Tag Archives: Peace

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

John 20:19-31

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

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

To get where we’re going, I want to pick up right where last week’s sermon left off with a little more ‘storytelling’ (true ‘storytelling’) about the day of Christ’s resurrection. Last week, we walked through the events of that first Easter morning, ending with Jesus meeting Mary Magdalene in the garden. Today’s Gospel text takes us the events of that same evening. But what happened in between?

Sometime after Jesus left the garden, He caught up with two disciples, who aren’t numbered with the Twelve, as they walked to Emmaus (Lk. 24:13-35). One was named Cleopas, but Scripture leaves the other unnamed. Emmaus was a small village, probably just a cluster of houses that were about an hour’s walk west of Jerusalem.[1] Like Mary in the garden, these two disciples didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Mark tells us He appeared to them in “another form” (Mk. 16:12). In other words, Jesus intentionally made Himself unrecognizable—at least at first.

Only when they reached Emmaus and sat down for a meal did it happen. Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened. They recognized Him, and He immediately vanished from their sight (Lk. 24:30-31). They rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the Eleven and everyone gathered with them (Lk. 24:33). It wasn’t just the Eleven. There were also the women who had been at the tomb that morning were there too, along with others. 

I also have to mention that sometime in the middle of all this, Jesus had appeared to Peter. We’re not sure when because Scripture doesn’t give any details of that meeting, but it clearly states in two separate places that it happened (Lk. 24:34; 1 Co. 15:5). As the two disciples from Emmaus are telling the others about how they had walked with Jesus, eaten with Him, and finally recognized Him “in the breaking of the bread,” suddenly Christ appears right in their midst (compare Lk. 24:36; Jn. 20:19). Jesus just popped into the room.

It shouldn’t have been possible. They had locked the doors—barricaded them, really. In those days, they didn’t have doorknobs or deadbolts like we do. Instead, they would lay a heavy beam across the door to keep it shut, but that didn’t stop the risen Jesus. He didn’t knock. He didn’t ask to be let in. He simply appeared. Unexpected, unannounced, and fullyrecognizable. He’s nothiding Himself from them. They know it’s Him.

Imagine the emotional rollercoaster they had ridden over the past 72 hours. The disciples had all vowed to follow Him even to death (Mt. 26:35; Mk. 14:31). Yet when Jesus was arrested, they all fled (Mt. 26:56; Mk. 14:50). They had abandoned Him. He had been brutally beaten, crucified, and buried. In their minds, all their hopes for salvation were buried with Jesus (Lk. 24:21). For them, it seemed that heaven was forever closed. But that morning, they heard from the women that He was alive. Raised. Resurrected. On the one hand, it seemed too good to be true (Lk. 24:41). On the other hand, it was terrifying because they knew how badly they had failed Him.

There He stood in their midst. But they didn’t know why He had come. They didn’t know what He was going to say or do to them.

Remember Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After they ate from the tree, they sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness and shame. Then they heard the sound of God walking in the Garden that evening, and they hid (Gen. 3:7-8). They hid because when you have utterly failed someone, the last place you want to be is with that person. But God was seeking them out. He still wanted to be with them. He called out, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9) and gave them chance after chance to repent (Gen. 3:9-13). Even though Adam and Eve didn’t repent and passed the blame around—Eve to the serpent, Adam to his wife and even to God Himself. They didn’t know that God had come to give them the promise that He would crush the serpent’s head through the Seed of the Woman (Gen. 3:15).

Here, Jesus had come to announce that crushing was done. He came to proclaim that sin, death, and Satan were defeated by His death and resurrection. So, He doesn’t wait for them to come to Him. Again, He seeks them out and steps right into the middle of their fear and failure. Christ opens His mouth, and His first words aren’t, “What happened?” or “Why did you fail so badly?” or “How could you?” Even before they can get out an, “I’m sorry,” Jesus unexpectedly says to them, “Peace be with you” (Jn. 20:19).

This isn’t just a normal greeting. This is Jesus’ full, total, complete absolution. He had come to bring peace. His words deliver the wholeness and reconciliation that He had purchased with His own Blood on the cross. The peace that the angels had announced at His birth is now fulfilled in His resurrection.

To drive the point home, Jesus shows them His hands and side (Jn. 20:20). The nail prints. The spear wound. They are still there. But they are not marks of defeat. They are badges of His victory. By those wounds you are healed (Is. 53:5). Now, seeing those wounds doesn’t cause them regret or sadness. Instead, they are changed. Terror turns to gladness. Fear gives way to joy.

Then Jesus says it again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Just as God had breathed life into Adam at the beginning of creation (Gen. 2:7), Jesus, the Son of God and new Adam, breathes the Holy Spirit into His people that first day of the new creation (2 Co. 5:17). And He gives them—and through them His whole church—the authority to deliver forgiveness in His name.

Dear saints, this unexpected peace is for you too. Jesus still comes unexpectedly into our locked-up lives and spaces we barricade because of fear, guilt, and regret. He comes through every barrier you can put up because He loves you. He brings you His absolution because the price has been paid. His peace is for you. Your sin Is forgiven. The tomb is empty. Death is defeated.

Because He has given you this peace, Jesus also sends you with it. As He was sent to seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10), so He sends you. In your homes, schools, neighborhoods, you are ambassadors of Christ’s peace (2 Co. 5:18-20). When your husband or wife, children or parents, coworker or classmate fails you, you get to deliver and speak Christ’s forgiveness.

Oakley, that brings me to you. Today you are Baptized. Jesus has placed His name upon you (Mt. 28:19) and joined you to His death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-5). Christ has breathed His life into you and given you the Holy Spirit (Act. 2:38-39). Even when you sin and fail, Christ repeatedly comes to you bringing you the peace of His absolution.

Oakley and all you saints, keep close to Him. Hear His Word so you don’t run from Him but to Him in faith. Hear from Him again and again, “Peace be with you. I have died for you. I am risen for you. In Me, you have life both now and forever.”

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

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

[1]Luke 24:13 (ESV) mentions that the distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus is “about seven miles.” There are four possible sites for Emmaus. The one that seems most likely is current day Mozah which is 3.5 miles from Jerusalem. It is possible that Luke calculated the round-trip distance.

Guarded by God’s Peace – Sermon on Philippians 4:4-7 for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Philippians 4:4-7

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We live in the sunrise of eternity, and the New Creation is dawning. When Paul says, “The Lord is at hand,” he wasn’t just thinking that this portion of Philippians would be one of the readings on the Sunday before Christmas. He was stating a fact. Jesus’ return is at hand. It was true when Paul wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago, and it’s still true – maybe even moretrue now. If something true can become truer.

Just a few verses before our text, Paul reminds us, “[O]ur citizenship is in heaven, and from [heaven] we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body” (Php. 3:20-21). Right now, the very thing we are waiting for – Jesus’ return from heaven to transform us – that blessed event is at hand.

