Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord: "Transforming Us Into the Image of God" (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6)

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:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

Today, we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and we remember how Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of Christ’s unveiled glory upon the Mount of Transfiguration. But it is the Apostle Paul who will help us understand what truly took place upon that mountaintop. Essentially, it was the lesser – the Law – giving away to the greater – the Gospel. It is through this experience that we too are transformed into the image of God.

 

As great as the Old Covenant was, it was meant to only be temporary. The Old Covenant as revealed in the Old Testament Torah and the Prophets was never to be an end in themselves, but merely served God’s people as a guardian until the Messiah would come.

 

Well, that time has come! So, upon the Mount of Transfiguration, we see Moses and Elijah passing the torch to Jesus. The time of Moses and Elijah had passed. They served as types of the coming Messiah. They served to prepare us for the coming Messiah. There atop the mountain, Moses and Elijah, who represent the Old Covenant, which cannot save, point us to Jesus, who is the promised Savior.

 

Now, the Old Covenant also came with glory, as we heard about Moses’ shining face in our Old Testament lesson, but that glory was only “reflected” glory. Here, in our epistle, Paul compares that glory to a fading glory, because Moses’ glowing face would come to an end, so, “Moses … would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” (2 Corinthians 3:13).

 

This is teaching us that the Law cannot save us. For the Law can only show us our sin and our need for something more permanent. Even if we kept the Torah, we would never reach the perfection God demands. In fact, in Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that the Law of Moses only had a teaching function. The Law of Moses was to only serve as a guardian instructing Israel on how sins would be truly atoned. So, with each animal that was sacrificed, Israel was being taught that without the shedding of blood, there could be no atonement. With every Passover celebration, Israel would be taught to look to the “Lamb of God,” who would once and for all take away the sins of the world.

 

That was the Old Covenant. It was glorious, but it was also veiled, and it was intended to fade away.

 

Sadly, many have never seen beyond that Old Covenant. So, a veil remains. 

 

For the Jews of Paul’s day through today, a veil remains. Each Sabbath day, they hear a public reading of the Law of Moses – and they hear it the same way as the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai heard it. They view the Law of Moses as the final word, the cure-all and end-all. They fail to see that it is only temporary. They have rejected Jesus as the Christ, for only in Christ is the veil taken away. 

 

But this veil is not just over the hearts of the Jews, this veil is over all who have not yet been enlightened by the Gospel. We all know family, friends, and neighbors who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For many of our unbelieving friends and neighbors, it is actually “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) that has blinded their minds from seeing the light of Christ. It is the devil himself, who holds the veil over the hearts of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel.

 

By our own reason and strength, we cannot remove this veil. This veil is only removed when the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us through Word and Sacrament as He “calls, gathers, enlightens … in the one true faith.” Otherwise, we miss seeing the One who is behind the veil: Jesus Christ on every page in Scripture, Jesus absolving your sins, and Jesus under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper!

 

It is only through the Holy Spirit’s work in us that we are able to recognize Jesus for who He truly is.

 

Paul and the Church at Corinth have true hope in the Gospel. God had indeed chosen them in Christ just as He has chosen you. 

And yet, this veil remains for many. This veil remains because of our sinful condition, since we came into this world turned from God, due to original sin. It is because of sin that this veil has kept many in Israel from receiving Jesus and it is because of this veil that many refuse to enter a church building. Remember, “[Christ] came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13).

 

God became man with the purpose of being glorified. Not through the glory atop the Mount of Transfiguration, but glorified by being lifted up on the cross. As Jesus was lifted up, the Old Covenant was being fulfilled. Through Jesus’ shed blood, the veil was lifted. As Jesus draws His dying breath, He cries out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The veil is not only being lifted, but it is also being torn from top to bottom.

 

As soon as God died on the cross, many were brought to repentance, but this conversion was only by the grace of God. As the veil is shredded, we can now see Jesus for who He truly is: our Savior from the Law, our Savior from sin, death, and the devil.

 

Through the power of Holy Spirit and His dwelling in us, it is not just Jesus who is transformed, but also you and me. By God’s grace, we have unveiled faces, so we reflect the glory of Christ as the Gospel dwells in us. The Law of Moses could never produce such a change, because we cannot keep it perfectly. But the Gospel can, because the Gospel is all about Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross!

 

At the Fall, we lost the image of God. But through Christ’s atoning death and His glorious resurrection, we are gradually being transformed back into the image and likeness of God. Through the Holy Spirit, the veil of spiritual dullness and misunderstanding has been removed. So, as believers in Christ, we are in the same sense like Moses at Mount Sinai. So, the glory of God shines on us directly. But we have something more than Moses, for we have the glory of the New Covenant, the gospel of forgiveness and freedom and life. “For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:16).

 

The message of the Gospel produces a metamorphosis in Christians. This is a daily transformation, which the message of the Old Covenant, the Law, could never do. This daily transformation comes from the New Covenant, the Gospel, for which we receive in Word and Sacrament, God’s Means of Grace.

 

Now, this daily transformation will not be complete until we either die in Christ or Christ returns in glory on the Last Day – whichever comes first.

 

Until that Day, the Holy Spirit continues His transforming, His transfiguring work, in us as we continue to hear the Word and receive the Sacraments.

 

As we grow in our transformation into the lost image of God, we fear, love, and trust in God above all things; we gladly hear, learn and take to heart the preaching of the Gospel and in Bible studies; we partake of His gifts; we love our neighbor as ourselves; and simply confess Christ when and where God gives us the opportunity.

 

We, as baptized believers in Christ, are those whom the Holy Spirit has lifted the veil, so we can become bold confessors of the New Covenant, like Paul, for God said, “Let light shine out of the darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6) for Christ has “called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). 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 5: "Keeping Focus" (Mark 1:29-39)

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:

Simon Peter and those others who were looking for Jesus said to Jesus, “‘Everyone is looking for you.” And Jesus said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out’” (Mark 1:37-38).

 

Huh? That’s Jesus’ response? He wants to leave? Well, we’ll get more into His response later. 

 

In the meantime, this has been a busy day for Jesus. In fact, these last four Gospel lessons all took place the same day. In the morning, while He passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother casting a fishing net into the sea. Immediately after Jesus spoke to them: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), they followed Jesus.

 

As Jesus, Peter, and Andrew walked further, Jesus saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending their fishing nets and He called them. Immediately, James and John followed Jesus.

 

Then, Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John went to Capernaum and Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. Everyone was astonished at His teaching, since He taught with authority and not like any other rabbi or scribe. While at the synagogue, a man possessed by an unclean spirit cried out to Jesus and immediately, the unclean spirit left this man. Immediately, the conversation began to spread all throughout Capernaum about what Jesus did at the synagogue.

 

Jesus then left the synagogue and visited the home of Peter and Andrew, with James and John. While there, Peter’s mother-in-law was extremely ill with a high fever. Now, at this time, high fevers meant that death was likely near, but Jesus did the unexpected. Instead of protecting Himself from her illness, He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her. She was completely healed, and even to the point that she began to serve her son-in-law’s guests.

 

That evening, the conversation that began at the synagogue had spread all throughout the city of Capernaum. Soon, the entire city began to gather at the door to see Jesus. One after another, after another gather outside the door. These people were curious if all the chatter was true. Wouldn’t you be?

 

Among these people are the ill – those with various diseases and illnesses – and those possessed by demons. They were curious if Jesus could, in fact, heal them.

 

Now, you may be wondering: “How could an entire city be gathered outside a single house in Capernaum?” Well, although Capernaum was known as a city, it was not a very large city. It is likely the population was around 1,500 people. And, Capernaum was situated along a trade route, so there could have been even some curious outsiders mixed in with the locals.

 

So, as He did with Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus does not hesitate to touch the sick and demon possessed as He heals them all. Now, what caused all these people to come to Jesus? And what were they seeking? Were they seeking only a miracle worker, or were they seeking the promised Messiah?

 

From our text, we do not know for sure. But it is likely that many came not to hear the preaching of Jesus, but in order to be healed by Him. With all the crowds, it was only a matter of time until Jesus could have been anointed the leader, or king, of Capernaum, due to His popularity. Jesus knew this. He knew this quite well.

 

So, under the cover of the darkness of night, Jesus left early in the morning and went to a desolate place and there He prayed. Eventually Peter and the others found Jesus and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for you.” Jesus replied, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:36-37).

 

During this season of Epiphany, Jesus is revealed to us as the Son of God in many ways. But what is Jesus revealing to us this morning? Yes, we see that He has the divine power to heal and cast out demons. Yes, we see that He preaches and teaches with authority. But what does Jesus mean by His reply to “Everyone is looking for you” when He says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”?

 

As awesome as it would be for an ordinary man to be crowned king of a city due to his popularity, this is not the reason Jesus came. This is not the reason God took upon Himself our human flesh.

At times, you may think that if God is so great, mighty, and powerful, that He may not notice you. Sometimes, you may feel that you are forgotten. Many during Isaiah’s time thought God had forgotten them. To them, God’s promises seemed meaningless. In fact, it was common for many to speak this way: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God” (Isaiah 40:27).

 

Even if God’s people lack faith in God’s promises, this does not deter the one true God. Isaiah proclaims: “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28b).

 

So, even when we are weary and doubt, God is there offering us comfort and assurance. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. And even when we are weak and we may see ourselves as insignificant, God increases our strength as Isaiah writes, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31).

 

This great God does not overlook anyone. This is why everyone who comes to Jesus at Capernaum for healing is healed. Jesus cannot overlook anyone. This is not His nature. He cares for the weary and the weak.

 

But Jesus knows that He cannot be in Capernaum forever, since this is not the reason He came. So, when Peter and the others say to Jesus, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus knows this is not true. So far only those in Capernaum are looking for Him, but He did not come as the Savior of onlyCapernaum. Now, Capernaum matters to Jesus, since He cares deeply for these people, but He came for everyone! He came for the entire world! He came as the Savior for Cana, Nazareth, Samaria, Jerusalem, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus came as the Savior for all people and not just a few.

 

Peter and the others wanted Jesus to focus on the people of Capernaum. Afterall, everything was going well there, and Jesus’ popularity could open doors of opportunities for all of the disciples.

 

We, too, can often lose our focus. You see, every day, our sinful nature tempts us to lose our focus by turning away from God. We look for refuge in temporal things, such as money, possessions, and health. We look for knowledge outside of God’s Word, instead of seeking knowledge in His Word, which is true knowledge. We seek out man’s favor, rather than what God commands of us.

 

So, what does God command of us? He teaches us to learn and apply the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, so we can regulate our entire life in being in accordance with His Word. This is why we are beginning a new Sunday adult Bible Study this morning on the catechism. Through catechesis and Bible study, we devote ourselves with God’s Word daily and carry it in our hearts and on our lips. We grow in knowledge as we gladly hear and read God’s Word and apply God’s Word in our lives. We fear and love God, and love, help, and support all of our neighbors from conception in the mother’s womb all the way to natural death.

 

Thanks be to God that He did not lose His focus. Even though the people of Capernaum did not want Jesus to leave, Jesus knew that His focus was to save the lost. He came to defeat the power of sin, death, and the devil through His suffering and death. He came to save you!

 

This is why Jesus came. He came to set us free. You see, Christ’s atoning suffering and death on the cross, as well as His bodily resurrection from the dead has set us free from Satan’s bondage and we receive this all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

 

Unlike Peter and the others who were searching for Jesus that morning in Capernaum, we do not have to search hard to find Him. You see, through His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacrament – Jesus is never far away.

 

Jesus is still preaching repentance, He is still casting out demons, and He is still healing the ill, the weak, and the weary. Christ is here with us. He comes to each of us in a very personal and special way. He comes to us through His Word and Sacrament. He is here to personally hear us confess our sins as He personally forgives each of our sins.

 

Through His Word, Christ is still preaching and teaching. We hear His voice through Christ’s called and ordained servants as Christ continues to shepherd His flock. Christ’s Words lead us to eternal life in His constant care and away from the wolves who would destroy us. 

 

Christ is still healing. He continues to be the Great Physician. In this temporal realm for which we live, Christ uses doctors, nurses, therapists, but when a person is healed, that person is healed because of Jesus. In the eternal realm, Christ brings us healing through the eating and drinking of His very Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine, which forgives our sins and strengthens our faith in Christ so we can meet the days ahead.

 

So, what does Christ reveal to us this day? He reveals that He never loses His focus. He didn’t come to save just a select few. He came to save you. He came as the Savior from sin. He came as the Savior for the world, so that all who would repent and trust in Him would be saved. This is why He came! He came to save you! 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 4: "With All Authority" (Mark 1:21-28)

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:

 

“And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching” (Mark 1:21).

 

On the Sabbath following their selection to become fishers of men, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, together with Jesus, went into Capernaum to attend the synagogue service. And since, synagogues had no resident ordained minister, the rulers of the synagogue typically would invite some rabbi or scribe present to teach the Scripture lessons. On this day, these rulers picked Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Now, what Jesus taught on this Sabbath day, Mark does not tell us, but Mark does tell us the impression His preaching made on those worshippers. They were astonished. In the Greek, a stronger term is used; it is about the equivalent of “dumbfounded.” You see, these worshippers had never heard teaching like this. This is what caused them to say that Jesus “taught them as one who had authority”(Mark 1:22a).

 

So, what was so different about Jesus? Well, typically, the preacher would appeal to the interpretations of the past rabbis. Jesus, however, quoted no experts, but proclaimed the good news on His own authority. What Jesus taught was not something that He had learned from someone else. Rather, everything He taught and preached He knew by direct knowledge. So, everything Jesus said was in perfect accord with God the Father.

 

As everyone was flabbergasted at hearing God’s divine truth, suddenly there was an interruption. A man among the congregation cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:23-24). What we have here is a case of demonic possession.

 

As we live in the western world in the year of our Lord 2024, many today do not believe in demon possession. And if they did believe in it, many think demon possession was just something that happened years ago. So many today believe that surely Satan no longer sends evil spirits into people, but demon possession is real. You may not notice it, but that’s likely since you refuse to see it.

 

But Satan would rather attack in more subtle ways. Lying and seduction are powerful and have longer lasting effects than coercion. As the Father of Lies, Satan does a much better job with us when he simply convinces us that lies are truth. We see this in the attitudes of all sorts of social problems today. How easily the devil converts us into being liars ourselves – even lying to ourselves and fleeing God’s Word of truth. 

 

Through the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul proclaims this truth for all time: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

 

But we, who are in Christ, should not be frightened. Remember, the battle has been won, even if the war is not completely over.

 

But oddly enough, the great confession of today’s reading from Mark is not from a disciple, but from the demon-possessed man when he says, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). Now, this man could not have known what he said about Jesus. It was Satan that possessed this man who knew who Jesus of Nazareth was and what His purpose was. Satan knew, since he was in fact – at one time – a messenger of God, an angel of God. Even as a fallen angel, Satan will never forget his enemy. So, at that moment in the synagogue, two realms are colliding: the spiritual realm of the Lord God of Israel, and the spiritual realm aligned against it.

 

Even with his words, Satan is revealing himself to be wiser than many modern theologians. However, this knowledge is doing Satan no spiritual good. This knowledge is only filling him with fear and trembling that his reign as the prince of this fallen world is nearing its end.

 

Even though the demon-possessed man was speaking the truth about Jesus, Jesus would not accept its words as testimony. Satan was not a proper witness, for those hearing him could say, “Those are the words of the Father of Lies. How can we believe them?” Rather, Jesus wanted the people to recognize and accept Him as the Messiah through His authoritative preaching and seeing His works. So, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25). With that simple command, at once, the demon obeyed. Now that man shook violently, and Satan used the voice of that man to utter a horrid scream, but that scream was that demon’s last whimper. At last, the man was free. Jesus had given a mighty demonstration of His almighty power in Satan’s own domain.

 

All throughout Scripture, demons know who Jesus is. Again, like their leader Satan, they, too, know who Jesus is, due to being fallen angels. Jesus would confront many demons throughout His earthly ministry. In Mark 5, Jesus met a demon-possessed man, with tremendous strength who had the power to break shackles and chains. The possessed man cried out to Jesus, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7). 

 

And even when Christ accomplished His mission as He lived a sinless life in the place of all sinners, even to the point of death on the cross, so that His innocent death atoned for the sins of all people by stripping Satan of all his power to control the souls of mankind, Satan still attempts to go after mankind even though he has no shot of victory. As Paul and Silas were in prison, they met a slave girl who was possessed by a demon. She cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). So, even though Satan and His minions hate God, it is their angelic nature to proclaim God and His truth – even if they don’t want to.

 

Again, God does not want demons proclaiming His truth, since again, those are the words of the Father of Lies. How can anyone believe them? And that’s the point. It would be Jesus’ authoritative preaching and His mighty works that would bring people to faith in Him as the Son of God.

 

Jesus is the One with authority, not Satan and not Satan’s minions. When Jesus spoke, He was speaking from the very essence as God. By His authority, He told the demons to depart. He alone had that kind of authority because He is the Author of life. He is our Creator. And our Creator is good. 

 

To every demon-possessed person Jesus met, He brought them liberation and new life. 

 

Today, even though he has lost the battle, Satan continues to attack us on all sides. He whispers in our ears saying, “Did God really say?” He causes us to question truth as he leads us into lies. We must repent and turn to Jesus as Satan’s deceit will never end until Christ returns in glory on that Last Day. And as that great and magnificent Day nears, Satan grows ever more desperate. 

 

Satan, the great deceiver, led our first parents Adam and Eve into disobedience, sin, and death. As a result, we are under God’s wrath sentenced to eternal damnation as we merit and deserve – through Adam’s sin and your personal sins of thoughts, words, and deeds against God and your neighbor. Without God’s love in Christ for you, there was no help, no hope, no comfort for us. This all changed only when the Son of God in His goodness had mercy came down from heaven by becoming man – like us in every way, except without sin – to help us. Christ snatched us from the jaws of eternal death in hell. He won us. He made us free. He restored us to the Father’s favor and grace as His own possession through the water and the Word of Holy Baptism. He has taken us under His own protection and His shelter in order that He may rule us by His righteousness, wisdom, power, life, and blessedness.

 

So, what should we do to combat Satan, this fallen world, and our own sinful nature that much prefers Satan’s lies to God’s truth? Well, turn to Christ, who alone has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. Turn to Christ, who alone has the authority that defeats Satan and his demons. Turn to Christ, who suffered and died for you, so that your sins would be forgiven and that you would be free from Satan’s accusations. Turn to Christ and listen to His voice in the Scriptures. Turn to Christ and receive His grace of forgiveness through the words of absolution and in His very body and blood under the bread and wine that forgives your sins and strengthens your faith.

 

In the spiritual battle until the Last Day, for everyone who clings to Christ, your victory has been won and all by grace through faith in Him, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 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: "The Appointed Time is Short" (Mark 1:14-20)

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:

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

 

Warning! Danger! This is an emergency! Alarms are going off. Gas is leaking. Water’s rising. Fire’s advancing. Tornado’s approaching. Don’t wait. Don’t waver. Ask questions later. Don’t worry about the lights. Don’t lock the door. Act fast. Don’t look back. Don’t look for or grab anything. Forget the phone. Forget the valuables. Get up. Get out. Don’t worry what you are wearing: pajamas, underwear, or naked. Just go! And hurry!

 

The prophet Jonah says it like this: “Forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). St. Paul puts it this way: “The appointed time has grown very short.” This world in its present form is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:29)! And Jesus says this, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15)! “Immediately [Simon and Andrew] left their nets and followed Him” (Mark 1:18). “Immediately He called [James and John], and they left their father” (Mark 1:20).

 

Focus on the city of Nineveh, in the deserts and mountains, with temples and palaces. Cut to the kingdom of Judea, in Galilee and Palestine, with valleys and fields. Pan over imperial Corinth, amid Romans and Greeks, with seaside shrines.

 

A reaping is coming. The reckoning is commencing. Lighting flashes and thunder crashes. Earthquakes and hurricanes are rearing up. Hailstorms and hellfires are roaring forth. Famines bulldoze and floods steamroll. Planetary disaster. The abyss bursts open and beasts awaken, locust hordes swarm and rivers run red. Firmament peels back like a scroll, sun black as sackcloth and moon become blood. Heavenly bodies wobble out of orbit and stars plummet from the sky. Behold the horsemen of the apocalypse and elements melting, pelted by brimstone.

 

Human preferences have pressed the perimeters. But forces bigger than these will come with resolve. Human performances have flexed the fences. But fundamentals firmer than that are about to condense with vengeance. Human pursuit of pleasure has stretched the constraints. But principles deeper than the immediate pandemonium are going to consolidate for judgment. Human worship of power has tensed the tolerances. 

 

But realities greater than this arrogant mayhem are starting to tighten up and soon will demand recompense. Human pride has bent the borderlines. But laws older than the violent moment can’t help but straighten out for correction. Critical mass has accumulated. Heaven is getting ready to exhale. Almighty God is hollering, “Enough!”

 

On this Third Sunday after the Epiphany, which is known as Sanctity of Life Sunday, surprise pregnancy can come like this kind of emergency. Terminal diagnosis can cause this kind of anxiety. The abject panic, the existential dread threatens to drive us right out of our minds, or at least out of our right minds. Why else would we even consider something so otherwise reprehensible as intentionally ending life? One who is in such a situation may think, “I might not survive this. The humiliation will annihilate me. I stand to lose my very self. My options and escapes have run out. I have to kill or be killed.”

 

Drastic times call for drastic measures. But even elective abortion isn’t drastic enough. Even embryocide or physician-assisted euthanasia isn’t dire enough. The emergency that jeopardizes these circumstances exceeds physical discomfort and financial turmoil. The crisis that endangers our people eclipses psychological disfunction and social tribulation, limited resources and infringing upon liberties. The cataclysm that imperils us all looms larger than even primitive Ninevite savagery, Roman colonialism, Corinthian decadence, and Jewish disdain. 

 

So, it’s not just childbearing or disease that perpetrates the real wreckage. No, the primary predicament, the critical glitch, has hardwired itself into our nature and DNA. It’s selfishness. The competition impulse. Survival of the fittest. The zero-sum formula for advancement only at another’s expense. It’s sin. Day in, day out. It’s lifetimes of iniquity. Generations of deceiving and defrauding. Centuries of resenting and begrudging. It’s ages of slandering and disobeying almighty God.

 

And He is coming. God’s wrath is coming for each and every one of us. He will have you, toe to toe, head-to-head, face to face, eye to eye. He will demand ransom. He will require restitution. All our counterfeit prettiness, property, and popularity that euthanasia acquires will not suffice. The imitation pleasure, power, and pride abortion allows will not avail. Emergency will deprive us all of all that. That’s how emergency always works. Can’t grab anything to take with you. Can’t go back again. Desert your belongings. Leave even the valuables behind. The only way out is through, and the only way ahead is naked.

 

So, God comes naked. God Himself comes stripped down. The great I Am gets involved, no adjectives, no predicate nominatives. With the urgency so intense, God personally intervenes as never before. He sheds His majesty and enters our emergency. God draws near and meets us square where we are with mortals, with His creation, with us, sinners. God breathes and He bleeds as we do. God sits and suffers alongside just how we must: working, hurting, and disturbed.

 

Jesus, Emmanuel, God become man, is the gestating embryo who reaches us. Jesus the frail fetus and flailing infant reaches us with bare grace and patience. Jesus, the baby in the manger, greets us. Jesus, who appears as an ordinary boy, encounters us. Jesus, the humble, gentle drifter, embraces us. Jesus, who appears to be the regular, mediocre everyman and common, normal nobody, embraces us with undiluted dignity and unadulterated sanctity. As the ad campaign says: “He gets us.”

 

This God intrudes. This God invades. This God runs naked toward the emergency. This God throws Himself headlong into the disaster we brought upon ourselves. Jesus plunges face-first into our catastrophe and takes on not just our crisis but also its root cause: all human sinfulness. God holds nothing back to supply the sacrifice and to render the payment and to endure the punishment and to satisfy His wrath. Jesus the Christ comes, and He offers self and life in entirety to settle the accounts and to retire the debt to atone for man’s sins.

 

God’s naked grace invades to take us just as we are and make us just as Jesus is. 

 

He takes us just as we are. He makes us just as the I am. His unshielded substitution justifies our survival and salvation, no matter how unqualified or inadequate. His stark-naked crucifixion clinches the ruptures and stitches the fissures, no matter how unable or unattractive. His defenseless forgiveness bridges the rifts, heals the breaches, and relieves the emergencies, no matter how feeble or obsolete you and I, or any of us may be, and indeed are.

 

You see, naked doesn’t only mean death. Naked also embodies birth. We leave this life disrobed, but we enter existence unclothed as well. Jesus has made emergency the occasion for ending and for commencing. Emergent indicates coming forth. Crucifixion generates resurrection. Forgiveness fathers forevermore. Atonement births everlasting life. The slain Lamb stands raised again.

 

This Jesus ascended the throne of ultimate authority to embezzle death and vacate graves everywhere. The plane goes down, but the pilot gets the passengers out, and the pilgrimage goes on. The ship may sink, but the skipper recovers the sailors, and the crossing continues. So, our death in Christ leads to our resurrection in Christ. The power, the pride, the pleasure, the prettiness, property, and popularity – they never really mattered. The fellowship, the family, the kingdom, the community, the hearts and histories connected together, the lives bound one to another – that endures and outlasts even the emergencies.

 

Now, what about that alarm that is still sounding? Well, no need to panic. Proceed ahead in an orderly fashion. We will get through this and get out together. Jesus has prepared us for emergency. Perk your ears to the Voice of the One who’s been here before, who knows the Way. Fix your eyes on Him. Don’t look down or to the distractions around us. Let go of your false idols of comfort.

 

Your faith through the working of the Holy Spirit begun in your Baptism has quenched the flames and fireproofed you in Christ. The Lord’s Supper stocks us to full at each Divine Service, so we are ready for any storm. Christ strengthens our faith as we float along day by day, head above water. 

 

So, trust the One, the Great I Am, who became just as we are, and through Him, He makes us just as He is: righteous. Emergencies don’t just build character; they build community. So, proclaim and put this into practice. And there is no better occasion for courage than a surprise pregnancy. And there is no better opportunity for compassion than a terminal diagnosis. Through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in you, you may change a heart or save a life – not just in this life, but also for eternity. Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

 

Special thanks to Rev. Michael Salemink of Lutherans for Life.

https://lutheransforlife.org/

Sermon for Epiphany 2: "Come and See!" (John 1:43-51)

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:

 

Philip found Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:45-46a).

 

Throughout the Epiphany season, Jesus is revealed to be the Christ, the promised Messiah in various ways. 

§  First, by the Magi when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, and later rejoiced even more when they saw the promised Messiah with Mary and fell down and worshiped Him (Matthew 2:1-12). 

§  Second, Jesus was revealed as the Christ last week when John the Baptist saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove to which the voice from heaven announced: “You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (John 1:11).

 

Today, on this Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Jesus is revealed as the Christ in another way. Today, Jesus is revealed through the Word – the Scriptures. And through the Scriptures, we who trust in Jesus cannot help but say to others about Him: “Come and see!” (John 1:46b).

 

Philip and Nathanael studied the Scriptures. Philip studied under John the Baptist. And through his study, Philip was beyond convinced that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah foreseen by Moses and the prophets. Upon Jesus’ powerful words, “Follow Me” (John 1:43), Philip became a disciple. And upon this great news, Philip could not contain himself, he had to tell others that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Christ. 

 

So, the first person Philip told was Nathanael. But first notice what Philip did not say to Nathanael. He did not say: “I get this strong feeling when I’m with Jesus that here is a great man of God, if not the Messiah.” He did not say: “This Jesus of Nazareth sends out good vibrations that tell me He’s the Messiah.” No, Philip connected his conviction concerning Jesus with the Scriptures. Moses in his five books, the Pentateuch, spoke about the Coming One. Moses and the prophets foretold of the Messiah through types and symbols. Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like himself from among the Israelites and that everyone should listen to Him, since His words are the very Word of God (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).

 

To this, Philip knows beyond any doubt that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, since Jesus matches exactly the picture Moses and the prophets drew of the Messiah. Philip was convinced by the Scriptures, and he had to share this good news.

 

But as Philip shared this good news, Nathanael responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

 

Nathanael was a cynic. But Nathanael was also a man of faith in the promised Messiah. He was serious in wanting to find the One, the One whom “Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote” (John 1:45). But Nathanael also remembers the past men who claimed to be the promised Messiah. He remembers how they all came and went. The Messiah “wanna-bes” of the past were liars. He was disappointed before, and he didn’t want to be disappointed again.

 

Plus, Nathanael knew the Scriptures. He knew that there was no word of prophesy connecting Nazareth with the Messiah. All throughout the Old Testament, Nazareth received no mention. So, how could the Messiah come from Nazareth? Nazareth wasn’t important enough to be mentioned before, so why would it be important now?

 

We all know cynics. You know, those people who are inclined to question the sincerity and goodness of people’s motives and actions. Or those who are always pessimistic, who question everything.

 

Now, it may be good to have some sense of cynicism. We should all be critical thinkers, after all. But if you live your life with the idea that nothing good could ever come, that isn’t living life. 

 

It’s easy to become cynical. When authorities have lied, deceived, or abused you in the past, it’s easy to not trust authorities in the future. We remember when we have been wronged. Or, if you consistently douse yourself in bad news – by watching cable news 24/7, it’s easy to become cynical. Or a person has had a bad experience in the Church in the past, they can become a cynic. Or a person may say, “Christians are judgmental.”

 

But how does Philip respond to Nathanael’s cynicism? Did Philip argue Nathanael into believing that Jesus is the Christ? No! He simply said, “Come and see” (John 1:46b). Philip used the exact words Christ said. So, the most effective answer to an earnest cynic is simply to invite him or her.

 

Simply arguing a person into faith through reason or experience seldom has positive results. But what works? The most effective way to answer the earnest doubter is simply to invite him or her to see Jesus as He presents Himself in His written Word, just as He made Himself known to Philip and Nathanael.

 

Often, we may think the most effective way to grow the Kingdom of God is to use programs. Many of these programs utilize canned questions to possibly scare the skeptic into faith, such as “If you died tonight, would you go to heaven?” How often does that work? Or: a tactic of some churches is to yell at people through loudspeakers in hopes that the hearer would repent and follow Jesus. How often does that work?

 

Again, what did Philip do? He didn’t yell. He didn’t argue. He didn’t use fear. He simply said, “Come and see.” We can’t argue or force someone into faith in Jesus. We can only show Jesus as He has revealed Himself in His Word and Sacraments and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit. We can simply do no more and no less than Philip. We can invite all who will listen saying, “Come and see.”

 

In the case of Nathanael, the invitation to come and see was accepted. But that may not always be the case for us. Remember, it’s the working of the Holy Spirit that causes the skeptic to listen. It’s the working of the Holy Spirit that causes the skeptic to come and see.

 

As Lutherans, we don’t urge anyone to “accept Jesus” by their own reason or strength, since we know that’s impossible. You see, without knowing you are a sinner, you would see no need for any savior from sin because anyone who is spiritually dead can’t make themselves alive.

 

In this fallen world, our Old Adam – our old sinful nature – in us sees no need for Jesus, so we can’t by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or even come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with His gifts – His Word and Sacrament, sanctified and kept us in the one true Christian faith as Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed.

 

All we can do is to invite the cynic – whether they are a Christian or not – to “come and see,” so that Jesus Himself overcomes their pride and Jesus Himself, through the Holy Spirit, brings them to faith in Him.

 

Through the accepted invitation, Jesus reveals Himself to be the Christ through the preaching of His Word. And through His written and spoken Word, Christ leads everyone to repentance and faith in Him as He reveals Himself to be the Savior of the world who died for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Here, the Messiah is found – in His Word and His Sacraments. Through these Means of Grace, the Holy Spirit creates faith in Jesus as the Christ and faith that receives Christ’s forgiveness and new life.

 

Now, as you invite others, don’t forget to take your own advice. We, like Philip, need to keep coming and seeing Jesus, faithfully and trusting His promise to be present with His people in the Divine Service, in prayer, and in service to our neighbor. In this way, we also strengthen our congregation – Prince of Peace Lutheran Church – to be a place where people who come are not hindered from seeing, but see clearly, Jesus, who is the Messiah and Lord of all.

 

Salvation is only found in Jesus of Nazareth. And the single most important thing we can do for any cynic – including ourselves and others – is to issue the simple invitation: “Come and see.” Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +