“Our Father Who Is in Heaven-The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6.9–13, Lenten Midweek 3 2013

1.             In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  At the end of this service, we will have reached a significant point in our journey through Lent. Since there are Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine in the catechism, when we’ve completed the third Chief Part, we’ll be halfway through our Lenten series. In the Ancient Church, the catechism consisted just of the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. But, in the Middle Ages many other elements had been added to various catechisms. It was Luther who returned to the basic three and then included what was necessary to know about Baptism, Confession and Forgiveness, and the Lord’s Supper. Today we’ll discuss the Lord’s Prayer, and when we finish with it, we’ll have covered the full content of the ancient catechisms.  The truth is we’ll never really be finished with the Lord’s Prayer, because, as Luther says, in it we have enough for a whole lifetime of prayer.  Our heavenly Father gives us reason to make prayer our whole lifetime. Our brief look at the Lord’s Prayer tonight can give us a start in understanding how Our Father Gives Us Every Good Reason to Pray.

2.             How did your day go? How did you occupy your time? Some of you went to work. Others went to school. Some of you were home handling tasks you set as top priority. Everyone has duties and responsibilities. One of your duties and responsibilities today was to pray. How often did you pray today? It’s our duty to pray. God has commanded it. In fact, the Epistle says it so well: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). And as Jesus introduces our text from Matthew’s Gospel, he says, “And when you pray” (Mt 6:5). Notice, it’s not “if”; it’s “when.” Our lives are to be lives of prayer. How well did you do on that?

3.             I was raised in a Christian family. I was taught to pray before meals. I do that pretty well. I also was taught to pray after I eat. Sometimes I’m not so good at that. Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been so hungry that you ate without prayer? Is that okay? Is prayer optional, that is, it’s good if you remember, but it’s okay if you don’t?

4.             What would Daniel say about that? Did Daniel have this attitude about prayer? No, he didn’t. Jealous leaders plotted against him. They convinced the king to pass a law that couldn’t be changed and required prayer only to the king for 30 days. Prayer offered to the true God wasn’t banned forever, just for 30 days. It was Daniel’s custom to pray 3 times a day. I believe if I had been Daniel, I may have said, “I can give up prayer for 30 days. No big deal. After all, prayer is optional.” Some Christians may think this, but not Daniel. Daniel knew it was his duty to pray. In spite of the consequences, Daniel prayed.  Daniel agreed with what Peter and John would tell the Sanhedrin centuries later: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). He understood it was his duty to pray. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. A stone covered the entrance. Daniel may have believed he was going into his tomb. It may have been that Daniel trusted that God would take him into heaven at the mouths of these lions. But I’m reminded of another tomb with a stone rolled in front of it. It served God’s plan that when the stone was rolled away, Daniel was alive!—there—just as Jesus was alive! Daniel knew it was his duty to pray regardless of the consequences.

5.             Someone may say, “Well, that’s not right. I shouldn’t pray because God commanded me. God isn’t forcing me to pray. I should just be praying out of my heart. What do you mean, God commanded prayer?” When we come to God with our little complaints, problems, and ideas, how do we know God will listen to us? One way I know is because God has told me, “Come. Got any problems? Come! I want you to come. Pray without ceasing.” God tells you to pray so that if you have any doubt that He wants to hear your prayer, simply open the Bible and read that, yes, God has told me to come and pray. His command gives us confidence rather than a burden.

6.             Luther makes this interesting comment regarding prayer, “Babbling and bawling . . . [is] not prayer” (LC III 7). There’s a certain form to prayer and a certain discipline of things we need to do. For example, bowing your head and folding your hands are appropriate to teach our children. But this isn’t what makes prayer. Some may think that if they put more energy into a prayer, God will listen to them better. Or, if I bawl and cry out to God, then he will listen. There was a competition between the prophets of Baal and Elijah (1 Ki 18:16–46). Each was to build an altar and pray for God to accept the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal had the most sincere prayers ever.  They walked around the altar, bawled, and cried out. They even cut themselves to show they were sincere. But there was no answer because they prayed to a false god. The effectiveness of prayer isn’t from the energy we put into it. It’s from the person who hears our prayer, God. Elijah prayed to God, and God heard. And God sent down a consuming fire on the altar. Although the altar was drenched with water, the fire consumed everything there because God answered prayer.

7.             Suppose you call 911 and say, “I have a fire. I need the firemen to come,” and the operator replies, “You don’t sound sincere enough. Put your heart into it. Really make me believe.” That doesn’t make any sense. Or what if you call 911 and the operator says, “OK, if you can call back maybe 3 or 4 more times, then I’ll think about it.” No. Or how about this: “I’m glad you called, but we will only answer your request for firemen if you can get 100 of your closest friends to call too.” Some think about prayer this way. But, it’s not the sincerity of my 911 phone call that gets the help. It’s the sincerity of the fire department that answers the call. Now, God wants us to pray from the heart, but God answers prayer because He’s a good and gracious God.

8.             Do you ever feel so unworthy that you think God doesn’t want to hear your prayer? He tells you to call upon Him. There’s a reason He tells you this. The reason is the cross. On the cross, when Jesus died for your sins and for mine, He made you acceptable to God. He reconciled you to God.  This is why the 5^th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses,” is so important. If God were to look upon our sins, He could only deny our prayers. But, because Jesus took away our sins on the cross, God doesn’t see our sins. He only sees us as dear sons and daughters, as holy and worthy as the only begotten Son who took our place and gave us His.

