Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame (He 12:2). Amen.
It is Friday. And that is good. In general, it is the end of the normal work week. Many have logged their 40 or 41+ hours at the office or on the job. Compared to the other seven days, there are those who consider this day better than the others and are thankful that it is here.
It is on this Friday that we contemplate our Savior’s work. Tonight the most obvious similarity to an Old Testament High Priest is significant—the work with the blood of sacrifice. But Jesus our great High Priest is better than any other high priest because he cleanses us from sin and cleanses us for service. We read from …
Hebrews 9:11-14
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, the ultimate High Priest,
It is one thing to be good at something. Really anything—singing a song or swinging a bat. (In case you missed it, opening day for major league baseball was yesterday and today. It is a long season. You have plenty of time to get excited before the World Series in November. (That seems like a long way off, doesn’t it?)
It is another to be better than someone else. And that is up for debate. The discussion can be heated or hard when it comes down to two individuals.
Who is the better recording artist?
Who is the better long-ball hitter?
Those are not easy questions to answer. There are so many different variables. Of what style—modern country or classic rock? Or of what era— the 1900s or the 2000s? Often it will come to one’s opinion or outlook. And then finally, it ends up with a “Well he is (or she is), because.”
When it deals with high priests, we can determine who is better. Jesus. And that is a fact. The writer to the Hebrew Christians helps us come to that conclusion.
Jesus Our Great High Priest Is Better Than Any Other High Priest
1. Because he cleanses us from sin (11,12)
2. Because he cleanses us for service (13,14)
1. Because he cleanses us from sin (11,12)
There is no missing it on this day. Sin. Whether we hear the cry of the Messiah, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1). It was for us and for our sin. Or we have the reminder of the prophet: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities” (Is 53:5). Yours and mine. But Jesus is our great High Priest. Better than any other because he cleanses us from sin.
The author highlights Jesus’ office as he uses his title—Christ. “Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here” (He 9:11). He is the anointed one—prophet, priest, and king. He is the one the crowds acclaimed on Palm Sunday: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mk 11:9). The “Coming One” brought “good things”—forgiveness from God and peace with God (Mt 11:3; Lk 3:16). The recipients of this letter were to recall that as we do. Our guilt is gone. Heaven is our home.
So the contrast is there. “When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation” (He 9:11). We have reviewed that special day for the children of Israel—the Day of Atonement (Lv 16). That was the only day all year that the High Priest dared to pull back the curtain far enough to slide into the Most Holy Place, the back part of the tabernacle, and later temple. That was where the Ark of the Covenant was. That was a symbol of God’s presence among his people.
As great as that was, Jesus is greater. Jesus came to live with us and be one of us (Jn 1:14). With real flesh and blood, Jesus obeyed the law perfectly for us—what we could not do. And then he died willingly for us—what we deserved to experience. He died after six hours on the wooden cross. He rose after three days in the borrowed grave. And then he returned to heaven after 40 days to God’s right hand. That place is better than anything crafted with human hands with everyday material.
The High Priest didn’t think of heading into the Most Holy Place emptyhanded. He always had blood—the blood of a bull for his sins and his families’. And then with the blood of a goat—for the sins of the people (Lv 16:6,11,14). He would sprinkle that on the mercy seat, the top of that golden box.
But Jesus is unlike that Old Testament figure. “He [Jesus, the Christ] did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (He 9:12). It was not year after year. But one time and not again—not like the never-ending cold weather of this winter and spring. (Did you see the snow flurries today?) Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins was sufficient. As he hung there, enduring the punishment of hell, he secured redemption. He was the buyer—with his desire. He was the price—with his blood. He paid what was necessary to set us free from sin forever. As Luther reminded us, “not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death” (Explanation to the Second Article). Jesus our great High Priest is better than any other high priest because he cleanses us from sin for good with his own blood.
2. Because he cleanses us for service (13,14)
There is no mistaking it from now on. Jesus has set us apart from sin and for service. We serve the One who served us by giving his life as a ransom (Mt 20:28). Jesus our great High Priest is better than any other high priest because he cleanses us for service.
The writer another time draws on the readers’ knowledge of the Old Testament as he draws a parallel. “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean” (He 9:13). There were rituals to provide cleansing for those who were ceremonially unclean due to contact with dead bodies, human bones, and graves (Nu 19). These particular ones were to be sprayed with water into which the ashes of a sacrificial heifer had been mixed. But it was only on the outside, not on the inside. It is like rubbing soap and water on your skin to deal with the cancer under your flesh. It doesn’t work. It is only symbolic.
That is where Jesus’ blood is superior. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death” (He 9:14). Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God (Jn 1:29; 1 Pe 1:19), offered himself. He purifies our souls from every single stain (1 Jn 1:7). We did nothing—as if we could present something like an animal to get in good with God. “Hey, God, how about this?” All that we could accomplish is death with our efforts and energy—unending separation from God. But Jesus did it all as he sheds his blood for us on the cross. His wounds make us whole (Is 53:5).
But now that we are without fault or flaw by Jesus’ blood, as the writer points out, “we may serve the living God!” (He 9:14). We don’t have the fear of punishment looming over our heads, but the love of Jesus living in our hearts. With that faith, it is possible to please God. (He 11:6). That causes us to do what we do out of gratitude and gratefulness to the Christ—at work or play, at home or away, day after day (Mt 16:16). Jesus our great High Priest is better than any other high priest because he cleanses us for service.
Perhaps you are done with work for two days since it is Friday. On this day we think of Jesus’ completed work with his cry from the cross: “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). What the Old Testament high priest prefigured, Jesus performed. He poured out his blood to purchase our release from sin and Satan. In the category of high priest, he is #1. Everyone one else who ever held that office comes in at a distant second. There is not much room for argument. Jesus our great High Priest is better than any other high priest because he cleanses us from sin and cleanses us for service. Finally, he is not just better than any, but the best of all. That makes this Friday good. Happy Good Friday. Amen.
Grace be with you all (He 13:25). Amen.
March 30, 2018
11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
St. John Lutheran Church Sermons
Friday, March 30, 2018
Maundy Thursday (Hebrews 8:6-13)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame (He 12:2). Amen.
It is easy to become cynical when you see the word “new,” isn’t it? Maybe even more so if “improved” is added. “New and improved.” Something that might fall into that category is a cell phone. Now that we can hardly live without them. Every so often there is an upgrade. (It seems as if it is every other day.) And companies and carriers spend a lot of time and money pitching the new device—like two out of every three commercials. (My estimates may be a bit low.) Perhaps we question: “What was wrong with the old?” You could send your texts effortlessly. Possibly we comment: “I liked the old.” You could find your apps easily.
That was the situation that the Hebrew Christians were struggling with. Only on a much grander scale. A new covenant. What was the problem with the old? In fact, they were in danger of going back to their former way of worship. It was legal. It was comfortable. But the unknown writer reminds them of the person and the promises behind the better covenant.
Jesus Our Great High Priest Is the Mediator of the New Covenant.
Again, it bears repeating. Jesus is the Christ (Mt 16:16)—anointed to be prophet, priest, and king. Our focus during the six Wednesdays of Lent has been on that second title—priest. That entity was between the people and God—an intercessor. Or mediator, a middleman. That pictured Jesus. And that is what the unnamed author penned. “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one” (He 8:6). Jesus came to serve (Mt 20:28). And he carried out his assignment carefully and completely as he established a new covenant, standing between us and God on Calvary’s cross.
Now the readers’ ears may have perked up. They were extremely familiar with the solemn agreement that God had given through Moses at Mt. Sinai. The Lord had just taken them out of the slavery like a father takes his son across the street: “when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt” (He 8:9).
There was very little that it didn’t regulate or legislate in their lives—where and when to worship, why and what to sacrifice. There were certain days that were significant and several foods that were special.
But the author argues. “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another” (He 8:7). The problem was not with the pact; it was with the people. In the old covenant, there were two sides—God and the Children of Israel. Each would perform. And the people were willing. They asserted: “We will do everything the Lord said; we will obey” (Ex 24:7). And then it was sealed, put into effect with blood (Ex 24:8).
But they couldn’t and didn’t keep their end of the bargain. It wasn’t long before they blew the First Commandment by bowing down to a golden calf (Ex 32). Like a cheating spouse, “they did not remain faithful” (He 8:9). It is a true statement: “God found fault with the people” (He 8:8). God could accuse them and be accurate. Therein lies the difficulty. The law reveals sin, but cannot remove it. God had every right to have no concern for them because they couldn’t observe the demands all the time and in every way (He 8:9).
But he didn’t step away; he stepped in. He was going to enact a new covenant. The writer grabs our attention too as he goes back to the prophet Jeremiah (Je 31:31-34). Note that the Lord stands behind it—the One whose love is changeless just as he is. And it is definite because he says it is (3x the phase “declares the Lord” repeats). And he does all the work—“I will, I will, I will.” It is completely dependent on him. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (He 8:8). It is “new” in the sense of kind or quality or character, not “new” as in recent or current like a 2018 (or 2019) car.
“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (He 8:10). There are no more stone tablets. As a child of God, God’s teaching of grace is part of our inner being. And we obey, not out of fear, but in faith. We join the psalmist as he says: “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (Ps 119:32). We have the desire and determination to do what God wants.
“I will be their God, and they will be my people” (He 8:10). There is no nearer or dearer relationship than this. We are his; he is ours. We can make that claim because of what we will see and celebrate tomorrow at Calvary. Jesus endures God’s fury over our sin so we can enjoy God’s forgiveness of that sin.
“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest” (He 8:11). Through the Holy Spirit, we appreciate what God has done for us in Christ. To see Jesus is to know salvation. And no one is excluded. It is for young and old, extraordinary and ordinary.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (He 8:12). That is the biggest and the best. God is merciful even though our wrongdoings are many. The Father does not recall them any longer because he punished his Son in our place. He doesn’t store our sins away in files to dredge them up at a later time or date. He wipes them from his memory through the blood of Jesus.
And that is why Maundy Thursday is so meaningful. There Jesus is with his disciples to celebrate the Passover—the meal that pointed to him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). There and then he institutes a new meal.
And now year after year we go back to the upper room to go over Jesus’ command: “Do this in remembrance or me” (Lk 22:19). Do “this”—this eating of his body with the bread, this drinking of his blood with the wine. The body given and the blood shed “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28). Jesus comes with the blessings of the new covenant in an intimate and individual way. To each communicant who is repentant, recognizing his or her sin—big or small, significant or insignificant, he contends: “God sends your sins away. Your guilt is gone.”
No wonder the author could conclude: “By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (He 8:13). We hang on to and hold on to the new covenant because it never goes out or gets old.
There is a time and place for “new and improved.” If a cell phone catches fire, you don’t want that in your purse, let alone your pocket. It is time for a higher number behind your mobile device. Even more so with the new covenant. Jesus Our Great High Priest Is the Mediator of the New Covenant who gives and guarantees the removal of all of our sins.
We read from Hebrews 8:6-13:
6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
11 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Grace be with you all (He 13:25). Amen.
March 29, 2018
It is easy to become cynical when you see the word “new,” isn’t it? Maybe even more so if “improved” is added. “New and improved.” Something that might fall into that category is a cell phone. Now that we can hardly live without them. Every so often there is an upgrade. (It seems as if it is every other day.) And companies and carriers spend a lot of time and money pitching the new device—like two out of every three commercials. (My estimates may be a bit low.) Perhaps we question: “What was wrong with the old?” You could send your texts effortlessly. Possibly we comment: “I liked the old.” You could find your apps easily.
That was the situation that the Hebrew Christians were struggling with. Only on a much grander scale. A new covenant. What was the problem with the old? In fact, they were in danger of going back to their former way of worship. It was legal. It was comfortable. But the unknown writer reminds them of the person and the promises behind the better covenant.
Jesus Our Great High Priest Is the Mediator of the New Covenant.
Again, it bears repeating. Jesus is the Christ (Mt 16:16)—anointed to be prophet, priest, and king. Our focus during the six Wednesdays of Lent has been on that second title—priest. That entity was between the people and God—an intercessor. Or mediator, a middleman. That pictured Jesus. And that is what the unnamed author penned. “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one” (He 8:6). Jesus came to serve (Mt 20:28). And he carried out his assignment carefully and completely as he established a new covenant, standing between us and God on Calvary’s cross.
Now the readers’ ears may have perked up. They were extremely familiar with the solemn agreement that God had given through Moses at Mt. Sinai. The Lord had just taken them out of the slavery like a father takes his son across the street: “when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt” (He 8:9).
There was very little that it didn’t regulate or legislate in their lives—where and when to worship, why and what to sacrifice. There were certain days that were significant and several foods that were special.
But the author argues. “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another” (He 8:7). The problem was not with the pact; it was with the people. In the old covenant, there were two sides—God and the Children of Israel. Each would perform. And the people were willing. They asserted: “We will do everything the Lord said; we will obey” (Ex 24:7). And then it was sealed, put into effect with blood (Ex 24:8).
But they couldn’t and didn’t keep their end of the bargain. It wasn’t long before they blew the First Commandment by bowing down to a golden calf (Ex 32). Like a cheating spouse, “they did not remain faithful” (He 8:9). It is a true statement: “God found fault with the people” (He 8:8). God could accuse them and be accurate. Therein lies the difficulty. The law reveals sin, but cannot remove it. God had every right to have no concern for them because they couldn’t observe the demands all the time and in every way (He 8:9).
But he didn’t step away; he stepped in. He was going to enact a new covenant. The writer grabs our attention too as he goes back to the prophet Jeremiah (Je 31:31-34). Note that the Lord stands behind it—the One whose love is changeless just as he is. And it is definite because he says it is (3x the phase “declares the Lord” repeats). And he does all the work—“I will, I will, I will.” It is completely dependent on him. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (He 8:8). It is “new” in the sense of kind or quality or character, not “new” as in recent or current like a 2018 (or 2019) car.
“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (He 8:10). There are no more stone tablets. As a child of God, God’s teaching of grace is part of our inner being. And we obey, not out of fear, but in faith. We join the psalmist as he says: “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (Ps 119:32). We have the desire and determination to do what God wants.
“I will be their God, and they will be my people” (He 8:10). There is no nearer or dearer relationship than this. We are his; he is ours. We can make that claim because of what we will see and celebrate tomorrow at Calvary. Jesus endures God’s fury over our sin so we can enjoy God’s forgiveness of that sin.
“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest” (He 8:11). Through the Holy Spirit, we appreciate what God has done for us in Christ. To see Jesus is to know salvation. And no one is excluded. It is for young and old, extraordinary and ordinary.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (He 8:12). That is the biggest and the best. God is merciful even though our wrongdoings are many. The Father does not recall them any longer because he punished his Son in our place. He doesn’t store our sins away in files to dredge them up at a later time or date. He wipes them from his memory through the blood of Jesus.
And that is why Maundy Thursday is so meaningful. There Jesus is with his disciples to celebrate the Passover—the meal that pointed to him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). There and then he institutes a new meal.
And now year after year we go back to the upper room to go over Jesus’ command: “Do this in remembrance or me” (Lk 22:19). Do “this”—this eating of his body with the bread, this drinking of his blood with the wine. The body given and the blood shed “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28). Jesus comes with the blessings of the new covenant in an intimate and individual way. To each communicant who is repentant, recognizing his or her sin—big or small, significant or insignificant, he contends: “God sends your sins away. Your guilt is gone.”
No wonder the author could conclude: “By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (He 8:13). We hang on to and hold on to the new covenant because it never goes out or gets old.
There is a time and place for “new and improved.” If a cell phone catches fire, you don’t want that in your purse, let alone your pocket. It is time for a higher number behind your mobile device. Even more so with the new covenant. Jesus Our Great High Priest Is the Mediator of the New Covenant who gives and guarantees the removal of all of our sins.
We read from Hebrews 8:6-13:
6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
11 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Grace be with you all (He 13:25). Amen.
March 29, 2018
Monday, March 26, 2018
Sixth Sunday in Lent (Mark 11:1-10)
“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mk 11:9). Amen.
No doubt you have heard the expression: “to make a statement.” One way to define it is this: “to communicate something without words to get a reaction.” And usually there is no missing the mood or the message of that “something.”
That is what Jesus did as he rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden, setting in motion the events of Holy Week. He enters the city on Palm Sunday and exits the grave on Easter Sunday—all that and more in seven days. It is a big week, a busy week. And there is no mistaking the attitude or announcement on this day. Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal and receiving the right adoration. We read from …
Mark 11:1-10
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, our perfect King whom we continually praise,
It is one thing to describe what it is to make a statement. It is another to do it.
Here is what I mean. We have quite a few options for travel. If you were going to impress someone (Remember: “to communicate something without words to get a reaction.”), what would you show up to their front door with? A fine moped or a fancy limousine? Either one makes a statement, doesn’t it? It is not a matter of two wheels as opposed to four. (And nothing against that kind of cyclist.) But an expensive vehicle that stretches down three city block beats a one-seater that tops out at 35 mph (as long as you have a gale-force wind behind your back). It is fair to say that the one is elegant, while the other is economic.
What about Jesus as he heads into the capital city?
Jesus Makes a Statement
1. Riding the right animal (1-6)
2. Receiving the right adoration (7-11)
1. Riding the right animal (1-6)
Does this make sense? If you want to be seen you have to be seen. Jesus wasn’t going to sneak into town. It is kind of the opposite of a celebrity who tries to slip through the airport with a large hat pulled down and dark sunglasses pushed up. If you were Jesus’ PR person, what would you suggest? How about a chartering a gold chariot with magnificent horses in front of it? Some eyes may have bulged. Or calling those twelve legions of angels to surround him as he is seated on top of a massive elephant (cf. Mt 26:53)? Some jaws may have dropped. None of that. Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal.
Jesus had been clear as he and the disciples made their way to the holy city to celebrate the Passover. And now it was close. Within the next five days. Jesus repeated it and we reviewed it: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). That is a pretty good summary of the coming week—Jesus’ final time there. We note again this is not defeat—death on a cross, but victory—departure from a tomb. (More on that next Sunday.)
In order to kick things off, Jesus commissions two of his disciples with some specific instructions (Mk 11:1): “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (Mk 11:2). He knew exactly what they would encounter since nothing is hidden from him. It wasn’t a good guess like you speculate that there more than likely are cars in a Target parking lot around noon. It wasn’t: “You might spot a donkey.” But: “You will.” And notice the precise details—right away upon arriving and no one had ever sat on it. That meshes with the Old Testament. If it was for a sacred purpose, the animal was to be unused previously (Nu 19:2; Dt 21:3; 1 Sa 6:7). Not to mention those who might question: “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly’” (Mk 11:3). This was a royal requisition from the Lord. The One who is above all and over all—who drives out demons, who shuts down storms—requires it. He was not evading this trip; he was embracing it.
The two obeyed without question or hesitation. This would not be a “wild donkey chase.” And it was just as Jesus had explained—from the location of the animal to the discussion with the individuals (Mk 11:4-6). That was critical for them. They could trust him—especially as the week unfolded with its rollercoaster ride. It is crucial for us. Jesus is aware of all of the minute things—every fact and facet of our lives. We can put our confidence in him.
By doing this, Jesus was making a statement. It wasn’t: “Any creature will be fine. It sure beats walking.” Jesus was deliberately and decisively fulfilling what the prophet Zechariah had foretold. “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Ze 9:9). Jesus was making clear: “I am that King. I have come to you and for you—to rescue you.”
And so we do what King David declared: We welcome King Jesus—the “King of glory … the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Ps 24:8). He rides on in lowly pomp to die (CW 133:5). He will take on the devil to take him out as Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Php 2:8). Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal—a donkey. He does it to smash Satan’s head for us (Ge 3:15). And he did.
2. Receiving the right adoration (7-11)
If you want to make a splash, you have to be flashy. You want some oohs and aahs. Even if it is a white limo, rather than black which is classier in my opinion. Jesus got such a reaction as he mounted that donkey. Whether the people recognized the full significance or not, we do. Jesus makes a statement receiving the right adoration.
The disciples showed their respect and reverence. “When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it” (Mk 11:7). It was a makeshift saddle to show honor. Others added their activity since there were plenty of pilgrims in town for the big festival. “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields” (Mk 11:8). It was a “green carpet” treatment. The hooves were not to touch the ground as the King advanced (cf. 2 Ki 9:13).
Their words matched the actions. People yelled different things like a crowd cheers on their team in the NCAA tournament, hoping that they advance to the Final Four. “Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted” (Mk 11:9) …
“Hosanna!” (Mk 11:9; Ps 118:25). That translates as “Save now, we pray.” And that is what Jesus was prepping to do—to save. He would live up to his name, Jesus—“The Lord saves” (Mt 1:21). And he finished what he came to do. That is why the apostle Paul could contend: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Php 2:9). Jesus is the only name that saves (Acts 4:12). He saved us. Now for us, “hosanna” becomes, “Praise be to you, Jesus.”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mk 11:9; Ps 118:26). God had revealed himself as one who is gracious and compassionate (Ex 34:6). Jesus was “the coming one” who would carry out God’s plan (Lk 3:16; Mt 11:3). He comes to pour out his blood and purify us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7).
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (Mk 11:10). Jesus is the promised Son of David who would sit on an eternal throne just as God had guaranteed (2 Sa 7:11-14; Is 9:6,7; Je 23:5; Lk 1:32,33). Pilate posted it above Jesus' head as he mocked: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Jn 19:19). We proclaim it as we marvel. Jesus has made us members of his unending kingdom, reigning in our hearts right now and forever, ruling to the ends of the earth (Eph 1:20-23; Ze 9:10).
“Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10). That acclaim of the King echoes all the way to the heavens above as on earth below. That takes us back to the night of Jesus’ birth when the angels chimed in and chanted: “Glory to God in the highest” (Lk 2:14). Jesus has brought us peace (Ze 9:10). We “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:11).
It is possible to say something without saying anything. That is making a statement like what you use for transportation—from stylish to simple. That is what Jesus did riding on the right animal, a donkey—to perform what the prophet had predicted. And receiving the right adoration. From us too. He is the conquering King who laid down his life only to take it up again (Jn 10:17). He is our King. Happy Palm Sunday. Amen.
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10). Amen.
March 25, 2018
No doubt you have heard the expression: “to make a statement.” One way to define it is this: “to communicate something without words to get a reaction.” And usually there is no missing the mood or the message of that “something.”
That is what Jesus did as he rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden, setting in motion the events of Holy Week. He enters the city on Palm Sunday and exits the grave on Easter Sunday—all that and more in seven days. It is a big week, a busy week. And there is no mistaking the attitude or announcement on this day. Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal and receiving the right adoration. We read from …
Mark 11:1-10
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, our perfect King whom we continually praise,
It is one thing to describe what it is to make a statement. It is another to do it.
Here is what I mean. We have quite a few options for travel. If you were going to impress someone (Remember: “to communicate something without words to get a reaction.”), what would you show up to their front door with? A fine moped or a fancy limousine? Either one makes a statement, doesn’t it? It is not a matter of two wheels as opposed to four. (And nothing against that kind of cyclist.) But an expensive vehicle that stretches down three city block beats a one-seater that tops out at 35 mph (as long as you have a gale-force wind behind your back). It is fair to say that the one is elegant, while the other is economic.
What about Jesus as he heads into the capital city?
Jesus Makes a Statement
1. Riding the right animal (1-6)
2. Receiving the right adoration (7-11)
1. Riding the right animal (1-6)
Does this make sense? If you want to be seen you have to be seen. Jesus wasn’t going to sneak into town. It is kind of the opposite of a celebrity who tries to slip through the airport with a large hat pulled down and dark sunglasses pushed up. If you were Jesus’ PR person, what would you suggest? How about a chartering a gold chariot with magnificent horses in front of it? Some eyes may have bulged. Or calling those twelve legions of angels to surround him as he is seated on top of a massive elephant (cf. Mt 26:53)? Some jaws may have dropped. None of that. Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal.
Jesus had been clear as he and the disciples made their way to the holy city to celebrate the Passover. And now it was close. Within the next five days. Jesus repeated it and we reviewed it: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). That is a pretty good summary of the coming week—Jesus’ final time there. We note again this is not defeat—death on a cross, but victory—departure from a tomb. (More on that next Sunday.)
In order to kick things off, Jesus commissions two of his disciples with some specific instructions (Mk 11:1): “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (Mk 11:2). He knew exactly what they would encounter since nothing is hidden from him. It wasn’t a good guess like you speculate that there more than likely are cars in a Target parking lot around noon. It wasn’t: “You might spot a donkey.” But: “You will.” And notice the precise details—right away upon arriving and no one had ever sat on it. That meshes with the Old Testament. If it was for a sacred purpose, the animal was to be unused previously (Nu 19:2; Dt 21:3; 1 Sa 6:7). Not to mention those who might question: “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly’” (Mk 11:3). This was a royal requisition from the Lord. The One who is above all and over all—who drives out demons, who shuts down storms—requires it. He was not evading this trip; he was embracing it.
The two obeyed without question or hesitation. This would not be a “wild donkey chase.” And it was just as Jesus had explained—from the location of the animal to the discussion with the individuals (Mk 11:4-6). That was critical for them. They could trust him—especially as the week unfolded with its rollercoaster ride. It is crucial for us. Jesus is aware of all of the minute things—every fact and facet of our lives. We can put our confidence in him.
By doing this, Jesus was making a statement. It wasn’t: “Any creature will be fine. It sure beats walking.” Jesus was deliberately and decisively fulfilling what the prophet Zechariah had foretold. “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Ze 9:9). Jesus was making clear: “I am that King. I have come to you and for you—to rescue you.”
And so we do what King David declared: We welcome King Jesus—the “King of glory … the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Ps 24:8). He rides on in lowly pomp to die (CW 133:5). He will take on the devil to take him out as Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Php 2:8). Jesus makes a statement riding the right animal—a donkey. He does it to smash Satan’s head for us (Ge 3:15). And he did.
2. Receiving the right adoration (7-11)
If you want to make a splash, you have to be flashy. You want some oohs and aahs. Even if it is a white limo, rather than black which is classier in my opinion. Jesus got such a reaction as he mounted that donkey. Whether the people recognized the full significance or not, we do. Jesus makes a statement receiving the right adoration.
The disciples showed their respect and reverence. “When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it” (Mk 11:7). It was a makeshift saddle to show honor. Others added their activity since there were plenty of pilgrims in town for the big festival. “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields” (Mk 11:8). It was a “green carpet” treatment. The hooves were not to touch the ground as the King advanced (cf. 2 Ki 9:13).
Their words matched the actions. People yelled different things like a crowd cheers on their team in the NCAA tournament, hoping that they advance to the Final Four. “Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted” (Mk 11:9) …
“Hosanna!” (Mk 11:9; Ps 118:25). That translates as “Save now, we pray.” And that is what Jesus was prepping to do—to save. He would live up to his name, Jesus—“The Lord saves” (Mt 1:21). And he finished what he came to do. That is why the apostle Paul could contend: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Php 2:9). Jesus is the only name that saves (Acts 4:12). He saved us. Now for us, “hosanna” becomes, “Praise be to you, Jesus.”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mk 11:9; Ps 118:26). God had revealed himself as one who is gracious and compassionate (Ex 34:6). Jesus was “the coming one” who would carry out God’s plan (Lk 3:16; Mt 11:3). He comes to pour out his blood and purify us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7).
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (Mk 11:10). Jesus is the promised Son of David who would sit on an eternal throne just as God had guaranteed (2 Sa 7:11-14; Is 9:6,7; Je 23:5; Lk 1:32,33). Pilate posted it above Jesus' head as he mocked: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Jn 19:19). We proclaim it as we marvel. Jesus has made us members of his unending kingdom, reigning in our hearts right now and forever, ruling to the ends of the earth (Eph 1:20-23; Ze 9:10).
“Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10). That acclaim of the King echoes all the way to the heavens above as on earth below. That takes us back to the night of Jesus’ birth when the angels chimed in and chanted: “Glory to God in the highest” (Lk 2:14). Jesus has brought us peace (Ze 9:10). We “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:11).
It is possible to say something without saying anything. That is making a statement like what you use for transportation—from stylish to simple. That is what Jesus did riding on the right animal, a donkey—to perform what the prophet had predicted. And receiving the right adoration. From us too. He is the conquering King who laid down his life only to take it up again (Jn 10:17). He is our King. Happy Palm Sunday. Amen.
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10). Amen.
March 25, 2018
Monday, March 12, 2018
Fourth Sunday in Lent (Numbers 21:4-9)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:2). Amen.
Life is about knowing where to look.
That could mean in regards to information. We live in a day and age when we can fact check immediately and instantly. It is right at our fingertips. We just have to switch on our laptop or swipe on our cell phone and there is google. The inquiry can be serious like “What is the temperature going to be today?” (Will there be some March gladness?) The pursuit can be trivial like “what seed did my college basketball team get for March Madness?” Every so often someone might recommend a website for us to check out.
Life is about knowing where to look.
That might be in reference to direction. It is like when you are driving. You look ahead of you and behind you and to the side of you. Eyes always moving. At times a copilot suggests where you might glance as they press down firmly on the floorboard and quickly grab on to that handle above the door. (Not a ringing endorsement for my driving.)
The Children of Israel needed some help as to knowing where to look in life and for life. The Lord made sure of it.
It had been forty years of wandering around in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. It wasn’t because they lacked directions in the land, but because they lacked confidence in the Lord. God had delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. When Moses sent 12 spies to check out the Promised Land, 10 shared a negative report, not about the place—it was plentiful, but about the people—they were powerful. The Israelites rebelled against God. Moses prayed for them and the Lord forgave them. But as discipline, the desert would become a cemetery for all those 20 years or older.
The children had buried their parents and grandparents. And the tent life was becoming quite tiresome. It was now time to take possession of the land of Canaan. And they were on the doorstep. They wrote this really nice letter to the ruler of Edom to let them pass through that country on the king’s highway. They might not have had geometry, but they knew the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But he refused. They tried a second time. The same response (Nu 20:14ff.). No.
So they pulled up their stakes and pushed on for their detour. You know how fun that can be. It is frustrating when they shut down 94 or 35 and instead of going 65 on the interstate, you go 25 on the side streets. And then there is stop and go traffic besides and you hit every red light possible. This alternate route took them through a hot, desolate region. And their patience grew short. “They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way” (Nu 21:4).
And finally it proved to be too much. “They spoke against God and against Moses” (Nu 21:5). They communicated their displeasure and discouragement—against their God and his representative. They learned it from their ancestors. Unfortunately too well. They echoed a similar statement from a previous generation: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?” (Nu 21:5; cf. Nu 14:3). Add to that: “There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Nu 21:5). There was the daily supply of manna (Ex 16:35). But apparently that was not good enough—almost as if the Lord was starving them. God had provided for an estimated 2 million individuals. And they refused to see it. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. It is like a teenager who flings open the fridge (and it looks like one of those in the grocery store), shoves the items around on the shelves and shouts, “There is nothing to eat.” In their grumbling and griping, they couldn’t notice the Lord’s preservation. They were looking down in ungratefulness. And Satan smiled at their sin.
We can be experts at that too—that our only comments are open complaints against the Lord rather than realization of blessings from the Lord. We question his kindness and his care. Sure, we might confess that he provides for us daily, but contend not richly. Sure, to others. But certainly not to us. Our finances are too low or our fashion is too limited. Like the person who stares at a full closet in the bedroom and stands on unfolded clothes on the floor only to insist: “There is nothing to wear.” We are only looking down in ingratitude. And Satan smirks at our sin.
But that cannot and could not last. “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died” (Nu 21:6). The situation was serious and so was the Lord. That is critical to understand that this came from the LORD—who does not stand for sin, but also holds out love. He didn’t want them to continue in ridicule, but come to repentance. He wanted to them to look up.
And they did. “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us’” (Nu 21:7). They specifically recognized their discontent for what it was—sin, missing what God wants.
The Lord leads us to a proper recognition. Dissatisfaction with God is a sin against God. Join with them in honesty: “I have sinned when I have spoken against the Lord.” It does no good to deny it. Rather we declare it. And then we sing with the psalmist: “Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior” (Ps 38:22).
Moses had been a mediator before, standing between the sinful people and the sinless God. “So Moses prayed for the people” (Nu 21:7). Moses made intercession and the Lord gave instructions about an interesting antidote. “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (Nu 21:8). It wasn’t that the bronze reptile was magical or mystical, the promise was mighty and magnificent. For those who looked away in defiance, the sting would still prove fatal. Those who looked in reliance now stayed alive. “So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived” (Nu 21:9). The remedy was simple. Faith grabbed ahold of God’s grace.
It was to this account that Jesus took his curious nighttime visitor to. Nicodemus was familiar with it. And Jesus draws a comparison. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (Jn 3:14). There is that divine necessity again. He must. He must be suspended on a cross. For our sin—like the when we murmur and mutter against God. That is because “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (Jn 3:16). And this one of a kind Son crushed the serpent’s head so that his poisonous venom no longer courses through our veins and kills (Ge 3:15).
And when we look up to him, we live. Again, Jesus instructs: “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:15). The apostle Paul referenced God’s mercy and his love. God did it all—making those dead in sin to alive with Christ (Eph 2:5). That is grace—undeserved kindness. “It is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4). Faith receives that gift of forgiveness with an open hand and rejoices that it is does not come from inside of us, but from outside of us—from God through Christ.
We have to be careful that we don’t spend all of our time looking at our technology. It is a real problem for some. Life is about knowing where to look. Not on Google or the web. But to the Lord. He forgives our sin and frees us from our guilt. All through Jesus, our Savior, who gives us life. And then, knowing where to look is about life—eternal life in Jesus.
We read from Numbers 21:4-9:
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love (Eph 6:24). Amen.
March 11, 2018
Life is about knowing where to look.
That could mean in regards to information. We live in a day and age when we can fact check immediately and instantly. It is right at our fingertips. We just have to switch on our laptop or swipe on our cell phone and there is google. The inquiry can be serious like “What is the temperature going to be today?” (Will there be some March gladness?) The pursuit can be trivial like “what seed did my college basketball team get for March Madness?” Every so often someone might recommend a website for us to check out.
Life is about knowing where to look.
That might be in reference to direction. It is like when you are driving. You look ahead of you and behind you and to the side of you. Eyes always moving. At times a copilot suggests where you might glance as they press down firmly on the floorboard and quickly grab on to that handle above the door. (Not a ringing endorsement for my driving.)
The Children of Israel needed some help as to knowing where to look in life and for life. The Lord made sure of it.
It had been forty years of wandering around in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. It wasn’t because they lacked directions in the land, but because they lacked confidence in the Lord. God had delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. When Moses sent 12 spies to check out the Promised Land, 10 shared a negative report, not about the place—it was plentiful, but about the people—they were powerful. The Israelites rebelled against God. Moses prayed for them and the Lord forgave them. But as discipline, the desert would become a cemetery for all those 20 years or older.
The children had buried their parents and grandparents. And the tent life was becoming quite tiresome. It was now time to take possession of the land of Canaan. And they were on the doorstep. They wrote this really nice letter to the ruler of Edom to let them pass through that country on the king’s highway. They might not have had geometry, but they knew the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But he refused. They tried a second time. The same response (Nu 20:14ff.). No.
So they pulled up their stakes and pushed on for their detour. You know how fun that can be. It is frustrating when they shut down 94 or 35 and instead of going 65 on the interstate, you go 25 on the side streets. And then there is stop and go traffic besides and you hit every red light possible. This alternate route took them through a hot, desolate region. And their patience grew short. “They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way” (Nu 21:4).
And finally it proved to be too much. “They spoke against God and against Moses” (Nu 21:5). They communicated their displeasure and discouragement—against their God and his representative. They learned it from their ancestors. Unfortunately too well. They echoed a similar statement from a previous generation: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?” (Nu 21:5; cf. Nu 14:3). Add to that: “There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Nu 21:5). There was the daily supply of manna (Ex 16:35). But apparently that was not good enough—almost as if the Lord was starving them. God had provided for an estimated 2 million individuals. And they refused to see it. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. It is like a teenager who flings open the fridge (and it looks like one of those in the grocery store), shoves the items around on the shelves and shouts, “There is nothing to eat.” In their grumbling and griping, they couldn’t notice the Lord’s preservation. They were looking down in ungratefulness. And Satan smiled at their sin.
We can be experts at that too—that our only comments are open complaints against the Lord rather than realization of blessings from the Lord. We question his kindness and his care. Sure, we might confess that he provides for us daily, but contend not richly. Sure, to others. But certainly not to us. Our finances are too low or our fashion is too limited. Like the person who stares at a full closet in the bedroom and stands on unfolded clothes on the floor only to insist: “There is nothing to wear.” We are only looking down in ingratitude. And Satan smirks at our sin.
But that cannot and could not last. “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died” (Nu 21:6). The situation was serious and so was the Lord. That is critical to understand that this came from the LORD—who does not stand for sin, but also holds out love. He didn’t want them to continue in ridicule, but come to repentance. He wanted to them to look up.
And they did. “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us’” (Nu 21:7). They specifically recognized their discontent for what it was—sin, missing what God wants.
The Lord leads us to a proper recognition. Dissatisfaction with God is a sin against God. Join with them in honesty: “I have sinned when I have spoken against the Lord.” It does no good to deny it. Rather we declare it. And then we sing with the psalmist: “Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior” (Ps 38:22).
Moses had been a mediator before, standing between the sinful people and the sinless God. “So Moses prayed for the people” (Nu 21:7). Moses made intercession and the Lord gave instructions about an interesting antidote. “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (Nu 21:8). It wasn’t that the bronze reptile was magical or mystical, the promise was mighty and magnificent. For those who looked away in defiance, the sting would still prove fatal. Those who looked in reliance now stayed alive. “So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived” (Nu 21:9). The remedy was simple. Faith grabbed ahold of God’s grace.
It was to this account that Jesus took his curious nighttime visitor to. Nicodemus was familiar with it. And Jesus draws a comparison. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (Jn 3:14). There is that divine necessity again. He must. He must be suspended on a cross. For our sin—like the when we murmur and mutter against God. That is because “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (Jn 3:16). And this one of a kind Son crushed the serpent’s head so that his poisonous venom no longer courses through our veins and kills (Ge 3:15).
And when we look up to him, we live. Again, Jesus instructs: “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:15). The apostle Paul referenced God’s mercy and his love. God did it all—making those dead in sin to alive with Christ (Eph 2:5). That is grace—undeserved kindness. “It is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4). Faith receives that gift of forgiveness with an open hand and rejoices that it is does not come from inside of us, but from outside of us—from God through Christ.
We have to be careful that we don’t spend all of our time looking at our technology. It is a real problem for some. Life is about knowing where to look. Not on Google or the web. But to the Lord. He forgives our sin and frees us from our guilt. All through Jesus, our Savior, who gives us life. And then, knowing where to look is about life—eternal life in Jesus.
We read from Numbers 21:4-9:
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love (Eph 6:24). Amen.
March 11, 2018
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Third Sunday in Lent (Exodus 20:1-17)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co 1:3). Amen.
We usually speak of it in the singular. God’s word. And that is what the Bible is—from start to finish. But it also can be in the plural. That is because God’s Word has God’s words.
That is especially clear as the children of Israel camp at Mt. Sinai. “God spoke” (Ex 20:1). He used human words to convey his divine message and to communicate his divine will just like when we put our thoughts into sentences for those around us. Since they are God’s words, view them properly—seeing your Savior-God and seeing your single goal. We read from …
Exodus 20:1-17
Dear People of the Lord your God who speaks to you individually,
You have heard the different feelings toward these words.
Some look on them sarcastically. They label them “suggestions.” It is like 10,000 steps/day. It is sensible to shoot for. But I don’t really have to get there. Sweaty foreheads are gross anyway. You don’t want to wick that away.
Others look at them ridiculously. They list them as “recommendations.” It is like the serving size on a 24-ounce bag of chips. It is great to strive for. But I don’t really have to share. Greasy fingers are good anyhow. You can wipe that off on a shirt.
Because these are God’s words, a summary of the moral law for all people, we have the opposite outlook. (Thanks to the change he has worked in our hearts and heads.) We understand because we don’t like when others disrespect or disregard our words.
We look on them seriously as the words of God.
We look at them reverently as the words from God.
View God’s Words Properly
1. Seeing your Savior-God (1-17)
2. Seeing your single goal (1-17)
1. Seeing your God (1-17)
It depends on who stands behind the words. It is one thing if a stranger tells a child to make his bed. It is another if it is his mother. Since it is the Lord your God who demands your attention, view God’s Word’s properly—seeing your Savior-God.
There was no missing that this matter was significant as Israel looked out from their tents at Mt. Sinai. “There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast” (Ex 19:16). It is not hard to imagine a few knees knocking (Ex 19:16). God knows how to make an entrance. If we kicked off church that way, you would probably sit up and settle down. And then Moses writes: “And God spoke all these words” (Ex 20:1).
He starts by introducing himself (not that they didn’t know him). That is critical in understanding God’s Words. He didn’t want to alarm them, but assure them.
He reminds them who he is: “I am the LORD your God” (Ex 20:2). It was at this same place that he had appeared to Moses at the burning bush—the great “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex 3:14). He is. He is changeless and timeless—continual and constant.
His love is not fickle. Another time he explained the meaning of his name to Moses: “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). And he does not withhold his mercy: “showing love to a thousand generations” (Ex 20:6). That is code for something innumerable and immeasurable like we would state that there are thousands of stars in the night sky.
And yet his justice is firm. God hates sin (Ps 5:5): “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Ex 20:5). Each person is responsible for his own activity (Eze 18:20), but the Lord takes note when fathers pass down to their offspring what is crooked or twisted and the resulting guilt of that. A quick example is a dad who has no time for God and his Word will more than likely had that influence down to succeeding generations.
That is because he “a jealous God” (Ex 20:5). Not in a sinful, petty way like us when we consider everyone spoiled except for us. It carries with it the connotation of demanding exclusive loyalty like a husband does of his wife—that she treat him like no other and above any other. He doesn’t want her chasing after other guys. God doesn’t want us running after other gods—loving him with our whole heart. Notice how that is the First Commandment. First in order and importance. God won’t give his glory to another (Is 42:8).
And not just God. But “your God.” We can claim him as our own too.
He recalls for them what he did: “who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Ex 20:2). He heard their cries and kept his promise (Ex 3:7). Think of those 10 Plagues that the Lord used to convince Pharaoh to let his people go all the way to crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.
That opening is crucial as we view God’s Words properly. We see him as our Savior-God. Because here is the question: True or False: I have kept the Ten Commandments.
In our relationship with our God, that means …
The First Commandment: not putting someone or something before God—like a person or our portfolio.
The Second Commandment: not cursing or swearing or even punctuating texts with an OMG. (Isn’t an exclamation mark two characters less anyway?)
The Third Commandment: not despising preaching and his Word by refusing to listen to it.
In our relationship with our neighbor, that means …
The Fourth Commandment: not angering parents or those in authority by our backtalk.
The Fifth Commandment: not hurting or harming our neighbor’s body, or our own, with insults from our mouth or inactivity on the couch.
The Sixth Commandment: not giving into lust, but keeping the marriage bed pure (He 13:4).
The Seventh Commandment: not going after the next IToy as if it is going to bring lasting fulfillment.
The Eighth Commandment: not lying to another’s face because they don’t deserve the truth or lying about others behind their back because others don’t deserve the truth.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments: not wanting something God doesn’t want us to have.
True or False. FALSE. On my own and by myself—no. So great. More guilt.
But that is why we have Lent. We don’t have to get in good with God by perfect obedience. (We just determined that is not possible.) God is holy—free from sin. We are not—far from sin. It is like no germs. At all. I read an internet article this week about 8 places you should never touch in a public restroom. One was the door. It doesn’t matter if it is the one going in or out—of the entrance or the stall. We are covered in worse than disgusting bacteria. And we need more than a paper towel or hand sanitizer.
But we are already in good with him. See your Savior-God. He has rescued us from the slavery of sin—its curse and its control. The Sabbath Day was to call that to mind (Ex 20:8-11)—the perfect rest that Jesus would bring, complete rest for our souls (Mt 11:28). That is why we join with the apostle Paul and proclaim: “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Co 1:23). That is where God placed our sin. It is “the power of God” (1 Co 1:24). That is how God destroyed our sin. It is “the wisdom of God” (1 Co 1:24). That is how God can forgive our sin. But there is more. Jesus came out of the grave as our guarantee that our guilt is gone. Jesus highlighted that after clearing the temple of some abuses going on there. “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn 2:19). The Jews would carry out his crucifixion. But Jesus would bring out his resurrection. View God’s Words properly—seeing your Savior-God who took away our guilt through Jesus, our Savior (Mt 1:21). So we can have the same excitement as the psalmist who sang about God’s Word: “The law [that is, teaching] of the LORD is perfect, … giving joy to the heart” (Ps 19:7,8).
2. Seeing your goal (1-17)
And then attitude turns to action. Because it is mom who asks for a made bed, the youngster quickly sprints upstairs and quietly straightens the sheets. Since it is the Lord your God who deserves your appreciation, view God’s Word’s properly—seeing your single goal.
Israel could regard God, not as a cruel dictator, but a kind deliverer. That could/would change their approach from one of grumbling to one of gratitude—a response to his grace and goodness, living according to his holy will.
Our eyesight is sharpened like putting on a new pair of glasses. One more time we can evaluate the statement: True or False: I have kept the Ten Commandments. TRUE. For two reasons: Jesus died for me. Jesus did for me. God took my sin and put it on Jesus. He took Jesus’ holiness and put it on us (2 Co 5:21). So God’s Words are not a “have to,” but a “want to.” They are not a “you must,” but a “thank you.” They are not taking the fun out of life, but putting the direction into it.
How does that look from grateful and thankful hearts?
In our relationship with our God, that means out of love …
The First Commandment: fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things—our #1 priority.
The Second Commandment: praying, praising, and giving thanks.
The Third Commandment: being in and around his Word and sacraments often.
In our relationship with our neighbor, that means out of love …
The Fourth Commandment: respecting those God has put above us and over us.
The Fifth Commandment: being a friend to all.
The Sixth Commandment: leading a pure life as a single person, and loving spouse with tenderness as a married individual.
The Seventh Commandment: protecting the possessions of others while using money wisely.
The Eighth Commandment: taking words and actions in the kindest possible way.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments: having holy aims and desires.
All the while we will head back to the cross in failure and head out in our endeavors with confidence. View God’s Words properly—seeing your single goal. To God be the glory for all his gifts (1 Co 10:31).
There are certain chapters of God’s Word that stick out. Exodus 20 is one of them because it is God’s Words. It shares God’s salvation of us as well as God’s expectation for us. Jesus removes our sin and revives our spirit. View God’s Words properly—seeing your Savior-God. Believe in him. And seeing your single goal. Live for him. Happy Lent. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
March 4, 2018
We usually speak of it in the singular. God’s word. And that is what the Bible is—from start to finish. But it also can be in the plural. That is because God’s Word has God’s words.
That is especially clear as the children of Israel camp at Mt. Sinai. “God spoke” (Ex 20:1). He used human words to convey his divine message and to communicate his divine will just like when we put our thoughts into sentences for those around us. Since they are God’s words, view them properly—seeing your Savior-God and seeing your single goal. We read from …
Exodus 20:1-17
Dear People of the Lord your God who speaks to you individually,
You have heard the different feelings toward these words.
Some look on them sarcastically. They label them “suggestions.” It is like 10,000 steps/day. It is sensible to shoot for. But I don’t really have to get there. Sweaty foreheads are gross anyway. You don’t want to wick that away.
Others look at them ridiculously. They list them as “recommendations.” It is like the serving size on a 24-ounce bag of chips. It is great to strive for. But I don’t really have to share. Greasy fingers are good anyhow. You can wipe that off on a shirt.
Because these are God’s words, a summary of the moral law for all people, we have the opposite outlook. (Thanks to the change he has worked in our hearts and heads.) We understand because we don’t like when others disrespect or disregard our words.
We look on them seriously as the words of God.
We look at them reverently as the words from God.
View God’s Words Properly
1. Seeing your Savior-God (1-17)
2. Seeing your single goal (1-17)
1. Seeing your God (1-17)
It depends on who stands behind the words. It is one thing if a stranger tells a child to make his bed. It is another if it is his mother. Since it is the Lord your God who demands your attention, view God’s Word’s properly—seeing your Savior-God.
There was no missing that this matter was significant as Israel looked out from their tents at Mt. Sinai. “There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast” (Ex 19:16). It is not hard to imagine a few knees knocking (Ex 19:16). God knows how to make an entrance. If we kicked off church that way, you would probably sit up and settle down. And then Moses writes: “And God spoke all these words” (Ex 20:1).
He starts by introducing himself (not that they didn’t know him). That is critical in understanding God’s Words. He didn’t want to alarm them, but assure them.
He reminds them who he is: “I am the LORD your God” (Ex 20:2). It was at this same place that he had appeared to Moses at the burning bush—the great “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex 3:14). He is. He is changeless and timeless—continual and constant.
His love is not fickle. Another time he explained the meaning of his name to Moses: “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). And he does not withhold his mercy: “showing love to a thousand generations” (Ex 20:6). That is code for something innumerable and immeasurable like we would state that there are thousands of stars in the night sky.
And yet his justice is firm. God hates sin (Ps 5:5): “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Ex 20:5). Each person is responsible for his own activity (Eze 18:20), but the Lord takes note when fathers pass down to their offspring what is crooked or twisted and the resulting guilt of that. A quick example is a dad who has no time for God and his Word will more than likely had that influence down to succeeding generations.
That is because he “a jealous God” (Ex 20:5). Not in a sinful, petty way like us when we consider everyone spoiled except for us. It carries with it the connotation of demanding exclusive loyalty like a husband does of his wife—that she treat him like no other and above any other. He doesn’t want her chasing after other guys. God doesn’t want us running after other gods—loving him with our whole heart. Notice how that is the First Commandment. First in order and importance. God won’t give his glory to another (Is 42:8).
And not just God. But “your God.” We can claim him as our own too.
He recalls for them what he did: “who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Ex 20:2). He heard their cries and kept his promise (Ex 3:7). Think of those 10 Plagues that the Lord used to convince Pharaoh to let his people go all the way to crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.
That opening is crucial as we view God’s Words properly. We see him as our Savior-God. Because here is the question: True or False: I have kept the Ten Commandments.
In our relationship with our God, that means …
The First Commandment: not putting someone or something before God—like a person or our portfolio.
The Second Commandment: not cursing or swearing or even punctuating texts with an OMG. (Isn’t an exclamation mark two characters less anyway?)
The Third Commandment: not despising preaching and his Word by refusing to listen to it.
In our relationship with our neighbor, that means …
The Fourth Commandment: not angering parents or those in authority by our backtalk.
The Fifth Commandment: not hurting or harming our neighbor’s body, or our own, with insults from our mouth or inactivity on the couch.
The Sixth Commandment: not giving into lust, but keeping the marriage bed pure (He 13:4).
The Seventh Commandment: not going after the next IToy as if it is going to bring lasting fulfillment.
The Eighth Commandment: not lying to another’s face because they don’t deserve the truth or lying about others behind their back because others don’t deserve the truth.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments: not wanting something God doesn’t want us to have.
True or False. FALSE. On my own and by myself—no. So great. More guilt.
But that is why we have Lent. We don’t have to get in good with God by perfect obedience. (We just determined that is not possible.) God is holy—free from sin. We are not—far from sin. It is like no germs. At all. I read an internet article this week about 8 places you should never touch in a public restroom. One was the door. It doesn’t matter if it is the one going in or out—of the entrance or the stall. We are covered in worse than disgusting bacteria. And we need more than a paper towel or hand sanitizer.
But we are already in good with him. See your Savior-God. He has rescued us from the slavery of sin—its curse and its control. The Sabbath Day was to call that to mind (Ex 20:8-11)—the perfect rest that Jesus would bring, complete rest for our souls (Mt 11:28). That is why we join with the apostle Paul and proclaim: “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Co 1:23). That is where God placed our sin. It is “the power of God” (1 Co 1:24). That is how God destroyed our sin. It is “the wisdom of God” (1 Co 1:24). That is how God can forgive our sin. But there is more. Jesus came out of the grave as our guarantee that our guilt is gone. Jesus highlighted that after clearing the temple of some abuses going on there. “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn 2:19). The Jews would carry out his crucifixion. But Jesus would bring out his resurrection. View God’s Words properly—seeing your Savior-God who took away our guilt through Jesus, our Savior (Mt 1:21). So we can have the same excitement as the psalmist who sang about God’s Word: “The law [that is, teaching] of the LORD is perfect, … giving joy to the heart” (Ps 19:7,8).
2. Seeing your goal (1-17)
And then attitude turns to action. Because it is mom who asks for a made bed, the youngster quickly sprints upstairs and quietly straightens the sheets. Since it is the Lord your God who deserves your appreciation, view God’s Word’s properly—seeing your single goal.
Israel could regard God, not as a cruel dictator, but a kind deliverer. That could/would change their approach from one of grumbling to one of gratitude—a response to his grace and goodness, living according to his holy will.
Our eyesight is sharpened like putting on a new pair of glasses. One more time we can evaluate the statement: True or False: I have kept the Ten Commandments. TRUE. For two reasons: Jesus died for me. Jesus did for me. God took my sin and put it on Jesus. He took Jesus’ holiness and put it on us (2 Co 5:21). So God’s Words are not a “have to,” but a “want to.” They are not a “you must,” but a “thank you.” They are not taking the fun out of life, but putting the direction into it.
How does that look from grateful and thankful hearts?
In our relationship with our God, that means out of love …
The First Commandment: fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things—our #1 priority.
The Second Commandment: praying, praising, and giving thanks.
The Third Commandment: being in and around his Word and sacraments often.
In our relationship with our neighbor, that means out of love …
The Fourth Commandment: respecting those God has put above us and over us.
The Fifth Commandment: being a friend to all.
The Sixth Commandment: leading a pure life as a single person, and loving spouse with tenderness as a married individual.
The Seventh Commandment: protecting the possessions of others while using money wisely.
The Eighth Commandment: taking words and actions in the kindest possible way.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments: having holy aims and desires.
All the while we will head back to the cross in failure and head out in our endeavors with confidence. View God’s Words properly—seeing your single goal. To God be the glory for all his gifts (1 Co 10:31).
There are certain chapters of God’s Word that stick out. Exodus 20 is one of them because it is God’s Words. It shares God’s salvation of us as well as God’s expectation for us. Jesus removes our sin and revives our spirit. View God’s Words properly—seeing your Savior-God. Believe in him. And seeing your single goal. Live for him. Happy Lent. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
March 4, 2018
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Second Sunday in Lent (Mark 8:31-38)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
I don’t know if you watch an infomercial from time to time. Perhaps you are surfing and you stop for the first few minutes to figure out what they are selling or find out what they are saying. After the initial push about a frying pan or opening pitch for facial cream for only four easy payments of something ending in $.99, you change the channel. Of course, there is still nothing on.
Before the half-hour presentation complete with promises of free shipping and fast delivery, there is usually some sort of disclaimer. It goes something like this: “The views expressed on this show do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this station.” There is no endorsement of the product, just airtime for their profit.
Jesus is not in the business of selling, but saving. He explains what that means for him and for us. He wants his thoughts to be ours. Think Jesus’ way about his future and about your future. We read from …
Mark 8:31-38
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, who lived for us and for whom we live,
Any infomercial wants to convince you that you cannot live without a particular item. They want you to recognize how much better or easier life will be. So for 30 minutes, they share precise facts and personal testimonials. But you may or may not agree. You may have a different view.
Jesus contends that you cannot live without a certain person. Him. He is not just another way, but the only way to heaven (Jn 14:6). He wants us to appreciate that and agree with that.
Think Jesus’ Way
1. About his future (31-33)
2. About your future (34-38)
1. About his future (31-33)
“You are the Christ” (Mk 8:29). That was Peter’s confession. And it was correct. Jesus was not John the Baptist. Not Elijah. Not another prophet (Mk 8:28). He was bigger than that. The Christ. He was the One whom God sent to declare God’s Word to us as prophet, to die for us as priest, and to deliver us from our enemies as king. Jesus instructs us about what that means for him. Think Jesus’ way about his future.
It was crunch time in a way like a teacher the week before a semester ends coaches his students about what will be on the final. The cross was coming closer for Jesus. And Jesus wanted to be clear about that. This was not a time for parables. They had their place. But not now. “He spoke plainly” (Mk 8:32). There was openness as well as honesty—words flowing freely. And he didn’t just tell. He taught (Jn 8:31). There were to be no misunderstanding or mistakes—no false conclusions or faulty assumptions. There were plenty of those poking around in the heads of others. But not in his. His would be no earthly glory or grandeur.
Jesus did not sugarcoat the truth or shield the disciples. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). Jesus lays his future out precisely. There was a divine necessity for the Son of God, and at the same time the Son of Man—just like us. Did you hear it? Must. He did not suggest when they would arrive in Jerusalem, “The Son of Man might.” Or “the Son of Man may.” It is not like a meteorologist who warns that the weather might be dicey soon, but we will wait a day or two to forecast for sure if we can expect snow or sleet. No. “The Son of Man must …”
“suffer many things” (Mk 8:31). The Passion Reading on Wednesday nights detail that—from the anguish in Gethsemane, to the anger of his enemies, to agony of his execution.
“must … be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law” (Mk 8:31). The religious authorities who should have known better judged him to be worthless like a person behind the counter at a gas station colors on a $20 bill and concludes that it is counterfeit (Jn 1:11). It was the Sanhedrin that clamored for his crucifixion.
“he must be killed” (Mk 8:31). Those men would be successful in bringing about his violent death through the Roman on a wooden instrument of torture.
“he must … after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). That note of victory sailed past the disciples. We want it to sink in. Death was not defeat. Resurrection was a reality. And definite—3 days later. We wait for it and watch for it. There is Good Friday. But there is Easter Sunday.
That was too much for Peter. “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him” (Mk 8:32). He was upset. That is understandable. The shameful suffering did not fit the picture of a mighty Messiah. We get it. We want glory without difficulty. Wouldn’t it be nice to have bulging biceps without the bench pressing?
But Peter was unaware. The others needed to understand Jesus’ purpose. “But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter” (Mk 8:33). Jesus draws us in too as he corrects Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mk 8:33). “Get out of my sight.” Jesus was not overreacting like when we don’t get enough caffeine in the morning. He was not being cranky when we don’t get enough sleep at night. Peter actually became a spokesman of Satan. He championed the devil’s plan to rob the world of its Redeemer. It sounds strangely similar to that temptation in the wilderness. "Jesus, bow down and worship me. I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. No pounding of nails. No gasping for breath.” (Mt 4:8,9). To which Jesus replied: “Away from me, Satan!” (Mt 4:10). “Be gone.” Jesus saw the suggestion for what it was—the thoughts of an enemy, not a friend. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mk 8:33). “The things of men” was to shun the cross. “The things of God” was to shoulder the cross.
We have to inquire of someone, “What are you thinking?” We don’t know for sure. We are certain with Jesus. The Christ came to bear the cross—to wear our sin. The Serpent-Crusher would be the Sin-Carrier (Ge 3:15; Is 53). First the cross. Crucifixion. As Paul put it: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8). Then the crown. Then resurrection. As a result, we have been justified—cleared of any charge against us. He changed our relationship from one of hostility to harmony (Ro 5:10,11). There is peace with God and access to him (Ro 5:1,2). Life with him right now and life with him forever (Ro 5:10). Think Jesus’ way about his future—cross bearer.
2. About our future (34-38)
“You are a Christian.” That is our conclusion. A little Christ. Jesus educates us on what that signifies for you. Think Jesus’ way about your future.
This training was for wide-scale distribution: “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples” (Mk 8:34). There are three things for going behind Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, …” (Mk 8:34).
“he must deny himself” (Mk 8:34). That sounds like what many deem is part of Lent—giving something up (as long as it is not chocolate). But it is more. It is not saying “no” to something, but someone. Self. Think of what Peter did as he warmed himself by the fire during Jesus’ trial: “I don’t know him” (Mt 26:69ff.). Three times. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
We refuse to pay attention to our sinful nature when it comes to abusing God’s gifts. We use money or marriage in the manner in which God designed it. We think Jesus’ way—selfless love, not selfish love (2 Co 5:15). Nothing gets in the way of our relationship with God.
“take up his cross” (Mk 8:34). We carry a cross. Not like Jesus. His was to pay for our sins. And he finished the job (Jn 19:30). Ours is not the cause of salvation, but a consequence of salvation.
We think of the ribbing or ridicule that might come to us because we live according to the Word rather than along with the world. A high school girl breaks up with her boyfriend whom she loves because he badmouths her Savior. Or the dishonor to even death that is not out of the question.
“and follow me” (Mk 8:34). That is ongoing.
We tag along and trail after Jesus like the child’s game of follow the leader.
This is not a burden or a bother (Acts 5:41). It is about profit and loss. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:35). At first, it sounds like a riddle. But take it apart. Whoever wants to live for this life only—and nothing wrong with enjoying the 70 or 80 years plus that God grants—ends up with eternal ruin. The chase was after a desire that was temporary or a diversion that was momentary. The opposite is the case. Whoever looks to and longs for eternal life does not come up short (Ro 1:16). We keep in mind the big picture.
Jesus backs that up with two questions with obvious answers:
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36). There is no advantage in that scenario. And who can even grab more than a corner of the world? Some trade their eternal home for so much less.
“Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mk 8:37). What could we slide across the table to buy God off or bribe him—a green piece of paper with a president on it (Ps 49:7)? Everything belongs to him anyway. There is nothing to compensate for such a loss. It would be like driving a new car away from the dealership to swap it with one in a junkyard.
Ultimately it won’t end well. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mk 8:38). If a person is red-faced about Jesus—who he is or what he says—will be saddened forever with Jesus’ sentence.
But Jesus is coming back for his own who trusted in him. He will gladly pick out those who believed in him. In the meantime, we have the same comfort as Jacob. When he was running away from home, he heard God’s faithful and firm promise: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Ge 28:15). We can sing with the psalmist Asaph: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you take me into glory” (Ps 73:23,24). Think Jesus’ way about your future. There is cross bearing. First the cross. Then the crown.
You might not be sold on an exercise program or diet plan after a few minutes of an infomercial. You can have your specific outlook and still be right. You can live without it. But not Jesus. Think Jesus’ way about his future. He went to the cross to save. And think Jesus’ way about your future. We go with the cross to heaven. Happy Lent. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you (Ro 16:20). Amen.
February 25, 2018
I don’t know if you watch an infomercial from time to time. Perhaps you are surfing and you stop for the first few minutes to figure out what they are selling or find out what they are saying. After the initial push about a frying pan or opening pitch for facial cream for only four easy payments of something ending in $.99, you change the channel. Of course, there is still nothing on.
Before the half-hour presentation complete with promises of free shipping and fast delivery, there is usually some sort of disclaimer. It goes something like this: “The views expressed on this show do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this station.” There is no endorsement of the product, just airtime for their profit.
Jesus is not in the business of selling, but saving. He explains what that means for him and for us. He wants his thoughts to be ours. Think Jesus’ way about his future and about your future. We read from …
Mark 8:31-38
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, who lived for us and for whom we live,
Any infomercial wants to convince you that you cannot live without a particular item. They want you to recognize how much better or easier life will be. So for 30 minutes, they share precise facts and personal testimonials. But you may or may not agree. You may have a different view.
Jesus contends that you cannot live without a certain person. Him. He is not just another way, but the only way to heaven (Jn 14:6). He wants us to appreciate that and agree with that.
Think Jesus’ Way
1. About his future (31-33)
2. About your future (34-38)
1. About his future (31-33)
“You are the Christ” (Mk 8:29). That was Peter’s confession. And it was correct. Jesus was not John the Baptist. Not Elijah. Not another prophet (Mk 8:28). He was bigger than that. The Christ. He was the One whom God sent to declare God’s Word to us as prophet, to die for us as priest, and to deliver us from our enemies as king. Jesus instructs us about what that means for him. Think Jesus’ way about his future.
It was crunch time in a way like a teacher the week before a semester ends coaches his students about what will be on the final. The cross was coming closer for Jesus. And Jesus wanted to be clear about that. This was not a time for parables. They had their place. But not now. “He spoke plainly” (Mk 8:32). There was openness as well as honesty—words flowing freely. And he didn’t just tell. He taught (Jn 8:31). There were to be no misunderstanding or mistakes—no false conclusions or faulty assumptions. There were plenty of those poking around in the heads of others. But not in his. His would be no earthly glory or grandeur.
Jesus did not sugarcoat the truth or shield the disciples. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). Jesus lays his future out precisely. There was a divine necessity for the Son of God, and at the same time the Son of Man—just like us. Did you hear it? Must. He did not suggest when they would arrive in Jerusalem, “The Son of Man might.” Or “the Son of Man may.” It is not like a meteorologist who warns that the weather might be dicey soon, but we will wait a day or two to forecast for sure if we can expect snow or sleet. No. “The Son of Man must …”
“suffer many things” (Mk 8:31). The Passion Reading on Wednesday nights detail that—from the anguish in Gethsemane, to the anger of his enemies, to agony of his execution.
“must … be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law” (Mk 8:31). The religious authorities who should have known better judged him to be worthless like a person behind the counter at a gas station colors on a $20 bill and concludes that it is counterfeit (Jn 1:11). It was the Sanhedrin that clamored for his crucifixion.
“he must be killed” (Mk 8:31). Those men would be successful in bringing about his violent death through the Roman on a wooden instrument of torture.
“he must … after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). That note of victory sailed past the disciples. We want it to sink in. Death was not defeat. Resurrection was a reality. And definite—3 days later. We wait for it and watch for it. There is Good Friday. But there is Easter Sunday.
That was too much for Peter. “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him” (Mk 8:32). He was upset. That is understandable. The shameful suffering did not fit the picture of a mighty Messiah. We get it. We want glory without difficulty. Wouldn’t it be nice to have bulging biceps without the bench pressing?
But Peter was unaware. The others needed to understand Jesus’ purpose. “But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter” (Mk 8:33). Jesus draws us in too as he corrects Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mk 8:33). “Get out of my sight.” Jesus was not overreacting like when we don’t get enough caffeine in the morning. He was not being cranky when we don’t get enough sleep at night. Peter actually became a spokesman of Satan. He championed the devil’s plan to rob the world of its Redeemer. It sounds strangely similar to that temptation in the wilderness. "Jesus, bow down and worship me. I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. No pounding of nails. No gasping for breath.” (Mt 4:8,9). To which Jesus replied: “Away from me, Satan!” (Mt 4:10). “Be gone.” Jesus saw the suggestion for what it was—the thoughts of an enemy, not a friend. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mk 8:33). “The things of men” was to shun the cross. “The things of God” was to shoulder the cross.
We have to inquire of someone, “What are you thinking?” We don’t know for sure. We are certain with Jesus. The Christ came to bear the cross—to wear our sin. The Serpent-Crusher would be the Sin-Carrier (Ge 3:15; Is 53). First the cross. Crucifixion. As Paul put it: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8). Then the crown. Then resurrection. As a result, we have been justified—cleared of any charge against us. He changed our relationship from one of hostility to harmony (Ro 5:10,11). There is peace with God and access to him (Ro 5:1,2). Life with him right now and life with him forever (Ro 5:10). Think Jesus’ way about his future—cross bearer.
2. About our future (34-38)
“You are a Christian.” That is our conclusion. A little Christ. Jesus educates us on what that signifies for you. Think Jesus’ way about your future.
This training was for wide-scale distribution: “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples” (Mk 8:34). There are three things for going behind Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, …” (Mk 8:34).
“he must deny himself” (Mk 8:34). That sounds like what many deem is part of Lent—giving something up (as long as it is not chocolate). But it is more. It is not saying “no” to something, but someone. Self. Think of what Peter did as he warmed himself by the fire during Jesus’ trial: “I don’t know him” (Mt 26:69ff.). Three times. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
We refuse to pay attention to our sinful nature when it comes to abusing God’s gifts. We use money or marriage in the manner in which God designed it. We think Jesus’ way—selfless love, not selfish love (2 Co 5:15). Nothing gets in the way of our relationship with God.
“take up his cross” (Mk 8:34). We carry a cross. Not like Jesus. His was to pay for our sins. And he finished the job (Jn 19:30). Ours is not the cause of salvation, but a consequence of salvation.
We think of the ribbing or ridicule that might come to us because we live according to the Word rather than along with the world. A high school girl breaks up with her boyfriend whom she loves because he badmouths her Savior. Or the dishonor to even death that is not out of the question.
“and follow me” (Mk 8:34). That is ongoing.
We tag along and trail after Jesus like the child’s game of follow the leader.
This is not a burden or a bother (Acts 5:41). It is about profit and loss. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:35). At first, it sounds like a riddle. But take it apart. Whoever wants to live for this life only—and nothing wrong with enjoying the 70 or 80 years plus that God grants—ends up with eternal ruin. The chase was after a desire that was temporary or a diversion that was momentary. The opposite is the case. Whoever looks to and longs for eternal life does not come up short (Ro 1:16). We keep in mind the big picture.
Jesus backs that up with two questions with obvious answers:
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36). There is no advantage in that scenario. And who can even grab more than a corner of the world? Some trade their eternal home for so much less.
“Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mk 8:37). What could we slide across the table to buy God off or bribe him—a green piece of paper with a president on it (Ps 49:7)? Everything belongs to him anyway. There is nothing to compensate for such a loss. It would be like driving a new car away from the dealership to swap it with one in a junkyard.
Ultimately it won’t end well. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mk 8:38). If a person is red-faced about Jesus—who he is or what he says—will be saddened forever with Jesus’ sentence.
But Jesus is coming back for his own who trusted in him. He will gladly pick out those who believed in him. In the meantime, we have the same comfort as Jacob. When he was running away from home, he heard God’s faithful and firm promise: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Ge 28:15). We can sing with the psalmist Asaph: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you take me into glory” (Ps 73:23,24). Think Jesus’ way about your future. There is cross bearing. First the cross. Then the crown.
You might not be sold on an exercise program or diet plan after a few minutes of an infomercial. You can have your specific outlook and still be right. You can live without it. But not Jesus. Think Jesus’ way about his future. He went to the cross to save. And think Jesus’ way about your future. We go with the cross to heaven. Happy Lent. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you (Ro 16:20). Amen.
February 25, 2018
Sunday, February 18, 2018
First Sunday in Lent (Genesis 22:1-18)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
At times a word gives us some interesting insight into its meaning. We may not be aware of that when we use it and still be correct in our conversation. Take the word “provision,” for example. If we divide it up into its two parts, we get “pro” and “vision”—“before sight.” Or “seeing before.” So when we make provisions, we take proper steps ahead of time because we recognize what is necessary. A mother may scratch down a shopping list so that she has what she needs to put another delicious supper on the table for her family. If it is tacos, you can’t forget the black olives.
The noun is “provision.” The verb is “provide.” That is what the Lord does. He sees to it beforehand. The Lord will provide. And he always will.
Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for something. Just do some simple math quickly. Subtract twenty-five from your age right now. (You don’t have to get out your calculator on your phone. Round up or down.) That puts some of you in negative numbers, others of us into darker hair. That is how long Abraham waited for the Lord to make good on his promise. When he was 75, God assured him: “I will make you into a great nation” (Ge 12:2). Ultimately the Savior would come from him (Ge 12:6). But at the moment, Abraham (which means “father of many”) and Sarah had no children. But Abraham trusted that the Lord would not fail him on this or forget about that for him. He would provide.
And he did—when Abraham was 100 years old (Ge 21:5). Isaac. This miracle baby certainly brought joy and laughter to his aging parents (Ge 21:6).
And then one day God came calling. Moses tells us right away: “God tested Abraham” (Ge 22:1). We know this up front. Abraham didn’t. It is not like what I remember growing up. There would be a digitized voice from the TV: “This is a test of the emergency broadcasting system. This is only a test.” In other words, there is no reason to get excited when you hear that obnoxious beeping that rivals the pleasant sound of the buzzing of an alarm clock. We know the end of the account. Abraham was at the beginning of it.
This test was for Abraham’s benefit, not God’s. As with any test, God wanted to purify his faith. So “he said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied” (Ge 22:1). Notice the polite response along the lines of: “Right here. At your service.” It is the opposite of the child playing on his tablet when mom summons him to unload the dishwasher, “What?!” He obviously doesn’t want to be bothered. That is not Abraham.
And then the command: “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah” (Ge 22:2). There was no mistaking God’s message with the four, clear qualifiers:
your son,
your only son,
Isaac,
whom you love.
This was not for some father/son bonding time like a weekend camping trip. “Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Ge 22:2). Yes—what was presented was to be entirely torched. It signified complete dedication and symbolized total devotion to God.
This was an opportunity for Abraham consciously to put God first. I compare it to school. In theory, a student has homework. A teacher puts that into reality when he or she assigns 30 math problems for tomorrow. It is a First Commandment issue. First in order and in importance. “You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things. It is way too easy to say, “I love you,” on Valentine’s Day. It is much more difficult to show “I love you” every day. As good and God-pleasing a parent’s love for his child is—and it is, it is not to crowd out his love for God. Jesus once commented something similar: “Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). The emphasis is on “more than.”
That trial was specific to Abraham. We will let that to his wisdom. God will provide a particular testing of our faith when he feels that it is necessary so that nothing clouds our love for him. As he tailors it to us individually—no one size fits all, he wants to refine our faith. He desires and deserves the first place in our hearts.
We can understand the intense struggle. Not only did it seem to violate a father’s love for his son, but also to cut off his hope of ever being saved. God had been very clear: “My covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Ge 17:1). He was one who would carry on the bloodline of the Messiah. Isaac was Abraham’s link to the Savior. How could he hope to be right with God? Luther accurately summarized his predicament: “To human reason it must have seemed either that God’s promise would fail, or else this command must be of the devil and not of God.”
That is what makes the next words so amazing. “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about” (Ge 22:3). There was no delay like grabbing a second cup of coffee or excuses like rescheduling a dentist appointment—the next morning. His was a prompt and an obedient faith—no procrastination or hesitation.
And it wasn’t like it was down the street. “On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance” (Ge 22:4). It was a perhaps a 50-mile walk. There was plenty of time to think this through.
When he reached the site, he took leave of the two men whom he brought with them. But his order to them is instructive: “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Ge 22:5).
“We will worship” (Ge 22:5). Abraham was emphatic. That is what this was in his mind—worship. He was declaring, “Lord, you have my heart. All of it.”
“Then we will come back to you” (Ge 22:5). Abraham was determined. “We are going to make it down this mountain. The two of us.” Somehow, someway God would have to work out the logistics—even if it involved bringing Isaac back from the dead. It was God’s problem, not his. The writer to the Hebrew Christians gives us some insight into Abraham’s attitude: “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who received the promise was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (He 11:17-19).
All Abraham had was God’s word. “Through Isaac” (Ge 21:12). And he was going to hold on to that. When the Lord provides a testing of faith for us, we grab on to God’s words of promise as he speaks to us in his Word—whether we see it or not. That can only come from listening—over and over again. We run to them because God does not lie. He will not leave us (He 13:5). He will cause it—whatever the “it” is—to be for our eternal good (Ro 8:28). The Lord will provide.
And then the drama unfolds. “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. … The two of them went on together” (Ge 22:6). Every step onward and upward must have been strenuous—not because of the incline, but because of the intent.
It was Isaac who broke the silence. “‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’” (Ge 22:7). Isaac’s logical inquiry must have cut deeper than the instrument in Abraham’s hand. And Abraham offers a considerate reply that spared Isaac of the details and at the same time demonstrates his confident faith. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Ge 22:8). God will see to it.
The details pile up. “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son” (Ge 22:10,11).
He wasn’t bluffing. He was ready (Ja 2:21-23). With his hand held high, the voice of the angel of the LORD, the Son of God himself, was heard. “Abraham! Abraham!” (Ge 22:11). Two times because it was doubly urgent. And that familiar comeback: “Here I am” (Ge 22:11). “Right here.” The Lord stopped him because it was obvious what Abraham’s aim was. The necessary sacrifice was made. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Ge 22:12). There was reverence and there was respect for the one and only God.
