I'll See Your "Sanctification" and Raise You My Sin

"Don't you realize as a Christian you are supposed to progress in your sanctification?"

"Don't you know you are always supposed to be getting better and better?"

"Don't you understand that you are supposed to be doing more?"

"Talk is cheap, now show me!"

Thus rings out the common refrain.  There must be growth - so you better get to growing.  Show me your works more and more -- and of course, the implied, "see me and how I have grown."

... sigh.

Here is my simple question for all these folks who go on and on about this growth in sanctification -- who in Scripture talks this way?

Consider Paul.  Does he talk about progress in sanctification?  Quite the opposite - oh, he *was* the Pharisee of pharisees and blameless... but now he says that he *is* (not was) the chief of sinners.  Oh, he's Paul, he can say that he's worked harder than any of them... but when he sees himself he cries out "Who will save me from this body of death!"

See, here's the thing that all these progressive sanctification folks mess up.  When they want to find growth and maturity... they look for "good works"... when Paul would have you see more and more the depths of your sin.

Let me use an analogy from the Sports World.

When I was in High School - I was on the golf team.  I'd shoot maybe around a 42 for 9 holes.  If I shot 40, I was happy.

Now, let us say that I continued my golfing prowess and became pro -- and let us say that I shoot even par, 72.  Do I look at that and say, "Ah, see how much better I am now than I was" -- or as a pro, do I dissect and evaluate my game even more... do I see more and more the strokes I gave back because I should have shot 68?

As I grow - my standards become higher.

As you grow in the faith, as you understand the more and more the wisdom of God and His Law -- your standards will be higher.  And you will see your sin more and more.

And if you are sitting thinking how much better you are now -- you haven't raised your standards.  You are, as Paul would put it, still thinking like a child.  You aren't maturing, you aren't examining yourself... you are stroking your own pride.

Someone might say, objectively, that I am a nicer guy now than I was, that I am a better this or that now than I was 10 years ago... and I say, "What of that?  I know my sin, and it is ever before me.  Thanks be to God for His mercy, for I am seeing more and more just how gracious He is to me."

Because you would think that growth in *faith* would be tied to understanding more and more how great Jesus is... but no, let's talk about how I'm becoming a better man.

Vanities of Vanities, all is Vanity!

S.D.G.

S.D.G.  Soli Deo Gloria.  To God Alone be the Glory

This is another thing most Lutherans today don't seem to believe anymore.

I don't say this to be mean, but I do find it interesting how if I write about how God does something, how God forgives, how God gives life -- the question suddenly becomes "what about what I do?"  Aren't I supposed to do good works?  Aren't I supposed to grow knowledge?  Aren't I supposed to be  a good example?

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." - 1 Corinthians 15:10

Do we see what Paul does here?  Well, yes, from a human perspective, he works hard, he does a ton of stuff... but that's not the real focus, the main thrust.  Behold what God has done in making Paul... Paul.  Even what Paul does - no, that credit must go to God.

To God alone be the glory.

I mean, I guess we could spend our time pondering the life and growth of Paul... but that misses the point.  I mean, I suppose, I would hope that I've grown in knowledge and wisdom (I think this is a good thing), but the point ought never be "see, I have grown" - but rather, "Behold Christ Jesus."  If I have become a better preacher... do I not still preach Christ?  If I become a better teacher... do I not still teach Christ?  If I worker harder... is it still not Christ who does this all in and through me?

So why focus on... me?

But Paul says that we are to imitate him in 1 Corinthians 11!  Why?  Not because he is "Paul" - but because he imitates Christ.  Again, always to Christ.

But what of my works?  Are we not to be the salt of the earth?  Are we not a city on a hill?  Yeah - but finish off that little section of the Sermon on the Mount - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

To God alone be the glory.  Not to you.  

Really.  It doesn't have to be about your actions at all.

But consider the great lives of faith and example that we have... yes, consider them, but consider them how Hebrews would have you consider them.  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Yes - like them, we will look to Jesus.  And you know what He is?  The author, the founder, the creator of our faith.  He is the one who perfects it, who brings it about in us and completes it.

Your faith is still about Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Easter 2 Sermon

April 7^th – Easter 2 – John 20:19-31
Christ is Risen (He is Risen indeed, Alleluia) Amen +

          Dear friends in Christ, when we think of Easter, we tend to think of happiness and joy, don’t we?  When we think of Easter, this is what we think of, we think of the empty tomb with joy, we think of Christ our Risen King with that good, Christian Happiness.  So doesn’t it strike you as odd, as it at first strikes me as odd whenever I read our Gospel, that the very evening of Easter – having seen the empty tomb, having been told by Mary Magdalene that Jesus is risen, that the Disciples are huddled in a locked room, hiding for fear of the Jews as Scripture says?  Joy and happiness, hiding and fear.  What bigger clash of ideas and feelings and attitudes and emotions could there be?  Yet this is what we see in our Gospel text.

          I think sometimes we give Thomas a bad rap, Thomas gets the short end of the stick when we call him “doubting Thomas”.  It’s not just Thomas who doubts.  Look, the other disciples are there, hiding out in a room.  Mary, you say Jesus has risen, um. . . we’re not buying that.  Um, we’ll just hole up over here.  The disciples are full of doubt, full of disbelief, and so there they are, holed up and anxiously passing the night away, dreading the knock on the door that would be the soldiers coming to take them away.  The Sabbath is over, the High Priests can start their round up of the rest of that Jesus rabble can begin.  They are afraid, and their fears are quite reasonable, quite rational. 

          And then Jesus is there.  And did you note this. . . He doesn’t knock, He doesn’t ask politely to come in, the disciples don’t have to open the door to Jesus and ask Him in. . . He’s simply there.  In His Body.  Do you see what this shows us about Jesus, what this shows us about our Resurrected Lord?  First, it shows that He has begun His reign; this is Christ Exulted.  He is God, and He will go where He wants. . . yet He is still Man – see His hands, see His side.  Here we get of glimpse of what Jesus is like right now, we see True God and True Man in one Jesus.  But it also shows us something else important about Christ, something that we cannot emphasize enough.  Our salvation isn’t about what we do, what we decide.  We aren’t saved because we are brave and good and do what God wants.  The Disciples certainly weren’t brave and good here.  Nor are we saved because we decided to follow Christ, because we ask Jesus into our hearts – the Disciples don’t ask Jesus in, He simply shows up.  This is the way God works. . . our God isn’t some passive Being who just sits around until we tell Him what to do – our God is active – He is a Living God who comes into our lives, comes in by His most Holy Word.

          Do you see Jesus being active here?  He shows up, and then He speaks.  Peace be with you.  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  This is what Christ is about, this is what His whole life is about.  There, before the Disciples stands God Almighty, the Word of God, the One by Whom all things were made, the One whom we are to Fear, love, and trust in above all others – and He says Peace.  The strife is over, the battle done.  Adam’s sin, Adam’s rebellion that you have made your own by your sin, God Himself has taken care of it.  God comes into the fallen world and makes things right, wins for us salvation, ends the fight we were in with God.  This is what Jesus does, this is what He is about, and this is why He can announce to the Disciples that there is Peace.  There is nothing stronger than Him, not the High Priests, not even death – see, He is risen – Peace be with you.

          And then did you note what Jesus does next?  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”  And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you without forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”  Jesus doesn’t just want the Disciples to be the only ones who knows the Peace that He has established, Jesus want the forgiveness of sins to be something hidden and unknown.  Just as the Father sends the Son to win forgiveness, so the Son sends the Apostles – that’s what Apostle means, it means one who is sent.  The Son sends our His Servants to preach and give out His forgiveness that He won.  God doesn’t want to be hidden, Jesus doesn’t want people to be ignorant of the forgiveness which He won.

          And thus we see the point of why there is a Zion (or Trinity) Lutheran Church.  Everything that goes on in this place, what we do, our reason for existing is this – that the Peace of Christ might be proclaimed, that sinners might come here and hear the forgiveness of their sins preached to them, to receive Peace.  This Church isn’t a country club, it isn’t a resort.  We aren’t here to just get together and congratulate each other on how wonderful we are.  This Church is a hospital, where sick, sick people, people fighting and dealing with the terminal illness of sin, come for the Lord’s cure.  This is where we come to hear God’s Word, to learn it, to inwardly digest it – so that we might have strength to live out our days praising our God and Lord. 

This also shows what in particular my duty here is.  When you called [/asked] me to be your pastor, this is what you asked me to do.  God has sent me here to preach Christ and Him Crucified, to teach His Word.  Christ describes this task as forgiving the sins of the penitent and preaching the law with its full terror to those who are secure in their sin.  This is the command that God has given me.  This is what I swore to do [in front of you here] at my Ordination, and I would ask that you continually keep me in your prayers that I might be faithful in this task.  What goes on here is serious stuff, when we gather here it’s not a matter of indifference, just something to do on a Sunday morning because that’s what mom and dad did, but when we gather here we gather as sinners who are humble, sinners who recognize their need for forgiveness, sinners who receive God’s forgiveness, who receive God’s peace, peace that the world cannot understand.  Peace that endures even over and beyond and through the fears we face in our earthly days.

And then in our text we get the story of Thomas.  Thomas wasn’t there that night – he must have had an even better hiding spot.  And when the Apostles come to him and say, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas isn’t buying it.  It’s too good to be true, you guys are all delusional and crazy.  Thomas wants more than just to hear what the Apostles say.  Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my finger into His side, I will never believe.  Do you see how physical Thomas is – he wants to see the Body – Thomas wants to touch and feel with his own hands the Body that was dead and lifeless on Good Friday restored to life.  That’s when he will believe.  We shouldn’t call him doubting Thomas, we should call him arrogant Thomas.  Think how bold that is!  Think about how prideful that is – unless I get to poke Jesus I won’t believe.  A student in the ancient world would never, ever claim the right to touch, to poke his teacher – this is utterly disdainful.  It’s one thing to doubt, it’s one thing to be unsure – the struggle that we all go through always – but man, it’s another thing entirely to be a complete and utter jerk.  And that’s what Thomas is being right now.

But Thomas is with them when Jesus shows up. . . and Jesus is just as bold.  Alright Thomas, here I am, come on, put your finger.  Come on Thomas, touch me.  And did you note what happened, and this is fabulous.  Jesus says “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.  Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  I will see your arrogance and haughtiness Thomas, and I’ll brush it off, because I am Christ Jesus, Risen from the dead.  Won’t harm Me any, come here and poke and prod if you want – but either way, believe.  Then we hear this: Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!”  Did you see it?  Thomas doesn’t touch Him.  John doesn’t say, “Thomas touches Him and says, “oh, okay, now I will believe.”  No, Christ’s presence, Christ’s love drives away from Thomas Thomas’ pride, his arrogance.  Seeing Christ, Hearing His Word, Thomas is moved to confess Jesus, to call Him Lord and God.

This, dear friends, is what happens to us.  When we enter this place, when we hear God’s Word, when we know His presence in His Word and Sacrament, we abandon our pride, we stop worrying about how wonderful and important we are, and rather we simply come, and beholding our Lord and His love for us we confess Him.  Beholding our Lord, we receive His forgiveness – whether it is spoken in the Absolution – In the stead and by the command I forgive you your sin in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost – or whether it is read from the lectern or proclaimed from the pulpit.  Knowing that Jesus Christ is resurrected, that He reigns forever, we humbly come to this, His Church, we approach His Altar, and we receive from Him His own Body and Blood for our forgiveness.  Again, it’s a beautiful part of the liturgy – I will hold forth the Supper and say – The Peace of the Lord be with you Always.  Behold Christ’s Body and Blood given for you!  God knows what we need, He knows our struggles, our flaws, our faults, our sin – He knows better than we do – and so He calls us to His house over and over, week in and week out, to hear His Word, to receive His forgiveness by hearing, by receiving His Supper.

And this is how we as Christians live.  We receive from God His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.  Now, this doesn’t mean that because we put in a hour on Sunday everything in life will come up roses.  We are still people who struggle with our own sin, we still live in a sinful world.  Eight days later the Twelve still had their door locked – we still always while we live have this sin to struggle against.  But in the midst of this God comes into our lives, God comes and invites us to His House, and speaks His Peace to us – Always.  Christ is Risen (He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia) Amen.

I am a Simulist

Simul Justus et Peccator - Simultaneously Just and Sinner.

I am not an Antinomian.  I am not a Legalist.  I am not a "Softy".  I am not a "Liberal" - nor am I a Conservative.

I am a Simulist.

Luther's famous adage is that we are at the same time sinner and saint, and this I hold to be true, and this shapes how I view everything in the Christian faith, everything in the Christian life.

I know those who think that I disdain the Law.  No.  I know the Law.  I see and feel the Law, and I'd argue I do so better.  Because I know, from the Word of God, that I am a sinner.

Period.

In everything I do.

No, seriously - that's the point.  Everything I do is sinful, is full of sin, full of vice.  My righteous deeds are but filthy rags.  I always have ulterior motives. Nothing about *me* myself is pure.

And I see this truth all the time - no matter how nice my outward actions may look.  And thus, I am frustrated when I see the so called preachers of the "law" basically thunder on about some issue of the day that attempts merely to make people behave "nice" rather than dealing with the blunt truth of the Law - that you are a sinner, always, and that you will die as the due wages of your sin.  Anything less than that is just telling people to be "nice" - it's telling people to wash their hands (or make their outward actions look nice) neglecting that is it what comes out of the heart that defiles (you know, your sinful heart is the problem - always, no matter how nice you look).

And this applies to me always - even when I write these, even when I preach.  Luther was wise when he would have pastors pray, "and not to my glory or the praise of men, but grant that I might dillegently learn [Thy Word]".  Even now.  Even when I sleep.

I am a sinner.  And will be all my days. 

This is true.

At the same time, there is another wondrous truth.  Christ Jesus has died for the sins of the world and risen to restore us unto life.  This is what He has done for me.  The Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, given me faith, given me Christ who now lives in me -- indeed, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.

This is true.

Both are true - at the same time.  Totally and completely, without reservation.

Even as I am utterly sinful, God works good in me and through me, because I am His redeemed child and His Spirit gives me life - indeed, gives me Christ who lives no more to die.

Don't tell me what I must do in order to be "good" - because I am not doing anything that is good.  Why would you tell me how to be good - do you not know that only God is good?  No - tell me that I am a sinner through and through, and then tell me who Christ is and what He does for me.  For what He does for me, He actually does.  You don't have to coax or cajole it.  He forgives, He gives life, and I am a new creation.

Granted, until I die, I'm going to see both - I'm going to be simul - both saint and sinner.  I will need to have my flesh beat down, I will need my sin revealed -- no appearance of "goodness" will benefit me, nor will pride in my better understanding of morals.  I am still a sinner, I am still terminal - who cares if I cough less than others.  Show me my sin.

Then show me Christ, give me Christ, that in Him I may have life and have it abundantly.

For did you not know that I only have life in Christ -- not in your advice, not in your plans, not in your tossing of plans and breaking of mores.  Nope - just in Christ -- and in Him I do have life.  Even now.  And I long to see it in full come the Last Day.  I long for when I will no longer be simul but only Just, with Christ my all and all.

But both are true -- and that is where I live.  Show me sin, show me Christ -- these are the two realities of my life.  Give me nothing else.

Easter Sermon

Easter Day – March 31^st, 2013 – John 20:1-18

Christ is Risen – He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia + Amen

          We often think of how long, how agonizing Good Friday was.  I think we neglect to think how quick and rushed the end of it would have been.  Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and the Friday before a High, Festival Sabbath, and so He had to be taken off the cross and buried quickly.  And Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus do so, they had put the cloths and the spices on His Body and hurriedly laid Him in a near by tomb, because there was no time to do more.  And so, that Sunday morning, actually, we wouldn’t even think of it as the morning yet, it was well before the Sun was up, what my uncle would call “O’Dark Hundred”, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women head to the tomb to do things right.  You need to do things right, show the proper respect, make things nice and neat and respectful… and they hadn’t been able to, things were too rushed.  But now, after many long hours, they could put things right.

          And the stone is gone.  The tomb is open.  Broken into.  Defiled.  Robbed.  Desecrated!  And so Mary Magdalene does what she thinks is best – “So she rant and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’”  She reports a robbery.  A break in.  And so, Peter and John go to check it out – John heads first, sees that the tomb is open, Peter barges in, sees the cloths lying there in a strange fashion.  They look, and they see, but they do not understand, for as John himself admits, “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead.”  And then, Peter and John, big help that they are, go home.  Yep, Mary, there’s something strange afoot… and they’ve been killing people, we’re headed back home.  Let’s just wait and see how this all sorts out.

          That’s when Mary decides to check things out.  Oh, she’s an emotional wreck, weeping like made.  And when she enters the tomb, there are angels there, and they ask her, “’Woman, why are you weeping?’  She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’”  Every year, this verse gets me – Mary is so distraught that she doesn’t think anything strange of two guys hanging out in the tomb – two guys that Peter and John hadn’t seen in there.  Something strange is going on – but Mary cannot see it, she is so caught up in fear and anger and sorrow that she is blind.  The full weight of just how lousy life is in this stinking, sinful, fallen, rotting world has come crashing down on her, and she’s overwhelmed.  So overwhelmed, that even when Jesus Christ Himself shows up to talk to her, when He asks her why she is weeping, when He asks Whom she is seeking – she still doesn’t get it.  “Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’”  And that right there is her best hope – maybe it wasn’t a break in, maybe it wasn’t a robbery, maybe this isn’t Jesus’ opponents come to desecrate Him and His tomb.  Maybe it’s just the cemetery caretaker who pulled a Body out of a tomb that it wasn’t supposed to be in, maybe Jesus’ Body is just being transferred.

          And then Jesus calls her by name, and she sees, and then there is nothing but joy.

          What commentary is there to give upon that?  In that moment, as Jesus calls her by her name, Mary sees that every wrong and ill in the world is undone, that things are all made right again.  Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Death itself is undone.  Sin has been totally forgiven.  Life has returned.  It’s all good once again.

          It’s interesting, because when Mary saw the open tomb at first, she thought the grave had been robbed.  And in many ways, she was right.  The grave has been robbed – since Adam and Eve the grave, Sheol, knew that it has as its right and bounty every last single human being.  We live, we die, we are buried and put in the grave.  Until Christ.  Until Easter day, when the Father raises Christ from death and the grave, and says, “No more, you will not have my people, O grave – you will not get to keep them, O death.  Behold, Jesus Christ is risen today.”  This resurrection which we celebrate today – this is your resurrection, I mean that literally.  Because of this day, no grave will hold you in, no vault will keep you sealed, because Christ Jesus has risen, and so shall you.  She thought that the tomb had been broken into, and again, she was sort of right.  Christ Jesus just broke into every tomb in existence and paved the way for every one of them to be broken open the Last Day.  Mary was worried about desecration and defilement – well Satan’s power, Satan’s domain, the fear that Satan had over us – Christ desecrated and defiled that – pulled the sting out of death, pulled the teeth out of the dogs of war, showed Satan just how weak and powerless he is compared to God Almighty – our Redeemer lives, and He stands upon the Earth, and so shall we and we shall see Him face to face – and there’s not a thing Satan can do to stop it.

          And Mary gets it when Christ calls her by Name.  And guess what – He has called you by your name.  That’s your baptism, your Christening, you “in-Christ-ing” to use an old term for it, where you received your “Christian Name”.  You have been called by name out of this world of darkness unto Christ Himself and His kingdom.  If you die before He returns, He’ll call you by name out of your tomb.  He has won you the victory, and there is nothing that sin, death, the devil can do to stop Him.  You are forgiven and you have life in His Name.  You are united to Him, joined to Him – He has given Himself to you, He gives you even His own lifegiving Body – take and eat, take and drink – here, receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.  Receive a reminder that you belong to Christ, receive a foretaste of the feast to come for all eternity.  That same risen Lord comes to you, proclaims forgiveness to you in His Word, comes to you in Supper, declares that you are forgiven and shall rise – and this is the great reality of your life.

          My dear friends in Christ Jesus, indeed, my brothers and sisters in Christ – the grave is broken, death is undone and will not last, and Christ Jesus lives.  He has won.  Your sin is done away with, atoned for, forgiven – and Christ lives and gives you everything, now and for eternity.  This is most certainly true.  Amen. Christ is Risen – He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia.  Amen

Good Friday Sermon

Good Friday – March 29^th, 2013 – John 18 and 19

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

          He could have stopped it.  Over and over again, He could have stopped it, stopped His passion.  Reading through the Passion, we see so many times and places where Jesus could have escaped.  “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.  Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place.”  It would have been simple enough to put things off – pick a different garden, a different place to pray.  But no, since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, Christ would go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas knew He would be.

          Even there, He could have stopped it.  “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’  They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’  Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’  Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.  When Jesus said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.  So He asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek.’”  There’s no trickery, no denial.  Jesus doesn’t put on a fake nose and mustache, He doesn’t say you have the wrong man.  No, instead, He says “I AM!” – and the soldiers fall back in terror.  And yet, even then, Jesus doesn’t flee.  Of course He doesn’t.  He had not created man to live in terror and fear – that’s the effect of a sinful, fallen world, and Christ will relieve fear, even the fears of the soldiers who come to arrest Him.  I am the one you are looking for, I will go quietly, do not be afraid.

          And even then, He could have stopped it.  Peter drew his sword – Peter was ready to fight – and off came an ear.  And yet, what does Jesus do?  Give a war cry – up and at ‘em, boys?  No.  “So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?’”  No, Jesus had enough of swords in gardens.  The flaming sword the angel held to keep man out of Eden was more than enough – no more swords in gardens, not this night Peter. 

          And so He goes.  They bind Him and drag Him off, and then the High Priest and his lackeys question Him.  And Jesus won’t debate them.  “Jesus answered him, ‘I have spoken openly to the world.  I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together.  I have said nothing in secret.’”  He could have stopped it.  When Jesus taught openly and in public, He repeatedly put the Scribes and the Pharisees to shame – showed them their foolishness.  He could have done the same here, He could have run circles around the High Priest.  But that is not why He is there – He isn’t there to show forth His intellectual and theological dominance.  And so it continues.

          He is taken to Pilate.  He could have stopped it there.  Pilate seemed to like Jesus well enough – Pilate found no guilt in Him, and that’s even without Jesus buttering Pilate up.  Pilate would have been a strong ally – I’m no threat to you, in fact, I could be a wedge you could use against the Chief Priests.  But Jesus did not come to drive wedges between Jew and Gentile, and so, even though He could have stopped it there, He did not.

          Pilate still tries to stop it for Jesus.  Pilate beats Jesus bloody, hoping that this will cause the crowds to pity Him.  How’s that for Your day – where the kindest thing anyone does for You is to lash You to within an inch of your life, just in the hopes that others might pity You.  But it doesn’t work.  Crucify Him, Crucify Him – that remains the cry.  And as for the crucifixion itself – John doesn’t spend much time focusing on the hours there, but we know it from other gospels.  The taunting, the mockery.  The cries that Jesus saved others but could not save Himself.  And it is ironic, because even there, even on the Cross, Jesus could have stopped it.  The angelic legions could have come, the wounds could have melted away and been healed, and Jesus could have come as the terrible avenging Judge, smiting all the mockers.  But He doesn’t.

          Instead, He thirsts.  The One who said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” hangs there on a tree, fulfilling the Scriptures, thirsting Himself.  Why?  Because He will be satisfied, He will fulfill all righteousness, even as He told His cousin John at His baptism.  He hangs upon the tree, He suffers.  And, there upon the tree, He utters the words of wonder and sorrow and joy.  It is finished.  And He dies.

          Jesus did put a stop to it.  He put an end to it.  The rebellion of mankind that started in the garden – it is finished.  The separation that caused Adam and Eve to hide from God because they were naked – that is finished, God Himself hang naked on a tree.  The sin that cast man out of the garden – it is finished.  The fear of condemnation – it is finished, for perfect love casts out fear, and on the Cross Christ shows forth perfect love.  The flaming sword is extinguished, look, as they pierce Him from His side flow water and blood mixed together – it is finished. The foolish theological speculation, the attempts to prove yourself holy and righteous because of your deeds – that too is finished – John doesn’t show forth wit, he rather says, “I was there, I saw Him die.”  The reason for Israel being called apart has been fulfilled, the Messiah has come, and thus now there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile – it is finished.  And of course, the threat of doom, the pall of death that is cast over us all – It is finished. The Passover had come, and the Firstborn had been slaughtered so that we might live – it is finished.  The Lamb has been slain, and Isaac will live, for it is Finished, and Abraham rejoices to see this Good Friday.

          There is a good reason why Christ Jesus doesn’t bring His passion to a stop.  With His passion He finishes off sin and death and Satan, and He breaks their power, their domain, their grip on you.  And all that remains, the true, highest reality is this – that from the Cross flow water and blood and Spirit to give you life in Christ – the waters of Holy Baptism whereby your sin is washed away and destroyed because of Christ, the blood of the New Testament, whereby your sin is atoned for and you are given new strength and life, the Spirit of Life, who accompanies Christ Word and makes you a new creation and gives you true life in Christ – these things ever end.  These things always come from Christ to you because of His Passion, because of His Good Friday.  He would never stop His passion, for His passion is for your good, and He will die so that you will live, He will drink the cup of wrath so you that will drink the fruit of the vine anew with Him eternally in His kingdom.  All that separates you from God, from you neighbor – dear friends in Christ – It is finished.  In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

Maundy Thursday Sermon

Maundy Thursday – March 28^th, 2013 – John 13:1-15

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

          The hour approaches – the hour approaches where our Lord will be betrayed, where He will be handed over to be beaten, and scourged, and crucified.  The hour is getting late, and He knows that His time of teaching His disciples is short.  There are all these things that they don’t understand.  Sin keeps popping up in them, and temptations will continue to hound them.  What teaching do they hear, now, when time is short?

          Jesus washes their feet.  Jesus shows Himself to be humble, to be a servant.  Why?  For I have given you an example.  Jesus knows, Jesus sees, Jesus understands.  Jesus gets what sin is.  To sin is fundamentally to love yourself and hate the neighbor.  To sin is to make demands of your neighbor, to expect them to serve you.  To paraphrase a former President, to sin is to ask what your neighbor can do for you, rather than asking what you can do for your neighbor.  And Jesus realizes that this will be a lingering problem, and so this is where He focuses a great deal of His teaching this day.

          He sums it up.  He gives us a nice little phrase that we can understand.  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.  It’s not really that new of a commandment.  Obey Your Parents.  Don’t kill.  Don’t steal.  That’s all covered in the commandments.  But Jesus knows how we can abuse those – how we can look simply at what we are supposed to not do, and build ourselves up as hypocrites.  I haven’t stolen, I’ve not robbed a bank, see how wonderful I am.  We try to find loopholes in the law, and Jesus slams them shut.  Love one another.  No, people, don’t think that you can deftly avoid the law, don’t think that you can use it to prove yourself to be a good person.  Here is the standard, here is the commandment.  Love one another.

          Think about that.  That’s a harsh law, that’s a harsh commandment.  When you are doing something, pause, stop and think, “How am I loving my neighbor by doing this?”  That is a high standard.  But this is nothing new.  The Law always has high demands – but Jesus isn’t going to let us fool ourselves into thinking otherwise.  He gives us in the Church our marching orders, and they are rough.  But even as He speaks this Law to us, even as He gives us this new commandment – He doesn’t just let us stew.  He doesn’t just let us fret.  Rather, hear what He says, “Just as I have loved you.”  Although our eyes are shown our own lack, they are also focused on Christ and His love for us.

          Christ’s focus is always upon the neighbor.  Christ’s concern is always shown for those around Him.  Think on the times where Jesus shows compassion upon people, where He heals, where He feeds, where He shows love and concern.  Indeed, involving the love of the neighbor, He is our highest example.  But think on this.  Jesus has loved you.  This is His great focus – showing love to you.  This is His great focus as this Thursday gives way to Good Friday.  Christ’s eyes are upon showing love to you as He goes to the garden; His love for you is shown as He is led like a lamb, silent to the slaughter, during the accusations and kangaroo court of the Night.  His love for you is shown as He allows Himself to be whipped, to be beaten, to be nailed to the tree.  All this is done because Jesus has loved you.  All this is done because Jesus would have your sins be forgiven, because He would rather pay the penalty for sin than let you bear it.  For Jesus, saying that He has loved us is not just some empty words, a trite phrase used to manipulate and seduce.  He puts His love into action as He strides towards the shame and suffering of the Cross.

          This is the very same love that Christ gives to you.  This is the very same love that Christ fills you with, this is the love that is the fruit of His Spirit, which He has given you.  As Christians, you do love each other just as Christ has loved you, for the love you bear and share and show forth to each other is in fact Christ’s love, Christ’s love welling up and in and through you.  Christ’s command this night is also a declaration of what He is doing with your lives.  Christ takes sinful men, and washing you clean He shapes you with His Word – the Potter remolds the clay into His Holy vessels, and now you are filled with Christ’s love, and He pours out that love upon your neighbor through you.  When you show love to your neighbor, that is Christ working through you.  It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  This is how Paul describes this miracle.   Christ fills you to bursting with His love, so that you can’t but help to show forth His love, in spite of yourself.  This is our lives as Christians, where Christ overwhelms our sinfulness with His forgiveness and with His love.

          This is what He does whenever He calls and invites you to His table.  It is no accident that our Lord, the night when He gives us this new command, the night when He was betrayed, takes simple Bread and Wine, and uses them to give us a gift beyond the ability of our mind or reason to comprehend.  Jesus knows and understands in full a truth that we are taught when we are young but can so often forget as we grow old – that we are weak, but He is strong.  So He calls us to His table and says, “Take and Eat, this is My Body.  Take and Drink, this is My Blood.”  Of course our Lord would do this, of course our Lord would give you all that He is, all His strength and love – for this is what love is – to give of one’s own self to the neighbor.  And this is what Christ does in His supper.  And why?  We have a great prayer after Communion which tells us the answer.  “and we beseech Thee that of Thy mercy Thou wouldst strengthen us through the same, through this supper, in faith towards Thee and in fervent love toward one another.”  Jesus sees His disciples that Maundy Thursday evening, He sees you – and He wants you to be strong and firm in the faith, to be filled with Him and His love, and so, He calls you to His table, this very day, this very hour God Himself says, “Come and receive me, take all that I am, so that I might be your strength, and that you might cling only to me.”  This is what our God does for you.  He washes you clean of all your sins and brings you unto Himself.  He gives you every good gift; He gives you Himself.

          The hour of our Lord’s Crucifixion was drawing closer and closer the first Maundy Thursday night – but as always, our Lord’s eyes are fixed on His neighbor – His eyes are fixed upon you.  And He takes you, and turns your focus away from selfish desires and foolish greed, and instead teaches you to love your neighbor.  He feeds you on His own Body and Blood that you will be strengthened in Him.  Behold what Christ Jesus our Lord does for you.  In the Name of Christ the Crucified + Amen.

Did you not know...

One of the changes in the LSB that I did not like involved a hymn.  They changed one line, the very first one.  Now the hymn is "The Clouds of Judgment Gather" -- it used to be known as "The World is Very Evil."

I don't like that change.  I mean, I suppose it's true that the clouds of judgment gather... but there's a subtle shift in focus.  Oh, sure, the world is evil - but look, there's judgment coming.  We jump to quickly to that - we forget the simple truth.  The world is very evil.  Always has been, at least since the Fall.

I'm a always amazed when Christians get all riled up over the latest example of the world being evil.  I'm always befuddled when I see the hands get thrown up in the air that society in general would not only be immoral but... permit it as well!

SHOCK!  GASP!

...

Um, why is this shocking?  Why is this surprising?  Do you not read the Scriptures?  Do you not read Judges, and see what Israel does over and over again?  Do you not read Chronicles and see what happens to the Kings of Judah and Israel?

You vainly say that the US is a "Christian Nation" and think that this means that everything will be hunky dory -- well, historically that is just wrong (unless you want to reduce Christianity to a system of morals and view Jesus as just a new Lawgiver who helps us understand how awesome the Law is)... but look at the true CHOSEN NATION.  Israel.  And what happens to them?  Utter folly.

You say that Gay Marriage would be the utter flipping off of nature and example of idolatry... um, how about sacrificing babies to pagan gods.

Why are you surprised?  Have you not read the Scriptures, do not not know that man is fallen... and that separated from Christ he will be utterly wicked both outwardly and inwardly?

We forget that only the Gospel gives life.  We forget that we live in Christ.  Why do we expect anything even approximating life apart from Christ?

A quote from Reu on Preaching...

"The Church, indeed, consists of men, each of whom as a citizen of an earthly kingdom is called upon to do his political duties, as well as his other duties in the name of the Lord Jesus. For ordinary purposes in ordinary life, it may not be important, or even perhaps possible, for a man to distinguish that which is incumbent on him as a citizen of an earthly realm from that which is incumbent upon him as a child in the family of God.

But the distinction is of vast importance in regard to those who are called to office and ministry in Christ’s Church. The terms of their commission lay down the limits of what they are to do by Christ’s authority; they have no commission to put the affairs of society right, or to eradicate the evils in this present naughty world. In the Gospel of the grace of God, they have committed to them the supreme means of touching men personally and inspiring them with high but practical ideals. This is the grandest work to which any man can give himself; and it is a miserable thing if he fails to put his best energies into this task, and prefers instead to compete with journalists and politicians in guiding some project for social reform.

It is to forsake the fountain of life and to strain at accomplishing some apparent improvement by taking up implements that are less certain and less effective, even for securing human welfare, than the means of grace instituted by Christ Himself… Christ sent His apostles on evangelistic work and bade them administer the sacraments and exercise pastoral care; but He did not enjoin them to agitate for social reforms."

- Johann Michael Reu, Homiletics

Reu was a professor in the old ALC - his catecatical questions were the ones my dad was raised on, and I tend to respect him highly.  When I accepted a call to be a pastor, I gave up on changing the world.  I was given to proclaim Him who conquers over the world and gives life and salvation. 

I have my political opinions - and I enjoy them.  But I'm not going to, as a pastor, try to be an agent of social reform.  Not my highest calling, it simply isn't. 

So - what of social changes that are coming, what of this or that, or culture falling apart!?!?

Consider the end of John.  "Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”"

You are a Christian.  You are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Well, so the world does foolish and crazy things, and God allows it.  What is that to you?  Follow Christ.  Let us keep our eyes focused upon Christ Jesus, the Author and Perfector of (not our faith, not our nation) our faith.

Palm Sunday / Confirmation 2013

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

          That first Palm Sunday, it would have been a sight to see, wouldn’t it?  The crowds all singing and hailing Jesus, the roadway covered with cloaks and coats so that even the donkey Christ was on wouldn’t have to get her feet dirty.  The Palm Branches waving, the cheers, the acclamation – it would have been something to see.  But what would we have been looking at?  What would we be marveling at?  The massive crowds?  Would we have been glorying in the throng of voices raised high – or seeing the waving palm branches and caught up in that?  John records for us “His disciples did not understand these things at first.”  Chances are we might have gotten caught up in the moment, not recognized what we were seeing either.  The triumphal entry was a time of excitement and joy – but what so few of those people there knew, in fact, what perhaps only Jesus realized, is that the procession of Palm Sunday leads directly to our Lord’s Passion, which we just heard.  The road into Jerusalem is the road unto the cross – and as He enters Jerusalem, that is where Christ’s focus is – upon the Cross and the salvation He will win there.

          The crowds, they didn’t see the cross.  They saw a miracle worker – who knew what else Jesus might do when He was in Jerusalem!  The miracle worker who had been working the small towns was making his way to the big time!  This fellow can even raise the dead – let’s make Him feel welcome and see what He can do.  The Pharisees, their thoughts were on their own authority and pull.  “Look, the whole world has gone after Him.”  We’re finished – no one is going to listen to us anymore!  We won’t be the high and mighty of Israelite society anymore, what are we going to do?  Roman soldiers, they probably got a little nervous about a riot, things like that happen in Jerusalem.  And the Disciples – they still don’t get it.  Maybe they think that it’s just about time that their Lord gets the recognition that He deserves. 

          All of these, all these people focused on worldly things.  What cool trick is Jesus going to pull out of His hat?  What is this going to do to the social order?  We’ll it’s about time that people get a clue and start praising this Jesus that WE’VE been following all along.  Miracles, power, respect – but none of these are what’s on Jesus’ mind as He enters Jerusalem.  He sees not a throng that boosts His ego, He sees not conspirators or even clueless followers.  He sees sinful men, lost sheep, people trapped and bound in sin – people who will be lost to Him for all eternity unless He strides to the Cross and pays the penalty for sin in their place.  And so He does.  Christ strides to the Cross, ready to win salvation for His people.  His thoughts are not on Himself, but rather He desires to show love to others, show love to us, whatever the cost.

          With this in mind, dear friends, and especially you two, Weston and Maverick, with your confirmation and profession of the Christian faith just a few minutes away, listen again to what our Epistle lesson says.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  This dear friends, is to be our minds, this is to be how we are to think, how we are to strive to think, who we are to try to be.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.  In the waters of Holy Baptism God claimed as His own, washed away all your sins.  We know that, but not only that, He claimed you as His own, made you His own dwelling place, made you the temple of His Holy Spirit.  Christ dwells in you, and because of this, He desires to train you and teach you to be more like He is.  And what is Jesus like, what is this mind that we are to have, how are we to approach things?

          Though He was in the form of God, [He] did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.  Jesus didn’t try and take all that was by rights His.  Jesus wasn’t concerned first and foremost about getting His due.  He’s God, He created the World, by Him all things were made.  And He’s supposed to suffer and die?  Yet Jesus never protests, never says “I’m God, after all, why should this happen to Me?”  He doesn’t grasp on to rights or power or control.  Likewise with us – as Christians our first concern is not to be what we can get, not what is in it for us.  Our rights aren’t things to be grasped either – we turn the cheek, if 1 is demanded of us, we freely give 2 – because like Christ we don’t cling to what we think we deserve.  No, like Christ our focus is to be elsewhere.

          But [He] made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.  Jesus didn’t seek to be a big deal – but rather He made Himself nothing – He served.  He was content to have His focus be on the other guy.  What can I do to serve, what can I do to show love?  This too is what our mind is to be like – this is what it means to be an adult, mature Christian – to seek not to please yourself, but to show love and care to your neighbor.  Think on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem – even as the crowds were lauding Him – on He goes, right to the Cross for the sake of those very people.  And it is hard for us to do this.  Our minds like to be self centered – we like to put ourselves first.

          Confirmands – in a few moments you will publicly confess the Christian faith.  The other adult members of this Congregation, they’ve done the same.  When you do so, you are swearing that you will strive to be like Jesus, that you will seek to put your neighbor first, that your first priority will be to show love to your neighbor.  That you will try to be the person God made you to be in the waters of Baptism when He claimed you as His own.  That, dear friends, is what we all swore at our own Confirmation.  We promised to strive and struggle, to always try to show love, to hold on to the Christian faith as we learned it from Scripture and the Small Catechism.  And yet we do know what happens.  You have learned the Ten Commandments, you know what they say about you – that you have failed.  That’s what we come here, why we start our service Confessing our sin, admitting to God “We haven’t done like we ought.”  But we also know what God has done for us.  And being found in Human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross.  That which we struggle to do, Christ does perfectly for us.  And indeed, He goes to the Cross for us, pays the penalty for our sin – even shouts from the Cross “Father, forgive them.”

          And so, that is why we gather here.  We know that God will forgive us, that He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  We know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  God will with His forgiveness preserve and nurture the life He gave you at your Baptism.  His focus is upon serving you, giving you what you need for life.  In fact, as we will see and study especially this upcoming Thursday night, He does so through His Holy Supper, where He not only gives you forgiveness for what you have done wrong, but He blesses you with His own strength and life so that you can be more like Him, that your mind can conform and be more and more like His mind – so that you can look and be more and more like Jesus.  Indeed, as you grow, you will see more and more that it is not you who live, but Christ who lives within you.  This is what He desires for you, this is what He gave you at your Baptism, and this is what He will bring about in you with His Word and with His Supper.

          Paul tells us in Philippians what our reaction to this is.  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every Name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  We just confessed this a few moments ago in the Nicene Creed.  It’s what the Church does – we receive God’s gifts of forgiveness and salvation, and then we confess, we proclaim what Christ has done.  Weston and Maverick – when are confirmed, you are publicly adding your voice to this congregation’s – you are saying that what we confess here about Christ is your confession, what you believe as well.  And that is good and God pleasing – and know that God will support and sustain you in that confession through the Word of life and forgiveness that He brings to you.  May God keep you steadfast in His Word, and may God keep all of us who like have made this confession as well, may God keep us all steadfast and united and forgiven in His Word – so that in all things and trials, we see Christ the Crucified as our Lord, and learn to show love to our neighbor.  In the Name of Christ the Crucified + Amen.