Sermon for Epiphany 4: "Attitudes, Platitudes or Beatitudes?" (Matthew 5:1-12)

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:

“Pastor, I’ve tried the Beatitudes and they don’t work. I have really hungered and thirsted for righteousness, and I don’t feel satisfied. I have mourned and I don’t feel comforted. I have tried to be pure in heart but I just can’t get it right. What can I do?”

 

To many, the word “Beatitude” sounds like the two English words “be” and “attitude.” To others, the Beatitudes sound more like moral statements, or platitudes.

 

But there is no doubt that the Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached. But there is also no doubt that the Beatitudes are also the most misunderstood. 

 

So, what is the deal with the Beatitudes? Is Jesus to be seen as a new law giver, a second but greater Moses? Are these attitudes that I must be in order to get these blessings from God? Are the Beatitudes a moral code that I must live by? Are the Beatitudes a prescription for making oneself righteous and so earn a place in the kingdom of God? What have you heard? What have you thought?

 

In recent years, the Beatitudes have been used as a sort of proof text for the social gospel and social justice. Is that the point of the Beatitudes? Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor,” so isn’t this Jesus telling us to abolish poverty from the earth?

 

Well, before we answer any of these questions, we must first consider who Jesus is speaking to. “Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them” (Matthew 5:1-2). So, who were the audience? Christ’s disciples. He was speaking to His own. He was speaking to believers. Now, it is possible that non-disciples also heard His sermon. But their hearing was only incidental. 

 

Think of it like this: You are sitting at a restaurant, but you overhear another person’s conversation. You may have heard what was said, but you are not actively in that conversation. You are only a bystander. Yes, you heard what was said, but those words weren’t intended for your hearing. You may have been privileged to hear what was said, but those words were intended for a particular person or persons.

 

For the hearers of the Beatitudes – Christ’s disciples – they were not hearing about attitudes or platitudes that they must strive for. Instead, they were hearing about the blessings given them by faith in their Lord Jesus Christ. They were just simply blessed. It’s who they are in Christ. The Beatitudes do not tell us how to become blessed. Rather they describe the blessedness that already belongs to all believers in Christ.

 

You see, the word “beatitude” means blessedness. But if we disconnect those words from the One who spoke them, then they just become moral platitudes and lose their force. They just become platitudes, rather than beatitudes. But if we keep them connected to Jesus, and we to Him, they are blessings.

 

So, Jesus opens His mouth and teaches us – His disciples – the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). 

 

From this beatitude to the last, Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He is speaking to everyone who calls Him Lord.

 

From this first beatitude, purveyors of the social gospel proclaim that Jesus is calling to abolish poverty from the earth. Is that what Jesus is truly saying? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” No! Nor is He saying that taking a vow of poverty is a virtue. Again, Jesus is speaking to us. He is describing us as “poor in spirit,” because we see ourselves as poor in our relationship to God.

 

The Greek word for “poor” used here points to those who are beggarly poor. We are helpless and completely unable to offer anything to God that would please Him. All we can offer Him are our sins – those filthy rags of our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. So, we come as beggars before God. Crushed by our sins, we simply beg for grace and mercy. We are penitent. We show remorse for our sins.

 

To the world, a filthy sinful person being pronounced blessed seems all wrong. In fact, each of these beatitudes seem upside down. What good is there to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, to be persecuted?

 

To the world, it is a shameful thing to confess oneself to be helpless and unworthy. But Jesus’ verdict of blessed overturns those ideas. Jesus says that the penitent must be considered fortunate because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” “they shall be comforted,” “they shall inherit the earth,” “they shall be satisfied,” “they shall receive mercy,” “they shall see God,” “they shall be called sons of God,” “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Now, Jesus never says these are only future blessings for the penitent. He says “is” and “shall” and not “will be.” His pronouncement is right in line with when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). By faith in Christ, we have eternal life now. The same goes with these blessings. But we live in the now, but not yet. Yes, we have these blessings now, but the full consummation of these blessings is in the life to come.

