"Delivered, Transferred and Redeemed" (Colossians 1:14-20)

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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:

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

 

Last Sunday during the children’s message, we were reminded that it is getting darker these days. There is less light these days. And until December 21, the light grows more dim each day. Darkness is powerful. Darkness has an undeniable authority. Darkness forces you to do certain things and darkness prevents you from doing other things.

 

In today’s age, we can live out our lives without ever actually experiencing total, complete darkness. We can do this through artificial light, through things such as light bulbs and flashlights. So, it is easy for us to lose sight of darkness’ authority. But darkness does have real power. Darkness forces us to drive slower at night. Darkness causes us to put on the brights in hopes that a deer will still not jump out in your way. 

 

In complete darkness, you will get lost and never know where to go. Darkness certainly forces us to be cautious and sometimes that darkness causes fear, because darkness can hurt you.

 

Darkness can actually kill, because all living things need light to stay alive. In parts of the world where darkness lingers, people have to take steps to fight off depression and other maladies. In total darkness, people can become insane and become sick and die. And all because of darkness. That is authority. That is power.

 

Spiritual darkness has power too. This “domain of darkness” is a place where darkness has its way. This “domain of darkness” is dark because people cannot see their way to the truth; they cannot perceive what they should perceive about the Lord and about themselves. They grope, they stumble, they are the “blind leading the blind” to destruction because they do not have better advice or example to offer than their own impaired stumbling. Sin is dark because we live in it thoughtlessly, carelessly, recklessly, stumbling and tumbling to our own and others’ destruction.

 

This “domain of darkness” is also dark because it is precisely where Satan holds sway. He relies on darkness, both the darkness of night, when sin crouches at our door so close to us, and the darkness of the heart, where we do not even understand the things we say and do as wrong. Satan likes darkness because it affords him room to work. He can work when you don’t confess your sin. He can work when you spend your time and energy hiding your sin. He can work when you have no one else with you and you assume that no one else sees or cares what you are doing. Darkness is a favorite place for Satan. Darkness is where Satan works his hardest on you and me. 

 

In today’s epistle reading, many of the Colossians were choosing to live in spiritual darkness and because of this darkness, the Colossian church was in serious jeopardy. It was so bad that Epaphras made a 1,300-mile trip to Rome to visit St. Paul while he was in prison. 

 

So, what was the issue? Well, the city of Colossae included a mixture of both Greeks and Jews and among them were elements of Gnosticism. This Gnostic heresy taught that Jesus alone was not adequate for salvation. They taught of a secret knowledge that threatened the salvation of these Colossians. This heresy centered on the Person of Christ as they denied Christ’s humanity as they viewed Jesus as a mere spirit being who came from God. They taught a form of philosophical dualism where the spirit is good, and matter was evil. So, they said that Christ could never be man, because flesh was evil.

 

But by far, the most serious aspect of this Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. This is why St. Paul wrote this letter to the Colossian church. He wrote this letter because their salvation was at stake.

 

The Bible is supremely a book about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament records the preparation for His coming. The Gospels present Him as God in human flesh, come into the world to save sinners. The Epistles detail the theology of Christ’s work and personification of Christ in His Body, the Church. And Revelation presents Christ on the throne, reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Every part of Scripture testifies about Jesus Christ. In Luke 24, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to [the Emmaus disciples] in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In John 5, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). And Philip, too, preached Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch by using only the book of Isaiah (Acts 8:35).

But of all the Bible’s teachings about Jesus Christ, our text today may be the most significant. Today’s text is dramatic and powerful and removes any doubt or confusion over who Jesus truly is.

 

So, who is Jesus? “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus is the absolute image of God. Now, He did not become the image of God at the incarnation, but He has been the image of God from all eternity. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. He is the exact likeness of God. He is in His very form God. This is why Jesus could say: “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Christ, the invisible God became visible, “and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

Jesus is the full and final and complete revelation of God. He is God taken upon Himself human flesh. 

 

Not only is Jesus the image of the invisible God for “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the Creator. He is not a creation of God. Jesus created all things. “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing that was made”(John 1:3).

 

The entire universe exists and continues to operate only through the power and will of Jesus Christ. For, if He would for a moment cease to sustain creation, then the stars, the planets, and atoms would all spin out of control until they would disappear into oblivion. It’s Jesus who holds all things together. Jesus is God.

 

This, “in Him all things hold together” also teaches us something else. You see, on Judgment Day, everyone must pass through Him. So, those who in life knew Him in name only, or only knew Him as an inconvenience, or those who did not know Him at all, will now face Him entirely unprepared, dressed in the dirtiness of their sins and will hear Him say: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you”(Matthew 25:12).

 

Jesus does not know those who live in darkness. For everyone who does not live by faith in Christ is among Satan’s fallen world. Without faith in Christ, the sinner stands before God guilty and condemned; the sinner stands before God as a debtor, an enemy, a stranger.

 

But we, who have been delivered from the domain of darkness by faith in Jesus will see Jesus standing before us as a familiar friend and brother. In Him, “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

 

Despite our sins, Jesus has reconciled us back to Himself. He undertook the Great Exchange. He willingly suffered all things for you. He willingly faced mockery for you. He willingly died for you. In Christ, the sinner now stands before God as righteous. In Christ, the sinner is granted freedom. In Christ, the sinner’s debt is paid. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as friend. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as His son or daughter.

 

In Christ alone, we are at peace with God. In Christ alone, we are reconciled to God. In Christ alone, we are restored to a right relationship between God and man.

 

We are at peace with God because Jesus shed His blood on the cross and by rising again the third day from the dead to make sure that you are His.

 

In Christ, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and have been transferred to His kingdom!

 

You were created by Christ and He has redeemed you to be His forever. Christ is the Head of the body, the Church. And since you are in Christ, you are no longer captive to sin, you are no longer of the domain of darkness. You are redeemed. You are delivered. You are forgiven. You are set free. You are cleansed. You are healed. This was accomplished because of the power of His shed blood. His blood brings peace. His shed blood brings peace between you and God. His blood cancels your sin, your idolatry, your rebellion you once owed Him.

 

Jesus has won for you peace by His blood and by His cross and by His resurrected life. Christ is all in all. By faith, Christ, your Creator and Redeemer has delivered you out of the domain of darkness by giving you redemption, the forgiveness of your sin. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Do You Want to Be Healed?" (John 5:1-9)

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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:

Jesus said to the invalid of thirty-eight years: “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6).

 

For thirty-eight years, a man had not been able to run. He had not been able to walk. For thirty-eight years, he had been waiting. Now, we don’t know how many times he appeared at the pool called Bethesda, but he was there, and he knew how the game was played. 

 

Here’s the game: somewhat mysteriously, every once in a while, that water would begin to stir. And when it stirred, people believed the water had healing qualities to it, but it was very brief. It came and and it went. The common belief among the people was that when the water was stirred, it was because an angel from heaven was dipping its wing into the water, thus causing the water to move. And because of that movement, it was believed that the first person into the water would be healed of whatever infirmity he or she had. 

 

With people believing the water had a healing quality, it’s not surprising that there were a lot of ill and infirm people gathered around that body of water. There were a multitude of invalids just waiting to be healed, among them were the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

 

So, picture what that scene looked like on most days. We have desperate people all with the desire to be healed. So, as the water began to stir, imagine the pushing and shoving that likely happened as each ailing person desperately tried to be the first into the water. When you are desperate, it’s highly unlikely that you would be polite and patient with each other. So, they wouldn’t have been helping each person into the water or waiting patiently for their turn. No, it was more like every man for himself. So, nobody would have been helping anyone else. If there was anything going on, it was scheming on how to be the first person into the pool.

 

Now, about the pool. The pool of Bethesda was divided into two sections. Half of the pool was used to wash the sheep that were used in the temple sacrifice. The other half of the pool was used by people. 

 

One day, as Jesus came to a feast of the Jews in Jerusalem, He passes by the Sheep Gate and by the pool of Bethesda. And in case you are curious, Bethesda means “house of grace” or “house of mercy.”

 

So, Jesus walks by and witnesses this multitude of invalids waiting beside the pool of Bethesda. So, Jesus sees this man who has been an invalid for thirty-eight years, and He knows the anguish this man has been through, who appears to not be able to move much on his own, at least not very easily. So, Jesus asks this man, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6).

 

Now, you would expect this man’s answer to be “Yes! Yes, I do want to be healed!” But does he say that? No. What does he say? He says, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me” (John 5:7).

 

How pitiful. He says some of the saddest, most heart-rending words you could ever hear, “Sir, I have no one to help me.” How sad are those words? 

 

It is likely that there are times in your life when you have felt that you were alone, where you felt that no one would be able to help you. For this invalid of thirty-eight years, he was lonely despite being among so many people. This can be true for us, too. For some people, even with family and friends present, you may be suffering from anxiety and depression. You may feel like nobody is there for you. That nobody could or would help you.

 

We hear so much about cancer and heart disease, and rightfully so. There are nearly two million new cases of cancer each year in the United States. And one out of every 13 people will experience some sort of coronary artery trouble in their lifetime. But what about the one in five, at least, who are suffering from a mental illness? Statistics show that there are more people suffering from mental illnesses than there are people living with cancer and heart disease combined. But the big difference is that the majority of people suffering from mental illness have not sought any treatment. So, for those suffering a mental illness, they may feel like they are suffering alone.

 

Sometimes the focus of today’s Gospel reading is just on the act of divine healing. Yes, there is a divine healing. Jesus does say to the invalid, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8), and at once, this man walked. He doesn’t need physical therapy. He walks. He doesn’t need to learn the occupations of his daily living. He walks. He walks right from the start. He has no limp. He just walks perfectly.

So, yes, that divine healing is certainly an aspect of today’s Gospel text. But that is not Jesus’ only concern. Following our pericope for today, Jesus sees this man in the temple. Now, we don’t know why this man was in the temple. We can ponder. Maybe he simply comes there to offer thanksgiving for the miraculous healing he received? That would be a good reason. But whatever the reason, Jesus comes up to him and says, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).

 

So, there was more to this than just a miraculous physical healing. Here, Jesus is speaking also about this man’s spiritual health.

 

What Jesus is saying is that while living with a physical ailment for thirty-eight years may have been difficult enough, what would be even worse is to have no hope of salvation in your life. What would be worse is not to know the unconditional love God has for him and for you. What would be worse is to be eternally separated from the God who created him and you. What could have been worse is to live without the forgiveness of sins and the peace God offers through Jesus’ atoning death and bodily resurrection for all people. Without all of that, life is so much worse.

 

The point Jesus makes is that no matter what may be going on in your life physically, to be spiritually infirmed would be so much worse.

 

For many of us, if we have the blessings of physical health, we would not want to trade that for anything. But to be spiritually healthy by being at peace with God through Jesus Christ’s death which won forgiveness through His blood, and to know that every sin we confess has been atoned for, there is no greater gift than that. 

 

So, Jesus not only addresses the physical needs of man, He also addresses our spiritual needs, as well. 

 

So, Jesus also asks you, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6). Now, what is your response? 

 

On this day in history nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus approached this invalid for thirty-eight years and He came to address His physical, spiritual and mental well-being. He came for him. And if Jesus is so concerned with this man’s physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, then why would He not also be concerned with our complete well-being as well?

 

When it appears that there is no one to help. There is Jesus. He enters in. So, 

 

1    Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice,
    With exultation springing,
And with united heart and voice
    And holy rapture singing,
Proclaim the wonders God has done,
How His right arm the vict’ry won.
    What price our ransom cost Him!

Text: Public domain

 

Jesus came down from heaven. He saw us fast bound in Satan’s chains. All we had going for us was death. Sin so firmly possessed us. He saw our wretched state and planned for yours and my salvation. He did not choose the easy part, but gave His dearest treasure: His life, so that you and me would live forever by grace through faith in Him.

 

This invalid man of thirty-eight years never met Jesus prior to our Gospel text. Jesus simply looks at him and says, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). When it seems that no one else was there to help him, Jesus enters in. Jesus comes. Jesus comes for you, too. 

 

So, come and receive His medicine of immortality, the fruits of His cross, His body that was given into death for your sins, and His blood that was shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Come and receive His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacrament which forgives your sins and strengthens your weak faith. In Christ, you are never alone. He is always with you, with His rod and His staff which comforts you. His goodness and mercy overflows for you all the days of your life. 

 

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 +

"The Marks of Christ's Sheep" (John 10:22-30)

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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:

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

 

How good are you at listening? According to Psychology Today, in one survey, 96 percent of respondents said they were always or sometimes good listeners. Would you consider yourself to be a good listener? However, another study found that we only retain about half of what people say to us. And that is directly after they say it. So maybe you aren’t as good of a listener as you may think.

 

Now, as you are acutely aware, men and women are different. Even if the fallen world attempts to erase the fact that men and women are different, how is it that one sex is significantly better at listening than the other sex? And in case you aren’t sure which sex is typically the better listener, well, it’s female. You may have already known that. And there are always exceptions to every rule. So, there are occasions when the male is a better listener than the female, but typically, the female is the better listener.

 

In today’s Gospel text, Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

 

Do you know who your Shepherd is? Do you know what He is saying to you? Do you know His voice?

 

Sheep always recognize their shepherd’s voice. They listen for their shepherd’s voice. If they hear another’s voice, they flee. They flee, because voices are unique. Voices can identify people much like fingerprints. Restless babies settle down when they hear their mother’s or father’s voice. 

 

Today’s text tells us about the familiar voice of the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ. But how do we identify His voice?

 

You and I hear many voices. Persistently and in many ways, the voices of the world – those “strangers,” “thieves,” and “robbers” – approach us. 

§  They call us to disobey the voice of Jesus by rejecting or evading His commands. 

§  They call on us to subvert His inerrant Word. 

§  They call us to ignore Jesus, so that we would get caught in false teachings. 

§  They call us to remain busy in this life so that we don’t have time to hear God’s Word and receive His Sacraments weekly in this place. 

§  They call on us to abandon our faithfulness to Christ. 

§  They call on us to isolate ourselves apart from Christ and this congregation. 

§  They call on us to not support the work our gracious Lord has given for us to do here, by supporting this congregation with our time, our talents and our treasures that Christ alone gives to us.

 

After Christ ascended into heaven to receive all power and all authority in heaven and on Earth, it appears that He has abandoned us. But He hasn’t. He is still speaking. He speaks to us in the Scriptures. He speaks to us through right preaching. But are you listening?

 

The Good Shepherd is speaking as He carries His rod and a staff (Psalm 23:4) and by this, He directs and guides us. He speaks to us the word of the Law – the rod, as He lets us know how much we have sinned and deserve nothing but eternal wrath apart from Him. He also speaks to us the word of the Gospel – the staff, as He forgives our sins, giving us salvation and opening for us eternal life. His word of Law and Gospel is His unique voice.

 

For the Jewish authorities who were at the temple colonnade and interrogated Jesus, which led to Jesus to say, “My sheep hear My voice,” they were wondering just who Jesus was. It was winter and Jesus was at the temple for the feast of dedication, which may be better known as Hannukah. 

 

So, the Jewish authorities asked Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense?” (John 10:24a), or more literally, “How long do you take away our life?” This is what they were asking. So, for these Jewish authorities, knowing who Jesus was is a life-or-death issue. They want to know if Jesus is the Messiah or not. So, Jesus answers them, saying, “I told you, and you do not believe” (John 10:25).

 

What Jesus is saying is this, “You will not understand, since you don’t understand anything I have said, because you are not of My flock. You don’t know the Shepherd’s voice. If you did, you would know. You would realize who it is Who is speaking to you.” You see, knowing the voice of Jesus is a life-or-death issue for you and me. 

 

For if you do not know His voice, you only receive judgment. The marker of unbelief is that those who oppose Jesus are not of His sheep. If they were His sheep, they would follow Him. If they were His sheep, they would become His disciples. If they were His sheep, they would be given them eternal life. For Jesus says, “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).

 

For everyone who hears the voice of the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd knows them, and they follow Him. And He gives those who listen to His voice: eternal life.

 

This is Christ’s guarantee for you. All those who listen to His voice and follow Him receive eternal life. And in His hand and His Father’s hand, He says that no one will ever snatch you.

 

But what’s to guarantee that we will receive eternal life that Jesus says is ours as His sheep? Afterall, there are so many kinds of strangers, thieves and robbers just waiting to steal us away from God. And because we live in America, our First Amendment allows for so many false teachers who wear sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. They preach what our itching ears want to hear rather than what we need to hear. 

 

We are called sheep, because sheep are pretty stupid. Sheep are easy prey. If everything was up to the sheep, just up to you and me, we’d all be dead. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

 

This is what we are all up against. We are all facing increasing opposition against the Church. And not only that, the media and culture are bent against the Church. We have so many spiritual forces arrayed against us. And it gets worse. We have ourselves to contend with. We have our own sinful nature. It’s a never-ending battle. 

 

But Jesus says, “No one can snatch those who listen to My voice and follow Me.” Now, the fallen world, our own sinful nature, and Satan himself are sure trying. Who is going to protect me and you from ourselves, the fallen world, and the devil? These are our wolves!

 

But that’s the beauty of today’s text on this Good Shepherd Sunday! It’s not up to us – you and me. So, for us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven. He saw our hopeless situation. He saw how hopeless we were. We were like sheep without a shepherd. 

 

So, He came down. He came down to do something about our hopeless situation. You see, for the Good Shepherd, He doesn’t see us as just sheep to Him. For He calls us His brothers and sisters. He calls us children of God by grace through faith in Him. He went so far as to lay down His life for us – you and me – to give us His atoning blood which covers yours and my sins.

 

And in this constant battle, this daily battle against cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil, and ourselves, Jesus gives us His medicine of immortality. He gives us a blood transfusion every week, so that we have the same blood type as He does. So, when you partake of Christ’s true body and His true blood, Christ’s perfect blood is coursing through your veins. And when we hear His voice, we listen. When we hear His voice, we participate in the life of Christ given by Him.

 

It is here, in the Divine Service, that the Good Shepherd teaches us His voice. It is here where the Holy Spirit records Christ’s voice of Law and Gospel within us as He writes it on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:34). And having the Good Shepherd’s voice recorded in our hearts means that we are able to hear Him, believe in Him, abide in His Word, and follow Him.

 

So, wherever and whenever the Good Shepherd speaks, we are attracted to His sweet words and we listen. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life.”Have you ever noticed that those four statements of our Good Shepherd’s voice intertwine? “Theyhear – I know – they follow – I give.” In these four short master strokes, the relation between the shepherd and the sheep is pictured. All four of these statements are simultaneous.

 

When we hear our Good Shepherd’s voice, He knows, we follow, and He gives. He gives His sheep eternal life, so that we would never perish. He gives us protection so that no one could ever snatch us out of His hand.

Yet, the wolves are always out there. Those strangers, thieves, and robbers. But we have the promise. We have Christ’s promise. We have the Good Shepherd’s promise that no one can ever snatch you away from Him.

 

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 +

Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year: "Your Judgment Day" (Matthew 25:31-46)

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:

Jesus said: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left” (Matthew 25:31-33).

 

How often do you think about the glorious return of Christ? How often do you think of the Final Judgment?

 

Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars. He speaks that many will fall away from the Christian faith only to betray one another and to hate one another. He speaks of an increase in natural disasters.

 

With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, one may think, are we close to Christ’s return? With an ever increase in Christians falling away from the one true faith, are we close to Christ’s return? With the news media and politicians lecturing us about the climate, is this a sign of Christ’s return?

 

Instead of pondering these questions, what does Jesus say? “Concerning that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). So, life will be considered normal. Christ says that it will be like the days of Noah, since the general population was unaware until the flood came and swept them away. Christ says over and over again: “Be ready.”

 

But even with the call for us to “be ready,” the natural question is “when?” Now, we don’t know the day and the hour of Christ’s return. So, if someone tells you that he knows when, he is lying. So, you must dismiss him. And, if you forget about this, then some false prophet will make a fool of himself by claiming he knows what he cannot know and he might make a fool of you as well.

 

But Jesus does give us a question from today’s Gospel lesson that we can answer. At least this is one that the Lord tells us the answer. When will all this get decided? When does the judgment happen? When does the Lord make up His mind about who goes where? The big answer to when is this Final Judgment is: right now.

After warning us through the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Tenants, this morning, everything comes to its climax. So, on this Last Sunday of the Church Year, Jesus again is warning His church – you and me – to be ready for the Final Judgment. As I said last week, on the one hand, we pray for Christ’s return, and on the other hand, we pray for His delay. Just the other day, I was waiting in line at Kwik Trip, and I thought: “How many of these people around me will be numbered with the goats?” It is a scary thought!

 

We have this conflict, because the Day of Judgment, which is magnificent, is also scary. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who are lapsed Christians. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who are being fed lies by false prophets wearing albs and stoles saying good is evil and evil is good. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who have never once stepped inside a Bible-believing church. It’s scary, because we all see so many people heading for judgment. It’s scary, because we see how urgent it is to tell everyone that their salvation has been won in Christ alone and that He is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

 

Again, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, … He will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31a, 32b).

 

So, on that great and magnificent day, Jesus will divide all mankind into two groups: sheep and goats. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus likens this to the customary practice of the shepherds in Israel. You see, during the daytime, the shepherd would let his sheep and goats graze together in the same pasture, but at night, the shepherd would separate the sheep and the goats. As it is with a shepherd, this separation is easy, since a shepherd can easily tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. So, on the Last Day, this will be a simple matter for Jesus. “He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:33).

 

The sheep are those who God made righteous through Holy Baptism, so they live as sheep. They gladly hear and learn God’s Word. They share the good news of salvation. They care for God’s creation. They take care for those around them.

 

The goats are those who ignored the call of God. They chose to do other things instead of gladly hearing and learning God’s Word. They chose to reject God’s grace. They chose to ignore the cry of their fellow creatures. They chose eternal death. So, in return, God gives them what they chose. They chose to share in the same fate as Satan and his demons – eternal punishment apart from God in hell.

Now, what to make of “right” and “left”? Well, “right” signifies complete approval by the One who has all power and authority. By contrast, “left” means rejection, or sinister.

 

During the French Revolution, the French National Assembly was divided as “right” and “left.” In fact, our Congress has adopted this framework. But do you know the origins on this seating arrangement? You see, those who supported the Church sat on the “right” and those who supported the revolution sat on the “left.” It may be unknown to them, but the French Assembly and even our Congress is attempting to divide in a similar way as that of Christ on the Last Day.

 

But then we come to a problem. I thought true believers were not judged. Remember Christ saying, “Whoever believes is not condemned” (John 3:18a)? What about: “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 then we come to: “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10) and “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). 

 

Hmm. What is going on here? On one hand, those who trust in Jesus are not judged and on the other hand, everyone is judged. How do we resolve this?

 

Well, let’s look in what manner Jesus speaks of the sheep and the goats. To the sheep, Jesus does not mention a single sin of theirs. He only speaks in glowing praise. But to the goats, Jesus makes a specific mention of their sins, which have brought them into everlasting condemnation.

 

To the sheep, the Last Judgment is a witness of exactly what they by faith expected. At the sight of Jesus, the sheep are filled with great joy, since Jesus is their Brother and Friend. To the sheep, He calls them “blessed by My Father” (Matthew 25:34).

 

To the goats, the Last Judgment is a witness of exactly how they lived apart from faith. For them, at the sight of Jesus, the goats are filled with fear, since Jesus who they denied, is actually real and present before them. To them, Jesus says, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

 

The goats may have known Jesus, but they chose to deny their faith before man. Remember, even Satan and his demons believe in Jesus. So, by denying their faith and living no different than an unbeliever, Jesus casts these goats into hell. 

 

I mentioned earlier about the big answer to when is the Final Judgment. I said that this Final Judgment is right now. But what about that separation of the sheep and the goats? Well, right now everyone’s fate is being decided. As for the Last Day, that is when everyone’s fate will be publicly announced, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is vindicated as the truth before all people: the sheep and the goats. So, for the sheep, the same Jesus you believe and trust in today and throughout your life is the One in whose righteousness you shall stand on Judgment Day.

 

But what about right now? Each Sunday, we publicly confess that Christ will “come to judge the living and the dead.” We confess that this day is not a day that we – as sheep – dread, for we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We have the forgiveness of sins that covers all our sin. For us sheep, Judgment Day marks the public and eternal announcement of God’s judgment in Christ: “Your sins are forgiven, so you are righteous for Jesus’ sake!”

 

Each Sunday, we too, confess that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10b). According to God’s Law, the sinner deserves God’s “present and eternal punishment.” This is the judgment of the Law.

 

But this judgment, which we all deserved, fell upon Christ in His death on the cross. Because He took our sin into His flesh, God the Father punished His Son. Christ bore the suffering and death that we deserved. “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Psalm 53:5).

 

The judgment of the Gospel is that the death of Jesus and the shedding of His blood covers the sin of the world (1 John 1:7). The judgment of the Gospel is that the sinner is declared righteous for the sake of Jesus who has paid the price for his sin. And this word of forgiveness is received by faith. The righteousness of Christ clothes the baptized believer. It covers his sin with forgiveness, so that on Judgment Day, the Christian stands before God righteous and holy for Jesus’ sake as His sheep. 

 

You are His sheep! In Holy Baptism, He claimed you as His own as He gave you His name! As His sheep, we believe the judgment of the absolution which declares you forgiven!

 

So, today, you are judged. Through Christ’s death and bodily resurrection, you who believe in Him are now declared innocent. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: “In fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20a). When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He declared that His death paid the price for all sin, and our salvation was accomplished. When He rose from the dead, He proclaimed the forgiveness of sins to His disciples when He said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19, 21). Then He sent them out to proclaim the judgment of the Law and Gospel on His behalf, in order that sinners might be brought to repentance and faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

 

So, our Judgement Day is today when a sinner is either “bound” or “loosed” from his sins through the preaching of the Law and Gospel in sermons, in catechesis, and in confession and absolution. This takes place daily in the life of the Christian as he is brought again and again to repentance and faith in Christ. This is the life of the Christian. We hear the preaching of the Law that exposes our sins, which flow from a mistrust of God. God’s Law cuts us to the heart (Acts 2:37) as we feel the judgment of the Law that Jesus felt on the cross. But then you hear the preaching of the Gospel, which declares your sins forgiven for Jesus’ sake. The word of the Gospel covers your sins, creates faith in Christ, comforts the heart, and gives the penitent and forgiven sinner the joy of salvation and the sure and certain hope of eternal life.

 

So, when you hear, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” you are hearing the judgment of God. It is as if you are hearing, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +