God's Great Exchange

April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday

Dear Friends in Christ

If you’ve ever tried to return home to the United States after traveling in a foreign country, then you know what going through customs is like. You know how you have to provide the proper documentation of who you are before they will even consider letting you in. You know how you will be asked all sorts of different questions by the custom agent before he or she will approve your credentials and allow you to enter. And you know that if you should fail to provide proper identification or fail to adequately answer the questions, you will be turned away and not able to enter at all. Yet with the proper documentation it is a very easy thing to pass through customs and return home to your own land. The same thing is true for us as Christians. Though we are citizens of heaven we are currently traveling outside of our home country, but we all know that one day we will stand at the border cross between this world and the next. One day we will be asked for our passports to eternal life. One day we will be asked why we should be allowed to enter our home land of heaven. It is because of this that I want to review with you the very hope and the very reason we have in looking forward to eternal life, and I want to begin by asking you a couple of questions. The first is, “If you were to die to night, are you sure that you would have eternal life?” …The second is, “If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you tell him?”

… Though I don’t expect you to give me an answer right here and right now, these are questions I want you to ponder as we continue today. For the answers to these questions are answers that only come through faith, and in doing so, they lead us into a right relationship with the Lord our God.

For a person to be in a right relationship with God, that person needs first of all to ask God what his requirements truly are. To find out what those are, we turn to the pages of Scripture where we learn in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And again in Leviticus 19:2, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” From this we learn that the very thing God demands of us is that we must be perfectly holy, completely set apart from sinners, without flaw of any kind, and absolutely perfect. This, in fact, is the very thing that Jesus said to a man who came to him asking , “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him with a question: "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' " Jesus told the man that he had answered correctly, God demands nothing less than perfection, a perfect love for him at all times, a perfect love for our neighbor at all times as well. Then Jesus said, "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:16-28). In other words, keep on doing this at all times. Show nothing less than perfect love toward God and your neighbor in all that you do, and say and even think, and you will live. Always put God first in your life, never use his name in a wrong way, never have so much as a single greedy, covetous, lustful, vengeful, jealous, hateful, or even selfish thought. Be such a perfect, holy, sinless person at every moment of your life, and you will live, that is be in a right relationship with the Lord your God and receive eternal life.

The problem is, as we know, what God demands of us is the very opposite of what he sees. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). That means that each and every one of us has sinned in one way or another, and because of our sins, we have fallen short of God’s glory. It’s like going to Wal-Mart to buy groceries or things that you might need. You go around all the isles, spending a few hours shopping and getting all that you need, and finally when you fill that you’ve filled your cart full enough, you go to the check out. As the cashier rings up your purchases, you dig out your checkbook only to find that you ran out of checks yesterday, and completely forgot to put a new book in. So you look in your purse, or your wallet, for a check card or credit card of some kind, only to find that you’ve left them home as well. Now, you as you begin to search for some money, you know that it will be entirely fruitless because you left all your cash at home. Though you hunt and hunt for through your pockets, all you are able to find is two quarters, a dime and a nickel. The problem is, you have fallen short of that $150 tab that the clerk has just finished ringing up, and your sixty five cents will by no means cover that bill. Now, you have no choice but return home completely empty handed. That is what our sins have done to us. For in the same way that a lack of money separated you from the possibility of buying groceries, the Bible tells us, “your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God” In fact, in the end, our sins will finally separate us from our God forever, as Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)

So then, what can we do? If God sees in us the very opposite of what he demands, what can we do to change it? Well, some might say, “I’ll try harder. I’ll keep trying my best to sin less and less every day.” The problem is, of course, as James tells us, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10). Another person might come up with the idea of balancing out the sins I commit with all sorts of good deeds. If I come home in a bad mood, yell at my kids, and argue with my wife, I’ll take them all out for a special dinner to make up for it. The problem is, even if we could balance out our sins, they would still be there. We would not be able to get rid of them, and we would still be stuck full of sins, completely lacking in holiness, worthy of nothing more than death. Another might give in to the fact that he is not perfect, he might say, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not as bad as that guy over there.” Though comparing ourselves to another might make us feel pretty good about ourselves in the short term, when we look up, and compare ourselves to God, we realize that we are still destined for eternal damnation. Though these ways might seem right and logical to us, in the end they lead only to death and damnation. (Proverbs 16:25)

So then, what can we do! If we are so filled with sins and so lacking in holiness that we can only look forward to eternal death. If we can do nothing to remove our sins, and every sin we commit means we are guilty of breaking all of God’s law that we cannot possibly keep it ourselves to earn eternal life, what can we do? The answer is nothing. But even though there is nothing that we can do, it is God who has done it all for us! This is God’s remedy.

God’s remedy centers in a person. That person is his own Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus is the one about whom the Bible tells us, that though he was true God, he was also true man. Though he was true God from eternity, he became fully human, exactly like you and me in every way, except he was without sin. Jesus was completely holy, completely without sin! In fact, what God demanded, Jesus did 100%

There was even a time when Jesus flat out asked his enemies, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46). But no one could. Even when Jesus was on trial and the Jews were seeking to have him crucified, even then the accusations brought against Jesus did not agree. Even when false witnesses were coached on what to say, they still couldn’t make their stories agree. It’s as if the Lord himself were telling the world, “There’s no one who can find one fault in my Son. He lived an absolutely holy, sin free life.”

But even though he had lived his holy, sin-free life, his life still ended in death on the cross. But his death was not in vain, as Isaiah tells us, “The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) God transferred all our sins over to Jesus and let him pay the penalty for them. In the same way that we can easily transfer money from a savings account to a checking account, the Lord transferred all our sins over to Jesus account, and sent him to the cross with those sins, so that through his death, their payment would be covered. And when Jesus died, he cried out in a loud voice to let us know that his payment was complete that our sins had been forgiven.

It’s like being back at Wal-Mart, fishing in your pockets, fining nothing more than sixty-five cents. As you’re about to apologize to the cashier, and take your leave, someone from the line behind says, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for your things.” That’s what Jesus did for us. He paid the penalty in full for us. He took our sins upon himself so that we could be in a right relationship with our God. This is exactly what the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the same way that the Lord transferred our sins to Jesus, He transferred Jesus’ righteousness and holiness to us. Through Jesus, we become the righteousness and holiness that God demands. For God has covered us with the news cloths of Jesus’ holiness so that he no longer sees our sins, but only the Holiness and righteousness that Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection. This is God’s great exchange! He takes my sins and gives me Jesus’ Righteousness so that now, in his eyes, I am filled with holiness, completely devoid of sinfulness, and I am now in a right relationship with my God. The very thing that God demands of me, he has now given me. Not because I have earned it or deserved it, but because of his great love for me.

What a blessing this is indeed! For now that I am in a right relationship with the Lord my God through Jesus Christ my Savior, I receive his great blessings indeed. I have received forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt. I have received the gift of eternal life and new life of faith. I have received the Lord’s guidance for life and his answers to prayers. I have received the gift of Christian fellowship and the power for living for the Lord. These are the great gifts and blessings the Lord has given me through this great exchanges. My sins on Jesus, Jesus’ righteousness on me, the gift of the forgiveness of sins, a God pleasing life, and eternal salvation forever in heaven.

So now, what about you, do you believe this? Do you know what you have to look forward to? Of course you do! If you were to die tonight, would you have eternal life? Absolutely! If you did die tonight, and you were standing before God and he asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you answer? Heaven is mine through Jesus Christ my Savior. This is God’s great exchange! The very thing he demands of us, he gives us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Give thanks to God for what he has done for you, for he has given you eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

One of the Mob; a Follower (Matthew 27:20-23)

Mach 9, 2011
Good Friday
Preached from the perspective of one of the mob.

Dear friends in Christ.

Were you there when they crucified the Lord? Where you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they crowned his head with thorns? Were you there when the crowds cried, “Crucify”? Though I know that none of you were there on that dark day so many years ago, I can tell you that I was. I was there as one of that mob. I was there as a follower. Yes, I know I told you this same story back on Ash Wednesday. But sometimes we just need to hear a story two and three times before it begins to sink in. But as I said, I was there, and I can remember the details of that day as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I remember all the sights and sounds from that day. I remember how the sun seemed almost tentative as it warmed my skin that morning and how the breeze almost seemed to hold its breath when Pilate brought Jesus out before the crowd.

Funny thing, isn’t it, I can remember all those details. I can remember exactly how Jesus looked; bruised and beaten with blood trickling down his face from the crown of thorns pressed into his head. Yet I simply, for the life of me, cannot remember why I was part of the crowd in Pilate’s courtyard that morning. I can’t remember if I had gone there out of curiosity to find out why Jesus was on trial or if I had simply been swept along to the palace by the mentality of the mob gathering there. After all, I wasn’t a follower of Jesus at that time. Oh, I had heard him preach. I had seen some miracles, I liked what he had to say, but the Holy Spirit had not yet created faith in my heart to trust in Jesus as my Savior. Though I now know exactly why I was there as part of that mob that day, at the time when Jesus was on trial, I was merely following the crowd.

Yes, I do remember exactly what Jesus looked like when Pilate brought him out before the crowd. I remember Pilate’s booming voice as he asked the people, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17) And I remember seeing the Chief Priests and the Elders circulating through the crowd persuading the people to ask for Barabbas and to have Christ crucified. (Matthew 27:20). I probably wouldn’t have noticed it except for the Elder who came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, looked me straight in the eye, and told me that if I considered myself and Israelite, I would demand Jesus’ execution and Barabbas’ release. It was in that moment that time seemed to stand still as a saw the Chief Priests and Elders, essentially the entire Sanhedrin—the ruling body of the Israelites—milling through the crowd; turning the people against Jesus. I wondered what I should do! Should I stay and ask for Jesus? Should I do what my leadership told me? Should I just leave and go somewhere else? I didn’t know what I should do. I was frozen with indecision as I heard Pilate ask, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” (Matthew 27:21)

It took a few seconds before my mouth started working again. I heard some shouting for Jesus, but I heard others shouting for Barabbas. Then I heard more and more people taking up the cry for Barabbas, and before I knew it, I joined right in with all the people chanting Barabbas’ name and drowning out any other voices crying out for Jesus. When Pilate asked, “Why? What crime has he committed?” (Matthew 27:23) I didn’t even hesitate. I was right there shouting with the crowds, “Crucify!” “Crucify!” I was fully part of that mob now. I was following every direction that the collective mentality of crowd was giving me. My eyes were gleaming with evil intentions. My stomach hungered for the deed to be done. My blood was boiling with lust to see Christ’s blood spilled on the ground. Every fiber of my being demanded to see him nailed to the cross and crucified. Every part of me needed to see it happen, because I was caught up in the frenzy of the mob that day. I was following the crowd demanding that the governor give the order, so that we could go out to the place of the skull and see it come to pass.

Now, I’m not proud of what I did by any means. But, before you judge me too harshly, let me ask you a question. How often haven’t you done the same thing? How of then haven’t you been part of the mob; a follower of the crowd when it came to sins? How often haven’t your own temptations led you to a mob mentality as you quickly rushed in to your favorite and most comfortable sins with an ever increasing hunger for more? How often haven’t you simply followed the bread crumbs of temptation in to the courtyard of the palace of sin, joining with other sinners as a mob of people trying to justify their actions to each other by comparing their sins to other worse sinners in the world? How often hasn’t our blood boiled with lust as the TV screen, movie screen, or computer screen flickered before us? How often haven’t our mouths cried out with curses upon others, oaths sworn to get even with the person who wronged us in some way, foul language, lies, hatred, gossip, slander, or other sins? How often haven’t you acted just as I did in that crowd, following the mob mentality of sin that moves us to rush forward into more and more greater sins as we hurtle ever forward moving closer and close to the cliffs of damnation?

That’s where I was! I was hurtling through those gates, moving as one; following the mob of people as they led me behind Jesus, out toward the place of the skull. I was there, standing, watching, desiring, and needing to see the nails driven through his hands and feet! I was there needing to see him raised up, dropped into place, and left to die! I was there as part of that mob, following every move until I heard something that began to separate me from them. As they were crucifying him, I heard him pray, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32–34) In that moment my heart seemed to stop beating as I came back to my senses. When I heard the exchange between one of the thieves and Jesus, and heard Jesus promising the thief that he would be in paradise with Jesus today (Luke 23:39-43) I began wondering if this Jesus might be the Messiah for whom I had been waiting. When the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the land for three hours, I knew there was something special about this Jesus. When I heard him cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) I was immediately reminded of what David had written about the Savior in Psalm 22. Then, when I saw how he died, how he declared everything to be finished, how he committed himself to his heavenly Father, and how the earth shook and the rocks split, I knew that this Jesus had to be the Son of God, the Messiah for whom I had waited, my God who saved me from my sins. Now, I told you that when I was part of that crowd in Pilate’s courtyard I wasn’t a believer. However, I can tell you that if I had not followed the crowd out to Calvary that I may not have had the opportunity to come to faith in Jesus as my Savior. Though I am not proud of my part in the mob, I know I am forgiven. I know that I am forgiven through my Savior who poured out his blood upon the mercy seat of God to atone for my sins.

The same thing is true for each and every one of you who have gathered here today! Though you may have given into a mob mentality when it came to your sins, your sins have been forgiven! Though there have been many occasions that you have rushed head long into your favorite and most comfortable sins, with an ever increasing hunger for more, your Savior’s blood has not only washed you clean, but gives you the desire to turn your back on those sins. Though you may have felt your blood boiling with lust, or your mouth on fire with vicious and sinful words, even these sins have been taken away! They were all nailed to the cross with Jesus your Savior. They were atoned for by his death. They were erased from your record by his blood poured out for you. But best of all, through the faith created in your hearts by the Holy Spirit, you all have been separated from the mob barreling its way toward the cliffs of damnation. Instead you are traveling with the group of believers, following after your Lord and Savior who redeemed you by his blood, made you his own, and has given you the guarantee of eternal life in heaven through faith in the one who poured out his blood for you.

Though none of you were actually there when the crucified our Lord, each time we review the events of that day, our Savior’s love is brought home to us all the more clearly. I pray that through my witness today that you have grown in your faith and your assurance that you have been forgiven by the Blood of the Lamb. I pray that you won’t find yourselves as I did, part of a mob; a follower. Rather, I pray that you will continually be found as a follower of Christ, your living, loving, and forgiven Savior. In his Name.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

Jesus Is Our Servant Leader (Luke 22:19-24; John 13:2-5, 14)

April 21, 2011
Maundy Thursday

Dear friends in Christ.

The phrase, “Servant Leadership” is a phrase that was originally coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in an essay that he published back in 1970. In that essay he said, “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” Since that essay was written there have been many people who have sought to practice principals of servant leadership in their homes, businesses, and industries.

Yet, throughout all of history, there is no greater servant leader than Jesus Christ, our Savior. For it was Jesus himself who told us that he did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) and that is exactly what Jesus did. He served the Israelites by traveling from town to town and proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in him, the Savior of the world. He served the people by meeting their needs with the condemnation of the law and the comfort of the gospel. He served his people, and indeed the whole world, as he prepared himself on this night to give up his own life so that we might live. In fact, as we meet Jesus in our lesson from John 13 we see him leading his disciples by serving them. For in John 13, Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room celebrating the Passover. But, as we find them, the disciples were all arguing about which one of them was the greatest. So Jesus showed them, through an act of servant leadership, what being the greatest was all about. Take a look at what John has to tell us in chapter 13, beginning with verse 2: “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him…14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:2-5, 14, NIV84)

How humbling it must have been for the disciples, and how embarrassing, to see Jesus, their Lord and Master displaying his love for them by humbly washing their feet, even as they had been so recently arguing about their greatness. Yet, how often don’t we act exactly like the disciples did? How often don’t we jockey among ourselves to see which one of us is the greatest in the church? Oh, we may not openly argue about our own greatness, but how often don’t we subtly or even overtly point out our own over all service record? How often don’t we like to review how long we’ve served in one position or another, or even how long we’ve been members of this congregation? How often haven’t we, as volunteers, voiced our anger and frustration against all those others who simply don’t do anything for the congregation? How often haven’t we complained about the running of a committee or organization within the church, speaking about its members or leaders behind their backs? How often haven’t we expressed our own ideas in the church and then been hurt when our ideas are not used or voted down? How often haven’t we seen something that needed to be changed, but kept quiet about it, until finally we couldn’t stand it anymore and burst forth in anger, exercising authority over a situation with anger and frustration? How often haven’t we been just like the disciples, self righteously stepping ever closer to our secret desire to be called greatest in the Kingdom of Christianity?

Jesus knows exactly how many times we have done these things and even more than that, just as he knew it about his disciples. Yet, Jesus never switched tracks. He never deviated from his course. In fact, Luke 22 tells us that Jesus continued traveling the path that would lead him to the cross in just a few short hours. Luke 22 tells us how Jesus revealed the identity of his betrayer, how Jesus was setting in motion all the events that were unfolding before him, even how he instituted a new meal of forgiveness for his disciples who were still struggling to understand what servant leadership was all about. Take a look at Luke 22 and well read verses 19-23: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. (Luke 22:19–23, NIV84)

In such an amazing way, as they partook of that holy supper, Jesus gave them to eat and drink the very events that would play out before them in roughly 12 hours time. He gave them his body together with the bread. He gave them his bold together with the wine. He gave it to them for the forgiveness of their sins. He gave it to them to help them understand what his mission was all about. He gave it to them to help them grow in their faith, be strengthened in their faith, and be moved to live in their faith in Jesus, their Servant Leader.

In the same what that Jesus gave this special meal to his disciples, he made sure that they passed it down from generation to generation so that we too could participate in the events of Good Friday. He made sure that through the Apostle’s preaching, we too would learn about this marvelous meal of Christ’s body and blood given and poured out for us for the forgiveness of sins. For tonight, as you approach this table to eat the bread and wine—in a special way I cannot understand but only believe because Jesus tell me that this is how it is—you will be eating the very body that was broken for us on the cross. You will be drinking the very blood that Jesus poured out for us for the forgiveness of all of our sins. In this meal, Jesus body together with the bread, and Jesus blood, together with the wine, come together to assure us that our sins have been completely and totally washed away. Those sins of jockeying for position with our words; those sins of voicing our anger against all those who don’t volunteer as often or as willingly as we do; those sins of complaining against others and speaking behind their backs; those sins of feeling unduly hurt when our own ideas are not accepted; those sins of bursting forth with rage and anger rather than working to fix a problem; all our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. All our sins are forgiven by Jesus’ body given for us. All our sins have been forgiven because the Son of Man came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

What greater attitude of servant leadership could there be than that of Jesus’ willing sacrifice for our sins! Though he knew what was to come, he willingly went forward to the cross in our place. Though the phrase “Servant Leadership” was only really coined some 40 years ago the concept has been around since even before the time of Christ. Yet as we have studied the People of the Passion, we can truly see how Christ our Savior stands out as our Servant Leader. So, as you leave here today with the taste of your Savior still on your tongues, live in the forgiveness that he has so lovingly bestowed upon you and seek to emulate him with your lives.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

The Day the Lord Entered (1 Samuel 6: 2 Samuel 6; 1 Kings 8; Matthew 21(

April 17, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

Back in the days of BC, that is, Before Children, my beautiful wife, who was at that time my beautiful fiancée, introduced me to a man named James Burke. Now, if you are not familiar with him, James Burke is an English author and science historian who is probably best known for his ten episode documentary television series called Connections; a series which originally aired on PBS in 1979. In the series he took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention, demonstrating how various discoveries, scientific achievements and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of our modern technology. The series was noted for Burke’s crisp and enthusiastic presentation, his dry humor, historical reenactments and intricate working models.

The popularity of the Connections series led to the production of a new program entitled The Day the Universe Changed. While the show was similar to his original work, The Day the Universe Changed gave a more linear history of several important scientific events. Both series were incredibly interesting and even spellbinding as James Burke traced the connections that changed our world into what it is today. Yet, Burk is not the only one who likes to trace connections of different events and reveal how these events set other events into motion; for this is something that the Lord our God has done since the beginning of time. He is the one who has orchestrated the events of the world, so that they would finally lead to the day when the Lord entered.

What a day that must have been on that first Palm Sunday; the day when the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of that colt. How amazing it must have been to hear the people shouting with joy, crying out with Hosanna to the Son of David! How incredible it must have been to have been part of that crowd laying down garments and palm branches as Jesus passed by. Though this was undoubtedly one of the greatest days when the Lord entered, it was not the first time, nor would it be the last! Turn with me, if you would to 1 Samuel 6, and we’ll take a look at another day that the Lord entered. Though 1 Samuel 6 is by no means the first record of the first time the Lord entered, it is a joyful celebration as well. In fact, if you are following along with the chronological schedule, you will find that 1 Samuel 6 is part of today’s scheduled reading. Now, as you are tuning, let me fill you in on the back ground. Eli is 98 years old. He has served the Lord in the Tabernacle for many years, and has trained Samuel to do the same. However, Eli’s two sons are wicked and did not fear the Lord or follow in his ways. Now, on one occasion, Israel went out to fight against the Philistines, one of the nations that they failed to destroy in the original invasion of the land. However on this day, Israel was defeated. So, after the defeat, Eli’s two sons bring the Ark of the Covenant into the camp superstitiously believing that the Lord would now have to fight for them because they brought him with them by bringing the Ark. However, rather than placing their faith and trust in the Lord, they placed it in the Ark and in the next battle, the Philistines completely route the Israelites and capture the Ark. Which brings us to 1 Samuel 6:

“1 When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months, 2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.” 3 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.” …7 “Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the LORD and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance.” 10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the LORD on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD. 16 The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron. (1 Samuel 6:1-3, 7–16, NIV84)

How great the people’s rejoicing must have been on that day when the Ark returned to the people and the Lord entered Beth Shemesh. Though the ark had been captured and the glory had departed from Israel, the people rejoiced as the Lord’s presence, expressed by the Ark of the Covenant entered among them. The Lord had entered among his people and the people rejoiced in his presence. After the people had celebrated the day the Lord entered, the Ark was taken to the house of Abinadab, where it remained for many, many years; at least until the day the Lord Entered Jerusalem. Turn with me to 2 Samuel 6.

Now, as you are turning to 2 Samuel 6, let me set the stage for you. At least 20 year have passed (if not more) since the Ark was returned and the Lord entered Beth Shemesh and the house of Abinidab. In that time, the people had demanded a king and Saul had been anointed. Saul began to disobey the Lord, was rejected as King, and David was anointed to take his place. Saul had died in battle and David began his reign, conquered Jerusalem, waged war against the enemies of Israel and expanding their territory. After all this had taken place, the Lord entered into the city of Jerusalem. Take a look at 2 Samuel 6:
“1 David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2 He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.” (2 Samuel 6:1–5, NIV84)

Now, along the way the cart bumped and one of the men reached out and grabbed hold of the Ark. The Lord’s anger burned against him and the Lord struck him down because of his irreverent act. Thus the Lord revealed his holiness and reestablished proper fear among his people. Even David was unsure about taking the Ark to his palace and it stayed with a man named Obed-Edom until verse 12: “Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. (2 Samuel 6:12–19, NIV84)

On that day, as the lord entered Jerusalem, the people worshiped and praised the Lord. They offered sacrifices to the Lord and fellowship offerings in worship of their God. They sang songs and hymns and even danced in the presence of the Lord. Incidentally it seems that Psalm 24, our Psalm for today, may have been written by David for this very occasion, to be sung as the Ark was entering Jerusalem.

Yet there is one more day at which we want to take a look. Turn to 1 Kings 8. Now, in 1 Kings 8 we have David’s Son Solomon bringing the Ark of the Lord in to the Lord’s temple, which the Lord had commanded Solomon to build. Now that the Temple was completed, we learn in 1 Kings 8: “1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 2 All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. 6 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. (1 Kings 8:1–11, NIV84)

Again the people rejoiced on the day that the Lord Entered and celebrated as they had before. However this day was different; for on this day the Lord revealed his glory to his people in a way he really hadn’t since the days of Moses. He revealed his glory in the cloud that filled the temple, showing the people that he had indeed entered among them.

Now, fast forward to today and feel the joy that filled the people on the day the Lord Jesus was entering Jerusalem. Imagine the joyful shouts of Hosanna to the Son of David as Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 9:1-10. Though sadly many of the people thought that Jesus was entering the city as a conquering hero, a political messiah bent on freeing Israel from the tyranny of the Romans, this time the Lord’s entrance was different. This time the Lord was entering in preparation for his death. In less than a week he would give himself over to death to forgive our sins. He would rise from death to assure us that our sins were completely forgiven, and then he would send us out with the message of salvation so this day could happen again and again. He would send us out with the message of his Word so that through the proclamation of the message of the gospel he would have countless opportunities to enter the heart of those who came to believe in him as their Lord and Savior who has freed them from even the guilt of their sins.

These are but a few of the connections that the Lord has laid out for us in the pages of the Scriptures. Though I may not be able to present them with the same energy and humor as James Burke, they are none the less amazing. For through these connections we see how the Lord our God has entered into the hearts and minds of his people in the past and will continue to do so, entering into our hearts and minds through his Word, just as he did on that first Palm Sunday so many years ago.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! (John 11:17-27, 38-45)

April 10, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

There are well over three hundred verses in the Bible which speak of Jesus’ resurrection. Some of them tell us that Jesus resurrection was a sign for believers, others speak of it as an answer for believers doubts. Some speak of the resurrection as the central message of the Gospel itself, while others tell us how Jesus’ resurrection is a guarantee that all his teachings are true. Well, today, as we study the Word of God before us, we will be looking at a lesson that doesn’t exactly speak of Jesus resurrection from the dead, instead we will stand before Jesus our Savior as he tells us and assures us that he, himself, is the Resurrection and the life. In fact, I invite you to open your Bibles to John 11 so that we can take a look at these events together and listen as Jesus tells us that He is the Resurrection and the life.

Now, if you think about it, as Jesus speaks to us in John 11, he is giving us a great comfort. For the truth is, one of the hardest things that you and I have to cope with in this world is death. It is a difficult thing for us to deal with because it is such an unnatural event. Even though it has become a part of our lives, it was never intended to be a part of our lives when God created this world for us. But as it is, it is one of the many sorrows that we face in our lives as we journey through this vale of tears. It was also a sorrow with which Mary and Martha had to contend, as we hear in our text today: “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.” (John 11:17-19). Though it isn’t part of our text today, if we were to read the verses shortly before where our text begins, we would find that Mary and Martha had sent a message to Jesus telling them that their brother Lazarus was seriously ill. Jesus, in turn and responded that “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4). However, unknown to Mary and Martha he stayed where he was for two more days so that by the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days.

Now, upon first glance, this may seem like a cruel and heartless thing for Jesus to do. Yet what Jesus did would ultimately serve as a comfort for both Mary and Martha. As John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’ ” (John 11:20-26).

When Martha met the Lord at the edge of town, it was Jesus who comforted her in the midst of her sorrow and misery with the words of sweetest Gospel. For when she expressed her anguish that Jesus had not been there to heal Lazarus when he was sick, Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again. That, in itself, was a comfort to her, for she knew he would rise again on the last day. But what Jesus said next was truly a comfort. For in telling her that he was the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was assuring her that her brother who had come to faith in Jesus Christ was now living with the Lord in heaven.

This is the same comfort that you and I receive in our sorrows. For we know all too well the pain and anguish of death. Far too often we are forced to watch our friends and loved ones growing older and more feeble. Far too often we are forced to gather here to say our final farewells to those we love. Yet even in those times, we are assured of the Lord’s comfort when we hear Jesus speaking to us and saying: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:26). In those beautiful words, we are reminded that all of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ our Savior will never die. Though we will face physical death when our bodies finally stop working, at that moment the Lord’s angels will carry us to his side where we will live forever. Though our bodies will decompose and fall apart in the ground, Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life will raise them up at the last day and give us new and glorious bodies, which we will have for all eternity. This is the comfort, which the Lord gives us in our sorrows--the knowledge that this world is not our home, the knowledge that we will live with him forever when he finally calls us to our eternal rest. This is the comfort we receive, and this is the comfort that strengthens our faith in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the Life.

There’s an old Indian proverb that tells us, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” Though this phrase has become a cliché in our day and age, it still is a very true statement. For how often haven’t you found yourself quickly growing stronger, more confident, and even more determined in that face of adversities, but growing only moderately in the face of no conflicts? This is exactly what the Lord did for Martha in our text today. For even in the midst of her sorrow, Jesus gently led here to a deeper understanding of who he was, which in turn strengthened her faith in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. John tells us, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ ”(John 11:20-22).

Though every time we think of Mary and Martha, our thoughts naturally turn to the account of Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and Martha rushing around trying to get everything ready for her guests; we cannot help but be struck by the strength of Martha’s faith. For even though Jesus had not been there to heal her brother and keep him from dying, she was confident that God would give Jesus whatever he asked for. This was the part of Martha’s faith that Jesus was looking to strengthen. He was looking to strengthen her faith by correcting her understanding of him as the Christ. For with these words she clearly stated that she believed Jesus could do anything, but she thought that he would first have to ask God for permission to do it. This was the misunderstanding that Jesus cleared up for her when he said, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ ” (John 11:25-27).

By revealing himself to her as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus was calling on her to look to him in faith. He was calling on her to place her trust in him as Lord and God. Jesus was calling on her to recognize that he and the Father were in perfect harmony. He did not have to ask permission to perform miracles. Rather, as Lord and God he was the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. This is what gave strength to Martha’s faith and caused her to confess: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27).

Our Savior is doing the same thing for us today. For by revealing himself to us as the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus is strengthening our faith in him as our Savior. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just a human being who lived on the earth years ago. He is calling on us to realize that he is more than just the Son of God who had power to do a few miracles. Rather, he is calling on us to realize that he is the Almighty God, who holds the power of life and death in his hand. He is the Lord of the Universe, who keeps the planets in their orbits, the stars in their courses, and preserves life in this world. In fact, he is calling on us to confess with Martha, that he is the Christ, the Son of God who came into this world to save sinners! For that is why Jesus came. He came into this world to save us from our sins, by his victory over death.

In football, whenever the top two teams in their divisions meet, you will often hear the announcers exclaim, “This could easily be a preview of the Super Bowl!” Well, if there had been announcers broadcasting Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, one of those announcers could easily have said, “This could well be a preview of what we’re going to see in just a few short months!” He could easily have said this, because when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he demonstrated his power over death, and when he demonstrated his power over death, he was assuring us that he would win the victory over death by his resurrection from the dead.

For when Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead, his whole purpose was to show all the people there that he, the Resurrection and the Life was the one who would always be victorious over the power of death. This is why Jesus waited for four days before he came to raise Lazarus. He waited so that even the mystics in the crowd who believed that the soul hung around the body for three days after death would have to admit that Lazarus was truly dead and that Jesus had truly raised him and won the victory over death in this showdown. John tells us, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (John 11:38-45).

Here it was a showdown between life and death. In one corner was Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. In the other was the grave, which had held Lazarus for the past four days. And in the silence as the stone was being removed, one could almost hear the cry of, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” For there could be no question in anybody’s mind of the fact that Lazarus was truly dead. They knew that after four days in that Mediterranean climate his body had begun to seriously decay. And yet, Jesus commanded them to open the grave! Then, when the grave was opened Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” It wasn’t that he cried out to be sure that Lazarus would hear him back in the cave. It wasn’t that he yelled so loud because he had a better chance at raising him if he spoke that much more loudly. Rather, Jesus cried out in a loud voice so that everyone there would know that he was the one who had power over death. He cried out so loudly so that all the people standing there would hear his proclamation and be assured that he had won the victory over death.

Our Savior is assuring us of the same thing today. Through his raising of Lazarus from the dead, he is assuring us that he indeed has won the victory over death. But more importantly, he is giving us a preview of the events to come. For in just a short time from now, Jesus will be going to the cross, suffering, and dying for our sins. But from this display of his power, we can be assured that he will win the victory over death, because he is the Resurrection and the Life. This is the assurance our Savior is giving us today. The assurance that if he was able to raise Lazarus from the dead, if he was able to raise himself from the dead, then raising us from the dead will be no problem whatsoever! This is the victory of which our Lord assures us, and this is the comfort we have in him! Because Jesus has mastery over death, we know that he has saved us from death. Though we will all one day close our eyes in the sleep of death, we will wake at our Savior’s side in his heavenly kingdom. This is the assurance we have in knowing that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He has won the victory over death.

What a wonderful comfort to know that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He is the one who comforts us in every sorrow. He is the one who continually strengthens our faith in him. He is the one who has won the victory over death! He is the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever believes in him will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in him will never die.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

Come, Let Us Return to the Lord! (Hosea 5:15 - 6:3)

April 3, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

Even if you are not a fan of bicycling, I’m sure you’ve heard the name, Lance Armstrong. After all, he is the one who started the LiveStrong Foundation fighting to improve the lives of people who have been affected by cancer. He is the cyclist who rode in the Tour de France, the biggest and most exciting bike race, until he was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer. He is the one who returned to bicycling in 1999 after a three year absence due to cancer, only to win his first Tour de France. Each year after that he continued to return to France only to with the Tour again and again until in 2003 he joined a very elite group of riders who have won the tour 5 times. In 2004 he returned again to win an unprecedented 6th time. Then, in 2005, the very year he planned to retire from bicycling regardless of the outcome of the Tour, he returned to France and won his 7th tour in 7 years. He had done what no other cyclist had done before. He had returned year after year only to continue winning one of the toughest events in bicycle racing. Yet this is not the end of his story, because in 2009 after nearly 4 years of retirement, Lance Armstrong returned to France with a new team. Though he didn’t win the tour 2009, if I remember correctly, he placed in the top 15; an incredible performance returning to the Tour after nearly 4 years off. Well, in the same way that Lance Armstrong continually returned to France each year, in our lesson today, we will hear the Prophet Hosea speaking to us about returning. He won’t be urging us to return to a bicycling event, rather, he will be calling on each and every one of us to return to the Lord our God. He will be encouraging us to come with him and return to the Lord.

Now, when Hosea spoke these very words to the Israelites, the Israelites had all but completely turned away from the Lord, their God. In fact, for the last 200 years, the kings and leaders of the Northern Kingdom had encouraged their people to worship gods like Baal and Ashtaroth. They had been urged to forget about the true God, avoid his temple, ignore his Word, and simply stop listening to his prophets. It was because of this that the Lord finally said, “I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me.” (Hosea 5:15)

Though the Lord had continued to send them prophets, the nation simply didn’t listen. Though he had sent them wars and destruction, they still had not turned to him. Though he had sent them hunger and famine, the simply refused to acknowledge him, so finally, he left the ball in their court. He went back to his place and left it up to his people to seek him out.

Sadly, this is the very thing that the Lord has begun to do to our great nation. Though he may not have completely returned to his place to see if we will come to seek him out, it can be truly said that the Lord is thinking about it. For the truth is, our nation is no different today than the Northern Kingdom of Israel was nearly 3000 years ago. For we, as a nation, have set up our own false gods to take the place of the Lord. Though our great nation did once look to the Lord for wisdom and justice, today she looks to her own wisdom and her own ideas of justice. Today, the god of money and the goddess of possessions have taken the true God’s place in the hearts of many Americans. Today, the god of TV and the goddess of personal or leisure time have become more important that the true God’s Word and his worship. Today, the god of power and the goddess of wisdom, the god of relativity and the goddess of personal choice have so enveloped our society that we as Americans hardly have the time to hear the true God speaking: truth, judgement, absolute right, and absolute wrong.

This is why Hosea is calling on our great nation, just as called on the great nation of the Israelites, to return to the Lord and to seek his face. He is calling on us to return to the Lord and to seek his face because we, as a nation, have greatly sinned against the Lord our God. He is calling on us to return to the Lord and seek his face, because even we as Christians are in danger of doing the same thing. Yes, even we, as Christians, are in grave danger of turning our backs on the Lord, because each and every one of us has a sinful nature. Each and every one of us has been pulled in by the god of money and the goddess of possessions at one time or another. Each and every one of us has dreamed about having more money than we could ever need and more possessions than we would know what to do with. In fact, how many times haven’t we played the financing game and gotten burned? How many times haven’t we over extended ourselves with credit cards because we just had to have that particular thing and we just didn’t have the money for it at the time? How many times haven’t we had to re balance our over extended budgets by reducing what we give to the Lord, or simply stop giving to him at all?

But that is just one set of our American gods, and the next is just as deadly to our Christian selves. For we too have worshiped at the altar of the TV god. We too have spent far too much time in front of the TV watching all those shoes that come at us from a humanistic point of view, and we have been affected by it more than we can imagine. For from the god of TV we have come to know the goddess of personal and leisure time, and we have worshiped her by believing that our personal time is sacred. We have worshiped her by believing that our personal time should not be taken up by such mundane things as reading God’s Word, or making time for worship every single week. From the TV god, we have come to know the god of relativity and have started to believe his teachings: that there is no absolute truth, that what might be right for one person may not necessarily be right for another person, and his most destructive teaching that no one should be able to judge the lifestyle I have chosen. Sadly, once we have meet him, the goddess of our own wisdom, the goddess of our own personal choice, the god of rights without responsibility and a whole bunch of others come swarming into our lives, assuring us that we are in the right and the True God is in the wrong.

This is the danger that we as Christians face, each and every day, and that is why Hosea is calling on us to return to the Lord and seek his face. He is calling on us to do that very thing, because we have so often turned our backs on the Lord and done what is evil in his sight. He is calling on us to turn away from those false gods and idols that so clearly speak to our sinful nature and seek out the face of the Lord our God. He is calling on us to return to the Lord and trust that he will heal us.

If you are like most people, when you get sick with something you simply cannot cure at home, you go to see a doctor. Though sometimes it might take quite a bit of prodding and persisting on the part of our husbands or wives, we go to see the doctor, because we know that he is the one who has experience in diagnosing our particular illness and prescribing the proper medication that will heal us. This is why Hosea is prodding, poking, and insisting that each and every one of us return to the Lord today, because Hosea knows that when we return to the Lord, it is the Lord who will heal us. For it is Hosea who cries out in our text, “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:1-3)

When Hosea spoke these words to the Israelites, he knew that it didn’t matter how sinful they might have been or how far away from the Lord they had traveled. Because he knew that if they simply returned to the Lord in faith and trust, the Lord would heal them with his forgiveness and his grace.

Well, the same thing is true for you and me today, and that is why Hosea is urging us to return to the Lord! He is urging us to return to the Lord because he knows that when we do, the Lord will heal us. Even though we may have turned our backs on the Lord to trust in the false gods of money and possessions, when we return to the Lord he does forgive us. Though we may have fallen in with the gods of TV and personal time, or even those of relativity, our own wisdom, rights without responsibility, and all those who tried to make us believe they were right and our own God was wrong; when we return to the Lord he will heal us.

What greater comfort can there be than the comfort that comes from the healing that our God provides! For this healing cannot be found at any pharmacy. It cannot be found at any of the world’s most exclusive spas. It can’t even be found in the waters of the Dead Sea itself, or the pool of Siloam. Rather this healing can only be found in Christ! For when we turn away from our sins and return to the Lord, it is the Lord who heals us by washing us in the waters of Jesus’ blood. It is the Lord who heals us by applying the slave of Jesus’ mercy and grace to all of our open wounds. It is the Lord who heals us by opening our bruised and beaten hearts to our Savior’s love for us, and it is our Savior’s love that assures us that our sins have been forgiven.
This is why Hosea is calling on each and every one of us to return to the Lord so that the Lord might heal us, because when we do return to him he does heal us. So drop whatever you are doing right now, and return to the Lord with me. Whatever sins you might be carrying around with you lay them at Jesus’ feet. Whatever sins might have you trapped even now, confess them to your Savior, and pray that he would give you the strength to turn from them, avoid them, and keep from falling into them again. In fact, I invite you to do this with me right now. Join with me in confessing your sins to the Lord…

Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleans me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

What greater healing could there be for us who have returned to the Lord, than the healing than comes with the forgiveness of sins! There is nothing greater! It is greater by far than returning to France to claim the Yellow Jersey year after year. For now that we have returned to the Lord we have received the healing that comes from the forgiveness of sins, and we are ready to continually seek the face of the Lord our God.


Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN