Tag Archives: Life

I Am the Resurrection & the Life – Sermon on John 11:17-27 for Good Friday

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are Isaiah 53:4-6; Psalm 102:1-2, 12; John 11:17-27; Luke 23:33-38; Luke 23:39-43; John 19:25-27; Mark 15:33-35; John 19:28-29; John 19:30; and Luke 23:45b-47.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, on this Good Friday—just before we hear the seven words of Jesus from the cross—Jesus says to us, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life.”The first thing we need to have straight in our minds is that the Resurrection isn’t just a future event on God’s calendar. It isn’t only something that will happen on a particular day of a particular month of a particular year. No. The Resurrection is much more definite than that.

Instead of saying that He will cause a resurrection to happen, Jesus says that He is the embodiment of Resurrection and Life. The Resurrection is a Person. The Resurrection and the Life is your Savior, your Redeemer, your God who took on your flesh and blood. That means where Jesus is, there is the Resurrection and there is the Life.

It certainly is true that the Resurrection of all flesh is also something that will happen in the future. Jesus says, “An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear My voice and come out”(Jn. 5:28-29). Christian, you rightly confess in the Creeds that you believe in “the Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting” (Apostles’) and that you “look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Life of the world to come” (Nicene). But even now, believer, you are in the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus promises that though your heart may stop beating and you die, yet shall you live. Even better—Jesus goes one step further—you who live through faith in Christ shall never die (Jn. 11:25-26).

This is one of the most profound and comforting promises Jesus makes, but it is not easy to believe. After Jesus makes this promise, He asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” I don’t think there is any question that Jesus is asking Martha if she believes all four things He just said. 1) That He is the Resurrection. 2) That He is the Life. 3) That everyone who believes in Him will live even though he dies. And 4) That everyone who lives and believes in Him shall never die.

Martha’s answer seems incomplete. Notice, she doesn’t say, “Yes, Lord. I believe You are the Resurrection and the Life.” Instead, she answers, “Yes, Lord. I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who is coming into the world.” With that answer, there’s no question that Martha is a Christian. But she doesn’t—at least not yet—have the comfort that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. She believes Jesus is the Messiah. She believes that He is the Son of God who has come into the world. But it sounds like Martha doesn’t think that Jesus has the power to give life right now, right in the middle of her grief over losing her brother to death. 

I say that because in just a few verses, Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ tomb and tells the people to roll the stone away. And Martha says, “Lord, he’s been dead four days. If we roll the stone away, it’s going to stink” (Jn. 11:39). In other words, Martha thought it was too late for Jesus to do anything for her brother. But Jesus is about to show her the full reality of what she had confessed. Because Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, He is also the Resurrection and the Life, and everyone who lives and believes in Him shall never die (Jn. 11:26).

Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ grave. The stone blocking the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb is rolled away. Jesus prays to His heavenly Father and cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And I agree with whoever was the first to say that, if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus—and only Lazarus—by name, then all the dead would have come out of the grave. “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus comes out from his grave alive (Jn. 11:41-46).

That day in the village of Bethany, death had to obey its Superior. But it isn’t long after this that the Resurrection and the Life marches straight into death’s jaws. On Good Friday, Jesus meets death face to face, not to demand the release of one man. He goes to defeat death once for all by giving Himself unto death.

It was the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead that stirred the chief priests and Pharisees to plot Jesus’ death (Jn. 11:53). And our Lord wasn’t surprised by this. In fact, He had been repeatedly saying it would happen for much of His ministry. Jesus wasn’t surprised by their plot. It was the very reason He had come to earth. So tonight, we remember that the One who called Lazarus out of the tomb willingly goes into the tomb for you.

This also means, dear saints, that there is nowhere you can go that your Savior, who is the Resurrection and the Life, hasn’t been before. He knows what it is to be human—in every aspect—from conception to adulthood. He knows what it is to have friends and family who sometimes fail Him. He knows what it is to be hungry, thirsty, and tired. He knows what it is to be tempted (Heb. 4:15). He knows how it feels to mourn the death of loved ones (Jn. 11:34-36). He even knows death (Jn. 11:30).

Because the Resurrection and the Life has been in all those places, His holiness has sanctified them and left resurrection and life in His wake.

So tonight, dear saints, as you hear the seven words of Jesus from the cross, don’t hear them as the pitiful cries of a dying man. Instead, hear them for what they really are. They are the words of the Resurrection and the Life accomplishing your salvation and defeating death for you.

The Resurrection and the Life prays, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34) because He pays the full price for your forgiveness.

The Resurrection and the Life says to the thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43) because He is opening heaven even while He hangs under the sentence of death.

The Resurrection and the Life says, “It is finished,”(Jn. 19:30) because He has broken death’s power over you forever.

And the Resurrection and the Life says, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit” (Lk. 23:46). His Body will be in the tomb for three days, but that same Body will rise again to bring Resurrection and Life to all who believe in Him.

Dear saints, tonight is not a funeral for Jesus because He is the Resurrection and the Life. Even though death is a powerful enemy, it is not possible for death to hold Christ (Act. 2:24). In Jesus’ crucifixion, death swallowed more than it could chew. His death has caused death itself to die. By Christ’s death, death itself is forever swallowed up in Resurrection victory (Is. 25:8; 1 Co. 15:54).

Because you are joined to Him in faith, it cannot hold you either. As surely as He called Lazarus from the grave, He will also call you from yours. 

Believer, tonight, Jesus says to you, “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). By the power of His life-giving Word, you can believe it. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

I Am the Bread of Life – Sermon on John 6:35-51 for Maundy Thursday

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are Psalm 111:1-6; Deuteronomy 8:1-3; Hebrews 9:11-15; and John 6:35-51.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

On this very night—1,993 years ago—Jesus celebrated the final Passover feast with His disciples. When 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” (Mt. 26:26-28; Mk. 14:22-24; Lk. 22:19-20; 1 Co. 11:23-25).

One year before that, right around this time of year—1,994 years ago (Jn. 6:4)—Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children, near the Sea of Galilee. The very next day Jesus stood before that same crowd and declared, “I Am the Bread of Life.”

To understand this text, it’s helpful to have an idea of just who these people are. Like every child of Adam, they lived under the curse of sin which meant they could only eat bread by the sweat of their brow until they returned to the ground (Gen. 3:19). They lived in Galilee, which was a very fruitful land. But heavy taxes and tributes took 30-50% of what they earned. Those taxes meant that most of them could not own their own lands. Instead, they had to find work each day as day laborers. Getting daily bread first required them to find a job for that day. Then, they could eat by the sweat of their brow. They were not utterly destitute, but their lives were far more precarious ours. The line between food and starvation was always just a step behind them.

Then, Jesus came. With five loaves and two fish, He fed a stadium-sized crowd so that every stomach was full. And He could do that in an instant. That’s the kind of man you want to keep around. No more searching. No more sweating. No more fear that the table might be empty tonight. Here was security. Here was stability. Here was a Man who could roll back the curse of eating bread through sweat and toil.

The people tasted that bread. It filled them and carried them through the night. So, the next day they went looking for Jesus. Yes, they were chasing daily bread, but that desire wasn’t evil. They were trying to reach for Eden again. They longed to return to the initial goodness of God’s creation where He would feed them. They wanted to be done with the curse. Done with the thorns and thistles. Done with the pain and sweat and toil of getting daily bread. They wanted life as God had first given it.

In the verses leading up to our text, Jesus sees their hearts. He says, “You are seeking Me… because you ate your fill of the loaves.” But listen to what our Lord says next: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (Jn. 6:26-27). Jesus is pointing them to something more and better than daily bread: “Don’t just chase after the kind of bread that keeps you alive for one more hour or day. Instead, chase after the Bread that gives you eternal life. I Am the Bread of Life.” Jesus had come to give them far more than a steady supply of bread for their bellies.

In our reading, Jesus presses the point even deeper: “I Am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died” (Jn. 6:48-49). Think about it. Their great-great-great-great-grandfathers ate heavenly bread that God rained down on them every morning for forty years in the wilderness. Each day, God gave what they needed to sustain them. Even though they were fed by very the hand of God, they still died. Every last one of them. God humbled them. God let them hunger so they would learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God (Dt. 8:1-3).

Then, Jesus says something astonishing: “This is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I Am the Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh” (Jn. 6:50-51).

Dear saints, do you hear echoes of something more, something better, than the daily manna that God provided? Here is a promise: Eat and never die. Eat and live forever. This is more than the reversal of thorns and thistles. Here is the undoing of death itself!

Jesus is promising a food that results in eternal life. Jesus is offering a new and better Tree of Life. At the end of Genesis 3, God would not let Adam and Eve eat from the original Tree of Life because that would mean living forever in their sin. So, God drove them out and sent the cherubim with a flaming sword to guard them from an eternal life in sin (Gen. 3:22-24).

But now the Son of God steps forward and says, “I have come to give you more than daily bread. I have come to give you Myself as Living Bread that will give you eternal life.”

Dear saints, the Tree that gives eternal life does not grow out of the ground in Eden. It was carried by Simon of Cyrene and planted on Golgotha by a Roman soldier (Mk. 15:21-25). The Fruit of that Tree does not blossom from a flower. It was nailed to that cross with iron spikes. Jesus Himself is the Tree of Life because He is the Bread of Life. He is the way to life without end.

Tonight, dear saints, Jesus has gathered you here so that you would eat that Bread.

He has brought you here to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). He has brought you here so you would hear His Word and live. Jesus promises that you will live forever because you believe in Him. Your sins are forgiven. Jesus carried them in His Body to the cross. He has died for them. Christ has taken upon Himself not just your flesh and blood, but also your sin and shame. He suffered it all so He could give you Himself—the Bread that never perishes and the Life that never ends. With His Own blood your great High Priest has won an eternal redemption for you. He has cleansed your consciences so you can now serve the living God. Through Him and the New Covenant in His Blood, you have the promised inheritance (Heb. 9:11-14).

Dear saints, come. Come, eat. Come, drink. Come, believe. Come, live because your Savior is the Bread of Life. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

I Am the True Vine – Sermon on John 15:1-8 for Midweek Lent 5

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are Psalm 92:12-15; Isaiah 5:1-7; Galatians 5:16-26; and John 15:1-8.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

One of the beautiful things about these “I Am” statements of Jesus is that, as we learn about who Christ is, we also learn about who we are. The first week, we heard Christ say, “I Am the Light of the world” (Jn. 9:5). That means we sit in darkness but are enlightened by Christ. The second week, we heard Christ say, “I Am the Door of the sheep” (Jn. 10:7). That means we are the sheep who have access through Him. The third week, we heard Christ say, “I Am the Good Shepherd” (Jn. 10:11). That means we’re His flock. Last week, we heard Christ say, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn. 14:6). That means we are the ones who are on the Way, who are given the Truth, and who are made to live in Him.

Tonight, Jesus says, “I Am the True Vine,” but before He even calls us the branches, He adds, “My Father is the Vinedresser” (Jn. 15:1). That means God the Father prunes us. Being pruned isn’t always pleasant. It often comes with pain and confusion. Branches don’t know why, or to what end, they’re being pruned. But the vinedresser, the gardener, does. Pruning is rarely comfortable, but it is always purposeful.

Most of you know a lot more about plants and gardening than I do, so know that I’m open to any tips or suggestions you may have for me after the service. Again, I’m not a gardener, but I have done some pruning. At our house, we have a couple of lilac bushes – one of which is at the corner of our house where we have our two biggest windows. If we want to be able to see out of those windows, we need to keep that lilac bush in check, so we prune it.

‘Prune’ might be too delicate a word. At least twice in the sixteen years we’ve lived in our house, I’ve taken a chain saw, gotten as low as possible to the ground, and hewed that sucker down. I’m no Paul Bunyan. But give me a chainsaw and I can fell a lilac bush. The first time I used the chain saw, I thought the bush would die. (There was a part of me that hopedit would die so we could plant something that is less work.) But, sure enough, the bush came back. More shoots sprouted off the stumps. Leaves budded. I don’t remember if the bush flowered the next year, but it certainly did the year after. Often, we hack it down, about to the bottom of the windows. It’s at least a biannual battle between us and the lilac bush. It’s amazing how resilient some plants are.

I hack away at that lilac bush just so I can see out of a window. But a good gardener prunes with a higher purpose. He doesn’t prune just so he can see a lot of dead stuff on the ground. He prunes so the plant will bear more fruit, and he knows how much pruning a plant can handle.

The pruning we endure only makes sense when we remember that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. We are not separate from Him. We wrongfully tend to think that Jesus is unaffected by the difficulties we face in this world. We imagine, since He has overcome death and has ascended into heaven, that He’s ‘semi-retired.’ It can seem that the risen and ascended Jesus is separate from our troubles, our difficulties, and our pain. That is not the case.

Dear saints, when the pruning comes – and it does come – Jesus is not watching from a distance. He is the Vine, and we are the branches. When there is difficulty, when there is pain, when there is pruning, Christ is right there in all of it. Remember when Paul encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was persecuting Christians, throwing them into prison, and overseeing some of them being executed (Act. 8:1-3, 9:1-2). Jesus appears to him on the road and says, “Saul, Saul,” (using Paul’s given name), “why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus takes Paul’s persecution personally because it is personal. What Paul was doing to the Church, he was doing to the Church’s Lord (Act. 9:4-5).

When you are pruned, so is Jesus. Now, Christ doesn’t need pruning because He’s the Vine. We need pruning because we’re the branches. Dear saints, know that when there is pruning, Jesus is right there with and in all of it. So, when you face anything painful, know that your heavenly Father is using that thing, whatever it is, as His pruning shears. And He is much more skilled and intentional and purposeful in pruning you than I am when I hack away at our lilac bush.

Dear saints, your Father’s pruning is painful. And it’s hard for us to imagine that things that are painful are good for us. When we go through those painful things, we often only see them as painful and difficult. You can hear that pain throughout the Psalms and in Job. A person is suffering and asks questions like, “How long?” or, “Why?” Those are fine, Scriptural questions to ask. But don’t just stop at that question, “Why?” because you won’t learn more.

Here, Jesus tells you why. He tells you that there is a purposeful plan. Your heavenly Father, the Vinedresser, prunes you so that you may bear more fruit. When there is pruning, it is so there can be fruit bearing.

If there is no pruning, no hardship, no pain, that’s the worst sign. Jesus says, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” If you’re just growing in whatever direction you please and aren’t being pruned, the end result is burning.

Pruning or burning – those are the two possibilities that lie before us. Jesus doesn’t give us a third option of forever escaping things that are uncomfortable. Either we can be pruned now, or we can be burned later. Consider the outcomes of the two disciples, Judas and Peter. By the time Jesus says this, Judas has already left (Jn. 13:21-30) and has stopped abiding in Jesus, the Vine. Even though Judas feels the pain of betraying Jesus, he doesn’t repent. There is sorrow, but there’s no repentance. No repentance means there’s no pruning. So, Judas’ eternal destination is the fire (Jn. 17:12).

On the other hand, you have Peter. He promised that he would abide in Jesus (Jn. 13:37), but before the sun can rise, Peter denies Christ three times. Right after his third denial, the rooster crows. In Luke, we’re told that Jesus simply looks across the courtyard at Peter, and that glance is enough to make Peter weep bitterly (Lk. 22:60-62). There is pain there, but that glance from Jesus is enough to prune Peter. After the resurrection, Jesus doesn’t chide and scold Peter. That glance was all it took to trim off the suckers that would have kept Peter from bearing fruit. Peter’s pain turns into Peter’s repentance. Peter’s repentance turns into Peter’s faith. Peter’s faith turns into Peter’s restoration (Jn. 21:15-17), and Jesus tells Peter, “Follow Me. I have more pruning in store for you” (Jn. 21:18-22).

This kind of honesty from Jesus – that there will be pain, either from pruning or burning – it isn’t something I like to hear. But Jesus speaks truth. And a hard, honest truth is always better than the sweetest-sounding lie. In these verses, Jesus doesn’t promise comfort. He promises pruning. That pruning is proof that you abide in Him. And that pruning results in you bearing much fruit and revealing to the world that you are His disciples.

The promise of bearing fruit, much fruit, is already comforting. But Jesus gives you a further picture of what His goal, His endgame is. We didn’t read it, but down in John 15:16, Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”

Dear saints, your fruit does not wither and rot. It abides. Always green. Always bearing fruit that is always abiding (Ps. 1:1-3; Jer. 17:7-8). Listen again to what Jesus says, “I Am the Vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). What Jesus intends for you, His branches, is bigger and greater than you can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). 

Dear saints, abide in Him the True Vine. In Him is the eternal Spring, in Him is fruitfulness, and in Him is life everlasting. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

I Am the Way, the Truth, & the Life – Sermon on John 14:1-7 for Midweek Lent 4

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are Psalm 25:4-10; Isaiah 30:19-23a; Colossians 2:6-10; and John 14:1-7.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text is so rich and beautiful. If it were a gemstone, it would glimmer and glisten in the light. If it were a meal, it would be a perfectly seasoned, 90-day dry aged ribeye cooked to a perfect medium rare. If it were a touch, a two-hour massage on a pristine beach. You can add any other sensation you’d like. This text is so comforting that it is has been used in a high percentage of the funerals I’ve officiated. In this text, Jesus, your Lord and Savior, says to you, “Let not your hearts be troubled. I’m preparing a place for you, so you can be with Me forever.” It’s absolutely wonderful and beautiful.

Sadly, unbelievers hate it. They find what Jesus says here utterly offensive. It chafes and grinds on them because of Jesus’ “I Am” statement. “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” For pagan unbelievers, that’s like fingernails on a chalkboard. And sure, to a degree, the reason they recoil from it is the exclusive nature of what Jesus says. Today, people get really uneasy when it comes to right vs. wrong. They hate the idea of exclusive claims and objective truth so much that they’ll say absolutely absurd things like, “You have your truth, and I have mine,” and “Two plus two may equal four for you, but it can equal five or three or 1,743 for someone else.” It seems like that kind of ridiculous, radical relativism is on the decline, but it still has a powerful hold on many in our culture.

But I think people hate Jesus saying, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” for a different, but related, reason than its exclusivity. They find it offensive because they realize that statement implies something is deeply wrong with them, so wrong that there is only one way to fix it. If you walked up to a random person and shared the simple Gospel truth, “Jesus forgives you of your sins” (1 Jn. 2:2; Tit. 2:11), they won’t hear that as good news. Instead, they’re going to hear what lies behind it and will push back, “You’re calling me a sinner? You’re not perfect! Who do you think you are? You’re not the judge of me. I’m basically a good person.” When they hear, “No one comes to the Father except through Me,” they understand what lies behind it. What lies behind it is that they are so broken that it literally takes an act of God Himself to fix them. And that’s offensive to them.

They might not have minded if Jesus said, “I am a way, a truth, and a life,” as though there were alternative ways, truths, and lifes [sic.]. They will grossly accuse God, “If God were really loving, he wouldn’t be so closed minded. If he really loved people, he’d make sure there were many ways to be saved.” Sigh. Dear saints, you can’t out-Gospel God. You can’t out-love the God who is love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16).

Imagine everyone in the world was out wandering in the desert. It’s hot. Dry. We’re all getting sandblasted because of the wind. Suddenly, we see down in a valley, this beautiful city with pools and gardens and barbecue restaurants (see Is. 25:6). That city is where we want to be. But we see this tall, thick wall that goes all the way around it. We start to think that there’s no way to get in there. We start walking around the city scrounging for a way to get inside. Then, there it is. A door. A gate in that massive wall, and it’s wide open. There is a way in.

We start telling everyone else, “We can go in now. We can get out of this desert. We can cool off and wash and eat and live forever in the city!” But most of the people say, “I don’t want to go in that way. I want to go in over here.” We object, “But there’s no door over there.” “I know, but I’m not going through that gate.” “Why? It isn’t dangerous. You don’t have to crawl through a bunch of sewage or anything.” “I know, but I still don’t like it. Maybe the city council will put in another door over here. Or I’ll just keep walking into the wall and hope it disappears.”

There is a way to salvation and eternal life. Jesus is that way, and He is the only way. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Act. 4:12). When you talk with people who are offended and think there should be many ways, show them how ridiculous that is, but do it in a manner that is loving and kind. Don’t let them be deluded thinking that ‘one way’ is equivalent to ‘no way.’ There is a Way, and that Way is Jesus.

To get a better idea of why there is no other way, we have to do a little groundwork. Look at Jn. 14:2 again. Jesus gives this great promise, “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” When Jesus says He’s going to prepare a place for you, He isn’t saying that there was something wrong with heaven. The problem wasn’t that Jesus needed to put an addition on because there wasn’t enough space. The problem wasn’t that heaven was messy and needed to get tidied up. The problem wasn’t that Jesus had to put new linens out and mints on the pillow. The problem wasn’t anything wrong with the Father’s house. The problem was in us. Jesus says this the night before His crucifixion, not His ascension. He is ascended as the King and Ruler of all creation. Right now, He is actively governing all things for your benefit (Mt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-22; 1 Pet. 3:22). He isn’t doing some heavenly housekeeping.

This going to prepare a place refers to the cross. Jesus has to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house because God’s holiness and perfection is in that house. Sinners like us can’t survive that. The Father’s house is only for the holy, the perfect, the righteous. That isn’t us. Our sinful nature excludes us, and the fact that we continue to fall into sin slams the door in our face. 

So, when you hear Jesus say, “I go to prepare a place for you,” you can hear that as Him saying, “I go to prepare you for that place.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “I’m going to win your forgiveness. I am going to do everything necessary for your salvation. I’m going to take all your sin into Myself and pay for it all. Anything that would exclude you from being in My place by My side, I’m going to destroy. In return I’m going to give you My righteousness, My holiness, My perfection so that you belong there. By My work, you’ll fit right in.”

That’s the fix. That’s the solution. That’s the Way, and the only Way.

Because Jesus has died and risen again, He is the Way. All your law-breaking, all your sin, all the love you have failed to give has been taken from you (Jn. 1:29) and brought to the cross. There Christ prepared you for a place in the Father’s house.

Believer, when you die and show up at the door of the Father’s house, you’re going to find the door wide open. The angels will carry you in across the threshold saying, “This is where you belong,” because through faith, you are part of God’s family now. You heard in tonight’s Epistle (Col. 2:6-10), you have received Christ. You have been filled in Him, who is the Head of all rule and authority. Continue to walk in Him. Let Him gently guide you. I love how our Old Testament reading (Is. 30:19-23) put it, “Your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore…. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way. Walk in it.’”

Dear saints, your Savior is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As the Way, He guides you to and in the Truth. As the Truth, He establishes you in Life. Tonight and every day of your life, Jesus says to you, Amen. “Let not your heart be troubled. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

The Word & Children of God – Sermon on John 1:6-13 for Midweek Advent 2

John 1:6-13

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

These verses make the Advent and Christmas seasons feel like the coming of Spring. And I know we just had our first major snowstorm. We’re currently in meteorological Winter, but astronomical Winter is still eleven days away. Daylight keeps getting shorter. I get it. But even though the coldest days of winter are, probably, still ahead of us, this text fills our sanctuary with a hint of Spring. Can you smell it?

Jesus, the Eternal Word, was there at the beginning of creation with God and as God. All things were created through Christ. In Jesus was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. That Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus, the true Light has arrived, not as a conqueror from a far, distant country, but to rescue you from the darkness of death. The winter of sin is passing. Jesus, the Word made flesh, has come. And the Life that Christ brings is budding all around you even now. Dear saints, because Jesus has come, you now live in the never-ending Spring of the new creation (2 Co. 5:7).

John the Baptizer came as a herald to point to Christ, the Light. John was there calling everyone into Jesus’ Light. But then, when the Light burst through the darkness to shine on everyone, many sank further into the shadows (Jn. 1:10-11). And sadly, this is still too often the case. The Light can be rejected. In Jn. 3:19-20, we learn why it is rejected, “Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Light reveals the things hidden in darkness. That’s why, when Jesus came as Light, it seemed to many as though judgment had come. But Jesus was not sent into the world to judge the world. No. He came in order that the world would be saved through Him (Jn. 3:17). Jesus came to give Light to the world, to take away sin, and to give eternal life. But His coming felt like judgment because His presence exposes the darkness and filthiness of sinners. In the Light of Christ, there is no hiding. So, the Light is a threat to the will and the way of every sinner. That’s why sinners hate and reject the Light. Even though the darkness cannot overcome the Light (Jn. 1:5), people can love and choose the darkness instead of receiving the Light (Jn. 1:11).

But to all who did receive the Light, to all who believed in His Name, He gave the right and the authority to become children of God (Jn. 1:12). That’s you, dear saints. You, believer. You are rightfully children of God through faith in Christ. And this idea of being God’s child here in Jn. 1 is so rich and unique. But first, we need to recognize what that phrase ‘children of God’ doesn’t mean – at least not in these verses.

The Bible does talk about all humanity being children of God by virtue of our creation. Because Adam was created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), he is called the son of God – lowercase ‘s’ (Lk. 3:38). Since your first ancestor is God’s son, you also are a child of God. Malachi 2:10 says that since God created us, He is everyone’s Father. In Act. 17:28-29, Paul says that all people are God’s offspring. So, yes, we are God’s children by virtue of creation. The Bible does teach that. But we have a severe problem if that’s the only kind of childhood we have because our sin has totally and completely alienated us from God. It isn’t a stretch to say that we divorced ourselves from Him by our sin. So, being God’s child by virtue of creation is not the childhood John has in mind here.

Better than the childhood that comes by virtue of your creation is the fact that the eternal Son of God took on flesh and became one of you. So, Moses in our Old Testament reading (Dt. 18:15-19) could rightly prophesy that God would raise up a prophet like him “from among you, from your brothers.” By virtue of Jesus’ incarnation, He has become your Brother. Since Jesus is your brother, you share a Father with Him, which means that you are a child of God. And this is amazing news that we will be pondering for all eternity. But even as wonderful as that is, it still isn’t the kind of childhood that John talks about here.

Dear saints, here John says that you are a child of God by virtue of a birth. None of us here can say that we chose to be born. You didn’t cause your birth or make it happen. In the same way, it isn’t your will, or the will of any other human, that causes you to be born of God. James 1:18 says this plainly, “Of [God’s] own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (also 1 Pet. 1:23).

So, John is not talking here about a physical birth. It wasn’t anything that nature can accomplish. It’s a miraculous birth that God Himself brings about by the means that He has established. And Jesus teaches about this birth in Jn. 3 when He sheds His Light as He talks with Nicodemus at night. It is a birth that comes from above (Jn. 3:3). It is a birth of water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:5). It is your birth that God has given you through your Baptism. That kind of birth from and of God is solid and sure. God Himself caused it. It’s His action, His working, His doing (Jn. 15:16, 19) that has made you His child.

The Light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world, and because of what Jesus has done by His death and resurrection, you are born as God’s own child.

Dear saints, again, can you smell it? The winter of sin and death is passing away. The never-ending Spring of the new creation has dawned in Christ. As His Light shines on you now, receive it again. Let it expose and scatter the shadows in and around you. Always cling to the sonship that you have been given. You are God’s child. And in the Spring of Light that He has brought, you will bloom forever in His unending grace and mercy. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

The Word, the Light, & the Darkness – Sermon on John 1:1-5 for Midweek Advent 1

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Texts like this are one of many reasons why I’ll never attempt to create a chronological Bible reading plan. I’m familiar with several of those plans, but none of the ones I’ve seen have these verses from the opening of John’s Gospel anywhere near Genesis 1. And they should be. Parts of these verses are chronologically before the beginning. But I don’t know how exactly how a person could decide where to put them. You have Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” and Jn. 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Which of those should come first? How do you order those? Would you put them parallel to each other? I don’t know. There are valid arguments to go either way.

Then, what do you do with v. 3-5? I suppose you could put v. 3-4 after the, “and there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Gen. 1:31). But then, what do you do with v. 5, “The light shines in the darkness”? You might consider putting that back on the first day of creation when God creates light and separates light from dark. But ‘the Light’ there doesn’t refer to light as we know it. There, ‘Light’ refers to Jesus Himself, and He existed even before God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). On top of that, “The light shines in the darkness,” is present tense and is always true. Jesus constantly, continually, always shines into and pierces the darkness, and He will never be overcome. So, maybe you’d need to put v. 5 running down the margin of every single page from Genesis to Revelation.

John 1:5 is so comforting. It’s a verse that I would recommend that you tuck in your back pocket so you can contemplate and meditate on it whenever you get the sense that the darkness of this world is gaining the upper hand. It isn’t. Not now. Not ever. The darkness will never win. It can’t. Use Jn. 1:5 to constantly remind yourself, “Jesus is my Life and Light. No darkness will ever overcome Him, so no darkness will overcome me. The darkness simply isn’t strong enough.” Isn’t that a wonderful, comforting thought?

The reason no darkness can overcome Jesus is that He is eternal. There was never a time when He was not. In fact, time itself exists through and because of Him. He created time and everything else that has been made. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning. He always is. Notice it’s not, “He always was” but is (Jn. 8:58; Ex. 3:14).

Look again at our Old Testament reading (Pr. 8:22-31). Jesus, the Word and Wisdom God, is there before the beginning of the earth (Pr. 8:22-23). He was there before the depths were carved. He was there before the mountains were stretched into the sky. He was there before the stars were placed into their orbits and before the foundations of the earth were laid (Pr. 8:24-29). Jesus was right there beside God the Father like a master craftsman (Pr. 8:30). Jesus Himself was the Word that God that the Father spoke and which gave shape and order and beauty to all of creation. And notice the joyful exchange between God the Father and God the Son at the end of that text. God the Son says, “I was daily [the Father’s] delight,” and, “[I was] always rejoicing before [the Father]” (Pr. 8:30).

Jesus delighted in all of God’s creation. But He especially found delight in the crown of God’s creation – the children of man (Pr. 8:31). Just stop and think of that. Do you ever think of yourself as Jesus’ delight and source of joy? You should! Imagine Jesus watching over God the Father’s shoulder as Adam is being formed from the dust of the ground. He stares in amazed joy as God shapes him and uses Adam’s rib to make Eve. And even now, Jesus delights as God knits together every subsequent human who has ever been born – including you (Ps. 139:13-15).

Jesus, the eternal Son of God and God’s life-giving Word, delights in you to the extent that He can’t stand the thought of you being severed from Him. Whenever we sin, we start walking away from God’s Light and into darkness. That is why the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14). (We’ll cover that verse in a couple weeks. And I hope I’m not preaching myself into a corner here.) God became flesh for you.

Jesus’ delight in you is so great that even though He was God, He became one of you. He took on your flesh. Now, because of the incarnation, part of God’s nature is that He has a human body. Even though Jesus is true God, He doesn’t refuse to endure the same things that you experience as a human. Jesus got hungry and thirsty. He became tired and weary. Jesus prayed to His Father when He was in danger. 

As God, Jesus is always feeding everyone everywhere in the world. But as a human Infant, Jesus nursed from Mary’s breast and was fed from Joseph’s hand. As God, Jesus never needs to sleep. But as a Man, He sleeps on a pillow in the stern of a boat during a storm (Mk. 4:38). As God, Jesus is the commanding General of all the angel armies. But as a Man, Jesus was strengthened by an angel (Lk. 22:43-44). As God, Jesus put into place the entire starry height of planets, stars, and galaxies. But as a Man, Jesus’ Body is nailed to a block of wood in the shape of a cross. As God, Jesus gives life to all. But as a Man, Jesus’ side was pierced by a spear. Jesus is the One who raises the dead, but He was laid in a tomb for you.

Dear saints, the eternal Word of God – begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God – came down from heaven and was made Man. He did all of this for you. He did this to give you Life and Light. He did this because you are His delight. He will not let the darkness overcome you. And He will bring you to Himself in His eternal city where there will be no more night or darkness. He is and will always be your Light, and through faith you will reign with Him forever and ever (Rev. 21:22-22:5). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

At the Gate – Sermon on Luke 7:11-17 for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 7:11-17

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

One of the great mysteries of Scripture is that Jesus is fully God and fully Man. Saying that isn’t hard; you’ve probably grown up saying it. But believing that Jesus is both 100% God and Man is hard to believe – especially when it comes to Jesus’ life here on earth. As the Son of God, Jesus is eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing, but as a Man, Jesus didn’t always fully use His divine rights and attributes. As God, Jesus all-powerful, but as a man, He still had to eat (Lk. 4:2), His body got tired and needed sit after a long walk (Jn. 4:6), and He had to sleep (Lk. 8:23). Because Jesus is God, He is all-knowing. He had known from all eternity that He would meet this funeral procession at the gate of Nain. But as a man, it wasn’t as though Jesus woke up that morning thinking, “Oh, today’s the day I’ll raise that boy in Nain.”

The way Luke records this event, he makes it clear that Jesus didn’t intentionally go to Nain for the purpose of raising this boy from the dead. Instead, Luke gives us the impression that Christ just happened to be going by the city at the precise moment this boy, widow, and funeral procession was exiting the city gate. This resurrection is very different from what we see in John 11, when Jesus raises Lazarus.

In John 11, Christ does use His divine omniscience. Jesus is a long way from where Lazarus lived when He gets a message that Lazarus is sick, but He doesn’t move an inch. He stays put. He says that Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death and that it was for the glory of God (Jn. 11:4). Then, Jesus waits two more days before He finally decides to go to Lazarus’ house because He knows that Lazarus has died, but our Lord says that He is going to wake Lazarus from the sleep of death (Jn. 11:14, 11). By those statements before Lazarus’ resurrection, we know that Jesus did plan on going to Lazarus’ grave for the purpose of raising him even though no one told Jesus that Lazarus had died.

But this resurrection miracle is different. No one had summoned Jesus to come and help like they would for some of the other miracles (Lk. 7:1-10; 8:40-56). His presence wasn’t requested at the gate of Nain. He just happens to be at the gate at that very moment. But even though Jesus intended to pass by the city, His compassion for the mother means that He has to stop and raise her son.

Dear saints, your Savior is no priest or Levite who passes by and leaves someone for dead in the ditch (Lk. 10:30-32). No. Your Savior is the Good Samaritan. He sees the widow and her dead son coming out of the gate, and He has compassion. He interrupts that march toward the grave. He pours on the medicine of His Word by telling that mother to stop weeping, and He raises her son. In that moment, the gate of Nain was more than just a way to enter or exit the city. It was much more significant than that. The gate was the threshold between life and death, and it was the place where the citizens of Nain encountered and recognized the God who had come in the flesh to visit His people (Lk. 7:16).

Throughout the Bible, gates were always incredibly important places. Generally, when we think about a gate, we only think about its purpose. A gate exists to be either a barrier to block entrance or a doorway to grant it. Gates separate insiders from outsiders, allies from enemies, friend and family from foe. That’s probably all we imagine when we think about gates. But in the ancient world, gates were much more significant than that. In the Bible, gates were important places for commerce, politics, and justice.

The city gate was where citizens would typically meet (Pr. 1:21). The gate is where business deals and transactions were made (Ru. 4:11). Leaders would have people assemble at the gate so they could make important announcements (2 Ch. 32:6; Neh. 8:1, 3), which is why prophets and priests would proclaim God’s Word at the gates (Is. 29:21; Am. 5:10; Jer. 17:19-20). Instead of courthouses like we have today, trials took place at the city gate (2 Sam. 15:2). The gate was where you would learn about everything that was going on in the city (Gen. 19:1; Ps. 69:12; Est. 2:21).

So, in this reading, it’s likely that almost the entire town of Nain was there, at the gate. The gate would have already been busy and crowded just because of the normal, day-to-day things that took place at the gate. And it would have been even busier than normal because this boy’s funeral. The mother and the mourners were carrying her son through the gate to lay him to rest outside of the city, away from the living. So, again, that gate was the threshold between life and death. But there, at the gate stood the Author of Life (Act. 3:15), and Jesus does not let death cast this boy outside.

Now, before I go on here, I need to say that this miracle is an actual, historical event that really happened. Because it happened, it reveals that Jesus is the long-promised prophet (Dt. 18:15) and that God has visited His people (Lk. 7:16). But even more than that, the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record this event for your comfort because this resurrection miracle is a glimpse into your story.

When God created all things, He gave Adam and Eve a home in the Garden of Eden. But when they chose to sin and rebel against God by eating the forbidden fruit, they were cast out of Eden. Now, Eden is never described as having a gate, but it is described as having borders made by four rivers. And when Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden, God, in His mercy, sent a cherub with a flaming sword to protect the way to the Tree of Life to prevent mankind from living forever because we would have lived forever in sin (Gen. 3:23-24). So, even though Eden is never mentioned as having a gate, the idea of a gate is certainly there. It is right to say that the cherub shut the gate to Eden and to an eternal life in sin and death.

God did not want the path to life to be forever blocked by a gate, but He had to do something before the gate could be reopened. God had to send Jesus to pay the penalty for your sin, my sin, and the sin of all mankind (1 Jn. 2:2). By Jesus’ death and resurrection, the gates to Eden, to paradise, and to eternal life free from sin are now open for you.

And even better, now that Christ is raised and ascended, He always and fully uses His divine attributes. He sees your sorrow and has compassion on you. He sees you when you are lost and outside of the gates. He runs to embrace you and bring you unto Himself as His child (Lk. 15:20-24). Christ uses all of His divine power to bring you back to Himself through the gates that He has opened for you.

One of the most beautiful scenes in all Scripture is the new heavens and earth in Rev. 21. The New Jerusalem is described as having twelve gates, three gates on each side of the city, and all twelve gates are made out of a single pearl (Rev. 21:12-13, 21). And the most wonderful thing about those gates is that they stand wide open – never to be shut (Rev. 21:25). They can remain open without any danger because when Christ returns, all your enemies are utterly defeated and cast out forever.

In that blessed, eternal city, every tear is wiped away. Mourning is turned into dancing (Ps. 30:11; Jn. 16:20). There will be no more pain because this fallen world will have passed away (Rev. 21:4). In that city, all the children of God dwell together because they are raised, never to die again (Ro. 6:7-11).

So, you who are dead in sin, know that God is able to do far, far, far more abundantly than all you ask or think (Eph. 3:20). Hear your Savior’s call. Rise from your deadness. Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life, has given you to the rest creation to be a blessing.

Dear saints, you have been raised to new life. So, enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. To Christ Jesus be glory in the Church throughout all generations, forever and ever (Eph. 3:21). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Don’t Worry; Go Outside – Sermon on Matthew 6:24-34 for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 6:24-34

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

If you ask anyone if they worry, I’m sure the answer would be, “Yes,” so long as that person is honest. People are worried about all sorts of things. You turn on the news and find anchors talking about wars and conflicts; high taxes and wasteful spending; poverty and greedy corporations; diseases and medicines; heatwaves and cold spells; fires and droughts and floods; and all sorts of other things.

They put all that in front of you, go to a quick commercial break, and then talk about the mental health crisis in our country. Isn’t that ironic? They produce a news broadcast, which is filled with all kinds of stories that their viewers can’t do anything about, and are shocked by reports about the amount of stress in our culture. We live in what is, probably, the safest time in history, but people are still worried about all sorts of things.

So, what can you do to improve your mental health? First, you can probably consume a lot less news than you do. Second, you can take the advice of ‘experts.’ Now, I will say that, when it comes to any health advice, it’s hard to know whom you can and cannot trust. That being said, psychologists, psychiatrists, dietitians, and doctors all seem agree that, if you are anxious or worried, it’s good for your mental health to spend more time outside. Simply getting some fresh air and being in sunlight, even if there’s cloud cover, is good for an anxious mind. If you’re worried, the common consensus and treatment plan is to start with this: Go outside.

The mental health ‘experts’ will say things like, “Studies show that going outside is good for you and reduces anxiety.” I wonder how much money has been spent and how many hours have been wasted to come up with the exact same prescription Jesus just gave when He preached this 2,000 years ago. Jesus says to you, “Do not worry/be anxious. Instead, go outside to look at birds and lilies.” But don’t just look; also, consider the birds and flowers. God cares for them without them needing to worry.

Now again, everyone has anxiety; everyone worries. We shouldn’t. Worry is a sin. Three times here, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, commands you, “Do not worry/be anxious.” I wonder if one of the reasons we struggle so much with the sin of worry is that we don’t have a right understanding of what worry even is. The word ‘worry’ isn’t in the Ten Commandments, but worry is a sin against the 1st Commandment to have no other gods, and it’s a sin against the 9th and 10th Commandments about coveting.

We wrongly think that worry is just a lack of trust. And sure, worry is a lack of trust, but that’s only small part of the sin. Worry is also something much worse and much more twisted than that. Worry is a misplaced trust. When you worry, you are placing too much trust in the wrong thing(s). Worry takes God out of the equation. Anxiety is caused when you wrongly believe God is disinterested or completely absent from every day, minute, and second your life.

As humans, God created us to have trust, to be trusting creatures. When we aren’t giving that trust to God, it isn’t that we stop trusting. There isn’t a vacuum of trust. Instead, our trust goes to the wrong things and places.

When you’re worried about your finances, you are placing too much trust in a piece of paper. You wrongly believe that the cash in your wallet or the numbers in your bank account are what feeds, clothes, and houses you. When you’re worried about getting a promotion or keeping/finding a job, or when you’re worried about what others think of you or your reputation, you are placing too much trust in someone else’s opinion of you. When you’re worried about sickness or getting a particular diagnosis, you’re placing an inordinate amount trust in doctors and medicine to be able to fix you or in your body to heal itself. When you’re worried about the weather, you’re placing too much trust in created things that are all controlled by God. In short, worry is a problem within you and within me. It’s a form of idolatry that places too much trust in the wrong things.

So, again, don’t worry; go outside. Go into creation to see the things that Jesus points you to – to birds and grass. Christ could have pointed to elephants, bears, camels, or cows. All of those things require large amounts of food to stay alive. Jesus could have said, “Look at how your heavenly Father feeds the elephants with the huge amounts of food they need.” But He doesn’t. Instead, He points you to little birds that eat seeds or berries or worms. Even though there are tens of billions of birds in God’s creation, each one of them receives that little bit of food it needs from the hand of God.

Jesus could have pointed to the beautiful, majestic mountains and how God adorns them. Or, He could have told you to look at the tall, massive trees with thousands of leaves. But He doesn’t. Christ points to lilies, and the lilies Jesus speaks about here aren’t the lilies we know from Eastertime. Those don’t grow in Galilee. The flowers Jesus refers to here are tiny and grow along the grass in the fields. They are similar to the white clover we have around here. That clover is pretty, but it isn’t something you plant. And, if you want to have the best lawn on the block, you’re going to try to get rid of clover because it’s more of a nuisance – a pretty nuisance, but still a nuisance.

The point is this: Jesus directs you to look at how your heavenly Father feeds and clothes the littlest things. Since He cares for those tiny parts of His creation, isn’t He going to take care of you? You, who are the crown of creation. You, who are much, much, much more valuable – valuable enough for God to shed His blood for you.

So, don’t worry; go outside. Look at creation to see God’s provision. But also, and more importantly, don’t worry; go outside. Go outside of yourself, outside of your mind and your sinful idolatry.

In a real sense, Jesus is calling you to take a hard, defiant stand against things that would cause you to worry and say to those things, whatever they are: “Listen, you (thing that I’m worried about). You are not my God. My God is eternal and all-powerful. My God spoke all things into existence. That same God took on flesh and blood so He could die for me, so He could pay for my sin, and so I could live forever with Him. So, listen, you dollar bill, are you really going to come and demand that I worry about you? You, pain or sickness or the grave, want me to worry about you? Why would I give you that false worship? Why would I put you in the place of God? I don’t need you because I have Jesus. He’s the Lord of heaven and earth with all authority (Mt. 28:18), and He’s promised that He uses that authority for my benefit (Eph. 1:21-23). My Lord Jesus already warned me about how you will try to get me to worship you with my worry. You aren’t worth it. My Savior said that in this world I would have trouble, but I can take heart because He has overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Christian, you don’t need to worry because Jesus has come out of the grave, and He has promised that you, believer, will come out of your grave too.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “There isn’t anything to worry about.” Instead, He says, “Don’t worry.” Don’t worry because your Jesus is bigger than whatever you’re worried about. And Jesus adds, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” In other words, Jesus says that He gives plenty of things for you to care about each day. Each day has its own cares. So, why bring tomorrow’s cares into today? Instead, rejoice in God’s provision today, and trust in His provision tomorrow.

Tomorrow is clouded in the unknown, but tomorrow is also clothed with God’s promises to be with you, to never leave or forsake you (Dt. 31:6; Mt. 28:20), to provide all that you need, and to protect you with His power and might. God will care for you. He’s promised.

Now, that doesn’t mean that you get to be lazy or idle. Scripture is clear on that too (1 Th. 4:11; 2 Th. 3:10; Pr. 10:4). In each moment, God gives you work to do, and He has promised to bless you in that work. There’s a quote from a Swedish theologian and pastor, Bo Giertz, and I really like the way the way he balances things. He wrote, “We should of course work as if all depended on us and pray as if it all depended on Him.” Do what God has given you to do right now. But everything that falls outside the scope of what you can do right now, all of that falls into the nail-scarred hands of your merciful God.

The things that God sets before you today are the things that should have your attention. With all your strength and effort, do everything God gives you to do knowing that God promises to give you the strength you need for the future He will give you.

Dear saints, pour yourself into the tasks God gives you knowing that He loves you and promises to provide for you. He promises to give you the strength you need to face each moment. So, work and trust. And when you are worried, go outside. Look at God’s provision for the little things of creation. He values you more than birds and grass. And go outside of yourself. Dive into His promises that He delivers to you in His Word. Promises that will never fade or fail. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Enoughness – Sermon on 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

2 Corinthians 3:4-11

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine that you received an invitation to a banquet. You get yourself ready and put on your best suit or dress. You drive to the location and enter the building to find that this banquet is a lot fancier and way more formal than you realized. The crystal chandeliers and candles cast a golden light over an exquisitely decorated room. The tables are set with fine china and crystal flutes. You look at all the other guests and discover that they are wearing either designer tuxedos with cufflinks and cummerbunds or sparkling gowns and jewelry. There you are sticking out like a pigeon in a peacock parade.

You try to mingle with the glittering guests, but they mostly ignore you. The only acknowledgement you get are cold smiles and people saying, “Oh, I love your outfit,” as they turn away laughing and asking each other, “Who’s that guy?” You pull out the invitation, and, sure enough, it’s got your name and address. But you’ve had it. It must have been a mistake. So, you start looking for an exit, one that will allow you to avoid as many people as possible.

As you’re leaving, the host of the gala approaches and calls you out by name saying, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve got all sorts of people I want to introduce you to.” You try to explain that you should probably leave because you don’t fit in. You point out that you aren’t as polished as everyone else there and mention how the crowd has already rejected and made fun of you. But the host simply says, “You aren’t here to be fancy. You’re here because I invited you. My choice is enough to make you belong. Just stick with me.” The rest of the evening, he takes you around the room showing you off, bragging about you, and highlighting how important you are to him. He seats you next to himself at the head table. The rest of the evening, your confidence grows. Now, you are treated with respect and honor by everyone else – not because you’ve won them over. Your importance is rooted in the host’s attitude toward you, and his opinion carries a weight that no one can challenge. It is enough.

Dear saints, such is the confidence you have through Christ toward God.

In this text, Paul is defending his office of being an apostle. There were some false teachers in the congregation at Corinth who were saying that Paul didn’t have the authority to say anything in the church. They questioned the sufficiency of Paul’s preaching. They were saying that Paul’s preaching of God’s grace through Christ was not enough. That’s why he says that God had made him sufficient to be a minister of the ‘new covenant’ of the Gospel that points people to Jesus as the Messiah (2 Cor. 3:6). And that’s why Paul goes on in v. 7-11 of this text to compare his ministry of the Gospel to Moses’ ministry under the old covenant.

Now, this would be a really good text to preach at an ordination service as a man is called by God to be a pastor. All pastors, myself included, need to recognize that when they preach, they aren’t doing it by their own authority but by the authority that God has given (1 Pet. 4:11). When God puts a pastor into a congregation, he is there to deliver God’s gifts to God’s purchased and redeemed people.

Pastors are called to speak two different words to their congregations. First, pastors are to preach ‘the letter that kills’ also called here ‘the ministry of condemnation.’ In other words, pastors are to preach the Law. And second, pastors are to preach ‘the ministry of righteousness,’ the Gospel. God sends pastors to declare that people are sinners so they can be pointed to repentance and faith in Christ. That’s the main point of this passage. But what Paul says here can be applied to other callings and vocations as well.

Dear saints, you have been called out of the darkness of your sin into God’s kingdom. You are called to be God’s hands and feet to the people around you so you can render service to them. And you can have confidence as you serve and carry out those vocations. You are not sufficient on your own. God Himself has made you sufficient. In this text, the word translated ‘sufficient’ means enough.

There are all sorts of places we might look to build confidence and find our enoughness, but there is only one legitimate source of confidence. Any other source will lead to bad outcomes. The most common place we look is inside ourselves – our abilities, our eloquence, our strengths or skills. There are certainly productive, able people who are successful at many things. The problem is that when those moments of success come and we think it’s because we’re sufficient in ourselves, pride sneaks in. We start comparing ourselves to others and look down on them. We get puffed up, and when that happens, we’re setting ourselves up for a big fall. Even when you are successful and humble, the devil will attempt to draw your attention back to yourself and your humility, and again, pride sprouts up.

If you to think that you are strong and capable on our own, you will start to think that you can handle the challenges in life by yourself. When that happens, you’ll quickly find that your own strengths and abilities fade and fail. And when you fail, it’s easy to fall into despair.  The devil wants you to be constantly looking at yourself because there you’ll see that your strength and ability isn’t enough to do all that God has called you to do. Any setback or misstep can be used by the demons to paralyze you.

But when God is the source of your confidence, and He is, then, you lack in nothing. Look at the sheer holiness and privilege of your callings – spouses, parents, children, teachers, friends. When you first recognize the massive, holy responsibilities that God has given you, you realize that these things are beyond you. And you aren’t adequate to carry those vocations out. You can’t claim anything – any ability, any strength, any eloquence, any skill – as coming from you. But God Himself has given you everything. He has won and purchased you by giving His Son, Jesus to die on the cross as your Savior. Everything you are, everything you have, every calling and responsibility has been given to you as a gift. And what God has given you is enough.

As citizens of God’s kingdom, recognize that God has given you more than enough, more you can imagine. He has given His gifts in full measure, pressed those gifts down into you to make room for more and His gifts are always running over (Lk. 6:38).

The same Holy Spirit who blew through the upper room at Pentecost now fills you with everything you need to carry out the tasks entrusted to you. The Holy Spirit who abides in and with you is like that host at the gala. He accompanies you and makes you worthy to be in His kingdom. Anyone who questions that worthiness insults Him directly and isn’t worth listening to. God Himself has made you sufficient and enough. 

By His calling, His redeeming, His grace, His sanctifying, He has made you enough. And that is enough. Dear saints, your enoughness is from God, and from God alone. So, go; boldly carry out the tasks that He has given you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Live Man Walking – Sermon on Ephesians 2:1-10 for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 2:1-10

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Dead man walking!” That phrase originated just over 100 years ago. It was called out when a death-row inmate was being marched through the prison halls to the execution chamber. When that phrase was shouted, the inmate was, obviously, still alive, but he was as good as dead. The inevitable was soon to happen, and judgment would be carried out. Imagine how lonely that soon-to-be-executed inmate would feel hearing that phrase, “Dead man walking.” Yes, he is still breathing, still has a beating heart, still alive, and still a part of humanity. But his demise is mere moments away.

Here, in the first three verses of this text, Paul might as well be calling out, “Dead man walking!” about each of us as he describes our former life in sin. Because of our sin, every one of us was marching to our imminent demise. Hopeless, doomed, and lonely.

God created us in such a way that we are connected to each other. We have all blossomed from the root of Adam. Since the poison of sin ran through his veins, it has spread through the entire plant of humanity. And it isn’t just the fact that you and I inherited Adam’s sin and are charged with a crime that he committed. No. We all willingly march straight forward into the deadness and rebellion against God that we have inherited from Adam.

We do not become sinners by sinning. We sin because we are, by nature, sinful and unclean. We sin against God in our every thought, word, and deed. We were born revolting and fighting against every notion that we should submit ourselves to the will of God, against every idea that we should serve our neighbor. In other words, we fight against what God created us to be. That’s a losing proposition. And yes, our life in sin is that broad road that has been traveled by every member of the human race. But it is still a long, lonely road.

But – that word can be so beautiful – “but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive” (Eph. 2:4-5). God saw our lonely, helpless, hopeless state, and, in His great love for us, He did something about it. God be praised!

The ESV does a very good job with its translation here through v. 5-6; I just want to highlight it a bit further. Notice all the withs in v. 5-6. God, because of the great love with which He loved you, has made you alive together with Christ, raised you with Christ, and seated you with Christ in the heavenly places. God saw your situation, and He has joined you to and with Jesus. Now, you are alive with, raised with, and seated with your Redeemer and Savior who is the Lord and King of all creation.

Your place in heaven is secure because what is true of Christ is now true of you who have become incorporated into and joined with Him. Dear saints, Jesus became what you are, so that He could make you what He Himself is (St. Irenaeus).

Because of Jesus, no longer are you a lost, lonely “dead man walking.” Now, you are a “live man walking.” All this is yours by God’s grace, through God-given faith. It isn’t because you have made the right sacrifices or have done enough good works. It isn’t because of your efforts, your desiring, your deserving, your trying, or even your deciding. Nope! It isn’t because of your actions or work at all.

It’s only because God has worked faith in you so that you now cry out, “God be merciful to me, the sinner” (Lk. 18:13). Through Jesus, God Himself has made you alive with Christ, raised you with Christ, and seated you with Christ. Normally, when Scripture talks about Christ being seated, it adds that He is seated at God’s right hand. Over and over again, it does this (Ps. 110:1; Mt. 26:64; Mk. 14:63; 16:19; Act. 7:56; Ro. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:3).

That’s why, when we confess the creed (either Apostles’ or Nicene), we confess that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God the Father [Almighty].” But notice here in v. 6 that when Paul announces that you are seated with Christ, he doesn’t add the phrase “at God’s right hand.” That is because God’s right hand isn’t so much a place or location. Instead, it is a position of authority and honor.

Christ has been raised from the dead and has ascended into heaven where He is seated at God’s right hand with all power and authority in heaven and on earth. You are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, and yet you remain here on earth – but still in a position of authority because you are seated with Christ. No, you aren’t all-powerful or everywhere-present like Jesus. But, you do have a share in His authority as you live here on earth. Christian, you have risen with and are seated with Christ not in such a way that you are removed from this world. Instead, you are exalted here – in this world, in this life – with the divine honor of being God’s child.

God intentionally leaves you here to exercise that authority in His creation through your good works. That’s why God has prepared those good works for you to walk in. And – this needs to be abundantly clear – the good works that God has prepared for you to walk in are not some secret thing that God hasn’t revealed to you. You don’t have to go around searching for these good works as though they are hidden. These good works are all around you. And you find them in the people that God puts right, smack dab in front of you.

You have been raised from your deadness in sin to be living men who walk in the love for both God and your neighbor that He created you to have. God has made you His ‘workmanship,’ His work of art, shining His light in a dark, evil, lonely world that is following the prince of the power of the air.

God has made you alive, raised, and seated you with Jesus so that in the coming ages He can show you the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward you in Christ Jesus.

I just have to say here that a text as beautiful and full and rich as this one is barely needs anything added to it. You can just read it over and over and it is enough. But let me preach a little more and change gears here:

The shooting this past Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that left two dead and 18 wounded is a sober reminder to us: this world is very, very evil. The devil, the prince of the power of the air, is constantly at work in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). Satan along with his demonic forces of evil constantly tempt everyone to live out the passions and desires of our flesh, and it often appears to us as though the devil’s reign of evil has no limits. But God doesn’t and won’t let the devil roam unchecked (Job 1:10, 12; 2:6; Mt. 12:29; Col. 2:15).

Even though it seems as though we are entering into a new era of martyrdom in our country and that the persecution of Christianity is increasing and inevitable, God has not given Satan free reign. Jesus is still on the throne and the Head of all things (Eph. 1:22). Jesus is still in control – even in this dark age (Eph. 1:21). Whatever the future holds, God’s grace is, and will remain, constant.

God does not change. He knows what He is doing, and He uses martyrdoms, as painful as they are, for good (Ro. 8:28).

God has delivered those two saints, those two young martyrs, to Himself in mercy, and they are free. God has also made them an example to us that some things are more precious and valuable than living. May God, in His mercy, give us all a measure of their spirit.

We were dead, but now we are alive because of God’s grace given to us by faith. Jesus Himself is our risen and living Savior. Even if we die, we live because Jesus lives, and in Him we live too. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.