitude after it was all over. He wasn’t bitter or angry or resentful that God had put him through this test. He didn’t call the mountain Mt. Resentment or Mt. Bitterness or Mt. Don’t Every Do That Again, God. He called it The LORD Will Provide (Genesis 22:14). In other words, Abraham was strengthened in his conviction that wherever God guides us he will provide. He will provide for us wherever he guides us, too. How do we know? Because we know Jesus, the Son of Abraham, the Son of sacrifice. Under God’s mighty hand, whatever trial you’re facing right now is for your good – and you will look back one day – although it may not be until the day you’re in heaven – and say: “Thank you Lord for the preparation, purpose and provision of those tests that strengthened my faith in Jesus, the Son of sacrifice, the Son of Abraham.” Amen.

Romans 15:4-13 - Where Is the Hope in This Holiday? - December 4, 2022

If you were forced to choose a single word to describe your mood in these days before Christmas, what word would you choose? Frantic? Underprepared? Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Impatient? Going broke? What about hopeful? Advent is a season of hope. The question is: what are we hoping for? Sure, most children – and even many adults – may be waiting to receive gifts, but even the unbelieving world recognizes that gifts aren’t the ultimate holiday hope – just consider any of the silly Christmas movies that will be playing nonstop until December 25th. The greatest hope (and perhaps the greatest fear) most people have this time of year has to do with relationships. This time of year we spend more time with others than any other – work parties and family gatherings, checkout lines and soup suppers. And, I would expect that we all hope to engage in these interactions as loving, accepting and understanding people. How’s that going for you? Certainly, we won’t ignore error, false teaching or immoral living as we gather with coworkers, family, friends, and fellow members – right? – but who doesn’t hope that this year there won’t be any bitter arguments or slammed doors or nasty social media posts? We hope for unity and love and friendship. The question is: where is the hope for that in this holiday, where is the hope in Christmas?

Before we can find the hope, we need to recognize the source of the hopelessness that seems omnipresent in these days before Christmas. The world might blame its hopelessness on inflation or the war in Ukraine or on supply chain issues that make it difficult or impossible to find the gifts you want to give to the people you love. But the reality is that the source of hopelessness is not out there – it’s in here. And we Lutherans are good – I might even say the best – at articulating the real source of hopelessness – at least if you remember Luther’s explanations of the first, second and third articles of the Apostles’ Creed from confirmation class. In the first article we confess that everything we are and have is a pure gift of God’s grace and not because [we] have earned or deserved it. In the second we confess that we are lost and condemned creature[s]. In the third we confess that there is nothing we can do to change this situation. These are the hopeless realities that are true of every human being from conception – but which only a precious few acknowledge and confess. But it’s there. Every year at this time you see stories about the “Christmas blues” – how more people are sad, lonely, depressed, and even suicidal during the holidays – because they have no hope.

And when people feel hopeless, they tend to give up – even when rescue is near. In 1945, when the USS Indianapolis, the ship that carried crucial parts for the atomic bomb that was eventually dropped on Japan which ended WWII, was ripped in half by Japanese torpedoes, about 900 of the almost 1200 sailors aboard were left stranded in the ocean. Only about 300 survived. The shocking thing is that after waiting days and nights in the open ocean many of them gave up and drowned themselves even as the rescue planes were circling. They gave up hope even when rescue was in sight. That’s what happened to Judas – even as Jesus was willingly sacrificing himself for his sins, he gave up hope and ended his life at the end of a rope (Matthew 27:5). That’s a very real temptation for very many people – even us or the people we know and love – this time of year. That’s because if we hope that we or the people around us will suddenly change because the calendar says December 25th, we are bound to be disappointed. That’s a holiday myth that’s preached by Hallmark movies and advertising professionals – but it isn’t reality. And so, as shocking as this may sound, I’m telling you to let go of that hope for this holiday.

But that doesn’t mean that you should give up all hope. Paul writes that whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through patient endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we would have hope. In other words, Paul is encouraging us to recall the hopeless situations in Scripture into which God injected a powerful dose of hope. ESPN used to air a segment called “You Had One Job.” That’s how I think of Genesis 3 and Adam and Eve – they had one job: don’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17). But they ate and the moment they ate they realized the hopelessness of their situation. They futilely tried to hide from God and cover their shame with leaves. But God hadn’t lost hope. God came to them and promised that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the serpent’s head once and for all (Genesis 3:14-15).

And there are more examples in Scripture. When Abraham and his wife Sarah were old – and, in regard to fertility – their bodies were as good as dead (Romans 4:19), God promised to give them a son – and through faith in this promise, Paul writes in Romans 4 that Abraham [hoped] beyond what he could expect, he believed that he would become the father of many nations (Romans 4:18). King David’s sins were, according to his own description in Psalm 32, killing him physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually – and yet, when he confessed those sins, do you remember what his pastor, Nathan, said? The LORD himself has put away your sin. You will not die (2 Samuel 12:13). Israel seemed like a hopeless wreck of a nation in Ezekiel’s day, and yet the LORD showed him how he would raise that wreck to life again by the power of the Spirit (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Peter denied Jesus three times in the temple courtyard (John 18:15-18) – and yet weeks later Jesus came to him to restore him to his place as his apostle, encouraging him to feed my sheep (John 21:17). In other words, with God it’s never hopeless.

And that’s why – while you may think I’m a kill-joy for dismissing the hope offered by the world out there – our focus this season (and every season) must be on the God of hope and what he has done to inject hope into our otherwise hopeless lives. He could have given up hope on this fallen world but instead he sent his Son to be born of a woman, to be born under the Law in order to redeem all those under the Law (Galatians 4:4-5). While Jesus never grew impatient or irritated or lashed out at either friend or foe in a sinful way – as our substitute, by the way – God handed him over to sin, death and the devil to receive the punishment that we deserve for all the sins we’ve already committed and will commit this holiday season. There was hell to pay, and there is no better description of hell than the absolute hopelessness that Jesus expressed when he cried out my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). When God turns his back on you – gives up hope in you – that’s true hopelessness. But Jesus paid it. As Paul puts it: Christ became a servant…to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs. Jesus submitted himself to hopelessness so that you could have hope.

The reason that there is so much hopelessness this time of year is that so much of the world’s hope is built on a foundation of sand. You hope your grandchild will like that present, right? You didn’t know that something newer came out just last week. You hope that the whole family can be together this year – after all the fuss over Covid has passed – right? Well, welcome to the so-called “tri-demic” of flu, RSV and Covid all in one convenient and annoying package. You hope that you won’t lose your temper or think or say some nasty things under your breath about your in-laws – well, I wouldn’t get your hopes up. If our hope for this Christmas is grounded in us, we should give up all hope.

Are you feeling hopeless this season? Have you lost hope that you will be able to cover all the bills this season creates? Have you lost hope that your health or the health of someone you love will recover? Have you lost hope that your children or grandchildren who have wandered from the faith will ever return? Have you lost hope that that relationship that was broken so bitterly and permanently can ever be repaired? Then you’re in the right place, because here is where hope is restored – not in ourselves or in the people around us, but in God – and his endless hope in us.

Paul refers to God as the God of hope. If you’re the God of something, that means you own it; you control it; you can’t lose it. God never loses hope with this world – or with us. And, again, I think we Lutherans articulate this hope more clearly than almost anyone in Luther’s explanation of the Apostles’ Creed. In the First Article we confess that God the Father provides clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home – so if you have those things, know that God hasn’t lost hope in you. In the Second we confess that even though we were hopelessly lost and condemned creatures, Jesus redeemed us not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood. In the Third we confess that even though we could never choose to believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified us by the Gospel. While our hope in ourselves and others is uncertain – the hope we have in God’s loving, redeeming, protecting care is absolutely certain – it’s set in stone in the words of Scripture – and distributed regularly through the means of grace.

And this hope has practical implications for us – and our relationships – in these days before Christmas. Paul was writing to a church in Rome that was struggling with division between Jewish and Gentile Christians – and reminding them that in Christ, they are one. He writes may God, the source of patient endurance and encouragement, grant that you agree with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that with one mind, in one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, accept one another as Christ also accepted you to the glory of God. If your greatest hope this season is for peace, joy and unity in your personal relationships - then here’s the key: start and end with Jesus, at his manger, his cross and his empty tomb. Because where Jesus and his cleansing blood are – there all of those bitter arguments, those nasty words, those years or decades old sins melt away. In Jesus, we can be united in hope – because he accepted us – sins and all – we can accept each other – sins and all – and worship God with one mind and one voice. I pray that is our greatest hope for this Christmas season.  

And so, while you watch the rest of the world scurrying around, frantically trying to drum up hope in gifts and decorations and cookies and their own efforts to be nicer and kinder – we rest in the fact that our hope is not based on us but on what God has done for us in Christ. Your hope for this Christmas and for eternity is firmly grounded – not only in the fact that our God is the God of hope; not only in the fact that Scripture proves that those who placed their faith and hope in him were never disappointed – but in the fact that God has and continues to deliver the ingredients for our hope here through Word and Sacrament. This water, this Word, this bread and wine prove that God has not given up on us (and that he hasn’t given up on your coworkers, friends or family, either). And that is one hope that will never disappoint! Amen.

