Author Archives: pastorsamwise

Recognizing the Shepherd – Sermon on John 10:11-18 for the Third Sunday of Easter

John 10:11–18

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus says that the chief identifying mark that He is the Good Shepherd is that He lays down His life for you, His sheep. Jesus has the authority to lay down His life and the authority to take His life up again. Your Good Shepherd wants you to know Him as the Good Shepherd precisely because He is crucified and risen for you. And Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gives the clear identifying mark of His sheep – the sheep of the Good Shepherd listen to His voice (Jn. 10:16).

This is such a beautiful image, but to get the picture something needs to be clear: Jesus isn’t referring to a shepherd with large ranch. When I was younger, I imported my idea of what a ranch is to this image. My grandpa was a veterinarian in South Dakota, and when we’d visit, I would periodically go with my grandpa to these large cattle ranches to help him do his work. The average size of a cattle ranch is about 1,000 acres. Sheep are what, maybe ¼ the size of a cow? So, I figured sheep ranches were around 250 acres, but that isn’t the picture here.

In Jesus’ day, everyone owned a handful of sheep because that was how they would get their winter clothing, their milk, meat, and leather. Every family needed to have a few sheep, but they couldn’t only take care of those sheep. So, when a whole block of families each have a handful of sheep, you’ve got a decent flock – 60, 80, 100 sheep. Typically, one person from that block had the responsibility of being the shepherd for that block’s flock of sheep. 

During the day, the shepherd would lead the sheep where they had good grass to eat and clean water to drink. But as the sun would set, the shepherd would lead his sheep back into the village where there was a large pen where all the different flocks would spend the night together so the shepherds could go home and sleep. They hired some college student to watch the 400-500 sheep through the night. Then in the morning, the shepherds would return to that pen where all of the flocks were mixed together. But that wasn’t a problem because each shepherd would call his sheep by name, “Come on, Long-ears. Time to go, White-nose. Get a move on, Stubby-legs.” And each sheep would hear the voice of its shepherd calling its name, and they would all follow him to go out in the fields for the day. That’s the picture Jesus is using throughout John 10.

At the beginning of the chapter (Jn. 10:1-5), Jesus says that the gatekeeper opens the pen for the Shepherd. The sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought His own sheep out, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him. Keep that order in mind. The Shepherd leads and the sheep follow because they know His voice. Those sheep won’t follow the voice of strangers. A little bit after our text (Jn. 10:27), Jesus says His sheep hear His voice. He knows them, and they follow Him.

Now, with that imagery and context in mind, listen again to what Jesus says in v. 14-16, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.” In other words, Jesus says to these crowds in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago, “I’m going to gather some other sheep into My flock as well.”

Now, you have to recognize that this is the second week in a row where Jesus directly speaks about you. Last week, after Thomas saw Jesus and confessed that Christ is his Lord and God, Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”(Jn. 20:28-29). Jesus had you in mind when He said that. Now here, Jesus had you in mind when He talks about bringing in other sheep who will listen to His voice and be part of the one flock with Him as the Good Shepherd.

Isn’t that beautiful? The voice of your crucified and risen Good Shepherd is what brings you into the flock, keeps you in His flock, and calls you back to the flock if you have strayed. In your Baptism, Jesus put His name on you, and He also calls you by name. By that calling, you belong to Him (Is. 43:1). As part of His flock, Christ’s voice continues to call, gather, lead, guide, and direct you. And as His sheep, you follow Him. Wherever He leads, you follow – whether it’s to green pastures and still waters or through the valley of the shadow of death. 

My fellow sheep, you need to be attentive to the voice of your Good Shepherd. What does that mean because, of course, there’s no recording of Jesus’ voice? You don’t know the tone, timbre, and pitch of His voice. So, how can you recognize His voice if you don’t know what His voice sounds like? It’s simple – to know the voice of your Good Shepherd is to know what He says, which means knowing your Bible. Knowing the Scriptures is how you recognize Jesus, your Good Shepherd. You can’t follow the Shepherd without hearing and recognizing His voice.

My fellow sheep, be in the Bible daily. People talk about wanting to hear God’s voice. If you want to hear God’s voice, read your Bible. If you want to audibly hear God’s voice, read it out loud. Scripture is clear that faith comes by hearing (Ro. 10:17), so hear the voice of your Shepherd from His holy, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word.

Spend specific time in God’s Word several times each day. If you aren’t doing that already, start today. Start small and build on that. Even if it’s just one short chapter (even the same chapter) every day – do it. Read it. Mediate on it. Write out specific verses that are comforting, encouraging, and challenging on note cards where you will see them as you’re brushing your teeth or doing the dishes. Be in God’s Word. Know what He says in it. Paraphrases like The Message and The Living Bible shouldn’t be considered the same way as a translation. Think of them as commentaries. There can be times where they are helpful. But if you had a letter from your parents or grandparents, you wouldn’t want a paraphrase, you’d want the real thing.

Also, know that Your Shepherd’s voice isn’t always going to say what you want to hear. It might be calling you back to the flock if you are straying. Your Shepherd will always say what’s good for you. When God’s Word is difficult or confusing, you can always come to me and ask me about it. I might not always have the answer right away, but I’ll do some digging and help you understand what your Shepherd is saying. That’s part of my job and calling as a pastor, which is to be an under-shepherd of the Good Shepherd.

Jesus’ voice, which calls to you from the Scriptures, is how you recognize Him. Remember, your Good Shepherd leads, and you follow. Jesus doesn’t drive you from behind with a whip yelling at you. No, He walks ahead of you. Your Good Shepherd leads where He knows will be good for His flock. Jesus will not lead you to places you can’t handle. And if you stray, He will seek you out. Jesus, your Good Shepherd, leads and what follows you? His goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in His house forever (Ps. 23:6). Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Unlocked – Sermon on John 20:19-31 for the Second Sunday of Easter

John 20:19–31

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Normally, I try to have one main theme or point in my sermons. Today, I’m throwing that out the window, and you’re going to get three mini-sermons. Yes, each of them is mini.

Sermon #1 – Jesus unlocks the New Creation. When God the Father created the world, He formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature (Gen. 2:7). Now in our Gospel text here, the resurrected Son of God stands among His disciples the very evening He rose, and He breathes on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any it is withheld” (Jn. 20:22-23).

The way the Holy Spirit inspired this to be written, we are supposed to see those two things – Jesus’ breathing on the disciples and also what He says about the Holy Spirit and forgiveness – as one action. In other words, Jesus’ statement is how Jesus breathes on the disciples. With the breathing of those words, Jesus is unlocking the new creation to you, believer. You who are in Christ through faith, you are a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).

Sermon #2 – Locked doors don’t matter to Jesus. This text drops us into the room with the disciples Easter evening, so 1,991 years and seven days ago. It had been a chaotic day. Angels were appearing and talking to people. The resurrected Jesus has been popping up all over the place. Even with all of that going on throughout the day, the disciples and the women are gathered together in a house with the doors locked because they were afraid.

Luke in his Gospel also tells us about that evening (Lk. 24:36-49), and the way Luke records it, it seems like there is a disagreement between them all. It seems like some of them believe Jesus is raised, but some of them think something else is going on because Luke says that even when they see Jesus they think He is a ghost (Lk. 24:26-27). 

The way John words things here in v. 19, it makes it seem like Jesus invisibly goes through the locked door, but once He’s through He is suddenly visible. But listen to how Luke records it (Lk. 24:36): “As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” The way that is worded makes it seem like Jesus was right there the whole time, and He suddenly appears – He makes Himself visible – while they are all confused and trying to make sense of everything that had been going on that day.

Then, Jesus asks for some food, and He eats a piece of broiled fish because, of course, ghosts wouldn’t be able to eat food. Then Jesus shows them His hands, feet, and side (just like He does here). The disciples touch Jesus. Not only do they see Him, they also feel Him hug Him. Who knows? Maybe they even gave Him high fives and fist bumps.

Now, here’s the point of mini sermon #2: Just because you can’t see Jesus with your eyes, that does not mean that He isn’t here. Jesus promised, at least a few months before His crucifixion, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Mt. 18:20). Dear saints, Jesus is really, truly, actually here with us this morning. If He wanted to, He could appear and ask for something to eat. Anyone carrying a can of sardines? But even better, He is here and will give you His Body to eat and His Blood to drink. Jesus is here. So, believe.

Sermon #3 – Jesus has some unlocking for you to do. When Jesus gives the Holy Spirit, He gives Christians the authority to forgive and to bind sin (Jn. 20:22-23). Remember when the lame man was lowered through the roof to be before Jesus (Mt. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:1-12; Lk. 5:17-26); what did Jesus say to him? “Your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees grumbled because they rightly said that only God can forgive sins. Then, Jesus proves He is God and has authority to forgive sins by healing the man. Well, the one who has the authority to forgive sins extends that authority to His Church the same day He rose from the dead.

I’ve used this analogy about absolution before, but it’s helpful and worth hearing it again. Imagine you are found guilty of a crime and locked in prison. As you sit in your cell, a judge looks over your case and rules that you are innocent. He sends an order to the guard of your prison to set you free. The guard comes to your cell with the keys, unlocks the door, walks you out of the prison, and releases you back into society. Now who set you free – the judge or the guard? Honestly, the answer is both. The judge uses his authority to free you, and the guard uses his hands and feet to free you. Both things work together – the judge’s authority and the guard’s releasing because of that authority. 

When we gather together as God’s people here in God’s house, it is right for us to confess our sins together. And it is right for the man you have called to be your pastor – which is me – to proclaim God’s absolution and forgiveness for those sins. In the church, the pastors are the guys with the keys (Mt. 16:18-19). And please know that I wouldn’t have the guts to declare that forgiveness if Scripture didn’t clearly say that is what I, as the pastor, am to do. That is why the absolution is “by Christ’s command and authority.”

And this authority isn’t only given to pastors to announce over congregations. Jesus gives all believers this authority. You can announce this forgiveness. If someone comes to you and tells you about their sin and guilt and shame, point them to Jesus. Tell them that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And tell them, “I forgive you of your sins because of what Jesus has done. And I do that because that’s what Jesus Himself would do.”

Dear saints, Jesus is way better at forgiving than you are at sinning. The absolution is a great gift that Jesus has given to the Church. That is the message Jesus has sent us into the world to announce (Jn. 20:21). That is the peace that Jesus gives when He says, “Peace to you.” It is the peace that declares those sins are gone. As far as the east is from the west, so far has Jesus removed our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12).

Dear Ava, that brings me to you. Ava, today you are Baptized. Today, Jesus has joined you to Himself by placing His name upon you (Mt. 28:19) and clothed you with Himself (Gal. 3:27). In your Baptism, Jesus joined you to His death so that you have a Jesus-kind of death – in other words, a death that doesn’t last long and ends in resurrection (Ro. 6:3-11). Ava, you have been born of God; stay in the faith which overcomes the world (1 Jn. 5:4).

Our service today opened with 1 Pet. 2:2, “Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word.” May all of us continually be fed and nourished by that Word that unlocks our sin and opens the way to eternal life. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Change of Plans – Sermon on Mark 16:1-8 for the Resurrection of Our Lord

Mark 16:1–8

1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

That day began like any other day in that garden. While the city slept, daylight began to peek over the horizon. Birds began to rustle in the bushes and branches. They didn’t have any songs yet, just little chirps here and there. A light breeze rustled through the trees, but otherwise everything was silent and still.

For the women, any other day like this would have seemed utterly and completely normal. But everything that had transpired on Friday made this morning bitterly different. They had woken up early, well before the sun had risen. They walked out of the city walls in complete silence, each of them carrying a bundle of spices. They were returning to the place they had seen Him laid, and every step was agonizing but not because the path was difficult to walk. That wasn’t the problem. This trek was painful because His tomb was in the shadow of where they had stood for three hours watching Him die (Jn. 19:41). And those memories were still bitterly fresh and raw. But they had to go. They had a job to finish.

Their intention was to give Him a proper burial. It was something they had done for countless others back home in Galilee. But as they approached the garden, their plans were interrupted. They started to worry because they remembered the large, heavy stone that stood between them and their task. They had completely forgotten to calculate it into their plans. “Oh no! What are we going to do about that stone?” “We could go back and get some of the disciples to move it for us.” “No, that won’t work. The guards aren’t going to let them anywhere near His body.” “Ok then. What do you suggest we do?” “I guess we keep going. We’re almost there anyway. Maybe the guards will move it for us. If they won’t, we’ll just figure something else out.”

But then, as they came into the clearing, Mary saw something. The stone had been rolled back. It was laying there, face down. Somehow, the grave looked different. On Friday, the mouth of that tomb looked like the fierce jaws of a predator ready to snap shut. Now, it looked as weak and harmless as a limp, drooling mouth of someone who had unintentionally fallen asleep in a chair.

Those women had planned to anoint the body of a dead Man, but their plans were irrelevant. There was no dead man there. Those women were worried about the heavy stone, but their anxiety was a moot point. It had already been tossed aside by the angel who now sat on it in mocking it (Mt. 28:2).

All the plans of the women, all their worry and anxiety, all their calculations of how this day would go – all of that was thrown out the window because this was no normal day. It was the first day, and not just the first day of the week. It was the first day of something much, much, much greater. It was the first day of the new creation. It was the first day of the Resurrection of the dead. Jesus is the firstfruits, and the full harvest will come soon (1 Co. 15:20, 23).

It wasn’t just the women who had their plans changed and their worries wiped away that day. The guards had planned to watch over Jesus’ dead body to prevent the disciples from stealing it, but hose plans didn’t matter. One, they didn’t matter because Jesus wasn’t, still isn’t, and never for the rest of eternity done with His body. And two, they didn’t matter because the disciples were afraid and locked in the house (Jn. 20:19, 26). I imagine those guards were worried about getting this assignment. “They want us to guard a dead body? This must be some sort of demotion.”

The religious leaders had plans to destroy Jesus (Mt. 27:20), but all they could do was kill Him. And when the Son of God dies, He doesn’t stay dead. Those religious leaders planned to annihilate the Son of David, their King, and have no king but Caesar (Jn. 19:14-21). But now, Jesus is risen and ascended into heaven, seated at God’s right hand on the throne of creation with all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18, Col. 2:10). The devil planned to strike Jesus, but he only got Christ’s heal. And now, the devil’s head is crushed (Gen. 3:15).

Christ’s Resurrection requires – even demands – a change of plans. It doesn’t matter if the plans are to do good things like the women, and it doesn’t matter if the plans are for evil like the religious leaders, the rulers, the soldiers, and the devil. None of those plans end up mattering because Christ is risen.

Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever make any plans. Don’t let that be your conclusion. Instead, what it means is this: only what God plans matters. God’s plan is what is going to happen. God’s plan is what you can count on. So Christian, whatever plans you make, make them with your mind set on Christ your crucified, risen, ruling, reigning King. Every plan you make, make it by first setting your mind on Christ who is seated at the right hand of God because when Christ who is your life appears, you also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:1-4).

This also means that, whatever worries and anxieties you have, now they matter a whole lot less. Christian, because of Christ’s Resurrection, you can now look at everything – all the sin, evil, sickness, injustice, opposition, wickedness, and death in this world – you look at all of that through a different lens, the lens of Christ’s Resurrection.