Since your citizenship is in heaven and since your Lord and Savior is at hand, how are you to live? Paul answers that in these verses. Toward God, you live in joy. Toward your neighbors, you live in reasonableness. Within yourself, you live in peace. Let’s consider each of these.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Now, that’s a double command – ‘rejoice… rejoice.’ But even though it’s a command, it isn’t so much a legal requirement as it is a Gospel invitation. Joy can’t be commanded or forced. In fact, the more you try to force someone to have joy, the less joyful that person will probably be. When Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord,” he wants you to remember Jesus and all that He has done for you because that is what brings you true, lasting, eternal joy.

Christ has made you a citizen of heaven (Php. 3:20). Because He died and rose again, you also will rise again. Because He has a risen and glorified Body, He will raise, glorify, and transform your body. As surely as the Resurrection began with Jesus, it will surely spread to you and to those you love who have died in faith (1 Co. 15:20-23). So, no matter what evil things befall you in this world, Jesus has fixed it. It’s not your responsibility to make things right. Jesus has and will take care of it. Because of that, you live toward God with joy.

Also, because of that joy, you live toward others with reasonableness. Sadly, English doesn’t have a good equivalent for the word that gets translated as ‘reasonableness’ here in Php. 4:5. Other translations will use words like ‘gentleness, forbearance, or moderation,’ but even those only convey part of the meaning.

The word refers to strength, but it’s the kind of strength that doesn’t need to impose or prove or assert itself. It’s the kind of gentle strength that Jesus shows when He’s in a boat with the disciples in Mk. 8:14-21. The disciples are all worried because they only had one loaf of bread with them in the boat. So, Jesus brings up the fact that He had fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and the 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and that there were many baskets of leftovers after each instance. And Christ doesn’t say, “You dunces are a real pain in my patootie,” and call down lightning from heaven to strike them. He could have. Instead, He exercises a gracious and reasonable gentleness toward them and says, “Don’t you guys get it yet?”

Dear saints, you can live with that same kind of reasonableness toward others because you know that your Savior has come to right every wrong. You don’t need to demand your pound of flesh when someone sins against you. Christ will take care of things. He’s promised. You don’t need to prove anything about your rank or place or prominence or standing. All of that is secure in Christ. It’s beyond question – even if others don’t recognize it.

Sure, the world is going to throw all sorts of trials and tribulations your way which can and will cause you anxiety. But you don’t need to be anxious or worried about any of that. Listen to v. 6 again, “Do not be anxious about anything,” again that’s a command, but it’s a Gospel invitation. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” In other words, take everything that concerns and worries you, take anything that makes you anxious, and make it your prayer. Place it in God’s hands.

Near the end of my sabbatical, I attended a service at Wittenberg Lutheran Chapel on UND’s campus because I am friends with the former pastor there, and it was his last Sunday before he started a call at a new congregation. As we chatted after the service, I mentioned something to him that I was worried about. I didn’t even use the word ‘worry’ in our conversation, but he recognized that it was something that was heavy on my heart. He listened to me go on and on about the situation. When I was finally done, he simply looked at me and said, “Christ has it.” That simple phrase was so calming. It was like the weight and burden of that situation was completely gone. His reminder, “Christ has it,” freed and released me from that worry.

Dear saints, I’d encourage you to think that way about the things that cause you worry and anxiety. Tell God about all your worries and anxieties in prayer. In a sense, those prayers delegate all your worry to God. They turn it over to Him. And after your, “Amen,” God’s response to you is, “I got it. It’s in My hands now. It’s not your problem any longer.” That, again, gives you joy toward God. It also enables that strong, gentle reasonableness toward others. And all of this allows you to have God’s in peace within yourself.

God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Normally, when we think about peace, we think about a quietness and calm. We think about tranquility. The peace of God here isn’t some quiet, passive thing. Not at all. This peace guards your heart and your mind. The word ‘guard’ is a military term for soldiers who stood watch over a situation. Think of how police officers, state troopers, and other federal agents are rightly called ‘peace officers.’ From time to time, those ‘peace officers’ might have to do some violent things – like tase a criminal, do a pit maneuver on someone who is fleeing, restrain a felon, or whatever – but they do those violent things to preserve and promote peace. 

Imagine God’s peace playing whack-a-mole with anything that would come along and disturb you. Every accusation of the devil, God’s peace pounds it. Every tribulation the world throws at you, God’s peace knocks it down. Every sin you commit that troubles your conscience is tased and stopped dead in its tracks by the Lamb of God who takes away that sin (Jn. 1:29).

God’s peace guards you. It’s the stabilizing force that keeps your soul anchored in whatever turbulence the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh would cause. This is the peace that the angels announced to the shepherds the night of Christ’s birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Lk. 2:14).

The Prince of Peace Himself has come in your flesh to give you peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn. 14:27). Jesus doesn’t just give you a fleeting emotion. No. He establishes His heavenly Kingdom on earth, and this brings you peace and joy. His joy fuels your reasonableness toward others. And that joy and reasonableness grants you peace.

Again, dear saints, we stand in the sunrise of eternity. Your Lord is at hand. Rejoice always in what Christ has done. Let your gentle strength shine before a watching world. Pour out your worries in prayer that is laced with thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness. And watch as God’s inconceivable peace guards you. It guards you like a watchtower over your soul until that glorious day of Christ’s return when anxiety is banished forever. Then, you will feast in eternal peace in His presence. Amen.

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

Your Visitation – Sermon on Luke 19:41-48 for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 19:41-48

41 And when [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This Gospel text takes place on Palm Sunday. The crowds have laid palm branches and coats on the road as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Lk. 19:36, 38). The Pharisees demanded that Jesus rebuke them, but He refused. Instead, He said, “I tell you, if they were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Lk. 19:40).

But while all this joy and celebration surrounded Jesus, Luke tells us here what is going on in Jesus’ heart. Christ comes to the crest of the hill that overlooks Jerusalem, and He weeps. He has come to visit Jerusalem and bring the peace that surpasses all understanding (Php. 4:7). But He weeps because the city is so twisted and corrupt that it doesn’t know or recognize the things that make for peace. Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem when their Roman armies will set up a barricade all around the city to rip it apart brick by brick. All of this will happen because the people did not know the time of their visitation (Lk. 19:44).

We look forward to some visits. Especially if they live far apart, kids will ask how long it’ll be until they visit grandpa, grandma, and the cousins again. You get excited about an upcoming visit with your college or high school friends. But other visits can be uncomfortable – a visit to the dentist, a visit from the OSHA inspector, or a visit to the principal’s office. 

When Jesus says, “You did not know the time of your visitation,” the word He uses for ‘visitation’ (episkopē) is where we get our English word ‘scope.’ A couple days ago, I was talking with a woman who had a partial knee replacement years ago, but she still had continual pain. Her doctor decided to use a scope to look into her knee and see what was going on. That scope revealed that she had an infection that never showed up on other imaging or lab work. The only thing that revealed the infection was that scope. The doctor needed to get in there and see what was causing her pain.

