1 Thing Matters

The entirety of God’s Word can be summed up in one word: love. God’s Law is all about love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39). The gospel is all about love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16). From his compassion for the sick and broken, to his sacrificial death on the cross, to the peace he provided after his resurrection, Jesus was the perfect embodiment of love. Love is his business.

Therefore, love is our business too. The resurrection reality is that with the same supernatural power by which God raised Jesus from the dead, God now enables us to live a new life—one marked by radically selfless love. The motivation and ability to do this comes from seeing the endless love Christ has for us. We love because he first loved us.

Self-assurance is a fickle thing. Ask the best golfers in the world how much confidence they have when they suddenly start to struggle just to qualify for the very tournaments they used to win. Self-assurance is at a high when we perform well, but as soon as we stumble in some area of life, our faith in ourselves flounders. That’s why real assurance - especially of where we stand with God - simply cannot come from ourselves. It must come from somewhere else. And it does. 

It comes from God himself who alone provides the assurance we so desperately seek. 

There are plenty of people today who claim they can provide healing or guidance for your soul. However, the Bible warns that, beneath the surface, not everyone is who they may appear to be. Rather than providing healing or guidance, many may actually do more harm to our souls than good. Their threats are real! But so is the resurrection reality that our Good Shepherd provides all that is needed to thwart their threats. 

Contrary to popular belief, “repentance” isn’t the dirty word many people think it is. While repentance does involve admitting and owning up to the filth of our sins, it isn’t repentance if it stops there. 

No, real repentance also includes embracing by faith what Jesus has done with our sins: wiped them away and washed us clean from them. The result? Not only are we left standing in the perfect purity of God’s light, but we also have the newfound desire to remain there. 

Jesus’ real resurrection brought peace and strength to those early believers. It also brought them together. That’s the power of Jesus’ resurrection: it brings us together with him through faith, but also together with fellow believers. How blest are we! Yes, we are brought to him, but also to each other!

It would not be productive to look for help in a cemetery. A corpse can do only one thing—rot. This is the source of the crushing sorrow Jesus’ followers felt. He was the one in whom they had placed all their hope for a better reality. Now he was dead, so they thought. They were overwhelmed with sorrow, not just because they missed their friend. It now all seemed so pointless: the years and miles following Jesus, witnessing his miracles, listening to him. He was dead! And a corpse can only do one thing.

The resurrection changed everything. The disciples saw clearly that Jesus is who he said he was and did what he said he’d do. They realized their faith rested on a rock-solid foundation. Here is the resurrection reality. If Christ had not been raised, our faith in him would be futile. He could do nothing to help us. But Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Most religions believe in a powerful God. It is assumed that God will use that strength for the benefit of his followers. That is a reasonable assumption, but it begs the question. What is real strength? It is easy to assume that real strength means exerting your will over another by using any means necessary, including force. But this week we see Jesus Christ demonstrate a different kind of strength.

We have come to Holy Week. It begins with Jesus humbly riding a donkey colt straight into the hands of his enemies. As the week progresses, it will appear that Christ’s adversaries are the ones in a position of power and Jesus is in a position of weakness. Yet what Christ does this holy week—setting his divine strength aside, being passive in the face of death—would change the world. To do what Christ did for us and our salvation took real strength.

When we hear the word “school,” we tend to think of reading, mathematics, social studies, and all of the different subjects that students learn at the elementary, high school, and college levels. As one would naturally expect, those subjects are included in the curriculum of just about any elementary school.

But they aren’t the most important subject taught in our school. They aren’t the primary reason our school exists. That distinction belongs to Jesus. 

Jesus, and helping students and families know him better and grow in their faith, is the real reason our school exists. We aren’t simply an alternative option to the public school; we exist for much more. We exist so that through our efforts, many continue to see Jesus. Our school’s 50th Anniversary celebration continues as we acknowledge and thank God for allowing us to help others see Jesus through our school for five decades and counting! 

While not every religion uses the word “sin,” they all embrace the concept. Every religion acknowledges that mankind’s flawed attitudes or misguided actions are a source of pain, both now and potentially in eternity. So every religion offers a solution: a set of laws, a moral code, a path to more enlightened behavior. 

What do they have in common? We are to solve sin through human effort. Be better! Try harder! This is the heart of all false religion, which results in one of only two outcomes: 1) those who correctly understand they will never overcome their sin are crushed by guilt, or 2) those who ludicrously believe they have defeated their sin are killed by pride.

True religion offers a better way—a way that frees us from guilt and has no room for pride. Jesus teaches that the solution to our sin is not, self, not working harder. Rather, it is to trust in our Savior and the work he has done for us.

Person A never attends worship. He can’t see the point. Person B attends every week out of a slavish sense of obligation. Her mind wanders during the services, for she views the activities of worship merely as tasks for her to complete. Who is worse off? Rather than debating the point, let us just admit neither understand the true worth of worship. And that is exactly what Satan wants.

Many think worship is about what we do for God. It is the other way around. As we gather around Word and sacrament, the Spirit moves us to love and trust in God above all things. Moved by the cross of Christ, we bow down before our God. We commune with him. And that’s exactly what God wants.

We know that the cross was an instrument of torture and execution. However, Scripture also uses the term “cross” to refer to any suffering that one endures because he is a believer: the painful denial of the desires of the flesh; ridicule and persecution from unbelievers; etc. This is one reason people reject religion. They see Christians struggling in life with these crosses, while non-Christians often seem perfectly happy. Even the prophet Jeremiah asked, “Why do all the faithless live at ease?”(12:1).

Today, Jesus asks us to rethink suffering under the cross. It is not pointless pain. Our crosses are not how we pay for sin. Jesus already did that on his cross. Our crosses are not redemptive, but they are constructive. Any suffering believers face under the cross is only good, a way Christ connects us tightly to himself with fire-tested faith.

We began this season of Epiphany in the Jordan River. From that day, in word and deed, Jesus began to reveal more about himself. From that river, we have followed Jesus to arrive at a mountain. Today on the Mount of Transfiguration, in a show of dazzling brilliance, Jesus gives us a real glimpse of God’s glory. This final epiphany prepares us for the journey of Lent where, at another mountain called Golgotha, we will witness the greatest glory yet.

Martin Luther once said, “Where God built a church, there the devil would also build a chapel.” Satan hates God. He demonstrates that hatred by hurting those that God loves in any way he can. The epiphany Christ wants us to have is this: the devil is real and very dangerous. But just as real is Christ’s deliverance, for Christ is continually undoing the devil’s work. And through his Word, Christ Jesus also gives us the power to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith.

Even though Jesus knows all our faults and failures, he badly wants something to do with us. So, he calls us to follow him. But he does so in a special way: through his gospel. When Jesus calls us to discipleship through his gospel, he also calls us to glory and grace.

At his baptism in the Jordan River Jesus was publicly anointed with the Holy Spirit and designated by God the Father as his chosen Messiah. Thus, Jesus’ baptism was the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus’ baptism revealed that he was not just a nice guy who could make a sturdy table. He was God’s chosen servant, the one who had come to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus is the one willing to stand in our place as our substitute and Savior.

Jesus’ baptism reveals to us who he really is. Our own baptism does the same! Our baptism was the beginning of a new and better life—eternal life!—a gift graciously given to us by our truest friend. Jesus’ ministry and our eternity with him. It begins with baptism.

On Christmas Eve a choir of angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” So, where is this peace on earth? Between nations? There are always wars going on somewhere. In our country Disagreements have only grown more contentious, one group screaming angrily at another group. We might not even have perfect peace in our homes! So, what were the angels singing about?

They were singing about peace between a holy God who hates sin and human beings who sin every day. Because of what Christ did as our Savior, there is no hostility between us and God, only peace and love. We have the peace of salvation in our hearts. As we draw near the end of life, like elderly Simeon or Anna, we have the peace of knowing of the glorious eternal life that is to come. As this peace with God fills our hearts, it moves us to live in peace with each other too.

The Bible teaches that King Jesus is the Son of God in flesh and the only hope for salvation. Jesus himself claimed that he is the only way into the glorious kingdom of heaven. You do not approach meeting someone like that casually or carelessly! You prepare meticulously. What does that mean? What does a life of readiness—ready to meet such a King—look like? In one word: repentance. If we insist on hanging onto our sins, how can we receive the One who came for the very purpose of taking those sins away?

Throughout history, God has raised up called servants—like John the Baptist—to preach a message of repentance. This repentance is central to our preparation for the Lord’s coming. Without repentance, the King’s coming only terrifies. But all those who believe and repent look forward to the coming of the King and the consummation of his everlasting kingdom.

Rulers plan and administrate and govern. They typically do not save. If your house is on fire, it will not be the mayor who shows up to save you from the flames. If America were attacked, the President would serve as the commander in chief of the armed forces, but he would not pick up a weapon, go to the front lines, and fight to save you from the enemy.

Jesus is different. He is both infinitely greater than all other rulers, yet also infinitely humbler. He does not consider it beneath his rank as King to risk his life for his subjects. He is willing to fight for us. He is willing to die for us. For King Jesus came into our world for one reason—to save us.

It’s been said that if you want a job done right, then do it yourself. This may be more true in some areas than others, depending on the scale and expectations of the task at hand. 

Thankfully, as far as our salvation is concerned, God took the same approach. Unwilling to risk our eternities by leaving them in our own hands or under the care of someone else, Jesus, our Shepherd-King wanted to make sure the job was done right. So he did it himself. 

Childbearing is an excruciating process. Yet each day countless women, wanting a baby, willingly become pregnant. Pain can be endured if we know it is temporary and that happier times come immediately after. Likewise, the time between Christ’s first and second coming is going to be full of hardship, especially for believers. How do we bear it? We remember that this is temporary. Happier times are coming!

That truth is made crystal clear as we observe All Saints’ Day. On this day we remember every saint who has gone before us—all those who had faith in the Lamb of God: the heroes of faith in Scripture; our faithful Christian family members, now fallen asleep. They all endured hardship and pain. But no more. Now they enjoy perfect glory, peace, and joy. As we journey through this time in between, how do we endure? We focus on the future glory that waits for us.

There are invitations we might be tempted to reject: an invitation to an event you are not interested in, an invitation to a party that takes place at the same time as something else you want to do. There are other invitations which people would say you’ve lost your mind to reject: an invitation to go on a free tropical vacation, an invitation to go backstage and meet your favorite musical group, an invitation to the Super Bowl. We get so many invitations. Some we accept; others we reject. 

Where does God’s invitation to participate in his heavenly banquet rank? Scripture often pictures eternal life as a joyful party, full of friends and family, laughter, and the finest foods. Through a story Jesus teaches us how crazy it would be to reject God’s gracious invitation to that eternal celebration. More, Jesus tells us what we need to get into that best of all banquets.

“Foolish” might be how we’d initially describe the person who repeats the same behavior and expects to get a different outcome. “Reckless” might be another description if that repeated behavior puts someone else at risk.  

But what if that person has gone to great lengths to arrange for his desired outcome, only for others to disrupt it each time? Perhaps he isn’t so foolish or reckless after all; rather, he is determined - determined to keep after it until his desired outcome is realized. Jesus’ story both warns and encourages us. Let us not disrupt but deliver the Lord’s desired outcome. 

Give a single bag of M&Ms to two four-year-olds and tell them to share. You will witness counting done with accountant-like precision. Each child will get an equal amount of candy because that is fair. Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of fairness. That is why it can be so perplexing when we see how God dispenses blessing and grace. We see people who mock God who are more prosperous than believers. We see people who convert on their deathbed, and Scripture tells us they obtain the same salvation as someone who has been Christian all his life. How is that fair?

Through a simple story, Jesus teaches us a profound truth. It appears that God is not fair. He does not give us what we deserve, and that’s called mercy. In fact, he gives us what we don’t deserve, and that’s called grace. No, God is not fair… at least according to our standard of fairness. He is fair according to his. 

“Pay it forward.” That phrase means that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass along kindness to another person instead. Doing something kind for someone else is a way of thanking the person who originally did something kind for you. 

Today God applies that concept to forgiveness. God forgave our countless sins, paying an incomprehensible price to do so. Obviously, we will never have occasion to do the same for God because God has never sinned. God has never wronged us. 

But others may do us wrong. Others may cause us pain. And when we are quick to forgive, it is one way we thank God for being so quick to forgive us. This is the kind of church God wants—people who, like him, are quick to forgive.

Imagine, late one night, you notice the house across the street is on fire. You see no activity inside. You say to yourself, “Pounding on the door in the middle of the night might scare the family. I’m sure they’ll realize what’s going on eventually.” 

Ridiculous! You would never do that! To let a family sleep while flames surround them would be cruel. Your inaction would make you a killer. The truth is you would pound on their door at 3:00 AM, screaming. You would throw a brick through their front window if that was what it took to warn them. You would not care if it startled the family. This is a matter of life and death! Love compels you to do whatever it takes.

God wants the people of his church to be willing to say hard things to people when that is what is necessary to save them from an even worse type of fire. Warning against sin is not easy. It upsets people, even offends them. But saying hard things is the loving thing to do when it is a matter of eternal life and death.

“Be true to yourself, no matter what.” This is the encouragement the world provides. Along with it? An emphasis on the importance of self-discovery, self-image, self-love, self-esteem, self-acceptance, etc. Do you notice a theme? 

Jesus has a shockingly different take when it comes to “self.” He encourages denial. Deny yourself. Die to self. 

But Jesus goes even a step further! He also calls us to carry our crosses - the very burdens and trials the world would tell us to set down! Why would we ever follow such seemingly backward advice!?! Because there alone will we find life. In Christ’s church, self < everything else. 

Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Make no mistake. That is the most important question in the world. And it is a question every human must answer. A complimentary answer can still be dead wrong. Some in Jesus’ day thought he was John the Baptist or the prophet Elijah come back from the dead. Complimentary, but dead wrong. Today plenty of people believe Jesus existed. They believe he was a wise teacher or a role model for love. Complimentary, but dead wrong if missing the main point. 

Jesus is both Lord and Savior, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This truth is the core of saving faith. It is the central message God has called our church to proclaim. What does God want in a church? He wants a church that clings to Jesus Christ.

“All are welcome!” Is that true at our church? Historically, it rarely is true. In the gospels, the average Jewish person would have thought it odd, even offensive, if someone who wasn’t an Israelite walked into their place of worship. Taking it a step further, some of the Jewish religious leaders would imply that church was meant for those who zealously followed religious customs and traditions. Those were “good church folk.” So church was meant for people of the right heritage and who behaved the right way. What about us? Is it conceivable that a stranger could walk into our church and for some reason you would ask yourself, “What is someone like that doing here?” Or, just perhaps, you are asking that question about yourself? “There are some seemingly godly people here. I’m not like them. Do I really belong?” 

Today, Jesus shows us that God wants church to be for all people. All of us—regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or social status—have the same problem of sin. And we all have the same Savior. Therefore, anyone who comes to Christ’s Church and cries out, “Lord, have mercy!” is more than welcome.

Wherever faith clings to the promises of God, doubt, deception, and/or distraction linger in the back of our minds in some capacity. When they flare up and attempt to smoke out our faith, we easily end up taking our eyes off Jesus. In those times, the solution is not found in some great miracle that removes adversity, but in the still small voice of our Savior God whispering to us in his Word. Through that Word, Christ reaches out to us with nail-scarred hands, proof of his great love. When Jesus gently says, “Eyes on me, child,” and we look again to him, our faith is restored.

The hardest times to trust in God are the times we need him most. It’s easy to trust God when your job is great, your health is fine, your relationships are strong, your family is well. It’s easy to trust God when the sun is shining, but what happens when your life is suddenly overshadowed by dark days? 

When tragedy or conflict affect us, we may wonder if God continues to care and provide for us. At those times the Christian focuses on certain foundational facts. The Christian was chosen, predestined, and adopted as God’s dear child. God has provided the Christian with innumerable spiritual blessings and promises the Christian an eternity of glory, peace, and joy. If we look at those spiritual blessing God provides to us, how could we doubt that he will, at the right time, give us everything we truly need? The Christian trusts God to provide. 

The wheat that grows in the Middle East is a variety that looks much like wild grass or weeds. It is difficult to tell wheat and weeds apart until shortly before harvest time, when the wheat stalks develop a head containing the kernels of grain. Try and pull the weeds out of a wheat field and you will likely pull up a fair amount of wheat accidentally. So you need to wait for the harvest to separate wheat from weeds. 

This week Jesus uses that image to illustrate life this side of heaven. Christians are pictured as wheat planted by the Lord. Evil and unbelieving evildoers are pictured as weeds. We might want God to take care of evil now—to pull up all the weeds. But he tells us to wait for the harvest. God is going to fix the problem of evil in this world, but it might not be today or even tomorrow. What does God want us to do while we wait? He wants us to live like wheat among weeds, serving the purpose for which he planted us. That means being faithful, fruitful, and mindful of the coming harvest. 

Planting seed by hand can seem magical. In your hand the seed looks insignificant and lifeless. Yet you put the seed into the soil, and the natural process of life begins. All by itself, the seed germinates and sprouts and reaches to the sun. Except when it doesn’t! Plant multiple seeds and often only some, perhaps just a small amount, will sprout. As these few sprouts grow, birds and pests and weeds and weather attack. The reality is that once the seed leaves your hand, you are at the mercy of forces beyond your control. 

Today, God uses that experience from nature to explain the supernatural process by which God calls humans to faith through the gospel. The Christian is planted by the Word. The Christian can plant the seed of the gospel into the soil of another’s heart. What happens after that is completely beyond our control. Yet God promises us that his Word always accomplishes his good purposes. God’s Word is powerful, all on its own, without our help. 

Without rest, we suffer. Studies show that after 36 hours without sleep, most people will experience extreme fatigue and hormonal imbalances, resulting in decreased attention, poor decisions, and even speech impairment. Other studies show if someone takes no breaks during their workday, their productivity is lower than those who do take periodic breaks. We need rest. 

Christians know they need more than sleep or breaks. We need more than physical rest. We need spiritual rest. The Christian knows that the only place to find that type of rest is Jesus. Jesus provides more than a pause in work, more than enjoyable recreation. Jesus provides the removal of our sins, the cleansing of our guilty conscience, and a gentle new yoke of discipleship. In Jesus, the Christian finds rest from his burdens, rest from his battles, and rest forever in heaven. 

They never forgot their past. Moses never forgot how, in a fit of anger, he killed a man. Paul never forgot how he had savaged the Church of God, overseeing the persecution and execution of Christians around Jerusalem. Matthew never forgot how, as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, he was disdained as a swindler and traitor to his people. These men never forgot their past. 

But God did. God forgave them all their sins and called them into gospel ministry. The holy ministry is not filled with perfect people. The holy ministry is filled with sinners whom God has called out of his boundless mercy. The holy ministry is God’s gift to the Church. And through it, the Holy Spirit also equips believers to carry out their personal ministry, the service to which God has called all Christians. This confidence is never found in self, but always and only in the one who calls us his. 

Already in the very first chapter of the Bible we read, “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image…” (Genesis 1:26). Note the singular “God” and the plural “us.” Scripture teaches us that there is only one God but that he exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is triune (three-in-one). This teaching is not some logical exercise or philosophical excursion. The doctrine of the Trinity is central to our salvation. The triune God is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Lose this doctrine, and as the Athanasian Creed says, you lose it all. A Jesus who is less than God is also less than a Savior. 

So often, when life gets hard, we get frustrated. We don’t understand how God is working always for our good. But the doctrine of the Trinity teaches us we cannot even comprehend God’s existence. How then, could we ever comprehend all his workings? On this Holy Trinity Sunday, let it be enough to know that all three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—love us with an everlasting love.

Fifty days after the Passover, God’s Old Testament people celebrated Pentecost (Greek for “fifty”). Pentecost commemorated the gathering of the harvest and was also used to remember the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, the start of the Church of Israel. Christ chose Pentecost to be the birthday of his New Testament Church too. By pouring out his Holy Spirit, Christ empowered the Church to gather in the great harvest of souls won by the Son. 

Pentecost is the third great festival of the Church, along with the Nativity and the Resurrection. The early church fathers mention the Festival of Pentecost often enough to lead many to believe it was celebrated annually already at the time of the apostles. Pentecost closes the fifty-day period after Easter and ends the festival half of the church year. The Church dresses in red this day to remind us of the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift, as well as the blood of the martyrs which was the seed of the Church. 

They may serve up some amazing food at the new restaurant near you, but you’d never know if you never heard about it. The series that just started streaming may be the best thing you’ve ever watched, but you’d never discover it without first hearing about it. Even in a FOMO world, there’s still so much going on that escapes our notice; so many things about which we’re unaware because no one ever told us.

Tragically, the same could apply to life with Jesus. Many don’t know how phenomenal life with Jesus is because no one has ever told them. We can change that. We know him and can make him known to those who don’t.

The gospel is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are meant for every man, woman, and child who ever lived. 

The gospel is also the most exclusive message in the world, for it maintains that salvation can only be found in one place—the person of Jesus Christ. 

Pay attention to how Jesus speaks: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus doesn’t say, “I will show you the true way to eternal life.” Others could say that, but Jesus says, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life you crave.” And, he is not just “a” way/truth/life, but “the” way/truth/life. There is no other way than through faith in the One who died and rose again.  

Offensive or not, that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, is the very truth of Scripture upon which Christ builds his Church. 

Thomas had been taught and trained by Christ himself. He heard Jesus predict his death and resurrection. Yet, even after hearing the eyewitness testimony of friends, who all saw the resurrected Jesus, Thomas had doubts: "Rising from the dead. That can’t be possible!"

Today is a day of great comfort for any follower of Jesus who wrestles with doubt concerning Christ’s promises or doubts about God’s Word. Jesus does not come to rebuke Thomas’ weak faith. Jesus comes to strengthen Thomas’ faith, giving him proof of the mind-bending reality of the resurrection—to let him feel it, touch it, explore it. Jesus didn’t reject Thomas. Jesus engaged Thomas and gave him peace.

Still today, Jesus comes to his disciples in Word and sacrament. He lets us partake of his true body and blood. The living Lord speaks to us through his living Word. Let us listen so that his peace can dispel our doubts.

Imagine someone you love is near death. Their only hope of survival is a risky brain surgery, one so complicated that only one surgeon in the state will attempt it. The surgery is scheduled. But as that doctor drives to the hospital, he is killed in a car accident. Any hope you had for your loved one’s salvation died along with that surgeon. 

That is how Jesus’ disciples felt after his death. “We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel,” they said (Luke 24:19). Their hope for a better life died along with Jesus. They had let their personal wants and expectations cloud their view of Scripture which said that the Messiah’s death and resurrection were actually the source of all hope! So, the living Lord appeared to his disciples. He explained. He opened their minds to the truth of God’s Word. And in doing so, he restored their hope. 

There is little worse than a feeling of hopelessness. Christ’s disciples have victory over that feeling. He died, but he is dead no longer. The one who can heal us and give us life to the full lives! He lives to restore our hope.

Walk through a cemetery at dusk. What do you feel? Is it sadness as you think of loved ones now gone? Is it fear as you sense that it will not be long before you too are buried deep in the ground? Those are natural emotions. For in the normal realm of human existence, dead is dead. Someone dies, and all you have are pictures and memories. Every day that goes by only brings you one step closer to the end of your story. So, it is natural that mortals would walk through a cemetery with tears and fears. 

But Jesus lives. That changes things. Jesus is the resurrection first fruits for the harvest of humanity. Dead is not dead forever. Death is not final at all! The one brought low by his mortality will be raised immortal! So, your deceased Christian loved ones are not gone. You will see them again, hug them again. When you walk through the doorway of death, that is not the end. It is the beginning. When we face death knowing that Christ is risen, we experience a completely different set of emotions—for our Conquering King lives to dry tears and remove fears.