That lens makes everything clear. That puts everything into its proper perspective. That is how things actually are in reality. The Resurrection has forever changed creation. Your sins are died for and forgiven. And Jesus is out of the tomb proving that God accepted His sacrifice. Death and the grave are defeated. Satan is crushed. And because Christ is risen, so will you.

Today and every day, celebrate that this morning, and every other morning of your life, is no normal morning. Every morning is another morning in the Resurrection. Your Redeemer lives. At the end, He will stand triumphant upon the earth. You will see Him with your own eyes (Job 19:25-26). You can plan on it. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

God of the Living – Sermon for the Vigil of Easter

Click here for the bulletin with the readings for tonight’s service.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Now and always, our God is the God of the living (Lk. 20:38).

From the very beginning of Scripture (Gen. 1:1-2:3), God creates and gives life to everything that and lives and breathes. God forms Adam from the dust of the ground with His own hand and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7) because He is the God of the living.

In the time of the Flood (Gen. 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13) when every intention of the thoughts of mankind’s heart was choosing death, God brings destruction to those who rejected Him as the God of life. But He would not make a complete end. He instructed Noah to build an ark to save Noah, his family, and the animals. God did this to preserve the life He had created because He is the God of the living.

When God heard the groaning of His people who were slaves in Egypt, He remembered His covenant with them. God saw their affliction, and God knew (Ex. 2:23-25). God did all those signs and wonders to bring His people out of that land of slavery and death. He opened a way through the waters of the Red Sea so His people could escape Pharaoh’s deadly soldiers, pass through the watery tomb on dry ground, and arrive safely on the other shore (Ex. 14:10-15:1). He did this because He is the God of the living.

When they were scattered and exiled, God promised to bring His people to their own land. He promised to sprinkle clean water on them to wash them from all their uncleanness. He would remove the sinful, dead hearts of stone and give them living hearts of flesh (Ezk. 36:24-28) because He is the God of the living.

When His people were dried up bones (Ezk. 37:1-14), God gave His prophet Ezekiel a promise to proclaim: “I will open your graves and raise you from your graves. I will bring you into the land, and you shall know that I am the Lord. I will put My Spirit within you, and you shall live.” God made that promise because He is the God of the living.

When Job was suffering, he knew that his Redeemer lives (Job 19:20-27). And Job had no doubt that his Redeemer would stand victorious on the earth. Job rightly confessed even after his body died and his flesh was destroyed that his own eyes would see God because Job knew that God is the God of the living.

Faced with a blazing execution, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the pagan image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up (Dan. 3:1-30). They knew that God was able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace and out of the king’s hand. But even if God didn’t deliver them they would not worship that dead, golden image. Even though they were bound and thrown into that inferno, they were not burned or singed because the God of the living walked with them both through and out of that fire.

The God of the living brings life to every corner of creation where we bring sin and, with our sin, death. The God of the living took on flesh and blood to take your place on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull (Mt. 27:33). Out of love for you who choose death, He willingly went to death to utterly defeat it. And when God dies, He doesn’t stay dead. He is the God of the living.

Jesus, your Savior, has and will come into your grave and bring you out. By His death, He has swallowed up death. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Death’s only answer is, “I lost them. The God of the living has taken them away.”

Dear saints, because of the crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and living Jesus, you now look for the resurrection of the dead and for the life of the world to come. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Savior & Friend – Sermon on John 19:26-27 for Good Friday

John 19:26–27

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We might be a little hesitant to say it because it seems so blunt, but on this day – this Good Friday, 1,991 years ago – God died. Jesus, the almighty, eternal, only-begotten Son of God, died. And He died for you. The death that you and I deserve because of our sins is died by Jesus.

This, dear saints, is how God loves you. God Himself took on human flesh and blood so He could be beaten, mocked, scorned, crucified, and die for you and to win your salvation. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we spend all eternity contemplating and rejoicing in this fact. God died, and He died for you.

But we can’t forget that this is not only the death of our God and Savior. It is also the death of a Man, a Man who is also a Friend and a Son.

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, giving His life, and saving the world, our Lord’s mother, Mary, was standing there with some of the other women. All the disciples had fled (Mt 26:56), but apparently John couldn’t stay away. He was there to see the end (Jn. 19:35). You can imagine John inching his way out of the city, slowly stepping up the hill of Calvary, sneaking and threading his way through the crowds, closer and closer until he is there beneath the cross. And he stands next to Mary.

Then, Jesus looks down and sees His mother and the disciple whom He loves weeping. And Jesus says, “Woman, behold, your son,” and to John, “Behold, your mother.”

With these words, Jesus provides for His mother and for John. Christ gives His mother into the care and keeping of His beloved disciple. Throughout His entire life, Jesus perfectly kept the 4th Commandment to honor His father and mother. As a Child, Jesus was obedient to Joseph and Mary learning from them and submitting to them (Lk. 2:51). After the death of His earthly father, Jesus continued to take care of Mary, look after her, and provide for her.

And even as Jesus is dying, He is still blessing and serving His neighbor and mother. “Look Mary, here’s John. John, here’s Mary. Take care of each other. Love and bless each other. Don’t let each other go.”

By doing this even as He is dying, our Savior reminds us that we need one another. As He accomplishes the salvation of the world (1 Jn. 4:14), He also makes sure that His mom won’t be alone to fend for herself in the world.

As Jesus cared for Mary and John in this way, the God Man cares for you in every way.

Yes, Jesus goes to prepare a place for you in His Father’s house (Jn. 15:2), but He will also give you a bed and roof over your head so you can sleep tonight. Yes, Jesus promises to give you a seat at the eternal feast (Is. 25:6-9; Mt. 8:11), but He will also give you your daily bread today, tomorrow, and every day (Mt. 6:11, 31-32) until He welcomes you into His banquet hall.

Jesus is your Savior, and with this word, Jesus shows that He is also your Friend. Amen.[1]

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] This sermon was adapted from a sermon by Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller.

Common Union – Sermon for Maundy Thursday

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are
Exodus 24:3-11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; and John 13:1-15, 34-35.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

On this night, 3,470 years ago, God appointed a feast. God told His people to slaughter a lamb, take its blood, put it on the doorposts of their houses, and live. But the lamb wasn’t only used for its blood. God’s also told them to roast the lamb’s body and eat it. Those Passover lambs doubly provided for God’s people. First, the lambs’ blood marked the doors of God’s people which protected, shielded, and delivered them from the sentence of death. And second, the lambs’ bodies provided the strength and nourishment the people needed for what would happen the next day (Ex. 12:1-14). The morning after that first Passover, God’s people gathered themselves and all that they had and left Egypt to begin their journey to the Promised Land.

On this night, 1,991 years ago, our Lord Jesus celebrated the final Passover feast with His disciples. After that meal was done, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” Then, He took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

By doing this, Jesus put an end to the old covenant that His people had broken and established the New Covenant. In this New Covenant, He forgives your iniquity and remembers your sin no more. And this New Covenant does more than that. Because of this New Covenant, God promises to be your God and make you His people (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:8-13). Forgiveness and being God’s people. This New Covenant delivers forgiveness through the shedding of Jesus’ blood, but don’t forget that this meal also unites us together as God’s forgiven people.

In 1 Cor. 10:16-17, Scripture says that the Bread and Cup of the Lord’s Supper are, as the ESV translates it, a “participation” in the Body and Blood of Christ. Unfortunately, the way we use “participation” most often these days is simply showing up. In some competitions, simply showing up gets you a participation ribbon. Translating that word as “participation” might give the impression that Jesus does nothing more than show up in the Bread and Cup. I prefer the KJV which uses the word “communion.” The Bread and Cup of the Lord’s Supper is a “communion” in the Body and Blood of Christ. These elements unite us with the Body and Blood of Christ.

Because the Lord’s Supper is, according to Jesus, His true Body and Blood, it first unites us with Him. And second, since this Sacrament unites us with Jesus, it also unites us with one another. It makes us one body (1 Cor. 10:17).

We need this unity, this communion with one another. The first thing that God says about mankind is, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). Man alone is not good. That doesn’t mean that man alone is bad; it’s just not good. To make mankind good, God creates a woman, a companion, a wife, a bride for Adam and this completes him. Then, not only is mankind good like the rest of creation; humanity is elevated above the rest of creation and is very good (Gen. 1:31). We were not created for ourselves to live in isolation. We are created for others.

In the Lord’s Supper, we become a united community, a holy and forgiven people who are bonded together with Jesus and with one another as the body of Christ. And as a body, we love and care for one another because we need each other (1 Cor. 12:12-27).

If one part of your body is hurt, the rest of your body compensates. If you cut one of your fingers, you use your other fingers to do what needs to be done while the injured finger heals. If you break an arm or leg, the other one picks up the slack. When Jesus gives us this new commandment to love one another, He is calling you to do the same thing for the other members, the other parts, of the body of Christ. And the love you have and demonstrate for your brothers and sisters in Christ is evidence to the world that you are truly Jesus’ disciples (Jn. 13:35).

On the same night, 1,991 years ago, when Jesus gave us Holy Communion, He also served His disciples by washing their feet. For several reasons, foot washing isn’t a Sacrament. One of the reasons is that Jesus says that washing was a lesson on how to love one another. He asks if they understand the lesson (Jn. 13:12) and says that what He did was an example of serving others (Jn. 13:14).

By that example, the Creator of all things makes the glory of His love shine by humbly serving His creatures. Jesus is the God of love, and He loves you by giving to you and serving you. This example of foot washing shows that we followers of Jesus are to give and to love and to serve each other as He does. Christ says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:34-35).

What does this love look like? Jesus will say a little later, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). Laying down your life for someone else can only happen once because you only have one life to lay down. The day may come when you need to lay down your life to save a friend’s life. But until then, lay down your life in the all the other little ways that you can. Lay down your pride and ambition and self-interest and ease and comfort to love and serve your neighbor. Lay down your lives to love and protect those for whom Christ has died because we are a holy communion, God’s blessed, forgiven community.

As you come tonight to receive this Sacrament, this Holy Communion, you receive Christ’s Blood that protects you from death. And you also receive the nourishment and strength that you need to love one another.

So, tonight, come to this altar, this table, at your Savior’s invitation. Come and behold God. Come and eat. Come and drink. Come and be united with Christ and united with one another. Then go. Show the world that you are truly Christ’s disciples by your love for one another as you journey to the Promised Land of His eternal kingdom. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Silently Accused – Sermon on Matthew 26:1-27:66 for Palm Sunday

Matthew 26:1-27:66

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

It doesn’t matter how familiar you are with a passage of Scripture, there’s always something more to see, to glean, to meditate on. That’s true for short, familiar passages, but it is certainly true for a long passage like this. While preparing this week, what struck me in a fresh way is what Matthew tells us in Mt. 27:20. The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Of the four Gospels, Matthew is the sharpest on this. They don’t persuade the crowd to just kill, execute, or even crucify Jesus. They want Him destroyed. That’s their desire.

There is utter malice behind this. Jesus looks so weak. He had already been betrayed by Judas. The other eleven disciples fled when He was arrested. Peter denied even knowing Him. Jesus had been mocked, spit upon, beaten, bound, and whipped. And they still call for Jesus to be destroyed. The cruelty of wanting Jesus destroyed is absolutely astounding.

But through all of it, Jesus barely speaks. Jesus talks a lot at the beginning of this reading while He is with the disciples, but once He is arrested, He only speaks three more times before His death here in Matthew’s gospel. All these false accusations are thrown at Him, but He doesn’t respond to any of them. Jesus just stays passive and silent as He is accused. Again, He looks weak.

During His trial before Caiaphas, all sorts of false charges are brought against Jesus, but He simply stands there and receives them. He doesn’t say a word. He only talks when Caiaphas demands, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Mt. 26:63). But then, Jesus says, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power coming on the clouds of heaven.”

It sure doesn’t look like Jesus is seated at the right hand of Power through the rest of His Passion. His silence looks like weakness, but that’s not how we should see it. It is powerful.

Jesus doesn’t speak again until Pilate asks Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” There, Jesus says,“You have said so.” But again, as the chief priests and elders accuse Jesus before Pilate, Jesus is silent (Mt. 27:12). Even though Pilate asks Jesus to respond to all these accusations, Jesus still gives no answer, not even to a single charge. In His silence, Jesus looks weak and passive.

All of this reminds me of the scapegoat. Do you remember what God had commanded His people to do on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16)? Each year, there were two goats. One was sacrificed and the blood of that goat allowed the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies. But the other goat, the scapegoat – it had a different purpose. The high priest laid both of his hands on the head of that goat and confessed all the iniquities, all the transgressions, and all the sins of the people. And God said that what happened there was that the high priest was placing all that sin on the goat’s head (Lev. 16:21).

And what do you suppose that goat did during that? It couldn’t object. The goat didn’t say, “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” The goat remained passive and silent and simply received it. Once all those sins were placed on that goat’s head, it was led into the wilderness carrying all those sins away from the sinners (Lev. 16:22). The scapegoat and all those sins were destroyed, never to be seen again. Yes, the scapegoat was passive, but by it God powerfully removed those sins.

Pilate hears all these accusations and sees how Jesus is silent. He knows these religious leaders want Jesus destroyed for no good reason, but Pilate has an idea. Pilate has the notorious Barabbas in custody who had committed murder and started a riot and insurrection (Mk. 15:7; Lk. 23:18-19). Pilate puts Barabbas and Jesus forward as his nominees to potentially be released. It seems as though Pilate figured Barabbas was such a rotten individual and danger to society that the crowds would rather have Barabbas crucified for their own safety and protection. But the crowd calls out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified.

And that’s what Jesus wants too. So, Jesus stays silent, passive, and powerful.

It was God’s will that Jesus should be on the cross instead of Barabbas. By taking Barabbas’ place on that cross, Jesus also takes your place under God’s wrath against your sins.

God takes all this evil, malice, and injustice and uses it for your eternal good (Ro. 8:28). Jesus’ Passion isn’t a tragedy. It is God’s victory. In fact, this is the victory. Jesus’ silence in all of this isn’t weakness. It’s God’s power because this is God’s plan playing out. This is how God powerfully removes your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Jesus is crucified and heaven rejoices to see God’s great, powerful love for His creation. This is how God loves the world. This is how God loves you.

Jesus silently takes all those accusations, He is loaded up with all your sins, and He is led into the wilderness of death as He is crucified and destroyed. But death will no power over Him.

Dear saints, welcome to Holy Week. Easter is coming. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

As Christ Suffered, so Shall We

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are
Psalm 119:65-72; Job 1:6-22; 1 Peter 4:12-19; and John 15:18-16:4.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Job didn’t know. In the midst of his suffering, Job didn’t have the information that we do. As servant after servant came to tell Job about the loss of his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his camels, and even his ten children, Job didn’t know what had happened behind the scenes. Job didn’t know about the conversation between God and that worm, Satan, where God bragged about how blameless and upright Job was. He probably didn’t know about the hedge of protection God had placed around him and all that he had (Job 1:10). And Job certainly didn’t know that God trusted Job’s faith enough to remove that hedge and allow Satan to take it all away.