Matthew 1:1-17 - Jesus Is the Son of David - November 30, 2022

According to a recent report distributed by the United Nations the population of planet earth reached 8 billion people on November 15. They also projected that in 2050 there will be almost 10 billion humans on earth. [1] Since the dawn of time, somewhere between 60 and 100 billion people have walked on the dust of this earth. But, of those billions, only a handful have made any real, lasting, permanent impression – whose names are still spoken around the world. And of that handful, one stands far above the rest. His name is Jesus.

Think about it: Jesus never wrote a book – and yet millions of books have been written about him. Jesus never painted a picture (that we know of) – and yet the world’s greatest art has Jesus’ words and works as its inspiration. Jesus never raised an army – and yet millions of his followers have fought and died for him. Jesus never traveled very far from his birthplace – and yet word of his life and work has reached every corner of the globe – even those places that have tried to ban it. During his lifetime, Jesus only had maybe a few dozen dedicated followers – and yet today over 30% of the planet’s population confess to follow him. [2] The most important question that any of the earth’s 8 billion citizens can ever ask, then, is who is Jesus? That’s our question this Advent season: Who is Jesus? And today Matthew reveals him as the Son of David – that is, as a King.

However, what many people in Jesus’ day – and many people today – don’t understand is what kind of King Jesus came to be. Most expected him to be a “political” King – whose primary purpose would be to make their lives happier, safer and more prosperous. Would we really want Jesus to be that kind of King? Politicians of all stripes and all times have promised to be that kind of “king.” In 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson promised not so send American boys to Vietnam to fight a foreign war. He lied. In 1988 George H.W. Bush told Americans to “Read his lips: No new taxes.” He lied. [3][4] In 2008 Barack Obama promised that his so-called “Obamacare” healthcare plan wouldn’t raise rates. He lied. [5] And I didn’t even mention anything said by anyone running in the latest election cycle. In America we’re used to leaders who say what people want to hear. No one’s campaign slogan is, “Slow, arduous change,” or “realistic compromises,” or “it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” No. We want leaders who promise the moon – and so that’s what they promise. And you don’t have to live through too many elections to become cynical about such promises.

But when we look at Jesus, we see a completely different kind of leader – a different kind of king. First, we see that Jesus is the Promised King. Matthew begins his Gospel this way: a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Even this heading tells us a lot about who Jesus is. Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ is a title. It’s the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah which means “anointed one.”

The Old Testament – God, in countless places, starting already in Genesis – promised to send a Messiah – a King who would accomplish God’s mission. God left a breadcrumb trail of prophecies throughout the OT which would lead people to the Messiah. He promised that the Messiah would come from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:12). He would be born in David’s city (Micah 5:2) and sit on David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7). And part of Matthew’s purpose in providing us with this extensive genealogy – and the rest of his gospel – is to prove that Jesus is this king – the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David. When Matthew wrote his gospel, Israel hadn’t had a legitimate king for hundreds of years. Now, Matthew declares, “a king has finally come to sit on David’s throne. And his name is Jesus!” Matthew drives this truth home by citing no few than 15 OT prophecies which were fulfilled in Jesus.[6] Jesus is the promised King.

He is also the compassionate King. Jesus didn’t come to lead a rebellion against Rome or hand out welfare checks. He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). We see hints of this truth in the structure of Matthew’s genealogy. First, in contrast to genealogies found in the OT, where a person’s descendants are listed (which makes sense – if there’s no Abraham, there’s no Isaac!) – here, Matthew lists Jesus’ predecessors (with the implication that those who went before Jesus were dependent on him!) Second, while the Israelites traced their ancestry through male ancestors, Matthew also mentions four women: Tamar (Matthew 1:3), Rahab and Ruth (Matthew 1:5), and Bathsheba (Matthew 1:6). All four of these women were outsiders. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites (Genesis 38:2-6; Joshua 2:1-13). Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1:1-4). And Bathsheba was likely a Hittite like her husband – Uriah (2 Samuel 11:3). Moreover, each of these women were stigmatized. Tamar, after her brother-in-law refused to do his duty to provide her with a child (Genesis 38:10) tricked her father-in-law, Judah, into sleeping with her in order to have children (Genesis 38). Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1-13). Bathsheba committed adultery with King David (2 Samuel 11). Ruth once worshiped an idol called Chemosh (1 Kings 11:7) and was a widow (Ruth 1:5).

What’s the point? The point is that while the Jews of Jesus’ day expected a Messiah who would come to drive out their Roman oppressors and reestablish Israel’s power and status and independence, Jesus came instead to bring the outcasts to God – in large part, by removing the shame of marginalized, alienated people like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. The rest of Matthew’s gospel bears this out. Who does Jesus spend his time with? Outcasts and rejects. With those who had done terrible things or were afflicted with terrible diseases. But I think that what stands out to me most is the fact that three of the four women listed in Jesus’ genealogy were burdened with a shameful stigma. And yet, God was not ashamed to include them in his Son’s genealogy and Jesus is not ashamed to associate and save those who may bear some shameful stigma.

In the end, no matter what we’ve experienced in the past, this includes all of us. We all have plenty of ugly shame from our past that haunts us to this day. We tend to focus – and rightly so – on how Jesus takes away our guilt – that is, the debt of the sins we have committed. But he also takes away the shame – the sin done to us. We don’t have to try to wash our shame away, work our shame away, explain or eat or cry or drug our shame away. Because Jesus isn’t a king who sits on his throne and demands that you serve him; Jesus is a king who descends from his throne, filled with compassion wanting to serve you. Jesus knows what it’s like to live with a shameful stigma (remember, the Jewish leaders mocked him as an illegitimate child (John 8:41)). At our darkest point – when we feel the ugliest and most unloved – Jesus says, “I love you – no matter what!” He reminds us through Word and Sacrament that neither the sins we have committed nor the sinful things others have done to us define us. We don’t have to live with guilt or shame. We aren’t worthless. We aren’t damaged goods. We are clean. We are whole. We are his. Jesus is the compassionate King.

But in order to be compassionate, Jesus also had to be rejected. To the Jewish elites of his day, Jesus was the wrong kind of king. He came from the wrong place, associated with the wrong kind of people, preached the wrong message, gathered the wrong disciples, carried out the wrong mission, and waged the wrong kind of war against the wrong kind of enemies. (In fact, incidentally – and maybe ironically – in Matthew’s Gospel, apart from Matthew’s calling Jesus the “Son of David” here and the crowds on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:9), the only people who hailed Jesus as King – often far less than sincerely – were Gentiles and rejects – including the Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), blind men (Matthew 9:27), a demon possessed man (Matthew 12:23), a Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:22), Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:29), and Pontius Pilate (Romans 27:37).) But God’s chosen people – the Jews – almost universally rejected him as their King. It all came to a head on Good Friday. Matthew wrote about it: above his head they posted the written charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37). Pilate posted this sign – over the objection of the Jews – likely as a sarcastic shot against them: “See, this is your king…see what I, the Roman governor, can do to your supposed King!” The Jewish leaders – like so many people today – rejected Jesus, the promised and compassionate King. But more importantly, because we deserved to be rejected by our holy God – Jesus had to be rejected by him in our place. When Jesus cried out my God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Matthew 27:46) from Calvary’s cross, he was describing hell – that is, his Father had rejected him, turned his back on him, disowned him. Jesus was rejected by God for our broken promises, our failure to show compassion, our lack of faith and love and hope – so that we never would be.

But that’s not how the story ended. Three days later, after Jesus had risen from his grave, he proclaimed that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18). That’s what we would expect of a king, right – to have all authority? Jesus has all authority over everything in the universe – politicians, economies, natural disasters, down to the minor things that happen in our lives every day. He also has the rightful authority to command us how to live. He has every right to demand anything and everything from us. But that’s not why we hail him as king. We hail him as king because he gave everything for us – to save and redeem us.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Son of David, the promised, compassionate – and rejected – King that we follow through this life and into the next. Amen.

[1] https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-reach-8-billion-15-november-2022

[2] https://www.kentuckytoday.com/baptist_life/7-encouraging-trends-of-global-christianity-in-2022/article_6a1f9336-861a-11ec-aab8-dbfeb19c7929.html

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/22/politics/gallery/presidential-promises/index.html

[4] https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/26/broken-presidential-campaign-promises-1916/

[5] https://www.budget.senate.gov/newsroom/budget-background/obamacares-five-biggest-broken-promises

[6] https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-does-matthew-prove-that-jesus-is-the-messiah.html

A New Year with Jesus: A Walk Through the Christian Church Year - November 27, 2022

Time. It shapes and structures (and in many ways controls) the rhythm and pattern of our lives. From our first breath, time forms the framework on which our lives are hung. Time isn’t just about watches and clocks and history books – it’s about birthdays and graduations and anniversaries – and, eventually and inevitably, obituaries. Time is precious and every second of every single human life is precious for one reason: it’s one chance we have to come to learn about and believe in Jesus and be saved. As precious as time is, it’s also the one thing in life none of us can stop or control or store up. It slips away. It gets spent. Sometimes it’s wasted. And once it’s gone, you can never get it back. In general – unless you’re at work or school – how you use your time is up to you…it’s all about personal preference. And while that may be fine in everyday life, it can be disastrous when it comes to the life of the Church. If the way we spent our limited time here was up to you or me, we might spend it all talking about football or politics or movies or the best way to use the leftovers from Thanksgiving or some other subject that might be interesting but is spiritually irrelevant. That’s why we thank God and the believers who have gone before us for developing and passing down to us the gift of the Christian church year. Not only because it helps us make the most of the time we spend here each week together, but because it helps us keep the main thing the main thing. What is the main thing? Jesus is. Jesus and his redemptive work for us is at the heart of every Christian’s life – and, therefore he is the heart of the Church’s life. And so, today we are going to take a deeper look at the Christian church year and how every season of it keeps us focused on Christ – his work for us, his words to us and his work in us.

