"The Great Confessions" (Acts 4:8-13) - The Confession of St. Peter

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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:

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

 

In this season of Epiphany, we celebrate the revelation of Jesus to the world as God’s only Son, and our only Savior from the power of sin, death, and the devil. But today, in particular, we celebrate the confession of St. Peter, which is not really about Peter, but about his confession.

 

To His apostles, Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29a). And this has been the question put to every person ever since. Who is Jesus?

 

Peter and the other apostles had seen Jesus do ordinary things. They saw Him eat and drink, grow tired and sleep, tell stories, and even pray. But they’d also seen Him do things that no other human being could ever do. They saw Jesus walk on water as though it were dry land! They saw Jesus command the winds and they obeyed! They saw Jesus multiply five loaves of bread and two fish to feed the vast multitudes. They heard Jesus speak words of truth that cut to the heart like no one ever could. Who is Jesus?

 

On that day in Caesarea Philippi, Peter spoke up for the Twelve and for all Christians of all ages saying, “You are the Christ!” (Mark 8:29b).

 

What Peter is saying on the behalf of the other apostles is that Jesus is the One for whom they and all of Israel have long waited. He is saying, “Jesus, You are the promised King of Israel from David’s line. Jesus, You are one of us, yet, You are so much more. Jesus, You are the Son of the living God!”

 

That is a great confession! Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood had not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

 

This confession was a real turning point in Christ’s ministry. This great confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi is certainly worth remembering. But could there be a greater confession?

 

In our First Reading this morning from Acts 4, this same Peter speaks another confession as he and John stand before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews and boldly speaks: “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by Him” (Acts 4:10) we healed a lame man. This time, Peter’s life is on the line. Yes, his confession at Caesarea Philippi was certainly a great confession, but could this confession before the Sanhedrin be a greater confession?

 

Certainly, Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi took divine insight, but it didn’t take much courage. It didn’t take much courage to confess in front of Jesus and the others. To tell Jesus that He was the Christ was more like the “Sunday School answer.” Peter, then, had nothing to fear. But Peter, now, has much to fear. This confession to the Sanhedrin could mean his life is cut short.

 

And Peter doesn’t stop here, He continues with an even greater confession saying, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Such courage!

 

In our collect for today, we prayed: “Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ. Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no one else.” This prayer is also a confession.

 

But do we always joyfully confess that there is salvation in no one else but Jesus? This is easy for us to confess on a Sunday morning or Monday evening here in the friendly confines of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, but what about out there? We are like Peter at Caesarea Philippi in here. But what is it like out there?

 

It certainly takes more courage to confess Jesus as the Christ out there, especially when the world is practically pagan. Many places of work openly mock Jesus. Many places of education openly mock Jesus. 

 

What about to your non-Christian friends or family? Do you joyfully confess Christ to them?

 

It certainly takes more courage than Peter at Caesarea Philippi for us to say to our non-believing friends and family that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

 

So, was Peter’s confession before the Sanhedrin his greater confession?

 

Certainly, Peter’s confession before the Sanhedrin was great – and it was indeed braver, because it could have cost him his life. 

 

But in the end, it was no greater than his confession at Caesarea Philippi. They are both great and greater as both confessions confessed Jesus to be the Christ.

 

Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi was great because Jesus is the suffering Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter’s confession before the Sanhedrin was great because Jesus, who was crucified, raised and ascended, saves us.

 

You see, both of Peter’s confessions were great, because Jesus is great.

 

So, no matter how you confess Jesus to your family or friends to help them understand His truth more fully, you are making a great confession.

 

But there is no greater confession than the one that so many of us made without even saying a word – it was when the Holy Spirit brought us to confess the triune God through our Baptism. This morning, Bella, though with words, made that great confession as the Holy Spirit brought her to the waters of Holy Baptism.

 

And we also make a great confession each time we, among our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ meet at the Communion rail to receive Christ’s Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins as we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again.

