“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods’” (Daniel 3:24-25).
Death is a powerful and frightening reality that no one can escape. We may be able to cheat death for a while through medicine or surgery, but death will come. It is a curse we carry because of the sinful rebellion of our first parents. All of humanity is cursed with death. And we all see the marks of death in our flesh: aging, illness, disease, pain, forgetfulness. These point to what lies ahead. Death is coming.
Three young men refused to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. For their refusal, they faced the grim specter of death. These three men – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – were to be thrown into a fiery furnace for their uncompromising faith in the God of Israel, a faith that would not allow them to worship the golden image of their king.
But their king did not wish them to die. He wanted them to live. So, he gave them a chance to recant their faith saying, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? If you would change your mind and fall down and worship the golden image, then you may live. But if you don’t, you will be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”
What would you have done? Today’s fallen world has grown more hostile to the one true Christian faith. So, if you were told that you must renounce your Christian faith to live, would you do it? Would you think about it? Or would you just say “no”?
For these three young men, they said they would never renounce their faith. They had faith that their God could save them, if it was His will. Were they not afraid? Could they not see the certainty of their doom? How could they be so bold in the face of death?
For us Christians, there are times when it is not God’s will to rescue His faithful from danger or death. Genuine faith, to which we receive by the Holy Spirit, trusts in God whether or not He preserves us when we face trials. And we will all face trials. I’m sure, you have gone through many with many more trials to come.
For these three young men, they were thrown into the furnace and fell down in the midst of the flames. These flames were so hot that the men who escorted them died.
So, what did Nebuchadnezzar wish to accomplish from this? He wanted to prove that with the additional heating of the furnace and with the strength of his mighty warriors that no one, and not any other god, could save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from his power. Not only that, these three men were not only bound, but were wearing flammable material – their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, which serves as additional fuel for the flames. But Nebuchadnezzar was wrong, and now everyone was about to know the truth.
As the king watched, he noticed something odd. Normally, those who go into the furnace are immediately scorched. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were walking in the furnace unharmed! They bore no burns, not a hair of their heads had been singed; and their flammable clothing was not scorched! And I’m sure those three men were equally shocked! Yes, they had faith that the true God would save them, but as it is with faith, it’s God’s will, not our will that is done. The fire could only destroy the ropes that hindered them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar notices a fourth man. “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” … “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:24, 25).
These men walked through the furnace and back into the land of the living, unscorched, not even smelling of the fire. These men had passed through certain death and had come out alive. In faith, they did not fear the flames, but trusted in their God, as they confessed to Nebuchadnezzar.
Tonight, we recall that our Lord Jesus Christ entered into death for us as well. He who is God Almighty entered into our humanity and took the curse of death upon Himself. On Good Friday, the purpose of His incarnation was fulfilled as He was crucified and died upon a tree. Then they laid Him in the tomb and sealed the door.
It appeared to be over. Jesus was dead. But death could not contain Him. He conquered death. He did not lay in His tomb defeated, but triumphantly rose from the dead!
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Christ, who once entered the fiery furnace to save the three young men, who spent that Passover in the grave, now enters into the holy waters of Holy Baptism to bring you from death to life. Baptism saves you! In Holy Baptism, your sinful flesh was put to death, and you were made alive in the Holy Spirit. On this day, Christ destroyed the power of death. Its sing is removed, and its power is gone. For Christ will also open our sealed tomb, and by His Word will call our bodies forth to eternal life. Christ has removed the fear of death. He is risen and so by repentance and faith in Him, you will also rise! Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen!
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
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