9.             Some years ago, a pastor was at the hospital near the critical care unit. A woman standing there saw him. She saw that he was wearing the collar of a clergyman, and she grabbed him and said, “Come, please, pray for my mom. She’s in the ICU.” The pastor went into the ICU, and he prayed with her mom. When he was done, the woman said, “Oh, thank you so much, I know that really helped. I’ve tried to get everyone in here. I’ve had a priest and a rabbi too.” She had the idea that those of the clergy were closer to God, that God would hear a pastor’s prayer before he would hear her prayer. How sad and untrue that is. God hears your prayer, because Jesus is the one who gave you permission to say, “Our Father in heaven,” to pray to God, the Father Almighty, who made heaven and earth.

10.         Luther says this to one who doubts God will hear his prayer: “You should say, ‘My prayer is as precious, holy, and pleasing to God as that of St. Paul or the most holy saints. This is the reason: I will gladly grant that Paul is personally more holy, but . . . God does not consider prayer because of the person, but because of His Word” (LC III 16). The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us—Jesus Christ. Our Father promises to hear our prayers because we are His dear children through Jesus and His cross.  When children sing in church, it makes me happy to see the smiles on their faces. But there’s a special joy in seeing the faces of the fathers and mothers as their children sing. Parents have great joy when children phone home. They rejoice because they love their children. Because of your faith in Jesus, this is God’s attitude toward you when you pray! “My children, who have been adopted into my family through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, how wonderful it is that you are now talking to me as dear children talk to their dear father.”

11.         This is exactly what Luther is teaching us when he explains the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father”: “With these words [Our Father] God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true father and that we are his true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear Father.”  We should all form a daily habit of prayer. It would be good if we would learn this from youth. It’s a great blessing to be raised in a family where parents teach their children to pray—when they get up in the morning, when they go to bed at night, before and after meals.  Sometimes our heavenly Father teaches us the habit of prayer. He may remind you to pray by placing you on your back in a hospital bed so that you must look up to heaven and remember Him in prayer. Sometimes He teaches you to pray by allowing you to have difficulties, either in your family life or at work or with finances. These are all opportunities to be reminded of the godly habit of prayer.

12.         Luther says this, “Whenever a godly Christian prays, ‘Dear Father, let Your will be done’ [Matthew 6:10], God speaks from on high and says, ‘Yes, dear child, it shall be so, in spite of the devil and all the world’ ” (LC III 32). In spite of the devil and all the world, God’s will is done for your ultimate blessing.  One of the greatest examples of this is a prayer I want you to remember throughout the Lenten season. On a hill far away stood 3 crosses. From one cross a prayer came to Jesus’ ears: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk 23:42). God privileged that child of God to hear the answer to his prayer immediately, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (23:43). As you offer your prayers to God, I hope the answer to the prayer of the thief on the cross will ring out and echo in your ears. God wants you to be with Him forever in paradise because of Jesus, your Savior. In His name. Amen.

“Fear Not! For I Will Never Leave Thee” Hebrews 13:5--Roy Falkenheim's Funeral Sermon preached on 2-14-13

“Fear Not!  For I Will Never Leave Thee” Hebrews 13:5

Roy Falkenheim’s funeral sermon by Rev. John M. Taggatz preached at Roy’s Funeral on Feb. 14^th, 2013 at St. John Lutheran Church Baldwin, IL

1.      Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Dear family and friends of Roy.  On behalf of the congregation here at St. John we offer to you our deepest sympathy.  Today we’re going to look at Roy’s confirmation verse that he received on the day that he confirmed his faith in Jesus Christ his Savior on April 11^th, 1937 here at St. John Baldwin.  It’s from Hebrews 13:5, which says, “⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  The message is entitled, “Fear Not! For I Will Never Leave Thee.”  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      Roy was deeply loved by many friends, family members, and members of this congregation here at St. John Baldwin.  He will be greatly missed.  But, he wouldn’t want us to think that his death is the end for him.  For Jesus promises us who believe in Him as our Lord and Savior in John 14:1-6, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  This moment of sorrow, suffering and pain for us as we mourn over Roy’s death will pass for we know that since we too believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior we will see our beloved Roy again in the gates of paradise.  Roy would want us to know that His Lord and Savior Jesus has prepared a mansion for him in heaven and through Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins, He’s prepared one for you as well, if you believe in Him as your Savior.

3.      Roy was ready to help those who were in need.  Earlier in his life he was often the first responder to auto accidents at the highway overpass near his home. He will be remembered for his over 50 years of being a dairy farmer and he also worked as a security guard at Sparta Printing Company and Peabody Coal.  Roy was also a 1950 graduate from the University of Illinois.  We also thank him for his service to our country as a WW II veteran.

4.       But, the one thing that Roy would want to be remembered the most for is his deep love and trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  For the past 5 ½ years I’ve had the privilege as Roy’s pastor to deliver to him and his wife Laverne the saving means of God’s grace through Christ’s Word and Sacrament.  I know Laverne & Roy looked forward to receiving the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation that Jesus freely gives to those who receive His Word and His body and blood in faith.  Roy held fast to the promises of God given to him in his baptism, remembering that he was washed and cleansed of his sins and made a child of God when he was baptized on March 18^th, 1923 at Schulein in the home of his parents with Rev. Justus Lohrmann officiating.   

5.      On the day of Roy’s confirmation he received this text of Scripture from Hebrews 13:5 from his Pastor Justus Lohrmann.  Hebrews 13:5 says, “⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”   Here the author of Hebrews tells us to “Keep our lives free from the love of money.” From warning against immorality earlier in Hebrews 13, he turns to the love of money. Quite naturally so, for Scripture often links these two together (1 Corinthians 5:11; Ephesians 5:3). A covetous person pays little attention to anyone else’s well-being as he selfishly pursues his own aims. Christians are to keep their lives free from such love of money. Those whose greedy hearts reach more for gold than for God, would do well to remember Paul’s warning in 1 Timothy 6:10: “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  After all, Job reminds us that naked we came into this world and naked we will leave, blessed be the name of the Lord.  No one ever sees a U-Haul following behind a hearse.  Only our Christian faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will lead us into the riches that come from God that will last in the paradise of Heaven.

