Posted on by pastorkevinjud

The Thrill of Victory

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BULLETIN

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The Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 31, 2024
Is. 25:6-9, 1 Cor. 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8

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

            This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia! The Lamb who was slain has begun to reign!  Alleluia!  Alleluia! Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            This is the Feast of Victory!  Feel the thrill of victory. 

What does victory feel like?  It feels great to get an A on a test or a promotion at work.  It is a great feeling to win a youth soccer game or watch your kid win.  Victory feels wonderful. 

I am not old enough to remember the feeling when the U.S. won a war, but I imagine the end of World War II must have been just incredible for those at home and those in the fight.  The fighting is over.  The war is won.  The enemy is defeated.  The sacrifices have been worth it.  Victory is ours. 

What does victory feel like?  For avid sports fans it is that feeling when your team wins the national championship. Whole cities lose their minds with the elation of being the victorious champions. 

Try to imagine for a moment that feeling of victory.  The joy…the excitement…the elation…the utter jubilation. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100…1,000…1 million.  This is the Feast of Victory for our God.  The Lamb who was slain has begun to reign.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia! This is the greatest victory of all time.  Jesus has the victory and He gives the victory to you. 

            For those old enough to remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports, there is the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat.  And since we are celebrating victory it means someone has been defeated.  Who today suffers the agony of defeat?  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            Early that Sunday morning 2,000 years ago, Jesus emerges from the tomb, alive and well, and sin is defeated, death is defeated, and the devil is defeated.  The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world and the Lamb rises from the dead to show total victory.  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            Jesus defeats sin.  Sin is your enemy and your enemy has been defeated.  Now sin is tricky.  You are a natural born sinner who likes to sin, but as a baptized child of God you are called to struggle against sin.  The struggle often does not go well.  It is very frustrating to realize you are in bondage to sin and cannot free yourself. 

Why are you a sinner?  Are you a sinner because you sin, or do you sin because you are a sinner?  Which statement is better?  I am a sinner because I sin.  Or, I sin because I am a sinner.  Which is the better answer?  It is the second.  You sin because you are a sinner.  And when did you become a sinner?  At the moment of conception.  You inherited sin from your father, who got it from his father, all the way back to great-great-grandpa Adam.  You sin because you are a sinner and that does not seem fair, but it is the way it is. You try to stop sinning, but, as we talked about a couple of weeks ago you don’t know how bad you truly are until you have tried really hard to be good. 

The struggle with sin is frustrating and can lead people to become self-righteous and say, “I might be a sinner, but I am not as bad as that other guy,” Or it can lead you to despair because you can never be good enough.  But neither of these is necessary.  Jesus has defeated sin.  Jesus has cancelled the power of sin.  Jesus has victory over sin.  Jesus has covered over your sin with His robe of righteousness.  While you still struggle with sin and temptation, the war is won.  When God looks at you He does not see your sin, but rather He sees Jesus’ perfection covering you.  Jesus declares you to be righteous, innocent and blessed.  Jesus proclaims your sins are forgiven, and if Jesus declares it, it is true. In Christ you are a saint of God as we hear in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  You are forgiven all your sins because Jesus’ death and resurrection has been applied to you. Sin has been defeated.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            Death has been defeated.  Death…is…defeated.  This is huge. Anyone who has stood beside the grave of a loved one knows death is the enemy.  Death feels so absolute, so devastatingly final.  At the grave it really seems that death has the victory, but Jesus’ resurrection changes all of that.  Jesus defeats death.  As we heard last week at Lazarus’ grave Jesus announces, John 11:25–26 (ESV) 25 … “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. …”  In your baptism you have been given the gift of eternal life.  Though you die, yet shall you live.  As Christians we grieve, but not like those who have no hope, because the grave is not forever.  On the Last Day Jesus will call you out of the grave and your spirit and body will be reunited and you will rise up in your perfected, imperishable, immortal body to go and live with Jesus forever, and as St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 (ESV) 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is the Feast of victory for our God!  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            Jesus is victorious over the devil.  That wily liar has been slithering around since the Garden of Eden repeating his age-old question of temptation, “Did God really say?”  The lying devil calls God a liar and your sinful side loves to think that God is lying because your sinful self wants to pursue all kinds of things that God has forbidden.  On that Friday, the devil thought the cross was the end of Jesus. The devil thought he was victorious, but the devil was wrong.  While the devil did not know it, Jesus conquered Satan on the cross at Golgotha and victory was complete that Sunday morning at the empty tomb.

            That Sunday morning Jesus descended into hell to preach a victory sermon to the spirits in prison.  As we read in Colossians 2:15 (ESV) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” 

        This is the feast of victory for our God.  You have the thrill of victory.  Sin, death and the devil have the agony of defeat. 

            The devil has been defeated.  He has been bound and cast into the bottomless pit.  The devil cannot seize you and drag you away.  He cannot take hold of you unless you invite him in.  Now, the devil is still in the world, and you still need to be on guard against his deceptions and temptations.  You need to stay aware of the devil’s yearning to have you stop loving God and stop loving your neighbor and instead follow your own desires and make sin your lifestyle. The devil is wily, but the old evil foe is like a dog on a chain.  It is easy to avoid a chained up dog, but he will try to get you to come close and pet him by making sin seem harmless and normal.  Do not be fooled.  While restrained, the devil can still tempt, so know his temptations.  As we learn in James 4:7 (ESV) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  You do not belong to the devil.  You do not answer to the devil. 

The devil will try to accuse you of your sins.  Rebuke him.  Martin Luther wrote in a letter to a friend, “When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus:  “I admit that I deserve death and hell.  What of it?  Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation?  By no means.  For I know One who suffered and made a satisfaction in my behalf.  His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Where he is, there I shall be also.”  When the devil tries to accuse you, remind the devil that he has been defeated.  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            This is the feast of victory for our God.  You have the thrill of victory.  Sin, death and the devil have the agony of defeat. 

            The victory has been won.  The victory is yours in Christ.  Today we rejoice as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and victory over sin, death and the devil.  Today we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but this is not a once-a-year celebration.  We celebrate victory each Sunday as we remember Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Each Sunday we remember that greatest Sunday, victory Sunday, as we again receive the gifts of God’s forgiveness and eternal life.

            Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

            Amen.

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

Who is the greatest?

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

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BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Lent 5 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 17, 2024
Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:32-45

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

            When you go to a professional sporting event; a football, baseball, basketball, soccer game or a hockey match, there is that magical moment when you walk through the tunnel into stands of and emerge into a bright new world.  As you sit and look around during the game, ask yourself, “Who is the greatest one there?” The star player, the coach, the celebrity in the sky box?  Who is the greatest?  It is an age old question.

Sometimes it seems that being one of Jesus’ 12 disciples would have been amazing, but being a follower of Jesus is really rough on the 12 disciples. This teacher is like no other and it is hard to keep up with all that He is doing and with all that He is teaching and all that he is saying is going to happen.  He is amazing.  He heals the sick, He raises the dead, He makes the blind see, He feeds thousands with five loaves of bread and a two fish.  The movement that started out so small is growing and growing.  Jesus is the Christ of God, the Messiah, the anointed one who has come to save His people.  His success and influence grows and grows, but then He keeps saying these strange things about what will happen when he goes to Jerusalem.

            Mark 8:31 (ESV) 31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”  The first time Jesus says this is right after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ.  When Peter hears that people are going to hurt Jesus, Peter declares that he is not going to allow it to happen.  Peter will protect Jesus.  But instead of being grateful for Peter’s care, Jesus rebukes Peter harshly.  Mark 8:33 (ESV) 33 … “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 

            The next time Jesus teaches about what is going to happen in Jerusalem is after His transfiguration on the mountain and driving a demon out of a boy.  Mark 9:31 (ESV) 31 …“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 

This time the disciples do not know what to say — so they remain silent.  Although, it seems that as they travel along the road the 12 engage in the age old question, “Who is the greatest?”  Jesus is teaching them the ways of God, but they are clinging to the ways of man and Jesus reprimands them.  Mark 9:35 (ESV) 

35 … “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 

            Now, in today’s reading they are on the road to Jerusalem and Jesus tells them a third time, Mark 10:33–34 (ESV) 33 … “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” 

            This scene is really crazy.  Jesus and the disciples are on the road to Jerusalem and Jesus has said that in Jerusalem they are going to condemn Him, mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him.  You do not have to be a genius to figure out how to make this better.  There is an easy answer to this problem.  Just stop.  Stop going to Jerusalem.  Turn around and go the other way.  They are going to kill you in Jerusalem.  Turning around is the plan that makes sense.  But Jesus’ ways are not the ways of the world.  Jesus’ ways do not make sense to the world. 

            So, how do the disciples respond to Jesus’ third description of what is going to happen to Him?  Rebuking Jesus for talking like this did not work.  Being silent did not resolve the tension.  Maybe they should just change the subject.  James and John ask Jesus to do whatever they ask — and what is it they want?  Mark 10:37 (ESV) 37 … “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”  James and John have figured out who is the greatest and it is the two of them.   

            The issue of greatness is an age old problem.  We desperately want other people to know that we are better than them.  In the corporate world there are marks of greatness displayed by those who have achieved success and by those who want to achieve.  You dress for success.  It matters greatly about the brand of your shoes and your wristwatch, the cut of your jacket, the cost of your car, and the color of your credit card.  These things are meant to impress others.  Where you sit at a sporting event shows your status. Are you in the skybox or right behind home plate, or are you way up top in an obstructed view seat?  Your natural, sinful self wants others to see how great you are.  Even after being reprimanded earlier for arguing about who is the greatest, James and John still want everyone to know that they are Jesus’ favorites; they are the greatest.

These two disciples do not comprehend what Jesus is repeatedly saying and He tells them, Mark 10:38 (ESV) 38 … “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”  The spots to the right and left of Jesus in His glory are already reserved for two lowlifes who will be crucified next to Jesus who has made Himself a lowlife being executed on a cross. 

            Jesus will pray that this cup might pass, but He indeed will drink the cup of God’s wrath.  Jesus will be baptized in his own blood and intense suffering and torment. He will be immersed in God’s wrath as the penalty for the sin of the whole world. 

            Can James and John drink the cup and be baptized with Jesus’ baptism?  They will, but not until Jesus has drunk the cup and been baptized and left the blessing. You also drink the cup and are baptized with Jesus’ baptism.  You drink from Jesus’ cup at the Lord’s Supper.  1 Corinthians 10:16 (ESV) 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”  You have been baptized in Jesus baptism.  Galatians 3:27 (ESV) 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

            Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath and He was baptized with suffering and death on the cross.  His cup and baptism are, for you, a cup of blessing and a baptismal blessing, but there is still suffering attached.  To follow Jesus is to take up your cross.  James learns this when he is executed by the sword of Herod Agrippa in 44 AD.  John is grieved by the death of his brother and the other nine disciples executed for the faith.  It is thought that John is the only disciple to have died a natural death, although as an old man he is exiled to the island of Patmos where he receives the vision he records in the book of Revelation. 

            You are a baptized child of God.  You drink from the Lord’s cup of blessing and this marks you as an enemy of the world.  The world hates you because it hates Jesus and you are one with Jesus.  The ways of the world say you should reject Jesus to avoid the hate and the suffering and the self-denial; to avoid the cross.  This is the way of the world, but Jesus teaches, Matthew 5:11 (ESV) 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”  God’s way is different than man’s way. 

Oh, dearest Jesus, what law hast thou broken?  Jesus broke the law of the world that seeks after personal greatness, power, and glory.  Despite knowing what will happen, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to give His life as the ransom for you.

            Jesus knows that figuring out who is the greatest is the way of the world; declaring your greatness is the way of man.  Self-promotion is the how the world operates but that is not how Christians live.  Mark 10:42–44 (ESV) 42 …“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

            Christianity is radical rebellion against the culture. To be great is to be a servant to others.  As you enter the stadium remember the greatest at the sporting event is not the star player, not the coach, not the celebrity, but rather perhaps the security guard or the person grilling the hamburgers or the one sweeping the stands afterward.  Christian greatness is very different.  It is a very different life to be a Christian — humbly serving others instead of promoting yourself. 

            Jesus’ life on earth was a life of serving others culminating in the ultimate service of giving His life in exchange for yours. Mark 10:45 (ESV) 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  

            Oh, dearest Jesus, what law hast thou broken?  Jesus broke the law of the world that seeks after personal greatness, power, and glory.  Despite knowing what will happen, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to give His life as the ransom for you.

            The people of the world know how to avoid the difficulties and suffering of the cross.  They reject the cross and they are left in their sin.  Jesus comes to earth for the very purpose of going to the cross to save you. Contrary to everything that makes sense, Jesus gives Himself for you.  The Lord of the Universe is your servant.  Take up your cross and follow Him.  Amen.