Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 22, 2026)

THE SECOND ADAM RESCUES THE SONS OF ADAM.

GENESIS 3:1-15

In the name + of Jesus.

     When God finished creating the world, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).  The man and the woman were very good, made in the image of God.  They were in perfect harmony with God’s will.  They knew what God’s will was, they wanted to do God’s will, and they could do God’s will.  To serve and obey God was their joy and their purpose.

     The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was also very good.  Some think the tree was bad, as if God had put it there to entrap Adam and Eve.  But the tree was very good.  It presented Adam and Eve with daily opportunities to serve and honor God by obeying the one commandment God had given them: Do not eat from this tree.

     You and I have been given Ten Commandments to keep.  They are very good.  They present unlimited opportunities for us to willingly and gladly honor and obey God.  Even when you are tempted to sin against them, God summons you to call upon him for strength so that you continue in godliness.  This honors God, and it is good.

     When the first perfect man and woman were in the world, Satan came on the attack.  He sought to lead the first Adam into sin, resulting in endless shame and eternal death.  Of course, the devil was sly.  He spoke to Eve, but Adam was right there.  Satan first challenged God’s word.  “Has God really said…” (Genesis 3:1)?  Satan always wants us to question God’s word.  Perhaps you misunderstood.  Perhaps those words are outdated.  Perhaps they aren’t even God’s words.  Then Satan challenged God’s love.  He claimed, “You certainly will not die.  In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). 

     If eating this fruit would make them so much wiser, better, and even God-like, why would God forbid it?  You can almost imagine Satan saying, “God wants you to be happy, doesn’t he?  The benefit of eating this fruit will make you happy, won’t it?  Why doesn’t God want you to be happy?”  And that’s all it took.  Eve ate the fruit.  Adam, who had been with her, did nothing to stop it.  He did not preach God’s word.  He did not protect his wife.  He abandoned his role as head and ate the fruit with her.  And Satan claimed the whole world for himself.  The first holy man was holy no more.  The image of God was shattered by sin.  “Sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

     You and I are all sons and daughters of Adam.  We have inherited his image.  We are sinners, and we are no better or smarter.  Satan still sells us the same arguments.  “Has God really said…” he questions.  “Maybe those words were for a different era.  21^st century Americas are more sophisticated than that, aren’t they?”  Then, of course, the argument that always works: “God just wants you to be happy.”  Well, that’s wonderful!  Because I want to be happy!  But that also suggests that what makes me happy is good.

     Adam ate the fruit because he wanted to be happy.  David had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba because that made him happy.  King Ahab had Naboth killed because taking Naboth’s vineyard made him happy.  Caiaphas orchestrated the crucifixion of Jesus because that made him happy.  And why are you drawn to the sins you commit?  Because you believe they will make you happy.  If the goal in life is just to be happy, doesn’t that justify anything that will make you happy?  And if the goal is “just to be happy,” prepare for a miserable life.  There will never be enough prosperity, enough pampering, enough pleasure.  And what if you are standing in the way of someone else’s happiness?  You took their parking spot.  You grabbed the last piece of pizza.  You hogged the covers.  Would you forfeit your happiness to make someone else happy?  If we are honest enough to acknowledge our own self-worship, we would confess, “Only my happiness matters.”  Repent.

     What’s worse is that once the devil has convinced you to seize what God forbids to make yourself happy, the devil turns around and makes you miserable.  He mocks you.  He accuses and convicts you for the very thing he coaxed you into doing.  The serpent is crafty and cruel.  He is no friend.  He struck like a viper.  The venom courses through us, and we cannot recover.  Eventually, it will kill us.  We are sinners, and we cannot fix it.  We are terrified to look God in the face, and for good reason.  Like the first Adam, the sons and daughters of Adam stand before God completely exposed in our wretched state. 

     The first Adam did not have to wade slowly into his sinful state to get used to it.  He plunged all the way into the deep end.  Adam and Eve tried to evade accountability.  They made excuses.  They did not confess their sin nor ask for mercy.  Nevertheless, God had mercy upon them.  The first Adam needed to be rescued from the curse of sin.  The sons of Adam need to be rescued from sin.  So, God promised one who would rescue them.  The second Adam would rescue the sons of Adam.

     The promise was made as God addressed the devil, still in the form of a serpent.  He said, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.  He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15).  We are not told when he would come or where he would come from.  We are not even told his name.  But we are told what he would do: He would crush the head of the serpent.  He would render the serpent powerless.  He would remedy the chaos, the cruelty, and the curse that results from sin.  The second Adam would rescue all the sons and daughters of Adam.

     As you know, the second Adam has come.  “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God … who for us men…, he became man” (Nicene Creed).  This man was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so he did not inherit the image of Adam as we have.  He entered the world without sin.  At age 30, Jesus was baptized, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and was publicly revealed as the Christ.  God the Father declared, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him” (Matthew 3:17).  The Father was declared him to be very good.

     The second Adam was sent to rescue the sons of Adam.  Not since the Garden of Eden had another holy man walked the face of the earth.  And just as the devil had overcome the first Adam and led him into sin, so the devil hoped to overcome the second Adam.  This attack did not take place in a lush garden with food in abundance and variety; it took place in the wilderness, devoid of fruits, vegetables, and foliage.

     As he had with the first Adam, so the devil began his temptation on the second Adam.  He challenged God’s word.  The Lord had just declared at Jesus’ baptism, “You are my Son” (Matthew 3:17).  The devil began his temptations, “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3,6).  He not only challenged Jesus’ identity, he challenged him to prove it.  “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:3).  You can imagine the devil continuing the seduction.  “Jesus, you haven’t eaten for forty days.  If you are the Son of God, you have the power to turn this stone to bread.  You can satisfy your hunger right now.  Doesn’t your Father want you to be happy and healthy?  Wouldn’t a loaf of bread do that?  It would be easy enough, right?  If you are the Son of God…”

     But God’s call for us is not to be happy.  It is to be faithful.  It is to be holy.  Of course, God wants that to make us happy.  But sometimes being faithful means that we do what is right even if it doesn’t make us happy.  Sometimes being faithful is hard.  Sometimes it is costly.  Sometimes it is painful.  But it is always good and right.

     Jesus did not buy the argument that his purpose was to make himself happy.  His purpose was to rescue the sons and daughters of Adam.  Therefore, he did not abuse his divine power, and he did not seek shortcuts to our salvation.  Jesus made himself a sin offering, being slain for sins he did not commit.  He suffered a punishment he did not deserve.  Going to the cross, being roasted in the fires of God’s wrath, enduring the punishment of hell on behalf of all sinners is not something Jesus did to make himself happy.  Leading up to that torment, Jesus told his disciples, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).  Nevertheless, Jesus went because that is what the Father had given him to do.  The second Adam came to rescue the sons of Adam.

     The second Adam was faithful to his Father, even though faithfulness was hard and costly, and painful.  Jesus let the serpent strike his heel.  He took into himself all the venom of sin and subjected himself to the curse and the death that comes with it.  The crucifixion was not about Jesus’ happiness.  Being faithful to his Father is where Jesus found his joy.  The Bible says, “In view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame” (Hebrews 12:2).  Jesus would not let the shame or the pain of his death deter him from his faithfulness.  Jesus found his joy in rescuing you from your guilt and from the fiery judgment it deserves. 

     By his death and resurrection, Jesus has crushed the serpent’s head.  He has destroyed the work of the devil.  He has rescued you from the devil’s claims.  Now, it is God who claims you as his very own.  St. Paul wrote, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Indeed, as many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).  You don’t need to craft anything flimsy to hide your sin as the first Adam did.  You have been clothed with the holiness of the second Adam.  His righteousness covers you.

     And the Son of God has now made you sons of God.  As sons of God, you are now heirs with the Son of God to the kingdom of glory.  As sons of God, you will follow the Son of God through death into the resurrection to life everlasting.  For God tells us: “The first man is of the earth, made of dust.  The second man is the Lord from heaven.  As was the man made of dust, so are the people who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so the heavenly people will be.  And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly man” (1 Corinthians 15:47-49). 

     The second Adam rescues the son of Adam.  He restores in you the image of God.  He brings life.  He reverses the curse.  He delivers you from the chaos of a corrupt world to a new creation of peace and glory.  He will bring you to eternal pleasures and unending happiness in God’s presence.  And it will be very good.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Lent (March 9, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, March 9, 2025.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (March 9, 2025)

1 Samuel 17:4-11,32-40,45-59

THE LORD’S ANOINTED HAS SLAIN THE ENEMY OF GOD’S PEOPLE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The story of David and Goliath is often used as a locker room pep talk.  A smaller school or less talented team is assured that the little guy can beat the giant.  Sometimes God’s name is even invoked, implying that God is on their side and they will defeat their opponent.  If this is how the Biblical account is taught, then it is woefully misapplied.  The Holy Spirit did not have this event recorded for the sake of locker room pep talks.  St. Paul wrote, “Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we would have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Our hope is not that we can defeat an opponent.  The fact is, mankind has been overcome by the devil.  We have not overcome temptations.  And we will not escape death.  But our Lord Jesus Christ has.  That is our hope.  Since Scripture was written to give us hope, all Scripture points us to Jesus Christ.

     To appreciate the account of David and Goliath, we need to go back one chapter.  In 1 Samuel 16, the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to the little town of Bethlehem to anoint one who would be king in place of Saul.  When the youngest of Jesse’s sons appeared, “the Lord said, ‘Get up!  Anoint him, because this is the one.’  So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers.  The Spirit of the Lord rushed on David with power from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:12-13).  David had become the Lord’s anointed.

     It was after this that the Philistine and Israelite armies lined up for battle.  Rather than have full armies engage in battle and suffer numerous deaths and casualties, they could follow the custom to have a champion from each side represent his people.  The two would fight, and only one would have to die instead of thousands.  The winner would claim victory for his nation; the loser’s people would be subjugated to slavery.

     Goliath, all six and a half cubits of him (over 9 feet tall), was the Philistines’ champion.  He issued the challenge for Israel to present their champion.  No one from Israel dared to face the giant.  Who could blame them?  Goliath had thorough military training, displayed great strength, and was enormous.  Day after day, Goliath issued his challenge—insulting the people of God and, by extension, God himself.

     Military age for Israel was 20 years old, so David was probably in his late teens.  David was not in Saul’s army, but when he heard the defiant challenge from Goliath, he told King Saul, “Do not let anyone lose heart because of this Philistine!  Your servant will go and fight him” (1 Samuel 17:32). 

     Goliath was insulted at David’s appearance.  This is Israel’s champion?!?!  Then he insulted David to his face.  David replied, “You come against me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied. …The battle belongs to the Lord, and he will deliver you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:45,47).

     This man, lowly in appearance, went forth on behalf of all the people of God.  The odds seemed heavily in favor of Goliath.  The Philistine army must have thought it laughable.  Goliath’s taunting seemed justified.  “When you presented a challenger, I thought this showdown would at least be a challenge!”  But remember who went forth to face the enemy of God’s people.  It was the Lord’s anointed.  The Lord’s anointed slew the enemy of God’s people. 

     “Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that … we would have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Our hope is in the name of the Lord, in the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  Jesus has instructed us that “(the Scriptures) testify about me” (John 5:39)!  The events of the Old Testament point us ahead to Jesus who comes to fulfill them all.  So, when we hear how the Lord’s anointed went out by himself to slay the enemy of God’s people—that is, when David went out to battle Goliath—this foreshadows what Jesus would come to do.

     Jesus, the Lord’s anointed, was sent to rescue you from your enemy.  Your enemy is the devil who had taken mankind captive back in the Garden of Eden.  He seduced the man and the woman to believe that disobedience to God’s word was the path to happiness and a better life.  So, they rebelled against God’s word.  From that moment on, all mankind has been held captive by him.

     The devil still uses seduction and deception to lead you into sin.  “Why would God put restrictions on you?  Who is God to tell you what you can or can’t do?  What matters is your happiness, so do whatever makes you happy!”  It all sounds good, doesn’t it?  The devil always has you question God’s wisdom and doubt God’s love.  The devil promises you so much more, so much better. 

     David was seduced by the devil’s lies, most famously by having an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then arranging the death of her husband.  Even though he was the Lord’s anointed, he proved he was a sinner.  You and I know better than to follow Satan’s lies.  Yet, we do.  Our problem is not ignorance of God’s word.  Our problem is the sinful condition which continues to question God’s will, doubt God’s love, and turn from God’s word.  If you have ever struggled with a particular sin, you know how intense it can be when temptation comes.  The devil entices, appeals, and afflicts you.  He convinces you that you have to sin in order to get relief.  But instead of feeling relief, you are left with shame and disappointment in yourself that you failed again.  When the battle against temptation comes, you must resort to prayer which is just as intense as the temptation you face.  You cannot stand on your own; you need your champion.

     Even though we have succumbed to temptation, Jesus did not.  Jesus went forth to slay the enemy of God’s people.  The deal that Goliath had given is similar to the rules of engagement between Jesus and the devil.  “Choose a man to represent you, and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, we will be your servants.  But if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our servants, and you will serve us” (1 Samuel 17:8-9).  God the Father made the choice for us.  The man who was chosen and anointed to act for us is Jesus. 

     God the Son was sent by his Father to be our champion.  He was sent to battle Satan on behalf of all mankind.  But the battle was not engaged by God the Son in his full glory, power, and majesty.  It was engaged by a man in meekness, weakness, and humility.  The battle is for mankind, so a man went forth to fight the devil with all his deep guile and great might.  We heard of one such battle in our Gospel reading.

     But just as we did for the account of David and Goliath, so here we need to peek back one chapter in Luke’s Gospel.  St. Luke recorded, “Jesus was baptized …and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove” (Luke 3:21-22).  This is when Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and began his word as the Christ, the Lord’s anointed.

     Immediately after that, Jesus “was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days” (Luke 4:1-2).  This man—unimpressive, humble, and weakened by fasting—was to do battle with the foe who had taken the whole world captive by sin.  Just as he did with Adam and Eve, so the devil did with Jesus.  He tried to seduce him into using his miraculous power for his own selfish gain by turning stone to bread.  He twisted Scripture, hoping that Jesus would trust a false promise and test his Father’s care for him.  He even offered Jesus the easy way out of suffering and dying.  He told him, “I will give you all this power and the glory of (the world’s) kingdoms, because it has been entrusted to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.  So, if you worship me, it will all be yours” (Luke 4:6-7).  The devil promised Jesus he could have glory and power without suffering hell for sinners, many of whom still defy him and deny him.  It sounded like a win-win.  Unlike Adam and Eve, unlike David with Bathsheba, unlike you and me, Jesus stood on the words of God and held his ground.  The Lord’s anointed had overcome the enemy of God’s people.

     This, however, was just one show-down.  The devil knew it, too.  “When the Devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:11).  The opportune time presented itself when Jesus was about to suffer and die for sins and to drink the cup of God’s wrath.  Jesus, already experiencing the torment of the curse for our sins, prayed in Gethsemane, “‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  As he was in agony, he prayed more fervently.  His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:42-44). 

     Strengthened by prayer, Jesus endured the mockery, the lies, the unjust sentence, the flogging, and the agonizing death of crucifixion.  The final conflict between Jesus and the devil moved from Gethsemane to Calvary.  Satan dealt the death blow upon Jesus at the cross.  Jesus had taken all sin into him.  He made himself accountable for all Satan’s accusations.  Man must die for his sins, and so this man died for all the sins of mankind.  The devil, it seems, had conquered as the unimpressive, beaten, lifeless body of Jesus was wrapped for burial.  And if Jesus had been conquered in the battle, then Satan remains our captor and we are forever enslaved to sin and death.

     But on the third day, it was Jesus who stood alive having risen from the grave.  The devil had inflicted as severe a blow as he could, but Jesus overcame him.  Jesus has overcome sin and temptation.  Jesus has defeated death and the grave.  Jesus has conquered the devil.  The Lord’s anointed has slain the enemy of God’s people.  And as a result, you are not slaves of the devil.  You have been set free—free from sin, its curse, its consequences, and its Accuser.

     When all seemed lost to Israel, the Lord’s Anointed stepped forward and said, “Do not let anyone lose heart because of this Philistine!  Your servant will go and fight him” (1 Samuel 17:32).  The Lord’s Anointed then slew the enemy of God’s people.  And so the Lord’s Anointed has told you, “Do not let anyone lose heart because of your enemy, the devil!  Your servant has fought him and overcome.  Fear not sin, death, or the devil.  With me is life.  With me is salvation.  With me, you are safe.”

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 18, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 18, 2024.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 18, 2024)

GENESIS 22:1-18

THE LORD PROVIDES THE SUBSTITUTE WE NEED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     In his epistle, St. James wrote, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13).  God does not promote evil.  God does not entice us into evil.  Although God may use the evil actions of people for his own purposes, God does not sponsor them; for evil is abhorrent to God.  And yet, our Old Testament reading seems to illustrate the exact opposite.  The Lord God commanded Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2).  The Lord detests human sacrifice, and he has no desire to be worshiped in that way.  Still, that is exactly what he commanded Abraham to do.  It seems God is leading Abraham into temptation.  What gives?

     It is important for us to understand this distinction: God does not tempt us to sin, but he does put our faith to the test.  He presents you with opportunities to demonstrate loving obedience to him.  Sometimes it is easy, like holding the elevator for a stranger; sometimes it is hard, like forgiving your brother-in-law for cheating on your sister.  The Lord does not want us to choose what is evil.  He wants us to pursue what is good, even if it is painful, costly, or difficult. 

     God puts us to the test to see if we will trust that is word is true and good.  Every day offers us opportunities to do that.  Every day, you can be kind to people who try your patience, or you can respond with yelling and cursing.  Every day, you can help someone in need, or you can ignore them and choose to believe that they deserve their problems.  Every day, you can believe that people are there for you to love or to use.  The Lord presents countless ways to put your faith into practice.  The devil presents them as ways to satisfy your lusts your ambition, or your pride.  The devil makes the evil thing look attractive.  That’s the temptation.  Or will you turn from evil and do what is good, even if it is hard?  That’s the test.

     The Lord appeared to Abraham with the command, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…, and offer him … as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2).  Isaac held a special place in the heart of Abraham.  He was the only begotten son of his wife, Sarah.  He was born in Abraham’s old age according to God’s promise.  He had waited a long time for this boy to be born.  Most important of all, Isaac was the son through whom the promise of a Savior would be fulfilled.

     Why would God test him like this?  It’s not like God told Abraham, “Your son will die from some illness or accident;” God told Abraham, “You kill him!”  Would Abraham trust God’s word to be true and good?  Or would Abraham love his son more?  The devil would tempt Abraham to believe that the Lord was not good after all, not when he commanded something this hard.  The tests that God puts us through are nothing compared to this.

     Abraham’s response is almost as unbelievable as the test.  “Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.  And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3).  Abraham wasted no time.  He did not wring his hands, wondering what he should do.  I suspect that he did not tell Sarah about this lest she prevent Abraham from following God’s instructions.  God had told Abraham what to do, and Abraham immediately set out to do it.

     The writer to the Hebrews gives us a glimpse of Abraham’s faith: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:17-19).  While God’s instructions probably made no sense to Abraham, God’s promise did.  Abraham believed that God was still good and merciful.  Abraham believed that God would be faithful to his promise.  Abraham confessed as much to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey.  The boy and I will go on over there.  We will worship, and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5, emphasis added).  Abraham was convinced that the Savior would still come through his son, Isaac, even if it meant God would raise Isaac back from the dead to do it.

     Of course, God did not have to raise Isaac back from the dead.  Although Abraham was ready to slay him in obedience to God’s command, the Lord stopped him.  Instead, the Lord provided the substitute which was needed.  The angel of the Lord “said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’  And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.  And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:12-13). 

     God had put Abraham’s faith to the test.  Abraham proved willing to do what was painful and costly in obedience to the Lord.  But since the sacrifice of Isaac could not pay for a single sin—not Abraham’s, not Isaac’s, no one’s—the Lord provided the substitute so that Abraham’s son would not be slain.  The promise remained intact.  God was faithful, and he upheld his righteousness when it seemed impossible for him to do it.

     The Lord tested Abraham to demonstrate his love and faith in God’s word.  This foreshadows a far greater love.  Consider the parallels.  The one to be sacrificed was the called by the Lord, “your son, your only son …, whom you love” (Genesis 22:2).  They went off to Mount Moriah which later is the site of the Lord’s temple.  Isaac carried the wood upon which he would be offered.  The father, Abraham, willingly offered up his son.  And it should not be lost on us that Isaac was a willing sacrifice.  At this time, Isaac was about 13 years old, making Abraham 113.  Do you think Isaac could have wriggled out of his father’s grasp and avoided being slain?  Absolutely!  The only way Isaac could have been bound was if he willingly allowed himself to be bound.

     But the Lord provides a better substitute, a perfect substitute.  The Lord provides the substitute we need—one whose death would pay for the sins of the world.  God the Father sent into the world his son, his only Son, whom he loves.  While Jesus could have wriggled his way out of the sufferings and death, which is what Satan tempted him to do because suffering and dying for someone else’s sins—everyone else’s sins—would be hard.  Nevertheless, Jesus presented himself as a willing sacrifice.  He carried the wood up the hill upon which he would be offered.  He was consumed in God’s fiery wrath as a whole burnt offering for our sins.  He suffered and died right next to Mount Moriah.  But at Jesus’ death, the Father did not step in to put an end to anything.  God the Father willingly offered up his Son to die for our sins so that we would not have to bear God’s righteous judgment and endless torment for our sins.  What Abraham and Isaac could not do God the Father and God the Son did.  The Lord provides the substitute we need.

     What’s more, Jesus brings the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham: “Your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:17-18).  The enemies of God’s people are sin, death, and the devil.  The gates provided the entrance into and exit from the city.  Whoever possesses the gates has total control.  The Son of Abraham now possesses the gates of our enemies—sin, death, and the devil.  He has overcome them by his death and resurrection.  Now he holds authority over them.  Jesus paid for sin.  The Bible promises, “There is … no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  Jesus has conquered death.  He promises, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).  Jesus has snatched you from the devil’s grasp and has overturned the curse he has brought onto the earth.  The Bible reminds us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).  Jesus possesses the gate of the enemies.  Jesus has opened the gates to set you free from them, and he has opened the gates of heaven to you.

     You are now the redeemed children of God.  But temptations will still come to you.  The devil cannot snatch you out of the kingdom, but he will entice you to leave it.  What the devil intends for evil, God intends for good.  He puts your faith to the test—not to watch you trip and fall, but to refine you and purify your faith even more.  The Lord teaches you to say, “No,” to all wickedness.  The Father does not lead you into temptation; rather we call upon him in the hour of trial to give us the strength to stand up under it.  Even if you suffer for his sake, he remains your good and merciful Father.  Since he is faithful to his promises, he will remain faithful to you.  He will continue to provide you with all you need.

     And if you do trip and fall, then flee back to Jesus.  His obedience stands as the substitution for your sins.  His death is the substitution for your life.  The Lord has provided the substitute you need.  Jesus has overcome the devil for you.  Jesus has conquered death for you.  Jesus has taken away all sin from you.  He lived for you.  He suffered and died for you.  He rose from the dead for you.  Now he lives and reigns for you.  There is no substitution for Jesus, for there is no salvation found outside of him.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 26, 2023)

Here is the service from Sunday, February 26.  (Note: Skip ahead to the 4:50 mark for the beginning of the service.)  The service from Sunday, March 5 did not get recorded due to a power outage.  Pray that we are spared another outage as we anticipate a heavy snow again this Friday.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 26, 2023)

ROMANS 5:12-19

ONE MAN RESTORES WHAT ONE MAN RUINED.

In the name + of Jesus.

      Throughout the Lenten season, we usually focus on the passive obedience of Jesus.  Passive obedience refers to what Jesus endured, what Jesus let happen to him.  So, we think of the betrayal, the false charges, the illegal trial, the beatings, the spitting, the mockery, the scourging, and the crucifixion.  All of this was necessary to fulfill the Scriptures and to make the sacrifice which atones for the sins of the world. 

     What often gets overlooked, especially during Lent, is Jesus’ active obedience.  Active obedience refers to what Jesus actively engaged in.  Our Gospel reading gives us a perfect example of that.  Satan came to tempt Jesus.  They faced off in a battle for Jesus’ dedication to his heavenly Father.  The devil tempts us similarly every day, and we often fail.  But Jesus overcame each temptation that the devil threw at him.  Jesus actively obeyed his heavenly Father’s word and triumphed over the devil.  He did the work that we have not done and could not do.

     Ironically, while we often focus on passive obedience when it comes to Jesus, we think of active obedience when it comes to ourselves.  This is the case whether we think of our sins or our good works.  Either we have actively disobeyed God’s Commandments or we have actively obeyed and done what God expects of us. 

     God has always had expectations for mankind.  The world God created was flawless.  The people he created were holy.  God’s expectation was that they continue in perfection.  To enable Adam and Eve to demonstrate their love and obedience, and in time be confirmed in their perfection, God gave them one command: “Of the tree that is in the middle of the Garden you shall not eat.  On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).  The tree in the middle of the garden would be seen every day by Adam and Eve.  It gave them daily opportunity to demonstrate their active obedience to God.  It was simple: Listen to God’s command.  Do not eat from the tree. 

     God gave Adam and Eve one commandment.  God gave us ten.  But we have them for the same reason—we get to actively demonstrate our love for God by keeping his Commandments.  We are not presented with a tree, but with countless opportunities every day to live the life God expects us to.  We get to put that obedience into practice most immediately with our families.  Children listen to their parents and cooperate around the house.  Husbands love their wives with self-sacrificing headship.  Wives honor their husbands with self-sacrificing support.  Brothers and sisters put aside rivalries and cooperate for the good of the family.  Loved ones get to demonstrate selfless love for each other.  But how well has that worked?  What family knows nothing but pure harmony?  We have not lived up to what God created us to be.  We have actively sinned against God and each other.  We have proven that we are sinners.

     The first holy man was to actively obey God and to confirm his perfect relationship with God and with all creation.  He did not last long.  The devil came to entice the man and the woman to ignore God’s word for his seductive lie.  The devil sold them on these ideas: If you do what you want instead of listening to God, you will be wiser and happier.  You will be your own boss.  You will become like God.  And they bought it. 

     One man brought ruin on everything.  As we heard in our Old Testament lesson, their harmony with God was replaced in animosity.  When God asked Adam if he had eaten from the tree, Adam had words for God.  There was no sense of remorse or regret, just blame-casting.  The man and woman lost love for one another.  Adam was quick to blame Eve for his sins.  Eve would chafe under Adam’s headship.  The world lost its harmony, too.  Thorns which cut and thistles which prick were not God’s plan for a perfect world, much less are natural disasters, disease, and death.  But the disobedience of the one man brought ruin upon all creation.

     What the one man ruined, he could not restore.  The harmony that the one man ruined he could not reconcile.  The creation that fell into ruin because of the one man’s sin could not be repaired.  Everything from that moment on was brought into ruin.  St. Paul wrote, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:12-14). 

     St. Paul addressed a question that people ask when they try to excuse themselves from blame.  If Adam sinned, why do I have to pay the price?  St. Paul acknowledged that many generations from Adam to Moses did not violate a specific command of God.  Adam violated the command to not eat from the tree.  The Ten Commandments were not given until Moses.  Nevertheless, all the people in between Adam and Moses were ruled by death.  They died for one reason: They were all sinners. 

     The ruin of Adam has been passed down to everyone.  Even without eating from the tree, men found fault with their wives and women despised the headship of their husbands.  People were greedy, violent, and jealous.  And they all had words for God, thinking that they could be better at being God.  Of course, nothing has changed.  Even though you and I know better and want to do better, we still actively sin against God and each other.  What one man has ruined, no one can restore.  The harmony that the one man ruined no one can reconcile.  The creation that fell into ruin because of the one man’s sin no one can repair.    

     Our greatest need is someone who can restore, reconcile, and repair everything that has gone to ruin.  St. Paul assures us that one man has done just that.  One man restores what one man ruined.  St. Paul explains how this is, “As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19). 

     Jesus Christ is known as the second Adam.  He is the second perfect man to walk the face of the earth.  And, of course, the second Adam faced the same devil the first Adam did.  When Jesus was baptized, the heavenly Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17).  Immediately after that, the devil came to challenge that and to overthrow him.  The first Adam failed and was overcome by the devil.  The second Adam, Jesus, remained faithful to his active obedience to his heavenly Father.  The first Adam did not listen to the word of God; the second Adam, Jesus, quoted the word of God to persevere against temptation.  This one man did what no other man has ever done—he remained sinless.  He refused to give in to temptations, no matter how attractive the devil made them.  Jesus overcame the devil.  By his active obedience, one man restores what one man had ruined.

     When St. Paul refers to Jesus’ perfect obedience, however, he does not speak of many victories over Satan.  St. Paul wrote, “As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Romans 5:18).  We know what Adam’s one act was: He ate from the tree he was commanded not to eat from.  What was the one act of Jesus which restored what the one man had ruined?  Our communion liturgy helps us here.  Throughout the Lenten season, we ponder this truth: Jesus “brought the gift of salvation to all people by his death on the tree of the cross so that the devil, who overcame us by a tree, would in turn by a tree be overcome” (Proper Preface for the season of Lent).  The one act of righteousness was Jesus’ perfect obedience to his heavenly Father who sent him to suffer and die for sinners.  God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, and the Son so loved his Father that he gave his life on behalf of the world so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

     By this one act of obedience, the one man restores what the one man had ruined.  Jesus’ innocent death atones for the guilt of every sinner.  Therefore, you are justified, that is, God declares you not guilty of sin for Jesus’ sake.  He has taken away your guilt, and you are freely pardoned.  Jesus consumed the cup of God’s the wrath and swallowed every bit of judgment we had deserved.  Jesus took into himself the venom of the serpent’s bite and let it do to him what he should have done to us.  In this way, Jesus delivers you out of the devil’s grasp and reconciles you to God the Father. 

     But neither death nor the devil could keep their hold on Jesus.  He is the Savior who takes away your sin.  He is the victor who has conquered death.  He is the champion who has defeated the devil.  But know this: Jesus victory is for you.  It is not just that Jesus died for sins.  It is that Jesus redeems you from sin.  Therefore, God will not condemn you.  He is not even angry with you.  He loves you enough to give up his Son into a cursed death to save you.  Jesus conquered the grave, but he overcame death for you.  Because of Jesus, the grave is just a resting place for our bodies.  Since he is the master over death, Jesus will bring us out of death.  We look forward to a resurrection with restored bodies that will be forever free from injury, weakness, or death.  Jesus defeated the devil, but he did so for you.  The devil taunts and tempts, accuses, lies, and makes promises he cannot keep.  But now, you belong to Jesus, and the devil cannot snatch you away from him.  Jesus gives you a life of meaning and purpose.  If you were worth it for Jesus to die for you, then your life is worth something.  Jesus sure thinks so.  He delights in you and wants you to be with him forever.

     What the one man ruined, the one man restores.  The harmony that the one man ruined, Jesus has reconciled.  The peace of God is yours, and that peace can be shown to others by loving them as God loves us.  The creation that fell into ruin because of the one man’s sin, Jesus will repair.  At the resurrection of the dead, the creation itself will be delivered from corruption to restored to perfection.  The one man restores all things, and everyone who believes in him will receive a place in the new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness—a holy dwelling for Christ’s holy ones.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Lent (March 6, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, March 6, 2022. 

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (March 6, 2022)

LUKE 4:1-13

THE WORD OVERCOMES THE TEMPTER.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the light bulb.  To be more accurate, he refined what had already been invented, but Edison’s version was far superior.  His light bulb lasted far longer than any other before him.  Do you know how many attempts Edison made to get his final product?  10,000.  Ten thousand!  Most people would have given up.  How long would you have lasted?  1,000 attempts?  500?  13?  When asked about his consistent failures, Edison replied, “I have not failed.  I just found 10,000 ways it won’t work.”[1]  

     When the devil came to entice Adam and Eve into sin, he did not need 10,000 attempts.  It only took him one.  The devil was instantly successful.  In fact, he has not had to change his tactics ever.  He attacks God’s word.  He challenges God’s love.  He seduces us to reject God’s wisdom and will.  He tells us that we can be our own gods—doing what we want, seizing all that we crave, and finding a better, happier life by doing it.  The devil tells me that I am the judge of good and evil.  Who better to make that assessment than me?  I know what I like.  I know what I hate.  I know what favors me and benefits me.  I know what is inconvenient, expensive, and unpleasant.  Who better than me can decide what is good, right, and salutary?  The devil congratulates me on being smart enough to follow my own path. 

     But this is what the Lord says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).  Adam and Eve discovered that path.  It seemed good, right, and salutary to them to seize what God had forbidden.  It led them right out of Paradise and sentenced them to death.  Learn the lesson well.  The Tempter wants to look like your friend.  He promises you an amazing life, but he gives you a cursed death.  Even the happiness he promises is unfulfilling because you have to keep on pursuing sins to attain an elusive happiness.  That path leads to a dead end.  The devil’s temptations seem good, right, and salutary, but they all end up hollow, shameful, and fatal.

     Still, the devil’s tactics work.  He has not had to invent anything new.  He continues to attack God’s word, to challenge God’s love, and to seduce us to reject God’s wisdom and will for our own.  And we fall for it.  He tailors particular temptations to you, too.  He knows your weak spots.  He knows what lies you will fall for and what sins you cannot resist.  He hopes that you will just concede the battle against your sins and that you will no longer resist temptations.  He wants your sins to become your habit, your lifestyle, and even your identity.  It has worked on countless people.  The devil hopes it will work on you.  If it does, you are his forever.  And since he is more powerful, more crafty, and more experienced than you, the danger is real.  You have only one hope: The Word overcomes the Tempter.

     Just as Satan seduced the first holy people, so he attempted to seduce Jesus.  It happened immediately after Jesus’ baptism.  There, the Father testified, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).  The devil challenged this word, as well as the anointing which marked Jesus as the Christ.  If he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then he has authority and power to do great things.  After 40 days of fasting, he should take advantage of those things—if he is the Christ, the Son of God.  The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread” (Luke 4:3).  “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you’” (Luke 4:9-10). 

     What did the devil do?  He attacked God’s word.  God the Father called you “my Son”?  Yeah?  Let’s see it.  Let’s see if he follows through on his word about the angels protecting you.  Surely he would save his Son, right?  He challenged God’s love.  The Holy Spirit drove you out into the wilderness?  What kind of God is that?  I didn’t think a loving God would be that cruel.  He tried to seduce Jesus to reject God’s wisdom and will for his own.  I would be hungry after forty days of fasting.  But I would also be smart enough to feed myself.  If you are the Son of God, that would be easy.  You’ve done that bread-in-the-wilderness thing before, right?  For forty years you did it.  Why not now?  Why not for yourself for once?  The devil’s temptations always seem to make sense.  They are always appealing.  They show you the easy way.  And they always work.  But not on this day.  Not with this man. 

     The Word overcomes the Tempter.  Jesus is the Word made flesh.  As the Word, he is true God.  But the Word became flesh.  He became a man.  “We believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and Man.  He is man…born in time from the nature of his mother…with rational soul and human flesh” (Athanasian Creed).  This is the man that Satan sought to entice and ensnare in the wilderness.  He had overcome a holy man in a lush garden.  How much he must have savored the idea of overcoming this holy man—and this time in a wilderness!

     But not on this day.  Not with this man.  The Word overcomes the Tempter.  Jesus did not invoke his divinity to overcome temptation.  This human being proved a perfect trust in God’s word.  Jesus did not take a short cut to seek glory.  He did not opt for the easy way to fame, fortune, or pleasure.  He remained true to the path that his Father had set for him and into which the Holy Spirit had thrust him.  That path was the hard way—the way of obedience even when it was inconvenient, the way of suffering even when it was unjust, the way of faithfulness even when it was costly.  Jesus was not motivated by his stomach or his wallet or his ego.  The Word made flesh overcame the Tempter with the words of Scripture.

     The Word overcomes the Tempter.  Jesus refused to fall prey to any enticing and deceiving words of the devil.  He stood firm on God’s truth.  Jesus invoked the words of Scripture to overcome each temptation that was presented to him.  Jesus exposed the devil when he quoted Scriptures out of context.  He was sent to trust in God, not to put God to the test.  Jesus made it clear that the passage which says, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve” (Luke 4:8), is to be taken to heart and put into action.  Jesus also showed the devil that his belly would not be his master, but that life comes from the word of the Lord.  Jesus refuted each temptation: “It is written” (Luke 4:4).  “It is written” (Luke 4:8).  “It is said” (Luke 4:12).  And since it was the word of the Lord, it was not open for debate or negotiation.  The Word overcomes the Tempter. 

     Jesus’ resistance to every temptation and faithfulness to God’s word is surely an example to follow.  But he did not face the devil just to set us an example.  You know the words of the Scriptures which direct your steps.  You know the Commandments which are to guide your way.  But even with your knowledge and agreement of them, you and I still are overcome by sin and temptation.  All the “What Would Jesus Do?” bracelets in the world will not keep us faultless.  By remaining faithful to the Lord, Jesus remained innocent—not merely as your example, but as your substitute.  So, when Jesus went to the cross to pay for sins, he went as a holy, pure sacrifice.  His innocence is necessary to satisfy God’s demands of an obedient life.  His innocence is also necessary to be a proper and pleasing payment for our sins. 

     St. Peter writes in his epistle, “Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  He brings us to God as those who have been washed in his blood and purified from all unrighteousness.  Jesus, who has overcome the devil with an innocent life, a sacrificial death, and a resurrection from the dead, brings us to God as those who have been snatched from sin, death, and the devil.  Through Jesus, you have overcome the Tempter; for all his accusations have been nullified.  All his claims are void.  All his words are overruled by the Word made flesh who gives us his word in the Scriptures and gives us his name in holy baptism. 

     Since you have been declared God’s holy ones, the devil will continue to attack you.  He will not attempt 10,000 ways to do this.  He will stick with what has worked.  He will attack God’s word, challenge God’s love, and seduce you to reject God’s wisdom and will for your own.  And it will be appealing.  If it weren’t, it would not be a temptation.  If the devil fights you with what has always worked, you also get to combat him with what will always work: The Word overcomes the Tempter.  This is the only sure refuge you have.  Your strength, your hope, and your victory will only be found in Jesus.  He will continue to keep you in the faith as you continue to hear his word and receive the body and blood which have redeemed you.  He will continue to strengthen you in the faith that stands firm in the truth and despises the devil’s lies. 

     Clinging to Jesus is the only way to overcome the Tempter, sin, and death.  St. Peter urges you, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).  It is important to remember the true enemy so that you are not deceived by other fears or threats.  We are now living in a world that watches war upon Ukraine.  Talk of NATO forces intervening is countered by threats of nuclear war.  Whether that is a sincere threat or a calculated bluff, who knows?  The devil uses such bluster to shake us and drive us into fear or panic.  But it should not shake your faith, because it does not rattle God’s promises.  Your prayer should not be, “I don’t want to die in a nuclear war,” but “I don’t want to die outside the Christian faith.”  If death comes by nuclear war, so be it.  If you are in Christ, you will have a resurrection to life in everlasting glory.  The Word keeps you safe.

     The Lord Jesus secures your place in his kingdom.  No earthly conflict, no weapons of mass destruction, no genocide will remove you from God’s grace.  Giving yourself over to sin and temptation will do that.  This is how the devil could devour you.  So, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Resist [the devil], firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).  To be firm in the faith, be faithful to the Word.  With Jesus, you will overcome; for the Word has overcome the Tempter.  He holds the field forever. 

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

---

[1] Quoted from https://findanyanswer.com/how-many-attempts-did-it-take-edison-to-make-the-light-bulb

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 21, 2021)

 Here is the service from February 21, 2021.  For the first time in a long time, the entire liturgy was observed in the regular service rather than delaying Holy Communion until after the live-stream.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Lent (February 21, 2021)

MARK 1:12-15

FOR US FIGHTS THE VALIANT ONE, ALONE.

 In the name + of Jesus.

     In our Old Testament lesson on Ash Wednesday, the prophet Isaiah had us reflect on our own hearts.  When we take a good look at ourselves under the light of God’s Law, we see our sin.  We are not proud of it.  We do not even like it.  But we are sinners—both by nature and by practice.  We all are victims of Adam’s fall and subjects under Satan’s rule.

     Isaiah also declared that one would come, fight for us, and rescue us.  “The Lord … saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.” (Isaiah 59:16)  The Lord himself comes to fight for us.  He comes to set us free from the grip of the devil, to release us from the tyranny of sin, and to destroy death itself.  For us fights the Valiant One, and just as Isaiah foretold it, he fights alone.

     St. Mark gives us the shortest account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, but he demonstrates how Jesus serves us as the second Adam.  The first Adam was created by God and placed in a lush garden.  The Garden of Eden was not only a place of splendid fruits and vegetables, it was also home to an abundance of animals.  The Lord “brought them to the man to see what he would call them.  And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19)  In Eden, the wild animals posed no threat.  All creation was in perfect harmony, and the hearts and minds of Adam and Eve were in perfect agreement with God’s will.

     The first Adam, however, was targeted quickly by Satan.  Satan deceived Eve.  He convinced her that eating the one food which was off limits was her ticket to freedom.  Although Adam was with her, he did not counter Satan’s words or protect his bride.  With his bride, Adam believed the lie.  He ate the fruit.  As a result, he brought guilt and shame, death and decay into the world.  From Adam, every person on earth has descended.  Because of Adam, every person on earth is a sinner and will die.  All mankind fell in Adam’s fall.  One common sin infects us all.

     But Christ, the second Adam came.  Jesus is the second perfect man to walk the earth.  At his baptism, Jesus was publicly marked as the Christ who would save mankind.  As the second Adam, Jesus would triumph where Adam failed.  So, immediately after his baptism, Jesus was tempted by the devil.  It was not a coincidence; it was by design.  St. Mark wrote, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)  It almost sounds like it was done harshly, but it was definitely done on purpose.  The Holy Spirit expelled Jesus into the wilderness to face our enemy, the devil, for us.  For us fights the Valiant One, alone.

     The temptation of the second Adam was a little different from the first Adam.  Adam was in a lush garden; Jesus was in the wilderness.  Adam was among the wild animals which came to him and submitted to him; Jesus was among the wild animals which were undomesticated and dangerous.  Whereas Adam had his bride with him, and they could have encouraged one another to be faithful to God’s word, Jesus was sent out alone.  Whereas Adam had at his disposal abundant food, Jesus fasted.  Thus, for us fought the Valiant One, and he fought alone.

     “He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:13)  Jesus’ battle in the wilderness lasted for almost six weeks.  And he faced it alone—not only single-handedly, but also in loneliness.  There was no one to offer encouragement, no one to pray with.  Jesus was cut off from loved ones, and the only voice that he heard was the seductive, deceptive words of the devil.  For us fought the Valiant One, alone.

     The devil still likes to get us alone, or at least to make us feel like we are alone.  He knows that if he can cut us off from the family of believers, it is much easier to devour us.  There is a good reason our Lord has joined us together as a congregation.  We get to be encouragers of one another.  It is much easier to pray for someone you see than for one you don’t.  We can watch over each other—giving admonition of someone is drifting from the path of righteousness, giving consolation if someone is grieving, supplying aid if someone is in need, and rejoicing together with those who have been blessed.  To be separated from that—or worse, to separate yourself from that—is to risk being estranged from the body of Christ.  And if you are cut off from the body of Christ, you are not far from losing Christ himself.

     The devil wants us separated, and he gives us reasons to do so.  None of them are good, but he convinces us they are.  When you are associating with members of any congregation, you are associating with sinners.  You may get your feelings hurt.  You may be insulted or snubbed.  You may be the subject of gossip or jealousy.  What does the devil do with this?  He convinces you that you are better off without these people.  He convinces you that patience and forgiveness are unreasonable.  The result is that you cut yourself off from word and sacrament, as if that teaches someone else a lesson.  The devil will tell you that this is a good thing, just as he convinced Adam that eating the fruit was a good thing.

     It is not good for man to be alone.  It is not good for God’s people to live without each other.  The devil preys on you more intently when you do.  His temptations seem much more attractive when you are alone, because you are convinced you can get away with them.  This also means that you also bear your shame alone.  You become convinced that your sins are unique, that you are worse than everyone else, and that you don’t belong here.  But you are not alone.  The Apostle Paul reminds you: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13)  So you’ve sinned?  So has everyone else.  What grieves you probably grieves other people too.  The devil convinces you that it is better to hide your shame and suffer your guilt alone than to confess it.  Is it really?

     The devil is a cruel and relentless enemy.  He seeks to devour you.  If he drives you to despair, he will not be merciful to you.  The Lord, however, is most merciful.  He does not leave you as prey or property of the devil.  For us fights the Valiant One, and he fights alone for us.  St. Mark kept the details of the battle brief.  “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.  And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” (Mark 1:12-13)  Jesus endured the devil’s temptation for forty days, and overcame.  The second Adam remained perfect and obedient.

     For us fights the Valiant One, alone.  And in truth, he had to fight alone.  No one else could do what he has done for us.  The temptations Jesus faced were not limited to forty days in the wilderness.  The Bible reminds us that “in every respect [he] has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)  Just as the devil does not leave you alone, so also he did not leave Jesus alone.  But Jesus fought off all these temptations, keeping himself free from sin.  He did this so that he could offer himself up as a holy, unblemished sacrifice to deliver you from all your sin.  Therefore, Jesus overcame the devil in his life and through his death.

     While the battle against the devil was evident in the wilderness, it was most intense in Gethsemane and at the cross.  The temptation Jesus, no doubt, continually faced was this: “Why would you suffer hell and torment for people who are going to keep on sinning?  For people who will perpetually fail you?  Even for people who will never care?”  It sounds like a valid question, doesn’t it?  We cut out of our lives people who sin against us.  We have our limits.  But the love of God has no bounds.  His mercy endures forever.  So, the second Adam went to the cross to rescue all of Adam’s children.

     Jesus was taunted by people as he died.  They challenged his claims.  They mocked his identity.  They thought it was laughable that he could save others but not himself.  Jesus endured the taunting and the scorn alone.  He bore the sins of the world alone.  He alone was forsaken for you, for your sins, whether they are public or private, whether they were done in the heat of the moment, intentionally planned, or have become habits  He who overcame every temptation gave himself into death for us who have not.  By giving himself into death, Jesus overcame the devil once and for all.  For us fights the Valiant One, alone.

     The devil thought by putting to death the second Adam, he would forever hold captive all of Adam’s children.  But death could not contain Jesus.  On the third day, he burst out of the grave.  He now lives to pardon all your sin.  He lives as victor over death.  He lives to crush every claim, every lie, and every plot of the devil.  He is your Valiant One who has fought to win you, and so now you are his. 

     And now, you are no longer alone.  Jesus sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in you.  The Holy Spirit keeps you connected to Jesus so that you are preserved in the faith.  When you find temptations seductive—and you will, you also find the Holy Spirit works with your spirit to recognize them as wicked and to renounce them.  When you fall into sin—and you will, you have the Holy Spirit who produces in you a heart repulsed and repentant over your sins.  And when the Holy Spirit stirs in you so that you confess your sin, you will discover that your God is not disappointed in you.  He does not harbor resentment against the penitent, and he does not regret the payment he made for you.  Rather, he applies forgiveness to you.  For, he fought the good fight to win you.  He says you are worth it.  And he is not willing to give you back to sin, death, and the devil.

     To further aid you in your battles and struggles, the Lord has been pleased to unite you to fellow Christians.  These people who worship and serve with you know what it is to be tempted, to be deceived, and to fall.  They crave the same mercy you do, and they long for you to have the same comfort they do.  And so, we gather where our Valiant Savior continues to serve, strengthen, and save us.  Rather than leave us to fast in the wilderness and face our hardships alone, Jesus summons us to kneel side by side and feast on the body and blood which have ransomed us from our enemy and which preserve us from his grasp.  For us fights the Valiant One.  He alone has won the victory, but he gives it freely to all.

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