Tag Archives: Redemption

Passion Miracles – Sermon on Matthew 26:1-27:66 for Palm Sunday

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Matthew 26:1-27:66

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The seven sayings of Jesus on the cross are the most important words spoken in all history. We have considered them in the past, and we will hear them again on Friday. But Jesus isn’t the only member of the Trinity speaking during the crucifixion. God the Father speaks too, but not audibly. Instead, the Father speaks through the miracles that take place while Jesus is on the cross, and we are going to give our attention to those today.

The first miracle is the darkness. In the Gospel of Mark, we are told that Jesus was crucified, nailed to the cross, at the third hour (Mk. 15:25), which would be about 9 AM. Then, the Gospels tell us that there was darkness from sixth hour until the ninth hour. In other words, that darkness lasted from noon until 3 PM when Jesus died.

Now, Matthew says this darkness was over “all the land” (Mt. 27:45). The interesting thing there is that the word ‘land’ can mean portions of a country. But most of the time, the word there means the entire earth. Matthew uses it in both senses throughout his Gospel. It could be that this darkness was localized to the region surrounding Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified, but it could have been much more than just that – even the entire earth.

This darkness was not a solar eclipse. Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover which means there would have been a full moon, and a solar eclipse can only happen at a new moon. Plus an eclipse only lasts minutes, not hours. We also know that this darkness wasn’t the result a bunch of thick, dark clouds gathering. A Greek historian named Phlegon of Tralles, who was born shortly after Jesus’ death, records what he calls an eclipse. He wrote that it became night at noon so that the stars even appeared in the heavens. Now, Phlegon wasn’t a Christian. He might not have even been aware of the Gospels recording this same event. But the dating of his account matches up precisely with the timing of the crucifixion. Today, secular scholars have tried to come up with an explanation for this darkness Phlegon mentions, but they can’t. No astronomical or meteorological explanation can be made, but the historical accounts aren’t denied either.

This darkness happened because of God. God has the authority to turn off the sun if He wants to. Over and over in Scriptures, darkness is a sign connected with God’s judgment and anger over sin. Remember the ninth plague of darkness over the land of Egypt (Ex. 10:21-22). For three hours during the crucifixion, this darkness covered the land.

So, what was going on here; what was God the Father saying with this darkness? Well, Jesus had taken upon Himself the sins of all humanity, and God’s judgment was laid upon Christ (Is. 53:6). Think of all the sins you just heard about: treachery of Judas, the cowardice of Pilate, the blasphemy of the chief priests, the malice of the crowds. All those heinous sins were all placed upon Jesus.

But it was more than that too. The murder committed by Cain, the hard-heartedness of Pharaoh, the continual unbelief of the Israelites, the pagan practices of the inhabitants of Canaan, the adultery of David, every bit of sin in the world up to that point was all placed on Jesus. All the sins that have happened since: the sins of Nero, Hitler, Stalin, bin Ladin, and every other wicked, evil person were laid upon Jesus. Your sins were there too: your anger, lust, pride, gossip, lies, and covetousness. And all the sins that are still to happen in the future. All of it was there in that moment on Christ as He hung on the cross.

All of those sins angered God. He noticed them and was angry because of them. But know this. God only let the darkness of judgment fall when those sins were laid upon Christ and were no longer yours. So, between noon and three on that Good Friday, Jesus took all of those sins. Christ Himself bore your sins in His body on the cross, and by His wounds you are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). That’s why Jesus says from the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). His redemption for every sin of every person who has ever lived and will ever live was paid in full. Jesus suffered the punishment of God for it all.

The second miracle was the tearing of the curtain in the Temple. The curtain was thick and heavy, so it was no coincidence that it tore from top to bottom. For hundreds of years, that curtain stood as a barrier between God and all of humanity. Only the priest could go behind that curtain into God’s presence on the Day of Atonement. Remember that both the Tabernacle and the Temple served as copies of heaven (Heb. 8:5; 9:23; Ex. 25:9). So, for generations, that curtain preached a sermon to God’s people that said, “Heaven is off limits to you.” But when the high priest would go in behind the curtain on the Day of Atonement, that yearly event preached another sermon. A very different sermon. That sermon preached that access to heaven would come, but only through a substitute.

So, when that Temple curtain tore from top to bottom, what was God saying? God was saying that you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13). God is pleased with you now. He loves you, and heaven is open to you because of Jesus’ death.

The third miracle was the earthquake. The same historian I mentioned earlier, Phlegon, he wrote about this earthquake too. And he wrote about it in Nicaea which is almost 700 miles away from Jerusalem. It’s hard to say for certain what this earthquake means – especially because there is another earthquake Easter morning (Mt. 28:2). But remember how the Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke the people who were crying out, “Hosanna,” as He rode into Jerusalem? Jesus answers them, “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Lk. 19:36-40) It could be related to that. It could be a sign that God had redeemed all creation by the death of Jesus (Ro. 8:21-23). We can’t say for sure why the earthquake happened. But creation noticed and responded to both the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Finally, the fourth miracle is that many of the saints were raised. We heard how Matthew mentions that these risen saints walked around after Jesus’ resurrection and appeared to many (Mt. 27:52-53). What this shows us is that death is no longer the enemy it was before the death of Jesus. God can raise the dead in an instant. Jesus has paid the price. Disease, death, violence, virus, plague, and pandemic are no longer your enemy. They are all defeated by Christ. 

Dear saints, these miracles prove that you have nothing to fear. Christ has paid the price for your sins. God is on your side. He is risen, and so will you. Your King has come with righteousness and salvation (Zech. 9:9). He has spoken peace to you (Zech. 9:10). Return, you prisoners of hope; return to God, your stronghold (Zech. 9:12).

Christ has humbled Himself for you to death – even death on a cross (Php. 2:8). At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

So, yes, “Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest!” Ride on Jesus. Ride on and save us. Welcome to Holy Week. Amen.

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

An Eternal Redemption – Sermon on Hebrews 9:11-15 for the Fifth Sunday in Lent

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Hebrews 9:11-15

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The first ten verses of Hebrews 9, which lead up to this text here, describe the décor of the Tabernacle, how it had a Holy Place with a golden lampstand, the table, and the Bread of the Presence. Beyond the Holy Place was the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, where there was an altar of incense and the Ark of the Covenant covered in gold.

Inside the Ark was a golden urn holding some of the manna, Aaron’s staff which had budded, and, most importantly, the tablets of stone on which was written the Ten Commandments. Standing over the Ark were the golden cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat which was the exact place where God said He would meet with His people. Only high priest could enter that Holy of Holies, and he only went in one day each year – the Day of Atonement. The high priest would actually go into the Holy of Holies three times that day. First, he would enter to fill the place with the smoke of incense creating a smoky barrier between himself and God’s holiness. He would enter a second time to offer the blood of a bull for his own sins. And finally he would enter, to sprinkle the blood of a goat on the Ark for the sins of the people. 

Now, there are all sorts of details that we could go into, but for the sake of time today, we’re going to focus on the blood of the goat that was sprinkled on the Ark and the tablets of the Ten Commandments that were inside the Ark. The blood of that sacrifice created a barrier between God’s Law inside the Ark and the people outside the Tabernacle. That blood, according to God, was what was required for sins.

To get an idea of what was happening on the Day of Atonement, I’d like to give you a picture from a friend of mine. Imagine a huge stone wall before the presence of God in heaven. Every time you sin, a chisel etches into that rock recording how you have broken God’s Commandments. Every time you covet the things that God has not given you, tink, tink, tink, your sin is engraved in heaven. Every time you gossip, spread rumors, or speak poorly of your neighbor, tink, tink, tink. Every time you take was is not yours, hold back something that could help your neighbor, or act selfishly or ungenerously, tink, tink, tink. Every lustful thought, every filthy word, every unchaste deed, tink, tink, tink. Every ounce of your anger is recorded there on that wall, every time you disobey your parents or rebel against the authorities God has placed over you.

This is the record of sins against your neighbor, but your sins against God cry out even more. Missing church, despising God’s Word, neglecting your prayers, and fearing and loving and trusting in everything but God, all of this comes before the Father and cries out for justice and punishment. This is the accusing work of the Ten Commandments, they accuse us, and you and I stand guilty.

Now, it doesn’t really matter if you feel guilty. You are guilty. And in fact, if you aren’t concerned about those sins, that’s additional marks against you. When a convicted criminal has no remorse or feelings of guilt for the sins for which he’s guilty, it is good and right for the punishment to be harsher.

What the high priest was doing when he entered into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement was offering the blood of a goat for the sins of the people. Every year the blood of that sacrifice preached to the people that God accepted the death of another in their place. But the problem was that it was that blood, that sacrifice, needed to be annually refreshed and touched up with another sacrifice. So, every Day of Atonement, the high priest would go through all of it again.

But now, our text would have us imagine that Jesus, our Great High Priest, has come, not into the Tabernacle, but into the heavenly courtroom. Jesus still has the holes in His hands, feet, and side. And Jesus carries a bowl full of blood, but it isn’t the blood of a goat. Instead, it is His own blood, drained from His body as He suffered and died on the cross. He takes that blood to this massive stone wall with the chiseled record of all of your sins, and He covers the whole wall with His blood. All those marks are smeared with His blood. And now, when the Father looks there, the record of your sin is gone. instead, God sees the blood of Jesus, and not one bit of the evidence of your sins is visible. Every sin is died for. Everything you have done that deserves God’s punishment has been covered by the blood of Jesus.

That’s the picture of this text. Look again at v. 12, “[Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Your sins are forgiven, and the perfect righteousness of Jesus is given to you. And this transaction happened, not in a tent made by hands. Instead, this transaction took place once for all eternity in the reality of the heavenly courtroom, the temple not made with hands.

Jesus took your place. He endured the wrath of God that you and I deserve. Because He did this, He secured an eternal redemption for you. His sacrifice, His shed blood, is presented before God the Father who, according to Jesus in our Gospel lesson (Jn. 8:42-59, see v. 50), is the Judge, and God Himself declares you to be not guilty. Because of what Jesus, your Savior, has done, you have an eternal redemption. And, according to Jesus, as you keep and believe His Word, you will never taste death (Jn. 8:52).

Now, the text plainly says that you have an eternal redemption. Unending, ceaseless, endless – it’s an eternal redemption. But there is another statement here that shows the extent of this redemption. Look again at v. 13-14 and, as you hear this, think back to the sacrificial worship of the Old Testament, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify (make holy) for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from…” Now, look carefully at what the text says here. “How much more will the blood of Christ, purify our conscience from dead works.”

You would expect the text to say that Jesus’ blood purifies our conscience from ‘sin’ or ‘iniquities’ or ‘transgressions,’ but it doesn’t say that. The text could have said that because that is also true. The blood of Jesus purifies you from every sin that troubles your conscience. But it says that it purifies your conscience from dead works. What are those?

We know that our sins alienate us from God and make God angry with us. But we think that the opposite is true, that God is pleased with us because of our good works. We wrongly think that a few good works here and there earn us brownie points with God. No. Nothing helps us but the blood of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross cleanses us even from our good works which are, according to this text, dead works.

Our sinful flesh is stuck on the wrong idea that we can cleanse ourselves from sin by making up for those sins by doing good works. That is a dangerous place to be. We cannot atone for our sins. The only hope we have for a clean conscience is the blood of Jesus. He died for your sins, and He died for your dead works that will never make up for the ways in which you have failed.

Because Jesus has offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins, He is the mediator of a new covenant which He instituted in His Last Supper. When you come in a few minutes to this altar, Jesus gives you that blood which wipes away your sins. The blood that the priests offered in the Old Testament was sprinkled on the altar, but Jesus is about to fill you His life-giving blood.

Christ now invites you to come and receive this eternal redemption, and you will receive the promised, eternal inheritance. Come and receive so that you may have a purified, clean conscience now and through eternity. Amen.

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

Signs to Stand – Sermon on Luke 21:25-36 for the Second Sunday of Advent

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Luke 21:25-36

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine being in a castle at night. Everything is quiet until suddenly all the guards and soldiers start running to the fortified walls. They take their battle positions because an army marching to attack. The boots of the advancing army stop tramping, and you hear the shouts of commanders telling the troops to load the catapults and advance with the battering ram. Then you hear it. BOOM! The battering ram hits the castle doors, and the walls shake. BOOM! A rock launched from a catapult hits its target and a couple of windows break and dust falls from the ceiling. Again and again and again BOOM!

Normally, you would be terrified in a situation like that. But not now. Now, you stand with confidence and hope because you are being held captive in the prison of that castle, and the general storming the castle is Jesus coming to save you.

Knowing that, every crash, every clang, every shout of battle, every wall that crumbles around you means that your release is closer. And you know that a new day is dawning, and it is the day of your deliverance.

That is precisely how Jesus wants us to consider the signs He mentions at the beginning of the text. Normally, those signs might make you want to crawl under a table for cover, but Jesus says that should not be our reaction. We should not fear. Every sign of the world coming to an end should give you hope, Christian, because it is an indication that Jesus is coming soon. Yes, that seems counter-intuitive, but remember Christ commands us, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because (pay attention and notice the word Jesus uses here) your redemption is drawing near. Your redemption is drawing near.”

You might be thinking, “Now, wait a minute! I thought Jesus already brought redemption.” As long as we’ve been Christians, we have been taught that Jesus has redeemed us, bought and freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death. 1 Pet. 1:18-19 says that Christ is the Lamb without blemish or spot who has redeemed us. The book of Hebrews 9:[12] says that Jesus entered once into the Holy Place by means of His own blood and secured for us an eternal redemption. Redemption is done. Nothing is left to do. It’s completed. Jesus said so Himself on the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). Christ has made full satisfaction for all our sins. So, why does Jesus, when He is talking about the end of the world, why does He talk about our redemption being something in the future by saying, “Your redemption is drawing near”?

Christ does so to comfort and teach you that in His second coming, everything that He has already accomplished for you in His first coming will be fully yours. Yes, your redemption is complete. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, left to be done. Now, you are simply waiting in this veil of sorrow and tears for the result and goal of that redemption.

All of this means, dear saints, that when we celebrate Christmas now, we are not just celebrating something that happened in the past. Christmas has deeply meaningful and joyful implications on both our present and our future. The Good News of Christ’s birth which has happened is also Good News of what will happen. We can’t rightly worship the Christ child in the manger without talking about the end and eternity.

The best way to celebrate Christmas is to do what Jesus says, lift up your heads because your redemption drawing near. And the best reaction to all the fearful signs that Jesus mentions at the beginning of this lesson – signs in the sun, moon, and stars; distress of nations; roaring of the sea and waves; people fainting with fear and foreboding; even when the powers of the heavens are shaken – when you see these things, you should not, should not, be afraid. Instead, you are to straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Amen?

But, then in v. 34, Jesus gives another sign of His return. Jesus says, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you like a trap.” Those are the signs that should concern us.

Now, I can hear you saying, “Pastor, there aren’t any signs there. None of that is anything compared to the signs Jesus mentions first.” Well, I think the devil has played his old trick on all of us. Satan has whispered in our ears, “Did God really say you should not be afraid?” The devil wants us to be concerned about all the stuff at the beginning of this text even though Jesus says we should not be concerned. And Satan wants us to be unconcerned about what Jesus says here in v. 34 though Jesus says we should be. Don’t fall for the trap.

The sign that Jesus mentions here is that most people won’t be taking things seriously. 1 Thess. 5:2-3 echoes this warning, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them… and they will not escape.” 

Let’s briefly go through these things that Jesus warns can weigh down our hearts. First, ‘dissipation.’ In the Greek, this means consuming to excess in a crazy way. This probably doesn’t mean getting drunk because that is what Jesus mentions next. Instead, ‘dissipation’ means overly consuming anything that can be used to excess. And, in that excess, you are oblivious of what is going on around you. Gluttony would be included in this, but it can be anything – anything that would distract us and weigh us down. It could be news, politics, social media, entertainment, amusement, even sports. We can get ourselves so wrapped up in these things that we get weighed down. Watch yourselves so you aren’t weighed down with dissipation.

Second, Jesus mentions drunkenness. You can get drunk on alcohol but also on all sorts of other substances. And all of that is on the rise during this pandemic. Watch yourselves so you aren’t weighed down with that either.

But if you think you aren’t really in danger when it comes to either of those, Jesus gives you a wake-up call. The third thing, Jesus mentions is the ‘cares’ or ‘anxieties of this life.’ The root of the word Jesus uses there is the same root for our word ‘biology.’ It means anything pertaining to life. In other words, it’s expansive and means all sorts of things. That’s your mortgage or rent. Your job, your business, and your homework. It’s the cleaning you have to do. It could even be the Christmas shopping you have to do. Literally, the cares of this life are anything you might be anxious about.

One of the worst cares of this life right now is COVID – but not the virus itself. Instead, it’s having your heart weighed down by fear of the virus. I’ve been noticing a tendency to an unhealthy fear. In fact, it seems like there are some who enjoy and prefer living in fear and don’t want to hear any good news or hopeful outlook that might challenge their reasons for being fearful. It seems like some have an attitude that the best good work today is a certain level of fear of the virus and the worst sin is not sharing that fear. Now, don’t misunderstand me. None of this is to say you shouldn’t be careful when it comes to COVID. By all means, be careful and care for others. But don’t let your heart get weighed down. Then, on the other hand, there are those who might wrongly think that any precautions or regulations are a government conspiracy to control us. That attitude can just as easily lead you to be weighed down by the cares of this life too. Don’t let your heart get weighed down.

I sincerely hope and pray that, whatever your attitude is regarding the virus, you examine yourself to see if you are being weighed down by the cares of this life. This is not my warning. This is Jesus’ warning. I’m just applying it to a specific care of this life.

When these things weigh down your heart and make you numb to the return of your Redeemer, things are not right. Don’t let it be that one of the signs of Jesus’ return is your own weighed down, unsuspecting heart. Don’t be lulled to sleep. The day of Christ’s return could come upon you like a trap. Stay awake. Be watchful in prayer so that you may have the strength to escape all the things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man. Don’t imagine that you cannot fall and be unprepared for Christ’s return. 

In 1 Cor. 10[:6-13], Paul reminds us of God’s people in the wilderness. They were eating and drinking and going about their life. Then, they grumbled against God for their lack of food, so God sent the serpents to destroy them. Then Paul brings the warning, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” If you think that you can stand on your own, you are in the greatest danger of being weighed down and falling. Repent.

The day will come when everyone will take Jesus’ return seriously. May it be that we take it seriously now, before He comes and not after.

But don’t be confused about what Jesus is saying here. Take your Lord’s warning seriously, but then remember with joy that your redemption is drawing near. The signs that Jesus speaks about are the signs that you should stand firm in your faith. Because the God who has promised that you are completely justified, righteous, and innocent because of the blood of Jesus, that God is faithful. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s promises to you will not ever pass away.

You are a sinner who has a Redeemer who has died for you. He is coming to rescue from the dungeon of this world.

This world is ending. Good riddance. Every sign pointing to the end of this world is a sign of your rescue. All of them are signs pointing you to the return of your Deliverer, your King, your Savior. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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

Humbled for Your Redemption -Sermon on the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed for Midweek Lent 2

The Scripture readings used during tonight’s service were Psalm 71; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; and Philippians 2:1-11.

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And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;  He ascended into heaven; and is seated on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from where He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean?

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true Man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord; Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, bought me and freed me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with silver and gold, but with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death; in order that I might be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness; even as He is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity.  This is most certainly true.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

There are too many lords in here tonight. I’m a lord. You are a lord. You are a lord. Everyone sitting on this side of the sanctuary is a lord. Maybe you don’t feel like much of a lord. You don’t have a castle. You don’t have lands or titles or pedigree. You can’t control the economy. You can’t even control if your house has toilet paper because all the other lords have gone and purchased it all before you could get to the store.

Probably most of us don’t think we are guilty of seeing ourselves as lords. Each of us usually thinks that we are the low man on the totem pole while there is somebody else up there – in the school office, in Washington D.C., or wherever ‘there’ is. But guess again. You are a lord, and there are too many lords here and too many lords out there.

Haughty PrideA lord is not simply someone who has the final say or ultimate authority over a situation. A lord is anyone who exercises power over someone at any time. For example, you are a lord when you get into your car and drive 32 mph instead of the posted 30 mph because your time is more important than the safety of others. By the way, you are also a lord when you slow down to 27 mph in a 30 mph in order to teach a lesson to that guy driving 40 mph behind you. You are a lord when you sit down after a long day and your spouse or kids ask you for something, but you don’t feel like giving them the time or attention they desire. You are a lord when you go to the store or click your mouse to spend your money on yourself or family while ignoring the hungry and needy. Kids, you are a lord when you decide that your sibling has done something you don’t like, so you turn around and do something to them that they don’t like. Yes, there are too many lords today.

The question tonight is this: “What kind of lord are you?” In the Epistle text you heard earlier (Php. 2:1-11), Paul doesn’t ask the question directly, but the Holy Spirit would like that text to have us each answer the question, “What kind of lord am I?” And that Scripture text would have us consider ourselves in light of the Lordship of Jesus who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

As we consider the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed this week and next, we are going to divide it in two parts – Jesus’ humiliation tonight and Jesus’ exaltation next week. Tonight, know this: because Jesus is Lord, the kind of Lord you have is a humble Lord.

Here is the first thing we have to understand about our Lord Jesus’ humiliation. To be humiliated or humbled, you have to start with some status. The higher you start, the more you can be humbled. So, consider Jesus. Jesus is the eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere-present Son of God. You can’t start higher or more lord-like than that. But Jesus didn’t count equality with God a thing to be grasped or held on to.

Jesus’ lordship stands opposite to what Adam and Eve did. Remember in the Garden, Satan aroused Adam and Eve (who were given dominion [i.e. ‘lordship’] over all creation) to eat of the tree which God commanded them not to eat so that they would be like God. They took the bait and fell. Even though Jesus didn’t need to be like God (because He already was God), Jesus is patient and waits to be given that glorification, that lordship, until it pleases God to give it to Him. So, Christ chose to humble Himself.

Even though Jesus was true God and equal to God in all respects, as a man, Christ did not fully make use of His divine powers and attributes. If Jesus wanted to go somewhere, He didn’t teleport. Jesus didn’t sustain Himself by His divine power; instead, He ate food. Jesus took naps, and His feet got dirty. Yes, there are times where Jesus uses His divine power, but almost always it is for the benefit of others by healing them.

good-friday-jesus-comes-to-rescueJesus, the Son of God, emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant. He was formed and woven together in His mother’s womb, just like you were. Jesus was born just as you were born, but in a stable. The shepherds and wise men saw Him as an infant. As a helpless infant, Jesus entrusted Himself to the care of His parents who had to flee the violent, wicked hands of Herod, the lord of Jesus’ land. Jesus learned to walk, talk, and eat in Egypt. He was even potty trained there. He learned His letters and how to read after His parents moved Him to their hometown of Nazareth. Jesus grew up learning carpentry, the trade of His (earthly) father, Joseph. Lord Jesus made friends with the neighborhood kids, and He had siblings who didn’t always treat Him with kindness (Mk. 3:31-32, Jn. 7:1-5).

Jesus knew tiredness after a long day of travel (Jn. 4:6). He got hungry (Mt. 4:2). Jesus experienced disappointment of friends who betrayed Him (Lk. 22:47-48). He felt the pain of friends and family dying (Jn. 11:32-34). Jesus experienced the lure and enticement of every temptation that you face. Yet, Jesus still did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He did not use His divine power to remove Himself from any of those situations.

Instead, your Lord Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death, and not just any death. He humbled Himself to a cross-type death – the most painful and humiliating death ever devised for the lowest of criminals. To illustrate how humiliating Jesus’ death was, it is interesting to note that Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but they don’t believe Jesus died on the cross because dying on a cross is below the dignity of a prophet. And finally, Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Dear saints, your Lord Jesus humbled Himself. You have a truly humble Lord, and Jesus, your Lord did all of this for your redemption. Yet, Christ is most God-like when He is on the cross. With all power and authority at His disposal, He lays it all aside to shed His blood for you, to die for you, to redeem you, to give you His grace and mercy, and to become your Lord.

Christian, that is the kind of Lord you have. Because you have been redeemed by your humble Lord, you are children of God and lords – with a little ‘l’ (1 Cor. 9:19, Ro. 13:8). And this world desperately needs little lords that have the humble mind of Christ. Amen.

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

It Is Finished – Sermon on John 19:30 for Good Friday

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John 19:30

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.”

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

Dear saints, Jesus says, “It is finished.”

Jesus isn’t talking about His suffering. He doesn’t mean His agony or pain. These words do not refer to the darkness over the whole land while Jesus hung on the cross between noon and three. Yes, those things are coming to an end when Jesus says,“It is finished.”But Jesus is talking about something much bigger.

He is saying that the war between God and man is over. “It is finished.”

All of creation was plunged into sin and rebellion when Adam and the woman ate from the tree of which God commanded them not to eat. In that moment, all of humanity declared war against God. But God would not let mankind, the crown of His creation, be at war against Him. God would not fight against us though we fight against Him. Instead, He would fight for us.

Right after we fell into sin, God came down to the Garden and said that He would put enmity between Himself and the devil promising that the Seed of the woman would come and crush Satan’s head even as the devil crushed His heel. Then and there, God declared war – not against us – but against the devil, against death, and against your sin.

The Scriptures are the record of that war. Throughout the Bible, you read of the devil claiming people as his own, putting his name on them, making them his servants and followers, and dragging them with him into destruction.

But all the while God was fighting back. He kept rescuing His people from the devil and his armies. He rescued Adam and Eve. He delivered Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. God ransomed His people from slavery in Egypt. He saved Joshua, Samuel, Samson, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and countless others – both named and unnamed. God was fighting back, calling His people back to Himself. Promising that one day the battles would cease. The war would end. And there on the Cross, Jesus proclaims the victory when He says, “It is finished.”

The victory was costly – more costly than we can ever fathom. And the victory did not appear to be glorious. The victory, in fact, looked like defeat as the eternal Son of God hung there, dead on the cross. It is much easier for us to see Jesus’ heel being crushed than to see the devil’s head being crushed because that heel crushing is overwhelming.

But, dear saints, if the crushing of Jesus’ heel appears to be that devastating, how much more annihilating is the crushing of the devil’s head?

Today especially, but whenever you consider Jesus’ suffering, see what God is doing. He is ending the war. The war is ended not with a ceasefire or a peace treaty, but with total and complete victory. “It is finished.”

Consider what God says the crucifixion of our Lord means. It means that everything that was ever demanded of you in the Law (Col. 2:14), Jesus says, “It is finished.”

All the prophecies about Christ’s suffering that were recorded for us in the books of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms (Lk. 18, 24), Jesus says, “It is finished.”

Everything that was necessary for the Christ to suffer so you could be forgiven and adopted as God’s child (Php. 2:5-15), Jesus says, “It is finished.”

Everything that was necessary for you to be saved and have eternal life (1 Pet. 1:10-12), Jesus says, “It is finished.”

Remember that God calls Jesus “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:19-20). It is God’s loving and gracious will for you to believe in Him. Everything that weighs on your soul, every sin that troubles your conscience, every burden of doubt, every fear, every worry, and every guilt is taken off of you and placed on Jesus. And Christ bears it away and buries it in the depths of the sea (Pr. Preus). “It is finished.”

Today is not bad Friday or sad Friday or black Friday. Today is Good Friday, the day that our Lord restored the original goodness to His creation, and that is most certainly good for us (Petersen).

The death of Christ is your redemption, your victory. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, but now lives forever and ever. Christ has suffered and died in order that you might be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Christian, just as Christ is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, you will too. Amen.

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

The Oven, the Stubble, and the Sun – Sermon on Luke 21:25-36 for the Second Sunday in Advent

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Luke 21:25-36

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Christ's Return in Glory28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

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

A couple of years ago, we had some trouble with the oven in our home. For some reason, it would suddenly go into self-cleaning mode while something was being cooked. Apparently, self-cleaning mode brings your oven’s heat to somewhere between 750-1,000°F. Banana bread does not like temperatures that high. Also, apparently, my family’s lungs did not like the banana bread’s response to temperatures that high. The worst part was how long it took to extract the smoking loaf from the oven. Even after the power was cut, the oven door remained locked and the bread kept smoking until the temperature fell to whatever Whirlpool deems safe. I stood next to the oven waiting so that as soon as I heard the lock release, I could open the door and take the glowing loaf outside to finish smoldering.

I was amazed at how our normal oven was able to turn what was supposed to be tasty goodness into a block of inedible, charred ash. But God speaks of another oven that will be more intense than anything we can imagine in our Old Testament text (Mal. 4:1-6). God speaks there about the day of judgment. Listen again to the first verse: “Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” Now, that’s one hot oven.

Too often, it seems as though the wicked are strong, powerful, and unmovable. Too often, we think the wicked will always prosper and be better off than we poor, little Christians are. Malachi here says that our perception is that the evildoers are like strong trees with deep roots and large branches. But the burning oven of that day will incinerate them so that there will be neither root or branch left. Instead, the evil will prove to be nothing more than stubble that will burn up quickly. For those who refuse to repent, the Last Day will mean their utter destruction because the oven of God’s wrath will burn the stubble of the wicked.

As Jesus talks about this same day in our Gospel text, He doesn’t use the picture of a burning oven, but He uses similar pictures of calamity. Signs in the sun and moon and stars. Distress of nations in perplexity. Roaring of the sea and waves. People fainting with fear and foreboding because of what is coming on the world as the powers of the heavens are shaken.

We don’t like that imagery. We don’t like it when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. Our fear probably lies in the fact that this world is all we have experienced and known. So, when we see it falling apart at an alarming rate, we get anxious. Repent. This world is not all there is.

Dear saints, we don’t need to be worried when we see the world collapsing. Jesus told us that it would happen. He gave us these signs so we would know what is actually going on. Jesus warned us so that we wouldn’t be afraid. It’s like Jesus is saying, “When it looks like everything is falling apart, when all creation seems to be disintegrating, it is. But don’t worry about it. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Instead, be glad because all of it means that your redemption is drawing near.”

When you see signs in the sun, moon, and stars; when you see the nations in distress and perplexity; when you see the roaring of the sea and waves, people fainting with fear and foreboding; when you feel the oven heating up and see the stubble burning, remember what the Scriptures say. You are safe in the nail-scarred hands of your Savior, Jesus.

Again, as God promised in Malachi, “For you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out leaping like calves from the stall.”

So, the pictures we have, so far, of Christ’s return are an oven burning up the stubble of the wicked. But for you Christian, the picture is that the sun is rising and a new day of joy and everlasting peace is dawning. Imagine it this way:

You are in a castle at night, but suddenly all the guards and soldiers start running to the walls of the castle. They take their positions there because outside the castle walls is an army marching to attack the castle. The boots of that attacking army stop tramping, and you hear the shouts of commanders telling the troops to load the catapults and start banging away with the battering ram. Then you hear it. BOOM! The battering ram hits the castle doors and the walls shake. BOOM! A rock launched from a catapult hits its target and a couple of windows break and dust falls from the ceiling. Again and again and again BOOM!

Christ Returns in Power and GloryNormally, you would be terrified in a situation like that. But not now. Not now because you are in the prison of that castle being held captive. And the commander who is leading the army that is storming the castle is Jesus coming to save you.

Knowing that, every crash, every clang, every shout of battle, every wall that crumbles around you means that your release is closer. And you know that a new day is dawning, and it is the day of your deliverance.

Dear saints, I said it a couple of weeks ago, and I’ll say it again. This world is ending. Good riddance. Every sign pointing to the end of this world – no matter how fearful or painful it may be – is a sign of your rescue. All of them are signs pointing you to the return of your Deliverer, your King, your Savior.

The oven is heating up. The stubble is smoldering. But, dear saints, lift up your heads. The Sun is rising. A new, eternal dawn is breaking forth on the horizon. And your redemption draws near. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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

Near – Sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent on Luke 21:25-36

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Luke 21:25-36

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine that you are in a large, fortified castle that is being attacked. The ground shakes and the walls creak. You hear the shouts of soldiers. Captains holler as they command their troops to band together and be steady. Swords are clashing, arrows whizzing. You feel and hear the deep boom of a battering ram repeatedly pounding the gates as dust and pebbles fall from the massive bricks of stone all around youCastle Besieged

Normally, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere near all that calamity, wreckage, and ruin. But imagine that all of this is happening while you are in the dungeon, and the king who is attacking the castle is your father coming to rescue you. So, when those gates fall and his soldiers breach the walls, you will be freed. You might still be scared when the fighting rages near you because the danger is real, but you know that the castle falling is your hope.

That is why Jesus gave us these words. Jesus tells you about the end of this world so that when all these fearful things take place, you know what is happening. The castle of this world is falling, but its fall is your rescue and deliverance.

Too often, we think that this world is all there is because this world is all we know. And when what we know starts to shake and crumble, we get worried when its end appears near.

When we see hurricanes hitting the South and California burning, when we turn on the news or open Facebook and learn about another mass shooting or the continued nuclear saber-rattling of dictators, as we hear about celebrities and politicians being accused of terrible conduct, or as we watch our society decaying because we can’t even talk to each other, we think the world is coming to an end. Well, it is.

It is, but Jesus has told us it would. Jesus said that there would be signs in creation – in the sun, moon, and stars. Jesus said there would be distress in the nations. Jesus said people would be fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world. We are seeing with our own eyes all of this taking place. But remember that we live in the dungeon of the castle of this fallen, sinful world, and Jesus, our Savior, is coming again to rescue and free us.

Christ Returns in Power and GloryRemember also that this world is not all that there is. There is more. There is still the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom. That is why Jesus tells us to not be afraid when these things draw near. He says, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

All the troubles of this world are signs that Jesus is coming to rescue us. These signs that bring fear to the world are already near you, and they are only going to get nearer and nearer. And for the world all these signs leave them no other option than to despair.

But for you, Christian, these signs are signs that your deliverance is drawing near, that you are about to be rescued. If the signs still cause you to worry and fear, look to God’s Word because even though heaven and earth pass away, God’s Word will never pass away.

Remember, the Word became flesh for you and for your salvation, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). God’s Word to you is that He is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding is steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6).

After Adam and Eve fell into sin, they didn’t want to be near each other in their natural, created state, so they covered themselves in leaves. Then, when God showed up, they didn’t want to be near Him either, so they hid. But what did God say? He asked, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9).

It was not God’s wrath that caused Adam and Eve to hide; it was their sin. Their sin had so clouded their minds that they thought their sin had changed who God was. Sadly, we think that too. Of course, God knew where Adam and Eve were. God who created everything in mercy and had given them everything in mercy had come to them In His mercy.

God came to Adam and Eve to give them the promise of the Seed who would crush the serpent’s head. God had come to mercifully point Adam and Eve to Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:19-20). God came to show them that because of His mercy, He would accept the death of another to cover their sin.

But Adam and Eve thought He was coming to destroy them.

To be sure, sin has changed us. Because of our sin, death entered into the world. Because of our sin, this creation will perish. But God has fixed it because His love and mercy for you endures forever. He has come and paid the price. He has laid down His life for you. And He is coming again for you.

cropped-jesus-lamb-slain-silver-goldSo, the castle of this world crumbles, but your redemption draws near. Though the earth gives way, though the mountains tremble and are moved into the heart of the sea (Ps. 46:2-3), according to His promise you are waiting for the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13).

The end is drawing near. Twilight is falling upon this world of sin. But for you believer, there is a new dawn. “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Mic. 4:2). Jesus, your Redeemer, is near, and He comes to save you so you can be with Him forever and ever.

So, straighten up. Raise your heads. Your redemption is drawing near. Amen.

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