Advent – Christ’s Coming                                                                                                                                                                       Micah 5:2

The first season of the Christian church year is Advent. Advent means: “coming.” During the season of Advent we wait and watch for three “comings” of Christ. 1) We wait for his coming in the flesh – Christmas. These four weeks remind us that OT believers waited roughly 4000 years for God to send the promised Messiah. Today, while many people are simply waiting for a few days off of work or some presents, we are waiting for a Savior from sin. 2) Jesus comes to us today in Word and Sacrament. The Savior who once came in lowliness as a helpless baby still comes to us in the seemingly ordinary means of grace: the Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 3) Finally, we look for Jesus to come again in glory at the end of time. In Micah chapter 5, we are reminded how God chooses to reveal his mercy and his power most often in humble ways: most importantly, by becoming one of us in lowly, insignificant Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 - 2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

Hymn 1                                                                                                                                                           The Advent of Our King (st. 1-2, 4-5)

Christmas – Christ’s Incarnation                                                                                                                                                      John 1:1, 14

In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas comes at the darkest time of the year – just 4 days after the winter solstice (the shortest “day” of the year). This timing is fitting, given that Jesus was born into a world of darkness, a world of sin, despair, loneliness and hopelessness. Into this world, Jesus came to bring light. Certainly all children brighten the lives of their families – but this baby came to lift the gloom of sin that hung over the whole world – because this was no ordinary baby, this was the Son of God. Christmas is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions because on Christmas God became one of us, flesh and blood. Why? Only as true man could Jesus take our place under God’s law and die; only as true God could he live a perfect life and take our burden of sin to the cross to pay for it. Christmas proves that Jesus is true man – he was born of a woman. Christmas proves that Jesus is true God – he was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). In simple but profound words, John describes the mystery and majesty of Christmas.

John 1:1, 14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hymn 36                                                                                                                                                    A Great and Mighty Wonder (st. 1-2, 4)

Epiphany – Christ’s Appearing                                                                                                                                                              John 2:11

You’ve probably heard the song The Twelve Days of Christmas (partridges and pear trees and so forth). But do you know where that song came from? It resulted from the fact that the better part of 2000 years the Christian church celebrated Christmas for 12 days, from December 25 to January 5. January 6, then, marked Jesus’ Epiphany, literally his “appearing” or “unveiling.” The church celebrates two “appearances” of our Lord. 1) First, He appears as the Savior of all people, not just the children of Israel. This is recognized when the Magi – those mysterious Gentiles from the East, come to Jesus’ home to worship him as their king (Matthew 2:1-12). 2) The second appearing is the revelation of Jesus as the powerful Son of God. On Christmas, Jesus appears in deep humility: born in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth, acknowledged only by farm animals and shepherds. But during Epiphany, Jesus’ true nature as the Son of God is revealed by his baptism, his authoritative preaching and his powerful miracles. Epiphany will have served its purpose in our lives when what happened to the disciples happens to us:  

John 2:11 - 11This, the beginning of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Hymn 90                                                                                                                                          The People that in Darkness Sat (st. 1-2, 4-5)

Lent/Holy Week – Christ’s Suffering and Death                                                                                                                         Isaiah 53:5-6

Lent, the season that stretches from Epiphany to Easter, is 40 days long, beginning with Ash Wednesday and concluding with the Holy Week festivals of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. For Christians, the season of Lent is a time to meditate deeply on Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation as well as a time in which to concentrate on the continuing importance of confessing our sins and finding forgiveness in our Savior’s cross. The darkness of Lent is the reason for the light of Christmas – the eternal Son of God took on our human flesh and blood so that he could bleed and die for our sins. In Lent we see God’s eternal plan of salvation worked out in human history as the Lamb of God suffers as our substitute. In Lent we stand with Isaiah at the foot of the cross and confess:

Isaiah 53:5-6 - 5but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced. He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6We 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.

Hymn 113                                                                                                                                                           Upon the Cross Extended (st. 1, 5)

Easter – Christ’s Resurrection                                                                                                                                      1 Corinthians 15:17, 20

Easter is the climax of our annual journey with Jesus. On Good Friday our Savior’s lifeless body was laid in a grave. It left unanswered questions: Is he the Son of God or a delusional madman? Are our sins forgiven or are we still guilty before God? Will we ever see our loved ones who have died again? What will happen to us when we die – will we rise again or will our bodies turn to dust and stay that way? Do the Word and Sacraments matter at all? Easter answers those questions. When the disciples returned to the tomb early on Easter Sunday morning they found it empty. Later, the risen Savior appeared many times to dispel their confusion, doubts, and fears (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) – to tell them and show them that he had risen. Easter removes any hint of uncertainty regarding our faith, our forgiveness and our future. Easter proves that Jesus is God’s Son, he is our Savior, our sins are forgiven and our future is in heaven. Paul lays out the truth of Easter simply and beautifully in 1 Corinthians 15:

1 Corinthians 15:17, 20 - 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Hymn 145                                                                                                                                                Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won (st. 1, 5)

Ascension – Christ’s Coronation                                                                                                                                            Ephesians 1:22-23

For 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples to convince them that he had indeed conquered sin, death and the devil once and for all. They needed to be certain because he had appointed them to serve as his witnesses to the world once he was gone. At the end of those forty days, he ascended out of sight into heaven. But though he was gone from their sight, he did not leave them alone, he promised them: surely I am with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). That same Jesus is still with us today, reigning at God’s right hand, where all authority in heaven and on earth [have been given to him] (Matthew 28:18). Today, as we live and witness for our Savior – as we carry out his commission to go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them…and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you (Matthew 28:19-20), Ascension reminds us that we go with the assurance of his presence and his power that he controls all things and rules the universe for the good of his church…for the good of believers like us.

Ephesians 1:22-23 - 22God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. 23The church is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Hymn 169                                                                                                                                                                Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (st. 1, 3)

Pentecost – Christ Sends the Holy Spirit                                                                                                                                        Acts 2:32-33

Pentecost is derived from the Greek word meaning 50. 50 days after his resurrection Jesus sent the promised Holy Spirit to his disciples accompanied by amazing signs and wonders. The disciples desperately needed the Spirit’s power and guidance because they were to be witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection throughout the world – but, as they proved in the days following Jesus’ resurrection, they were often paralyzed by fear, they were often slow to believe and hesitant to speak. Paul explains the Spirit’s power and purpose in 1 Corinthians 2: what we received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the blessings freely given to us by God. We also speak about these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12). In other words, Jesus didn’t send the Holy Spirit primarily to perform signs and wonders, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit so that we would know and believe the Gospel – and have the courage to share it. In Acts 2, Peter embodies the power and work of the Holy Spirit by his clear and fearless proclamation of the Gospel:

Acts 2:32-33 - 32“This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that. 33So, after he was exalted to the right hand of God and after he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you are now seeing and hearing.

Hymn 183                                                                                                                                                             Holy Spirit, Light Divine (st. 1-4)

Sundays After Pentecost – Christ in the Lives of His People                                                                                                   Romans 12:1

The Sundays after Pentecost might be summed up in one word: “therefore.” One of my seminary professors told us that whenever you see that word in the Bible, you should ask yourself “what’s it there for?” That word appears often in Paul’s letters. He frequently uses it to form a bridge between the so-called doctrinal and practical parts of his letters. “Therefore” invites us to look back at all God has done for us in his mercy; it reminds us that God chose us to be his own, washed us in the blood of his Son and keeps us in faith by his Holy Spirit. “Therefore” also asks us to look at our own lives and ask that uniquely Lutheran question: what does this mean? What does all that God has done for me mean to me and for my life? Paul gives us the answer. While in the OT believers offered a lamb to the Lord as a sacrifice at the beginning and ending of each day, we offer ourselves, our bodies and souls, our working and studying and parenting – even our eating and drinking – everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31) – to the Savior who died for us so that we should no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died for us and was raised again (Galatians 2:20). In other words, during the Sundays after Pentecost, the seed of faith the Holy Spirit planted in us through the Gospel of Jesus is watered and fertilized so that it might grow and produce fruit. Paul puts it this way:

Romans 12:1 - Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship.

Hymn 462                                                                                                                               Oh, that the Lord Would Guide My Ways (st. 1, 4)

End Time – The Christian Waits for Christ’s Return                                                                                                        Revelation 22:20

The last four Sundays of the church year are sometimes referred to as the season of End Time. This season reminds us that our time in this world is not all that there is, that we are eagerly waiting for Jesus to return to make all things right, to punish unbelief with the never-ending fire of hell and to deliver believers, once and for all, to the endless glory of heaven. Since perhaps no part of Christian doctrine is more misunderstood and falsely taught today than the doctrine of the end times, we also take special care during this season to understand what God himself has revealed about the signs and nature of the end of time – instead of relying on the dreams and opinions and predictions of mere men. When we understand what God wants us to know about the end, whether we are looking to the end of the world or the end of our own lives, we will look forward to being reunited with all the believers who have gone before us – including those believers we dearly loved – and, even more important, we look forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face. Therefore we pray: Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

Revelation 22:20 - 20The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Hymn 214                                                                                                                                                                 Jerusalem the Golden (st. 1, 4)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In Everything Give Thanks - November 23, 2022

Tomorrow Americans will recognize one of the three most universally celebrated holidays of the year – along with Christmas and Easter. Outwardly, these holidays all look pretty similar: family and friends gather for food and fellowship. However, theologically speaking, there is one thing that sharply distinguishes Thanksgiving from the other two. Do you know what it is? In contrast to Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving is 100% law. When you boil it down, Thanksgiving Day is essentially an annual ritualistic obedience to our mothers’ persistent demand that we say “thank you” when we receive something. Kind of a strange thing to celebrate, isn’t it? Even in the Bible, and especially here in 1 Thessalonians, thanksgiving is a matter of the Law. Listen to the verses preceding our text: brothers, we ask you to take note of those who work hard among you, who exercise leadership over you in the Lord, and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love, on account of their work. Live at peace with each other. We also encourage you, brothers, to admonish those who are idle. Encourage those who are discouraged, help those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil with evil, but instead, always strive to do good to each other and to everyone else. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:12-17). Law, law, law. And after all that, now Paul says in everything give thanks? My response is: really?

In everything give thanks? Paul’s original Greek allows for no exceptions. It’s just what it sounds like. We are to give thanks in everything – in every moment and every situation. He’s not just telling us to sit down at the table tomorrow and count our blessings. He’s not only telling us to say thank you when the surgery is successful, he’s telling us to say thank you after the doctor informs us that we have stage 4 cancer or early onset dementia. He’s telling us to be grateful not only when our children come to visit but when we find out that our daughter had a miscarriage or that our son is getting divorced. He’s telling us to be just as thankful in times of poverty as we are in prosperity; in times of pain as we are in times of pleasure; in times of sickness and of health – equally.

And if that doesn’t sound hard enough, Paul uses a little preposition that might push you over the edge: ἐν – that is, in everything give thanks. Right in the midst of sickness, sorrow, problems and pain we are to give thanks. Our world will talk about finding the silver lining in the storm clouds, of taking lemons and making lemonade, of making the best of a bad situation – but typically they’re talking about after the trial or challenge has passed. But right in the middle of it? Who can do that? Have you? I’m not sure who’s able to do it – I only know that God commands it. This is not a suggestion; it’s a command: in all things you must give thanks. It’s a present active imperative. This is a behavioral policy God demands from his children. It must be your policy to be thankful in everything, every situation, every circumstance – no matter how hard or painful. Really?

Now, there are those who try to stuff the breadcrumbs of this difficult command into the turkey of mankind’s natural religion. They say, “Yes, of course, you should give thanks to God in everything – because if and when you do, he will turn that curse into a blessing; that pain into pleasure; that sadness into joy; that poverty into prosperity.” You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? If you’re suffering, it’s just God snapping his fingers to get your attention, saying “what’s the magic word?”, to count the blessings he’s given you and throw some gratitude in his direction. Yep, just like when your mom made you say thank you when someone gave you something – because otherwise you may not receive a gift next year – so you have to give thanks to God from time to time if you expect to continue receiving his blessings. But that’s not true and that’s what Paul says. He doesn’t say to give thanks in everything as a way of manipulating God into turning the clouds into sunshine. He’s not giving a Christian veneer to the pagan concept of “the power of positive thinking.” He simply commands: in everything give thanks.

Really? Why? Why should I give thanks in all circumstances, even the bad ones? Paul cites three reasons. First, he says that we must give thanks in everything because this is God’s will. In other words, we give thanks because God says so. And that’s the reason why most people will be gathered around tables giving thanks tomorrow – well, maybe not because God says so, but because the government does. But there’s a danger in this motivation. There’s a danger in giving thanks simply because you’re told to. I’ve called Thanksgiving Day as the most idolatrous day in America. Why? Because many, if not most, people – sadly, even Christians who don’t want to offend their unbelieving family members – will give thanks to no one and nothing in particular – which is idolatry. And this idolatry is the root of the distinct lack of gratitude most people have the other 364 days of the year: it’s easy to give thanks to an idol when you’re sitting in a warm house eating good food with your family – it’s not so easy to give thanks to an idol when you’re laying in a hospital bed or standing at the graveside of a loved one. In the end, if the only reason we give thanks tomorrow is because God or government says so, then we might as well forget it, because mere lip service is not pleasing to God (Matthew 15:8).

Which is why Paul adds this is God’s will…in Christ Jesus. What is God’s will as revealed in Christ? Paul spelled it out in his first letter to Timothy: God our Savior wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This means that whatever happens to you, whatever you’re going through in life – the good, the bad and the ugly – comes from God as he revealed himself through Jesus with the goal of the salvation of your soul – more on that later.

Let’s flesh that out a bit: how are God’s will for our salvation and our thanksgiving related? Well, there’s one thing that will be absent from many – if not most – Thanksgiving tables tomorrow: that even as we give thanks for what we have, we forget what we deserve. If we were to honestly review our thoughts, words and actions of the past year, we’d have to confess that we deserve nothing but punishment now and forever. What did our worrying about things that are outside of our control – which is unbelief – deserve? What did our lust and greed and pride and despair – and the millions of other sins we committed over the past year – deserve? Giving thanks to God in everything, every situation, is sheer nonsense until we realize that we don’t deserve anything but his wrath and punishment.

So tomorrow, as you give thanks for the blessings God has given you this year – consider taking some time to thank him for what he didn’t give you; what he gave to Jesus instead of you. He sent Jesus out of heaven’s never-ending feast to this earth to live a perfect live in a fallen world in your place. He sent Jesus to suffer thankless people, the torture of a Roman whip and cross, and the darkness of a damned death in hell for your sins and mine. Tomorrow, thank God for giving Jesus what we deserved for our ungrateful lives of sin and thank him for giving us what we don’t deserve for Jesus’ sake.

Paul cites one final reason to give thanks in everything. 3) In the original Greek, the words for you come last. That means they receive emphasis. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus for you.” We give thanks to God in everything – because in Jesus, everything that we have and experience in this life is for us! The sun shines, the rain falls, the fields produce grain, there is food at the grocery store and gas at the gas station for you – but, in the same way, the physical, financial, and psychological troubles are for you. Why? Because God wants to do more for you than feed, clothe and make you happy in this life. He wants to save you for eternity. If he was willing to hand his own Son over to sin, death and the devil in order to save you – don’t you think that he’ll do anything to save you, even if it means making you hurt for a while (Romans 8:32)? Hebrews tells us to endure suffering as discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. Is there a son whose father does not discipline him? …we have earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them…they disciplined us for a little while, according to what seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may have a share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:7, 9-10). And even if it takes a little bit of poverty or a little bit of pain to save you eternally – isn’t that a reason to give thanks in any and every situation?

And to prove that no matter what is happening in your life out there – he comes to you here to assure you of his continued care and love and guidance. He points you to the baptismal font as a guarantee that you are his child – and that nothing can change that. He absolves your sins daily and weekly – his assurance that even if you are suffering pain or loss in your life, it is not a punishment for your sin – because Jesus already suffered for your sins. He offers you tangible proof of his love in Holy Communion – an appetizer for the feast that he has prepared for you in heaven. Incidentally, you may have heard some of your Catholic friends refer to the Lord’s Supper as the Eucharist. That comes from the Greek eucharisteo – which means “thanksgiving.” Think about that for a moment. Is there anywhere that our loving Lord can’t or won’t come to us with his true body and blood to assure us that whatever we’re facing in this life is for our good? He comes here regularly. He will come to your house when you can’t come to his. He will find you in the hospital room, the nursing home, the death bed – even in jail. Which reminds us that no matter where we are or what we are going through – in everything – yes, literally everything – we can and should give thanks.

In everything give thanks, Paul says. Really? We’re tempted to respond. Really! He says, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Whatever you have experienced over the past year (good or bad), whatever is on the table tomorrow (or whatever is not because you can’t afford it) and whoever you will gather with (or won’t for whatever reason) – these are God’s gifts to you to keep you on the narrow road to salvation. We don’t give thanks just because the government tell us to. We give thanks in everything for this is God’s will for you in Christ. Really? Really! Happy Thanksgiving! Amen.

Luke 12:32-40 - We Can't Handle the Truth - November 20, 2022

“The truth? You can’t handle the truth,” was a line spoken by the character played by Jack Nicholson in the 1992 movie A Few Good Men. [1] He was referring to the truth of how hard, and sometimes horrifying, decisions need to be made by the leaders of our armed forces in order to keep America safe. He meant that the truth was too ugly for Tom Cruise’s character, the prosecuting attorney, to handle. We’re going to borrow the phrase, but change the meaning a bit this morning. We’ll use it in the sense of a story told about a young Christian boy and his mother. On the ride home after Sunday school a mother asked her son what he learned today. He tells her that he learned about Moses leading the Israelites across the Red Sea. Like any good mother, she wants details. So he goes on to describe how Moses built a huge bridge for the people to cross on. The mother pauses, and, knowing better, asks, “is that what really happened?” Her son answers, “No, but if I told you what really happened, you would never believe me!” In the same way the underlying truth of Jesus’ words today are hard for us to handle – that is, they are hard for us to believe.

We will start with the hard truth. Jesus gives some simple, direct commands: sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide money bags for yourselves that do no become old, a treasure in the heavens that will not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Simple, easy to understand command, right? Here’s the thing: how many of us have actually sold something precious to us in order to give the proceeds to the poor? Yeah, me neither. On the contrary, how many of us have far more than we can ever use, and yet we give to the poor only what is left over after we use what we want? (For example, which of your possessions do you give to Twice as Nice or Goodwill – the stuff you use or the stuff you don’t want anymore?)

The truth is that we don’t sell anything in order to give to the poor and neither are we eagerly waiting for Jesus’ return. We don’t have our noses pressed to the window, all dressed, ready for service, with our lamps burning, expecting Jesus at any moment. No, we’re waiting for Thanksgiving and Christmas, for some time off of work and school, for the next hunting or shopping trip, for a pay raise or better job or a new house or for retirement – those are the things we are anxiously waiting for. We’re not like people waiting for their Lord but like people looking the wrong way. We’re eagerly waiting for the “next thing” in this life.

If you confess with me the truth that we haven’t sold our possessions and given to the poor and we aren’t eagerly waiting for our Lord’s return, then you’ll have to admit the hard truth that our treasure is in the wrong place. Jesus says where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. To figure out where your treasure is, just ask yourself, “where is my heart?” Scary question, isn’t it? Too often my heart, my thoughts and attention are on money, things, politics, fitness, sports, this life, this world – how about you? And Jesus reveals an obvious, but hard truth, about treasuring the things of this world: thieves can take it and moths can eat it. I can be fully focused on saving for my kids’ education and our next vacation and retirement – and inflation can rob it right from under my nose. I can exercise and eat healthy and do everything my doctor tells me in order to live a long life – and cancer or a car accident can devour the years I figured I had left. It’s the truth, isn’t it? Our treasure is in the wrong place – in Power Ball jackpots and Christmas gifts; in our kids gymnastics classes and basketball practices; in the stuff and experiences of this life. The truth is that we’re not eagerly waiting and watching for a Lord who will put a sudden and unannounced end to all those things we consider so precious.

So where is the hard truth of this text supposed to lead us? Well, clearly, to reassess our investments and shift our focus, right? We need to dump our stock in earthly things in order to gain a heavenly dividend. We should sell our new cars, our new clothes, and cancel our vacations and give the proceeds to the poor. And, in doing so, we’ll begin sewing money bags for ourselves in heaven with our dollars here on earth, right? We’ll start eagerly waiting for the Lord’s return. We’ll dress like people who expect to be taken to heaven rather than like people who expect to win fashion shows here on earth. We’ll shine our lamps (that is, our attention) on the path that leads to eternal life, rather than on the one that leads to temporary happiness and pleasure. We will try our best to keep ourselves watchful and awake every minute of every day. Do you know where that leads? It leads to living like Martin Luther did – as a monk. He – and many men and women like him – took vows of poverty and prayed for endless hours daily hoping that by suffering in this life they would earn and gain the next.

The sad truth is that the interpretation I’ve just given is how this text is preached in countless churches around the world. The truth of this text is that you must do a better job of serving God and others with your possessions and that you must double-down on waiting for Jesus’ return. You know what? None of us could handle that truth. Why not? Because no sooner will you resolve to give away your possessions than you will keep saving for a vacation, a car, a home, retirement. (And, even if you followed through on giving every last one of your possessions away, you’d quickly find yourself wanting it all back!) No sooner will you resolve to really watch for Jesus’ return than you will find yourself fixated on some relatively insignificant facet of this life – like sports or politics or money. We can’t handle the hard, Law truth of this text. Oh sure, we can understand it – but we can’t do it.

And the good news is that we don’t have to – but that’s a hard truth for us to handle too! In fact, I would be willing to wager that many of us didn’t even hear the good news. Did you? Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. The truth is that your Father in heaven is not waiting for you to sell your possessions, give to the poor, get dressed, light your lamps and stand watch before he gives you the kingdom. Nope. He says, “It’s my pleasure to give it to you.” Actually, Jesus literally says that your Father has been pleased to give it to you. The past (aorist) tense indicates that from a point in eternity – from before you were conceived, before you had the chance to sin, before you repented, before you came to faith – God decided that his greatest pleasure would be to give you his kingdom (Ephesians 1:4-6). The shocking – and wonderful – truth we have a hard time handling and hearing is that heaven is NOT something the little flock needs to worry about getting.

You know what it’s like to look at this from God’s perspective, don’t you? Haven’t you ever been really excited to give a gift to someone? You just couldn’t wait for their birthday or for Christmas – for that moment that they would tear through the wrapping paper to see what you gave them. The last thing you would want is for them to worry about getting the present or trying to earn it. You were simply happy to give it.

The reason we can’t handle this truth – and often can’t even perceive it – because the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh have drowned it out with their deafening chorus that there is no free lunch; that if you want something, you’ve got to earn it; that heaven is only for good people who give to charity and faithfully stand watch. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote that no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no human mind has conceived…what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). The sinful flesh cannot imagine God sitting in heaven, rubbing his hands together, saying to himself, “I just can’t wait to give them my kingdom.” But this is the truth of Scripture. The central message of the Bible and the central job of the church is not to beat people over the head with the Law but to invite them to taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8). Just consider God’s work in your own life. What did you do to deserve to hear the Gospel from a parent or friend or pastor? What did God demand of you before he baptized you into his family? How much did your absolution this morning cost? There is a transaction that takes place in Holy Communion – you give Jesus your sins and he gives you his righteousness. Isn’t God good? And, the truth of this text is that he wants to give you even more. To quote Paul one more time: God is willing and able to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

The inconceivable, unimaginably wonderful truth is that our heavenly Father is pleased to give his Son what we deserved and to give to us what he alone deserved. We have never sold enough, gave enough, watched enough or worked enough for God to do a single thing for us other than damn us to hell for all eternity. But Jesus, who sold his home in heaven for a life of poverty on earth, who freely gave away health and healing to the sick, whose entire focus – even as a 12-year-old – was on carrying out his Father’s business (Luke 2:49), accepted the hell we deserved so that we could receive the kingdom he alone deserved. As Thanksgiving nears, we often hear encouragements to count our blessings (and rightly so, but if we started now, we wouldn’t be done until Thanksgiving 2050!) – but the truth Jesus reveals here is that the Father doesn’t just give us some money, food and shelter to get through this life – he’s pleased to give us his entire Kingdom! This is the wonderful truth that sinners like us find so hard to handle.

But, you might be thinking, “what about the part where Jesus clearly commands us to sell our possessions and keep watch?” These things do enter the picture but only after the Holy Spirit has convinced you that the kingdom of God is already your possession. Only once you see your Father in heaven rubbing his hands together, saying to himself, “I can’t wait to give them my kingdom” can you handle the rest of these verses. Only then will you see how it all fits together.

Here’s how to handle these truths. If you already have an eternal kingdom; why worry about this temporary, passing one? Maybe you heard the news that last weekend Jeff Bezos gave $100 million dollars to Dolly Parton to distribute to charities of her choice. [2] It’s hard for most of us to conceive of that amount of money – much less giving it away. How could he do this? Well, he’s worth over 100 billion dollars. The same is true of us: in Jesus the kingdom of God is ours, now and forever – we have the golden ticket – which allows and enables us to give freely to others in need. In other words, grace gives birth to grace; generosity and charity are characteristics peculiar to Christians because they know that the kingdom is already theirs.

What about waiting for the Son of Man? If you read these verses as a threat, as a warning that if you’re not alert enough when Jesus returns then you might not get into the wedding or he might scold you and send you to hell – then you’ll hear this waiting as a burden and you’re hearing it the wrong way. But if you hear these verses as Jesus’ promise to return – at an unexpected time, to be sure – but to return with the gift of his Father’s kingdom in hand – how could we not be joyfully and eagerly waiting for him? My birthday falls somewhere around a holiday each year (the date is on a need-to-know basis – and you don’t need to know!). But when I was growing up in Nebraska my grandparents would drive out to celebrate that holiday and my birthday with my family. Whenever they arrived, I knew they came with gifts in the trunk for me. Knowing this, I would ride my bike up and down the block for hours watching for their car in whether it was raining or snowing or below zero. It wasn’t a burden, but a joy. In the same way, waiting and watching for a Lord who is bringing us the best gift of all – heaven – is not a burden, but a joy. That’s a wonderful truth, right?

The proper way to handle the truth of this text is to read it in the order Jesus spoke it. Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. If he starts by telling you not to be afraid, you can be sure that the next words out of his mouth aren’t meant to strike fear into your heart. And if he starts by telling you that the Father decided to give you his kingdom even before he created the world – then you can’t possibly think that the next thing he says is about how you must give your stuff away and keep watch in order to deserve it. Best of all, he doesn’t even demand that you handle this truth – it really is more than we can ask for or imagine – he wants this truth to handle – and comfort – you. Amen.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnO3igOkOk

[2] https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/1136454716/dolly-parton-jeff-bezos-imagination-library

Luke 21:5-28 - Last Words on Last Things - November 13, 2022

A prominent 20th century philosopher once made a brilliant observation. He said that “it’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” This philosopher’s name was Yogi Berra – who also happened to be an all-star catcher for the New York Yankees. Now, whether he actually said those words is debatable. What is undebatable is that they are true, right? The future is unpredictable – as we can all attest to. Meteorologists prove every day that their weather forecasts are at best, educated guesses that are often inaccurate. Two years ago, did you hear anyone predicting that we’d be paying close to $4 for a gallon of gas today? Just five days ago, every political pundit was predicting what they called a “red wave.” Tuesday’s election was barely a red trickle. And, last but not least, who in their right mind would have predicted that the Vikings – the Vikings! – would be in command of the NFC north division? (It’s so bad that I’m considering the unthinkable: asking my wife if there is anything on her “honey-do” list just so I don’t have to watch the Packers!) The future is unpredictable – and, therefore, it is unwise to make predictions about it. And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus does this morning: he predicts the future. And unlike any meteorologist, economist, or political or sports commentator – we’re going to see why we should take Jesus at his word about the last things.

We’ll start towards the end of our text where Jesus predicts that before the end of time there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Seeing pictures and videos of war-torn Ukraine and the aftermath of hurricane Ian may serve as a kind of a “snap-shot,” a “teaser” of what the end will look like – but they are nothing compared to what is coming. It will be like nothing this world has ever experienced or anyone could ever imagine.

The question is: how do we know we can trust what Jesus says about the future? I thought the future was unpredictable? Fortunately, the Bible provides us with a litmus test. In Deuteronomy the Lord says if a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, and the thing does not come about and does not come true, the LORD has not spoken that word. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:22). Easy enough, right? If what the prophet predicts comes true, he comes from the Lord. How does that test fit with Jesus’ words? Well, Jesus is in fact making two predictions here – and the first was a short-term prediction regarding the city of Jerusalem and the temple. The people in Jesus’ day thought that the city of Jerusalem was invincible. It was God’s city, the home of his temple. They couldn’t fathom that God would let his city and his temple be destroyed. And yet, as they were busy ogling the temple’s beauty, Jesus warns them that these things you see here – the days will come when there will not be one stone left on another – every one will be thrown down. Jesus told them what to do when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies: let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are inside the city get out. Let those who are in the country not enter the city. When the Romans razed Jerusalem and the temple to the ground in 70 AD, Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled with pinpoint accuracy. Jesus’ warning saved many Christian lives. They knew to flee when the Romans began to surround the city. The truth of Jesus’ short-term prediction about Jerusalem is proof that we can trust his predictions when it comes to the end of time.

The disciples ask for a sign indicating that these things are about to happen. Jesus doesn’t describe a sign (singular), but signs (plural). Broadly speaking, Jesus warns about signs that will occur in four areas of life: 1) political; 2) natural; 3) religious; and 4) personal. 1) Politically, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Not only have we witnessed a war in Ukraine and saber-rattling between many other nations – including the very real threat of another world war – right here in our own nation we just lived through another contentious election, where it became crystal clear how politically, culturally and morally divided our own nation is. 2) In nature, there will be horrifying sights and great signs from heaven. This past Tuesday people all over the world were able to witness a total lunar eclipse: the moon went dark. It was a sign. Not necessarily a sign that the end will arrive tomorrow – but that the End is coming! 3) Religiously, Jesus says that before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. While, for the most part, we still enjoy religious freedom in our country – millions of Christians around the world do not. And, in recent we have experienced how easy it is for the governing authorities to prevent us from gathering for worship and how our right to freely speak the truth of Scripture – especially those that fly in the face of the current moral revolution – is under attack. 4) But Jesus saves the most troubling sign for last: you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends. They will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all people for my name’s sake. Perhaps the most powerful temptation that anyone of us will face to forsake our faith in Jesus will come from our families – from those who turn away from him, even though they’ve been baptized and confirmed in the faith; from those who hate us because we hold to the truth of Scripture even as our society spirals down the drain of immorality; from those who threaten to disown us because we point out and rebuke their sin. But whatever form these signs take in the political, natural, religious or personal realms, Jesus’ point is clear: it’s going to get worse as the end gets closer.

Aren’t you glad you rolled out of bed this morning to hear such a happy, cheerful message? Where’s the good news in Jesus’ last words on the last things? How and when are things going to get better? We’ll get there, but first we need to remember why this is all necessary. Jesus spoke these words on Tuesday of Holy Week, just three days before he would be nailed to a tree to die as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). (Jesus was perhaps alluding to this when he talked about the Temple being destroyed – in that he had earlier referred to his body as a temple that his enemies would destroy, but which he would raise again within three days (John 2:19)).

And, in predicting the hard and troubling signs of the end in this section, Jesus is making clear that what was true for him will be true of each and every Christian. Just as Jesus suffered political and religious and personal persecution – so will all who follow him. That’s why the cross (and the sign of the cross) plays such a prominent role in genuine Christianity. Jesus was nailed to a cross to pay for our sins – and so we are baptized under the sign of the cross placed on our heads and hearts, we are absolved under the sign of the cross, we receive Jesus’ sacrificial body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins with the sign of the cross, we begin and end our worship with the cross. There’s a reason for this: everything we do, every minute of our day, we wake up and go to sleep under the cross. Christianity isn’t so much a way of life as it is a way of death. It’s dying with Jesus in order to be raised with him. It’s dying to sin and self and this world so that we can be alive to God (Galatians 2:20).

And, in a way no one would have ever expected, the troubling things that Jesus says lie in the future help us on that path. Now we might be skeptical of this. How can unrest between nations and in nature; how can religious and personal persecution help us on our path to heaven? Well, when the framework of this world begins to fall apart right before your eyes, where does that drive you? Doesn’t it drive you deeper into the Word of God, to search the Scriptures for some promise, some word of comfort and assurance? Did you catch the word of comfort Jesus gave here? No matter what happens politically or in nature; no matter how badly you are persecuted personally, Jesus promises that not a hair of your head will perish. By patient endurance you will gain your lives.

That’s the comfort hidden in these last Sundays of the church year and in considering the end of the world as we know it: the world as we know it must pass away before the true life Jesus won for us can be revealed. Picture it like the scaffolding that surrounds a building under construction. That ugly, relatively flimsy scaffolding hides the work that’s going on underneath. But when the work is done and the building is complete, then it’s time to tear down the scaffolding and reveal what’s been built. Jerusalem was a visible, historical example of this. Jerusalem certainly had a place and purpose in God’s eternal plan of salvation. It was the dwelling place of God with man until the coming of the Christ. But when Jesus appeared, it was time for the scaffolding to come down. The temple was no longer needed. Not only was the curtain in the temple which hid the Most Holy Place from view torn the moment Jesus died (Matthew 27:51), but forty years later, not one stone of the temple was left standing – and to this day the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim Mosque, stands where the temple used to.  

The same is true of the “scaffolding” of the world we live in today. The nations and institutions, the laws of nature and even our personal relationships – everything we see and experience in this life – is the scaffolding of history under which God is carrying out his plan of salvation; in which he is making everything new through Jesus. So when the nations are in turmoil and creation seems to be groaning in earthquakes and floods and famines and disasters, when the sun, moon and stars go dark – those are all the tearing down of a temporary structure to reveal the permanent, eternal kingdom of God.

More important, the same is true of the scaffolding of our lives individually. Did you notice that Jesus’ first warning sign concerning the end was not political or natural or personal – but spiritual? Watch out so that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. Jesus’ greatest concern is not for our earthly comfort but the preservation of our faith. Under the sinful flesh we all wear is hidden a saint by virtue of our baptism. But the flesh must die in order for the saint to be revealed. Whether that happens through political or religious persecution, through natural disaster, through being alienated from friends and family, or through death itself – the old Adam has to die in order for the New Man to be revealed. In other words, God uses these troubling and painful signs of the end to draw us away from this world – which is passing away; and to draw us closer to himself. That’s good news!

So whether it’s the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the death of Jesus on the cross, the end of the world on the Last Day, or the day you breath your last, it’s all part of God’s plan to bring about the salvation of his people. So, when everything seems to be getting worse, when you see the signs of the end, when it seems as if the whole world is headed to hell in a handbasket, when the church appears weak and persecuted and so do you, then you know exactly what to do: stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near. You know this because the Son of God and your Savior promises that even if heaven and earth…pass away…my words will never pass away (Luke 21:33). Amen.

Revelation 7:9-17 Two Questions about All Saints - November 6, 2022

In the words of the Nicene Creed we confessed that “we believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.” There is only one Christian church. This is true in two senses. First, in the sense that despite the fact that Satan has sown countless doctrinal and, as a result, denominational divisions in Christ’s Church, in the eyes of God, there remains only one Church: that is, the Church consists of all who believe in Jesus as their Savior – regardless of their denominational label. There is also only one Church in the sense that all believers of all time – past, present and future – belong to one Church – although it consists of two distinct divisions: the Church militant – those still living, struggling, and suffering in this fallen world; and, the Church triumphant – those whom the Lord has rescued from this fallen world and now live in God’s presence in the glory of heaven. Revelation 7 speaks of both, but today we focus on the latter, the Church triumphant, and the two questions our text raises about them.

The first is: where are they now? When you lose someone you love, don’t you ask yourself that question? Where is the person you loved and laughed and lived with for so many years? If you were forced to answer that question right now, what would you say? You’ve heard the world’s sentimental (and mystical) answer, right? They’re not six feet under; they’re not in heaven; they’re in your heart. Whether it’s a Disney movie or a television drama – or even an interview with someone who’s mourning the loss of a loved one – they all seem to be convinced that when people die, they don’t go away; they go in here (your heart).

You can understand why that belief would be attractive, can’t you? No ugly grave; no pressure to consider that this person you loved, who was formed from dust, is now returning to dust because they had earned the wages of sin – which is death (Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:23). No, none of that ugly stuff, just the pleasant memories you hold in your heart. People hold to that belief because it seems comforting. It excuses you from having to explain to your children the harsh realities of death; of heaven and hell. It’s a way of avoiding the nasty little fact that death has created a permanent loss; that as long as you live, you will never see, speak to, or hug that person again. But is it really comforting to believe that your loved ones are only living on in your heart and memory? Certainly we can remember notable events and quotes from their lives, we can dust off the photo albums – and today, we can even watch little clips of their lives recorded on our smart phones. But is that eternal life? If it is, then our great, great grandparents are eternally lost – because who remembers them now? Many who have lost loved ones are incredibly troubled when they find that they can’t remember the sound of their loved one’s voice anymore. Is that loved one lost when you can’t remember their voice or the photo album burned up in a fire or Google didn’t actually save that one precious video? Is there any comfort in believing that our loved ones only live on in our hearts?

Where are they now? Outright unbelief – as articulated today by the theory of evolution – has an answer, too. They’re just buried six feet deep or, as is more and more common today, contained in an urn. Either a furnace has burned them to dust or they are well on their way to dust. They will never be seen, heard, or touched again. Unbelief says that we are nothing but a random blend of chemicals and minerals. There is no mind – just a collection of brain cells. There is no heart that loves – only hormones that make you feel a certain way. There is no eternal soul – only a physical body that ceases to be once its organs shut down. Again, is there any comfort to be found there? In thinking that the people you truly did love were really only dust in the wind (and so are you!) and this brief moment of life we experience together is all we get? I don’t think so. But that’s not even the most important question. The most important question is: is it true?

Well, let’s go to the source of truth: God’s Word? Now, our knee-jerk reaction might be to say, “Well, whatever the unbelievers believe, we believe the opposite.” That is, unbelief points at the grave or the urn, and says, “There and there alone is your loved one. Buried six feet under or burned up by fire.” And we’re tempted to say the opposite: “That’s not them anymore.” But it is. That’s why the patriarchs in the OT purchased caves in which to bury their loved ones (Genesis 23:12-20). That’s why the Church has always carefully cared for the bodies of the dead. That’s why many Christian churches have their own cemeteries. That’s why we spend a small fortune on funerals and headstones. They serve as tangible confessions of our faith that this isn’t the end of the body that rests there; that they are only sleeping, awaiting God’s final creative – or maybe better, recreative – act: the bodily resurrection of the dead.

Those lifeless remains are your loved one. Their DNA says so. More importantly, God’s Word says so. Job testified that even after my skin has been destroyed, nevertheless, in my own flesh I will see God. I myself will see him. My own eyes will see him, and not as a stranger (Job 19:26-27). Jesus proved it by physically raising the dead during his ministry (Luke 7:11-17; 8:49-56; John 11:1-44) and again on the day of his death; when the moment he gave up his spirit…tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life (Matthew 27:50, 52). You didn’t just love a soul – you loved a body. And so did God. That’s why he didn’t just send his Son into the world to redeem souls but bodies; that’s why Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose with a physical body. God created us with bodies and souls, and the fact that he promises to raise our ashes to life means that our loved ones are there in the grave or urn we laid them in.

But the Bible says more than that. It says that our loved ones who died in faith are also in heaven. Again, that’s not my opinion; that’s God’s Word. Just as Jesus told the thief on the cross today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43), so the countless multitude stands around God’s throne in paradise. As the Jews were pelting the life out of Stephen’s body with stones, he cried out Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! (Acts 7:59). That’s where your loved one who died in the faith is right now: with Jesus. Just as you stand before Jesus here in the church militant singing his praise, so Revelation shows our loved ones standing before the throne of God, singing: salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.

But there is a difference. They have escaped the great tribulation called life on this earth; you haven’t. You get hungry; they don’t. You get thirsty; they don’t. The sun beats down on you – that is, many things make life on this earth hard for you as a result of sin’s curse (Genesis 3); there’s no hardship in heaven. You cry; they don’t. God doesn’t just wipe away the tears from their cheeks – as we do; he wipes the tears from their eyes – meaning, he takes away any reason they could have for tears. Isn’t the Bible’s answer in Revelation to the question “where are they now” infinitely better than the baseless, mystic sentimentality of the world or the cold and comfortless answer of unbelief?

But that brings us to the second question: “how did they get there?” – and, relatedly, “how do I get there?” Once again, the world and unbelief have their answers. The world says that the dead live on in your hearts. How do they get there? By doing memorable things. By writing novels and starring in movies; by scoring touchdowns and pitching perfect games; by sacrificing for others and donating hospital wings. The reality is that our children will never really know or care about Bart Starr or Rollie Fingers; they will probably never read Mark Twain or watch Gone with the Wind; and, honestly, who even notices the names on the plaques that cover the walls of the hospital you’re walking into? If such famous and impactful people can be so easily forgotten or ignored, what hope do you or I have to live on eternally in the memories of other people by virtue of our words and actions?

Unbelief claims that the dead are gone. That once the chemicals and minerals which evolution arranged that enabled you to think, move and talk stopped sparking and moving, that’s it. Here’s the thing: do you know anyone who actually believes that? The idea of an afterlife has appeared in every civilization that has ever existed. That’s not a coincidence, Solomon says that [God] has put eternity in [every human heart] (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And most believe that there is a good afterlife and a bad one. And what gets you into the good one? Good works. Effort. Blood, sweat and tears. Good people and those who die a hero’s death go to a good afterlife. It’s in songs and books and movies. You hear it at funerals: “They worked hard, were a good mom or dad or brother or sister, they loved to help others – and, so, now they’re in a better place.”

Is that what you want people to say at your funeral? I don’t. Because if the requirement for getting into heaven depends on me being a good person, a loving husband, a caring father, a faithful pastor – then I’m toast – and so are all of my, and your, loved ones who have died. If you doubt this, just compare the names listed in Hebrews 11 – the so-called Hall of Fame of Faith – to their OT biographical accounts. They were far from “saints” during their lives on earth; they were liars and deceivers, murderers and prostitutes. If getting into heaven depends on good works, pure thoughts and loving words – where does that leave your grandparents and parents? Where does that leave you and me? On the outside looking in. It leaves you looking at the headstone and remembering the time grandma let a naughty word slip and thinking that maybe she didn’t have what it takes to get into heaven.

Thank God for Revelation 7. What does it say? Does it say: “These are the ones who have made their dirty robes white by the good works they did on earth?” Does it say: “These are the ones who earned a place there by their unshakable faith, bold confession and tireless efforts in God’s kingdom on earth?” Does it even say: “These are the ones who confessed their faith to the point of death so that their blood made their robes white?” No, it says they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

That the saints in heaven did good works on earth is undeniable. But their good works didn’t get them into heaven. No one, not any of your loved ones or any of mine; not even any of the famous saints like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Peter or Paul had possessed the righteousness needed to stand in God’s presence on their own. So how did they get into heaven? The same way your Christian loved ones did and the same way you will. Through the blood of the Lamb; through the blood Jesus shed for your sins on the cross; through the blood he poured out which covers your sinful life. It’s the blood of Jesus that washes away any and every sinful stain on your robe. Even if someone you know who died in the faith hurt you in a way you struggle to forgive and forget – Jesus can and Jesus did. Even if you hurt a loved one and never had the chance to repent and receive their forgiveness – Jesus can and Jesus did. No sin can stick to a robe that has been washed white through faith in the blood of the Lamb – and that’s the only reason that that great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, could be standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands – including your loved ones and mine. If you want to see them again, then know this: the blood of the Lamb is the key. This is the blood he puts in the water of baptism for sinners; the blood he uses to wipe your slate clean in the words of Absolution; the blood he gives in Holy Communion to sinners to drink – for forgiveness and, therefore, eternal life and salvation.

On All Saints’ Day, Revelation 7 answers the two big questions we have regarding those who have died in the faith: where are they now and how did they get there? Right now their bodies are resting in the ground awaiting resurrection and the souls are singing God’s praises in heaven – and they got there by his good works and the blood he shed which was offered to them and received by them in baptism, absolution and communion. And, as a bonus, now you know how you can join them there. Amen.

John 8:31-36 - Jesus has Set Us Free! - October 30, 2022

This time of year our mailboxes and email inboxes are filled with political mailings and messages. Often the candidates who are asking for your vote promise to give you freedom of some sort in return. And rightly so, since our nation was established on the principle of freedom – freedom we still enjoy today. In 9 days, we can exercise our freedom to vote. We enjoy freedom of speech (although as Christians we will always use that right to edify others and glorify God). We enjoy freedom of the press – MSNBC or FOX, the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal – we are free to consume all of them or none of them. Most importantly, we enjoy freedom of religion. Unlike thousands – perhaps millions – of Christians around the world, we don’t (or at least shouldn’t) have to worry that the government will persecute us because we confess Jesus Christ as our Savior. As Americans, we are free in any number of ways – and let us never take our freedoms for granted. But today, let us cherish the most important freedom we have – one not granted by the Constitution but by Jesus.

Many Americans today take their freedoms for granted. So do many Christians. That’s because you can only appreciate freedom when you’ve known and experienced the opposite: slavery. The first part of John 8 provides a prime example of what this slavery looks like. As Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, the scribes and Pharisees dragged in a woman who had been caught red handed in the sin of adultery. The Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus to see if he would support the Law of Moses which said that she should be stoned to death for her crime (Leviticus 20:10). This woman knew what it meant to be enslaved to sin. Lust controlled her. Wicked, angry, vengeful men surrounded her, and on the other side of her only apparent escape – death – stood Satan, cackling with delight in the fact that he had wrecked another home, ruined another life, and trapped another soul for eternity.

The Galatians in our second lesson also knew what it meant to be slaves. Some of them were literal slaves – a grim reality for many in the Roman Empire. Many of them had, at one time, been slaves to idols – false gods with eyes that couldn’t see, ears that couldn’t hear, and hands that couldn’t help. Behind every one of these false gods stood Satan – who had succeeded yet again in convincing humans created in God’s image to worship blocks of wood and statues of silver. It was pure insanity. Pure satanic slavery!

But before you spend your pity on that woman and those Christians in Galatia, listen to what Jesus has to say: Amen, Amen, I tell you: everyone who keeps committing sin is a slave to sin. All sin is slavery. Sometimes this slavery is easy to spot. The addict who lies and steals to maintain his addiction – his slavery is obvious. The husband who spends his time, money, and creativity deceiving his family and friends to maintain a secret affair – his slavery is obvious. When pastors reach out to members who haven’t attended worship in months or years, they often hear the rattle of sin’s chains in the excuses given: busy schedule; gotta work; it’s the kids and their sports or academics; it’s my only morning to sleep in; I’m young, I’ll have time for Jesus later, etc. Wrecked bodies, destroyed homes and lives, greedy hearts and starving souls – all of it is slavery, slavery to sin and slavery to Satan.

Other times it’s harder to spot – especially when you and I are looking in the mirror. There’s one important thing to remember: slavery to sin isn’t only what we do, it’s who we are. We just admitted that, didn’t we? I confess…. that I am a miserable sinner, guilty of every sin… Pick a commandment, any commandment – and when you look into it as a mirror, your slavery and mine will become obvious. The 4th – sure we respect those in elected office, those called by the church, our parents and employers – to their faces; how many of us would have to blush with shame if our private thoughts and conversations about them were made public? The 5th – it’s easy to refrain from pulling a trigger on a gun. It’s not so easy to keep from pulling the trigger of hatred in our hearts. The 6th – it’s fairly easy to stay out of our neighbor’s bedroom. It’s not so easy to keep our eyes to ourselves. The 8th – I doubt that many of us have had the opportunity to commit perjury in a courtroom – but the times we’ve told lies about neighbor, betrayed him, or given him a bad name; those are innumerable. Jesus says, everyone who keeps committing sin is a slave to sin. The hard truth is, then, that because we sin we are slaves to sin.

When we learn this truth, we don’t like it. So we try to escape. Generally, in one of two ways: 1) We try to work our way out of it, or 2) we deny it. The Galatians had chosen to try to work themselves out of their slavery. They did so by confusing Law and Gospel. Some false teachers had wormed their way into the Galatian congregation. They were essentially Pharisees in Christian clothing. They said that it was fine to believe that the Gospel made you a Christian, but that if you wanted to stay a Christian and be certain of your salvation, you still had to obey the Old Testament laws: you had to be circumcised, not work on Saturdays, not eat bacon or pork chops. Paul could hardly believe it: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is really not another gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7). Paul is shocked that these Christians would even consider giving up the freedom they had in Christ for the chains of the Mosaic Law.

Martin Luther tried a similar route 1500 years later. He gave up a promising career in the law to become a monk. He gave up ownership of earthly possessions. He slept on a stone floor, became a priest, named and confessed his sins seven days a week and prayed seven times a day. He did all this in an attempt to free his conscience from guilt and his soul from slavery to sin. And yet, his path of freedom through works quickly became another form of slavery. I saw many who tried with great effort and the best of intentions to do everything possible to appease their conscience. They wore hair shirts; they fasted; they prayed; they tormented and wore out their bodies so severely that if they had been made of iron they would have been crushed. And yet the more they labored, the greater their terrors became. Especially when the hour of death was imminent, they became so fearful that I have seen many murderers facing execution die more confidently than these men who had lived such saintly lives (LW 27:13). Attempting to work your way out of slavery – whether that means fasting, giving, praying, working, serving, preaching, or just trying harder tomorrow – is simply trading slavery to sin for slavery to the law. And slavery never leads to freedom.

Option 2: deny, deny, deny. Israel’s history was one of slavery beginning, middle and end. Egypt. Babylon. Rome. It was undeniable. And yet they claim: we are Abraham’s descendants…and we have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be set free’? They were in denial. “We can’t be slaves. We’re children of Abraham. We’ve got the right blood flowing in our veins – so God has to give us a pass.” Sadly, these Jews forgot that the fact that their forefathers wandered and died in the wilderness for their rebellion and unbelief (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) shows how serious God is about sin – no matter who you’re related to.

That’s why we don’t let our celebration of the Reformation turn into Lutheran pep rally. “We’re sons of Luther – and we’re WELS (that’s the good kind of Lutheran) on top of it! God must be happy with us.” The truth is that belonging to a confessional Lutheran church and synod doesn’t earn us a thing in God’s eyes. If we imagine that we are free because of our Lutheran pedigree – because we were baptized, confirmed, married and plan to be buried Lutheran – we are in denial, and we end up losing the one person with the pedigree that really matters: Jesus. That’s why we don’t celebrate the Reformation to worship Martin Luther, or to place our trust in our Lutheran heritage as if that somehow earns our spot in heaven; no, our celebration of the Lutheran Reformation is nothing more and nothing less than an opportunity to thank God for using Martin Luther to bring back to the forefront the one true solution to our problem of slavery: Jesus!

Obedience to the law cannot set us free. Being Lutheran does not set us free. Only one thing sets us free from sin: If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free…a slave does not remain in the family forever. A son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

The big question is: who is this Son who claims to have the power to set sinners free? There is no more important question and answer that Satan tries harder to confuse and cover up. The world at large is too distracted by the pursuits and pleasures of this life to be bothered with this question. The visible church has mutilated the Son’s identity, with many saying that Jesus can be whoever you want him to be. But salvation doesn’t depend on who you want Jesus to be, it depends on who Jesus proved himself to be. Thank God that Jesus has proved beyond all doubt that he is God’s Son and our Savior – but he did it in a rather unorthodox manner. He proved his power to free us from our slavery to sin by voluntarily becoming a slave in our place. He freed us by giving up his freedom. He left his majestic throne in heaven to become a servant on earth. He came preaching and teaching the truth – but no truth has been more frequently and completely rejected than His saving gospel. Jesus came to bring light to people living in darkness, but most preferred to stay in the darkness of sin and unbelief (John 3:19-20). Jesus was omnipotent, all-powerful; but in humility he allowed himself to be arrested, mocked and beaten by his creatures. Jesus, the King of Justice, suffered the ultimate perversion of justice – the guilty Barabbas walked free while he was nailed to a cross. The Author of Life died (Acts 3:15). The one who fills the universe was sealed in a cold stone grave. But…that wasn’t the end of the story: the One who died rose and now lives forever!

Because God’s Son broke the bars on death’s prison, not only is he free – he has earned the right to set us free. Slaves can only make other slaves. If we trust our own obedience to set us free – we will be slaves forever. If we look to Luther to set us free – we will find that heaven isn’t the only corner of eternity with a special section for Lutherans (there’s a section of hell for all who falsely claimed to be Lutheran, too). But if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. Through the conquering work of the Son, you are free from slavery to sin. Through the Lord of Life, you are free from the fear of death. Freed from Satan’s chains by Jesus’ blood, you are free to be sons and daughters of our Father in heaven.

That’s freedom you enjoy right now. How? Lutherans (especially Lutheran pastors) love the answer to that question. If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. We hold to the Reformation creed of Scripture alone because Jesus tells us that it is only through his Word that we are truly set free. Jesus ties the gift of freedom – not to our genetic heritage, not to our church membership, not to a feeling in our hearts, not to our obedience or good works – but to His Word. Jesus connects true freedom, not to an army representing the red, white, and blue but to the blood-stained Gospel. If you want to be free; if you want to experience true freedom – hold onto Jesus’ teaching, treasure every doctrine in it, take every opportunity to hear and dig into God’s Word, remember your baptism daily and receive the Sacrament as often as you can – because through that Word Jesus sets you free to be children of God.

As people blessed by God to live in the land of the free, may we never take our freedom for granted. Don’t forget that our freedom of press, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion were bought and paid for by American lives. Thank God for the freedoms granted and guaranteed to us by the Constitution. But more importantly, on this Reformation Day, rejoice in the freedom you have as a child of God. It was purchased and won for you, not by American soldiers, but by the blood of God’s one and only Son. That freedom comes to you through Word and Sacrament. That freedom can’t be taken from you. That freedom will ring loud and clear forever. Amen.