Posted on by pastorkevinjud

God loves in this way

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Trinity 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 26, 2024
Isaiah 6:1-8, Acts 2:14a, 22-35, John 3:1-17

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

            In our Gospel reading today we get that all so familiar passage of John 3:16 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

This is likely the most familiar verse in the whole Bible and the one that more people have memorized than any other.  It is called the Gospel in a nutshell.  You all know it quite well, but it can be familiarity that can at times empty something of its meaning as you think, “I already know this.  I am not going to gain anything more from this verse.”

So, let’s take a little time this morning and slow down and dig into this verse. I got my undergraduate degree in print journalism and we were trained to ask the familiar questions, Who, what, where, when, why and how?

Who?  Who is this verse talking about?  John 3:16 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  God the Father gave God the Son on behalf of the world that whoever — meaning anyone in the world — believes in him will have eternal life. In just this one verse you learn that God is complex beyond your comprehension.  How does God the Father have a Son?  God the Father does not have a body yet begets, generates, God the Son — from eternity.  Jesus has always been.  We learn this in John 1:1 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 (ESV) 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

And not only is there God the Father and God the Son, but Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit just before this,  John 3:5 (ESV) 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” 

            We have God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  One of the proofs that Christianity is true is that the Trinity does not make sense.  How can God be three persons and one God?  When people make up a religion they mostly make up gods that make sense.  Gods that are a lot like us.  Gods that act like we do.  Gods that make demands and give you a list of things you must do to appease them. The true God is different.  He is incomprehensible.  Three persons, one God — who freely gives you grace and mercy. 

            Who is involved here?  God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the world — all people, everywhere.  That is a big who. 

What?  What is happening?  A Pharisee, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus secretly at night.  Nicodemus knows some things about Jesus, but has come to learn more. Jesus tells him that he needs to be born again of water and the Spirit.  Then Jesus tells Nicodemus how people will have eternal life.  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.”

What?  What is happening is that God the Father gives His only Son to be lifted up.

Where?  Where will this happen?  We are not told that here with Nicodemus.  When?  When will it happen?  We are not given specifics as to when. 

Why?  Why does God send His Son to be lifted up?  It is a one word answer.  Love.  God loves the world.  God loves with a selfless love.  He loves with a love that does not count the cost.  God’s love for you is beyond comprehension.  In baptism you are born again by water and the Spirit into this love of God as we got to see once again this morning with the baptism of little David. God’s love envelopes little David. God’s love envelopes you; covers you. You live surrounded by the love of God. Paul describes this love in Ephesians 3:17–19 (ESV) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  You are rooted and grounded in the incomprehensible love of God.  You are filled with the fullness of God.  

Why?  Because God loves you.

Who, what, where, when, why and how?  How?  This is an interesting question.  We hear, “For God so loved the world” and it can sound like, because God loved the world soooo much.  Indeed it is true that God loves sooo much.  God’s love is beyond understanding.  But, “For God so loved the world,” means God loves the world in this way…God so loves…God loves in this manner.  How does God love the world?  He gives His only son to be lifted up. 

God wants all people to be saved.  God knows the problem of sin and God gives the solution.  How does God love?  In this manner — He sends Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

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. 

In the book of Numbers, after God sends fiery serpents among the complaining Israelites in the wilderness God instructs Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole that whoever looks upon it will be healed from snakebite.  How does looking a snake statue cure snakebite?  It does not make any medical sense, but that is what God said to do, and it worked.

Jesus, the Son of Man, given by God the Father, will be lifted up.  In our reading today Nicodemus does not yet know what this means — to be lifted up — but we know what this means Jesus will die on the cross at Golgotha to save sinners.  How does Jesus’ death on a cross save sinners?  This does not make sense.  How can Jesus’ brutal death grant us eternal life?  It is not the way I would do it.  But you know it is true because God said it is true.  John 3:16 (ESV) 16 “…whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

God wants all people to be saved.  God knows the problem of sin and God gives the solution.  How does God love?  In this manner — He sends Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

 God wants all people to be saved because He loves all people.  God the Father gives Jesus to be the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.  The gift of eternal life is for all people.  How utterly heartbreaking it is when one of God’s beloved children who is loved with God’s incomprehensible love, rejects that love.  How tragic when someone rejects God’s gift of eternal life in order follow a made up god with a checklist of demands.  How awful when someone follows their own do-it-yourself spirituality that adapts to their every whim and desire.  How senseless that someone lets the cares of this world and the busyness of life choke out God’s love for them.  How evil when someone chooses darkness over the light.  John 3:19–20 (ESV) 19 …the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” 

The eternal fire is prepared for the devil and his angels and yet so many love the darkness rather than the love of God and choose to go to the eternal fire with the Devil. 

God does not send people to hell.  They choose hell.  God wants everyone to be saved and offers the gift to all.  1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV) 4 [God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 

 God knows the world needs to be saved from the darkness and He saves it, out of love, despite the cost.

            God loves the world with incomprehensible, selfless love. He loves the world — in this way — by giving His Son to be lifted up on the cross, and lifted up from the grave, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  God loves you with incomprehensible, selfless love so that you have eternal life in Him.  Amen. 

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

Pentecost Graduation

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Pentecost Day 2024
The Milestone of Life
Vicar Kinne
Texts: John 15:26-27 & 16:4b-15; Acts 2: 1-21; Ezekiel 37:1-14

The stadium is packed with people. The band plays Pomp and Circumstance for the last time. The valedictorian gives his speech. The principal, whether liked or not by the students, shakes each graduate’s hand and gives them a blank booklet intended for a piece of paper that will be sent in the mail in a few weeks. The class stands up together for the last time, and many thrilled students toss their caps up in the air hoping to find them again among in the sea of other thrown hats. Then everyone breaks off for pictures with grandmas and grandpas, and then to parties for a little bit. This is a scene many of us have witnessed which honors students for achievement in their studies and involvement in the community. 

For some of us, it might bring back memories of the “good ole days”. Yet for some of us this memory is no more than a week old. Either way, times like these are meant to be celebratory for yet one more milestone in life is achieved. 

However, memories of these milestones never come with all cords fully tied. Some loose ends are never mended while new things begin. “What am I gonna do now?” “Should I be taking a year off?” “Do I go to college, or do I just work?” “Do I live with my parents, or do I move out?” Looking into the unknown future can be scary! This is because life does not always show you what the next milestone is. Uncertainty can cause a spike in one’s anxiety. But we should always remember that God looks over His children. He takes care of every single one of us. And even though we may not understand the tests and trials God puts us through in a given moment, faith clings to Him, and He will give us the strength to make it through the next milestone in life.

A recent study says around 40% of college students report they have attended a church service of some kind within their first month of school. They may be going for different reasons. A student could just be a regular church goer and continue the path they were instructed in from childhood. Maybe some students see leaving their parents’ home for the first time as an opportunity to explore other options. After all, going to see what church is “all about” would be educational for their young adult experience. Regardless of the reason, it is also said that somewhere between 50-80% of these students who attend a service in their first month of college also fall away from going to church all together. This means less than 20% of our college students today are walking through their college life with a Christian spiritual guide.

It does not matter what the plans are for their future—going to college, getting a job, getting married, buying a house, having children, traveling the world, maybe having all of these things at one time—parents sending a child out into the world is scary! After all, Christian parents live in the wisdom that the ways of this sinful world can lead a young person down the path of evil and ultimately death. There are incredible and beautiful things God puts in His creation for all of us to enjoy, and we want our children to see and experience those things, but at what cost? Will they get to their destination safely? Will they stay on the straight and narrow path along the way? These questions are uncertain. But there is always one certainty that brings us comfort and that is the message of Christ’s Gospel. 

There is only one person in the history of mankind who never strayed away from the path of righteousness, that is Jesus Christ. This may sound like a cliché Sunday school answer, but the truth of this Gospel needs to be the most precious thing to a person. It needs to be valued above one’s educational degree, one’s marriage, one’s job, and even one’s children. The things of this world always change, but the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord is the only milestone that is certain and matters!

Today, we commemorate a celebratory moment in the church year, Pentecost. In the Hebrew calendar this feast is celebrated 50 days after Passover. During the time of Jesus’ ministry and the early church, Jews and God-fearing people would come to Jerusalem for this festival to give thanks to God for the Torah; the word of God handed to Moses on Mount Sinai. But for the Christian, it is 50 days after one of the greatest milestones in history… the resurrection of our Lord. On this day we celebrate a type of graduation, one that would change the history of the whole world. 

As the disciples gather in a house on Pentecost, Jesus, from His ascended throne sends the Holy Spirit like a rushing wind among them. This “helper”, as Jesus called Him in John’s Gospel, gives the disciples a special ability. This ability given to them is far more valuable than a piece of paper with a signature saying, “This Disciple of Jesus has been given full honors and is suited to preach on behalf of the Church”. No, this “diploma” from Holy Spirit is practical and instrumental in fulfilling Jesus’ command of going out to make disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are given the ability to speak in any language so that all who are in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost can hear that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was put to death as a sacrifice for the world, He was raised from dead, and ascended on high.  

Can you list the works of Christ on your transcript?  Did you earn this credit?  Of course not.  Jesus’ work, alone, saves you. You did nothing to earn your salvation.  Like the worst participant in a group project, you earn the credit of the best in the group; the one who did all the work for you. It is a comfort to know that Jesus’ dying on the cross and His conquering over death still gives you an A+ before our Father in heaven.

 When you feel like you are not worthy of Christ’s forgiveness, take a look at whom our Lord chooses to give the Holy Spirit to on Pentecost. These disciples betrayed Him. They ran away and disowned their Master before He was crucified. They hid in locked rooms fearing that they may be put to death by the Jews. Even after Jesus presents Himself to them multiple times after the resurrection, they are still scared. 

These men do not seem fit to graduate from their seminary experience! But they are witnesses of Christ’s ministry. They saw Him raise people from the dead. They saw Him heal the lame, the deaf, mute, blind, and even cast out demons. They saw storms being stilled by His word alone. Because they are witnesses of these things, they are also the chosen candidates to receive the Holy Spirit and be sent to the four corners of the ancient world to spread the Good News of what they witnessed before men. So, knowing the disciples are forgiven and receive life and salvation even after denying Christ to His face, you can be confident that your Savior saves you.

When the disciples receive the Holy Spirit, it is as if a veil is taken away from their face. They understand the mission their Master has for them in the world. Before Pentecost, they sat behind closed doors waiting in anxiety, thinking their lives were coming to an end. But now the Holy Spirit is directing them. They are not ashamed of the Gospel. In fact, they are so confident in preaching Christ crucified, that over 3000 people at that day believe in Jesus and are baptized. Everywhere the disciples went, the Word of God is preached, and new believers are brought into the family of God. 

That day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, with the bestowal of the Holy Spirit in wind and flame, is a type of graduation. But like graduation from school, it did not ensure a trouble free life.  Just because you have a diploma, just because you graduate with high honors, does not mean that there will be no trouble. You may apply for your dream job and be denied. You may ask your high school sweetheart to marry you and she says, “I don’t”. You may pursue a course of study at the university and flunk required classes.  You may try moving out of your parents’ house just to be turned away after submitting a renter’s application. 

Just because the disciples are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, it does not mean that everything goes according to their plan. It does not mean that everything is smooth sailing after Pentecost. In fact, the life of the disciples becomes busier and harder. Yes, the Lord provides for them in the ministry, but many reject Jesus and His followers bringing the Good News.  And because of this the disciples were persecuted, as Jesus said they would in Matthew chapter 5, “10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Some of these disciples are innocently imprisoned. Some escape death on multiple accounts. Others are stoned to death. Peter is crucified upside down! Being given the Holy Spirit and sent to be witnesses for Jesus makes their lives difficult. Most people reject Jesus and His followers and turn away from His church. For the apostles, receiving the Holy Spirit brings hardship and trouble in this life. But by the Holy Spirit these men know that comfort in this life is not the most important thing. 

Through your parents you inherit sin and death. It is this sin and death our Lord overcomes by His cross and resurrection. At your baptism He gives the diploma of everlasting life through the water and the Word where you receive His Holy Spirit and His righteousness. His name is autographed on your forehead and upon your heart marking you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. 

Graduations are big milestones in life, but the ultimate milestone is eternal life. This is coming for you as a gift from the Lord. Just like the disciples, death may come to you before our Lord returns but the life He gives to you and everyone in the church is ultimately bigger and better than this sinful life we are in now.

So, toss your hats everyone! You have the Holy Spirit living in you. You are a temple for the Breath of God. Celebrate and share the good news with others in the world! Be graduates of the church not ashamed of the diploma you have been given. Give thanks for God’s continual gift of His love in His Word and Sacraments. Rejoice because our Lord gives you His gown of righteousness! Amen.

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

Where is Jesus?

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Ascension 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 12, 2024
Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53

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

            Where is heaven?  Where is Jesus?  The last anyone saw Jesus in the flesh was on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem.

            At the end of the Gospel of Luke Jesus gives final instructions.  Luke 24:44–49 (ESV) 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

             He leads the apostles out to Bethany on the Mount of Olives and tells them, Acts 1:8–9 (ESV) 8 …you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

            That is the last time anyone saw Jesus in the flesh. The 11 apostles just stand there staring up into heaven where Jesus had just been, but now is no longer.  Jesus has gone into heaven and two angels in white robes tell the apostles, Acts 1:11 (ESV) 11 … “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 

            Jesus went into heaven and Jesus will return from heaven on the last day.  So where is heaven?  Where is Jesus? 

            I believe we can sometimes think about heaven being very far away, almost like God is somewhere far off in outer space or somewhere very far removed from us.  Like He is way up high on a mountain looking down at the little houses in the valley, but it all looks like toys or something from that distance.  Kind of like God is there… but not really that involved. 

            So where is heaven?  Where is Jesus?  In this account from Acts 1 Jesus ascends into the air and disappears into a cloud.  Has Jesus abandoned earth?  Where is Jesus? 

            At the incarnation in Nazareth Jesus takes on a physical body and then is born in Bethlehem.  Where is Jesus then?  He is in Mary’s womb.  He is lying in a manger.  In His conception and birth, Jesus, God the Son, enters His state of humiliation where He does not fully use His divine powers.  In His pre-resurrection body Jesus is located in one place at a time. He is in Bethlehem, or Jerusalem, or Egypt, or Nazareth, or Capernaum.  He is in one place at a time and travels in a normal human way between places.  When He is raised from the dead He has a transformed body that allows Him to be in heaven– and on earth—and to be omnipresent; present everywhere. We even see glimpses of this before His ascension as He disappears from Emmaus and then is back in Jerusalem and appears inside a locked room. 

            Forty days after His resurrection, at His ascension, Jesus transitions to being fully omnipresent. 

            At His ascension Jesus goes from being on the Mount of Olives to being everywhere; to being with believers in Jesus.  As a follower of Jesus, you have Jesus in you.  As St. Paul describes his status as a Christian, Galatians 2:20 (ESV) 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

            Jesus is in heaven, Jesus is in you, Jesus is present where two or three are gathered, Jesus comes to you in baptism, Jesus comes to you in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion for the forgiveness of your sins, and Jesus is omnipresent; He is present everywhere.  Jesus’ ascension is not Jesus’ departure but rather Jesus’ heightened presence everywhere–especially in His followers. 

            On that day atop the Mount of Olives Jesus ascends into heaven and as the angels tell the apostles, Jesus will return one day.  The apostles wait for Jesus to return and we are still waiting.  When will Jesus return?  We do not know.  But as we think about Jesus’ return a question that comes to mind is, “What should I be doing when Jesus returns?”  Because He could return this afternoon–or He may not return for 10,000 years.  What should I be doing?  You should be going through your normal day doing the normal things that you have been given to do.  Washing dishes, cooking dinner, crunching numbers, calling a client, cleaning your room, doing your homework, relaxing and recharging, sleeping, praying, worshiping in church.  What should I not be doing?  What would you not want to be doing when Jesus returns?  You don’t want to be clicking away on the dark side of the internet feeding your lusts and perversions.  You don’t want to be trash talking someone.  You don’t want to be treating your parents with hatred and contempt.  You don’t want to be passed out dead drunk.  You don’t want to be insulting and belittling your wife or husband.  You don’t want to be in bed with someone other than your spouse.  You don’t want to be caught in open sin when Jesus returns. And so, each day, you battle your sin in your mind–before it becomes words and deeds–and you feel guilt and sadness when you give in to temptation–and you continue to repent of your sin in thought, word and deed.  You continue to remember you are baptized; your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus dwells in you and He forgives your sins, and, because of Jesus, you are the light of the world.  Jesus is coming back one day and do you want to be ready for His return.

 And so Jesus, in love, calls you to repent; to have a change of heart and change your direction from being drawn toward sin and instead, Joel 2:13 (ESV) 13 … Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” 

            But thinking this way about being ready for Jesus’ return can tempt you to think that since Jesus is ascended and is way far away and He probably is not coming back today all that worry about His return can wait for another day and a little sin won’t hurt. 

Truly, you want to be ready for His return, but Jesus is not way far away–Jesus is right with you.  He is with you now–here as we gather to receive His gifts.  So the better question to ask is, “What should I being doing with Jesus today?  Because Jesus is right with you when you surf evil on the web.  He is there when you talk badly about others.  He is there when you disrespect your parents.  He is right with you when you’re getting sloppy drunk.  He is with you when you are yelling at your spouse.  He is with you when you are committing sexual immorality. Jesus is with you always and knows exactly what you are doing.  You can try to hide things from others, but there is no hiding your sin from Jesus.

            And so Jesus, in love, calls you to repent; to have a change of heart and change your direction from being drawn toward sin and instead, Joel 2:13 (ESV) 13 … Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” 

            As Jesus’ Church we continue to do as Jesus instructed, Luke 24:47 (ESV) 47 …that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”  As Jesus’ Church we are in the business of repentance and forgiveness.  Over and over and over Jesus here delivers to you His forgiveness, won on the cruel cross at Golgotha.  He gives you grace in your baptism, in the words of absolution, in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion.  Jesus forgives you abundantly and He calls you to live each day in Him, with Him, for Him, as a light in this dark world.  Jesus lives in you, so always remember who you are in Him and live out your identity.

            Martin Luther writes about Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of the Father.  “I preach that he [Christ] sits on the right hand of God and rules over all creatures, sin, death, life, world, devils, and angels; if you believe this, you already have him in your heart. Therefore your heart is in heaven, not in an apparition or dream, but truly. For where he is, there you are also. So he dwells and sits in your heart, yet he does not fall from the right hand of God. Christians experience and feel this clearly.” [1]

            Where is heaven?  Heaven is beyond your understanding, but your heart is in heaven. Where is Jesus?  He is at the right hand of God.  He is in the bread and wine of Holy Communion.  He is in you, and He is everywhere.  Jesus did not depart at His ascension.  He ascended into heaven to be with you, for you, forever. Amen. 

[1][“The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ — Against the Fanatics” (1526) in Luther’s Basic Writings, 3rd ed., 227]

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

Unlikely Cornelius

 

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Easter 6 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 5, 2024
Acts 10:34-48, 1 John 5:1-8, John 15:9-17

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

            After Jesus’ resurrection, and before His ascension into heaven, He gave this command from a hilltop in Galilee, Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) 18 … “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

During this season after Easter instead of Old Testament readings we get readings from the book of the Acts of the Apostles.  In Acts 1, 40 days after His resurrection, just before His ascension from the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells the apostles, Acts 1:8 (ESV) 8 …you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

            Ten days later they receive the power when the Spirit comes with the sound of a rushing wind and the apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit and able to speak in the languages of all the Jews from around the Mediterranean who had come to Jerusalem for the Jewish Pentecost festival. Peter preaches to the assembled people, and after, Acts 2:37–39 (ESV) 37 … 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.” Acts 2:41 (ESV) 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”  These unlikely people bring the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection back to their home countries.

            Peter continues to preach the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension at the temple and throughout the city of Jerusalem.  Many people are hearing the Good News and the Jewish authorities are upset and arrest the apostles and put them in prison, but God opens the doors and frees them.  God enables the Word to spread.  The fledgling Church becomes more organized and appoints deacons to help with the day to day distribution of food so the apostles can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.

            One of these deacons, named Stephen, is brought before the Jewish council and Stephen preaches to them about Jesus and how He fulfills scripture.  Stephen tells them that they always resist the Holy Spirit and kill the prophets and now they have betrayed and murdered the righteous one.  The crowd grows so angry they seize Stephen, cast him out of the city and stone him to death.  During the stoning, a man named Saul watches the garments of those throwing the deadly rocks at Stephen.  The stoning of Stephen causes many followers of Jesus to flee Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.  The Jewish leaders try to silence the followers of Jesus, but instead of snuffing out the Way it just spreads to a larger area as believers bring the Good News of Jesus with them.

            While Saul makes it his work to attack followers of Jesus and have them put in prison, the apostle Philip goes to Samaria and proclaims to them the Christ.  As the Samaritans receive the Word of God Peter and John go to Samaria to lay hands on the new believers and they receive the Holy Spirit.  Philip then makes his way to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza and teaches and baptizes the Ethiopian court official who brings the Good News of Jesus back to the palace in Ethiopia and to the whole nation.  The apostles are indeed witnesses to Jesus in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

            Saul is then miraculously converted from being an enemy of Jesus to a being a faithful follower as Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus.  Saul, later known as Paul, becomes the greatest missionary to the nations, making disciples wherever He went around the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.  Jesus uses His unlikely people to spread the news of His resurrection.

            And then, in Acts 10 we meet Cornelius.  This is a Bible character that I must have read about many times over the years, but He did not stick with me.  The only Cornelius I recall is Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  But as we were studying the Book of Acts in my Sunday School class I found this account of Cornelius to be fascinating. Cornelius is a centurion in the Roman Army in the Italian Cohort.  A centurion is an officer in charge of 100 soldiers.  Cornelius is a Roman, from Italy, serving in Caesarea where the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, has a palace on the shore of the Mediterranean. 

            With Cornelius we see again how God works to spread the Gospel using unlikely people.   Cornelius believes in God.  He gives generously and prays continually, but he does not know the truth about Jesus.  An angel of God appears to Cornelius and instructs him to send men to Joppa which is about 40 miles south.  It is now called Jaffa and is on the south end of modern day Tel Aviv.  Cornelius is to send for Simon who is called Peter. Simon Peter is staying with Simon the tanner, in a house by the sea.  Cornelius obeys the angel and sends two servants and a soldier to go get Peter. 

            Peter is in Joppa on the tanner’s roof praying when he has a vision from God of a sheet being let down filled with all kinds of animals.  A voice from heaven says, “Rise Peter, kill and eat.”  Acts 10:14–16 (ESV) 14 But Peter [says], “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.”

            What God has made clean, do not call common.  This applies to food, thus undoing Old Testament food laws, but Peter will soon see that it also applies to people.  While Peter is pondering all this there comes a knock at the door; a Roman soldier and two others looking for Peter.  The people in the tanner’s house must be afraid that a Roman soldier looking for Peter cannot be good, but the Spirit tells Peter to go with the men. 

            After a two day journey Peter arrives at Cornelius’ house, Acts 10:28–29 (ESV) 28 And [Peter] [says] to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

            Cornelius explains that the angel instructed him to send for Peter.  Acts 10:33 (ESV) 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”  This is not Cornelius and Peter acting on their own with their own plans, this is God is directing the action. 

            And that brings us to today’s lesson from Acts.  Peter is bringing the Gospel to a Roman Officer from Italy at the Roman Governor’s Judean seaside palace.  Peter teaches how God shows no partiality, and about Jesus’ ministry and His death and resurrection and how Peter is one of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection, and then Peter says, Acts 10:43 (ESV) 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 

            While Peter is still speaking the Holy Spirit fills those who hear the word and they begin to extoll God in various languages.  Peter declares, Acts 10:47–48 (ESV) 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.” This is a Gentile Pentecost as the people are filled with the Holy Spirit and are baptized.  

            God works to bring the Gospel to Cornelius and his people in Caesarea, and then back to Italy when they return home.  He brought the news of Jesus’ resurrection to the Ethiopian palace and now to the Judean seaside palace.  We see God here making disciples of all nations using unlikely people. The apostles are truly Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.  The Good News has traveled to the end of the earth, even here… to Hamilton, Ohio, where still today we bask in the truth that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins is for both Jews and Gentiles.  This Good News began in Jerusalem and has now spread to your unlikely ears and heart.  

Rejoice that Jesus forgives your sins, for,  Acts 10:34–35 (ESV) 34 …God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” 

            And so, with God’s direction and help, unlikely as we are, we continue what the apostles started; making disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching.  And we continue to share the eyewitness testimony that Jesus rose from the dead to conquer death forever. The same proclamation Peter gave in Jerusalem still echoes here today, Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!  Amen. 

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

You are not a Rented Mule

No video this week due to technical difficulties

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

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
 

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

            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 by pastorkevinjud

The Thrill of Victory

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

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

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

            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 by pastorkevinjud

Agnus Dei

Worship Video Link

Sermon Audio Link

Bulletin

Sermon Text Below

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

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

            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 by pastorkevinjud

Father Figure

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

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 by pastorkevinjud

Yelling at the Dead

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

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

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

            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 by pastorkevinjud

Who is the greatest?

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

SERMON AUDIO LINK

BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

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

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

            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.