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Episodes
Weekly sermons and Bible studies led by a retired pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Episodes
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Sermon for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered September 2, 2012
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Moses has just been given a glimpse of the Promised Land to which he had been leading the people of Israel for forty years. He will die before Joshua will lead them into the land; but his work, now, is to prepare Joshua and the people and call them to be faithful to the Lord and His Word and will, as they live in the land that the Lord is giving them. The Old Testament lesson, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9, summarizes the message of God, delivered through Moses. The people are to listen and follow the Word of God and not add to or subtract from it, or forget it. They are to teach it to their children and future generations. This Word will give them the “wisdom and understanding” that they need and enable them to be a witness to the nations around them, too, of the One True God.
The Psalm is Psalm 119:129-136, part of the longest psalm in the Old Testament, celebrating the greatness of God’s Word. His Word gives “light and understanding” as it is “unfolded” and listened to. The Law “keeps steady our steps” and the Gospel shows God’s gracious redeeming work for us, as His “face shines upon His servants who trust His “promise.”
Jesus reminds us, though, of the difficulty of following God and His will, in the Gospel lesson, Mark 7:14-23. We have a sinful nature, and out of our sinful hearts come many “evil things” that “defile a person.” The problem is not what we eat, but what we are. We need forgiveness and new life and hope that will not come from us and our efforts.
The Epistle lesson, Ephesians 6:10-20, points us away from ourselves and to our Lord and His “strength and might” and the spiritual gifts He provides for us: “truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, (the sword of the Spirit Who fights with and for us), and prayer.” These are pictured as “armor” that will help and protect us, defensively and offensively, as we are battling not only our old sinful nature, but the “spiritual forces of evil” that are more than “flesh and blood.”
Much of the “armor” we need is described in the Old Testament as what God used and uses as the Lord, for our sake, and what His promised Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, our Lord Jesus would use to bring salvation to us. In Him and His power, we can stand firm in faith, even in “evil days.” Paul needed this power from God, too, as he asked the Ephesians to pray for him to be able to speak boldly about his Lord, even while in prison “in chains.” We need and have that power, too, in Christ and His Word.
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
We began this portion of our study with prayer and then looked at 1 Thessalonians 1:1. The Apostle Paul is the author of this letter, but Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy are also mentioned, as they had helped with the founding of the church in Thessalonica to which Paul writes.
You can find more information about Silvanus in Acts 15:22-23, 30-32, 40-41. He was a Jew who became a Christian and then became an important leader in the early Christian church, telling others of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, and then helping Paul and Peter and others. From what we read in 1 Peter 5:12, Silvanus had written down what Peter dictated to him in 1 Peter. See also 2 Thessalonians 3:17, where Paul says he wrote the “greeting” with “his own hand.” This may indicate that Silvanus or someone else may have written down what Paul dictated to him in that letter, too, except for Paul’s signature of its genuineness. The Lord God was behind and guiding the writing of every part of the Scriptures, though, so that we have exactly what God wanted us to hear - in 1 Thessalonians, too.
You can also read more of Timothy and his background in Acts 16:1-5. Timothy had a Jewish mother but a Greek father. He had come to faith through the ministry of Paul (1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Timothy 1:2) and he then served as a pastor with Paul.
Paul wrote to the church, the gathering of believers, in Thessalonica, who were there in the name of God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:1, 5,6). This is how the one true Triune God is often presented in the New Testament. There is no neat description of God - just God at work through His Word to bring people to faith in Jesus and to strengthen them in that faith and life.
Do think about the meaning and significance of every word used in these Scriptures. God is our heavenly “Father,” the Father and Creator of all things. We may not always have an earthly father with us, but we have a heavenly Father. God the Son is also “Lord” - the special name for God in the Old Testament. God the Son came into this world to become the promised Messiah (the Christ, the Anointed One of God), Jesus, (the Savior), true man and the son of Mary (1 Thess. 1:1). The Spirit is also God, “Holy” and coming with “power” and “joy” (1 Thess. 1:5,6).
Paul then wishes for the church at Thessalonica what God does bring to them (and to us, still today) - “Grace.” Grace is the gift, the undeserved and unearned love and favor that come to people through Jesus and what He has done for them and the whole world by His saving work. No one can earn and no one deserves God’s grace. Receiving that grace also brings “Peace” - peace with God, in spite of our sins, and greater peace with one another, as well.
Paul then gives thanks to God for every single person in the church at Thessalonica. Paul does not thank the church, because he knows the churches are the creation of God; but he thanks God for all, because Christ died for all, and everyone is important to Him. Paul also prays for the church regularly, again and again. He cannot pray for everyone all the time, because he is not God; but God does know us by name and Jesus is praying for us from heaven (1 Thess. 1:2, Romans 8:34). How often do you pray for your church and your fellow believers?
Paul goes on to remember before God in prayer the “faith” and “love” and “hope” of the believers in Thessalonica. These are all gifts and fruit of God’s Holy Spirit, as people are connected to our Lord Jesus Christ. It all begins as people are brought to faith in Christ and are turned away “from idols” and turned to "the living and true God." That faith in Jesus is living and active in believers and produces “works” and “labors of love” in them, where they “serve” the Lord and one another. They also have “hope” about themselves and their future and “wait” in hope because of what Jesus did, dying for them and rising from the dead and promising to return from heaven for them. All this helps them to be “steadfast” in faith even in times of trial and trouble. See how that faith and love and hope are described in the believers in 1 Thess. 1:3 and repeated again, using different words, in verses 9-10.
All this is evidence that these believers in Thessalonica are “brothers” in the faith, related to each other as the family of God, “loved by God,” and “chosen,” selected and elected by God Himself to be His believing people (1 Thess. 1:4). (The word “brothers” is used 28 times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, usually describing this family of all believers in Christ.)
All this happens because the Word of the Gospel is not just ordinary speech, but the very Word of God, in which the Holy Spirit works with power and conviction. God not only calls people to faith through the Word, but also enables and empowers them to come to faith, by His grace, through that same Word of Good News in Jesus and the Word connected with water in baptism (1 Thess. 1:5, Ephesians 5:25-27). See the difference between mere talk and words, which Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 4:20, and his preaching “Jesus and Him crucified” in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, by “the Spirit and power” of God. It is not smooth talk or lofty human wisdom by a powerful speaker, but the power of God’s own Word and promises at work.
As a result of God’s work and power, even though they “received that Word in a time of “much affliction” (the trouble they received from Jews who rejected Jesus and His teachings, as we heard in the Introduction last week) the believers in Thessalonica received the Word “with the joy of the Holy Spirit” and began to “imitate” the faith of Paul and Silvanus and Timothy and what the Lord wished for them. Over time, word about their faith spread to others and “went forth everywhere” as another witness to and “example” of the power of God in Christ. It even went to the Roman province of Achaia, in the southern part of Greece, where Athens and Corinth were located, and from where Paul was now writing this letter of encouragement to them (1 Thess. 1:6-9).
What Paul describes was truly a witness to God’s grace and peace in Christ and the power of His Word and the “steadfastness of hope” for the believers at Thessalonica and for us still today, even in difficult times. Read, in closing, these promises of God also for us who are believers in Christ, in Romans 8:18-26 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Romans 5:1-5. Next week, we will also begin to hear more of the ultimate deliverance that Jesus brings to the believers at Thessalonica and to us, in His return from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10 and verses in the chapters that follow in this letter of Paul).
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Sermon for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered August 26, 2012
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
In the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday, Isaiah 29:11-19, God speaks of a sleep and blindness that have come upon His people (v.10). Their hearts are far away from the Lord. and they have turned things upside down. They think they are the “potter," not the “clay,” and they can do whatever they please They are unwise, following human ideas, and have no real understanding. They are in great danger and need to have their eyes and ears opened and find “fresh joy in the Lord.”
Jesus quotes from the Old Testament lesson in the Gospel reading from Mark 7:1-13. When he came to be the Savior, Jesus said that His own people were again following the “tradition of men” and were “making void the Word of God." Their hearts were far from what God really wanted for them, and they were missing the truth about God and His Word.
The Psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 14, is a very strong indictment of our human condition, left on our own. Some are so foolish as to say that “There is no God.” In fact, as God looks at the world, “There is none who does good, not even one,” according to God’s standards. “They have all turned aside," away from God in their hearts and are evildoers toward others. Paul quotes this passage in Romans 3:10-12, along with other Scriptures, and concludes, “By works of the Law, no human being will be justified in God’s sight.” Yet the Psalm writer, David, says that there is a “generation of the righteous” - people who receive salvation through the Lord.
How can we sinners become righteous? The Epistle lesson, from Ephesians 5:22-33, is about what God wants for wives and husbands in marriage; but right in the middle of that is the Good News we all need. “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” We are forgiven and counted righteous only through the sacrifice of Christ, in His love for us. Those blessings come to us in the Word connected with water in Holy Baptism. In response, husbands and wives are called also to love each other, with husbands carrying the biggest responsibility, as head of their family.
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Monday Aug 16, 2021
This study is an introduction to I Thessalonians. I chose this portion of Scripture because I thought you might be ready for a shorter study than the long Mark study we just finished. This letter of Paul can also help us with some issues that seem very relevant to many these days. Some say that there is more persecution of Christians than ever before in some parts of the world - and more criticism of and attacks on Christian beliefs and morality. Because of this and other things going on, some also think that the second coming of Christ might also be soon. Paul deals with these concerns and others in I Thessalonians and how we can have hope and confidence in our Lord in spite of many challenges in our own lives.
We looked at the background of how Paul came to Thessalonica and why he wrote this letter later on to the church, the believers in that city. We looked especially at a portion of The Book of Acts, the history of the early church written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke.
Paul was on his second missionary journey, sharing the Good News of Jesus with as many people as possible. Scholars date this as about 49-51 AD. Turn to Acts 16:6 and the verses that follow. Paul had plans for where he wanted to go, in the Roman province of Asia. (This is not Asia as we think of it today. Asia back then was a Roman province and a part of what is now the country of Turkey.) God directed Paul in a different direction, though, through His Holy Spirit and a vision of a man calling Paul to come farther west, into the Roman province of Macedonia, to help people there. This was the first time that Paul had gone to any part of what we now call Europe (Acts 16:6-10).
Paul then traveled by boat to Macedonia and soon to the city of Philippi. which is what we now call the country of Greece. You can read of the work there and people who came to faith and were baptized, including whole households. Paul also got in trouble there, by casting an evil spirit out of a slave girl and angering her owners. Paul and Silas, his co-worker, were beaten and thrown in prison. They befriended the jailer, and he and his whole household were baptized and became believers. City officials realized that they had badly mistreated Paul, who was a Jew, but also a Roman citizen. They asked Paul and Silas to leave their city, and they then moved on to Thessalonica (Acts 16:11-17:1).
Thessalonica was the largest city in Macedonia, about 200,000 people, and was the capital of that province. It was a busy seaport city. The Romans had also built an important highway through Thessalonica that linked them with Byzantium (later called Constantinople and now Istanbul) and places farther east, and with the Danube River to the North. The city was named for a relative of Alexander the Great. It seemed to be a good place for Paul and Silas to carry on their mission, even though they had been forced out of their previous work in Philippi.
For three Sabbath days, three weeks, Paul taught at a synagogue in the city. Though he was called to reach out to Gentiles, non-Jews, it was his custom to start out talking with fellow Jews, since they should have recognized the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures as the Word of God.
Paul taught from those Scriptures, showing that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah and Savior, sent from God, who had to suffer and die and rise again to do His saving work. Some Jews believed in Jesus, but many more Greeks, both men and women, also came to believe in Jesus. They became the core group, the believers in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4).
However, the Jewish majority rejected Paul and his message about Jesus and were jealous of people going away to follow Paul. These Jews created a riot against Paul and Silas and anyone who helped him in any way, including a man named Jason. They accused Paul and the Christians of being anti-Roman and against Caesar, the Roman emperor (Acts 17:5-9).
Once again, Paul and Silas had to escape from this city, only being in Thessalonica for a short time, and went on to Berea, where the Jews were more open at least to hearing what Paul said and were searching the Old Testament Scriptures. Again, some Jews and non-Jews came to faith in Jesus. But again, Jews in Thessalonica heard of this and sent agitators to Berea to work against Paul and Christianity. Paul was quickly sent off to Athens, much farther south, since he was the prime target of the Jews. Silas and Timothy were able to stay on there for a while, though, helping the believers (Acts 17:10-15).
Paul spent some time in Athens, sharing the faith there, too. You can read about that in Acts 17:16-34. Athens was a heavily Greek city, with many temples of gods and goddesses and human philosophies very different from Christianity. Some came to faith in Jesus, but it was a tough, skeptical crowd to talk with.
Paul then moved on to Corinth (Acts 18:1). He stayed at least a year and six months there, sharing the Word of God (Acts 18:11). (There is a reference in Philippians 4:16 to help sent to Paul in connection with Thessalonica, but we don’t know just what that refers to or if Paul was able to get back there for a short time.)
It was most likely from Corinth that Paul then wrote the letter of I Thessalonians to the believers in Thessalonica. If you turn to I Thessalonians 1:1, right after Colossians in the New Testament, you will see mention of Paul and Silas (called here by his Roman name, Silvanus - Silas is his Hebrew name) and Timothy, who were also along with Paul on at least parts of his second missionary journey.
Turn briefly also to I Thessalonians 3:1-5, where Paul explained that he could not return to Thessalonica at that point, but was so concerned about the believers there, left alone so quickly, that he sent Timothy back to them to do more teaching and encouraging in God’s Word.
I Thessalonians 3:6 reports that Timothy then returned to Paul with news that the people were staying in faith, but had questions and concerns and were still being harassed and persecuted by others who did not believe. Paul then wrote the letter we will study in weeks ahead, helping them and us, still today, with the message God Himself gave him, centered in the hope found in the risen Lord Jesus. Every part of God’s Word is important, but may God bless us as we get into this letter and what God wants to tell us here, too.
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Sermon for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Proverbs 9:1-10 / Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Sermon originally delivered August 19, 2012
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
These notes follow the regular Scripture readings for this Sunday. (Some churches may use readings about Mary, the mother of Jesus; but this study does not include those.)
There are two choices for the Old Testament lesson. The first is Proverbs 9:1-10, where Wisdom is pictured as a woman who provides a banquet and invites “simple” people to come and eat the food provided - insight, instruction, correction when one is doing wrong, and knowledge of the “Holy One,” of God Himself. This “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
The alternate Old Testament reading is from Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18. Joshua calls God’s people together and tells them also to “fear the Lord and serve Him alone, in sincerity and faithfulness.” The people affirm that they will follow the Lord, for He rescued them from slavery in Egypt and has cared for them, ever since. “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord,” they say. Note the emphasis upon this in what Jesus asks the disciples, and what Peter answers, in our Gospel lesson, too.
The Psalm is Psalm 34:12-22, a continuation from last week’s reading, also from Psalm 34. David, the author, assures us that though we have “afflictions” and may be “broken-hearted” and “crushed” by our sins and other troubles, “the Lord redeems the life of His servants… and none who trust Him and take refuge in Him will be condemned.”
The Epistle is again from Ephesians, Chapter 5, verses 6-21, where Paul continues to remind us to live in the “light” of our new life in Jesus our Savior. The Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God will help us to “discern what is pleasing to the Lord” and to “expose” what is dangerous and evil in others and even in us, when we need to be “awakened” and receive the Lord’s forgiveness. We walk as ”wise” people, as we stay in Christ and His Word.
The Gospel reading is the 3rd reading in a row from John 6, verses 51-69. Jesus calls upon people to keep on “feeding” on Him in the spiritual sense of believing that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” and trusting that in Him, we have “the Words of eternal life,” even if some things are hard to understand. (The Lord’s Supper had not yet been given when these words were spoken; so this passage does not focus on that. It does prepare the way, though, for the miracle of the receiving of Christ Himself, not just a “spiritual eating," in the unique gift of Holy Communion, given later on, the night before Jesus’ death, and still given as a great blessings for us “prepared” believers.)
Monday Aug 09, 2021
Monday Aug 09, 2021
We began this portion of our study with a few more comments on the argument about whether verses 9-20 should be included at the end of Mark, Chapter 16. Some, including some Lutherans, feel that we should not include or study these verses, primarily because two important, early manuscripts of the New Testament, rediscovered in the last few hundred years, do not include these verses.
On the other hand, others, including older Lutheran scholars, feel these verses belong, because the great majority of other manuscripts do include these verses. Also, a number of early church leaders, who lived before the time the two manuscripts mentioned above were copied, written down, quote from verses 9-20 of Mark. These verses clearly existed in the very early church and were considered part of God’s Word, from Mark’s Gospel, by Irenaeus, Tatian the Syrian, Hippolytus, and Justin Martyr, who all lived in the 100’s to early 200’s AD, not long after the Gospel of Mark was written.
I am no great scholar, but only a retired parish pastor. I will let the scholars argue more about this. Most important, though, what is in Mark 16:9-20 clearly agrees with what we can find in other New Testament passages. We can trust what is said, based on letting Scripture interpret Scripture for us. I have gone on, therefore, in this study, including and talking about these final verses of Mark’s Gospel.
We heard last week that the women left the angel and the empty tomb, ecstatic with the news that Jesus was alive, but also astonished and fearful about what to do (Mark 16:8). Mark tells us in verses 9-12 that the appearances of the living Lord Jesus to some of them made all the difference.
Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). Mark tells this in his typical simple, straight-forward way - just the facts. He also includes the detail that Jesus had earlier cast 7 demons out of this Mary, whom he had mentioned already in Mark 15:40-41 and 16:1ff. (Read Luke 8:2 and John 20:11-18 for more detail about this resurrection appearance of Jesus.)
Mary Magdalene and other women then had courage to go and tell the disciples about the risen Lord, as they were instructed to do. The disciples were still in great sorrow and mourning, though, and would not believe the women (Mark 16:10-11). (See also Luke 24:10-11.) This fits with what Jesus had said earlier in Mark’s Gospel, when He had often spoken of the lack of understanding and the hardness of heart of the chosen disciples. This passage also emphasizes that women, as well as men, were important in both hearing and sharing the Good News of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Lord, and she and other women were the first to be witnesses for the risen Lord.
In Mark 16:12-13, Mark again just gives the fact of the appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, that same Easter day. Jesus appeared in such a “form” that they could not recognize Him until He “broke bread” with them. (See details of this in Luke 24:13-35. Note how these disciples still did not seem to be grasping and believing this, until Jesus Himself appeared to them.)
Mark then tells in a very simple way of the appearance of Jesus to the “eleven” chosen disciples. (See, for example, Matthew 27:5, where we hear what happened to the 12th disciple, Judas.) Mark emphasizes again the call of Jesus for them to believe in Him and His resurrection and not be so skeptical. (Mark 16:14). (See how these same things are described in much more detail in Luke 24:36-43 and John 20:19-29.)
This is the whole point of Mark’s Gospel - to help people to believe in Jesus as their Savior and to keep trusting in Him. The disciples would soon be facing the same doubt and skepticism, too, that they often had struggled with, in the people they were now to be witnesses to.
In Mark 16:15-16, then, Mark records words of Jesus telling His disciples what their chief message and work would be in the future. They were to “go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.” They were also to make it clear that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” but also speak of the grave danger of unbelief. (See Matthew 28:16-20 for a close parallel to what Mark tells us here - make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching all the Word of Jesus. See also Luke 24:44-48 - proclaim in Jesus name to all nations; and John 21:15-22 - Peter is to “tend“ and “feed” God’s sheep, His people, and he is to “follow Jesus” above all.)
In Mark 16:17-18, Mark also records the promise of Jesus that God would sometimes give “signs” that would go along with proclamation of the Gospel and help and encourage “those who believe” and support the sharing of the faith “in Jesus’ name.” Some would be able, by God’s gift and power, to “cast out demons” and heal people who were sick. (Remember that Jesus had already given this gift to His chosen disciples, as we heard in Mark 6:7,13, when they were sent out to assist His work. See also Matthew 10:1 and a number of examples in the Book of Acts, when healings look place. Read Acts 3:1-16, and note how Peter and John make it clear that a man lame from birth was healed by God’s power in the name of Christ and not by their own power or piety.)
Jesus also promised that some would “speak in new tongues.” That happened very dramatically on Pentecost, when believers could suddenly speak in languages that they had never learned in order to communicate the message of Christ to people from many nations who had come to Jerusalem. (See Acts 2:1-21 and also Acts 10:44-48 as examples.)
Jesus also said that some would “pick up serpents with their hands” and “drink deadly poison” and not be hurt. A New Testament example of the first is when Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and bitten by a deadly viper and was not harmed. Read Acts 28:1-6. See also the words of Luke 10:17-20, where “demons are subject to“ and defeated by the disciples, through Jesus’ power. Jesus also said, “I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions.”
The only portion of Mark 16:9-20 where there is not an example in the New Testament is someone drinking deadly poison and surviving. However, there is an ancient tradition that the Apostle John once drank poison and survived. There is also a story from the early Christian leader, Papias, recorded by the early Christian historian, Eusebius, that a follower of Jesus, Justus Barsabas, had drunk poison and was not harmed. These are only traditions, not Scripture. They do reflect, though, the confidence that God is with His people and caring for them, and if it is His will, He can help them through very dangerous situations in life. (Read Hebrews 11:32-38, for a list of Old Testament people who were helped in dramatic ways, according to God’s plan. Note, though, that some of these people died in faith, sometimes in very tragic ways, yet confident that they would “rise again to a better life.”)
The Scriptures also warn that people are not to “put the Lord God to the test” by doing foolish or dangerous things, just to see if God will take care of them. Jesus was tempted by Satan to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, because surely God’s angels would take care of Him. He refused to do such a thing. (See Matthew 4:5-7). This also rules out what some cultic groups have done - handling poisonous snakes in worship and assuming that God will take care of them, for example.
Mark 16:17-18 is also not a guarantee that all believers will have these “signs” in their own lives, either, as some “charismatics” have tried to say. God gives His gifts and blessings as He chooses. We cannot demand that God must do what we want. Some also think that these “signs” were especially designed for the early Christians, so that the early church could be off to a great start in the age of the apostles. There are also indications that some of these “signs” would cease, after the apostolic age. See 1 Corinthians 13:8.
We do not for example, look for new Scriptures to be added to the Bible, as the Mormons and other groups have done. We have what we need already in Christ and His Word. Remember also that the chosen disciples could not always cast out evil spirits. Read again Mark 6:17-29. Jesus also did not give “signs” and miracles just because people wanted them. Read again Mark 8:11-13.
God can and does also work through ordinary means. “Anointing with oil” was a kind of medical treatment in the ancient world. The Good Samaritan used it, and a badly beaten man was healed. See Luke 10:30, 33-37. We have doctors and nurses and medicines that can help so many people today, too.
People today also have a gift for learning languages and thus can become missionaries to share the Gospel with other cultures in other languages. Others become Lutheran Bible Translators and can translate Scriptures into languages for people who have never had a Bible in their own tongue.
We have antidotes available today, too, that can help with snakebites and poisons. We thank the Lord for these advances in knowledge and treatment, and for people willing to help and serve us with these gifts in so many ways.
God is still God, of course, and He can still do miracles today or whatever He knows is best. Many of us know people who were not expected to live, but have lived through terrible illnesses and other troubles, by God’s grace. We have also had times where we prayed and prayed for help and did what we could, but people still died and things did not turn out as we wished. We simply have to trust God and His plans, in His wisdom, as hard as that sometimes is.
Above all, God has provided the primary way He still works for our ultimate good, through His Word and Sacraments, by which we are brought to faith in Christ and continue in faith and receive the strength to live this life and be prepared for eternal life, through Jesus and what he has done for us. One of the greatest miracles today is that through Baptism and the Spirit’s working through that Word, we who were dead in our sins and sinful nature have been brought to a whole new life and an eternal future, in Christ. (See Mark 16:16 and Romans 6:3-4 and Ephesians 2:1-6.) The last two verses of Mark’s Gospel, Mark 16:19-20, assure us of God’s continued work for us, in Christ, in this way.
Verse 19 tells of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and His place now at the right hand God, after He had completed 40 days of appearances alive again, after His resurrection, and His teaching the disciples and other followers. Mark puts it very simply again, and affirms that Jesus is Lord, as shown by all that this Gospel tells us. Jesus lives and reigns with God the Father and can still, as Lord, be with His believers, in all that is also described in verse 20. (See also Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:4-14 for more detailed descriptions of the ascension and the call of the disciples to go to “the end of the earth’ as witnesses for Jesus.)
That work of witnessing is summarized in Mark 16:20, again in a very direct way. “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them,” giving His good gifts and confirming the message of salvation that they brought. The whole Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament is a dramatic description of verse 20, as the Gospel was spread. Read Acts 1:15; 2:41,47; 5:14,42; 6:7; 8:4; 9:31; and on and on.
Verse 20 continues to be carried out even today. Remember the first verse of Mark’s Gospel: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. The spread of the Gospel continues and will continue until the last day, when Jesus returns in glory.
See again Mark 13:24-27. We have been reached with the Gospel and trust in our Savior and still have time to share that Good News with others. That is what our Lord wanted to have happen, when He gave us the Gospel of Mark and all the other Scriptures. See 2 Peter 3:9. It is still a story also about us and how we are saved: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). And it is a story also about how others can also be saved through Christ and His working through our witness to His saving sacrifice for the world.
Monday Aug 09, 2021
Monday Aug 09, 2021
Sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered August 12, 2012