The visitation Jesus talks about here is Him scoping things out in the city. What does that scope reveal? It reveals that the citizens of Jerusalem, the ‘city of peace,’ do not know the things that make for peace. It revealed that the Temple – God’s house, the place where God promised to deliver His mercy and forgiveness to sinners – had become a hideout of robbers. Jesus’ visitation, that scope, revealed how disordered the city was.

That’s why Jesus goes into the Temple. He drives out the infectious thieves from their den and daily fills the Temple with His teaching. Sadly, by the end of the week, the chief priests, scribes, and other leaders decide to arrest Jesus, put Him on trial, condemn, and crucify Him. And the people of Jerusalem still didn’t know or recognize the things that make for peace.

So, in 70 AD, about 40 years after Jesus’ prophecy here, the Roman general Titus came and destroyed Jerusalem. It was one of the most horrific events in human history. About one million people were killed. Titus took enough gold from the Temple to pay for the building of the Coliseum in Rome and burned Jerusalem to the ground.

All of this – the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple – should serve as a reminder and a warning to us. Judgment is coming. This world cannot and will not last. Those who do not have faith in Christ will be damned, so repent and believe in Jesus.

Don’t fall into the temptation of being comfortable and complacent in yourself and in your sin. Just because God doesn’t send immediate judgment upon your sin doesn’t mean that God doesn’t mind or care that much about it. In our Old Testament reading (Ez. 3:8-11), we heard how the people rebuilt the Temple. When the foundation was laid, the people sang responsively, “[The Lord] is good, and His steadfast love and mercy endures forever.” Yes, God’s mercy endures forever, but His patience over sin does not.

So, be warned. Be warned but also have hope. There is a purification and replacement of what is broken in this world. The day is coming when all that is corrupt, evil, and infected will be swept away and replaced with what is pure. There is a final freedom and peace from all your enemies.

As you consider this text, ask yourself, “Did Jesus visit Jerusalem to bring judgment or to bring peace?” The answer is, “Yes. Both.”

After His tears dried, Jesus’ first order of business was to visit the Temple and expel the money changers. But He didn’t stop there either. Jesus kept returning to the Temple so He could fill it with the good news that He had come to bring God’s forgiveness, life, and salvation. The whole reason Jesus had gone to Jerusalem was for the sake of peace – true, ultimate peace.

Christ visited Jerusalem to bring the very peace that was first promised to Adam and Eve even after they had fallen into sin (Gen. 3:15). Jesus visited Jerusalem so He could reconcile God and man through His blood. Christ won that peace through His cross and resurrection. And now, Jesus guards that peace with His protection.

Notice how Luke tells us that Jesus’ enemies couldn’t do anything. They couldn’t touch either Jesus or the crowds who listened to Him. Wherever Jesus’ Word is proclaimed the enemies of Christ have no control. They wanted to destroy Jesus, but they couldn’t do a thing (Lk. 19:47-48). Only when Jesus decided are they able to arrest and crucify Him. And through His death, Christ brings His promised peace.

So, dear saints, know the day of your visitation. Today is that day. Today, and every day you come to this place to hear God’s Word, Jesus is visiting you and proclaiming to you the things that make for peace. Yes, there are times when that visitation means Jesus has to remove the filth and shame of your sin. But that is how God brings about His peace.

Jesus’ visitation delivers you to the new, true, heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22-24) where God dwells with you and your enemies cannot touch you. They cannot touch you because they cannot touch Jesus. They have already done their worst to Him, and now, He lives forever. And because He lives, you live too (Jn. 14:19).

Psalm 48 describes the fortress that you have in the holy Christian Church, a fortress that is not founded on bricks that can crumble. No, the fortress Christ has delivered you to is built upon the foundation of God’s Word, which will never fade, fail, or fall. Listen to the description of your fortress from that Psalm: “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever” (Ps. 48:12-14). 

In this tower, the only danger, the only threat you face is if you would leave its protection. Dear saints, God has and is visiting you here, now to bring you His true, abiding peace. Amen.

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

Return – Sermon on Isaiah 55:6-13 for Sexagesima Sunday

Isaiah 55:6-13

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; 
call upon him while he is near; 
7 let the wicked forsake his way, 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts; 
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, 
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so are my ways higher than your ways 
and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven 
and do not return there but water the earth, 
making it bring forth and sprout, 
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; 
it shall not return to me empty, 
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, 
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

12 “For you shall go out in joy 
and be led forth in peace; 
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing, 
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; 
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, 
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

A lot of decisions you make in life are based on the recommendation(s) of others. But you rank and evaluate those recommendations based on several factors. For example, if you need to replace the windows on your house, you’ll probably ask someone who just remodeled, “What kind of windows did you get? What brand? Who installed them? Were they punctual?” Depending on their experience, you might get the same brand and kind of windows but have another contractor install them. Or, if you find out that person has only had those windows for a few months, you might try to find someone who got new windows in the past two years because they know how those windows work in the hot and cold. Just one positive or negative recommendation might be all you need to make your decision.

But even when you can’t ask someone you know personally, you might look for recommendations. You shop online, and you’ll read through the reviews of complete strangers. If you see a couple hundred variations of, “Five stars! Works exactly as described. Would definitely buy again.” You’re more likely to buy that product rather than another one that only has a dozen reviews.

Sometimes, you don’t seek recommendations, but they’re offered to you anyway. You meet a friend for coffee, and she tells you that you “have to” try this drink or see this movie or meet Sally because she’s just so great. You might really like that friend. But, depending on how much you trust her taste in those things, you might follow her recommendations or not.

Here, Isaiah is giving you an unsolicited recommendation. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” And it’s a recommendation you can trust because it’s backed by Isaiah’s own personal experience. Of all the prophets the Holy Spirit could have inspired to give this recommendation, of course it comes from Isaiah.

When Isaiah was called to be a prophet (Is. 6:1-7), God was very findable and extremely near. Isaiah was in the Temple, the place where God had promised to dwell among His people. But by God’s design, the Temple had all sorts of separation. There was smoke and walls and curtains to maintain a safe distance between the holy God and sinners.

As Isaiah was in the Temple that day, all of the protection of the smoke of the incense, the walls, and the curtain was stripped away. Isaiah doesn’t just see the ark of the covenant, which represented the throne of God; instead, he sees the actual throne where God sits. Isaiah sees the angels flying and hears them singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of armies.” Again, God was very findable and near. But in that moment, Isaiah would not have recommended that you seek God or call upon Him. Instead, Isaiah wished he wasn’t there. He called down a curse upon himself: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5).

Now, think about that for a minute. When Isaiah woke up that morning, he had unclean lips. He had those unclean lips as he walked to the Temple. Isaiah lived among people of unclean lips long before he saw God on the throne. So, what was it that made Isaiah despair? What caused his conscience to go into overdrive? It was God’s nearness. It was the fact that the holy God had found him, and that terrified Isaiah.

I heard a distinction from another pastor, and I think it’s helpful: There is a difference between a troubled conscience and a terrified conscience. A troubled conscience is aware of sin. A troubled conscience will say things like, “I’ve made some mistakes, but nobody’s perfect. At least I’m better than that guy.” When you have a troubled conscience, you know that there’s something wrong with you and something wrong with the world.

A terrified conscience recognizes more. A terrified conscience recognizes that God is mad because I’ve sinned and that He has promised to punish sin. Think back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had a troubled conscience when they sewed fig leaves together to cover their shame. But then, when God showed up, they had a terrified conscience and tried to hide behind some bushes or trees.

Neither a troubled conscience nor a terrified conscience is going to seek God when He can be found or call upon Him when He is near. If your conscience is merely troubled, you won’t think that you need Him. You’ll wrongly think, “I’ll just make up for my mistakes.” And if your conscience is terrified, you’re going be as silent as possible when God gets close because you don’t want to draw attention to yourself. 

Before I go on, I need to make something crystal clear: God doesn’t want you to remain in the state of having either a troubled or terrified conscience. God wants to forgive you and give you a pure, clean conscience (Heb. 10:21-22). But because you and I are sinners, we are going to have a conscience that is either troubled or terrified. And frankly, it’s much, much better to have a terrified conscience. If your conscience is merely troubled, or if you think you will fix your conscience by trying to do better, I have no good news for you. None whatsoever. All I can say to you is that you will always be troubled until you stand before God’s judgment throne. Then you will be terrified, but it will be too late. God will condemn you, and you will spend an eternity in hell and terror. Repent now. Return to God now, now while He is near and may be found.

But if the Holy Spirit has worked a terrified conscience in you, then I do have good news. To you who know you can’t fix your own guilt and shame, to you who know that you cannot hide from the Holy, Almighty, and Just God – know that God is near to you now. And this is a good thing.

When Isaiah’s conscience was terrified to the point that he thought he was finished, God sent one of those angels to touch Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal. That act took away Isaiah’s guilt and atoned for his sin (Is. 6:7). That compassion and abundant pardon from God brought Isaiah even closer to God. But now he had a new, cleansed, and purified conscience.

Because of that merciful, gracious, forgiving, atoning act of God, Isaiah makes this recommendation from his own experience. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.”

When v. 7 of this text says, “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts,” that wickedness and unrighteousness includes all the sinful things you do with our lips, hands, feet, and mind. Sure. But take particular notice of the last half of v. 7, “let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him.” In other words, the wickedness and unrighteousness you are to forsake is failing to seek the Lord while He may be found and your unwillingness to call upon Him when He is near.

Instead, dear saints, return. Return to your God because He will abundantly pardon. Catch that – abundantly pardon. Your God pardons because His thoughts and ways are not like your thoughts and ways; God’s are infinitely higher. That doesn’t only mean God’s IQ is way up here and ours is way down here. While that’s true, that isn’t the context of Is. 55:8-9. Instead, God’s ways are the high, heavenly ways of compassion and abundant pardon, while our ways, frankly, aren’t. That’s even more reason for you to listen to Isaiah recommendation and return to God.

When God’s Word of abundant pardon goes out, that Word does not return empty. It accomplishes exactly what God sends it to do. In other words, when God says, “I forgive you,” what God actually means is, “I forgive you.” That very word of your high, compassionate, pardoning God removes your sin from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Because of that you will go forth in joy and be lead in God’s peace. The mountains and hills and trees and all creation will rejoice with you.

Dear saints, return to God. Return to Him for His mercy, for His grace, and for His abundant pardon. He is near. Seek Him now. Return to Him now. Amen.

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

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

John 20:19–31

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

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

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

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

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

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Malicious Master of Mammon – 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.

When we are anxious and full of worry, we are serving the false god of mammon. Jesus says, “You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon.” I know our translation says ‘money,’ but the word there is mammon. It includes money, but it also refers to all our stuff. Worry and anxiety is the worship we give to the stuff of this world. When we worry, we are living out the future before it has even gotten here. That’s the opposite of faith. Faith simply trusts that when the future becomes the present, our heavenly Father will be there to give us what we need because He promises to do so.

This is how and why mammon is such a malicious master. Mammon cannot promise you anything in the future because all the money and stuff of this life is temporary and fleeting. Money and things come and go. One moment you have plenty, the next you have little. That is why, when mammon is your god, the one command is to try to possess more in the false hope of finding pleasure or security. But there is no pleasure or security in the things of creation apart from God’s giving of those things. And because we aren’t ever satisfied with what we have, we think the answer is to get more. But that turns into a vicious cycle. If we do, somehow, get more, we find that we aren’t satisfied with the more we’ve gotten. Repent.

Jesus wants you to listen to the preaching of the lilies. The lilies Jesus speaks about here aren’t the large lilies we know from Eastertime. Those don’t grow in Galilee. The lilies Jesus refers to here are tiny flowers that grow along the grass in the fields.

It isn’t quite true to say that the lilies grow. Saying it that way gives the impression that their growth has to do with their achievement. Instead, it is more accurate to say that God grows the lilies. All a lily can do is wait on God to give it the strength and resources it needs to grow. A lily can’t go out and get any more nourishment than what God gives to it. It can’t try to find soil that is better fertilized, and it can’t dig irrigation ditches to get more water. Every aspect of the lily’s life is in God’s hand. That’s why lilies aren’t impatient, and they don’t try to grow up to be trees. Instead, God grows the lily slowly, steadily, and quietly to be what He designed it to be. And the lily is content to receive what God has given it.

The same is true for the birds. When was the last time you saw a bird driving a tractor or operating a combine? A bird cannot plant and harvest like we can, but God didn’t design birds to do that. He designed us to do that. Birds simply do what God designed them to do: have chicks, raise them, and sing.

A bird wakes up, finds a branch, and sings the song God puts into its beak. While that little bird sings, it isn’t worried about food even though it has more reason to be worried than we do because that bird doesn’t know where its food is going to come from. It can’t go to the store to buy food. The bird just sits there and sings for a while. Then, when it is hungry, it flies off and finds the food God has set out for it.

Now, to be clear, Jesus isn’t telling you to not work in this text. The lily isn’t preaching to you that you should sit down, do nothing, and expect God to drop your clothing from the sky. God didn’t create you to be a lily. The birds aren’t preaching that you should just fly around and make music and serenate the rest of creation for free. God didn’t create you to be a bird.

We humans were created to work. Jesus’ whole life was hard work, and He has given you work to do that calls for energy, effort, and diligence. But because we rebelled against God’s design, we bear the curse of sin and our work, which should be happy and creative, has become a toil and burden. What Jesus wants for you is to have your work and, now, even the burden of work be free of anxiety and worry.

The pagans go around full of anxiety asking, “What are we going to eat and drink? How are going to get clothes?” Here, Jesus wants you to know, to be confident, and to be content in the fact that you are not your own maker. You don’t live by your own hand. The food you eat isn’t just the nourishment you have earned. No, it’s the food that God has given you. The house you live in, isn’t just a bunch of wood, sheetrock, wiring, and plumbing; it’s the combination of all those things that God has given to you.

Dear saints, you live by everything that proceeds from God’s hand. You live by Him and because of Him.

In 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Paul writes what basically serves as a commentary what Jesus says in this text: “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

When Paul says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” the word Paul uses for ‘godliness’ does not mean to be like God. In English, when we talk about godliness, it can mean that, and there is a right place to do that. But the word there means “right reverence.” It means to have a right and proper attitude and response toward God. To have the right attitude and reverence toward God is to recognize that He is the Giver of all good things, and when we recognize that, we can be content.

So rather than wasting your time and energy by worrying and living in the unknown future (which you can’t do anyway, all that does is drain you in the present), you can work diligently in the present knowing that God promises to give what you need in the future. Yes, it will mean more work and toil for you, but God promises to give you the strength to do that as well. Live your life in the present knowing that God holds the future in His omnipotent hand.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So, when you worry, take that worry and turn it around. Don’t let it be the slavish worship you offer to the malicious master of mammon. Instead, when you are worried about anything, make it your prayer. Pray, “God, You have told me not to be anxious. You have told me not to worry. Well, I’m worried about ______. You take care of that. Help me. Provide for me. Protect me.” Then your worry is transformed into true service to God.

Dear saints, God loves you. He has already provided you with everything you need for your eternal future. In His mercy, He sent His only-begotten Son to shed His blood on the cross to make you His own so that you will live forever in His kingdom. There is no reason for you to doubt His provision of the things you need today or tomorrow (Ro. 8:32).

And then, be free. Free to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness – the righteousness He freely delivers to you in His Word and the righteousness He gives you now in His Body and Blood given and shed for the forgiveness of all your sins. Seek that first because you know where to find it – here at His altar. And He clearly promises that all other things will be added to you as well. Amen.[1]The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Portions of this sermon – especially regarding lilies – were adapted from a sermon by Rev. Dr. Norman Nagel.

The Holy Spirit’s Work – Sermon on Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21; and John 14:23-31 for the Day of Pentecost

Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21; & John 14:23-31

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”

Before I officially begin the sermon, I’d just like to ‘let you in’ a little bit on sermon preparation. There are times when preaching is similar to athletic events. For example, in competitive diving, your final score is dependent on two factors: degree of difficulty and execution. Certain dives that score only 7’s and 8’s on execution but have a high degree of difficulty will get that competitor a higher score than another competitor who scores 9’s and 10’s on a dive with a lower degree of difficulty. What I’m attempting to do in today’s sermon is, in my estimation, a high degree of difficulty. I know my execution of today’s sermon will probably only score 7’s, but I hope and pray the payoff will be worth it. I’ll need your assistance though with an attentive ear, so help a preacher out.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

To help us get a better handle on Jesus’ remarkable teaching about the Holy Spirit in this Gospel lesson, we need to make some observations from our Old Testament (Gen. 11:1-9) and Epistle lessons (Act. 2:1-21). First, from the Old Testament lesson:

There is a theory about what the people of Babel were doing that dates back to several centuries before Jesus was born. Please know that this isn’t drawn directly from Scripture, but it does help us understand what was going on a little better. Babel wasn’t just a bunch of people who decided to live together in a big tower. Instead, the mighty man, Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10), has gathered people and said that together they could make a name for themselves and be greater than God who had judged the world with the flood just two generations prior. In other words, they want to be their own little ‘g’ god. They figured they could build a tower so high that the true God could not drown them again. God had already promised that He would never repeat that kind of judgment, but they didn’t trust God’s promise. Instead, they are going to try and make themselves safe from God’s wrath.

Again, the Holy Spirit didn’t inspire this theory, but it is still a very good theory. First, it clearly explains what the people were trying to accomplish. They weren’t trying to build a tower to get closer to God; rather, they were trying to establish an earthly, man-made peace by shielding themselves from God and His anger over their sin. This theory also explains why God saw their plan with such hostility and put a swift end to their work. But notice how God put an end to their work. He didn’t destroy the tower with a tornado or earthquake. Instead, God came down (I love how that phrase is used twice [v. 5, 7]). God had to come down to see this great tower which was going to have its top in the heavens. And God confused their languages so that they dispersed over the face of the earth. Now, God did this as a curse, but He also did it so they wouldn’t continue to live in their sin. Even God’s punishment turns into a blessing.

Now, when we come to the day of Pentecost and giving of the Holy Spirit in the Epistle lesson, God doesn’t quite undo the curse of Babel. He doesn’t reunite all the languages of the earth and make all mankind into one nation again. Instead, God had gathered His people together to celebrate the feast of Pentecost which is also called the Feast of Weeks. God’s people had come to Jerusalem, our text says, from every nation under heaven (Act. 2:5). They would have been daily listening to God’s Word in the Temple, and the Temple had strict rules that the Bible was only read in Hebrew. It didn’t matter if some, or even, most of the people didn’t even understand Hebrew, that’s just how it was.

But then on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples. Back in Act. 1:15, we are told that the number of faithful believers was only about 120. The Holy Spirit arrived with the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, and the people from all over the world who were visiting Jerusalem for the feast were brought even closer together. They heard that sound which made them gather in one place. But the sound of the wind was not the most important thing they heard that day. The most important thing they heard is the disciples speaking the mighty works of God in their own languages (Act. 2:11).

Here’s the interesting part: for these visitors to be able to get around in Jerusalem, they would have had to be able to communicate in at least one of four languages: Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or Latin. But here’s the beautiful thing, the Holy Spirit didn’t limit the number of languages that proclaimed those mighty works of God. Those 120 believers were filled by the Holy Spirit in such a way that they were able to speak in every language that existed even though it would only have been necessary for Him to have the Gospel preached in only four languages. In other words, the Holy Spirit sanctifies and makes holy every language on earth to carry the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection to every nation on the day of Pentecost. Now, keep all of that tucked in the back of your mind as we move to this Gospel lesson.

The night Jesus was betrayed and arrested He taught His disciples a lot of things about the Holy Spirit; chapters 14-16 of John’s Gospel is probably the fullest, clearest teaching we have about the Holy Spirit. But, basically, all of this teaching boils down to the fact that the Holy Spirit’s work is to point us sinners to Jesus (Jn. 15:26). Whenever you hear Jesus proclaimed as the Savior of sinners, you can know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit is actively working in your life.

Specifically in this text, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will teach the disciples all things and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus has said to them (Jn. 14:26). Then, notice the first word Jesus says after that is ‘peace.’ “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” And please notice that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, gives His own peace. This means your situation, Christian, is that there is nothing to disturb your relation to God. On the cross, Jesus has won and established this peace between you and God by His death and resurrection.

