Tag Archives: Comfort

Comfort Doubled – Sermon on Isaiah 40:1-8 for the Third Sunday of Advent

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Isaiah 40:1-8

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 
2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, 
and cry to her 
     that her warfare is ended, 
that her iniquity is pardoned, 
     that she has received from the Lord’s hand 
double for all her sins. 

3   A voice cries: 
     “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; 
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
4   Every valley shall be lifted up, 
and every mountain and hill be made low; 
     the uneven ground shall become level, 
and the rough places a plain. 
5   And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, 
and all flesh shall see it together, 
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 
6   A voice says, “Cry!” 
And I said, “What shall I cry?” 
     All flesh is grass, 
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 
7   The grass withers, the flower fades 
when the breath of the Lord blows on it; 
surely the people are grass. 
8   The grass withers, the flower fades, 
but the word of our God will stand forever.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I titled this sermon “Comfort Doubled,” but it maybe should have been “Infinite Comfort” because the whole text is dripping with comfort. Dear saints, whenever God comes, He comes to comfort you. Listen to what He says in v. 1 again, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” These words are akin to what Jesus, who came not to call the righteous but sinners (Mt. 9:13), says in Mt. 11:28, “Come to Me, all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” To any and all who are troubled, afflicted, and uncomfortable, God says, “Here is a double dose – two shots of comfort.”

Who gets this comfort? God’s people – whenever they are troubled. That means you. You are those for whom Christ was born. You are those whom God has claimed as His Own. You are the people for whom Christ has died. God says so Himself. He is the One who calls you, “My people,” and He is not ashamed to call Himself, “Your God.” If you play the first verse of this text backwards, God says to you, “I am your God. You are My people. And I give to you comfort on top of comfort.”

The context in which these verses were originally written helps us see just how comforting these words from God are. God has Isaiah tell Jerusalem that her warfare is ended, but when Isaiah writes these words Jerusalem isn’t even at war. Eventually, Babylon will come and besiege Jerusalem, and God’s people will be taken into exile. But even before any of that has happened, God comforts His people with the promise that her warfare will end.

Dear saints, God’s anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Ps. 30:5). And before the suffering begins God preaches comfort to His people.

This is in line with God’s character, and we see this repeatedly in Scripture. Isaiah experienced this when God called Him to be a prophet. Isaiah saw God’s holiness and was terrified because he recognized his sinful lips. But God sent the seraph with a flaming coal to take away Isaiah’s guilt and atone for his sin (Is. 6:1-7). 

Remember how the shepherds saw the glory of God (Is. 40:5) and were terrified? But the angel assured and calmed them saying that God’s appearance in the birth of Jesus was “good news of great joy that would be for all people” (Lk. 2:10).

And even think to our Gospel lesson. John the Baptizer was sitting in a dank, dark prison cell, likely knowing that he would soon be executed. In that dark moment, John sent some of his disciples to confirm that Jesus was indeed the coming Messiah. And Jesus sends them back to John with those beautiful words of reassurance, “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt. 11:4-6). All of these are fulfillments of what the coming Messiah would do (Is. 29:18; 35:5-6). John’s disciples return to John to reassure him with Jesus’ words. And after John’s disciples leave, Jesus goes on to talk to the crowd about John, and I think there is comfort for you in how Jesus speaks of John.

Think of this. After John’s disciples leave, Jesus affirms the fact that John was the prophet who was going to prepare the way of the Messiah. And Christ confirms to this large crowd that there is no one born of women who is greater than John the Baptizer. Now, here’s why you should find this comforting:

When you are in the lowest moments in life, when you have doubts and grow weak, you would be pleasantly surprised to know who was defending you even though you might not know it. While John sits alone in prison, Jesus is in front of that large crowd gushing John’s praise. Remember that. Remember that especially when you get down on yourself for your shortcomings. Know that God doesn’t think of you in low terms even though you might. You are God’s beloved child. And do not forget what Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before My Father and before the angels” (Mt. 10:32; Lk. 12:8). Dear saints be comforted. In any and every time of suffering, God brings His comforting words to you.

Ok. Back to our text from Isaiah. That final line of v. 2 may still make you scratch your head a little bit. This talk of receiving “from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” What is that all about? 

Be careful with what you do with that verse in your mind. Unfortunately, we are often tempted to add a word to that sentence. We read it and add, “she has received double punishment for her sins.” 

Why do we do that? Well, we all know what Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death” (Ro. 6:23). So, it is natural to think of punishment whenever we think of receiving something for our sins. But that can’t be what God means when He says His people have received double for all her sins. You wouldn’t speak tenderly and tell someone, “Your warfare is ended. Your iniquity is pardoned. And it’s ok. I’ve punished you twice for your sins.” That doesn’t fit the context.

