Lebanon, Oregon
Join us for a morning studying God’s Word on issues of marriage, fidelity and spiritual health, and God’s gift of spouse and children!
Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 434 E. Grant St. in Lebanon (across from Booth Park)
When: Saturday, May 20 starting at 8:30am going till about Noon
Coffee and refreshments provided
Readings: Job 19:23-27 | 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 | Mark 16:1-8
Text: Zechariah 6:1-15
Crowned King and Priest
Alleluia! Christ is risen! When the crowd saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowd cheered. The Jews grabbed palm branches and waved them in the air. They threw their coats onto the road. They sang Psalm 118 and cried out, “Hail, Son of David!”
These Jews were excited, because of Zechariah 9:9, which reads:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus made a statement. He is the King of Israel! And since it was Passover, the Jews hoped that this King was coming to rescue them from the Romans. Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and then went straight to the Temple. Why go there?
Zechariah: The Priest-King Comes
Zechariah was a prophet 500 years before Jesus was born. He was sent by God to encourage the depressed and despondent Jews after the Exile in Babylon. One day, God spoke to Zechariah. “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold…” Zechariah found these Jews and they gave Josiah gold and silver. And what did God tell Zechariah to do with these treasures? “Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.”
Zechariah made an elaborate crown. He brought it to Jesus, the high priest. I know, in your Bibles he is called Joshua. Jesus is just the Greek way of pronouncing the name Joshua (see also Ezra 3:2). Nevertheless, Zechariah put the crown onto the head of the high priest. Then, I imagine that Zechariah put a hand on his shoulder and gestured toward the East. He said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.’”
Immediately, Jesus the high priest remembered that Isaiah had once described the dynasty of King David as a mighty tree that would be cut down, and yet Isaiah also said, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1) A King from the line of David was coming. Also, Zechariah had spoken of this Sprout before in chapter 3: “Behold, I will bring my servant the Branch… and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.” (Zech 3:8-9) The priests of Israel were signs, foreshadowing this coming Man into a greater priesthood.
Well, Zechariah told the high priest that this Sprout was coming. Just as the Jews were rebuilding the temple, this Man would build a Temple. Also, Zechariah said, “13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne.” And then, he said, “And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” This Man would be a King and a Priest—the two offices would be combined in this Man. Then, Zechariah told Jesus the high priest to keep the crown in the temple as a sign—that is, as a reminder that the Priest-King was coming to Jerusalem.
Jesus Received a Different Crown
Back to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and headed straight to the Temple. You might expect that the scribes and priests were waiting for him, and that they would kiss Jesus and kneel before him. You might expect Caiaphas the high priest to place Zechariah’s crown on Jesus’ head. After all, that’s what the priesthood should have been expecting, as Malachi foretold: “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple” (Mal. 3:1)
If this is what you expect, you are quickly disappointed. The scribes and the priests scowled at Jesus. They grumbled about His entrance. They hatched a plan to kill Jesus. They paid Judas thirty silver pieces to betray Jesus. They sent a mob to arrest him. They brought Jesus before the Jewish Council and Caiaphas, the high priest. They condemned him to death.
When Caiaphas and the council took Jesus to Pilate, the soldiers mocked Him. You think you are a king, do you? Well, every king needs a crown! Instead of giving him a crown of gold and silver, they gave Jesus a crown of thorns. Later, they nailed Jesus to a cross and killed him.
What Does Easter Mean?
A group of women watched Jesus die. They loved Jesus. They wept for him. Since Jesus was dead, they thought all their hopes were dead too. The visions of Zechariah must be for another time, if ever. Sin and rebellion had won again. After a Pharisee buried Jesus, these women observed the Sabbath Day, although I am sure their spirits did not rest on this particular Sabbath. And then, they went to the tomb the following morning with the remaining spices.
When they got there, the tomb was opened. They did not see the body of Jesus. Instead, they saw a young man dressed in white. He said, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
Those poor women ran from the tomb. They were trembling with fear. They were completely bewildered. The tomb was opened, the body was gone, and a strange man delivered a strange message. What does this all mean?
Easter: God Makes Jesus King
Well, the risen Jesus appeared to those women and then he appeared to the disciples. Jesus appeared and he wasn’t merely alive. He was immortal and majestic. And Jesus said to his followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” (Matt. 28:18).
When Peter heard those words, he began to understand. Caiaphas thought that Jesus was not the long awaited King. And so, he condemned Jesus to death. By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father has overturned the verdict of Caiaphas. God has declared, “Jesus is who He says He is!” More than that, when God raised Jesus from the dead, he crowned Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords. Thus, when Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, he said to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, “[On the third day] God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” (Acts 2:36).
Easter: God Makes Jesus Priest
Jesus was raised from the dead. Forty days later he ascended into heaven. The disciples watched him. They saw his feet leave this earth and his body pass through the clouds. They saw Jesus enter the heavenly Temple—into the immediate presence of the Father. And as he ascended, he raised his hands and blessed them, just as the high priest blesses Israel at the temple in Jerusalem. (cf. Num. 6:24-26)
And suddenly, they understood. When God raised Jesus from the dead, he appointed Jesus the last High Priest. God accepted our Lord’s sacrifice on Easter Day and has granted this Man access to his presence. And now, Jesus intercedes for us inside the heavenly Temple.
No More Fear or Guilt
Dear saints in Christ, the disciples did not understand the significance of Easter, until they saw the risen Lord and witnessed his ascension. After Jesus was killed, the disciples were still hiding.
Can you see them? They were huddled together in a small house with the doors locked. They were paralyzed with fear, unable to do much of anything. And they were crushed by guilt because they abandoned Jesus. Peter is especially crushed. He is in the corner and won’t look anyone in the eye, because he denied his Lord three times.
And then, the risen Lord appears and everything changes! They see the risen Lord! They see that God has overturned the verdict of Caiaphas. The crown of thorns has been removed from his head and the Father has crowned him with glory. They don’t have to fear the Jews or anyone, because Jesus reigns as King! And their guilt is lifted, because they have a High Priest who has taken away their sins!
And so, we join the women, and the Apostles, and the whole Church in heaven and on earth to celebrate the coronation of our King and the ordination of our High Priest.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
Readings: Isaiah 25:6-9 | 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | John 20:1-18
Text: Zechariah 6:1-8
Joy Comes with the Morning
Some of us are not “morning people.” I am, but others look at me like I’m weird. If we had an Easter Sunrise service at 6am, I’m afraid I might be the only one here! Now, we might have trouble getting ourselves out of bed early, but apparently God is a morning person.
According to God, the morning is not a time for groaning or scowling, but the morning is a time for rejoicing. Psalm 30:5 is an inspired Word of the Lord and it says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” I want to reflect on that last bit. Joy comes with the morning.
Examples of Morning Joy
Why would anyone rejoice early in the morning?
Well, you might rejoice in the morning, because God has saved you from your enemies. Consider the Israelites. They were slaves in Egypt, but Yahweh sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: “Let my people go!” When Pharaoh refused, Yahweh sent plague after plague to punish the Egyptians. Finally, Pharaoh released the Israelites. When the Israelites were gone, Pharaoh changed his mind. His chariots pursued Israel to the edge of the sea.
What did God do? He split the sea in two, so that Israel could pass through to the other side. Then, when the Egyptians pursued them through the sea, God closed the sea and drowned the Egyptians. According to Exodus 14:27, God drowned the Egyptians when the morning sun appeared. Joy comes with the morning!
Then, the Israelites came to Mt. Sinai. According to Exodus 19:16-17, Yahweh appeared to the people on the morning of the third day. He made a covenant with these people. He became their God. Joy comes with the morning.
Many years later, the Israelite army rose on the seventh day (Josh. 6:15). They got up early in the morning. Why would they get out of bed so early? They got up to march around Jericho and they witnessed God knock down the mighty walls. Joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 46:5 says, “God shall help Zion, just at the break of dawn.” Lamentations 3:22-23 delivers these comforting words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Yes, it is clear that God likes showing grace to his people in the morning. And his grace fills us with joy.
Zechariah
In the final vision of Zechariah, the prophet sees two mountains that are the color of bronze. Many scholars think that the mountains have a bronze appearance because it is the early dawn. The golden sun is peeking over the hills and shining upon them.
Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” (Zech. 6:1-8)
We know that Zechariah chapters 1-6 contain a series of visions. These visions were given to the prophet in a single night. So, it would make sense that the final vision happens early in the morning.
What happens in this vision? At dawn the chariots of God go into the north and south to put down the enemies of God, so that the Spirit of God can rest. In the first vision, the enemies of God were resting (Zech. 1:11). In this vision, the Spirit rests. Also, at dawn the high priest is given a crown as a sign that the Branch will come (but you’ll have to wait till the divine service to hear about that!). This Branch is a Man, who is both Priest and King.
Early in the morning, Zechariah sees the victory of God. And he is told about the One who will achieve this victory—Jesus Christ, the final High Priest and eternal King. Of course, God delivers this Gospel in the morning. Joy always comes with the morning!
The Resurrection of Jesus
We know that very early in the morning some women visited a tomb. They were shocked to see that the tomb had been open. They were horrified when they saw that the body was gone. They came to anoint the body of Jesus, who was crucified, but who had taken him away?
Angels tried to deliver the good news to these women. Jesus was once dead and buried here, but no longer. He is risen! Jesus lives! Joy comes with the morning!
Then, Jesus himself appears to the women. He was once a corpse, but now he stands before them. Nails were driven into his hands. Indeed, they still bear the scars, but his hands are no longer pale, cold, and lifeless. They are flushed with color, warm to the touch, and they wipe away the tears of the women. Joy comes with the morning!
The world tried to kill Jesus, but Jesus broke death’s power. He took away the world’s greatest weapon. He conquered the world that killed him, disarming the world. The world might threaten you with death, but these are empty threats. The martyrs will be resurrected and granted the crown of life. Joy comes with the morning!
The Father raised Jesus from the dead. In doing so, the Father appointed Jesus as our High Priest and our King. Now, we have a Man who intercedes for us always. Now, the One who rules the cosmos shares our flesh and blood and he cares for his brothers. My friends, truly joy comes with the morning!
Conclusion
Many people don’t wake up easily. Some mornings, even I don’t want to leave my warm bed when it is dark and cold. Give me some time and coffee before I’m ready to face the day.
On the other hand, I am a Christian. As a Christian, I am definitely a morning person, because that is when God brings joy. And I cannot wait for the dawning of the eternal day, when I will see my risen Lord and experience the fullness of salvation. Joy will come with the morning and will never end! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
~ Original sermon by Rev. Alexander Lange ~
Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34
P [To the bridegroom] Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will.
P [To the bride] Will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ? Will you love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live? Then say: I will.
When we hear the words of these solemn promise, it can bring tears to our eyes. Tears of joy in the promise of years to come. Tears of regret for our failures and those promises made to us which were not kept.
It’s a humbling reminder to us that our promises always have a contingency. They’re always subject to failure.
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
When we hear the story of God, it resounds with His faithfulness. He is the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful God who never speaks an idle promise, or says what He is unable or unwilling to do.
He created everything that is, intimately acquainted with each piece of His world, and especially of man and woman in it. He redeemed even when our parents and us had fallen into sin and rebellion. He rescued from slavery as He had promised, despite the power and stubborn refusal of a wicked ruler. Under a different tyrant, when the fires of hell threatened, He faithfully took the place of His people so that they would come out without even the smell of smoke.
This is the very faithfulness we need in order to be saved. All of us have turned aside, all of us have failed. But He has forever remained the faithful Bridegroom, the faithful Savior:
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
This is the solemn promise He has made to you in His Son. He will never forsake you or fail you. Thanks be to God!
In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.
Readings: John 19:1-16a | John 19:16b-42
Text: John 19:1-42
Who is your King?
Israel had often confessed this:
“The Lord became king…when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together” (Deut. 33:5)
“Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” (Ps. 24:8)
“The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us.” (Isa. 33:22)
But they had even more often denied it:
“Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex. 17:7)
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6)
“We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)
That day, they were being asked who their king was. They threw their lot in with Pontius Pilate and Tiberius Caesar. Hardening their heart, they forgot this: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever” (Ps. 146:3-6)
There will be times when we will be asked whom we are loyal to: Either to Him who has delivered us from sin, death, and hell, or people who promise an earthly kingdom of contentment and peace.
But like the people who threw their lot in with Egypt or Rome, they will be disappointed because the power of those rulers is only for a time. Their glory is a façade which one day will be ripped away. And who will they meet when this world passes away, but the true King?
They can try to strip Jesus of His kingship, but they don’t have the power to do this. We too, can harden our hearts and try to get out of His reign, but it’s only delaying the inevitable. To this King has been given the authority to judge the earth—to judge rulers, and to judge every person.
Repent before it is too late. Bow before the true King of the universe. “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Ps. 2:10-12)
The rulers of this world are no lasting help! Put not your trust in President Biden or Donald Trump, in the power of AI, or the social contagions of each year. These have no power to save at the last, and whatever power they exercise now is not theirs, but has been entrusted to them from above for a time.
We have heard once again tonight what this King has done for the sake of His rebellious subjects who would not honor him. What happened to the Israelites and the hard-hearted Jews has been written for our learning. May it wake us up from our slumber to consider the right fear of God the King. He desires all to be saved, but only through faith in His Son: His holy, innocent suffering and death, His rest in the tomb, and His glorious resurrection and ascension.
The King will return, His holy angels with Him, and His judgment will be carried out:
3 The books are opened then to all,
A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
In thoughts and words and actions.
4 Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
5 My Savior paid the debt I owe
And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation! (“The Day is Surely Drawing Near” LSB 508:3-5)
At the hour of our death and in the day of judgment, good Lord, deliver us!
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Readings: Exodus 12:1-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 | John 13:1-15, 34-35
Text: Exodus 12:1-14; John 13:1-15 (34-35)
“The Nearness of God’s Redemption”
In the Passover, God provided salvation from death by the substitute of another. But this couldn’t be the fullness. No lamb could take the place of a person, for how had a lamb sinned and deserved a bloody death? The crude whole-roasted lamb, whose blood set the people free, ultimately could not our place.
At that time, the Lord was present among His people in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And even though He mighty acted on behalf of His people, He was still far removed from them, “For man shall not see me and live” (Ex. 33:20).
What mercy God showed in that he didn’t remain as far removed as a lamb is from a person!
The great love of God could not stay distant—God remembered His mercy, He saw our affliction, and God knew [Gen. 8:1; Ex. 2:25]. It moved Him to come near, even more so than seeing the cruelty of the Egyptians.
The Lord, who once delivered His people with a metaphorical “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 5:15) then did so concretely. To His people—suffering in the flesh and harassed by the devil, sin, and death—He came as Immanuel, God with us.
Behold this Lamb of God, by whom He saves not just the sons of Israel, but takes away the sins of the world. He came in our flesh to be condemned for our sin, to suffer our death. For He was not as far removed as a Lamb, but He became our brother, yet without sin. He was like us in every way, except sin (Heb. 2:17). Therefore allegorically, He is the true spotless Lamb whose blood shields us from destruction.
Unlike those bloody sacrificial lambs whose ashes were discarded outside the camp, Christ the Lamb of God has risen over death as its master. This is the Lord God who has joined Himself to us. He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20), and indeed that is truer than it was for His ancient people, Israel. His living Word is spoken in our congregation, His benediction is upon us and our children, His Baptism unites us with His death and resurrection, and—especially on this night—are we comforted and strengthened by His Body and Blood, broken and shed for us.
Here’s how Martin Chemnitz explained this heavenly and saving union:
“Our body is the body of death, but in that same body of ours which the Son of God assumed from us, death was again destroyed. Although our sins have separated us very far from God (Is. 59:2), so that we have been alienated from the grace, righteousness, and life of God (Eph. 2:12), yet the Son of God has brought very close to us those heavenly blessings which had been removed far from us (Eph. 2:13-19)…
Moreover, in His Holy Supper He joins Himself to us in that flesh, so that we may be strengthened by this most certain pledge of the salvation and glorification of our nature; for He does not blush to call us brothers. Therefore, because we are such, He also joins Himself to us in that flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14). Flesh brought death into this world and, again, the flesh of the Son of Man was given for the life of the world in order that he who eats the flesh of Christ may have eternal life. (John 6:54)” (Martin Chemnitz, Two Natures in Christ, pp. 55-56)
And that’s the whole picture of God’s deliverance. It’s not just about Him delivering us from adversity, but that He also dwells with us, giving us His peace, His strength, and His keeping with His mighty saving arm, and His hand once outstretched upon the cross for you and me. Take comfort in this meal because it is not just a symbol of a lamb, but the very Lamb of God who once was slain and now lives and reigns that we might live with Him.
At last this is how He gives us the command: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) For Israel it was the commandments and the statutes which set them apart, and the Lord who dwelt in the midst of the congregation. But in Christ we have more: We have the Living God, who has made us people for His own possession, living in us and doing His work in the world. He has washed us in the Red Sea of Baptism, making us die to sin and live before Him. To love one another as He has loved us is the result of His dwelling in our midst. Whenever we see a coldness or hard heart in ourselves or our brothers, it must be drowned and die in our Baptism. And living in God’s abundant mercy, people will know that we belong to Him, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Holy Baptism of D.S. Grohn
Readings: John 12:12-19 | Philippians 2:5-11 | Matthew 27:11-54
Text: John 12:12-19 (Procession Gospel)
Many of our favorite English translations label this section the “Triumphal Entry.” But this term can be somewhat misleading. The Evangelist doesn’t call this a triumphal entry, because it isn’t one…yet. It definitely has the features of the triumphal entry of a king returning from war. But there’s something missing: there has been no great battle yet, there are no captives, and the King is riding not on a horse, but on a donkey. Suffice to say, this is not the kind of triumphal entry the crowds were expecting.
They welcomed Jesus because they had seen the signs He had been doing: the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11), the healing of the man born blind (John 9), the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6), and the healing of the lame man at Bethesda (John 5). Yet all of these were signs of why Jesus had come into the world. The crowds were often blinded by the brightness of these signs, so that they were disheartened when Jesus spoke of His true identity as God’s Son, and what the Son would do to save this world.[1]
The crowd that journeyed the two miles from Bethany to Jerusalem was not misplaced in their hopes for healing, forgiveness, and resurrection—“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” These are all things which God has promised to His redeemed people. But the crowds were not expecting how Jesus would bring all of that about. John even admits that the disciples didn’t grasp the full significance of Jesus entry into Jerusalem, until after He was glorified by His death and resurrection (12:16).
Jesus would bring triumph, but not before being rejected by all His people (even His own disciples), suffering at the hands of the chief priests and Roman soldiers, lifted up on a cross to bleed and die. And all of this was beyond the understanding of the crowds.
What they could see was that Jesus was a King, very similar to Solomon, the direct son of David. His entry into Jerusalem paralleled Solomon’s, as it says in 1 Kings 1:
38Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah… had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.
The people hoped that just as Solomon unseated the illegitimate king Adonijah, so Jesus would unseat Herod Antipas. They hoped for the restoration of Israel as a powerful nation. They had hoped that this Son of David, Jesus, would restore the earthly land of Jacob to Israelite power.
Yet, by nature, none of us hopes for the sort of King that Jesus really is. Later in Holy Week, Jesus would tell Pontius Pilate that He really is a King, but “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”[2] Jesus does not conquer lands, rain down fire on His enemies, or make the streets run with their blood. His reign is established through servanthood, as Isaiah wrote,
Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.5
What kind of King would suffer such torment from His servants, and on behalf of His servants? Yet, this is the sort of King who Jesus is. But all of these things remain hidden until God makes them known to men. As Isaiah wrote in the next verse, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”[3]
In eight days’ time, God would make it clear how His servant King was to triumph. By the light of the Holy Spirit, God would open the disciples’ eyes to see Jesus’ triumph and where His Kingdom is established.
Jesus truly is the “King of Israel,” as the crowds cried out on Palm Sunday. Yet He’s different from every previous king. Even Solomon, whose reign enjoyed peace, had to shed blood of wicked men. But under the reign of King Jesus, He sheds His own blood for the wicked. His rule is not temporal and it does not end in His death, as all the other kings’ rule had. In fact, His rule begins with His sacrificial death for the people, and continues in His resurrection forever and ever.
The past kings of Israel were successful based on how much of the inherited land they controlled. Yet the land which King Jesus wins for His people is not part of this decaying, cursed world. The inheritance which He wins for His faithful is the new heavens and the new earth, which shall never pass away or be taken away by force. The rule of King Jesus has begun even now, not in countries with borders, but in human hearts. Jesus says you enter His Kingdom when you are “born of water and the Spirit”[4] in Baptism. He promises that whoever thus “believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”[5] And the Evangelist John sums up His entire Gospel by saying, “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”[6]
All of the spoils and benefits of God’s Kingdom come through the Son being offered up on the cross, the true Passover Lamb for our sins. In eight days’ time, Jesus Christ will be declared victor over the devil, victor over sin, and victor over the grave. That is His triumph and everyone who hopes in Him will never be put to shame.[7]
You who now believe in Him share in His triumph. His victory is certain and His Kingdom shall last forever. It is for you and for your children. His eternal victory has been gifted to young Dorothea, even though in and of herself she is weak and sinful. This victory has been delivered in humble means, but with the certain and powerful Word of God. You are born from above, of water and the Spirit, baptized into His death and resurrection, so that you can take up this taunt:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.[8]
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
[1] Controversy arose in John 5:18-47, John 6:22-66, John 8:31-59, John 9:8-41, and John 11:45-57
[2][2] John 18:36
[3] Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1
[4] John 3:5
[5] John 3:16
[6] John 20:31
[7] Psalm 119:116
[8] 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
~ Invocavit ~
Readings: Genesis 3:1-21 | 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 | Matthew 4:1-11
Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Doctors who fight infections are all too aware that having just one weapon isn’t enough. Viruses and bacteria each respond differently to medication. Sometimes a strain comes along that refuses to respond to treatment. Then, newer, stronger, and more innovative means must be developed.
But this is never the case with the Word of the Lord! His Word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8). His Word always accomplishes the purpose for which He sends it (Isaiah 55:11). Similar to acute infections, all of us suffer from original sin and its fruits. We’re also regularly attacked by the malignant spiritual enemy of the devil. But no matter how cunning he is, he will never grow resistant to God’s Word. The Word will always cause the devil to flee, as we heard today in the Temptation of Christ.
The context helps us better appreciate the Temptation. In all three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—Jesus’ temptation comes immediately after His Baptism. There at the Jordan, He is declared to be the Son of God. Satan doesn’t comes to congratulate Him or bow down before Him, but to try to make Jesus fall like he had made the first man and woman fall. The Serpent had gotten all mankind to fall by appealing to their reason—“sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned,”[1]
This time, the Tempter chose to appeal to Jesus’ divinity: Command these stones to become bread, throw yourself down, and gain the glory of the kingdoms of the world. Do it for your own glory (doesn’t God want to be glorified, after all?). Don’t trouble yourself with this pitiful human race. Didn’t you regret that you had made them once, anyway? They won’t appreciate what you do for them. But Jesus, the Son of God, wouldn’t have it. “If many died through one man’s [Adam’s] trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”[2] The devil was not successful in making Jesus fall, and that victory is given to all who are in Him.
The devil tempted Jesus because He is the Son of God, and Satan like cannot stand to have any child of God not be condemned. So, he tempts everyone whom God has made His children through faith.[3] This is why St. John heard the angel say, “Woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”[4] It’s not much comfort by itself, but one way you can know for certain that you have a true faith in Christ is that you will be assaulted by the devil. You have assurance from your Lord who endured this assault with you. On the other side of His temptation, He tells us, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”[5]
No doubt, the devil is a powerful enemy over humanity. He’s still extremely cunning, and if he pulled a fast one on sinless Adam and Eve, imagine how much more he is able to hoodwink us! In our weakness, we won’t necessarily be able to put our finger on the temptation the way Jesus does in the Gospel. Yet, the effect of the devil’s work is still evident. Just like many diseases are identified by their symptoms, the devil’s temptations can be seen by their resulting sin. Take these examples:
The devil’s tactics have not changed from the time of Adam and Eve, to the Temptation of Christ, to today. He is still the same evil angel who aims at the destruction of all who cling to God by faith. But just the same as that hasn’t changed, God’s Word is still the antidote against his temptation. St. John tells us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”[6] The work of the devil is seen in doubt and unbelief, robbing us of the salvation which Christ brought into the world for sinners. He stirs up doubts and makes the poison of sin look sweet and harmless. But all these works are on the chopping block for the Christian. In His birth, His Baptism, His temptation, His Passion, His Resurrection, and Ascension, Jesus Christ destroys the works of the devil.
He destroyed them that day by overcoming where Adam and Eve had fallen, and standing in our place as the faithful and Holy One. He won the victory for all who believe through His innocent suffering and death, breaking the sting of sin and the power of death. He continues to overcome through the Holy Spirit in you, bringing that Almighty, life-giving Word to your mind and heart.
Unlike hepatitis B, it’s not that you’ll be inoculated by a one-time dose of the Word of God, but in each temptation, the Lord will show you His power to rescue you even in your weakness. He taught us to pray regularly: “Lead us not into temptation” and it’s good for us to recall what this means:
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.
That’s how we, as dearly beloved, baptized children of God withstand the devil’s assaults. He may be strong, but the Word within you is stronger—“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.”[7] Arm yourself with that Word, and believe its powerful work. We can’t praise the Lord enough for how accessible His Word is to us now. Study it, meditate on it, learn it by heart. Keep studying your Catechism. It may seem like the very basics, but it is the very Word which sends the devil running.
St. Peter, who was a fellow sinner whom Satan set his sights on, wrote to us: “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”[8] In your Lord Jesus and His words, you will be blessed, not because you can suddenly go toe-to-toe with Satan, but because he will flee from you when you have the Holy One guarding your heart and mind.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] Romans 5:12
[2] Romans 5:15
[3] Galatians 3:26
[4] Revelation 14:12
[5] Matt. 5:11-12
[6] 1 John 3:8
[7] Romans 10:8
[8] 1 Pet. 5:8-10
Readings: Isaiah 55:10-13 | 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9 | Luke 8:4-15
Text: 2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9
Hearing today’s Epistle lesson is like you came to church late, while St. Paul was already deep into his sermon. In fairness to those of us who didn’t start reading at the beginning of chapter 10, I’ll catch you up to speed.
1. What happened after Paul left Corinth:
a. Paul established this congregation beginning with Aquila and Priscilla (exiles from Rome), and later Crispus and Sosthenes (former synagogue leaders) and stayed with them for over 18 months (Acts 18:1-18)
b. He continued to correspond with them [1 Cor. 5:9] in at least one letter we don’t have. What we have as First Corinthians was written about AD 55 from Ephesus.
c. Sometime after that, a group that had been upsetting the church elsewhere came in claiming to be better than the Apostle Paul, with a better understanding of the Law of Moses and how it related to Jesus. They were possibly disciples of the Judaizers or the original party moved north after the matter was addressed by the Apostles in Jerusalem (see Acts 15, circa AD 45).
III. Paul contrasts a true apostle with a “super apostle”
a. Paul is concerned for the Corinthians, that they have been devilishly deceived by smooth-talkers who come in the guise of servants of Jesus. Paul is exposing the “super-apostles” for their duplicity and seeking to profit from selling an “improved” Jesus. They claimed stronger eloquence (10:10, 11:6). They counter Paul’s free Gospel with the argument ‘you get what you pay for’ (11:7-9) and disparaging Paul because of his bodily weakness (11:9).
b. What Paul has to “boast of”—his curriculum vitae or resume—is not money, skill, and popularity. (After all, isn’t this what Satan himself promised Christ in the wilderness? Matt. 4:1-11). His boasting is not of things that “shine the spotlight” on him, but on Christ alone even while he suffers.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
i. It wasn’t that Paul could make promises about how their congregation would grow under his tutelage, as some do in our day. The authenticity of Paul’s apostleship came from the Lord who sent him, and its truth was hidden under many rejections and the weakness of Paul the man.
c. Paul, even though he was gifted with a heavenly vision, was not thereby made anything more than a sinful and redeemed human being. He repentantly struggled against coveting (Rom. 7), and may have suffered residual eye problems from the Damascus encounter (Gal. 6:11)
i. Even more shocking is that the Lord allowed Satan to continue to harass him so that Paul’s flesh—so prone to pride and wickedness—would be kept in submission.
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
d. For St. Paul (and we should expect no different), the outward evidence of our faith is not how many people we can influence, how well we can put Bethlehem Lutheran Church on the map or leave our mark in history. The success we want to be affirmed in isn’t this worldly kind.
III. Pastoral application: The Lord is working for our good in suffering, so that we may bear fruit with patience.
a. In the life of St. Valentine of Rome:
i. Valentine was a priest in Rome in the late 250’s AD, at a time when the Roman Empire was struggling to maintain its territory. They wanted to see a golden age return and were eager for whatever would bring that.
ii. At that time, since around the time of Decius (249-251), it was popular to blame the Christians for why the Empire was not prospering, and persecution was carried out in the name of “the safety of the empire”[1]
iii. Around that time, it was illegal to marry Christians. This was an order which the priest Valentine could not abide, because it came from God not Caesar. But “obeying God rather than man” (Acts 5:29) did not gain him success or popularity. It meant his arrest and eventual beheading by government officials.
b. In the walk of every Christian:
i. We’re told the verse from Philippians 4:13 , “I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me.” Then, we lament our failure and think our faith is inferior. We want there to be a silver bullet solution to our persistent sin, our bodily weakness, the troubled marriage, the contention at work or school.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
ii. When the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you,” He means it. His grace is enough support you through your hardship and heartache, through the temptations and failures, in the long journey of the fruit of the Spirit growing.
iii. So long as you continue to rest on His grace. If you give up on His ways and timing, you can fall into unbelief which has an end far more dangerous and unpleasant than the temporal angst and pain you know now. Continue to hope in His steadfast love, His power made perfect in weakness, shown in how He will uphold you day by day.
iv. The Parable of the Sower warns us against this faith’s enemies:
1. Satan who would love for us to forsake God and treat Him as a stranger and enemy.
2. The troubles of this passing life as if “something strange were happening to them” (1 Pet. 4:12) and those struggles were more powerful than the Lord of heaven and earth.
3. The deceit of temporal cares and pleasure of this life, a desire for these over the Lord who calls us to the life to come.
c. Our aim is that good soil, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” That remaining firmly rooted in the Lord, we bear the fruit of faith in our daily life.
For the Christian, both the sorrows and the joys of this life are passing away. Neither ought to captivate us, since the Lord has given us something better: “The inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col. 1:12) This life, in its pains and pleasures, pales in comparison to what God has laid up for those who love Him.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
[1] Cited in D.S. Potter “Persecution of the Early Church” (1992), p. 241
Readings: Exodus 17:1-7 | 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 | Matthew 20:1-16
Text: Matthew 20:1-16
No doubt, envy is a powerful emotion. It takes coveting up a notch, and is defined as, “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.” (Merriam Webster) The perception of another’s advantage is behind most tantrums from ages 3 to 83. Without envy, where would all this talk of such-and-such’s privilege come from?
Can envy in fact harm another person without them lifting a finger? Many ancient people have thought so, all the way back to the time of the Israelite Exodus. Hittites, Egyptians, and Greeks were terribly afraid of the power of the “evil eye.”
I. Belief in the Evil Eye is based on a fear of evil from outside, especially caused by envy.
a. It was believed that a look could bring a curse on another person, especially the vulnerable (pregnant women, children, the elderly). This curse would cause poor health or other misfortune. At its root, the evil eye came from envying another’s prosperity or beauty.
b. Greek philosopher, Plutarch (AD 46-119), writing just after our Lord’s ministry, tried to reason an explanation:
“Now, when men thus perverted by envy fix their eyes upon another, and these, being nearest to the soul, easily draw the venom from it, and send out as it were poisoned darts, it is no wonder, in my mind, if he that is looked upon is hurt.” (Plutarch, Quaestiones Convivales, Book V, 7.4)
c. What can one do to protect against the evil eye? Solutions range from wearing amulets and painting large eyes on objects, to special gestures (akin to “knock on wood”) and avoiding the gaze of strangers.
II. Our Lord, the God of Heaven and Earth, exposes the truth about the supposed evil eye.
a. By now, you’re probably wondering why so much about the evil eye? At the heart of Jesus’ parable today about the Kingdom of Heaven is the Master’s response to the one who has worked a full day: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (v. 15). The footnote in most Bibles will offer the literal translation: “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
b. Jesus also recognizes the power of envy which the full-day workers displayed, but He says it’s root is in a different place. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matt 6:22-23, He says,
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy [generous], your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is [evil], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
He doesn’t give the evil eye power to curse others, but makes a sad statement of one’s own condition: You are the one who suffers for the evil eye, because it means that you are filled with darkness and cut off from the life of God.
c. What of the evil eye and envy? That’s made even clearer in another place, where Jesus explains what defiles a person. In Mark 7:20-23, He says, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come…envy [the evil eye]… 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Jesus lists the evil eye among things that come from inside our sinful heart and curse, not others, but defile us.
III. Through God’s truth coming to us, we see that our sin is the real peril each of us faces. Because of our sin, we deserve nothing but the reward of our evil hearts. Yet, God is gracious to offer what we could never merit.
a. Envy rises up in reaction to God’s goodness: “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
i. To Cain whose face fell when Abel was regarded by God. Eventually Cain’s envy led to murder [Gen. 4:1-16]. Yet even in that, God showed grace to Cain by giving him undeserved protection.
ii. To the Israelites who ungratefully rejected God and Moses, even accusing both of evil intention. Yet to this rabble, He still gave water. [Ex. 17:1-7]
iii. It was not those who worked the hardest who gained God’s favor, but those who in repentance acknowledged their fault. Grumbling is the fruit of heart’s unbelief.
b.If there is any cursing going on, it this sin of grumbling against God and the wages of death which bring us the truest misfortune. Where pagans can only worry about bad luck and poor health, the end of this curse of sin is eternal suffering.
c. The true God is not fickle like our fallen minds imagine Him. He doesn’t leave us to figure out for ourselves what amulet or incantation will ward off the consequences. His cure to the evil eye is for His Son to be cursed for us:
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)
The grace of God is higher than our ways. Our natural minds are darkened and can’t fit God’s ways into our “I deserve better” system. We envy one another, but don’t see how the evil eye is actually an accusation against our inability to save ourselves. In spite of each of our evil thoughts—while we were still sinners [Rom. 5:8]—Christ took our curse and instead gives us what He has earned: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” And at the last judgment, not on the basis of our works, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matt. 17:5; Matt. 25:21).
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.