Introducing Jesus: The Word Made Flesh

A sermon on John 1:1-14

This is my sermon for Christmas Day. It's actually the final part of my Advent series called "Introducing Jesus" each week we focused on how Matthew, Mark, and Luke introduced Jesus. It was only fitting to complete the series on Christmas Day with John 1:1-14

In the name of Jesus, the light of the world, born for you, dear fellow redeemed,

            Christmas lights are one of the most wonderful parts of our celebration of Christmas. The days leading up to Christmas are the darkest days of the year. But they are brightened by all sorts of festive lights hung on everything imaginable. As you’ve been driving around this month you’ve seen how much of a difference it makes to have one house on a street lit up. It makes even more of a difference to have a bunch of houses lit up.

            We hang up lights because “it’s what we do every year” and we go to great peril to do it. Each year we pull out the ladder and ascend to the heights of our roves. We risk life and limb each year for a display that’s only on for a few weeks. That is, unless, you’ve just decided to leave the lights up all year round.

But we forget how appropriate this is. Not only are the nights long and dark, but our lives are also filled with darkness. In this reading before us we hear about how Jesus, the light of the world, breaks into our darkness and comes to be with us as the Word made flesh.

            John starts his gospel way back in the beginning—and even before. Jesus was there with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Together, God created the world. The first thing God created was light. Genesis tells us that God made light simply by saying, “Let there be light.” And so it was. God’s Word created everything for each of the five following days so that “without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

            God not only created, He gave life. That life was good. But what did we do with it? We know what Adam and Eve did, but have we done any better? We’ve rejected the value of life. We’ve belittled other people. We’ve loved the deeds of darkness and shut ourselves out from the light. Our life was in serious danger!

When life is at stake, the creator must step in! Even though we filled the world with darkness, the darkness doesn’t get to win. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined,” says Isaiah. This is what Jesus’ coming into the world means!

Jesus has come for people who still sit in darkness. That darkness takes all sorts of forms. It’s the people who don’t have God’s word as a lamp to their feet or a light to their path. It’s the darkness we bring to the world with our own sins. It’s also the darkness of death because the shadow of the grave still threatens us every day.

No matter what your darkness looks like, Jesus is here to bring light. To those who do not know Him, He gives the light of His Word by the proclamation of the Gospel. To those who have filled their lives with darkness He gives forgiveness and brings us into the light. To those who sit in the shadow of death He gives the light of His resurrection from the dead. Those are Christmas presents that’ll never perish, spoil or fade!  

            Jesus does this for you because, you see, He came to His own, but they didn’t receive Him. Instead they nailed Him to the cross. That was for you. That was His glory! John says, “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As you read through the Gospel of John, each time Jesus refers to His glory or being lifted up, He’s referring to His crucifixion. Here’s why: God was glorified when Jesus went to the cross for you. That’s the greatest expression of love that the world has ever seen. Jesus was pleased to do it and He did it for you. All who receive Him get the benefit of what Jesus won for us in His death and resurrection—forgiveness life and salvation.

The light shines into the darkness and this is what it does. Jesus becomes one of us. He makes His home with us. The word used here to describe God’s dwelling with us is related to the word for tent. You remember that in the Old Testament the people of Israel worshiped God at a tent—the tabernacle. As the people wandered in the wilderness they took the tent with them wherever they went. That’s where God promised to locate His presence. This is where the people went to pray, to receive forgiveness, to celebrate, and gather as a community.

            Since Jesus was born as a human being, we have God’s presence with us again. This time it’s a much more powerful and personal way. God dwells with us as a human being—a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in manger. This is at the same time the Word of God who was there in the beginning—and indeed from all eternity—and a human being just like you and me.

            He hasn’t lost any part of His divinity! He is still just as much God as He was before, but now is also a human being. It’s not like Jesus is some 50-50 mixture of God and man—He’s fully and completely both. This makes Jesus the perfect one to save us. He has to be a human being so that He can die (God can’t die). But He has to be God so that He can rise from the dead (Humans can’t resurrect themselves). Since He is both, it’s no problem for Him at all!

            In this child, we saw God’s presence once again. So we come to Jesus for the same things the people of Israel came to the tabernacle for: we pray in Jesus’ name, receive forgiveness from Him, celebrated the events of His life (as we’re doing today), and we gather together because He’s made us a community.

            He promises still to be with us. Here today, the Word made flesh is dwelling among us for you. He’s with you as you open His Word and read it. (He is the Word after all.) He’s here when you encourage one another with His promises. He’s here when you pray to Him.

He’s here today as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. How wonderful is it that we get to celebrate the Lord’s Supper today? This is the best Christmas present you will receive today. How can you get better than everlasting life?

Today we celebrate Jesus coming to us as a child. Now, in just a few minutes, He also pledges to you that He is just as present here today with His body and blood in the bread and wine as He was in the manger. Jesus comes to you today in the Lord’s Supper to shatter the darkness in your life with the light of His forgiveness.

Jesus is here today because He has made you a child of God. Here at Christmas we don’t celebrate Jesus becoming God’s Son—He had been that from the beginning. Instead we celebrate this: God has made you His child! This didn’t happen because some human decided to make it happen. It happened because God made it happen.

God gave you this gift in the waters of baptism. In this birth of water and the Spirit, God connects you with Jesus. The darkness is drowned and flushed away and Jesus brings His light to us. We get to live as children of God. If we are God’s children then we can be certain that we are forgiven because Jesus, our big brother, died in our place and rose again.

Jesus’ appearance for us shows us that we are children of God. It shows us that we have the light wherever we go. This is good news because there are many people today—even many members of our congregation—who’s Christmas celebration is not what they would like it to be. They are at home alone, they are out on the battle field, they are in the hospital or nursing home, they are still morning one whom they love. They may not have a tree or any lights hung up where they are. But the light of Christ still shines for them. Jesus comes to them in the darkness of their trouble and gives light. It was exactly for people like this, and people like us, that Jesus came into the world.

Know this: should Christmas ever leave you feeling alone or forsaken, Jesus’ light is still for you. You are still God’s child.

So, since we are God’s children, we get to live in the light that He has given us. What does that look like? Be that street filled with Christmas lights. The darkness is still here even though Christ has defeated it. As you wait with eager expectation for the morning to dawn and Christ to appear again, live in His light. There is forgiveness, warmth, love, and security with Him. These are the things you need everyday. May God fill you with them today and forever. Amen. 

Thanksgiving Top 10

As I reflect on this year, there are a lot of things I have to be thankful for. This month I had my last chemo treatment (finally!). I know that your list may be a little different, but I hope that this helps to get us thinking about all of the blessings God has given. (This was published in our November newsletter at Holy Cross. I want to share it with you too.)

10. Faithful Family—My family has been so good to me. Mom and Dad were there for me when I found out I had cancer. Both of them (and my brother Daniel) were able to spend time in the hospital with me (it’s especially impressive because Dad was here for half of Holy Week). All three of my brothers and my parents were able to go with me to chemo at least once. Julia’s parents were also here a lot to help out where they could. They all did what Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

9. Partners in Prayer—I have been overwhelmed by the flood of prayers soaking our Father’s throne in heaven on our behalf. Our merciful Lord was moved to action and has had incredible mercy on me. During the days when I’ve felt the worst it has meant more than most people can imagine knowing that fellow Christians were praying for me here and throughout the world. God says in Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." 

8. Dedicated Doctors—From the first day we found out about cancer, God had His hand at work through the doctors and nurses at Western Missouri Medical Center. Before I even regained consciousness from my colonoscopy, doctors were already planning a way to treat this. It was a Friday morning and a major surgery for the following Tuesday had just been canceled. I was now on the schedule. From my own doctor to intestinal medicine, to surgeons, and oncologists, we have been very thankful for all the doctors I’ve seen. And of course there are the nurses too who helped so much and were able to help me keep a positive attitude throughout chemo. Romans 12:6 says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.”

7. Terrible Treatment—Hear me out when I say this: chemo is the pits! I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy! Most of you didn’t get to see me in the days after treatment (especially the Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Just trust me, it was bad. But these treatments should significantly reduce the chance of anything like this coming back—for this I am thankful. Being knocked so low helped me just begin to grasp what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

6. An African Adventure—Long before any of this ever came up, we began planning our trip to South Africa next summer. When meetings began in January, I wouldn’t have guessed that all this would happen. Since we started working on this so early, we never once have had to think of canceling the trip. I’m thankful for 22 other people who want to join me on this trip and others who have worked so hard to see this happen. We look forward to serving with the people of Ntshongweni to do what Paul says in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

5. My Wonderful Wife—Through all of this, Julia has been amazing. Taking care of me hasn’t always been easy, but she has risen to the challenge. I’ll be honest; there have been days during chemo where I’m not the most pleasant person to be around. Her pleasantness makes up for it and has been a great comfort to me. There’s no way I could have made it without her love and support. Proverbs 31:10-12 must have been talking about her: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”

4. A Delightful Daughter—Hannah was only ten months old when I had surgery. She will probably never remember this nightmare on her own. But I will always be so thankful for how she handled everything. Her laughter and smiles have helped me feel good on the worst days. I’ve been able to spend much more time with her since I’ve been home sick—time that we wouldn’t usually be able to have together. We couldn’t be happier to see her growing up as God’s child each day. Psalm 90:16 says, “Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.”

3. Patient Parishioners—You, the people of Holy Cross have been so patient and loving towards us. You have understood when I’m not able to get everything done. You made sure that things have kept moving. Just look at what’s happened her since April: we’ve completed our 150^th Anniversary and it’s been a wonderful experience. We’ve started our after school care program and begun discussions about more ministry. You have kept things going and the gospel of Jesus continues to go out from our congregation. For this I am incredibly thankful! Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” I can say that it has been a joy to serve with all of you. 

2. Free Forgiveness— Any time you are forced to sit around, your mind can quickly go to all the mistakes you’ve made. The devil can and does certainly use these times to drive us to despair, anger, or hopelessness. Against these, our best weapon is the promise of free forgiveness. I am baptized into Christ! In God’s eyes all of those things are gone because Jesus died to take them away from me.  Mark 2:5 says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

 

1. A Living Lord— When the fear of death hits, where can we turn but to the one who has defeated death and the grave. I’m thankful for Jesus’ resurrection because even though death didn’t get me this time, someday it probably will (unless Jesus comes back first). When that does happen we have a Lord who declares, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

“Wearing Out”

A Sermon on Isaiah 51:4-6

In the Name of Jesus, who is king forever, dear fellow redeemed:

            Some things just don’t last. Look no further than the noble sand castle and you’ll see it’s true. Whether it’s your little brother, other kids on the beach, stray volleyball or the tide, your sand castle will certainly be destroyed. No matter how tall your make it, it will fall. No matter how big your sand civilization becomes, it will be brought to ruin—swiftly and suddenly.

            You can expect things like that with a sand castle. And according to God’s Word before us this morning; you can expect this of the earth itself. Isaiah doesn’t sugar coat it: the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like old clothes. Jesus adds in our Gospel reading:

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

(Mark 13:24-25)

All the people of the earth will die like flies (as other translations say).We don’t mind being compared to animals. Even professional athletes are sometimes given animal nicknames. Kids may try to mimic the trumpeting of an elephant or the roar of a lion, but no one pretends to be a fly. You might call your teammate “Moose” or “Tiger” but no one calls anyone they like, “fly” or “gnat.”

            Yet that is what we are. We may try to dodge the comparison, but we know that we aren’t going to last forever. We can fool ourselves into thinking we are invincible, but we are not. We are all at least a little bit scared of death.

            Just think about how your body is wearing out. Adults see this more and more every day. Our bodies wearing out give us a reminder that the whole creation is fading away. Wars and rumors of wars, as we heard last week, are reminders that the earth itself is on its way out.

            Why don’t we last? It would be a cruel world if God had created us just to die. He didn’t. He made us to live. Death is an interruption in God’s plan. We brought it in when we rebelled against Him. We die because we sin.

            We have no more lasting power than the shirt that wears out, the puff of smoke that blows away, the fly that lives only a few days or the sandcastle that will be destroyed quickly.

            But notice that God uses this half a verse to make a comparison. Sure the heavens, the earth, and humanity won’t last but God’s salvation and righteousness will last forever!

            Everything we’ve talked about so far is temporary and wearing out. Everything else in this passage is eternal. It’s eternal because it’s all God’s action! Notice how many times the word “my” is used. Here’s the list; “My people, my nation, my justice, my righteousness, my salvation, my arms, my arm, my salvation, my righteousness.” All of these things are things that last.

            More importantly, these are all things that God uses for us and gives to us freely. Take the example of God’s arm or arms. He says, “My arm will judge the peoples; and the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait.” God is a spirit. He doesn’t have an “arm” per say. The Old Testament often talks about the LORD in very concrete ways in spite of this.

These personifications of God point to Jesus’ incarnation. In other words the Old Testament talks about God having hands, an arm, or even a nose. But in the New Testament we see it actually happen. God takes on human flesh and is born. He who gave me my eyes and ears, mouth and nose, my reason and all my senses has those same things too.

If you want to see God’s arm, look at Jesus who has two of them. What does Jesus’ arm do? It reaches out in love to heal the sick and raise the dead. His arms are bound as He is arrested and charged with false accusations. Again, His arms are restrained as He is scourged repeatedly. His arms carry your cross to Calvary. His arms are stretched out and nailed to the cross for you.

Just two chapters later in Isaiah we hear about this very thing! Remember these words from Isaiah 53:

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:1, 4-5)

God’s arm was revealed through the humility of Jesus Christ. God exalted Him by raising Him from the dead. His arms still bear the marks of the nails driven there for you. We sang about it in the hymn:

Those dear tokens of His passion still His dazzling body bears,

Cause of endless exultation to His ransomed worshipers.

With what rapture! With what rapture! (here rapture means being carried away by overwhelming emotion) Gaze we on those glorious scars.

(Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending LSB 336)

Jesus’ wounds bring us righteousness and salvation. We are rescued from death and declared innocent of our sins. His washing of water in Baptism makes us His people and His nation. He has done it. He has connected you with Jesus. So what God has joined together, no one can tear apart.

The good news is this; God changes things from death to life, from decay to renewal, from destruction to restoration.

For the past several weeks, we’ve been praying for my Grandma, Jean Ellis. Grandma Jean, as we’ve always called her, is on hospice. The days of her life here on earth appear to be very short.

Grandma always loved butterflies. Her cane, her walker, her cups, and as many things as possible were covered with butterflies were in some sort of butterfly motif. It made it really easy to get something for Grandma for Christmas.

But now as she approaches death, the image of a butterfly is incredibly comforting. Her body is just plain worn out. I can’t help but think of St. Paul’s words in Philippians 3:20-21

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

Butterflies start out as caterpillars—unattractive little grubs that spend their whole lives munching on plants. But they don’t stay that way. They are wrapped up for a transformation—and it’s one of the most incredible of all God’s creation.

The ugly little grub that gets wrapped up comes out as a magnificent butterfly. It is the same creature but completely changed into something with a completely different degree of glory. Could it be that God created butterflies this way just to point to Jesus’ resurrection and our own?

Paul writes in the passage above that Jesus is going to do the same thing to Grandma Jean. He’s going to do the same thing to you and the same thing to me. We know it is true because it has already happened to Him. His body will never wear out again. When He calls you from the grave, your body won’t either.

The perishable must put in the imperishable and the mortal must put on immortality. Then the saying will come true: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

They are gone because Jesus has won. As He says in our Gospel reading, He’s going to send out His angels to gather His elect—that’s you—and bring you to Himself.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ promise to you will not go away. He will keep it for sure. So as you see the world or you won body wearing out. Remember the renewal that God has promised and cling to it.

This weekend, we got our first day of wintery weather. Some of you are already hoping for spring. That’s the sort of attitude God wants us to have as we think about the end of the world. Things will get worse as the world wears out. But we know that God promises to bring life. It’s just like we know that winter is coming, but spring must follow winter. And indeed it will.

May God keep you in this promise forever.

Amen. 

The God of Jacob Listens

A prayer of thanksgiving after the completion of treatment for cancer

written in the style of the Psalms

O LORD, God of Hosts! You are very great.

                O God of Jacob, you have heard my plea,

You have been my rock

                And your steadfast love is my strength

For my body turned against me

                My bowels were in open rebellion

My spirit also was crushed

                I was laid very low.

But you did not let me sink down,

                You persevered by life from the pit

You heard my prayer from the depths; 

                My cry from the brink of despair

You stretched out your arm to help me.

                Your right hand has held me fast.

With steadfast love and mercy You comfort me;

                And brought peace through your Christ.

You forgive sins and pardon transgression for His sake.

                By the power of your Anointed you bring life and save from the pit.

You have surrounded me with your holy ones.

                Your people, O LORD, have shown love for you.

Therefore, I will proclaim your wonders in the congregation.

                I will teach your steadfast love as long as I have my being.

That generations yet unborn my proclaim your glory;

                Our children’s children will sing your praise.

Your Glory, O LORD, is forever!

                Your praise, O God of Jacob, to all generations.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever, Amen. 

Memory Work for 8th Grade

Memory Work

8^th Grade Confirmation

St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Concordia, Missouri

Day	Memory Work
Monday, October 19
Tuesday, October 20	1St Commandment and meaning p. 56, #68 Proverbs 8:11
Thursday, October 22	7th Commandment and meaning p. 85 #197    2 Thessalonians 3:10
Friday, October 23	8th Commandment and meaning p. 87  #210   1 Cor. 13:7
Monday, October 26	9th Commandment and meaning p. 89 #217 1 Timothy 6:6
Tuesday, October 27	10th Commandment and meaning p. 91 #219 Luke 12:15
Thursday, October 29	Close of the Commandments and meaning
Friday, October 30	No Memory Work
Monday, November 2	The Introduction and meaning p. 180 #718 1 John 3:1
Tuesday, November 3	2nd Commandment and meaning p. 61 #71 Matthew 22:37
Thursday, November 5	The First Petition and meaning p.181-182 # 733 Matthew 5:16
Friday, November 6	3rd Commandment and meaning p. 67 #112 Matthew 12:8
Tuesday, November 10	The Second Petition and meaning p. 183-184 #740 Mark 1:15
Wednesday, November 11	4th Commandment and meaning p. 74 #140 Proverbs 23:22
Thursday, November 12	The Third Petition and meaning p. 186 # 752 1 Timothy 2:4
Friday, November 13	5th Commandment and meaning p. 77 #150 Genesis 9:6
Monday, November 16	The Fourth Petition and meaning p. 189-190 #770 Psalm 106:1
Tuesday, November 17	6th Commandment and meaning p. 81 #176 Matthew 19:6
Thursday, November 19	The Fifth Petition and meaning p. 193 #787 Psalm 19:2
Friday, November 20	1St Article of the Creed and meaning p. 93
Monday, November 30	The Sixth Petition and meaning p. 195 # 802 Proverbs 1:10
Tuesday, December 1	2nd Article of the Creed and meaning p. 119-120
Thursday, December 3	The Seventh Petition and meaning p. 198 # 814 2 Corinthians 12:9
Friday, December 3	3rd Article of the Creed and meaning p. 147
Monday, December 7	The Conclusion and meaning p. 200 #820 Psalm 50:15

The Message of the Cross: a sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the rededication of St. John's Lutheran Church, New Minden, IL, on August 9, 2015

When billows blow and dark winds howl

When whirlwinds and cyclones scowl

The young, the old, the timid the bold,

Are all alike as hope grows cold

It was Sunday, November, you recall,

That brought violent weather for the fall

Remember that morning, what could be better?

Baptism and communion—the Lutheran double header!

But worship was over and people departed

That’s about when the trouble all started

The storm quickly turned joy into sorrow

We wondered what would be left standing tomorrow

With storms like this, we remember days past

We’ve become accustom to such a deadly blast

Twice before the village was reduced to sticks

Nineteen ought seven and eighteen ninety-six

The dark wind struck, the storm bared down,

How many would be dead?

The storm went north, it missed our town,

God hit His house instead.

In the Name of Jesus, our shelter in the stormy blast, dear beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

The message of the cross is the power and wisdom of God. But to the world looking on, the proclamation of Christ crucified is nonsense. Why? Paul describes for us the way that the people of his day tried to seek God. Jews ask for signs. Greeks seek wisdom. But we have something better to offer both ourselves and the world. 

Looking for signs or wisdom is people’s natural reaction when they try to figure out God. Either they want some something they can see—as the Jews often demanded Jesus to show them a sign, or they want to learn something—as the Greeks liked wisdom.

When disaster strikes, we try to do the same thing. We think this must be some sort of sign. Tornadoes, however, don’t function well as a positive sign. A tornado has got to be a sign of something negative. Surely I must have done something to make God angry at us. Surely we must be doing something wrong. Or maybe God isn’t there at all. You’d figure after three tornadoes, it must be a sign of something—right?

Maybe if we don’t think of a tornado as a sign, we can also think that maybe God is trying to teach us something. Maybe God is teaching us to be thankful for what we have. Maybe we’re supposed to help our neighbor who is suffering. Maybe we’re supposed to cherish our families. Maybe we’re supposed to have a better understanding of our own mortality. Three tornadoes later, you’d think we’d at least learn something.

Those things are all true. Maybe you’ve even learned them through this experience. If you have, that’s wonderful. God wants us to be thankful, love our neighbor, our families, and be mindful of our own end. But should it take a tornado for us to learn them? We just read the Ten Commandments! We should have learned those things before.

Why did this tornado come here? Why did my house get blown away? Why did my neighbor’s house get blown away and not mine? I don’t know. Dad doesn’t know. We’re not going to try to make up and answer for you.

What we know is this: God calls us instead to look beyond the signs we see with our eyes. He calls us to disregard the wisdom we make up. He calls us to look at something that has been right in front of us the whole time—something that has been there long before any tornado destroyed anything here. He calls us to look to the cross.

The message of the cross is not only the message of Good Friday, but the whole story of what God has done for you. We can see in things like tornadoes that this world is broken. God didn’t plan for disasters like this to happen—ever. They are signs that this world is broken by sin—our sin.

But God couldn’t stand to see His creation broken—including and especially you. In Jesus Christ, God broke into our brokenness and started to fix it. We see this with the way Jesus interacts with His creation. He’s in the boat late one night in a storm. But at His word, the wind and waves have no choice but to stop. He is the one who walks on water, makes the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, and the dead live. In other words, the worst of this world must submit when Jesus shows up.

He did signs. He taught wise things. So in our reading from John 12 we find ourselves on Palm Sunday. The disciples must have thought that finally Jesus was getting the recognition and praise He deserved. Jesus says instead, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)

In other words, Jesus says, “You think this Sunday was awesome—just wait till Friday!” That Friday Jesus would be glorified as He hung there on the cross for you and for me. To the world this would look like absolute foolishness. Jews were looking for a Messiah who would win—not die on a cross like a failure. Greeks were looking for a great wise man—only fools, criminals, and slaves were crucified.

But this is the wisdom and power of God. Jesus would hang there between earth and heaven to be the perfect mediator—God and man. He would be broken for broken people so that they would be whole.

Because Jesus suffered, He is with you in your suffering. We have a God who knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it’s like to feel pain. He knows what it’s like to lose everything. He knows what it’s like to die. So when those things happen to you. Jesus is right there with you.

Let me give you an example. When I was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, the most comforting message came from a fellow pastor back in Missouri who has been through two rounds of what I'm going through. He basically told me, "You know, you've a great surgeon, great doctors, and a great team of nurses. Your prognosis is good. You'll probably make it." Thanks be to God, as of right now, everything is going very well. It looks like all the cancer is gone. But he continued, "You'll probably make it--but you might not. And that's okay because you belong to Christ." 

Those were the most comforting words because they confirmed my fear that this cancer might actually kill me. But better yet, it grounded me in Christ, and in His work for me. It centered me on the Message of the Cross.

The message of the cross isn’t just the message of Good Friday, it’s also the message of Easter! Yes, Jesus did fall into the ground like a seed and die. But He was just being planted. When you plan a seed it grows! Jesus rose again from the dead to guarantee to you that your sins are forgiven—to promise you that you have everlasting life—to give you hope in trouble that death is done.

Even in trouble you have the hope of resurrection. Job said in his distress. 

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27)

The message of the cross helps us to trust even when God doesn’t do exactly what we want. Just look at the people of Israel in the reading from Numbers 21. The people complain. God sends snakes. The people repent. Notice what they say: “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” (Numbers 21:7)

Notice what God did. Did He take away the snakes like the people asked? NO! Instead He gave them a promise—look at the snake on the stick and you will live. Snakes are still there, and God calls His people to trust in Him.

God calls us to do the same thing. He’s worked forgiveness life and salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He calls you to look to Him in faith and receive the promise for ourselves.

That’s why you’ve come here today. You know that today you’re not going to hear someone trying to interpret signs or give you some good advice as we move forward. You came here today because Jesus is here. You came here to listen and receive once again that message of the cross.

As we dedicate the baptismal font, altar, lectern and pulpit today, listen to the promises that God has made concerning what happens here. God promises to be here with His life giving forgiveness and saving pardon.

We sum it up in one of the verses of the hymn we’re about to sing:

Here stand the font before our eyes, telling how God has received us.

The altar recalls Christ sacrifice and what His Supper here gives us.

Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same

and evermore our Redeemer.

The baptismal font may be a new color, but God will still remind you of the promise He made to you years ago each time you see a new Christian baptized. This pulpit looks a little different too. From it preachers have come and gone. But each Sunday you will hear the saving message of the Cross. The altar looks way different, but God will still give you Jesus here for forgiveness, life, and salvation with His body and His blood. The church looks a little different; it even has that “new church smell”. But here you will gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ—just as generations have at St. John’s for 169 years. You gather so that you would receive God’s promises and together be built up in Him.

The point is this—why would you ever want to be missing? You’ve missed being in here—haven’t you? Now that the church is back, don’t be missing yourself.

Here you’ll hear the message of the cross. Since it is the power and wisdom of God, we can use the things that seem to be signs and wisdom to talk about Christ and Him crucified. When people wonder if they were hit because they feel like God has it in for them, remind them that all of our sins were taken away at the cross. When they feel like God isn’t there, tell them that God is with us in our suffering because Jesus died for us. When they ask you what you learned, you can say that you learned that Christ is our only hope. He is there for us even with nothing else makes sense. 

            

            I bring you greetings this morning from your brothers and sister in Christ at Holy Cross in Emma where I serve. I can tell you for sure, that the people there are so excited for you today.

People back in Emma aren’t that different from you. Rural Illinois and rural Missouri are quite similar. After three years of living out there I can tell you that really the only difference is that in Missouri we have these things called “hills”. They’re these big mounds of earth that make it harder to grow wheat so most people have more cattle. But other than that, the people are very much like you. 

Actually, it was kind of spooky when we got the call documents--town of 200, congregation of 300 some, cow pasture out back--it was just like going home! Emma is very much like New Minden. I have no doubt that they would have responded just like you did in the days after the tornado.

It was kind of nice to be able to use you all as a good example. I was able to go back to them the next Sunday and pray that God would give us, in Emma, the same perspective that He was giving you, here, in those days after the storm. It’s really easy to see the need when people’s lives and homes have been ripped apart. It’s easy to see the need when the church is half gone. But it’s really hard to see the needs around us when they aren’t staring us in the face. Who looks for the family  where the marriage is going sort of rocky? Who looks for the person with the addiction to drugs or alcohol? Who looks for the people who are doubting, have lost hope, or are simply lonely?

So, are we looking for the needs of our community? We don’t have to look too hard. If we find a need to we feel compassion? If we feel compassion will we be moved to action? I pray that God would give us the same perspective—His perspective. Remember what happened in the days after the tornado:

Before the stones could finish falling

God’s people began to answer the calling

You are God’s house of living stones

A truth that you know way down in your bones

You came with your truck, backhoe, and tractor

Red, yellow, orange, or green it wasn’t a factor

You came with fried chicken, casseroles and pies

Folks always came in to a tasty surprise

You picked up debris across country side and fields

You helped the farms protect their yields 

You were there for the broken, crushed, and frustrated

You shared Christ’s hope that makes us elated

Now that the stones are all back in their place,

And we’ve gathered for worship again in this space

A challenge I’ll offer, if I may be so bold,

A challenge that comes to you—twofold

You did it, you loved God and served your neighbor

You showed with your work and your labor

How will you love now that news trucks are gone?

And the governor’s not standing out on the church lawn?

It’s still true for you, the washing with water

That’s where God made you His son or His daughter

Why wouldn’t you come, each time you are able

To receive forgiveness at the Lord’s Table?

So when billows blow and dark winds howl

When whirlwinds and cyclones begin their scowl

Remember God’s mercy, you’ll know what to do,

Share the message of the cross, what Christ’s done for you.

Amen.