Again, what is God giving here? Comfort. A reminder of punishment isn’t comforting. God has given double comfort. Christ came giving double for your sins.  First, He took them away which brings comfort, and second, He gave you His righteousness which brings even more comfort. 

You see, God doesn’t want you to receive any of His wrath or judgment. He doesn’t want you to pay for any of your sin.

Be comforted. Christ has come. Jesus has ended your warfare and pardoned you. You receive double from God for all your sins because your sin is already punished – not on you but on Christ. And in return, you are given Jesus’ righteousness, holiness, innocence, and good works.

This is how God’s accounting works; here is how God manages the debt of your sin. Jesus doesn’t just simply get you out of debt; He gives you an increase. In other words, imagine you stole $1,000 worth of stuff from God. Instead of simply forgiving the debt and calling it even, God gives you $1,000 more (Pr. David Petersen). That is how your God is for you.

Here is your hope, Christian. You have God’s comfort in all things. 

There is nothing sure or lasting or certain in this world. Not the trees, not the mountains, not the grass or the flowers. Only this: the Word of your God stands forever. You can be sure of that. And by that Word you are forgiven, you are justified, you are sanctified, you are glorified, you are comforted, all in Jesus, and all for Jesus‘ sake.

Heaven is on your side. Your warfare is ended. Your iniquity pardoned. And no one, not even God Himself, will charge you for your sins because His Word of comfort stands forever.

You heard it at the beginning of our service, but it bears repeating. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice” (Php. 4:4). Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, God with you, shall come to you. Amen.

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

Now – Sermon on Jude for Midweek Advent 1 2020

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In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The end is near. Not the end of autumn, that’s still a couple weeks away. Not the end of the pandemic, but, maybe, the vaccine will help. Not the end of the legal proceedings for the election, it’s hard to know when that will be. Not the end of 2020, but that will come too.

The end of days is near. In fact, Scripture teaches that we have been living in the last days since the ascension of Christ. In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter says that we are living in the last days (Act. 2:17). In the second verse of Hebrews, the author says that we are living in the last days. And in 1 John 2:18, John even says that it is the last hour.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the service, Advent is a time for us to think of Christ’s comings. His first coming was, of course, when He was born in Bethlehem. Jesus also continually comes to us now through His Word and Sacraments. And our Savior will come again in glory on the Last Day.

Our services this Advent will focus on Christ’s coming and the comfort that this gives us now, at the last, and unto eternity. Jesus’ return comforts us because Christ first came for us while we were sinners and His enemies. When He came to earth the first time, He came to make us His own by taking up our flesh so He could go to the cross and shed His blood for us. Now that He has done that and has made us His children, how much more will His glorious return on the Last Day be for our benefit?

Tonight, we start with the book of Jude to see the comfort that we have right now knowing that Christ will come again.

Jude is such a timely book for our day. Jude writes to those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father, and who are kept for Jesus Christ. Listen again to v. 17-19, “You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” Sound familiar?

We live in the age of scoffers. Think back to the first verse of the first Psalm, “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.” In our culture, we are way beyond sin and wickedness. Today, people celebrate wickedness and laugh at sin. When was the last time you heard someone in the media call something wicked or sinful? Those words are likely to start a firestorm if they are ever used outside of the church. We live in the age of scoffers who mock and dismiss even the idea of sin.

In our culture, what is good is labeled as wicked or hateful. If you dare to say that marriage is God uniting a man and a woman, you hear the majority of the cultural and political elite calling you bigoted, homophobic, and uneducated.

Atheism is the fastest growing religion today because it appears to offer an escape. Atheism is attractive to people today because, if there is no being higher than us, there is no accountability for sin and no judgment. And the heathen of today are terrified of judgment. They know their actions are sinful. So, they just lie to themselves and say that they will never have to answer for their sins. If we are just the highest animals who are an accident of evolution, then there is no accountability or day of reckoning. The nightly prayer of the atheist is, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I sow the seeds I’ll never reap. If I should die before I wake, oh well.”

The Christians of Jude’s day were a lot like us. They were just as dismayed at the evil that surrounded them as we are by the evil that surrounds us now. But Jude wants to remind us that evil has always surrounded God’s people.

Jude goes back before the Fall of Adam and Eve to the fall of the angels. Satan and the demons were not content to be what God had created them to be. So, they rebelled. And for their rebellion, they had an eternal fire prepared for them (Mt. 25:41). And the devil came into the garden to drag humanity, the pinnacle of God’s creation, down with him. 

Jude wants us to remember Cain. God was gracious and merciful to Cain, giving him grain from the field, but Cain rebelled. Cain murdered his brother out of jealousy. Today, God is gracious and merciful to us, giving any and every kind of food we could want and more than we could ever eat. But our culture has rebelled. And instead of killing our brothers; we murder our own children in the womb out of convenience.

Jude reminds us of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They were prosperous, but they rebelled and were filled with unnatural desires. Today, our culture is filled with those same unnatural desires. Those sins are even celebrated with parades, they are even given two months of recognition. Will God send the same fire and sulfur upon our land that He sent on Sodom and Gomorrah? Or, maybe, has God already sent His judgment through fires, hurricanes, unrest, riots, and COVID? But our culture has scoffed and largely let God’s wrath against sin go unnoticed. I’d encourage you to read Amos 4:6-11 and hear of all the calamities God sent to His people. And make sure you notice the sorrow of God’s heart when they refused to repent.

We could go on and talk about Korah and his rebellion against God’s servant, Moses (Num. 16:1-3, 31-35). Or God’s prophet Balaam (Num. 22-25) who sought to become rich by proclaiming something other than God’s Word.

Rebellion against God is all around us, in our midst, and even within ourselves. We are not content with the vocations and tasks that God has given us. We seek the world’s approval rather than God’s. We are the grumblers and the malcontents following after our own sinful desires. We are the loud-mouthed boasters showing favoritism to gain advantage for ourselves (Jud. 16). Repent. 

Do not think that God’s judgment is something to scoff at. It’s time to consider that our that current situation is the judgment of God. Repent.

Again, all of these examples from Jude serve as a reminder that evil has always surrounded God’s people. While that doesn’t sound like comfort, there actually is comfort to be found in that fact. Because despite all the rebellion against God and all the scoffing at God’s people, God sent Jesus, His beloved Son, to rescue and redeem His enemies. And that should give us hope now.

So, what are we, as God’s people, to do now, while we confronted and surrounded by all this evil? Well, listen again to Jude: 

Keep yourselves in the love of God. Continue to devote yourself to the Scriptures (Jud. 21). In His Word, Christ comes to you now, in this moment. Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire hating even the garment stained by flesh (Jud. 23). Be in the world but not of the world.

Show mercy with fear. Isn’t that an interesting phrase from Jude 23? Mercy with fear. Be bold to say the hard things that need to be said. It is not loving to condone and celebrate the sins of the scoffers. As you say those hard things, even though you are saying them in love, know that you will be persecuted. But remember that persecution won’t last. From our Gospel lesson tonight, remember that Jesus said brother will deliver brother over to death, even a father his child, and children will rise against parents (Mk. 13:12). Don’t forget that Jesus promised that you will be hated for His name’s sake (Mk. 13:13). Even if it is a fearful thing to do, offer the unbelievers you encounter day after day a carrot on the end of a stick. Proclaim the truth of God’s Word, and extend the joy of God’s forgiveness and mercy that cannot be denied. 

The days are coming, and are already here, where we will probably be called to be a Shadrach, a Meshach, or an Abednego and walk through the fire. Maybe not a fiery furnace, but the fire of persecution. But know that God’s promise is that you do not, nor will you ever walk alone.

Your heavenly Father is able to keep you from stumbling. So, don’t be afraid of the persecution or of your shortcomings. Christ will – absolutely, beyond a doubt, you can take it to the bank – Christ will present you blameless before God’s presence.

To Him be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. Now, at the last, and unto eternity. Amen.

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

The Anatomy of Sin – Sermon on Genesis 3:1-21 & Matthew 4:1-11 for the First Sunday of Lent

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Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In any sport, a good coach will watch tape of the opponent or will notice how the other team is playing. The coach will use his skill and knowledge to figure out how to minimize the opponent’s strengths and take advantage of and exploit their weaknesses. That is what we are going to do today.

The devil is our enemy who will tempt us to sin. But just getting us to sin is not his ultimate goal. Satan’s ultimate goal is to get us to hate the God who loves us, who created us, who shed His blood and died to forgive us, and who desires to sanctify us and make us sacred.

Look at the back of your Scripture insert because I printed James 1:13–15 for you there: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.” Now, pay very close attention, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This is how sin goes – this is the anatomy of sin. Temptation Lured and Enticed by Desires James 1_14-17Your heart has a wrong desire, and that false desire is conceived and eventually gives birth to sin. Then, when sin grows up, it brings forth death. Knowing this, we know Satan’s game plan. But it is helpful for us to see how the devil’s game plan plays out in real time, and we saw it in our Old Testament text (Gen. 3:1-21).

Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You shouldn’t eat from any of the trees of the garden’?” Notice what Satan is doing. He is trying to put Eve above God’s Word so that she thinks she can be the judge of what God said. Satan, that liar and deceiver, is trying to get Eve and Adam to think that God doesn’t want them to have something that is good and is holding out on them.

When Eve responds to the devil’s question, she adds to God’s Word. She repeats the command to not eat of the tree but she also wrongly puts an additional command in God’s mouth to not touch the tree.

There’s a whole sermon right there, but let me say this just briefly. It is true that if Adam and Eve never touched the tree they wouldn’t eat the fruit of the tree. You would have to touch the fruit that is on the tree and pluck it in order to eat it. But adding to God’s command didn’t keep Adam and Eve from sinning. It didn’t work for them in the perfection and bliss of Eden, and it won’t work for us in this fallen, broken world. We could consider all sorts of examples, but try this one: The 8th Commandment tells us to not lie, but it does notcommand us to never speak. If we add to God’s command against lying an additional prohibition against speaking, what happens then? I know this example is absurd, but play it out. If you never speak, you might not lie with your tongue, but you also can’t confess Jesus’ name, can’t declare God’s praise, can’t love your neighbor by saying, “I love you.” And if you never speak, you would likely think, “I’m keeping the 8thCommandment,” and that thought would be lying to yourself by saying you have no 8th Commandment sin (1 Jn. 1:8). See? You still sin!

Anyway, back to observing the devil’s tactics. Eve adds to God’s command, and the devil knows she’s added to God’s Word. Satan sees that his attack is working, and he presses on by telling her a bold-faced lie, “You will not surely die!” Catch that – the devil, while lying, calls God a liar. Then, that snake accuses God of false motives, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened.” He says the reason God is lying is to keep them blind to something. Finally, he entices Eve by saying, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And that, right there, is the essence, the anatomy, of temptation and sin. Satan sees where your desires are different than God’s desires for you. And the devil arouses those desires and tries to get you to bridge the gap between what you want and what God wants. Satan tempts you to be the judge of God.

Temptation in the Garden of EdenWhen Eve looked at that fruit, she should have recognized, “That fruit is death.” Instead, she wrongly sees that it is to be desired to make one wise. This is the danger for us. There are things that are put in front of us and God says, “That’s bad, and it leads to death.” But instead of regarding those things according to God’s Word, we regard them according to how we see and think. We put ourselves over and above God and judge Him to be wrong. The devil entices us to think that God is the bad guy who is holding out on us, keeping us from having our heart’s desires. Then, we think we know better than God, and we fall for the temptation and into sin.

Now, not all of these steps play out every time you sin. The more you fall into a particular sin, the more you silence your conscience. Think again of the 8th Commandment about lying. Whenever you lie, gossip, spread rumors, or stretch the truth, you are putting yourself in the place of God. You want reality to match up with what makes you look good or better than others. When you go behind someone’s back to complain about a situation instead of addressing the problem directly with the person, you are putting yourself in the place of God. If you have a problem with an individual, do not talk about those problems with anyone else. The more you do that, the more you open yourself to sin. Repent.

My fellow sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, be wise. The devil attacks you. He comes to whisper lies in your head that God is not good and that you know better than God does. The devil’s game plan worked in the bliss of the Garden of Eden when he tempted our first parents. How much easier is it for him to attack you now when your desires are already stained with original sin? But, now, let us watch the devil use the same tactics but fail when he tempted our Savior and our Brother, Jesus, the Son of God.

The context of Jesus’ temptation is immediately after He is Baptized by John in the Jordan (Mk. 1:9-13). There is no forbidden tree anymore, so the devil is going to attack a different Word from God. With the first two temptations, the devil begins by saying to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God…” (Mt. 4:3, 6). Remember what God said about Jesus just as He was Baptized, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). It’s in the verse immediately before this Gospel text.

Christ in the Wilderness (Temptation) Ivan Kramskoi 1872Jesus has been fasting forty days and nights. I remember as a kid being hungry forty minutes after dinner. Jesus is famished. He is weakened by this fast. So, this temptation to turn stones into bread is a real temptation. The tempter again tries to exploit the gap between Jesus’ desires and what God has given. Jesus wanted food. Because He is man just like you and me, His stomach and His brain would have been screaming at Him, “Feed us!” But God has not yet given Jesus food. So Satan tries to get Jesus to take for Himself what God has not given.

But Jesus responds beautifully. He responds with God’s Word, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Now, this does not mean that we don’t have to eat. It does not mean that every time you get hungry you just take out your Bible and read. Instead, it is a reminder that there is more to our life than bread. Listen to the whole verse from Dt. 8:3 – Moses is preaching his farewell sermon to God’s people who had been led through the wilderness for forty years saying – “[The Lord] humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” In short, God might withhold something from you so that He can provide for you in a way that increases your faith in Him. While you wait for God to provide, don’t fall for the temptation to reach out and take what God hasn’t given. Jesus resists the temptation to take for Himself what God had not yet provided.

So, the devil comes with a second temptation. The tempter puts Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple and tries to use Scripture against Jesus. Basically, Satan says, “Throw Yourself down. God has promised to protect You.” From Ps. 91:11, the devil quotes, “He will command His angels concerning you,” but Satan leaves out a phrase. The rest of the verse reads, Temptation of Jesus“to guard you in all your ways.” God the Father will protect Jesus in all His ways. But God didn’t send Jesus to earth to be some X-Games-temple-pinnacle jumper.

And there is great comfort for you in this as well. God will protect you in all the ways and paths and vocations to which He has called you. No harm will come to you until God is ready to receive you into His heavenly kingdom. Everything you do, you can do without fear because God will protect you.

Jesus knows this and responds again from the book of Deuteronomy (6:16), “You shall not put the Lord your God to the text.” The devil’s temptation fails again.

So, the devil tries one more. The tempter shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory in one moment (Lk. 4:5) and says, “All these I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

This offer of Satan is absurd. The earth already belongs to Jesus. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” But the devil isn’t offering Jesus creation and the universe because he can’t – it doesn’t belong to him. Instead, the devil is offering Jesus the dominion of fallen mankind. Remember, that God told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over… every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28). But when Adam and Eve fell, their dominion also fell. And that is what Jesus has come to restore and recover. He came to be the New Adam who has perfect dominion over creation.

Again, Jesus resists the temptation saying, “Be gone Satan,” and quotes from Deuteronomy. Maybe we should be reading Deuteronomy more. If you’re reading through Scripture, don’t stop if Deuteronomy seems sluggish. But, most importantly, know and love God’s Word. The promises of Scripture are your best weapon against temptation and sin. God’s Word is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Anyway Jesus quotes Dt. 6:13, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” And the devil is beaten back and defeated.

1 John 2_16 - Temptation Desire WeaponsSo, dear saints, be wise. Know the devil’s attacks and tactics. The devil is going to use those tactics against you, but God has given you weapons against the devil, your flesh, and the world (1 Jn. 2:15-16). When the devil comes to tempt you, take up the weapon of prayer. Pray God’s Word and watch the devils flee. When your flesh tempts you, take up the weapon of fasting. If you are tempted to certain desires of your flesh, fast from those things. Tell your body, “Body, you aren’t in control.” And when the world tempts you with its vain riches, give. Be generous to the point that it makes you unable to afford falling into the temptations of this world.

And when you are tempted, find comfort in this and in nothing else: Our Epistle lesson (Heb. 4:14-16) invites us who fall into temptation and sin to come confidently as we approach the throne of grace. Come to Jesus because He is our great High Priest who knows our weakness and gives us His mercy and grace to help in time of need.

Now, what does Jesus, the Son of God, say to you? He says, “Come back to the Garden. Be guiltless again. Here, eat this. To undo the curse of sin and the curse of the Fall, take, eat. This is My Body given unto death for you. Take, drink. This is My Blood shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” Amen.

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

Rejoice! – Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 for the Third Sunday of Advent

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The Scripture lessons for today’s service were Isaiah 40:1-8; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; and Matthew 11:2-11.

Matthew 11:2-11

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Baptism 2Dear Lincoln, today you are Baptized. Today, God has given you the new birth of water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:5). Today in your Baptism, you have been joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-5) and have been clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27). And Lincoln, Derek, Brittney, and all you saints, that means that today is a day to rejoice. Even as we see the grass wither, the flower fade, and creation crumble, we know that the Word of our God will stand forever. God continues to shower His blessings upon us through that Word. And His Word to us today, and every day of our Christian walk, is the Word of the Gospel which causes us to rejoice.

But we just heard of John being in prison. In that dungeon, John isn’t wearing soft clothing. He is cold. He is hungry. He is lonely. And he is waiting to be executed. He doesn’t know when Herod is going to kill him, but he knows it is coming. In that dark night of his soul, John the Baptizer, greatest among those born of women, has doubts. It isn’t as though he doesn’t believe in Jesus anymore, but he has is struggling with doubt. John had preached about the one who would set the captives free (Ps. 102:20; Is. 58:6), yet he sits in chains and behind bars. So, John sends his disciples to Jesus with a question, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

So much for rejoicing. And I’m sorry to be a downer here, but this is the reality of all Christians. For all believers, faith and doubt coexist on this side of glory.

We live in a fallen and broken world. We suffer the effects of our sin. We work, we fight, we toil, and we struggle against our sin only to fall into it again and again. We imprison ourselves in the guilt and shame of our iniquities. Family and friends fail us. Health deteriorates. We bury those we love. And in the midst of all this, we wonder if God is truly our Father. If He still cares for us. And if He still loves us. We doubt and ask, “Are You really my Savior, or should I look for another?”

Lincoln, you will have days when you find yourself in these times of doubt. You too will struggle in your faith. But, again, on this side of glory faith and doubt coexist in the Christian.

