God – Page 3 – What Does This Mean?

The Judge of the Living and the Dead

Encore Post: [Thirtieth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] Every action movie, adventure novel or cartoon has a version of the same plot. A dark cloud comes over people. A sinister force imposes its will upon everyone, enslaving them and bringing misery to all. A hero arises, and with great struggle, defeats the evil swarm and brings justice to them. Everyone lives forever. The real world rarely turns out that way.

When evil people prosper, when sin, suffering, grief and death dominate, we pray for deliverance. Rarely does it come. In such situations, we long for Jesus to return to earth and finally set things right. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is what we want. The beauty of that wish is that it will come true, some day, at the right time, set by God’s own choosing.

On that day, all the dead will rise from the grave and will be gathered before the Throne of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The books will be opened and everything that everyone has ever done will be exposed for what it is. All evil will be judged, and the books balanced. The catch — our deeds will be among them. And that is not pleasing at all.

The surprise comes when the verdict is announced. We, the very guilty, will be pronounced “not guilty!” Why? Because the Great Almighty King is the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world. Putting our guilt upon us, the Author of Life died to pay its penalty in full. We and those who cling to his promise of salvation in faith will live with him forever. By his death, he destroyed death and by his rising he opens the kingdom to all believers.

That day will resolve everything, not by defeating our enemies, but by destroying them. Then we really will live happily ever after forever and ever.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Right Hand of God

Encore Post: [Twenty-Ninth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] In ancient palaces, a ruler exercised power in a very formal way. He would enter the throne room with a herald going before him. All would bow to him and yet watch his every move, every gesture and listen carefully to every word. His crown identified him as ruler. The session began when he sat down on his throne. In fact, the word “session” literally means “the time of sitting.” Those who stood near him were very powerful people. Only those of equal power would sit in his presence — especially at his right hand. So, the right hand of the ruler became a figure of speech that stands for his authority, glory, and honor.

When we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty,” we confess that he is equal to the Father and is also almighty. (Matthew 28:18). This truth is precious to us for many reasons.

When Satan, the world and our sinful nature try to rule over us, we can tell them to get lost. They do not rule us — Jesus does. When we baptize and teach others God’s Word, it is not our talents, reputation, ability to impress others with our words that matter. The authority to do so comes from Jesus and power that changes hearts come from him and the Holy Spirit. When we feel lonely, we are not alone, because he is with us always, until the end of time itself.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Christ is Risen!

Encore Post: [Twenty-Eighth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] From ancient times, Christians first greet each other on Easter: “He is risen!” or “Christ is risen.” The words of the angel to the women at the tomb (Mark 16:6) are still joyful to this day. In Lutheran churches it is common for pastors to open sermons throughout the Easter season with these words. The greeting is repeated at the end of Lutheran burial services, reminding us of the resurrection. So, why does the resurrection strike such a chord with Christians? After all, the full price for our salvation was completed when Jesus died on the cross.

The reasons we cling to the Resurrection of Jesus are many. The most important is that the resurrection of our bodies is tied to it. In baptism, we die with Christ and when he rose, we rise to new life. (Romans 6:3-4) If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we would remain in our graves. We would have believed in a lie. But Christ did rise from the grave, the first harvest of God’s children. (1 Corinthians 15:20) His resurrection broke the seal of the grave. On the last day, we will rise, body and soul, to live with Christ forever.

The resurrection of our Lord also fulfilled all the promises of God’s word and the predictions of Jesus himself. When he rose, he demonstrated that God’s promises are kept. The three days in the grave — Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday evening — fulfilled these in great precision. So, with the Church of all times and places, we confess, “on the third day, he rose from the dead,” knowing that it makes our resurrection a sure and certain hope. So, we can face death, knowing it has no sting any longer.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Transfiguration

Encore Post: At the Transfiguration, Jesus appeared to his disciples in his full glory as God. It ends the season of Epiphany where it began, with a theophany — an appearance of God. At the Baptism of Jesus, the Father spoke over his Son from heaven and the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove. Now the Father speaks from the Cloud of God’s Presence and with him is the Holy Spirit.

But that is not all. With Jesus appeared the two greatest witnesses of the Old Testament — Moses and Elijah. God used Moses to lead his people out of Egypt and gave the Law to them through him. God buried Moses when he died. Elijah was the great and fearless prophet, whom God carried into heaven in a chariot of fire. God promised the Messiah to Moses, calling the Messiah a prophet like him. The prophets predicted Elijah would return to witness to the Messiah on the day the Messiah would come.

Now on the mountain of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah discussed with Jesus his Exodus — his departure. As Moses led Israel through the Red Sea to freedom, Jesus would bring us all through death to everlasting life by his death on the cross. Not knowing what to make of it all, Peter offered to set up tents like the people used in the wilderness wanderings. As usual, Peter missed the point.

So the Cloud of God’s Glory appeared on the mountain. In that cloud, the Angel of the Lord led the people by day through the wilderness and showed God’s presence in tabernacle and temple. From this Cloud, God the Father speaks a second time. “This is my Beloved Son,” he said, “listen to him.”

The message of Transfiguration is that Jesus is God, yet He set aside His glory to die for our sins. We should serve God by doing what He says and serving one another.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

He Descended into Hell

Encore Post: [Twenty-Eighth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] In the Apostles’ Creed, all the teachings we confess are pretty straightforward, so much so that we can explain it to children — except for one. “He descended into hell.” Most Christians have a hard time figuring out what it means. Was this a part of Christ’s suffering? Was he visiting the dead to preach the good news to them? The first doesn’t seem right, since Jesus’ last words were to say “it is finished” and to commit his soul to the Father. The second seems off because Scripture tells us that no one can come to faith after death.

These instincts are correct. Scripture tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead, he went to hell to announce his victory over sin and death to Satan, his demons and the lost. (1 Peter 3:18-20) He defeated the devil and broke the power of sin and death over us. (Colossians 2:13-15) What this means for us is that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can stand up to the devil. “Scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none.” (Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress“) In Jesus, we are more than conquerors, because he descended into hell.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

And He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

Encore Post: [Twenty-Seventh in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] You say it every time you confess the Apostles’ Creed, “And He suffered under Pontius Pilate,” but what does saying it convey?

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who had authority over the use of the death penalty. That is a historical fact. And it is important to show that faith in Jesus Christ, as recorded in Holy Scripture, is historical. We can look at the historical record and see a governor named Pilate who served in Judea, and it was this man who gave the Jews the go ahead to crucify Jesus. This is extremely important to acknowledge, but there are some important theological implications of reciting Pilate’s name as well in the Creed.

We remember from Holy Scripture that Pilate desired to release Jesus because Jesus had done nothing wrong. Certainly Jesus did nothing that required the judgement of death by crucifixion. Pilate judged rightly that the Jews were bringing Jesus to him because they were jealous of him and how the people chased after him.

However, Jesus was before him, and he had to pass judgment. Because of his position as governor, his judgment was as if God spoke the judgement: “I find no fault in him at all.” And that right there is of great theological importance. Pilate, as governor, goes on record to say that an innocent man dies for the sins of the people. That is the Gospel proclamation. The innocent man receives the punishment of death while the sinner goes free. While Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he was getting nowhere with the people. The priests and the scribes had caused a riot to begin. Pilate, being afraid, gave Jesus over to them that they might crucify Jesus.

And in so doing, Pilate allowed the Chief Priests and the Scribes of the Jews to actually fulfill their duties as those who would sacrifice the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Yet, Christ is the Victim and the Priest on this Good Friday at the altar of the Cross.

Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was handed over to the ruthless Priests and Scribes for crucifixion, but facing the cross, Jesus did not blink nor did he complain. But rather suffered under Pontius Pilate that we might be set free from the punishment of our sins and live with Him in everlasting life.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

It’s His Story

Encore Post: [Twenty-Sixth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] People love stories. From small children who beg to read the same book over and over again to adults who will go back to their favorite movie just to escape the moment for a while into another world. But it’s not just fiction that captures our imagination and emotions. Stories about real life help us make sense of everything. It tells us where we fit and gives meaning to life. In fact, history is really telling stories about the past.

Every religion tells a story about how the world began, what its gods did to make it that way and how the world will come to an end. Most importantly, it tells what will happen to us. These stories are called by scholars myths or salvation histories. The Apostle’s Creed is THE salvation history — how God acts to save us.

The Second Article of the creed is all about Jesus. The story begins with Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, as a true man. Why did he do this? Because we were lost and condemned by our sin. So he redeemed us, not by gold and silver, but by his own blood, shed on the cross. Now we belong to him and will live with him forever. This story gives us a place to be, no matter how the story of our lives fills with complicated plot twists. We can put up with it because we know how the story ends — we live happily ever after.

Most importantly, the Bible is his story. It is all about Jesus, the son of God.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

©2018-2021 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com

Son of God

Encore Post: [Twenty-Fifth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome, built a temple in honor of his Great-Uncle and father by adoption, Julius Caesar. The empire proclaimed Julius Caesar a god after his death. Augustus called himself the son of god from that moment on.

As strange as that sounds to us, many ancient rulers would call themselves the son of one god or another. The move would help cement their political power and stroke their egos. That is why no one was surprised when the Bible used that title for the people of Israel as a whole, and the Messiah in particular.

What was unusual was how the Scripture uses the title for Jesus. Jesus, you see, is not a son of god as another way of saying he is great. He is literally the Son of God, the creator of the universe, both in eternity and in the womb of The Virgin Mary. More than that, Jesus does not claim the title himself in so many words. The Angel Gabriel gives it to Mary when he announced she would be the Mother of the Messiah. (Luke 1:30-35) God the Father himself calls Jesus his “Beloved Son” at his baptism and the transfiguration. (Luke 3:21-22, Luke 9:28) St. Peter confessed him to be “the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) After Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, his disciples also called him the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33) An officer in the Roman Army proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God. (Matthew 27:54) Even Satan and his demons knew who he was. (Matthew 4:1-11, Matthew 8:29, Mark 3:11)

We accept no substitutes. We worship Jesus Christ because he is the one and only Son of the Living God.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

God Can Do Anything He Wants to Do

Encore Post: [Twenty-Second in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] When we say that God is almighty, it seems simple enough. We can even explain it to a three-year-old: God can do anything he wants to do. Yet the more we think about it, that God is omnipotent, παντοκράτορ — all powerful, the more we have trouble taking it all in. We get a feeling of this when some child discovers the snarky question: “can God make a rock that he can’t lift?” or some opponent of the faith asks the classic question: “what did God do before he made the world?” The questions normally get the answer they deserve: an equally silly response like: “he made hell so he has a place to send people who ask such questions!”

What such questions point out is there is a limit to how much we can understand our maker. They show what happens when we try to pit one quality (attribute) of God against another. So … For God, who is eternal, time does not exist. There is no before or after creation for him. He makes all the rules, so he doesn’t have to follow them. That’s what makes a miracle possible.

Why it is important that God is almighty is it means he can — and does — what he promises. To save those who rebelled against him, ruined and still ruins his perfect world. He did so by being born of a virgin, died to pay for their sins and rose again from the dead. On the day he chooses, he will call his children to rise from the dust to live with him forever. It means that he saves us and will bring an end to sin, death and the devil. So we confess: “I believe in God, the Father almighty” and marvel and all he can do, wants to do and will do for us.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Calling God our Father and Meaning it

Encore Post: [Twenty-First in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism] Calling God our father is second nature to Christians. After all, Jesus invites us to do so. We teach the Lord’s Prayer to our youngest children as their first prayer. So it may come as a surprise how unique that is among the world’s religions. Most religions hold their gods at a distance. The high god of native religions makes the world and goes away, leaving it to lesser spirits and humans. For Muslims, Allah is a strict, distant god. You must toe the line to please him. In Judaism, while God is seen as having a warm relationship with them, even to pronounce his name is considered disrespectful. For Hindus, Buddhists and other Eastern religions, god is not a person at all. The universe is their god and they see humans as god in a real sense.

For Christians, however, God is very much a Father who loves us and is a part of our daily lives. The Father adopted us as his sons and heirs with Christ. He invites us to call him abba — daddy — and approach us the way a little child approaches her father.

When we confess God as Father, we claim he loves us, cares for us, wants to be with us now and forever. It is incarnational — a statement that God cares for us so much that in the person of his Son, he became a flesh-and-blood man, lived with us as one of us, suffered and died for us and rose again for us. By doing so, he restored the relationship between himself and us. He is indeed our father and a model of what fatherhood is all about.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana