December 26, 2010
This sermon was preached from the perspective of Stephen
Dear friends in Christ.
I want to thank you for the opportunity of being with you this morning to tell you my story. Though I’m sure that many of you already know my story quite well from your days in Sunday school, my story is a story that bears repeating. I don’t say that because it is a story about me, and I have the opportunity of relating it to you today. But I say this because it is a story that will teach you the all important truth that 1 + God = The Majority!
You see, my story begins back in the days after Pentecost. I’m sure you remember how it was, the sound of rushing wind came to the place where the Apostles were and then tongues of fire separated and came to rest on their heads. The Apostles began speaking in all sorts of different languages and some from the crowd mocked them saying that they had too much wine. That was when Peter stood up and preached to the people telling them exactly what was happening; how the Lord had poured out the Holy Spirit on his people in fulfillment of his promise. He told the people about Jesus and what his life, his death, and his resurrection had meant for them. He called on the people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and on that day roughly 3000 people were added to the number of believers!
Well, it didn’t stop there. The believers continued to meet together and the Apostles continued proclaiming the gospel message of salvation, performing the miraculous signs and wonders that the Lord enabled them to do, and the Lord continued to bless them! Day after day he continued to add to their numbers until the number of believers was up, well over, 5000. So many had been added, that a complaint arose, stating that some of the widows were being over looked in the daily distribution of food. So, when the complaint came forward, the Apostles suggested that 7 men be chosen from among the believers to help out in the daily distribution of food. Thus, when the church acted and chose us, I was one of the men who was chosen to do just that, as it says in our lesson today: “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. (Acts 6:8–10, NIV)
Though I had been chosen to help in the ministry of distributing food, it was the Lord who allowed me to also perform miraculous signs like the Apostles, and it was the Lord who led me out to proclaim his Word. As I proclaimed his Word, there were some who began to oppose me and the message I was bringing. Yet, this was not the first time opposition had arisen against the preaching of the gospel, for if you really think about it, Jesus’ ministry on earth was filled with opposition by the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law, in fact the entire Sanhedrin—the ruling body of religious leaders in Israel—was essentially opposed to the message that Jesus brought. So, it really was no wonder that the Apostles faced opposition as they preached. Take for example Peter and John. Early on in the days after Pentecost, they had healed a crippled beggar in the Temple Courts and then used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the people who had gathered around. But shortly after they had finished, some form the Priests and Sadducees took them off to the Sanhedrin for trial, because the Priests and the Sadducees were greatly disturbed that these Apostles were preaching the resurrection. At the close of the trial, just before they were released, the Sanhedrin ordered them no longer to preach the Name of Jesus, to which they declared their plan to follow the will of God rather than the will of men. When they gathered with the other believers and reported what had happened, they prayed and praised God, the Lord shook the place where they were praying and the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit continued proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in Jesus. Thus, God himself demonstrated that 1 + God = the Majority!
Again opposition arose because the High Priest and the Sadducees were filled with jealousy against the Apostles and they arrested them, once again, for preaching about Jesus. Again they were put on trial before the whole Sanhedrin and ordered no longer to preach about Jesus. Again their response was that they must obey God rather than men because they knew that 1 + God = the Majority. This time, however, the Apostles were whipped! Yet, as they left, they left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Lord Jesus, their Savior and even though they suffered they were confirmed in their knowledge that they were the Majority because they were partnered with God.
Again the leadership grew jealous of what was happening in the camp of the Lord because the number of disciples was increasing daily and because quite a number of priests were coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Because of this, the Sanhedrin, the religious leadership of the Israelites, undoubtedly felt as they did when Jesus walked the earth; they felt that they were losing their positions of power and control over the people. It was at this time that opposition arose against me from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, as it was called. They began to argue with me and against the Word of God which I was proclaiming. But they could not stand up against the Holy Spirit by whom I was speaking, and in that moment it became clear that 1 + God = the Majority. It was not by my power that they could not stand up, but by the power of God himself who was on my side and who was proclaiming his eternal power of salvation through his Word, which I was privileged to speak. So, because they could not stand up against the Lord, they did what all stubborn unbelievers do; they lied. Just like they paid false witnesses to testify against Jesus, “they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?” (Acts 6:11–7:1, NIV)
In their zeal to be rid of me, they accused me of blasphemy—profane or sacrilegious speech—against Moses, against God, and against the Temple. But even though I stood alone against those 70 elders of Israel made up of the High Priest together with the Pharisees and Sadducees, I knew I was the Majority that day, because I stood with the Lord beside me. In that day the Lord Jesus fulfilled his promise and gave me the words to speak through the Holy Spirit! For as it came time for me to speak in my defense, suddenly my face began to shine like an angel and the Holy Spirit enabled me to defend myself through the power of God’s Word.
Though they accused me of blasphemy against God, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of God’s gracious dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Israelites and in doing so the Holy Spirit revealed how I was actually exalting the God of the covenant and his gracious promises, while the Sanhedrin had forsaken the covenant God. Though they accused me of blasphemy against Moses, through the Holy Spirit I reminded them of the Israelites history of rejecting Moses as God’s given leader and their breaking of God’s covenant with them by turning to idolatry. Thus, the Holy Spirit revealed that I was honoring Moses as God intended by following the Lord’s Word while the Sanhedrin had blinded themselves to the meaning of the law given by Moses as well as the promise of the Savior that Moses prophesied. Though they accused me of blasphemy against the temple, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of the tabernacle and the temple as a place to go and worship the Lord through the sacrifices he gave, while the Israelites had changed the temple into an idol by merely going through the motions of worship. Thus the Holy Spirit revealed that the message I proclaimed gave the temple the place the Lord wanted it to have while the Sanhedrin had perverted both the right view of the temple and the God-pleasing use of it.
Even as I was speaking they began to grow antsy. Like little children they covered their ears so they wouldn’t have to listen to what I was telling them. They ground their teeth in anger because they could not fact the Lord’s judgment on them when I said, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:51–60, NIV)
Even though they thought they had won by killing me, I was the victor that day, because 1 + God = The Majority! Even in death I was allied with the Lord and through faith in him, I was given a seat of honor in his heavenly kingdom. I was honored as the first of God’s martyrs in the New Testament, and I was honored to be the one whose story gives strength to all of God’s people who face hardships, trials, frustrations, persecution, and even martyrdom. I was given this honor so that God might be glorified when people see from my story the absolute fact that 1 + God = the Majority!
Now, why do I tell you all this? Because you need to know and be certain that 1 + God = the Majority! You need to know this because whether you realize it or not, you are already being persecuted for being a Christian. More and more people are complaining against Christianity and more and more court cases are coming up about Christian symbols, prayer, and many other Christian freedoms that have begun to offend others. In fact, take a look at this clip from October 2008 in which Paul Washer speaks about persecution in our day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7UyZYpeReY)
I do not tell you these things or show you this clip to scare you, but to encourage you. Though we have enjoyed an unprecedented time without persecution, it has begun. It is continuing and it is growing. But no matter what kind of persecution we may face, remember my story and remember that no matter what 1 + God = the Majority! Through faith in Jesus you are God’s redeemed child! Through faith in Jesus all your sins have been forgiven. Through faith in Jesus, your place in heaven has already been prepared for you. Through faith in Jesus you are already victorious. Through faith in Jesus you are the Majority because you are aligned with God. Through faith in Jesus, no matter what happens in this world you are victorious, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, NIV) So no matter what happens, you are the majority with God. If you live out your days and fall asleep in the Lord at a good old age, you are blessed. If your life should be cut short by an accident or even a sickness, you are still blessed because you will be at home with the Lord all the sooner. If you should face what I faced, and be murdered for what you believe in, you will be blessed because the Lord will reward you with eternal life! This is our comfort whether we live or whether we die we belong to the Lord, because 1 + the Lord = the Majority. There is no one who can snatch us out of his hand. There is no one who can take away our salvation.
Though the days will eventually grow even more evil than the days I faced, the Lord is on your side. When you face frustration, hardship, trouble, persecution, suffering, or even death, take my story with you. Hide it in your heart so that no matter what you face you always remember that 1 + God = the Majority!
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Are you the One who was to come? (Matthew 11:2-11)
December 12, 2010
Dear friends in Christ.
It has been said that God sometimes baffles us and disappoints us in order to make us succeed. In many ways, that is exactly what the Lord did to Philips Brooks. Born in 1835, Philips Brooks is best remembered today as the author of O Little Town of Bethlehem. However, former generations accounted him as the greatest American Preacher of the 19th Century. Yet, if Philips Brooks would have succeeded in his position as a school master, he never would have stood in the pulpit to move men with his mighty ministry. This is also what the Lord did to an English Man named Frederick Robertson. Born in 1816, Frederick Robertson long dreamed of being a military officer, like his Father, and his dream was to serve the Empire in India. Yet, at the wish of his Father, just two weeks before he would have received his military commission, Frederick left school and went on to become an amazing preacher. You see, if Frederick had succeeded in his goal and received his military commission in the British Army, never would have written the sermons which still throb with his great and yearning spirit; sermons which are still read and studied today! For these two men, if God had not disappointed them they may never have received the great blessings that he longed to pour into their lives.
In many ways, the very same thing could be said for the life of John the Baptist. Turn with me, if you would, to our lesson for this morning from Matthew 11 and we’ll take a look at the disappointment and the perplexity that John was facing. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 11, let tell you about some of the events leading up to our lesson today. Though John had served well as the forerunner to the Messiah, preaching in the spirit of Elijah of old, calling Israel to repentance and pointing them to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior, John had come upon some disappointing and troubling times, as he was now locked away in Herod’s prison. He was locked away in Herod’s prison because he had forcefully preached that it was wrong for Herod to have married his brother Philip’s wife. When John was put in prison, Jesus left the region of Judah and Jerusalem and headed up to Galilee where he preached the gospel of salvation, he healed the sick, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he even raised the dead, but he did not bring any kind of judgment upon the people as John had said that he would. It was because of this that John was confused and perplexed; he may even been a little disappointed. That is why Matthew writes as he does in Chapter 11 beginning with verse 2: “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
Are you the one who was to come, or should we be expecting someone else? This was John’s question, born out of his disappointment and his frustration at being locked away in prison for preaching the truth of God’s Word. Though it is sometimes difficult for us to conceive of any type of doubt ever crossing the lips of such a great Prophet as John the Baptist, as we study the Scriptures, there are many examples of God’s prophets facing disappointment, frustration, perplexity, and even doubt. Take for example the Prophet Elijah. Immediately after his great victory for the Lord over the 950 false prophets on Mt. Carmel, we see Elijah fearing for his life. We see him running away to the Mountain of God, doubting his effectiveness, and even despairing of his life. We see Jeremiah weeping and complaining to the Lord because all the people of Israel were against him and no one seemed to listen to the message that the Lord gave him to preach. We see Jonah running away from the Lord so that he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh, doubting that his message would be affective, and then growing angry and sullen when it caused the people to return to the Lord. Even Moses doubted that he would be able to lead the people Israel, when the Lord called him to be his prophet.
Yet, in the same way that the Lord answered each one of his prophet’s concerns, removing their doubts and fears and building them up in his Word, so also the Lord Jesus does the same thing for John today. For as Jesus replies, he doesn’t simply say, “Go back and tell John, ‘Yes, I am the one who was to come! You don’t need to look forward to anyone else!’” Rather, Jesus basically tells John, “Judge for yourself, based on what you have heard and seen.” “Judge for yourself, based on the things I am doing, things which Isaiah said I would do.” “Judge for yourself, and you will see that there is no doubt that I am the one who was to come! You do not need to be looking forward to someone else!” Take a look with me again at Chapter 11 beginning with verse 4: “Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
What a comfort these words must have been to John as he sat in prison! What a great assurance for him to hear his cousin and his Savior assure him not only that he, Jesus, was the one who was to come into the world as the Messiah, but that he, John, the forerunner, had done his job of preparing the way for the Lord, extremely well. As Jesus stood before the crowd of people there, he told them, in no uncertain terms, that even though John was currently sitting in prison, he had done his job to prepare the way for the Savior! John was the messenger whom the Lord God had revealed ahead of the Savior to prepare his way. John was the one who pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Word. John was the one who had so eloquently proclaimed the Law of God, cutting the people to the heart, moving them to repentances, and preparing them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Thus, in pointing to his actions as the Messiah, and pointing to John’s actions as the forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus reveals two witnesses that proclaim him as the one who was to come to be the Savior of the world! He is the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because he was the one who accomplished what the Scriptures said he would. He was the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because John, the forerunner whom the Scriptures foretold, prepared the way before him and pointed him out to the people.
Though the Lord had, in some ways, disappointed John and even frustrated him by locking him away in prison, John’s ministry was that much more successful because through his imprisonment, even more people came to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Even we, because of the ministry of John, have been blessed by the Lord our God, because we too have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah who has freed us from our sins. In fact, we too, can take the same comfort that John, his disciples, and the crowd of people took that day as Jesus revealed that he was the one who came as the Messiah! In fact, today, as we look forward to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, we can be certain that he is the one who came into the world to save us from our sins. He is the one who came into this to give his life as the Lamb of Atonement so that his payment for our sins might wipe God’s slate clean. He is the one who came into this world to preach the Gospel so that his word would be carried to the people of every nation, tribe, and language. He is the one who came into the world so that you and I might be made his own and live under him in his kingdom!
Though there may be times that the Lord does baffle us and even disappoint us, we know that he is doing it to make us successful in him. Just as he made John the Baptist successful in his ministry of preparing the way for the Savior, so also he will make us successful in our faith. What a comfort it is to have our Savior’s assurance that we don’t need to look for anyone else! He is the one who was to come into the world! Jesus was the one who was to come into the world to free us from our sins. Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
It has been said that God sometimes baffles us and disappoints us in order to make us succeed. In many ways, that is exactly what the Lord did to Philips Brooks. Born in 1835, Philips Brooks is best remembered today as the author of O Little Town of Bethlehem. However, former generations accounted him as the greatest American Preacher of the 19th Century. Yet, if Philips Brooks would have succeeded in his position as a school master, he never would have stood in the pulpit to move men with his mighty ministry. This is also what the Lord did to an English Man named Frederick Robertson. Born in 1816, Frederick Robertson long dreamed of being a military officer, like his Father, and his dream was to serve the Empire in India. Yet, at the wish of his Father, just two weeks before he would have received his military commission, Frederick left school and went on to become an amazing preacher. You see, if Frederick had succeeded in his goal and received his military commission in the British Army, never would have written the sermons which still throb with his great and yearning spirit; sermons which are still read and studied today! For these two men, if God had not disappointed them they may never have received the great blessings that he longed to pour into their lives.
In many ways, the very same thing could be said for the life of John the Baptist. Turn with me, if you would, to our lesson for this morning from Matthew 11 and we’ll take a look at the disappointment and the perplexity that John was facing. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 11, let tell you about some of the events leading up to our lesson today. Though John had served well as the forerunner to the Messiah, preaching in the spirit of Elijah of old, calling Israel to repentance and pointing them to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior, John had come upon some disappointing and troubling times, as he was now locked away in Herod’s prison. He was locked away in Herod’s prison because he had forcefully preached that it was wrong for Herod to have married his brother Philip’s wife. When John was put in prison, Jesus left the region of Judah and Jerusalem and headed up to Galilee where he preached the gospel of salvation, he healed the sick, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he even raised the dead, but he did not bring any kind of judgment upon the people as John had said that he would. It was because of this that John was confused and perplexed; he may even been a little disappointed. That is why Matthew writes as he does in Chapter 11 beginning with verse 2: “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
Are you the one who was to come, or should we be expecting someone else? This was John’s question, born out of his disappointment and his frustration at being locked away in prison for preaching the truth of God’s Word. Though it is sometimes difficult for us to conceive of any type of doubt ever crossing the lips of such a great Prophet as John the Baptist, as we study the Scriptures, there are many examples of God’s prophets facing disappointment, frustration, perplexity, and even doubt. Take for example the Prophet Elijah. Immediately after his great victory for the Lord over the 950 false prophets on Mt. Carmel, we see Elijah fearing for his life. We see him running away to the Mountain of God, doubting his effectiveness, and even despairing of his life. We see Jeremiah weeping and complaining to the Lord because all the people of Israel were against him and no one seemed to listen to the message that the Lord gave him to preach. We see Jonah running away from the Lord so that he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh, doubting that his message would be affective, and then growing angry and sullen when it caused the people to return to the Lord. Even Moses doubted that he would be able to lead the people Israel, when the Lord called him to be his prophet.
Yet, in the same way that the Lord answered each one of his prophet’s concerns, removing their doubts and fears and building them up in his Word, so also the Lord Jesus does the same thing for John today. For as Jesus replies, he doesn’t simply say, “Go back and tell John, ‘Yes, I am the one who was to come! You don’t need to look forward to anyone else!’” Rather, Jesus basically tells John, “Judge for yourself, based on what you have heard and seen.” “Judge for yourself, based on the things I am doing, things which Isaiah said I would do.” “Judge for yourself, and you will see that there is no doubt that I am the one who was to come! You do not need to be looking forward to someone else!” Take a look with me again at Chapter 11 beginning with verse 4: “Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
What a comfort these words must have been to John as he sat in prison! What a great assurance for him to hear his cousin and his Savior assure him not only that he, Jesus, was the one who was to come into the world as the Messiah, but that he, John, the forerunner, had done his job of preparing the way for the Lord, extremely well. As Jesus stood before the crowd of people there, he told them, in no uncertain terms, that even though John was currently sitting in prison, he had done his job to prepare the way for the Savior! John was the messenger whom the Lord God had revealed ahead of the Savior to prepare his way. John was the one who pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Word. John was the one who had so eloquently proclaimed the Law of God, cutting the people to the heart, moving them to repentances, and preparing them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Thus, in pointing to his actions as the Messiah, and pointing to John’s actions as the forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus reveals two witnesses that proclaim him as the one who was to come to be the Savior of the world! He is the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because he was the one who accomplished what the Scriptures said he would. He was the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because John, the forerunner whom the Scriptures foretold, prepared the way before him and pointed him out to the people.
Though the Lord had, in some ways, disappointed John and even frustrated him by locking him away in prison, John’s ministry was that much more successful because through his imprisonment, even more people came to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Even we, because of the ministry of John, have been blessed by the Lord our God, because we too have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah who has freed us from our sins. In fact, we too, can take the same comfort that John, his disciples, and the crowd of people took that day as Jesus revealed that he was the one who came as the Messiah! In fact, today, as we look forward to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, we can be certain that he is the one who came into the world to save us from our sins. He is the one who came into this to give his life as the Lamb of Atonement so that his payment for our sins might wipe God’s slate clean. He is the one who came into this world to preach the Gospel so that his word would be carried to the people of every nation, tribe, and language. He is the one who came into the world so that you and I might be made his own and live under him in his kingdom!
Though there may be times that the Lord does baffle us and even disappoint us, we know that he is doing it to make us successful in him. Just as he made John the Baptist successful in his ministry of preparing the way for the Savior, so also he will make us successful in our faith. What a comfort it is to have our Savior’s assurance that we don’t need to look for anyone else! He is the one who was to come into the world! Jesus was the one who was to come into the world to free us from our sins. Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Prepare the Way of the Lord (Luke 3:1-6)
December 5, 2010
Dear friends in Christ.
Before the days of Interstate Highways, US Highways, even before paved country roads; back even before the days of the prophets, there was custom practiced by the Kings of the Orient. Whenever a king wished to make a journey he would first send out his officials to prepare the area through which he intended to travel. The officials would go to the people living in the region and order them, in the name of the King, to prepare the highway for their lord. The people would then have the task of making sure the roadway was ready for their king. They would clear away any brush or dead branches, they would fill in any ruts or potholes, and they would even level the surface so that everything would be ready for their king; so that he would have the smoothest journey on the flattest road possible. This is the very picture that Luke is painting for us through the ministry of John the Baptist. In essence, the Lord is pictured as coming through the vast and impassable Arabian desert which lay between Babylon and the land of Judea. Thus, the preaching voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior and the official of the Lord, came to the Judean wilderness. He came summoning the people to clear the way of all obstacles so that Israel’s Lord and Savior could have a smooth road to their hearts as he came to set his people free from their sins.
This mission, to prepare the way for the Lord, was the very mission that John had been given even before he had been born. For when the Angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple as Zechariah was burning incense, Gabriel told Zechariah that the child that would be born would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from birth. By his preaching he would bring many in Israel back to the Lord their God, and in the spirit of the Prophet Elijah he would make ready a people prepared for the Lord, which is exactly what John was doing when we meet him in our lesson today. Luke writes: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ ”(Luke 3:1–6, NIV)
Though John may had gone out to live in the dessert at an early age, he did not begin his ministry until the Lord came to him and authorized it. But when that day finally came, he began with a fury. He went around the area of the Jordan preparing the way of the Lord by calling the people to repentance through the Law of God. He baptized the repentant in the waters of the Jordan, assuring them of the forgiveness of sins, and he pointed people ever forward, to look for the Lamb of God, the Messiah who would soon be coming into the world. In fact, he did this so effectively that people began to flock to him from Jerusalem, the region surrounding Judea, and even from places as far away as Capernaum in Galilee. Many people who would never have considered going to the dusty desolate region of the Jordan where John was now left their comfortable homes just so they could come out and hear what he had to say.
Well, in the same way that John prepared the way of the Lord in his day, he is doing the same thing for you and me today! Though we don’t have him standing in front of us preaching against our sins, through Luke’s account we have the next best thing. For as we look back at the account of John’s preaching, we hear just how forceful of a speaker he must have been. We hear him preparing the Messiah’s Highway into the hearts of his people by calling them to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We hear him going up against the Pharisees and other religious leader telling them flat out that their self-righteous ways will get them nowhere near their eternal goal. And we hear him, as he turns to us and condemns us for our sins. For we too have been right there with the Pharisees, thinking that we can get into heaven with our good looks and good works. We too have been right there with the tax collectors taking more than our fair share. We too have been right there with the soldiers accusing people falsely and slandering their names to our friends. We too have let the fire of our anger rise against those who have wronged us and sworn that we would get even with them. We too have let our tongues run wild, gossiping about anyone and anything in any place at any time of day. We too have let the rage of our jealousy cloud our minds so that we have resented even our closest friends.
In truth, we are no different than the Israelites who came out to hear John in the wilderness. We, too, need John to prepare the way for our Lord, because the road to our hearts is also covered with many obstacles of sin, and doubt, and disbelief. But when we hear John speaking to us with the full measure of God’s Law we find ourselves looking directly into the mirror of that Law. We see our reflections covered with the debris of our sins. We feel the weight of our sins pressing down upon our shoulders. We see the shame and the guilt of those sins reflected in our eyes, and before we know it, we are down on our knees in sorrow over our sins, repenting, and praying to the Lord our Savior for forgiveness. It is in this way that our hearts are prepared for the coming of the Lord and the way to our hearts made smooth and ready for him! For it is the crushing blow of the hammer of God’s Law that leads us to repentance, and it is through that repentance that the way is prepared for Jesus to enter into our hearts and lives.
When Jesus enters into our hearts and lives, he enters in with the soothing Gospel, filling in those trenches of heartache and despair. Though the Law shows our reflections covered with sins, Jesus uses his gospel to remove each and every spot and satin of our sins. He uses the gospel to cover over every one of our iniquities so that all that is reflected is the Salvation of our God. He shows us that the true and only way to our homes in heaven is through faith in him. He assures us that though we may have taken more than our fair share, let our anger rise and worked to get even, let our tongues run wild, and even let rage and jealousy cloud our minds, these things have all been forgiven. But not only have they been forgiven, by the way that was prepared in our hearts through the law, our Savior now brings the healing of the gospel which not only assures us that we have been completely forgiven, but it also moves us to live our lives according to God’s will out of love for our Savior.
This is why John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah was such important work. For as forerunner, it was his mission to prepare the way of the Lord. Though John may not have gone out and commanded the people of the region to prepare the roads so that their king could travel on them, he did prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of their Savior. Through his use of Law and Gospel, John was able to prepare the way of the Lord, so that the nations would be ready for the coming of their Savior. Thus we can be sure that John came in fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah had uttered so many years before, for through his proclamation of Law and Gospel John has prepared the way for the Lord for countless generations of believers who have come to faith through the work that he did.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
Before the days of Interstate Highways, US Highways, even before paved country roads; back even before the days of the prophets, there was custom practiced by the Kings of the Orient. Whenever a king wished to make a journey he would first send out his officials to prepare the area through which he intended to travel. The officials would go to the people living in the region and order them, in the name of the King, to prepare the highway for their lord. The people would then have the task of making sure the roadway was ready for their king. They would clear away any brush or dead branches, they would fill in any ruts or potholes, and they would even level the surface so that everything would be ready for their king; so that he would have the smoothest journey on the flattest road possible. This is the very picture that Luke is painting for us through the ministry of John the Baptist. In essence, the Lord is pictured as coming through the vast and impassable Arabian desert which lay between Babylon and the land of Judea. Thus, the preaching voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior and the official of the Lord, came to the Judean wilderness. He came summoning the people to clear the way of all obstacles so that Israel’s Lord and Savior could have a smooth road to their hearts as he came to set his people free from their sins.
This mission, to prepare the way for the Lord, was the very mission that John had been given even before he had been born. For when the Angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple as Zechariah was burning incense, Gabriel told Zechariah that the child that would be born would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from birth. By his preaching he would bring many in Israel back to the Lord their God, and in the spirit of the Prophet Elijah he would make ready a people prepared for the Lord, which is exactly what John was doing when we meet him in our lesson today. Luke writes: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ ”(Luke 3:1–6, NIV)
Though John may had gone out to live in the dessert at an early age, he did not begin his ministry until the Lord came to him and authorized it. But when that day finally came, he began with a fury. He went around the area of the Jordan preparing the way of the Lord by calling the people to repentance through the Law of God. He baptized the repentant in the waters of the Jordan, assuring them of the forgiveness of sins, and he pointed people ever forward, to look for the Lamb of God, the Messiah who would soon be coming into the world. In fact, he did this so effectively that people began to flock to him from Jerusalem, the region surrounding Judea, and even from places as far away as Capernaum in Galilee. Many people who would never have considered going to the dusty desolate region of the Jordan where John was now left their comfortable homes just so they could come out and hear what he had to say.
Well, in the same way that John prepared the way of the Lord in his day, he is doing the same thing for you and me today! Though we don’t have him standing in front of us preaching against our sins, through Luke’s account we have the next best thing. For as we look back at the account of John’s preaching, we hear just how forceful of a speaker he must have been. We hear him preparing the Messiah’s Highway into the hearts of his people by calling them to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We hear him going up against the Pharisees and other religious leader telling them flat out that their self-righteous ways will get them nowhere near their eternal goal. And we hear him, as he turns to us and condemns us for our sins. For we too have been right there with the Pharisees, thinking that we can get into heaven with our good looks and good works. We too have been right there with the tax collectors taking more than our fair share. We too have been right there with the soldiers accusing people falsely and slandering their names to our friends. We too have let the fire of our anger rise against those who have wronged us and sworn that we would get even with them. We too have let our tongues run wild, gossiping about anyone and anything in any place at any time of day. We too have let the rage of our jealousy cloud our minds so that we have resented even our closest friends.
In truth, we are no different than the Israelites who came out to hear John in the wilderness. We, too, need John to prepare the way for our Lord, because the road to our hearts is also covered with many obstacles of sin, and doubt, and disbelief. But when we hear John speaking to us with the full measure of God’s Law we find ourselves looking directly into the mirror of that Law. We see our reflections covered with the debris of our sins. We feel the weight of our sins pressing down upon our shoulders. We see the shame and the guilt of those sins reflected in our eyes, and before we know it, we are down on our knees in sorrow over our sins, repenting, and praying to the Lord our Savior for forgiveness. It is in this way that our hearts are prepared for the coming of the Lord and the way to our hearts made smooth and ready for him! For it is the crushing blow of the hammer of God’s Law that leads us to repentance, and it is through that repentance that the way is prepared for Jesus to enter into our hearts and lives.
When Jesus enters into our hearts and lives, he enters in with the soothing Gospel, filling in those trenches of heartache and despair. Though the Law shows our reflections covered with sins, Jesus uses his gospel to remove each and every spot and satin of our sins. He uses the gospel to cover over every one of our iniquities so that all that is reflected is the Salvation of our God. He shows us that the true and only way to our homes in heaven is through faith in him. He assures us that though we may have taken more than our fair share, let our anger rise and worked to get even, let our tongues run wild, and even let rage and jealousy cloud our minds, these things have all been forgiven. But not only have they been forgiven, by the way that was prepared in our hearts through the law, our Savior now brings the healing of the gospel which not only assures us that we have been completely forgiven, but it also moves us to live our lives according to God’s will out of love for our Savior.
This is why John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah was such important work. For as forerunner, it was his mission to prepare the way of the Lord. Though John may not have gone out and commanded the people of the region to prepare the roads so that their king could travel on them, he did prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of their Savior. Through his use of Law and Gospel, John was able to prepare the way of the Lord, so that the nations would be ready for the coming of their Savior. Thus we can be sure that John came in fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah had uttered so many years before, for through his proclamation of Law and Gospel John has prepared the way for the Lord for countless generations of believers who have come to faith through the work that he did.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
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