“Quench Your Thirst with the Living Water!” John 4.5-26, Lent 3A, 2014

1.            Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this 3^rd Sunday in Lent comes to us from the Gospel of John chapter 4:5-30.  Here in we see that our sins give us an unquenchable thirst (vv. 5-18), but Jesus our Savior offers us living water to quench our thirst (vv. 10-14, 19-26).  The message is entitled, “Quench Your Thirst with the Living Water,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.            “Will you give me a drink?” Jesus asked. New Yorkers consume 1.5 billion gallons of water a day, and this will increase to two billion by 2020 when a new water tunnel is finished. Begun in 1970, the five billion dollar tunnel will be a mammoth 60 miles long, 200 to 800 feet underground, and will deliver water to 6,000 miles of distribution mains. Already 20 workers have been killed and 1,000 injured on the project. All this to “give a drink” to the thirsty people of the Big Apple. And, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again” (John 4:13).

3.            The Scripture lessons for this Sunday emphasize these truths: The Lord saved the human race from its sins through a Savior, through one Savior. Jesus Son of God was born into the human race to cleanse us from our sins by his holy life and His sacrificial death. He came from Abraham’s descent, according to His human nature. But He is Savior of all. No one can merit the kingdom of heaven. Rather, those who are of the faith of Abraham receive God’s promise of life everlasting.

4.             The lessons for Lent prepare us to properly celebrate Good Friday and Easter. This Sunday we rejoice to remember that the Savior came for all. Here in John 4 we see Jesus in all His compassion and love seeking a lost sinner of the Samaritan race. We see the Son of God’s power in action, a power that works through His Word to create spiritual life. We see that Jesus alone can quench our thirst for life with God.

5.            John 4:5-15 says, ^“5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.  ⁷There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” ⁸(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” ¹³Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

6.            By observing the Samaritan woman, we see a mirror reflection of ourselves. We have no right to claim we’re God’s chosen people due to our race, background, or human effort. Like the woman, we would rush headlong into a lifetime of sin, trying to gratify that inner craving, that unquenchable thirst for real life, eternal life. Are not the epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse, the pursuit of sinful pleasure, and the mad craze for earthly wealth symptoms of this thirst?

7.            The journey through the barren desert of our fallen, sinful world is hot and dusty business.  In the midst of this barren wilderness, we thirst as our tongues cling to the roofs of our mouths.  We search, looking and hoping for some relief.  We’re parched by sin and threatened by death.  We struggle in this wasteland until our very souls are dried up like a leaf in autumn, threatening to be blown away by the winds of winter.  We search and look around us, but we see no water, no moisture for our thirsty souls.  We groan and moan in our helpless, hopeless condition.  In the midst of this desert, where will we find water?

8.            Nowhere will we find water in this barren desert.  Nothing can quench our thirst, except our Lord Jesus Christ.  He pours out his living giving waters upon us.  “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling…  Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.”  From the side of our dear Savior Jesus who was crucified on Calvary’s cross for the forgiveness of our sins flows the water and the blood.  From His side flows the water of salvation that can quench our thirst.  From His side flows the water and the blood, cleansing us from the guilt and power of our sin.  From the side of Jesus we drink of the waters as they flow over us from the baptismal font.  Through Jesus we quench our thirst from the living water that flows from His side.

9.            Jesus comes to us. He offers us the living water of eternal life. By believing in him, we are drinking of that water freely, fully. Our consciences rest. Our haunting doubts dissolve. Our vain pursuit for real life, empty and hopeless without Jesus, is over. Jesus satisfies our thirst. By the gospel in Word and sacrament, the Holy Spirit has called us to faith in Jesus. The gifts of forgiveness of sins, peace with God, the confidence to call God our Father, and fellowship with God now and forever in heaven quench our thirst for eternal life.

10.        Religion has become popular again in America. Students on college campuses don’t hide their quest for the spiritual. You no longer are considered odd if you speak openly of your religion. But the religion that is popular is false. Many profess to worship in spirit. Their emotional enthusiasm, their introspective meditation, or their “supernatural” experiences convince them that they have found true worship. The truth of Christ crucified and salvation through Him alone, however, is still unpopular. Natural man rebels in pride against the necessity of a Savior from sin.

11.        Jesus taught the woman of her need. He’s taught us of our need through His holy law. He’s taught us of forgiveness through His death and of justification through His resurrection. Thank God that He’s given you the gift of faith. Worship Him then in spirit and in truth.

12.        While religion is popular today, confusion reigns. People are searching the stars for guidance. They consult the gurus of Eastern cults. They seek to find hope in New Age pantheistic ideas. They look for the god within themselves. Their thirst rages on. The woman knew that the Messiah could answer her questions. How she must have been thrilled to hear Jesus say, “I am he!” Take heart in knowing that the same Jesus, the holy Son of God, is our Savior. He answers our questions about the true God and how to have life with Him. The news, “I am he,” will bring peace to our troubled, often doubting and confused hearts.

