From the Pulpit

Posted on April 21, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

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Easter 4 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud April 21, 2024
Acts 4:1-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18

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You are on a business trip driving down the road with a coworker when you hit a bone-jarring pothole. Your coworker looks at you with a grimace and softly says, “Ouch!” You calmly reply, “No worries, it’s a rental car.”

It seems that human nature is to care for something better when it is your own rather than belonging to someone else. We have some ugly expressions that reflect this idea. We say, “That team got beat like a rented mule”, or more horribly, “beat like a red-headed stepchild.” If it is not your own then you are thought not to care as much for it. And it seems that this is nothing new.

Jesus says, “11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

This is unbelievably good news. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, does not treat you like a rented mule; like someone else’s sheep. He cares for you as one of His own sheep. Jesus loves you as His own. You belong to Jesus.

You are the sheep, Jesus is the shepherd. So, who is the wolf? It is the devil. The devil is ever prowling. Ever looking for another sheep to drag away and devour.

You are one of those sheep out in the field doing what sheep do. You hear a noise in the grass and look up and you see the gray fur moving through the meadow. You stare and see the wolf raise up his head and look right at you. You can see the look of hunger in his eyes; you see his sharp teeth as he snarls. You are in great danger. The wolf is coming to destroy you. The wolf is coming to tear you apart and consume you, leaving nothing but a lifeless pile of bones.

You panic, but don’t know what to do. The wolf senses your panicked confusion and pounces toward you, bounding over the grass in gigantic strides. You freeze in fear and await certain death. The wolf is going to get you.

But, just as the wolf takes his final leap to snatch you, the shepherd steps in between you and the wolf. The shepherd blocks the wolf with his staff and the wolf turns his attack to the shepherd. The wolf’s long, sharp teeth tear at the shepherd’s flesh bringing forth blood and agony as the shepherd offers Himself to the wolf in order to protect you. The shepherd continues to give himself to the wolf until the shepherd lies dead in the grass.

All this you watch, trembling with great fear. Now the shepherd is dead. The shepherd gave his life to protect you. But for what purpose? You are now left all alone to face the wolf.

The wolf circles the dead shepherd for a few moments and then slowly moves toward you… licking his lips… already tasting your flesh.

But then, incredibly, the shepherd is back… standing between you and the wolf. He has come back from the dead, and the wolf, seeing the resurrected shepherd flees–with his tail between his legs.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

You see Jesus’ love for you for you in that He is willing to die to save you. He willingly lays down His life to redeem you. He lays down his life… out of love… for you.

John talks about this love in the epistle reading today, “16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,”

And then John teaches what it means to be one of the Good Shepherd’s sheep. Since we know His love, in the same way we should love one another, “and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

Jesus cares for us as the shepherd, not as a hired hand. We are to care for one another not as hired hands, but out of great love for one another. We cannot treat each other like rented mules.

We are certainly called to love our own. We are called to look after and love our families. We are called to care for our loved ones. The question is, who are our loved ones?

In marriage men promise to love their wives the way Christ loves the church. That is a heavy responsibility. If a man is out walking with his wife and a big, angry dog approaches, the man’s duty is to step between his wife and the dog and, if necessary, get bitten to protect his wife.

As we marked the remembrance of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, it is good to note the many men who gave up their places in the life boats in order to save the women and children.

So, who are your loved ones? As a follower of the Good Shepherd, as one for whom the Good Shepherd has laid down his life, you are called to love not only your family, but you are called to love one another. You cannot treat others like they don’t belong to you. You are united as sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock. These others belong to you. You belong to them.

You are called to lay down your life for your brothers and sisters. And while we pray it will not come down to actually having to die for one another, you are called to selflessly love one another. To give up your own desires in service to others.

There is great teaching about love in 1 Corinthians 13 which is often read at weddings, but this scripture is not particularly about married love. It is about how you should love one another as fellow sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock.

With the Good Shepherd you are safe from the wolf; safe from the devil. The devil has no power over you to snatch you away or scatter the flock.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV and my translation) 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 [Love supports without limits, trusts without limits, hopes without limits, never gives up.]

This is the love you are to have for each other because you have already been saved by the Good Shepherd. This is the kind of love you have for each other because you already are part of the Good Shepherd’s flock. The Good Shepherd is the one who has washed you clean and poured onto you His very name. The Good Shepherd is the one who feeds you with His very Body and Blood, the same body and blood that He offered to the wolf in your place. The Good Shepherd loves you because you are His own.

With the Good Shepherd you are safe from the wolf; safe from the devil. The devil has no power over you to snatch you away or scatter the flock.

But the wolf does not give up easily. He will do all he can to stir up dissension among the sheep. He will do all he can to get the sheep to bite and harass each other. He will try to get you to treat others as if they do not belong to you. He will tempt the sheep to act like there is no shepherd. He will entice the sheep to run away from the Good Shepherd. He will accuse the sheep, telling you that since you are not able to perfectly love one another that you must not really be the Good Shepherd’s sheep. As you deal with others, the devil will try to get you to treat them like rented mules instead of treasuring your fellow sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd.

But the wolf has no standing. The wolf is powerless against the Good Shepherd. The wolf has been undone through the power of the cross of Christ. So do not give the wolf any leeway. Do not try to fight the wolf on your own as if you could go toe to toe with the Prince of Darkness. Do not engage with the wolf. You will just end up a tasty snack for the evil one.

Rather, resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) And when the wolf comes prowling; when the wolf comes stirring trouble; when the wolf comes accusing, simply point him to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and say, “I belong to Him.”

Amen.

Posted on March 31, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

The Thrill of Victory

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The Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 31, 2024
Is. 25:6-9, 1 Cor. 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8

This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lamb who was slain has begun to reign! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

This is the Feast of Victory! Feel the thrill of victory.

What does victory feel like? It feels great to get an A on a test or a promotion at work. It is a great feeling to win a youth soccer game or watch your kid win. Victory feels wonderful.

I am not old enough to remember the feeling when the U.S. won a war, but I imagine the end of World War II must have been just incredible for those at home and those in the fight. The fighting is over. The war is won. The enemy is defeated. The sacrifices have been worth it. Victory is ours.

What does victory feel like? For avid sports fans it is that feeling when your team wins the national championship. Whole cities lose their minds with the elation of being the victorious champions.

Try to imagine for a moment that feeling of victory. The joy…the excitement…the elation…the utter jubilation. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100…1,000…1 million. This is the Feast of Victory for our God. The Lamb who was slain has begun to reign. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! This is the greatest victory of all time. Jesus has the victory and He gives the victory to you.

For those old enough to remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports, there is the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat. And since we are celebrating victory it means someone has been defeated. Who today suffers the agony of defeat? Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Early that Sunday morning 2,000 years ago, Jesus emerges from the tomb, alive and well, and sin is defeated, death is defeated, and the devil is defeated. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world and the Lamb rises from the dead to show total victory. Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Jesus defeats sin. Sin is your enemy and your enemy has been defeated. Now sin is tricky. You are a natural born sinner who likes to sin, but as a baptized child of God you are called to struggle against sin. The struggle often does not go well. It is very frustrating to realize you are in bondage to sin and cannot free yourself.

Why are you a sinner? Are you a sinner because you sin, or do you sin because you are a sinner? Which statement is better? I am a sinner because I sin. Or, I sin because I am a sinner. Which is the better answer? It is the second. You sin because you are a sinner. And when did you become a sinner? At the moment of conception. You inherited sin from your father, who got it from his father, all the way back to great-great-grandpa Adam. You sin because you are a sinner and that does not seem fair, but it is the way it is. You try to stop sinning, but, as we talked about a couple of weeks ago you don’t know how bad you truly are until you have tried really hard to be good.

The struggle with sin is frustrating and can lead people to become self-righteous and say, “I might be a sinner, but I am not as bad as that other guy,” Or it can lead you to despair because you can never be good enough. But neither of these is necessary. Jesus has defeated sin. Jesus has cancelled the power of sin. Jesus has victory over sin. Jesus has covered over your sin with His robe of righteousness. While you still struggle with sin and temptation, the war is won. When God looks at you He does not see your sin, but rather He sees Jesus’ perfection covering you. Jesus declares you to be righteous, innocent and blessed. Jesus proclaims your sins are forgiven, and if Jesus declares it, it is true. In Christ you are a saint of God as we hear in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” You are forgiven all your sins because Jesus’ death and resurrection has been applied to you. Sin has been defeated. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Death has been defeated. Death…is…defeated. This is huge. Anyone who has stood beside the grave of a loved one knows death is the enemy. Death feels so absolute, so devastatingly final. At the grave it really seems that death has the victory, but Jesus’ resurrection changes all of that. Jesus defeats death. As we heard last week at Lazarus’ grave Jesus announces, John 11:25–26 (ESV) 25 … “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. …” In your baptism you have been given the gift of eternal life. Though you die, yet shall you live. As Christians we grieve, but not like those who have no hope, because the grave is not forever. On the Last Day Jesus will call you out of the grave and your spirit and body will be reunited and you will rise up in your perfected, imperishable, immortal body to go and live with Jesus forever, and as St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 (ESV) 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the Feast of victory for our God! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Jesus is victorious over the devil. That wily liar has been slithering around since the Garden of Eden repeating his age-old question of temptation, “Did God really say?” The lying devil calls God a liar and your sinful side loves to think that God is lying because your sinful self wants to pursue all kinds of things that God has forbidden. On that Friday, the devil thought the cross was the end of Jesus. The devil thought he was victorious, but the devil was wrong. While the devil did not know it, Jesus conquered Satan on the cross at Golgotha and victory was complete that Sunday morning at the empty tomb.

That Sunday morning Jesus descended into hell to preach a victory sermon to the spirits in prison. As we read in Colossians 2:15 (ESV) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

This is the feast of victory for our God. You have the thrill of victory. Sin, death and the devil have the agony of defeat.

The devil has been defeated. He has been bound and cast into the bottomless pit. The devil cannot seize you and drag you away. He cannot take hold of you unless you invite him in. Now, the devil is still in the world, and you still need to be on guard against his deceptions and temptations. You need to stay aware of the devil’s yearning to have you stop loving God and stop loving your neighbor and instead follow your own desires and make sin your lifestyle. The devil is wily, but the old evil foe is like a dog on a chain. It is easy to avoid a chained up dog, but he will try to get you to come close and pet him by making sin seem harmless and normal. Do not be fooled. While restrained, the devil can still tempt, so know his temptations. As we learn in James 4:7 (ESV) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” You do not belong to the devil. You do not answer to the devil.

The devil will try to accuse you of your sins. Rebuke him. Martin Luther wrote in a letter to a friend, “When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made a satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also.” When the devil tries to accuse you, remind the devil that he has been defeated. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

This is the feast of victory for our God. You have the thrill of victory. Sin, death and the devil have the agony of defeat.

The victory has been won. The victory is yours in Christ. Today we rejoice as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and victory over sin, death and the devil. Today we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but this is not a once-a-year celebration. We celebrate victory each Sunday as we remember Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Each Sunday we remember that greatest Sunday, victory Sunday, as we again receive the gifts of God’s forgiveness and eternal life.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

Posted on March 30, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Agnus Dei

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Good Friday 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 29, 2024

The Jewish father goes into the sheep pen to select the best year old male lamb. Once he has identified the perfect one he maneuvers to separate that lamb from the flock and pins him against the wall of the pen gets a hold of the frightened 120 pound animal and puts a rope around its neck so he can lead it out of the main pen to a special small pen made just for this lamb. Four days later the father will kill the lamb and collect its blood and paint the blood on the doorposts and lintel of his house. The Lord promised Moses that whoever’s house is marked by the blood of the lamb, that house will be protected when the Lord comes to kill the firstborn in all of Egypt. The Lord will pass over any house marked by the blood of the lamb.

The Jews would continue to kill a lamb, roast it and eat it every year on the 14th day of the first month to remember the Passover.

Over the centuries the blood of countless lambs was shed at the Temple in Jerusalem to atone for the sins of the children of Israel. As we learn in Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) 22 … without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” The blood of those lambs provides a partial cleansing; a temporary pardon. It allows life with God in this age, but not… in the age to come.

John the Baptist sees Jesus coming to the Jordan and declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Today we remember that the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God, comes to Jerusalem for the Passover. He comes to Jerusalem for the festival that remembers how the blood of the lamb protected the children of Israel in Egypt. He comes to offer Himself as the perfect, final sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.

Jesus tries to prepare His disciples for what is going to happen. He tells them three separate times. As we heard in our Gospel reading a couple Sunday’s ago, the last warning and promise on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem is most specific. Mark 10:33–34 (ESV) 33 … “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

The Lamb enters Jerusalem on Sunday. On Thursday the Lamb of God eats the Passover meal with His disciples. There is a lamb on the table and there is the Lamb at the table. The Lamb transforms the once-a-year eating of lamb in remembrance of the Passover into the frequent eating of the Lamb for the forgiveness of sins. The Lamb gives you His body to eat and His blood to drink. Eating and drinking not only in remembrance of His death, but to receive the body and blood of the Lamb in, with and under the bread and wine for forgiveness and eternal life. In baptism and in Holy Communion you are marked by the blood of the Lamb. Ephesians 2:13 (ESV) 13 …now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

After dinner, the Lamb goes to the Garden with His disciples to pray and prepare. At the Garden the ones who will kill the Lamb choose from the flock the perfect Lamb for the sacrifice. They separate the Lamb from the flock, bind Him and lead Him off.

On Friday the bound Lamb is silently led to slaughter. Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

The sinless Lamb is led to the slaughter and sheds His blood to save you from the Lord’s judgement. His blood is poured out and given to you. In your baptism you died with Christ and you were raised with Christ. Your sins are covered by the robe of Jesus’ righteousness made white by the blood of the Lamb. You are protected by the blood of the Lamb. 1 Peter 1:18–19 (ESV) 18 … you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance artist in Wittenberg Germany at the time of Martin Luther. Cranach and his Son painted the altarpiece for St. Peter and Paul Church in Weimar Germany. There is a lot going on in this painting of Jesus’ crucifixion. One thing is that the artist paints himself into the altarpiece and depicts blood flowing from Jesus’ side arching down onto the artist’s own head. He wants to show that the blood of Christ is given directly to each Christian without an intermediary priest or saint.

Jesus’ blood flows directly to you and you are marked by the blood of the Lamb. You wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness which covers all your sins. Like the Jewish homes in Egypt, you are marked by the blood of the Lamb so, at the judgement on the Last Day, you will be protected from eternal death. 1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) 7 …For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

The sinless Lamb of God shed His blood for you to wash away all your sins. He gives His life in exchange for yours. He dies on the cross as the perfect, final sacrifice. His body is taken away, wrapped for burial and laid in a borrowed tomb. The Lamb has been slain…He shed His blood for you. You are marked by the blood of the Lamb. Amen.

Posted on March 29, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Father Figure

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The Good Father Figure at the Passover

Vicar Kinne

Maundy Thursday, 3/28/2024

Texts: John 13:1-17, 31-35; Exodus 12:1-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

A father figure, a servant, and sacrifice. We find these three things both in Exodus twelve at the institution of the Passover, and in John thirteen on the night when Jesus was betrayed and washed the disciples’ feet. God’s Holy Word is written by the hands of people who witnessed these momentous events, and we, as the church, listen to them like little children learning from their parents. Through these words we learn to believe in God’s power and strength over death by faith in the crucified and resurrected Lord.

What comes to your mind as the image of a good and faithful father? Is it the man who works hard every day to make sure his family is fed and has a comfortable place to sleep at night? Is it the man who goes out to mow the lawn in the hot summer heat and looks after the house? Does he protect his family in times of danger? Maybe this man spends quality time with his wife and children and is not embarrassed to show them affection and kindness. A good father tends to the needs of his family. If he does not take care of his family, or even try to look after his household, is he worthy of being called “good”?

Surely, in this broken and sinful world we all have seen or may have experienced a bad role model of a father. Yet even if someone knows firsthand what a “bad” father is, they should be comforted by our Father in heaven who is not just good, but is the definition of good for all. He sent His son, Jesus, into our world to tend to our needs and protect us from all evil.

In the instruction from God to the Hebrew people regarding the Passover, each man is to sacrifice a sheep or goat without blemish and eat it on the fourteenth day of the first month with his family. Through this eating and drinking, the family has fellowship with each other and with everyone else who eats the meal in their home. In this celebration, little children are taught by their fathers how God saved the nation of Israel from Pharaoh and his army and escaped death through the Red Sea waters. God set up this Exodus plan to save His children, and then He instructs every father to serve future generations by partaking in this meal and teaching his children the story of God’s salvation from Egypt.

But if a man decided not to celebrate the Passover, what would this mean for his family? The children would miss the annual fellowship of the Passover meal. There would be tension because the father refused to do his God-given duty. The family would never hear the story of God’s saving power and thus be separated from the family of God. And it does not stop there! The children who never learned the stories would not be able to pass them on to the next generation. They would all be outcasts, not only in earthly traditions, but also in heaven. They would perish because of the sinful pride of their mute father who did not teach God’s will to them. This one sinful man we cannot call a “good father” because he potentially cuts off his lineage from the story of salvation. Thus, we should add to the image of a good earthly father that he be inspired by the Holy Spirit and follow God’s instruction to teach his children the Gospel of God’s saving plan through the Savior. His story telling and his participation with the people of God would be serving His family through eternity.

In John 13, Jesus is set up as the good father figure. Jesus is sent to do the will of God among men to save the world from sin, death, and hell. Just as it is the will of God for earthly fathers to tell the story of salvation to their children, Jesus becomes the disciples’ “father” as they celebrate the Passover. In verse 33 Jesus addresses His disciples as, “Little children”. But Jesus did not only teach the story of the Passover. Through His body and blood given on the cross, He fulfilled it. But before He goes willingly to His death, He teaches three new things to His disciples.

First, he washes the disciples’ feet. This action of Jesus removing His outer garments and wrapping a towel around His waist like a servant and getting on His hands and knees makes the disciples uncomfortable. They call this man “Rabbi,” “Teacher,” and “Master”. Surely a man of such status should not expose Himself and act like a slave! But just like the children at the Passover meal who ask the good Lutheran question to their father, “What does this mean?” Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus then turns to them and says, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

Through this teaching, Jesus sets up the model of what it means to be a servant in God’s kingdom. The disciples would not be able to understand it fully until after the crucifixion, but Jesus displayed the rest His humility. He not only undressed down to the clothes of a slave, but while being led to the cross, Jesus stripped Himself willingly of His authority among man and from the good graces of His Father in heaven. At the cross Jesus took on the full wrath of God upon Himself thus protecting His children from utter condemnation. He put himself before all people, and a servant of God’s Word will do the same.

You are called, as Christ’s chosen people, to serve your brother before serving yourself. Is that too hard to understand? Well, given the circumstances of our broken sinful nature, it is. As the prophet Isaiah (59:7-8) says regarding the sinful people of Israel, “Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.” Follow the words of the Father teaching His children through Proverbs 1:15, “my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths.”

Because you are made of sinful flesh, your feet want to carry your body away from God’s will towards a dark and corrupt path. Jesus knows His disciples suffer from the same thing. They are all about to betray Jesus by denying Him and giving Him up to the crowds who kill Him. They may not nail Him to the cross themselves, but their feet ultimately run away in cowardliness towards evil.

Jesus foresees these things, and when Peter says, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head,” Peter does not yet see that his feet are all that matter to equation because they carry his body to the courtyard later that evening where he denies his teacher three times. Jesus washes their feet because He is the only one worthy of cleaning them from their sin. He is the only father figure that protects them from their own selfish pride. Thus, the father figure becomes the servant to save His children.

At the end of the supper, Jesus teaches a second time. He institutes a new meal; one that binds himself and all members of the church in fellowship. Through the bond of Christ’s death and resurrection in this meal, the disciples are fed the true body and blood of their Lord. Just like the lamb sacrificed for the Passover, Jesus’ body is sacrificed to cover the cost of the whole worlds sin so that God’s righteous wrath will pass over all who put their trust and faith in the blood of the Lamb in the New Covenant. Christ does not teach a symbolism that this bread and wine represent His body and blood. He teaches that He is truly there. Because of this, forgiveness and salvation are delivered into the believers’ body giving true fellowship with the Servant who sacrificed Himself for all.

The third and final thing Jesus teaches His disciples is this, “…love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus is sent to earth to do His Father’s will. The Father wants you to be His own and He wants to have fellowship with you because He loves you as a good Father does. When Jesus teaches His disciples as little children, He hands down the Father’s will to them. And through them, they hand down the teachings of Christ and His love for one another to the next generation all the way to the church today. These teachings handed down throughout history bind us in unity and fellowship by faith and love.

How then do you love one another? Start by look at the example of our father figure. He serves and sacrifices Himself willing to forgive you and save you. We are to be living sacrifices to each other just as a good father sacrifices himself to love and protect his family. And when the Lord permits it to happen, we are to hand down this love to our children. This way, we may find all believers alive in the body of Christ and the world will see Jesus in His glory. At the resurrection we will feast together with our Lord in body and soul. No longer will our feet need washing because we will not run towards evil. Our bodies will not decay, our feet will be made clean in the blood of the Lamb. Our bodies will be perfect, because the Lamb without blemish gave up His perfection for our salvation.

We, children of the Church, are to mirror the actions of our father figure, Jesus Christ, because of His service and His sacrifice to the world. We give our lives to each other because He first laid down His life for us. Amen.

Posted on March 24, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Yelling at the Dead

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Palm Sunday 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 24, 2024
Zech. 9:9-12, Phil. 2:5-11, John 12:12-19

The Gospel of John is fascinating with intricate themes and ideas that run throughout John’s account of Jesus’ ministry. In John chapter 5 Jesus is in Jerusalem for a feast and while there he heals a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath Day. The paralyzed man rejoices, but the Jewish leaders are angry because — John 5:8 (ESV) 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” The Jewish leaders declare, it is not lawful to carry your bed on the Sabbath Day; it is unlawful to work on the Sabbath, but Jesus explains, John 5:17 (ESV) 17 … “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Who is this man who claims to have authority over the Sabbath day? The Jewish leaders are irate and want to kill Jesus for calling God his own father and making himself equal with God. Jesus goes on to explain the relationship of God the Father and He, the Son, and then Jesus says, John 5:25 (ESV) 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” “The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God.”

What is He talking about? How will the dead hear anything? They are dead. As with many things in the Gospel of John this teaching refers to multiple things, but as we jump forward to chapter 11 we clearly this in action. Jesus is at the tomb of Lazarus, his beloved friend. Lazarus has died and has been dead for four days. Jesus arrives too late to keep him from dying and now stands outside Lazarus’ tomb as folks roll the stone away very worried about the stench of death. With crowds gathered to watch this bizarre spectacle Jesus shouts into the tomb at the dead man. “Lazarus, come out!” What an idiot this Jesus is. He is yelling at a dead man. But, hold on… what was it that Jesus said earlier? John 5:25 (ESV) 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

Jesus yells, “Lazarus, come out!” and Lazarus… comes out. Jesus raises a man from the dead by yelling at him. And this is not something that happened in some faraway little town up in Galilee, this is in Bethany on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives; very near Jerusalem. Now, they did not yet have X, formerly known as Twitter, to instantly share a video of Lazarus coming out of the tomb and being unwrapped from his grave clothes, but how long do you think it took for everyone in Jerusalem to hear that, in Bethany, a dead man came back to life and walked out of his tomb? That kind of news spreads like wildfire.

The Jewish leaders are in a panic. This has to stop. The chief priests and the Pharisees gather the council to do damage control. Caiaphas, the high priest that year speaks to the panicked gathering, John 11:49–50 (ESV) 49 … “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” One man should die, and so they plot to kill Jesus. Jesus retreats for a time to Ephraim and then returns to Bethany to have dinner with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Jesus disappears after raising Lazarus and now He is back. John 12:9 (ESV) 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.” The raising of Lazarus continues to be source of great interest and excitement and the chief priests decide they not only have to kill Jesus, but also put Lazarus back in the grave, John 12:11 (ESV) 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.”

There is excitement in the air in Jerusalem. A crowd witnesses Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Later, word spreads that Jesus is in Bethany having dinner with Lazarus, and a large crowd gathers. The next day, the large crowd in town for the Passover hears that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem, John 12:13 (ESV) 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

And then Jesus fulfills Zechariah’s very specific prophecy. Zechariah 9:9 (ESV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Jesus has come to Jerusalem to die, but not to stay dead. As He has the power to raise Lazarus from the dead He also has the power to raise Himself from the dead to conquer death. Jesus is the fount and source of forgiveness and resurrection and eternal life and He gives that gift to all who believe.

Amidst all the fervor surrounding Lazarus being raised from the dead, the King of Israel is entering Jerusalem looking sort of ridiculous riding the steep path down the Mount of Olives on a small donkey. The crowd is enthralled. Who is this man who can raise the dead by yelling at them? Maybe He will do it again. The crowd wants to know more. They cannot get enough of this new teacher. This Jesus movement continues to gain momentum. John 12:19 (ESV) 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The crowds welcome the King, the Son of God, who can speak life into the dead. They cry out “Hosanna!” Which means, “Please save us.” The chief priests and the Pharisees are afraid of Jesus and want him dead. Tension is high in the Holy City. Jesus has come to Jerusalem to die and this should be not be a surprise to anyone. Jesus has been predicting His death throughout the Gospel of John. John 2:19–21 (ESV) 19 … “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” … he was speaking about the temple of his body.” John 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.. John 10:17 (ESV) 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” In John 12, when Lazarus’ sister Mary anoints Jesus’ feet and Judas complains about the waste, John 12:7 (ESV) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.”

Jesus has come to Jerusalem to die, but not to stay dead. As He has the power to raise Lazarus from the dead He also has the power to raise Himself from the dead to conquer death. Jesus is the fount and source of forgiveness and resurrection and eternal life and He gives that gift to all who believe.

As Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha, John 11:25–26 (ESV) 25 … “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. …”

You are now the crowd following Jesus because you know that He did not stay dead. You know Jesus is the resurrection and the life. You were dead in your sin and you heard the voice of the Son of God calling you to new life in Him. You know that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and on the last day Jesus will call out to you in the grave and command you to come out. And you will rise from the dead and come out of the grave in your new, imperishable body and you will go to live forever with Jesus in the Heavenly City of New Jerusalem. Until then you gather each week to welcome Jesus coming to you in His Word and in His Body and Blood. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” Amen.

Posted on March 17, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Who is the greatest?

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Lent 5 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 17, 2024
Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:32-45

When you go to a professional sporting event; a football, baseball, basketball, soccer game or a hockey match, there is that magical moment when you walk through the tunnel into stands of and emerge into a bright new world. As you sit and look around during the game, ask yourself, “Who is the greatest one there?” The star player, the coach, the celebrity in the sky box? Who is the greatest? It is an age old question.

Sometimes it seems that being one of Jesus’ 12 disciples would have been amazing, but being a follower of Jesus is really rough on the 12 disciples. This teacher is like no other and it is hard to keep up with all that He is doing and with all that He is teaching and all that he is saying is going to happen. He is amazing. He heals the sick, He raises the dead, He makes the blind see, He feeds thousands with five loaves of bread and a two fish. The movement that started out so small is growing and growing. Jesus is the Christ of God, the Messiah, the anointed one who has come to save His people. His success and influence grows and grows, but then He keeps saying these strange things about what will happen when he goes to Jerusalem.

Mark 8:31 (ESV) 31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” The first time Jesus says this is right after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. When Peter hears that people are going to hurt Jesus, Peter declares that he is not going to allow it to happen. Peter will protect Jesus. But instead of being grateful for Peter’s care, Jesus rebukes Peter harshly. Mark 8:33 (ESV) 33 … “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

The next time Jesus teaches about what is going to happen in Jerusalem is after His transfiguration on the mountain and driving a demon out of a boy. Mark 9:31 (ESV) 31 …“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”

This time the disciples do not know what to say — so they remain silent. Although, it seems that as they travel along the road the 12 engage in the age old question, “Who is the greatest?” Jesus is teaching them the ways of God, but they are clinging to the ways of man and Jesus reprimands them. Mark 9:35 (ESV)

35 … “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Now, in today’s reading they are on the road to Jerusalem and Jesus tells them a third time, Mark 10:33–34 (ESV) 33 … “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

This scene is really crazy. Jesus and the disciples are on the road to Jerusalem and Jesus has said that in Jerusalem they are going to condemn Him, mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. You do not have to be a genius to figure out how to make this better. There is an easy answer to this problem. Just stop. Stop going to Jerusalem. Turn around and go the other way. They are going to kill you in Jerusalem. Turning around is the plan that makes sense. But Jesus’ ways are not the ways of the world. Jesus’ ways do not make sense to the world.

So, how do the disciples respond to Jesus’ third description of what is going to happen to Him? Rebuking Jesus for talking like this did not work. Being silent did not resolve the tension. Maybe they should just change the subject. James and John ask Jesus to do whatever they ask — and what is it they want? Mark 10:37 (ESV) 37 … “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” James and John have figured out who is the greatest and it is the two of them.

The issue of greatness is an age old problem. We desperately want other people to know that we are better than them. In the corporate world there are marks of greatness displayed by those who have achieved success and by those who want to achieve. You dress for success. It matters greatly about the brand of your shoes and your wristwatch, the cut of your jacket, the cost of your car, and the color of your credit card. These things are meant to impress others. Where you sit at a sporting event shows your status. Are you in the skybox or right behind home plate, or are you way up top in an obstructed view seat? Your natural, sinful self wants others to see how great you are. Even after being reprimanded earlier for arguing about who is the greatest, James and John still want everyone to know that they are Jesus’ favorites; they are the greatest.

These two disciples do not comprehend what Jesus is repeatedly saying and He tells them, Mark 10:38 (ESV) 38 … “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” The spots to the right and left of Jesus in His glory are already reserved for two lowlifes who will be crucified next to Jesus who has made Himself a lowlife being executed on a cross.

Jesus will pray that this cup might pass, but He indeed will drink the cup of God’s wrath. Jesus will be baptized in his own blood and intense suffering and torment. He will be immersed in God’s wrath as the penalty for the sin of the whole world.

Can James and John drink the cup and be baptized with Jesus’ baptism? They will, but not until Jesus has drunk the cup and been baptized and left the blessing. You also drink the cup and are baptized with Jesus’ baptism. You drink from Jesus’ cup at the Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 10:16 (ESV) 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” You have been baptized in Jesus baptism. Galatians 3:27 (ESV) 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath and He was baptized with suffering and death on the cross. His cup and baptism are, for you, a cup of blessing and a baptismal blessing, but there is still suffering attached. To follow Jesus is to take up your cross. James learns this when he is executed by the sword of Herod Agrippa in 44 AD. John is grieved by the death of his brother and the other nine disciples executed for the faith. It is thought that John is the only disciple to have died a natural death, although as an old man he is exiled to the island of Patmos where he receives the vision he records in the book of Revelation.

You are a baptized child of God. You drink from the Lord’s cup of blessing and this marks you as an enemy of the world. The world hates you because it hates Jesus and you are one with Jesus. The ways of the world say you should reject Jesus to avoid the hate and the suffering and the self-denial; to avoid the cross. This is the way of the world, but Jesus teaches, Matthew 5:11 (ESV) 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” God’s way is different than man’s way.

Oh, dearest Jesus, what law hast thou broken? Jesus broke the law of the world that seeks after personal greatness, power, and glory. Despite knowing what will happen, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to give His life as the ransom for you.

Jesus knows that figuring out who is the greatest is the way of the world; declaring your greatness is the way of man. Self-promotion is the how the world operates but that is not how Christians live. Mark 10:42–44 (ESV) 42 …“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Christianity is radical rebellion against the culture. To be great is to be a servant to others. As you enter the stadium remember the greatest at the sporting event is not the star player, not the coach, not the celebrity, but rather perhaps the security guard or the person grilling the hamburgers or the one sweeping the stands afterward. Christian greatness is very different. It is a very different life to be a Christian — humbly serving others instead of promoting yourself.

Jesus’ life on earth was a life of serving others culminating in the ultimate service of giving His life in exchange for yours. Mark 10:45 (ESV) 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Oh, dearest Jesus, what law hast thou broken? Jesus broke the law of the world that seeks after personal greatness, power, and glory. Despite knowing what will happen, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to give His life as the ransom for you.

The people of the world know how to avoid the difficulties and suffering of the cross. They reject the cross and they are left in their sin. Jesus comes to earth for the very purpose of going to the cross to save you. Contrary to everything that makes sense, Jesus gives Himself for you. The Lord of the Universe is your servant. Take up your cross and follow Him. Amen.

Posted on March 3, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Ugly, stupid, weak failure

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Lent 3 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 3, 2024
Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Cor. 1:18-31, John 2:13-22

My morning routine is when I first get up I turn on the TV news and then pause it. When I get back later to eat breakfast I can watch the news and fast forward through the commercials. I mostly just want to hear about the weather for the day and the commercials feel like a waste of time. Plus they can make me want something that I did not desire before I saw the ad. Advertisers are smart. So often commercials will appeal to our attraction to beauty, intelligence, success and power and they are effective because we like things that are beautiful, intelligent, successful and powerful because we want to be beautiful, intelligent, successful and powerful. The world is all about these things because these things are attractive… it is only natural. As a citizen of the world it is easy to believe these are the most important things of life.

The world tells you that life is all about becoming more beautiful, more intelligent, more successful and more powerful, and then you come in here on a Sunday morning and you are confronted by Jesus on the cross. Jesus on the cross is ugly. There is nothing smart about the brutal violence and humiliation and suffering of the cross. It is utter failure and helplessness.

Being far removed from actual crucifixions you can lose the complete sense of how awful crucifixion was and how it was only used against the worst rebels and criminals. By design, it is one of the most shameful, degrading, agonizing ways to die. The one being crucified is completely at the mercy of those around him and little mercy is shown. The arms of the condemned are stretched out and nailed to a beam so that his hands are useless and his shameful nakedness is on display to all. Hanging like that, the prisoner’s chest juts forward and he is forced to work at exhaling instead of inhaling and he will quickly grow exhausted and die of suffocation. So, in order to slow down the process the Romans nail the prisoner’s feet to a board so the condemned can push up against the nails and catch a small breath before being overwhelmed by the pain. They might also perhaps put a small piece of wood under his backside so the one being crucified will squirm in agony against the nails; desperate to catch a breath; feeling always like he is on the verge of suffocation hour after hour. The Romans perfected this horrifying method of execution so they could get prisoner to last two or three days on the cross constantly praying to die. Through this process the condemned one is so broken and humiliated that anyone observing would declare, “Whatever happens, I do not want to die like that.” Crucifixion is utter powerlessness.

When you think about God and what is God like, what words come to mind? God is good, gracious, faithful, eternal, immutable, almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, love. When you think about how you expect God to act, it is easy to want to think that God is all about beauty, intelligence, success and power. It is easy to fall into thinking like the Jews that you want God to work signs. Like King Herod you want Jesus to perform at your command. You want to see Jesus’ beauty, intelligence, success and power. It only makes sense… but then there is the cross. The bloody, awful cross slaps you in the face with the truth that God’s ways are not your ways. The ways of the world and the ways of God are different. As you are repulsed by the cross and are tempted to seek a cleaner, more beautiful savior, the words Jesus used to rebuke Peter echo in your mind. Mark 8:33 (ESV) 33 … “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

The cross is awful, but to want Jesus to skip the cross is satanic. The wisdom of God is found at the cross of Christ. The power of God is found at the cross. Jesus’ strength is found in His weakness.

You come to the throne of God in weakness. The world is impressed by beauty, intelligence, success and power, but Jesus is not impressed. Jesus does not care about that. Mark 10:13–16 (ESV) 13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

You come to Jesus as a helpless, needy child. You come to Him not based on who you are but based on who He is. You come to Jesus poor in spirit, empty handed, with nothing but your sin and guilt.

Being a Christian is not about being beautiful, intelligent, successful and powerful. It is admitting that you are an ugly, stupid, weak, failure. This is why Christianity is foolishness to the world. The word of the cross is folly. How could anything good come from something so awful? The world rejects Christ on the cross because it exposes their failure and weakness when trying to be good enough.

So many churches, especially it seems the mega churches, have pushed the cross of Christ out of its center place and instead teach a message that if you are faithful enough God will bless you with beauty, intelligence, success and power. Joel Osteen teaches that you can speak these things into existence by your words. “I am beautiful. I am intelligent. I am successful. I am powerful.” Sadly there was a shooter that came into his church a couple of weeks ago, but I bring him up because he is one of the most prominent preachers in one of the biggest churches in America. But it certainly seems like the cross is foolishness to Joel Osteen.

The message of the cross is foolishness to these folks because they are teaching that the good news of Christianity is achieving the American dream. In a gospel of success there is no room for the cross and often there is no cross visible in their worship space. The people come to church not because they know they are broken and weak, but so they can find out how to be successful in life. What they receive is not the Good News; not the Gospel of Christ. They receive a damning message of “try harder, do more, do better.” Each week they return to hear again how they can improve if they just do better. They hear how they can achieve beauty, intelligence, success and power. The world seeks after these things but they are all temporary things of this life – just fleeting objectives that quickly disappear like a morning mist.

Paul warns Timothy that this will happen. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (ESV) 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Jesus covers over your ugly, stupid, failing weakness with His perfection. Jesus clothes you in the robe of His righteousness. He gives you heavenly beauty. He gives you eternal wisdom. He makes you His own child, a member of the King’s family. He gives you the crown of eternal life and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

When people make up a new religion they take Christ off the cross or minimize the cross. Muslims teach that Jesus did not die on the cross, only someone who looked like him. Mormons teach that Jesus atoned for sin in the Garden of Gethsemane and not on the cross. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus died on a stake and that the use of a cross is idolatry. They want nothing to do with the cross.

We preach Christ crucified.

You come into the presence of God here, by getting on your knees and confessing that you are a poor, miserable sinner who deserves punishment, now and forever. You come to God on your knees admitting your ugly, stupid, failing weakness. Somehow I don’t think that will make for a very pithy church sign. You come to God in ugly honesty. You come to the cross of Christ and Jesus pours out His forgiveness on you. His weakness is His power. His foolishness is wisdom for eternity.

Jesus covers over your ugly, stupid, failing weakness with His perfection. Jesus clothes you in the robe of His righteousness. He gives you heavenly beauty. He gives you eternal wisdom. He makes you His own child, a member of the King’s family. He gives you the crown of eternal life and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The cross is offensive to the world, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. And so we preach Christ crucified even though it is a stumbling block and considered foolishness. We have no other option. You called me to be your pastor to preach Christ crucified to you.

Christianity is not a set of philosophical principles to help you get along with others and improve your life. Christianity is not about making you beautiful, intelligent, successful and powerful. Christianity is Christ on the cross for you. It is Christ risen from the dead for you. Christianity is you bringing nothing but sin to Jesus and receiving from Jesus forgiveness and eternal life. It is not about you. It is about Jesus for you. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Amen.

Posted on February 25, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Would You Rather Die, or Die?

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Lent 2 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
February 25, 2024
Gen. 17:1-7, 15-16, Romans 5:1-11, Mark 8:27-35

As a pastor, one thing I get to do is be with people as they are approaching death. This is never easy time. Death tears apart families and those left behind are broken hearted. For those who have gone through the death of a loved one, I think most would agree, it is one of the most difficult times of life.

Is there anything worse than death?

There is a game the kids sometimes play called “would you rather.” Would you rather cut 40 acres of grass with a push mower, or one acre with a scissors. Would you rather gain 75 pounds or lose your job. Here is one for you today. Would you rather die or die?

For there are two deaths we face; physical death and eternal death. Would you rather face physical death or eternal death? For worse than physical death, much worse, is eternal death. Eternal death is to be forever separated from the light and love of God; to be forever in torment and suffering. It is something you do not like to think about because it is too horrible to picture, worse than anything that you can conjure up in your imagination.

You also don’t like to think about eternal death because you know that you deserve it. God demands perfection and you cannot deliver. The wages of sin is death; eternal death. Eternal death is horrible, and it is what you deserve. This is a terrible problem. It is a grave dilemma.

The good news is that God provides the solution to this dilemma. God demands perfection and God provides the perfection. God the Father sends his only Son to become like you; to take on human flesh and live with you, God with us; Immanuel. As true God, Jesus, the Christ, lives a perfect life and is the sacrifice without blemish. He comes as the sacrifice for sin. He comes to suffer and die and rise again. He comes to take your sin upon himself and carry it to the cross and pay your penalty. He then takes His perfection and gives it to you to make you perfect in Him.

Jesus comes to suffer and die and rise again. This is His mission; His destiny. But when he shares this with his disciples, Peter wants to stop him. Peter rebukes Jesus. Peter, the rough, tough fisherman will not let Jesus suffer or die.

Jesus is on a mission to save you and Peter wants to stop him. Jesus doesn’t put up with that and rebukes Peter, “Get behind me Satan. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

You too are infected by the thinking of men. You don’t want to think that Jesus had to suffer and die. You don’t want to think that all people are sinners and deserve punishment. You want to believe that there is another way to avoid eternal death. You yearn for another way. But there is no other way. You are left with Jesus on the cross. You don’t even want to raise your head to look because it is such a horror. And even more horrible than the scene itself is the knowledge that you are the cause of His suffering. You are the cause of his pain. You look up at the cross and see Jesus’ bloody face and his bloodshot eyes looking down and his eyes meet yours. And you see the look in his eyes. It is not a look of anger, or accusation, or bitterness. It is a look of love. He is up there for you. He is suffering and dying for you. He gives up His breath so that the breath of God, the spirit of God, can fill you. He goes into the grave to sanctify your grave, and rises again to enable you to rise on the last day.

In baptism you are made one with God. You are sealed in His name. The Holy Spirit fills you and your body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit; you become one with God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You become His disciple, a follower of Jesus. He is your Lord, you are His servant.

What a glorious thing to be a servant of Jesus, the Christ. But thinking on Jesus’ life you see that being one with Him will not always be easy. Jesus was whipped, they slapped and punched His face, and they hung him on the cross to die. As His follower these things can await you too. The world hated Jesus, the world still hates Jesus. As His follower, the world will hate you because your life is bound to His life. You are one with Jesus.

After rebuking Peter, Jesus calls the crowd to himself along with his disciples and says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Deny yourself? In a world full of people seeking self-fulfillment and self-enrichment, Jesus tells you to deny yourself. Give up on yourself.

Don’t follow every whim of desire for comfort or happiness. Following Jesus means giving up on yourself and looking to serve others.

Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” If they want to kill me they may also want to kill you. Being my follower means being willing to follow. It means offering your back to those who would beat you; offering your face to those who slap you, opening yourself to mocking and spitting.

Now, in this country, we are blessed with freedom and the persecution of Christians is generally minor, but there are Christians all over the world that are imprisoned, beaten and killed for being followers of Jesus. In Iran, on Sept. 18, 2023, Pastor Anooshavan Avedian, who is 61 years old with a wife and two children, was summoned by police to Evin prison to begin a 10-year prison sentence. Pastor Avedian was arrested on Aug. 21, 2020, when approximately 30 security agents raided his home while family and friends gathered to pray and worship. The group met in his home because the government closed their church several years earlier. Government agents confiscated Bibles and mobile phones and now have taken Pastor Avedian and two Christian converts to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. These things are happening in many countries and as the Western world more and more rejects Jesus, it appears to be getting worse closer to home.

What if it were you in the position to face the choice of physical death or eternal death?

There is a knock at the door; a loud insistent knock. You look at the clock and see it is three in the morning. You pull a pair of pants on over your pajamas and go to see what the problem is. You look out the window and see four police cars out front with lights flashing. They pound on the door again. “Police, open up!” You open the door.

You pray that you have the strength to say, “Yes! I am a follower of Jesus.” Despite the consequences. “Yes!”

Six men rush in and slam you against the wall and frisk you for weapons and then cuff your hands behind your back. Someone spits in your face and you can feel it run down your cheek.

A policeman in plainclothes speaks, “You have been accused of being a follower of Jesus who believes the Bible is the Word of God. No one can be that stupid anymore, but that’s what we hear. Is it true?” You turn to face them. One of them has a taser ready to fire at you. “Is it true?” You know that if you say yes, they will fire the taser and then beat you with batons and take you to jail, and then prison. It has happened to others. Not only will you lose your freedom, you’ll lose your job, your house, all your possessions, you may never see your family again. And the pain… the taser, the beatings, the torture, execution. You’ve heard the stories. You’re very afraid. The man gets right up in your face and you can feel his breath. “Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Tell me now!” The man with the taser gives you an evil smile. What do you say?

You pray that you have the strength to say, “Yes! I am a follower of Jesus.” Despite the consequences. “Yes!”

The fear is that you will be weak. That you will be like the disciple Peter who denied Jesus three times to avoid trouble. You fear that you will fall away. You fear that you have already denied Jesus, not in a direct confrontation, but in smaller ways. Denying Jesus by your actions — going along with the group when you should flee. Denying Jesus by remaining silent when you should speak or saying something when you should remain silent. The fear is you will be weak.

In your weakness, return to the cross, the source of your forgiveness. Remember who you are, not from your strength, but from the strength of the almighty. You are a baptized child of God. You are a follower of Jesus; one of his disciples. Remember, Matthew 10:28 (ESV) 28 … do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Get on your knees and pray for strength to persevere through trouble and hardship. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Cling to the cross of Christ. Be faithful unto death and receive the crown of life; eternal life. Eternal life with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, where there will be no more hardship, no more trouble, no more tears, no more sickness and no more death.

As a pastor I get to be with people as they approach physical death, but I also get to be with people at their baptisms when they receive the gift of eternal life. I get to walk with you on your journey as we follow the Lord Jesus together and await His return. If Jesus does not return soon I may get the privilege to sit at your beside as a fellow disciple as you prepare for death comforted by the peace that passes understanding knowing you will receive the crown of life prepared for you by Jesus. Amen.

Posted on February 18, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

God wants you to endure to the end

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Lent 1 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
February 18, 2024
Genesis 22:1-8, James 1:12-18, Mark 1:9-15

Drops of sweat fall from your face onto the dry grass. You are bent over, hands on your knees desperately trying to catch your breath. You have a side cramp and your legs are burning. The hot August sun beats down and you feel like you are going to throw up. Then the whistle blows again, the coach barks again, another 50 yard sprint. “Last one to finish does 20 push-ups.” Despite your pain you take off at full speed to the 50 yard line. You hate wind sprints, but the coach seems to love them.

Why would the coach put his team through such a painful trial? Is he a monster? No. He is a coach who wants to increase the endurance of his team so that they can persevere on Friday night through all four quarters until the final whistle. The coach wants his team to endure to the end.

Like a coach making you run wind sprints, God sends trials into your life to increase your endurance and perseverance. James 1:12 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”.

As you know all too well, so many trials will come in life. Sickness, injury, accidents, financial hardship, death of a loved one. Trials like these are difficult. It hurts to go through them. Trials are a constant reminder that life is hard.

Martin Luther says of this verse “… trials keep a man alert, perfect him in humility and patience, and make him acceptable to God as his dearest child.” And also, “Thus it is good for us always to be oppressed with some trouble, lest in our weakness we succumb to the offenses of the world and fall into sin.”

In this life you like to feel like you are in control of things and there are times when everything seems to be going smoothly, but it never lasts. Trials and troubles come and they are God’s way of letting you know that you are not in charge. You do not have everything altogether. You need help. You need Jesus.

This is an intimidating Bible verse because it sounds like you need to pass the test. You read this and think that it means, “If I am steadfast enough, I will receive the crown of life.” If…that is a big if. And you know this “if” is a problem.

You will face trials and tests from God and you will also face temptation to sin. Trials can come from God but God will not tempt you to sin. In this life you will endure both.

James 1:12 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

This is an intimidating Bible verse because it sounds like you need to pass the test. You read this and think that it means, “If I am steadfast enough, I will receive the crown of life.” If…that is a big if. And you know this “if” is a problem.

As a baptized child of God with the Holy Spirit enlightening you to God’s law, you know that you are not good enough. But your natural, sinful self in its pride thinks that it is strong enough to resist temptation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in his Bible Study on temptation, “Lead us not into temptation. Natural man and moral man cannot understand this prayer. Natural man wants to prove his strength in adventure, in struggle, in encounter with the enemy. That is life. …So moral man calls out evil, his daily prayer is—Lead me into temptation, that I may test out the power of the good in me.”

You want to believe that you are good enough, strong enough, powerful enough, wise enough, all on your own. You want to believe it — but then you face trials and temptations and your true self is revealed.

During World War II, C.S. Lewis gave a series of radio lessons that became the book, “Mere Christianity.” In this he wrote, “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.”

You want to believe that, like Jesus, you can stand up to the temptations of the evil one, but the reality of your failures show you, all too clearly, that this is not true. You know you would fail the test.

Thankfully, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,” is not conditional. It does not mean, if you remain steadfast, it assumes you will remain steadfast. Being blessed does not depend on your level of perseverance, but on the promise of Christ. When you remain steadfast you will receive the crown of life that is the promised gift from the giver of all good gifts. You have been saved and God has given you the promise of eternal life. You persevere through trials and tests and temptations as a genuine Christian who knows the need for a savior.

You have the promise of eternal life, but there is danger lurking and you need always to be on of taking sin too lightly or of not take responsibility for your sin and letting sin grow.

As a sinner it is easy to adopt the excuses of our first parents when God confronts them after their fall into sin. Adam blames God, Genesis 3:12 (ESV) 12 … “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Eve blames the devil, Genesis 3:13 (ESV) 13 ….“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

It is easy to fall into the temptation to blame God for your sin. “If God didn’t want me to act on them, why did he give me these desires? I’m just hot headed, I can’t help it. I’m German so I am naturally stubborn as a mule. I am so good looking the girls just cannot resist me. I can’t help it. God made me this way.

James is clear that sin does not come from God. God has nothing to do with evil. James explains temptation, James 1:14–15 (ESV) 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

James warns. Sin is serious. Sin leads to death. James 1:16 (ESV) 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” Do not be deceived. The devil, the world and your own sinful nature are lying to you trying to let your desire give birth to sin, and sin grow up into death. Flee from sin. Flee from temptation. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do not let the devil have a foothold in your life. Do not embrace sin. Do not let sin become your lifestyle.

You find out how bad you are when you are trying to be good. You know the struggle. Stay in the fight. Just because you are not good at it is not a reason to give up enduring trials and temptations. You endure because you are God’s own child, you are baptized into Christ.

There are many who claim that God changes with the times and His teachings adjust to fit our desires and the ways of the culture. Do not be deceived. God does not change. God is all good. God has nothing to do with evil. James 1:17 (ESV) 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

God has given you every good gift. He has made you His own child and given you eternal life through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He knows you will struggle with trials and temptations. He knows you cannot pass the test of being good enough. He passed it for you and gives that gift to you. And why does He give you that gift?

Why? Because He wants to. James 1:18 (ESV) 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” Because He wants to, He birthed you by the Word of truth. Sin gives birth to death. God gives birth to life everlasting. God saves you because He wants to. You are blessed for all eternity in Christ because He wants to bless you.

In this life you face trials and temptations. You will endure imperfectly but you will endure because you are God’s chosen child. God will send trials to keep up your endurance so you keep going until the last breath. Life is difficult. Cling to Jesus. You will receive the crown of eternal life. Amen.

Posted on February 4, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Jesus Works Overtime

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Jesus Works Overtime
Vicar Matthew Kinne
2/4/24
Mark 1:29-39; Psalm 13:3-5; Isaiah 40:21-31;1 Corinthians 9:16-27

Last week we learned about Jesus’ first day on the job in His ministry. We heard about how on a Sabbath day in Capernaum, Jesus was found teaching with authority in the synagogue and healing a man with an unclean spirit. By doing this, Jesus showed His divine rule over creation including Satan and his minions. Pastor Jud preached about how every word that comes out of our Lord’s mouth has authority, especially to forgive sins through His church. In our Gospel reading for today, we hear more about the power Jesus has so He can heal many people from illnesses and demonic turmoil. Jesus had to do a little bit more work as Lord of the Sabbath.[1]

After Jesus preaches and sends out the unclean spirit, He leaves the synagogue and enters the house of His first called disciples, Simon and Andrew. Much happens in the next two verses. In verse 30, Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever. But in 31 she is not. What happened that caused this immediate change? The text only says, “[Jesus] came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left,” (Mark 1:31a). All Jesus had to do was touch her, and her body was healed. And not just healed a little bit; completely! The words recorded after she is revived is not, “she rested a while to gain her strength back before serving them.” No, it says that she got up, and “began to serve them.” Her sickness vanished! It was as if she was never sick to begin with.

Unlike the commands that Jesus shouted at the unclean spirits in the previous verses, here Jesus’ commands are effective even when He does not speak. This is because He is the Word Himself, and that Word is the authority over all the earth. Having this authority does not make Jesus a tyrant or an unjust ruler. Instead, it means that He carries the responsibility of everyone. As Lord of the Sabbath, it is His job to provide all daily bread and means of living and heal the sick. By healing Simon’s mother-in-law Jesus displays to His disciples that He is not only capable but willing to completely heal those who need a physician.

In verse 32, Mark gives us the timestamp of Jesus working overtime. He says, “That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons,” (Mark 1:32). In the Jewish calendar, the days begin and end at sundown. So, this time marker shows that the Sabbath day was over. Since it was against temple law for Jews to walk any further than 2000 cubits or a half mile on the day of rest, people waited until nighttime to bring their sick and demon possessed relatives to Jesus so that He could heal them. Jesus continued working after a long first day on the job. He did not rest. He did not complain. He gave help to those in need.

Could you imagine what Simon, Andrew, James, and John were thinking after witnessing everything that their new teacher was doing? They were obviously amazed and excited to be following Jesus because in the next few verses, it says that they stayed with Jesus until morning. After Jesus woke up, and went to a quiet place to pray, His disciples told Him, “Everyone is looking for you,” (Mark 1:37). But instead of going back for an encore and taking in the praise and glory from the people of Capernaum, He tells His disciples that they must all move on to the surrounding cities to preach and to heal the sick.

That must have been a shocking moment for the disciples! What other teacher can do these things? What man do you know that can do as little as touch a person and take away their sickness? What man do you know that can command demons to leave those who are possessed? And even if someone else had the power to do these things, would they heal people freely as Jesus did? The disciples are probably confused as to why Jesus would not go back and advertise Himself and receive the credit. But that is not how Jesus works. Jesus works where faith is, not popularity. Jesus gives Himself freely to everyone out of love and compassion.

These actions of Jesus are not only confusing to His close disciples, but to many people now days. Do you know a doctor that can heal any sickness on the spot? If so, please tell me. I would like to meet him. Do you know anyone capable of being as humble and willing as Jesus is? I can’t. A big concern we have is why is there still sickness? It is a stumbling block to reason why bad things happen. Didn’t God say He would be with us always? Doesn’t He promise strength and health to those who believe in Him?[2] He does, but the answer to the question “why do bad things happen?” is so simple it makes people angry. I think the anger is not only because of the simplicity of the answer, but because bad things are not God’s fault. The answer is sin, and that is our fault.

We cannot save ourselves. We cannot live a life free from sin. We are not capable of being humble and pure of heart. We are stuck in a state of sickness where there is no escape. That is, unless someone who is free from sin, pure and humble, gives us His life freely and willingly. Jesus is the elixir to life. His blood is completely poured out and His body is brutally given on that cross which unlocks the gate of sin and opens for us eternal life. He does not rest until the work of salvation is complete. He goes to the cross without complaining. And He does this willingly for you. You are now free from sin, death, and hell! Your spirit is revived and is willing to serve the Lord, just as Simon’s mother-in-law did.

But we still must live in a world affected by sin. It seems unfair. But just as Jesus moved on to the next city after healing many in Capernaum, we as the Church are instructed to do the same thing. There are many people in this world who still haven’t heard about Christ. There are people who still deny that Jesus comes to us in His means of grace. These people need to hear that they are set free from the bondage of sin through Christ’s death and resurrection. God established His church on earth so that these lost souls can be found and brought into His fold. He leaves us here, until the resurrection, so that there is a time of grace for people to repent and believe that Christ the Crucified works on our behalf, so the illness of sin vanishes from us.

Just like many cannot understand that the simple answer as to why bad things happen in this world is due to sin, they also cannot wrap their head around the simplicity of how God delivers salvation from the cross to us. Pride and sinfulness causes doubt when trying to understand how God provides us His assurance through His sacraments. But Jesus [who is God] tells us that this [the Church] is the place. Jesus established it in this way. Your pastor is under God’s authority to bring you forgiveness. Just as Pastor Jud said last week, it is not the pastor who forgives, but God who uses him as the vessel to deliver forgiveness. These are the teachings Christ gave His disciples and now He gives them to us.

It may seem confusing, but if a man who is healing the sick, has power over demons, preaching with authority, and gives His perfect life so that we may live eternally, then why should we doubt His words that Baptism now saves? Why should we be concerned of drinking a cup that Christ says His perfect blood is in it? We shouldn’t be afraid because God Himself promises to be there. Faith does not come from the words of complicated men, but by the simplicity of God’s word.

When a person has finally received faith and is Baptized by the Holy Spirit in the font, no longer does the soul latch onto sin and the sickness of this world. Instead of being pummeled in fear by Satan’s grasp, they hear their saving physician’s voice, and their soul sings a similar song to our introit today:

“I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:3-5)

Jesus has healed you. You are made complete again in the work of His life, death, and resurrection. You have been set free from the everlasting illness of sin. This is a bigger and better gift than being healed of any physical sickness in this sinful world. You are free! Free indeed! Amen.

[1] And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

[2] “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:7-8