The only way for this peace to be undone, you would have to do two things. First, you would need to create a time machine and travel 2,000 years back in history and go to Mt. Calvary when Jesus hung on the cross. And that would be the easy part. Second, you would have to somehow pry Jesus off of the cross and undo God’s plan of salvation that He had prepared before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:19-20). So, according to Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s job is to continually proclaim to you the message of the peace that Christ has won.

Jesus goes on to say, “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” The question I have there is this: Is Jesus talking about the motivation of giving (the ‘how’ the world gives), or is He talking about the content of what He gives verses the content of what the world gives? In other words, when we sinful people give something, we always have wrong motivations. We often give and have some expectation of getting something in return. Think of the phrase, “I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine.” The false notions of karma and luck are also related to this. Deep down, that’s always the motivation behind the world’s giving.

Or is Jesus saying that the peace He gives is different than the peace the world gives. So many times, the world will offer all sorts of ideas that they think will bring peace to this fallen, broken world. Politicians, celebrities, beauty pageant contestants, musicians, etc. all do this. But none of their policies or ideas will bring peace because they are not able to bring true peace. The only thing that can bring true peace is the atoning blood of Jesus. Now, the Holy Spirit is the one who reminds and points you to Christ’s peace which surpasses all understanding (Php. 4:7).

Over the last week, we have heard a lot of talk about how to solve the evil of mass shootings in our country. I’m not going to preach on that because mass shootings are not the problem – they are only a symptom of a spiritual and moral problem. Even if you got a giant gun magnet and got rid of every gun in the world, evil people would figure out a way to kill and harm others. A lot of politicians are saying things like, “We need to come together and fix this.” The problem is that when sinners work together, it is generally in service to evil. Babel in our Old Testament lesson is just one example, but Scripture is filled with more. Any attempt to bring about a unity that isn’t centered around the forgiveness of sins in Christ is going to turn evil quickly.

The Holy Spirit brings something better. He unites people from every tribe under heaven in the faith. He brings us together to hear the Gospel, receive forgiveness for all our sins, and places us in the Church. And that same Holy Spirit leads you to this altar, to this table, to receive the true Body and Blood of your Savior Jesus Christ. Through this meal, the Holy Spirit strengthens and empowers you to be His instrument in this dark, evil world.

Again, Jesus says, “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” All the world has to offer you is trouble and tribulation. Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

So come; receive what Christ freely gives. Let the Holy Spirit do His work in you so that He may also do His work through you as you go back out into a world full of evil. And you can do that work and navigate all that evil with confidence because the Holy Spirit will continually point you to your true peace which Christ has won for you. Amen.

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

Forgiven & Blessed – Sermon on John 20:19-31 for the Second Sunday of Easter

John 20:19-31

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

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

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

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

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

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The evening of the Resurrection, Jesus seeks out the disciples just like He sought Adam and Eve when they hid themselves behind some fig leaves in the Garden. Fear had reduced those ten disciples to a bunch of dead bones (Ezk. 37:1-14). It was only ten of them because Judas had betrayed Jesus, and Thomas wasn’t there. Where was Thomas? The text doesn’t specifically say, but we do have some clues from Scripture. So, put on your Sherlock Holmes hats, and let’s do some deductive reasoning together.

Early that morning, Peter and John saw the empty tomb and the neatly folded burial cloths (Jn. 20:1-10). And throughout the day, Jesus had been appearing to all sorts of people. First, to Mary Magdalene (Jn. 20:11-18), and shortly after that, to the other women who had gone to the tomb (Mt. 28:9-10). At some point, Jesus appears to Peter privately (Lk. 24:34) and to two other disciples, who were not part of the twelve, on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:13-35). So, Jesus is popping up all over the place, but the disciples have locked and imprisoned themselves in that upper room afraid for their lives.

They knew that the Pharisees had Pilate set a guard at the tomb to keep the disciples from trying to fake a resurrection (Mt. 27:62-66). These ten disciples are afraid that a bunch of soldiers are out looking for them to kill them just like they had killed Jesus. So, again, why isn’t Thomas there? The Gospel of John seems to suggest that Thomas wasn’t afraid. Thomas has been given the unfortunate nickname ‘doubting Thomas,’ but he may have been bolder and more fearless than the other disciples. Back in John 11, which was probably just a few weeks before the crucifixion, Thomas was ready to die with Christ. In John 11, Jesus suggests that they all go to Judea where He will raise Lazarus. Eleven of the disciples aren’t too keen on the idea because Jesus was almost stoned there twice (Jn. 8:59, 10:31), but Thomas speaks up, “Let’s go with Him that we may die with Him” (Jn. 11:16).

So, back to the day of Jesus’ resurrection: Peter and John tell the other disciples that they had found the tomb empty. Mary Magdalene reports that she has seen and talked with Jesus (Jn. 20:18). The other women tell the disciples that they have seen and talked with angels and with Jesus (Lk. 24:10-11). The two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus and Peter all say that they have seen Jesus (Lk. 24:33-35). All these reports of Jesus’ resurrection are coming in, which might have made Thomas curious. Now, Scripture doesn’t say explicitly, but it isn’t a stretch to imagine that Thomas isn’t behind those locked doors because he is out trying to find Jesus. If he gets caught by the soldiers and killed, so what? He is ready to die with Jesus.

But while Thomas is away, Jesus appears to the ten, speaks peace to them, shows them His wounds, breathes the Holy Spirit on them, and sends them out to with the authority to forgive sins. Then, Jesus leaves. At some point, Thomas comes back and the ten say, “Jesus was here, and you just missed Him.” Thomas is frustrated, and he doesn’t respond well at all. He defiantly says, “Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”

It ends up, all eleven disciples had locked themselves up, just in different ways. Ten had locked themselves in the prison of the fear of death, but Thomas has locked himself in the prison of unbelief because he hasn’t seen what the others have seen. Well, those prison bars and doors aren’t a problem for Jesus. Christ appears through the locked doors of fear to forgive the sin of the ten. And Jesus gives the disciples the authority to forgive sins saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Then, one week later, Jesus will appear to Thomas and unlock the doors of unbelief. But let’s consider for just a minute how Jesus gives the ten the authority to forgive sins.

Think back to when Jesus healed the paralytic who was lowered through the roof (Mt. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:1-12; Lk. 5:17-26). Instead of healing the guy right away, Jesus says to him, “Your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees grumbled at this saying that only God could forgive sins. So, Jesus heals the paralytic proving that He has the authority to forgive sin. Now, on Easter evening, Jesus passes that authority on to the disciples and, ultimately, all Christians.

Sin has put all humanity behind bars in the prison of death. But Jesus has come to give release to everyone who is in captivity to sin (Lk. 4:18; Is. 61:1). Because God has called me to be the pastor here, I am called to give that same release of sin. It is why, after we have confessed our sins and receive the absolution, I say, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His command and authority, I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins.” Because Jesus has the authority to forgive and passed this authority to all Christians, it is as though Jesus is doing it Himself. Think of it this way.

