Tag Archives: Holy

Common Union – Sermon for Maundy Thursday

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

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christ’s Suffering as Payment & Sacrifice for Sin

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are
Psalm 103:1-5, 8-14; Isaiah 53:10-12; Galatians 3:10-14; and John. 3:13-21.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

To a certain degree, everyone has the wrong belief that if they have done something wrong they can make up for it. Some believe that happens through Karma. If enough bad things happen to them, it will eventually be paid back in good things happening to them and will all balance out. Some believe they can make up for bad things through luck. If a black cat crosses your path, you spill salt, walk under a ladder, or break a mirror; you just have to find a four-leaf clover, a heads-up penny, or some other nonsense. Yes, even Christians fall into this wrong belief. When we feel the guilt of our sin, we think that if we do enough good works, pray the right prayers, redouble our efforts, or simply resolve to do better, then God will have no choice but wink, smile at us, and ignore our sins.

This type of thinking and belief is totally wrong! Across the board, it’s wrong. All of those false beliefs attempt to deal with the brokenness that sin brings to creation. And they all fail to bring relief. Because of sin, we are polluted and need cleansing. Because of our sin, we are out of step with creation. Because of our sin, we are banished from God’s holy presence. We can’t just climb a ladder up to heaven, no matter how well we think it’s constructed. We can’t wash away the defilement that clings to us. We can’t approach God in His holiness. We need something that those false beliefs can never give. What we actually need is atonement. 

Atonement is one of those $3 theological words, so we need to define it. The way I will often teach my Confirmation students its meaning is to break down how it is spelled and change how it is pronounced – at-one-ment. To atone something means to cleanse it from the pollution of sin. But atonement doesn’t stop there. Atonement makes a person holy. And with this cleansing and infusion of holiness, atonement gives a person beneficial access to God’s presence (Dr. Kleinig).

This is why Christianity is completely different from any other religion. Christianity teaches that God Himself, and God alone, atones for the sins of the world (1 Jn. 2:1-2) through Jesus’ suffering and death. A good way to understand Jn. 3:16 is, “For God loved the world so that He sacrificed His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” We need this because at the end of Jn. 3, Scripture says, “Whoever believes in the Son has,” present tense, “has eternal life; whoever [rejects],” more literal understanding, “whoever rejects the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (Jn. 3:36). Because we are born sinners, we stand under God’s holy and righteous wrath.

Now, God’s holy presence is both life-giving and death-dealing. It sanctifies and blesses everything that is clean, but it annihilates everything that is unclean and unholy. Since human impurity is incompatible with God’s holiness, getting close to the holy God is dangerous.

Think of gasoline and fire. The two cannot exist together. As soon as the two come into contact, the gasoline is completely burned up and consumed. Think of God’s holiness as the fire and, because of our sin, we are more combustible than gasoline. This is why we need God Himself to atone us.

Scripture records several instances where unclean, polluted sinners are instantly consumed in God’s holy presence – Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, when they offered unauthorized fire before God (Lev. 10:1-2); the clan of Korah, when they thought they could change the worship practices that God had given (Num: 16:1-36); or Uzzah, when he reached out and touched the Ark of the Covenant which was forbidden (2 Sam. 6:6-7). 

So, to be in God’s holy presence, we need to be changed, and that change can only happen because of what Jesus has done as He suffered on the cross. He changes us. He doesn’t change God. Christ changes us so that we are cleansed from the pollution of sin, that we are granted forgiveness and mercy, and that we can safely enter God’s holy presence.

Each of our Scripture readings tonight talk about this change. Our Psalm tonight (Ps. 103) remembers that God forgives your iniquity, heals the pollution of your diseases, and redeems your life from the pit. But God doesn’t just stop there. Because you are cleansed and can come into God’s holy presence, He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, and satisfies you with good so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Ps. 103:3-5).

Our Old Testament reading (Is. 53:10-12) says that it was God’s will to crush Jesus in your place. Jesus’ suffering and death makes an offering for guilt. Christ bears your iniquities and makes you accounted as righteous. And that text makes it clear that, even though Jesus will die in the place of sinners, He will have His days prolonged and see you whom He has made to be children of God.

The Epistle reading (Gal. 3:10-14) says that Jesus redeemed you from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for you as He suffered and hung on the tree of the cross. Christ did this so that the blessing God gave to Abraham might be given to you who are cleansed through faith in Christ like your father Abraham was (Ro. 4:16).

And our Gospel reading (Jn. 3:13-21) says that, in Jesus, God came into the world not to condemn you, but in order that you might be saved and atoned through Jesus’ work.

Jesus’ suffering has bought and purchased you so that you belong to God. He came, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom price for you (Mk. 10:45). 

Dear saints, your price has been paid. On the cross, Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). But Jesus continues grant you access to God. 1 Jn. 2:1-2 says, “If anyone does sin, [you] have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is,” present tense – meaning He is and remains, “the propitiation,” (i.e. the one who makes atonement), “for not just your sins but also for the sins of the whole world.”

All the benefits of His suffering and death are continually delivered to you because He is your advocate with your heavenly Father, now and forever. Amen.

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

Blessed Wages – Sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 for All Saints’ Day (Observed)

Matthew 5:1–12

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, that’s you. If you are a Christian, you are a saint. A saint is nothing more than a holy person. I don’t imagine you think that you are holy in and of yourself. If you think you are, that is nothing more than pride, which is evidence that you are not holy. No, you are a saint because you belong to Jesus. He has made you holy by shedding His blood and dying for you. Christ has purchased and redeemed you and has made you holy.

