Mark 6:31–44 ³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desert place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³² And they went away in the boat to a desert place by themselves. ³³ Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desert place, and the hour is now late. ³⁶ Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷ But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸ And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴ And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

This text is strange.  This large crowd followed Jesus and the disciples to a desert, desert, desert place (Mk. 6:31, 32, 35).  And yet, this crowd, this large flock of people who are “like sheep without a shepherd,” is commanded to sit down on the fresh green grass.

This text is referred to as the “Feeding of the 5000” (men plus women and children).  Using the term ‘feeding’ makes it sound like cattle herded to the trough.  It would be better to understand this as the “Feasting of the 5000” (men plus women and children)  This event is a fulfillment of Ps. 23.  This crowd is led by Yahweh their Shepherd Who literally makes them lie down (not just sit but ‘recline at table’) in green grass.  Yahweh literally prepares a table before them even in the Deathly Desert place.

The imagery of Is. 35 is also pictured here in Mark.  Is 35:1, 5-7 ¹ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom…. ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; ⁶ then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; ⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

All of this has been taking place as Jesus brings the rule and reign of God.  Blind see; deaf hear; the lame walk; the mute speak.  Now here in this desert place, there is fresh green grass and the crowd reclines at a banquet (see also Is. 25:6-8a).

The crowd receives from Jesus, Yahweh in the flesh, blessings promised in those texts.  Contrast that with the disciples.

In last week’s Gospel text (Mk. 6:7-30), Jesus sent out the disciples.  He gave them authority over unclean spirits, and He told them to take only a walking stick and sandals.  He told them to take no bread, take no bag, and take no money.  So the disciples go out and preach, “Repent,” just as Jesus is preaching.  As the disciples preach, they cast out demons and anoint sick people with oil and heal them.

The disciples return and tell Jesus everything that they had done and taught (Mk. 6:30).  Our Gospel text picks this up and Jesus announces, “Time for a vacation.  C’mon boys, let’s go to a desert place away from the people and rest.”

The disciples have done a lot of work.  They have been giving a lot now it’s time for them to receive and be refreshed.  Jesus wants to provide rest for their souls.

But this retreat isn’t so successful.  The crowds recognize them, and they even arrive at the desert before the disciples and Jesus do.

Jesus sees this crowd and His guts are wrenched because those people are like sheep without a shepherd.  So Jesus begins to teach the people many different things.  The disciples patiently wait for Jesus to teach, but then the hour begins to get late.  Jesus has had His time to minister to this poor crowd.  The disciples, apparently, still hope for a little vacation.  Finally, near supper time, the disciples ask Jesus to dismiss the crowd so they can get some food.

But Jesus will have none of it.  The dialogue between Jesus and the disciples reveals that there is tension.  Jesus tersely commands the disciples, “You give them something to eat.”

The tension continues to rise.  The disciples respond, “Even if we could find enough bread at this time and even if we had the 200 denarii—over half a year’s wages—why would we spend that much to feed this crowd?”

But Jesus doesn’t accept that response from the disciples.  He tells them, “Go, count how many loaves we have.”  Five loaves, two fish.  As the disciples ask Jesus to send the crowd away to get food, had they forgotten that they don’t have enough food for themselves?

Remember Jesus’ invitation to the disciples back in v. 31, “Come away by yourselves to a desert place.”  In this desert place, the disciples could scrounge up only five loaves of bread, at most one loaf was enough for one person for one day.  Their group is thirteen men, twelve disciples plus Jesus, and the disciples don’t even bring enough food for one day?  That wouldn’t make for a very long retreat.  Did they expect Jesus to provide for them?

When Jesus sent the disciples out on their missionary trip, He told them not to take bread.  Apparently, Jesus divinely provided for then during their short-term mission trip.  It makes sense that Jesus would continue to provide for their needs.

Maybe the disciples don’t realize yet that just as Jesus had provided for them during their mission trip, Jesus could also provide for them on this retreat.  If Jesus could provide for the disciples, couldn’t He also provide for massive crowd?

The disciples give Jesus the report that they have these five loaves and two fish which certainly won’t be enough to feed the whole crowd….

Not so fast.  Look at this heavenly feast.

In v. 39-40 there are some details that get lost in translation.  Jesus commands the crowd not just to “sit down” but lit. ‘recline at table.’  We would expect people on a picnic like this to sit down, but what Jesus commands is the language which is used at a banquet.  This meal that Jesus is going to provide isn’t just to get food into their bellies.  This is a banquet feast where the food is given freely, at no cost.

The people are to recline, the ESV reads, “in groups,” but lit. there is a phrase here “banqueting group by banqueting group.”  This is not an ordinary meal, it is a divine feast of a multitude of banquet guests reclining on fresh green grass in the middle of the desert.

The banqueting groups recline v. 40 reads “in groups” again, but lit. it is “garden plot by garden plot” in hundreds and fifties.

This is feasting and reclining in a desert place with green grass and each group is called a garden plot.

Jesus gives thanks for the food.  He repeatedly gives bread to the disciples.  The disciples repeatedly set the bread before the people.  The two fish are divided also.  Every individual in every banqueting group ate and was more than just satisfied—each ate their fill.  They ate until they could banquet no more.  Then the food, which began as no more than a snack for the vacation-deprived disciples is gathered up and there are twelve baskets full—another banquet could be possible.

Just as Isaiah had prophesied (Is. 35), in this dry wilderness there was gladness.  In the desert, were waters and streams for Yahweh’s harassed and helpless sheep.  As Isaiah had prophesied (Is. 25) about the feast upon the mountain where all people would feast at Yahweh’s banquet, this miracle gives us a foretaste of what that will look like.

So today, if you are harassed and helpless, Jesus desires that you recline at His table.  Find your rest on the fresh green grass even though you are in the middle of the wilderness.  Receive from Him until you have your fill and your cup overflows.

If you are a disciple weary of laboring in Christ’s kingdom and even if Christ continues to give you tasks, remember—even though the task before you is impossible and you don’t have the resources necessary to accomplish what Christ commands, remember He provides.  There will still be baskets full.

Christ gave a foretaste of His eternal feast that day.  He continues to give a foretaste of His eternal feast in Communion.  Receive from Him all His blessings.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus your banquet Host.  Amen.

Mark 6:1-6a—He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ² And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Jude and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴ And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who has walked among us.  Amen.

I hope everyone from time to time enjoys a good book.  Whatever genre you like, I hope you sit and read.  Mark’s Gospel reads like a good story.  Mark has a lot of action and plenty of drama, and it tells about a lot of things that are just plain amazing.  Homework assignment: Read Mark in one sitting this week.  It is only about 25 pages, you could read it in an hour quite easily.

Sometimes, when we read, the story just remains words on paper or pictures in our minds.  The characters stay imaginary.  This is especially true, unfortunately, when we read Scripture.  We underestimate a Character in the Gospel of Mark Who was and is the Son of God in the flesh.  This Man came and dwelt here on earth in history.

We forget that Jesus was in the womb of His mother, and we forget that Jesus was actually born.  We sometimes forget the fact He grew up; He experienced what it was to be a boy.  He learned how to eat, speak, and walk.  He experienced fatigue, pain, hunger, and thirst.  We forget that He lived in an actual town and in a real house.  We forget that He had neighbors and that He had (half) brothers and sisters.  Too easily and too quickly forget that Jesus was a Man.

He experienced every aspect of being a human just as you experience it, and yet He remained sinless.

Jesus’ hometown was Nazareth in northern Israel.  Archaeologists have dug it up and have estimated the population in Jesus’ day was about 400 people.  Most of you, if not all of you, know about small-town life.  Small-town life means everyone knows everything about everyone.

When Jesus was about 30 years old (Lk. 3:23), He left Nazareth and traveled south to be baptized by John in the Jordan River.  After this, Satan unsuccessfully tempted Him to fall into sin; Jesus remained sinless.  Jesus returned to the northern parts of the country where He grew up and began to preach and teach “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Jesus healed; He cast out demons; He commanded even the wind and the sea; and He even raised the dead.  People from the north and south were thronging around Him (Mk. 3:7-8) and following Him.  They were listening to His teaching.  This dramatic action goes on for five whole chapters, and Jesus is going full throttle.

But then comes Mark 6.  It is not just that the breaks are hit, this is like running into a brick wall.  Not everyone is impressed with Jesus.

As Jesus comes back to His hometown after having traveled through the area, the crowds were dumbfounded and even repulsed.  “Where did this Man, Jesus, get these things?  What is this wisdom that has been given to Him?  He’s a carpenter!  We know His mother and brothers and sisters, they live just down the street.  We remember Jesus from when He was this tall.  Hey, remember when He ditched His parents and stayed in Jerusalem when He was twelve (Lk. 2:41-52)?”  And they are scandalized by Him.

Jesus’ friends and acquaintances from Nazareth hear Him and are repulsed.  Jesus comes back to His hometown when He is 30’ish and the ‘Nazarethians’ think He is trying to be something greater than they knew that He was—their neighbor, a carpenter.  They robbed Jesus of His divinity.  They look at Jesus, and all they see was the “little boy from down the street.”

The crowds in Nazareth that Sabbath doubted Jesus’ identity and ministry.  They thought Jesus was something much less than He actually was and is.

Who else, gathered in churches throughout this country, minimizes Jesus’ identity and ministry?  Who gathered in the pews of congregations throughout this city believe that Jesus is a Man Who taught a higher standard of morals and broke down the socio-economic walls of His day?  Who here in this sanctuary does not believe in the person and work of Jesus?

Too quickly and too easily, you diminish Jesus and make Him something far inferior than what He actually is.

Who is this Jesus?  Who is this Man Who heals, casts out demons, and has authority over the wind and sea?  Who is this Man Who lived in Nazareth and was a carpenter Who had relatives?

To quote The Princess Bride, “[Him not] Who you think Him is.”

Jesus is the divine, eternal Son of God Who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus is the One Who Himself bore your sins “in His body on the tree that you might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24).  Your sins are not just debts recorded against you in God’s ‘naughty or nice’ list.  Christ wrapped Himself in your sin.  Either you bear your sins in your body or Christ does in His.  When Christ bears your sins, those sins are defeated sins.  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus is the pure, spotless sacrifice for sins.  The crucifixion was no accident.  Christ came in order to lay His life down for you.  He says, “No one takes My Life from Me, but I lay it down of My Own accord” (Jn. 10:18).  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus testified against Himself; He didn’t plead the 5^th Amendment.  Instead, Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors” (Is. 53:12; Lk. 22:37).  God had commanded that His people keep themselves separate from the sinful and unclean.  But Jesus didn’t.  He ate with the tax collectors and sinners so often that people accused Him of being a “glutton and a drunkard” (Mt. 11:19).  Christ wasn’t separate from sinners; He was right beside them in the muck and filth.  Christ is the “holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:3), and He has fellowship with sinners.  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus entered His sinful creation which was in open rebellion against Him.  Jesus was “born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4).  When the law of God found Jesus living among robbers, liars, adulterers, murderers, and thieves, it condemned Jesus as a sinner—as a robber, liar, adulterer, murderer, and thief.  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29).  You were like sheep who had gone astray and turned to our own way, but God laid on Jesus your iniquity (Is. 53:6).  He is the Lamb of God who takes and confesses your sins as though He had done them.  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus is the Robber of sins.  He is the Divine Thief.  He takes what is not His Own—the sins of the world—and dies for His robbery.  If Jesus has taken away the sins of the world, than He must have also taken away your sins.  Jesus robs you of your worst, secret sins, but He also robs you of your best, righteous deeds—things you have done that you think will please God but are only filthy rags (Is. 64:6).  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

Jesus became a curse (Gal. 3:13) not just ‘cursed.’  Jesus became sin itself (2 Cor. 5:21).  All of this for you.  Jesus is not Who you think He is.

The people of Nazareth did not believe the person or work of Jesus Christ.  They did just the opposite of the people in last week’s Gospel text (Mk. 5:21-43).  Rather than believing, they did not believe and were scandalized.

Because of this, Jesus could do (lit.) “no work” there [You do have to love Mark’s ironic side note, “Well except for healing those few sick people.”].  Mark gives one of the most human insights into the mind of Jesus, “He marveled (was amazed) because of their unbelief.”

This is why the Gospel of Mark should be read in one sitting.  This text follows immediately after Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter.  Mark contrasts faith and unfaith.  He contrasts Jesus’ works of power and the crowd’s sinful doubt.

Faith is not simply a belief in the power of faith.  This faith is in Christ’s ability to deliver what He promises.  Can the Son of God deliver you from sin, death, and the devil?  “If the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36).

Trust Christ, not your feelings.  He is more than what you think He is.  Amen.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Mark 5:21-43—And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. ²² Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ²³ and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴ And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

³⁵ While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰ And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³ And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Jairus was a man who was torn between two contradicting realities.  First, Jairus was living in the reality of fear.  He was fearful for his daughter who was at the point of death.  Her end was coming, and Jairus, even though he was a prominent man, a ruler of the synagogue, still feared his daughter‘s death.  He was faced with the terrifying possibility that he would outlive his twelve-year-old daughter.

But Jairus was also a man who had faith.  He had heard reports about Jesus.  In all likelihood, Jairus had seen Jesus act before in his own synagogue where he was a ruler.  So Jairus, being a man of faith, leaves his sick daughter’s bedside.  He takes the risk of not being present for her death to find Jesus.

When Jairus finds Jesus, he makes a confession of fear, “My little daughter is at the point of death,” and he makes a confession of faith, “Come lay your hands on her so that she may be made well and live.”

You too, like Jairus, are torn between the realities of fear and faith.

Maybe your fears aren’t for the life of your child.  Maybe they are a little more mundane and not nearly as imminent, but you live in fear.  You have tasks to do, meals to prepare, dishes to clean, houses to care for, lawns to mow.  You have parents to obey, children to raise, spouses to love.  You have jobs to find and keep, budgets to meet, bills and mortgages to pay.

There are literally thousands of things that you have to do every day of this life, things that weigh you down and burden you.  They may be small, but they begin to pile up.  Those things, as they pile up, cause you to fear.  Maybe you aren’t terrified, but if you are honest, you do fear.

You also, like Jairus, have faith.  You come to church, you read and study God’s Word.  You pray and lay your requests before God.  You trust that He will act.  You know that He can help you in any circumstance.

But sometimes, an obstacle gets in the way.  Time passes, and the request isn’t answered.  God delays, and circumstances change so that God can no longer answer in the way you thought He “needed” to answer.  The delay causes you to doubt, and doubt causes faith to shift back into fear.  You begin to think, “Well, maybe God doesn’t care—at least not about that.”

Fear grows and grows until you almost even begin to wonder, “This God says He cares.  He says, ‘all things work together for good.’  Can I even believe in God anymore?”

That’s what happened for Jairus.  Jesus was delayed.  Servants from Jairus’ house came and said, “Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?”. Circumstance caused Jairus to fear for the life of his daughter, and now circumstances caused delay.  And now it is too late.

Jairus couldn’t have done anything to keep his daughter from getting sick.  Jairus couldn’t have gotten Jesus to his house any quicker.  Events outside Jairus’ control brought about his worst fear.  His daughter is dead.

But it was also events completely outside of Jairus’ control that had given him faith.  Jairus’ faith had come from outside of himself.  The faith that Jairus had wasn’t his own; it was a gift of God.

The same is true for you.  Events totally outside your control cause you to fear, and the faith that you have in God is not your own either.

It’s time to stop kidding around.  Faith is not yours.  You do not choose faith; you did not and do not produce faith.  Faith is something God gives you.  Faith is the gift of God.  Salvation does not come by any work; you cannot boast.  You cannot, by your own reason our strength, believe in Jesus as Lord, or come to Him.

It is shocking then, when Jesus commands Jairus lit., “No fearing; only faithing.” How could Jesus expect Jairus to obey this command?  His daughter is dead!  Jairus can’t just decide, “Oh, sure Jesus.  Hakuna matata; no worries.  Don’t worry; be happy.  Even though my daughter is dead, I believe.  Yea, yahoo.”

Events outside of Jairus’ control have caused both his fear and his faith.  Jesus, in His mercy, knows all of this.  Jesus does not expect Jairus to have no fear, but He does expect Jairus to handle that fear.  “No fearing; only faithing.”

The main difference between fear and faith is this: Fear is retreating from the battle inward to where there is no help.  Faith is marching outward into the battle and allowing any help to come—even though it is not the help expected.  Faith and fear don’t mix they are like oil and water.  One will drive out the other because fear is the opposite of faith.

God doesn’t allow you to hide behind excuses.  You’re not allowed to pass the buck and say that your fear is only because of outside things coming at you.  No, fear comes to you because you are sinful and because you don’t believe that God can do what He says He can do.

See, even though bad, terrifying things happen to you, God expects you to be able to handle it.  But He doesn’t expect you to handle it on your own.  God is giving you the tools, and you are responsible for what you do with those tools.  God knows; He knows that you are torn between fear and faith.  He knows that fear is tearing you away from faith, and yet He expects and commands you to be tenacious in your faith.  He expects you, against all logic and reason, to run headlong into the battle because faith knows that the battle is the Lord’s.

In Jairus’ case, there wasn’t any place left for him to go.  His only retreat was outward—to believe in Jesus.  To follow the marching orders of his King Who is bringing the rule and reign of God into the world.

And Jairus believed.  He did not put his belief in his faith.  No, he had faith in Jesus’ Word.  Jesus marched with Jairus, and Jesus proved faithful.

Jesus always proves faithful.

The 1^st Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”  What does this mean?  “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

Fear God because He is your Divine, Heavenly Father.  Love God because He has first loved you.  Trust in God because He is the One Who gives you every good thing.

Jairus does not by his own reason or strength believe in Jesus.  But by the power of Jesus’ Word, Jairus believes and not retreat into fear.  Jairus does what is completely unexpected and waits for Jesus to act.  And Jesus does act, not in the way Jairus had expected when he first approached Jesus, but in a much more wonderful way.

And Jesus still acts today.  He doesn’t always act in the way you expect, but He does act in ways that are much higher and more wonderful than you could ask or imagine.  He has acted today in these waters of baptism.  He had acted as you have been fed by His Word.  And He is about to act as He gives to you His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

He says to you now, “No fearing; only faithing.”  Amen.

Mark 4:35–41 ³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Grace, mercy, and the peace that surpasses all understanding be to you from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

“Who is this?” The disciples asked, “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”  The disciples were filled with a great fear (v. 41) and wanted to know.

Who is this Man Who has called the disciples to follow Him?  The disciples have been following and have witnessed Jesus say and do some amazing things.  They heard Him proclaim, “The time is fulfilled and Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe the Gospel.”  They saw Him rebuke and cast out demons.  They saw Him heal those who were sick in crowds that thronged around Him.

Still, the disciples ask after Jesus calms the storm, “Who is this?  Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Sure it is amazing when a person heals someone of their leprosy.  It is nifty when a person casts out a demon.  But those things had happened before.  In fact, God had given people power to do those things for centuries.  Through His prophets and judges and great men and women, God had done some great things.

This, this is different.  This is different because now “even the wind and the sea obey this Guy.”

Who is this Man in the boat with the disciples?  Who is this Man, this Jesus, Who speaks to the wind and the waves as though they are in His pets, and they listen, and they obey—Who is He?

Jesus had put His disciples in in the driver’s seat telling them, “Hey, let’s go to that other side over there.”  So, the disciples dismissed the crowd and took Jesus in the boat.  On the way across, this ‘great windstorm’ arose—lit. ‘a cyclone, a great, a windy.’  The description is a little redundant, cyclones are usually big and windy.  This one was especially so.

The Sea of Galilee was and still is famous for these terrible storms.  There was a storm in March of 1992 on the Sea of Galilee where waves were measured at 10 ft.  Archeologists have found a boat from around Jesus’ time, its height is just over 4 ft.—remember that about half of that (depending upon how the boat is built) will be under water while the boat is floating.  Now, the disciples were seasoned fishermen; they grew up on this lake.  But this storm had them worried.  The boat was already filling with water.  Jesus had put them in the driver’s seat, and things were not going well.

The disciples looked in the stern, the back of the boat, and there was Jesus, sleeping on a cushion.

Don’t misunderstand the disciples’ question in v.38.  They were not accusing Jesus of being indifferent.  In fact, the opposite.  They, when they ask the question, expect a positive answer.  “Jesus, we are perishing.  You care, right?”

Notice the disciples woke up Jesus to ask this question and then in v. 39 Jesus ‘awoke.’  The disciples woke Jesus up from His sleeping, and their question really woke Him up so that He was ready to act.

But Jesus didn’t trim the sails and ply the oars.  He didn’t tell them to change course to head into the waves so they don’t break over the sides.  The disciples, these experienced sailors, turned to least-seasoned sailor.  They turned to the ‘Teacher’—the carpenter’s Son.

Jesus spoke to that great windy cyclone and to that mighty sea; a better translation would be, “Be quiet, shut up.”

These commands from Jesus were words the disciples had heard Jesus speak before—to demons.  When demons had spoken about Him, Jesus told them sternly to “Shut up” (Mk. 1:25) [sorry parents].  The fact that demons obeyed His commands was amazing, but now Jesus commands the wind and sea.

At the words of Jesus, this ‘great storm’ is turned into a ‘great calm.’  Then this Man Who commanded the wind and sea turned to His disciples and asked, “You become cowardly and timid at wind and waves?  Have you still no faith?”

Do you get the sense that Jesus is frustrated with His disciples?  You should.  But don’t get all self-righteous though, you wouldn’t have done any better.  In fact, you don’t do any better.

The disciples were filled with a ‘great fear.’  Notice the ‘greats’ in this text: a ‘great cyclonic windstorm’ (v. 37) silenced by Jesus into a ‘great calm’ (v. 39) which then produces a ‘great fear’ (v. 41).

It wasn’t the storm that caused this great fear; it’s not the great calm that causes the great fear.  The great fear was caused by the realization that the disciples were in the presence of the One Who can speak and create this great calm.  This fear is the true fear of God.

The disciples woke Jesus up because they assumed that He would act to save them, but the extent to which He saves them causes them to fear greatly.

Today, ask with the disciples, “Who is this?  Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him.”

Yahweh, the great I Am, had asked Job in our Old Testament text (Job 38:1-11), “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Who determined the earth’s measurements—surely you know!  Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?  [Who] prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”

Job couldn’t answer Yahweh’s question, but Jesus can.  He is dressed for action like a man and can make known to God these answers.

Jesus can answer, “Yes, I was there.  I was the Word which You spoke.  I was there in the beginning with Yahweh.  All things were made through Me” (Jn. 1:1-2).  Jesus is the kind of man Who heals, casts out demons, forgives sins, and even dominates creation, all with His Word.  Jesus has the authority that we think only belongs to God.  Indeed, Jesus is God with us.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was in control over the waters when the earth was created.  He was in control over the waters that destroyed the earth but raised up Noah and his family.  And Jesus was in control of the waters that day on the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus didn’t stop being in control of the waters though.  He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18).  He was in control of the waters of the Red River when they rose to 54.35 ft. on April 22, 1997; He said to the water, “This far shall you come, and no farther.”  He was in control of the waves when the tsunami rolled over Japan; He said, “Here shall your proud waves be stayed.”  He was in control of the waters this past week as they fell on Duluth.

“Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”  That word obey that the disciples use in their question might be somewhat surprising.  It literally means “to be under the sound/word of.”  Obey is a fine one-word translation, but it is not the robotic, “I hear and obey.”  It could be translated “be subject to” or “follow.”

“Who is this, that even the wind and the sea are subject to His Word?”

He is Jesus, the One Who still speaks to the waters.  He puts His Word in the waters of baptism.  He tells those waters to flood over you and to wash away sins—and they do.  His Word in those waters brings peace and forgiveness.

Jesus is still Lord over creation.  His creation still listens to Him.  But this text doesn’t give you any promises that Jesus will turn all the storms of your life into a great calm.

The comfort of this text is much greater.  Jesus has calmed the greatest storm of all—the eternal wrath of God that you deserve because of your sins.  He has taken that upon Himself.

When the subsequent storms of this life are stiffed up by this sinful world, remember that Jesus Christ is in you.  Maybe, though, you think He is sleeping.  You think that because you have forgotten His presence.  Rouse Him.  Remember Him.

Pray the Psalms: Ps. 44:23 ²³ Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject [me] forever!  Ps. 35:23 ²³ Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

He keeps watch within you.  Heed Him.  Be under His Word.  Especially that Word that He has spoken to you which has made you clean (Jn. 15:3).  Amen.

Acts 2:14a; 22-36—But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them…

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

²⁶   therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

²⁷   For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption.

²⁸   You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

³⁵        until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from the Triune God Who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

As I mentioned last week, the sermon text this week is a continuation of Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.  The people who compiled the lexicon decided to keep a tiny little part of v. 14 to make sure that we remember that Peter is preaching.

Peter’s sermon is interesting.  Peter, you remember is that bold disciple who always has something to say.  Peter was usually the one who would speak when the other disciples were silent.

It was Peter who asked Jesus if he could come out to walk on the water (Mt. 14:22-33).

It was Peter who confessed about Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16).

It was Peter who bragged, “Even if all the other disciples fall away, I will never fall away.”  And even when Jesus foretold Peter’s denial, Peter spoke even further, “Even if I must die with You, I will never deny You” (Mt. 26:31-35).

It was also Peter who spoke beside the fire in the court of the Sanhedrin when he was asked three times if he knew Jesus.  It was Peter, when he was asked this third time if he knew Jesus, who called down a curse upon himself (Mk. 14:66-72).

Peter likes to talk.  So what is Peter going to preach about after his Lord Jesus has died, risen, and ascended into heaven?

Peter preaches about Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended to the Father with all rule and authority.  Peter preaches about Jesus, but he also preaches about his hearers.  Peter says, “You saw this Jesus of Nazareth.  He was in your midst doing mighty works, wonders, and signs.  You saw those mighty works of God that Jesus was doing, but you killed Him.”

Peter puts the Lord Jesus Christ before the crowd.  Peter points his finger at the crowd and says two times, “You crucified Him.”  That’s a pretty bold statement to make, “This Jesus, Whom you crucified.”  That’s a bold statement, Peter.

It was just 50 days before, that Peter denied even knowing Jesus.  And now, Peter isn’t being asked if he knows Jesus, Peter is only being accused of being drunk.  All Peter can do is speak about Jesus.  All Peter can do is put the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus Christ before the crowd.

Peter declares that this is no surprise.  King David wrote about this about a thousand years, a millennium, before.  King David was a prophet who foresaw by the knowledge of God that Jesus would be raised from the dead.  You can go and see David’s tomb, but not Jesus’ tomb.  Jesus was raised and is exalted and seated at the right hand of God ruling and reigning.

Peter says, “Jesus is both Lord and Christ,” then he puts his finger right back in their faces, “Whom you crucified.”

That’s pretty bold Peter it’s pretty bold to point the finger at your listeners when you were the one who denied Him.  But that is what Peter preaches.

Now, notice what Peter doesn’t preach about. Peter doesn’t preach about when Jesus called him and his brother Andrew saying, “Follow Me, and I’ll make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:18-22).

Peter doesn’t preach about when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, when he himself stood with Moses and Elijah and Jesus as the voice of God said, “This is My Beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 17:1-8).

Peter doesn’t preach about when many followers abandoned Jesus after He fed the 5000.  Peter doesn’t mention his  response to Jesus’ question, “Do you want to go away as well?”  when Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:66-69).

Maybe the most interesting thing is that Peter does not preach about the forgiveness that Jesus gave him even after he had denied Jesus (Jn. 21:1-19).  Peter doesn’t speak about that morning on the Sea of Galilee when he jumped out of the boat for joy because he saw Jesus.  Peter doesn’t speak about how he swam to the shore and ate that breakfast with Jesus by the sea.  Peter doesn’t speak about the three times that Jesus asked him, “Peter, do you love Me?”  Peter doesn’t preach that Jesus forgive him and told him to take care of His sheep.

Peter doesn’t tell the crowd, “Your sin may be great, but Jesus forgave me and Jesus can forgive you.”  Peter doesn’t preach about that.

Jesus had forgiven Peter, but Jesus’ work was bigger than that.  Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of Peter (Jn. 1:29).  Jesus went even deeper and bore Peter’s sins in His body (1 Pet. 2:24).  Jesus confessed Peter’s sins as though Jesus had committed them Himself.  But Jesus went even deeper and actually became Peter’s sin (2 Cor. 5:21).

But Jesus didn’t do this just for Peter.  Jesus’ work is even bigger than that.  Jesus did it for you.

Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away your sin.  Jesus went even deeper and bore your sins in His body.  Think about your most secret sins—those sins that are so terrible that you haven’t specifically confessed them—Jesus knew about them even before you committed them.  Jesus confessed your sins as though He had committed them Himself.  Jesus actually became your sin.

Jesus told the Law to get off of your case.  He told the Law, “I, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, will become a curse.”  So the Law accused Christ and killed Him.  Then the law, “looked around and found no other sin anywhere in the world” (Paulson, Steven D.).  Christ is the “end of the law” for you (Ro. 10:4).

There is therefore now no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus; He has set you free from the law (Ro. 8:1-2).  And if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sets you free, you are free indeed (Jn. 8:36).  Amen.

Acts 2:1-21—When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹² And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What is this all about?” ¹³ But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷   “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸   even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹   And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰   the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹    And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be

saved.’

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Pentecost.  The Jewish festival of Pentecost existed before the day of Pentecost.  God had instituted a feast called the Feast of Weeks which was celebrated a week of weeks (7 weeks of seven days), fifty days, after Passover and later became called Pentecost.  The ‘Feast of Weeks’ or Pentecost was a harvest festival—it was a feast similar to our Thanksgiving.  Pentecost was a time for people to rejoice because of God’s provision in the past, to be thankful for God’s provision in the present, and to look forward to God’s provision in eternity.  The festival in the New Testament days, and even for Jews today, had a strong focus on the last days where God would provide for His people.

The Christian Church today is sometimes overly focused on the supernatural events of Pentecost—the wind, the fire, the tongues—to the detriment of the significance of that day for you and I, the Church.  Those amazing, terrifying events—the mighty rushing wind, the tongues of fire, and general commotion of God pouring out the Holy Spirit—are only signs to what God does each and every time the Gospel is proclaimed.

Fifty days after Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples were all together in once pace sitting.  “Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.”  They didn’t stay sitting very long.  They were “all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  They were speaking specifically about “the mighty works of God.”

The Tower of Babel was reversed.  Yahweh had previously confused the languages of mankind to disperse them.  Now He is un-confusing them in order to unite them in what Christ has done for all mankind.

Speaking in these different languages, the disciples were proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus.  Peter’s sermon is focused completely on Christ.  Peter spoke about Jesus’ miracles (which many of the crowd would have at least heard of if not seen), about Jesus’ deliverance to Pilate, about Jesus’ crucifixion and death, and about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

These are the “mighty works of God,” and they all focused on Christ.

After being accused of being filled with new wine to the point of being drunk, Peter begins to preach.  He declares that these, indeed, are the ‘last days’ as described by the prophet Joel.  God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh.  Sons and daughters are prophesying.  Young men are seeing visions; old men are dreaming dreams.  Even male and female slaves are receiving the poured-out Holy Spirit and prophesying.  This is the time, as God had declared, that He would act in a new, awesome, and very visible way.  God is acting—just as He acted in the past.

Take the time to read about Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai as Moses went up to receive the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19-20); or Elijah being taken into heaven (2 Kgs. 2:1-14).

Look at the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in light of our Old Testament text (Ezek. 37:1-14) Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones.  As Ezekiel stood in that valley, God told him to prophecy over the dry bones and to the wind.  The bones were joined bone to bone with sinews and flesh.  And those bones were given the breath of life.

God says the same happens to all believers.  God hears His people dead in sin and crying out that their bones are dried up, hope is lost, and they are cut off.  But God says, “No.  The day will come when I will open your graves, I will raise you from your graves, and I will bring you into the Promised Land.  Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I put My Spirit within you.  Then you shall live.  I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.”

That day is Pentecost.  At Pentecost, the Father poured out His Spirit.  Jesus sent the Counselor, the Comforter, the Protector, the Helper to you.  It is done, and yet it continues.

The Holy Spirit was given on that day of Pentecost and we celebrate that coming today.  But while we celebrate this as a historical event, we recognize this is an event that happens continually.  Every Sunday is a little Easter.  Every Sunday is a little Pentecost as Jesus’ Spirit comes by water, by Word, and by bread and wine.  Every time Christ is proclaimed, there is another Pentecost.

Pentecost—that harvest feast—happened corporately for the church 2000 years ago.  The harvest continues individually in the lives of believers as God sends His messengers to proclaim all that Jesus has done.

The first Pentecost was, as Peter said, a “great and magnificent day.”  Imagine the signs, sounds, and words of that day of Pentecost.  We wonder, “Why God don’t we get to see some of those signs today?  Why don’t we get to have this amazing and awesome experience that they had back then?”

One theologian commented, “We too often get distracted by the fireworks of Pentecost to know what the celebration is all about.”  Don’t let the signs distract you from the real meaning of Pentecost.  Jesus has come, died, and risen again—all for you and your salvation.

As you call upon the name of the Lord, you are saved.  In baptism, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit places His name upon you.  In faith, you call out to God as your Father Who created you, God the Son Who has redeemed you, and God the Holy Spirit Who sanctifies you.

Pentecost happens daily, as you call out to Him in repentance, “Forgive me of my sins.”  It happens repeatedly as you hear the Gospel message of what Christ has done for you.

By your own reason or strength you cannot believe in Jesus Christ your Lord or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called you through the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, and sanctified and preserved you in the true faith; in like manner as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in this Christian Church, He daily forgives abundantly all your sins and the sins of all believers, and at the last day will raise up you and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to you and to all who believe in Christ.  This is most certainly true.  Amen.

Psalm 1:1-6—

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²  but rather his delight is in the instruction of the Lord,
and on his instruction he meditates day and night.

³   He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴   The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵   Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶   for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father through our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Whether you are being confirmed today, or are being recognized as a graduate and moving on to new things, or just living in a changing, uncertain world, this is a good text for you.

The first Psalm gives a true picture of what it is to be blessed.  The picture is of certainty and security, of being firmly planted by streams of water, of receiving everything that is needed.  The picture is one of always bearing fruit, always prospering.

The Lord knows the way of the blessed.

A beautiful picture.  A picture that everyone would like to be descriptive of themselves.

But as you start to look little deeper and really think about the truth of this Psalm, you begin to realize… Uh oh.

The blessed person does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.  Where do you walk?  The blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners.  Where do you stand?  The blessed man does not sit in the seat of scoffers.  Where do you sit?

Then comes the worst news, ‘his delight is in the instruction of the Lord, and on His instruction he meditates day and night.’  Everything breaks down.  That doesn’t describe you.  It doesn’t describe me.

We hear about this tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in its season, un-withering leaves.   We hear that this blessed man does what he is supposed to—he bears fruit.  Everything that man does prospers.

That sounds so wonderful.  You and I say, “I wish I were that man.  I wish this Psalm was more descriptive of me.  I wish the blessed truths of this Psalm were true of me.”

Then you see the descriptions of the wicked in this Psalm.  Those are true as well.  Those are descriptive of you; they are descriptive of me.

There are only two types of people—blessed and wicked.  Everyone who is not blessed is wicked.  The wicked wither.  The wicked are chaff.  The wicked are driven away by the wind.  The wicked will not stand in the judgment.  The wicked will not stand in the congregation of the righteous.  The way of the wicked perishes.

True and descriptive…

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were even a middle ground?  Too bad there is none…

Everyone wants that blessed description to be true of themselves.  Everyone wants to have that delight, that nourishment, that fruitfulness, that prosperous existence.  But sinners should never expect that.  Sinners should expect judgment.

We can maybe think of individuals who appear to be like the firmly planted tree.  But if we could look inside, or if everyone would be honest, we would find out no one would dare say, “Here is a description of me and my life.”  Why do we even have this Psalm?  It does not describe any individual, except One.

This Psalm describes Jesus.  Hear this description of Jesus:  Blessed is Jesus.  Jesus does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers.  Jesus Christ’s delight is in the instruction of the Word of God—He is the Word of God.  He meditates on the Word of God day and night.  Jesus is like that tree, firmly planted by streams of water, always yielding fruit, always prospering.

But the description of Jesus doesn’t end there.  What happens to the wicked is also true of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself was like that withered chaff: it was on the cross where He said, “I thirst.” (Jn. 19:28).  Jesus was like the chaff that is driven away by the wind: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:34).  Jesus was not in the congregation; He was “cut off out of the land of the living” (Is. 53:8).

Jesus suffered the results of wickedness, not because He Himself was wicked or did anything sinful.  He suffered the results of wickedness because He chose to become sin for you.

Think about that tree planted by water.  Christ speaks about being the One Who gives “living water” (Jn. 4:10).  Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (Jn. 7:37-38).

Nourishing, living streams of water.

Sinner, wicked one, you were baptized into Christ and have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27).

As you are in Christ, this Psalm becomes descriptive of you.

Blessed are you, Christian.  You don’t walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of scoffers.  Your delight is in the Word of God which declares that you are clean.  Day and night the Word gives you nourishment.

You are that firmly planted tree.  You bear fruit.  All that you do prospers.  The Lord knows your way.

If this Psalm is descriptive of Christ (and it is), it is descriptive of you who have put on Christ.  Despite all appearances it is true of you who have put on Christ.

When God looks at you, this is what He sees.  Meditate on that day and night.  Amen.

John 15:9–17 ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Grace, mercy, peace, and love to you from God the Father and His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Our text this morning is a continuation of the sermon text from last week.  Judas has left the Upper Room and is in the act of betraying Jesus.  Jesus is now teaching His disciples knowing that these were His final moments with them before He would go to the cross where He would put His life on behalf of His friends.

Last week we covered the first eight verses of Jn. 15 where Jesus taught, “I am the Vine, My Father is the Vinedresser, you are the branches.”  Jesus’ repeated plea to the disciples was, “Abide, remain, stay in My love.”

The text today continues that theme and takes the next step.  “The Father has loved Me.

“I have loved you with that same kind of inseparable, indivisible, perfectly united love.

“Abide in that love.”

What a beautiful picture.  The same love the Father has for Jesus is the love Jesus has for you.  “The Father loves me.  I love you.  Abide in My love.”  The care, the protection, the guidance that the Father has given to the Son is the same love that Jesus gives to you.

We say, Yes, Jesus this is wonderful.  By Your grace keep me in Your love.  Forgive me of my sins.  I know that whenever I sin, I can turn to You and receive Your forgiveness.  Amen?

“The Father loves me.  I love you.  Abide in My love.”

Why couldn’t Jesus have stopped speaking?  Jesus’ call to abide in His love fits with our desires and wishes.  We want to abide and remain in His love.  But when Jesus explains how that abiding occurs in v. 10, well, there is disappointment.  “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.”  What does Jesus command? v. 12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another.”

“The Father has loved Me.  I have loved you.  Abide in my love.  Love one another.”

I don’t want to hear that last part, “Love one another.”  I don’t want to hear it because of what I know.

When I look at the ways in which I ‘love’ others, I find not love, but selfishness.  Deep down, when I look at the ways in which I try to help people, I see the stains of self-interest.  I help others so that I will get noticed.  I make sure that when I help others I get something in return.

My love is not sacrificial.  My love is not giving of myself.  My love, frankly, stinks.

“The Father has loved Me.  I have loved you.  Abide in my love.”  I wish Jesus had stopped there, but He goes on to say, “Love one another.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus describes this love that you should have for one another.  “Greater love has no one than this, than that he lay down (put) his life for his friends.”  How true that is.  There is no greater thing that you can do than to give your life to save someone else.  More on that in a minute.

Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you—love one another.”

“[Name someone], I really like you.  You are my friend.  Now, do whatever I tell you.”   What kind of friendship is that?  Doesn’t that sound weird?  Yet, that is what friendship is.  A friend will do what his friend asks.  A friend will even try to help before he is asked.   A friend is going to give his friend commandments that are beneficial to his friend.  And as we look at the context v. 13-15 and see how it all fits together, there is beautiful Gospel here.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do the things which I command you.  No longer do I call you slaves because the slave does not know what the Master is doing, but I have called you friends for all that I have heard from My Father, Who loves Me, I have made known to you.”

Usually, when we consider a man laying down his life for a friend, we think of peers.  A husband dying for a wife, a soldier jumping on a grenade to protect the rest of his troop.  Those are beautiful pictures of this, but an even greater love is going on here.

In Jn. 19:12,  Pontius Pilate is trying to release Jesus.  But the crowd cries out, “If you release this Man, you are not Caesar’s friend.”  There is a friendship between two people of unequal status.  When a high-ranking official has someone in his charge or care, that official has a vested interest in the success of those under him.

When we understand Jesus’ work and words about laying down a life for friends in this way, it sharpens what Jesus is saying.  There is no way that Caesar would lay down his life for Pilate who was just a governor of the outer territories of the empire.  We wouldn’t expect the President of the United States to lay down his life for the East Grand Forks city zoning superintendent.

That is the love Jesus has for you.  He laid down His life for you.

“The Father has loved Me.  I have loved you.  Abide in my love.  Love one another.”

Absolutely central to this is what Jesus said in Jn. 15:5, “Apart from Me you are not able to do even nothing.”

Jesus repeats the same idea in v. 16, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and I appointed you (I ‘put’ you) that you should go bear fruit.  I chose you which results in you bearing fruit which remains.”

Jesus did not chose you because you were bearing fruit that lasted.  He chose you and appointed you which results in you bearing fruit that lasts—the fruit of loving one another.

And so often people want to take this last part of v. 16 and say, “If you perfectly obey God, He will give you whatever you want.”  Just perfectly obey God’s commands and He will become your Heavenly Rich Uncle.  “O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.”  But that is not what Jesus is talking about.  Jesus is not talking about prayer in general; He is talking about bearing fruit and loving one another.

In Jn. 15:1-8, Jesus says, “Already you are clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me because apart from Me, you are not able to do even nothing.  If you abide in Me, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  He continues this teaching in v. 9-17, “Abide in My love and remain clean and free from sin.  I chose you to bear fruit that would abide.  The fruit that abides is love for one another.  So ask Me to help you love one another.”

Jesus has made you clean through His Word.  He has freed you from sin.  And you don’t want to return to sin.  You don’t want to return to being outside God’s will.  You have just been cleaned from all that rot and filth.

So your prayer becomes, “Jesus, You have freed me from sin.  Keep me free from sin.  You have appointed me to bear fruit.  Make me bear the fruit you want me to bear.  Help me love my neighbor.  Help me love the person You have put in front of me right now.  Help me be a better spouse.  Help me be a better parent.  Help me be a better worker.  Help me be a better neighbor.  Help me to show Your love to others.  Help me abide in Your love.”

It all comes full circle.

“Love,” is Jesus’ command, and the key to obeying that command is His love.  Jesus says, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you.  Abide in My love.  If you keep My commands, you abide in My love.” And back in Jn. 14, Jesus says, “If you abide in My love, You keep My commands.”  Put it together, “If you keep My commands, you abide in My love.  If you abide in My love, you keep My commands.”

It always starts with God and His love for you.  “in this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.  We love because He first loved us.” Jesus’ love poured into you leads to obedience.  Obedience leads to fruitfulness.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

If you want to know what God thinks about you, listen to what Christ has to say.  Do not look to your thoughts or experiences.  Listen only to Christ.  He says, “You did not chose Me.  You did not chose Me, but I chose you and appointed You.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in My love.  Love one another.”  Amen.

John 15:1–8 ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I am in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

So last week we looked at Jesus as the Noble Shepherd, and Jesus is a Man full of metaphors.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven “I am the…” statements.  It can be a good exercise to consider them all together, but don’t “miss the trees for the forest”—if I am allowed to reverse the saying.  Today, Jesus tells you, “I am the True Vine.”

Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and you are the branches.

God uses this same imagery in Isaiah.  In Is. 5:1-7, God speaks about His vineyard.  He had given it all the advantages and protections He could, but still the vineyard produced worthless, wild grapes.  God throws up His hands and asks, “What more could I have done for My vineyard?”  God destroys the worthless vineyard.  God starts over, and in Is. 27:1-5, God again is pictured as a Vinedresser.  God keeps His vineyard night and day.  He even wishes that He had thorns and briers to battle.

Now, Jesus uses this same imagery to describe your relationship to Him.  Jesus describes two types of branches.  The first type of branch is the not-bearing-fruit kind.  As a good gardener/vinedresser should, the Father gets rid of it.  He takes those fruitless branches away.  The other type of branch is the bearing-fruit kind.  As a good gardener/vinedresser should, the Father prunes those.  Those branches are made clean of any imperfections so that those branches continue to grow correctly and keep bearing fruit—more fruit and better fruit than they are baring even now.

This idea of pruning is carried into v. 3, but it comes so quickly, and we translate it differently in English so we miss it.  Jesus says, “Already you are clean/already you are pruned (same word) because of the Word that I have spoken to you.”

The difference between the branch that bears fruit and the branch that does not bear fruit is the Word.  The Word gives life.  The Word makes you pruned/clean.  The Word declares to you that your sins are forgiven, it continues to make you clean, it  continues to make you bear more fruit.  It is all about the Word.

In v. 6, Jesus says, “Anyone who does not abide in Me and in My Word is like a dead, fruitless branch and is thrown away.”  Those dead, fruitless, thrown-away branches are gathered, cast into the fire, and burned.  This is eternally serious.

Look at Dt. 6:4-9 and see the importance God places on the Word.  God places such an emphasis on hearing and learning His Word which declares that you are a sinner who does not love God with all your heart and soul and might.  Confess that sin and hear the Word of God which says that He forgives you.  Hear from the Word that through faith, you do love Him as Christ loves Him—with all your heart and soul and might.

Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and you are the branches.

Apart from Jesus, apart from being His branch, apart from His Word, what can you do?  You cannot do anything.  You can do nothing—nothing.

This spring, I went after one of our lilac bushes because it was growing crazy.  I hacked away many of the branches.  Those branches have been sitting in my yard and drying out.  I really don’t expect them to bud and sprout any lilacs.  I do expect those that are still connected to the roots to bud and flower, and they are.  Those other branches are simply waiting for me to throw them in the fire.

Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and you are the branches.

Apart from Jesus you cannot do anything.  There is absolutely nothing that you can do apart from being connected to Jesus, the Vine.  When you disconnect yourself from the Word, you disconnect yourself from the Vine.  Remaining in the Word is absolutely essential because the Word continues to make you clean.

Jesus says, “Apart from Me you are not able to do nothing.”  Jesus here uses an emphatic double negative, in Greek it doesn’t cancel out.  There are a couple ways to take this and both are true.  First, apart from Jesus, there is nothing that you can do.  Everything you accomplish, all your strength, all your abilities, all of your faculties come to you from God.  Apart from Him you can do nothing.

Second, there are individuals who are apart from Jesus and don’t acknowledge that their gifts and faculties are from God.  And they do lots of things.  Yet, what they do amounts to nothing.  Suppose, for the sake of argument, a person decided to completely follow perfectly the Commandments and did (again, this is impossible).  Nothing they did would amount to anything because it is without faith.  Apart from Jesus not even the best deeds count for anything.

Your best works, your best deeds, if they’re apart from faith, fall flat on their face.  So do not sever yourself from Christ.  Do not remove yourself from Christ and His Word.  The Father will continue to prune and cleanse you so that you bear more fruit.

Don’t let Satan use these verses to cause doubt.  Don’t let his lies get you caught up in thinking, “I need to bear more fruit.  I need to show more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life,” then go out and try to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and do better.  You won’t.

Apart from Jesus and His Word, you can do nothing.  Confess your inability to do those apart from Jesus and His forgiveness.  Hear the Word declare, “Already you are clean because of the Word I have spoken to you.  The only the branches that get pruned are bearing-fruit ones.  You are bearing fruit.  You are going to continue to be pruned and cleaned so that you can bear even more fruit.  In this I, your Heavenly Father, am glorified.”   The Father will cleanse, prune, and cause more fruit to be borne because that fruit glorifies the Father.

Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and you are the branches.

Abide.  Jesus’ call through this text is to abide, remain, stay in Him—the Vine.

Abide, we don’t use that word very often.  You don’t ask someone, “Where did you abide as a kid?” or, “Where do you abide?”   No.  You ask, “Where did you grow up as a kid?  Where do you live?”  Abiding gives a picture of constancy in the midst of change.  The Word of God remains constant despite this changing, dark, sinful world.  The Word of God remains constant.  Abide in Jesus; abide in His Word.  You will remain clean, and you will bear much fruit.

I mowed our lawn Tuesday.

My older two kids have been asking if they could mow the lawn.  Eli just turned five yesterday—happy birthday Eli—and Anna is three.  Neither of them are nearly old enough to mow on their own, but I thought since our lawnmower is self-propelled, I would let them help mow a couple of passes.

When I brought Anna outside, I showed her how to run the lawnmower.  I showed her how to hold the bar down so the engine would keep running.  I showed her how to push the lever to engage the self-propel feature.  I showed her where she should try and keep the line of the grass so that she would steer straight and not miss strips of grass.  I gave her all the information she needed to be able to mow the lawn.

I started the mower.  She didn’t know how, and I’m not going to teach her either.  She ignored my repeated directions to hold down the bar to keep the engine running.  So I did that.  She forgot to hold the self-propelling lever.  So I did that for her too.  She didn’t pay much attention to where she was going.  So I helped her steer.

She isn’t strong enough to start the mower.  She isn’t tall enough to push the mower on her own.  She isn’t coordinated or concentrated enough to keep the mower running and moving.  She isn’t focused enough to steer the mower.

Knowing all this and desiring that she mow when she is older, I wanted this first mowing experience to be a good one.  So I did it all.  Basically, I mowed the lawn standing off to the side so I would not step on my daughter.  I strained the muscles and tendons in my arm and twisted my back and mowed a couple of passes back and forth.

I felt like charging admittance, but it maybe wasn’t as impressive as a Cirque de Soli performance.

In the midst of my concentration and struggle to mow, my lovely daughter looked up at me and said, “This is easy!”

Anna was abiding in her earthly father.  As far as mowing is concerned, apart from me she could do nothing.

Abide.  Abide in Christ.  Abide in His cleansing Word.  His Word comes to you today and declares to you, “Your sins are forgiven.  Already you are clean because of the Word I have spoken to you.”  His Word comes to you and abides in you because apart from Him you can do nothing.

Abide in Him.  The Father is glorified in the fact that you do bear fruit because of His cleansing.  And in the forgiveness He gives you in His body and blood you bear even more fruit.  Amen.

John 10:11-18—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.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our crucified Lord and risen Shepherd Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Poets, film directors, and comedians all know the importance of… timing.  It’s all about timing.

In many places of Scripture, you find this shepherd/sheep imagery used: Ps. 23 and Ezek. 34 are two very important places.  But you find the shepherd/sheep metaphor scattered throughout the Bible (Is. 40:11; Jer. 23; Mic. 5, 7; Zech. 11; Jn. 21; etc.).  This text and others like it have been a source of comfort for Christians for thousands of years.

The picture in your Scripture insert is an example; it is taken from Roman catacombs (Christian burial crypts) from the 100’s AD.  In the face of death and persecution, Jesus’ description of Himself as the Good, Noble Shepherd gave peace to early Christians.  Images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd gently leading a flock (like the one in our entry way) or searching out a lost, troubled sheep continues to dominate Christian art and literature today.

Timing.  It’s all about timing.  Today, we are three weeks removed from Easter—Jesus’ resurrection.  But consider the timing when Jesus originally spoke these words.  He spoke these words as He was teaching about Who He was at the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem five months before He would lay down His life for the sheep.

Jesus, as He describes what it means to be the Good Shepherd, gives a similar picture of Ps. 23, but it’s a somewhat limited version of Ps. 23.  Jesus’ focus is the Good Shepherd as the Protector of the sheep.

Translating Jesus words as ‘Good Shepherd’ are maybe misleading because of the way in which we use ‘good’ today.  Jesus is the ‘Noble Shepherd.’  He is the Shepherd Who recklessly serves the sheep.  The Noble Shepherd goes far beyond what you would expect even a good shepherd to do—the Noble Shepherd puts His life on behalf of the sheep; He lays down His life for the sheep.

This is what sets the Noble Shepherd apart.  Jesus emphasizes this as He repeats in v. 15 that His work as the Noble Shepherd is to lay down His life for the sheep.  You would expect a shepherd to risk his life for the sheep and fight the wolf or the bear or the lion threatening the flock.  But you do not expect a shepherd to lay down his life for the sheep.  What shepherd risks his own life for the sheep?  Yet, that is what the Noble Shepherd does.

In the first several verses of Ezek. 34, God speaks against the shepherds of Israel who were not protecting or feeding the sheep.  In fact, they were stealing food from the sheep and eating it themselves.  They were not healing the sick or binding up the injured or bringing back the strayed.  They ruled with force and harshness.

Jesus says the same thing in our text about the hired hand guy who is not really a shepherd and does not own the sheep.  When that guy sees the wolf coming, he doesn’t risk his life for the sheep.  He flees; he is no shepherd.  He flees, the wolf ravages the sheep and snatches the sheep, and the sheep scatter.

The flock is no more.  Some are eaten, the rest are scattered and defenseless, and the wolf wins.  The sheep become endangered and are easy prey for the beasts that would steal them and snatch them.

The hireling, who is not a shepherd, flees because he is only taking care of someone else’s sheep.

But Jesus, the Noble Shepherd, faces the ultimate enemy of the sheep, death.  The Noble Shepherd lies down His life—dies—for the sheep.  The Noble Shepherd Himself goes through the valley of the shadow of death for His flock.

Again Jesus says, “I am the Noble Shepherd.  I know My own and My own know Me.”  Look how strong the bond is between the Noble Shepherd and His flock.  Just as the Father knows Jesus and just as Jesus knows the Father so Jesus knows who are His sheep.  The bond between God the Son, Jesus, and God the Father is the bond between the Noble Shepherd and His flock.

Jesus knows who are His sheep, and His sheep know that Jesus is their Noble Shepherd because their Shepherd has laid down His life for them.  Jesus seeks out all the scattered sheep of His flock from the nations.  From every tribe, there will be one flock, one Noble Shepherd (Jn. 10:16).

Here the metaphor ends.  Metaphors can do a good job explaining the relationship between two things, but now Jesus leaves this metaphor of the Noble Shepherd because its usefulness has ended; He says something more.

God the Father loves the Son because the Son freely lays down His life.  Notice that Jesus lays down His life in order that the He can take it up again.  Jesus lays down His life for the purpose of rising from the dead.  Jesus leaves no way to separate the laying down and the taking up of His life.

Jesus lays down His life for the sake and purpose of taking it back up.  Here, Jesus views His death and resurrection as one thing.  Five months before Jesus was crucified, He spoke about laying down His life for the purpose of taking it back up.  And that should give you hope.

Despite how bad everything looked on Good Friday, despite the religious leaders and crowds and soldiers appearing to be in control on Good Friday, Jesus says not so.  Jesus was not killed.  He willingly laid down His life.  “I Myself lay down My life.  I am the One Who is in control.  I freely lay My life down of My own accord.  I have the power to lay My life down and I have the power to take it up again.”

The will of God the Father is followed unto death by God the Son.  The mission which the Father gives the Son is fulfilled as the Son choses to lay down His life so that He could take it up again all for the sake of His sheep.

So as we ponder this text not five months before the crucifixion, but three weeks after the resurrection, remember that Jesus is not the Noble, dead Shepherd.  He is the Noble Shepherd Who died and now lives forever.

Since your Shepherd has died, and yet lives forever, you can look at Ps. 23 in a new and different way.

The Lord is your Noble Shepherd.  The Noble Shepherd Who laid down His life for you.  You are lacking nothing; your desires are filled.

The Noble Shepherd makes you lie down in green pastures and leads you beside still waters.

He restores your soul and leads you in paths of righteousness—not for your sake—but for the sake of His Name.  He is the Noble Shepherd and out of His Own interest, He makes His sheep righteous so that He can remain the Noble Shepherd.  If the Noble Shepherd doesn’t have a noble flock, He is not going to be the Noble Shepherd anymore.  For the sake of His Name which He has placed upon you in baptism, He leads you in righteousness and gives you all good things.

And even though you face death’s shadow, there is nothing for you to fear because you are part of the one flock of the Noble Shepherd.  He is the One Who is with you.  The Noble Shepherd Himself has passed through death and has taken up His life once again—just as you will because you are His noble sheep.

The Noble Shepherd’s rod and staff comfort you.  You hear His Word, and He teaches you with His Law and Gospel what it means to be His sheep.

Though you are surrounded by enemies, your Noble Shepherd prepares a table for you.  You can sit and dine and feast in the presence of your enemies without fear or worry because your Noble Shepherd has defeated your enemies—sin, death, and the devil.

Your Noble Shepherd anoints you with oil.

Your Noble Shepherd fills your cup with His forgiveness.  Your cup is so full that His grace spills from you to others.

Certainly goodness and mercy will follow you, noble sheep, all the days of your life.

You will dwell in the house of the Noble Shepherd who died and rose again.  You will be with Him forever.  Death shall be no more.  Amen.