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The Test to Strengthen Faith

1/30/2022

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public Domain.

Epiphany 4
Matthew 8:23-27
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
January 30, 2022

In 1 Kings 18, the Prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to determine who the true God is, the LORD or Baal. Each party set up an altar and prepared a bull to be sacrificed, but neither the false prophets or Elijah set their offering on fire. Instead, they prayed to their god for him to send fire down from heaven. The prophets of Baal went first. After hours of crying out to Baal and dancing around like pagans, Elijah began to mock them saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” (2 Kings 18:27) Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal in this way, because their god was no true God. Baal did not make man in his own image, but rather a bunch of men made Baal after their own imaginations, with needs and wants just like their own. But the LORD, the true God, whom Elijah served, who did send fire down from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice, was not like Baal that he would muse, or relieve himself, or go off on a journey, or sleep. The LORD is not like a man that he does these things. He transcends mankind. He is all-knowing, omnipresent, and eternal. He has no body that he should relieve himself or go to sleep. So, Elijah rightly mocks these prophets of Baal for worshiping a false god, who cannot answer prayers.

Yet, the Jesus, whom we confess to be God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made, this Jesus does muse. He frequently goes off by himself to meditate in a desolate place and pray. His ministry is described as peripatetic, meaning, that he wanders around, going on journeys. He is recorded to have eaten and drunk like any other man. And here, in our Gospel lesson, we find this Jesus asleep and his disciples must awaken him. Everything Elijah says to mock the false god Baal, we find our Jesus doing here on earth! What does this mean?

Well, this means that our Jesus is truly a man. He doesn’t just appear to be a man, as some have supposed. He is a real, flesh and blood human, just like us, yet, without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Our Lord got hungry. Our Lord needed time by himself to think and pray. And yes, our Lord got tired and slept. Jesus worked hard, traveling, teaching, and preaching, and healing every type of disease. This took a toll on Christ. It tired him out. And so, as anyone who has ever put in more than a full day’s work can sympathize with, he fell asleep. So worn out was he, that the tumultuous waves served only to rock him as he slumbered.

Yet, does this mean that Jesus is not God? By no means. As Jesus is truly a man, he remains God. Although he sleeps here on earth, he remains in full control of the universe on his throne in heaven. Just as Christ held the universe in his hand while he was yet an unborn baby in his mother’s womb, so Jesus continues to be God as he lies tired and worn in the stern of the boat. Jesus’ human nature does not diminish his divine nature. Jesus’ humiliation does not inhibit his ability to rule as God. This is the mystery of the Personal Union of Christ. He is one person, yet man and God at the same time. He sleeps through the storm even while controlling the weather on the entire planet.

This means that Jesus’ nap does not make him unaware of his disciples’ problem. He does not sleep ignorant of the danger of the wind and the waves. Nevertheless, he sleeps. Yet, why does he sleep? Why does he seem so unconcerned for their safety? Why does he permit his friends to tremble in fear that they might drown, so that St. Mark records them crying out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”? This behavior of our God was not introduced when he became man. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Even when the people of God knew that God had no body and no need to sleep, the Psalmist still cried out to the Lord in Psalm 44, “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!”

Why does Jesus put his disciples through this trial? The answer is given by Jesus, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Jesus puts them through this trial to strengthen their weak faith. This is always why God puts us through trials, so that we may come out stronger in the end. This might seem cruel when you go through such a fright, but you’re always better off when you endure. There was a great storm, and afterward Jesus provided a great calm to make up for it. The sailors on Jonah’s ship were certainly frightened that they would lose their lives. They didn’t want to go through such a storm. Yet, they rejoiced in the true God afterward and inherited eternal life. This is why the Psalmist says, “It was good that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71) A stronger faith is always worth the trial, because faith is what unites us to Christ and saves us.

The disciples suffered from a weak faith. A weak faith is another way of saying that they served false gods. We learn from the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” that whatever you fear, love, or trust in most is your god. The disciples were confident when they went out on the boat when the water was calm and the wind gentle. Did they embark in the boat, because they trusted in God? No. They embarked, because they trusted in the calm sea and gentle winds. Yet, when the storm suddenly arose and poured water into their boats, did they fear the Lord? No, they feared the water and the waves. The storm proved their weak faith; it exposed their false gods.

Yet, the disciples did have faith. Their faith was weak. It needed to be strengthened. And so, as God has done many times to those whom he loves, Jesus tested his disciples, so that they would call upon him for help and see his power to save.

Jesus proved that he is God by commanding the wind and the sea, and they obeyed him. The wind and sea do not have faith in Christ. They simply obey him out of necessity. They are creatures. Jesus is the creator. Likewise, Jesus healed many diseases. The diseases did not have faith in Christ, although many of those suffering from them did. Yet, the diseases needed to obey Jesus, because he has the power to restore his creation. After this episode, Jesus comes across a couple men possessed by thousands of demons. The demons obey Jesus’ command to leave the men, not because they have faith, but because Jesus is God.

Yet, faith is different. Jesus does not force us to believe and trust in him against our will, as he stills the sea or casts out demons against their will. Our sinful will is indeed unwilling to believe in Jesus, but Christ does not use force. Rather, Jesus makes us willing by the power and persuasiveness of his Word. To have faith in Christ means to willingly follow him and to willingly obey him. Only the Gospel has the power to create such willingness of faith, because only the Gospel promises life and salvation. Yet, Christ does use the preaching of the Law and trials in this life to prepare the heart to accept the Gospel. The Law condemns you as a sinner, as a worshipper of false gods. Trials in life reinforce the message of the Law. The storm on the sea exposed the fact that the disciples trusted in the weather instead of Christ. Yet, the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed many times caused them to call out to Christ for help when their false god failed them. And when he calmed the sea, they knew that Jesus is God.

God uses our troubles to direct us to the Gospel. They make us weak and needy. The Gospel is for the weak and needy, because the Gospel offers pure grace and forgiveness. This is why St. Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) He is strong, because he knows the Gospel. And the weaker he is, the closer he clings to the Gospel. Yet, if you neglect the Gospel and try to solve your problem, searching for other gods or trying to be your own god, then there will be no end to your misery.

The Gospel comforts the weak and troubled, because it reveals how our God saves the weak and troubled. Our God became a man, just like us except without sin, as we see in our Lord Jesus. He died for us to take away our sins. That man, nailed to the cross dying, remained God, the creator of the universe, the righteous and holy judge. So, by virtue of that Personal Union, that man who died for our sins is also our God. That means that our sins are forgiven, because no sin is greater than God’s righteousness. In this Gospel, we see the certainty of our salvation. We see the depth of God’s love for us. In Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, we see that our Savior is in complete control. This is the Gospel that convinces us of God’s love, that gives us comfort in our trials and faith that God will bring us through them.

Does God love you? Look at Jesus and how he died for you while you were still a sinner and tell me that God does not love you. Is Jesus able to rescue you? Look at him who rose from the grave after paying the debt of mankind’s sin and ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and tell me that Jesus is not able to rescue you. There is not a trial you go through that God has not given you. All your suffering is limited by God’s discretion. He may appear to be sleeping; he may seem to be far away, but he is surely watching and ready to answer your prayers. He desires for you to hold on to him closer, to call upon him in every need, to willingly obey him with perfect trust that he will take care of you.

God’s silence should not tell us that God does not care. Even when Jesus is sleeping, he is aware of his disciples’ troubles. Rather, God’s silence should draw us closer to him, to trust that he is in control, and most importantly, to recognize that he is not silent. He speaks to us today, in the midst of your trial, in his Gospel. What do you need from the Lord? What do you need to know from him? He has already given you everything in Christ Jesus. He has revealed his love for you in the Gospel. The Gospel reveals to you that God has already given you everything you need. If you lose everything, but have Christ, you have lost nothing. You have won. And such knowledge will strengthen you to weather every trial on earth, knowing that all things work out for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28). Amen.

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The Power and Consolation of Christ’s Word

1/24/2022

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Jesus Healing the Servant of the Centurion, Paolo Veronese. 1585. Public Domain.

Epiphany 3
Matthew 8:1-13
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
January 23, 2022

The Epiphany season is about Jesus being revealed as God in the flesh. Jesus is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, just as he is true man, born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus, being God, is all-powerful. He has the power to heal diseases, to raise the dead, turn water into wine and calm storms on the high seas. He has the power to forgive sins and grant eternal salvation. And the centurion in our Gospel lesson teaches us that Jesus’ power to save is delivered to us in his word. “Only say the word, and my servant will be healed,” he says.

The centurion knows this, because he too is a man under authority with soldiers under him. He says to one soldier, do this, and he does it, and to another come here, and he comes. So, this military captain knows that Jesus too can say a word and his word will be obeyed. This is most certainly true. When the prophets of the Old Testament spoke, they said, “Thus says the Lord!” God’s word remained God’s word, even when spoken by strange men, who dressed in strange clothing. Likewise, Jesus says to his apostles, “The one who hears you hears me…” (Luke 10:16).

In Jesus’ Word is life and salvation. He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) But you do not need to hear these words directly from the mouth of Christ in order for them to set you free. No, these words deliver freedom, forgiveness, and salvation even when they are spoken by sinners. Otherwise, there would be no benefit in God causing his Word to be written in Holy Scripture. No, God’s Word remains powerful to save when it is spoken by anyone! And Christ promises that his word will be effective when spoken by his servants whom he has sent.

This is the message Naaman had to learn. He doubted that the Jordan River could wash off his leprosy. He preferred the rivers of Damascus. He can think what he likes about the Jordan River, but the prophet spoke a word from the Lord, “Wash, and be clean.” So, when Naaman submitted to God’s word, he was cleansed. Likewise, we know there is power to cleanse from sins in our Baptism; not because the water is special; not because the pastor who performed the Baptism is special; but because Jesus has commanded that all nations be baptized and he has promised forgiveness and salvation in Baptism (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). The power to save in Baptism is in Jesus’ word.

Jesus’ words deliver his salvation with power. That is why a sinful man is able to declare to you that your sins are forgiven, and they are forgiven before Christ Jesus in heaven. This is why the right hand of God is able to bend down to us here on earth and feed us Christ’s true body and blood, a peace-meal for sinners on earth to commune with heaven. The power to save is in Jesus’ word. And that power to save remains even when Jesus’ word is repeated by his lowly servants.

Because Jesus’ salvation is delivered through his word, it is received through faith. The power is in Jesus’ word, not in our works, because Christ Jesus has done all the work for us. His word declares the promise, faith receives the promise as a gift. This is why Jesus praises the centurion’s faith. “Let it be done as you have believed.” This is the same as saying, “Let it be done according to my word.” Faith clings to the word. And so, faith receives the honor of having accomplished what the word accomplishes. We declare that faith alone saves, because God’s word alone saves. God’s word saves, because his word delivers Salvation to us.

Christ Jesus has done everything to save us. He has accomplished the work. When he said, “It is finished.”, from the cross, he declared that all the work needed to accomplish our salvation is complete. All our sins are paid for. Our debt is gone before our Father in heaven. Satan has lost his teeth. The gates of heaven are open. Salvation is a free gift. It is now Jesus’ word that delivers that gift and our faith which receives it. Faith can grasp forgiveness for every sin you’ve ever committed, because that is what God’s word gives.

This also means that salvation is for all people. Faith does not depend on who your parents are or what nation you’re from. The centurion was a Gentile. He was not a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He wasn’t of the house of Israel. Yet, he had faith, even greater faith than any found in Israel. And so, he was welcome at the feast of salvation in the kingdom of heaven. This is why Jesus prophesies that many shall come from the east and the west and join Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at table in the kingdom of heaven. This faith which saves is for all nations. This word that delivers salvation will travel the whole world and save all who believe it. Jesus is the Christ promised to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Few would have imagined that the Christ would gather sheep from all nations, even across oceans and continents, and join them into one flock, his Holy Christian Church. But this is exactly what Jesus does.

That even the Gentiles are saved through faith is a great surprise for those Jews, who thought they were special, because they were descendants of Abraham. Yet, what this means, is that even those descendants of Israel, who do not have faith will not be saved. That is why Jesus says, “while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” No one is saved simply because he is a physical descendent of Israel. Faith alone saves.

Yet, if not even the sons of the kingdom, as Jesus calls them, are saved without faith, how much less those outside Israel. This message of Jesus is not meant to cause animosity against the Jews, but to sternly warn both Jews and Gentiles that if they reject Christ’s word, they cannot be saved. Saving faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Those who reject Jesus’ word, refuse to hear it, refuse to believe it, ignore it and refuse to let it change them, will be condemned.

No one preaches more about hell in the Bible than Jesus. In this text he calls it the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The outer darkness means that the damned will be forever separated from Christ, who is the light of the world. Having rejected his word, they will never be allowed to hear his Gospel again. His message of salvation will forever be silenced to them. Weeping means that there will be constant sorrow and suffering. Those in hell will not partake of the good cheer of the feast of salvation enjoyed by those who believed. Gnashing of teeth means that those in hell will suffer from great hatred and futile frustration over their lost salvation. Gnashing teeth never accomplishes anything. It is done by those who have not hope and no solution. They and damned to eternal regret and resentment.

So, we pray that we would not resist God’s grace or depend on our own virtue, that we would not be so foolish as to think God’s word is unimportant or that we can continue in the faith without hearing it. Faith alone saves us from eternal hell, from the outer darkness severed from Christ, where there is no comfort and only constant frustration and agony. Faith in Christ is able to hold forgiveness for every sin you’ve ever committed, to grant you certainty of salvation. Yet, if you reject the faith, reject the forgiveness of sins, reject Jesus’ work given to you by his word, then there is nothing that can save you.

Jesus has the power to save you, to forgive your sins and give you a seat in the kingdom of heaven. That’s obvious. Jesus is God. Of course, he can forgive you. Of course, he can save you. Yet, that’s not enough for your faith for Jesus to be able to save you. Your faith must know that he is willing to save you. The leper at the beginning of our Gospel lesson was so blessed to hear Jesus say, “I will; be clean.” Jesus told him that he wants to make him clean. What a comforting message. “I can and I will help you. I want to make you whole and I will.”

Faith needs this affirmation. Knowing that Jesus can do something will never be enough if he doesn’t want to do something. Jesus’ word not only carries the power to forgive and save, but it declares to you Jesus’ willingness to forgive and save.

In John 3, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In John 20, Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” In 1 Timothy 2, Jesus’ apostle Paul declares, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Again, he said in chapter 1, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”. Again, St. Paul seeks to persuade us, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6)

The leper was blessed to hear Jesus say, “I will; be clean.” Jesus says the same to you! Why would he die for you, if he did not desire to save you from your sins? Why would he command that the Gospel be preached to every creature, if he did not desire to save all? Jesus wants you to believe that he is willing to forgive you. That is why he has commanded that it be preached to you.

In your Baptism, you have your declaration from Jesus, “I will; be clean.” In the Absolution, you have Jesus’ declaration, “I will.” The proclamation of the Gospel, which Jesus commanded to be preached to every nation, is not complete without the clear message that Jesus wills to save you. He desires to forgive you. He wants you to be with him at the feast of salvation.

All this is revealed to us in Christ’s word. His word delivers to us the power of salvation and the power to hold on to that salvation in faith. If you hold Christ’s word in faith, then nothing can separate you from Christ. Then you are a true son and daughter of the Lord with a rightful seat at his table in the kingdom of heaven. So, we pray that his word would never depart from us, but would ever hold fast to it, gladly hear and learn it, and find the greatest comfort by it. Amen.

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The Joy of the Gospel

1/18/2022

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Wedding at Cana, James Tissot, 1886-94. Public Domain.

Epiphany 2
John 2:1-11
Pastor James Preus

Trinity Lutheran Church
January 16, 2022

St. John tells us that there were six stone water jars at this wedding for the Jewish rites of purification. These six stone water jars are a symbol of the Law. They are made of stone. God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on tablets of stone. Stone has no feeling, no emotion. The commandments of the Law are cold and calculated. They tell you what to do and what not to do. They do not ask you what you feel about it. They don’t care if you find them difficult.

These stone water jars held water for the Jewish rites of purification. This shows that the Law can only affect the outside, but it can do nothing to improve the inside. The Commandments can tell your hands and feet what to do, your tongue, eyes, and ears. The commandments can even tell your heart how to be, but it cannot change your heart. Like water used for ceremonial washing, it touches only the outside skin, but never purifies the heart within.

And there are six stone water jars. The Lord said in the Law, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” (Exodus 20:9-10a) Sabbath means rest. But there are only six stone jars. There is no seventh. That is because there is no true Sabbath rest under the Law. The Law gives you no rest. It commands you to do, but it never rewards you for having done, because you cannot fulfill what the Law commands. These six stone water jars are a symbol of the six days of labor. Yet, since there is no Sabbath, these six days roll into the next in an endless cycle of incomplete, imperfect work that never accomplishes what it is intended to accomplish.

And these six stone jars are at a wedding feast. And this shows that marriage too is under the Law. It has to be. The Law was added because of sin (Galatians 3:19). Sin is the destruction of what is good. God made marriage good in the Garden of Eden. Sin ruined marriage. So, the Law is added to marriage to keep it in tact, lest it be completely destroyed. So, these six stone jars sit at this wedding as a reminder that the Law must govern marriage as well.

“First comes love, then comes marriage”, so says the children’s rhyme. Yet, wisdom tells us that love alone cannot hold a marriage together, if love is interpreted as a mere emotion. Love as an emotion is fickle and quickly gives way to hate. If what is holding your relationship together is simply a good feeling, well that relationship will soon fall apart when feelings change. And because we are sinners, feelings do change, and for the worse! Sinners don’t think about others, but about themselves and what they want. But that cannot hold a marriage together.

So, the Law must govern marriage with dos and do-nots. And because we are so inclined to sin, rules are added on to the rules God has made. If you want a list of rules on how to keep your marriage in tact you can find plenty of used books for sale, books filled with dos and don’ts for a successful marriage. This is always how the Law works. Even those six stone water jars were not commanded by God, but were invented by men as an additional rule to keep people in line. Yet, if God’s own commands are ineffective in changing our hearts so that we truly love and desire to do what is right, our man-made rules certainly fail. In fact, they often have the opposite effect than what is desired.

And so, sinners despise the Law. They don’t like being told not to do what they want to do. So, they try to reform the Law to be easier to keep. This is no truer than with marriage. God has given us good commandments concerning marriage. Scripture gives three purposes to marriage: 1. Life long companionship; 2. Chastity; and 3. Children. And the rules God gives seek to protect these purposes for marriage. Yet, people are dissatisfied with these rules. They’re hard to keep. So, they try to change them.

Christ said of marriage, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:6) This rule was so strict, it even caused his own disciples to say, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” (vs 10) And because many find it too hard, they have changed the rule. What God has joined together many have separated without biblical grounds. Calling divorce a sin is considered archaic. Jesus must have been naïve when he preached against divorce. He set an unrealistic standard. And so, Jesus’ standard is dismissed. God’s first purpose of marriage, companionship is rejected.

Most people no longer consider sex outside of marriage a sin. It’s the norm now. Only a prude would make a big deal of it. Of course, to maintain this norm millions of babies have been sacrificed at the altar of sexual freedom. Many more have been deprived a stable home with a mother and father. Millions of young women and men have suffered incredible heartbreak on account of this foolhardy sexual reform, but no one will admit the mistake. The next generation is already being indoctrinated into the new sexual orthodoxy by countless media. Jesus’ warning to keep even your eyes free from adultery has been ignored. And so, countless hearts and souls have been stolen not only from spouses but from God in this age of readily available obscene material. But, because many find it difficult to resist temptation, they simply deny that such lusts are a sin. God’s second purpose for marriage, chastity, is also rejected.

Finally, people despise children. They don’t think they do. They just value other things much more. But God doesn’t. Children are rejected, because people fear that they won’t be able to have all the other things they want. God must not have been serious when he said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” People do not trust that God will actually feed every mouth he creates and provide for their little ones. And so, instead of letting God’s Law transform their view of marriage, people change the Law to fit their own views.

People hate the Law, so they change the rules. They hate those stone jars, so they want to destroy them. This is called antinomianism. Antinomianism means to be opposed to the Law.

Yet, Jesus comes and turns the water into wine. He has the servants fill the water to the top. He does not destroy the six stone jars. Jesus comes to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it. Now, the contents of the jars are not useless water for ceremonial cleansing, which never actually clean the inside or change the heart. Now the jars are filled with wine.

The wine is a symbol of the Gospel. The Gospel changes your heart as wine works on the inside to gladden the heart of man (Psalm 104:15). The Gospel doesn’t just pour over your body. It isn’t like cold hard stone. It is lively. It reaches inside of you and changes your heart, so that you feel and think differently.

The Gospel does not make you hate the Law. The Gospel does not make you resent the rules God has given you or turn you into an antinomian. No, the Gospel gives you an affection toward the righteousness of the Law, because Christ has fulfilled it perfectly. The Gospel creates an affection for Christ and his work of righteousness.

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus, true God and true man, has fulfilled the Law in your place and died for all your sins against the Law, so that you are forgiven and saved through faith alone. So, one who believes in the forgiveness of sins, does not hate the Law, even though the Law formerly condemned him. No, the one who believes the Gospel rejoices in the righteousness of the Law, because Christ has fulfilled it in love. Not a mere emotional love, but a love that is made known in action; a love, which causes the lover to sacrifice himself and to suffer for others.

Jesus loved the Lord God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind. You do not resent that the Law commands that of you, because Christ Jesus has fulfilled it perfectly and gives his obedience to you as a gift. You do not resent that the Law commands that you love your neighbor as yourself, because Jesus has perfectly loved the world, even his enemies who murdered him. You rejoice that God’s Law commands such great love, because Jesus has fulfilled it perfectly and gives you the credit to be received through faith.

And so too, you do not resent God’s Law, which governs marriage, even though you often find the rules too difficult. Jesus has perfectly kept God’s Law concerning marriage, and anyone who believes the Gospel sees that this is very good! St. Paul compares marriage to Jesus’ relationship with his Church. Wives are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. The teaching that wives should submit to their husbands is another rule of the Law, which has been rejected. People don’t like the rule, so they change it. But St. Paul shows us how we should not hate this rule or reject it, but rejoice in it.

The Church is Jesus’ bride. He is faithful to her. He will never divorce her. Rather he forgives all her sins. He baptizes her and presents her holy and without blemish. He provides for her all that she needs. And the Church willingly submits to Christ. It is not a burden to her. Submitting to Christ means that she submits to his love, forgiveness, and faithfulness. It means that she trusts in him for every good thing and is not disappointed. And so, Christian wives too should not resent submitting to their husbands, because this is pleasing to Christ. By submitting to her husband, a wife submits to her Lord Jesus, who bought her with his own blood, forgives her, and will always provide for her.

Likewise, Christian husbands should not resent the command to lay down their lives out of love for their wives. By loving his wife, caring and providing for her and forgiving her, a husband confesses what Christ Jesus has done for him and his whole Church. And neither husband or wife should resent these standards, because they fail to keep them. Rather they should rejoice that Jesus has perfected them. No husband will love his wife perfectly as Christ loved the Church, but through faith both husband and wife receive that perfect love. And this perfect love of Christ not only secures eternal salvation to husband and wife and all who believe, but it also preserves and strengthens marriage. Emotional love can’t keep marriage together. Rules and regulations build a fragile veneer. But faith in the love of Christ produces an active love that considers the needs of the other above its own. When husband and wife are willing to repent to each other and to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven them, their marriage is secure.

When Jesus turned water into wine, he saved the wedding. He didn’t cause the problem, but he certainly solved the problem. Jesus fixes what he does not break. He pays for sins he did not commit. And so, we find in Jesus, forgiveness of all our sins. In Jesus’ Gospel, we find the Law we have failed to keep, perfectly fulfilled, so that it no longer condemns us. In the Gospel we have a drink that will never run out, but will gladden our hearts forever. Amen.

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Baptism of our Lord

1/9/2022

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Baptism of Christ, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1665. Public Domain.

Matthew 3:13-17
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
January 9, 2022

In the Grimm’s fairytale Snow White, the wicked witch tricks Snow White into biting into a poisonous apple. She does this by poisoning only one half of the apple. The witch takes a bite out of the nonpoisonous half of the apple to convince Snow White that the apple is safe so that she unwittingly takes a bite out of the poisonous half. This concept is understandable to a child or anyone who has cut out the brown part of an apple or banana to eat the good fruit left over. But this concept doesn’t work with water. If you put poison into a cup of water, you can’t drink from the nonpoisonous side of the cup. Whatever mixes with water mixes with all the water. Children with lots of siblings understand this when it comes to bath time. If a child has several siblings take a bath before him, he might not want to get in the tub until the water is changed, because that water that had been used for cleaning has been made dirty by mixing with the filth that washed off the other children.

And this might explain John the Baptist’s hesitancy when Jesus came to be baptized by him. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Sinners came to John to be baptized. But Jesus had no sin. John knew this. Jesus is the sinless Son of God. He has no need to be baptized. He has no need to repent of his sins or have them washed away. Should Jesus enter the sinner’s water and be defiled by their sin? But Jesus does not come to be baptized for his own sake. He came to be baptized for the sake of sinners. Jesus joins himself to the baptismal waters to remove sin from us and to give us his righteousness.

The Baptism into which you are baptized is the same Baptism of Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he joined himself to the sinner’s Baptism. He joined himself to those waters. All our sin goes into those waters, and Jesus takes them from us. And all of Jesus’ righteousness goes into those waters and is given to us. What is joined to the water becomes everyone’s who enters those waters.

A crass analogy is a washing machine with detergent. When laundry is put into the wash and the water pours in, the dirt and filth is mixed with the water. You’d think it would pollute all the clothes and leave them filthy. Yet, because enough water is added to dilute the filth and detergent is mixed with the water, the clothes come out not smelling offensive, but fresh like the clean detergent. Jesus is the detergent. Yet, he is much more than that. Our sin is our filth. But the sins of the whole world cannot compete with the righteousness of Christ. When our sin meets Jesus’ righteousness, Jesus’ righteousness wins. Our sins are washed away and gone forever. This is why Baptism is a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, a washing which forgives sins and saves. Jesus is joined to the waters of Baptism. When we see our Baptism, we see our Lord Jesus who joined himself to it. In Baptism we see our confidence in the face of sin, death, and hell.

Yet, many despise Baptism and find no value in it. “How can water do such great things?”, they ask. “Water is an outward thing, so it cannot do anything to save. Outward things cannot save, only inward things can save. Baptism is a work; works cannot save.” Yet, God has chosen to use Baptism to save us. And we should not despise the water of Baptism, because God has chosen to use water to save us. He used water to save Noah and his family when he passed judgement on the world with a global flood. He used water to save the children of Israel when he brought them out of Egypt through the Red Sea. He used water to testify of our salvation when water and blood poured from our Savior’s side when a soldier pierced his dead body upon the cross. God chooses to use water to save, so we should rejoice in that water.

When Jesus came out of the water, God the Father from heaven declared him to be his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. The Children of Israel were once baptized through the Red Sea when they exited Egypt. God told Moses, “You shall say to Pharoah, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “let my son go that he may serve me.”’” Israel was indeed the LORD’s firstborn, who passed through the baptismal waters of the Red Sea. Yet, he became disobedient in the wilderness forty years and most of them perished before they saw the Promised Land. Jesus is the second Israel. He is God’s true firstborn from eternity, now taking the place of Israel in human flesh. After he passes through the baptismal waters of the Jordan, he will sojourn in the wilderness for forty days battling Satan. And he will come out victorious. Jesus’ Baptism marks the beginning of his ministry, a ministry he accomplishes perfectly. Jesus strives with Satan and wins. Jesus obeys his Father completely. He proclaims the gospel in perfect love, heals and provides for the sick and poor. Jesus is the perfect son Israel failed to be; he accomplishes what we have failed to accomplish. And blamelessly he goes to slaughter to bear the sins of the world.

This is why Jesus’ Baptism is so important. You cannot separate Jesus’ Baptism from his work of salvation: his perfect obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection. This means that you cannot separate your Baptism from Christ Jesus, his righteousness and atonement for your sins. This is why you should look at your Baptism as your greatest treasure and source of confidence.

Do you have sin for which you are ashamed? Have you failed to hold God above all things, to be diligent in reading and hearing his word and praying to him? Have you loved your neighbor and forgiven your enemies? Have you always been honest? Are you ever lazy? Do you ever lose your temper? Do you speak well of others? Do you ever lie? Are you in control of your fleshly desires? If you know God’s Law and believe it is good, then these questions will bring you to shame. How can you stand before God when such sins stand against your conscience? Are you baptized? Then your sins have been put on Christ and Christ’s obedience has been put on you. Look at Jesus, the Good Son. He clothes you with himself in your Baptism.

So, since your Baptism joins you to Christ and his work of salvation, your Baptism gives you confidence to confess God as your own Father. You are his beloved child with whom he is well pleased. All your sins have gone into the waters of Baptism and have been washed away in Jesus’ blood. And All Christ’s righteousness and obedience have been washed onto you, so that you come out smelling of the sweet aroma of Christ Jesus. “I am Baptized”, means, “I am a child of God with whom he is well pleased.”

Since Baptism joins you to Christ, it gives you courage to face Satan and resist him. Many slander the Christian religion by saying that if Christ has paid for our sins and we receive credit for his obedience by faith, then why don’t we go on sinning. But that would totally contradict Baptism. In Baptism your sins are washed away and you are clothed in Christ. This means that you desire to live as Christ. As Christ passed through the Baptismal waters and went into the wilderness to strive with Satan and resist temptation, so we must go from our Baptism to fight with Satan. And by the power of Baptism, we can overcome Satan. We can resist the temptation of the flesh, the allurements of the world, and the lies of Satan by looking at the true promises given to us in our Baptism. Who are you? The world does not determine this. Your birth according to the flesh does not determine this. Your Baptism does. And your Baptism calls you God’s Child, a bearer of Christ’s righteousness and name. Furthermore, your Baptism promises a continued flow of forgiveness for every time you stumble in battle against the devil. Although the waters of your Baptism have long since dried up, the forgiveness that Christ gives you in your Baptism never stops flowing as long as you receive it in faith.

And so, finding your identity in Baptism, you are given an eagerness to lover your neighbor and do good to those who hate you. You are Christ’s! You have all that he has. Christ being Lord of all came to earth to serve all, and so you, having been set free from all bondage and becoming a lord in Christ now serve your God and your neighbor in perfect freedom. Live today as you believe you will live with him in heaven, in righteousness and purity forever.

In Jesus’ Baptism, we see a manifestation of the Holy Trinity. That is why we celebrate Jesus’ Baptism at Epiphany. We hear the Father’s voice from heaven declare Jesus his beloved Son. We see the Son standing in the water being anointed with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Scripture tells us that everything must be established by two or three witnesses   (Deuteronomy 19:15, John 8:17). What better witnesses can we have than the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. In Jesus’ Baptism they bear witness that they come in peace, as is illustrated by the dove. They bear witness that Jesus is our Savior, who washes our sins away, so that whoever is joined to him is pleasing to our Father in heaven. They bear witness that they are one indivisible God.

In your Baptism, although you do not see them, you have the same three Persons of the Holy Trinity bearing witness. The one and only God testifies that you are joined to Christ’s death and resurrection, that all your sins are washed away. The one Triune God confesses you to be his child and anoints you with the Holy Spirit, so that you too are a little christ, that is, a little anointed one, a Christian. The Holy Trinity bears witness in your Baptism that he has saved you by the merits of Christ and has clothed you in Christ Jesus, so that you must not fear the devil, his works, or his ways.

In Jesus’ Baptism we see a manifestation of God coming to us in grace. Yet, just as with his birth in a stable in Bethlehem, or his dying on a cross outside Jerusalem, his burial in a tomb or his ascent into heaven, we can only hear and read of these manifestations of God. We cannot go to the Jordan and see the dove descend on Jesus’ shoulder, or look at Jesus’ sleeping in the manger, or his empty grave cloths in his tomb. But you can remember your own Baptism when water touched your skin as God made you his child. And you can witness the Baptism of your brothers and sisters in Christ here at church and remember what God has done to you in your lifetime. When you hear the words of Christ and see the water, you can remember the testimony the Holy Trinity made to you. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, you can believe the promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation, which God has given you in Baptism and be saved. God grant such faith to us all. Amen.

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Epiphany

1/9/2022

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Adoration of the Magi, Claude Vignon, French, 1593 - 1670, Public Domain.

Matthew 2:1-12
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
January 5, 2022

The word Epiphany comes from the Greek for appearing or manifesting. It is commonly used to refer to the manifestation of God. So, in the Epiphany season, we celebrate God’s manifestation to mankind, that is, that God shows himself to us. What is truly remarkable about this Epiphany of God, is that he manifests himself to the gentiles.

Gentile simply means nation. In the Bible the gentiles are all the non-Jewish nations. If you read through the Old Testament, you get the sense that the children of Israel are the good guys and the gentiles are the bad guys. God commands the children of Israel to destroy the gentiles that are in Canaan, so that they may possess it as their own nation. God forbids the children of Israel from marrying the daughters of the gentiles, lest they draw them to worship false gods and turn them away from Him. And of course, that is exactly what the children of Israel do. They marry foreign women and worship their false gods, even sacrificing their children to these demon idols. God punishes Israel for their unfaithfulness by sending the gentiles to make war against them. Again, the gentiles are seen as the enemies of God’s people. The children of Israel are constantly praying to the Lord for deliverance from the gentiles. And finally, Assyria takes the northern kingdom of Israel captive, scattering the children of Israel across her empire, and then Babylon takes Judah captive, scattering the children of Israel throughout her empire. Babylon is the epitome of evil. God’s people pray against Babylon. God’s prophets prophesy the destruction of Babylon. The gentiles are the enemy of God’s people. God’s people, the children of Israel, look forward to a redeemer, the Christ, who will finally rescue them from their enemies.

And so, it seems so strange that these gentiles from a far distant land to the east have come to Jerusalem and ask where is he who is born King of the Jews, because they have seen his star and have come to worship him! These gentiles seek him who is born King of the Jews. And to locate him, King Herod asks the chief priests and scribes where the Christ would be born, the Christ, who was promised by God to redeem the people of Israel. This seems strange, but this Christ, born King of the Jews, is born for these gentile pilgrims as well. He is born for all people to save them from their sins.

And how do we know this? The same way we know that he was born in Bethlehem: through Holy Scripture. The wisemen followed a star in search of the Christ. But when they got to Jerusalem, the star appears to have set. So, they go to the palace, a natural place to look for a king. But it is not until after they consult Holy Scripture and read from the Prophet Micah, that they discover that the Christ-child is born in Bethlehem. The star was not enough. They needed God’s holy Word.

And if you read through the Old Testament, you will find that God is not the God of the Jews only, but the God of the gentiles also. Rahab, Ruth, and Naaman are notable gentiles, who abandoned their false gods to worship the God of Israel. And the prophets frequently made prophecies of the gentiles gathering to worship the Lord. The patriarch Jacob prophesied of his son, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Genesis 49:10). So, even before the twelve sons of Israel became twelve tribes, Israel prophesied that the gentiles should come and pay tribute to the Christ. We heard the Prophet Isaiah declare, “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (60:2-3) This also shows that the gentiles would be enlightened by the Gospel and come to worship Christ.

Psalm 67 declares, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” And Psalm 117 states, “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples.” These passages show that all nations will worship the God of Israel. And again, Isaiah prophesies of the Christ, the root of Jesse, when he says, “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire” (Is. 11:10) And there are many other passages from Scripture that show that the Christ, who is born King of the Jews, comes to save not only the people of Israel, but also the gentiles. He comes to save everyone.

Yet, how did these gentile wisemen know this? And how did they know that they should follow the star and that the star would lead them to the Christ, the King of the Jews? Some say that they received a revelation from the Lord, which makes sense, since an angel of the Lord did speak to them in a dream warning them not to return to Herod, but to go home another way. Yet, I think it is more convincing that these gentile wisemen read about the Christ and his star in holy Scripture.

When God punished Israel and Judah by sending them into captivity and scattering them among the nations, he did not do this only for the sake of punishing them. God never does that. God’s primary desire is to show mercy. God scattered the people of Israel across the nations, not only to bring them to repentance and salvation, but in order to save the gentiles as well. Because, when God scattered the people of Israel, he also scattered some of the faithful. And these faithful brought the holy Scriptures with them. This is how so many gentiles became proselytes, that is, converts to the true faith. These gentile wisemen likely read about the Christ in holy Scripture and heard how he comes to save them from their darkness of sin and unbelief as well.

What’s more, I think it is very probable that these gentile wisemen, who studied many things, including the stars and constellations of the sky, saw a star they had never seen before rise out of Israel, so they consulted holy Scripture to discover its meaning.   And they found this prophecy from the Prophet Balaam, a strange gentile prophet, who prophesied for the LORD God of Israel, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:17) And these gentile wisemen concluded that that star rising out of Israel would lead them to him who is born King of the Jews, the very Christ.

I become more convinced of this by the faith the wisemen continue to have in God’s holy Word. They leave the fabulous palace of King Herod to seek the King of the Jews in a humble village, because Scripture tells them to. The chief priests and scribes don’t follow them. King Herod has no intention of worshiping this child. Just as there are today, there were many wisemen studying many great things, but few would travel to Bethlehem to worship a child. Few would listen to the promise of Scripture. And as the Chief Priests and scribes, who had access to the promises of God, but didn’t bother to believe it, and travel just a few miles and worship their God in the flesh, so professors of the Bible at the most exalted seminaries and colleges in the world reject the Bible as the Word of God. The most powerful and influential bishops and pastors of the world preach nothing of Christ and completely ignore his Gospel. But, like the wisemen, you must follow the holy Scriptures and find Christ where he promises to be.

The star represents the light of the Gospel. Only the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ can bring you to know your Lord and Savior. The wisemen found Jesus in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is Hebrew for House of Bread. Jesus is the Bread of Life from heaven. And so, like the wisemen, we must find Jesus in Bethlehem, that is, where his holy Word is preached and where his Sacraments are administered. This church is our Bethlehem. Here we feed on the Bread of Life in faith by hearing and believing his Word and eating his body and blood in the Sacrament. Your home should also be your Bethlehem. God’s Word should be read there and confessed, so that the Bread of Life fills your home as well.

The wisemen brought gifts to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So, we too should bring our gifts to the Christ, who was born to save us. Gold: We should acknowledge Christ as our King and pay tribute to him with our tithes and offerings. These offerings should be given freely with a willing heart. This means that first of all, we must have faith in Christ. He has redeemed us with his blood. He gives us eternal life. So, our offerings are given freely and joyfully.

Frankincense was burned as an offering to the Lord in prayer. The sweet aroma rising to heaven represented the prayers of God’s people rising to his throne. And so, we should pray to Christ Jesus and acknowledge him as our God. Our prayers and hymns of praise should rise as incense to Christ Jesus at all times, and especially when we gather to worship as the church.

Myrrh is a spice that was used to anoint dead bodies, so that they would smell good when they were buried in the tomb. This myrrh symbolized that Jesus would die for the sins of the world and rise again. And so, we should offer our myrrh by mortifying our sinful flesh and rising as new Christians each day, that is, we should repent of our sins, put to death the old Adam, and rise to do good works through faith in Christ.

So, we rejoice this Epiphany that the wisemen found their Savior in Bethlehem. God made himself known to them. And God makes himself known to us. He is our Savior. Christ was born to save us too. May we always worship him.Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

The Test to Strengthen Faith

The Power and Consolation of Christ’s Word

The Joy of the Gospel

Baptism of our Lord

Epiphany

Rev. James Preus

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