Uncategorized – Page 40 – What Does This Mean?

From Glory to Glory

Dear saints, it has been six days since St. Peter correctly answered the most important question asked of him. Six days since Peter took offense at Jesus telling them that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and raised on the third day. Six days since Jesus told his disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” and, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

As Christians living some 2,000 years after this occurred, we know that the coming of the kingdom is set in motion at the Incarnation and has its final chapter begin at the Triumphal Entry. We know that all the things Jesus suffers are a sort of inauguration. We know that Jesus takes his throne as King of kings when He is lifted up on the cross. But how would the disciples know that? How could they look at Jesus nailed to a cross and think, “Here is the Son of Man in his kingdom. In his glory.”? How would they know that Peter is right to say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God?”

In our lesson this morning, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John and leads them up a mountain. St. Luke adds that they go up the mountain to pray. While they are there, by themselves, Jesus is transfigured. A lot is going on in this text. There are a lot of moving parts. Unexpected participants, an unexpected voice. But the point of the Transfiguration was to comfort the disciples because The Glory of the Transfiguration Is a Preface to the Glory of the Cross.

When Jesus is transfigured, we read that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. St. Mark describes this whiteness as being, “radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” Just try to imagine a white cleaner, whiter, and brighter than a completely covered field in a fresh blanket of snow on a bright, sunny day.

This alone would leave most in stunned silence, but then something more incredible happens: Moses and Elijah show up! They appear; are made visible. And more? Peter, James, and John, men who are not old men, recognize them. They know who they are because they are all part of the communion of saints. And they get to listen in on what Moses, Elijah, and Jesus are talking about: the upcoming exodus of Jesus.

And what was this upcoming exodus? The upcoming crucifixion of Christ. The soon to come liberation of man from their sins on account of the death of Jesus the Christ. This is what Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah converse about.

But the disciples do not understand all this yet. And so, instead of listening and learning from the conversation, Peter opens his mouth: “Lord, it is good to be here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter has good intentions, but he is wrong to suggest this. The suggestion puts Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. Indeed, Moses is the great lawgiver and the man who met face to face with God on Mt. Sinai. He is the one who had to wear a veil because his face reflected the glory of the Lord – the same glory Jesus now radiates. And Elijah is the great prophet. He boldly spoke the word of the Lord to God’s people and her kings. He was the instrument who closed and, after three and a half years, opened the skies.

But these men, as the great and faithful saints that they are, are not God. What they did was testify what God was doing and saying. They pointed toward the coming Christ. Moses said a prophet like him would be raised up from the people. Elijah reminds us of how God’s reign, his kingdom, has already manifested itself with the coming of Jesus. On the mountain, Jesus alone shines in glory. His predecessor in Moses and forerunner in Elijah do not. And so, to build a tent, or more precisely, a tabernacle for all three would be seeing Jesus as less than what he is. To see him as less than the Son of God.

This is probably why Peter is interrupted. He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” In the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt, the Glory of the Lord came upon the mountain in the same way. But here the glory overshadows them all, in effect creating a single tent. And the voice of the Father comes to the disciples and tells them what those at the baptism of Jesus heard: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. But this time, he adds something: Listen to him.

Again, there is a lot to this narrative. But today, we shall focus the rest of our time on this: Listen to him. The Transfiguration of our Lord is a turning point. It is as if Jesus turns His face to Jerusalem. The disciples have seen a lot while following Jesus. Authoritative teaching. Healings. The casting out of demons. Opposition from Jewish leaders.

And six days ago, they heard Jesus say that He must die. Of all the difficult things they heard Jesus say and do, this is by far the hardest to hear. Now on the mountain, Jesus brings Peter, James, and John with him to comfort them. He brings them up on the mountain and they hear the conversation between Moses, Elijah, and himself. A conversation concerning his coming death. The cloud comes and the voice of the Father tells them to listen and believe what Jesus tells them.

They are to listen not only to what he has said, but what he has yet to say. The disciples are still to learn that to be great, you must become the least. A teaching that is as hard to hear today as it was then. They hear that sin kills the soul and that it is better to lose a member than to sin with it. That your Father sends his shepherds into the wilderness to recover his lost and wayward sheep. They hear Jesus interpret the Passover and learn that it was always pointing towards his own sacrifice as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. They hear that his body and blood are given for them on the cross and in the Holy Supper for the forgiveness of sins.

Crucifixion was offensive. It was reserved for the worst of criminals. And six days ago, Jesus told the disciples that they would have to take up their own crosses to follow him. It infers that Jesus would have his own cross. It means that, even if you do not personally face death, there will be a cost to being the disciple of Christ.

And so, Jesus is transfigured, Moses and Elijah are made visible and the disciples hear Jesus talk to them about His upcoming death, and the voice of the Father speaks to them and to you to remove the offense of the cross. It is to prevent your faith from being disturbed by it. By the humility of your Christ’s voluntary Passion. This is done by revealing his hidden dignity and glory. This is why I said earlier that The Glory of the Transfiguration Is a Preface to the Glory of the Cross.

The glory of God is expressed in the cross of Christ for the redemption of the world. The totality of the Law and the Prophets point forward and are fulfilled in this cross. You are connected to this cross as you are baptized into his death and raised to a new life in Christ. You are adopted as sons and brought into the tent of your Father. And you sit at His table, fed and nourished by the Lamb. All this is wrapped together on the mountain.

Though the disciples feared greatly, Jesus touches them, raises them up, and exhorts them not to be afraid. It is a fearful thing to be in the presence of God. Just ask Isaiah. Indeed, the unbridled glory of God without the cross is frightening. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but that is just the beginning. That is just the first part of repentance. You and I, like the disciples, need more than just the glory of Jesus to be saved. For this glory with no cross only leaves us in a fearful state.

Our Lord’s glory with no cross does us no good because we have too much sin. Too much wasted time. Too much gossip or wandering eyes or disdain for our neighbor or disrespect for our governing authorities or whatever is coming into your mind and causing you to feel shame right about now. Even when we try to do good, we fall on our faces. This is a reason to fall also on our face before a holy God.

Yet Jesus lifts up the three. He leads them down the mountain. They now travel toward Jerusalem and the cross. The glory is once again hidden and the humble Jesus they have known for three years is again before them. It is hidden until that appointed day where it will be revealed again on the cross. In his death and resurrection.

Because of this, we now look forward to sharing in Christ’s glory, for his great love shown on the cross has purified us from all the sin that terrorizes us. Forgiven is the sloth, false witness, lust, hate….

It might be tempting to think of the transfiguration as the “high point” of Jesus’ ministry. But it is only a vantage point from which Jesus can see clearly where he is going. From the height of the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus sees Jerusalem. From the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus sees the humiliation of His death on the cross. From the splendor of the Transfiguration, Jesus sees the sorrow to come, and amid that sorrow, He sees you, your forgiveness, and your salvation. Let us, then, begin our own preparations to follow him to Jerusalem. To His cross and the place our salvation is won for us by Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

The Wedding at Cana

Dear saints, this morning we hear of the first, or chief of our Lord’s signs. He does it at a wedding in Cana. It is a classic wedding text, and in it we hear that water becomes wine. We hear that Mary is at the wedding and that Jesus and his disciples were invited and present. During the festivities, the wine begins to run out. In that time and culture, running out of wine at a seven-day wedding feast would have brought great shame upon the bridegroom.

Seeking to spare the groom of that shame, Mary comes to Jesus for help. She is likely not a guest but linked to the wedding party in some way. Some scholars claim she comes to Jesus because He and the disciples put the number of guests over what was planned for. They say Mary is asking Jesus to go get wine and replace what they consumed. But that claim does not hold water. They are not running low on food; they are only running low on wine. So, unless you are claiming Jesus and His disciples drank that much wine, the claim does not stand.

Rather Mary comes to her Lord because she believes He can and will come to the wedding party’s aid. She believes that he can provide what they need. Yet we also see that she does not fully comprehend the reason she bore Jesus. She rightly thinks He is her Savior, but she also presumes He will use His power for any reason.

This explains the somewhat harsh response. Well, it is harsh to our ears. And while there is a slight tone of rebuke, Jesus continues to honor His mother as He should. He says, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” There are a couple of things here. First, He claims that it is not His responsibility that the wine is running out. He and the disciples did not overindulge. He did not plan on enough supply. It is not His problem. The second thing is that His hour is not yet come. Jesus says His hour comes in John 12 when some Greeks seek to see Him after the Triumphal Entry.

Whatever Mary makes of this remark, she is undeterred. She still knows who Jesus is, even if not fully. She looks to the servants, who may be hired workers for the feast, and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” And that is what they do. They take the six stone water jars and fill them to the brim. These jars were used for a ceremonial washing that had been taken from what was commanded by God and transformed into a man made law. The Pharisees had taken this cleansing ritual for priests and applied it to all people. Jesus uses these to show His glory.

After these jars are filled, Jesus tells the servants to “draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” I wonder what these servants thought to themselves. They had just filled a jar used to wash things with water. They know the wine is running, if not by now, run out. And now they are to take some of this water to the mast of the feast? But following the instruction of Mary, they do as Jesus says. They take the water.

That water, now wine, is brought to the master of the feast and he drinks it. He does not know that this wine came from a water jar. He only knows it is the finest wine he has ever had. He summons the bridegroom and chides him for bringing the best wine last.

In this lesson, we see Jesus submitting to His mother and ensuring that the celebration of this marriage is not interrupted. We see here an epiphany of sympathy. He uses His power to provide for the needs of this newly married couple. And He does this even though He is not responsible for there being enough wine. But He does out of sympathy for them.

He also does this even though His time has not yet come. Yet it is here, in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus manifested his glory with the first of his signs. This sign was for one reason: that His disciples would believe in Him. And they do. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the disciples are witnesses to the teaching of Jesus. The miracles of Jesus. They see and experience His joy and pain. Reception and rejection. As they walk with Him, they learn to trust Him. Through His signs, they believe that He is the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world.

But even as they do so, they stumble and fall. At times, they doubt. This should provide us some comfort. They were with Jesus as He walked among them. We, some two-thousand-years later, are with Him, but we do not see Him in the flesh.

Though we do not have Jesus in the body with us, we do have what the Holy Spirit had the apostles write down for us. We have the Word of God. And in it, especially in the Gospels, we read what Jesus did and what He has done for us: He perfectly obeyed the Law in your place and was crucified to atone for your sins, saving you from eternal death.

The Apostle John even gives the reason for writing his Gospel, and thus, why he tells us of this sign: That all those who hear it would believe in Jesus. That Jesus is the Son of God, and that believing in Him you would have eternal life. We see in the signs and miracles of Jesus that they are not to make us “healthy, wealthy, and wise,” but that we would be wise to what is the Truth. To be wise in knowing and trusting in Jesus. This first and chief sign of Jesus at a wedding in Cana clues us into what all the Gospel, and indeed, the Bible is about. It is about Jesus. How he creates all and then comes to it after it falls to restore it. How he comes to redeem and rescue fallen mankind.

It seems that the disciples were always seeing some sort of sign or healing. They even performed them themselves! And while we do not see that sort of thing today, let alone in the regularity they did in those days, we do have important signs that Jesus has left for us. We do see miracles in our midst even today. In baptism, we see someone who was dead made alive. There we see someone who is an enemy of God become the very child of God. In absolution, we hear and believe and trust that it is the very Word of God that forgives us our sins. And in the Supper of our Lord, we trust that He is present in the bread and wine, and in being present He feeds and nourishes our bodies and souls, forgiving our sins.

The wedding in Cana is a joyous festival, but it runs out of wine. The church throughout the world today celebrates the joy of Christ weekly by coming together, hearing the Word, and participating in the sign, the sacraments, that our Lord has given us. But we also wait for the culmination of the wedding in Cana. We wait for our own wedding feast as the Bride of Christ. It is there that He will again bring out

the best of the best wine, and we will live eternally with Him. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

Sanctus Banners

The angels depicted on our Sanctus banners are far different than the 20th century angelic art, to which we’ve become conditioned.

We’re used to seeing pretty ladies with soft features. Warm, inviting, matronly gals in flowing white robes with flowery headbands are these. They subsist in an other-worldly, kincade-esque field of light. These are not what the bible describes.

Every biblical description of angel shows us fearsome messengers of God. All have men’s names. They are so startling that they must say, “fear not.”

The angels on our Sanctus banners fit the biblical mold. They are Seraphim, who serve the Lord in His kingdom. Isaiah describes them this way.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [Isaiah 6:1-4]

These cherubim are terrifying in appearance. Isaiah is frightened by them. Yet, they serve the Lord and minister to His servants. For Isaiah, he repents of the uncleanness of his lips. The angel takes a coal from the altar and touches his lips, purifying him. We sing the Sanctus (holy, holy, holy) and Sundays before receiving Jesus body and blood for the remission of sins, purifying us too.

The angels are modest before the throne of God. They cover their feet, which can be a Hebrew euphemism for the hidden parts of our bodies. The coverings show both modesty and subordination to the Lord. These mighty, fearsome creatures are not the Lord, nor are they worthy of worship.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” [Revelation 4:8-11]

The Seraphim appear again in the Apocalypse of St. John (Revelation). Here we gain a description of their many eyes. These standing guard by the throne see all things. Nothing escapes their notice, while they direct the liturgy of the Lamb in His kingdom. This is far better than the servants you have here. I can’t always conduct the divine service without the text and music in front of me.

Our banner Seraphim look like the descriptions of St. Isaiah the prophet and St. John the revelator. They have their six wings and their many eyes. They stand their post, while the Lord serves His people. These banners are also from our friends at Ad Crucem.

Holy, holy, holy! Blessèd is He.

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Leo X Excommunicates Martin Luther

On January 3rd, 1521, Pope Leo X carried through on his threat to excommunicate Martin Luther. The proclamation, Decet Romanum Pontificam was little noticed at the time since Luther had been effectively excluded from the church when he failed to retract all his books and reject the teachings the Pope had declared “errors” in the more famous bull Exsurge Domine and had instead burned a copy on December 10 . Luther would later refer to this as the second of three excommunications he had suffered — his friend and monastic superior Johann Staupitz had first released him from his monastic vows, the Pope had now removed his pastoral office, his right to serve as a professor and barred him from receiving the sacraments as a “notorious heretic.” The third would come later that year at a convention of the princes and territories of the Holy Roman Empire in the city of Worms. More about that at its 500th anniversary.

Even still, it took awhile for the document to take effect. It was executed by Leo’s De’ Medici cousin on January 28th. It was sent to Emperor Charles V, then in Worms, on 18 January, but did not arrive until 10 February. The Papal Nuncio, Hieronymus Aleander, made immediate use of its contents, but prevented its publication. The reason is the document excommunicated anyone who supported Luther, including Elector Frederick the Wise and other princes and territories. He feared retaliation from them at a time when the Emperor needed their support. It did not officially take effect until published in October of 1521.

The bull also labels all followers of the teachings of Martin Luther “Lutherans” and declares them all excommunicated and that no sacraments may be performed in the territories that support Lutherans. Called an interdict, this punishment was sometimes effective in bending secular authorities to the will of the Pope and other times not so much. In this case, it was a complete failure, ignored by both supporters and opponents of Luther alike.

Negotiations had already been underway between Elector Frederick and Emperor Charles V to have Martin Luther appear before the Diet of the empire at Worms. These discussions now intensified at set the stage for the next turning point in the history of the Reformation.

Christmas Carols Before Christmas?

Why do we not sing Christmas carols before Christmas?
Or, why do we keeping singing them after Christmas?

These are matched pair of questions that expose one of our national religions, none of which are Christianity. Supply-side economics and its liturgy, consumerism, are the religious drivers of our public understanding of Christmas.

Capitalism and the economic forces contained therein are not evil. But, they are used in evil ways when they impose themselves onto the faith and its practice. Christmas may be the most egregious example of this.

Each year the songs of Christmas in the public square grow less sacred and start sooner before Christmas. The role of the liturgy of secular Christmas music is to compel purchases. The sales begin earlier and earlier. Day-after-Halloween sales appeared recently, stomping all over Black Friday’s turf. It’s a war for your dollars, though not deliberately against Christmas.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Buying gifts for our loved ones is a wonderful act of Christian love. Earning and spending money is a key component of our vocation as citizens in this republic, which is God pleasing work too.

We fall into the ditch, however, when we let emotionally manipulative canned music in the stores and ads direct our understanding of the festivals of the church. For example, it’s not Christmastime until Christmas Eve.

Advent is a season of hopeful expectation. We are in preparation from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. Expecting parents don’t get to hear the coos and giggles, or see the smiles and peaceful sleeping until the baby is born. Advent is that pregnancy for the church. Jesus is coming, but not yet.

Now, when we celebrate Jesus’s birth on Christmas, we’re still not done. The twelve days of Christmas run from Dec 26th – Jan 5th. We get to spill-out all that pent up joy for the whole season. We will gather together for church five times during those days.

Is that not enough? Maybe not. Perhaps next year we should have Christmas services each of the twelve days for the body of Christ to gather together and enjoy the celebration of our Savior’s birth. Christmas is one of the shortest seasons of the church year – keep on singing – leave those decorations up. The celebration is here and it’s just begun.

Even if our culture’s religion has worn-down your Christmas Joy too early, there’s no need to stop. Christmas runs all the way to Epiphany on Jan 6th.

Rejoice! The King is Born!

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

God is not at a Distance

Sermon on Galatians 4:4-7
1^st Sunday after Christmas
27 December 2020
Our Hope Lutheran Church Huntertown, Indiana

Text: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Intro: In most of the world’s religions, God is very far away. For some, he is the high god that made the world and left it to lesser gods and humans to manage as they can. In Eastern religious traditions, everything is god, a single being without differences. According to them, the problem is we think we’re individuals and weighed down by our bodies and material things. Deists of the enlightenment — like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin — think of God as a craftsman — like a watchmaker — who made a fine watch — the world — wound it up and let it run as designed.

Over the last few decades, we’ve caught glimpses of this in popular song. In the 1970s, We were told “the three men I admired most, The Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost, They took the last train for the coast.” and in the 90s that “God is watching us … from a distance.”

Yet God is not far from us and never has been. He made us to be with him. Though sin separated us, he longed to be with us. He spoke with Abraham. He led the people of Israel and lived with them – first in a tent and then in a temple. He sent events in motion to become even closer to us. At just the right time he was born one of us at Bethlehem.

Sin separates us from God – and each other.
1. Rather than live according to God’ will, we live by what we think is best.
2. The result is we are separated from God and at odds with each other.
3. Sins and sorrows grow; Thorns infest the ground; death reigns.
4. We think we are alone, yet we need God and each other.
5. We are the ones who wonder away.

Jesus became one of us to save us.
1. Yet to God we are precious, a lost treasure, a pearl of great price, a lost coin and a lost sheep.
2. He has been looking for us and become one of us.
3. Born at Bethlehem, the same way as we are, except no sin of his own.
4. He dies reconcile us to God and to call to each other.
5. He is with us by our side, now and forever.

Rejoicing in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Third Sunday in Advent
Our Hope Lutheran Church
Huntertown, Indiana
13 December 2020

Text: “Αlways rejoice. Do not stop praying. For everything give thanks because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you … Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Intro:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear. Amen.

You may have noticed that the third candle in the Advent wreath is a little different than the others. It is a rose-colored candle instead of a purple or blue candle. The rose color stands for joy and is the theme for the third Sunday of Advent, as we begin to turn from thinking about the Second Coming of Christ and prepare to celebrate his first coming.

On Thursday this week, the antiphon for midweek services changes each day to consider a title of Jesus and pray for him to come. They are called the O Antiphons, because each is a prayer that begins with the word “O.” We know them from the Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Our secular world is also moving towards the Christmas and to joy and merriment. This celebration is ancient. As the Winter Solstice approaches, we have less and less natural light in the world, which is kind of depressing. And so the pagans would also celebrate, give gifts, make merry and party hoping to lift the gloom – a little. Many modern practices trace back to these times. And so the church taps into the sentiment and rejoices – in the first coming of Christ. “ God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day…”

Yet often there is little to be happy about – especially this year.
1. The constant drumbeat of COVID reports hangs over our lives.
2. The restrictions our governments have imposed in vain hope of controlling it bring their own misery.
3. There is also the evils that enter life even without COVID also cast the shadow of death over us.
4. “Don’t worry! Be happy!” Doesn’t quite seem to do it, does it?
It is into this darkness that the light of Christ shines.
1. Because he loves us, Almighty God leaves his throne to be born one of us.
2. He lived our life, shared our sufferings, gathered them and our sins to himself.
3. On the cross he paid the price of our sin and broke its power over us forever.
God also gives a way to cope with our dark world.
1. Rejoice all the time, don’t stop praying, give thanks for everything….
2. God is making us holy, fit for eternal life.
3. He will have his peace set guard over your hearts and minds.
4. So it is we rejoice at his first coming, looking forward to his second coming.

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Amen.

The Answer to Doubt

Dear saints, when we first meet John the Baptist, he is in the wilderness calling for the people to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He wore strange clothing. He ate an odd diet. And many came out to him. They listened to him and many were convicted of their sins, they repented, and they were baptized into the forgiveness of sins. Even when confronted by the Pharisees, John was bold in his confession. He was unafraid to let them know of their wickedness and call them also to repent. Something they did not think they needed to do. We will hear more about John’s confession next week

But it was not only his people that John was bold to preach God’s Law to. He also took it to the secular authorities. And that is why we find him in prison this morning. He stood up to Herod and called him to repent of his sinful and immoral marriage to his brother’s wife. It landed him in prison.

While in prison, he hears of what the Christ is doing. The same one who he boldly confessed to be the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sin of the world. But now, as he sits in prison, he sends some of his disciples to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” There is debate among Christians on whether John sent these disciples because of his own doubt or because he was trying to encourage them to leave him and follow Jesus. I am not sure why, in this case, it is not both.

Surely John had to be struggling. He was God’s prophet and literally pointed to God’s Christ. But, because he knew he was a prophet, he also would not have been surprised that he was persecuted. To top it off, John had proclaimed certain things that Jesus would do. John said that Jesus would have the winnowing fork in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

But what does John hear? That Jesus is kind and compassionate. He dines with sinners. He heals the sick. Yes, he engages with and calls the Pharisees to repent, but it is not the fiery destruction that John apparently expected. And so, it would not be surprising that John would have some doubt about Jesus. Perhaps he thinks to himself, “I know who he is supposed to be. But I’m just not seeing it right now.” So, he sends his disciples and they ask if Jesus is the One who is coming.

When these disciples come and ask Jesus the question, it would make sense for Jesus to act like that man with the winnowing fork in his hands. It would make sense for a ‘fire and brimstone’ Jesus to condemn John for daring to have doubts. For questioning who Jesus is. But this is not what happens. Instead, Jesus speaks to the disciples sent by John with love and compassion. The text makes it sound like Jesus was teaching and healing as these disciples approached. And so when he turns to them and answers John’s question he says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

The response was not condemnation for having expectations that Jesus was not living up to. Instead, it was referencing the prophecies and promises of Isaiah. Isaiah spoke God’s Law to the people. He called them to repent. And to those who believed and had faith in the Lord, he also proclaimed God’s abundant mercy. Jesus tells John, through his disciples, that he is exactly who John thought he was. He is the Christ. He is the one with the winnowing fork. But it is not time for the fork to be wielded.

Jesus was saying that now is the time for a preaching of repentance. Now is a time for healing. For forgiving. The time for the dead, both physically and spiritually, to be raised. And the one who is blessed is the one who is not ashamed of Jesus.

Things are not too different today. It is still the time for the preaching of repentance. It is still a time for healing. Today it is a spiritual healing that we provide. It is the spiritual life that is resurrected. Through the preaching of the Word, ears are opened and the deaf hear. The blinders are lifted, and people can see.

It is easy for us to look at the people in the Bible and feel superior to them. Why didn’t Israel stay faithful as they left Egypt? How could they reject God and his judges and seek an earthly king? How could John not see that Jesus is exactly who he said he was the first time Jesus approached in the desert? Well, because they are human and sinful. We, as they did, have ideas of what is supposed to happen. When it does not, we quickly question, doubt, or blame. And thankfully, Jesus is not waiting with a winnowing fork to toss us into the fire.

There are those today who say that doubt is better than faith. This is false. They assert that questioning God is an act of faith. That is ridiculous. It is sinful. But that is not to say that a Christian who has faith will never doubt. We see it this morning with John. He knows who Jesus is, but he does not see things working out like he thought they would. Another example is the Father of the boy with an unclean spirit. He asks Jesus if he can help. When Jesus replies that

Fear and doubt are no strangers to the Christian. Fear is a natural response to a serious illness. Doubt can creep into the minds of those with the strongest faith. Even after the resurrection, there was fear and doubt in the disciples. Even as they worshipped Jesus as their Lord and God. Sometimes it is hard to wrap your head around some of what we believe, teach, and confess:

How can the water of baptism do such great things? As you know, it is not the water, but it is the water with the word of God in and with the water. In other words, it is because of God’s promise attached to that water. We know this. We believe this. But I also remember a time that I had my doubts about it.

When you doubt, you are free to go to your Savior and tell them to him. You are free to express your doubt, your frustration, your fears. And when you do, you do not have to worry about an angry God ready and looking for a reason to destroy you. You find a loving God who desires his children to have a healthy fear and to trust that he is working all things out for the good of those who love him.

The reason you can be sure of this is because of John’s words about Jesus the first time he saw him in the wilderness. Jesus is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world. He came as the babe in Bethlehem to be a sacrifice. He came to Jerusalem to be your atonement. To be your liberator from the slavery of sin, death, and the devil. He took his seat on his throne when he was lifted upon the cross. Where his blood flowed, forgiveness was won, and salvation was accomplished.

Jesus had no condemnation for John as John’s disciples left to return to him. Instead, Jesus had praise for him: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet…Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” This was said for John’s disciples to hear. So that they would relay it to John as well.

There is no rebuke for John, but that does not mean you can doubt everything. When Peter scoffs as Jesus says that he must suffer and die, a swift and stern rebuke comes. When Zechariah doubts the angel Gabriel’s word that Elizabeth will have a son, he is struck mute. This doubt was faithless. Yet Mary’s questioning of Gabriel did not bring rebuke. It was a doubt of wonder. It was like she said, “I know what you say will come to pass, but I don’t understand how…”

We prayed this morning that God would “hear our prayers” and “lighten the darkness of our hearts.” God hears our prayers, and he lightens the darkness. He does so as he gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. That is, he delivers faith to those who do not know him. He strengthens faith in those who trust in him yet struggle. And this gives us joy. And in joy, we anticipate his coming. Not just as we remember him born of the Virgin, and not only in his promised return. But we have joy even today as we anticipate and enjoy his presence here in our midst. As he comes in his Body and Blood to feed and nourish you. To forgive your sins. To strengthen your faith in the hearing of his Holy Word. To be the answer to all your doubt.

And so, as the name of our Sunday invites us to do, let us Rejoice in the Lord always. For he has come to us and for us. He has covered our sin and has forgiven our iniquity. He speaks to us peace and revives us in body and soul. Again I will say, Rejoice. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

Luther Burns the Bull — and Other Things

On December 10, 1520, the grace period given Martin Luther in Pope Leo X‘s bull Exsurge Domine expired. The proclamation labeled Luther’s views heretical and gave him sixty days to condemn his own views or be excommunicated. No one, least of all, Martin Luther, expected him to do so. The document also ordered the burning of Luther’s books. Very few places, all devoted to the papacy, actually succeeded in doing so. When the rumor spread that Leipzig, just across the river Elbe from Wittenberg had done so, Luther’s friends planned a response.

On that morning, Philipp Melanchthon announced that the University would respond by burning truly heretical books. They gathered several editions of the Canon Law, the works responsible for turning confession into an ordeal and the books of Eck an other opponents of Luther. John Agricola, an early friend of Luther, organized the bonfire, set just outside the city gate. He could not convince any of the professors to give up their copies of scholastic theology, so they were content to burn what they had. In the middle of the burning, Luther comes up and throws in his copy of the bull. With this action, Luther and his friends parted company with the Pope and all those loyal to him. Then he and the university professors returned to the city. The students, however, organized a funeral for the canon law, complete with songs. Rumor embellished the action. Luther wrote Spalatin to inform the Elector, who gave it tacit approval.

Why don’t you come already?

Sermon on Ezekiel 36:22-28
Tuesday after the Second Sunday in Advent
Kramer Chapel
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
8 December 2020

Text: Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Intro: O Emmanuel, our king and our Lord, the anointed for the nations and their Savior, Come and save us, O Lord our God. Amen.

“Come, Lord Jesus, Come!” we’ve been saying for weeks now as we reviewed last things: the signs of the end, the Lord’s urging: “keep watch!” the Second Advent, the great judgment seat, sheep and goats, the heavenly Jerusalem, eternal life at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. “Come, Lord Jesus!” Indeed! So, we shout with Isaiah, “why don’t you tear open the heavens and come already! 2020 has been a miserable year in the world, in a vale of tears, in the shadow of death. ”Why don’t you come already?” We think, even though as Christians we know better – especially as pastors, seminarians and professors. Yes, we know what St. Peter told us Sunday, that the Lord is not slow as we suppose. But it doesn’t change our longing for him to get on with it! We’re like kids on a long road trip – are we there yet?

The people of Israel in exile thought the same thing. So he repeated his promise to his people – he would return them from exile – and much more.

They didn’t deserve God’s action to save them – and neither do we.
1. Though he was a husband to them, they went after every idol and put their trust in them.
2. They claimed his name, worshipped him sometimes, yet ignored his law and abused others.
3. And so they cheapened his name, ruined his reputation and gave reason to gentiles not to believe in him.
4. Their hearts were hard as rock.
5. Yet he loved them and did not wish that they would die.

Therefore he made a New Covenant with them – and us – in His own Blood.
1. He did rip open the Heavens when he came, not in glory, but in a baby born to a virgin.
  1. With his own blood he bought us, his holy bride, and for our life he died.
  2. With Water and the Word, he cleansed us of our sins.
  3. He put his Holy Spirit in us, giving us beating hearts that love him and our neighbor.
  4. While we wait for him, we are not alone. He remains with us until the end of time itself.