Hymns and The Hymn of the Day

God’s people have been encouraged to sing their prayers, praise, and thanksgiving to God. Why do we sing? Psalm 98 gives us the reason.

Psalm 98:1
Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

The Word of God not only creates faith but teaches us, His children, His gracious will toward us. God has freely given us His own righteousness. In our hymns we respond to this Good News with singing, reciting back to Him the great acts of our salvation in thanksgiving and praise.

University Lutheran Chapel, University of Minnesota

Taking cues from Scripture’s own songbook, the Psalms, the Church’s hymns give us a variety of ways to thank, praise, and proclaim the God who has done all good things for us. In the Divine Service, our singing is related to the readings from Scripture. Hymns enable everyone to join together in proclaiming the scriptural truths read at the lecturn, preached from the pulpit, and spoken before the altar.

Within the Divine Service, congregational hymnody relates to the Scripture appointed for each Sunday. The Hymn of the Day is the principle hymn of the Divine Sercice and relates to, and reflects on the theme of the day, most often set by the Holy Gospel.

The Sermon

Our Lord sent His apostles into the world to preach that forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are found through Him. In the preaching of the Sermon, that apostolic Word is proclaimed among us today.

sermon: The pastor’s proclamation, usually based on the Scripture readings for the day.

Scriptural and Christ-centered

The Sermon is dependent on all that has gone before it in the Divine Service—the liturgy, the hymns, and the readings. Therefore the message of the Sermon is the fullest expression of the theme of the day. The Sermon is the pinnacle of the Service of the Word. It is the Word studied, explained, and expounded through the pastor, the one called by the congregation to preach.

In the Sermon the pastor speaks God’s words of judgment and grace to the current situation. In this way, the Sermon also prepares the hearer for the celebration of the Service of the Sacrament. Like the Absolution, the Sermon delivers the forgiveness of sins earned by Christ on the cross. The Divine Service, then, becomes for us grace upon grace (John 1:16).

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is . . . the power of God.

Lutherans believe and confess that preaching from the Word of God is a means of grace. That is, that the power of God to forgive sins is available and received through the Word of God proclaimed by the preacher. The sermon is placed in the service of the cross, and as in the Absolution and the Sacraments, the hearer is engaged in a person encounter with the living God who is strong to save.

means of grace: The means by which God gives us the forgiveness life, and salvation won by the death and resurrection of Christ: God’s Word, Absolution, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

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Numbers 23:4-28

What If God Was One of Us?

God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?  (Numbers 23:19)

Joan Osborn wrote a rather well-known song that was entitled, “What If God Was One Of Us.” This song was not a grammatical treasure nor can its lyrics be considered anything close to theological insight. But when I contemplated today’s reading from Numbers 23, verse 19 brought to mind the idea of Osborn’s song.

Here’s Osborn’s chorus to the song :

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make His way home

Listen again to verse 19:

God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?  (Numbers 23:19)

What if God was one us? Just on the two comparisons made in Osborn’s chorus, to think of God in terms of being just one of the guys, to be just another stranger on the bus with us, is disturbing. That He might lie, or maybe even worse, change His mind, that thought is  frightening.

My meditation meandered around and I began to really think about how much different we are from God. Although created in the image of God, we are so far from God’s image that it sometimes seems impossible that we could  ever be spiritually connected to Him.

From the inception of sin into the world through Adam and Eve, man has continually expanded the great spiritual divide by choosing worldliness over and holiness. Yet God—despite all of our faults, —God still loved us—loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him, would not perish on account of their sin, but have everlasting life. Despite all of our mistakes, God still cares about us. Despite all of our poor choices, God still would not condemn us to eternal death. And yet even after two thousand years since Christ laid down His life for us, mankind  still makes choices, time and time again, that are directly opposite the will of God, to the direction that God has for our lives.

God is not man, that he should lie. Have you ever been the subject of someone’s lie; have you ever been cut by someone’s words? How did it feel? What did you think?

James 3 tells us the tongue is a small thing but oh what damage it can do, like a tiny spark setting an entire forest on fire. Paul encourages us to not let corrupt words proceed out of our mouth, but to speak only what edifies others and imparts grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29). Yet we also know that the same tongue can speak both blessings and curses, the same mouth can build up and tear down.

Can you imagine if God were a liar? If all of the promises of the Bible were not true? Can you imagine if there was no mansion waiting on us in heaven? Worse yet, can you imagine if there were no heaven, no life after death at all? Can you imagine if there was no forgiveness and death is just the end of it? Can you image if there some undiscovered tomb in the Middle East where the body of someone called Jesus Christ,s still buried. This would make God a liar, just like one of us. A slave to sin just like one of us.