13.        See again how Jesus in love, singled out this Samaritan woman. Her past was tarnished. She had destroyed her life. Her guilt was overwhelming, but Jesus approached her in love. He patiently led her to see in Him more than a tired, thirsty Jew. She saw in Him the Christ, the One who could cleanse her from her sin. She became a believer, for Jesus’ powerful words drew her to faith. She became a witness, for everyone who trusts in Jesus becomes a missionary.  Jesus alone can quench the thirst for our thirsty souls with His life-giving water!  Amen.

“It’s All about Misunderstanding” John 18.1–11, Lenten Midweek # 3, 2014

1.      In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  Misunderstanding is dangerous. You can fail a test in school, lose a friend, or generate hard feelings in your family because of a misunderstanding. But, the greatest danger of all is that misunderstanding can destroy you spiritually.  Doubt and misunderstanding go back to the beginning. Satan planted doubt in the mind of Eve by questioning her understanding. “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1). “Are you sure you understood him correctly?” We’re aware of the tragic results. Ever since, Satan has used doubt and misunderstanding to destroy people.

2.      Tonight we confess, “It’s Jesus, Peter, and me; and it’s all about misunderstanding—for Peter, for the other disciples, and for us.” But, we’ll go beyond misunderstanding to the true meaning of our Lord’s mission.  Jesus’ mission is misunderstood as earthly, but it is spiritual: the redemption of mankind.

3.      The mission is under way. We find Jesus and his disciples in Gethsemane. Look, a crowd led by Judas approaches, armed with a varied assortment of weapons. There’s an exchange of words: Jesus walks forward and asks, “Whom do you seek?” They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he” (vv 4–5). They draw back and fall to the ground. They’re not struck down by mere words. Armed men are struck down before an unarmed man by divine power. Jesus’ surrender is willing. Of his own free will, he goes forth to lay down his life for the world.

4.      But now Peter’s confidence begins to crack. Imagine what’s going through his mind. What’s happened is incredible to him. Everything the disciples had hoped for—an earthly kingdom, places of honor and power in that kingdom—it’s all collapsing. The master is taken captive. So Peter gathers up his courage. He feels he must rise to the situation. Impulsively, he draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant.

5.      Peter has badly misunderstood Jesus’ mission on earth. Had he recalled how Jesus fled when crowds wanted to make him an earthly king (6:15), how Jesus had told the disciples he must suffer and die, Peter would have seen that the course of events was now fitting neatly into Jesus’ prophecies. He would have seen that Jesus must be taken, tried, condemned, and crucified.

6.      What form does misunderstanding Jesus’ mission take today? We misunderstand Jesus, for example, if we look to him only as a source of material blessings for this life. That’s wanting God on our side, as a kind of Santa Claus, to fill life with all good things. So we’re sorry that our sins may deprive us of some earthly blessings. But we’re not always sorry that our sins grieve God or hurt other people. We repent for fear that God will take away the things of this world. But we’re slow to repent for fear that sin will separate us from God.

7.      We misunderstand Jesus if we look to him only for the hour of death and for eternity. That’s thinking of him as a kind of insurance policy, whose value kicks in only at death. We’re not always interested in Jesus and his will for our lives today and tomorrow. We want a Savior, but not a Lord. We want forgiveness of sin, but are slow to seek strength to overcome sin now, in Christlike living.

8.      We misunderstand Jesus if we see him and the Church as a status symbol. Then faith is seen as calling ourselves Christian in name only. We want to say we’re members of a church. We want a place to be married and a place to be buried, and not much more.  As they used to say, a place to be hatched, matched, and dispatched, that is to be baptized, married, and buried.  How sad is that if that’s the way you see what it means to be called a disciple of Jesus?

9.      None of this will do. Jesus wants to be Savior and Lord of every moment of every day of every year of our lives and into all eternity. Why? Because anything less than this is death. He wants to forgive us now, to help us live new lives now, to learn to love as he loves now, and to serve as he serves now. Why? Because this is life instead of death. If we don’t look to him for all of this, we misunderstand him. This satanic deception stands between us and Christ, and we’re in danger of being lost now and forever.

10.  But Jesus does not give up on the lost. Remember? Jesus’ mission was to seek and to save the lost. Jesus understood his mission. Jesus himself defined his mission in those words: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). Follow the action of our text. Jesus didn’t let anything, not even Peter’s sword, prevent him from going to the cross: “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (v 11). As you look upon that garden scene, see his willing surrender. “I am he,” Jesus replies when the crowd asks for Jesus of Nazareth. And then he adds, “If you seek me, let these men go” (v 8). He willingly delivers himself into their hands as the Lamb of God to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. But to the last Jesus held his protecting hand over his disciples, reminding his captors they were to arrest only him.

11.  “Let these men go” (v 8). Realize these words are also for you. Jesus is speaking of you. This is his message: “Your sin is mine. Your death is mine. Your hell is mine. It all has to let you go. I will be wounded for your transgressions. I will be bruised for your iniquities. By my suffering and death, you will be healed. So, go your way. I have your sin, your guilt, your death, and your hell. You don’t have them anymore. Go! You are forgiven. You have peace with God. You are free.” This is Jesus’ mission. It has been fulfilled for you. Your redemption is accomplished. Its fruits keep flowing into your life, empowering you day by day to repent, believe, and live as a forgiven child of God with new life in his name.  This is the story of Jesus, Peter, and each of us.  Amen.

“It’s All about Complacency” Matt. 26.36–46, Lenten Midweek #2, 2014

1.    In the name of Jesus. Amen.  Be prepared. Don’t be caught off guard. That’s what history has taught us as a nation, and we’ve learned the lesson well. We’re determined that another 9/11 terrorist attack that killed so many people in New York and the World Trade Center won’t happen again. We can’t afford to be complacent.

2.    But, can we also can’t afford to be complacent in spiritual matters and push the things of eternal value out to the fringe of life. If Satan finds us like the disciples, asleep, he will rob us of everything that gives purpose to this life and promise for the life to come. Failure to see the danger and to be prepared for it leads to a person’s spiritual bankruptcy and ruin.

3.    Tonight we go to a place called Gethsemane. It’s a place where Jesus often gathered with his disciples to find rest and strength in communion with his heavenly Father. But this night there will be no rest. Here Jesus is wrestling with God in prayer, even while he wrestles with Satan’s power. In his humanity, he seeks the presence and comfort of his disciples. He wants them to be present not just for himself, but to prepare them for what they, too, must face. “Watch and pray,” he says, “that you may not enter into temptation” (v 41). He wants them to find strength for what lies ahead.

4.    This night there’s no time for spiritual complacency for us either. So this night let’s hear how As Jesus deals with His sleeping disciples, so He deals with us, to awaken us from any and all spiritual complacency.  Matthew 26:36-40 says, “Then Jesus went with [the disciples] to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?’ ” (vv 36–40). Two more times Jesus would come and find the same thing—the disciples sleeping.

5.    Notice that Jesus addressed Peter specifically. Peter had boasted that he wouldn’t fall away. He above all shouldn’t have been sleeping. Last week we saw that Peter’s boast wasn’t based on faith, but on pride—confidence, overconfidence, in his own resolve. Well, if he was going to keep himself from falling, he certainly should’ve been watchful, alert, ready for anything. But this week Peter adds to his overconfidence. Peter is oblivious to the threats that might be out there. No real danger could be coming, not at this hour. And temptation? That hasn’t crossed Peter’s mind. Temptation to what? Yet by his conduct in the next few hours, Peter would demonstrate the folly of overconfidence, pride, and complacency.

6.    Peter and all the sleeping disciples reflect our own state and conduct on many occasions. Tonight we say, “It’s Jesus, Peter, and me; and it’s all about complacency.” So we, too, need Jesus’ warning: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  How would Jesus elaborate on his warning for us today? Maybe like this: “I want you on guard against all the works of the flesh—things like greed, envy, lust, hatred, and all the rest. So, watch and pray!” But often we don’t. We doze off and let these sins move in on us. “Don’t let anyone distract you from my Word, where I teach you how to have abundant life and how to live forever. Watch and pray!” But often we don’t. We doze off and so readily neglect the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and Sacrament in the life of the Church. “Keep your priorities straight. It’s all right to work hard, to get ahead, to be a success, to make money. But let those things be your servant, not your master. Watch and pray!” But often we don’t. We doze off and get comfortable in all these earthly things and material possessions and put them in first place, at the top of life’s priorities. And the spiritual side of life languishes.

7.    This failure to watch and pray happens gradually.  In fact CS Lewis writes in his Screwtape Letters, “The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”  This putting God’s things last, this leaving him out of our thinking, planning, and living, this ignoring of his divine and loving will has made us complacent. Jesus’ message is to wake up from any spiritual drowsiness, lest you sleep the sleep of spiritual and eternal death.

8.    As they slept, look at what the disciples missed. What did it mean, this agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, this wrestling with God in prayer? Did it mean that Jesus was afraid of suffering, afraid of death? No, this is what it means: Here was the ultimate temptation to overcome, the temptation to avoid the cross. Here’s Jesus in his humanity, praying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (v 39). And his prayer is answered. God’s will is done. Jesus goes forth to meet his betrayer. God’s redemptive work is reaching its climax—dead ahead. Now it’s forward—to the cross.

9.    The suffering in Gethsemane, climaxing on the cross, is deeply personal for each of us. How important that we are wide awake to it, for only here can we lift our eyes in hope. Here is the great transfer. The sin of every man, woman, and child, of all time, the sin of our past, present, and future, is taken from us and put on Christ. Isaiah said it this way: “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is 53:6). He became sin for us, writes St. Paul (2 Cor 5:21). With the sin goes the guilt, the punishment, and the hell for every human being who has lived, who is living, and who will live. It’s all on Jesus.

10. This is not how we think. This is how God thinks. This is how God acts. He says it counts for us. Our sins are on Jesus. Our death is on Jesus. Our hell is on Jesus. This is God dealing justly with our sin, so that in Christ he can deal mercifully with us. Let the Good News beat upon your mind and heart. Hear it from St. John: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). Hear it from St. Paul: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). Hear it from Jesus himself: “Take heart; . . . your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2). There’s only one word to describe it—love! “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3:16–17).

11. This is the Gospel. It wakes you up. It moves you to pray, for now you can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that [you] may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). This Gospel wakes you up to confession, to repentance, to forgiveness, to be daily in his Word and prayer, to say with the psalmist, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ ” (Ps 122:1). This isn’t Law. This is Gospel, because in these things you find spiritual opportunities to receive from God forgiveness, love, joy, peace, and grace to come out of sin’s death, to life with God at the center of everything.

12. No more complacency when you’re awake to your sin. No more complacency when you see that the agony of the garden, the suffering of the cross, and the victory of Easter are all for you. This is a great miracle. It takes away your sin. It bridges the gulf between you and God. It puts God at the center of your thinking, planning, and living. It makes heaven your home. And it snaps us out of any spiritual sleep or complacency, to spiritual life and earnestness and eagerness.  This is the story of Jesus, Peter, and each of us.  Amen.

“The Call to Never Be the Same” Gen. 12.1-9, Lent 2A, 2014

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.  The message today is taken from Genesis 12:1-9 and it’s entitled, “The Call to Never be the Same,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      In the 1964 movie, “Becket” Peter O’Toole played Henry II and Richard Burton played Thomas Becket. It’s based on a true story. Henry and Thomas Becket were drinking buddies.  This is the twelfth century AD, over 900 years ago. What’s interesting is Thomas was a pastor, but he was like the king, corrupt, hotheaded, living for sensuality. They were just hotheaded, good ol’ boy drinking buddies.  Then one day the Archbishop of Canterbury died, and Henry II had a brainstorm. “I’ll make Thomas the Archbishop of Canterbury.”  Why? Because Thomas is just like a regular guy. He’s not going to be telling me how I have to live my life. He’s not going to be telling me not to oppress the poor.  He’s not going to do any of that stuff. He’s just a regular guy. Finally, we’ve solved the problem of church/state relations. So he makes Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury.  Then something happens. Thomas is shaken, because he knows that even though it has come through Henry for all the wrong reasons, he’s now the bishop of England. He suddenly realizes a sense of the call of God in his heart. He realizes how unworthy he is of it, and it changes him.  Thomas Becket received the call of the Lord and he was never the same.

3.      Thomas as the new Archbishop of Canterbury becomes a man of integrity and he begins to represent the gospel of Jesus Christ. He begins to represent the Word of God, and he begins to call out King Henry for the things he’s doing wrong, and Henry is going nuts. And, because of this change in Thomas, King Henry is filled with conflict, because he loves Thomas, but he’s so mad at Thomas because Thomas has become a good guy. Thomas is telling him the truth of God’s Word and exposing all of Henry’s sins.  Finally, one night King Henry is just so upset about what has happened with Thomas that he cries out to his knights, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?” The four knights look at each other, and they go to the cathedral and murder Thomas Becket right there. AD 1170. It really happened.  In the movie, as Richard Burton sees the knights of Henry killing him, he’s lying there, and what are his last words? He says, “Poor Henry.” The call of God had made him holy. The call had made him like Jesus. He was completely unworthy, he was just as corrupt as anybody else, but the call had come into his life, and now he’s like Jesus. “Father, forgive Henry. He really doesn’t know what he’s doing.”  The call of God changes us so that we’re never again the same.

4.      The call of God is so powerful. And the story of Abram here in Genesis 12 reminds us of that.  Here in Genesis 12 we see that Abram was called by the mercy of God. Luther notes, “If you should ask what Abraham was before he was called by a merciful God, Joshua (24:12) answers that he was an idolater, that is, that he deserved eternal death and eternal damnation” (LW 2:246).  Here in the story in Genesis did you notice the great change that God’s call to Abram had on his life.  After God’s call Abram was never the same.  Later in Genesis God would even change Abram’s name to Abraham.  Abraham was commanded to leave his country. This meant a loss of security and protection of law.  He was commanded to leave his relatives. This meant leaving both his family (first unit) and his clan or tribe (second unit). This separation from the syncretistic practices of family and tribe (Josh 24:2) would ensure Abraham’s consecration.  He was to leave his own home. Abraham was commanded to separate himself from the comfort and heritage of that which he held dear. The calling is similar to that of every Christian (Mt 19:29).  He was to go to the land God would show him. Clearly he went “by faith” (Heb 11:8). He did not know his destination.

5.                        Abram’s call certainly changed him and his family.  He would never be the same again.  He was called to leave behind all that he knew, his family, his land, everything.  This isn’t the wisdom of the world.  The world tells us to embrace one another and all that you are:  tolerate all things so that we might be one.  The world says that to be set apart from the rest of the world, like Abram, to be an island in the midst of the rest, is to be unloving, uncaring, and exclusive.  This is the wisdom of the world as we saw earlier in the conflict between King Henry & Thomas Becket.  But, the wisdom of the world isn’t God’s wisdom, and the ways of the world aren’t God’s ways.  No, when God calls us through the Gospel of Jesus, when He forgives us our sins through Christ’s death on the cross, and baptizes us into His holy family, He calls us to be different from the world, to never be the same again.  For if anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).

6.                        To accept and tolerate all is to lose all that we’ve been called to be as Christians.  Abram was to no longer worship false gods, like the moon, as his family had been doing.  Abram was set apart and so are we.  Abram was sent away, separated out from his world, and so are we.  In God’s wisdom, it is only when one is distinct and separate that one can be salt, a city on the hill, and a light in the darkness.  The call of God in our lives has changed us to never be the same. 

7.                        We’re separated out of the world so that we might be blessed to be a blessing.  We’re set apart in order that the blessing we’ve been given in Jesus might be given to the whole world.  Abram was separated out in order that Jesus the descendant of Abram, might be born and the whole world might be saved.  And we as the Church, both old and new, have been separated out, called out by the blood of the eternal covenant.  Not by the blood of bulls and goats, but by the blood of the precious Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world.  It’s Jesus who has called us through His death on the cross and His being raised from the dead that has changed us to never be the same.

8.                        How many of you have read any of JRR Tolkien’s books, “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy? Or, maybe you’ve seen the movies based on these books?  I was once listening to a literary critic who knows these books and says the thing you have to keep in mind is The Hobbit is an adventure, but The Lord of the Rings is a quest. The Hobbit book is a book for children and it’s an adventure story. The literary critic said that an adventure is a there and back again story. It’s something you choose. You go and have your adventures, and you have all your thrills. Then you come home again, and you pick your life up again where it left off.  An adventure is there and back again, but a quest isn’t something you choose; it comes to you. You’re called to it because of what’s involved, and you never really come back from a quest. In a quest you either die for the quest, or if you do come back, you’re so changed you never, in a sense, come back. You’re never the way you were. Now I want you to know Christianity isn’t an adventure.  Christianity is a quest. God says to us like he said to Abram, “Get out of your land, leave your old way of life behind, and go to the place I’ve called you.”  You’re going to be radically changed. Christianity is a whole new life.

9.                        Dear brothers and sister in Christ.  God has called you through the Gospel and made you a Christian, “for faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ,” (Rom. 10:17).  You were washed, you were sanctified, your sins were forgiven when you were baptized into the name of the Holy Trinity.  You’re now dead to your old way of life of living under the bondage of sin, death, and the power of the devil. Now, like Abram, you are alive in Jesus Christ.  You’ll never be the same again.  You’re a new creation.  The Lord called Abram to leave his home and go to a land that God would show him. Here in Genesis 12 we’ve seen how God calls an idol worshiper to faith, giving him a promise that God Himself would fulfill for all people. Through the story of Abram we’ve seen how God’s Holy Spirit works faith, when and where He pleases, through the Word.  Here the grace of God is shown to us, that He “justifies the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5), not by works of the Law, but through faith in His promises found in Jesus. He removes all of our sins and lawless deeds through Jesus so that we are never again the same.  Please pray with me.  Heavenly Father, call us to trust the Word of God in the water of Holy Baptism, to cling to everything You command, and to live by the blessing of Your Holy Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“It’s All about Pride”— Matthew 26.30–35, Ash Wednesday Midweek Service, March ‘14

1.       Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, reminds us of the ancient custom of applying ashes to the brows of worshipers, calling to mind the word of God to our first parents after they had sinned, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). The ashes of Lent remind us that the wages of our sin is death. But this isn’t the last word. This is a Lenten journey with Jesus.

2.      Let’s walk with Jesus, in Peter’s shoes, during these six weeks of Lent. We’ll see in Peter’s words and deeds a picture of ourselves, of our sin, of our need for the ashes of repentance. Tonight each of us must say, “It’s Jesus, Peter, and me; and it’s all about pride.” The footsteps of Peter take us into the bitter consequences of sinful pride. But we’re not going to stop there. We’re going to move on to the cross.  At the cross, sinful pride, Peter’s and ours, is forgiven and overcome in the mercy of Christ.

3.      It’s Thursday evening. Our Lord has just eaten the Passover meal with his disciples in the Upper Room. After singing a hymn, they set out for the Mount of Olives. Along the way, Jesus speaks of things to come, with this warning: “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’ ” (v 31). But Peter, not yet realizing the full significance of what Jesus had said, confidently replies, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (v 33).

4.      You have to be amazed at such confidence. But a second look reveals it’s not confidence born of faith. It’s overconfidence, spiritual pride, and conceit. To Peter, it seems very possible that the rest of the disciples might fall away, but he would never fall away. Maybe his prestige has gone to his head. He’s one of three disciples closest to Jesus. He, together with James and John, was with Jesus at his transfiguration. He’d made the wonderful confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He’d been given the name Peter, the “rock” (Mt l6:16, l8). How could he fall away? Maybe others would, but certainly not Peter. Jesus’ warning to Peter becomes even more explicit. “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times” (v 34). But the proud heart is hard and calloused. “Peter said to him, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!’ ” (v 35).

5.      Is Peter’s attitude reflected in your life and mine? Take a brief inventory. Does it sound like this? There’s no deep and shameful sin in my life. There’s no blemish on my reputation. There’s no skeleton in my closet. Others may be guilty of certain sins. Others may be negligent in spiritual matters. Others may be lacking faith and Christian character, but not me. I would never fall away. That’s my line too. In all or one of these ways, Peter comes to life in us.

6.      Again and again, the Scriptures condemn sinful pride. Listen: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). Hear the proud Pharisee in the temple: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get” (Lk l8:11–12). He goes home, not with God’s favor, but with his judgment: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,” Jesus says (Lk l8:14). St. Paul warns us, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). Our fall is just beyond our next step if we rely on our own strength, if we imagine there’s no danger for us, if we think we’re untouchable to Satan. The wages of sinful pride is death. We need the ashes of repentance.

7.      Jesus gives us the answer to sinful pride and to every sin right here in our text. “For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (vv 31–32). But Jesus is the Shepherd who seeks the lost. He’s the Shepherd who searches for even one lost sheep. He’s the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep. He’s on the way to the cross, where God will smite the Shepherd with wrath and judgment over our sinful pride, over every shameful or respectable sin that has ever marred our thoughts, words, or deeds. There, at the cross, the Shepherd becomes sin for us. The flock was scattered when Jesus was arrested and condemned. All the disciples forsook him and fled. But the flock will be gathered again, because the cross and death aren’t the last word. “After I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee,” he said. The loving, caring, redeeming Shepherd returned from death to gather his disciples, and they are the redeemed and forgiven sheep of his flock.

8.      We’re very much in this. The Lenten ashes of repentance humble us. We come here to God’s house and confess: “I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You” (LSB, p. 184). “We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone” (LSB, p. 167).

9.      But repentance is not just knowing our sin; it’s knowing Christ. With glad and believing hearts we hear and believe the Absolution: “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (LSB, p. 185). We come to the Lord’s Table and hear the Savior’s words, spoken the very night the events of our text took place: “This is my body which is [broken] for you” (1 Cor 11:24). “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:27–28).

10.  The Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep, now gives his life to the sheep. Our sinful pride is forgiven. Our hearts are free to cultivate the mind of Christ and his humility. Now we’re servants as much as masters; others have value, not just we ourselves; we’re ready to give, not just to get. We’re free to live by the mind of Christ.  This is the story of Jesus, Peter, and each of us.  Amen.

“Behold Our Champion” Matt. 4.1-11 Lent1A, March ‘14

1.                  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  On this 1^st Sunday in Lent we look toward Jesus our champion who has overcome the temptations of the evil one on our behalf and was obedient to His Heavenly Father’s will, even unto death, death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, the message is entitled, “Behold our Champion,” and it’s taken from Matthew 4:1-11.

2.                  The Bible TV miniseries, created and produced by husband and wife duo Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, was a 2013 sensation, raking in more than 100 million views. It was nominated for 3 Emmy awards, and a sequel title, A.D.: Beyond the Bible, has been planned for NBC.  But amid the hype came controversy. The same episode that debuted Jesus also included scenes with the devil. Downey was immediately disappointed to find the media fixated on the devil rather than Jesus: some were claiming that the actor who played Satan looked like President Obama.  In order to avoid further controversy, the producers decided to remove Satan from the Son of God movie rereleased on Friday Feb. 28^th. "I want the name of Jesus to be on the lips of everyone who sees this movie, so I cast Satan out," said Downey.  As a matter of fact, a large number of people in America deny the devil's existence.  Recent polls suggest a large number of Americans don't believe the devil exists. A 2009 Barna survey reported that nearly 60 percent of Christians in America view the devil as only a symbol of evil. Only one quarter of participants strongly affirmed the devil's personal existence, though this figure more than doubles among "born again" Christians.

3.                  What are we to make of this?  When nearly 60 percent of Christians in America question the reality of the devil, or see him merely as a symbol for evil.  In our Gospel lesson today we see our Jesus our champion do battle with Satan and overcome him.  Jesus is our champion and we look to Him who has overcome the devil for us.  But, is there a problem with Christians who don’t believe that the devil is real?  I would say yes.  After all to quote GI Joe, “knowing is half the battle.”  If Satan is real and at work to tempt and deceive us to sin against God our Heavenly Father, then it would be wise for us to know his schemes and look to our Lord Jesus to help us overcome his temptations.  If people don’t believe in the existence of Satan, especially Christians, then it seems that his work of deception and craftiness is alive and well.

4.                  In the Garden of Eden, Adam as the first man exalts himself to be a god in place of God (Gen. 3:1–21 ). He gives in to the temptation of the devil, and eating of the forbidden fruit, he receives death. But in the sin-cursed wilderness, God humbles Himself in His Son Jesus to become man in place of man (Mt. 4:1–11 ). He doesn’t eat but fasts and bears the onslaughts of the devil for us that we may be restored to life. Jesus our champion stands as David in our place to do battle against the Goliath, Satan (1 Samuel 17:40–51 ). Though outwardly Jesus appears weak, yet He comes in the name of the Lord of armies. He draws from the five smooth stones of the books of Moses and slings the Word of God. The stone sinks into the forehead, and the enemy falls. In Jesus our champion we’re victorious over the devil. Seeing that we have a great High Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain help in time of need (Heb 4:14–16 ).

5.                  Every temptation is a test, and the person being tested will either pass or fail. Temptations come to us in many different forms. We think first of anything that tries to lead us into sin, such as opportunities for immoral conduct or to steal. But we must also include unpleasant experiences like pain, suffering, illness, disappointment, poverty, and grief. Such experiences may cause us to question God’s wisdom or love. Sometimes success, good health, physical strength, intelligence, talent, or good looks may be even more serious temptations because we’re not likely to recognize them as tests that we may not be able to handle without falling into serious sin of one kind or another. If we meet all kinds of temptations properly, humbly trusting in God’s promises and relying on his mercy, God will surely enable us to endure them through Jesus our champion. And he will do even more; he will cause them to result in blessings for us.

6.                  The temptations Jesus our champion faced were serious efforts by the devil to rob the world of its Redeemer. Satan had been successful in leading the first Adam into sin so that a Redeemer was necessary. Now he attacked the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in an effort to frustrate his work of redemption.

7.                  The Greek word used for the devil here is diabolos (from which we get the word diabolical). The meaning of this word is slanderer or liar. The devil is not just a clever liar or an habitual liar; he is a constant liar. He’s the father of lies. He invented the very idea of lying and told the very first lie. He makes wonderful promises, as he did to Eve (“You will not surely die” [Genesis 3:4]), but he’s never kept a single one of them, and he never will. If he does occasionally speak a few words of truth, he distorts them or misapplies them or takes them out of context or immediately proceeds to contradict them.

8.                  We know these things about the devil, but we keep on falling for his lies. He tells us that life will be so much more enjoyable if we disobey God’s commandments. So he persuades us to lie and cheat and steal and commit adultery, and he tells us there’s nothing wrong with coveting and lust and filthy speech and misusing God’s name—as long as we don’t actually do something to harm someone else. His lies lead to all kinds of trouble and sorrow and grief and regrets. Yet he convinces people that in their case it will be different. But in every single case the devil’s promises aren’t intended for our good or benefit. The devil’s one and only goal is to make or keep people separate from God and to draw them into the eternal torments of hell with himself.

9.                  It’s interesting to note the contrast between the temptation of Adam in Eden and the temptation of Jesus our champion in the desert. In both cases Satan used something to eat in his efforts to awaken distrust in God. He succeeded in Eden, a land of plenty, where there was no unsatisfied hunger. But he failed in the barren wilderness when Jesus was extremely hungry. The temptations and sufferings that Jesus endured throughout his earthly life were greatly magnified versions of the trials we endure. But Jesus our champion never faltered, though we keep on falling into sin. Jesus willingly suffered the punishment we deserved for all our failures, and he gave us the credit and the blessings for all his successes. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. With his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53). Jesus died so that we may live.

10.              What a tragedy it is that people still fall for Satan’s lies. He misleads all of us from time to time. In spite of our better knowledge, he convinces us that we’ll be better off, wealthier, happier, more successful, if we disobey God’s commandments and follow his suggestions. He loves to call our attention to people who have openly done exactly that and appear to have prospered, but he wants us to forget about their eternal fate. We need to remember that Satan will try to deceive us as long as we live and especially in the hour of our death, but with the power of the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, we can drive him off and remain safe with Jesus our champion for eternity

11.               Remember that when you enter the darkness of the devil, when you give into his temptations, Jesus your champion is there overcoming the darkness because his light is always with you. As the author of Hebrews said, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. . . . For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 2:18; 4:15).  Those who suffer through the darkness know that there’s nowhere to go but to Jesus, just as Jesus knew there was nowhere to go but to the Word of life during those forty dark days of hunger and temptation in the wilderness.  When you enter a great darkness, know that Jesus your champion went into the wilderness for you.

12.               Jesus your champion knows you’re battling the evil one. So he gives you a song to sing: the soldier’s psalm, Psalm 91, on which is based today’s Introit. Your Baptism has enlisted you as foot soldiers on the frontline of the war against Satan, and though the battle is waging all around you, though you are surrounded by darkness, you fear nothing. Covered by God’s angels, Jesus’ Lenten greeting to you is this: “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps 91:15–16).  Look to Jesus your champion when the devil attacks and He will help you.  Amen.

“Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here” Matthew 17.1-9 Transfiguration Day ’14 A

1.             Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  On this day the readings from the Scriptures focus our hearts and minds on the great miracle of our Lord’s transfiguration, when Jesus allowed His disciples a glimpse of the glory that’s His eternally as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. This glimpse of glory was important, for from the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples went back down and Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, where He would die on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins. The Lord appeared to Moses in the light of the burning bush (Ex. 3:1–14). Later Moses’ face would shine with the light of God’s glory when he came down from Mount Sinai (Ex. 34:29–35). At the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus who is the Light of Light Himself (Matt. 17:1–9). Jesus’ glory as God shines in and through His human nature. By this epiphany, Jesus confirmed the prophetic word (2 Pet. 1:16–21), revealing that He’s the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He manifested His majesty as the eternal Son of the Father, and He wonderfully foreshowed our adoption as sons. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we who have been baptized into Christ’s body are given a glimpse of the glory that we’ll share with Him in the resurrection on the Last Day.  The message is entitled, “Tis Good Lord, to Be Here,” and it’s taken from Matthew 17:1-9.

2.            How many of you watched the Winter Olympics on TV? Like many of you, I was caught up in the excitement of watching athletes from all over the world head for the snow-covered mountains of Russia to participate in the Winter Olympics. It was thrilling to watch them flying down the mountain on bobsleds, snowboards, and skis! Equally exciting was seeing the skaters spinning, jumping, dancing, and racing on the ice. Even if you aren't a big sports fan, you can share the excitement that the athletes feel as they represent their country and compete for a medal that proves that they are among the best in the world in their event.  Have you ever had an experience that was so wonderful that you didn't want to see it come to an end? I’m sure that most of the athletes felt that way about seeing the Olympics come to an end. After all, they worked for 4 years to make it to the Olympics and they wanted to enjoy the feeling as long as possible. And yet, it seems that it was over all too soon.  The thrill of a life-changing event and a feeling of sadness at seeing it come to an end is what some of Jesus' disciples felt in Matthew’s Gospel. It’s the story of an unforgettable experience on the mountain top with Jesus that leads us to say with the disciples, Tis Good, Lord, to be Here.

3.            Here’s what selected verses of Matthew 17:1-9 say, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

4.            Well, we’ve all had experiences that are exciting like watching the Winter Olympics, where we say that it’s good to be here.  But, what do we do to prepare for coming down from the mountaintop experience?  For some people the wise way to prepare for joy or sorrow in this life is to take the road of the Stoics of ancient times. Cut yourself off from all of your emotions, be like Spock from Star Trek. Keep everyone and everything at a distance. Build a fortress around your soul. Don’t risk the price of wonder or heartache.  Moving into the season of Lent, the inevitability of the cross of Jesus weighs heavily upon us.  We know that we’re going to hear the stories from the Gospels that Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem to suffer, be mocked ridiculed, and ultimately die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  Yet, we would rather say with Peter in Matthew 17, tis good, Lord, to be here to bask in Your glory on the mount of transfiguration, not in the suffering and ugliness of the cross.

5.            But, there’s nothing we can do to change the fate of our Lord. We know the story of Christ’s passion all too well.  We also remember the story of Christ’s passion as we endure the stories of loss in our own lives. Our friends who are suffering from an illness, the child who is ill, the career that has fallen apart, the relationship that seems beyond the point of healing. The question before us is this: will we be ruled by stoicism and becoming numb to our own emotions, or will we risk the price of weeping and suffering, celebration and surprise when we know that our lives are redeemed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, that our sins are forgiven in Him?

6.            Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up the mountain after hearing the news of Jesus’ imminent death. It’s only human that in their minds they play out the next few days and weeks. They begin to look for alternatives, desperate for a second opinion, a way to stop time. They want to build a safe sanctuary away from the world, to be content in the moment, saving Jesus and themselves from the heartache to come.  Tis good Lord to be here to bask in Your glory, but, they can’t, nor can we, at least not while we’re still living in this sinful world.  So, God prepares us in the mountain top experiences of our lives to endure the world below, the world of the cross, the world that has the ability to break us and yet is never beyond God’s redemption.

7.            The transfiguration affirms Jesus’ divinity. On the other hand, it begins to give the disciples eyes to see God’s light in the chaos to come: death, loss, fear and resurrection from the dead. The transfiguration anticipates this challenge, inviting us to live in “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). As that light shines in our hearts, the incarnate God is made real in the every day and we are led to say, tis good Lord to be here.

8.            Through Jesus we can say tis good Lord to be here both on the mountain peaks and the low valleys of our lives.  Why?  Because your moment of transfiguration happened on the day of your Baptism, when you were clothed with Christ. That’s the day God looked at you and said: “This is my Child! This is the one I love and in whom I am delighted!” That your baptism is your transfiguration is also shown by the gift of the white garment. Many churches do actually clothe the newly baptized in a white robe. Your transfiguration robe! A confession that by Baptism into Jesus your life is headed for the everlasting glory He revealed on the mountain.

9.            But after the transfiguration comes the journey to the other Mount. The journey toward the death of Jesus on Mount Calvary. For the final glorification of our bodies doesn’t happen without death (except for that generation alive at our Lord’s second coming). Suffering and death with Jesus come first.  The glorification with Jesus comes afterward. But do you see how the promise of the glorification gives us the courage to face the deterioration of our bodies?

10.        In our more sane moments we know that we can do nothing to stop our bodies from falling apart. Not the best diet, not the best exercise program, not the finest clothes or the best makeup will be able to prevent the moment arriving when we can’t do some of the things we always took for granted before, because our bodies are simply giving out on us. But when we remember that these decaying bodies of ours have been marked by the Redeemer with the promise of sharing in His Resurrection glory, we can face our own deaths with a hope that can’t be quenched!  We can say tis good Lord to be here, because we know the glory that awaits us in heaven through Jesus’ cross and empty tomb.

11.        It’s just like St. Paul wrote: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen, but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens…. So we are always confident.” (2 Cor. 4:16-5:1,6)

12.        And as if the promise of our Father regarding Baptism weren’t enough, we have our Lord’s promise: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.” (Jn 6:54) As often as that Table is spread before us, Christ strengthens and sustains the inner nature, and comforts us with the promise of the resurrection for the outer nature. What more could we ask?  Transfiguration, the feast of a glory that will be yours and mine! Let us keep our eyes trained on the vision of that future that we may walk unafraid through the valley of death’s shadow, until we stand shining with Christ on the mountain top, singing all the way: O Father, with the Eternal Son and Holy Spirit, three in one, We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace to see Thy glory face to face. Tis good, Lord, to be here. Amen!