Sermon -- Lenten Vespers (March 18, 2026)

This sermon was preached at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Michigan.

IT IS FINISHED: The Kingly Priest.

ZECHARIAH 6:9-13

In the name + of Jesus.

      “The people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.  Instead they said, ‘No, we want to have a king over us, so that we also can be like all the nations, and our king can judge us and lead us out to fight our battles.’  Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.  The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to them, and appoint a king for them’” (1 Samuel 8:19-22). 

     In their request, the people themselves gave the job description for the king.  He was not just a law-giver and enforcer.  He was also the leader of the people in times of war.  The king did not merely send troops off to fight and die for him.  He himself would lead those troops into battle.  He would fight for the people he ruled.

     Israel’s first king, Saul, was a reluctant fighter.  When he was anointed to be Israel’s king, Samuel commissioned him with this promise: “The Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you with power, … and you will become a changed man.  When you have received these signs, do whatever is appropriate for the occasion, for God is with you” (1 Samuel 10:6-7).  “Doing what is appropriate for the occasion” meant going to fight to deliver God’s people.  God would be with him.  God would grant him the victory.  When Goliath rose up and demanded a challenger, however, Saul did not venture out.  In many ways, Saul proved to be unfaithful to the word of the Lord.

     Therefore, the Lord raised up a new king—a man after the Lord’s own heart.  David served as a faithful king.  As the Lord’s anointed, David did go out and lead the battle for God’s people.  The Lord also gave David an additional promise: “When your days are complete and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your seed, who will come from your own body.  I will establish his kingdom.  He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13). 

     But this seemed to be a failed promise when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem.  The royal house of David was either killed or taken into captivity.  No longer did Isrel have a king.  Even when the people of Israel returned to rebuild the city and the temple, they did not install a new king.  Zerubabbel served as a governor, but not king. 

     Israel was not able to restore the kingship, but they did restore the priesthood.  They reconstructed the temple and rebuilt the altar.  The high priesthood was reestablished and the sacrifices resumed.  The high priest was anointed to represent the people before the Lord.  He made the sacrifices on their behalf.  He was vested in garments which bore the names of the tribes of Israel.  He was designated by God as the one person who could enter the Holy of Holies and stand in the presence of the Lord with blood to atone for all the people.  He stood before God on behalf of all the people.

     The high priest also stood before the people on behalf of God.  He wore the sacred vestments which was crafted as the Lord had directed.  He presided over the sacrifices as the Lord had directed.  After performing all his duties in the temple, he exited and proclaimed the Lord’s blessing upon the people.  The words were spoken by the high priest, but the benediction was from the Lord.  You might be familiar with that benediction: “Tell (Aaron and to his sons) to bless the Israelites with these words: The LORD bless you and keep you.  The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.  The LORD look on you with favor and give you peace.  In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:23-27). 

     The king of Israel and the high priest of Israel each had their own distinct roles.  The king did not have the right to enter the Holy of Holies or to make the sacrifices.  The high priest was not given the authority to punish lawbreakers or to summon the armies of Israel.  Therefore, the word of the Lord through Zechariah is an astounding message.

     The word of the LORD came to me: “Take an offering from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and on that very day go into the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.  Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Zechariah 6:9-11).  This was an unprecedented decree.  The Lord declared he would establish a priestly king in Israel.

     This could be good news or bad news.  It is like headlines that try to spark your interest in a story.  While the headlines may be true, you don’t know if the story is good news or bad.  Over the years, I have read reports about the water levels of the Great Lakes.  At one point, they were high.  Then they dropped and were low.  Back and forth it went.  So, the story may have reported the facts, but without knowing the impact of the rising or falling of lake levels, I didn’t know if I was supposed to be scared or relieved.  So, Zechariah declares that the high priest will be fitted with the king’s crown.  Is that good or bad?

     The role of a king includes establishing laws and then enforcing them.  The King of heaven and earth has established his laws.  The Psalms testify: “To eternity, O LORD, your word is fixed firmly in the heavens.  For generation after generation, your faithfulness remains.  You established the earth, and it stands.  As for your judgments, they stand to this day, because all things are your servants” (Psalm 119:89-91). 

     The word of the Lord is supreme.  The word which brought this world into existence still sustains it.  God’s word causes the sun to rise and set at precise times.  It causes the seasons to come and go.  It enforces gravity, enables the union of a man and a woman to produce offspring, and ensures that the rain and the sun will cause the plants to sprout, bloom, and produce food.  All these occur because the word of the Lord declares it to be so. 

     The seasons, the sun, and the laws of physics obey the King’s decrees, but we do not.  The King of Heaven and Earth has decreed that his creatures are to live godly lives.  We know what is good, but we fail to live up to it.  We know what is evil, but we fantasize and give into it.  Our problem is not ignorance.  Our problem is a heart that is rebellious and stubborn.  We may confess that we deserve God’s punishment both now and in eternity, but when we suffer, we change our confession and accuse God of injustice.  But God’s word is not altered by our protests.  He does not make concessions to rebels.  God takes his own word seriously.  The King will surely enforce his Law, and his judgments will be just.

     Zechariah declared that the office of King would be bestowed upon the high priest.  So, the crown should be placed upon the head of Joshua.  He became the kingly priest.  And do not overlook the name of this kingly priest.  He is Joshua, which means “the Lord saves.”  He foreshadowed a future kingly priest with the same name.  The letters would be the same, although the pronunciation would change a bit.  The kingly priest would be called Yeshua in Aramaic, although you are much more familiar with the Greek version of his name: Jesus.  This is the kingly priest whom Zechariah said was coming.  This is good news, indeed!

     “This is what the LORD of Armies says: There is a man whose name is the Branch, because he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.  He is the one who will build the temple of the LORD.  He will be clothed with majesty, and he will sit and rule on his throne.  He will be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful relations between the two offices” (Zechariah 6:12-13). 

     This kingly priest represents the people before God.  He fulfills the role of the high priest.  The high priest made sacrifices to atone for sins.  He slaughtered the sacrificial victim.  God’s wrath was redirected to the sacrificial animal; it no longer rested upon the sinner who presented it.  This substitution allowed God to be merciful to the sinner.  For, judgment was carried out.  Blood was shed.  The life of the animal was sacrificed according to God’s command.  Our kingly priest put all our sins upon himself.  He stood before God the Father in place of us all.  All God’s wrath was transferred from us to him.  Jesus died willingly for us who had willingly defied the King’s Law.  The King’s Law was fully enforced in the death of Jesus.

     This kingly priest also represents God before us.  Having died in obedience and innocence, Jesus was raised from the dead.  And God the Father entrusted all authority to Jesus.  Our great high priest is now Sovereign.  His decrees stand firm.  Because he has made the atoning sacrifice which pays for our sins—in fact, he IS the atoning sacrifice which pays for our sins—his royal decree is mercy, pardon, and peace.  For, he did not nullify the demands of the Law; he fulfilled them.  And he did not erase the judgment the Law lays on the guilty; he suffered that judgment for us.  He did all this so that you can live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness—just as he has risen from death and lives and rules eternally.  This is most certainly true; and this is most certainly good.

     This Joshua, this Yeshua, this Jesus is your kingly priest.  “He is the one who will build the temple of the LORD.  He will be clothed with majesty, and he will sit and rule on his throne.  He will be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful relations between the two offices” (Zechariah 6:13).  He is the kingly priest.  Jesus faithfully fulfills the duties of both offices.  He has established his Church by his sacrificial death.  He bestows the benefits of his death in the Holy Supper.  “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).  Your kingly priest lives.  His royal decree is mercy upon all who are gathered to him.  His reign extends to the ends of the earth and will endure into all eternity. 

     Zechariah foretold it.  The high priest Joshua foreshadowed it.  The Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled it.  And we will rejoice in it forevermore.

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

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers (March 11, 2026)

This sermon was also preached at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MI on February 25 and at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belleville, MI on March 4.

WHAT IS HE WORTH TO YOU?

ZECHARIAH 11:7-13

In the name + of Jesus.

     History always has a way of repeating itself.  After the Israelites left Egypt, they did not obey the word of the Lord.  As a result, everyone who left Egypt at age 20 and older died in the wilderness.  They did not see the Promised Land.  After Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, the people were faithful to the Lord until Joshua and his generation died.  Again, Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord handed them over to enemy nations who oppressed them.  In the era of the kings, unfaithful kings set the course for the people to be unfaithful.  The result was 70 years in captivity by an enemy nation.  Upon their return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, the people quickly turned from the Lord to their own selfish ways.  It was to these people that the Lord sent the prophet Zechariah.  The faithful few were like sheep which had been abused and fleeced by faithless leaders.  Many others persisted in their faithless ways.  History had repeated itself. 

     The Lord still had concern for the afflicted ones.  Zechariah was called to serve them, but even the faithless few grew weary of God’s care.  Zechariah said, “I shepherded the flock which is to be slaughtered, especially the most afflicted of the flock.  I took two staffs for myself.  One I called Favor and the other Union.  Then I shepherded the flock.  I removed three shepherds in one month.  I grew very impatient with the flock, and they really detested me” (Zechariah 11:7-8).  Zechariah tended to them with a staff called Favor.  He removed faithless shepherds, too.  Nevertheless, he lost patience with them.  They despised the Lord’s care.  They detested the Lord’s prophet.  History repeated itself once again.

     This is the way of sinners.  History repeats itself.  We all have sins we are attracted to.  We aren’t usually innovative with our sins, trying out new and bold ways to offend our God.  We go back to the same sins, again and again.  We do them because we like them.  We may be repulsed by some sins because they are perverse or destructive.  But all sins are perverse and destructive.  Nevertheless, we go back to them.  The liar cannot help but tell biased and embellished stories.  The cheat always schemes how to take advantage of others.  If you are prone to jealousy, you continue to think evil of others and train yourself to despise them.  Eventually, you detest everything they say or do.  Whatever tempts you continues to pull you in.  You go back to your sins.  History repeats itself.  Repent.

     The Lord is slow to anger, but he does get there.  Zechariah declared that the Lord’s patience had been put to the test long enough.  Zechariah declared, “‘I will not shepherd you.  Whatever is dying, let it die.  Whatever is being destroyed, let it be destroyed.  And let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.’  I took my staff, Favor, and I broke it in two, to cancel my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.  So it was cancelled on that day, and the most miserable of the flock, who were watching me, knew that this was the word of the Lord” (Zechariah 11:9-11). 

     History repeats itself.  In this case, we should not be surprised.  Zechariah not only spoke of the past, he also foretold the future.  The Lord would raise up a shepherd for his people—a Good Shepherd who would tend the flock of God faithfully.  His staff is Favor; for he would proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  He would have compassion on the poor and afflicted because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  But he would be despised by the very people he came to serve and to save.  Although he would be faithful to the covenant—for God’s promises cannot be broken—the covenant would be broken by those who despised and rejected God’s faithful servant.

     Once Zechariah renounced service to God’s flock, he asked for compensation.  “I said to them, ‘If it seems good to you, pay me my wages.  But if it does not, withhold them.’  So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver as my wages.  Then the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued me.’  So I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I threw them into the House of the LORD, to the potter” (Zechariah 11:12-13).  The thirty silver pieces was the price of a slave.  Their compensation proved that the prophet had little value for them.  The Lord instructed Zechariah to forfeit this paltry salary.  This was fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ, who was betrayed by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver.

     Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is intriguing to me, because his motive is unclear to me.  When Mary anointed Jesus at the beginning of Holy Week, St. John reported, “One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, said, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’  He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.  He held the money box and used to steal what was put into it” (John 12:4-5).  Perhaps Judas’ motive was as simple as making a quick buck.  But Jesus had wealthy women supporting him.  If Judas knew he could expect a steady stream of revenue from them, why would he betray Jesus for such a paltry sum?

     Perhaps Judas had taken Jesus’ words to heart about his upcoming death and reasoned that his opportunity to make money at Jesus’ expense was coming to a close.  Perhaps he had expected more from Jesus.  Most Jews expected the Messiah to establish a glorious kingdom in Jerusalem.  If Jesus established that kingdom, surely the apostles could expect positions of power and glory in it.  But if Jesus was going to die, Judas may have considered Jesus a failure of a Messiah.  If Jesus did not mean glory for Judas, Judas could at least get cash for him.  Whatever his motives, Judas certainly could have bargained for a greater payout from people who desperately wanted Jesus to be silenced and terminated.  Apparently, Jesus was not worth much to Judas or to the high priests.

     Another factor which intrigues me about Judas was his reaction once he saw that Jesus was condemned to death.  “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse.  He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders and said, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’  But they said, ‘What is that to us?  That’s your problem’” (Matthew 27:3-4).  Did Judas not believe they would actually kill Jesus?  Did he assume that they would just rough him up or put him in prison for a little while?  I don’t know.  But once Judas discovered how cruel their plans were, he had deep regret for betraying Jesus.

     In an effort to alleviate his guilt, Judas tried to return the silver to the priests.  When they would not take it, he threw it into the temple, just as Zechariah foretold.  And what worthless priests!  A man came to them overwhelmed by guilt.  “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4), he confessed.  So, what is the job of the priests?  To make sacrifices to atone for sins.  To bestow God’s mercy on those who seek God’s forgiveness.  But just as they despised Jesus, so also they despised God’s forgiveness.  “Your sins are your problem,” they told Judas.  And being overwhelmed by guilt and sorrow, Judas went and hanged himself.  Such is the despair of one who is consumed by his sin.  The weight of sin and guilt is soul-crushing.  It robs you of self-worth and alerts you of divine wrath.  When there is no mercy, there is no hope.

     Neither Judas nor the priests thought Jesus was worth much.  What is he worth to you?  This is a question that cannot be answered until we answer a better question first: What are you worth to him? 

     Every human being has worth because he or she is a creation of God.  But our Lord has demonstrated that you have even greater worth than that.  Even though you and I have been corrupted by sin, the Lord does not regard us as worthless.  Rather, he invested heavily to redeem us.  Jesus preached about this in a parable.  He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again.  In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).  You are the treasure that Jesus found. 

     In order to purchase you for himself, Jesus gave up all that he had for you.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).  He left the glories of heaven where he lived in majesty and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He entered our world in weakness.  He subjected himself to all this world’s corruption and cruelty.  He who is the truth was subject to lies and slander.  He who healed the diseased and afflicted was beaten and bloodied.  He who is light and life gave himself into death while darkness covered the land.  He has redeemed you, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  That was the price that he willingly paid to redeem you—an infinite cost borne of infinite love. 

     What are you worth to him?  You are worth the life of the Son of God.  He gave himself to wipe out every sin that stood against you—whether those sins are history repeating itself or were one-time offenses, whether you were dismissive of your guilt or were brought to despair, whether you were unaware of your guilt or someone replays it for you every day.  Do not measure your worth by what other people think of you.  Do not even measure your worth by what you think of yourself.  Jesus has shown you that you are worth his very life to ransom you from death and hell.  Jesus says you that you are worth receiving his body and blood to continually assure you of his mercy—the holy things for his holy ones.  Jesus has made you worthy of a place at the heavenly feast with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.

     What is he worth to you?  Who could put a price on it?  Who could assess the value of the kingdom of God?  Even if it were possible to put a price on the Lord’s forgiveness, it doesn’t matter.  He delivers his grace and mercy for free.  You are the treasure that Jesus has purchased and won for himself.  Therefore, he is the priceless treasure that is ours forevermore.

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

Mid-Week Lenten services 2026

LENTEN 

VESPERS

2026

February 18     ASH WEDNESDAY
                             Divine Service with the Imposition of Ashes

                             Return to Me! (Zechariah 1:1-6)
                               Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

February 25     Scattered Sheep. (Zechariah 13:7-9)
                               Rev. James Frey from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

March 4            The Truth, the Whole Truth,

                                    and Nothing but the Truth. (Zechariah 8:14-17)
                               Rev. Paul Schaefer from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Plymouth

March 11           What’s He Worth to You? (Zechariah 11:7-13)
                               Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

March 18          The Kingly Priest. (Zechariah 6:9-13)
                               Rev. James Frey from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

March 25           Sacred Concert by
                              Michigan Lutheran Seminary Choir

All services for Lenten Vespers are at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served each Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

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.

Lenten Vespers 2025

LENTEN

VESPERS

 

2025

 

March 5       ASH WEDNESDAY
                        Divine Service with the Imposition of Ashes
                           Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

March 12     Revealing Our Sinful Nature. (Psalm 51:5)
                         Rev. James Frey, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

March 19      Realizing Our Need for Repentance. (Psalm 51:1-2)
                          Rev. Paul Schaefer, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Plymouth

March 26    Recognizing Against Whom We Sin. (Psalm 51:3-4)
                         Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

April 2          Restored by His Sacrifice. (Psalm 51:14-17)
                         Rev. James Frey, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

April 9          Removing Our Guilt. (Psalm 51:8-9)
                         Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

All services for Lenten Vespers are at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served each Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers #2 (March 20, 2024)

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

LUKE 23:26-34

GOD ON TRIAL: Sympathy.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When the Lord Jesus was about to be born, the priest Zechariah proclaimed, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68)!  When Scripture uses the word for visit, it could be an occasion for something very good or something very bad.  It depends upon who is coming to visit and why.  If you hear that your children or grandchildren are coming to visit, you are understandably excited.  If you hear an IRS agent is coming to visit, you are understandably upset.  When the Lord comes to visit, it could be for blessing or for judgment.  Zechariah’s praise reveals that the birth of Jesus is good news of great joy.  The Lord God of Israel comes to redeem them from their sins and to deliver them from death.  He has come to visit his people because he has sympathy on them.

     Some recognized that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior, and they rejoiced.  Others did not recognize it and rejected him.  Of those, some simply walked away; others schemed to destroy him.  Perhaps the most alarming thing about the people who rejected Jesus most vehemently is that they were the Bible scholars.  Of all people, they should have recognized how Jesus was fulfilling all the promises God had made.  At first, Jesus was patient and sympathetic to them.  He repeatedly pointed them to the Scriptures which he was fulfilling.  If they believed the Scriptures, they would believe in him.  In Matthew’s Gospel alone, Jesus asked them six times, “Have you not read…?” (Matthew 12:3,5; 19:4; 21:16,42; 22:31).  He made many references to the Law and the Prophets, urging them to search the Scriptures they claimed to know and believe.  But they would not believe Jesus because they would not believe those Scriptures.

     As a result, the leaders had no sympathy for Jesus.  They arranged his arrest, went through the motions of a trial, and sentenced him to death.  Then Jesus was handed over by Pontius Pilate for crucifixion.  Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but self-preservation outweighed his sympathies.  Jesus received no sympathy from the Roman soldiers.  They decided to have their own fun at Jesus’ expense and then led Jesus out to be crucified.  They forced Jesus to carry his own cross.  But since Jesus was badly beaten and exhausted from lack of sleep, he collapsed under its weight.  It was not for sympathy that they had Simon of Cyrene carry his cross, but for convenience.  The soldiers had no interest in doing it, so they conscripted an out-of-towner to do it.

     There was a group, however, who did display sympathy for Jesus.  “A great multitude of the people and of women … were mourning and lamenting for him” (Luke 23:27).  There is no reason to doubt that their sympathy was genuine.  These are the crowds who had seen and even benefited from Jesus’ miracles.  Whether they honored him as the Christ or only as a good man, who knows?  But they knew that this crucifixion was unjust.  They did the only thing they could do for Jesus—weep.  For, who would dare to interfere with Roman justice? 

     Jesus’ response to the sympathy of the crowd, specifically to the women, is startling.  “Jesus said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children’” (Luke 23:28).  Jesus extended his sympathy to these women because he knew what was coming upon them in the not-too-distant future.  Jesus informed them, “Behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’  For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry” (Luke 23:29-31)? 

     Jesus is the green tree.  He is the true vine from which we receive our faith and by which our faith produces the works which please God.  The Lord Jesus had come to visit his people.  He came with sympathy, with compassion, with mercy, and with grace.  He came to be the source of true life and everlasting life for all.  But both Jesus and all the blessings he came to deliver were rejected.  If this is the response when the Lord is with his people, what will it be like when the Lord has abandoned and rejected his people?

     Actually, Jesus had already said what that would be like.  When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he said, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you.  And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:42-44).  The Lord Jesus had come to visit his people with sympathy and for salvation.  But they rejected God’s grace.  If they despised God’s grace when the tree was green, what would it be like when it was dry?

     The Lord did come again and visited his people—this time with no sympathy and with unspeakably harsh judgment.  In 70 AD, the Roman army laid siege to Jerusalem.  The people inside the city ran out of supplies and faced starvation.  Some resorted to cannibalism.  Those who tried to escape were slaughtered by the Jews for deserting.  Those who remained were slaughtered by the Romans when they finally broke through the city walls.  Those women who had never given birth to children would be blessed because they would not have to see their children suffer so ruthlessly.  All this was the sad and bitter judgment upon the Jewish leaders for demanding the death of the promised Messiah.  Because Pilate wanted no part of this injustice, he stated, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24).  The priests replied, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25)!  And so it was.  When the tree was green, God’s mercy was reviled.  When the tree grew dry, God’s mercy was revoked.

     During the Lenten season, we ponder the sufferings and death of Jesus.  The point, however, is not to muster up some sympathy for Jesus, as if our meditation should be, “Oh, poor Jesus!”  Yes, Jesus was treated badly—without sympathy and without justice.  But Jesus would never have had to visit our world if it were not for us.  We are the reason Jesus came to suffer and die.  We are sinners who treat people badly.  We are not patient.  We do not try to understand another’s burdens.  We assume the worst about other people, and we treat them accordingly.

     Our sympathies are biased.  Sometimes they are imaginary.  When we watch a movie, we develop sympathy for a character because the writers made him such a sympathetic character.  We see the bullies pick a target and rough him up, usually for no good reason.  We feel bad for that person because the writers showed us some hardship he was enduring.  We might boast, “If I had been there, I would have had compassion on that mistreated victim.”  That was easy to say, because my sympathy was merely hypothetical.  But there are many people who we actually do meet with whom we can sympathize—people suffering from sickness and the medical bills that come with it, people who suffer from aging and the frailties that come with it, people who have made poor choices and suffer the consequences of them, people who suffer from loneliness, anxiety, and so forth.  Are we as moved with compassion and sympathy for them as we are for fictional movie characters?  Or do we find ways to avoid them?  It cost us nothing to feel bad for the movie character.  But for real people with real life problems, we know it will cost us time, expense, or effort.  That is where our sympathies run dry.  It is this loveless attitude that Jesus suffered for.  Repent.  Weep for yourselves.

     Jesus treated many with mercy.  In turn, Jesus was treated mercilessly.  Jesus relieved the burdens of people who were bearing a heavy weight.  Jesus, in turn, bore the heavy weight of the cross which the soldiers thrust upon him to carry out to Mt. Calvary.  Jesus spoke words of blessing and comfort to hearts that were afraid or overwhelmed.  Jesus, in turn, had words of mockery and cursing hurled at him.  And while the Roman soldiers were affixing Jesus to a cross as a condemned man, Jesus prayed that they would not be condemned for their deeds.  Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  

     And isn’t that why Jesus was affixed to the cross?  To pay for the sins of people who have harmed him, despised him, and spoken against him?  Whether we knew what we were doing and did it anyway, or whether we gave into sin because of our weakness, Jesus was affixed to the cross to win forgiveness for all our sins.  This is the great sympathy Jesus has for the whole human race.

     And it is rightly called sympathy.  Sympathy is a feeling of compassion or pity for someone who is miserable even though you are not sharing in that misery.  So, if your friend’s pet hamster dies, you will feel bad for your friend even though you had no attachment to the hamster.  Our Lord Jesus Christ did not know the misery of sin and guilt.  He is the green tree who always produced the good fruits that the heavenly Father seeks.  He knew that Father’s good pleasure rested upon him.  Nevertheless, he had sympathy for us in our wretched condition.  Therefore, he made himself one with us.  He took into himself our wretchedness and suffered in our place.  We do not need to weep for him because Jesus accepted the curse of sin and the wrath of God willingly.  He did because he desired to save us and to seek our highest good.

     And now the Lord Jesus visits you.  He comes to you in his word by which he consoles, guides, and strengthens you.  He visits you in the sacrament of the altar by which he gives you his body and blood to cleanse you from sin.  He also works in you so that you desire and do the works of God, bearing the fruits that are in keeping with repentance.  The green tree supplies you with life, makes you fruitful, and transforms you so that you are more like Jesus. 

      “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68)!  He visits you for your good.  He redeems you from you misery.  And he will come again so that you will be blessed forever.

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

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers #1 (March 6, 2024)

MATTHEW 26:57-75

GOD ON TRIAL: Testimony.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The religious leaders hated Jesus.  We fail to understand why.  Jesus performed miraculous healings for multitudes.  That is reason to rejoice, not to get angry.  Jesus demonstrated abundant mercy to people who were consumed by fear and overwhelmed by shame.  Rather than judge them according to their ugly past, he issued a pardon for their offenses and assured them of a beautiful future.  Who could not be moved by that?  And while the dreams of a messianic kingdom gave the Romans reason to be on high alert, Jesus did not stir up the crowds for rebellion.  If there was to be a fight, it was to be against their own sinful nature, not against earthly authorities.  The crowds rallied to Jesus, but they remained a peaceful assembly.  Nevertheless, the religious leaders hated Jesus.

     The reason they hated Jesus is because they were paying attention to his words.  Jesus had given testimony, again and again, stating his authority—authority over illness, authority over demons, authority over nature, authority over the Sabbath, authority over death, and the authority of God himself.  When Jesus had preached the Sermon on the Mount, he began by quoting one of the Commandments.  For example, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’” (Matthew 5:27).  But then Jesus continued, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).  What else is this testimony but a claim to be equal to God?  The rabbis did not miss this.  And other testimony by Jesus further emphasized the claim.

     The religious leaders hated Jesus.  But what they could not do was find fault with him.  While he taught with the authority of God, Jesus did not overthrow the word of God.  He did not rebel against the word of God, and he did not teach anyone else to sin against God’s word either.  In fact, he reinforced it.  This was his testimony: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).  So, Jesus was faultless both in his teaching and in his keeping of the Law.  When Jesus stood trial, they brought in false witnesses to testify against Jesus.  Even those who were paid off could not agree on their testimony.  They could find no charges to stick against Jesus.  He was guiltless.  Nevertheless, the religious leaders hated Jesus.

     Throughout the trial, Jesus did not respond to any of the charges that were made against him.  Jesus’ teachings were done publicly.  If he had been guilty of anything, the evidence could easily be found.  Besides, Jesus had given plenty of testimony in the past, and they did not repent.  But now, the time for teaching and testifying had reached its end.  In the court of the Sanhedrin, Jesus did not bother to cast any more pearls to the swine.  He remained silent.

     Finally, Caiaphas put Jesus under oath.  “The high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’  Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.  But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:63-64).  Jesus not only repeated the claim that he is God, he also claimed that he would judge the living and dead when he returns in glory on the Last Day.  Caiaphas put him under oath to tell the truth, and he did.

     I don’t know if Caiaphas was angry or overjoyed.  Jesus gave the testimony which produced the results Caiaphas and the whole Sanhedrin wanted.  “The high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy.  What further witnesses do we need?  You have now heard his blasphemy.  What is your judgment?’  They answered, ‘He deserves death’” (Matthew 26:65-66).  The religious leaders hated Jesus.  They rejected the evidence.  They denied the miracles.  They slandered his authority over demons.  They despised his teachings.  And when God was put on trial, they condemned him for his testimony that he is God.

     As the trial was going on in Caiaphas’ palace, Simon Peter stood outside in Caiaphas’ courtyard.  He loved his master, and he longed to be faithful to him.  He had boasted of his allegiance, and he meant it.  As Jesus was being vilified at his trial, Simon Peter was warming himself in the chill of the evening.  A servant girl spotted him and outed him: “You also were with Jesus the Galilean” (Matthew 26:69).  You can envision all the heads turning toward Peter to get a good look at him—soldiers, servants, friends of the Sanhedrin.  The chill went out of the night air and right down Peter’s spine.  To confess Jesus would almost certainly mean to face the same fate as Jesus.  The religious leaders hated Jesus; they would hate his followers, too.

     To avoid trouble, Simon Peter had to avoid his allegiance to Jesus.  He gave his testimony: “I do not know what you mean” (Matthew 26:70).  Peter stepped away from the light of the charcoal fire and hid in the shadows at the entrance of the courtyard.  He was trying to escape danger, but he did not escape their notice.  “Another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth’” (Matthew 26:71).  Peter was given another chance to give his testimony, to defend Jesus’ teachings, and to confess Jesus’ identity.  Instead, “he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man’” (Matthew 26:72).  A third chance for Peter to give his testimony resulted in a third denial: “He began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man’” (Matthew 26:74).  The religious leaders hated Jesus; Peter knew it.  The religious leaders hated Jesus’ disciples; Peter knew it.  But Peter did not want to be hated or endangered.  He was put under an informal trial for being Jesus’ follower.  He was put to the test, and he failed.

     It is a nerve-wracking question to this day.  When people ask about your faith.  Your defenses go up.  You wonder if you are about to face criticism or challenges or scorn.  The question feels like a set up.  But when the questions get more specific, that’s when things get dangerous. 

     Someone may say, “You believe there are more than two genders, don’t you?”  Or, “You believe in Creation?!  Why do you reject science?”  Or, “You are opposed to Drag Queen story hour?  What are you, a Puritan?”  Or, “You think nice people are going to hell just because they aren’t Christians?  Why do you hate them so much?”  And so on.  If these questions are asked, you might feel the heads in the room turn toward you to see how you will answer.  You might get attacked if you give a faithful testimony.  As a result, you may swallow your words, shrink away, and say nothing.  You might even deny what God’s word says so that people will like you.  Or perhaps you will try to find a middle ground and say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe everything in the Bible.  I’m way more open-minded than that.”  But this is what the Lord says, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). 

     We have many opportunities to confess God’s word.  In these moments, God puts us to the test to see if we will confess him and if we will hold to the truth of his word.  If we uphold God’s word and if we insist that his word is true, it may convict some people whose lives or thoughts are opposed to it.  Simon Peter was fearful of the strangers around him.  For you, it may be family members who have turned away from God’s word.  The family expects you to praise wicked choices because you are supposed to stand by your loved ones.  Loving them is supposed to mean agreeing with them.  To stand on the testimony of God’s word will cause heads to turn and charges to be levelled against you.  Rather than repent of their sins, they will pressure you to reject God’s truth.  You will discover that people still hate Jesus, and they hate people who confess Jesus. 

     Perhaps you’ve had those difficult and uncomfortable moments.  How did you do? Were you like Simon Peter, who found it easier to deny Jesus than to confess him and endure the scorn?  Or maybe you chose to say nothing, making no response when asked for your confession.  When we long for the favor of sinful men more than the favor of God, it is God who gets rejected.  Repent.

     When Simon Peter realized how badly he had failed Jesus, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).  He was appalled at how easy it was to turn on Jesus.  While Simon Peter was right to repent, he was not saved by his tears.  He was saved by Jesus who did make the faithful testimony to all people.  Jesus made his testimony throughout his life—before the crowds and their mixed reactions, before the rabbis who hated and slandered him, and before Caiaphas who was looking for reasons to kill him.  Jesus did not budge from the truth.  He sought only to uphold the will of his heavenly Father.  Therefore, Jesus confessed faithfully and freely that he is the Son of God, knowing that they would order his death for saying so.  Jesus’ faithfulness to God’s word does not merely stand in contrast to our weak confession or denial of God’s word, it atones for it.

     God the Father sent Jesus to pay the price for every careless word we have spoken, for every failed confession, and for every lie we have uttered.  He suffered in silence for our sins.  And although we have nothing to say in our defense, Jesus speaks to us in words of mercy.  Having paid for our sins, he issues his sentence upon us: Your sins are forgiven.  And he is pleased to acknowledge you before the heavenly Father and to confess that you are his.  He gives you words to say.  First, you confess what is true about yourself—that you have sinned against Jesus in what you have said and in what you have failed to say.  Then you confess what is true about Jesus—that his blood was shed to take away the sin of the world.  What’s more, he gives you his body and blood in holy communion.  This touches your mouth and cleanses you of every impurity in it.

     And then, Jesus gives you more to say.  We confess with David, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15).  If anyone hates you for your words, keep in mind that they hated Jesus first.  But fear not; Jesus loves you and that is all that matters.  Only Jesus has the words that grant eternal life.  He is not ashamed to acknowledge you to the Father.  For, he tells you that you are his redeemed, and his testimony is true.

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