bible – Page 6 – From the Pulpit

Posted on September 15, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

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Pentecost 17, 2024 Proper 19
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
September 15, 2024
Isaiah 50:4-10, James 3:1-12, Mark 9:14-29

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What is a disciple? What is an apostle? What do these terms mean? In the Gospel of Mark the terms are pretty clear. Disciple means follower. Apostle means sent one. The word “disciple” is used 42 times in the Gospel of Mark; the word “apostle” is only used twice. The first in Mark 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 And [Jesus] appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.”

In the beginning of Mark 6 we read, Mark 6:7 (ESV) 7 And [Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” They return at the end of Mark 6. Mark 6:30 (ESV) 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.”

The apostles were sent by Jesus with authority over unclean spirits and they returned and reported to Jesus. They were sent on a mission and then the mission was finished.

Later, in Mark chapter 8 Jesus tells the disciples what is going to happen to Him, 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.” This appears to be a big change in Jesus’ mission and the disciples are greatly troubled.

Six days later Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a high mountain and He is transfigured before them and Elijah and Moses appear with Him and they are overshadowed by a cloud and the voice of God says, Mark 9:7 (ESV) 7 …“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

While Jesus and the three disciples are up on a high mountain, what are the other nine up to? As Jesus, Peter, James and John are coming down the mountain they see a large crowd gathered around the disciples and the scribes who are arguing. Coming down the mountain to this scene of chaos conjures up memory of Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with the 10 Commandments and hearing the chaotic sound of the gathered crowd worshiping the golden calf they built.

Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration to find His disciples arguing with the scribes and a whole crowd of people is gathered around. What is going on? It turns out that the disciples have been trying to drive an unclean spirit out of a boy but are unable to do it. Perhaps the disciples are remembering all that they had done when Jesus gave them authority and sent them to drive out unclean spirits. Maybe they are thinking that doing this in front of a crowd and the scribes will really show everyone the disciples’ power. It will show everyone the disciples’ greatness. But what happens? Nothing happens. The disciples are unable to drive out the unclean spirit. This must cause incredible delight for the scribes who are looking to discredit Jesus and His followers. Jesus has told the disciples that He will be rejected by the scribes. You can almost hear their taunting, “What’s wrong?! Is the demon too strong for you? You work for the devil; you’d think he would cooperate. We knew it. You all are just a bunch of phonies.” Maybe they start to stir up the crowd to denounce the disciples or even attack them. It appears that the disciples and the scribes are battling about who is the greatest? Who is the best? They are caring not so much about God but, rather, about themselves.

There is great temptation to make being a Christian be all about yourself and who you are and what you do. It can be all about how good you are, how dedicated you are at prayer, how much you read the Bible, how often you attend church, how much you serve, how much you give. You tell yourself, “I may not be perfect, but I am doing a lot better than that other guy. I have my little pet sins, but I am not like those really bad people.” It is a great temptation to make Christianity all about you. But then it would not be Christianity it would be Youianity. Youianity. The religion all about you.

Being a follower…being a disciple of Jesus is all about Jesus. And yet we see here the disciples trying to show off their power; trying to demonstrate their greatness. They currently do not have the authority to drive out unclean spirits, but they are going to try to do it anyway.

Now the father of this boy possessed by an unclean spirit just wants his boy to be better. He’s heard about Jesus and came to his disciples, but the disciples could not drive out the demon and now he and his boy have become the center of an argument between the scribes and Jesus’ disciples. The disciples and the scribes are going at as to who is better, all the while the boy is still possessed by an unclean spirit. There is a lot of noise and confusion and anger and it is helping no one. The father is losing hope.

Jesus arrives and the father explains what is happening and how he asked the disciples to cast it out and they were not able. Mark 9:19-20 (ESV) 19 And [Jesus] answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.” The father tells Jesus that this has been going on since childhood and the spirit has cast the boy into fire and into water trying to destroy him. The hopeless father begs Jesus, Mark 9:22 (ESV) 22 …But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The father has experienced nothing but failure with freeing his son from this evil spirit and he wants to believe that Jesus can help, but he is not too sure.

Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) 23 And Jesus [says] to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child [cries] out and [says], “I believe; help my unbelief!”

The father has heard what Jesus can do. He wants to believe it is true. He believes Jesus can help, but then he still has doubts. And yet we see here that he is oriented in the right direction. He is not seeking additional strength from within — he is asking Jesus for help. “I believe, help my unbelief.”

This is a wonderful short prayer that you can use over and over in your struggles. “I believe, help my unbelief.” The simple prayer of this father can also be paired with the simple prayer of the thief on the cross. “Luke 23:42 (ESV) 42 … “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” “I believe, help my unbelief.” Both of these short prayers orient you to receive from Jesus rather than trying to find comfort in yourself.

When you seek forgiveness you do not look to yourself; you look to Jesus. What we do as a church is not from us, it is from Jesus

It seems that the crowd watching the argument between the disciples and the scribes now notice that the boy and his father are over a ways talking with Jesus and the crowd comes running towards them. Jesus immediately rebukes the unclean spirit, Mark 9:25 (ESV) 25 … “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The demon comes out of the boy and it appears the boy is dead, but Jesus takes him by the hand and lifts him up and he is fine.

Later, Mark 9:28–29 (ESV) 28 …when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

This is a puzzling declaration. What does Jesus mean? Well, prayer directs the disciples away from themselves. Prayer forces the disciples to quit looking at themselves and instead look to Jesus. Prayer shows it is not about the disciples being powerful or great. Prayer orients you, in faith, away from yourself and toward Jesus. Christianity does not bring you power and greatness…power and greatness is from Jesus.

When you seek forgiveness you do not look to yourself; you look to Jesus. What we do as a church is not from us, it is from Jesus. By nature, you are drawn to be curved in on yourself; to be most concerned about your emotions, your feelings, your ideas, your desires. Jesus calls you away from yourself to live in love for God and love for your neighbor. Being a follower of Jesus is not at all about being powerful and great, it is about following Jesus.

This lesson is valuable for all of us, but it is very important for the guy up front wearing the white robe and green stole who is called to teach and preach. As we learn from our epistle lesson, James 3:1 (ESV) 1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Along with Jesus’ first disciples, pastors and teachers need great humility and constant prayer to remember that all that we teach and preach is from Jesus — and about Jesus. It is about Jesus and not about me. It is not about you. It is about Jesus for you.

And so…as a disciple of Jesus…follow Jesus. And when you struggle…pray…“I believe, help my unbelief.” Amen.

Posted on August 11, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Idolatry or Christ?

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Pentecost 12, 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
August 11, 2024
1 Kings 19:1-8, Ephesians 4:17-5:2, John 6:35-51

Idolatry or Christ?

The children of Israel in the Northern Kingdom at the time of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel have a big problem. They have given up on worshiping YHWH, the true God, and instead are worshiping the local gods Baal and Asherah, fertility gods with sexual perversion as part of their worship.

The prophet Elijah summons 450 prophets of Baal to Mt. Carmel where there is a showdown between YHWH and Baal and YHWH wins. Israel needs a clean break from idolatry. After Baal’s defeat, 1 Kings 18:40 (ESV) 40 …Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.”

Idolatry or Christ? Elijah makes a clean break from idolatry by slaughtering the prophets of Baal. He is clearly on the side of YHWH. Elijah is forced to flee the wrath of Queen Jezebel. Rejecting idolatry can have it costs.

You were born into a perverse and idolatrous world. What Paul says in Ephesians about the people of the world is still true today. They walk… Ephesians 4:17–19 (ESV) 17 … in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. Idolatry or Christ?

You have made a clean break from this world. In the waters of baptism God stripped away from you the filthy garments of your old sinful self and has given you the robe of Jesus’ righteousness made white in the blood of the Lamb of God. He has delivered [you] from the domain of darkness and transferred [you] to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In baptism, the Old Adam in you, the old sinful self, is drowned and dies. You are given a clean break from idolatry. You are in Christ. As a baptized child of God you are kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving God’s name at all time with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope.

Idolatry or Christ? You have made a clean break from life in the world. You have made a clean break from the devil; the god of this world. As the community of Christ, at a baptism we renounce the devil, and all of his works, and all of his ways. We disown the devil. We give up life in his world to live life in the kingdom of God. Life in the kingdom of God is life lived, in community, with the people of Christ. It is life lived in the Church of Christ. It is life lived together in Christ.

What does life in the Kingdom of God look like?

In the Kingdom of God you are… Ephesians 4:22–24 (ESV) 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Put off your old self. Put on the new self.

In our Epistle reading Paul teaches about life together as the Church. As followers of Jesus, set apart from the multitude of unbelievers, how should you live together knowing that the devil desperately wants to tear you apart through disputes and anger and bitterness and sin. How should you live together? Ephesians 4:25 (ESV) 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” You all belong to one another, so speak the truth in love. Pastors must teach the truth of God and not let the lies of the world creep into the teaching of the church as so many pastors are doing. Megan Basham’s has a new book entitled, “Shepherds For Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded The Truth for a Leftist Agenda.” In this book it is reported that influential leaders in evangelical churches have been paid off by far left influencers to stop teaching the truth of God’s word and instead adapt their teaching to be compatible with the ways of the cultural elites. This is a well-organized, well-funded movement in order to influence the political voting of the members of their churches.

Idolatry or Christ? Speak the truth.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (ESV) 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.” This is an interesting verse. It is actually a quote from Psalm 4:4 (ESV) 4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.”

The danger of this verse is I think it can lead us to believe that it is okay to get angry, at least to a certain extent, and we use this verse to justify our anger. However, the word “angry” in Psalm 4 can be translated “be agitated,” or even “tremble.” You can feel agitation and trembling when you are getting angry. As a situation grows more stressful you can feel the anxiety building, and you can begin to physically shake; maybe just your hands… maybe your whole body. Your temper is building and getting ready to blow. What are the triggers for you losing your temper? Some of my triggers for feeling like this are automated customer service help lines where you dial a number and answer a bunch of questions by voice and push a bunch of buttons and then it puts you back to the beginning and you have to start over and it will not let you speak to a real person. Or when the copier won’t work, or the computer is not cooperating. I am doing exactly what I have done before, but this time it is not working. Or trying to login to a website and it keeps rejecting the password I know is correct and my anger rises. Another time I get agitated is when I am eating out and have finished the meal and ready to head home and the waitress disappears. I just want to get the check and go but they have me trapped. This agitates me. It can make me tremble. Jeannette surely has many more examples.

Be agitated, and do not sin. Anger is a problem for children, teenagers, adults, seniors. We all struggle with anger, some more than others. As a child of God, control your anger… because when you lose your temper you sin. You do things and say things that you need to repent of. Losing your temper can permanently break relationships. You hurt others. The devil loves to get you angry. Don’t give the devil a foothold. Take a break. Call a timeout. Go for a walk. Take some deep breaths. Regain control over yourself. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

Anger is dangerous in marriages, in families, and in congregations. Anger gives the devil a foothold to take over your life and pull you away from Christ into idolatry. The devil wants nothing more than for church members to get angry with each other. An angry church member or an angry pastor can do great harm to the Body of Christ. Anger is not a Christian virtue and yet so many Christians are angry. Control your emotions. Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in your salvation. Be on guard and do not let the sun go down on your anger. Repent of your anger. Before you go to bed, reach out to the one you are angry with and make amends. Apologize for losing your temper. Apologize for your anger. Ephesians 4:26–27 (ESV) 26 Be [agitated] and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Ephesians 4:28 (ESV) 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Repent of your wrongdoing and do good. Not just for yourself, but so that you can help others.

Ephesians 4:29–30 (ESV) 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” You are a baptized child of God. You are redeemed. You have the gift of eternal life. Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. Live out your Spirit-filled identity in Christ. Does Christ tear others down? Does He talk trash about others? Does Jesus tell dirty jokes? Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You are a new creation in Christ filled with the Holy Spirit. Live out your life in Christ.

It is a daily struggle, as a vessel of the Holy Spirit, to live out your identity. Ephesians 4:31 (ESV) 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Forgiveness is key to life in Christ as a temple of the Holy Spirit. When someone wrongs you, you have the right to get even. You have the right to take revenge. God has the right to punish you for your sins. You are a sinner. The wages of sin is death. You deserve death and hell. God has a right to punish you but He gives up that right. Jesus is punished instead and you are forgiven. Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

After our reading today Paul goes on to warn about sexual immorality and covetousness and filthy talk. These are the ways of the world. But you are no longer of the world.

Idolatry or Christ? You have renounced the devil. In baptism you have been set apart from the multitude of unbelievers. You belong to Jesus. You are a community in Christ. You are the body of Christ. Ephesians 5:1–2 (ESV) 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Walk in love because you are in Christ. Amen

Posted on July 29, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

God’s Promises

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Pentecost 10, 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
July 28, 2024
Genesis 9:8-17, Ephesians 3:14-21, Mark 6:45-56

Have you ever seen a doomsday movie where the hero emerges from an underground shelter to the new, post-apocalyptic world? The unlikely hero blinks at the light and looks around at the destruction and then tries to overcome the challenges of life in the harshness of the new world.

For Noah and his wife and his sons and their wives it is no fiction. For a year they have been sealed up in a coffin-shaped ark filled with the sounds and smells of the most complete zoo of all times. For an entire year they have been confined in a floating menagerie 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

God has destroyed the earth with a flood because of the sins of man. In that ark is all that is left of humanity as well as the birds and land animals that will repopulate the earth.

The story of Noah’s Ark is an incredibly harsh story, but I think sometimes we can get distracted by the perceived cuteness of the ark and the animals. There are children’s nurseries decorated in a Noah’s Ark theme with two elephants coming down the gangplank and two giraffes’ heads sticking out of the top of an adorable little boat which appears to be a terribly overloaded bathtub toy. In the background, there is a rainbow.

Animals are cute and all but I think that may mask the reality. The story of Noah’s Ark is a story of worldwide extermination. It is God’s wrath coming down upon sinful humans in the complete devastation of a deadly, worldwide flood.

The world’s population is reduced to eight souls closed up in a tiny speck of a boat on the vast, endless ocean. After what must have been a very long year, the waters finally recede and the land emerges. The ark comes to rest on a mountain and the eight people and all the creatures come out of the ark.

How strange it must be for Noah and his family emerging into an empty world. There is no one else around; everyone is gone, drowned in the deluge. The eight survivors likely feel very vulnerable in the aftermath of God’s wrath and any rain storm may now trigger horrible memories and fears.

God speaks to Noah and his family and makes a promise to them that He will never again destroy the earth with the waters of a flood. This promise is to Noah and his wife and his sons and their wives and their offspring, including you. It is a promise to every living creature coming off the ark, God will never again destroy the earth with water. And God gives Himself a sign to remember His promise. God sets a bow in the cloud as a sign of the covenant. The bow, a rainbow, is a sign for God that will remind Him that when He sends rain He will never again use it to destroy the earth. And it is a sign to us of God’s covenant promise. So, perhaps in the nursery of one of Noah’s great-great grandchildren, a scene of his Ark and the rainbow is a good reminder of God’s promise.

It is an awesome thing to see a rainbow, all those amazing colors painting the sky. I have heard that in days past children were taught to say the Lord’s Prayer when they saw a rainbow. I don’t remember doing that. At my house, growing up, my mom would give us a Popsicle to celebrate a rainbow. When you see one, you want to share it with others. Rainbows are special.

But the true meaning of the rainbow lately has gotten obscured. We have tales of the Leprechaun’s pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we have Judy Garland singing “Over the Rainbow” in the “Wizard of Oz”. Gay rights groups resonated with Garland’s rough and tumble battles in life and adopted a rainbow flag as a symbol of their movement. And so now if you see a rainbow symbol at a church it is not clear what it means.

Interestingly, the pride flag has only six colors whereas God’s rainbow has seven. Six is the number of man, seven, the number of God. God’s rainbow is the sign of His promise to you as the offspring of Noah. And that promise is still in effect today; never again a great flood.

And you can see evidence of that great flood all around you. The stones of this building are full of fossil evidence of the flood. As you look at the rocks and see fossil remains of countless animals buried in rock layers, you are reminded that where you sit today was the bottom of an ocean thousands of feet deep. When you see the fossil remains of an animal, you are reminded of God’s judgment at the time of Noah.

And when you see a rainbow in the sky, remember God’s promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Never again with a flood…but the earth will be destroyed. God has promised to destroy the earth on the last day… with fire. The judgment day is coming and even then there will be a rainbow.

In the Revelation of John we see the rainbow surrounding the throne of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus. Jesus sits on the judgment seat surrounded by a rainbow and this is good news.

But how can the judgment throne of God be good news? God is perfect and you are flawed. God is Holy and you are a sinner. When Martin Luther was a monk he feared the judgment throne. Luther writes, “For I did not believe in Christ; I regarded Him only as a severe and terrible Judge, portrayed as seated on a rainbow.”[1]

But after Luther discovered the Gospel he looked forward to the Day of Judgment with joy, “Therefore we who come to Christ want to have Him as a gracious Lord. The rainbow on which He sits enthroned does not terrify me; it appears for my salvation. We do not look upon Him as a judge. He will call for us. He will not reject us. He will also protect us against the devil.” [2]

God has made a promise to you in Christ Jesus. You need not fear the judgment because you are covered by the grace of Jesus. You still have the sign of the rainbow that God will not destroy the world with water. Now He saves with water. As we hear in 1 Peter 3:20–21 (ESV) 20 … 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. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

You have water as a sign and method of salvation through Holy Baptism. How do you know you are saved? Because you have been baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection.

And you have the sign and method of salvation in Holy Communion. How do you know Jesus died for you and promises you salvation? Because He has given you His flesh to eat and His blood to drink.

You have the sign of the holy cross showing you how Jesus saves you, as Luther writes, “To us in the New Testament, Baptism and the Eucharist have been given as the visible signs of grace, so that we might firmly believe that our sins have been forgiven through Christ’s suffering and that we have been redeemed by His death. Thus the church has never been deprived to such an extent of outward signs that it became impossible to know where God could surely be found.”[3]

God has promised to save you. He gives you baptism. He gives you Holy Communion. Trust God.

When you see a rainbow, take a moment to ponder what Noah and his family must have been thinking when they emerged from the Ark, and what an amazing promise God made to them with the rainbow. When you see water, remember the promise of your baptism. When you see bread or wine, remember God’s promise to you in Holy Communion. When you see a cross remember you are forgiven in the blood of Jesus. Remember you are free in Christ. Amen.

[1] (Luther’s Works 24), S. 24:24

[2] (Luther’s Works 23), S. 23:61

[3] (Luther’s Works 1), S. 1:248

Posted on July 7, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Jesus is Your Brother and Lord

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Pentecost 7 2024, Proper 9
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
July 7, 2024
Ezekiel 2:1-5, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Mark 6:1-13

You have a great friendship with a co-worker who shares your work space. You get along great, laugh at each other’s jokes, you commiserate about what a jerk the department boss can be. Often you go for a drink together after work, your families love to get together, it is a great friendship. And then the boss retires and your friend is promoted to fill the spot. Now your friend — is your boss. Being the boss and a friend is a tough balance because familiarity can breed contempt. When you know someone very well it is hard to respect their authority.

In the military it is against regulations for officers to fraternize with enlisted personnel so not to prejudice good order and discipline. Familiarity can breed contempt.

Jesus is unknown to the people of Capernaum and He is received at the synagogue there with astonishment at His new teaching with authority. The people are amazed that He is able to command unclean spirits and heal the sick and disabled. The more Jesus teaches and heals the bigger and bigger the crowds grow. There is some opposition from the scribes and Pharisees, because they see Jesus going against traditional Jewish teaching. They call in reinforcements from Jerusalem to try to stop Jesus, but the movement keeps growing and growing in Capernaum and the surrounding area. Even Jairus, the synagogue ruler in Capernaum, comes to Jesus when his daughter is sick and dying and Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead.

Jesus’ fame spreads throughout the surrounding region of Galilee all the way to Nazareth 40 miles to the southwest. Jesus’ family hears about what is going on and they come to Capernaum to save Jesus from Himself. Mark 3:21 (ESV) 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” They come to Capernaum and stand outside sending word to Jesus. Mary certainly knows who Jesus is, but it must be confusing when He suddenly goes from being a normal carpenter from Nazareth to a famous religious teacher drawing large crowds and causing turmoil all the way to Jerusalem. Jesus’ brothers do not seem to understand what is going on and they want to stop Jesus before He causes too much trouble. Word passes and the crowd tells Jesus, Mark 3:32–35 (ESV) 32 … “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus has left the adoring crowds in Capernaum and the region around the Sea of Galilee and with His disciples has walked to Nazareth. On the Sabbath He begins to teach in the synagogue and the initial response is very much like in Capernaum. The people are… Mark 6:2 (ESV) 2 … astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?”

The people have heard about all the miracles Jesus has done and about His authoritative teaching, and now He is right here in their midst. “He is amazing…He is incredible…He is…hey! Hold on just a minute!! Let’s not get all carried away with the momentum of this Jesus movement. Don’t forget. We know Jesus. He is Jesus of Nazareth. This town of Nazareth only has about 400 people, so everyone here knows everyone else and we know this Jesus fellow. So, we don’t care what He has done, we don’t care what He has taught, because we have known Jesus His whole life. He is a shameful man. His parents were not married until after His mother Mary was already pregnant so no one knows who Jesus’ father really is. And He is not a priest, or a teacher, or a religious leader, or even a respected member of the community. He is a craftsman. He works with His hands, not with His mind. Why is this illegitimate construction worker teaching in the synagogue? He is way out of His depth.” And the people of Nazareth reject Jesus out of their familiarity. Mark 6:3 (ESV) 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.”

Familiarity breeds contempt. Mark 6:4 (ESV) 4 And Jesus [says] to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

Because the people think they already know Jesus, His work in Nazareth is fairly fruitless. As we learn in the parable of the sower and the seeds, Mark 4:14–15 (ESV) 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.”

Jesus is sowing the seeds of the Word of God but it is rejected because the people of Nazareth think they already know all they need to know about Jesus. Even though they have heard of all that Jesus has done, that cannot overcome what they think they already know about Jesus.

Familiarity breeds contempt. Too often people think they know who Jesus is and therefore they can dismiss His teachings. We are tempted to think we can know about Jesus because Jesus is human and we are human and we can understand human things. Jesus has a body, I have a body. Jesus was born, so was I. Jesus died, and so will I. We can think we know Jesus because we understand how things work in this world and we decide Jesus must fit into the natural law of the world; that He was conceived and born in the normal way, and that when He died He stayed dead because that is natural law. By viewing Jesus as just another human, folks feel quite empowered to adjust His teaching to fit their understanding.

Some believe Jesus was just a good teacher who gave us instruction about how to love one another and care for the poor. Some see Jesus as an inspirational leader whose teachings can motivate people to achieve great things in life. Others believe Jesus is just a fraud; another messianic figure who claimed to be God but wound up dead. So very many people have constructed their own Jesus. This Jesus they can control because He is a product of their own imaginations. So, when these folks hear something from the Bible that challenges the familiar Jesus of their own imaginations they are offended and they reject the truth and choose unbelief. Entire church bodies are voting to reject the truth and follow their own understandings. These churches are choosing unbelief because they are offended by Jesus.

Thomas Jefferson edited the Bible to fit his understanding of Jesus. Jefferson literally made his own cut and paste Bible called “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” in which, using a razor blade and glue, he cut the Bible down to 86 pages, getting rid of anything referring to the miracles of Jesus and most supernatural mentions. Jefferson ends the book with Jesus dead in the grave. Like so many of His time, and so many of our time, Jefferson saw Jesus as a good teacher, but not as God.

The people’s initial reaction at the synagogue in Nazareth is our proper reaction to Jesus – astonishment; astonishment at Jesus’ teaching and wisdom and works. Be continually astonished by Jesus because, despite His appearance, Jesus is not a familiar, fellow man. Jesus is God in flesh. Despite appearances, Jesus is not just another guy. As we will soon confess, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus is God in flesh. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!

Jesus has brought you close He has made you family. You are His brother, you are His sister and Jesus is Lord. Jesus is your servant and Jesus is your King.

In order for us to take control it is so tempting to reduce Jesus to a familiar, regular, manageable, fellow man, but that is not the truth. Jesus is God. He teaches with authority because He is the author of life. So do what He says. Mark 1:15 (ESV) 15 … “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus is not a familiar, ordinary, fellow man, but Jesus has brought you close to Him. You, a baptized follower of Jesus, gathered here with fellow believers to hear the Gospel and to receive Jesus’ gifts — you are a part of Jesus’ family. As Jesus teaches, Mark 3:35 (ESV) 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” You are Jesus’ sister. You are Jesus’ brother.

Jesus has brought you close He has made you family. You are His brother, you are His sister and Jesus is Lord. Jesus is your servant and Jesus is your King. Jesus is God incarnate and He has redeemed you with His blood; He has forgiven you all your sins. You are one with Him through the Holy Spirit. He is your Savior because you cannot save yourself. Jesus is your loving brother but you know who this brother is and you are in awe. He is your caring brother, and you are astonished at what He has done for you. Your brother, the Lord God almighty, has washed you clean and brought you into the Kingdom of God, to be with Him, now and forever. Amen.

Posted on June 16, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Small, Plain and Ordinary

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Pentecost 4 2024 Proper 6
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
June 16, 2024
Ezekial 17, 22-24, 2 Corinthians 5:1-17, Mark 4:26-34

This is a beautiful church building. We have been blessed by those who were here in the 1940s that they chose a classic style and durable materials to build our Romanesque style church modeled after St. Bernard church in Cincinnati. This is a beautiful space in which to have the divine service.

When Jeannette and I were in Europe in April we visited cathedrals and churches, and monastery chapels in Germany, Austria and Hungary. The cathedrals and chapels were incredibly large, towering, ornate monuments to the architectural styles of their time. In the Baroque style cathedral in Passau Germany, there is a gigantic golden pulpit with figures of Jesus and angels and the four gospel writers and the last supper and so much more. It is magnificent. So large, so beautiful, so ornate. What would it be like to preach from a pulpit like that? Wow! People must be impressed with a sermon from a golden pulpit. Now, I love my pulpit here, but it is plain and ordinary compared to European cathedrals.

Jesus is plain and ordinary. This must be what the disciples think about Jesus and His ministry compared to the Temple in Jerusalem with its magnificent tall pillars and gold and decorations. The priests adorned in amazing robes with golden threads in white linen. By contrast, Jesus is a homeless teacher wandering around the backwater areas of Galilee with a rag tag band of followers including fishermen and even a tax collector. Sometimes Jesus teaches in the synagogues but mostly outdoors on a hill or by the lake. Jesus is not even just plain and ordinary, He is poor and lowly and weak and insignificant. Dressed like a normal person, He preaches and teaches and heals the sick and casts out demons but it does not look like much. The healings and exorcisms are remarkable, but Jesus does not make a big deal about them, he even tells folks to keep quiet about being healed. There are crowds following Him to be healed and to hear the teaching but it a crowd of poor, lowly people. When the rich, powerful, important people come around Jesus they are offended by Him; they oppose Jesus. They look to trap Jesus because they want to destroy Him. They see the good Jesus is doing and accuse Him of being in league with the devil. Plain, ordinary Jesus just keeps doing what He is doing; He does not care what the cool kids think of Him.

Jesus tells the disciples a couple of parables to steady them as they follow Jesus. The first is about the Kingdom of God being like a man scattering seed on the ground and the seed sprouts and grows all on its own. While the man goes about his life, the earth produces automatically until the harvest. Jesus spreads the Word and it produces on its own without human assistance. Jesus’ Word produces fruit in the lives of His followers all by itself.

Like the disciples, we really want to believe that faith, and forgiveness, and the Kingdom of God is about us and what we do — but it is not about you, it is about Jesus for you. There is a terrible infection afflicting church bodies that causes folks to believe that God needs our help. There is a thought that God’s Word is good and everything, but we really need find more and more clever ways to present it so people will believe. In churches there is a thought that, “if we can just…whatever,” then everything would be better. If we can just…have a better Sunday School program. If we can just… build a better building. If we can just…. have the youth more involved. If we can just… do more with senior ministry. If we can just… reach out better to the people in the neighborhood. If we can just… find the right program at the right time. If we can just…do whatever it takes to help God. We are looking for a silver bullet fix to whatever ails the church, but there are no silver bullets. God’s Word is sufficient. Isaiah 55:10–11 (ESV) 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

This is humbling for pastors. God does not need me. The Kingdom of God will grow by the power of God. I am called to proclaim the Word of God. It is not about me being ingenious; it is about God’s Word succeeding without my assistance.

Jesus continues with a second parable. Mark 4:30–32 (ESV) 30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Now when you think of kingdoms you think of splendid castles and throne rooms and ornate robes and crowns. Jesus here teaches about the Kingdom of God; the reign and rule of God, and it is like, it is like — a mustard seed. I bought a pack of mustard seeds to see what they look like. They are tiny, brown and round; just about 1 millimeter in size; small, plain and ordinary. I put a few mustard seeds in every pew this morning, but I doubt anyone noticed. You would have trouble finding them even if you looked. A mustard seed is tiny, plain, ordinary and almost invisible. The Kingdom of God begins quite small, plain and ordinary there in Galilee and Jerusalem, but it grows and grows and grows. Now the reign of God in Christ Jesus has spread all over the world, but it still appears to be small, plain and ordinary.

The Word of God is the only source of salvation and eternal life but it is so plain and ordinary and folks are not impressed by plain and ordinary. People want something exciting and entertaining. The news media will report all sorts of meaningless stories about rich, famous, powerful, important people, but they ignore what God is doing.

God is here today, in this place, to forgive your sins and feed you the food of eternal life. Jesus, the source of eternal life, is here with you and people act like nothing is going on. They just ignore it because it is plain and ordinary and boring.

Far too many church bodies have grown weary of the Word of God and have moved on to preach and teach what people’s itching ears want to hear. They constantly adjust their teachings so that the cool kids of society will not look down on them. So many churches will fall all over themselves to change what they teach to fit whatever is the latest and greatest rejection of God’s Word put forth by the cultural elites in New York, and D.C., and Los Angeles. They care so much what the cool kids think that they have given up on God. They have rejected the Word of God, and forgiveness, and eternal life so they can fit in with people who change their beliefs as often as their clothes.

Not so for you. You are a follower of Jesus Christ. You are bound to the Word of God. You cannot care what the cool kids think. You cannot adjust your life to fit their perverse teachings. As the Church of Christ, you stand firm on the plain and ordinary Word of God and reject false teachers. You are warned about this in the book of Jude. Jude 4, 8 (ESV) 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ …these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.”

Trust God’s Word because God’s Word will not return empty. The plain and ordinary Word of God is effective and the seed planted will grow by itself by the power of God. Trust the Gospel; the Good News of forgiveness of sins through the life death and resurrection of Jesus. Trust the power and promise of your baptism. Trust Jesus’ words of pardon for sin. Trust the forgiveness given in the Lord’s Supper. Trust…even though it is plain, ordinary water combined with the Word of God. Trust the plain, ordinary words of absolution. Trust the plain, ordinary bread and wine combined with the Word of God. Trust that God works as He has promised.

Trust the Gospel to accomplish what it promises. Follow God — obey God — not out of fear of punishment — the punishment was taken by Jesus; not out of hope of reward–you have already been given eternal life. Follow God — obey God — out of love for God because of what He has done for you through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

It can be difficult because obeying God out of love is messy. We are so much more comfortable with punishment and reward. Do this and you get this in return. Don’t do this or else you will be disciplined.

Living in the plain, ordinary love of God is messy… wonderfully messy. Your sinful side so much wants to be in control…but you are not in charge. God is in charge, and the Word of God is working in you, and the day of harvest will come and Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead and you will be declared righteous, pure and holy because Jesus’ robe of righteousness covers all your sin.

It does not matter how foolish the cool kids think you are. It does not matter how foolish they think Jesus is. It does not matter how small and plain and ordinary Jesus’ Church is. God’s Word does not return empty. We so much want to have some kind of spiritual experience that we can point to, some exciting happening, some spiritual high, but we get God’s plain and ordinary promises and that is good.

It can be difficult because obeying God out of love is messy. We are so much more comfortable with punishment and reward. Do this and you get this in return. Don’t do this or else you will be disciplined.

So follow Jesus…trust Jesus…live in the messiness of His love for you. Obey God out of love. Repent when you get distracted by the world and give in to temptation. Receive His forgiveness…over and over and over.

As Jesus’ Church we do what God has given us to do. We make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching. Even though it is not exciting and entertaining we pronounce the forgiveness of sins, preach the truth of God’s Word, administer the Lord’s sacrament of His Body and Blood, and we trust God’s Word to do what God has promised it will do.

It does not matter if the pulpit is golden, or wooden, or no pulpit at all, the Word of God is effective. Trust in the promises of God regardless of what the cool kids think. Amen.

Posted on June 9, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

What is the Opposite of God?

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“What Is the Opposite of God?”
Vicar Matthew Kinne
6/9/24
Texts: Mark 3:20-35; Genesis 3:8-15; 1 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Hear Jesus’ words from our Gospel reading today:

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

What is the opposite of God? If you were to ask this question to a room full of people hearing about God for the first time, what do you think the responses would be? I can tell you from experience some may say “Well, if God is good, that means His opposite is evil.” Okay… this would be a logical response as we are creatures that appreciate the scales of counterparts to be balanced. We like the idea of Ying & Yang. Think of any story, myth, movie, or book that encounters good versus evil other than the Bible. It seems like there is always an equal opposite to the protagonist. There is always a chance that good will prevail and classically we call that comedy; the good guy wins in the end. It gives us a good feeling inside. But there is also a chance that evil will win. The good guy either dies or becomes corrupt himself. We call this tragedy, and some believe that this is just as acceptable to let evil win. In some ways, we are programmed to believe that if there is a righteous character then there must be an equally evil character. One cannot exist without the other.

Of course, God is good and there is evil, so there must be some form of truth to the answer. But if it is the case that God has some equally corrupted counterpart, what would that mean for your salvation? It would mean that there is no promise and no guarantee for your eternal life. It would be a 50/50 chance: a flip of a coin. Good versus evil would never be resolved, and you would be in a prison of limbo forever. Does that sound like a good time to you? Is that really how the story of our great and mighty God goes? I hope not. And in fact, by faith through the Holy Spirit and the confirmation of witnesses in the Scriptures, I know it is not.

Sometimes we forget that the evil in this world came from the weak and rebellious will of creatures. When God created man, He gave him the ability to choose God’s way or his own way. And to our mystery today, as the story is told in Genesis, man was weak and listened to the tempter that came in the form a serpent. We do not know much about the origin of the tempter, but we do know that just like man, he chose to oppose his Creator. We know that he is a fallen angel as Jesus says in Luke’s account, “I saw Satan fall like lighting from heaven”. But just because he opposes God does not make him God’s equal opponent. Satan is still a creature, one that is defeated just when he thinks he is on the cusp of victory by getting Jesus on a cross. He did put up what he thought was a good fight but God, who is the author of this life, binds up Satan and crushes His head at the foot of the cross where Jesus Christ is glorified. Satan’s own battle strategy kills his own kingdom in the end. Satan’s pride is his own demise!

Without the knowledge that the Holy Spirit gives through God’s Word, it is easy to be influenced by and even sympathize with the citizens of the tempter’s kingdom. It is certainly more comfortable to accept the evil that surrounds us every day than to swim against the tide and be at odds with friends and family members who follow the ways of the world. But do you realize Satan has us right where he wants us? In the land of the free and the home of brave, we are given the right to worship our God by the said freedom of our county’s constitution. But where man has the freedom to follow God in our country, man also has the equal freedom to fall away and uplift evil in this land. It is a nation divided.

The flag that once stood for freedom, hope, and prosperity, is now often replaced or redesigned by a perverted rainbow flag movement which teaches people to believe that the church is built on hate. The claim “all are welcome” sounds beautiful and righteous. But that welcome sign is a work of the devil when it is not a welcome to repent because the reign of God is at hand. It is a work of the devil when it rejects the Word of God and follows the way of man. That is because, just like the serpent, the will of man opposes the standard of life made by his Creator.

Let’s focus the magnifying glass a little closer to home. Just like Adam and Eve, and even the Pharisees, it is easy for us in the church to point the finger at others. It is not hard to find a quote of scripture and tell someone else “you are wrong”. God does tell us to use His word for reproof, and to understand the standard of what is right and what is wrong. But can you go one day without breaking a commandment? Can you live up to the righteous standard of God on your own?

If you say you can live without sinning and you can save yourself by being better than everyone else, you are living a life of deception. The truth is not in you. The sin against the Holy Spirit, the sin of unbelief, is at large in you if you believe this. And if you think the church gathers because we are better than those who parade in city centers opposing God’s gift of marriage and life, you again would be wrong. The purpose of the church is not to be a political platform of this earthly kingdom. It is to be a place where the sick are tended to by their physician. It is where forgiveness is given to sinners who naturally oppose our Creator. God’s Word is where we find the standard of holy living, but it is more importantly the place where we read about God’s redemption of mankind for living in sin.

The answer to the question, “What is God’s equal opposite?” is… nothing. And maybe that is more than the truth. Maybe a better way to say it is that without God, there is no existence. The opposite of creating man, however, is man decomposing. Without God we are hopeless, dying beings desperate for meaning. We are creatures sustained by the graces of our God. Our God is not a tyrant God, not one who demands our praises, not one who demands good works. But rather a loving God, who sustains and comforts us. Because of that we sing praise about our God to others, and lead lives of active service to our neighbor.

The only place to find life is in God’s presence. He is the one who gives life and maintains life. When man chooses his own pride and sin over God, he walks in the direction of death. He steps away from God. That is not God’s fault. It is man’s fault. Man’s most grievous fault. And for that, man is humbled before a righteous God who wants all people to repent of their sin and be reminded that we are part of His kingdom in the baptism He bestows on us.

Satan’s kingdom is divided. He cannot win. Do not follow him or even listen to him. Drive him out of your life! If you feel like he is knocking at your door, yell “Be gone Satan! My God has defeated you. Go back to dark and foul hole you came from!”

Satan wants you to also believe that God’s kingdom is a mess and is divided into a thousand pieces. God’s kingdom, however, is forever because it is not divided. Now, it is easy to think the church is not unified. When you drive downtown Hamilton count how many steeples there are. There are so many buildings, confessions, hymnals, translations, and political views pulling apart the church on earth. But these things are not what the church stands upon. These are things built and produced by the hands of sinful man. The church is instead built on the foundation of Christ’s constitution, which is not written in ink on paper, but by His blood writing into the wood of the cross from the nails piecing His hands and feet.

A bridge to God once existed in the garden, but it was burned up by man’s sin. God had to rebuild this bridge using Jesus’ perfect body. Jesus’ incarnation bridged heaven and earth together. God’s Word lives among us. His Kingdom was brought back into this world by His birth in Bethlehem where His perfect little body lie in a manger. This same body and blood that we take in, is the foundation of Christ’s church. His body, though put to death, was never broken. It was never divided. He was put into a grave, but He conquered death three days later. He never let evil prevail. The good guy not only won, but never had a chance to lose. God the Father called all the shots of His Son’s death and resurrection. And since Jesus wins, you win. Because He died, your sinful Adam dies. Because He lives, you also will continue to live into eternity with Him.

We just sang about this glorious victory in our hymn today. If you turn in your service bulletin to page 8, look at stanza one. See how the confession of the Church is not divided! The works of Satan is conquered through the work of our Emmanuel. If you’d like to sing it with me one more time, feel free to join.

668 Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You

Text and tune: Public domain

Even though it may feel like Satan has the upper hand in this world because he influences the hearts of divided and sinful man. God is victorious! The church stands outside of any government in this world, it does not proudly parade sinful ideals, it does not give into catchy slogans or earthly philosophies. It stands on the Word of God, and this is what gives us strength to live together as the church until our Lord’s comes back to take us to Himself in heaven. It is then we will celebrate with all the saints that God’s kingdom was never divided and that His mighty hand saved us. Amen.

Posted on June 2, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Weaponizing the Law

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Pentecost 2 2024 Proper 4
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
June 2, 2024
Deut 5:12-15, 2 Cor. 4:5-12, Mark 2:23-28 (3:1-6)

You wake up to the sound of the alarm. You just want to turn it off and roll over, but you need to get up and get going, there is lots to do. Life is very busy. It seems there is always more to do than time to do it. The calendar is jammed packed. You feel like a hamster on a wheel, always running but never getting anywhere.

You need a break.

Imagine being a part of a family of subsistence farmers 3,000 years ago trying to scratch out a living from the land. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. And food preparation is all from scratch meaning that to make bread you start with kernels of wheat that your family harvested and threshed and winnowed and now you have to grind into flour. You work from first light to sunset with barely enough to eat, and you go to bed exhausted. You work and work and never get ahead.

You need a break.

God knows you need a break and so he gives the gift of the Sabbath day to His people. God created the world in six days and then His work was completed and He rested on the seventh day. The Israelites’ work is never completed so they need the Sabbath to receive renewal and restoration from God. God gives the children of Israel this gift of rest in the Ten Commandments as we see in our Old Testament reading. Exodus 20:8 (ESV) 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Now, as rebellious people, the commandments of God can feel like a burden or a threat. It can seem like God’s law is your nemesis holding you back. That it is something you need to find a way around, but the law of God is God’s gift to you — for your good. This is literally expressed in the fourth commandment. Exodus 20:12 (ESV) 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

God’s law curbs your bad behavior, and God’s law shows you are a sinner, and God’s law is a gift to you to offer you a better life. God gives the children of Israel the Sabbath for their own good. He gives them a time each week for physical rest, and time to receive renewal and restoration from God. God gives penalties for those who intentionally abuse the Sabbath so that the Sabbath remains a gift to the people. God wants His people to have this gift of renewal and restoration.

Over the years the Jewish religious leaders become more interested in how to keep the Sabbath instead of why did God give the Sabbath. This is still an issue today. When I was in Israel in January of 2023 we got to observe Sabbath regulations in practice. There was a Sabbath elevator that stopped on every floor of the hotel. It was permissible to ride in the elevator, but not to push the buttons. You could open a room door with a key, but not with a key card. There was even a self-flushing toilet with a sign that said it did not conform to Sabbath regulations.

In our Gospel reading we see the Pharisees seemingly all concerned about protecting the Sabbath day…but what are they really trying to do? They are using the rules about how to keep the Sabbath in order to try to get Jesus in trouble. They want to get rid of this Jesus fellow who just suddenly showed up in Galilee and now is causing all sorts of issues. The people listen to Him rather than the Pharisees and other religious leaders. Somehow this Jesus has authority over unclean spirits and disease, even leprosy and paralysis. He is not like other so-called prophets and teachers. And if that was not bad enough, he does things that are just unheard up. He calls a tax collector to be one of His followers and then has dinner at the tax collector’s house and eats there with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees do not even associate with Gentiles, tax collectors or openly sinful Jews, let alone eat with them. Jesus comes to renew and restore sinners, but the Pharisees do not want sinners renewed and restored. Jesus’ care for others angers the Pharisees and they start to look for ways to get rid of Him, but they just grow more frustrated.

The Pharisees question Jesus as to why His disciples do not fast and He calls himself the bridegroom at the wedding feast. He tells them that He is new cloth and new wine; He does not fit in the old ways. The Pharisees look to trap Jesus and discredit Him. They go after Jesus because His disciples are plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath so they could have a little snack. Jesus turns the discussion away from the Sabbath and onto authority. He tells of how David, the anointed King of Israel, eats the holy bread reserved for the priests. David was the anointed king — Jesus is greater than David. He tells them, Mark 2:27–28 (ESV) 27 … “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Now the Sabbath was commanded by God and Jesus claims to be lord of the Sabbath. So that means Jesus is….the Lord God. Now the Pharisees are really upset.

Next, Jesus is at the synagogue and there is a man there whose hand is disfigured. The Pharisees watch with bated breath to see what Jesus will do. It is the Sabbath day and the Pharisees have weaponized the Sabbath to try to destroy their enemy. The Sabbath is a gift from God for renewal and restoration. The Sabbath is supposed to be good for the people — the Pharisees are using it as a club. The Pharisees, on the Sabbath, are scheming and plotting against their enemy. They are trying to trap Jesus into healing on the Sabbath so they are at the synagogue watching Him. Here is Jesus. Here is the man with the withered hand. Will He do it? Will He help this man on the Sabbath? What is going to happen?

Jesus knows what they are doing and He wants to make sure everyone understands what is going to happen. He tells the man with the crippled hand, “Rise up, come here.” The Sabbath is God’s gift for renewal and restoration. Jesus wants to do good to this man and heal him. The Pharisees want to harm Jesus. They want to kill Jesus. Jesus lays this out, Mark 3:4 (ESV) 4 And he [says] to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they [are] silent.”

Jesus wants to do good and heal someone. The Pharisees want to do harm and kill Jesus. The Pharisees are using the law not to keep order; not for good, but to attack Jesus and destroy their enemy. They are using the Sabbath as a weapon against their opponent.

Jesus looks at the Pharisees with anger. He is sad that their hearts are so hard as to abuse God’s law for evil. And Jesus does not back down. He says to the man who has stood up and come to Him, Mark 3:5 (ESV) 5 …“Stretch out your hand.” He [stretches] it out, and his hand [is] restored.”

Jesus does not do anything. With just the power of His word Jesus heals the man’s withered hand. The man is renewed and restored by the power of Jesus’ Word. This is incredible. This is a miracle and it happens in front of everyone at the synagogue. How do the Pharisees react? Mark 3:6 (ESV) 6 The Pharisees [go] out and immediately [hold] counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”

Their reaction to a miracle of healing is anger and murderous thoughts. The Pharisees are so mad that they unite with their enemy, the Herodians, against their common enemy, Jesus. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I am not sure if they think they are doing God’s will or are just using the idea of God to protect their positions. The truth is that they hate God and are trying to kill God.

God’s law is still in effect today. You still have the gift of God’s law and it is still a gift to you for your good. God’s law is for good, but there is a great temptation to use the law as a weapon against your enemies rather than as a tool to keep peace. This happens more than we would like to admit. How often do kids tattle on each other simply to get the other person in trouble? Not to protect them, or help them, just to get them in trouble? Adults also are tempted to use the rules to try to control others rather than for the good of others? We are tempted to use the law to criticize, blame, or punish someone in a vulnerable position. We have a cute expression for this. We call this throwing someone under the bus. Used properly the law is good. In the wrong hands the law becomes a weapon to attack others. In the church this can take the form of angry Christians whose joy of salvation is stifled by always being on high alert for other people doing something wrong and then trying to correct them.

You go to church because it is good for you, not because it is good for God.

The Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it Holy,” is still in force today although it has been updated in Jesus. Instead of the Sabbath being the center, Jesus is the center. Jesus is the source of rest and restoration. Jesus says, 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.”

Jesus’ Word is the source of rest for your souls. Martin Luther’s explanation of the third commandment is, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” We gather for worship to receive from God renewal and restoration. We are not to hate God’s Word of renewal, or grudgingly hear it, but rather treasure it. Just as Jesus said, Mark 2:27 (ESV) 27 … “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” we might say, “God has provided Christian worship for the benefit of man…He did not create man simply for the sake of Christian worship.”

You go to church because it is good for you, not because it is good for God.

In the busyness of your life you need rest and rejuvenation. In your battle against sin and temptation you need renewal and restoration. You gather here once a week to receive renewal and restoration from God in baptism, and in His Word, and in Holy Communion. In this place you hear that your sins are forgiven and you are fed with heavenly food. You rest in Jesus because it is good for you. Take time to rest in Jesus. Take time to reflect that you are indeed, by nature, sinful and unclean and you need Jesus. Take time to reflect that you are poor in spirit and Jesus blesses the poor in spirit and gives you the Kingdom of Heaven.

You are blessed to be here. You come here feeling like the man’s withered hand, battered and hurting, and you stretch out your guilt and shame by confessing your sins, and receive restoration from the Lord Jesus. Rest in the gifts of Jesus. And not just an hour and fifteen minutes on Sunday morning but each day rest in Jesus in prayer and scripture reading. Rest in Jesus; be renewed and restored and refreshed so you are able to serve others in all your various vocations. Amen.

Posted on May 26, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

God loves in this way

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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

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 May 12, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Where is Jesus?

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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

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 May 5, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Unlikely Cornelius

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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

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.