Tag Archives: Promises

Entrance – Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17 for the Baptism of Our Lord

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

John the Baptizer didn’t invent Baptism. Baptism had been around for a long time before John. The most basic meaning of the verb ‘baptize’ is ‘to wash.’ In the Old Testament, God gave instructions to people who had become spiritually unclean to wash themselves before going to the priest to be declared clean. Just a few examples: If a person had contact with a corpse, he had to wash himself before being declared clean (Lev. 11:25). People with a skin disease, they were unclean, but when that disease cleared up, they were to wash and become clean (Lev. 13:6). And the person who brought the scapegoat into the wilderness was unclean because that goat was loaded up with the sins of all the people (Lev. 16:21, 26). When he returned he would wash and become clean from his proximity to all that sin. I could go on, but you get the picture. If anyone had contact with something that was unclean, that person was to wash and be declared clean. This is part of the background of the baptisms going on before and in John’s day.

To get an idea of what happens at Jesus’ Baptism, I want you to think about what happens when you wash dishes. You fill the sink, and the first dish goes into clean water and is washed. But the second dish goes into water that less clean because of the grime that has been washed off of the first dish. With every dish you wash, the water in the sink gets dirtier and dirtier. But you don’t empty the sink and replace the water for every dish. Even though that water is dirty with the filth and grime of many dishes, it still gets the final glasses and silverware clean. But when you are all done, you wouldn’t want to drink the contents of the sink.

Picture a similar thing happening as John baptizes. A thief would come to John confessing his sins. John would apply the waters of the Jordan to him, and he was clean because that sin had been washed away by the water. Adulterers would confess their adultery, and those waters cleanse them. A gossip would confess her sin and is washed. This was happening over and over. Sins are being washed away from sinners while the waters of the Jordan are getting dirty – even filthier than your sink does when you wash dishes. But now, Jesus comes to the banks of that sin-filled, scummy Jordan River to be Baptized, so John hesitates. He doesn’t want to Baptize Jesus because he recognizes that he is the sinner who needs to be washed by Jesus. But Jesus says, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Then, Jesus enters those sin-filled waters and absorbs all those sins into Himself like a sponge. In His Baptism, Jesus takes all those sins so that He can bring them to the cross and die for them. And we say this because it is only after Jesus’ Baptism that John declares that Jesus is the Lamb of God who ‘takes away the sin of the world’ (Jn. 1:29). John can say that because of what happened in Jesus’ Baptism.

Scripture wants us to see that Jesus is absorbing all the sins in His Baptism because what happens in Jesus’ Baptism is the opposite of what happens to us sinners in our Baptism. In Jesus’ Baptism, He had all the sins of all people placed upon Him. In Isaiah 53, God says that Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors (Is. 53:12) and that God would lay on Jesus the iniquity of us all (Is. 53:4-6). Just like the scapegoat had the sins of the people confessed on it and laid on its head (Lev. 16:21), Jesus had the sins of the world placed upon Himself in His Baptism.

Baptism didn’t wash Jesus clean like it does you (1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:26). Jesus was already clean because He lived a sinless life. Instead, Jesus’ Baptism infects Him with our sins, and Jesus does this willingly. We sinners come to the clean waters of Baptism filthy in our sins, and we come out with the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5). Jesus is clean, pure, and without sin. But then, He steps into the filthy waters and comes out loaded up with all those sins leaving the waters completely clear and clean to be used in your Baptism.

Now, that brings us to what happens to each of us in our Baptism. Some Christians will say that Baptism is merely symbolic, but they are only half right. The Bible does teach that Baptism symbolizes things (which we’ll get to in a minute), but the Bible also teaches that God actually does stuff in Baptism. So first, what does the Bible teach that Baptism does – not just symbolically but in reality?

Scripture teaches in Ro. 6:3-5 that in your Baptism God joined you to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Galatians 3:27 teaches that God clothed you with Christ’s righteousness and holiness in your Baptism. 1 Peter 3:21 says that your Baptism saved you. God did all of that to you in your Baptism. This is not my opinion, understanding, or interpretation; it is what the Bible teaches. God works through Baptism to do all those things. So, continue to live every day in all the gifts and benefits that God gave you in your Baptism.

Baptism actually does each of those things, but does that mean that Baptism is not symbolic? No. Baptism is also symbolic. But the reason Baptism is symbolic is because God actually does things in Baptism. The symbolic things about Baptism teach us how to use our Baptism. While Romans 6 teaches that Baptism actually joins you to Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul will go on in the rest of Romans 6-7 to say that we Baptized still sin. From that we conclude that Baptism also symbolizes the new life we are to have after our Baptism. Baptized Christians should daily repent and die to sin so that our new man would daily come forth and rise to live before God in righteousness and holiness forever (SC Baptism IV).

1 Peter 3:21 teaches that Baptism actually saves, but when you look at the context, you also see that Baptism symbolizes Noah’s Flood. In the Flood, the water was both the instrument of judgment and deliverance. The floodwaters were sent to purge evil from the world and wash it away. But the waters were also the instrument that saved Noah and his family. So, the picture in Christian Baptism is that the waters wash away, purge, and judge the sin and evil in you. But that doesn’t mean that once you are Baptized, you never need to darken the door of a church again. Instead, those waters of your Baptism also lift you up above God’s judgment and save you as you remain in the ark of the Christian Church.

1 Corinthians 10:2 teaches that Baptism symbolizes that you are led out of slavery to sin just like the Israelites were led out of slavery in Egypt by passing through the waters of the Red Sea, so don’t go back to your slavery in sin. And I could go on and on about other things that Baptism symbolizes. But I want to leave you with one final thing that your Baptism symbolizes, and that is your entrance into the kingdom of God.

In our Old Testament lesson (Josh. 3:1-3, 7-8, 13-17), God led His people out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land through the waters of the Jordan. In the same way, God leads you out of the wilderness of sin and death and into the promised land of His kingdom, His rule, and His reign as you follow Jesus. This is so comforting. In your Baptism, God led you out of death and into new life with Him.

But, dear saints, let us also remember where Jesus was led after His Baptism. In a lot of ways, we could say that Jesus’ Baptism was the beginning of His work as the Savior. Everything Jesus did before His Baptism – His birth, His obedience, and sinless childhood – was preparation. Then, after Christ exited the water of His Baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Mt. 4:1). He went to battle with the devil fighting against temptation; casting out demons; healing the sick; restoring creation; raising the dead; and suffering, dying, and rising again.

In the same way, Christian, your Baptism is your entrance into a life of following Jesus as you fight temptation, as you serve your neighbor, and walk in a life of holiness and righteousness. In your Baptism, you are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). And your Baptism is your entrance into a life filled with good works which God prepared beforehand that you should walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

Even though you repeatedly fall into sin, the things God has done for you in your Baptism are still available to you. You will fail in your Christian walk, but God remains faithful to all the promises He has given to you in your Baptism. So, keep returning to them. Keep trusting in those promises because God is faithful to you, even when you are unfaithful to Him (2 Tim. 2:13).

Dear saints, Scripture teaches that God began a good work in you in your Baptism, and He will be faithful to complete it at the day of Jesus Christ (Php. 1:6). Amen.

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

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

Matthew 11:2-11

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

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

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

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

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

For a long time, John the Baptizer stood on the banks of the Jordan preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2). Massive crowds were going out to John confessing their sins and being baptized by him (Mt. 3:5). But not anymore. Now, John is sitting in the dungeon of Herod’s palace, and all he can hear are the sounds of Herod and his nobles partying, feasting, getting drunk, and doing all sorts of debaucherous things (Mt. 14:6-7).

The reason John sends his disciples to Jesus here is not entirely clear. Some suggest that John was trying to get his few remaining disciples to leave him and follow Jesus. That could be, I suppose, but my guess is that the theologians who promote that theory don’t preach very often. The devil and his demons love to torment preachers after they’ve left the pulpit by whispering, “No one is listening. No one cares. All your words and work have amounted to nothing.” Satan and his minions try to convince preachers that the Word of God is ineffective and weak. But that is a total, complete lie. The opposite is true. All flesh is like grass that withers and fades, but the Word of our God stands forever (Is. 40:6-8).

John had clearly confessed that Jesus was the One who was greater than he was (Jn. 1:15). John confessed that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). There is no doubt that John knew Jesus was the Christ who was coming to save His people from their sins. But it seems – and know this is my opinion, but it’s an opinion that is shared with many others as well – it seems that John’s state of mind was being affected by his imprisonment. Jesus sure appeared to be taking His sweet time in ushering in the kingdom of God. Jesus hadn’t done anything to get John out of prison, and He didn’t appear to be delivering His people. So, John longed for reassurance, “Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for another?”

John’s question is on the edge of being rude. Basically, John is complaining that Jesus is taking too long and isn’t being the Messiah that John imagined He would be. We could almost translate John’s words, “If You’re the Coming One, hurry up and get going, or we’re going to look for another.” Jesus is patient with His answer. He doesn’t say, “Yes, I am the Coming One. Just wait.” Instead, Jesus tells John how He is coming. “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

Jesus knows what He is doing. He will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28). Christ comforts John with the only comfort there is for those who wait, either patiently or impatiently, and that comfort comes solely from the Word of God. The salvation Jesus came to bring was more than just to save John from imprisonment and martyrdom. Jesus came to save all humanity from their sins. So, if John must wait, it will be worth it. Christ’s grace will be sufficient for John – even if he must remain in prison until he is martyred, which he will (Mt. 14:1-12).

Dear saints, just like He is with John here, Jesus is gentle with us, His children, even when we grow impatient and angry. Jesus didn’t give up on John, and He doesn’t give up on you. In our suffering, we need to look to and find comfort in the Word and promises of God which stand forever.

In the Scriptures, John doesn’t get to see Jesus perform any miracles. John simply has to trust the reports of the miracles. Here, John doesn’t get a detailed plan or timeline of how and when Jesus is going to bring about the long-promised salvation. John simply has to trust. Sitting there in prison, he has nothing more than the Word and promise of Jesus. Even John the Baptizer, the forerunner and herald of the Messiah, must live by faith given in and through the Word. The same is true for us.

In this life, we often have to face tribulation, sickness, instability, and uncertainty. We are imprisoned in a world where the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8). We pray that God would remove the trials we face, but there are times when the only answer we get is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Dear saints, be patient as you wait for Jesus and his deliverance. Even if it seems as though Christ is taking His sweet time, He is doing what is right and good and best. Our nation might continue to crumble and even fall. The wicked might appear to prosper and grow even more evil (Jer. 12:1). You might watch as your loved ones go through sickness and even to death. I hope and pray that isn’t the case, but it may be. Even in the midst of those things, rejoice and remember what God has promised, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Ro. 8:18).

As painful as your sufferings are, they are temporary. Have patience. Your Savior knows what He is doing. And as you wait for Him, arm yourself now with the Word of God and His promises which stand forever.

Dear saints, rejoice and have patience. God is for you, and no one can stand against you. And you know that God is for you because He has already given up His Son to save you. God has already given you His Son, Jesus, to die and rise again for you, so He will, without a doubt, give you all good things (Ro. 8:31-32).

Rejoice and be comforted by the words of your God. He promises that your warfare is ended. Your iniquity is pardoned. Jesus has come and paid double for your sins. He has removed those sins from you as far as the east is from the west, and He has given you His perfect righteousness. This same Jesus is coming again for you. Amen.

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

The Fear of a Fraud – Sermon on Genesis 28:10-17 for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Genesis 28:10-17

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

With a stone under his head, imagine what was going through Jacob’s mind as he lay down to sleep. We have to track what has happened in Jacob’s life up to this point. The name ‘Jacob’ name means ‘deceiver,’ and he had certainly lived up (or down) to his name (Gen. 27:36). Jacob was the younger twin of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was the older brother by a foot (Gen. 25:25-26) because Jacob was born clinging to Esau’s heel. As the younger sibling, Jacob wasn’t in line to receive either the birthright or the blessing that God had first given to Abraham who passed it on to Isaac. Now, Esau was supposed to get them.

These two brothers grew up, and, one day, Jacob was cooking a pot of stew when Esau came home exhausted from working in the field. Esau asked Jacob for some of the soup, but Jacob didn’t act in a brotherly way. Instead, Jacob pulled off the biggest case of price-gouging in history and sold a single cup of that stew for Esau’s birthright (Gen. 25:29-34). Of course, Esau was a fool to agree to this sale (Heb. 12:16-17), but that doesn’t let Jacob off the hook for being a total jerk.

Later, when their father was old, blind, and thought he was near death, Isaac asked Esau to prepare a meal for him so he could pass God’s blessing on to Esau. Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, heard about this and told Jacob to pull a fast one over on his dad so he would get the blessing. Initially, Jacob was hesitant, but ultimately, he went along with his mom’s plan. Jacob dressed up in Esau’s clothes so he would smell like Esau. He even put animal skins on his arms so he would feel hairy like Esau in case his blind father touched him. The plan worked pretty well. At first, Isaac was skeptical because he recognized Jacob’s voice. But after Jacob lied several times, insisting he really was Esau, Isaac gave Jacob the blessing that the Messiah would come from Jacob’s descendants (Gen. 27:1-29).

After this, Esau decided he’d had enough and planned to kill Jacob after their father died. Rebekah heard about Esau’s murder plot, so she sends Jacob from their home in Beersheba to Haran (which is about 450 miles away as the crow flies) to find a wife. Our text here picks up about 50 miles into the trip, maybe two days into the journey.

So, again, imagine all the fear Jacob must have faced as he lay down. He had reason to fear because, for the first time in his life, he is away from his parents. He had reason to fear because his brother has plans to kill him. He had reason to fear because he is going to an unfamiliar land where his mother wants him to get a wife. His past is full of fraud, and his future fat with fear. And now, as the sun goes down, he has nothing to lay his head on but that rock.

Yes, the rock would have been an uncomfortable pillow, but what really made Jacob uncomfortable is his rightly guilty conscience telling him how big of a fraud he had been. Sure, in the eyes of men Jacob had gotten both the birthright and the blessing, but what about in the eyes of God? Would God honor the blessing that had been passed down to him?

Well, God came to Jacob that night and gave him the comfort he wasn’t expecting. In a dream, Jacob saw a ladder set up between heaven and earth. That ladder was the connection between the two as the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And God said to Jacob, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring will spread abroad to the west, east, north, and south. And in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. Jacob, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

In other words, God is saying, “Jacob do not be afraid. You may be a fraud, but I am not. I’m going to keep My promises. Yes, you took advantage of your brother to get the birthright, but I’m still going to give you the offspring and land I promised to give to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, you fooled your father into giving you the blessing, but he still spoke the words that I put into his mouth. So, I’m going to give you what was promised even though you received that promise deceptively and impurely. The Messiah that I swore to give to Abraham and to your father is going to come from your own body. And when the Messiah dwells in this land that I promised to give to you, heaven is going to touch earth. The Messiah, who will be your descendant, is going to unite heaven and earth, unite God and mankind, and bring my forgiveness and blessing to all the families of the earth. With His forgiveness, all mankind will have the right to ascend to the throne of God. Jacob, don’t think for one second that your fraud and deceit will make My promises void and go away. My promises are My promises. Your sin, deceit, and trickery cannot change what I have promised.”

Do you ever find yourself having similar fears as Jacob had? Do you ever worry that God’s promises aren’t really for you because you are unworthy? Do you think His blessings aren’t for you because you have too much sin and baggage? Do you see all your unfaithfulness think His mercy cannot be yours? You have confessed to have faith in Jesus in the past, but do you question if you’ve really meant it? You recognize that the sins you speak against publicly are the same sins that you privately love. You are surrounded by all sorts of evidence that you are a fake Christian and a complete fraud. You know that God can see through your façade, so you figure His promises aren’t for you.

Dear saints, do not fear. Even though you are a fraud, God is not. When you are filled with that doubt and fear, close your eyes and look for Jacob’s ladder, and you find that ladder in Christ. Jesus is the One who unites heaven and earth (Jn. 1:51). The eternal Son of God took on your flesh and blood and shed His blood which cleanses you from all your sin. This Jesus is the one who has given you the right to become children of God (Jn. 1:12). A right that you have not earned or deserved, but God Himself has stamped His seal of approval on your adoption papers with the very blood of Jesus.

It is absolutely true that those who do not believe in Jesus will be eternally condemned. But know this, the sincerity of your faith does not and cannot change the fact that Jesus died on the cross and rose again for you (1 Jn. 2:2). Your faith is not what causes your salvation. Faith is what receives that salvation. God doesn’t save you because you believed His promises purely. God saves you because He sent Jesus to be Jacob’s ladder connecting heaven and earth and reuniting God to the sinners of this world. Look to the cross. Look to the perfect work of Jesus alone.

Notice Jacob’s reaction after this vision. Notice how, in the last verse, we are told that Jacob was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” All of Jacob’s fears of leaving his family, the threats of his brother, even the fear of himself because of his doubt is all removed. The only fear Jacob has left is God alone. The multitude of God’s grace promised to him brings Jacob a holy and right fear of God.

I’m going to change gears a bit here because we might find it surprising that Jacob would fear after hearing all these wonderful promises. The thing is: fear and service go together. Hebrews 2:15 teaches us that our fear of death actually causes us to become slaves of the devil. We don’t like to think about it this way, but the truth is that we end up serving what we fear. For example, if you are afraid of public shame and humiliation, you might be hesitant to share about your faith in Christ and end up serving your reputation instead of God. But there is a right fear – the fear of God. Luther’s explanation to the 1st Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” is, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” And Scripture repeatedly says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Pr. 1:7; Pr. 9:10; 15:33; and Mic. 6:9).

Even though we live in the safest time in all of history, there is a lot of fear today. The best explanation for why that is is that we fear things that are not worthy of our fear (Lk. 12:4-7) and we end up serving them instead of fearing and serving God alone. But when we fear God alone, He casts out all other fears (1 Jn. 4:18).

I’ll close here with a few verses that are so interesting. (I printed them on the back of the Scripture insert for you.) It’s Jer. 33:7-9 where God gives all these wonderful promises. He promises there that He will bring Judah and Israel home from their captivity. He promises to cleanse them from their sin and rebellion. He promises that their city will be a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who hear about all the good God will do for them. And here is God’s conclusion to all those promises: “they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and prosperity I will provide for them.”

Dear saints, like He did for Jacob in our text, God has a multitude of promises to love you, forgive you, care for you, deliver you, and rescue you out of every trouble. Let Him alone be your fear, and He will cast out every other fear with His love and mercy. Amen.

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

Dead to Sin, Alive to God – Sermon on Romans 6:1-11 for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Romans 6:1-11

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This epistle text is dropping us near the middle of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. Because that is the case, I want to quickly summarize what Romans says up until this point: In Ro. 1-2, Paul lays out everyone’s state under God’s Law. We’re all in trouble. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). And there is nothing you or I can do about it. Your works and my works cannot save. The Ten Commandments shut our mouths before the right and just judgment of God. Then, at the end of Ro. 3, we are given hope. In Ro. 3:21-24, Paul says that the righteousness God requires has been manifested apart from the Law through faith in Christ.

When he gets to Ro. 4, Paul uses the example of Abraham who was declared to be righteous not because he was such a good person but because he believed God’s promise to him (Ro. 4:3 see also Gen. 15:6). In Gen. 15, God promised old, childless Abraham that He would bless him with a son. God brought Abraham outside, told him to try to count the stars, and promised that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. God made a direct promise to Abraham there under that night sky, and Gen. 15:6 says, “[Abraham] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”

And notice how God connected His promise to Abraham to something physical, the stars. Think about how the nights were for old Abraham after that. Imagine him going out on a clear, cloudless night and seeing all the stars. How many nights, do you suppose, Abraham would remember God’s promise and start trying to count the stars? How long would he count before he would give up, realizing it wasn’t possible? And then Abraham would get tired, yawn, smile to himself, go to his bed, and fall asleep thinking, “Well, God made a promise to me. It’s hard to imagine and believe, but God promised.”

Back to Romans. When we get to Ro. 5, Paul changes gears and compares Jesus to Adam by saying that Jesus is the second Adam and new head of humanity. The first Adam brought sin and death to all humanity, but Christ, the second Adam, brings forgiveness, justification, salvation, and life. Paul writes in Ro. 5:18-19, and listen carefully to these verses, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Through Jesus’ righteousness and obedience, you, believer, are made righteous. Eternal life has been secured for you – not by your works, efforts, and achievements but solely by the work of Christ, which is yours through faith. God be praised!

All that brings us to our text. In this first part of Ro. 6, Paul deals with a question even before it is allowed to enter a forgiven sinner’s mind. When we hear the Gospel, that we are forgiven and reconciled to God for Christ’s sake, the old Adam in us wants to go wild. “If God loves to forgive, let’s give Him lots to forgive!” Paul says, “Not a chance; may the possibility of that thought never come to be! How can you live in sin when you are dead to it?”

“Don’t you know that all of us who have been Baptized into Christ Jesus were Baptized into His death?” (Ro. 6:3). Just like He did for Abraham, God has made a promise to you that is connected to something physical, the water of your Baptism. You who are Baptized have been picked up from where and when you are and joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection. In your Baptism, God joined you to Jesus’ death so that you have a Jesus-kind of death. In other words, a death that doesn’t last very long, and a death concludes with resurrection. That means that sin and death no longer have a say in your life. You are dead to them. You are alive to God in Christ Jesus. The day you were Baptized was both your death day and the day you were begotten from above (Jn. 3:3-5).

But Paul goes on to say that this truth is something you have to take on faith. “You must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Ro. 6:11). This is why we don’t believe that everyone who is Baptized will be saved. Yes, Baptism is where and how God saves you (1 Pet. 3:21) and delivers what Jesus has done for you by His death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-11). But you can walk away from the promises God gives you in Baptism.

“Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Believer, you have two identities at once – one in Adam and another in Christ. You must reckon yourself as dead and alive at the same time. By your birth into this world, you are a sinner. By your new birth from above (Jn. 3:3-5), you are a child of God.

This means something for you each day of your life. It means that sin is no longer your master because sin has been dethroned by Jesus. He’s your Lord now, not sin. So, don’t put sin back on the throne. Fight against it. Don’t use your body as an instrument of unrighteousness. Sin and death will have no dominion over you because they have no dominion over Jesus, which is what Paul says in the next few verses after our text (Ro. 6:12-14).

Dear saints, you are, right now, dead to sin and alive to God. That fact might seem strange because you know that you still sin. The old Adam still clings closely to you. At times, you feel that old Adam and know the guilt and shame of your sin. You recognize that you are not what God intended you to be. The wages of sin is death (which is what you earn by yourself) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ro. 6:23). That’s why considering and reckoning yourself dead to sin and alive to God is so important. You are simultaneously righteous and sinner.

So, when you are inclined to sin and cave into temptation, you have all the proof you need that the old Adam is still hanging around and you need repentance. So, repent. Repenting is saying and believing what God says about sin. Confessing that you do not deserve anything good from God, but don’t stop there. Keep going! Confessing your sin also means saying what God says, that those sins have been died for and are forgiven because of Christ.

And when you are upset, discouraged, and appalled that you have sinned, when you resist and fight back against your wicked thoughts, words, and deeds, you can know for certain that you are alive to God.

Through your Baptism you are truly forgiven, regenerated, and made holy. That is how God looks at you, Christian. But we also recognize from both Scripture and our experience that this new life has only begun. It is not yet complete. But know that the God who began a good work in you, He will be faithful to bring it to completion (Php. 1:6).

What occurred in your Baptism – the drowning and rising, the death and resurrection – isn’t something that is merely in the past, but neither is it something will only come later in the future. Your Baptism is your present life, believer. Daily you repent of your sins, daily you believe in Christ crucified for your forgiveness, and daily you walk in newness of life until that great day when your Old Adam finally perishes, and you are perfectly and eternally renewed.

In other words, because your Baptism has joined you to Christ’s death and resurrection, live that out. Sin now has no dominion over you. You are dead to sin and alive to God. Amen.

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

What Gifts or Benefits Does Baptism Bestow? – Sermon for Midweek Lent 2

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II. What Gifts or Benefits Does Baptism Bestow?

Baptism works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe, as the word and promise of God declare.

What is this word and promise of God?

It is the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in the last chapter of Mark: “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

Martin Luther’s Small Catechism

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Last week we considered how Jesus instructs His disciples to make disciples of all nations/ethnicities by baptizing them and teaching them. Since Jesus has instituted Baptism as the means to make disciples, Baptism cannot be an empty, optional thing. It is vital. We also introduced the idea that God places His Name – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – upon us when we are Baptized. Wherever God’s name is, there is salvation. Psalm 54:1 says, “O God, save me by Your name.”

Now, as we move to the second question about Baptism and consider what gifts and benefits Baptism bestows, we see according to Scripture that Baptism works forgiveness of sins. After Peter preached on Pentecost, his listeners were convicted by the Law and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter responded, “Repent and be Baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Act. 2:38). Because Baptism works the forgiveness of sins, it delivers from death and the devil (see Col. 1:13). (The idea of forgiveness being deliverance from death and the devil will be part of the sermon this Sunday.) Baptism also gives salvation to all who believe.

According to the plain words of Scripture, Baptism saves. You heard it tonight. Palin as the nose on your face, 1 Peter 3:21 says, “Baptism now saves you.” Before we get into the specifics of that text, I want to acknowledge that there are Christians (and, please, note that I truly call them Christians) who deny that Baptism saves. I’ve heard many Christians ask me, “You do know, the Bible doesn’t teach that Baptism saves, don’t you?” I point them to 1 Peter 3:21, “Baptism now saves you.” And they don’t have an answer. I have a friend who learned Greek at a Baptist college. His class translated this verse, and the professor said, “There is no denying what this verse says, ‘Baptism saves,’ but we know that isn’t what this verse means.”

That is a dangerous approach to theology and leads down a perilous road. If Scripture says, “Baptism saves,” but it doesn’t really mean, “Baptism saves,” then what other passages don’t really mean what they say? The devil loves to take little slivers of doubt like that to destroy the faith of Christians by sowing the seeds of unbelief in all sorts of texts – both Law and Gospel. Satan will whisper, “Does the Bible mean what it says, ‘By grace you have been saved through faith’ (Eph. 2:8)?  Does John 3:16 mean what it says? Did Jesus really mean it when He said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (Jn. 14:6)? Did God really say, ‘Thou shalt not murder,’ ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ or, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness’? (Ex. 20:13-14, 16)?”

Now, this is a bit of an aside, but I love you too much to not address this: We could call Baptism an “apex doctrine.” Let me explain what that means. In biology, there are apex predators – the animals at the top of the food chain. For example, sharks are the top of the food chain in the ocean. Nothing hunts the sharks. So, when there is a shortage of plankton in a part of the ocean because there are high levels of mercury, the biologists will test the blood of sharks even though they are interested in learning about the plankton. Here’s why. 

Plankton will absorb the mercury, but the mercury won’t be detectable in the plankton. As you move up the food chain, mercury levels will get higher at each level. The fish that eat plankton have a little higher level of mercury. And the fish that eat the fish that eat the plankton have even higher levels. But the sharks that eat the fish that eat the fish that eat the fish that eat the plankton will have the highest concentrations of mercury. So that’s where the biologists look. They look at the apex predator because they will have levels of mercury that are detectable. Ok.

Baptism is one of the doctrines at the top of the food chain when it comes to being able to detect doctrinal poison. Little levels of poison don’t necessarily kill you right away, but there is no amount of theological poison that is safe. So, to you kids who are in middle school and high school, when you go off to college, move away from home, and look for a church, don’t necessarily pick the church that is the most fun to go to. Look at what that church believes – and look especially to what that church teaches about Baptism and I’ll add the Lord’s Supper. The ‘little’ theological problems that can be hard to see get more detectable when it comes to the church’s teaching about the Sacraments.

Ok. To 1 Peter 3. That text is so rich and dense, I’m not going to cover everything. Instead, I want to give you the context and then focus on what it says concerning Baptism. I’ll start at v. 18:

Jesus suffered once for sins, the righteous One for us unrighteous ones, that He might bring us to God. Jesus was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. What this text is saying is that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter, but before He physically came out of the tomb, He went in His spirit to hell and preached to those who were in that place of torment that they experience now. We know they have torment before Christ returns because of Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus in Lk. 16:19-31, but that is not their final destination. When Christ returns, everyone will be raised from the dead. Those who do not believe in Christ will be cast into the lake of fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt. 25:41). So, Christ went to that place of torment and proclaimed His victory over sin, death, and the devil. And Peter mentions specifically that Jesus preached to the souls who did not listen to Noah’s preaching while he built the ark. And Peter mentions them because of the point he is about to make about Noah, his family, the ark, and Baptism.

Noah and his wife and his sons and their wives, eight people in total, were brought safely through the water of the Flood (Gen. 7-8). In the Flood, God was judging unbelief and saving the faithful at the same time. And in the Flood, God uses the same ingredient or instrument to bring both judgment and salvation. It was the waters of the Flood that killed the sinful, unbelieving people, and it was the same water that raised Noah and his family above God’s judgment that came through the Flood. In the Flood, water was the instrument of both death and life.

The same is true of Baptism, and we’ll consider this more fully in two weeks when we look at Romans 6which teaches that Baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection. But for tonight, see how Baptism delivers us from sin, death, and the devil by defeating them, and how it saves us. According to this verse (1 Pet. 3:21), Baptism saves because it isn’t just washing a little dirt from a person. Instead, Baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience. And this Baptism saves because it connects us to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now, some will ask the question, “Do you have to be Baptized to be saved? What about the thief on the cross. He wasn’t Baptized and Jesus said that he would be in paradise that very day.” To which we respond, that’s right. But go again to what Jesus says in Mk. 16:16, “Whoever believes and is Baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Notice that unbelief is the only condition that Jesus mentions with regard to being lost and condemned. Those who trust in Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins are saved. Those who don’t believe aren’t – even if they are Baptized. If you do not believe in Christ, you are still in your sins. Faith in Christ is to believe that Jesus has removed your sins.

All of this is to say that you can be saved without being Baptized. Deathbed and foxhole converts are just as saved as those who are Baptized as infants and remain believers their entire life.

The main thing about saving faith is that it believes something. To simply say, “I believe,” is an incomplete confession of faith. What is it that you believe? Christians, children of God believe what God has promised them.

Remember when God promised old, childless Abraham (then Abram)? God brought Abraham outside, told Abraham to try to count the stars, and promised that Abraham’s offspring would be as numerous as the stars. God made a direct promise to Abraham there under that night sky, and Gen. 15:6 says, “[Abraham] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”

God connected His promise to Abraham to something physical, the stars. And I love to imagine what the nights were like for old Abraham after that. I can picture him going out on a clear, cloudless night and seeing all the stars because there was no light pollution. How many nights, do you suppose, Abraham would remember God’s promise and start trying to count the stars? How long would he count before he realized it wasn’t possible? And then he would get tired, smile to himself, go to his bed, and fall asleep thinking, “Well, God made a promise to me. It’s hard to imagine and believe, but God promised.”

Dear saints, God has made promises to you as well. God didn’t bring you outside to look at the stars, but He did bring you to the font. In your Baptism, God promised that He washed away your sins (Act. 2:38). At the font, God promised that you who are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). God promised that those waters joined you to Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-4, Col. 2:12). There God promised that He delivered you from the domain of darkness and transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13-14). These are all things God has said in the Scriptures about what He did for you in your Baptism. God is true to His Word, and faith clings to and believes those promises of God.

So, when you wash your hands or face, when you take a shower, when raindrops keep falling on your head, you too can remember God’s promises to you. Everything Christ has won for you by His life, death, and resurrection was delivered to you in your Baptism by God’s decree. And God counts that faith as your righteousness. Amen.

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

What Is Baptism? – Sermon for Midweek Lent 1

Listen here.

I. What is Baptism?

Baptism is not simply water, but it is the water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s Word.

What is this word of God?

It is the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in the last chapter of Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Martin Luther’s Small Catechism.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I’m no Julie Andrews, but I’ll attempt a little Maria von Trapp impersonation here, “Let’s start at the very beginning – a very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A-B-C. When you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi…” When you consider Baptism, you begin with Mt. 28:19.

Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Our crucified and resurrected Savior, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, passes His authority to His disciples. But what exactly is Jesus telling His disciples to do here? What is the command? I can still hear and picture a particular missionary repeatedly telling a group I was in, “The command is to go!” Actually, it isn’t. And, in fact, the word ‘go’ is probably the least important word in this verse. That’s a horrible thing to say about anything Jesus tells us, but it’s true. In all honesty, you could remove the word ‘go’ and what Jesus says would have the same meaning. Just quickly, here’s why.

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus meets the disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Jesus wants His disciples to ‘make disciples’ of ‘all nations.’ Since ‘all nations’ are not there on that mountain, the disciples are going to have to leave the mountain in order to do what Jesus wants them to do. But because Jesus does say, “Go,” it is important. I don’t want to overly bore you here with grammar, so I’ll just get to the point. “Go,” is not a verb in Jesus’ sentence here. The idea is more along the lines of, “as you go,” in other words, wherever the disciples go, here is what they are to do. “Disciple all nations.” The command Jesus gives is ‘disciple,’ and ‘disciple’ is not a word that we are used to being an action. Normally, we hear the word ‘disciple’ and think it is a person – one of the twelve or a Christian today. But that’s the command, ‘disciple’ or ‘make disciples.’

And Jesus specifies whom the eleven disciples are to disciple – “all nations.” The word, there, for nations is ἔθνος – where we get our word ‘ethnicities’ or ‘all types of people.’ Jesus wants all ethnicities to be His disciples because – “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.” And to fast-forward to when we will consider infant Baptism, that is one of the reasons we baptize infants. No matter their skin color, country, heritage, age, or ethnicity, Jesus wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4).

How are Jesus’ disciples to disciple all ethnicities? Two things are necessary: First, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and second, teaching them all that Jesus has said.

Notice that, according to Jesus, the water of Baptism is tied to the divine, triune name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God places His holy name on you in Baptism. But this is more than simply slapping a bumper sticker or luggage tag on you. When you were Baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God brought you into fellowship with Himself. God gave you a new character, new identity, and even new birth.

When you put your name on a loan or marriage certificate, something changes. You are bound to an agreement or a person. When the eternal, unchangeable, holy God puts His name on you, that is significant.

That’s why teaching is also part of making disciples. It will take our entire lifetime to learn what it means to have God’s name placed upon us, the Baptized. That is why you come to church and listen to sermons, why you study and read your Bible. You have been made a disciple through water and the Word. Keep learning what that means, you children of God!

Now, some object to what the Bible says about God working spiritually through something physical like water. To that, we have to ask, “Has God ever used something physical to bring about salvation?” To that we have to say, without hesitation, “Yes!” Jesus became a literal, physical human to die on a cross, shed His blood, and rise again. In Christ, God used something physical to bring about something spiritual.

As humans, we are physical and spiritual – body and soul. So, it makes complete sense for God to save us through both physical and spiritual means – water and Word.

Now, it is vitally important that we recognize that Baptism isn’t simply water, but water used according to God’s command and connected to God’s Word. Without the Word and command of God, there is nothing special about the water used. That same water could be used to boil potatoes, wash your hands, or mop the floor. God’s Word and promise connected to that water is essential.

We might wonder, “Why would God chose to connect His promises to something as common as water?” God could have connected the same promises to honey, milk, or kiwi juice. But He didn’t. Asking why water is used in Baptism is like asking, “Why didn’t God create us with six arms? Why don’t birds say, ‘Moo’? Why doesn’t salt taste sweet?” The only answer is that God didn’t do it that way. Let’s let God be God, and let us be His creatures.

Again, God’s Word is essential to make a Baptism, but so is the water. Consider the importance of water through Scripture. It was over the water that the Holy Spirit hovered at the beginning of creation (Gen. 1:2). It was through water that God brought His people into the Promised Land (Jos. 3). It was through water that God led His people out of slavery (Ex. 14). It was with water that the priests were to wash their hands and feet before they went near the altar to minister to the Lord (Ex. 30:18-21).  And it was into the water that Jesus stepped to fulfill all righteousness (Mt. 3:15). 

Christian, as we will see in the coming weeks, in your Baptism God has done all of this for you. In your Baptism, the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in you. In your Baptism, you have been brought out of your slavery to sin. In your Baptism, you have been brought into the Promised Land of the kingdom of God. In your Baptism, you have been brought into God’s presence and before God’s altar. In your Baptism, God has fulfilled all righteousness and saved you. 

Finally, because Jesus commanded Baptism and as we see what it does in the coming weeks, we know that Baptism isn’t merely a human work. Baptism is God’s work. Just as God has redeemed you through the shedding of blood through Jesus’ hands, He has adopted you through the washing of water in Baptism done by human hands. In your Baptism, God gave you His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and adoption. It didn’t miss. Amen.

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

Tempted – Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent on Matthew 4:1-11

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Matthew 4:1–11

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

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

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

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

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written,

‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

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

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

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

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Immediately before He is tempted, Matthew tells us that Jesus was Baptized. Now, in your Baptism, God made the same statement over you that He made over Jesus in His Baptism, “You are My beloved child, in you I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). The Scriptures promise that God will never hold anything good back from you. If God is for you – and He is – who can be against you? God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for you. And that same God will graciously give you all things (Ro. 8:31-32).

Temptations of the world and MonastacismBut this also means that, in this life, you are in the devil’s crosshairs. Satan hates you and will tempt you to doubt that God is truly your Father who gives you all things. The devil tempts you to sin by putting God’s promises in front of you, but he wants you to lay hold of those promises in your own way and timing. But Satan’s way never brings the joy that God wants to give you.

You want justice against someone who has hurt you. God has promised to give you justice, but Satan tempts you to get that justice sooner by breaking the 5th Commandment and hurting them. You want physical pleasure and companionship. God is happy to give that to you too, but the devil tempts you to seek that pleasure outside of marriage or on websites breaking the 6th Commandment. You want your reputation to be better than it is. Well, God has promised you that you are His child. But Satan tempts you to lie or gossip about that person and break the 8th Commandment. And on and on it goes.

We see the devil doing this this in the temptation of Jesus. The first temptation Satan puts in front of Jesus is to turn stones into bread. Now, Jesus hasn’t eaten anything for forty days, so He is hungry. But Jesus will eat again, even before our text ends (v. 11). So, the devil says, “Go ahead. Eat now. Turn these stones into bread.”

Jesus resists the temptation. He resists not because He isn’t hungry or doesn’t like bread. Instead, Jesus wants more bread than Satan can provide, and Jesus wants to eat that bread in eternal fellowship with His Father and with you, His bride.

Jesus Crushes the Serpent's Head CrossThe second temptation of the devil is for Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple. The devil says, “God will protect you by sending angels to make sure you don’t even hurt your foot.”[1]

Again, Jesus resists the temptation. God will protect Jesus, but God had sent Jesus to have His heel bruised while He crushes the devil’s head. The devil knows this; he was told so. But Jesus doesn’t want God’s protection until He has extended the protection of His blood over you.

The third temptation is for Jesus to have all the kingdoms of the world if He will simply give a quick moment of worship to the devil.

Again, Jesus resists. He will have all the world’s kingdoms. But Jesus only wants those kingdoms when you have been forgiven, when you are died for and redeemed by His cross.

Now, there are two great errors we can fall into when we consider the temptation of Jesus. The first error is to think, “Jesus overcame temptation, so I need to follow His example.” And then we come up with all sorts of gimmicks, steps, and works of piety that we think will keep us from sin, but they all fail.

The other error is to think, “Jesus overcame temptation, so I don’t have to.” God forbid even the thought. Yes, your sin is forgiven, but don’t ever think it is trivial.

Rescued from DeathInstead, rejoice in Jesus’ temptation. Rejoice because Jesus has endured where you have fallen and obeyed where you rebelled. Rejoice because Jesus knows the temptations you face, and He will always provide a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).

And rejoice that the devil left Jesus. The accuser left Jesus because there was no sin to accuse Him of. That also means that the devil will leave you who are in Jesus because, on the Last Day, Satan will have nothing to accuse you of either. Amen.

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

[1] Satan even quotes Ps. 91:11-12. Interestingly, Satan stops there because Ps. 91:13 says, “You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.”