Sunday of Last Judgment
November 6, 2011
John 5:29
The Good Will Rise to Live
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sometimes Jesus confuses our Lutheran ears.
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29)
At the end of the world, the good will rise to live. Are you good?
There was one time when Jesus was traveling when a trust fund baby, a young man—we'll call him Mark—ran up to Jesus and asked Him how to get to heaven. This is what Jesus said:
“No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ” (Mark 10:28-29)
And Mark said, “Fantastic. I never did any of that stuff for my whole short life. I'm good.” Even though Mark's confidence in his own goodness was misplaced, Jesus loved Mark anyway. But since He loved Mark, He had to crush Mark's confidence in Mark.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:21-22)
Jesus slams trust in wealth; He could also have used the rest of the story to crush trust in human goodness. Substitute “good” for “rich” in the following:
Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich [or good] to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich [or good] man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:23-27 NIV 1984)
Being rich is a state of mind. When you're a kid, a dollar is lot of money. When you're in grade school, $100 is a lot. When you're a teenager, $1,000 is a lot. How much is a lot when you're grown-up? Depends on where you come from.
Being good is a state of mind, too. When you're a kid, cleaning your room is good. When you're older, being good gets complicated. Depends on where you come from.
Some say you're good if you go to church; others say you're good if you don't. Some say you're good if you're rich; others say you're good if you're poor. Some say you're good if you're active in public life; others say you're good if you stay away from worldly business.
They're all wrong. Not of that makes you good.
Let me make it simple, or more accurately, let's let Jesus make it simple: saving yourself with your own goodness is impossible.
So God gives it to you. God does the impossible—the Father sent His Son who sends His Spirit. He loves, He dies, and He makes us alive. Hebrews 9:26 says: “[He] has appeared once for all … to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
A few minutes ago I said that sometimes Jesus confuses our Lutheran ears. The key is understanding where the good comes from. Not from us; it comes from Jesus to us through the Gospel of the Cross, sprinkled, spoken, supped.
The good will rise to live. Jesus says that you are good. That's good enough for me; it's good enough for you. God is good and He gives it to you.
Amen.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 21, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Chosen
Romans 8:28-30
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
A long time ago a huge army surrounded Jerusalem. The king of this army was determined to destroy the king inside the city. This enemy king made fun of the king in the city by saying that he was like bird in a cage.
But one night God sent an angel from heaven down to Jerusalem. This angel proceeded to destroy the whole army. In the morning 185,000 dead soldiers (2 Kings 19) surrounded Jerusalem. The enemy king tucked tail and ran back home. Once again God had saved His people from certain destruction.
On the morning of this victory, a little boy looked out from Jerusalem as he stood on the city walls and saw the carnage. The day before he had looked out and had seen thousands and thousands of soldiers, spearmen, charioteers, archers, sappers, and calvarymen deployed around his city. But today he saw a miracle. This boy was Manasseh. He was a prince—he was the son of good king Hezekiah.
But seeing this miracle did not drive lasting faith into Manasseh's heart. Earlier you heard the evil things he did. But then... another miracle! Manasseh repented and believed (2 Chronicles 33). When his life ended, he did not die as God's enemy.
We see the hand of God in Manasseh's life that brought him into suffering. He was conquered and captured. He was tortured. But God chosen him and destroyed his hard heart. Manasseh's sufferings pointed him to his Rescuer, the coming Son of God, Jesus.
Romans 8:28-30 could have been written about evil king Manasseh.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Manasseh was chosen by God. We know this because God revealed to us in the Bible that Manasseh knew the Lord.
In the days that followed Manasseh's conversion he must have had some doubting days. He knew the sins he had committed.
He had worshiped idols.
He had used religion as an excuse to commit adultery.
He had descrecated God's Temple.
He had led God's people away from God.
And he had murdered his own son.
The devil must have tried to shame Manasseh into despair and drive him into unbelief. The devil must have shouted at Manasseh, “God did not choose you!! God couldn't ever choose you! Look at your life! It is filled with digusting and arrogant rebellion against God!! Hardened criminals would blush at your crimes!”
Exactly. The devil was right. Manasseh could only look at his life and despair of divine rescue. His days as a prisoner with a hook in his nose didn't make up for all the evil he had done. Even his life after coming to know God couldn't square things with the Lord.
No. Manasseh's only hope was his Savior. His hope was Jesus. And he was not disappointed. God not only wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); Jesus not only paid for the sins of all people, but God in eternity chose Manasseh to be one of His sheep who would end up in heaven. Then God so ruled over history that Manasseh would hear about the coming Rescuer, Jesus, and by the power of the Gospel, Manasseh would believe it and in the end die in saving faith.
God has chosen you. You and I trust in Christ's bloody cross and in His Holy Spirit's gifts of Baptism, Word, and Communion. They are rock-solid evidence that we are chosen of God. Do not look to your life to determine if God has chosen you. Rather look to Paul's words and by faith see how God has chosen you and let it fill us with humility and comfort.
Amen.
August 21, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Chosen
Romans 8:28-30
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
A long time ago a huge army surrounded Jerusalem. The king of this army was determined to destroy the king inside the city. This enemy king made fun of the king in the city by saying that he was like bird in a cage.
But one night God sent an angel from heaven down to Jerusalem. This angel proceeded to destroy the whole army. In the morning 185,000 dead soldiers (2 Kings 19) surrounded Jerusalem. The enemy king tucked tail and ran back home. Once again God had saved His people from certain destruction.
On the morning of this victory, a little boy looked out from Jerusalem as he stood on the city walls and saw the carnage. The day before he had looked out and had seen thousands and thousands of soldiers, spearmen, charioteers, archers, sappers, and calvarymen deployed around his city. But today he saw a miracle. This boy was Manasseh. He was a prince—he was the son of good king Hezekiah.
But seeing this miracle did not drive lasting faith into Manasseh's heart. Earlier you heard the evil things he did. But then... another miracle! Manasseh repented and believed (2 Chronicles 33). When his life ended, he did not die as God's enemy.
We see the hand of God in Manasseh's life that brought him into suffering. He was conquered and captured. He was tortured. But God chosen him and destroyed his hard heart. Manasseh's sufferings pointed him to his Rescuer, the coming Son of God, Jesus.
Romans 8:28-30 could have been written about evil king Manasseh.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Manasseh was chosen by God. We know this because God revealed to us in the Bible that Manasseh knew the Lord.
In the days that followed Manasseh's conversion he must have had some doubting days. He knew the sins he had committed.
He had worshiped idols.
He had used religion as an excuse to commit adultery.
He had descrecated God's Temple.
He had led God's people away from God.
And he had murdered his own son.
The devil must have tried to shame Manasseh into despair and drive him into unbelief. The devil must have shouted at Manasseh, “God did not choose you!! God couldn't ever choose you! Look at your life! It is filled with digusting and arrogant rebellion against God!! Hardened criminals would blush at your crimes!”
Exactly. The devil was right. Manasseh could only look at his life and despair of divine rescue. His days as a prisoner with a hook in his nose didn't make up for all the evil he had done. Even his life after coming to know God couldn't square things with the Lord.
No. Manasseh's only hope was his Savior. His hope was Jesus. And he was not disappointed. God not only wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); Jesus not only paid for the sins of all people, but God in eternity chose Manasseh to be one of His sheep who would end up in heaven. Then God so ruled over history that Manasseh would hear about the coming Rescuer, Jesus, and by the power of the Gospel, Manasseh would believe it and in the end die in saving faith.
God has chosen you. You and I trust in Christ's bloody cross and in His Holy Spirit's gifts of Baptism, Word, and Communion. They are rock-solid evidence that we are chosen of God. Do not look to your life to determine if God has chosen you. Rather look to Paul's words and by faith see how God has chosen you and let it fill us with humility and comfort.
Amen.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
August 7, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Longing (Eschatology)
Romans 8:19,23
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
There was once was a little boy. He was about seven years old. And one day, as he was eating his breakfast, he noticed that the cereal company was offering a special deal. Eat eight boxes of the cereal, cut out the UPC barcode thing, send all eight UPCs in to the company, and they'd mail you a hat.
Well, that boy just had to have that hat. So he started eating his cereal. It used to be his favorite cereal, but since his heart was set on that hat, the cereal didn't taste as good anymore. Eating all that cereal became a chore.
But he did it. He ate enough cereal and collected enough UPCs for the hat. He mailed off the labels to the cereal company and waited. Every day after school, he'd get off the bus and run to the mailbox to see what was inside. And everyday he was crushed when the box wasn't there.
The company promised delivery in six to eight weeks, but for a little boy it felt like forever. But still the little guy's hope in the coming hat box lived on. After weeks of running to the mailbox after school, his friend thought that he might be getting numb—a constantly empty mailbox must have proved to him that the hat was never coming. But even the suggestion that the postman might have misplaced the box in his truck and just might have made a second trip to the mailbox caused the little boy to speed off toward the mailbox just in case. His longing for his treasured hat was still alive.