And it is in those moments of doubt, Lincoln and all of you here, that you need to go back to inquire of your Savior like John did here. You need to hear from Jesus again and again and again. Joy isn’t the absence of pain, sorrow, and doubt. Joy is given to us through the peace that only Jesus can deliver in the midst of those things. Here is the reason we can have joy: listen to what Christ says, “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

Christ had not abandoned John as he sat in prison. And Jesus does not abandon you in your doubt either. He continues to bring His healing, resurrection, and Gospel to those who struggle balancing their faith and doubt today. Faith always asks for Christ to reveal Himself in mercy and lift us out of those doubts. Faith askes for Christ to forgive, strengthen, and encourage. And Jesus never fails to do those things because His steadfast love never ceases, and His mercies never come to an end (Lam. 3:22).

Christ Returns in Power and GloryIn Advent we are watching and waiting for the coming of our Savior and the end of our exile in this fallen, sinful world. Advent is the Christian life in a nutshell. We watch and we wait for the coming of our Lord. And as we wait, we are reminded that, whatever may happen to us in this veil of tears, the end is a joyful day for you whose citizenship is in heaven. As we wait, we remember that all the cares and sorrows of this world are temporary.

Lincoln and all you saints. Jesus comes to you today in the midst of your guilt, sorrow, and doubt to bring you His Gospel. He is your Savior, your Redeemer, your Friend, your Resurrection, and your Life.

This is why you hope and rejoice. Christ has died, He has risen, and He will come again. May God grant that this light would shine into our own hearts, deliver us from our doubts, and rescue us in our trials until the day we see Him face to face. Amen.

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

Saints – Sermon on Revelation 7:9-17 for the Observation of All Saints’ Day

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Revelation 7:9-17

All Saints gathered around the throne9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me,

“These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, the Apostle John wants you to see what he saw. The text says, “Behold,” so, get this picture in your mind. You see a huge crowd, so many people that you can’t begin count them. Even though there are too many to count, you can see thousands of faces and notice that they are not all the same. They have different skin colors and facial features. They come from all the different tribes and peoples and languages. You want diversity? This is diversity.

Yet, despite their different upbringings every member of that throng is doing the same thing. They are all standing before the throne of God and the Lamb. They are all clothed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they are all crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”

The myriads of angels are there, and they cry out with that multitude, “Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

The elder asks John, “Who are these clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” John simply responds, “Sir, you know.” It doesn’t seem as though John had no idea who the crowd was. It isn’t as though he throws up his hands and responds, “I have no idea.” Instead, it’s as though John is so overcome with wonder and amazement that he can’t put words together to answer the question. You know how you want your grandpa or one of your friends to tell a story that you were involved in because they can tell it so well? It might be something like that.

The angel, the elder, says, “These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” There is no question or debate that John here is seeing the saints, Christians who have died and are with God. But people will debate if John is seeing the Christians who have died during his time or if John was transported into the future and given a glimpse of all the saints after the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

Well, we have a clue to answer this debate in the text. (But I would like to note that, even if the interpretation of this particular phrase of v. 14 is incorrect, everything else I will preach could be shown from a variety of other Scripture passages.) The elder there says, “These are the ones who are coming,” present tense and there is a sense that this is a continual thing, “the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.” The picture is that there is a constant, steady stream of people continually being added to this great multitude. Of all the things that could be said about these saints, the elder mentions they are coming out of the great tribulation.

Imagine the comfort that this must have been for John. At this point in his life, he is likely the last living apostle of Jesus when he sees this vision. John was the bishop of the entire region of Asia. He has been exiled to the island of Patmos because there was a persecution of Christians at that time. He had at least heard of – and, more likely, had seen with his own eyes – all sorts of men, women, and children who died for their confession of faith in Christ. Like you, John saw and experienced the fact that Christians leave earth. They breathe their last and are buried. And John knows the sadness and mourning that comes along with that.

But here John gets a glimpse of the heavenly view of what happens when Christians depart this earth. He sees the same ones who leave this earth filled with sorrow, difficulty, and tears now entering heaven in victory and glory. Stop and consider this for a minute:

When Christians die and leave this world, it is grievous, sudden, and often unexpected. Even if someone has been sick for a long time and you know they are going to die, there is an abruptness to death – like running into a wall. But that is how it is for us from the perspective of earth. Here, we get the picture of the same thing from the perspective of heaven.

All SaintsWhile death may come suddenly and abruptly here, those who die in the faith are not surprise arrivals in heaven. The company in heaven is not startled or shocked by those who show up at the doors of glory. The gates are open, and the believers who arrive there have been anticipated and are welcomed into the great multitude to be with the Lamb who shepherds them. Their arrival into glory is no shock to the residents of heaven. It is perfectly ordinary and on time.

Consider as well that this multitude has come out of the great tribulation. They have come out of corrupted cultures and depraved societies. They endured the same disappointments and failures that you do.Like you, they struggled to balance their faith with their experiences. Like you, their families were hurt and torn apart because of sin. Like you, they wept for family and friends who abandoned faith in Christ. Like you, they served and supported others in ways that went unrecognized and unthanked. Like you, they were ridiculed and mocked for their faith. Like you, they knew the sorrow of pain, sickness, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and dementia. Like you, they worried about the future. Like you, they feared as they walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Like you, they sinned and fell short of the glory of God. And like you, they pressed on in the midst of it all.

They pressed on and persisted in the faith while Jesus held them in His hand, just as He even now holds you. Jesus, their Shepherd, tenderly spoke to them as He speaks to you right now in His Word. Jesus gave them eternal life, and they will never perish (Jn. 10:28), just as He has given you eternal life and you will never perish.

Here is the point of all of this; here is the comfort for you: No one who believes in Jesus dies. This is a promise directly from the mouth of Jesus. Christ says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-26).

This year, as a congregation, we have mourned the deaths of Sonia Link, Ken Malm, and Verdie Pederson. You can add the names of others as well – friends and family members who either weren’t known to our congregation or who died years ago. These brothers and sisters in Christ have safely passed through death into life because whoever believes in Jesus lives. You can find comfort and solace in the fact that whoever believes in Jesus is of eternal significance and that person’s faith is of eternal consequence.

All Saints 1Because of this, we can have joy in the midst of sorrow. Here and now, as we are gathered together in God’s house and are invited to God’s table, we come to what is described in Hebrews 12(:22-24). This very morning in a small church on the north end of East Grand Forks, MN, we have come, “to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.”

There are more here with us today than we can see or count. The saints of all time – those who are famous and known, those whom we don’t know yet, and our loved ones who preceded us in faith – they are all here with us as we gather together at the Lord’s Table.

Those who have departed this world with faith in Jesus are still united to us in Jesus because they are redeemed in the same Blood of Christ. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. And, dear saints, you who have been made holy, so have you. Amen.

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

Comfort & Rejoicing – Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 for the Third Sunday in Advent

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Matthew 11:2-11

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Here we are – just over a week away from Christmas, and now we hear John the Baptizer. He is the fore-runner. He is the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He came tearing down mountains as he preached the Law and raising up valleys as he preached the Gospel.

John is an interesting character. He is one of only three people I can think of – Isaac, John, and Jesus – whose birth was promised from heaven before the child was even conceived (maybe you can think of more). God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Zechariah that God would open Elizabeth, his wife’s, womb; Gabriel also said that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born (Lk. 1:15). When Mary was pregnant with Jesus and went to visit Elizabeth, Mary greeted Elizabeth, and John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb (Lk. 1:39-41).

John the BaptizerJohn was born and grew up as a Nazarite, so his hair was never cut. Imagine his big, bushy beard and his long, tattered hair. John preached out in the wilderness wearing clothes made of camel hair and leather belt. He had a peculiar diet of locusts and wild honey (Mk. 1:6). Imagine having locust breath – probably even worse than coffee breath. Matthew summarizes John’s preaching as this message: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2). People would come out to the wilderness to hear him preach, and when he saw them he said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Mt. 3:7). He would preach about the axe that was laid to the root of every tree that would cut down each tree that didn’t bear fruit and throw it into the fire (Mt. 3:10). So, John was a preacher of the Law. But still all the country of Judea and Jerusalem was going out to John and being baptized and confessing their sins (Mk. 1:4-5).

But John was also a preacher of the Gospel. He would point people to Jesus. He told them about the One who was coming after him, whose sandals he was unworthy to stoop down and untie (Mk. 1:7). He pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29, 35-36). John was a wild man frantically calling people to repent and pointing them straight to Jesus.

But that is not the John we hear about today. In today’s Gospel, John is in prison. He had preached against the sin of Herod, and Herod didn’t like it. The John in today’s Gospel reading isn’t standing in the wilderness next to the Jordan River with his hair blowing in the wind as he preaches repentance and the Lamb of God. Instead, John is behind bars in a stuffy, dank, dark cell. And the last words we hear of John the Baptizer don’t even come directly from his mouth. His last recorded words in Scripture are a question brought by John’s disciples to Jesus. “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Even John who, according to Jesus, was the greatest among those born of women, even John struggled with doubt. So, when you struggle with doubt (and please, notice, it I didn’t say ‘If you struggle with doubt’), when you struggle with doubt, know that you are sitting next to John. Maybe, you wouldn’t word your question the same way that John did. Maybe, your question is, “Is my spouse really going to rise again?” or, “Am I ever going to get better and be healed?” or, “Jesus, did You really die and rise again for me?” or, “Jesus do you really forgive me?” All of those questions also fall under John’s question, “Are you the One who is to come?”

It’s a simple ‘yes/no’ question. But Jesus, in typical Jesus fashion, doesn’t give a ‘yes/no’ answer. Instead, Jesus sends John’s disciples back with a message, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

john-in-prison-with-disciplesJohn was anxious in prison knowing he was probably going to be executed for what he had preached. Probably, John was wondering if he had preached rightly. And Jesus’ response points John and you to the Scriptures. In particular, Jesus points John to Isaiah 35:4-6, and you have to hear the context of those verses because it shows how beautifully Jesus answers John’s question, “Are you the One who is to come?” Here it is Isaiah 35:4-6, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy….”

Jesus directs imprisoned, anxious, troubled, doubting John and you, to the comforting promises of Scripture because the word of the Lord endures forever (Is. 40:8). The blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame walking, and the mute singing are evidence that God has come, and He has come to save. The comfort is notin the signs. The signs point back to the comforting news that God has come to bring salvation to you.

This is the good news, the Gospel, that John needs to hear. This is the good news that all sinners need to hear, that you need to hear. God has come. Jesus has come and saved you. christ-of-st-john-on-the-cross-salvador-daliHe opened the eyes of the blind. Christ made the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the mute to sing. All of that means that salvation has come to you who are anxious and poor in spirit. Rejoice.

Believer, you can have joy because of the comforting message that Jesus has come. He has come and saved you. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness and sadness cannot coexist, but joy and sadness can. Joy is not the absence of sadness or anger. Joy is confidence and contentment that God is in control and is taking care of things. Even when everything seems dark and fading, God is in control, and He has come. He has died and risen again. He has come and saved you. Amen.

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

Comfort – Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent on Isaiah 40:1-8

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Isaiah 40:1-8

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.Isaiah 40 1
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

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

Do these verses scare you? After all, they talk about warfare, iniquity, sins. Wilderness, desert. Mountains pressed down. Valleys raised. And you are in the midst of it all. Frail. Like grass that withers and like flowers that fade.

No. These verses don’t cause you to worry. They do not cause anxiety. You probably don’t give any of those things a second thought T because through it all you hear of the constant, abiding, eternal Word of your God who speaks comfort to you.

You heard it at the beginning of our service, but it bears repeating. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice” (Php. 4:4). Why should you rejoice? Because God comes to comfort you. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Those seven words are enough for endless sermons.

Luther Isaiah 40 ComfortThe only people who can be comforted are those who are troubled, afflicted, and uncomfortable. And God says, “Give them a double dose. Give them two shots of comfort.”

Who gets this comfort? God’s people do. That means you. You are those for whom Christ was born. You are those whom God claims as His own. You are the people for whom Christ has died. Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That means your sin is included. The Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of all people calls you, “My people.”

And just in case you don’t get the fact that you are God’s people, His children, God calls Himself, “Your God.” He is not ashamed to claim you as His.

So, play the first verse of this text backwards. God says to you, “I am your God. You are My people. And I give to you comfort on top of comfort.”

The context in which these verses were written helps us see how comforting these words from God are. God tells Isaiah to tell Jerusalem that her warfare is ended. But, when Isaiah writes these words, Jerusalem isn’t even at war. Now, Babylon will come and besiege Jerusalem, and God’s people will be taken into exile. But even before it begins, God comforts His people with the promise that her warfare will end.

Advent Wreath 3God’s anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Ps. 30:5). And even before the suffering begins God preaches comfort to His people.

That final line of v. 2 may still make you scratch your head a little bit. This talk of receiving “from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” What is that all about? It sounds like punishment, but it is not.

The people of Isaiah’s day didn’t pay double for their sins, not even close. The wages of sin is death. The people of Jerusalem didn’t die twice; they didn’t’ get a double dose of hell. These words are not about punishment. Instead, they are about God’s mercy and grace.

You see, God doesn’t want you to receive any of His wrath or judgment. He doesn’t want you to pay for any of your sin. He doesn’t want you to spend eternity in hell. So be comforted. Christ has come. Jesus has ended your warfare and pardoned you. You receive double from God for all your sins because your sin is punished – not on you but on Christ. And in return, you are given His righteousness, holiness, innocence, and His good works.

This is how God’s accounting works. Here is how God manages the debt of your sin. Jesus doesn’t just simply get you out of debt. He gives you an increase. Imagine if you stole from God $1,000 worth of stuff. Instead of simply forgiving the debt and calling it even, God gives you $1,000 more (Pr. David Petersen). That is how your God is for you.

God with UsHere is your hope, Christian. You have God’s comfort in all things. Heaven is on your side. Your warfare is ended. Your iniquity pardoned. And no one, not even God Himself, can charge you for your sins because His Word of comfort stands forever.

So, rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, Jesus, God with you, shall come to you. Amen.

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