Now, that brings us to the Beatitudes, but we’re going to start at the end so we can better understand the whole thing. In the last two verses, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Jesus commands us to do something here, but it might be one of the most difficult commands in Scripture. Your Lord commands you to rejoice and be glad when you are reviled, when you are persecuted, and when people utter all kinds of evil against you falsely. This command doesn’t have to do with how you use your body. We’re used to those kinds of commands – don’t use your mouth, tongue, and lips to lie; don’t use your arms and hands to kill or steal. We can do those things at least outwardly – even though we don’t perfectly keep those commands when we don’t lie, kill, or steal. But with this command, Jesus demands that you have certain feelings. Be joyful and glad. Yes, Jesus commands even your emotions and feelings, and Christ gives the reason we are to have those feelings.

“Rejoice and be glad for,” in other words, ‘because,’ or ‘here’s why,’ “your reward is great in heaven.”This is so helpful. The reason you are to rejoice is your heavenly reward is great. If you looked up the Greek word that gets translated as ‘reward,’ the first definition you would see is ‘wage.’ In fact, it’s the same word Jesus uses in the parable about the workers in the vineyard who all get paid the same wage of a denarius, no matter how many hours they worked (Mt. 20:1-16).

We do use the word ‘reward’ in a similar way. If you win a game or a race, your reward is a trophy or medal – it’s what you’ve earned for all your work before and during the contest. But ‘wage’ puts a little more of an edge to it. Wages are what you get paid for doing something, and Jesus promises great, heavenly wages.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus lets you know that things are going to be difficult in this life, at least for a while. You will be poor in spirit. Many things will cause you to mourn. You will be meek and humble. You will constantly hunger and thirst for righteousness. You will be merciful instead of vengeful. You will be pure in heart. You will seek to make peace instead of demanding your rights. And when you do all of that, Jesus says, people will persecute you because of it. But Christ wants you to endure all of that with rejoicing because He will pay you. And He will pay you well.

And to be clear, this isn’t the only time Jesus says something like this. In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus says, and I’ll paraphrase: “When you give a feast, don’t invite your friends, family, or rich neighbors because they will invite you to repay you. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind who cannot repay you. Do this because you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” There, Jesus says that one of the reasons or motivations for you to treat people well – even those who can’t repay you – is that you will be repaid by God at the resurrection.

Shouldn’t you just do this because Jesus has been so kind and merciful to you? Yes, you should. God’s mercy freely given to you is all the motivation you should need. But Jesus gives another motivation here in the Beatitudes and in Lk. 14:14, and that motivation is that God Himself will repay you.

This is a great promise, and we should use it more often. So, take this promise, and keep it in your back pocket so you can pull it out regularly. The next time you are mistreated, pull this promise out of your pocket. When you spend hours planning, shopping, chopping, and cooking a nice meal for your kid and you place that that healthy food in front of him, but he says, “I don’t like that!” and slides it off the table so it spills all over the floor, take a breath. Remind yourself, “Jesus promises that I will be repaid.” When you are waiting in a long line and someone rudely and budges in front of you, take comfort in the fact that you will be repaid. When someone dominates the conversation and constantly interrupts you, don’t be impolite back and take your vengeance. Instead, think about those heavenly wages that Christ promises.

Of course, none of this – not one bit of it – is the basis for your salvation. You aren’t earning God’s favor or pleasure because of these works. But, again, this promise of blessed, heavenly wages can give you patience and motivate you toward good works. This is simply doing what you are called to do in Colossians 3:1-4, “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your Life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

So, to go through the Beatitudes quickly:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You are the subject of a king who isn’t going anywhere. He won’t ever be unseated. This world is not your home. You have a better one now and forever.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. That’s a heavenly reward. You will be comforted by Jesus. Yes, you have this comfort now through the Gospel and forgiveness of your sins, but there is even more and greater comfort yet to come in heaven.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The new creation will be yours. You, dear saint, will be co-owners of the new heavens and earth. It belongs to you.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. You already have the righteousness of Christ. You don’t hunger and thirst for that. But you do hunger and thirst for the righteousness that will be yours when your sinful nature is finally done away with. That will come, and it will be paid to you as your blessed wage.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Yes, you have mercy now, but there’s still more to come. And you will be given this mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. You will behold Him and His face forever. The closest you get to that here is in the Lord’s Supper where you get to eat and drink His Body and Blood. But here, He is still veiled. Eventually, that veil will be removed.

Finally, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Yes, you are God’s children now, but what you will be has not yet appeared. But know that when He appears, you will be like Him because you will see Him as He is (1 Jn. 3:2).

The treasures of earth are going to fade and pass away (Mt. 6:19), but your blessed wages will not. Dear saints, blessed are you. Jesus promises. Amen.

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

The Holy Family – Sermon on Luke 2:41-52 for the First Sunday after Epiphany

Luke 2:41-52

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Gospels, of course, tell us about the life of Jesus, our Savior. But other than the first two chapters of Luke, the Gospels mainly focus on the three-and-a-half-year public ministry of Jesus which Luke tells us began when He was about 30 years old (Lk. 3:23). And about one-third of the content of each of the Gospels deal with the week of Jesus’ crucifixion. Every last word of the Gospels is holy, inspired, and given to us by the Holy Spirit to learn about Jesus, but this text is unique. It is the only account we have of our Savior as a youth. All of that is to say that this text is precious and has a lot to teach us.

Today, we are going to focus on the holy family of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. And please don’t be offended that I call them ‘the holy family.’ I’m using that term 1) because it’s more efficient that saying, ‘Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,’ and 2) because they truly are a holy family. Jesus is holy, and Joseph and Mary are also holy because they believed in Jesus and through faith in Him received the holiness and forgiveness He won for them. So, as we consider the holy family, we want to see God’s good and gracious gift of the families He has given us.

First, we have to start with the simple, obvious fact that God provided Jesus with a family during His time on earth. When God comes in the flesh to save us, He had a mother, Mary; an earthly, adopted stepfather, Joseph; and brothers and sisters. (Whether those brothers and sisters were children of Joseph and Mary after Jesus is up for debate, but we’ll leave that for another time because, in the end, it doesn’t really matter to our salvation.)

Through His parents, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was provided for and protected. God warned Joseph in a dream that the wicked King Herod was seeking to destroy Jesus shortly after His birth, so Joseph and Mary were directed to take Jesus to live safely in Egypt (Mt. 2:13-23). After Herod’s death, Joseph and Mary moved Jesus back to Israel and lived in the city of Nazareth where they did the godly work of raising Jesus so that He grew and became strong. They also taught Jesus so that He grew in wisdom (Lk. 2:40).

You fathers and mothers, just as God called Joseph and Mary to do this for Jesus, He has given you the high and holy calling to do this for your children. You can know that this is holy work because the first Commandment that God gives us regarding other people is the 4th Commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Parents, you work and provide for the children God has given you. You put food on the table and in the cupboards. You maintain a roof over your children and provide a safe, warm place for them to grow and mature. You teach them at home and give them an education so they can grow up and become productive adults. All of this is your God-given, holy calling as parents.

Do you always do this perfectly? Of course not! Not every meal has the ideal balance of fruits, vegetables, and a proper protein. Not every room in your house is clean and decluttered. At times, you might discipline your kids too harshly. There have probably been times when your child needed you in the middle of the night and you regret the fact that you are a parent. But still, in each of those situations – when you throw a bunch of frozen fish sticks or a pizza into the oven; when your house is a mess but still intact; when you correct your children; and when you change the wet, soiled sheets and pajamas and clean up the vomit in the middle of the night while grumbling under your breath – in each of those moments, you are still serving the one God has given you to serve. Outward obedience, even when it is soiled by a sinful heart and selfish attitude, meets the needs of your children and is still pleasing in the sight of God. It is holy work. And there is forgiveness for your sinful attitude while doing it. So, be absolved, forgiven, and freed.

And children, recognize the gift God has given you in your parents. You know your parents aren’t perfect, and they know they aren’t perfect. So, kids, give your parents grace, and parents, give your kids grace. When you sin against each other, ask for forgiveness, and when forgiveness is requested, extend it. To live in this world is to constantly need and constantly extend forgiveness. Because God has forgiven you of all your sins, you are free to spread that forgiveness to others.

So, the first thing is to recognize that a family is a good gift from God, and God has given you incredibly holy callings within your family.

The second thing to consider about families comes from how this text begins. “[Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.” Joseph and Mary placed a high priority on Jesus’ spiritual care and nurturing by going to the Temple in Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Passover. Even though Luke doesn’t explicitly say this, I don’t think there is any reason to doubt that even while they lived in Egypt the holy family would make the trip each Passover to be in Jerusalem despite the danger.

Again, King Herod had issued the demonic decree that all the infant boys of Bethlehem be killed. So God had the holy family flee to Egypt where their ancestors had been enslaved centuries before. But each year, for the Passover, the holy family would come up, out the land of slavery to return to the Promised Land which was ruled by people who were seeking to kill Jesus. They went to celebrate God delivering His people.

Parents, of all the things God has called you to provide for your children, their spiritual care is first and foremost. God has called you to teach your children the Word of God. The church is here to help and assist you in teaching your children the faith, but the task is your responsibility. According to Dt. 6:7, parents are to teach their children God’s Word as you sit in your house, as you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise. Don’t be so foolish as to think that bringing your children here for Sunday School and service for two hours each week is enough.

Fathers, according to Scripture, this responsibility mainly falls to you (Eph. 6:4). God has called you to be doing this not only daily, but throughout the day. Scripture’s clear teaching on this is enough, but the most recent surveys show how important your involvement is as well. Studies show that when both parents are involved in the church, 72% of children will remain involved in the church when they are grown. When only the father is involved, the total drops to 55%. When only the mother is involved, it plunges to 15%, and when neither parent is involved, it drops to 6%. So, mothers, support your husband in this.

Children, this is the one area where you have God’s permission to boss your parents around. If you are getting made fun of at school, are worried about something, or are afraid, ask your parents to pray for you. Tell them to teach you Bible stories and point you to Jesus. Ask them questions about the Scriptures. If your parents are sleeping in on a Sunday morning, wake them up so your whole family can go to church together.

To build up your family, continually be pointed to what Jesus, your Messiah, has done. That is likely the conversation that Jesus was having with the teachers that day in the Temple.

Jesus is true God and true man. As true God, Jesus has always been omniscient (which means He knows everything). But Jesus chose to humble Himself, so even though He possessed all His divine attributes that He had as true God, He did not always take full advantage of them. Jesus chose to learn and grow. He chose to live the life that the Law required of us. That means that Jesus would learn from God’s Word as He was in the Temple.

When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the Temple, He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Since it was the time of the Passover, it isn’t far-fetched to conclude that some of that questioning revolved around the Passover – about the enslavement of God’s people, about the judgment of wicked Pharaoh, about the lambs, and about the blood covering the doorposts that delivered from the angel of death. Because Jesus and those teachers were in the Temple, some of the questioning might have revolved around the things and practices of the Temple – about sacrifices, the incense, the bread of the presence, the holy and most holy place, and the Ark of the Covenant. All these were things God had given His people to point them to the Messiah.

And even though Jesus didn’t do any miracle there in the Temple, everyone was amazed at His understanding and answers. He had come to be that Messiah. He had come to shed His blood to cover the door of your heart. He had come to deliver you from slavery to sin. He had come to earth and bring God’s gracious presence to fallen humanity.

In our Old Testament lesson (1 Kgs. 8:6-13), you heard what happened when God’s glory entered the Temple after it was built by Solomon. The cloud and thick darkness was so holy and awesome that it drove the priests away. Then, God’s glory was threatening, but it served a buffer between God and man. But God’s truest glory appeared that day in the Temple in the flesh of a twelve-year-old boy, and that glory drew people near to Him.

That same glory is here now. Jesus is here with us in this place. All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus, and He dwells with you, His people. His holiness comes to you and makes you holy by His grace. So may that same holiness fill your homes and bless your families today and every day as you grow in holiness as a family. Amen.

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

Greater & More Perfect – Sermon on Hebrews 9:11-15 for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Listen here.

Hebrews 9:11–15

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

In the name of Jesus, our great High Priest. Amen.

In the name of Jesus, our great High Priest. Amen.

Jesus has shed His blood for you. He offered Himself without blemish to the Father to purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Because Christ has shed His blood for you, you have been called to be God’s children and receive the promised eternal inheritance. God be praised!

Imagine for a moment that you made plans to take your family to Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington. (In case you don’t know, that’s a hotel with a huge indoor water park similar to what we have at the CanAd Inn and Splashers, but many, many times bigger.) You show your kids the pictures of the water park and all the waterslides and splash pads, and your kids are raring to go. But then, when you arrive, instead of wanting to go to the water park, your kids say they would rather splash around in the bathtub of your hotel room. You plead and urge them to put on their swimsuits, try the waterslides, the lazy river, and all the different attractions. But your kids insist they would rather sit in the tub with their rubber duck.

Well, there was a similar thing going on when this text was written.

The letter of Hebrews was basically a sermon written to a largely Jewish congregation. The way that the book is written, it seems as though some of these Jewish believers were beginning to wonder if they had made a mistake by becoming Christians. It appears as though they were wondering if they should return to their old, Jewish religion with the high priest, the Temple, the altar overlaid with gold, the festivals, the sacrifices, and the blood of goats and bulls. They were wondering if they had left the true worship of God for a much humbler, simpler religion of Christianity.

The whole book of Hebrews, but especially these verses and the surrounding context, serves as a resounding, “No! Don’t do it!” Throughout the book of Hebrews, these Christians are pointed to the fact that what they had in Jesus, and what we have today is better, greater, and more perfect.

Hebrews 9_24 Great High Priest Holy PlacesIn fact, if you go back to Hebrews 8[:5], we are told that all the instructions that Moses received about the services, sacrifices, and festivals even the Tabernacle itself all served as copies and shadows of the heavenly things. A few verses after our text here (Heb. 9:23), we are told that the earthly copies of the heavenly things were given by God, but they needed to be purified with all those rites and rituals that God gave to Moses and Aaron.

So, here’s the picture this text is painting for us. The purpose of all the Old Testament ritual and ceremony – the daily sacrifices, the buildings, the furniture, the washings – all of it served, for a time, as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. The earthly tabernacle was given to God’s people as a picture of what is going on in heaven. God’s people could see the details going on before them, but they were to know that it was just a shadow of the reality of what is going on in heaven before God.

And now, because of Jesus, the shadow of the Tabernacle and Temple is no longer needed. Still today, we Christians, we people of God, have the reality. I hope and pray that this results in two things for you.

First, I hope that when you read those passages from Exodus and Leviticus, when you read about the construction of the Tabernacle with the vessels and different colors of fine twined linen, when you read about the priests and their vestments and their activities, when you read about the feasts and the sacrifices, I hope that you now read them with a little more interest because, again, they are copies and shadows of the heavenly reality.

But second, and more importantly, I hope you see that all of it points you to what Jesus, your Savior and Great High Priest, has done and accomplished once for all and once for you! Because now the reality in heaven has been perfected by the blood of Jesus, your Savior.

In the Tabernacle, the altar of incense served as a copy. The people were to look at the smoke of the incense rising into heaven and know that the prayers they made on earth were also rising up to God. In the Tabernacle, the bread of the presence served as an earthly shadow reminding the people that God was present with them. In the Tabernacle, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies served as an earthly copy and shadow that preached to the people 364 days each year that access to the holy God was closed. And on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, that curtain preached that access to God was possible when the blood of atonement was sprinkled there.

Hebrews 9-14 - Christ Offered HimselfAnd now that Jesus, our Savior and Great High Priest, has come, all the shadows and copies are done away with. Now, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we know that our prayers are acceptable and rise up to God. Now, when we don’t know how to pray as we ought, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Ro. 8:26). Now that Jesus has come, we don’t need the bread of the presence because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence and dwells in your heart (1 Cor. 6:19). Now that Christ has come and shed His blood and brought His blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, your conscience has been cleansed and purified to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).

This book of Hebrews is telling the people who are tempted to go back to the earthly copy of the heavenly reality to forget shadow and look at Jesus, who is the real thing! To go back to the Tabernacle and priests and sacrifices would be like choosing to play in the hotel bathtub instead of spending the afternoon at the water park. Brady and Leah, I know you’re watching, you wouldn’t do that, would you? Of course not! It would be foolish! It would be like driving to visit the Grand Canyon, but instead of looking around at the beautiful scenery and take it all in, you look at a couple pictures of the Grand Canyon. Sure, the pictures may be wonderful and beautiful, but you’re there at the real thing! Experience it! Take it in!

So, dear saints, I have two closing thoughts.

First, as we gather together at church (and even as we gather together virtually), we have the fulfillment. We have the purification and holiness that God delivers through Christ. Yes, it is best when we can gather together and receive the blessings of God’s purifying Word and Sacrament in person together, but we can still receive it now in this way. This is also why we use the liturgy (the order of our service). All of it is taken from Scripture to deliver to you the promises that Christ has won and given. And I am so excited for the time when we can again receive those things in this house of God together.

And second, know that everything Christ has done as your High Priest is to deliver to you His redemption from your sins. Because of Jesus, you have a pure conscience.

So, pay attention. Look at me because I want to ask you something right now:

What is troubling your conscience? Is it something you have done in the past? Is it some new sin? Is it your fears? Is it your worry about the future? Is it some sin against God or against your neighbor? What is troubling your conscience right now?

Whatever it is, know that Jesus has carried that sin that is bothering your conscience to the cross. He suffered. He bled. He died for that sin. And He has risen again to present His atoning blood in the courtroom of heaven as the unassailable, unquestionable evidence of your innocence. And in that courtroom of heaven, the verdict has been spoken. You have been declared by God, the righteous Judge in heaven, to be not guilty because of Jesus.

So, what has been spoken by God in heaven, I speak to you now on earth. You have, right now, an eternal redemption. Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for (Is. 6:7) by Jesus. Christ has removed your sin from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Because of Christ, your Greater and more Perfect High Priest, you have the entire forgiveness of all your sins. Amen.

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

Holy Peace Dwelling with Us – Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 for Christmas Eve 2019

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

Dear saints, merry Christmas!Incarnation Icon Tonight, and all the days of your life, you can celebrate the fact that Jesus is born. God has taken on your flesh to save you. He has come in your likeness, born of a woman, in order to deliver you from your sin.

This Gospel text is one of the most familiar passages for Christians. As it was read, you could probably finish most of the phrases from memory, and that is good. But that familiarity can bring with it a loss of the wonder, awe, peace, power, and glory that this text has for us.

Whenever we read the Scriptures, we should be looking for the unexpected. But our familiarity with the text means that almost nothing is unexpected, at least not anymore. We’re so familiar with it that we aren’t surprised even though there are surprises at every turn. It’s surprising that God uses something as normal as a census and taxes to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to fulfill His promise that the Messiah would be born in the city of David (Mic. 5:2). It is surprising, and saddening, that none of Joseph’s relatives had a place for him and his laboring wife to stay which meant they ended up delivering their Son in a barn. Though those things are familiar to us, they are still shocking, unexpected, and are worthy to have us to pause and consider them more closely. However, tonight we are going to focus on what happens outside of Bethlehem in the fields so that we get a fuller picture of what happened in Bethlehem.

Glory appears to the ShepherdsLuke tells us that those shepherds, who were minding their own business, suddenly found themselves surrounded by the shining, dazzling glory of the Lord. The surprising, unexpected thing is not the existence of God’s glory. God’s glory shining is something that happens throughout the Scriptures.

The glory of God led Israel out of Egypt, but God’s glory was veiled and hidden in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). That same glory, veiled in a cloud, descended on Mt. Sinai when God spoke to the people to give them the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19:9, 16-17). Even though God’s glory was hidden behind the cloud, the people were so afraid of God’s glory that they asked Moses to tell God to not speak directly to them anymore (Dt. 18:15-19). God’s voice along with His glory, even when it was concealed by the cloud, was too much for them to behold.

But God’s glory continued to be with His people. When they built the Tabernacle, that same cloud entered the Tabernacle. And it was this glory of God that led the people through the wilderness during the Exodus. Whenever the cloud would stop, the people would set up their camp and stay there until the cloud was taken up and led them further (Num. 9:17-22).

Every time the people set up their camp, the cloud would enter into the most holy place in the Tabernacle. And God gave strict instructions to Aaron, the high priest, that he wasn’t to enter the holy of holies any time he wanted or else he would die (Lev. 16:2). And even when Aaron, and the high priests after him, were allowed to enter the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement, those high priests were told to burn incense and make a cloud of smoke to serve as an additional barrier between them and the holy presence of God (Lev. 16:12-13).

Glory in Solomon's TempleThis went on for centuries until the King Solomon finished construction of the Temple. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Temple, the cloud descended into the most Holy Place, and the priests had to leave because God’s glory filled the Temple (1 Kgs. 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13-14). God no longer dwelt in the tent of the Tabernacle; now, He dwelled in the house of the Temple which was where heaven and earth intersected. And still, year after year, the high priest would enter the most holy place be the representative of the people and meet with God behind the smoke made by the incense and the cloud that subdued God’s glory (Ex. 25:21-22).

But year after year, God’s people kept serving other pagan gods which defiled them and God’s Temple. And though God repeatedly warned them about their sin, they refused to trust in God alone. So, God sent His people into exile in Babylon. And it was in Babylon that Ezekiel had a vision of the Temple. In that vision, Ezekiel saw the glory of God in that cloud leave the Temple (Ezek. 10:1-19). And shortly after this, Jerusalem was destroyed along with the Temple.

God did bring His people back to their land. They rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple, but when the second Temple was completed, God’s people had a problem. The cloud of God’s glory didn’t return to dwell there (Ezra 3:10-15; 6:16-18). God did not enter that second, rebuilt Temple. For several hundred years, it went on like this. God’s people had the Temple, but God’s glory wasn’t seen. So, the people didn’t know if God was there for them as He had been with them in the past. Because God’s glory had not entered the Temple, there was confusion and doubt. The people wondered, “Has God forsaken us forever?” And this was a legitimate question.

But now here in Luke 2, outside of the Temple, away from Jerusalem, out in a field, the glory of the Lord reappears. But notice, there is no cloud to veil God’s glory. Why was there no cloud? Well, the cloud was no longer necessary.

The cloud had been there to hide the full glory of God so the people wouldn’t be destroyed by God’s holy presence. Now in the birth of Jesus, the full glory of God is still hidden, but not in a cloud. Now, the glory of God is hidden in the infant Jesus lying in a manger.

Dear saints, tonight we celebrate the fact that God has hidden Himself in your flesh. This is the miracle of Christmas. God hides Himself in your humanity so that He can be with you, dwell with you, and reveal Himself to you. God veils His glory in the body of Jesus so that He can appear as your Savior. God hides Himself so that He can reveal Himself as your Redeemer.

We are sinners. To be found by God in His glory and majesty would be our eternal destruction. But there in Bethlehem is God wrapped in swaddling clothes. Empty Manger With Cross ShadowHe is there so He can grow up and walk among us in the towns and streets of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. He is there so He can be betrayed, arrested, beaten, tried, crucified, loaded up with your sin, die, and rise again.

This is how your God is for you. God does not approach you with His consuming holiness. He hides His holy glory, and He comes in peace so that He can clothe you in His holiness. And clothed in that holiness, you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you (1 Cor. 6:19). God continues to reveal His glory to all creation through you, Christian (Ro. 8:21). Because of what Christ has done for you by making you holy, heaven and earth continue to overlap as God’s glory shines through you (Mt. 5:14-16).

So tonight, we join our voices with the heavenly choir. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to you.” Behold Christ’s glory which is full of grace and truth. From this Jesus, you receive grace upon grace. For your God is pleased to well with you now and forever. Amen.

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

Living in Holy Light & Being Holy Light – Sermon for Midweek Advent 3 2019

Listen here. (The first 30 seconds of tonight’s sermon were not recorded. The missed portion was simply a summary of the previous weeks’ messages.)

The texts for tonight’s service were Isaiah 60:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:6-12; and John 1:1-14.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Tonight, we are continuing the theme from 1 Timothy 4:4-5, “Everything is made holy by the Word of God and prayer.” In the first of these Advent sermons, we considered how God, the Holy One, makes us holy through His Word which cleanses and sanctifies us (Jn. 15:1-5; 17:17). Last week, we saw how God initially created all things good, but nothing created was holy by itself – nothing is inherently or intrinsically holy. So, God places His holy name upon us in our Baptism which makes us holy so we can be in His presence. This not only gives us access to God’s presence, it actually makes us a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (1 Cor. 6:19). This means, Christian, that you are no longer common. Now, you are sacred.

Tonight’s sermon will give us the picture of what our sacred life looks like according to Scripture especially from the Epistle lesson (2 Cor. 4:6-12). Paul is using imagery that was very common in his day, lamps. In the verses leading up to that text, he says that the Gospel – the good news that our sins are forgiven because of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection – is a light (2 Cor. 4:1-5). Then our text picks up that image. Look at those verses while I read and comment on them:

The God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone (Where?) in our hearts. (Why?) To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. We have this treasure – the treasure of God’s glory – in jars of clay.

These jars of clay are the lamps people used in New Testament times. Back then, houses were lit up, not by flipping on a switch but by little clay lamps filled with olive oil. Those clay lamps (or jars) had a small hole for a wick that floated in the oil and fed the flame.

So, God’s holy presence is in us. We have the treasure of His glory and power, but that holiness, that sacredness, that power, and that glory is hidden. You can’t see it just like you couldn’t see the oil inside of that clay lamp. But you know that oil is there as long as the wick continues to burn. If you lit a wick that didn’t have any fuel feeding it, that wick would burn up quickly. But when that wick has fuel, it will burn for hours and hours. Imagine that you didn’t know about the oil in the lamp, you would be surprised at how long the wick can burn.

Back to v. 7, we have this treasure hidden in jars of clay (Why?) to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. To close out this picture, Paul says that the life we have in Christ is reveled and shown in our suffering. Listen to v. 8-9, “We are afflicted but not crushed. Perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed.” When we endure suffering, others are able to see this surpassing power of God because of how it is manifested.

Afflictions do not crush us. Instead, they cause us to run to God (Ps. 129:2). Things that are perplexing and confusing do not cause us to despair (Ps. 37:32-33). When we have trials, we don’t need to wonder if God loves us – He does! When we are persecuted, we can know that we are suffering the very same things that Christ did. Jesus said, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (Jn. 15:20). When we are struck down, we turn the other cheek (Mt. 5:39) because we know that our enemies cannot destroy us – Christ has promised (Mt. 10:28). We have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:1-4).

You see, dear saints who have been made sacred, God’s glory and power given to you is manifested to this world in your weakness for when you are weak, then you are made strong by God’s power (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Our problem is that this is the opposite of what we normally think. In every other aspect of our lives, growing up means that we move from depending on others to becoming independent. When a child can feed herself, walk, is potty trained, able to dress herself, tie her shoes, etc., we see that she is growing up into an independent woman.

The exact opposite is true of spiritual growth. Growing up spiritually means that we become more dependent upon Christ for everything in every situation. As we mature in faith, we learn to borrow all that we need from Christ which means that we grow in holiness.

As God shines the light of the Gospel into you, that light shines out of you so that you are a light to others. Jesus puts it this way Mt. 5:14–16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

God put the light of His Gospel into you so that you would give light to the dark house of this world. Jesus commands that light within you to shine. English cannot do justice to what the Greek does there. Jesus commands the light He has placed within you to shine so that the people of this world would see your good works and give glory to your heavenly Father.

I want to conclude tonight with one more image of what living in this light looks like by considering. Proverbs 3:5-6 (and I’m going to use a translation that might be different from what you are used to[1]), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways know Him, so that He will straighten your paths.”

These verses picture traveling, but it isn’t the normal traveling from one place to another. It is traveling through life. Throughout your life, you travel on many different roads and paths that seem to have little or nothing to do with each other and it can feel like you aren’t getting anywhere. You go from one thing to another, but it feels like you have no destination.

But these verses invite to you to know the Lord in all your ways. What does that mean? It means that He is present with you in everything. Wherever you go, He is there with you. He is your invisible partner and companion. When you woke up this morning, He was there. When you traveled to work or school, as you ate lunch, while you drove here, He didn’t abandon you. He was right there beside you. You have had lots of little journeys today, and the Lord was with you the whole time.

All the paths of today and yesterday and six months ago, and all the paths of tomorrow and every day of your future are all one journey because God is with you every step of the way. In all your ways, know Him, see Him, expect Him. He is there walking with you leading you along the way. You don’t have to map out your own journey, you can simply trust Him because He is there making your path straight.

The biggest problem you have and that I have is that we think we are traveling by ourselves. We don’t even bother to look for Him because we don’t expect Him to be there. But there He is giving us His light, leading us, guiding us, directing us along our paths. This means that all our paths are sacred because of God’s presence.

