Sermon for Epiphany 2: "Did God Really Say?" (Isaiah 49)

 

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

[Intro]

 

It’s kind of hard to hear with fruit stuck in your ears. Now, how do I know that? Have I ever had fruit stuck in my ears? I imagine you think that you have never had fruit stuck in your ears. But, I assure you, it’s in there, and it’s stuck.

 

Humankind has had fruit stuck in our ears for a long time. The serpent said to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1) “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6).

 

She stopped up her ears with it so that she couldn’t quite hear the Word of the Lord anymore. For God had said, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

 

But Eve heard, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

 

Now, let’s not forget about Adam for he is the one ultimately to be blamed. For he should have stopped Eve, but he didn’t. Instead, he stuffed fruit in his ears, too. The serpent’s suggestion slipped in like an earworm out of one apple and settled in to command their consciousness. That is why to this very day, Adam and Eve’s offspring still ask one another: “Did God really say?”

 

[Did God Really Say: Part One]

 

Our text from Isaiah this morning has remained unchanged for centuries. Yet, plenty of voices continue asking: “Did God really say?”

 

Did God really say, “[He] called me from the womb”? (Isaiah 49:1b) “Did God really say that He “knitted me together in my mother’s womb”? (Psalm 139:13) Did God really say He “created [us] in His own image”? (Genesis 1:27)

 

Probably He meant: He “called me a parasite, a tumor, a clump of cells, a blob of tissue.” Or, He meant: “my body, my choice, a private medical decision,” didn’t He? Or possibly: “as soon as the baby forms memories, or whenever the baby reaches viability,” don’t you think? Or maybe: “as long as they planned for the child, as long as they can afford the child,” wouldn’t you agree? Or: “unless deformities and disabilities show up,” am I right?

 

And, did God really say, “a light for the nations”? God says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

 

Surely, He doesn’t mean that. He must mean: “a light for most of the nations” or “a light for some of the nations.” Perhaps He means: “a light for those who can communicate” or “a light for the prosperous ones.”

 

We have already filled every available space in our consciousness with the fruits of indulgence and luxury. We have already jammed our heads all these millennia up with the fruits of accumulating and uniformity.

 

It seems the fruit has made its way into our veins. In fact, you could say it’s slowly choking our very hearts. Did God really say: “I kill and I make alive”? (Deuteronomy 32:39)

 

You see, what we hear is: “we can use death as a solution to difficulty and distress.”

 

What makes more sense to our fruit-stuffed ears and hearts is: “Don’t legislate your morality”… and “Keep your religion to yourself.” What we prefer is: “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, do whatever makes you happy.”

 

What we’re quite sure God should have said is: “Love yourself, take care of yourself and accept yourself as you are.”

 

[Did God Really Say: Part Two]

 

With our fruit-stuffed ears, we ask did God really say: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Did God really say: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves”? (1 John 1:8)

 

No, the problem must be ignorance, inequality, patriarchy, toxic masculinity!

 

Did God really say: “Apart from me you can do nothing”? (John 15:5) Did God really say: “Slave to sin” (John 8:34), “dead in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and “the wages of sin is death”? (Romans 6:23)

 

Even with the fruit in our ears, we can hear the hearts breaking. Our eyes still can clearly behold the grief and guilt. Since January 22, 1973 with Roe v. Wade, abortion access hasn’t solved any problems. Instead, it has multiplied suffering. And more recently, assisted suicide hasn’t made any pain go away.

 

This trauma has raised rates of depression and caused relationship breakdowns.

 

All this has left is 1.5 billion human beings dead worldwide and more than 60 million Americans. Untold others walk among us wounded and haunted. None of these acts has spared one single soul from the misery and mortality that besets us all. Isn’t it time that we take the fruit out and listen to God’s Word?

 

[God Really Did Say…]

 

Now, God the Father has the perfect implement for getting the forbidden fruit out of our ears – His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

 

You see, Jesus turns up the volume of what His fingers formed and His heart’s will brought forth. He takes away the bad fruit and in turn, gives us His love.

 

God really did say “in and from the mother’s womb.” The Son of God Himself inhabited the belly of the virgin Mary. Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary” (Apostles’ Creed).

 

God created every human being in His image and after His likeness, you and me. Here, God means all humans – age, appearance and ability cannot impair our worth and purpose.

 

God really did say: “reconciling the world, the ends of the earth, all creation, and whole of mankind.” Jesus – as fully man – was like us in every way. Although He knew no sin, He took on our sin – every single sin of thought, word, and deed – big and little – including abortion – to “make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Jesus – the very Lamb of God – humbled Himself to the form of a servant and our human likeness, subject to death, “even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

 

Jesus as fully man and fully God bled for our sin. He died for our sin. He paid for our sin. He did this, so that we would be declared justified, righteous, innocent and holy.

 

Jesus is the Lord of death and the Lord of life. Through His life, death and resurrection, He proves that every human being is precious in His sight.

 

[The Good Fruit]

 

Jesus puts the good fruit where it belongs – not in our ears – but in our mouth. Truth tastes sweetest when properly ingested. Here in the Divine Service, Christ is revealed and we receive God’s good fruit!

 

We hear God’s Word proclaimed and taught as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest His Word.

 

We rinse our ears with Baptism’s assurance that we are indeed, a child of God. We irrigate our very being with Holy Communion’s affirmations – eat, drink Christ’s true body and true blood that gives us forgiveness of sins, life, salvation and strength for our weak faith.

 

We swallow and savor this comfort, hope and joy, knowing that through Christ, we truly hear God speaking. He is speaking of forgiveness, life and salvation for He has chosen you and me! Amen.

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Funeral Sermon: Passing from Death into Life (John 5:24-30)

 

Bernhard, Ursula and Tamarra, family and friends of Marianne:

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro]

Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and follows him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

On Monday, January 13^th, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – called Marianne Dreier to her eternal home. She entered heaven and is continuing her eternal life that she has received by grace through faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

During her earthly life, Marianne certainly had times where it appeared death was near, but it was her faith in Christ that kept her strong.

Marianne grew up in war torn East Prussia, Germany. Air raid sirens, bombings, and German S.S. soldiers searching homes were the norm. As the Russian Army neared, the family fled to Denmark. While in Denmark, the family lived in a refugee camp under awful conditions. After World War II was over, the family moved back to Germany in the British Sector. In time, the family decided that moving to the United States would be a better option than living in war torn Germany. Then on October 14^th, 1956, the family moved from Germany to Hutchinson, Minnesota.

While on peaceful soil, Marianne became an American. She learned English, but she never lost her German accent. She also never gave up her German roots.

We began today with one of her favorite songs “Biscaya” – a polka. And we will conclude with her favorite hymn “Silent Night.” Her German roots run deep, but what mattered most was her faith in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

You see, throughout the blessings and turmoils of her life by faith Jesus was there giving her comfort. Today, Marianne is living out Christ’s promise of eternal life as she has passed from death into life.

[Hearing and Believing]

In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us this good news: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

But did you know that everyone who hears the words of Jesus and believes in Him already is living eternal life? A lot of the time, we only think of going to heaven. Yes, heaven is wonderful! But it is much more than that, because everyone in Christ receives eternal life!

So what exactly is eternal life and when does eternal life begin?

Well, to put it simply, eternal life means we never fully die. Yes, we see death very visible this morning. Death is our enemy. Death is very real. But, although Marianne’s body is here, her soul is living in heaven.

For Marianne, the prospect of eternal life began when the Triune God chose her at her baptism. At the moment Marianne heard God’s name pronounced over her in the waters of Holy Baptism, she received the ability to believe in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. This is the same for you and me.

Did you catch that? For everyone baptized into Christ, we come to faith by first hearing God’s Triune Name – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He first calls us through the waters of Holy Baptism. It is here, where the Holy Spirit calls us and enlightens us. It is here, where we receive the ability to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

So, the prospect of eternal life begins at our baptism. But how do we know when eternal life actually begins?

Well, eternal life begins when we hear the words of Jesus saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life” and you believe it.

Here, Jesus is not speaking of a future giving of life, because of past believing. Here, Jesus is speaking of the present. So, the very moment you truly believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have eternal life.

[In Christ Alone]

Now, what about those who deny Jesus by refusing to listen to His voice? Well, not to hear is to remain in death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). To hear is to have life: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Christ’s words define the person who belongs to the new Israel. So, he or she who belongs to the new Israel is who “hears my word and believes him who sent me.”

For how else are we to not come into judgement and pass from death into life? Jesus is the true Paschal Lamb whose blood caused the angel of death to pass over the houses of Israel. He is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, through whom one is created anew by water and the Spirit. He is the Crucified who in his exaltation is the very place of eternal life. It is only through Christ alone that we receive eternal life by grace through faith in Him.

We receive this free gift through Christ’s sacrificial death upon the cross and His resurrection from the dead on behalf of all sinners, you and me. You see, although He knew no sin, He took on our sin, so we would be forgiven of all our sins against God in thought, word and deed. Being forgiven and inheritors of eternal life, we follow Christ’s example as we forgive one another as He has forgiven us.

[Now, But Not Yet]

Through Christ alone, we are forgiven and we have eternal life here and now! This eternal life is under God’s grace and favor and continues right through physical death.

Now, what about the unbeliever? Well, for them, death is to be feared. But for believers in Christ, we know that “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Today, for all believers in Christ, we are living in the now, but not yet. So, what does that mean? In Christ, all who trust in Him are saints. This includes all believers here today and Marianne and the others in the Church Triumphant in heaven who are awaiting Christ’s return on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. That is the now. The not yet is that although we are saints, we are also sinners. This only includes us, not Marianne and the others in the Church Triumphant.

You see, for everyone in heaven, they have passed through the great affliction – our life now: with sin, sorrow, pain, doubt and worry – to eternal bliss: with no more hunger, no more thirst, no more pain, no more sorrow.

As the hymn “Behold a Host, Arrayed in White” puts it in stanza two:

On earth they wept through bitter years;
Now God has wiped away their tears,
    Transformed their strife
    To heav’nly life,
And freed them from their fears.
They now enjoy the Sabbath rest,
The heav’nly banquet of the blest;
    The Lamb, their Lord,
    At festive board
Himself is host and guest.

Public domain

Today, by first hearing and then believing in Jesus, Marianne and all the saints in the Church Triumphant have truly passed from death into life. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord: "Fulfilling All Righteousness" (Matthew 3)

 

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

[Intro]

 

The twelve days of Christmas have long passed. Emmanuel was born in a manger in Bethlehem. The wise men have given their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and have gone home. The 12-year-old Jesus astonished His earthly parents and the teachers at the Temple.

 

Today, we find Jesus as an adult. We find Jesus at the very place where people have been confessing the very thing that Jesus came to save them from: their sins.

 

[The Inauguration]

 

This morning, the Christian Church celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord. On this day, Jesus began His public march to the cross for you and me.

 

Our text begins saying, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him” (Matthew 3:13).

 

Now, everyone in line to be baptized by John was there in response to John’s message: “Repent!” That is, everyone except Jesus.

 

So, why is Jesus there? Well, Jesus is there for the same purpose: in order to be baptized by John. But, why?

 

Does Jesus need to repent? Does Jesus need to be converted from unbelief to faith? Is Jesus among the lost sheep of Israel?

 

John the Baptist knows the answer. You see, John felt very strongly that it was not right for him to baptize Jesus. However, John was fine with Jesus baptizing him, for he himself was a sinner who stood in need of baptism. But Jesus? No! John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14).

 

Now, John had refused to baptize some people in the past. But, the ones John had refused before – such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. He did so because they failed to repent of their sins. They wanted to remain in their sinful ways by only focusing upon their own wants and desires. Now, here, John has the opposite dilemma: Jesus is without sin. Jesus abides in God’s Law.

 

As John attempts to say “no” to Jesus, Jesus breaks the tension saying: “Let it be so now, for thus is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

 

In other words, Jesus is saying: “Allow it. Yes, this is out of the ordinary, but this needs to be accomplished, so I can be the sin-bearer.”

 

At any other time, John’s argument to deny a baptism might be valid, but now is the time for Jesus to begin His public ministry.

 

Prior to this moment, Jesus had been living in the obscurity of Nazareth. He had been living in perfect obedience to God the Father as a man in the place of all men. But now, on the banks of the Jordan, He is publicly beginning His course that will take Him to the cross, where He will give His life as a ransom for many.

 

Jesus is beginning His public mission with John’s baptism to be the sin-bearer of the world. Although He had no sin, Jesus is declaring Himself to be one with sinners by taking up the burden of sin.

 

Here, in the Jordan, Jesus is inaugurating His public redeeming work. In doing so, Jesus is also “fulfilling all righteousness.”

 

[Jesus Chooses Us]

 

But, why now? Why wasn’t Jesus baptized when He was a baby? Well, Baptism was not a legal requirement in Jewish Law. Yes, there were purification rites, but none of these was a baptism.

 

You may ask: Is Jesus choosing to be baptized, proof that we choose to be baptized?

 

Well, Jesus did choose to be baptized. He chose to be baptized in order to save all of mankind from their sins against God in thought, word and deed.

 

But, for everyone else – you and me – we receive baptism. We don’t choose God, God chooses us! In fact, we are incapable of ever choosing God on our own. As Martin Luther says on the Third Article of the Creed:

 

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

 

This is what happens in our baptism. God is choosing us. You see, our baptism is different than the baptism of Jesus: God does the choosing. We do the receiving. He gives us faith.

 

You see, Christ’s baptism is vicarious. He is baptized for us sinners. Through Christ’s baptism, He is pointing forward to His death and resurrection as the substitute for all sinners.

 

Through our baptism, we become joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus. As Paul says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

 

When John consented and Jesus was baptized, “immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).

 

Here, we see all three Persons of the Triune God involved in our salvation: the Father speaking from heaven, Jesus standing in the water, and the Holy Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove. Here, the three in One reveal the glory of Jesus as the sin-bearer of mankind.

 

We hear the voice of God the Father saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  God the Father is saying this because His Son Jesus has fulfilled all righteousness, something that Jews before Him failed to do. Jesus – God’s own Son – has followed the Law perfectly and now it is time for Him to be the sacrificial Lamb for all who cannot follow God’s Law perfectly.

 

From this point on, Jesus is no longer in obscurity. He is going to become well-known by many. He will heal the sick and raise the dead. He will also gain enemies – the Pharisees and Sadducees – who don’t like being called out for not trusting in God. And yet, Jesus still loves those who persecute Him.

 

At times, we can act much like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We may believe that we have no reason to repent and ask for forgiveness for of our actions against God, our family, our friends and our neighbors. We may even hold a grudge against someone who has wronged us, or even withhold forgiveness from them.

 

But, remember, it was Jesus who knew no sin – He knew no wrong – yet He came as our Redeemer. 

 

You see, His purpose was to die in the place of all sinners, which are you and me. He died so that “we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). He died, so that when we die, we would “be united with him in a death like his, [so] we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).

 

For God, everything has a purpose. Jesus was baptized in order to take on our sins to the cross. So, that through His sacrificial death and resurrection, our sins would be forgiven through our baptism into Christ.

 

[The Sacrament of Baptism]

 

Now, since Baptism wasn’t a legal requirement under Jewish Law, how did Baptism become a Sacrament?

 

Well, it was not until Jesus declared Baptism a Sacrament that it became a Sacrament. This happened when Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

From this point on in the history of the one true Christian faith, Baptism has been a Sacrament. It is a Sacrament according to the command of Jesus.

 

Baptism is a Sacrament because Christ established it as a Means of Grace that delivers the forgiveness of sins He won on the cross. Jesus suffered, died, and rose again in order to save all people from eternal death brought about by sin. So, through His saving work, Christ purchased and won salvation for all.

 

At our Baptism, God the Father looked down upon us – like He did for His own Son – and said, “I am well pleased.” He is pleased, because He chose you in the waters of Holy Baptism as His adopted child to inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

The same goes in our daily baptismal life. You see, every day the old Adam shows up and urges us to be self-centered by not thinking of God, our family, and our friends. When we realize our fault, we are to turn to our baptism and remember our forgiveness in Christ. So, we put to death our old Adam by repenting of our sin.

 

Daily the old Adam is put to death, and a new person, who lives by faith in Christ, is raised up. This death and resurrection pattern is the rhythm for our daily life: we sin, we repent, we live. This is the life of a Christian. And each time we repent, God the Father looks down upon us – like He did for His own Son – and says, “I am well pleased.” He is pleased with us, because we are the Body of Christ – the Church – we were dead to sin, but now we are alive in Christ.

 

Now, do not be mistaken, Baptism is not magic and it is not a “get into heaven free card.” For without faith, Baptism alone has no promise of salvation. For Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). So, what is the Baptismal promise? If you are baptized and trust in Jesus as Lord, you are saved.

 

We are saved only through Jesus who stood in the place of all sinners. We are saved because on this day, through His baptism by John, Jesus began His public march to the cross as He “fulfilled all righteousness” for you and me. Amen.

 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T