Imagine you are guilty of a crime and in jail. As you sit there in prison, a judge across town rules that you are innocent. That ruling doesn’t do you any good until that judge sends an order to the guard of your prison to set you free. Then, the guard comes with the keys, unlocks your cell, and releases you back into society. Now, in that scenario, who set you free, the judge or the guard? Honestly, the answer is both.

If the judge declares you innocent but the guard doesn’t go to your cell and open the door, you are still behind bars. On the other hand, if the guard lets you out without any order or declaration from the judge, you are free, but you will live the rest of your life waiting to be arrested because you haven’t been justly declared innocent.

Now, non-Christians live as though the guard has let them out, but the judge hasn’t issued the ruling that they are set free. They are like Thomas on the evening of the resurrection. Jesus has taken the punishment they deserve and forgiven them of all their sins, but that freedom doesn’t do them any good because they don’t believe that they are really, truly free.

Christian, that is where you come in. You can announce this forgiveness to others. If someone comes to you and tells you about their sin and guilt and shame, you can tell them of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Tell them that Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and His resurrection shows that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice. And tell them, “I forgive you of your sins because of what Jesus has done.”

There is another side to this. Some Christians are like the ten disciples. They live as though the judge has issued the ruling, but they stay in their cell as though the guard hasn’t let them out. So, they remain in prison fearing that that freedom will get them in trouble. Dear saints, when you hear the absolution, it is nothing more than the guard letting you out of the prison of sin and death by Jesus’ ruling that you are forgiven. You really are free, and your sins are removed from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12).

That is the Gospel message. That is the authority Jesus has given to the Church. That is the message Jesus has sent us into the world to announce. That is the peace that Jesus gives when He says, “Peace to you.” It is the peace that, because He died and rose again, sins are forgiven. They are gone.

I want to close with Jesus’ response to Thomas’ confession, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus replies, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus is speaking about you there. The risen Jesus had you in mind when He spoke those words. You have not seen Your resurrected Savior in the flesh. You don’t see the marks in Jesus’ hands and side. Instead, you see crosses that remind you of the death that Christ died for you. You see the Font where Jesus delivers to you His mercy and forgiveness and washes away your sins. You see an altar on which nothing has ever been sacrificed but which Jesus uses as His table to feed you bread and wine which Jesus says is His risen Body and Blood.

You do not see, but you hear the same proclamation of Jesus, “Peace to you.” That peace is yours because Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity is crucified, died, and was buried. He is risen again to give you His peace and the forgiveness of all your sins now and for all eternity. Dear saints, you are forgiven and blessed by your crucified and risen Lord and Savior.

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

Amen.

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

Disturbing the Peace – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday in Lent

Luke 11:14-28

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text is so full and rich, I could easily preach 847 sermons on it, but you’re only going to get one today. To some of you, “Sorry,” and to the rest of you, “You’re welcome.” Today, we’re mainly going to focus on the little parable that Jesus tells in v. 21-22 and then carry what we learn there to the blessing that Jesus gives to you in v. 28. But to do that, let’s quickly highlight a few things from the opening of the reading to get the context.

Jesus has cast out a demon that made a man mute. Some of the people marvel at this exorcism, but some (Mt. 12:24 tells us that they are Pharisees) say that it is only by the power of Beelzebul, which was a name for the devil, that Jesus can do this. Earlier this week, Anna asked me what text I was going to be preaching on I summarized the text. When I told her about the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of demons, she said, “That’s so dumb.” Yup. And Jesus addresses the absurdity (v. 17-20). Then, He says something very important to set up the parable. “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The grammar there makes it clear that Jesus says that it is, indeed, by God’s finger that He casts out demons which means that the kingdom of God has arrived. Christ the King is bringing the kingdom of God with Him as He throws out the demons He has defeated. Then, Jesus tells everyone what is going with this little parable.

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than [the strong man] attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides the spoil.” Let’s dissect this. The strong man with all his armor is the devil, the palace that the devil is guarding is the entire world which is under his power, and the goods that he is guarding are all sinners. Until Christ claims us as His own, we were under the rulership of Satan and the demons. Col. 1:16 says, “[God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”

Now, please don’t misunderstand this. Typically, when we think of people demons influencing people, scenes from the movie The Exorcist come to our minds. We do see that a few times in the Gospels. In this text, the demon makes the man mute. In Mt. 17:14-15, there is a demon-possessed boy who is repeatedly thrown into fire and water. Or the man who was possessed by the demon, Legion, who lived among tombs and could not be bound (Mk. 5:2-5). But that type of extreme demonic possession is extremely rare in Scripture; in fact, it never happens in the entire Old Testament. We only see it a few times in the Gospels and a couple of times in the book of Acts (16:16-18, 19:15-16). Most of the time, the Bible links what we think of as common illness with unclean spirits (Mt. 4:24, 8:16, 10:1; Mk. 1:32-34, 6:13; Lk. 9:1; Act. 5:16, 19:12). I’ve got a whole slew of references for that, and if you’re interested, just ask me after the service.

So yes, this extreme demonic possession does happen, but it is rare. What we do regularly see, throughout Scripture, is demonic influence and temptations. Just think of Job. When the devil went after Job, it was manifest with loss of property, children, and health. Because Job’s friends and wife only see that and can’t see that the devil is behind all of this, they wrongly think that Job has some secret sin that he must confess and repent. But they’re just plain wrong.

So, for you Christians here today, remember demons are real, and they do pester us trying to get us to fall into unbelief. But normally, they do so with things that disguise their evil intent. But Scripture helps us see through their disguise. It is right to recognize that the pandemic, the divisions in our families and country, and the wars and rumors of wars[1] are all demonic. And it is right to see every stolen car; every case of cancer; and every addiction, struggle, temptation, and fear we have as a demonic attack. Recognizing this will help us do two things. One, it will drive us to prayer, and two, it will help us to have sympathy and patience when others wrong us instead of hating them.

Now, the eeriest part of this little parable is the condition of those who are guarded by the devil. Our translation reads, “his goods are safe,” which makes it sound like Jesus is saying there that the devil’s very powerful in his armor and palace. But that isn’t what Jesus is highlighting with that phrase. What Jesus says there is literally, “his goods are in peace.” The picture is that those under the control of the devil are content, safely tucked away, and quietly and lying there with no desire to leave the devil’s palace. Those who are under the control of the devil and his demons have grown so accustomed to being under his watchful eye with his strong armor that they don’t like it when they see Jesus, the stronger man, stripping the devil of all his protection and leaving him in nothing but his underwear. Those under the guardianship of Satan don’t like seeing their fellow goods are being plundered and taken away.

But, dear saints, here is the good news: Christ has come to disturb the evil, demonic peace of Satan’s kingdom. In fact, the devil has been dealt a fatal blow; his head has been crushed by Jesus, the promised Seed of Eve (Gen. 3:15). And as the days get more and more evil, that evil is a sign of Christ’s victory over all the forces of darkness. The kingdom and domain of Satan is chaotic today precisely because Christ come bringing the kingdom of God with Him. The kingdom of God disrupts the peace of the devil’s goods and brings true peace. What the crowd was witnessing in this text – and, quite frankly, what we are witnessing today – is not some demons fighting against other demons trying to see who is the strongest. Instead, we are witnessing Satan being unseated. Jesus is the stronger man who flicks away the demons with His finger and brings God’s true peace.