6.      The antidote is to “be content” with what we have. Christians believe that God knows what’s best for them. Whatever we have, we regard as having come from God. And there we stop! To go beyond invites either sinful worry or ungodly greed. In a world that revolves around the possessions you have and the position you hold, it’s not easy to practice contentment. It’s not easy to join Paul in the words of Philippians 4:11: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

7.      The great dividing line between Christianity and other religions is the teaching of salvation by grace alone through faith on account of Christ.  Other religions give credit to sinful man with some ability to gain favor with God and being saved.  Only Christianity gives all glory to God by teaching that sinful humanity is saved by the free grace of God.  When this doctrine of free grace lives in our hearts, it keeps us strong so that we’re not, “Led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace,” (Hebrews 13:9).

8.      As sinners we understand that the wages of sin is death as Paul tells us in Romans 6:23.  We aren’t just sinners because we sin, no, we sin because we are sinners who are conceived in sin in our mother’s womb.  We can’t say that we have kept the requirements of God’s holy law.  Roy knew this for this is what he was taught in confirmation class.  We know that the heart produces evil thoughts—not love, but hate; not hospitality, but cold indifference; not sympathy, but cruel condemnation; not purity, but immorality.  The law is kept only by faith in and through the perfect obedience of our Savior Jesus Christ.

9.      For Martin Luther, the doctrine of salvation by grace was the touchstone of the Christian faith.  By it all other teachings could be measured.  Today, many claiming to know the way of salvation based primarily on what we as human beings can do to earn our salvation are many.  Their message is centered on the third use of the Law, which is a guide for daily living.  It seems that proclaiming salvation only by God’s grace is humiliating because it leaves human merit out of the picture.  But, we may measure the teachings of all theologians by this—that God has revealed Himself as a gracious God in Jesus Christ, who has won for us and our beloved Roy, freedom from sin and the gift of eternal life if we believe in Christ.

10.  Roy’s confirmation verse from Hebrews 13:5 tells us that as Christians we are to be content with the blessings God has given to us.  Our hearts cling to Christ, whose blood alone purifies us from all sin.  Jesus promises to supply us with all our needs of body and soul.  This is the secret of contentment.  It’s to remember our God’s promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Never will Jesus leave us. Never will He abandon us. Always He goes with us. Always Jesus is our eternal Resource. What more could we ever want? Constant mindfulness of God’s fatherly presence and of his never-failing promises is the key to contentment.  When God speaks, we as Christians respond. With confident courage we declare on the basis of Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Content with God’s perfect provision, covered with God’s perfect protection, we as Christians walk toward heaven’s shores unafraid.  And, this my friends is what we need to hear today as we mourn Roy’s death.  As Christians we can know that with God on our side we have a majority of one, regardless what foes or fears we face, even death itself.  Praise God the Father that He’s given us the victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Amen.

“Like Savior, Like Servant” Jeremiah 26.8–15 Lent 2 Series C, 2-24-13

1.             Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  In the middle of this Lenten season, it’s easy to see similarities between Jeremiah and our Savior on Good Friday.  Both Jeremiah & Jesus came with God’s message (v. 8), both were met with opposition (vv. 8–11), and yet both Jesus & Jeremiah trusted the Lord (vv. 15), and carried out their mission (vv. 12–15).  The message from God’s Word this morning is taken from Jeremiah 26:8-15 and it’s entitled, “Like Savior, Like Servant,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

2.             In the 1920s it was the Scopes trial, when William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow squared off to debate creation versus evolution. In the 1930s it was the Lindbergh case, which tried to convict the kidnapper and killer of Charles Lindbergh’s young son. In the 1970s it was Watergate, and the American presidency was on trial. In the 1990s it was O. J. Simpson. Every generation has its “Trial of the Century” to capture the public imagination.  The same was true during Biblical times. One famous case began with a true prophet preaching an unpopular message in the city of Jerusalem. Among other things, the prophet Jeremiah predicted that God’s temple would be destroyed. The citizens of the city were so hostile to his message that they angrily formed a mob, hastily put him on trial, and eagerly demanded the death penalty. Because the man was a true prophet, putting him to death would have brought the guilt of shedding innocent blood on every inhabitant of the city.

3.             Hear again what Jeremiah 26:8–15 says, “8And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.  10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. 11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”  12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

4.             Not every sermon is worth repeating, but since a new king was on the throne, the Lord instructed his prophet to deliver a message first heard during the reign of Josiah (Jer 7). The Lord knew how tempting it would be to soften the message. This is the only time in Jeremiah’s ministry we’re told God specifically commands, “Do not omit a word” (26:2). God insisted that Jeremiah proclaim his message in a high traffic area of the temple, where “the priests, the prophets and all the people” (v. 7) would hear him. No one was to miss this message. The crowds did listen. They listened to make sure they had all the evidence they needed. Then they “seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ ” The Lord’s evaluation of his people hit the bull’s-eye: “You do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again” (v. 5). Our Epistle reading for this Sunday describes such “enemies of the cross” (Php 3:18). “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (v. 19).

5.             The sermon was a good one. It had the two elements every faithful sermon must have—law and gospel. Good preaching both explains the Law of God, which exposes sin, and proclaims the grace of God, which forgives sin.  Jeremiah began with the Law. He followed the instructions he was given.  He preached nearly every one of the Ten Commandments, how the people had failed to love God with all of their heart, soul, and strength and how they had not loved their neighbors as themselves. He explained in detail how the people were failing to keep covenant with their God.  Jeremiah did not preach the Law to condemn, but to convict. God hoped that this preaching of the Law would turn people away from sin.

6.             Jeremiah was just trying to preach law and grace the way God told him to preach it. But his congregation didn’t see it that way. They made him a victim.  By way of contrast consider the cartoon that depicts a seminarian sitting at a desk piled high with books and papers. He is not studying. He is daydreaming about what it will be like to be a pastor. He fantasizes about preaching the best of all possible sermons. In his imagination he can hear the congregation shout his praises and see the elders hoist him on their shoulders and carry him out of the sanctuary in triumph.  Yeah right.

7.             Jeremiah was not carried out like a champion.  Instead, the people grabbed him, but not in triumph. Jeremiah was a victim of mob violence. They weren’t crowding around him to get his autograph. They were out to get him.  This ugly scene would have ended in murder had not the authorities rushed in to break things up. They followed all the proper legal procedures. They took Jeremiah from God’s house to the courthouse.

8.             Jeremiah’s trial began with a reading of the charges. The murderous intentions of the plaintiffs were revealed when they called for the death penalty, even before they stated their charge or made their case! The prosecution hardly saw the need to present any evidence. According to them, all the people had heard Jeremiah’s sermon with their own ears.  The prophets and the priests were not interested in repentance. They completely ignored Jeremiah’s message of law and grace. They were more concerned with what he had said about the temple. Speaking against the temple seemed like treason. It had become a national shrine. They were offended when Jeremiah warned that God was going to destroy their precious temple.

9.             Once the charges had been read, it was up to the defendant to make his plea. In effect Jeremiah pled “not guilty by reason of obedience.” Jeremiah explained that he had not been preaching on his own behalf. The people of Jerusalem were blaming the messenger, but their real complaint was with the message.  Human nature being what it is, ministers often come under criticism. Sometimes criticism is justified, in which case a minister must receive correction with all humility. But many complaints a faithful pastor receives are not complaints against him at all—they are complaints against God. That was certainly the case in this trial, and Jeremiah was not afraid to point it out. The people thought they were contending with Jeremiah, but actually they were contending with God. If they had a grievance they would have to take it up with God himself, for he was the one warning them about judgment and calling them to repentance.  Jeremiah submitted to the jurisdiction of the court. His chief concern—his only concern—was to be God’s faithful messenger. He would not lift a finger to save his life. But he would defend God to the death.

10.         Jeremiah did not lose his life. He found it. He found his life not by delivering himself from death, but with the help of advocates who took up his case.  In the end, Jeremiah was delivered from death. He was acquitted of all the charges against him.  But, the words of the verdict in Jeremiah’s case remind us of another prophet who was handed over to the people to be put to death. Like Jeremiah, Jesus Christ was tried in the city of Jerusalem. Like Jeremiah, he was seized by a band of angry men who crowded him on every side. And like Jeremiah, he was charged with treason against the temple. Like Jeremiah, Jesus was innocent of the charges brought against him. Jesus was without sin. Yet, like Jeremiah, he did not defend himself. When the trial of Jeremiah is placed beside the trial of Jesus Christ, one finds obvious similarities in the charge, arrest, accusation, and defense. When some people said the Son of Man was the second coming of Jeremiah (Matthew 16:14), they were more accurate than they realized.

11.         There is one great difference between the trial of Jeremiah and the trial of Jesus Christ—the verdict. At the trial of Jesus, no one observed the warning that his death would bring the guilt of innocent blood upon them. Jesus was not delivered from death—he was delivered unto death. He was handed over to be executed (Matthew 27:26). Jesus Christ was arrested, charged, convicted, and crucified for your sins and mine.  And, there is one other difference between the trial of Jeremiah and the trial of Jesus. The verdict against Jesus Christ was overturned on appeal. In his dying moments Jesus appealed to the highest court in the whole universe. “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ ” (Luke 23:46). He not only appealed his own case—he appealed our case as well. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (v. 34).

12.         And God the Father accepted those appeals. The guilty verdict given to Jesus by sinful men was overruled by God the Father. The proof of the success of that appeal is the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. The Resurrection proves that Jesus Christ was innocent. Since Jesus was wrongly executed, the law of the highest court in the universe demanded that he be returned back to life.  The Resurrection proves that the sacrifice Jesus offered for sin was accepted by God. The appeal Jesus made for God to overturn the verdict against you has been just as successful as his own appeal. Once he paid for your crimes, the verdict against you was no longer able to stand. If you trust that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and if you believe that he was raised from the dead, then you too will be delivered from death.  Amen.

“This I Believe- The Apostles’ Creed”-- Lenten Midweek Series 2, Feb. ‘13--1 Cor. 15.3–8

1.              Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.  Amen.  We’ve traveled one week so far on our Lenten journey. I hope you’re profiting from reading Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms.  A few years ago, a Lutheran pastor was in a serious car accident returning home from a short trip. Seat belts and air bags saved his life, but nothing could save his car. The pastor’s insurance wasn’t enough for a new car, but it was enough to buy an older model with heated seats! With delight the pastor imagined the first cold winter day that he would turn on those heated seats and live in luxury!  But, the pastor was disappointed when winter came and he got into the car to push the button. No heat! He determined that the next summer he’d check the wiring and the fuses.  Sometime later, the pastor managed to push a button by mistake. The seat began to heat. He was so excited he found his son and told him, “This is great!” I showed him how I’d turned on the seats. He said, “Oh, I knew how to do that.”  This was a great revelation to the pastor. The only thing wrong with his car was his ignorance. Ignorance of heated car seats is a silly thing. Unfortunately, in today’s culture, it’s not so silly that people often are proud of their religious ignorance. The consequences can be serious.  Many are ignorant about the Apostles’ Creed—both about why we use it and about its content. Rather than ignorance, let’s be sure we know, what’s in a Creed Anyway?

2.             Our American Christian culture is mainly non-creedal. It believes there’s something wrong if you declare, “This I believe” when speaking of the Creed. One group says “deeds, not creeds.” Another says, “It’s my freedom to believe what I want. Don’t tell me what to believe.”  It’s tempting to buy into this culture and say, “It doesn’t really matter what anyone else says about the Bible. The only thing that matters is what it means to me.” People develop strange ideas about the Bible when they abandon the creeds of the Church. They become pleased with their ignorance.

3.             Did you know that the Bible contains creeds? Our text today is an early creed. Paul quotes it to the Corinthians: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4). Doesn’t that sound similar to the Apostles’ Creed?  The creeds have been part of the foundation of Christian teaching for over 1,500 years. We use the three ecumenical creeds because they summarize the Bible’s teachings.

4.             I’ve had the privilege to read St. Augustine, and I can relate to him because he taught the catechism every year. Just as we’re doing, Augustine would teach the catechism during Lent. Part of his instruction was the Apostles’ Creed. (See William Harmless, Augustine and the Catechumenate [Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1995].) By Augustine’s day, around AD 400, Christian instruction using the Apostles’ Creed already had been taking place for about two hundred years. As we meditate on our Christian faith as confessed by saints throughout the ages and reflected in the Apostles’ Creed, we’re in good company. For this reason Martin Luther identified the Creed as a chief and important part of Christian doctrine.  The Creed is divided into three parts, concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Did you notice that this is how our Readings were divided today—the Old Testament Reading primarily about the Father, the Epistle primarily about the Son, and the Gospel especially about the Holy Spirit?

5.             The first Reading was creation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Gen 1:1–5). Before God said, “Let there be light,” there never had been a day before.

6.             Martin Luther did something interesting with the First Article of the Creed. He made it personal. Asking, “What does this mean?” he answers, “I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul . . .” And he still takes care of me today!  There was a time—an evening and a morning—when you had your first day. Do you know who gave that first day to you? God did. God the Father gave you your first day.  Luther says in the Large Catechism, “If you were to ask a little child, ‘My dear, what sort of a God do you have? What do you know about Him?’ The child would say, ‘This is my God: first, the Father, who has created heaven and earth. Besides this One only, I regard nothing else as God. For there is no one else who could create heaven and earth’ ” (LC II 11). Later he says, “This is what I mean and believe, that I am God’s creature. . . . I mean that He has given and constantly preserves . . . for me my body, soul, and life, my members great and small, all my senses, reason, and understanding, and so on” (LC II 13).

7.             Unfortunately many people only know the God of nature, the God of creation, the God of power & might, the God of hurricanes and tornadoes, the God of lightning and floods. The First Article ought to humble and terrify us all, Luther says, “if we believed it. For we sin daily . . . with eyes, ears, hands, body and soul, money and possessions, and with everything we have” (LC II 22). Our sin offends the Creator. It’s a wonderful blessing that the Creed goes on to teach about the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

8.             In the First Article of the Creed, you learn that God gives you all that you have. In the Second Article of the Creed, you find out that God gives you all that he is. Luther says, “He completely poured forth Himself . . . and withheld nothing from us” (LC II 26). God gave you all he is when he gave his only-begotten Son.  I believe “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, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.” These are wonderful facts of history. Luther makes it personal. He says. “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.”

9.             Some people will say, “Jesus is Lord. You must make Jesus the Lord of your life; make him the boss of your heart.” But here’s what Luther says: “I believe that Jesus Christ, God’s true Son, has become my Lord. But what does it mean to become Lord? It is this: He has redeemed me from sin, from the devil, from death, and from all evil. . . . Let this, then, be the sum of this article: the little word Lord means simply the same as redeemer” (LC II 27, 31).  If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross, do you know who your Lord would be? Sin, death, and the devil. For Jesus to be your Lord isn’t something that you do. It isn’t putting Jesus on the throne of your heart. It is Jesus stretching out his hands and allowing himself to be nailed to the cross. For “He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” When he has become my Lord through his death on the cross, then “I will be his own and live under him in his Kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”

10.         In the Second Article, we learn that God has given himself to us, all that he is in the person of Jesus, our Savior. That should be enough, right? God created you, gave you your eyes, your ears, fingers, toes, and then he gave you his Son, Jesus, who died on the cross for your sins to be your Lord, your Redeemer. That should be enough, but it’s not. Jesus knew that it wasn’t enough. The Holy Spirit must be given.  In John 15, Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (vv 26–27).

11.         Jesus died on the cross. That’s an objective reality. It happened. But unless the Holy Spirit applies the reality of Jesus’ death on the cross to you, to your heart, it remains hidden from you. Just as in my ignorance the Lutheran pastor didn’t know how to turn on the heated seats in his car, there are many people in the world for whom Jesus died who know nothing about him. Or they may know the facts about him but have rejected him, refused to believe in him as Savior. The Holy Spirit must give you faith.  The work of the Holy Spirit is sanctification, the work of making you holy. He does this when he calls you by the Gospel, enlightens you with his gifts, sanctifies and keeps you in the true faith.  The Holy Spirit connects you to Jesus, his cross, and his resurrection. He does this through the Means of Grace, Word and Sacraments. Luther says this in his Large Catechism, “How is such sanctifying done? Answer, ‘The Son receives dominion, by which He wins us, through His birth, death, resurrection, and so on. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit causes our sanctification by the following: the communion of saints or the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting’ ” (LC II 37).

12.         I believe that you have faith in Jesus. How did you receive that faith? You received it through the Church. Whether you know it or not, members of the Holy Christian Church brought the Word of God to you. For some it was the Word connected to the water of Baptism. For others it was the Word proclaimed in a sermon or shared over a cup of coffee. Possibly it was the Word printed in a booklet given to you. But it was the Church that the Holy Spirit used to bring you to faith.  He uses the Church to keep you in the faith. Luther writes this: “The Spirit has His own congregation in the world, which is the mother that conceives and bears every Christian through God’s Word” (LC II 42). Next comes this famous quotation of Luther, “I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ. . . . This group is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with many different gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schism” (LC II 51). This is you. The Holy Spirit has made you a member of that little group, the Church. It may not appear to the world to be successful, but success in the world can often be counterfeit to God. By the calling of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, you are part of this little flock.

13.        I mark up my sermon notes in various ways: Bold type means “better not miss that one.” An asterisk marks things I’d better not skip. Here’s my bold triple X Luther quote of the night, so wake up, if you fell asleep: “Everything, therefore, in the Christian Church is ordered toward this goal: we shall daily receive in the Church nothing but the forgiveness of sin through the Word and signs, to comfort and encourage our consciences as long as we live” (LC II 55). That’s why we’re here. The Church exists for people to come and know their Savior Jesus and his precious blood shed on the cross and to receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. That’s the Creed we believe. Amen.

“The Greatest of These Is Love” 10 Commandments, Exodus 20.1–17, Feb. ’13, Sermon 1 Lenten Midweek

1.                         Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Have you ever thought, if this is Luther’s Small Catechism, then there must be Luther’s Large Catechism? You’re right; there is. And if the Small or Large Catechism or both of them would be unfamiliar to you our Lenten series this year should help. Our forty-day tour is entitled “Taking On Something for Lent: Luther’s Catechisms.”  It was Pastor Luther’s love for the people that motivated him to write these catechisms. As he visited congregations he was dismayed to find that people who called themselves Christians didn’t know God’s Word. They didn’t know the 10 Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and even the Apostles’ Creed.

2.                        Martin Luther desperately wanted people to understand what God had done for them in Jesus Christ. Through the catechisms, they would begin to learn God’s Word. They would learn the sternness of God’s commands and the sweetness of forgiveness. And even today, one of the best ways to learn what’s taught in the Bible is to learn Luther’s Small Catechism.

3.                        Lent is a time for spiritual discipline. Often people will choose to give something up for Lent as a spiritual discipline. Instead, this Lent, you may want to take on something. Let me suggest a spiritual discipline for you to consider: Read from Luther’s Small Catechism every day and read through Luther’s Large Catechism once. This will make the Lenten season a blessing for you. Okay? If you don’t have a Small or Large Catechism, I as your Pastor will be sure to get you one so that you can read them.  Let’s begin.

4.                        Everybody wants to find love, after all tomorrow is Valentine’s Day when many people will be celebrating it. And with good reason, right? In 1 Cor 13:13, the apostle Paul writes, “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” No question—love has a lot going for it. And 1 Corinthians 13 is a great place to go looking for love. Remember? Paul has those beautiful words about how love is patient and kind; love doesn’t envy or boast; it isn’t arrogant or rude. If we want to find love, we can learn much from this chapter.  But I want to suggest a better starting point to learn about love. How about God’s Law in the Ten Commandments? Hmm. Now that may not sound so lovely. The Law. The 10 Commandments. All the fuzzy feelings people get when you say “love” can disappear when you say “10 Commandments.” “Thou shalt”—you better do it! “Thou shalt not.” Don’t you dare! Where’s the love in that?

5.                        Jesus saw God’s love in the 10 Commandments. In Matthew 22, He summarized all the Commandments with these words: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (vv 37–40).  The first three commandments (no other gods, not taking God’s name in vain, remembering the Sabbath Day) tell you that you are to love God. How? With all your heart, soul, and mind. The last seven commandments tell you to love your neighbor as yourself. Love defines how we are to relate to one another. If we love our neighbors—our father and mother—we’re going to honor them (the Fourth Commandment). If we love our neighbors, we’re neither going to hurt nor harm them (the Fifth). We’re not going to steal from them (the Seventh). We’re not going to take their spouses or their good names (the Sixth and Eighth Commandments). We’re not going to covet their things that we can’t rightfully have from them (the Ninth and Tenth Commandments). This is the greatest way to live. This is love.

6.                        Martin Luther captured Jesus’ teaching quite well in the Small Catechism, where we read the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” If you can get that down, you’ve got it made! If you could “fear, love, and trust in God above all things,” you wouldn’t need the rest of the Bible! But that’s an extremely big “if.”  In fact, failing to love God above all things is the most common sin. In the Large Catechism, Luther points out: “Many a person thinks that he has God and everything in abundance when he has money and possessions. He trusts in them and boasts about them with such firmness and assurance as to care for no one. ‘Mammon’ (i.e., money and possessions) . . . is the most common idol on earth. He who has money and possessions feels secure . . . and is joyful and undismayed as though he were sitting in the midst of Paradise” (LC I 5–7). When I see beautiful homes on TV and the wonderful locations where some people live, I can understand that the love of money often pushes God off his throne. It’s easy to think, “If I only had a little more money, I could live like those people. It would be heaven on earth.”

7.                        Lest we get smug while looking at the wealthy, Luther goes on to warn, “On the other hand, he who has no money doubts and is despondent, as though he knew no God. For very few people can be found who are of good cheer and who neither mourn nor complain if they lack Mammon. This care and desire for money sticks and clings to our nature, right up to the grave” (LC I 8–9). The love of money is just one way of having another god. For some, it’s the desire for fame. For others, it’s love of friends. You name it. All kinds of things might push God aside. This is nothing new. Whenever we love, trust, or fear something more than God, we knock God off his throne.

8.                          So where’s the love? If anything, the 10 Commandments show us that it’s misplaced. We don’t love God or neighbor as we should. The 10 Commandments force you to enter Lent understanding exactly what God’s Law says about you. They pierce your heart and conscience in the same way that they pierce mine when I read them. They declare us to be sinners. For I don’t love God with all my heart and soul and mind; neither do you. It’s this sin that leads to death, to eternal death and abandonment by God. So where’s love in the Ten Commandments?

9.                        Love can only really be found in the Ten Commandments when not God’s Law but his Gospel comes along and tells us who loves according to the Commandments.  God has not abandoned us. In our Old Testament Reading, we hear the words of Joel: “ ‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2:12–13). Although we (just as God’s people of old) can’t keep even the First Commandment, God tenderly invites us to return for he is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Ex 34:6). In love God gave us his Law in the Ten Commandments so that we would see our sin and our need for a savior. And Where We Do Not Love, God Does!

10.                    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). God loved you in your sin, and when the fullness of time had come, he “sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4–5).  Jesus lived under the 10 Commandments just as we do. He understood and explained them better than ever before. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that our heavenly Father requires perfection (Mt 5:48). Although you and I fail miserably in every attempt to love perfectly as the 10 Commandments demand, Jesus loves perfectly as God’s Law requires. Still, He was tempted just as we are but never sinned (Heb 4:15).  Even though Jesus never sinned, He died on the cross for your sins and for the sins of the whole world (1 Cor 15:3). God’s ultimate goal for us this Lent is that we would return to the Lord and fall on our knees before the cross and say to our Savior, “Lord, have mercy.”

11.                    The work of the 10 Commandments is to help us see our sin, to drive us to our knees before the cross of Jesus, and there receive forgiveness, life, and salvation through faith. This is a wonderful thing. The beauty of Christ’s love and sacrifice is something that we can never fully grasp in this life. It makes me want to say, “Thank you, Jesus, for your death, your resurrection, forgiveness, and eternal life. What can I do for you? Not to earn my way to heaven, but to say thank you?” And that little word love returns. Jesus says, “If you love me . . .”—Can you fill in the blank?—“If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15).

12.                    Oh! That’s how Christians can use the 10 Commandments—to show our love and thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This is why we worship God and serve him only. This is why we call on his name with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. This is why we come to worship on Sunday. This is why we honor our mother and father. This is why we help people who are in need and are hurting. This is why we’re careful not to take that which doesn’t belong to us, or even think about taking it. This is why we’ll respect another’s marriage as we respect our own. This is why we help people protect their good names. This is why we rejoice when others may have more than we have. All because we love Jesus for what He’s done for us in love.  This is what Lent is all about: Jesus. This is what love is all about: Jesus loving. And as we take on Luther’s catechisms this Lenten season, we’ll discover that this is what they’re all about: Jesus. Amen.

“Viewing our Lives from God’s Perspective” Deuteronomy 34.1-12 Feb. 10th ’13, Series C. The Transfiguration of Our Lord

1.                   Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the mediation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word on this day that we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord is taken from Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and is entitled, “Viewing Our Lives from God’s Perspective,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                   As a visitor on more than one occasion to the Sears Tower in Chicago, now I guess it’s called Willis Tower, I’ve been there when the visibility was so clear you could see for miles. But, I’ve also been there when the fog was so thick that the visibility was next to nothing. No matter where we are in life, there are things that happen that cloud how well we can see what God is doing in our lives. The problems of life—health and medical issues, family troubles, marriage strife, financial worries, the death of a loved one, and so on—can all cloud our vision for what we think God is doing or what we think He isn’t doing for us. During those times when there are cloudy conditions in life, we need to be reminded of God’s promises once again. Even when we can’t see things clearly, God’s promises still remain.  As Christians we begin to view our lives from God’s perspective through the faith He’s given us.

3.                   In our Gospel lesson for today from Luke 9 we see that two great heroes of faith, Moses and Elijah, appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses is the great prophet of Old Testament times, the great lawgiver of Israel. He spoke with God face-to-face and heard both law and gospel from God’s mouth. The law God gave Israel through Moses was the basis of Israel’s structure; all the sacrifices outlined in the ceremonial law pointed to the coming Messiah, and the gospel Moses spoke to God’s stiff-necked people brought hope and joy. Elijah was one of the great prophets who kept reminding God’s people of God’s promise to save them. Elijah also spoke with God on a mountaintop, where God reminded him that he works through the still, small voice of the gospel.  If Moses could’ve looked back on the history of Israel from the Mount of Transfiguration, he would’ve seen the shattered pieces of a people who had rebelled against their God and his law. It was as though he was there to say to Jesus: “There was nothing wrong with the law or your promises, but there was something wrong with the people. They didn’t—they couldn’t—earn your love. Now, Lord, it’s all up to you.”

4.                   Elijah may have had a word to offer too. He’d worked faithfully to turn the wayward people of his day back to Yahweh the God of Israel. On Mount Carmel he’d called down fire from heaven in a contest with the 450 prophets of Baal. For the moment it seemed as though Elijah had achieved his purpose. “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God,” the people exclaimed (1 Ki 18:39). But almost before the ashes had cooled, the people were running back to their old idols again. It would take more than a Moses and more than an Elijah to establish the kingdom both servants of the Lord had promised.  So Elijah, like Moses, was there at the transfiguration to say to Jesus: “We’re leaving it all up to you, Lord. People are helpless. They are renegades. They will never accomplish anything on their own. Only your power and love can remake a world of sinners. We’re sorry this means you will have to go to the cross for us. But we are thankful that you are willing to do it for our sakes.” In response, a voice from heaven shattered the stillness and proclaimed: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Mt 17:5).

5.                   When we view our lives from God’s perspective it offers us a view of the goodness of God (in giving his people a good land).  Deuteronomy 34:1-3 says, “1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.”  God had a specific purpose in directing Moses to climb to the top of Mount Nebo. The time of Moses’ service had come to an end. Only one thing was left. God wanted Moses to see the Promised Land before he died.   On Mount Nebo, Moses was in a position to look ahead and to look back over his whole life and to see both the past and future from God’s perspective. The fact that God didn’t permit Moses to lead Israel into the Land of Promise was a reminder particularly of his sin at Meribah. But, his opportunity to see the land from a distance was also a reminder of God’s promise to his people and also a reminder of another leader, one greater than Moses, whom God would provide as a Savior for all people (Dt 18:15; cf. Ge 49:10).  From the heights of Nebo, what a sight it must have been. And what emotions Moses must have felt—an urge to accompany his people into the land promised to his fathers, but if that wasn’t to be, then at least a chance to contemplate that grand moment in history. In his mind Moses must have been comparing the past with the future, the land of slavery in Egypt with this land of future freedom for God’s people.

6.                   When we view our lives from God’s perspective as Christians it also offers us a view of God as promise-keeper. (v. 4) and it offers us a view of ourselves in the mirror of God’s law. (vv. 4, 5)  Deuteronomy 34:4-5 says, “4And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.” God promised. That says it all. That tells us what kind of God we have. He not only promised. He made an oath. He didn’t do that because His word wasn’t good. He added the oath for the sake of His people. His intent has always been to erase all doubts from our minds about His intentions. After all those years in Egypt, it may have seemed to Israel as though God had forgotten His promise or changed His mind. But He hadn’t. He never does. On Mount Nebo Moses saw tangible evidence of that.

7.                   On Mount Nebo, not only does the gospel speak powerfully, but so does the law with all its sternness. Moses understood very well why he was given an opportunity to see the Promised Land with his eyes but not to walk on it with his feet. In his mind’s eye, Moses also saw Kadesh and the rock he’d struck in anger at Meribah (Nu 20:8, 11, 12). At this time he understood fully the consequences of his sin in not obeying God’s command. He was about to die, not because of failing health, but because of his sin.

8.                   Despite Moses’ sin notice that the text doesn’t say, “Moses died there.” It says, “Moses the servant of the Lord died there.”  When we view our lives from God’s perspective it also offers us a view of faithful servanthood and Moses is an example of that (v. 5a). Gravestones often include an epitaph. In Moses’ case his epitaph is recorded in Scripture instead of on a gravestone. “The servant of the Lord.” What a tribute! What a story those few words tell us. He lived for the Lord. His name has gone down in history not because of what he accomplished, but because of what God accomplished through him. Service made him who he was. Service made him a memorable hero of faith (Heb 11:24–28).

9.                   Viewing our lives from God’s perspective offers us a view of a Christian perspective on death. (vv. 5–7).  Deuteronomy 34:6-8 says, “6and [God] buried [Moses] in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.”  The text is careful to note that Moses didn’t die of old age. He was old, but he wasn’t infirm. Yet his time had come. Better yet, God’s time had come for Moses to end his service. Moses wasn’t in control of his life. God was, and Moses knew that. As the people of God, we know that too. And what a comfort that is. It gives us a whole new outlook on life and death.  But there’s more here. “[God] buried him,” we’re told. But that’s not the end of the story. Burial never is. Moses appeared alive again in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. So the Lord reminded Peter, James, and John, and reminds us, that he, “by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control [including death], will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Php 3:21).

10.               Finally, when we view our lives from God’s perspective it offers us a view of our merciful Savior Jesus. (v. 10)  Deuteronomy 34:10-11 says, “10And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land.” These words from Deuteronomy 34 bring to mind the words of Moses about himself in Deuteronomy 18:15. There Moses reveals that God had made him a type of the Messiah to come. On the Mount of Transfiguration, God identified Jesus as the one whom Moses prefigured when he said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” There are some parallels between Moses, the type, and Christ, the real thing. Moses served as God’s mediator and spokesman. He was the link between God and the people of Israel. They heard what God had to say to them through Moses because as sinners they couldn’t bear to hear directly the voice of a holy God. Thus Moses foreshadowed what God intended to do for us in Christ. God sent Jesus, his own Son, to be the link between us and Himself once and for all. God concealed His glory in the person of our Brother Jesus so that we could see Him and listen to Him without fear. In times past God spoke through Moses, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb 1:2). Listen to him.

11.               Jesus is alive for us today because He kept His promise. Right on the threshold of Lent, we’ll soon be walking through some of the dark days of our Lord. Jesus’ words to Peter were right, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Lk 9:22). But that’s not the end of the story. “On the third day [he will] be raised” (Lk 9:22). This is God’s promise, and God keeps His promises. 

12.               When Moses stood there on top of Mt. Nebo with the Lord, looking out over this vast landscape, maybe the Lord was picturing in His mind the land of heaven, where one day there will be people farther than the eye can see who will be assembled around the throne of God, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power” (Rev 4:11). This day will come because God keeps his promise. He keeps his promise that He “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). God keeps His promise that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). God keeps His promises. In the announcement of forgiveness, in the gift of salvation, in the hope of heaven, in the gift of Jesus to you, God keeps His promises.  This is what it means to view our lives from God’s perspective.  Amen.