Sunday, November 29, 2015

Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!

First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2015

Matthew 21:1-9
Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Often your moment of greatest exaltation is the also the moment when you're under the greatest scrutiny and attack from your enemies.

When a kid hits the go-ahead free throw with one second left to close out his 8th grade basketball career, it is a moment of great elation. But that kid soon discovers that making that shot made him a lot of enemies. His friends love him even more, but now his enemies give him dirty looks.

Or the story of the shepherd boy who killed an evil giant with a slung stone. While everyone praised and sang this boy's name with joy, the boy's king was sullen and jealous that the boy was getting all the attention. His jealousy led him to try many times to murder this shepherd boy. A moment of great exaltation is also the moment when a lasting hatred is born.

Even so while Jesus experienced elation and exaltation, even then His enemies were silently plotting to kill Him. A very mixed triumph, indeed.

Let's set the scene. Jesus had been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary 33 years earlier. He had famously been “lost” in Jerusalem 21 years earlier, when He was 12.

And then three years before Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph, things really started happening. He had been baptized. He had gone to a wedding and changed water to wine. Many other miracles followed in these years of traveling and teaching. He had been to Jerusalem many times during His life and ministry but today was special.

The crowds were chanting praises to Him and using His special name, the Son of David. This name designated Him correctly as the Savior of sinners from their stubborn separation from the one true and holy God. The kids were shouting hosanna; many others were laying out their own cloaks and cut palm branches to create a “red carpet” for this Son of David.

The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:6-9)

The Son of David was the special name given by the prophets to describe the Savior's greatness and origins.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice
and righteousness From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:7)

David was the greatest king Israel had even seen; Jesus is even greater. And Jesus came from the physical family tree of David; Jesus was David's great-grandson born 1,000 years after David was dead and buried.

And there's the most compelling difference between David and the Son of David. David died and is still dead; Jesus died and rose from the dead. David's body is dust and ashes for going on 3,000 years; Jesus, the Son of David, rules with His glorious body this very day.

And so we join the triumph and sing this very day, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Consider when we sing these words. Open your hymnal to the front section and take a look at page 22.

Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He, who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!

Advent means arrival. So before we receive the advent of Christ's body into our mouths this morning, we join the crowd and use their praises to praise our mutual Savior from sin. What perfectly good timing to praise and confess His advent into our lives!

For all believers wherever they are, the advent, the coming of Christ into our lives, is a triumph that He freely gives to us, that also brings enemies. The worst enemy that plots against us is our own heart. When things don't go as planned, our sinful hearts become sad or upset.

The kid who made the shot to win the game isn't good enough to make the high school freshman team. The shepherd boy now has a target on his back; the king is out to get him. Both these stories happened; one story is small and the other is one of Biblical proportions. But for both believers they perhaps wondered why things turned out the way they did. Why is it so hard?


You might be surprised to learn that no one wondered this more than Christ Himself. A few days after Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, He was praying to His Father in heaven that He would find another way to save mankind. 

Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

And there we hear the greatness of the Son of David, “Not My will, but Your will be done.” Our gracious God's will was for Jesus to come into the world in the name of the Lord, come to the cross, and then three days later come out of the grave. He now comes to us this very day to bring us the forgiveness of our sin. And He is coming back in triumph that will leave no more enemies to haunt us, not even our own sinful hearts. When Jesus comes in triumph the last time, hopefully today, all believers will shout with joy, no one more than the boy who made the free throw, no one more than David himself.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God! Amen!

2 Corinthians 5:21

Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Thanksgiving of Martha and Mary

Thanksgiving
November 26, 2015

John 12:1-3
The Thanksgiving of Martha and Mary

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been to a family gathering after you or a relative has had a brush with death? Maybe the youngest nephew was in the NICU or you almost had a car accident or an aunt who survived cancer. Knowing that someone could have been missing from the family table, but is there, makes it special.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus weren't celebrating Thanksgiving, but it was a time of gathering and eating during the time leading up to the Passover. And they invited Jesus and His disciples into their house for a dinner given in His honor. They had had Jesus over to supper before, but this was the first time after Lazarus had been raised from the dead.

Lazarus hadn't had a brush with death; he'd been dead for four days. And Jesus had the stone rolled away and called to the rotting Lazarus and told him to come out of his tomb. When God speaks, things happen, so Lazarus came out. Now Lazarus was eating with Jesus, His Savior, at his own table.

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:1-3)

Those three remarkable siblings were each giving thanksgiving to Jesus in different wonderful ways.

Lazarus was enjoying the gift of life and relishing the delicious meal prepared by his sister. Since we equate thanksgiving mostly with having a thankful feeling, it might be strange to think of Lazarus' eating as thanksgiving. But for someone who had gone through the extraordinary journey of coming back from death to life, eating itself is a miracle. In defiance to the Devil, who wishes to steal away our food and happiness, eating is a confession of trust and thanks to the One who bring us our life and daily bread.

Thank you, Jesus, for my hands that are no longer cold and dead, but instead holding bread.

Martha was making food for her Savior. Her thanksgiving probably is easier to relate to, although Mary's bold act certainly grabbed the spotlight. But notice there is no objection from Martha this time. At an earlier dinner she had complained about Mary's failure to help in the kitchen. This time Martha doesn't kick up a fuss about the money her sister spent or how this anointing was a distraction. No, this time, she says nothing. I believe her trust in Christ saw her sister's act with approval and clarity. Jesus was soon to die. Why not thank and anoint the Great Lion of Judah before He goes to die as the willing Lamb? But for six more days, He needs to eat. And she feeds Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for my hands that are skilled at preparing food for You and my family and friends.

Mary poured perfume on Jesus. When did she start saving the money for this nard? Was this her widow's mite, all her savings, her dowry that should have been for marriage? Did the three siblings pool their money together for this lavish gift? We don't know, but she spent a year's wages on Jesus' feet. When others tried to mock her thanksgiving, Jesus replied,

[Leave] her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.” (John 12:7)

She was thanking her Savior for His death that was days away. No one was able to anoint then, but Mary did it before the thorns and nails and spear pierced Him through. She did not wait to show her gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice.

Thank you, Jesus, for hands that can anoint You with oil and honor You as my gracious Lord, who forgives my miserable hands, which are made righteous through Your cross and Baptism.

Blessed are You, dear fellow siblings in Christ!

Blessed are the hands that are warm and alive and display His care.

Blessed are the hands that are skilled and used in service to the needs of others.

Blessed are the hands that honor Him with our treasure and adoration.

Let us pray.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.


Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

What Are You Waiting For?

Last Sunday after Pentecost
November 22, 2015

Mark 13:32-37
What Are You Waiting For?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.


What are you waiting for?

A birthday? A raise? A baby? A tooth? The end of winter? Retirement?

We are waiting for a lot of things.

Just three days before Jesus was crucified, one of His disciples was waiting. He was waiting for Jesus to be impressed. He was walking with Jesus near the Temple and was impressed with the architecture; he wanted Jesus to be impressed, too.

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:1-4)

And Jesus went on to tell them about the signs of the end of the world.

The world has seen many lying preachers, men pretending to be the real Jesus, wars, rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes. The Gospel has been preached to ends of the earth and the world certainly hates Christ and those who follow Him.

All these signs have happened and will continue to happen until Jesus comes back.

And so today, the question is: are you waiting for Him to come back? Jesus declared:

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come backwhether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'” (Mark 13:32-37)

For believers who trust that Jesus is coming back, the better question is: how you are waiting?

Jesus' answer is clear: Be alert and be on watch because you don't know when He will come back. And while we wait for Him, He has assigned tasks to us.

Our tasks that He has called us to do are many and varied: teaching kids, medical care, building things, fixing things, adjusting spines, making music, encouraging people, and much more.

But our most important job is tell people about Jesus. And we want to make sure we do this in the right order.

First, we need to clear up a key point: Are you people? Are you a person? You are and that means that Jesus is for you. This means that, first and foremost, we tell ourselves about Jesus through daily prayer. Finding a designated place in our home for our Bible and designating time every day to read a portion quietly aloud to ourselves. Law and Gospel isn't just for unbelievers; it's for us, too.

Second, we speak Him to our family by reading the Bible together, singing hymns together, praying together, and coming to church together and staying to study what Jesus says with our church family.

And finally, we confess Christ to people who don't know or don't know well. An important way we do this is to spend our money to support our pastors as they go out and speak to strangers about Jesus. This happens here and overseas. A good example of this is our missionaries sent out to places like Russia, Malawi, and Antigua.

Another important job Jesus has given us to do is to live a life that refuses to accommodate to the culture around us. When our strange beliefs cause others to take notice and perhaps to be upset with us, we will respond with Christ. The suffering and crucified Christ who won victory over death and Satan for all people; the Christ who lives again and is coming back.

A God who is coming back is scary for those who don't believe. That our building and our nation and our world won't be around for long is scary for unbelievers. But as we speak Christ to them, we pray that the Spirit will create trust in their hearts that will turn their fear of His return into watchful waiting with us.

These are the jobs that Jesus has left us here to do while He is away. But He is coming back, probably today. If not, maybe tomorrow. But whenever He does, He will find us at work, not working for ourselves, but by His mercy and receiving His Supper, working for Him.


Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

When Less Is More

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 15, 2015

Mark 12:41-44
When Less Is More

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.


In the old days, many of our churches were like the churches in the days of Jesus. After the sermon and before Communion, the congregation will line up and one at a time walk behind the altar (most altars in the old days were the tall beautiful kind) and put their offerings in a box. There were no ushers or plates, just a box behind the altar.

But over time something bad began to happen. People started to think that they were paying for God to care about them. They even thought that their money in a box was what made them worthy to receive the blessed Supper of Holy Communion.

None of our churches receive money in this way today. And I'm glad. Whenever what we are doing or how we are doing it gets in the way of Christ's cross, gospel, and sacraments (the things that God does), then we wisely ask why we are doing what we are doing.


Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything―all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)


Unlike our old practice of giving money where others couldn't see how much you put in to the box, Jesus could. Anybody could see how much money you put in the Temple treasury (the Temple was where Jews of the Old Testament rightly gathered to offer sacrifices to God that pointed them to Jesus).

Could you imagine if I followed around the ushers as they pass the offering plates this morning? Could you imagine if our offering box was behind our altar today and everyone could see you what you put in? Wouldn't that be scary? Intimidating? Offensive? Would you even come to church next Sunday?

But that's what Jesus did. He watched closely what everyone put in. And strangely of all people, He didn't need to. He already knew because God knows all things, and that includes trillions and trillions of very specific things. He knew how much the widow gave, the rich people gave, and He knows how much you'll give this morning.

Did you consider that as you wrote your check last night or you dig through your money this morning? And I'm guessing that doesn't offend us. But if Jesus unhide Himself from our eyes, that would be weird, even uncomfortable. We are sinful people who trust our eyes, and when other eyes are on us, we get nervous. Are they judging me?

In one sense, the Culture has stolen Jesus from the Church and made Him the ultimate Non-Judge. But what was He doing as He watched the people put in their money and then talked about them? Wasn't He judging? We know that Jesus always does what is good, right, and salutary. So His judging of how much money was put in by one and all was also good and right.

And His judgment was that less is more when the heart is full of His promises. His greatest promise is that He became poor so that we might become rich.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

This is the way God does things. He uses what seems like less in our eyes to accomplish more than we can possibly imagine. For the poor widow and for us Christ gave His own body as an offering on the cross. This offering looked small, just like the widow's offering. Indeed the name of the coin she put in was a lepton, which is Greek for small. To our eyes those pennies and His body seem small. But with our new baptized eyes we see enormous wisdom and mercy.

The widow's small money was given in trust of her dear Lord's promises that even though she dies, she lives.

In those olden days she did die. But she lives around the throne of Christ, not because of her money, but because of His enormous offering of Himself.


Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Why Not More Questions?

Twenty-forth Sunday after Pentecost
November 8, 2015

Mark 12:34
Why Not More Questions?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus showed up right now, what would you say to Him?

A few things to note. First of all, you wouldn't have to say anything right away, because we'd all be on the floor, prostrate or kneeling with fear. (Almost everytime God shows up in the Bible, people are falling over with fear. As they should.)

Secondly, you'd have sometime to think, but sooner than later, Jesus would come to you and tell you not to be afraid. Maybe He'd even show you His nail-marked hands and use them to pick you up off the floor.

And lastly, if you asked Him a question that isn't in Holy Scripture, would He even answer it?

Lord, what should I do about my government?
Render unto Caesar.

What should I do about my parents?
Honor your father and mother.

What should I do about my children?
Love your enemies.

Lord, what is heaven like?
Like a wedding banquet.

What does eternity feel like?”
He'd probably just smile.

On the other hand, Jesus' enemies loved to hammer Him with questions. Just a bit earlier they had tried to trap Him over questions about the government and the afterlife (Mark 12).

But now a new voice was heard. One of the teachers of the law, a man who devoted his life to scribing down the words of the Law of Moses, asked Jesus which command of the Law was the most important. This man spent his life writing down and re-copying the scrolls of the Old Testament. He was the ancient version of the medieval monk, using pen and ink and parchment to painstakingly recopy more editions of God's Word.

This man knew the Law of Moses that Jesus had handed down to His people at Mt. Sinai like the back of his hand. And he was deeply invested in his question:

Which command is the most important of all?” (Mark 12:28)

Unlike a bit earlier, I don't think this wasn't a set-up question, trying to trap Jesus. He recognized Jesus' wisdom and knew His answer to this question would be wise and true. And Jesus answered well.

This is the most important,” Jesus answered:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Jesus summed up the Commandments with their essence: Love. When there is love for God, we will fear and love Him above all else, we will use His name well, and we will remember His Sabbath. When there is love for the people in our lives, we will honor our parents, watch out for the physical needs of children, we will protect and cherish all marriages and reserve sex for the married man and wife, we will respect other peoples' property and possessions and help them kept their stuff, and we will speak well of others and defend their good names. When there is love for God and our neighbors, good works abound.

When the scribe, the teacher of the law, heard Jesus' answer, he was correctly excited. He repeats back to the Good Teacher what he has just heard, because he had been listening carefully.

Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one else except Him. And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-33)

It might seem bold to our ears as we hear the scribe tell Jesus that He was right. We think, “Well, duh. Of course, Jesus is right. He always right.” But this man had probably struggled with this question for a long time, and to hear this wise Rabbi confirm his own thoughts must have been electric. A eureka moment, perhaps. His answer revealed that he had always hoped that the key truth of God's promise was not sacrifice, but love for God and fellow human beings. He had correctly confessed God's Law. In a word, it demands love, relentlessly, without fail.

When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34a)

But this man had not confessed the Gospel; he still did not have the truth that would save his soul. He was close, but not there yet. Jesus didn't tell him that he in or even near the kingdom of God. Instead He told the scribe that he was not far off from the kingdom. The only other time this expression (not far off) is used is when Paul is talking to a crowd of heathen philosophers in Athens (Acts 17). Jesus and Paul weren't talking to believers.

Jesus' questioner, this scribe, was right to love the Law, but he was trying to use the Law to save himself. He had dismissed the false religion of going-through-the-motions with the false religion of be-really-busy-and-full-of-love.

This false religion is tempting to us today. We reject a religion of going-through-the-motions, but we also hear the siren song that our hearts and the world coos at us: be really nice and busy and loving. Every day a famous broadcaster from Minnesota urges his national audience with his trademark: Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.® (Garrison Keillor, Writer's Almanac)

I think our deeply held hope that we can save ourselves shows up in our potential questions to Jesus. Typically our questions are the side of the spectrum that wants to know what I can do for God. This is a good impulse that can hurt us spiritually. Notice what happened after Jesus' final remark,

You are not far from the kingdom of God.” . . . no one dared to question Him any longer. (Mark 12:34b)

In the Gospel of Mark, there were no more questions from the scribes or Pharisees, at least not until the illegal trial of Good Friday. Why not more questions? Why didn't they dare to ask Him anything else?

Because finally the lovers of the Law, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees understood that Jesus was never going to embrace the Law as the way of salvation. He is the Way. And so they had nothing more to say to Him. They were done with Him, the living enfleshed Word of God.

By His choice and will, we are saved from ourselves, from our sin. So it is natural we have questions. About how to live and serve, yes. About what is coming in the future, of course. But above all, let us ask Him Gospel questions, “Why did You did die for me? And when are You coming back?”

And He answers to each of us in turn, “Because I have had mercy on you and care about you above all others. And I am coming back soon.”


Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

All Saints Day
November 1, 2015

Matthew 5:1-12
Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Why don't we speak ill of the dead? Why don't people who are alive say mean things about those who have died? Habit, tradition, politeness are all reasons. You don't go to a funeral and bad-mouth the person who died. It's just not done. It isn't good manners.

But another reason is that when someone we love dies, we are naturally drawn to remember only the good things about them. Even if Aunt Hilda was a terrible cook, we'll still find something nice to say.

Because of His cross, Christ has nothing but good things to say about our dearly departed ones.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and so on. And Christ promises them rewards for today and forever.

For some of His promises Jesus used the present tense: this is your reward now, the kingdom of heaven. But He also promises things to come: they will be comforted, they will inherit the earth, they will be shown mercy.

When a believer dies, they come into the kingdom that they've always been a part of. This is the kingdom that they have prayed for themselves and others: Thy kingdom come. Baptism, Preaching, and Communion brings us into His kingdom. And when we die, we come ever more fully into the kingdom to which we belong. The same kingdom; it just looks different.

All these rewards of which Christ speaks are ours because of Him. Heaven is ours because He suffered hell on the cross. We are shown mercy, not because we turned the other cheek, but because He turned the other cheek and was sticken, smitten, and afflicted. His enemies hit Him and He showed us mercy. We will see God because Christ has made us pure with His blood.

We speak well of the dead. This is good. But it doesn't do anything for our salvation. Reminiscing at the visitation and saying that at least Aunt Hilda tried hard to be a a great cook doesn't change the fact that she burnt every cake she baked. Our efforts don't matter to God as He judges our salvation. Effort doesn't matter when you're dead.

This is the basic reason why faithful Christian churches and their pastors keep eulogies out of the funeral service. Eulogies are long followery emotional lists of all the good things that the dearly departed accomplished and tried to do with their lives; they have no place in the worship of Christ. A eulogy pushes Jesus to the side and places ourselves on a pedestal. Eulogies reinforce our deeply-held opinion that we can save ourselves through effort and work and belonging to the right groups of people.

Why do families become so agitated when told that the best place for the eulogy is somewhere other than the funeral service? Part of it, I think, is the belief that their loved one is being disrespected. But most of it is more about the living than about the dead. The dead in Christ doesn't care; they alraedy are with Him. The survivors become even more angry when the eulogy is clearly revealed for what it is: worship of human beings.

So faithful Christian funerals overflow with Christ. They preach what He has done, His suffering, death, and resurrection, and His Gospel Sacraments, and His imminent return at the end of time. This is the service that every faithful Christian wishes that their loved ones hear at their funeral: Christ speaking well of the dead.

And unlike our speaking, His words make things happen. His word makes the dead come to life. This is what happened to each of you in Baptism: Christ spoke well of you, who once were dead. And it will happen again, when He comes back, and speaks the dead to the life and living into life everlasting.


Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!