All the little paths and bits and tasks of your life are not the story of your journey but the story of Jesus’ journey with you. Live your life in His holy light as you radiate that holy light. Amen.

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

[1] Translation from Rev. Dr. John Klienig.

The Name That Makes Us Holy – Sermon for Midweek Advent 2 2019

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The texts for tonight’s service were Numbers 6:22-27; Ephesians 1:3-14; and Matthew 28:16-20.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Last week, we considered how God, the Holy One, makes us holy through His Holy Word which cleanses and sanctifies us (Jn. 15:1-5; Jn. 17:17). Tonight, we are going to look at Scripture and see what this notion of holiness is all about. So, in order to try get an idea what is holy, we are going to look at Leviticus 10:10 to see how God views everything when it comes to holiness.

But before we can do that, we have to remember that when God finished creation, He stepped back and declared everything to be “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Everything created by God is, by God’s declaration, good as the theme verses (1 Tim. 4:4-5) for these services say. Notice that Scripture doesn’t say that God created things and called them ‘holy.’ Nothing created is inherently or intrinsically holy or unclean; instead created things were all created ‘good.’ However, now that we have brought sin into the world, there are various degrees of holiness and impurity. So, Aaron, the high priest and all the priests after him (Ezek. 44:23), were called by God to make distinctions. Look at Lev. 10:10, “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.”

Holiness SpheresGod’s holiness creates three interlocking spheres which I’ve tried to show with this figure.[1] Because God’s holy presence dwelled in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple, those places became the place where the holy God dwelt with fallen mankind (2 Chron. 6:14-21). They served as a bridge between heaven and earth, and specifically the Holy of Holies was where heaven and earth overlapped. So, in this figure, on the one hand, you have God’s holy presence and on the opposite side, there is the state of impurity which is utterly incompatible with holiness. What is unclean and defiled has been corrupted by sin and the devil. But you will notice there is all sorts of space between God’s holy presence on the one side and Satan and the demons on the other side. That is where we dwell.

Here’s the picture: What is holy is clean, but it is possible for something to be clean yet not holy which means it normal or common, which most things are. And something can be common but also unclean or abnormal.

In this ordering, things that are common must be cleansed of impurity before they can come into contact with God and share in His holiness or else, they are destroyed and consumed by God’s holiness. Last week we briefly considered Isaiah’s call (Is. 6:1-7). That event is helpful in understanding this concept.

When Isaiah was in God’s holy presence, he recognized his uncleanness. Isaiah’s lips were death-dealing, disordering, cursing, and made things around him sick. But the angel came with that coal from the altar (Is. 6:6) – which is an important fact because God had said that anything that touches the altar becomes holy (Ex. 29:37). With that holy coal, the angel touched Isaiah’s lips to purify him from his sins. Made holy by God’s declaration, that coal was life-giving, ordering, blessing, and healing so that Isaiah was made clean. After this encounter with God, Isaiah continued to receive God’s holiness as He received God’s Word, and Isaiah even emanated and transferred God’s holiness to others when He preached God’s Word. Even still today you receive God’s holiness that He dispersed through Isaiah as you hear God’s Word when you read the book of Isaiah. Get the picture?

Let’s fill this out a little more. The closer something comes to God, the holier it becomes. Think of it this way: The high priest was more holy than a normal Israelite, even though God had declared His people to be holy and sanctified them (Lev. 19:2; 21:8), because only the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies while the Israelite could only enter as far as the outer part of the Temple. The same thing was true for different sacrifices. Certain sacrifices and offerings, like peace offerings, were holy, but they were less holy than other sacrifices because they were offered outside of the Temple and didn’t ever come into the Temple.

The opposite is true for things or people that were unclean. Some things were desecrated and defiled – like a person who was a medium (Lev. 20:27) or someone who sacrificed a child to Molech (Lev. 20:2). These were so defiled and unclean that God required the death sentence. But other people who were defiled – like someone who touched a corpse (Lev. 11:31-32) or who had a skin disease (see Lev. 14) – were easily fixed and made clean. That person could be purified of the uncleanness and sanctified.

Now, I can hear some of you saying, “Sure, pastor. But that is all Old Testament stuff. Jesus did away with that kind of thinking.” To which I say, “Not so fast!”

In Mark 7[:1-23] Jesus, our great High Priest, continued to teach about what makes a person clean or defiled.[2] It is true that the incarnation of Jesus meant that the location of God’s holiness moved from the Temple building to Jesus’ body (Jn. 2:21-22). And now, Jesus’ death has ripped open the curtain that guarded the Holy of Holies (Lk. 25:45-46), so the focus of defilement is no longer the physical body, but the human heart.

And Hebrews (9:13-14) addresses this as well: “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit Hebrews 9_14 - Christ offered Himself without blemish to Godoffered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

In Jesus, God’s holiness entered our common realm so that He could cleanse unclean sinners and expel the demons that brought defilement. And the demons recognized Jesus as the holy one of God who had come into the flesh to undo and cast out the uncleanness they brought with them (Mk. 1:21-27). All of this means that God’s holiness isn’t limited to the Temple building anymore.

Jesus’ incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension has brought about such a cleansing that now you, believer, are the temple of the Holy Spirit who abides in you (1 Cor. 6:19). So, continue to receive God’s holiness.

One more analogy to help get this across: Today was a bright, sunshiny day. There were no clouds on the sky and the sun’s light wasn’t blocked; it came clearly through the sky and bounced off the snow making everything outside bright. If you braved the cold and went outside you were receiving amazing amounts of light from the sun. It isn’t possible to capture that light – bottle it up or something – and have it to use it later in these short, dark days. To keep receiving the sun’s light, you have to be where the sun is. The same is true with God’s holiness. You have to be where God has promised to deliver His holiness to continue in it.

Hebrews 10_19-23 Jesus our High PriestIn Jesus, God has come into this common world and brought His holiness to you. Because of what Christ has done, God has claimed you as His own so that you can live with Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness. He placed His holy name upon you when you were Baptized. In your Baptism, you were marked with the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:18-20). That holiness, given to you in your Baptism, is now continually delivered to you when you hear and believe God’s holy Word. As you hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). God continues to place His name on you as He blesses you, keeps you, makes His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you (Num. 6:22-27). Bearing His holy name, you are brought into His holy presence, and radiate His holiness to those around you.

Christian, you are no longer common. Now, you are sacred. You bear the holy name of God throughout creation as you go about your common life in the midst of common people. Made holy by that name, you bring God’s sacred space to those who need purification and sanctification through Jesus’ blood. Rejoice and proclaim that name so that God’s sacred space continues to spread. Amen.

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

[1] The idea for this figure came from this paper by Rev. Dr. John Kleinig.

[2] See also what Jesus says when He washes His disciples’ feet in John 13:8-11. And when Jesus, our High Priest, came to wash His disciples’ feet, Peter objected. Jesus responded, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” So, Peter went all in, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” And Jesus responded, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.” (See also Jn. 15:3, 17:17-19.)

The Holy One Makes Us Holy – Sermon for Midweek Advent 1 2019

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The texts for tonight’s service were Exodus 3:1-5; 1 Timothy 4:1-10; and John 15:1-5.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

For a little over two years, I have been mulling over those words we heard from 1 Timothy 4[:4-5], “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the Word of God and prayer.” These words have a profound impact on how we, as God’s holy people, go about our daily lives and interact with the world.

Every home, every marriage, every relationship, every gift, every possession, every day, every night, all our work, all our sleep, all our joys, and all our sorrows: everything is made holy and sacred by God’s Word.

Tonight, we are going to begin a year-long journey considering God’s holiness: how that holiness comes to us, and the implications of what it means to live as God’s sacred people. Now, I know that a year sounds like a long time. It probably is. But when I was at a conference in the beginning of October, one of the pastors who was presenting mentioned that people have to hear something eight times before they begin to latch on to it. (For me, it is probably more like sixteen times.)

So, these mid-week Advent services will serve as an introduction to that theme: Sacred. And through this Church year I will repeatedly draw on this idea. Hopefully, by the end of it all, I will have touched on this theme often enough that we will have a better understanding of how God’s holiness is given to us in our Baptism, maintained by His Word, sustained in us through ongoing faith, and changes the way we interact with everyone and everything around us.

Now, it’s tempting for me to throw everything at you all at once, but I’m going to try to resist that temptation and remind myself that I have a whole year. So, tonight, we will begin by briefly considering how our holy God makes us holy.

God alone is holy, and, apart from Him, nothing is ever holy. We fallen, sinful humans can only be holy if we receive God’s holiness. Just as a flashlight has no energy to shine unless it has batteries, our holiness is completely dependent to being connected with the holiness of God. Our holiness is never our achievement; it is always a gift from God. And, yes, God wants to give us this holiness.

Exodus 3_14 - Burning BushIn our Old Testament lesson tonight (Ex. 3:1-5), Moses found himself standing on holy ground when God appeared in a bush. That bush was burning because of God’s holy presence, and Moses’ curiosity was piqued when he noticed that though the bush was aflame it was not consumed; it didn’t burn up. In the same way, when God’s holiness comes to us, it burns but God does not want us to be consumed by the fire of His holiness. Instead, He wants us to be changed by it.

Consider when Isaiah found himself in God’s presence (Is. 6:1-7). Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, seated on the throne, the train of His robe filled the Temple, and the seraphim called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah knew this put him in a bad place. He cried out, “Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” God’s holiness does two things to Isaiah.

First, God’s holiness revealed and unmasked Isaiah’s sin, and it wasn’t only Isaiah’s defilement that troubled him. Isaiah knew that because he lived among other sinners, their sinfulness and defilement had rubbed off on him making him more unclean and unholy. And God’s holiness was a fire that would reduce Isaiah to ashes. But God would not have it be this way.

Isaiah 6 - Holy Holy Holy Lips CoalSo, the second thing God’s holiness does to Isaiah is rub off on him. God sent one of the seraphs to fetch a burning coal, take it to Isaiah, and touch his lips with it and give a word of promise, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

God didn’t appear in His holiness to undo Isaiah and destroy him. Instead, God brings Isaiah into fellowship with Him as He forgave and reconciled Isaiah to Himself making Isaiah holy and sacred to go and proclaim God’s Word.

Like Isaiah, we do not ever possess God’s holiness as our own. It isn’t something we can bottle up and store for later. We continually receive and borrow holiness from God, and God isn’t stingy in sharing His holiness with us. He happily and readily gives us His holiness through His Word making us sacred.

We heard this in the Gospel lesson (Jn. 15:1-5) where Jesus tells us that He is the Vine and we are the branches. There, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of the holy lives we lead. As we abide in Him, who is the Vine, we bear sacred fruit. And God the Father prunes us so what we may bear more of that fruit. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He tells us that already we are clean (it’s the same word Jesus used which was translated ‘pruned’). And what is the instrument that prunes us and makes us clean? It is His Word.

This means that Jesus doesn’t make us holy and then leave us to continue being holy on our own. Instead, He meets us where we are, calls us through His Word, and by that Word He joins us to Himself. As we abide in Jesus’ Word, He does everything for us and gives everything to us. Jesus invites us to safely approach our holy heavenly Father in faith with Him. Apart from Him, we cannot accomplish anything spiritually. But with Jesus, we stand on holy ground before God the Father in the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus brings heaven to earth for us so that we can live heavenly lives with Him here on earth.

God’s will for us as His children is to be holy as He Himself is holy (1 Pet. 1:14-16). The good news is that God doesn’t expect us to generate our own holiness. Jesus continually doles out His holiness upon us through His Word which makes us and all we do sacred.

More on that in the weeks to come. Amen.

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