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Weekly sermons and Bible studies led by a retired pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
We began with prayers and briefly reviewed the first three verses of the Gospel of Mark. Watch for these key themes of this Gospel, as described in verse 1. Verses 2 and 3 use Old Testament prophecies from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 to introduce a messenger sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Himself to His people.
Very quickly, we hear in Mark 1:4-5, that “John appeared” in the wilderness, as the messenger “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” and baptizing many, many people who came out to him at the Jordan River, “confessing their sins.” (Even the non-Biblical Jewish historian Josephus reports of these events and the arrest of John by Herod later on because of what he was saying and doing.)
Note what Mark does not tell us. He tells us nothing about the early life of John or of Jesus the Lord, and how He came to his people. Matthew, Luke and John tell about these earlier events. Mark is much more straightforward and concise in what he writes. He speaks in a simple, direct way, and tells us of some of the authoritative words of Jesus, but focuses even more on His actions. His Gospel is shorter than the others, and Mark quickly moves us, by Chapter 8, into the final crucial last weeks of the life of Jesus here on earth.
You can learn more about John and Jesus and these events in the other Gospels if you choose. Since we are now studying Mark’s Gospel, as God uniquely inspired him to write it, we will not compare it much with the others, but I will try to point out some special things that Mark tells us.
In a way, John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, preparing the way for the New Testament era and the New Covenant centered in Jesus. Mark 1:6 tells us that John wore rough clothes similar to those of Elijah and ate very simple food, including locusts, which were considered a “clean” food by the Jews of the Old Testament. See 2 Kings 1:8 for what Elijah wore, and how some false prophets also wore “hairy clothes” to pretend that they were true prophets, in Zechariah 13:4.
John the Baptist was a true prophet, though, coming “in the spirit and power of Elijah” to “turn hearts” and “make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:16-17) - a repentant people, who recognized their sins and knew their need for a Savior. To “repent” literally means to turn in a different direction, away from sin and to the Lord.
John also knew that he was nothing compared with Jesus, that coming Savior and Lord. He said in Mark 1:7 that he was not even worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. This was a strong statement because Jewish rabbis taught that only slaves should untie sandals and that no Jew should ever do that for others. See what Paul says about John and Jesus in Acts 13:23-25, too, in one of his sermons.
John’s baptism was only preparatory, though it did offer forgiveness, and he baptized only with water, where Jesus would baptize also with the Holy Spirit. See Mark 1:8. The Jews had various ritual washing. We read about conflicts with Jesus over washing hands. This was not the kind of careful washing of hands that we do for health reasons in these days of Covid. This was applying water to hands in a ritual way, just in case one had touched something “unclean” in everyday life activities. (We will see more about this in Mark 7.)
The Jews did require a kind of baptism for proselytes - for non-Jews by nationality, who wanted to follow the Jewish religion - but the Jews had no baptism for themselves. John’s call for baptism was controversial to the Jewish leaders, who thought they were good people and had no need for repentance and baptism. See what Jesus says of John and of these leaders in Luke 7:26-30.
John was a great prophet; but those who come into the Kingdom of God through Jesus are greater yet. Jesus brings the greatest of blessings, and the religious leaders who refused John’s baptism (and later, Jesus’ baptism) “were rejecting the purpose of God for themselves.” The people who really appreciated John’s baptism were people like “the tax collectors," who knew their sins and rejoiced in God’s forgiveness for them.
John’s baptism was only preparatory, though. See Acts 19:1-5. The only people clearly re-baptized in the New Testament were some people baptized only by John. When they heard of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, they were baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” This was Christian baptism. Peter calls people to receive this baptism on Pentecost in Acts 2:38-39. Paul also was baptized in the name of Jesus, the One Who called him to faith, in Acts 22:16. The full formula for Christian baptism is given, of course, by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, baptizing “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," as we still do today.
As we go on to Mark 1:9-11, we begin to hear of Jesus. There is nothing about His past. As “John appeared” and did his work, so “in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Nazareth was a small town to the southwest of the Sea of Galilee. It is never mentioned in the Old Testament. We only know about it because other Scriptures tell us it is where Jesus grew up and worked as a carpenter’s son and a carpenter, until His public ministry began at this point. Mark simply tells us that John baptized Jesus, as he had done with so many others. (Again, you can find more details in other Gospels.) Mark tells us nothing about where Nazareth or the Jordan were or just how Jesus was baptized (how much water was used, etc.) Those things are less important in what God leads Mark to communicate. He quickly moves on to what was revealed at the baptism of Jesus and uses the word “immediately” - a word he uses more than 40 times in his Gospel.
As Jesus came up out of the water of the Jordan, “immediately He saw the heavens being torn open.” (See how this is exactly what the prophet Isaiah wishes for and predicts in Isaiah 64:1, and how the heavens opened for people like Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1) and Peter (Acts 10:11), when God had something important to reveal.) Then the Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove. (This is the image for the Spirit seen already in Genesis 1:2, as the Spirit “hovered over” the waters at the creation, like a bird.) And the voice of God spoke from heaven, to Jesus and about Him: “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” (It is the voice of God the Father speaking to His Son. It is the One true Triune God being revealed - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.)
Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ - and both of those words mean “the Anointed One." Jesus is being anointed with and by water and the Holy Spirit for His saving work and ministry. (See the prophecy in Isaiah 42:1, as the Lord speaks about His coming Servant, His chosen One, in Whom He delights and on Whom He puts His Spirit. We will see, as we read on in Mark, how Jesus then also does the very things described in Isaiah 42:2-9. See also how the writer to the Hebrews quotes from Psalm 45:6-7 and applies those words to Jesus, as the Son of God, anointed by God, in Hebrews 1:8-9.)