 

As we confess Jesus to be the Christ, this is the confession Christ Himself uses to build His Church. You see, those gates of hell do not stand a chance against this confession. Through this confession, the Holy Spirit still calls and gathers, enlightens and sanctifies believers. And through it, Jesus binds hearts to Him and builds up His Church as the very temple of God upon earth.

 

Today, is not only the day we remember St. Peter’s great confessions, as today is also Sanctity of Life Sunday. As fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we not only confess Jesus as our Redeemer, but we also confess Jesus as our Creator. We confess with the Psalmist: “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

 

Every single human being, from the least to the greatest, was carefully handmade by God. He planned our all our days even before He skillfully knit us together in our mother’s wombs. So, we confess that all life is precious from conception to natural death. We confess that all lives have value. We confess that Jesus purchased all lives – those born and unborn – “with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20), which was His holy precious blood. Jesus bore the shame of the cross to grant us peace with God.

 

For “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10). 

 

So, let us all joyfully confess Jesus to be the Christ, the Creator and Redeemer, the Savior of the world! 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 Day of Pentecost: "What Does This Mean?" (Acts 2:1-21)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who together send the promised Holy Spirit! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

“And [the devout Jews from every nation under heaven] were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? … [They] all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” (Acts 2:7-8, 12).

 

Fifty days after Christ’s resurrection and ten days after His ascension, the followers of Christ remain in Jerusalem. They wait. They are waiting under the command their Lord who said, “Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). You see, Jesus was waiting for the perfect time. And that perfect time had come.

 

When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He had them observe the Passover the same night, and then He commanded them to celebrate the Passover the same time each year as a memorial of their deliverance and departure from Egypt (Exodus 12:14). From that day of the Passover, they traveled 50 days to Mount Sinai. There, upon Mount Sinai, God gave them the Law through Moses. This fiftieth day was also a day of importance. God, too, commanded them to observe a memorial day every year on the fiftieth day after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12). 

 

This fiftieth day after Passover became known as the Feast of the Harvest, or the Feast of Weeks, or simply “Pentecost,” since it took place 50 days after the Passover Sabbath. So, every pious Jew tried to be in Jerusalem for this festival to bring their harvest of grains to the temple. So, on this day, they gathered up their baskets, then processed up Mount Zion as they sang the Psalms of Ascents (Psalm 120-136), then processed into the temple courts where they would present their baskets to the priests.

 

Pentecost was a major festival as it brought in people from all throughout the world into Jerusalem. For us, we celebrate the Pentecost festival not because of the old history, but because of its new history, because of the sending of the Holy Spirit. This was the perfect time to send the Third Person of the Trinity upon the people.

 

For the festival pilgrims, Pentecost began just like other Pentecost festivals before them. But this particular Pentecost was going to be unlike any other before it. As the pilgrims are processing through Jerusalem, they begin to hear familiar voices. Their ears perked up! They recognized the dialect. Now, they weren’t hearing the Aramaic of Judea, which most of them understood. They weren’t hearing the common Greek of the Roman Empire. “Hey! I’m hearing my language!” They all heard and understood the apostles speaking the language of their homeland!

 

To this, they were all bewildered. They were all amazed. They were all perplexed as they said to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)

 

What they were hearing was indeed a miracle! Now, this miracle was not in the hearing, but in the speaking of the apostles. Just like that, the Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in many languages! And just like that, the people heard. And they questioned what they heard. “What does this mean?”

 

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Church is the people of God – the believers in Christ. But believers do not exist apart from the hearing of the Word of God. If people are not told about Jesus Christ and what Christ has done for them, they cannot believe it. So, while the Church is the people of God, it never exists apart from the Marks of the Church – Word and Sacrament. You see, without the message that Christ died on the cross for your sins, the Church does not exist. This crowd gathered because of the miracles that were taking place. They gathered as they said to one another, “What does this mean?”

 

But did you notice that these people, hearing their own language, did not come to faith until Peter had preached the Word of God to them? Yes, “faith comes by hearing,” but as St. Paul also says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14)

 

So, Peter preaches to them the Word of God: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. … This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh’” (Acts 2:14, 16-17). Peter starts with the Old Testament and applies it to what Jesus had done. Peter preaches Law and Gospel to them. And when they understood what God had done and that they – because of their sins – bore responsibility for the death of Jesus, their consciences were cut open.  

So, they asked Peter, “What shall we do?” and Peter gave them the Gospel: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Three thousand were baptized that very day.

 

So, what did the Holy Spirit do that day? He gave the apostles the power to reach these pious Jews through the pure Word of God. You see, it was the purity of the Law and Gospel that caused Christ’s Church to grow. And the Holy Spirit works through us in every language to spread the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ that is given to all by grace through faith in Christ alone.

 

Without the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper, our salvation in Christ would have been lost. It would have been forgotten. But with the Holy Spirit, He gave the apostles the confidence to preach the Word of the Cross that Jesus died and rose again to give us forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, that Jesus ascended back into heaven as Lord of heaven and earth, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 

But in order to fully understand the Gospel, one needs to see the importance of the Gospel. You see, if you believe you are not a sinner, then Jesus is of no importance to you. So, the Holy Spirit leads us to acknowledge our sins against God and our neighbor, so that we are ready to hear the message that through Christ’s atoning death, those sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit is always pointing to Jesus. That is His job. So, He constantly reminds us that we have the Savior, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord. For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

 

There is also another thing to be noted by the pious Jews response this day: their question, “What does this mean?” which is a question that is very familiar to us Lutherans. It is Luther’s question he asks throughout his Small Catechism.

 

Now, how many of us have been perplexed by Luther’s question? How many of us remain perplexed by Luther’s question? It’s certainly good to know the wordage of the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism. But we should never be shallow when it comes to Christian doctrine. Jesus, St. Paul, and Luther all desire that we do not remain as Christians who eat only baby food, but that we mature at eat steak. It’s all well and good to know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, but what do they mean? How do we fear, love, and trust in God? How do we truly love our neighbor? What does it really mean when we confess the Creed? How do we pray? 

How do these first three chief parts prepare us to understand the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar? What does this all mean? Now, the Catechism does give us so many answers, but not every answer to our every question. So, we must all continue to grow as we are nourished by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace. For if you are not nourished, your faith will wither and die. So, continue to chew on God’s Word and inwardly digest it, so that you grow in faith and bear fruits of faith.

 

Confirmation Sunday so often is equated with graduation. The reality is – it isn’t. If confirmation were a graduation, there would be no need for Bible Studies, Christian colleges, and seminaries. There would be no need to continue coming to the Divine Service. But confirmation is a commencement. Confirmation is a beginning. Joshua, in just mere moments, you will be confirming your faith in Jesus Christ. You will vow your allegiance to Him, who suffered and died for you, who rose from the dead for you, who is ascended into heaven for you. You will state your intention to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it. You will be hated by the fallen world for what you are about to do, but as your confirmation verse says: “Be faithful unto death, and [you will receive] the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b).

 

Now, you will be tempted to abandon Jesus. Satan will tempt you even more than he already has after today. He will use tactics that promote doubt, and his fallen world will criticize and persecute you. So, I pray that you call upon the name of Jesus, receive His gifts in Word and Sacrament, recall the Catechism, for you have the spiritual weapons to fight off Satan’s lies and deceit. May you never forget that.

 

Today, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but do you all know that this outpouring continues today and everyday wherever the Gospel is preached? From the very beginning, the one holy Christian and apostolic Church has been about the Word. For Joshua, and all of us here today, may we never forget that Word and Sacrament is at the center of everything. It is the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God that clearly communicates all what the triune God has done for us, that we have the Savior Jesus Christ, that by Him becoming man, His death on the cross, His resurrection from the grave, and His bodily ascension into heaven, we are called to repentance and faith in Him for in Him we receive forgiveness of our sins, life, and salvation and all by grace through faith in Him, who is proclaimed by the Holy Spirit. 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 Pentecost 11: "Keeping Focus" (Matthew 14:22-33)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

When you hear the phrase “he walks on water” or “she walks on water,” what comes to mind? Are you really thinking that he or she can actually physically walk on water? Most likely not. These days, that phrase “walks on water” usually invokes the idea that he or she is near perfect, or godlike.

 

Well, in case of Jesus, He’s not near perfect, He is perfect. He’s not godlike, He is fully and completely God in human flesh.

 

This morning’s Gospel lesson isn’t primarily about you or me, or about Peter who also walked on water. It’s not about how we too can step out in faith and get out of the boat. It’s not about our walk of faith. It’s actually about Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus, the Creator who comes as the Redeemer of the world. It’s about walking in trust in the One who walked on the water.

 

Now, this reading may be all about Jesus, but we are not left out. We are indeed included. I’ll get to that later.

 

Just last week, we heard about the miracle feeding of the 5,000 men, plus the women and the children from just five loaves of bread and two fish, which after everyone ate their fill and were satisfied, they left behind 12 baskets full of the broken pieces. That was quite a miracle!

 

But before Jesus performed that miraculous feeding, do you recall what the disciples said to Jesus? They said, “Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves” (Matthew 14:15). So, today, Jesus returns the favor as He sends away His disciples into a boat to go before Him to the other side of the sea, while He dismisses the crowds so that He could pray by Himself.

 

Oddly enough, the disciples never asked any questions, like “How are you going to get to the other side, Jesus?” We only hear that they left and Jesus remained to pray up on the mountain.

 

As Christ was praying, the disciples were having a difficult time coping with a contrary wind. First thing to note here is that these disciples were not afraid of this storm. You see, some of them were expert fishermen and capable sailors who had previously made a living on the Sea of Galilee. Yes, this sailing was difficult, but it wasn’t imperiling. Sudden, violent storms were all too common on the Sea of Galilee.

 

But a storm is still a storm. It would have been much easier to cross the sea on calm waters than stormy waters. So, like the disciples, we too, would prefer calm waters. The same is the case in flying. If you had the choice between a shorter flight with extreme turbulence and the longer flight with calm air, which flight would you choose? I would choose the longer flight with calm air.

 

Storms do make a difference, but storms are nothing unexpected on the Sea of Galilee. Yes, the storm was unfavorable, but they were never in any danger of drowning.

 

As they were fighting the waves, during the fourth watch of the night, that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., the disciples notice a shadowy figure off into the distance coming toward them. The storm didn’t scare them, but now they are afraid! 

 

The storm they can handle. That is known to them. What they can’t handle is the unknown. As the shadowy figure comes closer, suddenly, they cry out, “It is a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26)

 

For these men, they thought this was it. If you or I were on that boat, I’m sure we would have thought the same. They thought they were goners. Could it be the Leviathan? For the Twelve, they were terrified. They believed that only a watery grave was their fate.

 

You see, Scripture often portrays the sea as a realm of chaos that opposes God’s order. In Isaiah 27, the sea is said to be the dwelling place of the ancient serpent – the Leviathan – who is God’s enemy.

 

So, what does Jesus’ walking on water mean for us? Well, first there is fear. Yes, Jesus is shadowy until He is fully seen. That is scary. But there is even more to this fear. You see, whenever the Lord shows His glory, this invokes fear. Man is incapable of walking on water. Man is just too heavy. So, Jesus is more than just a man. This indicates that Jesus has mastery over nature. He is in fact, the Creator of heaven and earth. As the Creator, He is not subject to space and time. He is the Lord of creation, so He has to power to dominate His creation.

But there is even more. Remember the Leviathan? Well, Jesus’ walking on water may indicate something more. Though Him walking on water, He “treads the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). Because of the association of the sea with the devil, this could also indicate that Jesus’ walking on water not only demonstrates His divinity, but also His conquest over the evil foe. So, Christ comes not only to still life’s tempests, but also to crush the power of the devil underfoot.

 

But this lesson doesn’t just end with Jesus’ walking on water. In their fear, He calms them saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). There, Christ used His divine name, “I am.”

 

As the disciples have been calmed by Jesus’ words, Peter appears as if he wasn’t sure this man is Jesus. So, in typical Peter fashion, he cries out to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). So, Jesus invites Peter saying, “Come.”

 

So, keeping his eyes on Jesus, Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus. Then Jesus who has control over the wind and the sea began to test Peter by showing him a strong wind. All of a sudden, Peter begins to focus on the wind rather than on Jesus. He was distracted. He had lost hold of that word of Christ that He had spoken – “Come.” Instead, Peter was focusing on the wind and the water. He was realizing that he was walking on water. Now, he was sinking.

 

How often do you get distracted away from Christ? We live in a constantly distracting world. Emails, texts, notifications, and phone calls were supposed to make life simpler, but so often it makes life more distracting. We get distracted by so many shiny objects. And it is so hard to get back to being focused on the task at hand. In fact, studies show it takes 23 minutes to get refocused.

 

So, the eye always impedes hearing. For Peter, as long as he was hearing “come” and he did not look at the water beneath him, he was fine. But all at once when he began to take notice of the wind, he was distracted and right then and there, he lost his hearing of the word “come.” At that point, he begins to sink and goes under. Faith certainly starts out with strength, but it is made weak by the opposition of the wind.

 

The opposition of the wind for you and me is the world we live in. Satan is the prince of this fallen world. He is out to distract us from Jesus, so we would join him. 

You see, Satan wants us to follow our wants and our desires, rather than to hear Christ’s unchanging and saving Word. But what Satan never expects is what Peter cries out as he sinks, “Lord, save me!”(Matthew 14:30)

 

You see, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13) and “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). So, what happens to Peter? Jesus immediately reaches out His hand and took hold of him.

 

Remember earlier when I said that we are also included in this lesson? It’s subtle, but Peter’s distraction serves us as an illustration of the struggles we all face daily as Christians. We are, by nature, of the world, and we live simultaneously as saints and sinners, trusting and doubting accordingly. In our lives, we face continual struggles with the devil, the world, and our flesh. We see the troublesome seeds of doubt in our various vocations of life, whether we are husband or wife, parent or child, employer or employee. 

 

But there is a solution to our fears, struggles, and doubts! We can join Peter by calling upon the name of the Lord! We may lose our focus, but Jesus always maintains His focus. Jesus was sent to save sinners. He was sent to save you and me! As the Creator and our Redeemer, He accomplished our salvation by enduring the cross and rising victorious. He defeated our evil foes and gave all who trust in Him His victory! 

 

To this day, Jesus continues to call us as He says “Come” through His Word and Sacraments, bringing the joyful message, “It is I.” This strengthens us in our weak faith, frees us from our fears and doubts, and moves us to joyful service in His kingdom.

 

We, too, confess with Christ’s disciples, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33), who delivers us from the devil and eternal death, as well as from the myriad of storms in this life. 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 Easter 5: "The Way, the Truth, the Life" (John 14:1-14)

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:

With nowhere to go, the Children of Israel saw no path. Behind them, they see and hear Pharaoh and his armies drawing near. The Children of Israel were terrified. Death appears to be imminent. Here they are standing on the shore of the Red Sea and there is no way to safety. They see Pharaoh’s armies on one side and the sea on the other side. They are trapped. There is no way out. They need a way out, and they cannot provide a way out by themselves.

 

So, the Children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they cried out to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:11-12).

 

Moses said to the Children of Israel, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14).

 

There, upon the shore, the Children of Israel believed all was lost. They believed they were about to experience their demise. When it all appeared desperate, God tells Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Children of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. Moses did as God commanded.

 

Suddenly, there was a way. God provides for them the way. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind and made the sea dry ground, and the waters were divided.

 

Even as the Children of Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, doubts did not cease. Many thought, “Could the sea close over us and drown us all in a moment?”

 

Even when they have the way, doubts still haunt them. Doubts haunt us, too. There must be another way, but every other way is a wrong way, a way that leads to only death. They needed certainty. They needed the truth.

And before long, the Children of Israel noticed that Pharaoh’s armies appeared behind them. The same peril they had before the Red Sea divided has returned. Doubts and fears increase. The army is nearing them.

 

But as soon as the last Israelite reaches the shore, following God’s command, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea fell upon the Egyptians and swallowed them up. The Children of Israel have life.

 

God provided the Children of Israel the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

In today’s Gospel lesson, we return to Maundy Thursday. This is Jesus’ farewell speech to His disciples. Knowing this, Jesus is determined to comfort His disciples knowing full well what is about to happen within the next 24 hours: He is going to be arrested, tried, beaten, spit upon, given the crown of thorns, crucified, dead, and buried. 

 

Jesus knows that His disciples will be frustrated, confused, and scared. They have seen Jesus perform miracles and signs – even showing His power over sin and death. But what they are about to witness is going to test them. So, to calm them, Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a), since He is going to prepare a place for them. He also says that they know the way to where He is going. This way is as the Lamb of God who will die for the sins of the world. But they don’t understand.

 

Thomas says to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

 

Like the Children of Israel trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, Thomas and his fellow apostles are lost. They don’t know what to do and where to go.

 

So, Jesus says, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

 

Notice what Jesus says here. He doesn’t say, “I will show you the way,” like a second Moses; but “I am the Way.” Nor “I have the truth,” like another Elijah; but “I am the Truth.” Not only, “I lead to life,” but, “I am the Life.”

 

Jesus is the Way that bridges a chasm. If a bridge lacks as little as an inch of reaching across, it plunges down and becomes rubble. It may have intended to be a bridge, but all it serves as is rubble.

Just as the Children of Israel passed through the Red Sea physically, dry-footed, and unhindered they had no other way. They had no other way to salvation. Jesus provided them the way.

 

Like the Israelites then, we too, need salvation. We may not have Pharaoh’s army chasing us, but we have sin, eternal death, and Satan coming right at us – and from all sides. We need the way to go. Without a Savior from sin, death, and Satan, we are trapped.

 

Satan has convinced the fallen world that there are many ways, and many truths, and that when we die, life is over, so that our only fate is that we will all become worm food.

 

For some people, they hear Jesus’ words – “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” – as condemnation. That is unfortunate, since Jesus’ purpose is salvation, not condemnation. For He says, “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” (John 3:17).

 

For many, Jesus’ claim strikes them as unfair. I recall one episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah was discussing salvation and heaven when she went on to say, “One of the mistakes that human beings make is that there is only one way to live, and that we don’t accept that there are diverse ways of being in the world, that there are millions of ways to be a human being, and many paths to what you call God.”[1]

 

This soon led into a discussion with her audience. One lady challenged Oprah by saying that there is only one way to heaven and that way is Jesus. To that, Oprah said, “There couldn’t be just possibly one way. If you are somewhere on the planet and you never hear the name of Jesus, but you live with a loving heart, you live as Jesus would have had you to live, but you are in some remote part of the earth and you have never heard the name of Jesus, you can’t get to heaven? Does God care about your heart, or does He care if you call His Son Jesus?”

 

Well, what about Oprah’s questions? Did God the Father suddenly change the rules and limit salvation to only Christians? When Jesus announced Himself as the Way, was He shrinking the path of salvation? 

No, He was opening the door to heaven. Without Christ, the number saved is zero, since “no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). But with Christ, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

 

These words of Christ are an invitation. He’s inviting all to trust in Him and find life in Him.

 

But what about those who lived before the coming of Christ? What about those Old Testament believers? Are they doomed? Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). These words apply to us now. We haven’t seen Jesus with our eyes, yet we believe and are blessed by faith. The same goes with the faithful of the Old Testament times, since they also did not see Jesus with their own eyes, but they had faith in the promise of a Savior.

 

Satan does his best to lead us away from the one way of salvation. He tries to convince us that there must have been another way for the Israelites beside the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. Satan wants us all to compromise our way to salvation.

 

Now, there are many issues that we can compromise. We can compromise on the style and color of carpeting. We can compromise on the shade of paint on the walls. We can always compromise on the things that do not particularly matter. There, we can meet in the middle. But some issues, we cannot compromise.

 

There is one area where we can never compromise, and this is truth. Truth is fact. Facts don’t change. Two plus two equals four. The sky is blue.

 

But where is the source of truth? God’s written Word is the sole source of the knowledge of truth. Again, Jesus says, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life." He also says, "If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

 

Sometimes compromising becomes the worst outcome. One day two women came up to King Solomon, both women gave birth to a child, but one child later died (1 Kings 3:16-28). To the surprise of one of the women, the other woman placed her deceased child with her that night while she was sleeping, and the other woman took the living child to live with her. When morning came, the other woman noticed that the child was dead, but she also realized that this child was not her offspring. 

So, the two came to Solomon for his wisdom. Solomon said, “Bring me a sword.” So, a sword was brought before the king. And Solomon said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”

 

Then the woman whose son was alive said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” Solomon answered, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.”

 

Satan deceives the world into thinking that we can compromise on truth. He says we can compromise on the Word of God, but if we did compromise, whose word is it? God’s Word or man’s word? 

 

So, everyone who imagines that they have found the truth apart from Jesus and His Word is deluding himself. Without God, there is no truth. 

 

Last Sunday as I was driving back home from church, my radio was set to WIZM. To my surprise NBC’s Meet the Press was on. The host Chuck Todd asked his guest, “Are you confident that gender is not a spectrum? There is a lot of scientific research that says that gender is a spectrum.”[2]

 

As those were the first words I heard on my radio, I thought, “Would this have even been a question five years ago? We have certainly come a long way in so short of time. Just stating that there is scientific research doesn’t make it fact. Tell me more about this ‘scientific research.’ Prove it!”

 

Also last week, I saw a clip from ABC’s The View where co-host Whoopi Goldberg argued that God would be in favor of gender reassignment surgeries. She said, “What Bible are [they] reading? Because God was really clear!”[3] Just stating that the Bible approves what you want doesn’t make it fact. Prove it. Show me the chapter and the verse!

 

In Scripture, God reveals that He knitted us together in our mother’s womb as male and female (Psalm 139:13, Genesis 1). Jesus, God in human flesh, also affirmed this truth (Matthew 19:4).

We can’t compromise on truth. It’s either a baby or it isn’t. Men cannot become women. Women cannot become men.

 

If a society is no longer based on truth, then what do we have? We have lies and Satan is the Father of Lies.

 

We cannot live by lies. We can only live by Jesus, who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Living by lies can only lead to eternal death. But sometimes, we can get caught up in lies, since lies are so attractive. And when we come to the realization that we have been fooled, we repent and ask God for His forgiveness for which He always forgives.

 

Living only in God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, we have life. Jesus alone provides the assurance of eternal life. Every other “way” leads to eternal death. Jesus assures us of eternal life through His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament.

 

Here, in this place, Jesus leads us, He teaches us, and He gives us eternal life. Jesus is the only way to true joy and true life. His death on the cross changed everything. His resurrection from the dead is what secures for us the joys that transcend all the changes of this fallen, sinful world.

 

So, when we cling to Jesus and His Word, we cling to none other than God Himself. In Christ, we are certain and secure in a changing world. This is why He continually comforts us and reassures us that He is in still in control as we receive His forgiveness, hear His unchanging Word, and receive His medicine of immortality at the Lord’s Table. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life of salvation through God the Father. 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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[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noO_dCWtB1E

[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/april-30-sec-mayorkas-vivek-ramaswamy-and-luke-russert-171913797525

[3] https://www.christianpost.com/news/whoopi-goldberg-appeals-to-bible-in-debate-on-trans-surgeries.html