We've all waited for things. When you're younger, most of the time you are waiting for things: toys, bikes, hats, games, you know, stuff. But as you get less young, you mostly wait for things to happen. When will I be done with middle school? When will I be done with high school? College? My apprenticeship? My promotion? When will I get married? When will I have children? When will I get to travel? When will I be done working and retire? When will I get to see my grandchildren? How long do I have to stay here on earth?
So often we long for earthly things or for earthly things to happen; rarely do we long for heaven. That's why Paul has to remind us that we are strangers here and that heaven is our eternal home:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
We should long for things above, not because hats (worldly things) are bad, but because hats don't last. The world God created in six days can't create anything that will last forever.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed… Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18-19, 23-25)
The devil wants us to grow numb with waiting and longing. He hopes that we turn to other diversions to pass the time and in the end divert ourselves to spiritual death. I'm not really saying this to you here today; I'm hoping that you'll help me pass along this gentle warning to the member of our church family. For our friends and family in their 20s and 30s who are just getting started in life, focusing on earthly things and failing to long for things above is dangerous.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means… 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. “ (Matthew 13:18, 20-22)
The seed on rocky places reminds me of our young adults. Some of them have not seen the Christian life modeled as they grew up. Thus they have no root. After church was over their folks never talked about church or the sermon. Church was placed in a box and only came up again on Saturday night. It consisted of parents wondering, “Are we going to church tomorrow?” Young adults have been taught that church is a boring chore.
The second half of the parable's explanation speaks to the parents and folks in their middle years. So much to do because you've tried to do it all. You're so busy that you have no time to sit and be still and ponder the mercy of Christ and how He has forgiven you and that He is coming back. You've no time to long for the things above.
Remember the longing of that little boy. He longed for that hat. He waited and waited. He still went to school. He still ate breakfast. But his heart was standing on tip-toes as he waited patiently for his earthly thing.
Dear chosen ones of God, let your hearts long for your complete redemption. As a young adult, did you skip a decade of receiving the Sacrament? You are forgiven in Christ. As a parent, did you teach your children to love the things of the world? You are forgiven in Christ. As a human being, have you allowed the worries of this life to squeeze your faith into a box? You are forgiven in Christ.
Dear fellow believers, we long for the glory that is hidden in Christ to be revealed. The Greek word for revelation at its most basic is the idea of uncovering. We perhaps can see that little boy ripping open the box for his longed-for hat. Let us so much more long for the revelation that will occur when all things are made new.
Amen.
August 7, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Longing (Eschatology)
Romans 8:19,23
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
There was once was a little boy. He was about seven years old. And one day, as he was eating his breakfast, he noticed that the cereal company was offering a special deal. Eat eight boxes of the cereal, cut out the UPC barcode thing, send all eight UPCs in to the company, and they'd mail you a hat.
Well, that boy just had to have that hat. So he started eating his cereal. It used to be his favorite cereal, but since his heart was set on that hat, the cereal didn't taste as good anymore. Eating all that cereal became a chore.
But he did it. He ate enough cereal and collected enough UPCs for the hat. He mailed off the labels to the cereal company and waited. Every day after school, he'd get off the bus and run to the mailbox to see what was inside. And everyday he was crushed when the box wasn't there.
The company promised delivery in six to eight weeks, but for a little boy it felt like forever. But still the little guy's hope in the coming hat box lived on. After weeks of running to the mailbox after school, his friend thought that he might be getting numb—a constantly empty mailbox must have proved to him that the hat was never coming. But even the suggestion that the postman might have misplaced the box in his truck and just might have made a second trip to the mailbox caused the little boy to speed off toward the mailbox just in case. His longing for his treasured hat was still alive.
We've all waited for things. When you're younger, most of the time you are waiting for things: toys, bikes, hats, games, you know, stuff. But as you get less young, you mostly wait for things to happen. When will I be done with middle school? When will I be done with high school? College? My apprenticeship? My promotion? When will I get married? When will I have children? When will I get to travel? When will I be done working and retire? When will I get to see my grandchildren? How long do I have to stay here on earth?
So often we long for earthly things or for earthly things to happen; rarely do we long for heaven. That's why Paul has to remind us that we are strangers here and that heaven is our eternal home:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
We should long for things above, not because hats (worldly things) are bad, but because hats don't last. The world God created in six days can't create anything that will last forever.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed… Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18-19, 23-25)
The devil wants us to grow numb with waiting and longing. He hopes that we turn to other diversions to pass the time and in the end divert ourselves to spiritual death. I'm not really saying this to you here today; I'm hoping that you'll help me pass along this gentle warning to the member of our church family. For our friends and family in their 20s and 30s who are just getting started in life, focusing on earthly things and failing to long for things above is dangerous.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means… 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. “ (Matthew 13:18, 20-22)
The seed on rocky places reminds me of our young adults. Some of them have not seen the Christian life modeled as they grew up. Thus they have no root. After church was over their folks never talked about church or the sermon. Church was placed in a box and only came up again on Saturday night. It consisted of parents wondering, “Are we going to church tomorrow?” Young adults have been taught that church is a boring chore.
The second half of the parable's explanation speaks to the parents and folks in their middle years. So much to do because you've tried to do it all. You're so busy that you have no time to sit and be still and ponder the mercy of Christ and how He has forgiven you and that He is coming back. You've no time to long for the things above.
Remember the longing of that little boy. He longed for that hat. He waited and waited. He still went to school. He still ate breakfast. But his heart was standing on tip-toes as he waited patiently for his earthly thing.
Dear chosen ones of God, let your hearts long for your complete redemption. As a young adult, did you skip a decade of receiving the Sacrament? You are forgiven in Christ. As a parent, did you teach your children to love the things of the world? You are forgiven in Christ. As a human being, have you allowed the worries of this life to squeeze your faith into a box? You are forgiven in Christ.
Dear fellow believers, we long for the glory that is hidden in Christ to be revealed. The Greek word for revelation at its most basic is the idea of uncovering. We perhaps can see that little boy ripping open the box for his longed-for hat. Let us so much more long for the revelation that will occur when all things are made new.
Amen.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Festival of Pentecost
Festival of Pentecost
June 12, 2011
Why Prophesy?
Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Pentecost was a harvest festival. (Since the Holy Land's climate has two seasons, instead of four, they gather many of their crops in our late spring.) The Jews call it Succoth, which means Booths, like little tents or lean-tos. Seven weeks after Passover, the Jews would again return to Jerusalem to camp out in these little booths (a remind of the forty years in the wilderness) and thank God for the crops they had harvested. But New Testament believers in North America aren't as focused on harvest festivals like in olden times. Thanksgiving is sort-of our harvest festival. But Old Testament Pentecost and New Testament Pentecost have one thing in common: prophecy... and I don't mean telling the future.
Recently Harold Camping, a false prophet, predicted that on a Saturday (May 21, 2011) several weeks ago all true Christians would disappear from the earth and would be taken on up into heaven. Leaving aside that only God knows when the Last Day will dawn (Matthew 24), no one should have followed Mr. Camping because he has never prophesied anything true. He had previously predicted judgment days on May 21, 1988, and September 7, 1994.
Now the test for any prophet is the truth. Now some false prophets are more clever than others and make predictions about the future that are so far away that there is no way to see if they come true. But once in a while, guys like Mr. Camping remind us of the words the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write:
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (NIV 1984)
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
But what about May 20, 1988? Should anyone have been afraid of Mr. Camping and taken him seriously the day before his first prediction (presumably) about the end of the world? The answer is no.
Here's why: Prophesy is about truth, past, present, and future. Good prophesy doesn't just mean telling the future and getting it right. It also means speaking the truth about the past and the present. Therefore you can spot a false prophet not just based on what he says about the future, but what he says about the past and the present. In other words, you can tell a false prophet based on what he says about the Bible. Does he speak the truth?
Mr. Camping doesn't. He denies we are born as enemies of God. He says that we aren't spiritually dead due to our sinfulness. He—and he's hardly alone in this false opinion—boldly rejects what the Holy Spirit tells us:
Romans 8:6-8 (NIV 1984)
6 The mind of sinful man is death... 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Mr. Camping essentially uses an eraser to the word “not” and changes Words that do not belong to him, so that it reads, “The sinful man can submit to God's law.” This profound lie that Mr. Camping prophesies is just as soul-crushing as the pope's prophecy that we are rescued by both faith and deeds. Indeed it is the same false prophecy. They both appeal to the Law for certainty of rescue, and thus guarantee that they shall never have certainty.
But we do. We are certain of our rescue, even in the face of all our repeated sins that simply prove how hostile to God we still are. We join with Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to prophesy the truth:
Romans 7:18-19 (NIV 1984)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
But in spite of this, we are certain that we stand rescued both right now and for eternity. How is this true? Because of the work of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent, the Son died, and the Spirit prophesies.
About six months ago, our prophecy, that is, our worship and preaching, in church focused on the Father who loved the world and sent His only-begotten Son into the world. Your rescue is certain because the Father loves you.
Then you followed Jesus to the cross where He became the sin of every human being ever conceived and took the world's place on the cross. On Good Friday He paid the ransom price for all. He paid it by dying. Your rescue is certain because He paid the ransom price for you.
On the first Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, tongues of fire danced on their heads, and they were able to speak in many known languages. But after the crowd assembled, what did they hear? “The end of the world is near!” No! They heard prophecy about the past.
Acts 2:22-24 (NIV 1984)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Peter and the disciples prophesied about Jesus, which is to say that they told the truth about Jesus. Today, on this anniversary of Pentecost, your rescue is certain because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring Himself to you in Word and in Sacrament.
When Joel predicted the future of the Church, he said this about God and His people:
Joel 2:28-29,32 (NIV 1984)
28 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days...
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
As God's children, baptized by the Holy Spirit, believers prophesied by telling the truth about Jesus the Rescuer, whom the Father had sent. We are told that Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 9), and Peter (Acts 10) saw visions. Paul dreamed dreams (Acts 16, 18, & 23).
In the Old Testament God's people camped out during Pentecost, went to church, and listened to prophecy. We do the same and listen to the same prophecy, which has now been accomplished, and we too remember that our fine homes are simply booths, lean-tos, temporary tents in which we live while we wait for the promised land.
And while we wait, we prophesy. We speak the truth about Jesus until He returns.
Amen.
June 12, 2011
Why Prophesy?
Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Pentecost was a harvest festival. (Since the Holy Land's climate has two seasons, instead of four, they gather many of their crops in our late spring.) The Jews call it Succoth, which means Booths, like little tents or lean-tos. Seven weeks after Passover, the Jews would again return to Jerusalem to camp out in these little booths (a remind of the forty years in the wilderness) and thank God for the crops they had harvested. But New Testament believers in North America aren't as focused on harvest festivals like in olden times. Thanksgiving is sort-of our harvest festival. But Old Testament Pentecost and New Testament Pentecost have one thing in common: prophecy... and I don't mean telling the future.
Recently Harold Camping, a false prophet, predicted that on a Saturday (May 21, 2011) several weeks ago all true Christians would disappear from the earth and would be taken on up into heaven. Leaving aside that only God knows when the Last Day will dawn (Matthew 24), no one should have followed Mr. Camping because he has never prophesied anything true. He had previously predicted judgment days on May 21, 1988, and September 7, 1994.
Now the test for any prophet is the truth. Now some false prophets are more clever than others and make predictions about the future that are so far away that there is no way to see if they come true. But once in a while, guys like Mr. Camping remind us of the words the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write:
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (NIV 1984)
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
But what about May 20, 1988? Should anyone have been afraid of Mr. Camping and taken him seriously the day before his first prediction (presumably) about the end of the world? The answer is no.
Here's why: Prophesy is about truth, past, present, and future. Good prophesy doesn't just mean telling the future and getting it right. It also means speaking the truth about the past and the present. Therefore you can spot a false prophet not just based on what he says about the future, but what he says about the past and the present. In other words, you can tell a false prophet based on what he says about the Bible. Does he speak the truth?
Mr. Camping doesn't. He denies we are born as enemies of God. He says that we aren't spiritually dead due to our sinfulness. He—and he's hardly alone in this false opinion—boldly rejects what the Holy Spirit tells us:
Romans 8:6-8 (NIV 1984)
6 The mind of sinful man is death... 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Mr. Camping essentially uses an eraser to the word “not” and changes Words that do not belong to him, so that it reads, “The sinful man can submit to God's law.” This profound lie that Mr. Camping prophesies is just as soul-crushing as the pope's prophecy that we are rescued by both faith and deeds. Indeed it is the same false prophecy. They both appeal to the Law for certainty of rescue, and thus guarantee that they shall never have certainty.
But we do. We are certain of our rescue, even in the face of all our repeated sins that simply prove how hostile to God we still are. We join with Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to prophesy the truth:
Romans 7:18-19 (NIV 1984)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
But in spite of this, we are certain that we stand rescued both right now and for eternity. How is this true? Because of the work of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent, the Son died, and the Spirit prophesies.
About six months ago, our prophecy, that is, our worship and preaching, in church focused on the Father who loved the world and sent His only-begotten Son into the world. Your rescue is certain because the Father loves you.
Then you followed Jesus to the cross where He became the sin of every human being ever conceived and took the world's place on the cross. On Good Friday He paid the ransom price for all. He paid it by dying. Your rescue is certain because He paid the ransom price for you.
On the first Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, tongues of fire danced on their heads, and they were able to speak in many known languages. But after the crowd assembled, what did they hear? “The end of the world is near!” No! They heard prophecy about the past.
Acts 2:22-24 (NIV 1984)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Peter and the disciples prophesied about Jesus, which is to say that they told the truth about Jesus. Today, on this anniversary of Pentecost, your rescue is certain because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring Himself to you in Word and in Sacrament.
When Joel predicted the future of the Church, he said this about God and His people:
Joel 2:28-29,32 (NIV 1984)
28 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days...
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
As God's children, baptized by the Holy Spirit, believers prophesied by telling the truth about Jesus the Rescuer, whom the Father had sent. We are told that Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 9), and Peter (Acts 10) saw visions. Paul dreamed dreams (Acts 16, 18, & 23).
In the Old Testament God's people camped out during Pentecost, went to church, and listened to prophecy. We do the same and listen to the same prophecy, which has now been accomplished, and we too remember that our fine homes are simply booths, lean-tos, temporary tents in which we live while we wait for the promised land.
And while we wait, we prophesy. We speak the truth about Jesus until He returns.
Amen.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Good Shepherd Sunday
May 15, 2011
Both Lamb and Shepherd
John 10:11 and Hebrews 13:20-21
Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
In our daily lives we wear many hats. Spouse, parent, child, sibling, employee, citizen, and so forth. It's not too often when our various callings conflict with each other; mostly they overlap and complement each other. Sure, our vocations all compete for our time and attention, but being both a mom and wife or a brother and a US citizen don't inherently conflict.
But like I said, on rare occasions they do clash. Ask Abraham. He was a dad and a believer, and the one true God asked him to murder his son. Consider the conflict in Abraham's mind as he walked to the killing place. Sometimes God seems like the enemy.
Ask Jesus. He is both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. He is both the Sacrifice that our sin demands and the One who protects us from ourselves. We see the anguish in Jesus' heart as He prays to His Father in heaven:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." [Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.] (Luke 22:42-44 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
Jesus takes these two opposites and resolves the tension of His two roles. He tells us that He can't be the Lamb without being the Shepherd or, perhaps better said, He is the Shepherd because He is the Lamb.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
The Book of Hebrews expresses the same thought:
Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
In our lives we strive to reflect Christ's selfless love as we deny self. When self says that Christ may have died for some, but not for you, we deny self as we take and drink the blood of Christ, shed for you, the everlasting covenant.
The inner conflict between self and sheep is where we need our Lamb and Shepherd the most. Jesus crushed our slavery to mindless wandering when He laid down His life for the sheep. Sheep have minds of their own, and left to their own wits, they'd always get gobbled up or wander off a cliff or starve. Left to ourselves we get gobbled up by greed, fall into lust, or starve ourselves with lazy distance from God's Sacraments.
So our Shepherd doesn't leave us, even when we want Him to. Sometimes out of compassion He pokes us in the ribs. Sometimes He may even seem like our enemy, when He allows wretched things to happen to us and to those whom we love. But He always knows what He's doing. He can see the future. That's one nice thing about shepherds—they're tall. Their horizon goes far beyond the grassy meadows of sheep sight.
From one sheep to another, our lasting comfort is always our Savior who wear two hats that seem to speak against each other, but with His divine plan brings them together in perfect harmony. Sylvia Dunstan captured the true opposites and perfect harmony of Jesus in her hymn, Christus Paradox. Let us pray it together as we stand before our compassionate Shepherd, our Lamb and Lord, Jesus Christ.
You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.
Amen.
May 15, 2011
Both Lamb and Shepherd
John 10:11 and Hebrews 13:20-21
Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
In our daily lives we wear many hats. Spouse, parent, child, sibling, employee, citizen, and so forth. It's not too often when our various callings conflict with each other; mostly they overlap and complement each other. Sure, our vocations all compete for our time and attention, but being both a mom and wife or a brother and a US citizen don't inherently conflict.
But like I said, on rare occasions they do clash. Ask Abraham. He was a dad and a believer, and the one true God asked him to murder his son. Consider the conflict in Abraham's mind as he walked to the killing place. Sometimes God seems like the enemy.
Ask Jesus. He is both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. He is both the Sacrifice that our sin demands and the One who protects us from ourselves. We see the anguish in Jesus' heart as He prays to His Father in heaven:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." [Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.] (Luke 22:42-44 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
Jesus takes these two opposites and resolves the tension of His two roles. He tells us that He can't be the Lamb without being the Shepherd or, perhaps better said, He is the Shepherd because He is the Lamb.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
The Book of Hebrews expresses the same thought:
Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
In our lives we strive to reflect Christ's selfless love as we deny self. When self says that Christ may have died for some, but not for you, we deny self as we take and drink the blood of Christ, shed for you, the everlasting covenant.
The inner conflict between self and sheep is where we need our Lamb and Shepherd the most. Jesus crushed our slavery to mindless wandering when He laid down His life for the sheep. Sheep have minds of their own, and left to their own wits, they'd always get gobbled up or wander off a cliff or starve. Left to ourselves we get gobbled up by greed, fall into lust, or starve ourselves with lazy distance from God's Sacraments.
So our Shepherd doesn't leave us, even when we want Him to. Sometimes out of compassion He pokes us in the ribs. Sometimes He may even seem like our enemy, when He allows wretched things to happen to us and to those whom we love. But He always knows what He's doing. He can see the future. That's one nice thing about shepherds—they're tall. Their horizon goes far beyond the grassy meadows of sheep sight.
From one sheep to another, our lasting comfort is always our Savior who wear two hats that seem to speak against each other, but with His divine plan brings them together in perfect harmony. Sylvia Dunstan captured the true opposites and perfect harmony of Jesus in her hymn, Christus Paradox. Let us pray it together as we stand before our compassionate Shepherd, our Lamb and Lord, Jesus Christ.
You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.
Amen.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Resurrection Sunday
Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011
It's All About Life
Mark 16:-7
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
Today each of us says it with great joy, “It's Jesus, Peter, and me; and it's all about life!” During Lent we've seen Peter's sin filled life, but today we see Peter being welcomed back to life.
Early this Easter morning three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. But instead of a cold dead body, they find a angel who tells them that Jesus isn't in the tomb. He's risen! Go tell Peter!
The message singled out—of all people—Peter. After Peter's track record of disobeying Jesus and even denying Jesus, we would expect the angels to tell the women to tell everybody, except Peter.
But this is the Gospel. There's life after sin because it was all for Peter. The cross was for Peter. Jesus' death was for Peter. The resurrection was for Peter. Now there is forgiveness for Peter.
After Peter denied Jesus, he must have felt dead. But to hear the words of the angels as the faithful women reported what they heard, Peter must have felt the weight of death lift. Then as he investigated the empty tomb, the hope of life continued to grow. And then Peter saw Him in the flesh. His certain death was stopped by Jesus' death on the cross... and then Jesus came back from the dead to tell him that he was forgiven. Certain death became certain life!
One last time we are see ourselves in Peter. Certainly in our sin. But just as certainly in the forgiveness of our sin. Because Christ physically rose from the the dead, our certain death also became certain life! Easter is all about life.
This is why we cry out this Easter with Peter: He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!
April 24, 2011
It's All About Life
Mark 16:-7
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
Today each of us says it with great joy, “It's Jesus, Peter, and me; and it's all about life!” During Lent we've seen Peter's sin filled life, but today we see Peter being welcomed back to life.
Early this Easter morning three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. But instead of a cold dead body, they find a angel who tells them that Jesus isn't in the tomb. He's risen! Go tell Peter!
The message singled out—of all people—Peter. After Peter's track record of disobeying Jesus and even denying Jesus, we would expect the angels to tell the women to tell everybody, except Peter.
But this is the Gospel. There's life after sin because it was all for Peter. The cross was for Peter. Jesus' death was for Peter. The resurrection was for Peter. Now there is forgiveness for Peter.
After Peter denied Jesus, he must have felt dead. But to hear the words of the angels as the faithful women reported what they heard, Peter must have felt the weight of death lift. Then as he investigated the empty tomb, the hope of life continued to grow. And then Peter saw Him in the flesh. His certain death was stopped by Jesus' death on the cross... and then Jesus came back from the dead to tell him that he was forgiven. Certain death became certain life!
One last time we are see ourselves in Peter. Certainly in our sin. But just as certainly in the forgiveness of our sin. Because Christ physically rose from the the dead, our certain death also became certain life! Easter is all about life.
This is why we cry out this Easter with Peter: He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!
Good Friday
Good Friday
April 22, 2011
It's All About Death
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
How would you like to die? There are many answers to that question. But we can all agree that we don't want to die slowly. For most folks dying quickly is a blessing.
I heard of a pastor who died suddenly, as he was getting out of his car in the church parking lot. It happened on Easter Sunday.
If I could choose how I'd like to die that'd be in my top two. But I'd sure like to be able to preach my Easter sermon first, then go home and eat Easter dinner, and then turn on Bach's Easter Cantata, and then my heart stops.
Fast, painless, and cheap, too.
Christ's cross was slow, painful, and costly. But He considered it a joy.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
How would you like to die? Jesus chose how He'd die. Of the thousands of millions of deaths that have and will occur—from Abel to someone's last breath taken before the Last Minute of the World—none, save one, maybe any difference to anyone.
This Holy Friday, don't grow weary and lose heart. Consider the joy of the cross and what He accomplished there for you.
Amen.
April 22, 2011
It's All About Death
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
How would you like to die? There are many answers to that question. But we can all agree that we don't want to die slowly. For most folks dying quickly is a blessing.
I heard of a pastor who died suddenly, as he was getting out of his car in the church parking lot. It happened on Easter Sunday.
If I could choose how I'd like to die that'd be in my top two. But I'd sure like to be able to preach my Easter sermon first, then go home and eat Easter dinner, and then turn on Bach's Easter Cantata, and then my heart stops.
Fast, painless, and cheap, too.
Christ's cross was slow, painful, and costly. But He considered it a joy.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
How would you like to die? Jesus chose how He'd die. Of the thousands of millions of deaths that have and will occur—from Abel to someone's last breath taken before the Last Minute of the World—none, save one, maybe any difference to anyone.
This Holy Friday, don't grow weary and lose heart. Consider the joy of the cross and what He accomplished there for you.
Amen.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
April 21, 2011
It's All About Cleansing
John 13:1-15
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Only two disciples are mentioned by name in our Gospel account of the Last Supper: Judas and Peter.
Jesus knew was Judas was about to betray Him. But He still washed Judas' feet along with all the rest of the disciples. Why did He wash Judas' feet? Why didn't He just have Peter, James, and John kick Judas out of the upper room? Or better yet, why had Jesus called Judas to be one of His disciples in the first place?
Because of His great mercy. He wanted Judas to go to heaven. So He allowed this sinner to hear His Word of forgiveness countless times. Jesus washed his feet, but in the end Judas tragically rejected forgiveness.
On the other hand, Peter rejected the foot washing. Perhaps the other disciples felt akward or even ashamed that Jesus was having to the perform the lowliest dirtiest of all jobs. But no one said anything. And then Peter spoke up and told Jesus that He'd never wash his feet.
But at least this time Peter listening when Jesus answered.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not every one was clean. (John 13:6-11)
What was it that Peter would later understand? That because of Jesus' sacrifice, by His making Himself nothing, the lowest of the low, the most shameful sin-carrier of mankind, Peter was clean in God's eyes.
This foot washing pictured the love that sacrifcies our get-our-own-way attitude and clings to our Father's will so that another person's best interests are looked after. And getting clean is in everyone's best interest, because everyone is filthy because of sin.
Everything that Jesus did for us is about getting us clean. Hours before He gives up His body and sheds His blood on the cross, He gave His church His true body and blood to eat and to drink for the cleansing of sin.
As we join Peter in eating and drinking this Holy Supper, let us rejoice that it's all about cleansing.
Praise be to Christ, our Savior who washes us clean!
Amen.
April 21, 2011
It's All About Cleansing
John 13:1-15
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Only two disciples are mentioned by name in our Gospel account of the Last Supper: Judas and Peter.
Jesus knew was Judas was about to betray Him. But He still washed Judas' feet along with all the rest of the disciples. Why did He wash Judas' feet? Why didn't He just have Peter, James, and John kick Judas out of the upper room? Or better yet, why had Jesus called Judas to be one of His disciples in the first place?
Because of His great mercy. He wanted Judas to go to heaven. So He allowed this sinner to hear His Word of forgiveness countless times. Jesus washed his feet, but in the end Judas tragically rejected forgiveness.
On the other hand, Peter rejected the foot washing. Perhaps the other disciples felt akward or even ashamed that Jesus was having to the perform the lowliest dirtiest of all jobs. But no one said anything. And then Peter spoke up and told Jesus that He'd never wash his feet.
But at least this time Peter listening when Jesus answered.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not every one was clean. (John 13:6-11)
What was it that Peter would later understand? That because of Jesus' sacrifice, by His making Himself nothing, the lowest of the low, the most shameful sin-carrier of mankind, Peter was clean in God's eyes.
This foot washing pictured the love that sacrifcies our get-our-own-way attitude and clings to our Father's will so that another person's best interests are looked after. And getting clean is in everyone's best interest, because everyone is filthy because of sin.
Everything that Jesus did for us is about getting us clean. Hours before He gives up His body and sheds His blood on the cross, He gave His church His true body and blood to eat and to drink for the cleansing of sin.
As we join Peter in eating and drinking this Holy Supper, let us rejoice that it's all about cleansing.
Praise be to Christ, our Savior who washes us clean!
Amen.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
April 17, 2011
What Does The Donkey Say?
Matthew 21:1-11
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
I've always been confused about the role of the donkey on Palm Sunday. Did riding on that donkey make Jesus more royal and regal? Or did it make Him ordinary and plain? I think that when these questions are answered, they'll help to inform our view of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and of Holy Week itself.
Growing up I heard that Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem was kind of like a President riding in a limo into Washington, D.C. The basic idea was that a donkey was considered to be a royal animal or at least an animal that carries royalty. But, of course, we usually think of donkeys as lowly animals, lowly beasts of burden used by common people to carry ordinary people and mundane cargo.
Consider some other people in the Bible who have ridden on donkeys. Maybe this will help us to understand the significance of the donkey. Moses' wife and kids rode on a donkey as they traveled with Moses as he went to tell Pharoah to let God's people go (Exodus 4). Balaam, a false prophet, rode a donkey on his way to curse God's people (read Numbers 22 to see how God used the donkey to actually save Balaam's life). Wise Abigail brought herself and many gifts to David on a donkey (1 Samuel 25). King Saul's invalid son Mephibosheth rode a donkey, but he never ruled anything (2 Samuel 16). We read last Sunday how the Shunammite widow rode a donkey on her way to cry and grieve at Elisha's feet over her dead son (2 Kings 4). There were a couple of other folks who rode on donkeys, but explaining who they were would take too long. Suffice to say, none of them were kings.
Another picture of Palm Sunday and Jesus riding a donkey was of a general who has conquered an enemy and was given a ticker-tape parade (or what the Romans used to call, a triumph, essentially a controlled riot) as he rides along in a chariot or on his war horse. I've also heard experts say that in the Middle East the donkey was an animal that symbolized peace, so that contrary to riding a war horse, Jesus was using this symbolism to show that He was a peaceful king.
Bottom line: there are lots of ways to understand what the donkey says or symbolizes. But the only way to understand Jesus' very intentional use of a donkey is to read Zechariah.
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9-10)
The folks laying down palms and cloaks on Jesus' path knew their Bibles. They knew God's Word because their parents had diligently taught them. So these kids grew knowing the promises about the Savior, the Messiah. Along with the buzz about Lazarus' resurrection, riding a donkey into the Holy City of David silently shouted, “This is the Messiah! This is the Christ! This is the Anointed One!”
Many in the crown, to be sure, were certain that Jesus was finally going to lead a coup d'etat against Pontius Pilate and Herod. A moment like Palm Sunday didn't come along very often, and they thought, Jesus riding a donkey was yet another sign that He was Messiah, the Chosen One. One can almost imagine people laying out palm branches leading toward the Roman palace and Herod's mansion. Perhaps they could even see Jesus' purpose in raising Lazarus from the dead to rally the people to His cause. And it had worked. Jesus had it all in the palm of His hand: the power, the crowd, the momentum. This was it!
Then He allowed the moment to pass.
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,”He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”
The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“ ‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”
And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night. (Matthew 21:12-17)
Instead of going to the Roman palace and kicking out Pilate, He went to the Temple and kicked out the money-changers. Then He healed some people, had one more debate with the chief priests, and finally went back to Bethany. Huh? This isn't how you start a revolution.
To understand what the donkey says and what Palm Sunday is all about, just one thing. Move it. Move all of it back one week. Wouldn't this celebration have been so much more appropriate after Jesus rose from the dead?
So why ride a donkey now? For the same reason He rose Lazarus from the dead. To announce His true identity—the Son of God made flesh—and to bring about His true purpose—to suffer and die for our sin.
This Holy Week let us watch and pray and comtemplate our Savior's identity and purpose. The donkey says a lot. He says, “I am carrying your Savior. I am carrying your Salvation.”
Amen.
April 17, 2011
What Does The Donkey Say?
Matthew 21:1-11
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
I've always been confused about the role of the donkey on Palm Sunday. Did riding on that donkey make Jesus more royal and regal? Or did it make Him ordinary and plain? I think that when these questions are answered, they'll help to inform our view of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and of Holy Week itself.
Growing up I heard that Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem was kind of like a President riding in a limo into Washington, D.C. The basic idea was that a donkey was considered to be a royal animal or at least an animal that carries royalty. But, of course, we usually think of donkeys as lowly animals, lowly beasts of burden used by common people to carry ordinary people and mundane cargo.
Consider some other people in the Bible who have ridden on donkeys. Maybe this will help us to understand the significance of the donkey. Moses' wife and kids rode on a donkey as they traveled with Moses as he went to tell Pharoah to let God's people go (Exodus 4). Balaam, a false prophet, rode a donkey on his way to curse God's people (read Numbers 22 to see how God used the donkey to actually save Balaam's life). Wise Abigail brought herself and many gifts to David on a donkey (1 Samuel 25). King Saul's invalid son Mephibosheth rode a donkey, but he never ruled anything (2 Samuel 16). We read last Sunday how the Shunammite widow rode a donkey on her way to cry and grieve at Elisha's feet over her dead son (2 Kings 4). There were a couple of other folks who rode on donkeys, but explaining who they were would take too long. Suffice to say, none of them were kings.
Another picture of Palm Sunday and Jesus riding a donkey was of a general who has conquered an enemy and was given a ticker-tape parade (or what the Romans used to call, a triumph, essentially a controlled riot) as he rides along in a chariot or on his war horse. I've also heard experts say that in the Middle East the donkey was an animal that symbolized peace, so that contrary to riding a war horse, Jesus was using this symbolism to show that He was a peaceful king.
Bottom line: there are lots of ways to understand what the donkey says or symbolizes. But the only way to understand Jesus' very intentional use of a donkey is to read Zechariah.
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9-10)
The folks laying down palms and cloaks on Jesus' path knew their Bibles. They knew God's Word because their parents had diligently taught them. So these kids grew knowing the promises about the Savior, the Messiah. Along with the buzz about Lazarus' resurrection, riding a donkey into the Holy City of David silently shouted, “This is the Messiah! This is the Christ! This is the Anointed One!”
Many in the crown, to be sure, were certain that Jesus was finally going to lead a coup d'etat against Pontius Pilate and Herod. A moment like Palm Sunday didn't come along very often, and they thought, Jesus riding a donkey was yet another sign that He was Messiah, the Chosen One. One can almost imagine people laying out palm branches leading toward the Roman palace and Herod's mansion. Perhaps they could even see Jesus' purpose in raising Lazarus from the dead to rally the people to His cause. And it had worked. Jesus had it all in the palm of His hand: the power, the crowd, the momentum. This was it!
Then He allowed the moment to pass.
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,”He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”
The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“ ‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”
And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night. (Matthew 21:12-17)
Instead of going to the Roman palace and kicking out Pilate, He went to the Temple and kicked out the money-changers. Then He healed some people, had one more debate with the chief priests, and finally went back to Bethany. Huh? This isn't how you start a revolution.
To understand what the donkey says and what Palm Sunday is all about, just one thing. Move it. Move all of it back one week. Wouldn't this celebration have been so much more appropriate after Jesus rose from the dead?
So why ride a donkey now? For the same reason He rose Lazarus from the dead. To announce His true identity—the Son of God made flesh—and to bring about His true purpose—to suffer and die for our sin.
This Holy Week let us watch and pray and comtemplate our Savior's identity and purpose. The donkey says a lot. He says, “I am carrying your Savior. I am carrying your Salvation.”
Amen.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 10, 2011
A Resurrection That Led to The Resurrection
John 11
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to make sure that Good Friday and Easter would happen, all according to His design and plan.
(1) Consider who was there to see Lazarus' resurrection.
(2) Consider the timing of Lazarus' resurrection.
(3) Consider the location of Lazarus' resurrection.
(3) And consider what the Scriptures tell us is the result.
Early in His public ministry, in Nain (Luke 7), Jesus healed the son of a widow in public. The reaction by the people is one of fear and awe. Jesus' reputation continued to grow. This resurrection seemed to be the incident that cause John to ask Jesus if Jesus was the promised Savior (Luke 7). But this public resurrection seems to be too early in Jesus' public life for it to be the catalyst for a conspiracy against Him.
In His next resurrection as His popularity grew, He purposely hide His power from the public. When Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5 and Luke 8), He only allowed her Mom and Dad and Peter, James, and John to actually be in the room when the miracle happened.
There were many folks outside of Jairus' house who were wailing with grief. These people laughed at Jesus when He said that this twelve year old was just asleep. He was telling them that as easily as they woke up their child from sleep, He was going to raise her from the dead—and they despised Him for this cruel joke that He was pulling on the parents.
But the miracle happened and Jesus promptly told the witnesses not to speak of it. It's not clear how long it took for the townsfolk to figure out that she was alive again, but certainly it didn't have the impact of seeing Lazarus walk out of his grave.
But perhaps more important than who saw the miracle was the timing of this particular miracle. He did it just before Passover. And then He went to Jerusalem, a city where His enemies were planning to kill... except not during the Passover Feast.
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” (Mark 14:1-2; parallel Matthew 26:3-5)
But Jesus went to Jerusalem at Passover... and forced the chief priests and teachers of the law to finally deal with Him. Palm Sunday wasn't just about Jesus' cumulative greatness; the people were in a frenzy because of this last miracle, the resurrection of Lazarus. So many people had seen it and they all lived two miles from Jerusalem (instead of all the way up north in Galilee like Jairus' daughter and the widow's son).
The result was that dozens, if not hundreds of eyewitnesses to an undeniable miracle, poured into the Holy City just as thousands of pilgrims were arriving for the Feast of Passover.
And the result of that was that Jesus had to die. Lazarus, too.
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him. (John 12:9-11)
And everything turned out for the best for everybody involved. The chief priests' conspiracy to murder Jesus turned out just fine, and instead of a riot against them, they were able to turn the mob against Jesus.
But even all their crafty plans were used by Jesus to His own plan and purpose. By raising Lazarus He forced His enemies to kill Him during the Passover, the feast which involved slaughtering an innocent perfect lamb. The lamb's blood was painted on the doorframe so that the angel of death would pass over them. The original Passover had happened in Egypt, and had resulted in the deliverance from slavery and into the Promised Land.
The original Passover pointed directly into the future to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus shed His bled and died. Then He rose from the dead. Good Friday and Easter happened because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The empty tomb in Bethany led to Jesus' empty tomb and to our forgiveness and salvation.
Praise to Christ who raises the dead from their sleep!
Amen.
April 10, 2011
A Resurrection That Led to The Resurrection
John 11
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to make sure that Good Friday and Easter would happen, all according to His design and plan.
(1) Consider who was there to see Lazarus' resurrection.
(2) Consider the timing of Lazarus' resurrection.
(3) Consider the location of Lazarus' resurrection.
(3) And consider what the Scriptures tell us is the result.
Early in His public ministry, in Nain (Luke 7), Jesus healed the son of a widow in public. The reaction by the people is one of fear and awe. Jesus' reputation continued to grow. This resurrection seemed to be the incident that cause John to ask Jesus if Jesus was the promised Savior (Luke 7). But this public resurrection seems to be too early in Jesus' public life for it to be the catalyst for a conspiracy against Him.
In His next resurrection as His popularity grew, He purposely hide His power from the public. When Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5 and Luke 8), He only allowed her Mom and Dad and Peter, James, and John to actually be in the room when the miracle happened.
There were many folks outside of Jairus' house who were wailing with grief. These people laughed at Jesus when He said that this twelve year old was just asleep. He was telling them that as easily as they woke up their child from sleep, He was going to raise her from the dead—and they despised Him for this cruel joke that He was pulling on the parents.
But the miracle happened and Jesus promptly told the witnesses not to speak of it. It's not clear how long it took for the townsfolk to figure out that she was alive again, but certainly it didn't have the impact of seeing Lazarus walk out of his grave.
But perhaps more important than who saw the miracle was the timing of this particular miracle. He did it just before Passover. And then He went to Jerusalem, a city where His enemies were planning to kill... except not during the Passover Feast.
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” (Mark 14:1-2; parallel Matthew 26:3-5)
But Jesus went to Jerusalem at Passover... and forced the chief priests and teachers of the law to finally deal with Him. Palm Sunday wasn't just about Jesus' cumulative greatness; the people were in a frenzy because of this last miracle, the resurrection of Lazarus. So many people had seen it and they all lived two miles from Jerusalem (instead of all the way up north in Galilee like Jairus' daughter and the widow's son).
The result was that dozens, if not hundreds of eyewitnesses to an undeniable miracle, poured into the Holy City just as thousands of pilgrims were arriving for the Feast of Passover.
And the result of that was that Jesus had to die. Lazarus, too.
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him. (John 12:9-11)
And everything turned out for the best for everybody involved. The chief priests' conspiracy to murder Jesus turned out just fine, and instead of a riot against them, they were able to turn the mob against Jesus.
But even all their crafty plans were used by Jesus to His own plan and purpose. By raising Lazarus He forced His enemies to kill Him during the Passover, the feast which involved slaughtering an innocent perfect lamb. The lamb's blood was painted on the doorframe so that the angel of death would pass over them. The original Passover had happened in Egypt, and had resulted in the deliverance from slavery and into the Promised Land.
The original Passover pointed directly into the future to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus shed His bled and died. Then He rose from the dead. Good Friday and Easter happened because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The empty tomb in Bethany led to Jesus' empty tomb and to our forgiveness and salvation.
Praise to Christ who raises the dead from their sleep!
Amen.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
First Sunday in Lent
First Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2011
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Matthew 6:13
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Sometimes God seems to be the enemy.
From time to time we feel that God gives us too much to handle. We sense that God is allowing too much temptation into our life. From our point of view here on the earth it even may seem as though God is the one who is tempting us, directly or indirectly. It seems like He is the enemy.
Dear children, do you remember your parents telling you about what God asked Abraham to do Isaac?
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2)
He asked him to kill Isaac, his only son. God seemed to be so cruel. He asked Abraham to destroy the one thing in his life that he truly cared about, his miracle son, Isaac. He asked Abraham to commit kill an innocent man. He asked Abraham to destroy the plan of salvation that God Himself had promised to Abraham, when He told him that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 18:18).
On top of all that, God makes Abraham think about all of this during the three-day walk to Mt. Moriah (the future location of Jerusalem), the intended place of Isaac's sacrifice.
Dear children, doesn't God sometimes seem to be the enemy?
And dear grown-ups, what about Job? Later today tell your children what God did to Job.
And this kind of thing doesn't stop in the Old Testament.
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (Matthew 15:21-26)
Where is gentle Jesus, so meek and so mild?
Even in the Lord's Prayer, is there not a hint of the possibility of God as the enemy? We cry to Him: “Lead us not into temptation!” St. James tells us, “When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” (James 1:13) Luther echoed this thought in his explanation to the Sixth Petition—God is never the source of temptation.
But still, given the examples mentioned, does not God at times appear or allow Himself to be perceived as the source of temptation? And isn't this what we are asking of God when we prayer His prayer? Please dear God, don't deal with me like this, don't act like You want me to fail and fall and despair and die without You! Don't appear as the One who would lead into temptation!
How are we supposed to love a God who seems to hate us? This is the question that has haunted the faithful for thousands of years. And what is the answer? Job's wife advice to her husband was to curse God and die (Job 2:9). But the answer of the faithful is the answer of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
When faced with the temptation to doubt God's love, the answer of the faithful sounds feeble, but it is still the answer. We confess absolute trust in God's ways, just as Abraham trusted God.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
When you pray, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner,” you are confessing total trust in God and His ways and in His way of doing things. And His ways of doing things was to ask His only begotten Son, Jesus, to sacrifice Himself on Mt. Moriah, Jerusalem. And Jesus willingly answered His Father's request.
And He spent not three days with the knowledge of His sacrifice, but thousands of years. And He still went.
He faced real temptations for 33 years on earth. And He still went.
He went for us.
Amen.
________________
This sermon was adapted from the wonderful and insightful words of Prof. Em. Daniel Deutschlander (The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours, pages 56-60). Any confusing or inaccurate portions belong to me alone. Indeed you must read this insightful work many times to mine its treasures. It is available from Northwestern Publishing House.
March 13, 2011
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Matthew 6:13
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Sometimes God seems to be the enemy.
From time to time we feel that God gives us too much to handle. We sense that God is allowing too much temptation into our life. From our point of view here on the earth it even may seem as though God is the one who is tempting us, directly or indirectly. It seems like He is the enemy.
Dear children, do you remember your parents telling you about what God asked Abraham to do Isaac?
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2)
He asked him to kill Isaac, his only son. God seemed to be so cruel. He asked Abraham to destroy the one thing in his life that he truly cared about, his miracle son, Isaac. He asked Abraham to commit kill an innocent man. He asked Abraham to destroy the plan of salvation that God Himself had promised to Abraham, when He told him that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 18:18).
On top of all that, God makes Abraham think about all of this during the three-day walk to Mt. Moriah (the future location of Jerusalem), the intended place of Isaac's sacrifice.
Dear children, doesn't God sometimes seem to be the enemy?
And dear grown-ups, what about Job? Later today tell your children what God did to Job.
And this kind of thing doesn't stop in the Old Testament.
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (Matthew 15:21-26)
Where is gentle Jesus, so meek and so mild?
Even in the Lord's Prayer, is there not a hint of the possibility of God as the enemy? We cry to Him: “Lead us not into temptation!” St. James tells us, “When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” (James 1:13) Luther echoed this thought in his explanation to the Sixth Petition—God is never the source of temptation.
But still, given the examples mentioned, does not God at times appear or allow Himself to be perceived as the source of temptation? And isn't this what we are asking of God when we prayer His prayer? Please dear God, don't deal with me like this, don't act like You want me to fail and fall and despair and die without You! Don't appear as the One who would lead into temptation!
How are we supposed to love a God who seems to hate us? This is the question that has haunted the faithful for thousands of years. And what is the answer? Job's wife advice to her husband was to curse God and die (Job 2:9). But the answer of the faithful is the answer of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
When faced with the temptation to doubt God's love, the answer of the faithful sounds feeble, but it is still the answer. We confess absolute trust in God's ways, just as Abraham trusted God.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
When you pray, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner,” you are confessing total trust in God and His ways and in His way of doing things. And His ways of doing things was to ask His only begotten Son, Jesus, to sacrifice Himself on Mt. Moriah, Jerusalem. And Jesus willingly answered His Father's request.
And He spent not three days with the knowledge of His sacrifice, but thousands of years. And He still went.
He faced real temptations for 33 years on earth. And He still went.
He went for us.
Amen.
________________
This sermon was adapted from the wonderful and insightful words of Prof. Em. Daniel Deutschlander (The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours, pages 56-60). Any confusing or inaccurate portions belong to me alone. Indeed you must read this insightful work many times to mine its treasures. It is available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Transfiguration Sunday
Transfiguration Sunday
March 6, 2011
Moses and Elijah Say A Lot
Matthew 17:1-9
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
About a week after Peter correctly confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus went up a mountain—we're not sure which one—and allowed His glory to shine. The visible glory coming from Jesus, along with the Father's voice from heaven, combined to confirm with certainty that Peter had been right earlier in the week.
And speaking of time, Jesus showed His glory at this specific time for a specific reason. He showed His glory not at the beginning of His public ministry or shortly after calling His disciples. Instead, His transfiguration happened shortly before He travels to Jerusalem to die.
He dazzled Peter, James, and John at this specific time to finish His work of revealing Himself to them. If you will, this was the final act of His epiphany, His revealing Himself to other people.
In addition to Peter, James, and John, there were two other men there that day: Moses and Elijah. I think one of the most interesting aspects of Jesus' transfiguration is the presence of Moses and Elijah.
To understand why Moses and Elijah were there that day you have to understand who they were. In short Moses was the Law and Elijah was the Prophet. They represented a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Jesus and His apostles often use the nickname “the Law and the Prophets” for the Old Testament.
For example... [Jesus said:] “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:40)
[Jesus said:] “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” (Luke 16:16)
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to [Paul and Barnabas], saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13:15)
[Paul wrote:] But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Romans 3:21)
Moses symbolized the Law and Elijah symbolized the Prophets.
God used Moses as His representative to Pharaoh and under his leadership God led Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 2-14). Then God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain of Sinai (Exodus 20). To every Israelite, Moses was the Lawgiver, the ambassador that God had chosen to reveal God's perfect expectations for every human being.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. He was the prophet of God who challenged hundreds of false prophets to a contest to see whose God was the true God (1 Kings 18). After God won the challenge for him, Elijah led the people to kill the false prophets. This caused the evil king of Israel, who liked the false prophets, to chase after Elijah. And Elijah ran to Mt. Sinai, where God appeared to him as a whisper (1 Kings 19).
Moses and Elijah shared this experience—they both encountered God on Mt. Sinai. Another common bond was that their lives ended in extraordinary ways.
Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo... across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land... And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. [The Lord] buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deuteronomy 34:1,5-7)
As [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12)
These two men knew God. And God took a personal interest in how they left the earth. And now Peter, James, and John saw these men standing next to Jesus and talking with Him. St. Luke tells us that they spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30).
Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament or Promise; Jesus represented the New Testament, but even more He was the New Promise. He was going to fulfill eve perfect expectation that He, God, had for every human being.
Just by being there, Moses and Elijah say a lot about who Jesus is and what He did for us.
Amen.
March 6, 2011
Moses and Elijah Say A Lot
Matthew 17:1-9
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
About a week after Peter correctly confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus went up a mountain—we're not sure which one—and allowed His glory to shine. The visible glory coming from Jesus, along with the Father's voice from heaven, combined to confirm with certainty that Peter had been right earlier in the week.
And speaking of time, Jesus showed His glory at this specific time for a specific reason. He showed His glory not at the beginning of His public ministry or shortly after calling His disciples. Instead, His transfiguration happened shortly before He travels to Jerusalem to die.
He dazzled Peter, James, and John at this specific time to finish His work of revealing Himself to them. If you will, this was the final act of His epiphany, His revealing Himself to other people.
In addition to Peter, James, and John, there were two other men there that day: Moses and Elijah. I think one of the most interesting aspects of Jesus' transfiguration is the presence of Moses and Elijah.
To understand why Moses and Elijah were there that day you have to understand who they were. In short Moses was the Law and Elijah was the Prophet. They represented a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Jesus and His apostles often use the nickname “the Law and the Prophets” for the Old Testament.
For example... [Jesus said:] “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:40)
[Jesus said:] “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” (Luke 16:16)
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to [Paul and Barnabas], saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13:15)
[Paul wrote:] But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Romans 3:21)
Moses symbolized the Law and Elijah symbolized the Prophets.
God used Moses as His representative to Pharaoh and under his leadership God led Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 2-14). Then God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain of Sinai (Exodus 20). To every Israelite, Moses was the Lawgiver, the ambassador that God had chosen to reveal God's perfect expectations for every human being.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. He was the prophet of God who challenged hundreds of false prophets to a contest to see whose God was the true God (1 Kings 18). After God won the challenge for him, Elijah led the people to kill the false prophets. This caused the evil king of Israel, who liked the false prophets, to chase after Elijah. And Elijah ran to Mt. Sinai, where God appeared to him as a whisper (1 Kings 19).
Moses and Elijah shared this experience—they both encountered God on Mt. Sinai. Another common bond was that their lives ended in extraordinary ways.
Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo... across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land... And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. [The Lord] buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deuteronomy 34:1,5-7)
As [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12)
These two men knew God. And God took a personal interest in how they left the earth. And now Peter, James, and John saw these men standing next to Jesus and talking with Him. St. Luke tells us that they spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30).
Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament or Promise; Jesus represented the New Testament, but even more He was the New Promise. He was going to fulfill eve perfect expectation that He, God, had for every human being.
Just by being there, Moses and Elijah say a lot about who Jesus is and what He did for us.
Amen.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
February 20, 2011
Jesus Goes the Extra Mile
Matthew 5:41
Dear friends,
You really got to hand it to David. He really pulled a stunt that people have been talking about every since. He and a buddy snuck into the enemy camp and stole the enemy king's water jug and spear.
Now this prank won't make any sense unless you know that this enemy king, Saul, was trying to kill David. You also need to know that God had anointed David as the new king of Israel, specifically to replace corrupt Saul.
From the world's point of view, David had every right to take out Saul. Some might even say that this was self-defense, since Saul had already hurled a couple of javelins at David.
From a believer's point of view, killing Saul might have justified since Saul was essentially a usurper to the throne. A king who respected God's word would have abdicated the throne to God's chosen successor.
But David was having none of that. He honored his king, God's representive, and refused to harm him. The words of the Fourth Commandment and its explanation show us David's thinking:
Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. This means that we should fear and love God that we do not dishonor or anger our parents and others in authority like kings, but honor, serve, and obey them, and give them love and respect.
David went the extra mile. From every human point of view he had every right to protect himself, but because above all things he trusted in God, he chose to put the best interests of others before his own best interests.
What a great guy, right? Wrong. Little David, whom Samuel had anointed to be the next king, who killed Goliath, and who had lead Israel's armies to many victories, showed who he really was when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband eliminated.
David walked many extra miles because of God's mercy, but in the end he fell into the ditch.
Listen. There are times when I know you go the extra mile.
When friends come to you with juicy gossip about a personal enemy, you amaze them by refusing to participate in their sharp words, and perhaps even speaking well of him.
There are times when you use blasphemous words in front of our children and instead of pretending that it's okay to use God's name in vain, you amaze your children by confessing that your words are sinful and that you are ashamed of yourself and will strive to run away from those words in the future.
One of my favorite things about the Hy-Vee is watching the kind workers and shoppers help each other. Maybe something as simple as a bag boy running after a shopper who forgot their milk. Perhaps someone noticing that a small child is alone and risking a misunderstanding by stepping in to make sure that she is reunited with her mom.
Believers and unbelievers alike go the extra mile. But in the end we must admit that we are just like David. He said:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:1-3)
David saw that no matter how many mountains of earthly good he did, it added up to barely a hill of beans to God. All the extra miles David walked didn't get him one inch closer to God.
But David still asked that God wash away his sin. In light of what I just said, this doesn't make much sense. But in view of Jesus and His cross-bearing for us, God will wash us clean because Jesus went the extra mile. And He walked for us in our place.
Ever done a walk-a-thon? You walk for other people who can't walk and they pay money to your charity based on your mileage.
Jesus walked for us.
We didn't pay Him;
He paid for us.
We don't donate anything on His behalf to anyone;
instead He rewards us by bringing us near and into His kingdom.
We walked because He first walked for us first. We love because first He loved us.
Jesus walked the extra mile for us. Period.
Amen.
February 20, 2011
Jesus Goes the Extra Mile
Matthew 5:41
Dear friends,
You really got to hand it to David. He really pulled a stunt that people have been talking about every since. He and a buddy snuck into the enemy camp and stole the enemy king's water jug and spear.
Now this prank won't make any sense unless you know that this enemy king, Saul, was trying to kill David. You also need to know that God had anointed David as the new king of Israel, specifically to replace corrupt Saul.
From the world's point of view, David had every right to take out Saul. Some might even say that this was self-defense, since Saul had already hurled a couple of javelins at David.
From a believer's point of view, killing Saul might have justified since Saul was essentially a usurper to the throne. A king who respected God's word would have abdicated the throne to God's chosen successor.
But David was having none of that. He honored his king, God's representive, and refused to harm him. The words of the Fourth Commandment and its explanation show us David's thinking:
Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. This means that we should fear and love God that we do not dishonor or anger our parents and others in authority like kings, but honor, serve, and obey them, and give them love and respect.
David went the extra mile. From every human point of view he had every right to protect himself, but because above all things he trusted in God, he chose to put the best interests of others before his own best interests.
What a great guy, right? Wrong. Little David, whom Samuel had anointed to be the next king, who killed Goliath, and who had lead Israel's armies to many victories, showed who he really was when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband eliminated.
David walked many extra miles because of God's mercy, but in the end he fell into the ditch.
Listen. There are times when I know you go the extra mile.
When friends come to you with juicy gossip about a personal enemy, you amaze them by refusing to participate in their sharp words, and perhaps even speaking well of him.
There are times when you use blasphemous words in front of our children and instead of pretending that it's okay to use God's name in vain, you amaze your children by confessing that your words are sinful and that you are ashamed of yourself and will strive to run away from those words in the future.
One of my favorite things about the Hy-Vee is watching the kind workers and shoppers help each other. Maybe something as simple as a bag boy running after a shopper who forgot their milk. Perhaps someone noticing that a small child is alone and risking a misunderstanding by stepping in to make sure that she is reunited with her mom.
Believers and unbelievers alike go the extra mile. But in the end we must admit that we are just like David. He said:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:1-3)
David saw that no matter how many mountains of earthly good he did, it added up to barely a hill of beans to God. All the extra miles David walked didn't get him one inch closer to God.
But David still asked that God wash away his sin. In light of what I just said, this doesn't make much sense. But in view of Jesus and His cross-bearing for us, God will wash us clean because Jesus went the extra mile. And He walked for us in our place.
Ever done a walk-a-thon? You walk for other people who can't walk and they pay money to your charity based on your mileage.
Jesus walked for us.
We didn't pay Him;
He paid for us.
We don't donate anything on His behalf to anyone;
instead He rewards us by bringing us near and into His kingdom.
We walked because He first walked for us first. We love because first He loved us.
Jesus walked the extra mile for us. Period.
Amen.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 13, 2011
Jesus Hates Hate
Matthew 5:21-22
Dear friends,
Is it ever okay to hate something?
If by hate you mean getting emotional and angry, then the answer is no.
But if you mean recognizing that something to be dangerous and saying as much, then the answer is yes, and it would be foolish not to.
Jesus recognizes that sin is dangerous and He says that the sins of murder and hate are really the same sin and both are dangerous to our souls.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)
Even unbelievers recognize that ending another human life when they have no right to do so is evil. Murder is wrong. There are many unbelievers who recognize the truth that abortion is the murder of unborn children. You don't have to trust in Christ to call murder a sin.
But even believers struggle to properly recognize that hate is sin. Jesus hates hate. That is to say that Jesus, our perfect Savior, recognizes that burning grudges and angry thoughts against our fellow man are dangerous to our souls. He hates hate.
We do everything we can to pretend that hateful thoughts and silent anger aren't dangerous. We even call these sinful feelings good by pretending that they are directed toward people who are different from us. Since we are good and they are bad, then it is okay to hate them. And these “bad” people have probably done something to you, probably something that you never bothered to bring up with them because if they didn't know what they've done wrong, then you have every right to go on hating them.
I used to shepherd a large congregation. It was filled with many wonderful folks. But it was also a place where many grudges were alive and growing. Old conflicts that had never seen the light of Christian conversation or rebuke had become the bitter lifeblood of many members. And not just the older folks.
I've been here less than two years. So far I haven't seen that kind of bitterness here, and I thank our gracious God for this blessing. I mention all of this because it is better to talk about these sins openly and by Jesus' mercy, to run away from the temptation to hang on to hate.
Jesus hates hate. He regards these sinful thoughts seriously and rebukes them harshly. Years after the Sermon on the Mount, He inspired His Apostle John to say that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him (1 John 3:15).
This means that all of us don't deserve eternal life because all of us by nature love to hate. Maybe we rarely lose our temper, but hate can be quiet, too. Every time we put our selves first we are hating our brother and loving me first. This is natural. It is also sinful. We love to hate.
But Jesus hates hate and this precisely why haters like us will have eternal life. Only the perfect Son of God who hides Himself in human flesh can perfectly avoid hate and always love others in a perfectly selfless way. His every thought was in perfect harmony with His Father's will and His Father's will is that all should be saved. He wants the best for everyone. And He sacrificed Himself to get the best for us.
So when you hear Jesus' rebuke that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, despair of yourself and put your trust in Jesus, who hates hate perfectly. He is love in the flesh. And His love sent His body to the cross and suffering.
Through Baptism He has given Riley new life and a new heart of love. And for her whole life whenever she is tempted to hate, she can run to her refuge and strength, Riley's every present in trouble. And should anger overwhlem her, she will turn her eyes to the cross and to her heart to her Baptism, where Jesus died and where she personally was made clean forever.
Jesus hates hate, but He loves Riley and He loves you.
Amen.
February 13, 2011
Jesus Hates Hate
Matthew 5:21-22
Dear friends,
Is it ever okay to hate something?
If by hate you mean getting emotional and angry, then the answer is no.
But if you mean recognizing that something to be dangerous and saying as much, then the answer is yes, and it would be foolish not to.
Jesus recognizes that sin is dangerous and He says that the sins of murder and hate are really the same sin and both are dangerous to our souls.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)
Even unbelievers recognize that ending another human life when they have no right to do so is evil. Murder is wrong. There are many unbelievers who recognize the truth that abortion is the murder of unborn children. You don't have to trust in Christ to call murder a sin.
But even believers struggle to properly recognize that hate is sin. Jesus hates hate. That is to say that Jesus, our perfect Savior, recognizes that burning grudges and angry thoughts against our fellow man are dangerous to our souls. He hates hate.
We do everything we can to pretend that hateful thoughts and silent anger aren't dangerous. We even call these sinful feelings good by pretending that they are directed toward people who are different from us. Since we are good and they are bad, then it is okay to hate them. And these “bad” people have probably done something to you, probably something that you never bothered to bring up with them because if they didn't know what they've done wrong, then you have every right to go on hating them.
I used to shepherd a large congregation. It was filled with many wonderful folks. But it was also a place where many grudges were alive and growing. Old conflicts that had never seen the light of Christian conversation or rebuke had become the bitter lifeblood of many members. And not just the older folks.
I've been here less than two years. So far I haven't seen that kind of bitterness here, and I thank our gracious God for this blessing. I mention all of this because it is better to talk about these sins openly and by Jesus' mercy, to run away from the temptation to hang on to hate.
Jesus hates hate. He regards these sinful thoughts seriously and rebukes them harshly. Years after the Sermon on the Mount, He inspired His Apostle John to say that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him (1 John 3:15).
This means that all of us don't deserve eternal life because all of us by nature love to hate. Maybe we rarely lose our temper, but hate can be quiet, too. Every time we put our selves first we are hating our brother and loving me first. This is natural. It is also sinful. We love to hate.
But Jesus hates hate and this precisely why haters like us will have eternal life. Only the perfect Son of God who hides Himself in human flesh can perfectly avoid hate and always love others in a perfectly selfless way. His every thought was in perfect harmony with His Father's will and His Father's will is that all should be saved. He wants the best for everyone. And He sacrificed Himself to get the best for us.
So when you hear Jesus' rebuke that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, despair of yourself and put your trust in Jesus, who hates hate perfectly. He is love in the flesh. And His love sent His body to the cross and suffering.
Through Baptism He has given Riley new life and a new heart of love. And for her whole life whenever she is tempted to hate, she can run to her refuge and strength, Riley's every present in trouble. And should anger overwhlem her, she will turn her eyes to the cross and to her heart to her Baptism, where Jesus died and where she personally was made clean forever.
Jesus hates hate, but He loves Riley and He loves you.
Amen.
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