Sermon -- Good Friday (April 18, 2025)

JOHN 19:31-37

BLOOD AND WATER POURED FORTH FROM THE LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     In the days of the Colosseum, the emperor sponsored gladiatorial games for the citizens of Rome.  Trained soldiers were given a variety of weapons to fight to the death.  After a brutal struggle, the dead and wounded would lie on the floor of the Colosseum.  Their blood soaked into the sand which covered the wooden floor.  Then, a jester would come out with a red-hot poker.  He would dance to amuse the crowd, but his real purpose was to prance up to each body and touch the red-hot poker to it.  If the man did not flinch, he knew that the man was dead.  If the man did flinch, a soldier would take a sword or spear and run him through to put the mortally wounded man out of his misery.  This practice seems to have been utilized by the Roman soldier who was overseeing the death of Jesus. 

     As Good Friday was winding down, three men hung from their crosses.  Crucifixions could last for days as a condemned man languished in a slow, torturous death.  The weight of one’s body would rest on his chest as his lungs slowly filled with fluid.  Breathing became labored.  Fighting for life, a man would push up with his legs to grab a small gasp of air and then slump down to languish some more.  Eventually, he would not be able to breathe any more, and he would expire.  But as long as he could push up for that breath, he would hang from the cross.

     “Since it was the Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses over the Sabbath (because that Sabbath was a particularly important day). They asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and the bodies taken away.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who was crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other man” (John 19:31-32).  With their legs broken, the men could no longer push up for that precious breath.  Death came quickly, and their bodies were removed from their crosses before the Sabbath.

     In the case of Jesus Christ, however, breaking his legs was unnecessary.  Jesus had yielded up his life already.  His life was not taken from him.  As Jesus had told his enemies, “I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again.  This is the commission I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18).  So, Jesus intentionally went into death.  He did not lose his life; “he gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). 

     Therefore, when the soldiers broke their legs to hasten the death of the criminals, they did not need to do this for Jesus.  “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear” (John 19:34).  This was likely not an act of unnecessary cruelty or boredom.  This was likely standard operating procedure.  If Jesus had flinched, he was not dead yet.  But the thrust of the spear up into Jesus’ heart guaranteed that he was dead.  The Romans excelled at putting people to death by crucifixion, and this act ensured that their job was done right.

     St. John had been standing at the foot of the cross, and he had witnessed all that Jesus endured there.  He saw the soldiers nail Jesus to the beams of wood.  He saw the soldiers divide up Jesus’ garments and cast lots for his seamless tunic.  He heard the priests and Pharisees mock Jesus.  He heard Jesus speak seven times, although most of Jesus’ sufferings were endured in silence.  And John witnessed the soldier take his spear and thrust it into Jesus’ side.  This held significant interest for John, and he strongly asserted what he had witnessed.

     John wrote, “When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear.  Immediately blood and water came out.  The one who saw it has testified, and his testimony is true.  He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe” (John 19:33-35).  There was no comment made to incriminate the soldier of barbaric behavior.  There was no propaganda which would inspire readers to resent the Romans.  John simply recorded the facts.  The spear in Jesus’ side confirmed his death.  But John saw something significant from this wound.  Part of it was the fulfillment of Scripture, “They will look at the one they pierced” (John 19:37; Zechariah 12:10).  But what truly caught John’s attention was that blood and water poured forth from the Lord.

     John stated emphatically that he had seen it.  It is a historical account about the death of Jesus of Nazareth.  John’s Gospel is not a propaganda piece.  Nor is it a collection of fables.  John’s Gospel is a record of history.  He wrote about real people engaged in real events in documented places among historical figures at times that can be dated with relative certainty.  Even people who deny that Jesus is true God acknowledge that there was a Jesus of Nazareth who died by crucifixion.  The death of Jesus Christ is recorded even by historians who had no interest in defending or confessing the Christian faith.

     These events were as real as the sins we have committed against God.  When you are haunted by your sins, your guilt is real.  The devil does not vex you over things that never happened.  He accuses you with the truth.  You did say those terrible things.  You did try to cover up your sins with a lie.  You did try to pin the blame on someone else.  You did withhold your help from someone in need because you didn’t trust them, didn’t like them, or just didn’t want to be bothered by them.  You fantasized how harm would come to someone because that would somehow make your life better.  This guilt is real because those sins were real.  In order to find real relief from such guilt, you need historical, well-documented proof of salvation which was won for you.  A mythical Savior does nothing for you.  A historical and actual atoning sacrifice produces a real payment for sins.  But besides a well-attested act of redemption, you need a definitive way for that atonement to be applied to you.

     The historical death of Jesus is undeniable.  You can take a trip to Jerusalem and visit the place where Jesus was crucified.  Of course, present-day Jerusalem does not look exactly like the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day.  Archaeologists have taken their best guesses about which hill at Jerusalem is Golgotha.  In fact, there are two places which are presented as the possible site of Golgotha.  While the exact placement of Jesus’ cross is debatable, his crucifixion is not.  John saw it.  And John saw blood and water pour forth from the Lord.  

     If you go to Jerusalem, you can pose in front of the place where your forgiveness was won, but you won’t find forgiveness there.  The ransom price was made 2,000 years ago, but the benefits need to come to you now.  And this is why St. John was so emphatic about seeing blood and water pour forth from the Lord.

     John noted why the blood and the water pouring forth from Jesus’ side matter.  In his first epistle, St. John wrote, “This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ.  He did not come by the water alone but by the water and by the blood.  The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  In fact, there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one” (1 John 5:6-8). 

     Jesus won your salvation for you in his death at Golgotha.  But how does he get that salvation to you today, 2,000 years after he died on a hill 6,000 miles away?  It is by the Spirit, the water, and the blood.  The Holy Spirit guided the apostles to record the very words of God so that we can know what God demands, what God promises, and what God has done to save sinners.  God’s demands show our need for a Savior.  God’s promises assure us that he does not leave us hopeless in our sinful condition.  And God’s actions through Jesus are how our sins have been taken away.

     To give us greater assurance of this salvation, God has attached his promise to tangible things.  You are not left to wonder if you believe his words strongly enough, sincerely enough, or purely enough.  God applies his salvation to you.  He has washed you clean in your baptism and has marked you as his redeemed.  In holy communion, he pours into you the blood which was shed as the atoning sacrifice for your sins.  There is no need to wonder if God’s love and salvation are really yours.  Blood and water poured forth from our Lord, and now blood and water have been poured forth upon you.  This is how the salvation which was won for you on Golgotha is delivered to you here and now.

     Our Lord is the source of life.  He gave life to this world when he created the world and everything in it.  Most things the Lord summoned into being.  He spoke and gave life to the world.  Mankind, however, the Lord set apart from the rest of creation.  He formed the man from the dust of the earth.  He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  When it came time for the Lord to make a helper suitable for the man, the Lord took a rib from the man and formed a woman.  The life of the bride came out of the side of her husband.

     Our Lord Jesus Christ has betrothed himself to the Church.  Jesus is the groom; the Church is his bride.  Just as the life of the first bride came from the side of the man, so also the life of the Church comes from the side of Jesus Christ.  Blood and water poured forth from the Lord.  It is through the water that the Lord gives life to his Church, and it is through the blood that the Lord sustains that life in his Church.  Regarding the water, we have the promise, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).  Regarding the blood, we have this declaration, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).  

     The blood and the water poured forth from the Lord’s body at the cross.  It was a real, historical, documented event.  Now the blood and the water are poured forth to the body of Christ in the sacraments.  Here, the Lord applies true forgiveness, grants real comfort, and bestows lasting peace.  Blood and water poured forth from the Lord.  It is for you.  For the forgiveness of sins.  For real.

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

Sermon -- Maundy Thursday (April 17, 2025)

HEBREWS 10:15-25

JESUS GIVES US A NEW AND ENDURING COVENANT.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The covenant that the Lord had established with Israel at Mt. Sinai was a holy arrangement between God and his redeemed people.  While the Lord was always faithful to his end of this covenant, God’s people were not.  Sinners proved themselves sinners—no matter how great the blessings were for obedience and no matter how harsh the punishments were for disobedience.  The Ten Commandments still carry blessings and curses.  In his explanation to the Conclusion to the Commandments, Martin Luther wrote, “God threatens to punish all who transgress these commandments.  Therefore we should fear his anger and not disobey what he commands.  But he promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments.  Therefore we should love and trust in him and gladly obey what he commands” (Luther’s Small Catechism).  The threats do not keep us from sinning against his word, and the promises are not enough to have us willingly and consistently do the good God desires.  The old covenant was destined to fail—not on God’s part, but on ours.  A new covenant is needed if it is to endure and if we are truly to benefit from it.

     The old covenant also limited access to the Lord’s presence.  In some respects, we have such limitations today.  Our president is a servant of the people, but no citizen can just walk into the Oval Office to speak with the president.  You need to have an appointment, go through a background check, and endure a slew of security measures if you would even have a chance to see the president.  A senator would have easier access than a mayor, and a mayor would have easier access than you.  But there are limits on all people.

     In a similar way, access to God was granted only as God directed.  Non-Israelites were kept the farthest out—restricted to the outer courtyard of the Temple.  Israelite women could get a little closer.  Israelite men could enter the area where the altar was.  Priests could enter the temple itself.  But a thick curtain prohibited entrance into the Holy of Holies. They couldn’t even peak inside of it.  Sewn into the curtain were two cherubim which guarded the way into the Holy of Holies just as cherubim guarded the way back into the Garden of Eden.  That curtain preached its own sermon: Sinners cannot stand in God’s holy presence.  The curtain declared physically what Isaiah proclaimed verbally: “It is your guilt that has separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2).

     The only one who was ever granted access to the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, was the high priest.  He was restricted to one day a year, and he was not allowed behind the curtain unless he came with a sacrifice of blood.  If access to the Lord was so restrictive where God chose to dwell with people on earth, how could people hope to dwell with God in his heavenly presence?  A new covenant would be needed if it is to endure and if we are truly to benefit from it.

     Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.  The writer to the Hebrews goes on at length to explain how everything about Jesus is superior to the old covenant.  That is what the whole letter is about.  Regarding access to the Lord, he writes, “we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus.  It is a new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh.  We also have a great priest over the house of God” (Hebrews 10:19-21).  Jesus is our great high priest who entered into the very presence of God.  He did not take the blood of goats or bulls; rather, Jesus entered heaven itself with his own blood.  Jesus is both the high priest and the sacrificial victim.  He presented his own holy, precious blood which was shed in his innocent sufferings and death on our behalf.  This perfect sacrifice is pleasing to the heavenly Father, establishing peace with him and securing us a place with him. 

     Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.  The barrier that had stood between us and our Lord was our sin.  Remember: “It is your guilt that has separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2).  But our Lord Jesus has taken away the sin of the world.  Listen to what St. Matthew records about the death of Jesus.  “After Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51).  That curtain which had forbidden access to the Holy of Holies was rent in two the moment Jesus died.  Now no barrier stands between us and our Lord.  All sins were punished and purged by Jesus’ death.  Since sin has been taken away, there is nothing to prohibit your access to God anymore.  There is no pecking order in our access to God’s presence.  Whether man or woman, lay person or clergy, young or old, single or married, Jew or Gentile—all have the same access to God.  For, all have the same Savior, and all live under the same, enduring covenant.  Jesus grants us eternal access to the Father.  Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.

     So, why would this new covenant endure where the old covenant failed?  It is because the Lord has not made any demands of you for this covenant to be fulfilled.  He does not ask you to contribute anything.  Jesus fulfilled the Law for you with his perfect obedience.  Jesus took up your sin to suffer its curse for you.  Then Jesus overcame death by his resurrection and opened up heaven to you.  He has done it all and delivers the blessings to you.  Since it is all God’s work, this is the new covenant endures through all ages and in all circumstances. 

     But isn’t there anything for us to do?  What about faith?  What about repentance?  What about good works?  Aren’t these conditions to be met?  Don’t we need to do something to set us apart from the rest of mankind which is perishing?  Some suggest or insist that we must make some contribution toward our salvation.  They argue that our part proves why we are saved but others are not.

     What does the writer to the Hebrews say?  “The Holy Spirit also testifies in Scripture to us, for first he said: This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord.  I will put my laws on their hearts and I will write them on their mind” (Hebrews 10:15-16).  In other words, the faith that trusts God’s promises and receives his salvation—this faith God has worked in you.  The Holy Spirit has given you new life in Christ, and he sustains it in you.  He has put God’s law in your heart so that you not only believe it, but you also live according to it.  The repentance God calls for, he works in you so that you turn from sin and strive for holiness. 

     To be sure, there is something that sets you apart from the rest of mankind which is perishing: The Holy Spirit has set you apart.  He works repentance in you.  He sustains a living faith within you.  That is why this new covenant endures.  It is God who works in you to will and to work according to God’s good purpose.  And that is why God does not throw it back into your lap, as if God had left something undone.  The writer to the Hebrews declares God’s promise: “I will not remember their sins and their lawlessness any longer.  Now where these sins are forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (Hebrews 10:17-18).  You might remember your sins.  Even if you try to suppress the memory, the devil will dredge up the past.  He will accuse and convict.  You will try to find ways to forget and to eliminate the feelings of guilt.  But it is not necessary.  The only one who can condemn you for your sins is Jesus, and he has taken them away.  Instead, the Lord calls to remembrance the sacrifice he made once and for all.  Therefore, no more sacrifice is needed.  No conditions still need to be met.  Salvation has been secured.  Your access to God is unrestricted.  Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.

     To make you partakers of this new and enduring covenant, our Lord has given sacraments to his Church.  Once again, these are not acts that you do.  These are God’s gracious acts through which he delivers forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation to you.  In your baptism, you were cleansed of all sin.  You were united to Jesus in his death and resurrection.  The sinner was put to death, and the Lord raised up a saint. 

     Tonight, we especially remember the sacrament which the Lord gave to his church on the night he was betrayed.  In it, he makes us partakers and beneficiaries of his atoning sacrifice.  “He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, he took the cup after the supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is being poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).  We not only remember the death of Jesus Christ, we also are in communion with it so that we receive forgiveness through it.  And our Lord remembers his covenant with us—that we are redeemed and reconciled to the Father through the blood of Jesus. 

     Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.  This is why the writer to the Hebrews urged his fellow Christians: “Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.  Let us also consider carefully how to spur each other on to love and good works.  Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing.  Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).  The only way we could nullify this covenant is if we abandon it.  Many Christians have wandered from the saving faith for one reason: They stopped gathering to hear the word and receive the sacrament.  But if we are faithful in receiving his gifts, he will be faithful in strengthening and keeping us in the saving faith.

     Jesus gives us a new and enduring covenant.  He entered the Most Holy Place with his holy, precious blood to gain access to God’s presence for us.  Then he gives us his holy, precious blood in the sacred feast to sustain us in the saving faith and to purify our spirits.  So, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we have access to God’s presence.  When our last hour comes, he will send his angels for us.  The angels who had guarded the way to Paradise will usher us into Paradise to dwell in the very presence of God.  Then the covenant will endure.  For, as St. John promises, “God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them, and he will be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

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

YouTube -- Palm Sunday (April 13, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, April 13, 2025.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday in Lent / Palm Sunday (April 13, 2025)

PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

THE OBEDIENT SERVANT COMES TO DIE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming Messiah more vividly than any other prophet.  He recorded five servant songs.  The first one was in our Old Testament lesson, beginning, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight” (Isaiah 42:1).  While many Jews in Jesus’ day were looking for a Messiah-King, Isaiah alerts us that we should be looking first for a servant.

     The crowds who celebrated Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday had their focus on a king, on a problem-solver, and on glory.  They were not entirely wrong, but they were not right, either.  St. Luke tells us, “As he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37).  I suppose you can’t blame the crowds for such praise.  Just ask the people whose sight was restored, whose limbs were made strong enough to walk, whose cleansing of leprosy allowed them to return to their families and communities, or whose bodies were freed from demon possession.  Or ask the families who got to see their loved ones restored to health.  How could they not praise Jesus for the miracles they had seen? 

     The praises continued with the crowds saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38)!  It was foretold that the Messiah would establish a kingdom that would enjoy unending glory and uninterrupted peace.  Who does not pray for such things to this day?  No matter who is protesting about what, all people want peace and glory even if they have different ideas about what that means.  The Messiah-King is supposed to usher in a kingdom of peace and glory that is eternal.  The crowds were not entirely wrong to expect that, but they were not right, either.  Although Jesus came to establish a kingdom, he comes first and foremost as a servant.

     St. Paul reflected on this when he wrote: “Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7).  Even though God the Son is King of the Universe, full of glory, power, and majesty, he emptied himself of those things.  That does not mean he lost them or was stripped of them.  God the Son never stopped being God the Son.  Rather, he emptied himself by taking on the nature of a servant.  That means that Jesus did not make regular use of his glory, power, and majesty.  We do get a glimpse of that in his miracles.  But even when Jesus made use of his glory and power, it was not to dazzle or amaze.  He is not an entertainer, but a servant.  He used his miraculous powers to serve people in need—the sick, the demon-possessed, the dying, and even for those who had already died.  Jesus is an obedient servant.

     Now, if Jesus is a servant, that means he has come to do the will of someone else.  A servant follows the orders of his master.  So, Jesus came in obedience to his heavenly Father.  That meant more than just keeping the Commandments.  “When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).  Jesus came as an obedient servant, and the obedient servant came to die. 

     Other kings have demanded unquestioned obedience from their subjects.  I recall hearing a story about Alexander the Great (and this may be an urban legend) who was preparing to lay siege to a city.  The king of that city was not ready to just roll over and surrender.  But to demonstrate how committed his troops were to him, Alexander had them line up and ordered them to march.  Dutifully, the soldiers marched single-file, right off of a cliff.  There was no hesitation or resistance.  They followed Alexander’s orders until he gave the order to halt.  Once the king saw that Alexander’s soldiers would obey his orders even in facing certain death, he recognized that he could not resist Alexander’s army.  He surrendered immediately.

     The death of Jesus, however, is not just a show of allegiance.  Yes, Jesus went to the cross as his Father commanded.  He went without hesitation or resistance.  He proved himself an obedient servant.  Jesus served in obedience to his Father, but he served for the benefit of you.  Jesus did exactly what he was sent for, anointed for, and ordered to do: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Jesus willingly gave up his life to be the ransom price that delivers you from your sins, from death, and from the devil.  The obedient servant had come to die for you.

     You and I have not been the willing and obedient servants that God wants.  We bristle just hearing the word, “servant.”  Americans have been trained: We are not servants of anybody.  From cries of “Don’t tread on me” to “My body, my choice,” we have embraced the spirit that refuses to submit to others.  But here is the stark reality: You are a servant no matter what you think.  The question is: What do you serve?  Who is your master?

     St. Paul asks, “Do you not know that when you offer yourselves to obey someone as slaves, you are slaves of the one you are obeying—whether slaves of sin, resulting in death, or slaves of obedience, resulting in righteousness” (Romans 6:16)?  We all want to believe that we are free to do whatever we want.  And in some respects, it is true.  You are free to serve your ego which riles up your anger when others do not honor you with what you believe is proper respect.  You are free to serve your selfish motives which cause you to manipulate others so that you get your way.  You are free to serve your pride which causes you to be jealous of other people’s success because you want that praise for yourself.  But this is not freedom at all.  Do you know why?  Because you cannot turn off your sinful inclinations.  You continue to sin even when you don’t want to.  This means you are enslaved to sin.  You are a captive of the devil because you are doing what the devil desires.  Even if you would be foolish enough to boast that you are free from keeping God’s word, you are not free from his judgment.  Repent.

     The obedient servant has come for you.  He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to present himself as the sin offering for you.  The obedient servant came to die for you.  By taking up your sin, Jesus went to the cross to be forsaken by the Father and to suffer the cursed death.  This is where the Father dealt with the penalty for all your sins.  By sacrificing himself for you, Jesus has set you free from your sin, from its curse, and from its penalty.  Although it meant a death of shame, pain, torment, and damnation, Jesus went to the cross.  He went without hesitation and without resistance because it meant your salvation.  The obedient servant came to die for you.

     “Therefore” (Philippians 2:9).  This is the conclusion that Paul highlights.  Because Jesus willingly obeyed his heavenly Father, because Jesus died a sacrificial death to set sinners free from their sin, “therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).  The obedient servant was raised from the dead and lives.  More than being raised from the dead to live, Jesus is also exalted and reigns over all things.  Jesus, the man from Nazareth, possesses all glory, power, and majesty.  He is the Messiah-King, reigning over heaven and earth and everything that has been created, seen and unseen. 

     Even though Jesus possesses all authority, he is still a servant because he lives to serve you.  He lives to proclaim a full pardon from all your sins.  He lives to assure you that you will be delivered from death.  He lives to silence every accusation of the devil.  He lives to guide you, direct you, and protect you so that you will not be swept away by your sins again.  Jesus releases you from captivity of the devil and from slavery to sin.

     The obedient servant has made you obedient servants.  When you were baptized into the name of Jesus, you were united to Jesus in his death.  The sinful nature was put to death in you so that it no longer controls you.  God raised you up a new creation; sin is no longer your master.  Now you have a new master.  You are servants of righteousness.  That means you want to flee from all wickedness and to do what is good, right, and salutary.  Yes, you will struggle with sin as long as you are in this flesh.  But the Holy Spirit has worked in you a pure heart and a right spirit so that you are grieved by your sins.  You want to follow God’s word because you love your Savior and delight in his word.  The obedient servant has made you obedient servants.

     You recognize that God has a higher purpose for you than worshiping yourself, using people, or cursing strangers on the internet.  That is not how our Lord treats you.  He came as an obedient servant who died to save you, and you love him for it.  You recognize that his service and his attitude are noble, righteous, and beneficial.  Therefore, you concur with the words of St. Paul, “Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).  The obedient servant makes you obedient servants.  God the Son died for you so that you could live as obedient children of God now and forever, without hesitation or resistance.

     It is no wonder the crowds celebrated Jesus when he entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  They yearned for a king, for a problem-solver, and for glory.  They were not entirely right, but they were not entirely wrong, either.  For, Jesus has established an enduring kingdom.  He lives and reigns.  All people whether in heaven, in hell, or on earth will have to confess him Lord.  We rejoice to do that because our Lord was pleased to serve and to save us.  Every knee will bow before him.  We are honored to bend our knees before King Jesus, because we know that he will exalt us. 

     Our Messiah-King will come again.  Our hopes will be fulfilled.  Our praises will be vindicated.  Our glory will be unending.  Our peace will go on uninterrupted.  For the obedient servant is now the everlasting King.  Blessed is the King.  Peace on earth and glory in the highest!

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

Sermon -- 4th Sunday in Lent (March 30, 2025)

This sermon was intended to be preached for the 4th Sunday in Lent.  An infection had me fever-stricken and reduced to bed rest instead of being at church to preach it.  This is a draft which would have been edited were it not for the infection, so it could stand some improvement.  Then again, I would say that about every sermon manuscript I prepare.  I would edit until Judgment Day if I did not have a deadline to preach it.

LUKE 15:1-3,11b-32

THE FATHER LAVISHES LOVE ON THE LOST.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The parable of the Prodigal Son is endearing to us because we all enjoy a happy ending.  We think that it is wonderful that a father would welcome home his wayward son and receive him with a warm embrace.  It warms our hearts to hear that the past has been forgotten and that all the blessings and benefits of sonship have been restored.  It is a wonderful story, but it is a story that we do not fully appreciate because it is mostly theory for us.  It is also because we tend to see ourselves in the wrong brother.

     Let’s rework this parable for just a moment.  Say you had a brother who complained about your family.  He hated the rules of the house and boasted all the time how he would do things better.  He does not want to be like your parents because they are too rigid, too controlling, and too boring.  There’s life to live, and they don’t get it.  So, he asks your father to cash in whatever money was saved up for his college education.  Stocks were sold and an IRA was cashed in with early withdrawal penalties and all.  Then he takes the family car and off he goes to live it up. 

     After another day on your father’s farm, sweating out in the field, you come home to see your brother’s posts on Instagram.  He is holding up his beer with bikini-clad women surrounding him.  Hashtag: ThisIsTheGoodLife.  It does not take long before he blows his money on booze and gambling.  He also totaled the car.  You aren’t surprised.  Your little brother never took life seriously, and it finally came back to bite him.  He found himself homeless and penniless.  Eventually, he decided to hitchhike back home.

     After another long day of labor, you head home and are greeted by the smell of barbeque and the sound of a DJ.  Then you learn that this is for your little brother.  Not only was he welcomed back home, but he was being celebrated.  There was no lecture, no punishment, nothing.  He was even given a new car to replace the one he totaled.  Would you join in the party?  Could you look at your brother without any feelings of resentment?  Would you give him a hug?  And what would you think of your father who, apparently, had no problems with your little brother’s debauchery and defiance?

     I think you can understand the older brother’s outrage—outrage toward the brother who dishonored his father and flaunted it; outrage toward the father who not only received little brother back but even celebrated his return.  Where is the justice?  Why does the greedy, perverted drunkard have the father’s favor when you have been diligently bearing the cross and laboring with no fanfare whatsoever? 

     The older brother has a point, doesn’t he?  Who could disagree with him?  Those who live obediently, morally, and decently should be rewarded and honored, right?  Those who are brazen sinners should be told that they made their choices and should suffer the consequences for them.  Would anyone take the employee that embezzles from the company and make him the vice president of operations?  And if it did happen, would you be happy for that man? 

     Jesus’ parables prove that we are not like the heavenly Father.  The Father lavishes his love on the lost.  The father certainly could have crushed his son in harsh judgment, and we would not have blamed him.  Even his own son would not have blamed him.  He discovered that a life of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll did not satisfy him.  “But,” you protest, “what if is money had not run out?  Wouldn’t he have found happiness in the life he had chosen for himself?”  The answer?  Even if he had continued to live in hedonism, gluttony, and drunkenness, what would he have gained from it?  What was his purpose in life—just to get his next drink?  Who did he have that loved him?  As long as he was buying, he probably had lots of friends.  So, why didn’t anyone take him in when he ran out of money?  What woman stuck by his side when times got tough?  The young man had squandered all his blessings.  He knew it, and confessed it to be so: “I will get up, go to my father, and tell him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants”’ (Luke 15:18-19).  The younger son finally recognized that in his father’s house he had provision, protection, life, hope, and a noble purpose.  Separated from his father’s house, he was dying, hopeless, and helpless.

     The younger son had abandoned the father’s house and all its blessings.  We would expect him to get what he deserves.  But we are not like the heavenly Father.  “His father saw him and was filled with compassion.  He ran, hugged his son, and kissed him….  The father said to his servants, ‘Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let us eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again.  He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:20-24).  The Father lavishes love on the lost.

     We are not like the heavenly Father.  We think in terms of fairness and consequences.  Good people go to heaven; that’s fair.  Bad people go to hell; those are the consequences.  It makes sense, doesn’t it?  Not to the Father.  He lavishes love on the lost. 

     Well, it sure did not make sense to the older brother.  When he heard how graciously the father had taken back his younger brother, he was upset.  When he learned that the father did not hold little brother responsible for his actions, he was incensed.  The older brother had been the good son.  He protested to his father, “Look, these many years I’ve been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command” (Luke 15:29).  He was convinced that he had earned better treatment.  Once again, that seems fair, doesn’t it?

     Dear Christian friends, repent!  You may credit yourself with obedience to the Father because you have not been guilty of the brazen sins of others.  You are no criminals.  And you may take pride in the way you have served your Father in heaven.  You have done good works, and others have benefited from them.  But you and I fail to understand this: We are not the natural-born children of God.  Our place in his family has not been earned, and it is not deserved.  As St. Paul reminds us, “We carried out the desires of the sinful flesh and its thoughts.  Like all the others, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).  

     The older brother forgot his place in the father’s house.  He was not there because he had worked his way into it.  He did nothing to belong to the father’s house, except be born into it, which is an act of grace.  We often think of people who have been born into families of affluence.  They are often vilified as people who have won life’s lottery, as if they filled out the right forms or paid off the right people to be born into that family.  The rich kid is in the rich family because of God’s doing.  While the rich kid benefits from his father’s wealth, he really owns nothing.  It is all the father’s possession, and he shares it with his children.

     This is the case with the older brother.  The father even told him so.  Trying to appease him, “The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours’” (Luke 15:31).  Whatever the son had was his by grace.  All the goods and the blessings belonged to the father who graciously bestowed them on his son.  And he was not stingy.  All that the father had belonged to the son as well.  The father’s lavish love was given to him, too.

     The Father lavishes his love on the lost.  This grace is even more evident when it comes to the family of God.  For, no one is automatically in God’s family.  We are by nature sinful, objects of wrath, and outside of God’s kingdom.  All are lost.  And yet, God has been pleased to bring us into his family.  He gives us new birth to a new life.  This was done for us through Jesus Christ.

     Jesus is the son who left the mansions of heaven to go to this world where he associated with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners.  He squandered all he had on these sinners, including you and me.  Jesus poured out his life, his breath, his body, and his blood for the sake of sinners.  The payment he made for your sins and mine and for the sins of the whole world is the life of the Son of God.  It is this reckless love that sent Jesus to the cross where he was forsaken by his Father because of our sins.  Cut off from his Father, there was only death and damnation for Jesus.  This is the ransom price for you.  This is Jesus’ reckless spending which purchased and won you from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.  This is his lavish love for you.

     Then the Son, who squandered all things to redeem you, rose from the dead.  He ascended to heaven where his Father received him back with joy and celebrating.  Jesus of Nazareth was given all majesty, power, and glory.  He has been given all authority to rule over heaven and earth and to forgive sins.  In both cases, he lavishes his love on the lost.  And he continues to squander his grace upon all people.  When he covered your debts and paid for all your past sins, he did not say, “Okay, your debt has been covered.  But now we are done.  Rather, he continues to apply the ransom price for the sins you still commit.  He has even spent himself on the sins of people who prefer a life apart from the Father’s house.  Since they continue in stubborn unbelief, they receive no benefit from Jesus’ payment, but the payment was made for them.  And he does not regard this grace as a waste.  This lavish love is for all the lost.

     The Father lavishes his love on the lost.  He sent his Son to ensure that you would not be left outside of the Father’s house.  Outside of the Father’s house is only death, hopelessness, and helplessness.  Inside the Father’s house is all that you need for body and life, for time and eternity.  Jesus has poured out his life, his breath, his body, and his blood to win it for you.  And now he bestows on you new life.  He breathes his Holy Spirit into you.  He gives you his body and blood for your forgiveness.  All this so that you would be his.

     The apostle John promises us, “To all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).  And if you are God’s children, then all that is the Father’s is yours.  His love is yours.  His mercy is yours.  His kingdom is yours.  And thanks to Jesus’ reckless spending and lavish love, you are his forever.

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

Worship Notes: Passiontide

           The 5^th Sunday in Lent (April 4) begins the season of Passiontide (the final two weeks of Lent), in which the Passion of our Lord intensifies.  Therefore, the Lenten fast also intensifies which we can observe in our worship setting.  

          The sights and sounds in God’s house are muted even more.  For the past number of weeks, our celebration has been muted in the following ways:

          There are no Alleluia's.
          We do not sing the Gloria in Excelsis after the Absolution.
          There are no flowers on the altar.

            Now, you will note these additional practices.

          The Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) is omitted from the Psalms
          All artwork or icons have been removed or veiled.
          The ringing of the church bell ceases.

            Our services will practically be barren of celebration, but that is the point.  We are fasting.  We are penitent.  We are intently focusing on the sufferings and death of Jesus.  Ceremony and celebration will return with vigor on Easter Sunday when we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord which declares that sins are forgiven and that death is destroyed.

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers (March 26, 2025)

This sermon was also preached at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Plymouth and St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Belleville on March 12 and March 13, respectively.

PSALM 51:3-4

REFLECTIONS ON REPENTANCE:

Recognizing Against Whom We Sin.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When we think of sins, we often limit ourselves to the second table of the Law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).  One reason is because we can witness these sins.  4^th Commandment: We can observe a child being disrespectful to his or her parents.  5^th Commandment: We can witness a man killing or beating another man.  6^th Commandment: There are usually text messages to prove an extra-marital affair.  7^th Commandment: Police can produce evidence of goods that were stolen from someone’s house.  8^th Commandment: You can hear people slandering the good name of another person or gossiping about what he or she might possibly be up to.  All of these are sins, and all of them can be witnessed.  Charges can be made.  And justice can be meted out according to the severity of the offense.

     But what if my neighbor doesn’t know?  What if my actions do not affect him?  You’ve heard the mantra: “As long as it isn’t hurting anybody, who cares what I do?”  If that is how sins are judged, then the goal is no longer to refrain from doing evil.  The goal is to make sure no one knows.  If there is no evidence, then no one can fault you.  And if no one can find fault with you, can anyone really say there was any sin?  “As long as it isn’t hurting anybody, who cares what I do,” right?

     Wrong.  King David’s confession does not focus on the people he hurt, although he had done a great deal of harm.  The heading of the Psalm acknowledges that: “A psalm by David.  When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba” (Psalm 51:1-2 in Hebrew).  David’s lust for Bathsheba led to his adulterous affair with her.  The resultant pregnancy led to a cover-up.  When the cover-up failed, it led to the plot which arranged for the death of her husband, Uriah, in battle.  David’s sins piled up and left a trail of blood behind him.  David did acknowledge his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah.  “I admit my rebellious acts.  My sin is always in front of me” (Psalm 51:3).  Since he had taken Bathsheba into his house after the death of her husband, her very presence would be a life-time reminder of who she was and how she got there.

     But David’s confession in Psalm 51centered on the first table of the Law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).  His confession was focused on the Lord: “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes” (Psalm 51:4).  Repentance recognizes against whom we sin.  Repentance recognizes that our primary responsibility is to the God who created us and sustains us.  As the author of life and the source of all that is good, God tells us what a good life is and how it is to be lived.  As his creatures, we are accountable to him.  To love the Lord is to trust his word and to do as it says.  Anything that turns away from that is sin. 

     What is sin but a rejection of what God has to say to us?  And if we reject what God has to say, we reject God himself.  Consider what Martin Luther wrote in the Large Catechism.  “What does it mean to have a god? or, what is God?  Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole] heart…  That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god.” (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/large-catechism/#lc-i-0001)  Therefore, any turning away from God’s word is idolatry, that is, setting our hearts on something else.

     David knew this.  He recognized that whatever sin we commit—whether it is known or unknown, whether people suffer because of it, whether people are indifferent toward it, whether people congratulate you for it—whatever sin we commit is a violation of the first table of the Law.  By disobeying his word, we dishonor the God who made us, and we honor something above the Lord.  We show that we love and serve our belly, our wallet, our ego, or our loins.  Even if no one in the world is aware or is hurt by it, God is offended, and his wrath is stoked.  Repent.

     God has revealed his will in his word.  When we hear the word of the Lord, no matter what it is, there is only one of two responses.  Either say, “Amen, this is true” or we say, “Horse fritters; this is false!”  Either we assent to that word and acknowledge that God’s word is true even when it convicts us, or we reject that word and call God a liar.  If we turn from God’s word, we make ourselves our own gods.  We exalt ourselves as the arbiters of what is good and what is evil.  We subject the Lord to our judgment—as if rejecting God’s word excuses us from our duty or from God’s damnation.

     Repentance recognizes against whom we sin.  Therefore, we confess with King David, “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes.  So you are justified when you sentence me.  You are blameless when you judge” (Psalm 51:3-4).  Repentance not only acknowledges that we have sinned against God, but also that God’s judgment is deserved.  I am guilty.  God knows it.  I know it.  So, I rightly admit it and recognize that I deserve whatever punishment God has decreed.  That punishment is banishment from God who is the source of life and all that is good.  No one likes punishment.  No one likes getting a speeding ticket.  No one likes to pay the fine that comes with it.  But if you are clocked at 20 mph over the limit, you cannot fault the police officer for enforcing the Law.  In the same way, we don’t want to experience God’s punishment both now and in eternity, but we must confess with David: “You are justified when you sentence me.  You are blameless when you judge” (Psalm 51:4). 

     We can speak of repentance in a narrow sense, which is sorrow over sins and fleeing from them.  We can also speak of repentance in a wider sense, which includes turning to our Lord for mercy and for hope.  Since our sins are offenses against God, he is the only one who can pardon us for them.  And yet, if God is to be just and his word is to be taken seriously, then there must be a punishment delivered upon the guilty.

     Jesus Christ is the substitutionary sacrifice which enables the Lord to be both just and merciful.  God is just in that he condemned all sin in the sufferings and death of Jesus.  Isaiah declared, “We all have gone astray like sheep.  Each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has charged all our guilt to him.” (Isaiah 53:6).  Rather than slaughtering the wayward sheep, the Lord has slain the Lamb of God; for, he is the one who bears all the guilt.  Bearing our guilt, Jesus testified against whom he was accountable.  Jesus took up David’s confession on behalf of all mankind: “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes” (Psalm 51:3).  And how true this is!  For, Jesus had not sinned against any man, woman, or child at any point in his life.  But “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

     Therefore, Jesus suffered abandonment by the one who is the source of life and all that is good.  This meant death and torment.  Jesus testified to this damning abandonment when he cried out at the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46)?  And having said this, Jesus gave himself up into death.  Therefore, God the Father carried out the proper sentence.  The guilty one was denounced, damned, and deceased.  The Father was justified in sentencing him, and blameless in judging him. 

     Behold!  The mercy God has had upon you as a result of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice!  He has not treated us as our sins deserve!  Rather, God the Father has declared a full pardon for all your offenses for the sake of Jesus who endured your punishment for you.  This full and free pardon is what motivated David to write Psalm 51.  David knew he deserved death for his sins.  He had even unwittingly pronounced his own sentence to the prophet Nathan.  But the Lord did not destroy him.  Even though he had shed innocent blood, holy and precious blood was shed for him.  That holy and precious blood has been shed for you as well.  And that holy and precious blood marks you through your baptism.  The Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed you of all sin and guilt by waters which have God’s words and promises attached to them.  Therefore, you will not perish.  Instead, God who is the source of life grants you new life in his kingdom.  Nor will you be abandoned by the God who is the source of all that is good.  Rather, he pours out blessings for your eternal good.

     When our Lord gave both tables of the Law, he prefaced everything with these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, where you were slaves” (Exodus 20:2).  The Lord God had made himself known as a Savior and Deliverer.  Therefore, when he gave his Law, it was not given as a threat: “Love the Lord your God or you’ll burn in hell.”  It was given by a loving God who yearned for people to respond to his love with grateful lives of dedicated service.  “Love the Lord your God because he has redeemed you.  He does good to you.  He seeks good for you.  And his word is good.”  Therefore, we do not love the Lord our God to get him off our backs.  We love the Lord our God because he is on our side.  We do not serve the Lord to make him pleased with us.  We serve the Lord because he was pleased to save us through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

     As we go through life, you will sin against God and others.  Repentance recognizes against whom we sin, and it is good and right to confess your sins and to seek reconciliation.  Even if you do, some may never forgive you.  They may slander you and curse you until the day they die.  But no matter what harsh judgments people utter against you, there is only one judge who matters.  Ultimately, we answer only to him.  Here, we already give our answer.  We confess, “Against you, you only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:3).  And in the name of Jesus, this word is proclaimed: “The Lord has put away your sin; you are not going to perish.”  Because Jesus has taken away your guilt, he is justified in his sentence.  He judges you as blameless; and God does not condemn the innocent.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday in Lent (March 23, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, March 23, 2025.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday in Lent (March 23, 2025)

LUKE 13:1-9

THE LORD USES EVILS TO WORK FOR YOUR SALVATION.

In the name + of Jesus.

      People have always wanted to know why God does what he does, especially when tragedies occur.  When you experience some hardship, whether a health-related concern or a natural disaster, you want to know: Did God send it or did God allow it?  Is God responsible, or is it the devil’s work?  The Bible teaches this: “On a good day, enjoy the good, but on a bad day, consider carefully.  God has made the one as well as the other, so no man can find out about anything that will come later” (Ecclesiastes 7:14).  So, we should never get the idea that God lost control and that the devil had his way with us.  Jesus lives and reigns over all things.

     This is not a reason to assess blame.  This is a reason to take comfort.  For, Jesus promises you this: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…  And surely I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18,20).  So, no matter what happens, it only happens with Jesus watching over every aspect of your life and, in fact, of this whole world.  Jesus promises you, “Not one (sparrow) will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father” (Matthew 10:29).  Nothing happens apart from the Lord, whether good or bad.  And nothing happens with Jesus being apart from you.  The Lord uses even evils to work for your salvation.  With this in mind, you can face each day with confidence and peace. 

     Still, we try to figure out what God is doing and why he is doing it.  We long to peak behind the curtain, thinking that we will find comfort and peace if we know the secret things of God.  Well, there’s a reason God keeps them a secret.  It is the same reason parents don’t sit down with their 10-year-old children to explain their credit card debt or the difficulties of their marriage.  The children don’t need to know that.  They only need to know that their parents are with them, love them, and will care for them.  That is exactly what Jesus promises you.  So, fear not.

     “At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1).  We don’t know why this bloody tragedy in the temple occurred.  Did Pontius Pilate feel the need to flex some Roman muscles?  Maybe.  Or did these Galileans provoke it?  The Galileans were known for being revolutionaries.  Did some Zealots go to the temple to stage an uprising, causing Pilate’s soldiers to crush it?  Maybe.  Either way, it was a big story, and some wanted to hear what Jesus had to say about it.  Why did this happen?  Why did God allow it?  What was God doing?  Jesus, what do you think?

     Jesus “answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things’” (Luke 13:2)?  From Jesus’ answer, we might infer that people thought these Galileans had it coming to them, that they were receiving their just desserts.  Jesus did not fault the Galileans or curse the Romans.  What Jesus’ answer does teach us is that we should not concern ourselves with why tragedies happen to other people.  Is it God’s judgment?  Is it Satan stirring up trouble?  If you knew the answer, would that make you feel any better about yourself?  If so, you missed the point completely.  Jesus warned, “Do you think that (they) were worse sinners…?  I tell you, no.  But unless you repent, you will all perish too” (Luke 13:2-3).  

     Jesus, then, mentioned another tragedy.  This one was not an act of violence but an accident.  The tower of Siloam had collapsed and crushed 18 people.  Jesus had them consider: “Do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no.  But unless you repent, you will all perish too” (Luke 13:4-5).  Once again, people must have been thinking that sudden or tragic death reflects God’s judgment.  But we don’t know the mind of God.  He does not tell us why people die suddenly, tragically, or in infancy.  All our groping for answers produces only frustration and suspicion.  When we speculate, we might conclude that God is wicked because we deserve better.  But if you don’t know why something happened, how can you assess blame?

     All we can know about tragedies is what God tells us.  Job reminds us, “Man born of woman has a few short days, and they are full of anxiety.  He blossoms like a flower, but soon withers.  He recedes like a shadow and does not remain.  …Certainly his days are determined.  The number of his months has been set by you.  A limit is set, which he cannot exceed” (Job 14:1-2,5).  So, we know that life is full of anxiety.  Bad things happen.  We know that all lives end in death, and there is no promise about how many days you get.  Meanwhile, all the days leading up to death are a mix of joy and pain, blessing and suffering. 

     But now, the why.  Why do sorrows and sufferings occur?  Because it is a sinful world and we are sinners in this sinful world.  Sin corrupts everything.  Sorrow and suffering are evidence of it.  They are reminders that the end of our lives and the end of the world is coming.  If we are continually reminded that all that we see and possess and experience will come to an end, we will be forced to look for comfort and peace from somewhere outside ourselves and from outside this world.  We will also learn to not be attached to this world or attracted to its blessings.  While we can appreciate the blessings, they are temporary.  The happiness they bring is temporary.  It can be destroyed without notice—like a tower collapsing on eighteen people in Jerusalem.  If you want lasting happiness, it must come from somewhere else.  God uses evils to highlight this and to work for our salvation.

     The only lasting happiness, in fact, ever-lasting happiness, that you will find is through Jesus Christ.  Jesus promises you a joy that cannot be killed off by death.  Jesus issues a sentence which wipes away all guilt.  Jesus gives you a treasure which never loses its value and a peace which will never be interrupted by war, terror, or tragedy.  Although we are familiar with such evils in this world, Jesus will bring you into a kingdom that will be forever free from them all.  The evils you experience here make you long for what is better.  So, God uses these evils to work for your salvation.

     God used evil to secure your salvation.  Although Jesus only ever did good to the people he encountered, he still gained enemies.  They tried to trap him in his words so that they could accuse him as a false teacher.  They slandered him and plotted against him.  They arrested him without charges and unjustly sentenced him.  His death sentence was not done for the sake of justice but for the sake of appeasing an angry mob.  All these evils piled up against Jesus, but all were used by the Lord to work for your salvation. 

     At the cross, a strange justice was carried out.  It has the appearance of evil because the innocent are not supposed to be condemned and the guilty are not supposed to get off scott free.  St. Peter wrote, “Christ suffered once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  So, the righteous, innocent man was condemned and the unrighteous have been set free.  This shows you God’s love for you—that he was willing to have his only begotten Son slain for you so that you will not perish but have everlasting life.  That love remains, that salvation stands, that mercy endures even when tragedies and sufferings strike.  Even though they are painful, those hardships are temporary.  God’s love, however, endures forever.  He promises an eternity whose joys are beyond comparison to any sufferings we face here.

     While it is true that Jesus has done all things that need to be done to win your salvation, the Lord still looks for repentance in your life.  Repentance and faith are not merely mental exercises.  They do not just lay there; they produce results.  Repentance puts to death the sinful desires that bring on God’s judgment.  Faith produces a life that does what is good, honorable, generous, and pure.  The Lord looks for these things which prove that our repentance is genuine.

     To make this point, Jesus told the parable about the fruitless fig tree.  The man said, ^“Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none.  Cut it down.  Why even let it use up the soil” (Luke 13:7)?  Just as you plant a fruit tree to enjoy its fruit, so the Lord has planted you in his kingdom to do works that he delights in.  He has planted faith in you so that it will produce fruits which are evidence of your faith.  If the Lord has been pleased to set you free from all the curses—and eventually all the consequences—of your sins, then the Lord has also set you free to live a life that renounces those sins and lives a life that is godly, productive, and beneficial to others. 

     And he has made this promise to you: “I am the Vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit” (John 15:5).  So, if your faith is being informed by God’s word and being fed by God’s sacraments, the good works will come forth.  For “it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, for the sake of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).  Just as Jesus provides the very righteousness you need to stand before the Father at the final judgment, so also Jesus produces in you the very fruits the Father delights to see in your life.  As long as you are being nurtured by God’s word and sacraments, the good fruits will come forth and prove your repentance and your faith to be genuine.

     Even while you strive for good, bad things will still happen to you.  In a sinful world, it is inevitable.  Just as good works are evidence of a living faith, so also tragedies and suffering are evidence of a sinful world.  But God uses these evils to work for your salvation.  They cause you to focus on the glories of the heavenly kingdom.  They also give you opportunities on earth to love and serve your fellow man in his need.  Tragedies experienced by others are ways for fruits of faith to be seen in you.  And tragedies that you experience are ways for you to confess your confidence in God’s promises. 

     So, do not fear.  Jesus lives and reigns in you and for you.  Nothing happens apart from Jesus.  And nothing happens with Jesus being apart from you.  Therefore, you will not perish.  God works all things for your good.

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