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Pentecost 9 2026, Proper 12
July 26, 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Romans 8:28-39, Matthew 13:44-52

            Life is hard.  It can certainly feel like the devil is right when he accuses you by whispering, “A real Christian wouldn’t struggle like this.”

            Let’s set the context for today’s Gospel reading.  As you heard last Sunday, Jesus and His disciples have left the crowds outside and have gone into the house.  The disciples ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the Parable of the Weeds.  The Son of Man sows good seed and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.  The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them… is the devil.  At the close of the age the angels will gather the weeds… all causes of sin and all law-breakers will be gathered and thrown into the fiery furnace. The sons of the evil one will be burned and the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. This is what will happen at the close of the age, but what do we do now?  Jesus instructs that both good seed and weeds be allowed to grow together until the harvest.  The disciples are not to try to get rid of the weeds but leave them alone until the last day.  And so, for now, the weeds grow–and it is a weedy world. 

            As a follower of Jesus in a world of weeds it can feel like you are just a poor little flower trying to fight for light as weeds grow tall and unchecked all around you.  You get affected by the weeds; their sin tempts you to sin.  This weed-filled life can feel like you have disappeared into a world of sin.  You can feel alone and worthless.  The evil one wants you to believe that there is no hope for a follower of Jesus in this weedy world.  And so, after telling His disciples that the good seed and weeds will grow together until the last day, Jesus tells two more parables. 

Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV)  44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

            Traditionally, these parables are interpreted to mean that the treasure…the pearl… is salvation in Jesus and you are the man who finds the treasure; you are the merchant who finds the pearl, you are to give up everything to attain the treasure; to possess the pearl.  You give up all that you have to gain salvation in Jesus.  This is how these parables have been interpreted.

            But… is this correct?  If we flip forward a few pages to Matthew 18 we find the story of the unforgiving servant who is having himself and all that he has sold to pay his unpayable debt.  This selling of all that you have is a shown to be a great tragedy; a great punishment.

Flip another page to Matthew 19 we find the rich young man who believes he has done all the good deeds he must do to have eternal life and Jesus tells him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor and have treasure in heaven. The rich young man is unable to do this. Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.   The disciples are concerned, “Who then can be saved.”  Jesus tells them, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

            If the treasure is Jesus, and you are the man who must give up everything to obtain the treasure, then you are lost, because you cannot give up everything.  With man this is impossible.  You cannot give up all your sin.  You cannot give up all your possessions.  You cannot do it because you are tainted with the sin you inherited from your first parents; Adam and Eve.

            If the treasure is Jesus; if the pearl is Jesus, you are lost.  But that is not the message given to the disciples who are struggling being followers of Jesus in a world full of the devil’s weeds. 

            No. Jesus is not the treasure here.  You are the treasure.  You are the pearl of great price.  Jesus is the man who finds the treasure and gives up all that He has in order to possess you. 

            You, a lowly sinner hidden in the weeds of this world of immorality and evil, you are the great treasure.  You, the one who struggles with secret desires and actions; hidden guilt and shame; you are the pearl of great value. You are the reason that Jesus Christ gave up heavenly glory to humble Himself and take on human flesh as a helpless infant.  You are the reason that Jesus lived a life of poverty as a travelling preacher.  You are the reason that Jesus, God in flesh, gave Himself up to be arrested and tried in the middle of the night.  You are the reason Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, gave Himself up to be spit upon, mocked, beaten and brutally flogged.  You are the reason that Jesus, the Word made flesh, gave up everything–allowing Himself to be stripped and nailed to the cross at Golgotha to redeem you from sin, death and the devil.  You are the reason Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death. 

            In this life you can feel like you are worthless and alone.  Do not trust your feelings.  Trust the promises of God.  You are the great treasure.  Jesus gave up all that He had in order to have you. You were sealed as His treasured possession in your baptism as the name of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit was watered onto your head.  You are God’s great treasure.  You belong to God.  Not from anything you have done, but because Jesus gave up everything to have you.

            What amazing good news.  You, who were lost in this sinful, weedy world, have been rescued.  You have been redeemed.  You have been purchased and won.  Not from anything within yourself but by Jesus giving up everything for you.  You are Jesus’ treasured possession.  You belong to God.  God is for you.

            If God is for you, who can be against you?

            The devil likes to hang around accusing you of being an irredeemable sinner who might as well go on sinning or just give up trying. But you do not belong to the devil. You are not a seed of the evil one; you are good seed, you are a son of the Kingdom because of what Jesus has done for you.

            Romans 8:32 (ESV) 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

            The devil wants to accuse you.  But his accusations are powerless. 

            Romans 8:33-34 (ESV) 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

            Jesus is for you.  The one who died and rose and ascended… justified you.  There is no one who can trump Jesus.  There is no one who can charge you.  Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.

            Life in this world is troubled.  You live among the sons of the evil one who reject Jesus.  They reject Jesus’ lordship and Jesus’ sacrifice for them.  You live among the weeds of the world, but the weeds cannot separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  You live with tribulation.  You live with distress.  There is persecution against Christians in this world and it seems to be getting worse.  There is famine in this world where there is enough food, but not in the right places. There are those who do not have adequate clothing.  There is danger everywhere.  There is warfare around the world with no end in sight.  It can seem like everything is out of control and you are tempted to hopelessness.  But even in the midst of suffering and struggle and hardship, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  You are Jesus’ treasured possession.  You are His pearl of great value.  Nothing can separate you from His love.

            Neither death, nor life.

            Nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come

            Nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord.

            Jesus gave everything to have you.  You are God’s treasured possession.  You are the pearl of great value.  You belong to Jesus.  Amen.

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Daniel English

July 11, 2026

Sermon – Pentecost 7

Romans 8:12–17

God, our Father. Christ, our Brother. The Holy Spirit, our Helper.

          Each summer our high schoolers go to the area around Asheville, North Carolina in order to do various service projects in the Appalachian region nearby, usually small construction projects. Asheville, North Carolina is also home to one of the largest construction projects. It has a historic landmark known as America’s Largest Home, the Biltmore.[1] The Biltmore is a 250-room house built on an 125,000 acre estate over a six-year period beginning in 1889. George Washington Vanderbilt II assembled a community of craftsmen and spent nearly $6 million to construct the home. 4 floors with a basement, over 10 million pounds of hand-tooled stone, millions of bricks, 1,000 workers, and $6 million dollars. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, $6 million then is like $200 million today.

          Where did George Washington Vanderbilt II get all of that money? What does someone have to do to accumulate that kind of wealth? Maybe you recognize the name, “Vanderbilt.” The answer might surprise you. George Vanderbilt didn’t do anything to get his money… anything except for being a part of the right family. George’s grandfather, Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt built a steamboat and railroad empire that he passed down to his son, Henry, who continued to grow the family estate. George simply inherited it. He was born into it.

          The idea of an inheritance is common in the Bible, too, and when it shows up, it is always about God’s will, and God’s promises, and God’s GIFT… it is never about the righteousness of the recipients of His gifts. Look at Genesis, for example: the LORD promises Abraham an inheritance of land, we call it the Promised Land.[2] And just as God promises, God delivers. He brings the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, sustains them through the wilderness, and gives them their inheritance. Moses warns the Israelites: “Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness… Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess [the] land… but that [God] may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers.”[3] God continues to remind His people, to remind us: what we receive from God is not because we are righteous, but because God keeps His promises.

          To a Christian, this is clear. How can we have earned any of the good gifts that the Lord has given to us? Which of us hasn’t struggled with doubt, selfishness, hatred, jealousy, anxiety, or fear? Rather than being content with what it is the Lord has given to us, we want what we don’t have. We want a better house or a better job. Or rather than trusting in the Lord to work all things for our good according to His purposes, we are afraid of what the future might hold. If we honestly examine ourselves, there isn’t a single commandment that we haven’t broken… that you haven’t broken… either by the things that you’ve done, or the words that you’ve spoken, or else by your thoughts. We are sinners, all of us. We don’t deserve any inheritance. Lord help us!

And He has! What we could never have done by being good enough, Christ did for us by taking on human flesh and living a perfect life. The punishment that we could never bear, Christ took on Himself at the cross. By our Baptism we are joined to Christ, and we have received the Spirit of God. The same Holy Spirit shows us that we are indeed children of God.

So George Vanderbilt inherits a fortune that Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt built on steamboats and railroads and uses it to build the biggest house in America. That sounds nice, but our inheritance is better. We are God’s children, and according to His will, we are inheritors of the Holy Spirit. It is by this Spirit that we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and cry out to God our Father, “Forgive us our sins!” And God, our Father, forgives us in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] https://www.biltmore.com/our-story/biltmore-history/

[2] Genesis 15:18

[3] Deuteronomy 9:6a, 5

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Pentecost 6 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
July 5, 2026
Zechariah 9:9-12, Romans 7:14-25a, Matthew 11:25-30

Sermons online: 
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Text:                           pastorjud.org   
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itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
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            We are drawn to spiritual giants for inspiration. In the Bible we have Moses and David and Peter.  In the history of Christianity we have Augustine of Hippo who laid the foundation for the Western Church.  Martin Luther, who stood up for the truth of the Bible in the face of great pressure and the threat of death.  C.S. Lewis with his profound spiritual writings.  Mother Theresa dedicated to serving the poor in India and around the world.  For you, it may also be someone less famous and closer to home.  Perhaps your Grandfather, or your mother who remained faithful even in times of tragedy and struggle. You look to people like these, and others, for inspiration and as an example of how to live life as a follower of Jesus.   

            In our epistle reading today we have another inspirational, spiritual giant.  He is thought to be the greatest missionary of all times who brought the good news of salvation in Jesus to churches across a wide swath of the world, traveling, it is thought, around 15,000 miles through difficult conditions on both land and sea.  His dedication and perseverance is impressive.  This is, of course, St. Paul, formerly known as Saul, who was a rabid anti-Jesus Pharisee involved in the arrest and murder of Christians in Israel and the surrounding region.  Saul was converted by Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus.  After his conversion, Paul spent the rest of his life, up until his execution, preaching and teaching the Good News of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. 

            In our reading from Romans, we get some bad news about St. Paul.  In Romans 7, Paul confesses that he has an ongoing sin problem.  Romans 7:18-19 (ESV) 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

            How can this be?  How can this spiritual giant, this greatest missionary of all time, struggle with sin.  How can it be that St. Paul battles with evil the same as me…the same as you?  It is shocking, that someone who seems like they have their faith-life house in order is, internally, a spiritual mess.  If St. Paul cannot do it… who can do it?  St. Paul has the same thought about himself that I have far too often. Romans 7:24 (ESV) 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

            Like we talked about last Sunday, life as a follower of Jesus is a constant struggle with sin and temptation.  So much of this is a battle in your thoughts.  How mortified would you be if others could read your mind and see the evil you struggle with? 

            I know my own struggles… the scary thing is… I fear that you all may struggle as badly as I do.  It is maddening.  You have been set apart by God… made holy in Jesus’ blood, and yet you still retain that old, natural, sinful self. 

It is a paradox.  A paradox is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that is… actually… true.  Until the day you die you will live in the tension of a most frustrating paradox.  You are…as Martin Luther said in Latin…Simul Justus et Peccator.  At the same time… saint and sinner.  You are — at the same time — a saint made holy by the blood of Jesus – and a sinner struggling with ugly temptations and desires.  You so much want there to be a switch that turns off your sinful nature, but frustratingly, you will struggle until the day you die. 

            So what can you learn from St. Paul about dealing with life in this paradox?  What is the answer to St. Paul’s question?  Romans 7:24 (ESV) 24 …Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  Your natural reaction is to look in the mirror and believe you can deliver yourself if you just try harder.  But that is not the answer that St. Paul gives.  Romans 7:25 (ESV) 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! …”

            The struggle is real.  You know that.  How many times have you prayed, “Lord, take away this desire… this behavior…this sin? Take it away from me.”  And yet you still struggle against the influence of the old man in you — the Old Adam.  The struggle continues, but as you live as a Christian you get better. 

            Martin Luther writes in the Large Catechism on Baptism, “What is the old man?  It is what is born in human beings from Adam; anger, hate, envy, unchastity, stinginess, laziness, arrogance—yes, unbelief.  The old man is infected with all vices and has by nature nothing good in him.  Now, when we have come into Christ’s kingdom, these things must daily decrease.  The longer we live the more we become gentle, patient, meek, and ever turn away from unbelief, greed, hatred, envy, and arrogance.”[1] 

            It is frustrating to know that you are a beloved, baptized child of God and you are in an ongoing, very real, struggle with sin.  The frustration is real, but don’t let the devil use your frustration or your failures to get you to quit.  Now, I am not much of a sports fan, but I understand a bit about baseball.  When a batter comes up to the plate his goal is to get on base, and/or advance a runner already on base.  The batter wants to get a hit, or at least get a walk.  How often does this happen for a ballplayer? 

            Some say Elly De La Cruz is the best player for the Reds. He gets a hit a little more than one out of every four times at bat.  Including walks, De La Cruz gets on base about 1 out of 3 times he is up to bat. He fails much more than he succeeds. Does he quit?  Does he get frustrated and give up?  No, he keeps getting up to bat. 

            Each morning you are up to bat for another day. Start with Luther’s Morning Prayer and pray, “…keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You…”  At the end of the day, if it was a pretty good day… or a day marked by sin and failure… pray Luther’s evening prayer, “…I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night…”

            Each day you will struggle against sin and temptation.  Strive to keep the struggle internal, known only to you and God.  Sins of thought are still sins, but they do not damage your love for your neighbor. 

            This is a very challenging part of being a Christian, but also very clarifying.  Your struggles clearly show you that you cannot do it.  You really do need Jesus.  And the great Good News is Jesus welcomes sinners who know they cannot save themselves. 

            You feel the frustration.  Paul feels the frustration and you cry out with him… Romans 7:24 (ESV)  24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  How does Jesus respond to your cry of distress in the battle against sin?  Does Jesus tell you to try a little harder and get back to Him?  Does Jesus yell, “get away from me, you filthy sinner?”

In our Gospel reading today we hear Jesus’ sweet invitation.  Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

In your struggle with sin and temptation, something changes when you realize that your salvation is not based on how well you resist sin and temptation. Romans 5:8 (ESV) 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Knowing your salvation is not based on how well you do, frees you to live in love for God and others without feeling the burden of impossible obedience.

            Imagine you were working outside this last week in the heat of the day breaking rocks with a sledge hammer while wearing a 100 pound backpack.  This is glimpse at what it feels like to try to work your way out of the burden of your own sin…it is brutal, impossible work to justify yourself before God. 

            Jesus says, “Put down the sledgehammer. Take off your burden.  Come inside where it is cool.  Sit down and rest.  Jesus gives you the yoke of learning that He is gentle and humble in heart.  Jesus is the King, but He is a different kind of King. 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 is the humble King who comes into Jerusalem on a donkey to offer Himself as the sacrifice for sins.  Jesus’ yoke brings rest as you learn that He went to the cross to suffer and die and rise again for you.  Jesus’ yoke is to learn that He set you free from the guilt of your sin and He cancelled the condemnation of the law to give you rest in the joy of your salvation. 

            When you think about inspirational, spiritual giants remember this.  They will disappoint you.  They struggled the same as you.  All of them were sinners.  Sometimes, public, notorious sinners like David and Peter, sometimes quiet, doubting, desperate people as Mother Theresa revealed herself to be in her writings found after her death.  You can look to them as good examples of sinners on the journey, but look to Jesus alone for salvation.

            And fight the good fight.  Each day get back up to bat … confident in the knowledge that you are redeemed in the blood of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Strive to live out your identity as a holy saint of God.  Resist sin and do your best to love God and love your neighbor.  And when you strike out…and you will… remember that you are actually batting 1.000 because Jesus has given you His perfection.  Do not give in to frustration.  Repent and return to Jesus who gives you rest.  Lay down your burdens and rest in the love of Christ. Amen. 

[1] LC IV 66-67

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Pentecost 5 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
June 28, 2026
Jer. 28:5-9, Rom. 7:1-13, Matt. 10:34-42

Sermons online: 
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Text:                           pastorjud.org   
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itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

            There are certain magic moments in life when your legal status changes.  Being born is a big event in life, but it is also a legal event recorded at the courthouse with a birth certificate.  On your 18th birthday you become a legal adult.  You can vote, you can sign contracts, you can borrow money, you no longer are legally obligated to obey your parents, and your parents are no longer obligated to care for you.  I suggest you voluntarily submit to their authority.  Getting married is a magic moment.  After I perform a wedding, acting as an agent for the State of Ohio, I submit paperwork to legally bind the marriage which is then recorded at the courthouse with a marriage certificate.   

            Another magic moment is death.  Your legal status changes at death.  I joke with grooms before their wedding that marriage is not forever, it is only until you die.  One day you will take your last breath, but you will not be legally dead until the doctor signs a death certificate which will be filed at the courthouse.  Upon death your last will and testament goes into legal effect and revocable trusts become irrevocable.  Death changes things.

            It may come as a surprise, but you have already died, and many of you here today have that death certificate with your name on it.  This certificate, however, is not filed at the courthouse.  This certificate is not signed by a doctor – it is signed by a pastor.  I signed some of your certificates myself.  This death certificate is also known as your baptismal certificate.  As we read in Romans 6:3–4 (ESV) 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”  In baptism you died with Christ and were raised to walk with Christ. 

            Because of the original sin you inherited from Great-Grandpa Adam you were born spiritually blind, dead and an enemy of God. By nature, sin was your master.  By nature, you were a slave to your desires. Desires can lead to eternal death. As we learn in James 1:15 (ESV) 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” 

            You were born a slave to desire and sin, but you have died to sin and desire.  Romans 7:4 (ESV) 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”  In baptism you died with Christ and have been raised with Christ.  You have died to the condemnation of the law of God, but you have not rejected the law of God. 

            There are so many people in this world who have rejected the law of God and instead, obey their desires.  Following your desires is exaltation of yourself.  Following your desires is declaring that you are your own god.  Those who live without the law of God will say, “No one can tell me what I can do with my body.”  Or, “My body, my choice.” Even if it means another body must die.  It is a life led pursuing autonomy.  “Auto” is Greek for “self”, “nomos: for “law”.  Autonomy is being your own ruler.  It is crowning yourself king of you.  It is a life unconstrained by anything beyond your own body and its deceitful desires.  It is a life lived apart from the law; apart from God, apart from salvation.

            Those who reject the law of God are offended by the law of God. We hear this in our Gospel reading today about how people will react to followers of Jesus.  Matthew 10:34–35 (ESV) 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”  The devil, the world and your own sinful nature hate God’s law and want to silence it.

            The law of God is hated because it is powerful and convicting.  When the Holy Spirit works in you to hear the law of God and apply it to yourself, there comes a devastating realization.  The law convicts you because you know you cannot keep the law of God.  The enlightenment of the Spirit reveals sin in your thoughts, words and deeds and brings you to contrition and repentance.  The Holy Spirit uses the law to bring sadness over your sin and a desire to turn from sin.

There is a natural reflex to think you can take care of your sin problem.  You desperately want to believe that you can conquer sin in yourself through hard effort, sincere repentance, diligence, and self-control.  You want to believe you can do enough good works to balance out against your sin.  You want to believe that you can do it, but the law shows you that it is not true.  The law condemns you.  The law shows you that you are a slave to sin and cannot free yourself.  The law shows your helplessness.  Alone, you would be lost forever.  Romans 6:23a (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death”. Alone… autonomous… you are condemned… but Jesus does not leave you alone.  Romans 6:23 (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  The law of God shows your need for a savior.  But the law can no longer condemn you.  You have died to the condemnation of the Law. 

            In baptism you … Romans 7:4 (ESV) 4 … have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”

            The law condemns you, but you are dead to the law. You are dead to sin.  You have died with Christ and have been raised with Him to bear fruit for God.  Praise be to God!  Jesus has cancelled the law’s condemnation of you.  The law has nothing to say to you regarding your sin.  Jesus has freed you as we read in…Colossians 2:14 (ESV) 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  Jesus took the record of your sins and nailed it to the cross where the listing of your sins disappears in the blood of Jesus.  You are free from the condemnation of the law.  You have died to sin.  You have died to the law.  You have your own death certificate from the day of your baptism. 

            You are no longer a slave to sin.  You are no longer a slave to your desires.  So what does that mean for you?  How then should you live?  Can you do whatever you want?

            There is a great danger that the devil and your lurking, old, sinful nature hear that you died to the law and they want to convince you that now you are free to return to slavery to sin and desire since the law no longer condemns.  This is known as antinomianism.  Nomos, again, is Greek for law. Anti is Greek for against.  Antinomians believe that Christians are free to disobey obey moral law. 

            Paul addresses this in Romans 6:1–2 (ESV) 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 

            You have died to sin.  You are a new creation in Christ.  The Holy Spirit dwells in you.  You are a servant of God in the renewal of the spirit. 

            So, can you do whatever you want?  Yes.  You can do whatever you want as a servant of God made holy by the blood of Jesus.  As a redeemed servant of Jesus, what do you want to do?  Indulge your sinful desires?  Get drunk? Hook up with a stranger?  Surf the dark side of the web?  Lie to your parents?  Cheat?  Steal? Hate?  What do you want to do as a holy, righteous, innocent child of God? As a holy, righteous, innocent child of God you want to love God and love your neighbor.  Not in order to be saved, but because you already are saved. 

            You are saved in the blood of Jesus.  Jesus gives you His gift of forgiveness and eternal life in the water and Word of Holy Baptism.  He continues to pour out forgiveness in His Word of absolution and in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion to strengthen you for the journey. You have the gift of eternal life with Jesus, even while you still live in this life with the devil prowling, the world trying to influence you, and your own sinful nature tempting you to sin, and return to autonomy.  

            Life as a Christian is not easy.  It is a daily struggle.  Your natural, sinful nature keeps wanting to take control and so you constantly battle sinful thoughts and desires.  This struggle reminds you that you are, by nature, sinful and unclean, and it brings you to contrition and repentance.  Your mind is a battlefield, but you fight the battle knowing that the war is won.  You fight knowing you have died to sin and the condemnation of the Law.  You are already forgiven.  Jesus has chosen you.

            When temptation comes to call, tell that temptation, “I am dead to you.”  When the devil entices you to give in to your selfish desires tell him, “I am dead to you too.”  When the devil throws God’s law in your face to try to get you to despair, tell him, “I am baptized!  I am dead to the condemnation of the law.  I have died with Christ and I am raised with Christ.”

            How should you live?  Obey God.  Not out of fear of punishment because you have died to the condemnation of the law. Obey God.  Not out of hope for reward because you have already received the reward.  Obey God. Obey out of love for God and love for your neighbor. 

It was a magic moment in your life when you came through the waters of baptism. God declares you to be justified in the blood of Jesus even though you still struggle with sin and temptation.  This is called forensic justification.  It is a legal justification.  In baptism, your legal status before God changed.  You are declared not guilty.  Your slavery to sin and desires is over.  Your slavery to trying to earn your salvation through the law is over.  You belong to Jesus.  Amen. 

The Calling of St. Matthew, by Vittore Carpaccio, 1502.

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Pentecost 2 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
June 7, 2026
Hosea 5:15-6:6, Psalm 119:65-72, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13

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            Where do you stand?  Are you one of us? Or are you one of them?  Are you one of the good people, or one of those other people?

            A Pharisee at Jesus’ time knows where he stands. He can declare with confidence, “I am doing it.  I am good enough.  I am smart enough.  I am worthy. I am righteous.  I am so much better than these lowlifes that surround me.” Jesus points this out in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  Luke 18:9–14 (ESV) 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  The Pharisee believes he is righteous and this is a spiritual stumbling block. 

            In our Gospel reading today, the Pharisees are concerned that Jesus is reclining at table with tax collectors and sinners. Now, perhaps they believe Jesus should, instead, be eating with them.  He is the cool new teacher in town and they are the leading citizens.  They are, after all, the good people.  But Jesus is not eating with them.  Jesus is breaking bread with lowlife sinners. 

            This all happened so fast.  Just this morning, Matthew was sitting at his tax booth working on behalf of the Roman oppressors.  Everyone in Capernaum knows Matthew, and knows he is an awful person. Respectable people shun Matthew.  He is a sellout.  He is an outcast.  This morning everyone knew that Matthew is no good… and now Matthew is sitting and eating with the prophet from Nazareth.  .

            Matthew and the others do not deserve to be with Jesus.  They have done nothing to show their repentance.  Matthew has not done any act of contrition.  He has not performed a period of isolation and fasting. He has not made a formal apology. He has not written 100 times on the slate, “I will not collect taxes for the Romans.”  It all happened so fast. 

Becoming a Pharisee takes a long time.  A man has to master the Torah, strictly follow the traditions of the elders and take a vow of ritual purity.  With Matthew, Jesus just walked by the tax booth, said to Matthew, “Follow me,” and Matthew left the tax booth and followed Jesus.  And now, this Matthew, who just this morning was a shunned, awful, lowlife, scum-of-the-earth sinner, is breaking bread with Jesus, as if he were an equal.

Being God in flesh, Jesus performs instant miracles. He heals the sick, and restores the crippled, and drives out demons, and it happens right away.  And, now we see that it is not only physical healing, also spiritual restoration.  Jesus, the spiritual physician, calls those sick in spirit to follow Him.  Those who recognize their spiritual sickness are welcome to table fellowship with Jesus.

            Jesus’ initial teaching after His baptism is simple, Matthew 4:17 (ESV) 17 … “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  This is a simple message, but the Pharisees do not believe it is for them. They do not believe what St. Paul later teaches, Romans 3:23 (ESV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”  Or, how Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3 (ESV) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  The Pharisees believe they are righteous and, tragically this separates them from the source of salvation.  They believe that by going through their ritual washings and ceremonies they have earned righteousness.  Jesus teaches them…Matthew 9:13 (ESV) 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

            The Pharisees are scandalized by this meal with Jesus because the tax collectors and sinners have forgotten where they stand. They have forgotten their rightful place as outcasts in life.  From another of Jesus’ parables we learn that Pharisees use formal dinners to display their social status shown by where they sit at the meal.  Luke 14:7–11 (ESV) 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  The Pharisees are all about exalting themselves above others.  Jesus exalts the humble.

            The sin of the Pharisees seems obvious, and obvious sins should be easy to avoid… and yet this is a sin nearly all of us struggle with.  It is certainly tempting to fall into the Pharisees’ error of labeling people and looking down on others.  It is so much a part of our sinful human nature to try to elevate ourselves by pointing out others’ weaknesses.  And so, we talk trash about family members, coworkers, classmates, fellow church members, fellow pastors, people in the community, people in the news.  This may be why shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Povich and Dr. Phil and Steve Wilkos have been so popular.  We like to see how messed up other folks are and think, “At least I am not like them.”  It is so tempting to try to show that you are better than others by talking badly about them, but by doing this you fall into the sin of the Pharisee praying at the temple, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men.”

            It is a grave spiritual danger to look down on others as the really bad sinners and believe that you are better than them. The Pharisees believe they are better than the others and this puts them in great spiritual jeopardy because they do not see their need for forgiveness.  The spiritually sick tax collectors and sinners eating with Jesus heeded Jesus’ call… they understand their need… and Jesus exalts them and eats with them. 

With Jesus we are all equal.  We are all sinners needing forgiveness.  We all need to repent.  Everyone needs Jesus’ forgiveness, acceptance and restoration.  Jesus is scandalous because He is radically inclusive.  He does not see the good people and the bad people.  He calls all to repent and follow Him.

            Now, some supposedly “Christian” teachers use this account of Jesus eating with sinners as a proof that Jesus does not condemn sin.  This twisted teaching originates with the lies of the devil in the Garden of Eden. “Did God really say?”  Jesus eating with sinners is not Jesus endorsing sin. Jesus is calling people out of sin and into fellowship with Him.  He is calling sinners to repent and follow Him.  To follow Jesus is transformational.  Matthew’s life is changed forever by following Jesus.  As a follower of Jesus you cannot celebrate sin. 

You are a follower of Jesus and this transforms your life and brings you struggles.  You will struggle with sin.  You will battle temptation.  You will find yourself looking down on others and thinking you are better than them.  You will, over and over, fail to act like the holy saint of God that you are. 

Following Jesus means ongoing, repeated repentance.  Each day remember (make the sign of the cross) that you are a baptized child of God made holy and pure, and each day turn again from sin and strive to live out your holiness by delighting in God’s will and walking in His ways.

            Jesus’ call is radically inclusive — it is a call to all sinners.  His call is also radically exclusive.  This is not a call for sinners to find their own way; it is a call for sinners to follow Jesus and Jesus only.  It is a call to know that Jesus is the only way to eternal life with the Father. 

            Jesus’ meal is offensive to the Pharisees because it is an event where sinners are transformed and converted.  Jesus is offering mercy, forgiveness, purity and holiness to those whom the Pharisees deem to be unworthy and undeserving.  And indeed, the tax collectors and sinners are unworthy and do not deserve forgiveness.  Just as the Pharisees are unworthy and do not deserve forgiveness. Just as I am unworthy and do not deserve forgiveness.  Just as you are unworthy and do not deserve forgiveness.  Being in fellowship with Jesus begins by recognizing that you cannot do it.  You are not good enough, you are not smart enough, you are not worthy.  That is why we begin worship the way we do. 

            Beginning our worship service with the confession of sins is not good for your self-esteem.  Admitting that you are, by nature, sinful and unclean, and that you have sinned in your thoughts, in your words and in your deeds, and that you deserve to be struck down by God and cast into the lake of fire, does not help your ego. It is not good for your self-esteem, but it does allow you to speak the truth about yourself and remember where you stand.  You are a sinner who needs Jesus, and Jesus has called you into fellowship and declared you to be His own treasure.  Your value is not being better than others… your value is that Jesus has forgiven your sins and declared you holy. 

Like Matthew, you heed Jesus’ call to follow Him.  Humbly following Jesus is radically counter-cultural and is a daily challenge of swimming against the currents of culture. Remember, you are not alone on your journey.  You are part of this family of sinners needing Jesus.  This is a family of sinners which welcomes and embraces anyone heeding Jesus call to repent and follow Him.  Each week you come to this family gathering to admit again that you are a helpless sinner… to repent of your sins… to learn about the will of God from the Word of God… and to come to table fellowship with Jesus in unity with other sinners from every walk of life to receive Jesus’ Body and Blood for the forgiveness of your sins.  You are unworthy.  You do not deserve forgiveness.  Jesus gives it to you anyway.  You know where you stand.  You are not one of the good people.  You are sinner… who repents… and follows Jesus.  You are exalted by Jesus to be one with Him.  Amen. 

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Pentecost 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 24, 2026
Numbers 11:24-30, Acts 2:1-21, John 7:37-39

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            When you think of the Holy Spirit, what symbols come to mind?  How do we represent the Spirit in Church art; in our windows and banners?  On banners and paraments and in our front window and side windows the spirit is represented as a dove because… Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV) 16 … when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 

            On banners and the Pentecost window, the Spirit is represented by a flame.  This comes from our reading today from Acts.  Acts 2:1–3 (ESV) 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.”  The Spirit is manifested as a dove and as a flame, and as wind. 

            The word “spirit” in Hebrew and Greek both mean wind or air or breath.  Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, John 20:22 (ESV) 22 … “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  The Spirit arrives on Pentecost with the sound like a mighty rushing wind.  The Holy Spirit is represented by a dove and a flame and wind, although it is hard to make a picture of wind. 

            There is another description of the Spirit that does not come so readily to mind which we find in our Gospel reading today.  John 7:37–39 (ESV) 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” The Spirit is Living Water flowing from Jesus. 

            In John 7, Jesus is at the feast.  This feast is the one everyone wants to be at so it is sometimes just called, The Feast. It is the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths.  It is a seven day festival remembering the Israelites 40 year exodus in the wilderness.  Families construct temporary huts to eat in and sleep in for seven days to remember their ancestors’ time in tents in the desert. 

            Each morning of the feast the priests go the pool of Siloam and bring back golden pitchers of water which they carry through the water gate to the temple and then pour the water out onto the altar to remember the waters of creation, and God providing water when Moses struck the rock in the desert, and also looking forward to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel.  Ezekiel 47:1 (ESV)  1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.”

            Jesus comes from Galilee in the middle of the feast and teaches in the temple each day.  Some are fascinated by Jesus’ teaching… some want to kill him… the Pharisees send officers to arrest Jesus, but they are also captivated by His teaching.  When they return without Jesus… John 7:46 (ESV) 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 

            On the last day of the feast, likely as they are pouring out the water on the altar or after they finished…John 7:37 (ESV) 37 …Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

            Jesus has been boldly teaching at the Temple since the middle of the feast, but now, on the last day, Jesus shows great audacity.  The priests have been pouring out water to remember the waters of creation, water from the rock in the wilderness, and Ezekiel’s prophecy of water flowing from the temple. Jesus stands up and claims that He is the fulfillment of all of this.  Jesus was there at creation.  Jesus is the rock flowing with water.  Jesus is the temple gushing with water.  Jesus is the source of living water.  He continues, John 7:38 (ESV) 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  This verse begs a question.  Out of whose heart will flow rivers of living water? From the believer in Jesus?  Or from Jesus Himself?  The ESV leaves it a bit ambiguous.  Some translations are specific, The NRSV says, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ 

     This passage has likely been mistranslated going all the way back to Origin of Alexandria, a Church father in the early 3rd Century.  Origin translates that the living water flows from the belly of the believer. The earlier translations are more like the New English Translation.  (NET) “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and  38 let the one who believes in me drink.  Just as the scripture says, ‘From within himwill flow rivers of living water.”  Meaning, from within Jesus.  This follows better with Jesus saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” The dispute hinges on the placement of a period.  However, the original Greek manuscripts do not have punctuation, so Origin was relying on a later manuscript that added the period.  Not to go against a church father, but I believe that the living water flows from Jesus.

            Jesus stands up and announces that He is the source of Living Water; “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Earlier, in John 4, Jesus talks to the woman at the well.  John 4:10–14 (ESV) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”… “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

On the cross, after Jesus gives up His spirit, a Roman soldier spears Jesus and from His side flows water and blood. 

In John’s Revelation He writes, “Revelation 22:1–2 (ESV) 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

            On the high day of the feast, Jesus declares He is the source of living water and then John tells us what this living water is.  John 7:39 (ESV) 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

            The Holy Spirit cannot be given until after Jesus is glorified by His suffering and death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead.  The Spirit testifies that Jesus paid the price for all your sins.  He cannot do that until Jesus paid the price for all your sins.  On that Pentecost, after the disciples receive the Holy Spirit by wind and flame, they are preaching and the people are convicted of having killed Jesus… Acts 2:37–39 (ESV) 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  Three thousand that day are born again… born from above by water and the spirit and receive forgiveness of their sins.  In baptism you receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit; the Living Water of God welling up in you to eternal life.

            You live in a dry, dusty, sinful world intent on ignoring God’s law altogether, or trying to appease God by their own good works.  You are different.  You have the Holy Spirit and so when you are confronted by God’s law you realize that the world’s ways cannot work, and you are left thirsting for righteousness.  As hard as you try, you cannot free yourself from sin.  In a sermon on John 7 Martin Luther says that the one who thirsts is the one brought into despair by the Law.  To drink from Christ, that is from the Gospel, “satisfies the thirst, makes us cheerful, and revives and consoles the conscience.”[1]

Jesus proclaims, (NET) “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and  38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within himwill flow rivers of living water.”  Amen. 

[1] Weinrich, William, John 7:2-12:50 Concordia Commentary Series, pg. 57

By Raphael – Royal Collection of the United Kingdom, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1718078

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Easter 6 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 10, 2026
Acts 17:16-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21

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            It can be intimidating to talk about your faith with an outsider; an unbeliever.  There is a fear that you will say the wrong thing or misquote the Bible or get trapped by something the other person says.

            In today’s reading from Acts we see St. Paul give us a masterclass in preaching to unbelievers.  Athens is a place that is all about various philosophies, and gods and goddesses.  Paul is in Athens teaching in the Synagogue and in the marketplace and is engaging with Epicureans who seek pleasure, and Stoics who seek virtue.  Others hear Paul and are put off by his teaching, Acts 17:18 (ESV) 18 … some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.” 

            In Athens there are laws about teaching foreign divinities and Paul is in a legal gray area.  Some seize him and bring him to the Areopagus where there is a legal counsel that wants to hear what Paul is preaching.  Paul is brilliant.  He brings up their altar to an unknown God and then teaches them about the true God.  Acts 17:23–25 (ESV) 23 … What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”  Basically, the real God doesn’t need you.  You need God.  God created all people from one man and God is close to each of us.  Acts 17:28 (ESV) 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ …”  Paul then quotes a Greek poet named Aratus who wrote a poem about Zeus.  Acts 17:28 (ESV) ; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.”  Paul pulls a reference from Greek religious poetry and applies it to the true God. 

            Paul continues by showing a glaring flaw with the Greek gods and goddesses…Acts 17:29 (ESV) 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.”  God is the creator, you cannot make god.  After proclaiming the true God, Paul warns of the coming judgment of Christ who was raised from the dead.  Acts 17:30-31 (ESV)30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 

            Some mocked Paul for teaching about the resurrection of Jesus, others want to hear him again and some follow him and believe, including a member of the Areopagus legal counsel.

            Ohhhh, to be as articulate and wise as Paul.  To be able to engage unbelievers by using their own ideas to show the true God.  This would be a great tool for us in today’s world where so many live in unbelief and ignorance of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Oh, to be able to know cultural references well enough to be able to use them to proclaim the truth of salvation in Jesus.  Paul is an amazing preacher and teacher.

            It can be intimidating to think that when you engage with outsiders that you will be nowhere near as clever and wise as Paul…and that’s okay.  You are not St. Paul.  God did not appear to you on the road to Damascus and make you an apostle and send you to preach to the Gentiles.  But you are called to give testimony. What you are called to do we find today in our Epistle reading from 1 Peter. 

            Peter is writing to Christian exiles spread out in Asia Minor who are suffering persecution from the local citizens and the Romans.  Peter is encouraging them to remain faithful despite suffering… knowing that they blessed in Christ for eternity.  1 Peter 3:13 (ESV) 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?”  It is discouraging to suffer — it can be even more troubling to suffer for doing good.  Peter continues… 1 Peter 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”  

            Despite persecution… despite suffering… don’t fear…don’t be troubled…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.  And more than that — be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.  So if the people harrassing you wonder why you don’t break down and just give up the faith, be ready to tell them.

            If those who are against you for believing in Jesus ask you, “why don’t you just give in?  Why don’t you give up on your silly Jesus?”  What would you say?  What is your defense for the hope that is in you?  This can be daunting because you can start to think that you need to be clever and articulate like Paul in Athens, but that is not what you are called to do.  You are called to simply defend your hope even under persecution.  Why do you have hope? 

            You have hope because, Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  You have hope, because you are baptized.  Your reason for hope can be summarized in six words.  Christ is risen!  I am baptized.  Repeat after me, “Christ is risen!  I am baptized!”  “Christ is risen!  I am baptized!”  These six words give the reason for the hope that is in you.  Because Christ rose from the dead it means He conquered sin, death and the devil.  In your baptism, Jesus’ victory is credited to you.  In Christ, you have conquered sin, death and the devil.  Christ is risen!  I am baptized! 

            Jesus conquered sin…1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…”  On the cross Jesus paid the price for the sins of the world and gives that gift to you. 

            Jesus conquered death — by rising from the dead. He died, was buried, but He did not stay dead.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed, alleluia!  We have extensive eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ resurrection.  Matthew, Mark, John, and Peter were there and saw the resurrected Lord and wrote down their testimony.  Luke recorded the testimony of others who also were there.  

If Jesus does not return first, you will one day die and your body will be buried, and you too will not stay dead.  Because Christ rose from the dead, you will rise from the dead.  On that day, body and soul reunited, you will go to live in the Heavenly City of New Jerusalem forever with Jesus.  Romans 6:5 (ESV) 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Jesus has conquered the devil.  The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  The devil is more powerful than you, but you do not fight the devil alone, you have Jesus, and Jesus has defeated the devil and has proclaimed his victory.

            In our reading today from 1 Peter we have this somewhat cryptic passage that is one of the main sources of the line in the Apostles’ Creed, “He descended into hell.”  Peter writes…1 Peter 3:18–20 (ESV) 18 …being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

            The line, “He descended into hell,” can be confusing. The way it is placed in the creed it kind of sounds like Jesus went to hell to suffer for three days, but that is not what happened.  Jesus went to hell to proclaim victory – Jesus defeated the devil.  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 baptism and through the Word of God you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.  With the Holy Spirit in you the devil cannot take control of you, he cannot possess you; he can only try to tempt you to sin.  James 4:7 (ESV) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

            What is the reason for the hope that you have?  Christ is risen!  I am baptized!  Jesus defeated sin, death and the devil for you.

            There is a temptation to use your salvation in Jesus as a kind of way to boast about yourself or to use it as almost a club against others. But that is not how you tell of the hope that you have.  Instead…1 Peter 3:15–16 (ESV) 15 … do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 

            In this world of evil, you will stand out for doing good.  You may suffer for doing good. Peter teaches… 1 Peter 3:17 (ESV) 17 … it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

            Be prepared to be unloved by the world.  Do good anyway.  Speak with gentleness and respect and be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have.  Remember the six words of hope.  Christ is risen!  I am baptized!  Amen. 

Stanisław Wyspiański, Motherhood, 1905, National Museum in Krakow, Kraków, Poland. Detail.

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BULLETIN

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Easter 5 2026 Confirmation Sunday
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 3, 2026
Acts 6:1-9, 7:2a, 51-60,  1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com 
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

            Think back to when you were little.  What is your earliest memory?  How old are you?  What are you doing?  I remember when I was three years old or so at preschool and the teacher is reading the book Stone Soup and the whole class is working together to make a pot of soup — not exactly sure why that stuck with me.  Now go back two or three years earlier until you are two weeks old.  What are you thinking then?  What are you doing?  What do you most desire?  You do not remember being two weeks old, but you can figure out what it is that you most desired.  You want mom to hold you tight and feed you.  You want to nurse.  You want milk.  A clean diaper and a burped belly and a nap are all good, but the thing you want the most is milk.

            St. Peter writes in his first letter …1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation,”

            Like a newborn craves milk, crave pure spiritual milk.  So what is it?  What is the pure, spiritual milk?  To find out, we back up just a little in Peter’s letter to Christian exiles scattered throughout modern day Turkey.  1 Peter 1:23 (ESV) 23 … you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;”

            What is the pure spiritual milk?  It is the living and abiding word of God.  It is the Good News of forgiveness of sins through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. 

In baptism you were born again of water and the Word of God. You were born from above through water and the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit came into you through the Word of God and now dwells in you making your body His temple.  You are forgiven and declared holy and pure and are given eternal life through the Word of God. 

            Our confirmands today will declare for themselves what was spoken for them at their baptism.  They will renounce — they will reject — the devil and all his works and all his ways.  They will declare belief in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit with the words of the Apostles’ Creed.  I will ask them, “What is the Word of God?”  The confirmands will declare they believe the prophetic and apostolic scriptures; the Old Testament and New Testament, are the inspired Word of God, and the teachings of Luther’s Small Catechism drawn from the Word of God are faithful and true. And then I will ask questions regarding their intentions with the pure spiritual milk; the living and abiding Word of God.

            I will ask, “Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully?”  Basically, do you intend to keep coming to church?

            “Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, even to death?”  Are you like the wise man in Matthew 7?  Matthew 7:24 (ESV) 24 “[Jesus said] Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

            The Word of God is pure spiritual milk.  The Word of God delivers to you forgiveness of sins and eternal life won for you by Jesus. You have been born again through imperishable seed; the living and abiding Word of God. 

Our confirmands today will publicly declare that the Word of God is more important to them than anything in this world. This is radically counter to the ways of our society.  The world wants you to idolize money and fame and power and your own body.  The world wants you to live for yourself because you only live once.  The temptation of this life is to think that your body and your stuff are most important. But you know…stuff is temporary and will degrade and be destroyed.  What about your body?  What do we learn on Ash Wednesday?  Dust you are and to dust you shall return.  Your physical body is fleeting as we learn in… 1 Peter 1:24–25 (ESV) 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

            Your flesh is fleeting but the Word of the Lord remains forever.  God’s promise to you in your baptism is for this life and for after this life, it is a promise for eternity.  Abide in the Word of God.  Cling to Word.  Newborns need milk.  You need the Word of God.

            As a follower of Jesus continually recommit to remaining in God’s Word.  The devil desperately wants to separate you from God’s Word so your faith will starve.  Fight back.  Establish a habit of daily Bible reading so you are constantly fed by the pure spiritual milk. Learn the Word of God so well you can easily spot a false teacher.  Get started. Start small if needed.  Read a chapter in the morning with coffee, or before bed, or together at the dinner table, or listen to the Word while you are on the bus, or in the car, or out for a walk.  Drink pure spiritual milk each day.  If you work up to three chapters a day you will read the entire Bible each year. Find what works for you to form an ongoing habit of being in the Word.  If helpful, I have various Bible reading plans available at both entrances to give you some alternative ways of working your way through the Holy Scriptures. Pick a way and daily remain in the Word for the Word of God is pure spiritual milk. 

            If a newborn could talk, what would she say after nursing before falling asleep?  Perhaps, simply, “Thanks be to God!”  How do you respond each Sunday when you hear the Word of God read? “Thanks be to God. Praise to you, O Christ.” 

            Peter goes on to instruct how to live together as those born again for eternity through the living and abiding Word of God.  1 Peter 2:1 (ESV) 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”  The devil is always trying to tear Christians apart with false teaching and jealousy and discord.  As baptized, redeemed children of God craving spiritual milk and building up the spiritual house you reject all malice, all deceit, all hypocrisy, all envy and all slander and instead you live together in love and humble service — forgiving one another abundantly as Christ forgives you.  As the followers of Jesus…1 Peter 2:4–5 (ESV) 4 …you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

            As followers of Jesus, born again by imperishable seed, you are living stones.  You are the living stones of the Church, the Body of Christ on earth.  You are a holy priesthood.  As a holy priest of God, you sacrifice selfish living for yourself in order to live for God.  You reject the ways of the devil and the world and your own sinful desires because you are a new creation in Christ Jesus.  You know the Word of God is your source of salvation.  As newborns need milk, you need the Word of God so you come to worship each week to hear God’s Word and receive Holy Communion. 

            A question for the confirmands, and everyone else here.  For how long will you come to worship to hear the Word of God and receive Holy Communion? For how long?  For how long will you crave the pure spiritual milk?  For how long will you need the Word of God?

You are in it for the long run.  You will need pure spiritual milk until the day we wheel you down the aisle one last time covered by the white pall. 

Newborns need milk, you need the Word of God — so you come each week to confess your sins and hear that your sins are forgiven.  You come to drink the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Nothing is more important.  As Peter tells Jesus in John 6:68 (ESV) 68 … “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,…”

            Babies need milk. You need pure spiritual milk; the living and abiding Word of God.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.