Tag Archives: Second Article

Exalted for Your Redemption – Sermon on the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed for Midweek Lent 3

The Scripture readings used for tonight’s service were Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5-18; and Luke 24:44-53.

Listen here.

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.

Last week we considered the 2nd Article of the Apostle’s Creed and Jesus’ humiliation. Tonight, we continue to consider this article, but in the light of Jesus’ exaltation. Jesus, who is God and Man, is now seated at God’s right hand where He rules, governs, and directs all things in creation. This is great news, and we’ll finish by dwelling on that.

But first it is good to recognize where we confess Jesus’ humiliation and where we confess Jesus’ exaltation in the Creed. Jesus’ humiliation includes His conception by the Holy Spirit; His birth of the virgin Mary; His suffering under Pontius Pilate; His crucifixion, death, and burial. Two things should be mentioned at this point:

First, and this will be important later, the fact that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh – the term for that is the ‘incarnation’ – is not part of Jesus’ humiliation. The way or manner in which Jesus took on flesh shows His humility, but the incarnation itself is not part of Jesus’ humiliation. We have to confess that because Jesus is still truly Man. When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He didn’t lay aside or set down His body. No, He ascended physically into heaven. Jesus still has and will forever have His body. So, again, the fact that the Son of God took on flesh is not part of Jesus’ humiliation because He keeps His body in His exaltation. Tuck that into the back of your mind because, again, it will be important later.

The second thing to mention here is Jesus’ descent into hell. It might seem foreign to us, but Jesus’ descent into hell is the first step of His exaltation when we confess the Creed. We are so used to being told about the horrors of hell that we probably think that going there must be terrible, and that is absolutely true for us. However, when Jesus descended into hell, He did so for an important reason.

The only Scripture text that teaches that Jesus descended into hell is 1 Pet. 3:18-19 which says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” Notice that this text teaches that Jesus is made alive in the spirit, in which, He goes and proclaims to the spirits in the prison of hell. As Jesus wins the victory over death by rising again, He descends into hell and proclaims His victory over the devil and the souls of those who refused to believe. Think of it as a victory lap when Christ preaches even to the devil and those who persisted in unbelief that by the shedding of His blood He has won the victory over sin and death.

So, with all of that in mind, when we confess the Creed, Christ’s exaltation begins with His descent into hell then continues with His resurrection from the dead on the third day; His ascension into heaven; and His continued sitting at God’s right hand to this day. Jesus’ exaltation will culminate when He returns in glory to judge the living and the dead on the Last Day.

So, what toes all of this mean for you now?

Well, in our Gospel lesson (Lk. 24:44-53), we got to hear Luke’s shorter account of Jesus’ ascension. Luke gives a longer view of the ascension with a few other details in Acts 1[:6-11]. But I want you to notice two particular details from the end of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus leads the disciples out to Bethany. Ascension 2He lifts up His hands and blesses them. And while He is blessing them, He is carried up into heaven. The last time Jesus was seen on earth, He is lifting up His hands in blessing. And Jesus continues to lift up His nail-pierced hands in blessing over you, dear saints.

The other detail to consider briefly is that the disciples worshiped Him. Imagine you walked around a corner and saw these disciples. Some of them are standing with their arms raised in praise and gazing into heaven. Some are kneeling with their faces to the ground praising Him. Maybe they are singing one of the Psalms. To someone who didn’t know what had just happened, seeing all this would look pretty ridiculous.

But it isn’t. Jesus was gone. He had ascended to God’s right hand. But the disciples knew that Jesus was not gone in a way that means that He is now absent from them. So, they return to Jerusalem with joy – with great joy. And they were continually in the Temple blessing God. And we join them.

Because Jesus has physically ascended into heaven and is exalted, we have an eternal High Priest who is crowned with glory and honor. As our Epistle text (Heb. 2:5-18) says, He has been made like us, and still is like us, in every respect, so that He is a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God. He is the one who carried our griefs and sorrows (Is. 53:4). He knows the struggles you faced today, and He endured the trials you will face tomorrow. Because He suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help you who are being tempted.

Dear saints, Jesus is exalted. Christ is risen, and He is ascended into heaven, but He is not gone. He is still with you. In fact, He has promised to always be with you. Jesus promises, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them” (Mt. 18:20). Jesus promises, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18, 20). We see Him with the eyes of faith. We see Him even though our eyes do not behold Him. We see Him because He has promised to be with us in His Word and Sacrament. We see Him in our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we see Him in our neighbor who needs our help because as we do good to the least of our brothers, we do also unto Jesus.

We see Jesus, and we watch for Him. We watch for Him because this same Jesus promises that He will return to dwell with you for all eternity. As God’s people we say, “Amen. Amen. It will be so. 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.

Listen here.

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.