The only thing Job knew was that he was suffering. He tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, and worshiped. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Now, pause. Stop right there. Think carefully about everything we know about Job’s suffering. His suffering came about because God had given the devil a long enough leash to take all of that away from Job. But what does Job say? “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” And Scripture clearly says, “In all this,” which includes Job’s statement that the Lord had taken away, “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

Well, that was “phase one” of Satan’s attack against Job. We didn’t read about “phase two” (Job. 2:1-10), but in “phase two,” nearly the same conversation plays out between God and Satan. God brags on Job and adds the fact that Job still holds his integrity even though, “you incited me against him to destroy him without reason” (Job 2:3). Satan says, “Let me go after his body and health. I’ll get Job to curse You to Your face” (Job 2:4-5). Again, God extends Satan’s leash allowing him to harm Job physically, but God still sets limits. God won’t allow Satan to kill him.

The devil strikes Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, leaving Job to sit in ashes while he scrapes himself with a broken piece of pottery (Job 2:7-8). Even Job’s wife, the only remaining member of his family, tells Job to curse God and die. But listen to how Job responds to her (Job 2:10), “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?”

Again, Scripture says, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Notice how neither in “phase one” nor in “phase two,” does Job even mention Satan. Use your sanctified imagination with me for just a minute here. Imagine Satan strutting around all cocky and proud after bringing all that destruction and suffering to Job. But in both phases, Job only talks about God. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away …. Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?” Imagine Satan’s jaw hitting the floor as he screams out, “Don’t I get any of the credit for this?”

The devil figured he would be triumphantly standing over Job while he groveled and tapped out. But Job doesn’t even acknowledge Satan – not one bit. It’s absolutely remarkable. Job’s eyes and mind and heart are fixed squarely on God as he endures his suffering.

Throughout this series, we’ve been considering Christ’s suffering. We began by considering how Christ’s obedience led Him to suffer in your place. We contemplated how His suffering was the payment and sacrifice for your sin. We meditated on the fact that God punished Jesus in your place. And through it all we have seen that Christ’s suffering is proof that God loves you. Now, tonight, we close the series by considering your own suffering.

Job’s story gives an important insight to enduring suffering, and that insight is this: In these first two chapters where Job does not sin (Job 1:22) and holds his integrity (Job 2:3), Job doesn’t go down the black hole of trying to figure out why he is suffering. He simply recognizes his suffering and places himself squarely in God’s gracious hands.

We can get all sorts of wrong ideas about God when we ask the question, “Why am I suffering?” We can wrongly think that God is distracted with other, more important things, so maybe He forgot to care for us or is neglecting us. We can also get all sorts of wrong ideas about ourselves when we look for an answer to the “why” of our suffering. We might wrongly think that we have some unknown, unconfessed sin that has made God angry toward us.

Both of those ideas are wrong – completely wrong! You are God’s righteous, holy, blameless, and upright children through faith in Jesus. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, God loves you and couldn’t be more pleased with you.

Just as Job didn’t know why he was suffering, you typically don’t know the “why” of your suffering. The only safe way to consider your suffering is through the lens of Jesus’ suffering. That is how Jesus orients us toward suffering. In our Gospel reading Christ says, “If the world hates you, know it hated Me first…. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (Jn. 15:18, 20). Jesus will even go on to promise, “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). The only perfect person to ever live was Jesus, and He suffered in this fallen world. So, when you suffer in this world, what else did you expect?

As our Epistle reading (1 Pet. 4:12-13) said, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.” So, tonight, I want to share four assertions about suffering to help you not be surprised but rejoice in the midst of suffering.

First: Suffering and evil are definitely related to each other, but that does not mean suffering itself is evil. The truth is suffering is good. Now, hold your eggs and rotten tomatoes just a minute. I know that is counterintuitive to say that today, but it is true. Suffering physical pain is often good because it keeps us from doing things that harm us. It is good for a criminal to suffer for their crimes. A murderer and a thief should suffer a just and fair punishment. That suffering is good because it keeps others from committing similar sins against others. Yes, punishments cause suffering, but they do that in order to prevent further and greater suffering. Also, the suffering that comes through punishment will, hopefully, lead a sinner to repentance, to faith in Christ, and to eternal life. The thief on the cross suffered for his crimes, and it led him to being in paradise with Jesus on Good Friday (Lk. 23:39-43).

The second assertion about suffering is this: Even though suffering is good, that does not mean God demands that you enjoy it. In fact, you are right to yearn, long, and hope for the end of your suffering. God sent Jesus to save and relieve us from suffering. Again, sin brought suffering into the world, and Jesus came into this world to deliver us from sin. Christ entered into our suffering to bring us into His kingdom where will be no more pain, tears, sorrow, or suffering (Rev. 21:4; Is. 25:8; 35:10).

The third assertion is this: Even suffering unjustly for doing good is good. 1 Peter spends a lot of time talking about suffering other than in our reading tonight. 1 Peter 2:20 says, if you suffer for doing good and endure, that is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:17 says that it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. Beyond those passages, Romans 5:3-5 says that we Christians rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance which produces character which produces hope. And James 1:2-4 says to count it all joy when you suffer trials of various kinds because the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and makes you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Here’s the fourth and final assertion about suffering for tonight: Comfort in suffering doesn’t and can’t come from knowing the “why” of suffering; instead, comfort in suffering comes in seeing that God has come to suffer alongside of us and for us in Christ.

The world has no comfort to offer to those who are suffering. Instead, the world tries to end suffering by eliminating the sufferer. The world sees a poor, single, pregnant woman and says, “That baby has no chance of being happy and successful. Just abort her.” The world sees a person going through terminal cancer and says, “It would be better to end that life now with doctor assisted suicide.” The world’s answers to suffering are only barbaric.

Here’s what God does to answer suffering. He sends Jesus, not to bring an end to the sufferer, but to utterly defeat suffering by suffering Himself. On the cross, Jesus takes the suffering we should get because of our sin so that He can give us what we would never deserve – forgiveness, mercy, the resurrection of our bodies, and everlasting life.

Dear saints, you have a suffering God. Jesus is rightly called the Man of Sorrows (Is. 53:3). So, when you suffer – no matter the reason – don’t look for escape in asking, “Why?” Instead, look for comfort in asking, “Who else suffers?” because right next to you in your suffering, you find your Savior who has and who will deliver you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Purified & Redeemed – Sermon on Hebrews 9:11-15 for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Hebrews 9:11–15

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Christ’s Suffering as Proof of God’s Love for Us

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are
Psalm 85; Hosea 14:1-2; 1 John 4:17-21; and John 15:1-17.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I was listening to a couple of pastors talk about sermons and preaching yesterday, and one of them said something that was as insightful as it was obvious; I just hadn’t heard it put so bluntly. The pastor basically said, “Every evangelical sermon is a commentary on Genesis 3 and the Fall.” Especially lately, it seems like my sermons keep referring back to Gen. 3. First of all, if you’re sick of that, I’m sorry that I’m not sorry. And second, tonight, rather than attempting to hide it, I’m just going to embrace it because it ties so closely to our Old Testament reading (Hos. 14:1-2).

After those fateful bites of forbidden fruit, Adam and his wife’s eyes are opened, and they knew that they were naked and exposed. When they heard the sound of their Creator walking in the garden, they hid themselves from His presence. God calls out to Adam, “Where are you?” God wasn’t looking for information; instead, He was giving Adam a chance to repent and return. But Adam says that he was trying to hide from God because he was naked. In other words, he had nothing. He was exposed and afraid because there was nothing He could offer God after disobeying the command to not eat from that one tree.

But the fact that he didn’t have anything to offer God didn’t stop Adam from trying. All Adam could come up with was to offer some pitiful, evil excuses for his sin. “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). With those words, Adam tries to blame his wife first, but ultimately, he tries to blame God. While I’ve always found that absurd, Adam did have some logic in trying that.

Think about this for a minute: When God created, He did it through words. Because Adam was created in God’s image, his words also had power over creation. God brought every living creature to Adam and whatever he called it, that was its name (Gen. 2:19). But when Adam fell into sin, that image of God and verbal power was lost. His lips and tongue had been infected with sin and were full of lies (Ro. 3:13-14). After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam’s words didn’t have the same power over reality that they had before. Blaming God didn’t work. Those pathetic excuses failed to rectify the situation. But with his nakedness exposed, Adam figured he had nothing else to offer God.

Now, here’s where the reading from Hosea comes in because God tells us what to offer Him when we have been separated from Him due to sin. God calls His people to return to Him because they had stumbled in iniquity and were completely exposed as sinners. But notice how they called are to return – not empty, naked, and bare. They to return with something. They are given words to take with them as they return. What words are given? “Take away all iniquity.” Those are bold words for sinners to place on their lips, but there is a reason they can and should.

First of all, those words are God-given. God gives those words and wants to hear those words. Second, those words recognize the presence of sin and iniquity and transgression that needs to be dealt with. And third and most importantly, those words recognize that sin can only be removed by God Himself. And this confession, “Take away all iniquity,” is, at the same time, both the confession of the existence of sin and the confession that God needs to remove that sin, which is exactly in line with who God has promised to be.

Right after the Fall, God promised that the Seed of the woman would come and crush the serpent’s head. He did the work of covering Adam and the woman’s nakedness and shame with animal skins. He had defined Himself as a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (Ex. 34:6-7). God has promised to be the Sin Absolver.

Our Psalm tonight (Ps. 85) opens by remembering how God had been favorable, restored fortunes, forgiven iniquity, covered sin, and withdrawn His wrath and anger. Then, it takes those things God had done and says, “God, do it again! Give us your favor, restore our fortunes, forgive our iniquity, cover our sin, withdraw Your wrath and anger again.”

To ask God to do all of that again assumes that God loves us even though we are sinners. But that isn’t just an assumption. God has proven that love. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Christ went a step beyond that. Jesus has shown and demonstrated God’s love for us, in that, while we were still sinners – not friends, but sinners and enemies of God – Christ came and died for us (Ro. 5:8). God sent His Son to suffer and be the atoning sacrifice for your sin (1 Jn. 4:10). 

Dear saints, when you return to God, you are to return with these promises, these works, these demonstrations of God’s love for you. You remind and point God back to the suffering and death of Jesus, your Savior. In His suffering and death, you have been given full, undeniable proof of God’s love for you. His love was made manifest when He sent Jesus so that you might live through Him (1 Jn. 4:9).

And this love of God produces fruit that lasts and abides (Jn. 15:16). Go and tell others about this love of God. Jesus has suffered for sin of the world (1 Jn. 4:14). Teach them the words with which God wants them to return. He is ready to hear that they are sinners, and He is eager to forgive them for the sake of Jesus’ suffering which reconciles us, returns us to God, and gives us life now and forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.