Dear saints, the battle is won. You are the prize, the treasure, and the spoil. Christ has come and given His life for you. His blood covers you and cleanses you as a bride adorned for her husband (Eph. 5:25-27, Rev. 21:2). The war has been won by the Word of God. The Word of God speaks you righteous and clean, which brings us to that final verse.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” We know what it is to hear God’s Word, but what does it mean to ‘keep’ it? A lot of times, we think to ‘keep’ God’s Word is equivalent to obeying it. Yes, of course, we absolutely should obey God’s commands. But the devil wants you to think that only those who perfectly keep God’s commands are blessed so you think this blessing of Jesus isn’t for you. In other words, Satan wants to steal this blessing from you and make you think it doesn’t really apply to you. But the devil is a liar.

The word that Jesus uses here for ‘keep’ is the exact same word Jesus used to describe what the strong man did with his goods in v. 21 – he ‘guarded’ and protected them. Jesus’ blessing reads like this, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and guard it.”

Dear saints, Jesus calls you to a life of faith which wars against the demons by guarding the promises God has spoken to you. So, hear God’s Word and guard it, hold on to it, and treasure it. That is precisely what you are doing now. As you sit there listening to this sermon, you are engaging in spiritual warfare, and the devil is losing. So, keep listening, keep learning, keep repenting, believing, and trusting that God is good and that He loves you and has bought and won you through Christ’s death and resurrection because He has.

The spiritual warfare you are called to is made up of the little things of hearing God’s Word, coming to church, attending Bible study, talking with your children about God, and praying. In these quiet, simple things, the devil is stripped of his armor and his goods are plundered. By hearing and guarding God’s Word, you set up a barrier and sanctuary for yourself and your children. When you hear and guard God’s Word, you are engaging the enemy and reinforcing the defenses of the saints.

It doesn’t matter how strong the forces of evil appear to be. They have lost. Jesus has come bringing His kingdom with Him. Christ flicks away the demons like flies. Their demonic peace has been disturbed by Jesus. And He has freely given you true, eternal, abiding, and everlasting peace. Amen.

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

[1] The wars and rumors of wars are demonic even though they are signs that Jesus gives us to be looking for His return (Mt. 24:6, Mk. 13:7) and should cause us to raise up our heads because it means our redemption is drawing near (Lk. 21:28).

The Child Who Is the Lord – Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 for Christmas Eve 2021

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, merry Christmas!

The first few verses recording Jesus’ birth are nothing spectacular quite honestly. It begins with a government that wanted more taxes. So, Joseph and the very pregnant Mary travel to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown, to be numbered and provide a list of their property so Rome would know how much they owed. While they are there, Mary gives birth to her Son and wraps Him is swaddling clothes. Again, nothing extraordinary there.

The only thing that is peculiar is that Mary lays her Newborn in a manger, a feeding trough, because there wasn’t a more hospitable place for the infant Jesus. Quite honestly, if v. 1-7 was all that was recorded concerning Jesus’ birth, there wouldn’t be much to say. Sure, for Joseph and Mary it would have been a very anxious, fretful time, but even today all over the world poor women give birth in unusual and unsanitary conditions.

So, a baby Boy is born and laid in a manger. The only ones to notice in those first seven verses are His father and mother. The people of Bethlehem continue to sleep, and the night would have remained silent and undisturbed, but then comes the rest of the text, and v. 8-20 tell us very clearly that something extraordinary has happened.

The birth of this Child has ushered in a cosmic shift and is the most significant thing that has ever happened. The host of angels suddenly appear to shepherds. The glory of God shines, not in the Most Holy Place in the Temple, but out in the fields surrounding the little town of Bethlehem. All of it reveals that what happened that night was God joining heaven to earth.

The host of holy angels mingle with lowly shepherds. The music of heaven is now heard by men, and they are invited to join in the song. At first, the shepherds are too stunned and afraid to speak. But the angel quiets their fear saying, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

In other words, the eternal God who created heaven and earth has been born on earth as a Child to be your Savior. God is powerful enough that His voice breaks the mighty cedar trees (Ps. 29:5), and now He softly coos in His mother’s arms. The Child is the same God who appeared to the shepherd Moses in the burning bush warning Moses to not come close because His presence was too holy (Ex. 3:1-6). But now He invites shepherds to come in as close as possible and see Him lying in a manger as a helpless Child.

The incarnation and birth of Jesus isn’t about God becoming small; instead, it is about mankind becoming big. God made mankind in His own image, but here God becomes what you are – a Child of a woman – in order to make you what He is – a child of the heavenly Father. Even though the people of Bethlehem don’t take notice, heaven itself does. With one foot in heaven and another foot on earth, the company of angels sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

The angels are happy because the Savior of mankind has been born, and we are going to be reconciled to them. There is an interesting verse in 1 Peter 1:12 that says the Gospel, the fact that God comes to save us, is something into which angels long to look. I heard a thought this week about the joy that the angels have because of Christ’s birth that I think is really insightful and deeply rooted in Scripture. The thought is that when the angels see how God forgives, redeems, and saves mankind in Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, the angels get to witness what love is.

You see, the angels never fell into sin or were corrupted, so they are not redeemed because they don’t need to be. They constantly experience God’s perfect love. So, when the angels see how God loves us in Christ, they see the love God has for them in action. They know how far we have fallen, and in Christ, they see the lengths to which God goes to save us. So the birth of Christ gives the angels a fuller picture of how much God loves them, and it brings them great joy.

Beloved of God, Jesus is born, and He is born to save you. God almighty sucks His thumb. His arms were tucked tightly into that manger as an infant so those same arms could be stretched out upon the cross. His head is surrounded by hay in a feeding trough so it can later be crowned with thorns. His body is swaddled and laid in a manger, so that same body could eventually be wrapped in linen cloths and laid in a tomb. And just as He did not remain the manger, neither did He remain in the grave.

In the birth of Jesus, the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people. That includes you. We sinners cannot be in the presence of a holy God, but God has become a man to welcome and forgive sinners. For those willing to receive it, peace has arrived. The war is over. There is now peace between God and man. Because of what Christ has done, God is well pleased with you.

If you have ever wondered how far God would go to make you His own, first look down into the manger then look up to the cross. There is your answer.

Our next hymn asks, “What Child is this?” Well, we have the answer. This Child is Christ the King. This Child is the Word made flesh. This Child is the Christ. This Child is the Lord God Almighty who comes to forgive you, to save you, to rescue you, to deliver you, and to give you eternal life with Him.

Dear saints, Jesus is born, and He brings you His eternal peace. So, again, merry Christmas. Unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Amen.

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