YouTube -- 26th Sunday after Pentecost (November 17, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, November 17, 2024.

Sermon -- 26th Sunday after Pentecost (November 17, 2024)

HEBREWS 9:24-28

THERE IS A FINAL JUDGMENT—ONCE AND FOR ALL.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who were suffering for the faith.  While Christianity was illegal and enduring persecution, Judaism was not.  There was a great temptation to renounce the Christian faith and to revert back to Judaism.  It was safe, and it was familiar.  The letter to the Hebrews is an impassioned plea and encouragement to stand firm in the faith, even if one must suffer for it.  The author was assuring these suffering Christians that what they had with Jesus Christ was far superior to what they had left behind in Judaism.  Everything they had was looking forward to the promised Messiah.  Jesus, on the other hand, IS that promised Messiah.  Every ceremony that they had observed pointed to the promised Messiah.  Jesus is the fulfillment of all those ceremonies.  To forsake Jesus and the cross for the sake of safety would be to forsake eternal life in heaven for an easier life on earth. 

     One of the themes in the letter to the Hebrews is: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22).  Every blood sacrifice God had prescribed was a foreshadowing of a greater sacrifice—from the offering of Abel to every morning and evening sacrifice in the temple.  The highlight of every church year was the Day of Atonement.  On that day, and only on that day, the high priest was given access to the Holy of Holies, the presence of God.  There, he offered up the blood of a goat to atone for the sins of the people.  This ceremony was only a foreshadowing, so it had to be repeated year after year.  It did not pay for sin, but looked forward to the full and final payment for all sins of all time.

     Therefore, the writer to the Hebrews commented, “Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands…, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly….  But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:24-26). 

     Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.  But all the shedding of blood up to the appearance of Jesus was only done to prefigure what Jesus would do.  The blood of goats and sheep and bulls cannot pay for sins.  Therefore, the Lord became a man so that his blood could be shed.  The Lord gave himself into death on behalf of all people.  This is the love that God has for you—that he was willing to take into himself all your guilt, that he was willing to suffer the curse and condemnation for your sins, that he would bear your punishment for you.  Jesus did this so that you would be spared from the wrath of a righteous God.  Jesus has received the judgment and borne the punishment—a final judgment, once and for all.

     On the Last Day, that final judgment will be proclaimed by Jesus upon all people who have ever lived.  We confess it every week: “He will come to judge the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).  That can be viewed either as a threat or a promise.  The reason we have conflicting views of Judgment Day is because of what Jesus said about it.  He declared: “All who are in the tombs will … come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).  Where do you stand? You want to be among those who are good but you also know you have done what is evil.  The devil will goad you into believing either one of these.  He will assure you, “You are a good person.  How could God find fault with you?  Thank about all the people you’ve helped, how nice you are, how many friends you have!  You don’t have to fear God’s judgment.  If anyone deserves heaven, it is you!”  Or maybe you’ve heard the opposite from the devil.  “You get into heaven?!  Do you remember how you’ve lived?  Who you cheated?  The lies you told?  The lives you’ve wrecked and the harm you’ve caused?  Heaven is for good people, and that’s not you.  You should fear Judgment Day!”  The devil wants to issue a final judgment upon you.  And whether he tries to convince you that you are good or evil, he will want you to stand in that judgment focused on yourself and not on Jesus.

     But our confession is not a threat.  It is a promise.  The writer to the Hebrews assures you: “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).  Jesus came to suffer a final judgment, once and for all.  He bore the sins of many, in fact, of the whole world.  There is no more need for additional sacrifices.  You do not need to bargain for a place in heaven.  You do not need to invent merits or virtues to convince the Lord of anything.  Jesus has credited you with his innocence.  Now Jesus dwells in heaven to intercede for you.  His holy, precious blood continues to cleanse you of all sin.  And if you have your doubts, then flee to the altar to receive the blood of Christ which continues to bestow forgiveness, new life, and salvation.

     This is one of the places where the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church have parted company.  In the Roman Church, Jesus IS offered up again and again, in fact, daily.  The priest presents the body and blood of Jesus to God in order to appease him.  That makes the Roman mass a sacrifice, something we do for God.  But the writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that such a repeated sacrifice is unnecessary and unscriptural.  Jesus does not need to be offered up repeatedly.  The Bible says: Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).  That is the verdict.  It does not need to be won for us again and again.  Jesus was offered up once for all.  Therefore, this is the final judgment, once and for all. 

     For that reason, Holy Communion is not what we do for God.  It is not a sacrifice.  It is not a reenactment.  It is not an act of obedience to prove the sincerity of our faith.  The Lord’s Supper is what God does for us and gives to us.  He tells us, “This is my body.  This is my blood.  For the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26,28).  There is a final judgment for sins.  It was done at the cross, once for all.  Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  But the innocent blood of God’s Son has been shed, once for all.  And the benefits are given to God’s people when we gather in Jesus’ name.  All that Jesus has won for us by his sacrificial blood and with his crucified and risen body Jesus gives to us in the sacrament of the altar.  He does this for your good, for your peace, and for your blessing.  “For you.  For the forgiveness of sins.”

     There is a final judgment.  Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.  This is nothing we need to fear.  He has already told us where we stand.  “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  So, when Jesus comes again on the Last Day, it will be just as the writer to the Hebrews has described it: “Christ … will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).  Jesus will come with your reward.  Jesus won the prize of the resurrection to eternal life and glory, but he will come and bring it to you.  Then, you will be forever free from death and mourning and crying and pain.  The more hardship you endure, the heavier the cross you bear, the harder you will pray for Jesus’ return.  That is a good thing.  And that is one reason Jesus has you bear a cross.  It teaches you to long for Jesus’ return.  Like the Hebrews who received this letter, you could forsake Jesus and make friends with the world for an easier life here.  But the cost would be to lose eternal life, glory, and peace.  Cling to Christ.  Pray for his return.  Only Jesus brings the salvation you long for, and Jesus will come again to deliver it to all who are waiting him. 

     We are considering the Last Day, but the writer to the Hebrews acknowledges what most of us, perhaps all of us, will face.  He wrote, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  For most people, death comes long before the Last Day.  But even then, there is a final judgment, once and for all.

     When the day of your death comes, you will stand before the Lord to give an answer for your life.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Of course, when you die, no one will see or hear that judgment but you.  Since we cannot see what judgment people receive, we base our judgment on what people have confessed.  That is why Christian funerals are for those who have confessed the saving faith in Jesus.  I will preside over a funeral for any member of Good Shepherd or for someone I have served whose confession I have heard.  You may have a special fondness for a cousin whom I have never met.  That’s wonderful, but since I don’t even know that person, how could I testify that he or she was a devout Christian?  It doesn’t mean he or she is not.  If he or she is, it is appropriate that that person’s pastor conduct the funeral.  But if your loved one has no pastor, I urge you to have him or her make a connection with one before they hear their final judgment.  Once something is final, it cannot be reversed.

     Death is final, and after death comes judgment.  You will receive what is due for what you have done in the body, whether good or evil.  But thanks be to Jesus, you have been cleansed of all evil, and you have been credited with all good.  So, when you die, you will face the one who lived and died to save you.  He will summon you to the glory, the peace, and the rest of heaven.  That judgment will be final.  It will not change.  And it will be declared publicly on the Last Day.  It will be broadcast to all angels, demons, and all people that you are a redeemed child of God.  You will be presented to God the Father as the righteous because you will be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. 

     And on that day, Jesus will forever “save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).  Right now, you bear the status of those who are saved.  But when Jesus comes again, he will deliver you forever from all the frustrations, sorrows, and pains that come from living in a sinful world.  Whatever regrets, struggles, or hardships you have will be gone.  It will be a life at peace, a mind at peace, and an endless peace.  This is why “we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed).  For, Jesus’ return is not a threat, but a promise.  And Jesus’ promises are always good things.

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

YouTube -- 25th Sunday after Pentecost (November 10, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, November 10, 2024.

Sermon -- 25th Sunday after Pentecost (November 10, 2024)

1 KINGS 17:8-16

THE LORD IS GENEROUS SO THAT WE CAN BE GENEROUS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The readings today all focus on the generosity of God’s people with their offerings.  This is the kind of Sunday which leads people to say that all the church is interested in is money.  Of the sixty-some services that we have this year, I think this is the only one which has readings about offerings.  If all the church is interested in is money, it seems to me that we would pound on this message for more than 1.5% of the services this year.

     One message that gets lost is what our offerings are for.  Another is what motivates us to give offerings to begin with.  Another is the source from which we give our offerings.  Our Lord is generous in supplying all our needs day after day, year after year.  The Lord’s generosity exceeds our needs.  Our basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.  We do not need to decorate our homes with seasonal items.  We do not need to have appliances or tableware that we use maybe once a month.  We do not need to have expensive toys, multiple TVs, or collections of our favorite trinkets.  But God has been generous to us so that we get to enjoy more than food, clothing, and shelter.  We also get to enjoy washing machines and dryers, indoor plumbing, video streaming, and vacations.  If someone insists, “All the church is interested in is money,” let him be honest enough to admit that his own interest is in the money which allows him to live so comfortably.  To accuse the Church is to hide one’s own greed.  Worse, it is to tell God that he has no right to what he has given you in the first place.  Repent.

     The Lord has been generous to us.  The source of our offerings is what God has generously given.  Offerings cannot be given unless the Lord has first given gifts to us.  And why does God give you your wealth?  Why is the Lord so generous?  So that we can be generous with his gifts. 

     If you look through the pages of Scripture, you will see that giving generously is a hallmark of God’s people.  Consider the Psalms, “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives” (Psalm 37:21).  Proverbs teaches us, “A person who spreads blessings will be enriched.  One who gives a refreshing drink will be refreshed.  People curse the person who hoards grain, but a blessing rests on the head of one who sells it” (Proverbs 11:25-26).  And St. James wrote in his epistle, “Religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27).  The Lord is generous so that we can be generous and use our wealth to benefit those who need it. 

     The Lord provided for the needs of his prophet and for a widow during a long period of famine.  The Lord had cared for Elijah in Israel, but eventually the brook which sustained him dried up.  So, the Lord sent him north, out of the country.  The Lord had told Elijah, “Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (1 Kings 17:9).  This widow was in dire straits.  She had just enough flour and oil left for one last meal.  She was gathering a few sticks to cook up some biscuits for her son and herself.  After that, they would be left to starve until death came.

     When Elijah met her, his request was very bold.  “‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’  And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand’” (1 Kings 17:10-11).  This widow had barely enough for her son and herself, and now Elijah requested, “Feed me first”?!  It seemed like an utterly selfish request.  The widow expressed reluctance, but not refusal.  The Lord, however, promised amazing generosity to this widow if she would trust God’s prophet.  Elijah told her: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth’” (1 Kings 17:14).  The Lord was generous to the widow so that she could be generous to God’s prophet. 

     And the Lord continued to be generous to the widow.  Just as he had promised, “She and he and her household ate for many days.  The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:15-16).  The Lord is generous so that we can be generous and use our wealth, however meager, to benefit those in need.

     The Church has always been devoted to helping those in need.  In the days of the apostles, alms were given to provide for widows.  In the case of the Corinthians, they were taking up a collection for the saints in Jerusalem who were suffering through a famine.  In a time and place where there was no welfare, no social security, and no government programs, widows and orphans were helpless.  The Lord had special concern for them.

     The heavenly Father had compassion for those children who had no fathers.  The heavenly bridegroom had compassion for those women who had lost their husbands.  Through fathers and husbands, the Lord brings provision and protection to wives and children.  God could provide through miraculous means, but he uses people to do this noble work—just as he uses the farmer, the baker, the butcher, and the grocer to supply the food we eat.  But when fathers and husbands die, God calls upon his Church to care for its own members to preserve and support them.  In this way, God’s people reflect God’s goodness.  This is still the case today.

     For the most part, people today count on community programs to help those in need, but most of these grew out of the church’s work.  When Christians saw babies and children left to die of exposure, they established orphanages, saying, “We will love and care for them.”  When Christians saw people who were sick and dying, they established hospitals, saying, “We will love and care for them.”  When Christians saw the elderly who needed more care than their children could give, they established nursing homes, saying, “We will love and care for them.”  Many of these efforts have become businesses.  We can debate whether that is better or worse.  Nevertheless, God’s people are still called to be generous, demonstrating love to those in need, whether we work through a charity, take a church collection, or give privately to individuals.  It is not a love of mere words, but of action.  The Lord is generous to us so that we can be generous to others.

     So, why do we do it?  Why sacrifice wealth that could be used to further enhance our own homes or standard of living?  It is because our Lord has been so generous to us.  His generosity is shown not merely by providing our daily bread.  It is made known especially through Jesus Christ.  Jesus personifies generosity in supplying all that we need for eternal life.  He did not do it because he owed it to us.  Rather, it is we who owe obedience to the Lord’s commands and gratitude for his gifts.  But we have given neither.  We have loved ourselves more than God, and our love for our wealth proves it.  It rankles us when the sermon is about money.  We can put up with being rebuked and corrected for many things, knowing our behavior can be better.  But hearing what God says about the love of money always gets us agitated.  It is uncomfortable to hear God tell us that we owe him the firstfruits of our wealth.  It shows that we do not love God with our whole heart, not when we withhold from him what is his.  And we do not love our neighbor as ourselves.  We are generous to ourselves, but not to our neighbor in need. 

     But Jesus has not cast us off for our selfishness, coldness, and greed.  Instead, he is generous with his mercy and grace.  In mercy, Jesus has not treated us as our sins deserve.  He does not reduce us to living in squalor.  But even if our Lord withdraws blessings from us and finds ways to take our money from us, he acts in mercy.  If your money is taken from you, then you cannot love or trust it as you do.  Jesus is also generous with his grace.  He gives us blessings that we do not deserve.  This is especially true in regard to our salvation.

     Our Lord has been generous to us, pouring out his salvation upon us.  Jesus, in turn, had God’s wrath poured out upon him.  Jesus had generously provided healing to the sick, relief to the guilt-stricken, and hope to the humble.  But in turn, Jesus took up our greed, our guilt, and our ingratitude.  He gave himself into death and damnation to deliver us from them.  Now he richly and daily forgives all sins to you and to all who believe in him.  He is the full payment for our debts, and he continually covers over all our sin.  The Lord has been generous to us.

     The Lord has redirected our attention and devotion so that we can be generous.  Our attention has been redirected to the kingdom that will come rather than on establishing a kingdom for ourselves in this world.  Our devotion is to serve our Lord and to love our neighbor in his need.  And since we live in a broken world that knows diseases and disasters, we find many opportunities to be generous in mercy to those who are suffering.  The Lord is generous so that we can be generous.

     It should be noted that the Lord has not laid upon you the obligation to fix everyone’s problems.  When Jesus spoke about Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, he noted, “There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah…  Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in Sidon” (Luke 4:25-26).  Elijah did not provide miraculous aid to every widow in Israel or in Sidon.  Jesus did not restore every dead husband to his grieving wife, not even his own guardian, Joseph, to the Virgin Mary.  So also, you do not need to cure every burden.  You can’t.  You have the freedom to show mercy where you see the need.  And you do not need to feel guilty when you can’t.  God is generous in this way—that he moves his people to provide all kinds of relief to all kinds of people.  God has scattered his people throughout the world to show love in their particular place and time.  God has also given people their particular interests so that some have a passion for natural disaster relief, others donate to the American Heart Association, others work in soup kitchens, and so on. 

     God’s people can afford to be generous because the Lord has been so generous to us.  He has delivered us from a dying world, and he leaves us in this dying world so that we can bring hope to the dying and help to the hurting.  The Lord is generous to us so that we can be generous to others.  In this way, God’s people reflect the goodness of God.

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

YouTube -- 22nd Sunday after Pentecost (October 20, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, October 20.  The guest preacher was Rev. Mark Pornisky, retired.  Pastor Porinsky had served about forty years at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Dexter, Michigan prior to his retirement.

Sermon -- 18th Sunday after Pentecost (September 22, 2024)

NUMBERS 12:1-15

THE GREAT ONES ARE DEVOTED TO HUMBLE SERVICE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Miriam, Aaron, and Moses were brothers and sister.  Miriam was the oldest, and Moses was the youngest.  At this point, they were all well over 80 years old.  As it can happen among siblings, Miriam and Aaron issued complaints about Moses.  Their initial complaint was that Moses had married a Cushite woman, that is, probably an Ethiopian woman.  We can only guess what their issue with her was.  Was their complaint that Moses had not taken an Israelite woman?  Did they despise a bi-racial marriage?  I don’t know.  But it appears that this was not the real issue.  That was revealed in their next list of complaints. 

     “They said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?  Has he not spoken through us also’” (Numbers 12:2)?  It appears that they were envious that baby brother was receiving greater attention and glory than they were.  Now, both Aaron and Miriam had served the Lord in their vocations.  Aaron was the high priest who ministered daily before the Lord.  Miriam led the women in songs of praise, most notably after Israel had crossed the Red Sea.  But Moses was clearly given greater honor.  He was the Lord’s prophet.  He was the chosen deliverer of God’s people.  Perhaps God favored him above everyone else.

     Envy is an especially ugly sin.  We envy people who have received blessings that we have not received.  And it is not as though we had to be robbed for others to receive their blessings.  We lose nothing, but we despise those who have been given what we have not.  What’s worse is that envy produces other sins.  It fosters a bitterness and hatred.  If you let envy take root, eventually you hate everything about that other person.  You hate the way they dress.  You are annoyed by what they say.  You criticize their gestures, their choices, and their children.  And that leads to slander, as you work to get other people to agree with you that this other person is a terrible person.  Why?  Because God blessed them differently than he has blessed you.  That seems to be what was behind the gripe about Moses’ wife.  Since Miriam and Aaron envied the glory Moses had received, they learned to despise other things about him too.

     “And the Lord heard it” (Numbers 12:2).  Whether we voice our envy out loud or let it fester in our hearts, the Lord knows.  His anger is kindled because his gracious gifts were not enough for us.  And his anger is kindled because we will not rejoice in God’s goodness to others.  The Lord summoned Aaron and Miriam and held them accountable for their sinful attitudes.  They craved greatness; Moses did not.  The great ones are devoted to humble service.

     If you recall the history of Moses, he had desired greatness at one time.  Moses had been raised as a son of Pharaoh, although he knew his parents, his heritage, and the covenant of the Lord.  When he was forty, he chose to reject Egypt and be known as an Israelite.  When he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite slave, Moses took it upon himself to execute justice.  He killed the Egyptian, perhaps expecting the Israelites to rally to him as their leader and savior.  Moses tried to seize greatness, but it failed miserably.  Moses fled and went into hiding for forty years.  When Moses was 80-years-old, the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush called Moses to deliver Israel.  By this time, Moses did not want this job.  He gave all kinds of excuses why he shouldn’t do it.  The Lord basically told him, “Tough luck.  You are the man.  Go.”  Moses did not crave greatness anymore.  That was fine.  God did not call him to be great, but to humble service. 

     When Moses was criticized, the Lord defended his servant.  Aaron and Miriam had demanded their own recognition as God’s prophets.  The Lord told them, “If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.  Not so with my servant Moses.  He is faithful in all my house.  With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord” (Numbers 12:6-8).  Moses did what God gave him to do, not because he sought glory, but because God called him to do it.  The great ones are devoted to humble service.

     This lust for glory and this envy is a common malady.  It marks us all as sinners.  Even the apostles fell into it, arguing more than once about which of them was the greatest.  But what makes someone great?  We are accustomed to people who are rewarded and recognized for major accomplishments as the great ones.  Our Lord Jesus Christ defines it entirely different.  He said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).  This humble service is done no matter what vocation God has called you to.  The great ones are devoted to humble service.

     The CEO of a corporation may revel in his power and prestige.  If so, he seeks his own honor and glory.  But a CEO may recognize that he is the servant of all who are under his charge.  He seeks their good in how he directs the company, and he seeks the good of his customers in the service or goods he provides.  The same is true for a president or governor.  They should rightly see themselves as servants of the people, not masters of an empire. 

     On the other end, some people have what is deemed a lowly vocation.  We may be impressed with the doctors at a hospital, but what about the people who sweep and mop the floors?  Do we look down on them, as if to say, “I guess that’s the best they could do”?  But they do great things because they prevent infections by keeping the place clean.  The stay-at-home mom who changes the diaper of a child who just spit up all over her shirt is doing a noble work.  She receives no pay or recognition, but she does more for her child than all CEO’s put together.  These are great works even though our society has taught us to think that the only service worth doing is the stuff you get paid for.  For those who are in Christ, we view our vocations differently than the rest of the world.  Like Miriam and Aaron, the world seeks recognition and glory.  But Jesus has taught us that great ones are devoted to humble service, not seeking to be praised, but to serve for the good of one’s neighbor and for the glory of God.  And if you should get recognized and well-compensated for it, well, then, God be praised for that, too.

     “When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. … And Aaron said to Moses, ‘Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned’” (Numbers 12:10-11).  The Lord had confronted them for their sin.  The Lord chastised them for their sin.  And Miriam and Aaron repented of their sin.  And who interceded for them?  Moses—whom they had sinned against!  “Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her—please’” (Numbers 12:13).  Moses did not revel in Miriam getting her comeuppance.  Continuing in humble service, Moses prayed for her to be healed and restored.

     This pre-figures Jesus.  While Moses was credited with being the most meek man on earth, Jesus exceeds him in meekness.  He is God and possesses all glory and majesty; nevertheless, he emptied himself of these things to become a man.  And more than becoming a man, he came as a servant.  Rather than seek his own glory and good, Jesus lived to secure glory and good for sinners.  He who is worthy of all honor and glory came for those who are worthy of none of it.  Our sins have earned us scorn and shame.  But Jesus came to serve us.  He took upon himself the shame of our guilt.  And even though there is no more shameful death than death on a cross, Jesus scorned its shame in order to redeem us.  Jesus died a death he did not deserve and bore a punishment he had not earned.  What’s more, Jesus did this for the very people who had sinned against him.  As he was being nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).  And then he laid down his life as the atoning sacrifice which has won our forgiveness, has restored us to innocence, and reconciled us to God the Father.  There is no greater service that could be performed for us.  For, Jesus has rescued us from the hellish torment we have earned and has granted us eternal glory in heavenly peace.

     The great ones are devoted to humble service.  And we can take up our humble service without any degree of envy since we do not serve for the praise of men but for the glory of God.  There is nothing shameful about our humble service, whatever it may be.  In fact, we all stand on equal footing before our Lord.

     We demonstrate that when we begin our Divine Service each week.  All of us confess together that we are sinful.  There is nothing in our confession of sins which speaks about degrees of sinfulness.  We are all the same, bearing guilt for the sins we should not have done and for the good works we should have done but didn’t.  We may be different in our specific thoughts, words, and actions, but our guilt is the same.  We are all sinful.

     And then God treats us all the same.  We plead for mercy from God the Father for the sake of Jesus Christ.  And he declares his forgiveness completely.  The innocent blood of Jesus has washed us completely clean.  No one is told that they have more work to do to clean themselves up before forgiveness comes.  God’s mercy is not dependent upon what we promise to do next.  Instead, God gives a full pardon for every offense.  God acquits us of all guilt.  Therefore we are all the same—redeemed by the blood of Jesus, reconciled to God the Father, children of the Most High God, sons and daughters of the resurrection, and heirs to everlasting glory and peace.  This comes through Jesus whose humble service has served our highest good.

     For this reason, you do not need to be envious of anyone.  Whatever accolades or recognition anyone gets is momentary glory.  Whatever blessings are poured out are given so that people can do good to others with them.  And if God chooses to give you less, then God, in his wisdom, had determined that this is good for you.  He teaches you to receive his gifts with thanks and to be content with them.  But all these things are temporary.  Thanks to Jesus Christ, you have been given everything that truly matters, everything that has eternal value.  If you are children of the Most High God, what else could God give you that is greater?  You are his great ones, his saints.  The Lord was devoted to you with his humble service; so now you get to imitate his humble service for the good of your neighbor and the glory of God.  This is how you do great things.

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

YouTube -- 17th Sunday after Pentecost (September 15, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 15.  The preacher is Pastor Gregory Gibbons who is retired and had previous served at Lola Park Lutheran Church in Redford, Michigan.  He was filling in for Pastor Schroeder who was recovering from a chemo treatment.

Sermon -- 16th Sunday after Pentecost (September 8, 2024)

ISAIAH 35:3-7

THE MESSIAH COMES WITH A JOYFUL REWARD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Unbelievers have always challenged the Bible and the Christian faith.  If you’ve never heard these challenges before, you may become unsettled by them.  Some sound quite compelling, causing even devout Christians to wonder if they have been played for fools who were gullible enough to accept the Bible as truth.  If you ever find yourself questioning the Bible because of these challenges, you need to speak to your pastor.  Just letting these questions linger in your mind will not give you any answers or any peace.  It also allows the devil to stir up more doubt.  You end up listening to the reasoning of unbelievers rather than listening to God and his word.  When you stop listening to God’s word, it is only a matter of time before you reject it.  What’s worse, you will commend yourself for becoming so smart for walking away from the Christian faith, as if you’ve cracked some secret code.  The most outspoken atheists used to be Christians.  It is a very real danger, and you should be on guard against it—especially teens and twenty-somethings.  You are the prime targets.

     The Bible and the Christian faith will always be under attack.  But the Lord himself has given abundant evidence that his word proves to be both true and reliable.  Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord turns the tables and goes on the attack against his enemies.  He challenges every false god: “Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.  Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen.  Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.  Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.  Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you” (Isaiah 41:21-24).  God mocks all false gods: “Do something.  Do anything.  Bring disaster so I have some reason to be afraid of you.  Impress me.”  Of course, false gods can do nothing because they are nothing.

     The Lord does not just lob mockery.  The Lord does what he challenges the false gods to do.  He lays out his plans.  He makes prophecies and issues promises.  If they do not come true, then we can mock God and dismiss him as a fraud.  But since the Lord fulfills his word, we had better pay attention to everything he says.  He proves that he is God.  He proves his word stands.  He proves that he is to be taken seriously.  And he proves himself capable of doing whatever he says he will.

     In our Old Testament lesson, the Lord lays out his plans for the future.  Isaiah proclaims that the Lord himself will come to bring salvation to his people.  The Messiah comes with a joyful reward. 

     As Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s salvation, he is like a man who looks through a telescope at a mountain range.  He sees three peaks in the distance, and they look like they are right next to each other.  So, when Isaiah speaks about the Lord coming to deliver, it seems like the events are simultaneous.  But when you approach the mountain peaks, you realize that they are far apart from each other.  The Lord comes with his joyful reward, but his coming is spread out over three times.

     The first deliverance would follow the Babylonian Captivity.  The Babylonians were still 100 years off, but Isaiah already prophesies Israel’s deliverance to a people who would be crushed in spirit.  The faithful people of God would be few.  They would see their temple burned to the ground, the city of Jerusalem destroyed, and their lives uprooted.  Their hands would be weak.  Their knees would be wobbly.  They would have anxious hearts as they were exiled to a foreign land.  But the Lord would come with his deliverance.  He would bring back a remnant to the Promised Land.  The Lord would restore the temple, rebuild Jerusalem, and reaffirm his promise.  He would come with a joyful reward.  God had foretold it, and God fulfilled it.

     The greater fulfillment of this promise is found in Jesus.  Isaiah gives us a vivid image of how to recognize the Messiah.  “‘Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you.’”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:4-6). 

     The Old Testament records a few miraculous healings.  Naaman, the leper, was cleansed.  Hezekiah was healed and granted 15 extra years of life.  Even the dead sons of widows were raised by Elijah and Elisha.  But there is no record of the blind receiving sight or the lame walking again.  There are no deaf or mute whose hearing or speech was restored.  When Jesus came and performed these healings, it was unprecedented.  It was, however, foretold.  God had said, “If you want to know the Messiah, this is what he will do.”  And Jesus did it.  The Messiah comes with a joyful reward.  The Lord had foretold it, and the Lord fulfilled it.

     When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another” (Matthew 11:3)?  Jesus told them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see” (Matthew 11:4).  Then Jesus referenced these very words from Isaiah.  God had foretold it, and then God fulfilled it. 

     The Messiah comes with his joyful reward.  Even though Jesus brought healing to many, it was all temporary.  Those who were healed still died.  What keeps people out of the kingdom of heaven is not being blind, deaf, lame, or mute.  These are debilitating, but not damning.  Sin damns.  Sin brings the curse.  Evidence of that curse is experienced in various disabilities and diseases, but the curse is not removed by being cured of those things.  Corrective lenses, hearing aids, and prescription medicine are blessings, and we are grateful that they make life easier, but they do not allow anyone to escape death.  Therefore, the Messiah comes with a reward far greater.  He comes to bring deliverance from death and damnation.

     “Be strong; fear not!  Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4).  Jesus did not come to pour out vengeance upon sinners, but rather he made himself the target of that vengeance.  The Lord cannot overlook sin.  He has declared through St. Paul, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  And true to his word, all die because all are sinners. 

     But also true to his word, “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).  All our guilt is transferred to Jesus who has intentionally taken it from us.  And since Jesus bears all guilt, he also takes into himself all punishment.  God avenges all sin through his Son who is damned at the cross for us.  Jesus died the death that sinners deserve, and he died it for all sinners.  Jesus suffered the damnation that we had earned, and he was damned on behalf of all.  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  God had foretold it, and God has fulfilled it, just as Isaiah has said, “Be strong; fear not!  Behold, your God … will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4).  The Messiah has come with his joyful reward.

     We have come to two of the mountain peaks, but how far off is that third peak?  The Church has been marching toward it for two millennia, and it seems like the Lord’s deliverance is still a long way off.  The trek is hard.  It is disheartening to see the wickedness around us.  If it is not another school shooting, it is the abandonment of morals.  We have gotten to the point where a man who upholds the vocation of wife and stay-at-home mother as honorable is vilified as a horrible human being.  We have come to a place where people who know the difference between boys and girls could lose their jobs.  We are almost to the point where nothing is regarded as perversion anymore.  It gets hard.  Hands grow weak.  Knees wobble.  Hearts turn anxious.  Since God’s word is forever true and never fails, we know that we are standing on solid ground. 

     This is what the Lord says: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not!  Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you’” (Isaiah 35:3-4).  Yes, the Messiah will come again.  He will come to judge the living and the dead.  Those who have despised and rejected his word will be cut off from God forever.  It is what they wanted all their lives, and it will be granted to them for eternity.  God will avenge his glory, uphold his word, and execute justice.

     But the Messiah will come with his joyful reward for you.  He will come and save you.  Isaiah’s prophesy might seem a bit obscure.  “Waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes” (Isaiah 35:6-7).  The world is under the curse of sin, and we see that in large tracts of land which are uninhabitable.  No one is building cities in the Saraha Desert.  But we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth.  Eden will be restored, and the barren places will be lush with blessings.  On the Last Day, the Messiah will come with his joyful reward—a perfect Paradise free from sin and sorrow and every evil.

     There will always be people who mock God, challenge the Bible, and try to convince you that you are a fool for believing any of it.  They will boast that they are smart, but they are fools who believe that there are no consequences for their actions or attitudes.  They deny their own consciences which bear witness that they are accountable and that a judgment is coming.  And recognize this: Those who would seduce you away from Jesus have no hope to offer you.  They have nothing to atone for guilt and regret.  They provide no escape from death and the grave.  They have no Savior, so they can never have peace. 

     But the Lord has foretold what he would do for sinful mankind.  He repeated his promises and prophecies throughout the Old Testament.  And whatever the Lord said he would do, he did.  The Messiah came with his joyful reward.  The Lord foretold it, and the Lord fulfilled it.  Be strong; fear not!  Behold, your God has come and saved you.  Behold, your God will come again.  He will come and save you.  The Messiah will come with his joyful reward.  The Lord has foretold it, and the Lord will fulfill it.

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

YouTube -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 1, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 1, 2024.

Sermon -- 15th Sunday after Pentecost (September 1, 2024)

ROMANS 9:30 – 10:4

THE ONLY RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT SAVES IS BY FAITH ALONE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     You do not have to go to church to know how to behave.  You do not need to be a Christian to be a decent person.  Most people know how to be honest, moral, and decent.  That does not mean they always are, but it means they can do it.  If you took a foul-mouthed thug and put him before a judge, he would suddenly be able to curb his tongue and avoid profanities.  He would even demonstrate humility.  He may not want to, but he knows he has to.  He does not need a church to show him that.

     Throughout your life, you will meet a lot of nice people who have no use for the church, for a Bible, or for Jesus.  When they die, their eulogies will praise them for what wonderful people they were.  There will be stories about how much they volunteered to bring help and happiness to others, about their generosity, hospitality, and zest for life.  And they may all be true.  Those eulogies might put you to shame, as you wonder why you have not done as much as they did.  It is assumed that such people have done enough to find their way into heaven.  This may also boomerang on you, as you wonder if you’ve done enough.

     St. Paul speaks about two kinds of righteousness.  There is a righteousness which comes by faith, and there is a righteousness which people try to attain by their works.  To many, they look the same, but they could not be more different.  One saves, and the other does not.  One reduces you to nothing; the other strokes your ego and fills you with pride.  One opens heaven, and the other brings you down to hell.  In fact, some think the righteousness that results in death is more praiseworthy than the one that saves.  But the only righteousness that saves is by faith alone.

     St. Paul wrote, “Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law” (Romans 9:30-31).  In other words, the Gentiles did not know the Commandments.  Some were decent and moral; many others embraced debauchery, dishonesty, and drunkenness.  Nevertheless, those who heard the word of God, repented, and believed in the promises of Jesus were found righteous.  Their righteousness was not earned; it was given to them by faith in Jesus.  The only righteousness that saves is by faith alone.  On the other hand, the people of Israel had the Law of God.  They tried to keep the Commandments and the Levitical regulations, and they looked pretty good trying.  But they never lived up to God’s perfect Law.  God did not find them righteous by their works because, no matter how pious or abundant their works were, they remained sinful.

     The Gospel lesson gives us an example of the righteousness which comes from works.  The Lord had given Old Testament Israel numerous laws to keep them distinct from the nations around them.  They were to be set apart because the Messiah would come through them.  Among those laws were dietary laws—foods that were clean and lawful and foods that were not.  In addition to God’s Law, the Pharisees had added their own practices.  They prescribed the washing of hands, plates, utensils, and other things.  This was not about hygiene, but spiritual purity.  They taught that observing all these things would prove a person pure, or righteous, before God.  They taught that the failure to wash or to eat non-kosher foods defiled a person.  The Pharisees observed all of these laws and traditions, and it looked very impressive.  The eulogies for the Pharisees would gush: “How noble and pious they were!  They fasted.  They tithed.  They diligently observed all the traditions.  Surely, they have their place in heaven!”

     One thing you should understand about eulogies: Eulogies are our remembrance of someone.  We tell stories and reflect on memories about why he was so special to us, how faithfully he served in this or that capacity.  We fondly remember his interactions, his quirks, and his personality.  All of it may be true.  Eulogies are our judgment.  We overlook faults and highlight achievements.  On the one hand, such memories are to be cherished.  There is a reason the death of a loved one grieves you so much.  On the other hand, eulogies are not God’s assessment.  That’s why funerals in Lutheran churches do not have a parade of people telling their favorite stories.  There is a place for those outside of the funeral, no doubt.  But if we want comfort in our sorrows and assurance of peace and hope for the deceased and for ourselves, then we need to hear God’s promises.  We do not establish our own righteousness; Jesus does.  Only Jesus does.  Jesus alone does.  The only righteousness that saves us by faith in Jesus alone.

     The Pharisees tried to establish their own righteousness before God by all their pious acts.  But outward acts do not make us pure.  They might look attractive.  They might produce impressive eulogies.  But they do not make the heart pure or the person righteous.  Jesus said, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?  … What comes out of a person is what defiles him.  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:18-23). 

     The heart is sinful.  It is naturally corrupt and selfish.  When we encounter nice people who do nice things, we might compliment them, saying, “She has a good heart!”  But what about when nice people do not-nice things?  When you are jealous of someone else’s blessings, is that a good heart?  When your impatience results in giving someone the stink-eye or uttering a nasty word, is that a good heart?  When a man gazes at a woman’s figure and fantasizes about what he could do to that figure—caring not about her name, her feelings, or her well-being—is that a good heart?  All these sinful attitudes come from within, from hearts that have been corrupted by sin.  If your heart is corrupt, the works that come from it will also be corrupt.  Righteousness before God is not an occasional thing, it must be a constant thing.  For God is not good occasionally, he is a good and holy God constantly.  That is the standard he holds us to.

     There are two kinds of righteousness—the righteousness that comes from inside of you, and the righteousness which comes from the outside.  If it comes from inside of you, then you are trying to establish your place with God by doing enough good works to please him.  That does not mean such people are irreligious.  Some might be atheists who are confident in their niceness, but others are people who confess to be Christians who still depend upon themselves for their place before God.  Consider St. Paul’s assessment of the people of Israel: “I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness” (Romans 10:2-3).  In other words, people know how to behave.  They know they should be upright, decent, honest, and moral.  But they reject the righteousness that God provides, convinced that they are doing enough to establish their own righteousness.  Some want to split the credit—“Jesus did his part.  Now I’m doing mine.”  But if you are corrupt, then your part is corrupt.  It cannot be righteous.  This cannot save you.  The only righteousness that saves is by faith alone.

     Now, if your righteousness comes from outside of you, then it is not yours by nature.  God must bestow it upon you.  This is the righteousness of God and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  This is what St. Paul says is “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense” (Romans 9:33).  The offense is that we have nothing to contribute.  We want to think so.  We want to believe that we are God’s people because we are better than those who are not.  But Jesus destroys all that.  If your righteousness comes from outside of you, then you have nothing to boast about—not works, not effort, not sincerity, not a better performance than anyone, not even being nice.  The righteousness of God comes from Jesus, and he gives it to you freely and fully. 

     The only righteousness that saves is by faith alone.  Faith alone does not mean that no works were done.  It means that the works have been done by someone other than you.  The holy obedience which pleases God has been lived by Jesus.  This Jesus gives to you.  Jesus has also done the work which takes away your sins.  Jesus suffered and died bearing your guilt.  He endured the sinner’s death for you and took in all of God’s wrath in your place.  That’s why St. Paul wrote, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).  The works of the Law do not make you righteous; Jesus does.  Thanks to Jesus, the Law does not condemn you; Jesus has fulfilled it.  Your sin does not stand against you; Jesus has taken it away.  So, while you cannot boast that you have done anything to receive your place in heaven, you can boast that in Christ all things have been done.  It is just as Martin Luther confessed: “Lord Jesus Christ, you are my righteousness, I am your sin.  You became what you were not so that I would be what I am not.” 

     And now what does the Bible teach you?  “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).  If you trust in Jesus’ merits instead of your own, then you are sons of God.  If you are baptized into Christ, then you are clothed with Christ.  If you are clothed with Christ, then you are righteous in God’s sight.  If you are righteous in God’s sight, then you are saved.  The only righteousness that saves in by faith alone. 

     Fast forward to your funeral.  There will be people who will eulogize you.  They will share stories and memories.  They will talk about what you have done for them and for others.  They will remember your good works, and what they say will probably all be true.  But the good works are not what saved you.  They sprang up from a heart that was purified by the blood of Jesus and enlivened by the Holy Spirit.  They are evidence of God’s work in you.  But when you are standing before God, no eulogy will help.  Your Savior, however, will.  Jesus Christ will present you to his heavenly Father dressed in his own righteousness.  And he will uphold the word of the Lord: “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 9:33).    

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

YouTube -- 14th Sunday after Pentecost (August 25, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 25, 2024.  Filling in as guest preacher while I mend from a chemo treatment is Rev. em. Gregory Gibbons,  His son, Matthew, was conducting the liturgy.

Sermon -- 13th Sunday after Pentecost (August 18, 2024)

JOHN 6:35-51

HERE IS THE ONLY BREAD THAT LETS YOU LIVE FOREVER.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Christian faith does not have secrets.  Some religions have secret rituals or secret teachings that only the elites know.  But not Christianity.  God reveals all that we need to know in the Bible.  Now, there are things that God has chosen not to tell us.  He does not tell you when Judgment Day will be nor the date of your death.  Jesus said that as the Last Day approaches, “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7).  But he does not tell us which nations will rise or when they will fall, or where the next earthquake will strike.  God reserves such knowledge for himself.  But what he has revealed—especially in regard to good and evil and forgiveness and salvation—the Church teaches and proclaims.  In fact, we are commanded to proclaim these things.  There are no secrets.

     There are, however, mysteries in the Christian faith.  A secret ceases to be a secret once you know it.  But a mystery is different.  You can know what the mystery is but still not wrap your head around it.  One example is the Holy Trinity.  We worship one God, and our one God has three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They are not one third God each.  The Father is God.  The Son is God.  The Holy Spirit is God.  And yet, they are not three gods, but one God.  The math does not add up.  It hurts our brains to try to find a rational explanation for the Trinity, because there is none.  Yet, this is who God tells us he is, and we are in no position to correct him.

     Another great mystery is what we encounter in our Gospel for today.  The people Jesus was preaching to found it unreasonable and offensive even though Jesus was pretty clear about it.  That mystery is that Jesus is both God and man.  He is not half God and half man.  Jesus Christ is God, possessing all the power, glory, and majesty as God the Son.  And Jesus Christ is a man, as human as any of us is except without sin.  When we encounter this mystery, we will either stand in awe or we will decide that it is nonsense because we cannot make it reasonable.

     The Jews who spoke with Jesus saw only his humanity.  Jesus was just another guy from Nazareth.  Yes, Jesus did amazing miracles, but they were offended at his claim that he is God.  “The Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’” (John 6:41).  They responded, “What are you talking about?  We know your parents.  We know your hometown.  Some of us saw you growing up.  How can you say you came down from heaven?  Who do you think you are?”  Jesus’ claim that he came down from heaven was unreasonable to them, and they rejected him for it.  Nevertheless, Jesus’ claims about himself are bold and clear.  It forces us on one side or the other.  Either he is God as he claims, or he is a nutjob.  There can be no middle ground here. 

     Jesus claimed, “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).  You will notice that Jesus did not say, “Whoever believes in God.”  He said, “Whoever believes in [me]” (John 6:40).  Jesus did not say, “God will raise him up.”  He said, “I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).  Here is the only one who lets you live forever.  This is a claim that could only be made if Jesus is true God.  And yet, the one who makes the claim is a man.  Now, this is not doctrine for the sake of doctrine.  This is essential for your eternal life because if you do not have the Savior you need, you cannot be saved. 

     Jesus is God, and when he entered the world he became a human being.  He subjected himself to the commandments of God.  And Jesus did the one thing no other human being has ever done—he kept all of God’s Law perfectly.  So, there is finally a man who has fulfilled the Law of God.  This Jesus did as your substitute—one human being in exchange for you.  In addition, Jesus took into himself all your guilt.  He bore your sin and went to the cross where his flesh was pierced with nails and his body bled and died.  He subjected himself to divine justice which means a cursed death for the sinner.  Again, he did it for you—one human being in exchange for you.

     But if Jesus were just a man, he does you no good at all.  The Bible declares, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit” (Psalm 49:7-9).  If you do not have the Savior you need, you cannot be saved.  But since Jesus is God, his life counts for everyone.  He supplies the righteousness that needed to stand before God at the judgment.  And he supplies it for all.  And since Jesus is God, his sacrificial death pays for the sins of everyone.  He takes away the sin of the world.  Here is the only one who lets you live forever.

     The God who died on the cross is also the man who rose from the dead.  Since a man has conquered death, mankind has been delivered from death.  And since this man is God, he will raise all people from the dead.  It is just as he promised: “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 calls himself the living bread.  He says, “I am the bread of life.  …This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:48,50-51).  To eat the bread of life is to believe in Jesus.  It is to partake of his word and to consume it.  Consider one of the prayers from the Lutheran liturgy: “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life” (The Lutheran Hymnal © 1941, page 14).  We inwardly digest the Bread of Life when we take partake of God’s word, chew on it, and let it ruminate in our minds and hearts.  This is the bread that lets us live forever because it delivers to us all the blessings that Jesus Christ won for us.  There is no salvation apart from Jesus, and Jesus comes to us in no other way than through his word—sometimes preached, sometimes attached to the sacraments.  This is the only way God delivers to us forgiveness of sins, new life in Christ, and eternal salvation.  Here is the bread that lets us live forever.

     Be careful what you are consuming because it always has an effect on your soul.  The Bread of Life is given to sustain and to strengthen faith.  Through his word, Jesus brings blessing, encouragement, comfort, and guidance.  He directs you to what is right and exposes what is deceptive, wicked, and damning.  But what is deceptive, wicked, and damning is preached to you all week long.  You hear it at work, on the radio, on TV, in movies, and in everyday conversations with people who do not chew on the Bread of Life.  Warped sentiments and opinions are presented as established facts.  For example, marriage is mocked and avoided.  Modern opinion is that it is a social contract, not a sacred union.  Marriage is regarded as unnecessary, but it is expected that couples will fornicate and cohabitate.  Chastity is mocked, and promiscuity is celebrated.  Name a TV show or a song where this isn’t the case!  You are being fed these ideas continually.  How does a Christian combat these teachings?  How does a Christian stand against them?  Feast on the Bread of Life.  Partake of Jesus’ teachings every day, and inwardly digest God’s Holy Word in every Divine Service and in Bible Class.  The Bread of Life is how the Lord sustains you in the faith and keeps you in good spiritual health.  Here is the bread that lets you live a godly life in a wicked world and lets you live forever in glory.

     We often think of our eternal life as a future event.  Jesus speaks of it differently.  Listen to his promise: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47).  Notice the verb tense.  Not that you will have eternal life, but whoever believes has eternal life.  You live in the kingdom of God right now.  You have been set apart as God’s own right now.  Neither God’s favor nor God’s judgment is a future event.  Your judgment is that you are righteous for Jesus’ sake.  God’s favor is yours.  You have eternal life now.  Granted, you are not in glory yet; that is the future.  But you possess your eternal place in God’s kingdom now.  And he feeds you the Bread of Life to sustain you in it.  Here is the bread that lets you live forever.

     When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die” (John 6:48,50), your gut reaction might be to object, knowing that a death awaits us all.  At death, the soul and body separate.  But your soul does not die.  It lives and goes to be with Jesus in heavenly peace.  Your body will rest for a while; it awaits the resurrection.  Three times, Jesus assures you, “I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:39,40,44).  He who has authority over the grave will summon you back.  He will restore your body to perfection, never again to ache or age, to get sick or frail, or to be subject to disease or death.  The resurrection to life everlasting is delivered to you only by Jesus—the man who lived and died for mankind; the God who possesses all power and compassion.  He is the Savior you need; therefore, you are saved.  Here is the one who lets you live forever.

     And now, the flesh he gave for the life of the world he gives to you here.  The manna in the wilderness sustained the Israelites only for a few hours.  But here is the living bread that comes down from heaven.  We feast on the living body of Christ.  We drink the blood which has atoned for all sins.  This is what strengthens and keeps us in the true faith.  This is what sustains us in a wicked world until we reach the Promised Land.  Here is the bread that lets you live forever.

     The love of God and the salvation he brings are no secret.  The Lord Jesus proves to be the only one who can save, the only one who grants eternal life.  He is the God who has joined himself to mankind, and he is the man who brings us into the family of God.  He is the Bread of Life upon which you feast and whose word you inwardly digest.  If you hunger for righteousness, Jesus fills you with his.  If you thirst for divine mercy, Jesus satisfies you with all you need.  Just as you cannot live without bread, so you cannot live without him.  He is the living bread which lets you live forever. 

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