Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

The setting for this morning’s gospel reading takes place in Jerusalem during the annual feast of Passover. The verses just before those we have already heard are these: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

As Jesus attends the Passover in Jerusalem, He’s already become a bit of a celebrity because of the ‘signs’ He was doing. “Signs” is the word that John uses for “miracles.” The purpose of a ‘sign’ is to point to something beyond itself. The sign on the highway that says “Waterville” is not Waterville – it just points you to Waterville. That’s what the miracles that Jesus did were for. They were signs that pointed to Him and who He is.

And John reports that ‘many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” But before we get too excited about all these ‘believers in Jesus,’ John throws cold water on it all. Jesus is not that excited. “He knew all people” and what people are made of and how fickle they can be and how they can be hot one minute and cold the next and how they can misread the signs and how they can be misled to believe that the ‘sign’ is the end in itself.

And it doesn’t take much for them to go from friend to foe. One day they’re singing, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” And the next day they’re shouting, “crucify Him, crucify Him.”

You’d be surprised (or maybe not) at the trivial reasons for which people go from fired up to lukewarm to outright turned off by the thing. You’d be surprised how many were Confirmed and swore before God that they would die before they left the church but then did just that. Or maybe you wouldn’t be surprised.
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I. Introduction

“I believe…” Such common, ordinary words. “I believe in myself.” “I believe in you.” “I believe the reports I’ve read.” “I believe the weather forecast.” “I believe…” rolls off our tongue and over our lips in so many ways.

And yet, as common and ordinary as these two words may be, when we say, “I believe in God,” they introduce the most important and profound matters of life and death. Jesus sent His disciples out with the announcement, “whoever BELIEVES and is baptized shall be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). It doesn’t get any more important or profound than that.

And yet, to say “I believe in God…” is never to say enough. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, New Agers and Unitarians, those who identify as having no religious affiliation at all, also say, “I believe in God.”

And so, because there are countless numbers of ‘gods’ to which countless numbers of peoples confess, “I believe…” it is important to be able to clearly state the particular God whom you confess that you believe in. In fact, clearly stated enough so as clearly confess, “I believe in THIS God and not THAT one.” “This is the God in whom I place my full trust and confidence.” “I believe that THIS God and not THAT one can save me.”

The Apostles, the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds are the accepted standards among Christians by which the Christian says, “I believe in God.” Each one directs the Christian to accurately confess, “I believe in THIS God and not THAT one.”
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I. He was made man.
In the Nicene Creed, we confess that we believe in God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is to say, we do NOT confess to believe in God – “however you choose to define God.” We believe in the Triune God – three unique persons, one divine essence.

The greatest portion of the Creed is taken up with the 2nd Article – “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ…” After going to great lengths to clarify how Jesus is God – “God of God, light of light, very God of very God”, we then confess that He is fully man, saying, “He was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”

There is something unusual about the last part of that phrase, “and was made man.’ It’s as though something is missing. Wouldn’t it be much more natural to say, “he was made a man.” Or even, “he was made the man.”

For example, we might say, ‘Bob was made a plumber,’ or ‘Steve was made a father.” That’s perfectly natural. But to say, ‘Bob was made plumber,’ or ‘Bob was made father,’ there’s just something missing. But when it comes to Jesus, we say, ‘He was made man.’

So, even though it may sound awkward, what it says is intentional and profound. For based on all that the Scriptures say about the 2nd Person of the Trinity, we compelled to say much more about Jesus than that simply, ‘He was made ‘a’ man,’ or even ‘He was ‘a perfect’ man,’ or even ‘He was made ‘the best man’ there ever was.’ All of this true.

But when we say, “he was made man…” we are saying that at His incarnation, He became the embodiment of all mankind. “HE BECAME MAN.” “HE BECAME MANKIND.”

Which means, ‘as it goes for Jesus, so it goes for all mankind.’ Or at least that’s how the Scriptures say that God the Father sees things. In Jesus, He sees all mankind – and as it goes for Jesus so it goes for all mankind. Apart from Jesus, God sees ‘a man’ or ‘a woman’ or ‘a child’ and each one is accountable to God on his own – apart from Jesus. But for all who are ‘in Jesus,’ as we are, as it goes for Him so it goes for us.

All of this of course is just a long way of saying what we heard St. Paul say already, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the man were made righteous.” (Rom. 5:19)
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“Beware!” That’s the first word from our Lord to us today. “Beware!” Whatever it is that follows must be something dangerous. “Beware!”

And so it’s really too bad that when we hear Jesus say, “Beware!” we take it the same way we do when we read, “beware of falling rocks,” or “beware of moose.” An amusing little warning that there is a slightly greater than normal risk that we may encounter one of these things where it doesn’t belong – but nothing so serious as to cause us to actually slow down or turn back.

But when Jesus says, “beware,” He always means that whatever lies ahead could cause you to lose your eternal reward. “BEWARE of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) “BEWARE of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues…” (Matthew 10:17). “BEWARE of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducee’s.” (Matthew 16:6).

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly warned His people in the same way and for the same reason. Through His servant Moses, God shouts,
• “BEWARE lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female…” (Deut. 4:16).
• “BEWARE lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them…” (Deut. 4:19)
• “BEWARE lest you say in your heart, ‘MY power and the might of MY hand have gotten me this wealth.” (Deut. 8:17)

BEWARE! There are BIG THINGS and LITTLE THINGS that can separate you from God. The BIG THINGS are obvious. BEWARE of the little things.

There are forces that come at you from the outside to separate you from God, and forces that come from the inside that want to do the same. The OUTSIDE FORCES are obvious. BEWARE of your fallen and sinful nature that wants to separate you from God. For separated from God, there is not only NO ‘eternal life’ that is GREATER than anything we can imagine – but there IS ‘eternal death’ that is WORSE than anything we can imagine.

When we hear our Lord say, “BEWARE,” we need to know that these are the stakes involved. Continue reading →

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Anyone who has ever visited Acadia National Park and driven the “Loop Road” knows what a ‘scenic pull-over’ is. It’s a place where the view is unobstructed and beautiful. We used to call them “Kodak spots.” But not everyone knows what “Kodak” is anymore. The signs all say that you really should ‘pull over’ and catch this view.

Today, the Christian Church on earth stops at a ‘scenic pullover’ to catch this view of its Lord. The Transfiguration of our Lord is the unobstructed view of the Son of God in His glory.

Like Peter, James and John, we wish that we could stay forever. And in fact, one day, we will. This is the view of Jesus that Church Triumphant in heaven has all the time and it never gets old and it’s never time to move on.

The Transfiguration of our Lord is the gateway through which the Church travels from the season of Epiphany with its focus on the divinity of Jesus in all of His unborrowed power and authority that is rightfully His – to the season of Lent that is focused on the humanity of Jesus who absorbs all of the ugliness of sin that is rightfully ours.

The Season of Epiphany, which literally means “to shine brightly,” comes to its climatic conclusion today. If we haven’t yet beheld, what St. Paul describes as “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” today we do. (2Cor. 4:6).

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” This is the solar face of Christ. From His face is emitted more light than all the suns in the universe put together.

By His own testimony, Jesus once declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) John, who was there on the mountain, would later report in his Revelation that the “heavenly Jerusalem” “has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the lamp is the Lamb.” (Rev. 21:23)
As Jesus leads the three disciples from below, Moses and Elijah come down from above, and THE TWO MEET TOGETHER IN JESUS. Heaven and earth meet together in Jesus. It happened on the holy mountain then just as it does right here at this altar when the angels, archangels and all the company of heaven meet the saints from below in the body and blood of Jesus.

And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here.” Never has there been a greater understatement in all the Scriptures than that which Peter states here. It is what all the saints in heaven are set free to say in words and song that can never be overstated. Continue reading →

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“May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfill. And do on earth our Father’s will as angels do above;
Still walk in Christ, the living way, with all Thy children and obey, the Law of Christian love.”
(LSB 698:1)

St. Matthew tells us that, on one occasion, “a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-39)

With His answer to the lawyer, our Lord spelled out the ‘spirit of the Law of God’ – ‘love’. Love God. Love your neighbor. This is what all 10 of the Commandments are about – ‘love.’

Seems a shame though that you have to make laws for that doesn’t it? Love seems like something that we should all just naturally. And in fact there was a time when it did.

“God is love,” says John. (1Jn.4:8) And we were made in the image of God. We were created to ‘love’ because we were created BY love because we were created by God and “God is love.” There was a time when it all came naturally. No COMMANDMENTS necessary.

But as we all know, that’s not who we are now. Things changed. We lost the image of God. Actually, we gave it away. Swapped it for a shiny piece of fruit.

And yet, there does seem to be some lingering memory of the image in which we were created in us. Because deep down inside, (and sometimes a little too deep down inside,) we have a sense that not only is ‘love’ a good thing, but that we ‘ought’ to love both God and our neighbor.

But it’s a shame that now we need to be ‘coerced’ by Commandments that tell us how to love and threaten to punish us if we fail to love.

And here’s where things start getting muddled and messy. Can it be genuine ‘love’ if it has to be spelled out – ‘this is what you must do and shall not do’? And the fact is, it DOES have to be spelled out for us. I wonder how many ‘valentines’ wish they has ‘spelled out’ what they considered a loving gift more clearly than they did. “What am I going to do with this?” “More candy was really the last thing that I need.” That’s what the 10 Commandments do. The spell out in 10 point detail how to ‘love God’ and how to ‘love your neighbor.’

But, can it be genuine ‘love’ if it has to be enforced with threats of punishment? Because after all, they are ‘laws,’ ‘commandments,’ not ‘suggestions’ or ‘guidelines.’ James writes, ‘If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8-9) Can it be genuine ‘love’ if it’s done to avoid punishment for breaking the law?

What we’re trying to get at here is the distinction between the ‘spirit of the law’ and the ‘letter of the law.’ The ‘spirit of the law’ is ‘love God love neighbor.’ The ‘letter of the law’ is what is spelled out in the ‘thou shalls’ and the ‘thou shall nots.’

Our problem is that we can’t seem to hold these two things together in the perfect unity IN WHICH GOD GAVE THEM AND THEREFORE THAT TRUE ‘LOVE’ REQUIRES. To hold both the ‘spirit’ and the ‘letter’ of the Law together in perfect unity with each other is what it means to “fulfill the Law.”

Our problem is that can’t seem do that. And so we end up either striving to live by the ‘letter of the law’ at the expense of the ‘spirit of the law.’ Or we try to live by the ‘spirit of the law’ at the expense of the ‘letter of the law.’ And whichever side of the Law that we fall off, this is what means to “relax” the commandments which we heard our Lord sternly warn against doing last Sunday.

In our gospel text today, our Lord addresses the sin of relaxing the ‘SPIRIT OF THE LAW’ for the sake of keeping the ‘LETTER OF THE LAW.’

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” And you said, ‘I’ve never murdered anyone. I’ve kept the ‘letter of the law.’ “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” You have broken the ‘SPIRIT OF THE LAW.’

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ And you said, ‘It’s always been consensual and I’ve never gone too far.’ “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” You have broken the ‘SPIRIT OF THE LAW.’

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’” And you said, ‘I did. It was all legal and official and even mutual and I’ve paid every alimony payment on time.’ “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” You have broken the ‘SPIRIT OF THE LAW.’

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.” And you said, ‘But I didn’t understand what I was saying, and my situation has changed, and now it’s inconvenient for me to keep my word.’ “But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool…” You have broken the ‘SPIRIT OF THE LAW.’

In Jesus’ day, the prototype for those who lived by the ‘letter of the law’ types were the Pharisees. They lived by the ‘letter of the law’ at the expense of the ‘spirit of the law.’ It the same for us when we act as though all that really matters is what we don’t do and would never do because I’m pretty sure God would catch me if I didn’t and that wouldn’t be good for me. Where’s the ‘love for God’ and ‘love for my neighbor’ in that?

In our day, there’s also good deal of falling off the horse on the other side. And there probably was in Jesus’ day too. For example, since the spirit of the law is to ‘love God’ that’s what REALLY matters, then it doesn’t REALLY matter if I ‘keep the Sabbath Day holy’ or not. Continue reading →

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“You are the salt of the earth.” “You are the light of the world.” These are the words of our Lord that come immediately after the Beatitudes. With His disciples and the crowds surrounding Him, “He went up on the mountain and when He sat down, He opened His mouth and taught them…”

I. He blessed them…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…
“Blessed are those who mourn…”
“Blessed are the meek…”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”
“Blessed are the merciful…
“Blessed are the peacemakers…
“Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness sake…”

I think we would all agree that this is about as ‘counter-cultural’ and ‘other-worldly’ as you can get. Which of the political candidates campaigning for your vote would dare promise you any of these nine things let alone call it the ‘blessed’ life? As we heard St. Paul write to the Corinthians, “this is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age…” (1Cor. 2:6)

What is critically important to understand here is the order by which our Lord brings disciples and followers into His Kingdom of Heaven. It is a great mistake to change the order of the Beatitudes from that which Jesus gives them. He does not say, ‘If you are meek, then you will be blessed.’ ‘If you are merciful, then you will be blessed.’

No, it is just the opposite that our life in the Kingdom of Heaven might be by pure grace alone. First He puts His blessing on them, and blessed by God even while they were still sinners, they are ‘meek’ and they ‘hunger and thirst for more of this righteousness,’ and they are ‘merciful…’ and so on.

This is the way it is for everyone in the Kingdom of Heaven. There is no room for ‘pride’ or ‘boasting’ or ‘self-righteousness.’ Not one can say, ‘He blessed me because of some goodness that is in me.’ No, “He blessed me because of some unfathomable goodness that is in Him.” And if that doesn’t make you meek and hungry for more and merciful and a peacemaker… then maybe you’ve got the order wrong or maybe you’re not listening.

What Jesus did for the disciples and the crowds on the mountain, He has done for you. He has put His blessing on you – speaking it onto you much the same as He did on the mountain – “The Lord bless you and keep you…” He has put His blessing on you in your baptism. He puts His blessing on you in the Supper. What was true for them is just as true for us. “Blessed are you…”

No sooner does He put His blessing on us and bring us into the Kingdom of Heaven, He sends us right back out into the Kingdom of this World. ‘You are the salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the world.’

What did our Lord mean when, after putting His blessing upon them, He sent them into the world to be ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’? We want to know because this is our charge too. Continue reading →

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The text is our gospel reading which opened with these words, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.” And closed with these words, “And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”

It’s on what took place between their coming to church and their returning home that our attention is focused today.

For those of us who may not be familiar with the Jewish law, Luke explains that the holy family is making the journey to Jerusalem for their purification and to present their baby to the Lord.

There are two things going on here. First is the business of ‘purification.’ This applies particularly to Mary. The “Law of the Lord” in Leviticus 12 requires that when a Jewish woman gives birth to a boy, she remains ‘unclean’ for 40 days and cannot come into the Temple.

Which may sound ‘chauvinistic’ to our modern ears, but think about it. What new mother wouldn’t welcome this law? In His mercy and kindness, God Himself gives a new mother His order to take a 40 day maternity leave to stay home and recover and bond with her baby. What women have fought to just recently attained from their employers, God has given freely from ancient times.

When the 40 days was up, she would bring an offering to the Lord at the Temple as the law required – “pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Secondly, if the child is a FIRSTBORN SON, that child is to be ‘dedicated to the Lord.’ This goes back to the night of the Passover where all of the firstborn males in homes marked with the blood of the lamb were spared while all of those firstborn males in unmarked homes died.

As a perpetual reminder of His love and care for them, God declared that every firstborn male belongs to Him. Hannah may have left her firstborn son, Samuel, at the Temple, but most of the time, mothers and father would ‘buy back’ their sons for the ‘redemption price.’

So, we read, “when the time came for their PURIFICATION according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to PRESENT Him to the Lord.” Continue reading →

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Last Sunday, on the 1st Sunday in Epiphany, we joined the crowds journeying out from Jerusalem and Judea to the wilderness to listen to a man named John preach. His message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

And while we were there in the wilderness, we saw lots of people going into the Jordan River to be baptized by John as they were confessing their sins.

And while we were there, we saw One, whose name is Jesus, who came from A DIFFERENT PLACE – He came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him.

And we saw the sky ripped open and the Spirit descending on Him. And we heard the voice of the Father – “this is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

Now today, on this 2nd Sunday in Epiphany, we are still in the wilderness. It feels like a whole week has gone by, but really it’s “the next day.” “The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” What are you supposed to do with a word like that?

I suspect we’d know just what to do with a word that said, “Behold, the pill that takes away the weight you gained over the holidays.” Or “Behold, the skin cream that takes away the wrinkles and age spots.” Or, “Behold, the credit card that takes away every excuse for why you can’t have it all now.”

But, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” What do you do with a word like that? The fact that you’re not sure what to do with a word like this ought to tell you something. Continue reading →

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In case you hadn’t noticed, today is all about ‘BAPTISM’ – Jesus’ baptism AND our baptism.

The curtain opens on the wilderness of Judea to which steady streams of people are traveling from “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan River…” Which is odd, because normally the traffic flows from the wilderness into the city – not the other way around. So, what’s attracting all these people to go into the wilderness?

It’s a man by the name of John who is preaching out there. In fact, he’s been preaching out there in the wilderness for some time before we tuned in. And every day, people go to hear him preach and then return to the city and tell their friends, and more people go to hear him preach and return to the city… And before you know it, “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan River were going out to him.” (This was obviously before people could shoot videos with their cell phones and post them to ‘YouTube’.)

Every day, John would preach on the same text, Isaiah 40:3 – ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ In one way or another, he would urge the people to get ready to meet your Maker. Don’t delay. Stop procrastinating. NOW is the time to get rid of all of those reasons and excuses that you’ve hiding behind and “come out” (if we dare to put it in those words.) They may be effective for hiding your guilt from your neighbor and even yourself – but God sees right though every one of them. NOW is the time to quit trying to cover up all of those ugly little truths about your life and stand naked before your Creator.

Rather than hiding your guilt and your shame behind your lame excuses because you’re afraid God is going to zap you dead on the spot for them – confess them – out loud. That’s right – ‘confess them.’ Bring them out from hiding and hold them up to God Himself BEFORE He says, ‘I see what you’re trying to hide from Me. But I don’t understand why you’re trying to do that. Is it because you don’t know that I am gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love – and would rather FORGIVE you than CONDEMN you? Or, do you know this but just don’t trust Me enough to actually believe it?” Continue reading →