christianity – Page 7 – From the Pulpit

Posted on March 29, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

SERMON TEXT BELOW

The Good Father Figure at the Passover

Vicar Kinne

Maundy Thursday, 3/28/2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on March 24, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Yelling at the Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on March 3, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Ugly, stupid, weak failure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We preach Christ crucified.

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

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

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

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

Posted on February 18, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

God wants you to endure to the end

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on January 7, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Arise, Shine, Your Light Has Come

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Epiphany (Observed) 2023
January 7, 2023
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

Are people by nature, good or evil? Are folks naturally selfless, or selfish? What about you?

We would like to believe that if we were left alone to live together everything would be fine. We would like to believe that people are, by nature, good, and that people would naturally share with each other, help each other, and love each other.

This is some of the foundation behind the ideas of communism. What a wonderful place this world would be if everyone worked together for the common good. Each person contributes according to their ability and everyone shares equally in the fruits of the labor; a worker’s paradise.

But there is a flaw in the system. Communist governments have to maintain brutal control over the people and ruthlessly squash any dissent. It turns out that collective farms and factories do not produce as much as individually owned farms and factories. What is the problem?

Children sometimes fantasize about how great it would be if kids ran everything; families, schools and government. Everything would all be better if there were no adults around with their stupid rules and discipline. William Golding wrote a book about this, it’s called “Lord of the Flies.” For those who haven’t read it yet, Golding portrays self-government among British school boys. It does not go well.

We want freedom to just do what we want to do. But is that really a good idea? What would the world look like if you just did what you wanted? I don’t want to get up and go to school. I don’t want to brush my teeth. I am going to drive as fast as I want. I want money and you have some, so I will take it. I don’t want to be tied down to one woman. I don’t want to take care of my kids. I just want to get drunk and forget about life. I want… I want…

What would your life be like if you simply let your desires rule? You can see what happens because there are plenty of examples all around you. You see the disastrous consequences. You see how terrible this is in your own life and in the lives of those around you. You see the destruction of families. You see people self-destruct as they ignore all the warnings. You watch lives fall apart because of selfishness.

You really, really want to believe that people are, by nature, good, but you know this is not true. You just confessed that youare… by nature…sinful and unclean.

Your heart is darkened by the sin of selfishness from which flows all other sins and this is not just you, it is a universal problem. It is a selfish world, and a selfish world is a dark world and this is the world you live in. This is the world into which Jesus arrives as that baby born in Bethlehem. Jesus, the Light, comes into a dark, selfish world and this is the Good News for all eternity. “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Jesus is the light of the world. He comes to bring the Good News of the Reign of Heaven. He is the light that illuminates the darkness. He is the glory of the Lord and yet it is a hidden light, a hidden glory. The baby Jesus is the light of the world and yet veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Peter, James and John see the glory of God burst through only for a moment on the Mount of Transfiguration, otherwise the Light, hidden as it is in the body of Jesus, needs to be revealed. Just as the light was hidden in the flesh of baby Jesus, the light is now hidden in the Word of God, hidden in the waters of Baptism, hidden in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. The light is here with us, but it is hidden for now and needs to be revealed.

The light is revealed to the shepherds in the field by one angel and then by an army of angels. The light is revealed to the Magi from the east by a star guiding them to the child. The Magi come seeking the one born king of the Jews. The star reveals the Light of the world to these unlikely people from the east who journey to find and worship the newborn king.

But even with the bright star in the sky showing the way to the Light, the inky darkness of selfish sin hovers about. Herod tries to use the Magi to find the Christ so he can kill the newborn King. Herod wants to snuff out the Light because he fears that the Light will impinge on his own power. There is power in darkness and dark power brings increasing evil.

We look at Herod and see him as a notorious villain for wanting to snuff out the Light; but Herod is not unique. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” People still want to snuff out the light of Christ because they worry that the Light will reduce their own power, their autonomy; their control, their selfish pursuit of doing what they want to do, not caring about others.

The darkness hates the light and tries to snuff it out by forbidding people to reveal the Light to others. For 2,000 years and still today, Christians are imprisoned and beaten and executed for being the light of Christ. In North Korea you can be executed for possessing a Bible and your family will be thrown in prison. The darkness hates the light.

The darkness denies that the Light has come into the world. The darkness pretends that the Light is a tamer, more palatable, less offensive light that plays well with the darkness. But true light will not mix with darkness.

Darkness distracts you so you ignore the Light. Darkness wants you to not hear about the Light, not read about the Light, not speak about the Light, not pray to the Light, not gather to worship the Light. Darkness wants you to get so busy with things of this world that you just ignore the Light. The darkness goes after individuals to get them to reject the light because the darkness cannot extinguish the Light of the world.

As Herod found out, even as his sword dripped with the blood of Bethlehem’s baby boys, the Light cannot be overcome. The Light has come into the world and the revelation of this Light, the Epiphany of the Light, the understanding of the Light, continues even to this day as news of the light of Christ is proclaimed in this dark world from pulpits and lecterns and dinner tables and bedside talks with children. The Light is here. At the temple, Simeon calls Jesus, “A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Let the Light shine. This is the mission of the Church. We proclaim the truth of the Light. We announce the Good News; Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We baptize and teach. We forgive sins and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The Church shines forth the Light that shines for all people. In this Light, sin and guilt disappear, washed away by the love of Christ. In this Light you live in love and forgiveness.

The Light comes into the world, is swaddled, and laid in a manger in Bethlehem. The Light escapes Herod’s sword by fleeing to Egypt. On a dark Friday, thirty three years later, outside the walls of Jerusalem, it looks like the darkness will finally smother the light. From the cross, the Light, declares, “It is finished,” and the life goes out from His eyes. Life is gone from the Light and it appears that darkness has won. The Light has died, but the Light rises from the dead and continues to shine forth forever. Darkness will never overcome the light.

You still live in a dark, selfish world. People are, by nature, evil. By nature, you are selfish and dark, but you have been rescued from the darkness. Colossians 1:13 (ESV) 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” You have been born again in water and the Spirit just as you got to witness here this morning with the baptism of our little brother Everett.

And just like Everett, you have received Christ who is the light of the world. You are a child of light in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 60:1 (ESV) 1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Amen.

Posted on December 25, 2023 by pastorkevinjud

No Detour Ahead

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No Detour Ahead!

Vicar Matthew Kinne

Bible Readings: John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-12; Isaiah 52:7–10

Most of my family is from Wisconsin. Up there we have a saying that there are only two seasons throughout the year. There is winter and then there is road construction season. It is quite frustrating when you are traveling to see friends or family and you come upon that unwanted sign saying, “Road Closed Ahead”. As much as the sign also says, “Follow Detour”, there is an unwanted, unsettling anxiety that builds up in every driver. What if the detour is not marked properly and I miss a turn? What if the detour takes me in the opposite direction of my destination? What if the detour adds over an hour of traveling and I do not get to my family Christmas reunion in time for Mom’s famous banana bread?

Detours can be frustrating, but they can also be necessary. Without planned detours, defects in the road cannot be avoided. Without proper signs, no one would know the dangers that lie ahead. Without proper instruction, no one would know how to turn around and follow the better path. Looking at it this way, detours can have a more promising outcome that outweighs their annoyances.

If a regular road closing seems annoying, imagine what patience it would require in order to travel a detour that takes many generations to get back on the course of God redeeming His people. For all the people in the Old Testament waiting for the Messiah to come, it probably seemed like God took many long and agonizing detours. Adam and Eve never saw the Messiah promised when God cursed the serpent in the garden. Genesis 3:15 (ESV) “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” All their descendants died in the great flood except for Noah and his family. Abraham never saw how many descendants he would have through Isaac, but as we can see in the Old Testament history of the children of Israel, God saves those from the line of Abraham repeatedly all the way down to Mary and Joseph. God saves Israel from the bondage in Egypt, brings them through the Red Sea waters, saves them from the hunger and thirst of living in the wilderness for forty years, and finally brings them to the promised land. God continued to guide His people even though they put their trust in earthly kings. After Babylon takes over Israel and spreads its citizens throughout the ancient world, God continues to send prophets to pave the way of the Lord.

The Old Testament tells of a long and twisted and tiresome road from Eden to the manger in Bethlehem. We hear about how God had to make so many detours because of man’s sin. Yet God made sure every detour led to the Christ child that first Christmas morning. He made sure that His promises were kept and that His plan to save all mankind would come into fruition.

Before Adam and Eve’s fall into sin there was only one straight path from God to His creation. Because sin entered our world, the pride of man made everyone blind to the truth that we need God’s grace to live. Sin cut off that narrow path to the Father, thus condemning everyone to a worthless life without God. Because this disease of imperfection is handed off from parents to children, the history of sin continues to repeat itself. That is, it continues to repeat until God intervenes by sending a baby in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

Since God is love, He has compassion on His creation. God establishes a way in which His children will know Him. He sent messengers, the prophets, to prepare the way of the Messiah. God sent these watchmen in the hopes that His people would hear His voice and follow it. But instead of waiting for Christ’s birth they follow the paths of the world and kill the prophets. If they did not honor the prophets, what will they do to God’s Son?

Today we celebrate Christmas, the incarnation of the Son of God. John 1:14 (ESV) “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.” This is the end of the detour! The Messiah has come! But the world does not listen to the warnings. They do not heed the signs. The world turns off the straight path to the Lord and seeks the wrong destination. Now it is up to God to reprogram everyone’s GPS to the correct destination. The Holy Spirit shows us the way. And what is that destination? It is the glory of Christ on the cross where He takes away the sin of the world. This cross is where He shines in our darkness so that we can also become Children of the Light.

Since God is love, He has compassion on His creation. God establishes a way in which His children will know Him. He sent messengers, the prophets, to prepare the way of the Messiah.

John the Baptist was the last sign on the detour pointing directly at this destination. He proclaimed the words of Isaiah saying, “prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God”. Since Israel was lost in their sinfulness, John taught repentance and baptism so that the nation of Israel was ready for the Kingdom of God. This kingdom was found in no other place but the body of Jesus Christ. God’s kingdom is not of this world, but it entered our world for our benefit.

The Word of God becomes flesh and dwells among us. He knows our world. He understands our pain, our frustration, and even temptations. But unlike all men born in sin, this Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He receives His flesh through Mary, but He receives His perfection by His divine nature as God. Therefore, He never sins once. He never gives into the detours and temptations of sin. His path is clear!

This Man was sent to start a new path, one that brings the whole world back to its Creator. This path was to fulfill all the words of the prophets in the Old Testament. He lived a perfect life. He healed the sick and the dying. He preached the ways of God in the temple and synagogues. But ultimately, He completed the covenant given to Abraham and fulfilled the promise made to Adam and Eve in the garden by shedding His blood in exchange for their sin and the sin of all their children.

But the path does not end there. He did die, but He did not stay dead. He is God. He was with the Father and the Holy Spirit before creation. Jesus is everlasting. Therefore, death cannot hold its grip on Him. He is the God of the living, and He gives everlasting life to you! He gives you His righteous life in your Baptism. In this Baptism, you are born of the Holy Spirit. This is the same person, the Holy Spirit who put life in Mary’s womb, who gives birth to new life in you in the baptismal font. This way before the Father in heaven, you are covered by Jesus’ righteousness. The sin you received from your parents has no effect on your eternal salvation. Jesus took the effects of death on Himself!

This new path we are walking is the path of the Baptized. Jesus leads us through this desert of a sinful world by His pillar of light. We are children of the light and need to comprehend that there is no detour ahead outside of Christ. Avoid the detour of thinking your good works will save you. Avoid the detour that because God will always forgive you, that you can keep on living in sin. These are deviations from the true path! Christ is the path and establishes where you can find Him. That is, you can find Him where sound teaching of the Word of God is preached and where His body and blood are offered to you for the continuous repentance and forgiveness of the many detours you take away from His light.

Christ is the straight and narrow path to the Father. He gives us eternal life in exchange for our detours from Him. He found us while we were lost. Through centuries of faithfulness and unfaithfulness God showed His frustrations by refining His people in the Old Testament by various trials. He even puts us to the test as a people who fall into the trap of sin, yet He locates us and turns us back in His direction. He shows us His path because He loves us and wants us to be allowed into His family reunion. When He comes back to be the judge, He will separate the evil doers—those who did not follow the straight path—from His children who were led by His light. He will again establish a new path, one that we will travel together for all eternity in the heavenly glory of our Father. We will never again be lost because we will always be with Him. His path is always straight and has no detours. He gives us the light that the world could never give, and we find that light in the newborn child, Jesus Christ. Amen!

Posted on December 25, 2023 by pastorkevinjud

Baby Jesus is Not Safe Jesus

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Christmas Eve 2023
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
December 24, 2023

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The little town is just bursting at the seams with all the visitors from out of town. Normally families need to plan for a big get together, but this huge family reunion is ordered by Caesar Augustus in Rome. Everyone must go to the place of their ancestry. All the descendants of King David are back in Bethlehem to be registered by the Romans. No one thinks registering is a good idea, but it is not wise to go against the Romans. And it will be nice to have generations of David’s family gathered together for a time.

Over the years, traditions have developed that Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room in the inn due to an evil innkeeper. Luke 2:7 (ESV) 7 And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

The word for “inn” here, however, more likely means “guest room” and that Jesus was born in the family area at a relative’s house in Bethlehem and was laid in a manger where animals were brought in at night for safekeeping.

Imagine you are one of the relatives staying in the same house and witnessing all that is taking place. People keep arriving for the registration. The upper guest room is full and now the lower family area is packed. One couple, your cousin Joseph and his wife Mary, arrived from Nazareth 90 miles north. Mary is very pregnant and about to give birth. There will not be much privacy, but at least there will be plenty of help.

The time comes for Mary to give birth and everything goes as smoothly as giving birth can go. The baby is swaddled in strips of cloth and now a bed must be found. Since the guest room is full, one of the stone mangers is cleaned out and fresh straw is put in and the baby is laid on the straw to sleep. What a joyous event. Mary gives birth to her first born son and Joseph’s whole family is there to celebrate.

That evening, as things are winding down and people are starting to get ready for bed, there is a knock at the door. Who is this? Are we expecting more family? There really isn’t any more room, but something will be figured out. When the door is opened it is not family traveling from out of town, instead local shepherds are standing at the door. How strange. What are these guys doing here?

The shepherd in front says, “We have been all over town searching for the Savior, Christ the Lord. Is there a baby here wrapped up in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger?” An unnerving hush falls over everyone in the house. Whoa…..how did they know that?

The father of the house responds, “Yes, indeed, there is a baby here as you describe, but how could you possibly have known?”

“An angel appeared to us tonight in the field, glowing with the glory of God, scaring us half to death, and the angel said, “Luke 2:10–12 (ESV) 10 … “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” “The angels told us, and it is true. Here He is, the Savior; Christ the Lord.”

Mary and Joseph go over to talk to the shepherds by the door. Just then the baby wakes up and starts to fuss. You go over and pick Him up to comfort Him amidst all the excitement. You hold the baby Jesus in your arms and gently rock Him and try to quiet Him, “shhhh, shhhh, shhhh,” as Mary brings the shepherds over to see the baby.

Christmas is a hugely popular holiday for people from many different backgrounds. It is a fascinating phenomenon because Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of God. We rejoice at God taking on human flesh and being born in Bethlehem. We celebrate the Son of God becoming Immanuel; God with us.

Non-Christians celebrate Christmas while rejecting Christ. A lot of folks who claim to be Christian but reject the teachings of Christianity, still love Christmas. There are many who get really offended by Jesus’ teachings, but then celebrate His birth.

I wonder if maybe folks think that “Christmas Jesus” is “safe Jesus.” A Jesus you can hold in your arms and shush; a Jesus who is not telling you to love your enemy, not telling you to forgive others, not warning you about lust and anger and greed, not teaching you about sin and forgiveness, not calling you to repent and take up your cross and follow Him, not telling you that He has to die for your sins. Christmas Jesus is just lying there, helpless, seemingly under your control. Baby Jesus seems like a safe Jesus.

For so many, Christmas has been reduced to nothing more than a sentimental holiday all about colored lights and trees and food and family and ugly sweaters and gifts and memories of Christmas’s past. It is a sentimental Christmas with a safe Jesus lying silently in the nativity scene not making anyone uncomfortable.

Now, baby Jesus is small, but he is not safe. His birth is announced by an army of angels and a star appears in the heavens to mark His arrival. From His infancy He brings division and death as the devil tries to kill Him. As C.S. Lewis says of Aslan the Lion, in the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Jesus is not safe, but He is good.

Jesus is not safe. He is the Savior. The little Lamb of God lying in a manger has come to defeat the devil by being the sacrifice for the sin of the world. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) 21 For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

You cannot shush Jesus because He is God and you are not. He is Lord and you are His servant. In the battle against the devil, the world and your own sinful nature, Jesus is in charge and yet He comes to serve you and save you and lay down His life for you. Jesus is the light who takes into Himself the darkness of your sin and pays the price on the cross. Afterwards, His Body is swaddled in cloth and laid on a stone slab. A safe Jesus would have stayed dead, but Jesus is not safe. He rises from the dead on the third day to conquer death forever. And because Jesus rose from the dead, you will rise from the dead. Thank God, Jesus is not safe.

The light of Christ comes into the world in the little town of Bethlehem. The light spreads from the manger in Bethlehem to those in the house and the shepherds and the magi, to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and Galilee and to the surrounding nations and out to the farthest reaches of the world. The light spreads from one person to another to another, generation after generation. The light of Christ has been on the move, spreading person to person for 2,000 years. The saving light of Christ has come to you.

The Advent wreath is all lit up tonight. The four candles for each of the Sundays of Advent and now the center Christ candle also. The Christ candle represents the light of Christ which comes into the world as the baby in Bethlehem. As we near the end of the service tonight I will take light from the Christ candle and share it with everyone here. As you receive the light, remember you are baptized. At your baptism you received Christ who is the light of the world. As we share the light from the Christ candle, picture the light of Jesus bringing light in the darkness throughout the centuries as it spreads all around the world.

Tonight you celebrate Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem. Tonight you rejoice in Jesus coming to be “God with you” to save you from your sins. Tonight you celebrate the birth of the Savior who is not safe, but is good. Merry Christmas! Amen.

Posted on December 10, 2023 by pastorkevinjud

Prepare for the Lord

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Advent 2 2023
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
December 10, 2023
Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-14, Mark 1:1-8

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Before the judge enters his courtroom the bailiff, loudly, announces his arrival, “All rise. The Common Pleas Court of Butler County Ohio is now in session, the honorable Michael Oster Jr. presiding.” And everyone stands until the judge tells them to be seated. To be prepared for the judge is to rise.

In a scene from the Luther movie, the monk Martin Luther is visiting Rome and an announcement is made that Pope Julius II is riding down the street. Everyone kneels in preparation as the Pope rides by dressed in the golden armor of a knight.

In the Navy, if a senior officer is entering a room the first one to notice announces, “Attention on deck,” and everyone stands and salutes.

People need to be prepared when an important person arrives.

In our Gospel reading today John the Baptist is preparing the people for the arrival of the long promised Messiah, the Christ. God is arriving. God is arriving clothed in flesh to do a great work. The Christ’s arrival has been foretold in scripture, and not only His arrival, but but also the arrival of the one to prepare His way.

Mark 1:2–3 (ESV) 2 … “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”

John the Baptist is God’s messenger preparing the way. For context, it is a dark time for the people of Israel. The 10 northern tribes were taken into exile in 722 BC by the Assyrians, never to return. The Southern Tribes are defeated by the Babylonians in 589 BC and many of them are taken into exile. The Jews begin to return to Judea in 538 BC and the rebuilt temple is finished in 516 BC. Israel is under the control of the Persians who defeated the Babylonians, and then under control of the Greeks who defeat the Persians in 332. The Jews rebel in 164 BC under Judas Maccabeus after the temple is desecrated by the Greeks sacrificing pigs on the altar to Zeus. The Jewish rebellion is successful and they retake Jerusalem. Hanukkah is established when one day of oil lasts eight days in the temple lights. The Roman Empire then rises to power and Pompey the Great conquers Jerusalem in 63 BC. Julius Caesar appoints Antipater to be Proconsul of Judea and manage the financial affairs. Antipater’s son Herod, gets in good with the right Roman authorities and through many political moves the Roman Senate declares Herod to be King of the Jews around 36 BC. Herod the Great rules for 37 years and is known for his colossal building projects including rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Herod is called king, but he answers to Caesar. At the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry the Romans have ruled Israel for 67 years with two of Herod’s sons and a Roman Governor now in charge. When will the Jewish people be free? They have been through so much for so many centuries. The Messiah has been promised, but it has been so long. There have been false Christs. Judas the Galilean starts a revolt against Rome around 6 AD and many think that he is the Messiah, but he is not. Will the Messiah ever come? The last prophet to preach of the coming Messiah is Malachi 400 years earlier. Malachi 4:5 (ESV) 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” When will the Messiah arrive? It has been 400 years of silence from the Lord.

And then out in the desert down by the Jordan River there is a voice crying in the wilderness. The great and awesome day of the Lord is near. John the Baptist is the new Elijah preparing the people. How do the people prepare? John proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. To be ready for Jesus is to admit you are sinner who needs forgiveness and submit to receiving forgiveness in John’s baptism. Mark 1:5 (ESV) 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” The Messiah is coming. And the one who is coming is so mighty that John is not worthy to stoop down and untie His sandals. Even though He does not look like it, John knows Jesus is God in human flesh. John is not worthy to even be near Him.

John is not worthy, but Jesus arrives in the very next verse to be baptized by John. Mark 1:10–11 (ESV) 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus has promised to be here with you today to forgive you your sins. How did we announce His arrival? You rose and I announced, “In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!” These are the words with which you were baptized and remind you that you are a baptized child of God as you begin worship. And then you knelt and acknowledged your status before God – you confessed that you are a sinner who is not worthy to be near to the Lord. And the Lord forgave you all your sins and is coming to you in Holy Communion.

Advent means arrival. During Advent we remember and celebrate Jesus’ threefold arrival. His arrival as the incarnate Son of God as a baby in Bethlehem, His coming each Sunday to you in His Body and Blood in Holy communion and His final coming on judgment day. Each week you prepare by remembering your baptism and confessing your sins and being forgiven. You prepare by rising for the reading of the Holy Gospel in honor of Christ. By preparing for Jesus’ arrival here each week you stay prepared for His third arrival when He comes again on the great and awesome day of the Lord.

It is an ongoing struggle. Your sinful, prideful self does not want to admit to being helpless to sin. You naturally want to believe you are good enough and you can do it yourself. By nature you want a do-it-yourself religion.

At John the Baptist’s time there were some who did not want to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. There are many today who do not want to submit to baptism and confession. It is a difficult thing to admit that you are a sinner. It is tough to confess that you are doing something wrong and you need to stop. To admit you are a sinner is to acknowledge that you are not good enough, that you are in bondage to sin and you cannot free yourself. To admit you are a sinner is to admit helplessness and being helpless is not a good feeling. It means you are vulnerable.

Picture each of your sins as a link in a chain and that chain is wrapped around you and locked with a big padlock. You can do nothing to free yourself from this bondage to sin and guilt. Jesus is the key that unlocks the lock and the chains fall off. You are in bondage to sin and Jesus is your savior so you cry out in despair, “Save me!” And Jesus saves you. To admit helplessness is to know that you cannot do it yourself and to know, if you are going to be saved, you need a savior. It is to admit you are poor in spirit. It is to be brutally honest that you are by nature sinful and unclean.

It is an ongoing struggle. Your sinful, prideful self does not want to admit to being helpless to sin. You naturally want to believe you are good enough and you can do it yourself. By nature you want a do-it-yourself religion.

A wise Lutheran Theologian, Francis Pieper, wrote in the 1950’s, “[there are] but two essentially different religions: The religion of the Law, that is, the endeavor to reconcile God through man’s own works, and the religion of the Gospel, that is, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” There is the religion of “do” and the religion of “done.”

The religion of “do” is your natural religion. It is the one that feels most comfortable. This is what makes the voice of one crying in the wilderness so radical. John calls for the people to repent — to turn away from sin and turn toward Jesus; to turn from a religion of “do” and receive the religion of “done.” Because it is such a natural fit, it is a great temptation for people and churches to give up on the religion of “done” and go back to the other religion of “what must I do?” The religion of “do” is a deception of the devil because you cannot do it.

The children of Israel went through the waters of the Jordan to enter the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt. John the Baptist is having the people go into the waters of the Jordan to be forgiven and enter the Kingdom of Heaven; the reign and rule of God. In confession and absolution you return to your baptism to remember you are forgiven and are already under the reign of your Lord and Master, Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark is a compact, fast moving account of Jesus’ Gospel Ministry bringing the Good News. The first words are Mark 1:1 (ESV) 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Perhaps more literally, “The beginning of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Gospel means Good News. What is the Good News? “It is finished.” Jesus has paid the price for your sin. He has unlocked the chains of your sin and guilt and set you free to love God and love your neighbor because He first loved you.

Mark writes in a very straightforward, concise manner. As Jesus begins His ministry after His baptism and temptation, Mark records Jesus summing up Christianity in one sentence. Mark 1:15 (ESV) 15 … “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Amen.