But God is not done. He sees to the sacrifice. “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Ge 22:13). Abraham was right. The Lord will provide. And the Lord did provide. A substitute sacrifice—a ram. That animal was burnt up on the altar rather than Isaac. That is why the hill was properly named. “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided’” (Ge 22:14). Father and son did go down and did go back to the two servants. Abraham left there will a deeper appreciation for his God and his son. Faith was beating in Abraham’s heart along with life still beating in Isaac’s heart. It was just as Abraham’s definite faith declared.
That really is what the rest of Scripture shares—a substitute. Jesus is the Substitute. What Abraham was willing to do—sacrifice his son, that is what God did. Possibly near this site. As the apostle Paul pointed out: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Ro 8:32). The Father did not hold back his Son, but sent him to the cross where he laid down his life. For us. For our benefit. In our place. All because God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jn 3:16). And then that Sacrifice, that Substitute, was raised to life (Ro 8:34).
It is short, but it is significant. Mark mentioned that Jesus went out into the wilderness at the Spirit’s direction. “He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan” (Mk 1:13). There he took on Satan. There he defeated our enemy. For us. In our place. Jesus did not give into Satan’s sinister suggestions as he tried to rob the world of its Redeemer. Not once (He 4:15). Jesus hands us that holiness so that we are right with God (2 Co 5:21). The Lord provides.
But there is more. As we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem again this Lenten season, we watch as Jesus climbs the cross, carrying our sin. God placed it on him. For us. In our place. So we sing with the psalmist David: “Be merciful to me, LORD. Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Ps 6:2,4). And the Lord provides forgiveness. “It is God who justifies” (Ro 8:33). It is God who announces that we are “not guilty.” And now nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus (Ro 8:39). The Lord provides.
The angel of the LORD had an additional guarantee to give to Abraham who had been obedient (Ge 22:15). He declares it with authority and confirms it with an oath, swearing by himself because there is no one higher (Ge 22:16; He 6:13,14). “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Ge 22:17,18). The Lord hints at Abraham’s family would conquer Canaan one day. But more important, Isaac would keep the lineage of the Savior going. The Lord would provide One who would crush the devil’s head (Ge 3:15). We consider ourselves blessed because we are included in the great group of believers through faith.
A mother sees ahead of time what is necessary for dinner. She makes provisions. Or she provides. The Lord does too. Even bigger. He provides a testing of faith, but also a turning in faith. We rely on our Substitute who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). The Lord will provide. He will see to it. Always. We are sure and certain just like Abraham (He 11:1; Ro 4:11).
We read from Genesis 22:1-18:
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time
16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Ro 16:27).
February 18, 2018
At times a word gives us some interesting insight into its meaning. We may not be aware of that when we use it and still be correct in our conversation. Take the word “provision,” for example. If we divide it up into its two parts, we get “pro” and “vision”—“before sight.” Or “seeing before.” So when we make provisions, we take proper steps ahead of time because we recognize what is necessary. A mother may scratch down a shopping list so that she has what she needs to put another delicious supper on the table for her family. If it is tacos, you can’t forget the black olives.
The noun is “provision.” The verb is “provide.” That is what the Lord does. He sees to it beforehand. The Lord will provide. And he always will.
Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for something. Just do some simple math quickly. Subtract twenty-five from your age right now. (You don’t have to get out your calculator on your phone. Round up or down.) That puts some of you in negative numbers, others of us into darker hair. That is how long Abraham waited for the Lord to make good on his promise. When he was 75, God assured him: “I will make you into a great nation” (Ge 12:2). Ultimately the Savior would come from him (Ge 12:6). But at the moment, Abraham (which means “father of many”) and Sarah had no children. But Abraham trusted that the Lord would not fail him on this or forget about that for him. He would provide.
And he did—when Abraham was 100 years old (Ge 21:5). Isaac. This miracle baby certainly brought joy and laughter to his aging parents (Ge 21:6).
And then one day God came calling. Moses tells us right away: “God tested Abraham” (Ge 22:1). We know this up front. Abraham didn’t. It is not like what I remember growing up. There would be a digitized voice from the TV: “This is a test of the emergency broadcasting system. This is only a test.” In other words, there is no reason to get excited when you hear that obnoxious beeping that rivals the pleasant sound of the buzzing of an alarm clock. We know the end of the account. Abraham was at the beginning of it.
This test was for Abraham’s benefit, not God’s. As with any test, God wanted to purify his faith. So “he said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied” (Ge 22:1). Notice the polite response along the lines of: “Right here. At your service.” It is the opposite of the child playing on his tablet when mom summons him to unload the dishwasher, “What?!” He obviously doesn’t want to be bothered. That is not Abraham.
And then the command: “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah” (Ge 22:2). There was no mistaking God’s message with the four, clear qualifiers:
your son,
your only son,
Isaac,
whom you love.
This was not for some father/son bonding time like a weekend camping trip. “Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Ge 22:2). Yes—what was presented was to be entirely torched. It signified complete dedication and symbolized total devotion to God.
This was an opportunity for Abraham consciously to put God first. I compare it to school. In theory, a student has homework. A teacher puts that into reality when he or she assigns 30 math problems for tomorrow. It is a First Commandment issue. First in order and in importance. “You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things. It is way too easy to say, “I love you,” on Valentine’s Day. It is much more difficult to show “I love you” every day. As good and God-pleasing a parent’s love for his child is—and it is, it is not to crowd out his love for God. Jesus once commented something similar: “Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). The emphasis is on “more than.”
That trial was specific to Abraham. We will let that to his wisdom. God will provide a particular testing of our faith when he feels that it is necessary so that nothing clouds our love for him. As he tailors it to us individually—no one size fits all, he wants to refine our faith. He desires and deserves the first place in our hearts.
We can understand the intense struggle. Not only did it seem to violate a father’s love for his son, but also to cut off his hope of ever being saved. God had been very clear: “My covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Ge 17:1). He was one who would carry on the bloodline of the Messiah. Isaac was Abraham’s link to the Savior. How could he hope to be right with God? Luther accurately summarized his predicament: “To human reason it must have seemed either that God’s promise would fail, or else this command must be of the devil and not of God.”
That is what makes the next words so amazing. “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about” (Ge 22:3). There was no delay like grabbing a second cup of coffee or excuses like rescheduling a dentist appointment—the next morning. His was a prompt and an obedient faith—no procrastination or hesitation.
And it wasn’t like it was down the street. “On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance” (Ge 22:4). It was a perhaps a 50-mile walk. There was plenty of time to think this through.
When he reached the site, he took leave of the two men whom he brought with them. But his order to them is instructive: “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Ge 22:5).
“We will worship” (Ge 22:5). Abraham was emphatic. That is what this was in his mind—worship. He was declaring, “Lord, you have my heart. All of it.”
“Then we will come back to you” (Ge 22:5). Abraham was determined. “We are going to make it down this mountain. The two of us.” Somehow, someway God would have to work out the logistics—even if it involved bringing Isaac back from the dead. It was God’s problem, not his. The writer to the Hebrew Christians gives us some insight into Abraham’s attitude: “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who received the promise was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (He 11:17-19).
All Abraham had was God’s word. “Through Isaac” (Ge 21:12). And he was going to hold on to that. When the Lord provides a testing of faith for us, we grab on to God’s words of promise as he speaks to us in his Word—whether we see it or not. That can only come from listening—over and over again. We run to them because God does not lie. He will not leave us (He 13:5). He will cause it—whatever the “it” is—to be for our eternal good (Ro 8:28). The Lord will provide.
And then the drama unfolds. “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. … The two of them went on together” (Ge 22:6). Every step onward and upward must have been strenuous—not because of the incline, but because of the intent.
It was Isaac who broke the silence. “‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’” (Ge 22:7). Isaac’s logical inquiry must have cut deeper than the instrument in Abraham’s hand. And Abraham offers a considerate reply that spared Isaac of the details and at the same time demonstrates his confident faith. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Ge 22:8). God will see to it.
The details pile up. “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son” (Ge 22:10,11).
He wasn’t bluffing. He was ready (Ja 2:21-23). With his hand held high, the voice of the angel of the LORD, the Son of God himself, was heard. “Abraham! Abraham!” (Ge 22:11). Two times because it was doubly urgent. And that familiar comeback: “Here I am” (Ge 22:11). “Right here.” The Lord stopped him because it was obvious what Abraham’s aim was. The necessary sacrifice was made. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Ge 22:12). There was reverence and there was respect for the one and only God.
But God is not done. He sees to the sacrifice. “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Ge 22:13). Abraham was right. The Lord will provide. And the Lord did provide. A substitute sacrifice—a ram. That animal was burnt up on the altar rather than Isaac. That is why the hill was properly named. “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided’” (Ge 22:14). Father and son did go down and did go back to the two servants. Abraham left there will a deeper appreciation for his God and his son. Faith was beating in Abraham’s heart along with life still beating in Isaac’s heart. It was just as Abraham’s definite faith declared.
That really is what the rest of Scripture shares—a substitute. Jesus is the Substitute. What Abraham was willing to do—sacrifice his son, that is what God did. Possibly near this site. As the apostle Paul pointed out: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Ro 8:32). The Father did not hold back his Son, but sent him to the cross where he laid down his life. For us. For our benefit. In our place. All because God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jn 3:16). And then that Sacrifice, that Substitute, was raised to life (Ro 8:34).
It is short, but it is significant. Mark mentioned that Jesus went out into the wilderness at the Spirit’s direction. “He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan” (Mk 1:13). There he took on Satan. There he defeated our enemy. For us. In our place. Jesus did not give into Satan’s sinister suggestions as he tried to rob the world of its Redeemer. Not once (He 4:15). Jesus hands us that holiness so that we are right with God (2 Co 5:21). The Lord provides.
But there is more. As we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem again this Lenten season, we watch as Jesus climbs the cross, carrying our sin. God placed it on him. For us. In our place. So we sing with the psalmist David: “Be merciful to me, LORD. Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Ps 6:2,4). And the Lord provides forgiveness. “It is God who justifies” (Ro 8:33). It is God who announces that we are “not guilty.” And now nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus (Ro 8:39). The Lord provides.
The angel of the LORD had an additional guarantee to give to Abraham who had been obedient (Ge 22:15). He declares it with authority and confirms it with an oath, swearing by himself because there is no one higher (Ge 22:16; He 6:13,14). “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Ge 22:17,18). The Lord hints at Abraham’s family would conquer Canaan one day. But more important, Isaac would keep the lineage of the Savior going. The Lord would provide One who would crush the devil’s head (Ge 3:15). We consider ourselves blessed because we are included in the great group of believers through faith.
A mother sees ahead of time what is necessary for dinner. She makes provisions. Or she provides. The Lord does too. Even bigger. He provides a testing of faith, but also a turning in faith. We rely on our Substitute who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). The Lord will provide. He will see to it. Always. We are sure and certain just like Abraham (He 11:1; Ro 4:11).
We read from Genesis 22:1-18:
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time
16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Ro 16:27).
February 18, 2018
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