 

In our life now, since we are sinners, we will never stop being “the poor in spirit.” Therefore, we come before God as beggars and plead for the grace of His forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. It is this very attitude toward God that He works in us. As long as we keep coming to God, seeking the forgiveness of our sins, the kingdom is ours.

 

The same people described as “poor in spirit” are also “those who mourn.” We mourn because we deplore and lament our sins. We mourn over all the losses and sufferings and heartaches that come upon us in this sin-corrupted world. We lament the wrong done to us. And our mourning does not strike deaf ears for we “shall be comforted.”

 

Jesus comforts us now as he gladdens our hearts as He pronounces us free of all the sin and guilt that haunts us as He speaks through the called and ordained pastors, saying: “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.” God’s rich comfort continues flowing down to us.

 

We are meek, because this virtue comes to us from the gospel, the message declared to us – who are totally unworthy – as we are accepted and honored by God for the sake of Christ. By faith in Christ, we “inherit the earth” as co-heirs with Christ.

 

“Hunger and thirst” express an urgent desire, but here Jesus describes us as having a craving for righteousness. We have a craving to ward off the wrong, the evils of this world and instead follow Christ. Even though life isn’t easy being a disciple of Christ, we “shall be satisfied.” That is, we shall be filled. 

On the basis of what Christ did and suffered for us upon the cross, all penitent sinners now appear as though they have never sinned. Through Christ’s atoning death, we are justified and declared to be without sin and guilt. We are filled not once, but again and again. God forgives our sins, not partially, but fully, not conditionally, but freely, without any if’s, and’s, or but’s.

 

Jesus concludes saying, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). He also builds on this beatitude in the next two verses.

 

Now, none of us desire to be persecuted. Nor do we deliberately antagonize people by inviting persecution. We would rather just live our lives in peace and quietness. But we must also expect to suffer at times for saying and doing what is right. That is what happened to Jesus, and He warns us that we must not expect any better treatment from the unbelieving world.

 

So, we live out the Christian faith by fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things and serving our neighbor. We do this by encouraging others to worship, by speaking God’s Law to the erring, and by comforting the penitent sinner with the Gospel.

 

Persecution may come, but that persecution is in itself a blessing. Remember all of God’s prophets suffered persecution at the hands of those who should have honored them. This will not change, because sinful human nature does not change. Sinful human nature accuses the confessing Christian as being “old-fashioned,” “bigoted,” “narrow minded,” and “intolerant.” But all who remain faithful to God’s truth will be richly rewarded in heaven.

 

Each of these rewards are of grace, not merit, and they are in addition to the salvation that is ours by Christ’s merits alone. 

 

These Beatitudes remind us of the blessedness that belongs to all believers in Christ, and they also remind us of the greater blessedness that is ours by faith already in this life. The verdict is in! Jesus calls His disciples blessed and so we are! These blessings are not because of anything we do. We just receive these blessings. Christ suffered, died, and rose for us to make us blessed as heirs of the kingdom of heaven! Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Epiphany 3: "From Darkness to Light" (Matthew 4:12-25)

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: 

Have you ever been inside a cave or cavern? I have. Caves are a beautiful sight. It causes us to wonder how the stalactites, the stalagmites, and other cave formations came into being. Visiting a cave is certainly awe inspiring.

 

But what happens when the tour guide turns off the artificial light? From what I recall, nobody moves. Your mom may grab your hand just in case, but nobody is going anywhere. Suddenly, we are unable to see right in front of our own faces. We can’t see where we could walk. We are all paralyzed in an all-encompassing darkness.

 

Eventually, the tour guide flips on his lighter. At last, there is light! But just in case, you may have noticed that the tour guide never lets go of the main light switch for the cave. So, just in case, he may drop his lighter, he can turn the lights back on.

 

Visiting a cave is certainly memorable. But can we really be comforted with the promise of artificial light?

 

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light” (Matthew 4:16; Isaiah 9:2).

 

Today’s gospel reading begins with the news of John the Baptist’s arrest by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who sought the life of Jesus when He was a baby. When Jesus heard this news, He left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum. Did this news influence Jesus? Possibly. But, Jesus did not move to Capernaum to get away from Herod Antipas. You see, Herod Antipas ruled over the province of Galilee as well.

 

So, why did Jesus move there? Well, Capernaum was a great headquarters for Jesus’ work. The shores of Galilee were thickly populated. In the many cities on the shore, He could reach many more people. In fact, Capernaum was also located on an important highway coming down from Syria, which eventually goes down to Egypt. Think of our highways today. There is a reason why businesses like to put up shop next to an interstate highway. It’s all about location, location, location. 

 

Add to the fact, Capernaum was a city He could reach out to Gentiles as well as to Jews. But ultimately Jesus took up residence in Capernaum so “that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:14-16).

 

The people of Galilee were in a sad spiritual state because they were of a mixed race, and they were far removed from the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews there were often married to Gentiles and their faithfulness to God was often trumped by their spouse’s opinions, rather than God’s truth. So, to keep things happy in the family, religion was often watered down to find a compromise, or the false religion of the spouse reigned supreme. Now, Galilee was not all that different from Israel. For by and large, Israel was also living in darkness.

 

So, what was this “darkness”? The darkness that Isaiah refers to in his prophecy of Jesus is not physical darkness, but spiritual darkness. The gospel light had become lost to most of them. The faith in a Messiah with the sure hope of salvation was lost, both in Galilee and Israel.

 

In Galilee, most had forgotten about the promise of the Messiah. In Israel, the hope of the Messiah has greatly been replaced by a trust in the outward routine of worship and work-righteousness. Both Galilee and Israel were living “in the shadow of death,” a shadow of eternal death, an eternal separation from God.

 

Spiritual darkness remains to this day. We live in an ever-increasing dark world. It’s not that the sun (s.u.n.) is losing its power to give us light. It has nothing to do with “so called” climate change. It has everything to do with our hearts and minds.

 

Spiritual darkness is the state of a person living apart from God. Spiritual darkness means that a person is not in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.

 

You see, from the very moment Adam and Eve sinned, humans have lived in a fallen world. All people are born in this fallen state of sin and separation from God. Everything God created as good has become corrupted. Our sinful pride, inherited from Adam and Eve, leads us to all sorts of evils against God and our neighbor.

 

Despite not knowing it, those who continually live in spiritual darkness get what their sins deserve: eternal death.

 

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday and marks 50 years since the Roe v. Wade decision. Despite it being overturned last year, elective abortion continues in many states. But supreme court rulings and legislation do not change hearts. Rulings and legislation do not enlighten people. Only the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Gospel has the power to change people’s hearts. 

 

Since Roe v. Wade made elective abortion legal at the federal level in 1973, more than 63 million children have died via elective abortion. Throughout those decades, the darkened world has pressed its pragmatic lies upon us. We hear about quality of life, potential disabilities, mental illness, rape and incest, and financial constraints on the mother or parents. The world shouts, “Who would raise such a child?” And these lies are driven right into our hearts and minds. Today, we continue to hear pragmatic lies: “Would you rather have a trans kid or a dead kid?” and “Wouldn’t you rather die with dignity than in pain?”

 

We can see the darkness all around us. So many people are spiritually lost. So many are in that dark cave, that dark alley in their life, and they don’t know where to go. They don’t know Jesus and that He is their Savior. So, they seek earthly pleasures to dull the pain and escape from reality. We know of people who never go to church, and we know the people who go to church, but never take anything to heart. There is a lot of darkness to go around. Maybe you can see it in yourself.

 

We live in darkness. Where there is sin, there is darkness. Where there is sin, death follows. Death is constantly chasing us all the way to the grave. There is no way out. The death rate for sinners is 100 percent. Due to sin, we all die, but the only question is when?

 

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light” (Matthew 4:16).

 

Within all this darkness, God the Father scatters the darkness through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Light. He is the Light because salvation is found only in Him and proclaimed by Him.

 

If we are to receive the Light, that is, believe in Jesus as the Savior and rejoice in His salvation, we have to be told about Him. So, Jesus begins to preach saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

 

The voice of John the Baptist had been silenced. From prison, John could no longer point to Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” But here is Jesus proclaiming the same message using those same words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The only difference is that Jesus is saying that the kingdom is among us now. John prepared for the coming Kingdom and Jesus is the fulfillment of the Kingdom. Jesus is the Kingdom. And He would be coronated on the cross with the crown of thorns.

 

As the kingdom comes to us, Jesus says “Repent!” It’s time for us to repent. For we all have sin to repent of. In fact, it’s our whole person – our whole self – that we have to confess, since we are thoroughly corrupted by sin. So, we repent, as we acknowledge our sinfulness, confess it to God, and plead mercy to God for His forgiveness and help. And so, we receive His forgiveness. We receive the remedy for our sins that Jesus as the Lamb of God won for all people upon the cross.

 

Last week, we heard how John the Baptist directed his disciples to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We heard how Andrew and Peter immediately followed Jesus. But at first, this calling of discipleship did not involve giving up their occupation as fishermen and being with Jesus full time. Today, Jesus calls Andrew and Peter, and James and John to the apostleship, saying: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). They didn’t think twice. They immediately dropped their nets and followed Jesus. 

 

Andrew and Peter, James and John had no special qualifications to become an apostle. They were just fishermen. They likely didn’t have much of a formal education. Jesus called them not because of any special qualifications, but because He was so gracious.

 

From there, Jesus with His first four apostles, went throughout all Galilee. Jesus saturated Galilee. Everybody knew Jesus. He was teaching in the synagogues and preaching the Gospel. He was healing every disease and malady people had.

 

But ultimately, Jesus was known by His preaching.

 

We may see today’s Gospel text as something that has happened in the past. But this epiphany is still happening today. You see, we come out of the darkness to the light through the epiphany of preaching. God’s Word continues to reveal Jesus as the Christ and we see Christ through preaching.

 

Jesus says to His apostles and to us, “Follow Me!” Andrew and Peter, James and John, followed Jesus and in time, these fishermen, would bring more people into the net of the church, so others could learn from Jesus and follow Him.

 

One of the many ways Jesus brings us to Him is through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. You see, before Baptism, we were living in total spiritual darkness and under the complete rule and authority of Satan. But through the water and the Word in Baptism, we are restored as children of the light since we are rescued from the domain of spiritual darkness. This alone is the work of the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that rescues us. So, we rejoice this day for Carter, who has joined the baptized by receiving from the Holy Spirit the power to believe in Jesus as His Lord and Savior.

 

Jesus, the Great Light, breaks into history through the preaching of His Word and the administration of the Sacraments. The kingdom of heaven is at hand as Jesus is present as our judge and Savior.

 

But we have a calling too. We have all been called to follow Jesus, learn from Him, and to tell of Jesus to others proclaiming the same message of Jesus, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,”since the remedy to sin has been revealed in Jesus Christ.

 

Darkness no longer has the upper hand, since Jesus brought us out of darkness and into His Light. For by faith in Him, and trusting in His promises, Jesus sustains and preserves us. He is always present where He promises to be. Here! As we receive His healing Word of absolution and as we eat of His Body and drink of His Blood for the forgiveness of our sins! Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Funeral Sermon: "Receiving the Promise" (Psalm 121)

Elaine, Jeff, Dave, and Jodi, family and friends of Ed: Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Jesus said to His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a). Jesus says the same to us this day, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” With these words, Jesus fortified and preserved His weary disciples. Today, Jesus reminds us that we will see our loved ones again who have died in the faith.

 

During the last days of Ed’s life, I’m sure there were times when your hearts were troubled. Thoughts like, “This isn’t the way I thought it would be” likely cropped into your minds. If it did, it’s because that is a natural thought. Even though death is expected of all of us – unless Christ returns first – death still does not seem right. It just doesn’t seem right that we are separated from our loved ones. For with death, comes separation. With separation, we experience loss. 

 

Death is still our enemy. Jesus wept when He heard that His friend Lazarus was dead, even though Jesus knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. The shortest verse in the Bible tells us about Jesus’ tears over death: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). So should we. We mourn death. We are sad when our loved ones die. And there is no shame in our suffering.

 

But we must remember that death is still defeated. We are not given over to despair. We mourn, but with joy. We cry with laughter. Our tears are mixed with hope. In the shadow of the grave, we sing of life eternal. In the midst of death, we confess the resurrection. Our mourning is mixed with joy because “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

 

Throughout his earthly life, Ed lived out his Christian vocations. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather to name a handful of his vocations. He grew up in Milwaukee and later found his way to the Coulee Region. Along the way, he served in the US Army and the Army Reserves. For 27 years, he served the city of Milwaukee as a police officer. From what I recall, he had many stories to share about his time on the force. But what I think he enjoyed the most was his family. He adored his wife Elaine. For Ed, passing on the Christian faith was most important to him. So, to Jeff, Dave, and Jodi, they all know what “Where were ya?” means.

 

For Ed, hunting, bowling, baseball, and watching the Packers all came up well down the list to passing on the one true Christian faith to his family. Here, at Prince of Peace, Ed served as a pillar of this congregation as an elder and as the vice-president, turned president of this congregation. Now, Ed was a sinner – just like all of us – but due to his faith in Christ, he is no longer numbered among sinners. You see, at his death, his sin was destroyed. Death for Ed is simply a portal to heaven as His Savior Jesus Christ called him home. Today, Ed is resting from his labors as he has received the promise of eternal life.

 

Ed and Elaine’s wedding psalm was Psalm 121. This Psalm tells of pilgrims on a journey to their heavenly home. Ed has completed this journey, but we on this side of heaven are still on this journey.

 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” (Psalm 121:1) Hills and mountains so often are portrayed as dangerous places. But hills and mountains are also symbols of strength and security. But, how is the Psalmist looking at the hills? As a source of danger, or as a source of help? Is he fearful, or is he confident? 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Well, his “help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).

 

This psalm is an ascending promise of help, since the Lord is our ally. But what makes the Lord our ally? Well, He took on our human flesh by becoming man for us. As a man, Jesus took upon Himself our death, our punishment, so that our death would no longer forever separate us from God. He is our ally because he gives us salvation in the place of condemnation and forgiveness in the place of judgment, eternal life in the place of eternal death.

 

From where does our help come? Our help comes from the Lord! Each verse adds a blessing: “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). You see, the Lord protects us from tottering and slipping, because He never becomes inattentive to our needs. He doesn’t let us struggle our way to Him, instead He provides us the Way through His Son (John 14:6).

 

“The Lord is your keeper” (Psalm 121:5a). The Lord is our watchman who preserves His people when we cannot see the danger ahead. And unlike some watchmen who take breaks, the “Lord is your shade on your right hand,” (Psalm 121:5b) so His protection is timeless. He protects us in this life and to life everlasting.

 

All throughout his life, Ed was looking up to that hill where his help came. Today, Ed is atop that hill. He has arrived at his heavenly home. He has arrived atop the mountain the Lord of hosts has made for all peoples. Upon that mountain, he is numbered among the faithful as they eat “a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Isaiah 25:6).

 

Upon this mountain, no human action occurs. Here, all people – by faith in Christ – receive what God graciously provides. Because of God’s love, He provides a rich spiritual banquet. This heavenly banquet is the richest and tastiest meal that is beyond our own imagination! The wine is aged in order to increase its color and quality. The meat is fat and rich. This is the banquet of God’s grace. Our Savior Jesus has prepared the best His love could offer: rich compassion, wonderful forgiveness, and every satisfying food for the soul.

 

This is the banquet that no one deserves, because of our sin. But God has prepared this feast for us in heaven for all who receive His forgiveness.

 

Even in our life now, we receive a foretaste of this rich meal. In the Lord’s Supper, we receive Christ’s very Body and Blood under the bread and the wine for the forgiveness of our sins.

 

While in heaven, God continuously provides as He keeps our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

 

But heaven is not the end. For Ed and all the faithful, there is still something more on the horizon. The Apostle Paul writes: “Behold! I tell you a mystery! We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). You see, death does not have the final say. Life has the final say! For everyone in Christ, He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21a)! Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will be raised! So, Ed’s body will be raised to life on that glorious resurrection day!

 

May we too look up to the hills and receive the Lord’s blessings of eternal life! Amen. 

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Ed Schmidt's Obituary: https://www.schumacher-kish.com/obituary/edward-schmidt

Sermon for Epiphany 2: "The Power of the Spoken Word" (John 1:29-42a)

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: 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

 

John the Baptist had gained quite a number of disciples. But John knew that such discipleship would not be permanent. He knew he was only the forerunner to the promised Messiah. And John did not resent or resist that prospect. In fact, John rejoiced over it. He gladly said: “He – Jesus – must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). So, John would gladly recede into the background as Jesus came to the foreground.

 

So, seeing Jesus coming toward him, John called out to his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

 

By saying “behold,” John is saying to his disciples: “Look! Turn your eyes over there! Don’t miss this! That Man is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

 

But how did John know? Well, he tells us what he witnessed at Christ’s baptism! “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32). You see, it wasn’t from his own reason that He knew Jesus to be the Christ. Instead, it was revealed to him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33).

 

Like St. Peter, who would later say to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), this was revealed to Peter not by reason, but by “My Father who is in heaven,”Jesus says (Matthew 16:17).

 

We are in the season of Epiphany. Throughout this season, Jesus is revealed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, in various ways. Today, we hear how Jesus was revealed as the Son of God through the proclamation of the Word. Through the proclamation and power of the spoken word, Jesus wins His first disciples.

 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Following the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John, John came to realize what had just happened. He baptized the very Son of God. Yes, he attempted to decline Jesus, because Jesus knew no sin. But today, we hear the rest of the story. All of what happened that day in the Jordan River was revealed to him before Jesus broke the tension with John when He spoke, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

 

Suddenly, John realized. He remembered. He had an epiphany. He baptized the sinless One, so that Jesus would be the sin-bearer.

 

So, again as Jesus came walking toward John, John speaks to get the attention of his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

 

Then, the next day, John speaks again as Jesus walks by: “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

 

Now, upon hearing these words, every devout Jew knew that these words could only refer to the promised Messiah. For one thing, every sacrifice of a lamb, especially that of the Passover lamb, was a type, a direction sign, which pointed forward to the coming Redeemer.

 

“Look! Jesus is the Lamb of God! There is the Man you need to follow! There is the long-awaited Savior! Why are you standing here with me? Go to Him!”

 

Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to give Himself as the sacrifice to win forgiveness for a sinful world. He is the Passover Lamb whose blood saves us from death (Exodus 12:1-13). He is the burnt offering “without defect” (Leviticus 1:10). He is the sin offering through which we receive forgiveness. He is to be the lamb “led to the slaughter” for our sins (Isaiah 53:7).

 

Here, John the Baptist is proclaiming Jesus’ mission. Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John is pointing forward to Christ’s atoning work upon the cross. Jesus didn’t come just to forgive the sins of certain people. He came for the entire sin of the entire world. He came to take away all the sins of every sinner, from Adam down to the last transgressor born before the Last Day. 

 

All this sin, Jesus as the Lamb of God takes away with His one tremendous sacrifice as the spotless Lamb who would carry out God’s grand design: to cancel the sins of all mankind. This is known as universal justification. But don’t be confused. This has nothing to do with universalism where all are saved no matter what they believe. 

 

Instead, universal justification means that Jesus came to save everyone who believes and trusts in Him. For everyone who trusts in Him, they are freed from the power of sin. This is what Jesus proclaims: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but who ever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:17-18).

 

“Behold, the Lamb of God!” After two of John’s disciples heard this proclaimed, they followed Jesus. Jesus then turned and saw them following Him and said to them: “What are you seeking?” (John 1:38) That is a most-important question. Here we have two faithful Jews who have long been seeking the Messiah. What were they seeking?

 

Could they be seeking a Messiah who would bring freedom from the Romans? Could it be a Messiah who would restore Jerusalem and Jewish power? Could it be a Messiah who would be a miracle worker?

 

How might we respond? Are you seeking help coping with daily burdens? Seeking a life made easy? What are we seeking from Jesus?

 

All of humanity is seeking something. Sometimes, we just don’t know what. Since most people do not know what they are really seeking, they continue to seek. Some seek power, for with power, they can do whatever they want. Some seek wealth. Like power, you can do a lot with wealth. You can buy whatever you want. Some seek knowledge. But sometimes it isn’t about knowledge, instead knowledge may be used to impress others, or even to control others, or to attempt to solve the world’s problems all on their own. Others, seek popularity. Who doesn’t desire to be liked? This is the whole point behind social media. But what do power, wealth, knowledge and popularity all have in common? They are fleeting. Each of these things lead to the same result: death.

 

Without knowing it, what most people are really seeking is a Savior from sin and its effects. We are seeking a sense of identity. We are seeking a sense of security. We are seeking meaning and purpose.

 

What we are really seeking, God provides. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

 

In fact, this is what John’s two disciples were seeking. They said to Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” You see, they wanted to stay with Jesus, learn from Him, and get from Him what He had to offer them – the forgiveness of sins. Jesus replies, “Come and you will see.”

 

In Christ, our identity is restored as a redeemed child of God. The sin that alienated us from God and others is forgiven. In Christ, our security is restored. We are reconciled to God since our sin is removed, so that while we live or when we die, we are certain that we are protected by God. In Christ, our meaning and purpose is restored. We are children of God with a vocation: to love God and serve my neighbor.

 

Immediately, as the two disciples are told “Come and you will see” by Jesus, one of them, Andrew, tells his brother Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah!” He brought him to Jesus.

 

This is the Church’s mission. Word and Sacraments are God’s means for transmitting salvation, but we are the human agents who bring those means to bear on people.  Through Andrew, we see the early church’s involvement in Jesus’ mission on a one-on-one basis. John the Baptist tells two of his disciples about Jesus. Then one of them, Andrew, tells his brother about Jesus. And so it goes on through human history, and so the church grows one by one.

 

Through the spoken word, we hear and follow Jesus. The Apostle Paul proclaims, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

 

So, like John the Baptist and Andrew, through the working of the Holy Spirit in us, we testify of Jesus in who He is – “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” He is what the world is seeking. We invite our friends and neighbors saying, “Come and see!” We invite, so that others can hear and see Jesus in this place. Here in the Divine Service, we come to see, learn, believe, and follow Jesus as He comes to us through His Word and Sacraments! Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord: "Fulfilling All Righteousness" (Matthew 3:13-17)

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:

The Twelve Days of Christmas have passed. We have begun a new church season, Epiphany. And suddenly, now 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.

 

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. On this day, Jesus began His public march to the cross for you and me.

 

Out in the wilderness of Judea we find John the Baptist preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). This odd-looking man wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist who ate an odd diet of locusts and wild honey was gaining quite a following. It appeared that everyone wanted to hear John’s preaching, repent, and be baptized by him, including some Pharisees and Sadducees, who hoped to sneak in without confessing their sins.

 

But among this crowd was Jesus. He “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 a sinner in need of repentance. That is, everyone except Jesus.

 

So, why is Jesus there? Well, He is there for the same purpose. He is there 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 knows the answer. He wanted to prevent Jesus from being baptized. And not because Jesus was unrepentant. It was because Jesus knew no sin.

 

If the roles were reversed, John would have been fine if Jesus baptized him, because he was a sinner who stood in need of baptism. But John baptizing Jesus? No! John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14).

 

Now, as you recall, John had refused to baptize some people in the past. But that was because those people refused to repent for their sins. Now, John has the opposite dilemma. A dilemma that likely he thought would never happen to him: Should I baptize someone who is without sin?

 

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. I know 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.

 

Before this, Jesus was relatively unknown. He grew up in the obscure town of Nazareth. A town that most Jews thought very little of. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)

 

While in Nazareth, Jesus 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. Although He knew 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, He is linking Himself to a sinner’s baptism to fulfill all righteousness.

 

But an obvious question is why now? Why at age 30 is Jesus being baptized? Is this proof that we choose to be baptized, rather than receiving baptism?

 

Well, back during the earthly life of Jesus, John’s baptism was new. John’s baptism was in preparation for the Messiah.

 

What was common was circumcision. On the eighth day of a Jewish boy’s life, he would be circumcised and formally given his name. Circumcision is what made a Jew a Jew. It’s what marked them as one grafted into Israel. 

Circumcision was a sign on the flesh, like a branding or tattoo. It was something that marked them as a child of the promise and as the offspring of Abraham.

 

So, circumcision, then, is akin to baptism today. As an eight-day old child, they are not making decisions. Just like infants today. Almighty God chose Mary and Joseph, because He knew His ceremonial Law would be fulfilled upon Him. The Son of God knew His earthly parents would be faithful to the Law, so He would submit to His own covenant of blood. 

 

All infants have is childlike faith in their parents to provide their needs. And one of those needs is baptism and the benefits baptism provides: forgiveness of sins, salvation from eternal death and the devil, and eternal salvation.

 

For us, because Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by linking Himself to us through a sinner’s baptism, we no longer are circumcised with hands to make us a child of God. Instead, we are “circumcised with a circumcision without hands … having been buried with Him in baptism, in which [we are] raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised [Christ] from the dead” (Colossians 2:11, 12).

 

Our circumcision is by water and the Spirit. Our Baptismal circumcision cannot be seen but is more permanent. It’s a union with Christ. Through Baptism, we are marked as a child and heir of God.

 

For us, we don’t choose God. He chose us! Christ even says this to His own disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Even His own disciples needed that reminder, just as we do.

 

Our own free will is to turn away from God, which is seen so much in society. That is what our sinful nature desires. But it is through the Holy Spirit that has called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with His gifts, sanctified us and kept us in the true faith. This is what Baptism does. Baptism is God choosing us. All we do is receive. And He gives us faith.

 

Christ’s baptism by John is vicarious. He is baptized not for Himself, but for us sinners. Through Christ’s baptism, He is pointing forward to His death and resurrection as the substitute for all sinners.

 

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 3:17-17).

 

God the Father is well pleased because His Son has fulfilled all righteousness, and now it is time for Jesus to be the sacrificial Lamb for sinners.

 

For the triune God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – everything has a purpose. Jesus was baptized so He would take on our sins to the cross. So that through His sacrificial death and bodily resurrection, our sins would be forgiven through our baptism into Christ.

 

At your baptism, God the Father looked down upon you – 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.

 

But as we all know, our Old Adam – our old sinful nature – continuously shows up and urges us to turn away from God, and our neighbor. This is why confession and absolution is linked to our Baptism. So, daily our Old Adam is put to death, and a new person who lives by faith in Christ is raised up. This is the rhythm of the Christian: we sin, we repent, and we live. And each time we repent and turn back to God, He says to us: “I am well pleased.”

 

The Rite of Confirmation is also linked to our Baptism as well. For Jesus says, “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” (Matthew 28:19-20a). So, to Josh, Faith, and Laura when you make your confession to God and to this congregation in just minutes, guess what God will be saying? “I am well pleased.”

 

He is well pleased, because we are saved through His Son Jesus who fulfilled all righteousness in the place of all sinners. Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +