Category: Advent 3

These Are the Sign That You Should Mark

12/18/2021

St. John the Baptist Sends Two Disciples to Question Jesus, Ermenegildo Lodi, 1598-1616. Public Domain.

Advent 3
Matthew 11:2-10
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
December 12, 2021

“These are the signs that you shall mark;
The swaddling clothes and manger dark.
There you will find the infant laid
By whom the heav’ns and earth were made.”

So paraphrased Martin Luther the words of the angel to the shepherds in his great Christmas hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.” The angel gave the shepherds a sign: a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. If the shepherds searched for the Christ in the king’s palace or in the temple in Jerusalem or in any other fine and noble setting, they would not have found the Christ. But since they looked for the signs given to them by the angel, they found Christ Jesus as they had been told, wrapped in linens, lying in a manger.

In our Gospel lesson, John the Baptist is in prison. John had proclaimed Jesus the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He proclaimed him as the one who comes after him, who was before him, whose sandals John is unworthy to untie. John’s entire ministry was pointing people to Jesus and proclaiming him the promised Christ. Yet, two of John’s disciples are visiting John in his dungeon. They are doubtful that Jesus truly is the Christ. If Jesus is the Christ, then why does his forerunner languish in prison waiting execution by the godless King Herod? So, John does what he always does. He points them to Christ. He tells his disciples to go and ask Jesus if he is the one to come or if they should wait for another.

“The one to come” refers to the Christ. Christ or Messiah means anointed one. God promised through his prophets that he would send the Christ to set his people free and rule over them in righteousness, justice, and equity. The Christ or Messiah is the one to come. Is Jesus the one to come? Is Jesus truly the Christ, the promised Messiah? That is what John’s disciples have come to ask Jesus.

Jesus does not answer simply yes or no, but rather says, “Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Jesus answered them by pointing to the signs he has done, which prove that he is the Christ. Yet, it is not only that the signs Jesus has done are remarkable. I’ve seen illusionists perform stunts that I could not explain, that have stumped even other illusionists. And certainly, there have been those who have availed themselves of satanic arts. These certainly are not signs that they come from God. The reason these miracles Jesus has performed are signs that he is the Christ, the promised one to come, is because God foretold these miracles by his prophets. Isaiah prophecies in chapter 35, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Again, in chapter 61, he speaks for the coming Christ, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Isaiah even prophesies that this Christ, who restores sight to the blind and preaches good news to the poor will be a cause of offense. He writes in chapter 8, “And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it.” All the signs point to Jesus as the Christ.

This week of Advent, we deal with doubt. John’s disciples doubted. They aren’t the only ones. You’ve heard of Doubting Thomas. Of course, all of Jesus’ disciples doubted at times. And doubt certainly is a weapon Satan wields against us Christians today. Doubt is the most brazen attack on your faith, which you will encounter. Yet, it clings to your heart like burs on a coat, or better, like tar to cloth. If we are to prepare ourselves for Christ’s second advent, we must overcome the doubt, which arises in our very hearts.

We overcome doubt with the signs, which God has given us in his Holy Word. Yet, this is difficult, because people don’t want to look at the sign’s God gives us, but rather at signs they have invented themselves. People doubt the miracles Jesus performed, especially that he rose from the dead. Why do they doubt this? Hundreds of people witnessed Jesus’ miracles and resurrection. Multiple written sources document and corroborate these events. “Well, because these miracles are impossible.” Who said they’re impossible? Jesus is God. All things are possible with God. “Well, because Jesus can’t be God. No one can know God. God might not even exist.” So, you see, these signs of Jesus’ are only in doubt, if you accept the arbitrary criteria of biased skeptics, who themselves cannot prove their own presuppositions. Their anti-supernatural bias causes them to deny events reported by multiple eye witnesses, while they espouse “scientific” theories, which are unprovable and far-fetched at best.

The signs that will overcome your doubt are given to you by God in his Holy Word. But people do not want to look at God’s Word. They want to make up their minds with their own shallow judgments. I once met a young man, who left the Lutheran Church and became a Pentecostal. I asked him why. He said, “Because he became convinced by their fruits of the Spirit.” He meant speaking in tongues and miraculous healings, which he had witnessed. Now, we could critique these so-called speaking in tongues and healings, and point out that there is no actual proof that they are speaking any real language, and much proof that these noises they make are just made up (subconsciously or not). And the supposed healings are usually proven to be fake as well. Yet, we don’t even need to disprove the speaking in tongues and healings to prove that you shouldn’t leave the Lutheran Church, where the Gospel is proclaimed to join a church that rejects God’s work in Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the creation of faith. You simply need to look at Holy Scripture and the signs, which Christ promises will mark his Church.

Where does Jesus promise that his Church is where there will be speaking of tongues and healings? He does promise that these signs will accompany the apostles, but he never promises that these signs will endure to all ages (Mark 16:17-8). In fact, St. Paul explicitly tells us that speaking in tongues will stop, as they have since the apostles died (1 Corinthians 13:8). The signs that point to Christ are not necessarily the things that cause you to marvel. The signs that point to Christ are the signs that Christ has given us, so that we know him. These signs are called the Marks of the Church.

The Marks of the Church are the signs that Christ promises to be with his Church, so that you can identify him in this world. These marks are Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Absolution, and the preaching of the Gospel. One of the greatest tragedies among Christians is when a tormented soul becomes convinced that he needs to be re-baptized. Such a person usually thinks it takes much faith to be re-baptized, but it is quite the opposite. To be baptized again is to doubt the promise God made in your first and only true Baptism. Scripture says there is one Baptism (Ephesians 4:5). Scripture says that Baptism gives the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Jesus says that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). St. Paul promises that whoever has been baptized into Christ has put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). To be rebaptized means to doubt God’s promise, which he attached to Baptism and to trust in yourself to do what only God can do: create faith and forgive sins. But when you look to Baptism as God has given it to you, you see an endless stream of grace and forgiveness. When you sin, when doubt assails you, when death frightens you, look to your Baptism and the promise of forgiveness, restoration, adoption, and eternal life God has attached to it, and your doubt flees.

Many are offended at the teaching that the Lord’s Supper is Christ’s true body and blood. Lutherans have been called cannibals for teaching this. Many protestants have called us slaves to the Papacy, as if the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church convinced us that the Sacrament is Christ’s body and blood and not the clear words of Jesus, which says, “This is my body; This is my blood.” But the Sacrament of the Altar is a mark of Jesus’ Church, because Jesus said it is. “Do this in remembrance of me.”, Jesus commands us. In this meal Jesus promises forgiveness in his blood, which is the greatest sign of Christ.

The most offensive mark of the Church was the last sign Jesus mentioned to John’s disciples, “and the poor have good news preached to them.” The proclamation of the Gospel is a sign of offense to many, yet it is also the most comforting and reassuring mark of the Church.

The proclamation of the Gospel is offensive, because it denies your pride. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. That is the message of the Gospel. The Gospel leaves John the Baptist in prison, soon to have his head cut off, while insisting that it liberates the captives. That is because the Gospel deals with the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, not the transitory glory of this world. The Gospel denies your ability to save yourself or exalt yourself above others. Your list of good works will not win your salvation. Rather, the Gospel offers free salvation to those who did not work for it, to those who offend you by their weakness. The Gospel gives free salvation to those who do not deserve it by the merits of Christ Jesus. The Gospel proclaims Christ crucified, a hero who forsakes all earthly glory and instead suffers a miserable and embarrassing death. This is why the Gospel is offensive.

Yet, the Gospel is the only sign that can dispel all doubt. Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, these are all vessels of the Gospel message. They relay the Gospel and they cannot abide without the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel dispels doubt, because it proclaims God’s promise of forgiveness and acceptance for Christ’s sake. Do you doubt whether God loves you? Look at the cross! See where God’s Son hangs! And know that he did that willingly for you. Before God sent Christ Jesus to become man and die for your sins, he already knew every sin you would commit. Before Jesus took on the sins of the whole world and carried them to the cross, he knew all your sins, even the most grievous and embarrassing. And he intentionally went to the cross to forgive them with his blood. Why would God send his Son to die for your sins, if he did not intend to forgive all your sins? Why would Jesus willingly suffer for you if he did not intend to save you?

The Gospel message leaves no room for doubt. The Gospel message demands to be believed, because it is clearly true. Christ Jesus did die for the sins of the world. He is risen from the dead. And he has clearly stated that he has done this to save sinners. And the Gospel message has power to be believed. The promise of your Baptism insists on the Gospel message. The Absolution and Supper reinforce the Gospel truth. These are the signs that you should mark to find Jesus and know what he has done for you. These are the signs that turn doubt into faith. Amen.

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Blessed Is the One Who Is Not Offended by Me

12/9/2020

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St. John the Baptist Visited by Salome, Guercinco, 1599-1666, Public Domain

Advent 3
Matthew 11:2-10

“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me?” Why would someone be offended by Jesus? Indeed, Jesus is the most offensive man in human history. He was crucified, because he was so offensive. And his Gospel is rejected, maligned, and perverted by many around the world, because who Jesus truly is, is too offense. Many false religions, such as Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, and Jehovah Witnesses, have arisen on account of the offense of the real Jesus. And Christians have been persecuted and murdered on account of the offense of Christ. So, why are people so offended by Jesus?
John sent his disciples to Christ Jesus to ask him if he was truly the One to Come, or if they should look for another. Jesus responds by saying, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” Why does Jesus give this response? Because, by pointing out what Jesus has been doing, it is obvious from Scripture that he is the One to Come. He is the promised Christ!
Isaiah 35 predicts the coming of the Christ by saying, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” And again, in Isaiah 61, the prophet quotes the coming Christ as saying, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” These are the clear signs that the people of God could expect from the Christ. And these are the exact signs that Jesus performs!
Many miracles were performed in the Old Testament. Many sick people were healed of their maladies. But not a single Old Testament prophet ever made a blind man see. Yet, Jesus does this many times as Isaiah predicted. Jesus performed more miracles than all the prophets combined. And when Jesus raised the dead to life, he did not simply pray to God as the prophets Elijah and Elisha did when they raised the dead. Rather, Jesus by his own authority raised the dead. “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”, Jesus said.
Jesus proved himself to be greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament, greater than King Solomon, greater than the temple itself. He proved from Scripture and with his mighty works that he was not only David’s Son, but also David’s Lord. And this offended the scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests. Why did it offend them? Was it because they didn’t believe that he had done these miracles? No, they knew he had done these miracles. They simply accused him of doing the miracles with the finger of Satan. They were offended that Jesus claimed to be both God and man, that he taught that justice, mercy, and faithfulness were better than their religious pretenses. They were offended that Jesus forgave sinners and promised to save all who believed in him. Jesus’ teaching and works proved him to be the Christ, true God and man. Yet, he offended the religious elites, because he was not what they expected or wanted.
And for the same reason, Jesus is rejected today. It is said that it is unreasonable to believe that Jesus performed these miracles and was raised from the dead. Yet, we have the testimony of Scripture that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, performed many miracles, healed many sick and raised the dead, was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day he himself rose again from the dead. The reason people reject this, is not because it is unreasonable, but because this goes against their preconceived notions. In other words, they don’t want to believe it.
Four evangelists wrote of the life and work of Jesus, including his death and resurrection. They all agree. St. Paul, the author to the Hebrews, St. James, St. Peter and Jude likewise testified of Jesus while calling upon many other witnesses. Yet, their witness is dismissed, because it is in the Bible. “What witnesses do we have of Jesus besides the writings of the New Testament?” is often considered a valid question to delegitimize the New Testament. This would be like if a lawyer presented as evidence to a judge signed affidavits from several witnesses and the judge said, “Okay, but do you have any witnesses besides those who signed affidavits?” The New Testament is written by those who signed their testimony in blood. The only reason to reject their witness is because they claim what goes against your preconceived notions, because they declare what you do not want to believe. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is only unreasonable if you refuse to submit your reason to the facts of Holy Scripture.
John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord Jesus. Jesus asked his listeners what they went out in the wilderness to see. A reed blowing in the wind? That is to ask if John simply proclaimed what popular opinion dictated. That certainly is not what John did. John proclaimed the way of Jesus. Jesus does not tell us what we want to believe. He tells us the truth. And so, Jesus and his forerunner John offended those with itching ears. And this again is why Jesus offends today. While there are many churches that will bend wherever the wind is blowing to accommodate the feelings and opinions of the masses, these churches do not prepare the way of Jesus. Yet, John the Baptist, never a shaking reed, offends, because he demands that his hearers deny themselves for Jesus.
Jesus asked the crowd if they went out to find a man dressed in soft clothing. Certainly not. They did not look for a king out in the wilderness, but rather a man who would sleep in a king’s dungeon on account of his preaching. John did not preach a prosperity Gospel that promised material wealth and earthly pleasures. Rather, he forsook all worldly riches and pleasures to proclaim the Gospel of eternal life through faith in Jesus. John the Baptist offends, because he demands that his hearers deny the riches of this world for Jesus.
John the Baptist offends those who are looking for a yes man, who will scratch their itching ears. John the Baptist offends those, who are in love with the riches and pleasures of this world. John the Baptist offends, because he prepares the way of the Lord Jesus. And he prepares the way of the Lord Jesus by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The word repent means to change one’s mind. Repentance has two parts. First, contrition or sorrow over sin. The second is faith. True Christian repentance is when a sinner is sorry for his sins and turns to Christ for forgiveness and believes that his sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Good works are then bound to follow the person who has faith in Christ.
Repentance comes about through the preaching of both the Law and the Gospel. The Law is what God commands of us, namely, that we love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves. We are taught how to love in this way from the Ten Commandments. Yet, although the Law tells you to love, it gives you no power to do it. So, instead of the Law making you good, the Law proves that you are bad, as Romans 3:20 states, “By works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” It is important that the Law proves to you that you are a sinner, so that you know that you need a Savior. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for your sins and that God forgives you for Christ’s sake. The Gospel does not demand works, but rather faith. Faith is believing and trusting in God’s promise to forgive your sins for Christ’s sake.
The Law is offensive, because it accuses you of sin. No one wants his faults to be pointed out to him. No one wants to be called bad. No one wants to hear that he deserves to go to hell, that he has angered God, and that he is at fault. So, people are offended at the preaching of the Law and go rather where they will not hear about their sins.
The Gospel is offensive, because it takes away your power to boast. It says that you do not deserve God’s grace, but he gives it to you as a gift. But people want to earn their salvation. They want to be told that they deserve it. The Gospel does not tell you that you deserve a reward. The Gospel tells you that you are saved from your own sin and just damnation by God’s grace through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is offensive.
The way John the Baptist prepares for the Lord is offensive to the world. It means that you must deny yourself, stop loving the things of this world, submit your reason to God’s word, repent of your sins and trust in Christ alone. The way John the Baptist prepares is offensive, because faith in Christ is offensive. But Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” That is to say, blessed is the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who denies himself, denies his wealth, repents of his sin, and trusts in Christ Jesus alone for forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus is offensive, because his Gospel attacks our false gods, our pride, our love of money and wisdom, and honor. Jesus is offensive, because he calls John who sits in prison waiting to be executed blessed, while he calls King Herod dining in the palace cursed. Jesus is offensive, because he calls tax-collectors, sinners, adulterers, cheats, and thieves blessed, because they lay their sins on Jesus, while he calls the scribes, Pharisees, and high priests, who trust in their own righteousness, cursed. Jesus is offensive because his Gospel calls blessed the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). Jesus is offensive, because he calls blessed the one who believes that Jesus’ death takes away his sins. Jesus is offensive, because he truly did rise from the dead and promises a resurrection to eternal life to all who believe, an impossibility to those who worship their own science and reason.
Jesus calls blessed those who have been granted true repentance from the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. This change of mind and heart brings Christians to trust in their Lord and cling to his promises, even when the world laughs and rages against them. So, do not be offended that Jesus tells you that Baptism forgives your sins. Do not be offended that Jesus offers you his own body and blood to eat and to drink. Do not be offended that Jesus bids you to believe that when his servant forgives your sins in his stead, that your sins are indeed forgiven. Do not be offended that Jesus bids you to believe that all you’ve done to deserve hell has been forgiven by his blood.
When you are not scandalized by the preaching of the Law nor offended by the promises of the Gospel, you are not offended by Christ Jesus. To not be offended by Christ means to have your mind changed by the Holy Spirit; it means that you have true faith. And that is to be blessed forever. Amen.

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Jesus Comforts John the Baptist

12/16/2019

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SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST IN PRISON VISITED BY SALOME, Guercino, 1591-1666, Public Domain

Matthew 11:2-15

December 15, 2019

Who is John the Baptist? Well, two prophets in the Old Testament prophesied of him hundreds of years before he was born! Isaiah the prophet calls him a voice crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40). Malachi calls John, Elijah the prophet, who will prepare for the day of the Lord by turning hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). The angel Gabriel, the very same angel, who announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary, also announced the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah. The angel said that John will be great before the Lord; that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb; that he would turn the hearts of fathers to their children and make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:14-16)
And then, John’s father Zechariah, being filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesies to his son John at his circumcision saying, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sun shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:67, 76-79). And Jesus Christ himself calls John more than a prophet (Matthew 11:9) and even the greatest of those born of women. This is how the Holy Spirit, prophets, angels, priests, and our Lord Jesus himself speak of John, the greatest of all prophets and men!
And what about John? Did he do these great things which God, angels, and the greatest of men proclaimed him to do? He certainly did. The Spirit of God drove John into the wilderness and the Word of God came out of John’s mouth. John spoke with fire and brimstone without fear. He told everyone, whether they were hated tax-collectors and sinners or feared and honored Pharisees and scribes to repent for the kingdom of God was coming. He called them brood of vipers and told them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Yet, John also preached the Gospel. In full confidence, he proclaimed that Jesus who came after him was before him. He confessed him to be his God and Redeemer. John willingly lost disciples by pointing to Jesus and proclaiming, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) And his disciples left him for Jesus (John 1:35-37).
John was the greatest preacher who ever lived. He was the greatest prophet too! While Isaiah and Malachi announced the coming of the Christ and longed to see it, John saw Jesus with his own eyes and correctly identified him as the Christ and Savior of the world! John was the greatest man ever born. Jesus himself says so. John had a stronger faith and more confidence in Christ than anyone. He is the best. He is better than you and me; don’t try to deny it. Yet, John sits in prison. And hearing of the wonderful works of Christ, he sends a couple disciples to ask Jesus an important question. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
How can this be? How can such a question come from John’s mouth? Prophets proclaimed that John would be the one to identify Christ. An angel of the Lord declared that John would prepare the way for Christ. John spoke by the Holy Spirit. He had already many times proclaimed Jesus to be the one to come, without wavering, without fear, without doubt. John is not reed shaking in the wind. He’s the greatest prophet of all time. The strongest Christian. How could he ask such a question!
This is indeed a controversy among those who study the Bible. Some say, that although John is the greatest, he was still only a man, and every man doubts. No faith is perfect. No faith never wavers. And John, in his final hour, as his faith was put through its greatest test, as he saw death itself close in on him, needed to hear from Christ’s own mouth whether what he had been preaching was true. Is Jesus really the Christ?
The other side, which includes some of the greatest teachers of the Bible, say that John did not doubt. Martin Luther preached that John did nothing else than what he had done his entire ministry. He pointed the way to Jesus. As John sat in prison, he said to his disciples, “Why are you still following me. I’ve pointed the way to Christ. Go and ask him yourself if he is the Christ. Hear with your own ears, and follow him!”
Now, it certainly is true that John is pointing his disciples to Christ Jesus, as he had done his entire ministry. He wants his disciples to follow Jesus. And soon they will. Soon they will bury John’s decapitated body in a tomb, and follow the one to whom John pointed, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Yet, it is also important to note, that Jesus doesn’t just preach to John’s disciples. Rather, he says to them, “Go, tell John.” Go, tell John. Go, preach to John this message, Jesus is saying. Jesus wants John, the greatest preacher, the greatest prophet, the greatest man, to hear a sermon from his own disciples. A sermon about Jesus.
And this goes to show, that there is no Christian, no preacher, not even a prophet or one greater, who does not need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John, who is better than you or I, whose faith was stronger than ours, needed to hear the message of Jesus. Yes, indeed, John sent his disciples for their own sake; so that they would hear Jesus and follow him. Yet, John too needed to hear Jesus. He needed to be comforted in his darkest hour.
And listen to the sermon Jesus sends these disciples of John to preach. Jesus doesn’t say, “Yes, I am the Christ.” although, he certainly could have said that! Instead, he says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” What is the meaning of this sermon? Jesus is telling John to look and see how he has fulfilled the scriptures. In Isaiah 61, the prophet prophesies of Christ, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,” and again in chapter 35, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”
Jesus doesn’t simply tell John that he is the Christ. He points to what he is doing, and says, “What do the Scriptures say? What did the prophets prophesy? How did they say you would know that the Christ had arrived? The blind will see. The mute will speak. The crippled will walk. Look at what I am doing. Look at what Scripture promises. See that I am fulfilling it!”
Here, Jesus teaches us that the household of God is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone, as Ephesians 4 declares. The holy Scriptures, teach us who Christ is. This gives us Christians assurance even today. Read the Old Testament and read the New Testament. See how everything prophesied in the Old is fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the New. See how everything Jesus does in the New was prophesied in the Old. The scriptures remain the guide to all preachers and all Christians. If we reject the authority and certainty of the Scriptures, then we lose our confidence in Christ. But Jesus uses the authority and reliability of the Scripture to comfort John in his darkest hour.
Why did Jesus tell John’s disciples to go tell John this message? Because John needed it. Yes, John preached the gospel without wavering. Yes, John’s faith was strong. But John still needed to hear the Gospel. He still needed to be comforted by him, who comforts the world. And this teaches us an important message about pastors. The message pastors preach to their people is also meant for them. When a pastor preaches the law and calls sinners to repentance, he preaches the law to himself. Pastors need to repent of their sins and try to love others as they do themselves. And when a pastor preaches the Gospel, the free forgiveness of sins won by Christ Jesus and given to all through faith, the pastor preaches to himself. He needs to hear this message. He needs to believe that Jesus forgives him, that God will not remember his sins, but declares him righteous for Christ’s sake.
This also teaches us that every one of us needs to continue to be instructed in the word of God. We all have a lot to learn. John the Baptist knew more than any of you or me. He was the greatest, the best preacher, the best theologian. Yet, he needed to be instructed in the words of Scripture. He needed to be taught that Jesus fulfills the Scripture and comes to save. Even after he baptized his hundreds and thousands and preached so confidently the coming of Christ, John still needed to sit at Jesus’ knee, so to say, and listen to Jesus’ words even from the mouths of those whom he taught.
You are not better than John the Baptist. Neither am I. John had a stronger faith than any of us. He preached better than me. He understood who Christ was. Yet, he needed Christ to preach to him. And so do you. John sat in prison waiting for his death. He had faith in Jesus, as is evident by him sending his disciples to Jesus. Yet, he also needed his faith strengthened. He needed to be comforted. Do you need your faith to be strengthened? Do you need to be comforted? You certainly do. Do you not have trials you must face? Do you not have sins for which you are ashamed? Does life not drag you down? Is your body not failing? Do doubts not arise in your mind? Have you not suffered loss? Are you better than John that you don’t need this comfort, this teaching?
No. We all need to be taught. We all need to be comforted. We need to hear what Jesus has done. That he caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear; the mute to speak and the lame to walk; that he speaks good news to us; news of forgiveness; news of salvation. We need to hear again how Jesus died for us and has risen to the Father to plead for our salvation. We need to hear that the Father accepts Jesus’ sacrifice and that he has covered our sins in his blood.
And this is the most comforting message of all. This is the message that brought St. Paul to declare, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice.” even as he sat in prison. And so, this message can give you comfort no matter what temporary trial you must endure on this earth.
John is the greatest of those born of women. Don’t call Jesus a liar. Yet, the least in the kingdom is greater than he. The least in the kingdom of heaven is Jesus, who made himself a servant, so that he could save us from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. And John, the greatest born of women, needed the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven. And so do we. We need to be comforted by the same Christ who comforted John. We need to be taught by him, who strengthened John to die in the faith. There is no such thing as a faith too strong. There is no one, who doesn’t need to hear what Jesus has done. You don’t know enough. Rather, like John, the greatest preacher ever, we need to continue to hear Jesus preached. Only Jesus could comfort John in his death. And only Jesus can give us comfort today and forever. Amen.

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Advent 3: John, The Quintessential Preacher

12/17/2018

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Matthew 11:2-10
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
December 16, 2018

John the Baptist is the quintessential preacher. What does that mean? It means that John is the best. He is what a preacher essentially should be. If preachers were 2x4s, John would be used to measure all the other boards. Jesus himself says as much, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? … A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’” John perfectly did what every prophet was called to do before him and what all pastors are called to do after him. John prepares the way of the Lord. The Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry in Israel by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Preachers today prepare the way of Christ into the hearts of Christians, also by preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
Immediately after our Gospel lesson Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Pastors are not a superclass of Christians. They are not superior to others within the kingdom of God. Yet, the office to which preachers are called and the task entrusted to them is greater than any other on earth. It is through the ministry of the word that God calls sinners to repentance and gives them saving faith in Christ. St. Paul goes so far as to say to St. Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)
So, preachers may very well be the least in the kingdom of heaven, yet their preaching is the most important work in the kingdom of heaven. Through it, God saves sinners. Through their preaching, God prepares the way for Jesus Christ himself. This is why our Lord said to his apostles, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) If you receive the preaching of God’s messengers, then you receive Christ Jesus himself. If you reject their preaching, you are not simply rejecting a man, but you are rejecting Christ himself.
John sets the course for all ministers to prepare the way of the Lord by preaching Law and Gospel. That is what he is doing when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The preaching of the Law is a call for repentance. The law tells you how God demands us to live, such as in the Ten Commandments. The Law is good. It expresses God’s will to us. God’s will is for us to love him with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Try to find fault with that! Yet, the Law shows us our sin. It demonstrates to us that we do not do as the law requires. This is why Romans 3:20 states, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
All this is expressed in that little word, “repent.” To repent means to turn course. That God’s messenger commands you to turn course tells you that the course you are on is wrong. You are a sinner. You must stop doing what you are doing, because it leads to death and hell. And you must turn to do something else. What must you turn to? Well, before you can begin to be on the right course, you must receive the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins is the Gospel.
Well, actually, Gospel means good news, like when the angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” So, strictly speaking, the Gospel is the good news that God became a human being in the womb of the Virgin Mary, was born in Bethlehem to the adoration of shepherds, grew up as a righteous man before God and man, fulfilled the law in our place even under severe temptation from the devil, suffered, died, and was buried for our sins, and rose again on the third day. That is the Gospel. Yet, you can believe the details of the Gospel without truly believing in the Gospel. You can have knowledge of all Jesus’ marvelous birth, life, death, and resurrection, yet not believe in the forgiveness of sins. Yet, the goal of the Gospel is for you to believe in the forgiveness of sins, just as the goal of the law is for you to despair of your own righteousness, repent, and turn to Christ for forgiveness.
The Gospel fulfills God’s demand for love. Jesus completed all works of love in our place as a human being. God himself could not find any fault in Jesus whether in thought, word, or deed. The Gospel fulfills God’s demand for justice against all law-breakers. Sinless Jesus took on the sins of the whole world, became the only law-breaker in the eyes of the law, and was punished in our stead, like a lamb to be slaughtered, as John himself said of Christ Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) That is the Gospel. Not only the various details of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, but what they mean: forgiveness for you and me.
Both the Law and the Gospel show us God’s perfect righteousness. The Gospel differs from the Law in that it is God’s work, not ours. We receive the Gospel (and with it the forgiveness of sins and salvation), through faith. The Law presents God’s righteousness as something to work for in order to obtain it. Scripture says, “for it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” (Romans 2:13) The Gospel presents God’s righteousness as a gift to be received by faith apart from our works.
Both the Law and the Gospel show the righteousness of God, but the Law fails to save us, because it depends on our works. Rather, the Law makes us aware that we need to receive God’s righteous and salvation as a gift through faith. This is the relationship between the law and the Gospel.
The Law and the Gospel must never be mixed. This is done when it is said or believed that your good works in some way merit your salvation. But your good works can never merit your salvation. Salvation is a gift to be received through faith in Christ. The Law and the Gospel must never be mixed, but they must also never be separated. The Law without the Gospel leads sinners to despair or self-righteousness. Both lead to hell. But the Gospel without the Law becomes meaningless. It is like giving dessert to someone already full. It is nauseating and despised.
If the Law does not convince you of your sin and bring you to repentance, then you cannot accept the Gospel. The Gospel is indeed preached to the whole world, but it is only the poor in spirit who receive it. This is why it is always necessary for preachers to preach the law. However, the law is not popular. People don’t like to hear of their sins. Especially if you get specific. The idea that one ought to actually stop doing what he is doing that is wrong and say sorry to God seems archaic and humiliating. Well, yes. It is archaic. And it is humiliating. God’s word is from everlasting to everlasting. And the humble will be exalted.
However, sadly, many preachers are too afraid to preach against sin and call sinners to repentance. People might get mad or leave the church. But to forsake preaching the Law does no service to the preaching of the Gospel or to the sinner trapped in sin. God spoke to Ezekiel in chapter 33, “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (7-9) and further God says, “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (11)
John was not a reed shaking in the wind, and so pastors are also called to resist the pressures of the present culture, and to speak only the word of God. Notice that at the beginning of our text, John is in prison. Why is he in prison? Because he preached against the unlawful divorce of King Herod’s wife from her husband Philip and the unlawful adulterous marriage of Herod to his brother’s wife. John was not afraid to preach the law, even to King Herod. He called him to repentance. Yet, instead of humbling himself and receiving the forgiveness of sins, Herod threw John in prison.
And so, preachers today should not let fear keep them from preaching against the sins gripping society. If homosexuality, divorce for any cause, adultery, gossip, or drunkenness becomes acceptable, the preacher is still called to be a servant of Christ and steward of God’s mysteries. He must preach the whole counsel of God, calling sinners to repentance. Repentance must be preached, so that sinners can receive the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins as a gift.
The Gospel must predominate. This means, the entire message of the preacher must work toward the goal of Jesus dwelling firmly in the heart of the hearer. My goal in my preaching is for you to have certainty that God accepts you for Christ’s sake. This is the wonderful message of “Comfort, comfort, my people, … speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” The message of every minister of Christ is comfort. Christ comes to dwell in your heart through faith. He forgives your sins and gives you peace with God. With a heart repentant of sin and trusting in Jesus, you are ready to welcome Christ when he comes to you. And this Gospel is a sure comfort, because the word of God stands forever. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Advent 3: Gaudete: Comfort That Stands Forever

12/18/2017

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Matthew 11:2-10

December 17, 2017

What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A reed shaken by the wind is a preacher, who tells people what they want to hear. As the wind blows a reed to and fro, so popular opinion sways people pleasing preachers. Of course, the people are grass and as the wind blows the grass in the field and the blades bend without resistance, so do the people move from one conviction to another, shifting what they want to believe according to the path of least resistance. John the Baptist is not a reed shaken by the wind. He preached the Word of God faithfully and like a rock the Word of God does not move, even as tempests rage. And so, John preached against the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and against King Herod for his sexual immorality. No gale sent by important people could sway his preaching.

A man dressed in soft clothing, perhaps? Of course, you wouldn't go out into the wilderness to see a man dressed in soft clothing. You go to the palace, where King Herod dwells. And if you want to see John the Baptist, you go to Herod's dungeon. John's steadfast preaching landed him in jail. But he was not sent to impress men, but to preach God's Word. Men wearing soft clothing are self-important. People like listening to self-important people, because they get fooled into thinking they are actually important and that they can somehow make them important.

But John did not come to promote himself. Rather, he came to decrease, so that Jesus would increase. John came to promote Jesus. That is why he sent his disciples to follow John even before he went to prison by crying, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the World." This is why he publicly proclaimed that Jesus was greater than he. And this is why he sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he really is the Coming One, so that he would lose disciples, and Jesus would gain them.

John was a prophet, yes, and more than a prophet. He made straight the way of God, Jesus Christ. That was his purpose. He didn't seek to please people or to impress them. He came to do God's will, so that people would believe in Jesus.

So, what have you gone out to see? Have you come to see a reed shaking in the wind? St. Paul prophesied this would happen. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." (2 Timothy 4:3) Paul's prophecy came true, didn't it? People go to church, or listen to political and social icons, because they tell them what they want to hear. And even in churches, or should I say, especially in churches, preachers will follow the wind and the direction of the grass to preach things that will pass away. It's not a coincidence that so many mainline protestant churches "discovered" that God actually doesn't oppose homosexuality after all, after it became socially unacceptable to condemn homosexuality as a sin. Neither is it a coincidence that churches have grown soft on other issues such as fornication and cohabitation, divorce, abortion, evolution, and many others after the tides of popular opinion changed. And people will continue to find churches based on what they want to hear. And they'll find preachers that will preach according to how the wind is blowing.

Have you gone out to see someone dressed in soft clothing, that is, a self-important man? Celebrity preachers! Can you believe there's such a thing? On the radio, the television, and the devil's favorite knew instrument, the internet. They dress cool. They have large followings. Their books are in bookstores that you actually go to! But the question is, do they point to Christ? Or, do they point to themselves? John the Baptist pointed to Christ, even if it meant he would be left alone.

You don't want a reed shaking in the wind. You don't want a self-promoter. You want John the Baptist. He points to Christ, not to himself. Because you don't even really want John the Baptist, except that he points to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
People hated John. Sometimes he spoke harshly. People didn't like Isaiah. He wouldn't tell them what they wanted to hear. People really hated Paul. He wrote many of his letters in prison and eventually was killed for what he preached. But these are the men God wants you to listen to. Because, they did not preach of their own accord, but according to what God told them.

Now people often don't want to listen to what God preaches. They don't like to hear that they are grass that will fade away. They don't want to learn to repent of their sins. They don't want to deny themselves and follow Jesus. The Word of God can sound harsh and stubborn to them. But there is something you need to remember about the Word of God and every messenger God sent to proclaim it. The goal of every prophet sent by God was to bring comfort to God's people.

Isaiah spent the lion's share of his prophetic ministry pronouncing judgment on, well, everyone. He pronounced judgment on Babylon, Assyria, Moab, Syria, Egypt, and especially on Israel, Judah, Jerusalem and their kings. And for this reason, the people and kings hated Isaiah. They listened to false prophets, simply because their message was more cheerful. But because they ignored Isaiah, the also ignored the most wonderful messages of comfort, which Isaiah preached.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall become like wool." Isaiah 1:18
"Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"But he was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
And with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

And of course, as we just heard this morning:
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
And cry to her
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned,
That she has received from the LORD's hand
Double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:1-2

Yes, Isaiah preached judgment. And God did punish the nations for their sins. Yet, God disciplines those, whom he loves. His desire is always for sinners to repent and be forgiven, as God tells us through the prophet Ezekiel, "As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ez. 33:11) God did not send Isaiah or any of his prophets, because he hated his people. He sent them, because he loves them. He wants them to repent and believe in his love. The goal of Isaiah's entire ministry was to point to Christ, God-With-Us, who would be born of the Virgin and would bear all our iniquities.

There was no one to whom John preached repentance that he did not desire to look to Christ for healing from sin. He prepared the way of the Lord by preparing the hearts of sinners to receive free forgiveness. The purpose of John's ministry, as it was proclaimed by Isaiah and the prophet Malachi, was to make way for Christ. Christ has come to save us from our sins.
Now there are certainly those, who will not listen to the man of God, because they are too proud to repent of their sins. Yet, there are also those, who will not listen, because they are too ashamed. Their sins burden their hearts so much that they cannot bear to lift their eyes up to Jesus. They think, if God knows my sins, he certainly doesn't want to have anything to do with me. Have you ever had that thought? Have you ever thought, truly God hates me? Has something you've done or said or thought darken the back of your mind, so that you think that you are unworthy to be a Christian? "I'm just not one of those church-folk. I've offended my God too many times."

Well, if such words describe you, please consider this. God promised the coming Savior and his comfort through Isaiah before the people repented, while they were still in their sins. "Repent, so that I may heal you!" Is God's constant invitation. When John pointed to Christ and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!", he declared why Jesus came into this world. Jesus came to take sins away. Which sins? Of the world. The whole world? Yes, the whole world, including your sins. God knew what your worst sins would be before you ever did them. And he still sent Jesus to die for them. Why would God send the remedy if he does not intend for you to be cured? Why would God send Christ to die on the cross and bear the punishment of all sins if he didn't desire to forgive even your worst sins? Stop delaying! Stop cowering in fear. Stop hiding from God! Jesus comes to heal you; to erase your worst offenses. Jesus comes to comfort you.

It is God's Word that comforts. So, it is clear that we must seek to hear God's Word and not pay attention to the passing winds of those, who die. But how do you know if you are hearing God's Word. How do you know if I am sent by God or if I'm a self-promoting reed? The prophets and apostles were sent by God. Was I? An angel didn't appear to my father and tell him that I would prepare the way of the Lord, as the angel Gabriel did for John the Baptist's father. I have not received visions from the Lord as Isaiah did nor has the risen Lord appeared to me as he did for St. Paul. So, how do you know that what I preach to you is God's Word?
St. Peter writes, "And we have the prophetic word more firmly confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place... knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:19a, 20-21) And St. Paul writes by inspiration of that same Holy Spirit, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Scripture warns us, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) You test the spirits and determine whether a preacher is true of false based on whether he preaches according to God's Word, the Holy Scriptures. All people are like grass and will fade away along with their teachings, but the Word of the Lord will stand forever. Do not believe new or shifting teachings. Ground your faith in the Word of God and judge every preacher based on that Word.

You can be certain that your pastor is sent by God when he does not establish himself, but is called by the church and confirmed by the representation of other pastors, as St. Paul writes to Pastor Timothy, "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you." (1 Timothy 4:14) And you can be certain that what your pastor preaches to you is true when he grounds his preaching in holy Scripture, which does not change.

Yes, biblical preaching can be hard to listen to at times. And it's not fun fighting the wind of popular opinion. But founding your faith on God's Word is remarkably comforting. While the preaching of the people pleasers and self-promoters fades away with the wind, the Word of our God stands forever! This means that the comfort God preaches to you will stand forever. Where will these false preachers be on the Last Day, when you must stand before your judge? Will they give a solid defense to God for why you should be saved? No, they and their teachings will be removed from God's presence. But the comfort that is founded on God's Word will still stand, and so will our risen Lord Jesus to whom God's Word points. Christ will stand and give your defense. He will show God his wounds, which have healed you from your sins. He will declare you God's child forever. And just as God's Word stands forever, so will you stand forever in the comforting presence of your loving God. Amen.

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

These Are the Sign That You Should Mark

Blessed Is the One Who Is Not Offended by Me

Jesus Comforts John the Baptist

Advent 3: John, The Quintessential Preacher

Advent 3: Gaudete: Comfort That Stands Forever

Rev. James Preus

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