god – Page 5 – From the Pulpit

Posted on October 27, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

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Reformation Day 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 27, 2024

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Today we celebrate Reformation Day. We remember Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany on the Eve of All Saints Day in the year 1517. This call for debate on the sale of indulgences began the Reformation of the church and led to the Lutheran Church coming into existence.

I confess that I may have, at times, turned the Reformation Day sermon into a sort of pep rally for Lutheranism, but I have not yet in the cheerleaders from school to lead us in a rousing chant, “Lutherans are ready… Lutherans are smooth… Lutherans will take control and stomp all over you!” I haven’t gone that far for Reformation Day, but it certainly seems to be a day to be proud to be Lutheran. Proud to be Lutheran! But wait…is that an okay thing to say? In the Gospel of Mark we learn that pride is one of evils that come from the heart of man. And, interestingly, what Luther rediscovered about humanity in Holy Scripture is not a source of pride.

The beginning of the Reformation came from Luther questioning the sale of indulgences which promised to remit all earthly punishments for sin for someone who is alive. Or, an indulgence could be purchased for someone who had died with the promise that they would spring from purgatory as soon as the coin in the coffer clings.

As a Lutheran pastor I am not overly familiar with the teachings about purgatory, so, at a casual discussion group I was chatting with a young Catholic priest and he talked about the dignity of purgatory. He said a person has dignity because they suffer on account of their sins either in this life, doing penance, or in purgatory. Now, dignity means to be worthy of honor or respect. Does the Bible teach that you have dignity because of your actions? Is there dignity in the doing?

Even today, for Roman Catholics who want to avoid purgatory, they can still get an indulgence. You cannot buy one, but a quick internet search shows there are still many ways to earn a plenary indulgence which is the full remission of the earthly penalty for your sins. You can earn one each day, by being in a state of grace and with a proper disposition, go to confession, receive communion, and pray for the intentions of the pope. You can apply the indulgence to yourself or to someone who has died. In 2025 you can earn two indulgences each day because the pope has declared it is a jubilee year. For the jubilee year there is a detailed list of many ways to earn an indulgence; you can go on a pilgrimage, perform an act of mercy, fast from social media, and many other things. From these instructions it seems that there is dignity in the doing.

But what does the Bible say? Looking at our Epistle reading from Romans, what can we learn about our dignity? Romans 3:19 (ESV) 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.”

God’s law stops your mouth, leaving you nothing to say in your defense. The law says you have no excuse. You get no dignity from the law. Paul continues, Romans 3:22–23 (ESV) 22 … there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” In our gospel reading Jesus teaches more about sin, John 8:34 (ESV) 34 …“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

The very difficult thing about Christianity is the knowledge that you cannot save yourself. As a descendent of Adam and Eve, you are, by nature, sinful and unclean. You cannot undo that. The Bible is clear about the source of salvation. Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is utterly humbling to realize that you cannot do it. There is nothing you can do to save yourself. With man it is impossible. You are poor in spirit. You have nothing to offer God.

We like to go through life pretending that we are pretty good people and we are doing ok, not like those really bad people, but then we learn from Holy Scripture, Isaiah 64:6 (ESV) 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

The New Testament is no more encouraging. 1 Peter 1:24–25 (ESV) 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

You are like grass that withers. Your righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. You cannot do it. There is no dignity in your doing.

This can make it hard to market Lutheran theology. “Come to our church and we will let you know that you are a helpless sinner and you can do nothing to save yourself.” That is not a very positive message.

But that is not the whole message. God’s truth is not all about God’s law. Romans 3:21–22 (ESV) 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…”

Righteousness does not come through the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22–25 (ESV) 22 … there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation (an appeasement) by his blood, to be received by faith. …”

You can do nothing to merit salvation. You cannot gain dignity by doing. It has been done for you. Jesus did it for you and gives it to you as a gift. Romans 3:27 (ESV) 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. John 8:36 (ESV) 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

You are free in Christ. You can trust this Good News because Jesus did it all without your help and Jesus does things perfectly. In Christ you have the perfect promise.

Which of these two statements gives you more assurance? “I am saved because I believe in Jesus.” Or “I am saved because Jesus died for me.” If you emphasize your belief you are always left wondering, do I believe enough? If it is about what Jesus has done, you can trust it completely. You are saved — because Jesus died for you. Let the joy of that promise sink in. The truth is that you can do nothing to aid in your salvation; you have no dignity in the doing, and that is the most joyous truth because it means that you need not doubt. You need not wonder — have I done enough. Jesus has done it all.

Jesus delivers this saving grace to you in the waters of Holy Baptism, in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, and in His Word.

Lutherans follow scripture alone. Whatever I teach from this pulpit or in a class, I need to be able to show you where it comes from in the Bible because the Bible is God’s Word. In scripture you find truth.

As Jesus teaches, John 8:31–32 (ESV) 31 … “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1 Peter 1:24–25 (ESV) 24 … The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” VDMA Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum. The word of the Lord remains forever. This is the motto of the Lutheran Reformation. So we sing and we pray, “Lord, keep us steadfast in your word.”

You have the amazing, pure Good News that your sins are forgiven in Jesus. And today we remember and celebrate the rediscovery of that Good News begun by Martin Luther in Wittenberg.

Jesus saves you, you do not save yourself. There is no doubt of what Jesus has done. You can trust that His redemption of you is complete. And so, while you still struggle with temptation and sin, Jesus has declared you to be a saint; holy, righteous and pure. The joy and light of Jesus shine forth from you as a redeemed child of God destined for eternal life in the Heavenly City.

You are destined for eternity with Jesus, but for now there are dangers lurking, so be aware. The devil will tempt you to believe that you have to do something to complete your salvation; that your sins are forgiven, if, you do your part. The devil will tempt you to abuse your salvation by acting like an unbeliever following the ways of the world, instead of acting like the saint that you are following the commandments of God. The devil will try to get you to abandon God’s truth and believe the devil’s lies. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Today, we celebrate Reformation Day. We remember a brave, stubborn monk who rediscovered the truth that dignity is not in the doing, or in the buying of an indulgence, or suffering in purgatory, an imaginary place invented by men. Jesus’ grace is a free gift for all people.

For questioning indulgences, Martin Luther was kicked out of the Roman Church and sentenced to death. The penalty for translating the Bible into any language other than Latin was also punishable by death. So since he was already under a death sentence, and with the protection of his prince, Luther translated the Bible into German so the German people could read the Bible in their own language. The people could abide in God’s Word and the truth set them free. Luther gave people the Word of God and churches were able to learn the truth of the Bible.

Luther did not start something new. He did not start a new church of the enlightenment period in which he lived in order to make everything make sense. He did not start a new church that rejected infant baptism and rejected the real presence of Jesus’ Body and Blood in Holy Communion because that just makes more rational sense. Luther did not start something new. Luther went back to an earlier form of the Church when scripture alone was the source of church teaching. Luther called it the Evangelical Church. The Gospel Church. The Good News Church. “Lutheran” was first a name coined by Luther’s enemies, but the churches began using the term in the middle of the 16th century to distinguish themselves from Anabaptists and Calvinists. So now we are called Lutherans and the last Sunday of October each year we remember and celebrate the Reformation. We are tempted to say, “I’m proud to be Lutheran,” but perhaps it is better to say, “I am thankful to be Lutheran because I know the truth. Jesus has fully redeemed me and I need not doubt God’s promise to me.”

You know the truth and the truth sets you free. If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. The word of the Lord remains forever. Amen.

Posted on October 20, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

How Much Money is Enough?

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Pentecost 22, 2024, Proper 24
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 20, 2024
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20, Hebrews 4:1-13, Mark 10:23-31

When I was in my late 20s I went to work as a representative for AAL, Aid Association for Lutherans, which was a forerunner of Thrivent Financial today. I worked with families regarding their finances, and sold insurance and mutual funds to try to meet their financial needs. I taught people the value of investing money over time to grow wealth. I taught my children that when they get their first adult job they should invest in their 401K or 403B in their 20s because if they can get a good chunk invested by the age of 30 they should have 40+ years for that money to grow. It takes as long to double $1,000 to $2,000 as it does to double a $500,000 to $1,000,000. So, the earlier you start, the more chances of doubling you have. As you manage money, wise investing is a good thing. But with money there is always a danger.

Money is tricky. If you work hard and control your spending and save money and invest wisely you can end up wealthy. Or if you are an entrepreneur and build a successful business and employ people, you can be wealthy. Also, you can work hard and save money and invest and run a business, and circumstances can make money disappear.

Here, at Immanuel, we have folks that are barely scraping by, we have many who work hard to make ends meet each month, and we have folks that are quite well off. But no matter how much you have, money is tricky for everyone. In our Gospel reading today Jesus teaches, Mark 10:24–25 (ESV) 24 …“Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

It is impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom. Now, you may think, that is bad news for Warren Buffet, good thing I am not rich. But you are rich. By world standards, every one of you here is rich. To be rich by world standards is to have more than one pair of shoes and get to choose what you eat. In 2019, 85% of Africans lived on less than $5.50 per day. If you have a roof over your head, clothing and shoes to wear, and food to eat you are rich. Most of us have far, far more than we need, but how much is enough?

John D. Rockefeller was the founder of the Standard Oil Company and the first billionaire of the United States of America — he was at one time the richest man on Earth. Rockefeller was once asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?” He calmly replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Money is tricky because it is easy to believe you never have enough. You can feel like you never have enough when you spend everything you have and come up short every month. You can feel like you never have enough when you are barely making ends meet. You can feel like you never have enough when you have more money than month and savings and investment accounts grow.

How much money is enough? There is an ever present danger to love money. We all need money, and it is nice to have more money and so the desire to love money is a constant temptation.

Money is a good gift of God, but oddly enough, loving money will ruin it for you. If you love money you will be like Rockefeller — always wanting more — never satisfied. In our reading today from Ecclesiastes wealthy King Solomon shares wisdom about money. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV) 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

Throughout the Bible you are warned about the love of money. 1 Timothy 6:6–10 (ESV) 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” The desire to be rich can bring ruin and destruction. The love of money can cause people to wander away from the faith.

In our Gospel reading from Mark 10 we learn that it is impossible for you to save yourself. And yet, you are saved. You believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior, but your saving faith is not from you, it is a miracle of God. It is not from your own reason or strength, but the Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the true faith. You cannot save yourself. Jesus saves you. As Jesus says, Mark 10:27 (ESV) 27 … “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Afterwards, in response to Peter saying that the disciples have left everything to follow, Jesus responds with a promise. Mark 10:29–30 (ESV) 29 Jesus [says], “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus promises they will have abundance in this time. Jesus promises you will have abundance in this time. You have abundance because, as a follower of Jesus, you are content with what you have been given. Being content brings great joy and thanksgiving for all you have received from God.

Enjoy what God has given you. Eat and drink and enjoy the work that God has given you to do, whatever it is. How wonderful to enjoy your labor and receive wages for doing it. God’s grace and provision are sufficient for you. Be content with what you have been given by God — and manage it well.

Twenty percent of the commandments deal with the sin of coveting. Coveting is having a sinful desire for what belongs to another. The opposite of coveting is to be content; to be satisfied with what you have. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Godliness with contentment makes you wealthy. Being content with what you have makes you wealthier than John D. Rockefeller who was never satisfied. Being content, you are wealthier than Rockefeller who always wanted more.

You have enough. God promises, “My grace is sufficient for you.” You have been rescued from the devil’s darkness and through Jesus you are brought into the kingdom of light and love. Be content with what you have. Take Solomon’s teaching to heart and live it out. Ecclesiastes 5:18 (ESV) 18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.”

Enjoy what God has given you. Eat and drink and enjoy the work that God has given you to do, whatever it is. How wonderful to enjoy your labor and receive wages for doing it. God’s grace and provision are sufficient for you. Be content with what you have been given by God — and manage it well.

Jesus gave everything for you. He redeemed you with His holy, precious blood and His suffering and death. As a baptized child of God, all that you are and all that you have belongs to God. Be a good steward of God’s body that you care for, and manage well God’s money and God’s possessions He has entrusted to your care. Work hard in whatever you have been given to do and be a good steward of God’s gifts to you. If you work hard and you manage money and possessions well they may grow. That growth in God’s gifts gives you more opportunity for tremendous generosity.

Being content with what God has given you will bring joy. Rejoice in your toil. Give thanks for all God has given you to do at school, at work, at home, at church, in the community. And as Solomon teaches, Ecclesiastes 5:19–20 (ESV) 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.”

So, beware the temptation to love money. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Beware the strong desire to never be content with what you have and what you have been given to do. Beware the love of money. Beware the devil and the world’s desire to keep you discontent.

The antidote for the love of money is generosity. Be generous with what you have. Give a generous, first-fruits offering to the Lord’s church. Give to deserving charities to help those in need. As you can, directly help out those in need. Share with others. Lend without expecting repayment. Be generous with your wealth and with your time.

Jesus gave everything for you. Enjoy what God has given you. Be content with what you have. God’s grace is sufficient for you. God’s provision is sufficient. Rejoice in all God has given you. You have enough. Amen.

Posted on October 13, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

Elon Musk is Needy and Helpless

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Pentecost 21 2024, Proper 23
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 13, 2024
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15, Hebrews 3:12-19, Mark 10:17-22

Elon Musk is needy and helpless. Jeff Bezos is needy and helpless. Bill Gates is needy and helpless. Like everyone else, the very wealthy are needy and helpless, but, far too often, they do not know it.

The very wealthy can do things that normal people cannot even imagine. They own islands, airplanes, huge collections of exotic cars, they get things done by using their power, wealth, and influence. They are problem solvers. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has projects going on all around the world dealing with issues of poverty. They are working improve education, agriculture, health and nutrition in some of the poorest nations. Jeff Bezos recently gave over $100 million to fight homelessness in the U.S. In response to Hurricane Helene, Elon Musk sent helicopters into Western North Carolina to set up hundreds of Starlink internet stations so people can get on the internet and be able to communicate and let their families know they are safe.

Rich people see a problem and have the resources to make things happen and solve the problem. I would think that to become very wealthy you need to have a “git r done” kind of attitude. The very wealthy are problem solvers. Here is a problem. How can I fix it?

In our Gospel reading today we meet a very wealthy man who is used to solving problems. He comes to Jesus after Jesus has just finished teaching about children and the Kingdom of Heaven. Mark 10:15 (ESV) 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

Now, the disciples originally tried to keep the children away, but the rich man encounters no interference. The disciples are likely quite impressed that the rich man is coming to them. He runs right up to Jesus and kneels before Him and asks, Mark 10:17 (ESV) 17 …“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What does the rich man believe about Jesus? The man seems to have a high view of Jesus as he genuflects before Him and calls Him “good teacher.” “Good teacher” is an unusual title in Jewish culture; only God is good. This prompts Jesus’ response, Mark 10:18 (ESV) 18 …“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Does this man know Jesus is God? Does he think He is a prophet? Maybe He has heard all Jesus has done and suspects the truth, wonders about the truth, but is not quite ready to believe the truth. Much like the father of the demon possessed boy who says to Jesus, Mark 9:22, 24 (ESV) 22 … But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us….[, and] “I believe, help my unbelief.”

The rich man may suspect Jesus is possibly divine, but does not know what all that means. There are so many today that have some idea about Jesus, they may say they believe in Jesus, but they misunderstand Him, they do not know who Jesus is and how He works. They are looking for Jesus to be a helper and a coach and a comforter. They are looking for Jesus to help them be successful. But Jesus did not come to help you be successful; Jesus came to save you. The rich man asks a question, but it is the wrong question. Mark 10:17 (ESV) “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It is a very normal question, a very typical question, but it is the wrong question. Jesus answers him. Mark 10:19 (ESV) 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” Basically, all you have to do is keep the 10 commandments.

The man answers, Mark 10:20 (ESV) 20 … “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” This guy believes he is one of the good ones. He believes that he is good enough. His wealth is a sign that God is blessing him and he believes he is keeping the commandments. Now, you know that, 1 John 1:8 (ESV) 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” But somehow the rich man has convinced himself he is keeping the commandments. The man is seeking the right thing, but he is asking the wrong question, and he is lying to himself about keeping the commandments. Jesus looks at him with love and lowers the hammer of the law onto the rich young man with one sentence. Mark 10:21 (ESV) 21 …“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; ….” The man may think he is doing well with the second table of the law, but what about the first table; the commandments about God. What about the first commandment; you shall have no other Gods?

Who or what does the man fear, love and trust? Does he fear, love and trust God… or money? Jesus convicts the man with this one sentence. The man realizes that he is not keeping the first commandment and this breaks him. He is broken by the law of God. But Jesus does not crush him with the law and leave him crushed. He invites the man, “…come, follow me.”

Jesus loves the man and wants him to be saved, but the man does not follow Jesus. Something else is more important. Mark 10:22 (ESV) 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

The man is disheartened because he realizes that he is not good enough. He realizes that he cannot do it himself. He realizes that he needs help. He is wealthy. He can get things done. He is a problem solver. But this is a problem he cannot solve. He is needy and helpless. This is a new, confusing sensation for the wealthy man. He is…needy…and…helpless, like…a…child. Jesus invites him to follow, but to follow Jesus would be admitting that he is needy. So, just like the man declared he is keeping commandments 4 to 10 he does not want to admit that he is breaking the first and greatest commandment by loving money more than God… and he walks away.

This is still a hard lesson today. This is a most difficult teaching. You live in a land of great abundance and are constantly tempted to love money and love stuff. It is way too easy to fear, love and trust in possessions and money and investments. You worry that if forced to choose between wealth and Jesus you would be sorely tempted to choose wealth. Wealth is the way of the world. The world teaches you to love money and use people. Jesus teaches you to love people and use money.

You know the temptation, so you come here each week and get on your knees and admit you are needy. You are needy and helpless like a little child. No matter how much money you have, you are needy and helpless when facing the law of God.

Jesus’ disciples are also having that same problem. In next week’s Gospel reading, after the rich man went away, Mark 10:23 (ESV) 23 …Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is the wrong question. There is nothing you can do. You do not deserve it, you cannot earn it, it can only come as a gift from God. Salvation comes from God alone. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. With God all things are possible.

The disciples are amazed. How can this be? Everyone wants to be rich. They believe wealth is a sign of God’s blessing, and yet they just saw a rich man turn his back on Jesus and walk away disheartened. He could not admit he is a helpless, needy child. Jesus continues, and notice how He addresses the disciples. Mark 10:24–25 (ESV) 24 …“Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

A camel…through the eye of a needle…that’s crazy…that’s impossible. The disciples are confused. Mark 10:26 (ESV) 26 … “Then who can be saved?” Mark 10:27 (ESV) 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is the wrong question. There is nothing you can do. You do not deserve it, you cannot earn it, it can only come as a gift from God. Salvation comes from God alone. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. With God all things are possible.

The rich man in our Gospel reading is needy and helpless. The very wealthy today are needy and helpless. You are needy and helpless. The advantage you have is that you know it. You know you are a spiritually needy, helpless child, and you know the way of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. You are a baptized child of God. Jesus gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit. You have heard Jesus’ invitation, “follow me,” and you follow Him because you know He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You know you cannot do it on your own. You follow Jesus. Amen.

Posted on September 29, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

The Devil is Powerless Against You

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St. Michael and All Angels
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
September 29, 2024
Daniel 10:10-14, 12:1-3, Revelation 123:7-12, Luke 10:17-20

What would it be like to be, right now, in the presence of God — with the angels and the archangels and all the company of heaven? As we read in Daniel 7:9–10 (ESV) 9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” In God’s presence there are countless angels all around the throne of God.

If you ever had to go to court as the defendant, what kind of representation would you want? Would you want a lawyer who believes you are totally guilty and who keeps telling the judge how guilty you are and if given the opportunity you will do worse? Because that is what it would be like to have that fallen angel, the devil, representing you before the throne of God. In the Old Testament in Job and Zechariah we see the devil accusing God’s saints, Job and Joshua, the high priest. The devil once had a place in the council of angels before the throne of God… and then everything changed.

2,000 years ago God the Son leaves heaven to take on human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. God takes on flesh and the devil sees an opportunity to defeat the Son of God while He is a vulnerable human.

The book of Revelation is full of prophetic picture language, but we can clearly see the battle between light and darkness, good and evil, in Revelation 12:4–6 (ESV) 4 [The dragon’s] tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”

The woman is Mary — and the Church. Satan uses Herod the Great to try to destroy the Christ child in Bethlehem, but Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee in the middle of the night to Egypt. After returning to Nazareth, Jesus grows to adulthood. At age 30 He begins His ministry and fulfills His mission of being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in Jerusalem on that awful Friday we call Good. The devil uses the Jewish leaders, Jesus’ disciple Judas, Jewish crowds, and the Roman governor to carry out his evil plan to nail Jesus to the cross to die in utter humiliation. As Jesus declares, “It is finished,” and breathes His last, the devil thinks He has won… but Jesus does not stay dead. On Sunday morning His tomb is empty. Jesus descends to Hell to preach a victory sermon and He appears to His disciples and over 500 others. Jesus is victorious over sin, over death and over the devil. Forty days later Jesus ascends to heaven from the Mount of Olives and arrives at the throne of God. The devil tried to get rid of the Christ and establish himself as the prince of angels, but he is defeated. Jesus wins the right to represent fallen humanity and He is the one, Revelation 1:5 (ESV) 5 … who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”

In a war of words, Michael and his angels throw Satan and His angels out of heaven and down to earth. Michael means, “Who is God?” The answer is, “Jesus is God; the devil is not.”

There is great joy in heaven at the devil’s eviction. Revelation 12:10–12 (ESV) 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

There is a cosmic battle of good versus evil; light versus darkness. The battle in heaven has been won and the evil one and all his angels have been thrown down. The devil tries to destroy the church, but God’s Church is protected by the Lord. The Church is built on the rock that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and the gates of hell will not overcome Christ’s Church. Who is God? Jesus is God.

The devil cannot destroy Jesus. The devil cannot destroy the Church. So the devil is going after you. Revelation 12:17 (ESV) 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus…”

You know the devil is a liar. He wants to convince you that you can work off your sins, but you know, Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV) 8 … by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The devil is furious and he is coming after you with his accusations and his lies. The devil will hold up your evil deeds in front of you and declare that you are a sinner who deserves death and hell. The devil will tell you that God cannot love you because of your sin, but you can work your way back into His favor by being good enough; that it is all up to you. Also, the devil will try to convince you that sin is okay, everyone is doing it; you can decide for yourself what is sin and what isn’t. The devil is clever and the devil is furious, but for a follower of Jesus, the devil is powerless. For a Christian, the devil is like a 2-year-old having a temper tantrum; lots of bluster — amounting to nothing. Because you know the truth. You know that you are a sinner, you readily admit that. You get on your knees each week as we begin worship and confess you are a sinner who deserves death and hell thus rendering the devil’s accusation powerless.

You know the devil is a liar. He wants to convince you that you can work off your sins, but you know, Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV) 8 … by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The devil wants you to embrace sin because sin does not matter, but you know sin is real, and sin is serious because the wages of sin is death, and that is why Jesus had to die for you. The devil is a furious, powerless liar. He only has power if you give him power. You do not belong to the devil. You belong to Jesus.

We read in 1 John 2:1 (ESV) 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

The devil wants to act like he has some control; like he has some influence; like he has some power. But that is the great good news of our reading from Revelation today. When Jesus ascended to heaven to be your advocate with God the Father, the devil was kicked out of heaven. The devil cannot accuse you to God. The devil has no access to God. Jesus speaks to God the Father on your behalf. Jesus is your advocate with the Father. He is your defense attorney and He is the one who paid the penalty. He also is the prosecutor and the judge. There is no one in heaven to accuse you, because you are covered by the righteousness of Jesus. He is the one who has washed you clean and presents you Ephesians 5:27 (ESV) 27 … in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that [you] might be holy and without blemish.”

The devil tries to accuse you and lie to you, but he is just babbling nonsense. Don’t listen to him. Do not give him any power. You don’t belong to the devil. Like he did with Eve, the devil wants you to believe that you can be like God, but you cannot be like God. Remember what the angel Michael’s name means. “Who is God?” God is God, and you His beloved creation. You are the apple of His eye. You belong to Jesus.

Jesus has declared that your sins are forgiven and you are holy, innocent and blessed. Jesus is at the right hand of God declaring this about you to God the Father. The lying devil is powerless unless you give him power. Stay alert for his lies. Ignore his accusations. You belong to Jesus. Jesus’ angels defend you. Let His holy angel be with you, that the evil foe may have no power over you.

In Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress” there is a stanza about the devil that fits so well with our lesson today.

3     Though devils all the world should fill,
    All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill;
    They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
    He can harm us none.
    He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.

One little word. “Liar!” Amen

Posted on September 22, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

What were you discussing on the way?

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Pentecost 18, 2024, Proper 20
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
September 22, 2024
Pastor Kevin Jud
Jeremiah 11:18-20, James 3:13-4:10, Mark 9:30-37

The old saying is, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” You want to win. You want to be successful. You want to overcome obstacles and accomplish your dreams.

We love rags to riches stories. We love to hear about people, who, through hard work and perseverance, accomplish great things. It is the American dream. Work hard and achieve greatness.

We compare ourselves to others in order to see how we are doing. We keep score so we know we are keeping ahead of others.

In school we keep score with grades, friends, trophies, clothes, electronics, and the number of likes on Instagram. As we get older we keep score with houses and cars and paychecks. Parents keep score by the progress of their children. “My child learned to walk at 7 months. He already has 8 teeth.” Pastors keep score by the size of their congregations and the number of new members.

With whom do you compare yourself? How do you keep score? How do you know that you are doing better than others?

Jesus is walking with his disciples coming back from the Mount of Transfiguration on their way to Capernaum. Along the way Jesus drives out an unclean spirit from a boy after the disciples were unable to do it, and then they continue on their way. As they travel, Jesus teaches the disciples for the second time about what is going to happen to Him. Mark 9:31-32 (ESV) 31 … “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.”

The disciples are following this great teacher Jesus; He is wise, He is powerful, He can do miraculous things. He is really going places. The disciples are following Jesus right to the top.

Jesus tells them what is going to happen, but they are confused. This doesn’t sound like success. Taken prisoner, killed, rise again. Jesus is amazing and powerful and great; so, obviously, He must not know what He is talking about with this getting arrested and getting killed stuff.

So the disciples ignore this second teaching about Jesus’ arrest, death and resurrection because they know better and they have more important things to worry about…like which of them is the greatest.

How do you think the disciples keep score? Maybe it’s who gets to sit next to Jesus at dinner? Maybe who gets to walk next to Jesus? Who gets to hold the money bag? Who Jesus talks with the most? Which of them is the greatest?

Likely, in this conversation, Peter, James and John are arguing that “who is the greatest” is based on who got to go with Jesus up on the mountain of transfiguration. The disciples are keeping score. They want to know where they stand. They are a lot like us.

Jesus ignores their conversation as they walk along but after they arrive back at the house in Capernaum Jesus asks, “What were you discussing on the way?”

The disciples are silent. They realize their conversation was selfish and self-centered and they are worried that Jesus may have heard them. They think they understand Jesus, but they do not yet really understand. Like Adam and Eve hiding from God, the disciples think they can do things and say things without Jesus knowing.

Jesus sits down and calls the silent twelve to Himself and says, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Wait…what? That does not sound right. To be first you have to be last? To be first you have to be servant of all? What is that about? The disciples must be thinking, “Uh… Jesus. Uh… we are here because we want to be near your power and greatness because we want power and greatness; so what is all this servant talk?”

Jesus’ teaching is all backwards. It is all backwards for the disciples and it is all backwards for you and me. We want to be great. We want success. We want to be winners. We want to be number one. But Jesus says that to be first you must be last. To be number one, you must become servant of all. Jesus then takes a little child and puts the child in the center of the group and hugs the child. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Now, at Jesus’ time children have no status. They are helpless, dirty little tots who have no value until they are old enough to do some work, and due to lack of good medical care, half of them won’t even live to see adulthood. Children are fragile, whiny, and needy, and yet Jesus is saying that we are to receive the children in His name.

The disciples must think, “Children are not great, they have not achieved anything. We are so much more important than some stupid child…oh…that is the point Jesus is making…we are not more important than a child.” The disciples are not more important. You are not more important. You are a humble servant. You are a humble servant because the Lord is a humble servant. Jesus serves you. Jesus purchased and won you from sin, death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

In the cleansing waters of baptism Jesus sets you apart from the world and calls you to be a servant of all, and as you keep reading the Gospel you see Jesus live this out by being servant of all as He goes to the cross to die for you…to die for the whole world.

By nature you want to succeed. You want more than others. You want to be better than others. You want it to be about me, me, me. Jesus calls you to give up on greatness and humbly follow Him.

Against your nature you are called to be a servant. You want to be great. You want to know you where you stand with others. Like so many of us, the disciples argue about who is the greatest.

In our Epistle reading from James we see this very thing warned against. (James 4:1-7 ESV) 1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

By nature you want to succeed. You want more than others. You want to be better than others. You want it to be about me, me, me. Jesus calls you to give up on greatness and humbly follow Him.

You have been marked by the cross of Christ. You have been baptized into Christ. You belong to Jesus. You don’t have to do anything to make yourself great because you have been given the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven. You are destined to live forever in the presence of the Lamb of God basking in His light in the Heavenly City of New Jerusalem.

Jesus promises that one day you will live in His presence forever, but for now, you live here on earth in love and service for one another. You support each other. You work hard in service to your family; to your brothers and sisters in Christ, to your neighbor. You work hard — not to achieve greatness, but in service to others. You give of your time for others. You give your money for others. You give your life for others. You are called to be a servant to all because you are already a child of God.

Success, greatness, and winning, these things are important to the world, but they are not important to God.

Many churches have become quite large and many pastors have become quite wealthy by preaching about how to achieve success and greatness in the world; which is exactly what peoples’ itching ears want to hear. But this is not Jesus’ teaching. This is the world’s teaching.

You are right now in the Kingdom of Heaven because the work of salvation has already been done for you by Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, you live and work in humble service. “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Amen.

Posted on September 15, 2024 by pastorkevinjud

I believe, Help my Unbelief

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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

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 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 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.