The Father also says, from heaven, of Jesus: “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” These words reflect Psalm 2, a messianic psalm, and especially 2:7. Jesus is the Son of God. Unlike all the sinners whom John baptized (and unlike all of us), Jesus was without sin and perfectly pleasing to His Father. (Contrast what God says about His Son, with what God says about everyone else on their own in this world, including us, in Psalm 14:1-3 and Romans 3:19,20,23 and so many other places.)
In three verses, Mark 1:9-11, God has already emphasized most of the key themes of Mark1:1. Jesus is “Jesus” (God Who saves). Jesus is ”the Christ” (the One anointed by God to do this saving work). Jesus is the Son of God, identified and sent by God the Father.
And again, “immediately” Mark shows us a crucial part of what Jesus’ saving work would be, in Mark 1:12-13. The Spirit immediately after His baptism drove Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. Literally, the Holy Spirit "threw out” Jesus into the wilderness, as if he were being forced to go there, to be tempted continually (the Greek verb shows an ongoing action) for 40 days. It had to happen this way.
We pray, “Lead us not into temptation” - that the Lord would help and protect us from times of temptation, because we are so weak and vulnerable. Jesus came to battle sin and evil and Satan himself and to confront it all directly and be victorious, in our place. See the words of 1 John 3:8. Other Gospels are more detailed and give us examples of the kind of temptations. Mark makes it clear that these were ongoing temptations throughout the 40 days, coming from Satan (the adversary, the accuser). Some commentators point out the contrast with the children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, because they sinned and failed so often, and Jesus doing His Father’s will all along during His 40 days in the wilderness. The battle against sin and Satan and evil spirits is another of the strong emphases of Mark’s Gospel. Of course, Jesus had already been tempted earlier in His life and the temptations continued through the cross and until His mighty resurrection victory.
There are two more things to note about what Mark tells us in Mark 1:13. Only Mark mentions that Jesus was “with the wild animals” in the wilderness. This can mean one of two things, or most likely, both. Satan is often pictured as a dangerous beast or wild animal in Scripture. He appears in the form of a serpent in Genesis 3, in tempting Adam and Eve. He is described by Peter as being like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour in 1 Peter 5:8-9. If you studied Daniel with us, you know that the empires that rose and fell and troubled God’s people and others were described as unusual beasts. The same imagery is used often in the Book of Revelations to describe those opposed to God and His will. Even Jesus makes a similar reference in Luke 7:18-19 and says, “I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.” Satan and his forces, the wild animals, were all around Jesus in the wilderness; yet He was able to resist them all.
The fact that Jesus could also be out in the wilderness with literal wild animals and not be harmed is beginning to fulfill other prophecies of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. It will only be in the perfection of heaven, but Jesus is bringing peace and harmony and a return to the Garden of Eden, in the work He would do for us. In the Garden of Eden before the Fall, Adam could name the animals and have no fear and all was very good. In Isaiah 11, with promises of the One coming from the line of Jesse, is a picture of perfect harmony in v.6-10, even among the animals of all kinds. Also, Ezekiel 34:25-31 uses a very similar picture image of God’s covenant of peace to come. God says, “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness.” See also verses 28 and 31, and the image of sheep safe with their Shepherd, the Lord. How comforting to think of all the Good News in what Jesus came to bring, as our Savior, in the simple words, “He was with the wild animals” and yet was safe and well.
This idea is also emphasized in the last words of Mark 1:13. Part of the protection Jesus had was that “the angels were ministering to Him.” Other Gospels mention the angels, but Mark emphasizes that they were with Jesus all along, continually of help to Him, not just at the end of this time of temptation. It was again like promises God gave His people in their wilderness wanderings. See mention of angels in Exodus 23:20,23, and 32:34.
We too have the promise of guardian angels to help us (Psalm 91:11-13 and Matthew 18:10, for example) and that God always provides a way of escape for us, too, when we are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our problem is that we cave in too easily and do not always trust or lean on the Lord. Thanks be to the Lord that Jesus fought off every temptation and lived perfectly for us, in our place; and as our Risen and Victorious Lord, He is always around to help us, with His angels, and forgive us still. What great hope we have in Him.
Monday Feb 15, 2021
Monday Feb 15, 2021
Sermon for the Transfiguration of our Lord, based on:
Sermon originally delivered February 19, 2012
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
After prayer, we began to look at Gospel and the Gospels. The word “Gospel” simply means “Good News." We can find Law and Gospel in all the Scriptures, in the Old and New Testaments. “The Gospels” usually refer, though, to the four New testament books that tell of the life and ministry of Jesus, His Word and deeds as our Lord and Savior.
I just touched on this, but God in His wisdom chose to inspire four Gospels, not one. He never tells us exactly why, but He gives us four perspectives on Jesus, by four different authors, each writing in his own way and style, yet giving us exactly what God intended for us, in each Gospel.
Part of the reason likely is that the authors seemed to write to different audiences, in order to reach each of them the best possible way. How do we know that? There is evidence within the Gospels themselves and there is testimony from early church fathers, supporting this idea.
For example, Matthew’s Gospel may have been the first to be written, around 50 AD; and Matthew seems to write to fellow Jews. He uses lots of quotations from the Old Testament, which Jews would know and which would be important for them - prophecies of the coming Savior. Christians of the late first and second centuries, who followed the apostles, are unanimous that Matthew was the author.
Mark, in contrast, seems to have been written a little later - 60-65 AD or so - and is directed to Gentiles (non-Jews), and Gentiles in a particular area. Mark uses very few direct quotes from the Old Testament in his whole Gospel, though he certainly knows the Old Testament and alludes to it. Non-Jews would be less interested in the Old Testament or may not even have known much about it; and Matthew had also already documented many of these Old Testament prophecies.
The testimonies of Christians of the late first and second centuries, again, are unanimous in saying that John Mark was the author of the Gospel of Mark. The author Papias wrote, about 130 AD, based on what he had heard from Elder John (most likely the Apostle John) that Mark became the Apostle Peter’s interpreter, and told especially what he knew from Peter himself. Others said that Mark wrote this Gospel in Rome, at the request of people of Rome and the surrounding area of Italy, mostly non-Jews, who had heard Peter preach and wanted to know more about this Jesus and Christianity.
Early tradition also says that the Apostle Peter was in Rome for only about a year, preaching and teaching, and then was put to death by the Roman Emperor Nero, about 65 AD. Mark then probably wrote his Gospel around 65 AD or a little after to help these new believers or inquiring people in Rome and Italy. He writes then, also, especially from the perspective of Peter. This also fits with what we know about Mark from the Scriptures themselves and from what we will see, as we study Mark’s Gospel together in weeks ahead.
Turn now to Acts 12:1-11. King Herod, a later relative of the Herod who killed all the babies in Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus, had the Apostle James executed. When he saw how much it pleased the Jewish leaders, he also had the Apostle Peter arrested and imprisoned. Peter is able to escape, by a miracle of God. Notice where he goes in Acts 12:12. It is “to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark.”
This is the first clear mention of Mark (also called John or John Mark) in the Scriptures, though Peter obviously knew him and his mother already.
The next time we hear of Mark is in Acts 13:13, around 46 AD or so, when Paul and others, including Mark, begin their first missionary journey. Mark, however, soon leaves them and returns to Jerusalem.
In Acts 15:36-40, plans are being made for a second missionary journey, around 49-51 AD. Barnabas wants to take his cousin, John Mark, along, but Paul refuses because Mark had been, in his mind, a “deserter” and left them on the first mission trip. There was “a sharp disagreement” and Barnabas and Mark go their own way to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas begin their second mission trip. (This is a strong reminder that even the early church had problems. It was made up of sinful, imperfect people, just as the church still is today. The church is a hospital for sinners - forgiven sinners.)
We don’t of hear of John Mark again until Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, almost 10 years later, somewhere around 59-61 AD. See what Paul writes from Rome in Colossians 4:10-11, where Mark is with Paul, and Paul is very complimentary of him. Paul also wrote a letter to Philemon, a member of the church at Colossi, at the same time, and he mentions Mark (and Luke and others) as fellow workers. Obviously, the past problems have been worked out, and all are working together again in a good way.
Peter who was also in Rome later, as we have heard, spoke of Mark in 1 Peter 5:13, another letter written from Rome. Peter speaks of “Mark, my son." Mark was not his literal son, but this may mean that Peter helped bring Mark to faith and certainly helped him grow in faith and service to his Lord . They were very close friends and co-workers with one another. This is similar to what Paul says of Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2 and 2 Timothy 1:2. Paul likely helped bring Timothy to faith in Jesus and taught him much.
The last mention of Mark is in 2 Timothy 4:11, around 68 AD, when Paul is in prison in Rome again and likely soon to be executed for his faith. Only Luke is with Paul, and Paul wants Timothy to “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.”
There is one more early church tradition about Mark. The early church historian, Eusebius, wrote that John Mark was the founder of the Christian church in Alexandria, in Egypt, and its first bishop, and that he died there too, as a martyr for the faith.
This is the Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark. Watch for more about all this and for evidences of his connections with Peter and what he learned from him (though he clearly also knew Paul and Luke and so many others, as well).
Turn now to Mark 1:1-3 for a quick start on the actual Gospel. The first words are a summary of the whole Gospel. The primary message is Gospel - Good News! - but not just any old good news - rather, the Good News centered in Jesus and described by the very important names and titles given to Him here. We will see more of this as we work through Mark, but for now:
- Jesus is the Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah,” the “Anointed One” of the Old Testament). See Isaiah 61:1 and Jesus fulfilling these words in Luke 4:16-21. See also Mark 8:27-29 and Mark 14:60-62.
- Jesus is given the special name “Jesus” - the name Joseph and Mary are to give Him, which means “Savior” or “the Lord (Yahweh) is salvation." See Matthew 1:20-21, 25, and Luke 1:30. Jesus will be the Savior from sin.
- Jesus is “the Son of God." He is God become man for us. See John 1:1,14,18 and Colossians 2:9 and 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Jesus brings people to confess that He is the Son of God and can do all the saving things he claims, because he is much more than an ordinary human being. See Matthew 16:15-16 and Mark 15:39.
Then Mark gives the first of very few direct quotations from the Old Testament, in Mark 1:2-3. (This is how I should have worded this in my podcast.) He emphasizes the quotation from Isaiah 40:3 in verse 3, but includes words also from Malachi 3:1. Both point clearly to the coming of John the Baptist, who prepare the way for the coming Savior, Jesus (as those who were in our Malachi study know very well. You can go back in our podcasts to the last few lessons on Malachi, which emphasize this.) Then very quickly, Mark says in Mark 1:4, “John appeared”; and that is where we will begin next week.
I have relied on conservative Lutheran commentators in this introductory study, especially Martin Franzmann, for much of this background information. The commentators don’t always agree on exact dates when events happen, but I have tried to describe all this as best I could. We cannot be sure that everything that early church fathers said was totally accurate, either, though the ones referred to seem to be reliable. What is always reliable and true is what the Scriptures themselves say, as the inspired Word of God in the Old and New Testaments, including the Gospel of Mark and all the other direct Scriptures we looked at in this lesson.
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, based on:
Sermon originally delivered February 12, 2012
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
This lesson focuses on two key ideas from the closing verses of Malachi - the ”Book of Remembrance” and the coming “Sun of Righteousness."
First, people sent me some questions about the “book” spoken of in Malachi 3:16, which seems to be a list of believers, those who fear God and esteem Him and His name. Is it a literal book? What more do we know about it? Most important of all, how do we know that our names are written in this book, sometimes also called the “Book of Life”?
The second key idea we will look at, the coming of the Sun of Righteousness, helps us with that last question, as it points us, not to ourselves and our feeble efforts, but to Jesus and His righteousness, given to us as a gift, by which we are counted as righteous in God’s eyes.
In an earlier lesson, I gave a list of Scriptures that point to this book or record kept by God. I have found still more of these Scriptures, so I will list all of them again. I will refer only to a few, but you can look at all of them for more detail, if you choose. They are: Exodus 32:32, Psalm 9:5, Psalm 56:8, Psalm 69:28, Psalm 87:6, Psalm 139:16, Isaiah 4:3, Ezekiel 13:19, Daniel 7:10, Daniel 10:21, Daniel 12:1, Malachi 3:16, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Hebrews 12:23, Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:13,15, and 21:27.
God is God. He knows all things. He does not need a literal book to remember who His believing people are. God could create such a book in an instant if He would choose to; and maybe there is such a book. If you could link all computers on earth into one great super computer, God would still know infinitely more, though. Many think that the references to a book is a picture-image way of assuring us, as humans, that God never forgets us. He knows each of us by name and will take care of us, in this life and in the eternal life to come, as He has brought us to faith and keeps us in that faith in Him.
We can be sure that God keeps His promises to us. God had a plan to rescue us from the consequences of sin even before the world was created, and He has kept that promise, in the coming of John the Baptist and then His only Son, Jesus, as Malachi predicted. It is hard to understand and imagine, but Revelation 13:8 speaks of our names being written in the book of life of the Lamb, Jesus, before the foundation of the world. This image of being “in the book” is intended to give us comfort and strength, as we follow our Lord. In Luke 10:20, the disciples were excited about what they were able to do on a missionary trip; but Jesus tells them, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” That most important gift of God gives us joy and will help us through the greatest times of trouble that we face in this life (as Daniel 12:1 says), and opens heaven to us when we die. (See Revelation 21:27, for example.)
Psalm 87 gives us a description of God’s personal care for us and his calling us to be in Zion, the city of God - one of the names for heaven. God speaks of five different nations, all of which were enemies of God’s people, representing all the people of earth. Even out of such nations (or any nation) God will bring people to a new birth and trust in Him. God “records” and “registers” them as His people. That is what has happened for us, too, as we have been brought to faith.
But, how do we know our names are really in the book of life? Here is where we must simply trust the Scriptures and our Lord Jesus and what He says and has done for us. In Acts 16:31, Paul and others tells a jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” We hear the same message in John 3:16-18 and other places. God also gives us assurance in our baptism. The jailer not only believed; but he and his whole household were baptized. Jesus said that we all need to be “born again” to a new life. That happens through the “living and abiding Word of God” which tells us of Jesus and brings us to faith in Him (1 Peter 1:18-21), but also through that Word, connected with water in Baptism, as the Holy Spirit works faith in us (John 3:3-6). “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” says Mark 16:15-16.
See what John says in 1 John 5:11-13. “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life... I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” What wonderful words! That means that if you are reading this today, trusting in Jesus and His gifts to you, your name is written in the book of life. There is no question about it.
Some of the passages about the book of life do indicate that it is possible to fall away and be “blotted out” of the book. However, the Scriptures also promise us that God will not easily let us go; and he will not throw us away. Listen to Jesus in John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” In theory, we could climb out of God’s hand and drift away from and reject Jesus and keep on rejecting Him, in unbelief, and be lost eternally; but again, God loves us. In the parable of the lost sheep, He is pictured as going out after us and seeking to bring us back. Every single one of us is important to Him (Luke 15:1-7).
God also gives us His channels of grace, His means of grace, by which to bring us to faith, but also to keep us in faith and close to Jesus our Savior. As we need to keep eating to live, so we need to keep receiving God’s nourishment for our life in Him, too. There is the Word of God, which we are using right now, and all that He keeps saying to us. (See John 8:31-32.) We are baptized only once, but there is the ongoing strength of our baptism, as we remember who we are as God’s people. (See Romans 6:3-11.) There is the ongoing blessing of the Lord’s Supper, which we can receive again and again, as Jesus Himself comes personally to us, and we receive Him and His forgiveness and strength. (See 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.) There is confession and absolution, as we recognize our sins and repent of them and hear and receive God's forgiveness. (See 1 John 1:7-10.)
Along with all of this, we remember the other great message of the closing words of the Book of Malachi. Our hope is not in our own efforts, in our attempts to be better and better until we are good enough for God. Our hope is in God’s coming to us and rescuing and purifying us and turning our hearts, so that we are counted as acceptable to God by faith.
In the very first mention of the “book” of life in Exodus 32, many of God’s people had rebelled against God and built a golden calf to worship, instead of God. Moses pleads for forgiveness for the people, and even suggests that maybe his name could be blotted out of the book in order to help rescue some of the people (Exodus 32:32-33). That will not work. Here and in other places, it is clear that none of us can do enough to rescue even one other person, spiritually, by what we do. (See Psalm 49:7-9.) Paul has the same idea as Moses in Romans 9:1-3, but knows that will not work. Only the Lord Himself can do the “washing” and “cleansing” of His people, so that they are “recorded for life” (Isaiah 4:2-4).
That is exactly what Malachi predicts will happen, as we have heard. A messenger, John the Baptist, would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and would come to prepare the way. Then the Lord Himself, our Lord Jesus, would come and do His saving work for us. John the Baptist sees Jesus and announces, “Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It is “the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27), because only Jesus, God who became man for us, could be perfectly righteous in our place and pay the price for all of our sins on the cross to ransom and rescue us. Only God could do that, as Malachi calls Him, “the Sun of Righteousness," comes with “healing” for us (Malachi 4:2). See also promises like Jeremiah 9:23-24 and Jeremiah 23:5-6. We are not righteous, but “The Lord is our righteousness.”
Our names are in the book of life, not by our own work and goodness, but through the work of Jesus, the Sun of Righteous, for us. See the “righteousness of God," by which we are saved by faith, by God’s grace as a gift, in Romans 3:21-28. Remember that even faith itself is a gift of God, not our own doing, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says. The only boasting we can do is in God and the wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption of Jesus for our benefit (1 Corinthians 1:27-31).
See Romans 10:1-4, where Paul says that many of his fellow Jews are ignorant of the righteousness of God, from God, that comes only through Jesus, and are “seeking to establish their own” by their own efforts and deeds. That will not work. The righteousness from God simply comes “to everyone who believes.” For, as Romans 10:8-9 says, “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Or as Romans 4:3-8 says, such “faith," as a gift of God, “is counted as righteousness” for us.
Look at one last passage, from Philippians 4:2-3. Paul is encouraging two women in the church to agree with each other in the Lord; and he asks others to help them settle their dispute, whatever it was. They were obviously not perfect people, as none of us are; and yet Paul says that their “names are in the book of life.” How comforting it is for us, too, not to have to trust ourselves and our efforts, which always fall far short of perfection. We simply live by faith in Jesus, trusting His perfect work already done for us.
If you ever have doubts or questions, as many do at times, listen to these and similar Scriptures of hope for us. If others are struggling, these Scriptures can help them, too. Our names are written in the book in heaven and our future is secure, not because of our greatness or our great faith, but because of Jesus and what He has done perfectly for us. Our faith is not in ourselves but in Jesus. He is our solid Rock and Foundation for our future, now and forever.
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, based on:
Sermon originally delivered January 29, 2012
Monday Jan 25, 2021
Monday Jan 25, 2021
In this study, we come to the final two sections of Malachi that we have not yet studied: Malachi 3:1-4 and 4:1-6. These two passages fit together and are most important, in that they predict the future of God’s plans for His people and the great hope in what God was going to do for them and for us.
The other things we have heard in Malachi are also important (all of God’s Word is); but much has been the Law, showing both the priests and the people their many sins and the real need for repentance.
God has been very patient with His people, but He does not want them to take His mercy and love for granted. See what is said in Psalm 50:19-23. God is not like us, and He is serious about His will, even if He seems to be silent and doing nothing about evil at times. He always wants to bring people to repentance and faith and salvation. See also Romans 2:3-4. Don’t take God’s kindness for granted. It is meant to lead you to repentance and to draw you closer to Him. That is what much of Malachi has been about.
Martin Luther included in his 95 Theses, at the beginning of the Reformation: “The whole life of a Christian is to be one of repentance.” Again and again we hear the Law of God and recognize our sins. We bring them to the Lord and repent of them, wanting to be better, and we put our trust in God’s mercy, by His grace.
And there is mercy from God, as we hear from Malachi 3:1-4. “Behold!” - Pay attention. Something really important is happening. Another “messenger" (not Malachi) is coming to “prepare the way before Me,” God says, through Malachi. For the Lord Himself will also then come suddenly to His temple. The messenger will bring in a time of refining and purifying, in preparation for Him, and He will then continue this purifying.
The picture images are of gold and silver, whose impurities must be melted out with fire, and of newly shorn wool or woven cloth, which is washed by a fuller with a strong and biting alkali soap. David used this image, after he had done great evil, and repents and prays, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow”(Psalm 51:7).
Who needs to be cleansed in this way? It is not the enemies here, but God’s own people - the sons of Levi and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Then they can be righteous and more pleasing to God. If they are not cleansed and reject this, then judgment and trouble are coming for them, v.5 says.
What is all of this referring to? The New Testament makes it clear. Mark 1:2, Matthew 11:10, and Luke 7:37 all quote directly from Malachi 3:1 in saying that John the Baptist is this messenger; and John’s Gospel speaks about him, too, with his strong calls for repentance and a cleansing baptism for forgiveness. He was getting people ready for the coming Lord, Who was Jesus Himself.
Go back to Malachi 4:1-5. Again it begins with “Behold” in verses 1 and 5. Pay attention! This is important! A time of judgment is coming when the arrogant and evildoers (who do not repent) will burn like stubble. But for those who fear the Name of the Lord, who fear, love, and trust in Him, “the Sun of Righteousness will come” bringing righteousness and healing and joy (like a calf set free from a pen) and victory over evil, “when I act, says the Lord.” Again it will be the Lord Himself Who will come, bringing these blessings to His people, as in Chapter 3.
But again, also, someone else will prepare the way for the Lord. In Malachi 4:5, it is Elijah who will prepare for “the great and awesome day of the Lord.” And what will this Elijah do? He will help change the hearts of people, and draw them together, the fathers and the children, and get them ready for the Lord and help them escape “utter destruction” for their sins.
Again, the New Testament identifies this not as the literal Old Testament prophet, Elijah, who does come to Jesus along with Moses at His Transfiguration. (See Matthew 17:1-3). This Elijah, predicted by Malachi, is John the Baptist. Look at Luke 1, when an angel appears to Zechariah and announces that he and his wife will have a son, John, who will, in verses 16-17, do exactly what Malachi predicts. He will turn hearts “in the spirit and power of Elijah" and get people ready for the Lord’s coming.
Read also Luke 1:67-79, where Zechariah himself predicts the coming of the Lord (Jesus) to make people holy and righteous before Him, and says of his own son, John, “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, and you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways.” It is exactly what Malachi predicted. And with the coming of the Lord Jesus, as described in Luke 1-2, will also come salvation, forgiveness, the mercy of God, and even “the sunrise shall visit from on high” bringing great light and peace. Jesus is the “sun of righteousness” predicted by Malachi, coming from heaven, Who will bring healing to this troubled world.
Later on in Luke 2, the infant Jesus suddenly comes one day to the temple, brought by Mary and Joseph, and both Simeon and Anna realize that He is the promised Savior they have been waiting for, for so long (Luke 2:22-38). When Jesus is 12, He goes the the temple again and astounds the religious authorities with His knowledge, in His Father’s house (Luke 2:41-49). Early in His public ministry, Jesus comes and cleanses His Father’s house, the temple, from improper things happening there; and he does it again during the last week of His life (Matthew 21:12-13). He is the Lord coming suddenly to His temple, just as Malachi predicted (Malachi 3:1); and John the Baptist has prepared the way for Him, in his own ministry.
Go back to Malachi 4 one more time. These are likely the last words spoken by a prophet in the whole Old Testament, spoken by Malachi. By God’s inspiration, he tells the people in verse 4 to look back to the Law of Moses, which was crucial to the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, and to seek to follow that word and will of God, in repentance and faith. That Word would guide and guard them until the coming of Jesus. (See Galatians 3:23-29.)
But he also tells them to look forward to John the Baptist and above all to Jesus, the Light of the world (John 8:12) and “the bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). As the sun is the star for our world, Jesus is the “sun of righteousness” for our lives and our eternal future, as we trust in Him. The Lord gives a very fitting link between the Old and New Testaments, in Malachi. It is all God’s Word for us.
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
“Do We Get It?” (Matthew 20:20-28)
Lutheran Schools Week
The text for our sermon today is the Gospel Lesson and especially these words of Jesus: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).
When people are trying to explain something to you, do you always get what they are saying right away? Obviously, it doesn’t work that way too much of the time. It takes more explaining and more time before you really understand. My wife would say it’s like trying to teach me how to do something new on my iPhone; or Amanda, our technical support person, trying to show me how to use the microphone for the worship service. It’s not always easy to learn new things.
That is why, as we begin Lutheran Schools Week in the LCMS and at St. James, we are especially grateful for our teachers and all those who support them. They teach and teach and teach – and try various approaches to reach all their students. It is not easy and it takes time – but what joy there is when children do understand, when they get something, when they learn and grow.
We know how hard this process is as parents, too. Our children don’t learn how to tie their shoes on the first try – or maybe even the hundredth try. They can’t ride their new two wheel bike immediately. Learning how to play basketball or a musical instrument takes lots of time and practice and teaching.
And the most important thing we want our children to know, ultimately, is about God and His Word and His will and God’s love for us in Jesus our Savior. That’s why we have not just a school, but a Lutheran school, where the Good News of Jesus can be freely taught, in word and deed and in every class. That’s what our school teachers are dedicated to doing, too, day after day, year after year, as they also teach and teach and teach about Jesus.
And that’s not at all easy either, as our text for today says, especially when God’s way goes against our human way of thinking. Earlier, Peter had said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Peter was exactly right. Jesus was the promised Savior, the Son, sent from the Father, for our benefit. But Jesus knew that Peter and the others did not really understand what that meant – and what that meant for Peter or for Jesus Himself.
And so we read in the Scriptures that: “From that time, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21).
Peter didn’t want to hear that, and tried to shut Jesus up; but Jesus kept on teaching and teaching the truth (Matthew 16:22-23). A little later, Jesus said again to His disciples, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day. And the disciples were greatly distressed” (Matthew 17:22-23). They must have thought, “What glory and honor is there in all this talk about suffering and dying?” – and they must have been thinking about glory for themselves.
For just a little later, we read that “the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Maybe they hoped that Jesus would say, “Why, it’s you disciples who are the greatest.” Instead, Jesus placed a little child right in the midst of them and called them to simple, humble, childlike trust in God, no matter what. That is greatness in the kingdom of heaven, He says (Matthew 18:1-4).
Jesus just keeps on teaching and teaching the truth. Just before our text for today, Jesus said again, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day” (Matthew 20:18-19).
But neither the disciples nor those around them were really getting what Jesus was saying. They should have been very concerned about Him and the dark days ahead for Him and giving Him their help and support. Instead, they are thinking of themselves and what they can get out of Jesus in glory for themselves. We heard in our Gospel lesson that the mother of two of the disciples comes with them and asks Jesus for something. She was like most moms, wanting the best for her children, and so she said, “Say that these two sons of mine can have the most glorious spots, closest to you, on your right and left, in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:20-21).
Well, the other 10 disciples hear of this and they are indignant, very angry at the two brothers (Matthew 20:24). They probably all thought that the best places ought to be theirs, instead of the others. It was a hot, angry, sorry mess among the disciples – and this was just before the Palm Sunday events and the last days before Jesus’ death. And Jesus Himself is forgotten in all this. (Do you remember the words of our Epistle lesson, where Paul warns, “If you bite and devour one another. watch out!” (Galatians 5:15) That is what was going on among the disciples.)
And I wonder if we aren’t part of that sorry mess ourselves, all too often. Don’t we sometimes think and act just like those disciples? We forget our sins and think we’re pretty decent people. We surely deserve things to be better for us than they are., especially in these Covid days. Why doesn’t God give us more of a break and more good things? Surely He will, if He’s a good and fair God. Those sorts of thoughts at least go through our minds, at times.
As our text goes on, Jesus continues to teach and teach the truth. Jesus said on another occasion, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). We are captives to sin and cannot ever overcome that sin by our own efforts, if left on our own, no matter what we do; and we are headed for what our sins deserve – death, eternal death.
But then Jesus brings wonderful Good News, as our text ends: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28) – actually for all people, as other Scriptures tell us. All that talk about suffering and dying was about that “ransom” price that Jesus Himself would have to pay and did pay on the cross to set us captives free and give us forgiveness and new life. We are headed now for eternal life, through Jesus.
We are also set free, Jesus says, from the hectic, chaotic struggle of this sinful world, where people vie to become “great ones”, by their own power and effort and authority, and ruling and lording it over others, manipulating them, as if they were “god-like” themselves (Matthew 20:25). “It shall not be so among you,” Jesus says. “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20: 26-28).
And this is not a scary, but a freeing description of life, for us. We don’t have to earn points with God by what we do. Jesus already has paid the full ransom price for us. We try to do our best, but we also know and confess our imperfections, for Jesus already knows all about us and still loves and forgives us. And Jesus already did come to live perfectly in our place and to serve us and help us to grow and learn more, where we are weak, even as we desire for our own children and grandchildren.
All of this is true for all of us, in Christ our Savior, and also for our school. We thank our Lord for all of our teachers and their support staff, for their faithfulness in what they do. They are certainly not getting rich and they don’t have a lot of honor or fame and may even be opposed by those in our secular society who don’t like Christianity and its values. But the Lord has brought His blessings, from generation to generation.
I tried to think of teachers from my time at St. James whose names are still around at our church. I could only think of the Klaiber name – as Gertrude Klaiber was my second grade teacher, filling in only one year at that time. My mother also went to the school, another generation back, and the only name I could think of that is still around was the Decker name. Teacher Decker was one of my mother’s teachers, and we still have Deckers in our congregation today. We also have, of course, on our current faculty two people who were themselves students at St. James – Jake Rogers and Amanda Goodspeed.
We thank God also for all of our parents and teachers and their students at St. James. The school would not exist without them and their great help and support and work with the teachers.
We thank the Lord for the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod for its help and assistance in many ways, including some of the service materials today.
We thank the Lord for all of you in our congregation and in area congregations, who continue to help by your prayers and gifts and support. That is very much needed for the future, too.
Above all, we thank our Lord for His underserved blessings to us, in Christ, day after day. Remember that every time Jesus spoke of His suffering and death, He also spoke of His resurrection. He still lives and gives us hope for this life and our eternal future, as well. To God be the glory, now and forever. Amen.
(Some of the general sermon ideas here may have come from materials from the LCMS, though I am not sure. I re-wrote and added to what I was given, quite a lot.)
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sermon for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, based on:
Sermon originally delivered January 22, 2012
Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
In this study, we began with one more important concern Malachi raises about our dealing with others God has placed around us. In Malachi 2:11, we hear that quite a number of Jews who returned to the land of Israel were “marrying the daughter of a foreign god” - marrying women who were not Jews and worshipped false gods and might lead and actually were leading some Jews away from the one true God. The Old Testament warns about this in a number of places, including Deuteronomy 7:3-4. A New Testament example is 2 Corinthians 6:14. Note the contrast between the temple of God and idol worship.
A prominent example of how that could happen was the story of King Solomon, a wise man in many ways, but not at all about marriage and the very harmful influence his many wives had on his spiritual life and activity. See 1 Kings 11:1-8 and the reference to Solomon in Nehemiah 13:26-27. Remember that Malachi did his prophetic work at the time of Nehemiah or soon after and he dealt with many of the same issues as Nehemiah did.
An example of this is in Nehemiah 13:4-5, where a priest who was to care for the temple, God’s house, allowed a man, Tobiah, to move into one of the large areas of the temple that was supposed to be for storage of things donated and kept to support the priests and Levites and others who served at the temple. If you read Nehemiah 4:1-3 and 7-8, you find out that this Tobiah was not even a Jew, but an Ammonite who would believe in false gods.
Tobiah had been very critical of Jews rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and had even plotted, with others, to fight against the Jews. He and others did not want these Jews back in Israel. Maybe the Jewish priest was trying to keep peace and pacify Tobiah, by letting him have a place in the temple. But such non-Jews were never even to set foot in most of the temple and certainly were not to have a place there; and we have already heard how many Jews were “robbing God” by not bringing the gifts and offerings that they should have and that should have been stored where Tobiah was staying. We hear what Nehemiah does when he discovers this, in Nehemiah 13:6-9. What the priest allowed was a desecration of God’s house, and all had to be ceremonially cleansed and rededicated to its proper use. Cooperating with those following false gods could and did lead to very serious problems.
As we go back to Malachi 2, Malachi is most concerned about Jewish men marrying women who worshipped false gods; but as part of this, too many of these Jewish men had already been married to believing Jewish women. They were now also divorcing their wife in order to marry a non-Jew who could easily lead them into following false gods. This was the worst of situations.
Malachi gives, then, the very high standard God wishes for marriage, in Malachi 2:14-16. Read that and then think of this description by Dr. Roehrs, a Lutheran commentator:
This reproach contains one of the warmest and tenderest descriptions of marriage to be found in the whole OT. The sanctity of the selfless commitment of love under the witness and blessing of the Lord (covenant), the fervor of young wedded love (wife of your youth), the enduring companionable affection of later years (your companion), the godly offspring with which the Creator can bless the union - all are there.
Why give all this up, God is saying through Malachi, especially in exchange for a believer in false gods who can lead you to eternal spiritual disaster? Stay married to a believing person.
Malachi is giving the same high standard that Jesus describes in Matthew 19:3-9. Jesus is being asked His view about divorce. Was divorce OK for any and every reason, as some liberal Jews thought? Jesus takes us back to Genesis and God’s original plan: one man and one woman united in a lifelong commitment in marriage. Why then , some ask, did Moses allow for divorce in some circumstances? See Deuteronomy 24:1. Jesus simply says that it is because of human “hardness of heart” - the reality of our being sinful people in a sinful world, ever since the fall into sin. “It was not so from the beginning," Jesus says, and still upholds the very high view of God about marriage. That is the goal. However, even Jesus give one grounds for divorce, the reality of adultery.
We cannot get into all the issues of marriage and divorce in this study. There are certainly other grounds, too, like “desertion” and an interesting passage related to what Malachi talks about here, in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16. In this very rare case, Paul gives his opinion: “I, not the Lord,” he says - about a believer married to an unbeliever. We all know that marriages do not always work out as God intended. Sin infects us all, and even the “best” of marriages ( if we can even say that - we ultimately live together in love only by God’s grace and forgiveness) have plenty of struggles and challenges.
In all this, we need to keep in mind both the Law and the Gospel of God. The Law shows us, above all, our sins. See Romans 3:19-20. Malachi is very strong in speaking the Law in Malachi 2:14-16, and in calling us “not to be faithless to the wife of your youth." In most translations, from the King James Version on down to the NIV, God says in verse 16, “I hate divorce." I am no Hebrew scholar, but that seems to be what the Hebrew says. The ESV, though, understands verse 16 to refer to the husband who hates his wife and divorces her, in what can too often become a bloody, messy, violent situation. In either case, God hates all sin, not just divorce, and all the lack of love and understanding that comes out in any relationship, at times. The Scriptures also show very clearly that even great leaders like Abraham and Jacob and King David also had failures in their marriages and families. The Law speaks, and God condemns sin.
At the very same time, God still loves us sinful people of this world, with all our failures and problems, and wants to bring us hope and forgiveness. That is why He sent His only Son to be our Savior. Many churches had an Epistle reading, this past Sunday, from 1 Corinthians 6:12-19. It is a strong passage of Law about morality, including sexual morality, and calling us to use even our bodies in a way that honors God. But right before that in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul includes a long list of sins, all of which God hates, including various kinds of sexual immorality.
He is writing to people in Corinth, a Greek seaport city with the bad reputation those cities often have. The morality of the Greco-Roman world was very low, and there was not high respect for the sanctity of marriage. Paul has to say in verse 11, “And such were some of you.” The church in Corinth was a congregation of sinners, as all churches are.
But then comes the Gospel, as verse 11 goes on, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” “You were bought with a price," Paul says - the price Jesus paid on the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins, no matter what they might have been. In Christ, the church is also a congregation of forgiven sinners. We do not have to torture ourselves about past problems and failures and sins. Christ has been tortured in our place for the forgiveness of them all. The forgiveness of sins is real, and we start fresh and new as God’s people.
There is one more section of Malachi that we still want to look at today. Read Malachi 3:16-18. We live in challenging times still today, as Malachi did, with sinful ideas and actions all around us and sometimes within us. What is a believer, who wants to try to follow the Lord, to do? Certainly we are all called to repentance for our own sins - to ask the Lord to forgive us and to help us follow our Lord more faithfully, wherever we are weak. If we have been sinned against by others and even badly hurt, at times, we are also called to ask the Lord’s help to forgive, as we have been forgiven by Him, and to have His healing from the troubles and hurts of the past.
For all of that, we also need each other. Malachi 3:16 says, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another.” What did the believers in the Lord talk about? Surely they encouraged and helped and prayed for one another, and listened to the messages that Malachi and others had given to them in the Word of God and what that meant for them. The talking is centered on the Word and will of God. See Deuteronomy 6:6-9, as an example.
It is really what we try to do even toda in Bible study, and in worship, when we speak God’s Word to each other in our liturgy and are strengthened together by Word and Sacraments. (How good it will be, when the Covid problems are past us, to meet directly and talk and ask questions more directly and discuss things together. I try to anticipate questions, as I teach through Zoom and podcasts, but it is often more of a lecture than a discussion. But we do the best we can, even with these limitations.)
The amazing thing is that in Malachi 3:16, we hear that “the Lord paid attention and heard them.” He know us and hears us and cares about us, too. He pays attention to us! And He gives us great promises, as we seek to “fear, love, and trust in Him,” as the Catechism says.
We hear that “a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His Name.” The book of remembrance is parallel to what is called “the Lamb’s book of life” in Revelation 21:27 and by other very similar terms. It is a way of saying that our future is secure, now and eternally, through our connection with Christ, as our Lord has brought us to faith and keeps us in faith, through the Holy Spirit, working through Word and Sacrament. The study of Scriptures about this Book of Life could be another whole study, which we cannot get into today. If you want to read more on your own, here are many of these references: Exodus 32:32, Psalm 56:8, Psalm 69:28, Psalm 139:16, Isaiah 4:3, Daniel 12:1, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5,13:8, 17:8, 20:13,15, 21:27.
God summarizes these promises in Malachi 3:17-18. “They shall be Mine... My treasured possession... I will spare them.” This will all be even more clear, as Jesus came to be our Savior and when He comes again on the last day, for the final division of all people for eternal life or eternal sorrow. The griping of people in Malachi 3:13-15 will finally be ended, and there will be perfect peace in heaven. We have all that to look forward to.
Next week, we will look at promises given to us through Malachi about the coming Savior Jesus, and John the Baptist, who would prepare His way.