A Mountain that Won't Kill You

First Sunday in Advent

November 27, 2016

Isaiah 2:2

A Mountain that Won't Kill You

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Most mountains try to kill you. You could fall. You could freeze. You could suffer from acute mountain sickness and have trouble breathing or worse. I always get a kick out of Christian-ish posters that show Mount Everest or K2 with a line from the Psalms overprinted: “Our God is an awesome God!”

God is everywhere, this is true, but He only wants to be found in Christ through His Church where is Gospel is heard and eaten. And so the prophet Isaiah describes a mountain that won't kill you:

²It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and all nations will flow to it. ³Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Then He will teach us from His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For from Zion the law shall go out, and the Lord’s word shall go out from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:2-3 + Evangelical Heritage Version

This mountain is Mt. Zion and it is alternate name for the city of Jerusalem. Zion at first specially meant a certain part of the city, a rocky hill near where the Temple was built. In the Psalms, Zion's meaning shifted to mean the Temple mount itself. And over time, Zion became another name for Jerusalem.

And here Zion and Jerusalem go beyond the Old Testament and show us the future. Here is God's city, because His Word is there. And it go out in the world calling God's chosen people home. In our home war and weapons will be out of place because Jesus will rule all His people.

This prophecy shows us our everlasting life in heaven, but it also shows us how things are now. This is a prophecy of the Church on earth. In the Church force and coercion are out of place; our “weapon” is the Word of God. The Law of God accuses us of our wickedness and shows us our sin: carousing, drunkenness, sexual sin, wild living, strife, and jealousy (Romans 13:14).

And our sin quickly crops up because you are thinking, “I don't carouse . . . at least not anymore.” We sin as much as we can or at least as much as we can get away with, so the fact that you like to go to bed at 9:30 instead of 2 am doesn't say much that is good about us.

Others may be thinking, “I never caroused.” But it's only because no one would carouse with you, yet you secretly were jealous of those who partied hard and never seemed to suffer any ill effects.

The Law shows us that we sin as much as we can. The answer to sin isn't to run away from it; the answer is Christ. He is coming to be our judge, but for those who live on Zion, in the Church now, who do not despise preaching and God's Word, but gladly hear and learn it, there is fear and there is love. Just outside Jerusalem Christ was crucified, the fearful punishment for our sin and wonderful mercy of our Lord that washes our sin away.

The Law: we sin as much as we can;

the Gospel: Jesus forgives all our sin.

Most mountains kill you, if you give them enough time. But not God's mountain, not Zion, not His Church, because there is where He wants to be found. There is where He comes and speaks to you, His accusing Law and His forgiving Gospel.

Advent means that Jesus comes. He comes in three ways. He has come in Bethlehem, God in the flesh. He comes to you now in Baptism, Absolution, and Communion, washing, speaking, and eating. And He is coming again at an hour when you do not expect Him. It is true that we should expect His final advent today, but whether or not He comes today, we are one day closer to the everlasting mountain because we are already on the Mountain. Jesus is with us.

It is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Romans 13:11 + Evangelical Heritage Version

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

Fighting over the Scraps

Thanksgiving

November 24, 2016

Luke 12:13-15

Fighting over the Scraps

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Jesus is not a probate judge. He is the judge of the world, but on the Last Day He won't be probating your will, He won't be dividing up who gets what stuff. Frankly, He doesn't care about your stuff.

¹³Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?” (Luke 12:13-14)

But He does care about you. So when a man asked Jesus to help him get a fatter chunk of his dad's inheritance, Jesus wasn't interested.

It's true that Jesus always helps those who are desperate: terrified Jairus, sinking Peter, the humble Canaanite mother. But He didn't help Inheritance Man. He answered him essentially, “Man, this isn't My job.” And He went on to identify the sin that so often drives disputes over inheritance: greed. Jesus said:

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Jesus doesn't want us to fight over the scraps of this world. And although there are lots of good things in this world, anything that pushes Jesus and His death and resurrection to the side is a scrap. Anything of this world that we hang on to for hope instead of Jesus' cross is a scrap.

Some scraps are easy to identify. But many scraps are in our blind spot.

America isn't going to save you.

The President isn't going to save you.

Lots of toys for Christmas isn't going to save you.

Cheap gas isn't going to save you.

A good harvest isn't going to save you.

A great house isn't going to save you.

The joy of family togetherness isn't going to save you.

A treasured family recipe isn't going to save you.

America, presidents, toys, energy, crops, houses, families, and food are all gifts from Jesus. But He didn't give them to us to save us; He sent Himself. And even though He knows that we turn these scraps into idols, He still gives us these things because He knows that we need them.

So don't fight over the scraps of this world. Use them; enjoy them, but don't hold on to them.

Instead cling to Jesus, the Giver of all good things. And above all the things He gives us, He gives us Himself. He gave His life on the cross to be punished for our love of scraps. He rose to life and left the tomb to speak peace to us. And even now He continues to serve us. With His water. With His words. With His body. With His blood.

For the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

Ready for the Return of Our King

Last Sunday of the Year

November 20, 2016

Luke 12:35-40

Ready for the Return of Our King

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

When some of you were being born or still watching Blue's Clues, one fine December afternoon I drove from our Seminary north of Milwaukee to Madison's finest and only IMAX theatre. I met my brother there for an event: watching all three Lord of the Rings movies in one sitting. This took about 10 hours.

As the hours rolled by and the first movie ended and then the middle movie began, I began to get sleepy. I had already gone to classes in the morning, worked my part-time job, and driven a couple of hours to get to the movie event. And I had already seen these movies before. But I wanted to stay awake for the very first minute of the third and new and final film of the trilogy. If I missed that arrival of the King of Middle-earth, the whole night would have been a failure.

In a very small way, this waiting for the big moment is like our wait for our Savior Jesus. So many of the days are our waiting seems like we're watching the same day over and over, so we get bored and sleepy. The big moment of our Master's return seems far away, so it seems like time for a nap. But Jesus said:

³⁵“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.” Luke 12:35-36 NIV 1984

Jesus is coming back and He always wants us to be ready. This is why it's wise to assume that today will be the day of our Master's return, the return of our King. How do you stay ready for service? The key to this question is that the greatest good work there is isn't what we do for our King, but what we receive from Him. Jesus said:

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them.” Luke 12:37

He comes and waits on us. This is what heaven is, Jesus serving us. But it is also our lives now. Jesus said:

“For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

What do you receive when you come to a table and are waited on? Food. And Jesus' food is His own body and blood.

So how do you stay dressed and ready for service? Receiving Jesus, listening to the Words He has left for us, eating and drinking His body and blood under bread and wine. And Jesus makes us strong to keep our lamps burning, that is, to stay awake.

All those years ago, I did fall asleep, but I didn't miss the beginning of The Return of the King. Can you guess why? My brother woke me up. In the same way, one of our greatest ways to serve others is to keep them awake for Jesus' return by talking Jesus to them. Every day you think about Jesus, you talk Jesus, you discuss Jesus with those close to you, your brothers and sisters in Christ, which are your parents and your kids or your actual siblings.

For example, when you call your Mom or your Daughter, talk Jesus with her. Ask her about what her pastor talked about in Bible class. Ask her what “Honor your father and mother” means. Ask her how she knows she saved. She'll either help you or you'll help her. Or both! It might be the last time you speak to each other, because Jesus is probably back today. This isn't scary, but rather wonderful news! Jesus said:

³⁸It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. ³⁹But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” Luke 12:35-40 NIV 1984

Jesus is the Son of Man crowned King with a crown of thorns, who saved His subjects by dying for them on a cross. And then three days later He rose to proclaim His kingdom, which has now come to you. And He's coming back, which is wonderful, because you belong to Him.

When's the very last time you'd expect our King to return? Right now, right! So today you receive and speak Jesus. Today.

For the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

Christ Gives Us More Than a “Better Place”

Festival of All Saints

November 6, 2016

Revelation 21:4

Christ Gives Us More Than a “Better Place”

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

These are beloved words that we cling to when someone we know and especially someone we love dies. This promise from Jesus is the foundation for the words often spoken about the dearly departed to the grieving survivors: “They are in a better place now.”

It's better because they aren't dying anymore. They aren't sick anymore. They aren't tired anymore.

But to tell the whole truth, they also aren't grumpy anymore. They aren't insensitive anymore. They aren't lazy anymore. In short, they aren't sinners anymore.

This sinfulness that afflicts the lives of every human being from the very beginning of life must be talked about at the end of life. If it isn't, than heaven is just a better place. 

“Better place” funeral sermons that don't explain why your grandfather or mother or brother is dead is a bad sermon. And in a sermon like that, if and when Jesus is mentioned, He is only making a cameo.

Our loved ones are dead because they were born sinners. And they proved it with empirical evidence that was their lives. They spent their lives sinning in public and private ways. And these sins are very close to home. They held grudges, just like you. They gossiped, just like you. They were greedy, just like you. They lived most days without stopping to examine their sin and the wages of their sin, which is death.

However, every now and again, they would. They didn't have a choice. These days were days when they went to church on a Tuesday morning for a funeral. And there they saw it: Death.

If the preacher was bad, Death and Sin were never mentioned. The preacher would try to flower over the stink of Death, and praise the dead with their good deeds and their place in the community. But this kind of preaching only kills us more. What good are our good deeds before God? He demands perfect deeds with perfect intent and perfect execution all the time, not good deeds once in a while and always tainted with selfish interest. Preaching like this is like trying to mask the stench of overflowing garbage filled with dirty diapers and rotting fruit with a pumpkin candle. You can pretend for a while, but the rot is always there.

So to continue this smelly picture, you can't take out your trash. But Jesus does. He goes through your whole house—your heart and soul—and finds all the hidden garbage—your sin and your sins—and picks it up and takes it all outside and dumps it on Himself. All those dirty diapers, rotting food, and every other old and disgusting thing. He is covered and smeared with our sin. On the cross Jesus was our sin and He was punished for our filth by His heavenly Father. He did this for you; He did this for your dearly departed.

Good Christian funerals always are about our sin and Jesus' mercy. Good funeral preaching is always about His sacrifice on the cross and His washing of the sinners in Holy Baptism. In short, good preaching is about God's deeds, not yours. And because Jesus' good deeds are credited to you as though they are your own, your death will usher you into heaven. So our dearly departed saints are saved by Jesus and live and sing at this moment.

Indeed in our liturgy it is rightly said that when we sing “Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly host: heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna!” we are joining with all the saints on earth and the hosts of heaven. The hosts of heaven are our sainted grandfathers, grandmothers, aunt, uncles, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, babies, cousins, friends, and others, sainted, made holy by the blood of Christ. They are not in a better place, but they are in the best place, because forever with Jesus is the best place to be.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many.

Mark 10:45

Christ Is the Truth that Sets You Free Indeed

Reformation Sunday

October 30, 2016

John 8:31-36

Christ Is the Truth that Sets You Free Indeed

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Today is an accident. We shouldn't be here today. I don't mean that we shouldn't remember the Reformation, but rather that the actual day that became “Reformation Day” isn't a day Lutherans picked. (Ask me about this accident at the potluck.)

The proof's in the pudding that we never actually eat, so to speak, since you have never read the 95 theses, today or any other day. Now maybe this because we are Americans, who have been taught to disdain the actual happenings and documents of the past. For example, how many of us read the Declaration of Independence on Independence Day? (Or have ever read it?)

We are lazy Americans and like to keep things simple: the British were bad, George Washington was good, we won, fireworks. We are also lazy Lutherans: the pope was bad, Martin Luther was good, we won, trick or treat and/or potluck.

Jesus didn't set us free to be hazy about what truly happened in the past. In fact Jesus sent His Holy Spirit and His unworthy pastors and parents and grandparents to speak the Truth to us. This Truth—which isn't a what, but a who—is Jesus.

³¹To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. ³²Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” ³³They answered Him, “We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” ³⁴Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36 NIV 1984)

Just before this back-and-forth between Jesus and the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus explained their big problem: they loved the big lie that the Devil had planted in their hearts. This lie said that they were going to heaven because they had the right family tree: Abraham was their father! (Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus was born. The Lord promised that the Savior of the world would be born as one of Abraham's descendants. We call the family tree of Abraham the Jewish people and the Jewish baby born in Bethlehem, Jesus.)

These Jews speaking with Jesus thought they were protected from hell by Abraham's biological blood flowing in their veins. They thought they were the chosen sons, the princes who would inherit heaven simply by momentum.

Jesus exposed this big lie and He told them that He is the always-existing God. His holy blood would save them, not Father Abraham's. And so they tried to murder Him right then and there:

⁵⁸Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!” ⁵⁹At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John 8:58-59)

Whenever Jesus as the God who dies for sinful humans is preached, either by Jesus Himself or by one of His followers, suppression of this Truth, sometimes by the attempted or successful murder of the Truth-tellers, always follows. But these attempts to stop the Truth always fail. The Word always remains and the preaching of Jesus' bloody dying and then His rising from the dead will endure on earth until Jesus returns, hopefully sometime later today, but you never know.

Just as the Devil twisted the fatherhood of Abraham—a good thing—into a false sense of security for Abraham's lazy children, so the Devil also twists Luther into something he is not. The world hates and loves Luther, but they are always hating or loving a Luther that they have fabricated.

Let me offer an example by way of explanation. George Washington is someone who tells the truth. How do you know this? Because he cut down the cherry tree and when confronted by his daddy, little George confessed: “I cannot tell a lie—it was I.”

This story is completely made-up. It was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers, Mason Locke Weems. After Washington’s death in 1799 people were anxious to learn about him, and Weems was ready to supply the demand. Weems’ biography, The Life of Washington, in its fifth edition (1806) included this completely made-up story. (mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/cherry-tree-myth/)

Luther did actually post these 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church. These theses were 95 logical points against selling God's forgiveness for money. And as Luther's preaching and teaching declared in the years that followed, God's forgiveness is a free gift to us that Jesus earned with His blood and death on the cross. And then this forgiveness is given freely to sinners of all shapes and sizes—sinful babies, sinful kids, sinful grown-ups, and sinful seniors—through God's Word with water, with speaking, and with Jesus' true body and blood.

The Devil and the unbelieving world tries to use Luther to proclaim anything, but Jesus. They demand that Luther symbolize freedom from Jesus. Next year you will hear much about Luther as a genius who introduced the modern era. Don't buy it. Luther cared about Jesus, the One who first cared about him and died for him and rose for him and baptized him as a little baby in a little church over 500 years ago.

The Reformation was not about making it easier to get to heaven. No, if anything the Reformation showed us just how hard it is. For man, it is impossible. Not an indulgence or offering, not a pilgrimage or mission trip, not circumcision or uncircumcison, not a monk's prayer or prayers of prayer warriors, not an active life in the church or just having your name on a membership directory, no, nothing you do can improve your standing before God.

But if God's Son sets you free, you are free indeed. These words are Christ's words and He is the one who inspired Paul to write the little word “indeed.” Everything needed for forgiveness is in deed done, for our dear Lord has done it, not on accident, but on purpose for you.

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

Christ Died and Rose for His Brother

St. James of Jerusalem

October 23, 2016

John 7:5 & 1 Corinthians 15:7

Christ Died and Rose for His Brother

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Today the Church remembers James of Jerusalem. James was a half-brother of Jesus and for the first part of his life, an unbeliever.

³His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works that You are doing. ⁴For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” ⁵(For not even His brothers believed in Him.) (John 7:3-5)

Before Jesus' crucifixion His own brother James rejected Him as Messiah. James did not think that Jesus was God's Son, born of their mother Mary. James did not believe that Jesus had come to pay for his sins and the sins of the world. And he was not alone in this rejection of Jesus as the Savior.

⁵⁴Coming to His hometown, He [Jesus] began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. They asked, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren't all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” ⁵⁸And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:53-58)

But everything changed for James after Jesus died and rose from the dead. Paul noted that after Jesus' resurrection:

⁷Then He [Jesus] appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:7)

We know that in the days following the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, James became a believer. And he was to become a leader of the Church in Jerusalem. He wrote the Epistle that bears his name. In this letter he urged his fellow Christians to remain steadfast in the one true faith and constant in holy living. His letter may be thought of in terms of this old Lutheran axiom: “Faith alone saves, but faith is never alone.”

James also rejoiced to hear the work of the Holy Spirit among non-Jews. When Paul returned from his first missionary journey, Paul and James together thanked God for His mercy to all mankind through the Preaching of Christ and Him crucified.

¹²Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. ¹³After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me! ¹⁴[Peter] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name. ¹⁵And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: ¹⁶After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, ¹⁷so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, declares the Lord who does these things, ¹⁸known from long ago. (Acts 15:12-18)

After Jesus died and rose from the dead and showed Himself to His brother, James knew that His brother is the Son of David, the Messiah, whose death and resurrection brings life to the world is for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.

The Church calls Christians, who are murdered for witnessing the truth of Christ's cross, martyrs. An ancient account of the end of James' life reported that he was put to death by stoning by a small group of his fellow Jews in the year of our Lord 62. James and all the saints and martyrs are waiting around the heavenly throne of God for the dawn of Earth's youngest day when all flesh shall be raised in glorious triumph by the Word of Christ.

Until that day dawns, we rejoice to see how Jesus raises up the most unlikely people to do His holy will. James was at first the last person who would have followed Jesus and confessed His Cross as the way of salvation.

Jesus and James were brothers and Jesus died and rose to save his brother. As Jesus wonderfully declared:

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Or his brother.

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

We Need to Go Where God Is For Us

Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity

October 16, 2016

John 4:50

We Need to Go Where God Is For Us

*

The good thoughts in this sermon come from Pastor David Petersen. Fantastic insights! Thank you! Listen to him directly here: issuesetc.org/2016/10/10/2832-looking-forward-to-sunday-morning-1-year-lectionary-jesus-heals-an-officials-son-pr-david-petersen-101016/

In the name

of the Father and of the ☩ Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

It's true that God is everywhere, but that doesn't do you much good. If you stick your hand into a campfire, God is everywhere doesn't do you much good. If you jump into a pit of tarantulas, you won't die, but God is everywhere won't do you much good.

The point of today's lesson is you need to go where God has promised to be for you. That means you need to go to Jesus and you find Jesus in His Word. So that's why you came here. Jesus promised to be for you at church. If you try to get Jesus in another way, you will die.

So Jesus is visiting Cana again. Earlier He had come to a wedding in Cana and turned water into wine. A local nobleman has a very sick son, and when he heard that Jesus was in the area, about 25 miles away, he went to see Jesus. He begged Jesus to heal his son.

Jesus is blunt with this rich man.

“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (John 4:48)

Jesus is telling this man, in effect, “Okay, you're looking in the right place, but you've come for the wrong thing.” The nobleman wants signs and wonders, but he isn't seeking the kingdom of God because he's made an idol out of life, specifically the life of his son.

We do this all the time, too. We want the good things that God gives, but we want them by themselves apart from God.

So at home we want the pleasures of married life, but we don't want to the responsibilities of being married: we don't want to take out the trash, we don't want to listen to our spouses, we don't want to be limited to one spouse. In the church we want unity in the church, but we don't want church discipline and right doctrine and practice.

So we want the good things, but we take them out of the context of God's mercy and goodness. We want good things on our own terms. We make them idols. And your idols are not made out of stone and wood; they look like you.

So back to Cana. So the Devil is tempting this nobleman with the idol of his son's life. Idols are the things we can't live without and the nobleman couldn't live without his son. He fears, loves, and trusts in his son's life above all things, above God. So he comes to God and tells Jesus what Jesus to do. And if God doesn't do this miracle, then the nobleman has no use for God.

We can't see the nobleman's heart, but the faith we will assume was there was imperfect because of his trust in his idol. It's as if he saying, “Look, Jesus, You can lecture me about doctrine later. Right now we have an emergency! All that matters is that my child lives!” Life and fatherhood, what good things! But they don't get to trump God, who gives life and fathers.

The nobleman thinks that as long as his boy lives, there's hope. But if his son dies, then all hope will be lost. This man's idol, worshiping the life of his son, was this man. This is true for all good things. Life is no good apart from God. Marriage is no good apart from God. Family is no good apart from God.

We might think that the Devil is the one making this child sick and near death; but that would have been the last thing he wanted. The Devil was happy to keep this father trusting in his idols and spiritually sleepy.

Instead God used this sickness to expose this man's idol to save him. We call this the theology of the cross. God is shouting at the nobleman through the sickness of his son to wake up and the nobleman cannot ignore Him.

And Jesus simply says,

“You may go. Your son lives.” (John 4:50)

It's unfortunate that the NIV translates this Greek present tense verb as “Your son will live.” This makes it seem that Jesus is promising a miracle. But all Jesus says is that the nobleman's son lives at that moment. So there are two miracles: the son is healed, but the greater miracle is that

The man took Jesus at His word and departed. (John 4:50)

He believes Jesus' promise that his son is alive and will stay alive forever, even though he dies. This is the greater miracle of trusting Jesus where He wants to be found. Jesus gave this man just want he needed, not a miracle, but faith.

The miracle wine that Jesus created in Cana at the wedding is long gone, but the nobleman from Capernaum and his son still live, even though they died long ago.

You are on the same road as the nobleman. You have only Jesus' word, given to you here at church, and you go home. And you pray at home, “Jesus, don't let my friend die, don't let my wife die, don't let my children die.” And God says to you in His Word:

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25)

He is saying, “I know them and I love them more than you do. I baptized them into My name and they live, even when they die.” So we live in hope, we mourn in hope, we wait in hope, taking Jesus at His word.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in Him

we might become the righteousness of God.

Alleluia! Amen!