Palm Sunday Sermon Zion Lutheran Church, Guttenberg, Iowa and St. Paul Lutheran Church, McGregor, Iowa 29 March 2026 Rev. Michael Brent Keller
Dear saints, the Jewish leaders have wanted to kill Jesus for months, if not years. Finally, they get their chance. Judas goes to the chief priests and asks, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” The answer, thirty pieces of silver, was enough for him, and he started looking for the opportunity to earn that silver.
Jesus is not ignorant of this scheme, and He speaks of it in the Upper Room. He had always known His hour was coming; that He would be handed over to those who hated Him and be crucified. But that also does not mean He wanted Judas to commit treason against his God. But the time does come. Judas brings a mob to the garden, and Jesus is arrested, and your Lord’s passion is well underway.
Something else occurs in the Upper Room. Jesus warns of what is coming, and Peter boldly proclaims that, even if the rest run away, he would never. “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”
But they all run in the garden. And Peter enters the courtyard near where Jesus is tried. During the trial, two different slave girls asked if Peter was a disciple. Finally, a different bystander asks. The denial turns to oath and culminates with invoking a curse upon himself. And then, the crow pierces the air, and Peter begins to weep bitterly.
As this happens, Judas is also paying attention. And when he sees Jesus condemned, he regrets what he did. He changes his mind. But notice what Scripture says he does not do: repent. Nonetheless, he feels the weight of what he has done, and it leads him to return to the chief priests. Those who are supposed to be the shepherds who guide and share the word of the Lord. He confesses his sin and brings back the silver. But whatever absolution Judas sought, he did not find. These religious leaders have no compassion for Judas, and in their hatred of Christ, they also dismiss his remorseful disciple. They leave it to him to care for his sin. And in grief, Judas throws the silver at their feet and flees the temple.
But the guilt remains. And it breaks him. Sorrowful for his betrayal, Judas fails to seek his Lord. Perhaps he feared what would happen if he did. Even after he sought those who hated Jesus and who treated him with contempt. And now, instead of looking to Jesus for absolution, he takes the priest’s advice. And to make matters worse, he decides that he must be the one to pay for the curse he has put himself under by betraying innocent blood. He judges himself guilty, sentences himself to death, puts himself on a tree, and hangs himself. He knows the Law. He knows the penalty. And so, he takes it all upon himself. He condemns himself and dies for his own sin.
But Peter does not deal with it himself. He does not try to fix it himself. Instead, he stays with the rest of the disciples. On the day of the Resurrection, he is with them in the upper room. He is with them in the days that follow when he decides to go fishing. And he is with them when they encounter Jesus on a seashore. Where Jesus questions and absolves him, restoring him to the Twelve. And when he leaves, he is unburdened.
Judas betrays our Lord, and Peter denies Him. But afterward, Peter is repentant while Judas is remorseful. Peter receives absolution from his Lord. Judas is counselled by the priests to deal with it himself. Something he does with tragic consequences. When you sin against your Lord and God, the same options stand before you. You can feel bad for what you have done and try to fix it yourself, or you can run to your Lord and know that His absolution is there for you.
Today, the week that leads to the cross begins. Your Lord enters Jerusalem as King and will soon take up His throne on Calvary. There, He wins for you salvation…redemption… absolution. We see the effect of Judas’ betrayal. But even more, we witness the place where absolution for Peter…for you…is claimed. Amen
In Israel, an ancient inscription is set in the floor of a church. Verbum Caro Hic Factum Est (here the word was made flesh). Emperor Constantine had the church — and these words — built there in the 4th century. (300s). There, his mother, Helena, was told that God had become a man. It is not in Bethlehem. It is Nazareth, the place thought to have been the girlhood home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ancient tradition identified it as the place where the Angel Gabriel had announced the incarnation of the Eternal Son of God in her womb. Here, it was believed the impossible happened — the finite contained the infinite. The Author of Life became the child of a Jewish girl. To all Christians who confess the doctrines of the Nicene Creed, she is known as the θεοτόκος (theotokos) — the bearer or the Mother of God.
On March 25th, the church celebrates it as the Annunciation. We celebrate on March 25th — nine months before Christmas — right in the middle of Lent or early in the season of Easter. From the perspective of human logic, it is backwards.
Religions invented by humans are all about people seeking God, going on a quest, doing one work after another, performing one ritual after another. Greeks and Eastern religions are all about getting rid of the flesh and the physical world, ascending into the heavens spiritually. The goal is to shed the body for what’s really important — the spiritual.
The incarnation is the first and greatest revelation — epiphany. We don’t seek God — God seeks us. We don’t strive to climb Jacob’s ladder — he comes down it. The Son of Godis the Son of Man. He is in every way like us — except he didn’t sin. He brings to us grace after grace.
The incarnation tells more than about God. It tells us that flesh and blood are good, not to be despised or rejected, but to be celebrated and accepted. We are very good, just the way God made us. We are male or female, short or tall, big or small-boned, a unique combination of traits chosen by God so that none of us — even twins — are exactly the same. In baptism, he calls us by name and writes our names in the Book of Life. What he wants is each one of us. It is for us he was born, lived a perfect life, suffered, died, rose, and ascended into heaven. And it is for us he will come again. He will call our name when he summons us from the grave and transforms us for life everlasting. The truth is, he became flesh to live with us — now and forever.
[Fifty-Eighth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism]
Encore Post: In the Lutheran faith of the Reformation, we have the Absolution*. Like nose-blindness by the baker in his kitchen, we don’t always hear it with great joy. The spoken words of forgiveness are the sweetest sound in the ears of a Christian.
* (This post was inspired by a comment from Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller at his presentation for the Lutheran Writer Round-Up at Faith Lutheran High School of Central Texas on 09 Feb 2024)
“What is confession?” Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. (SC 5.1)
For the Romanists (Roman Catholics, Eastern Rite Catholics, Western Rite Orthodox, and the like), absolution exists privately. The penitent must confess. Also, there’s an exchange rate. (Contrition + Penance = a Narrow Absolution) The absolution in this exchange is only available for the specific sins confessed and only if the penance is done correctly. It’s limited. It’s uncertain.
Evangelicals (Baptists, Reformed, Anabaptists, and the like) flatly reject verbal absolution. They’ll sometimes pop off, “only God can forgive sin.” This position doesn’t stand up against scripture as cited at the end of this article. They have strong preaching and teaching of forgiveness. But there’s no actual delivery. Worse, there’s a limited forgiveness for the “saved.” The concept of “backsliding” and the practice of rebaptism flow from that limitation of God’s grace.
Episcopalians & Anglicans, who lean heavily towards Rome, have a thing like the public absolution. Their assurance of forgiveness is not an actual absolution. Without verbally forgiving sin, the certainty is taken away.
The Enthusiasts (Pentecostals, Holiness Churches, AME Churches, and the like) look inside themselves for assurance. Their certainty rests upon feeling forgiven and demonstrating a zeal in the faith. Without emotional zeal and a feeling of forgiveness, there’s only hopelessness or uncertainty. With the internal zeal, there’s just pride.
Progressive Christians (including many denominations, but encompassing the whole of the ELCA) live in a psycho-social theology. Internally, they’ll embrace a notion that I just have to “Forgive myself.” Externally, they’ll reject the details of God’s Law, citing unkindness, racism, or colonialism. For the progressive, there is a new Law with ever-changing names (Political Correctness, Progressivism, Critical Theory, Wokeness, or whatever term comes next). Forgiveness for me, but not for thee. Or, I don’t even need forgiveness. Like the medieval saintly system, the New Law accepts penance/atonement only from you. Set things right by being an ally and fighting the close-minded Christians.
Naturally, the pagans (Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Polytheists, Spiritualists, and the like) don’t get it either. They are trying to balance the scales even harder. Only Christianity features a God who comes to us. Only in the Lutheran church do we find the absolution spoken for you. Pastor speaks as he is commanded in the stead and by the command of Jesus. Yes, a man can forgive sins.
Pastor doesn’t forgive by his own power, ability, or volition. He does it in the stead and by the command of God. He’s following orders given, like a servant does. “When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” (John 20:22-23) “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)
Pastors, faithful pastors, Lutheran pastors, forgive the sins of penitent sinners. It’s an inescapable demand of their office. God has given us this gift for our certainty, confidence, and comfort.
[Fifty-First in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism]
At first, it seems like a strange question to ask — even the wrong question to ask. Since Baptism is God’s work to save us, why wouldn’t we want to be baptized? There are several reasons this issue comes up. The first arose during the Reformation. The Anabaptist movement believed that children are innocent and that God does not hold them accountable until a later age. The Augsburg Confession (Article Nine) and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (Article Nine) firmly reject this argument (more in a later post on infant baptism).
The other reason is that in this sinful world, sometimes people die without being baptized. Lutheran theologians answer the question by saying Baptism is necessary but not absolutely necessary for salvation. Baptism is necessary because God commands us to baptize and to be baptized. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:37-38) Jesus tells us that you cannot enter the kingdom of God if you are not born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5) Yet the Scripture is very clear that the preaching of the Gospel also is a means of grace, which creates faith (Romans 10:14-17), forgives sins, and brings everlasting life. (Romans 1:16)
So, God’s word can save, even when the opportunity for a Christian to be baptized has not come. But God is so rich in his mercy that he gives his grace over and over again, in the form of the preaching of the Gospel, the baptizing of his children, and in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and in Absolution. Each means brings forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in its own way, providing us with certainty that we are God’s own and will live with him forever. We refuse them at our own peril, for God gives them to us for our good and strengthening in the face of the assaults of the world, devil, and our sinful desires. While God requires us to do so, so they are necessary, it is more that we get to enjoy these blessings.
[Fiftieth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism]
Perhaps the point of greatest conflict between Lutherans and the Evangelical movement is our confidence that the Bible teaches that baptism saves you. As I noted in another post, most Protestants think of Baptism as a simple ceremony in which a Christian declares that he puts his faith in Jesus as his personal savior. They think of baptism as something we do, and so think that to say that baptism saves us, that it is the same thing as saying salvation is something we earn by what we do. Yet the Bible clearly says, “Baptism saves you” (1 Peter 3:21-22) and “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)
If Lutherans believed that baptism was something we do, we also would reject the teaching that it saves. After all, the heart and center of the Lutheran confession is that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone for the sake of Christ alone. But we believe what the Scriptures teach, that salvation is God’s work, not ours. God the Father saved us, not by what we have done, but by washing us and renewing us in baptism by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:4-7) Jesus gave himself for the church, cleansing us by the water and the word. (Ephesians 5:25-27) In Christ, through faith, God has buried us with Jesus in baptism and made us alive with Christ, forgiving our sins. (Colossians 2:11-14) So, when we say we are saved by baptism, we are saying that God saves us by baptism.
In my congregation, we have been reading and studying the book of Isaiah now for quite a while. A theme that I have come across a few times now is this: You become what you worship. And when one worships false gods, he takes on their characteristics. And when one worships the true God, the same thing occurs. Let us note a time or two when worship of an idol leads Israel to become like the idol they worship.
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah is called to preach so that the people of Israel would not hear, and that they would actually become blind and deaf. And again in Isaiah 42, the Lord speaks of His people as being deaf and blind. The idols they worship are unable to speak, hear, or move. For more, see Isaiah 44. You can see a great story about this in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah’s showdown with the false priests of Baal takes place on Mount Carmel.
This phenomenon of becoming like what you worship is not isolated to Isaiah or 1 Kings 18, though. It can be traced at least to Exodus. In Exodus 32, the Israelites are waiting on Moses, who had gone up Mount Sinai to speak with the Lord and receive the Instruction (Torah/Law) of the Lord. However, the Israelites lost interest in waiting for Moses. They cry to Aaron to make for them a god to worship. Aaron gathers gold from the people; he melts it down and makes a golden calf. Left unbroken, calves are difficult to manage, especially if you desire them to wear a yoke. They are stiff-necked and stubborn. How is Israel described in later episodes by Moses and the Lord? They are “stiff-necked” and “stubborn” because they do not follow the Lord and His Word. Israel worships a golden calf, so Israel becomes like a stubborn calf unwilling to follow its master.
During this Lenten season, I encourage you to examine yourselves. What are we fearing? In what are we placing our trust? Whom or what do we love? Luther says in the Large Catechism, “Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your god.” So, what are you becoming like?
Is there something positive to say about the phenomenon that we become like the thing we worship? Indeed! And it is a true blessing from God. Through His Service to us, He is working to conform us to His image as we hear His Word and receive from the Sacraments. We are to become like that which we worship. What does the Lord look like? Consider how He is self-sacrificial, giving His life for us at the cross. Christ our Lord intercedes for us as our Great High Priest before the Father in Heaven. What can we do that emulates this? We cannot save another; only Christ can do that, but we can and should love our neighbor through our prayers on their behalf. Like Jesus with us, let us be patient with one another. Like Jesus listening to His Father in Heaven and coming to earth as a man, let us listen to and obey our parents and those put in authority over us. Coming to the Divine Service to hear and gladly learn God’s Word. This how we become more like the God that we worship.
As Lent continues, let us continually pray: Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word, that we be brought into a life that conforms more with Your good and gracious will, now and into eternity. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word, that we might be brought into a life that conforms more and more with Your good and gracious will now and into eternity. Through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Invocavit Sunday March 9, 1522 Dr. Martin Luther Preacher at Wittenberg
The challenge of death comes to us all, and no one can die for another. Everyone must fight his own battle with death by himself, alone. We can shout into one another’s ears, but everyone must be prepared finally to meet death alone. I will not be with you then, nor you with me. Therefore, everyone must know for himself the chief things in Christianity, and be armed with them. These are the same things which you, my beloved, have long ago heard from me.
In the first place, we must know that we are the children of wrath, and all our works, intentions, and thoughts are worth nothing at all. To prove this point we must have a clear, strong text, and although there are many such passages in the Bible I will not overwhelm you with them, but ask you to note just this one, “We are all the children of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3) And pray, do not boast in reply: “I built an altar, I gave a foundation for masses,” etc.
Secondly, That God has sent us His only-begotten Son that we may believe in Him, (John 3:16) and whosoever will put his trust in Him, should be free from sin and a child of God, as John declares in the first chapter, “He gave them power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name.” (John 1:12) Here we should all be thoroughly at home in the Bible and be ready with many passages to confront the devil. In respect to these two points nothing seems to be lacking or amiss, but they have been rightly preached to you. I would be very sorry if it were otherwise. No, I am well aware and I dare say, that you are more learned in this matter than I, and that there are not only one, two, three, or four, but perhaps ten or more, who have this wisdom and enlightenment.
Thirdly, there must also be love, and through love we must do to one another as God has done to us through faith. For without love, faith is nothing, as St. Paul says, 1 Corinthians 13:1, “If I could speak with the tongues of angels, and of the highest things in faith, and have not love, I am nothing.” And haven’t you failed here badly, dear friends? I see no signs of love among you, and I observe that you have not been grateful to God for His rich gifts and treasures.
Let us beware lest Wittenberg become Capernaum. (Matthew 11:23) I notice that you have a great deal to say of the doctrine which is preached to you, of faith and of love. This is not surprising. A donkey can almost chant the lessons, and why shouldn’t you be able to repeat the doctrines and formulas? Dear friends, the kingdom of God — and we are that kingdom — consists not in speech or in words (1 Corinthians 4:20) but in deeds — in works and exercises. God does not want hearers and repeaters of words (James 1:22) but doers and followers who exercise the faith that works by love. For a faith without love is not enough — rather it is not faith at all, but a counterfeit of faith, just as a face seen in a mirror is not a real face, but merely the reflection of a face. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Fourthly, We need patience, too. For whoever has faith, trusts in God and shows love to his neighbor, practicing it day by day, has to suffer persecution. For the devil never sleeps, and continually molests. But patience works and produces hope, (Romans 5:4) which freely yields itself to God and finds comfort in Him. Thus faith, by much affliction and persecution, ever increases, and is strengthened day by day. And the heart which by God’s grace has received such virtues must ever be active and freely expend itself for the benefit and service of the brethren, even as it has received from God.
And here, dear friends, one must not insist upon his rights, but must see what may be useful and helpful to his brother, as St. Paul says, Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are useful.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) We are not all equally strong in faith. Some of you have a stronger faith than I. Therefore, we must not look upon ourselves, or our strength, or our rank, but upon our neighbor, for God has said through Moses, “I have borne and nourished thee, even as a mother her child.” (Compare with Deuteronomy 1:31) How does a mother nourish her child? First, she feeds it with milk, then oatmeal, then eggs, and soft food. If she weaned it and at once gave it the ordinary, coarse food, the child would never thrive. So we should also deal with our brother, have patience with him for a time, suffer his weakness, and help him bear it. We should give him milk for food, too (1 Peter 2:2), as was done with us, until he grows strong, too, and thus we do not travel to heaven alone, but bring the brethren, who are not now on our side, with us. If all mothers were to abandon their children, where would we have been? Dear brother, if you have suckled long enough, do not at once cut off the breast, but let your brother be nourished also. I would not have gone so far as you have done if I had been here. What you did was good, but you have gone too fast. For there are also brothers and sisters on the other side who belong to us, and must still be won.
Let me illustrate. The sun has two properties, light and heat. No king has power enough to bend or guide the light of the sun. It remains straight in the place where it shines. But the heat may be turned and guided, and yet is ever about the sun. Thus, the faith must always remain pure and immovable in the heart, never wavering. But love moves and is guided, so that our neighbors may grasp it or follow us. There are some who can run, others must walk, still others can hardly crawl. (1 Corinthians 8:7-13) Therefore, we must not look upon our own, but upon our brother’s powers, so that if he is weak in faith, and attempts to follow the strong, he may not be destroyed of the devil. Therefore, dear brethren, obey me. I have never been a destroyer, and I was also the very first whom God called to this work. Neither can I run away, but must remain as long as it pleases God. I was the first, too, to whom God revealed it, to preach His Word to you. Moreover, I am sure that you have the pure Word of God.
Let us, therefore, take up this matter with fear and humility, cast ourselves at one another’s feet, join hands with each other, and help one another. I will do my part, which is no more than my duty, for I love you even as I love my own soul. (Ephesians 6:12) For here we battle not against pope or bishop, but against the devil, and do you imagine he is asleep? He doesn’t sleep, but sees the true light rising, and to keep it from shining into his eyes, he would make a flank attack — and he will succeed, if we are not on our guard. I know him well, and I hope, too, that with the help of God I am his master. But if we yield him but an inch, we must soon look to it how we may be rid of him. Therefore all those have erred, who have consented and helped to abolish the mass — in itself a good undertaking, but not accomplished in an orderly way. You say it was right according to the Scriptures. I agree, but what becomes of order? For it was done recklessly, with no regard to proper order and with offense to your neighbor. If, beforehand, you had called upon God in earnest prayer and had obtained the aid of the authorities, one could be certain that it had come from God. I, too, would have taken steps toward the same end if it had been a good thing to do. And if the mass were not so evil a thing, I would introduce it again. For I cannot defend your action, as I have just said. To the papists and the blockheads, I could defend it, for I could say: How do you know whether it was done with good or bad intention, since the work in itself was really a good work? But I can find nothing to reply to the devil. For if on their deathbeds the devil reminds those who began this affair of texts like these, “Every plant, which My father hath not planted, shall be rooted up,” (Matthew 15:13) or “I have not sent them, yet they ran,” (Jeremiah 23:21) how will they be able to withstand it? He will cast them into hell. But I have a weapon to brandish in the devil’s face, so that the wide world will become too small for him. I know that in spite of my reluctance, I was regularly called by the Council to preach in this place. And I would that you should have the same assurance as I. You could so easily have consulted me about the matter.
I was not so far away that you could not reach me with a letter, especially since I did not interfere with you in any way. Did you want to begin something, and then leave me to shoulder the responsibility? That is more than I can undertake, and I will not do it. Here one can see that you do not have the Spirit, in spite of your deep knowledge of the Scriptures. Take note of these two things, “must” and “free.” The “must” is that which necessity requires, and which must ever be unyielding, as, for instance, is the faith, which I shall never permit any one to take away from me, but which I must always keep in my heart and freely confess before every one. But “free” is that in which I have choice, and may use or not, yet in such a way that it profit my brother and not me. Now do not make a “must” out of what is “free,” as you have done, so that you may not be called to account for those who were led astray by your exercise of liberty without love. For if you entice any one to eat meat on Friday, and he is troubled about it on his deathbed, and thinks, Woe is me, for I have eaten meat and I am lost! God will call you to account for that soul. I would like to begin many things, in which but few would follow me. But what is the use? I know that those who have begun this thing, and when push comes to shove, cannot maintain themselves, and will be the first to retreat. How would it be, if I brought the people to the point of attack, and though I had been the foremost to exhort others, I would then flee, and not face death with courage? How the poor people would be deceived!
Let us, therefore, feed others also with the milk which we received, until they, too, become strong in the faith. For there are many who are otherwise in accord with us and who would also gladly accept this one thing, but they do not yet fully understand it — all such we drive aware. Therefore, let us show love to our neighbors, or our work will not endure. We must have patience with them for a time, and not cast out the weak in the faith. Much more should we regulate what we do and do not do according to the demands of love, provided no injury is done to our faith. If we do not earnestly pray to God, and act cautiously in this matter, it seems to me that all the misery which we have begun to cause the papists will fall upon us. Therefore I could no longer remain away, but was compelled to come and say these things to you.
This is enough about the mass. Tomorrow we speak about images.
Translated by A. Steimle. Edited and Language Modernized by Robert E. Smith From: The Works of Martin Luther. Philadelphia: A. J. Holman, 1915, 2:387-425.
Encore Post: Very early in the Church’s history, new Christians studied the faith intensively in preparation for baptism. It soon became the custom to baptize them during the Easter Vigil and to spend the forty days prior to Easter fasting and completing their instruction in the faith. These students (also known as catechumens, from the Greek meaning “to instruct”) were joined in the fast by their catechists (instructors). Both groups valued this discipline highly, and the entire church joined them in their study.
For this reason, the readings in the season of Lent are keyed to the basic doctrines of the faith. They serve as a kind of spring training for the Church as it prepares to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter. Often, Bible classes turn to a study of Luther’s Small Catechism (from the German word meaning “instruction book” or “handbook”).
[Twenty-Eighth 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 judgment 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 judgment: “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 scribes had caused a riot to break out. Pilate, being afraid, gave Jesus over to them that they might crucify him.
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.
[Twenty-Fourth in a series of posts on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism]
Benjamin Franklin, like many of the leading thinkers of his time, liked to compare God to a clockmaker. God was a master craftsman. He skillfully formed the many precision parts of creation. Like the clockmaker, he assembled his ingenious machine, each piece carefully assembled, balanced, and put it in its proper place. He then wound it up and set it in motion. He then left it alone, only rarely touching it to clean it. God, Franklin thought, was watching us — from a distance.
While God is indeed a great craftsman, he is not distant at all. The Scripture tells us he is involved in every detail of our lives. He maintains the distance between Sun and Earth with precision. He controls the seasons, rains, and all their rhythms. His providence gives us all we have and need to live and enjoy our lives. Sometimes he does it directly, and other times he uses the people, things, and creatures in this world. He even contains the evil our sins let loose in this world.
We tend not to notice all these ordinary miracles and are tempted to believe our blessings come from our own efforts. When things don’t go well, we blame God as if he doesn’t care about us. We can’t comprehend that God can permit sin and evil in the world without being its cause. This is another mystery we encounter when we try to understand our creator.
This is why it is good to build thanksgiving to God into our daily lives, when we wake, when we eat, when we worship, and when we sleep. Most especially, it is good to thank him for his mercy in Christ Jesus.
