DANIEL 3:16-28
WE HAVE A FAITH WORTH DYING
FOR.
In
the name + of Jesus.
You have likely heard the phrase, “I will
die on this hill.” In a military
context, it notes the strategic advantage of holding the high ground. Troops would defend the hill to the
death. They would die on that hill
rather than concede the advantage. Today,
it is used to express a commitment to one’s beliefs or behavior. People will defend their convictions rather
than concede them to pressure or convenience.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were such
men. They were among the first to be
exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon along with the prophet Daniel. They were of the noble class, and probably
teenagers. King Nebuchadnezzar was no
idiot. When he recognized their
potential for serving him, he had them train for service in his kingdom. They were taught the Babylonian language,
Babylonian literature, Babylonian culture, and so on. There was no sin in doing this, so these
young man gave themselves diligently to their studies. They were also to eat the king’s food. But some of that food was unclean according
to the law of Moses. You might think
this was a petty matter. They were
exiles in a pagan land. Who cares about
dietary rules? But these young men
refused to violate the covenant. It was
a hill they would die on because they would not sin against the Lord, not even
in what seemed like little matters.
Fast forward to our reading. Nebuchadnezzar had built a large, golden
statue and commanded his subjects to worship it. Once the orchestra began playing the worship
music, everyone was to bow low to the ground—both an act of worship to the idol
and an act of allegiance to the king.
However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. When everyone was prostrate to the ground,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood upright.
It was not hard to see that they refused to worship the king’s
idol. This was a hill they would die on,
and it was reported to the king.
Once again, King Nebuchadnezzar was no
idiot. He would not execute valuable
employees on hearsay. So, he confronted
them. “If you worship the idol, we’re
all good. But if you do not
worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace”
(Daniel 3:15). Then he scoffed, “And who
is the god who will deliver you out of my hands” (Daniel 3:15)?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s reply
was another bold confession. They made
two statements. “Our God whom
we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” (Daniel
3:17). In other words, our God can
save. But they continued, “If not, be
it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden
image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:18).
In other words, even if God does not save us, we will be faithful to
him—no matter what threats or punishments we face. We will not yield in our faith. We will not turn from his word. We will die on this hill.
God, in his
grace, chose to preserve Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar recognized this
when he declared, “Did we not cast three men bound into the
fire? … But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and
they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of
the gods” (Daniel 3:24-25). And he
was right. The Son of God stood with
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the flaming furnace. He had preserved them so that they did not
even smell of smoke. He does not always step in to miraculously
save his people from a martyr’s death.
In fact, God rarely does that.
Many saints have glorified God by suffering death for their faithful
confession. We have a faith worth dying
for. God’s people recognize that there
are some things that are worse than death.
We have a faith worth dying for, and that
is because we have a God who decided that we were worth dying for. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came
into to the world to die for sinners.
Jesus took into himself all our sins.
Now, the devil had given Jesus all kinds of reasons not to do this. When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the
prince of this world offered to give Jesus all the riches, authority, and
kingdoms of the world. Jesus would not
even have to suffer to get these. He
needed only to bow before the devil, and he would have them. But that is not how sinners would be
saved. There was a hill that Jesus had
to die on in order to redeem us. And he
was convinced that we were worth dying for.
Jesus went to a hill to die on it for
us. There he was roasted in God’s fiery
wrath for sins he did not commit. He
endured hellish torment that he did not deserve. He did this to pay for all your sins. Since Jesus has taken up all your sins, there
is no condemnation for you. You have
received a full pardon. This is the
faith we live and die in.
Therefore, we have a faith worth dying
for. The odds of you facing death in a
fiery furnace are slim. You will likely
never have to suffer death for your confession.
But you will suffer for it. We
hold to God’s word in a world that mocks those who live according to it. To the world, our faithfulness to God’s word
is bewildering. To the world, sinning
against God’s word is no big deal. St.
Peter warned, “They are surprised when you do not join them in the same
flood of debauchery, and they malign you” (1 Peter 4:4).
God’s people hold to his word even when violating
it seems like no big deal. Examples
abound, but we will consider just one.
St. Paul instructs us, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish
talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be
thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). If
you avoid vulgar or obscene speech, people will notice. They will think you are strange. They will mock you, “Oh, goody two-shoes. You think you’re better than us!” But remember, you have been set apart from
all wickedness. We dare not dabble in
some of it, reasoning that some sins are harmless. The world is evil. It dwells under God’s wrath, and judgment is
coming because of it. But you have been
set apart from it. You not only rejoice
in God’s promises, but you also believe that all of God’s word is good and
right and true. You have been set apart to
be God’s people and to live according to God’s word. Your faith is not mere words; faith governs
your whole life. It is a life lived for
God’s honor. It is a faith worth dying
for.
This is nothing new. God’s people throughout all of history have
suffered for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Today, we celebrate the Lutheran Reformation. At the time of Martin Luther, Jesus was
portrayed as an angry judge that you had to satisfy with holy living. The confession, “He will come again to judge
the living and the dead” filled people with terror rather than hope. Christians were told to amend their lives,
making up for all of their sins. Who can
do that? What is enough? And what happens to a Christian who lived his
whole life trusting God’s word but does not have enough time to amend for all
his sins? This is where the teaching of
purgatory came in. It isn’t in the
Bible, but it was created to tell people they would have to be purged of the
wickedness that was still in them. Once
they had been purged of all their evil, then they would be holy and able to
enter heaven. How long would that
suffering take? Thousands and thousands
of years. What comfort did these
Christians have?
This is where the sale of indulgences came
in. For a price, people could reduce the
time spent in purgatory by the authority of the Pope. And it was not only for yourself. Would you really let grandma suffer in
purgatory when you could purchase her release?
It was a wicked practice, but the money ended up building St. Peter’s
Basilica. Martin Luther challenged this
practice. Having discovered from
Scripture that Jesus is not an angry judge but a gracious Savior, Luther
preached forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Indulgences were a scam, and Luther said
so. Once the money stopped flowing to
Rome, Luther faced threats. First, he
was ordered to stop preaching and writing.
Later, he was marked as a wanted man—dead or alive. Luther’s life would have been much easier if
he had just shut up. But God’s people
would have been robbed of comfort, hope, and salvation if he had not. He was willing to die on that hill because Jesus
had willingly died for him and for the sins of the whole world. Whenever Luther saw the good news of Jesus being
perverted by false teachings, he lashed out in rather strong language. He would not let the light of the Gospel be
clouded, and he would not let God’s people be plagued by doubts and fears. Luther was willing to die for this
confession. God graciously spared him of
that, but Luther recognized that we have a faith worth dying for.
There is a reason Martin Luther wrote, “And
take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, let these all be gone, they
yet have nothing won; the kingdom ours remaineth” (TLH © 1941, Hymn 262, stanza
4). For Luther, losing these
things was a real possibility. That does
not mean God’s gifts are not precious.
But it does mean they don’t save.
Only Jesus Christ does. It would
be hard to lose one’s possessions or reputation. It would be gut-wrenching to lose one’s wife
and children. But it would be eternally
tragic to lose one’s faith. There are
things worse than dying. That is why we
confess that we have a faith worth suffering and dying for.
Whether 500 BC in Babylon, 1500 AD in
Saxony, Germany, or the 2020’s in the United States of America, God’s word is
under attack. God’s promises are clouded
by words which sound nice and allow for alternative beliefs. Back in September, the Pope decreed that all
religions are a path to God (https://www.christianpost.com/news/pope-francis-claims-all-religions-are-a-path-to-god.html). That was received well by many people, but it
is absolutely wrong. Jesus declared, “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
(John 14:6). There is no other path to God.
To suggest there are other paths to God is to promote a lie which
grounds people in a faith that leads to death.
Faith in Jesus alone brings life
everlasting. Our Savior lived and died
for us. Our risen Savior lives and
reigns for us. Therefore, we live and
die holding firmly to his words and promises.
Jesus promises, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet
shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”
(John 11:25-26). If you must suffer
for your faith, suffer as one who is godly and confident of God’s
goodness. If you must die for your
faith, go boldly into death knowing that you will come out unscathed, just as
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered from death. We have a faith worth dying for because we
have a Savior who lives. And because he
lives, we shall live with him in glory.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