God is not… a son of man, that he should change his mind. We make decisions based on the best possible information we have at hand; if we need to, we will change our mind, change our direction. We make choices that we justify as being necessary, useful, even beneficial for others. Yet we also make decisions that serve self over God, ourselves over others. We change our minds when it suits us, or when it protects or advances our interests.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if God had not been true to His promises; if He had abandoned Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What reason would we have to have faith in and trust in God.

What if Moses and the children of Israel were left out on their own in the face of the Egyptian army with their back to the Red Sea? What if David had failed against the giant Goliath? What if the lion had eaten Daniel? What if sharks had eaten Jonah when he was thrown overboard? What if the woman who had the issue of blood had gone to Jesus and still bled to death? What if Paul had died when the poisonous snake bit him? What if Job had cursed God and died?

We would have nothing to base our faith on if God is not trustworthy. If God was one of us, could we put total trust in Him?

And what would it be like if God changed His mind about you? Can you imagine? If He was just like one of us, every time you did something that He didn’t approve of, His love and mercy would turn into righteous wrath against your sin. We would no longer be alive and we’d already be burning in hell’s fire.

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make His way home

God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?  (Numbers 23:19)

God is not like one of us. The Bible clearly states in our text that God is not like a man. He was not created out of dirt clay and spittle. Before the world was created, God already existed. God is holy and God is Spirit; that means that He cannot be subjected to worldly things. He cannot be convinced to do things that are not holy. He is not a liar, nor can He be misdirected by lies because He already knows the truth. He is not like man. He is not a liar nor does He act in His on self-interest. He is not vengeful or filled with hate. He is not sinful by nature because His nature is perfect holiness.

Because He is holy, God does not have to repent. He does not have to turn from evil because there is no evil in Him. He is not the son of man, meaning that He was not born of the seed of a man like you and I are conceived and born. Even when God took on our human form and was incarnate, Jesus the Son of God did not sin, He obeyed the will of the Father perfectly, making Him the only perfect man who ever lived.  Jesus is not a son of man, He was not born into sin like you and I. But He is the incarnate Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary.

And ultimately that is the reason that we are thankful that God is not one of us. We required a Savior who is both true God and true Man; a Savior who was holy and without sin to live the perfect life we can not life; a Savior who could not only live perfectly but stand in our place before the justice of God and take the punishment for the sin of the world, for your sin and my sin. We need a Savior who is not like one of us, a Savior who is the Son of God whom death could not hold, who satisfies the Law and breaks the hold of death over us.

We put aside the idle speculation and thank God that He is God and not like one of us. You can rest assure that all of His promises will be fulfilled. Sometimes the way gets dark, but God will still shine light upon your path. Sometimes is seems like life is more than we can bear, but God has promised to be our burden-bearer. He’s not a liar. He won’t let you down. He has loved you with an everlasting love, and because of Christ, He will never change His mind about you.

Titus 2:11-14

Perhaps you’ve seen some of the ads for high-end Christmas gifts this year and shook your head in disbelief—the custom made guitar for $12,000, his and hers sport aircrafts for $250,000, the special edition Jaguar XJL for $105,000, or the handbag with matching boots for just under $3,900 (Neiman Marcus 2009 Christmas Book).

And you have certainly heard the reports of our troubled economy: unemployment rate of 9.4%, mortgage foreclosures rose by 23% over the 2008 rate, homelessness and use of food pantries has nearly doubled in some areas.

It may have occurred to you that we live in a world that has gone completely mad in its values; that in over 2,000 Christmases we still have not caught on that name of the game of life, as God wants it lived, is self-giving in love.

So we have come here to this quiet church this cold and rainy evening to sing and say and hear and do all those things, that especially on this Holy Eve, bring us as close to the mind and heart of God as we can hope to get on this side of heaven; and try to see clearly just what God, our Father, wants us, His children in Christ, to know and do.

As is often the case with the Scripture readings for the great feasts of the Church Year, the Gospel for Christmas tells the story, the narrative of the event, and the Epistle concerns itself more with the meaning, the significance, of the Christ event. The traditional Epistle for the late service of Christmas Eve is Titus 2:11-14. In his letter to young pastor Titus, the Apostle Paul sets down in one sentence the central meaning of the Holy Nativity that we celebrate this evening—the truth that Christmas is for giving. St. Paul writes:

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹²training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Yes, Christmas Is for Giving

Whether you make one word or two out of the end of that short sentence, it is true. Christmas is forgiving: Christmas is God forgiving man the mountain of his sins and declaring us sinless because of the sinless God-man Jesus Christ. And Christmas is to be us forgiving our fellowman as we has been forgiven. And Christmas is for giving: God giving His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life. Christmas is Christ giving Himself into both life and death so that lost sinners might have victory in both life and death. And Christmas is man giving himself in eager devotion to God who has revealed Himself in Christ as gracious and loving. And Christmas is Christians giving themselves in loving concern for all those whom God has loved, whoever and wherever they may be.

Christmas is Forgiving

St. Paul wrote Titus of the grace of God that had appeared in Christ for the salvation of all men. It is a blessed Christmas truth that in the Babe of Bethlehem the grace of God became embodied. God’s love became localized in time and space, manifest, evident, visible. What had always been the attitude, the disposition of God toward men, now became personified in the swaddled shape and form of a newborn child. Who could then, and in the 33 years that followed, fail to get the message—that God loves the world and has put Himself into Christ to reconcile the world to Himself? This is truly the unspeakable love, the indescribable Gift. The robbed One makes restitution. The offended One seeks out the offenders. The hurt One initiates healing. Christmas is the Feast of the Divine Gift Exchange. We are to see and know the grace of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich forever.

God gave His great forgiving Gift for a purpose—to bring salvation, redemption, and restoration. Jesus came to earth not on a sight-seeing tour of creation, not for a causal visit, not as a curious tourist, not on a pleasure trip, but on a grim, serious, costly mission—nothing less than the deliverance of the whole human race, every man, woman, and child, our deliverance from everlasting damnation.

God’s Christmas gift to the world was not a cheap, mass produced item to be found in every superstore and mega mart, but a singular one-of-a-kind, lovingly crafted gift stamped with the Maker’s mark. It is not a family gift for an intimate circle, or a company’s gift for a favored few; it is a universal Gift for “all people,” says St. Paul. Yes, thank God that Christmas is forgiving—God forgiving a world of sinners through a child in a manger destined to be one day the Man on the cross declaring God’s forgiving mission finished, completed.

Christmas Is for Giving

But the Christmas Eve Epistle speaks not only of forgiving but of giving—of giving up, renouncing ungodliness and worldly passions, and of giving oneself to self-controlled, upright, and godly living. St. Paul spoke of those who have really gotten the Christ message as people who have been cleansed, purified, and freed to give eagerly of themselves in good works.

Christmas is to mark not only a birth but a rebirth, a regeneration of faith and love. There is to be fresh renunciation of all that might rob us of the inheritance reserved for us when our Savior will appear again in glory, and there is to be renewed attention to all the concerns for which Christ gave Himself while on His earthly mission, a mission He has entrusted to you and to me and to all who call Him Lord.
God’s creative power in Christ was intended to bring into being a unique people with a passion for doing God’s will—not exquisite fragile works of art to sit on exhibit, or beautiful piece of architecture to be admired from afar, and certainly not curious museum pieces from antiquity with not relevance whatever to the present age, but rugged tools, human instruments aching to be used, even to the breaking point, by the One whose body was broken to make all people one with Himself. Yes, Christmas is for giving: giving of oneself, first in devotion and gratitude and praise to a gracious, forgiving, giving God, and then for self-giving in love to met all the needs of people in desperate need above all else of the knowledge of God’s love in Christ.

So the first Christmas is gone forever. Mary, Joseph, the innkeeper, the inn guests, the town that was that night, the stable, the shepherds—all as they were know on earth are gone forever. But the heart of Christmas, Christ Himself, is still with us. Tonight, as we gather to hear His Word and tomorrow as we again gather to receive His Holy Supper, Christ comes to us and gives Himself, to you and me, and to all who receive Him in repentance and faith. And He is eager to give new love and strength that will empower us to forgive one another in love and to give ourselves in greater devotion to His cause.

It is probably impossible for any of us to come to a Christmas Eve service without recalling Christmases past—family who have celebrated with us, other congregations where we might have attended or belonged, family and friends who are now absent from among us—all these things and maybe even more crowd our memories tonight. The Christmas Eve Epistle reminds us that we should make the most of Christmas-present in forgiving and self-giving, looking ahead to the final Christmas when our Lord will appear again to fulfill all our Christmas hopes and dreams forever.

First preached at Emmaus, St. Louis, MO
December 24, 2009
Lightly adapted from a sermon by Norman D. Kretzmann

Luke 24:44-53

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.  Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

St. Luke has been gathering together on Ascension for so long, you may be surprised to know that many a church is dark this evening. The Ascension, long a pillar in the church year, has lost its standing even among our own Synodical fellowship. But this is no modern problem. St. Mark reports Christ “upbraided [the disciples] on account of their unbelief and hardness of heart.” He upbraided them—rebuked them, chastised them, corrected them. God is no lover of faithlessness and though well-pleased with His Beloved Son, often in His disciples He was less than pleased—less than pleased with their hardness of heart, and unbelief.  Does unbelief seem harsh? Well it is unbelief, for it was rooted and grounded—made manifest—in their not believing the reports of Jesus’ resurrection.

And sharing the faith of our father Adam, just like the Disciples we have hardness of heart and unbelief. We’d like to think that we’re different, but perhaps not? Scripture reports over and over that when Christ would come to this or that place, the whole village shows. Yet here, though Christ has come just as surely now as then, the whole village has not gathered; much less our whole congregation. But before you mistake me, I am not here preaching to you about those who for whatever reason have not come. This day is no different than any other—there are no days of holy obligation, that is, this is not a day that it is required that one attend to the Service of the Church, indeed Christ’s Holy Communion. And that’s why you’ve come, isn’t it? You, like those precious saints of old have also come asking, “Sir we would see Jesus!”

If that’s why you’ve come, you’ll not leave disappointed. You, just like me for so many years, you may have come to church tonight thinking that Ascension Day is a great day of celebration—and it is—a great day celebrating the Lord Jesus’ leaving for heaven—but it’s not. A great celebration it is, but we celebrate not His leaving, but rather we celebrate as the One True Church always celebrates: His coming—again and again and again until that day when, He shall come once and for all bringing that Eternal Feast which we partake of tonight now as a foretaste.

And we are thus gathered in His name. Baptized, we are “happy objects of His grace… destined to see Him face to face.” Happy objects of His grace, for when we hear Christ taken up into heaven, taken up to that holiest and highest place, we rejoice. Baptized into His Name, as we see Christ Jesus received up into heaven, indeed we see our own future.

We are gathered to celebrate His great “once for all” sacrifice.  From His “it-is-finished”-cross, the Christ of God declares the whole world innocent of sin, and for those who here receive Him, His righteousness is imputed, declared, and put upon all men as their own, is put upon each and every one of us, personally by the hand of Him who, ascended, sits at the right hand of His Father.

So rightly we are here gathered and celebrate this most Holy Communion. Many in the Christian community happily preach of the Christ risen from the dead thinking they have preached all that needs to be said. But with the Holy Spirit, that is not the end of the story. Yes, having risen from the dead, Jesus conquered death and the battle is over, but in His Ascension shows us what His rising from the dead means. Of course it was a great miracle that He had risen from the dead at all. But God had raised others from the dead before. In Jesus’ day, who could have forgotten Lazarus. And how about Jairus’ daughter: “Talitha cum…”? Yet both Lazarus and the little girl fell asleep again.

But no so with Jesus, he was not subject to death. And the Disciples witnessed the perfect bookend to Jesus’ resurrection: “He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

Why is this day regarded as one of the pillars of the Church’s Year, a Chief Festivals? To the Church, namely to those that “believe and are baptized,” Christ says, “Where I go, you can not follow me now; but you shall follow me afterward.” And even more clearly remember He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” As Christ ascended to heaven and sitts at the right hand of the Father, *even so shall we His Church.*

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

And indeed we who remain until that day, when one day, like our Lord Jesus Christ in an instant, “… in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump…” we too “shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

For the Lord Himself shall descend, from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” And the Holy Spirit has appointed that we should “comfort one another with these words.

And comfort one another He will for at that very moment, the Church—who now finds Herself weeping and wailing, crying and mourning on account of our manifold afflictions—at *that* moment all will be changed and our mourning will be forever turned to joy. And we will continue with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in that eternal song of “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Sabaoth!” and “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”

We will there again be gathered, much like today, as “Happy objects of His grace…” not only “destined to see His face”, but then in its fullness, the promise of our Baptism delivered then in its fullness. And as fantastic as all that is, that’s still not all there is to Ascension. For we worship neither a Jesus or a promise which is far off, for the ascending Christ says, “Lo, I am with you always.” And “always” He is.

The feast before us tonight is not a Feast of Christ’s leaving, but as we said, His Coming—again and again and again. And thus he comes to us again tonight, “For I have received from the Lord that which I delivered to you, ‘That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘Take, eat: this is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ After the same manner also He took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the New Testament in My blood: this do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death until he come.”

Yes, “until He comes” we shall drink as He says, “Drink…” for the remission of all our sins. His unbelieving disciples made faithful by His Voice, “went forth” praising and preaching the Lord who died and was raised, and even more than that, ascended. What greater sign can there be than the God who created all things, who now sits at the Father’s Right Hand, what greater sign can there be to the Faithful than the coming of His Body and His Blood, this heavenly treasure borne here of humble bread and wine to strengthen and preserve us in the One True Faith unto life everlasting.

God grant us, the happy objects of His grace—you and I who are destined to see Him face to face—to see Him here now in these humble means. God grant us the grace to faithfully eat His Holy Meal which secures us in that heritage of our baptism which is the one and only true faith, unto life everlasting,

Hark! ten thousand harps and voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns, and heaven rejoices,–
Jesus reigns, the God of Love.
See, He sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone.

Come, ye saints, unite your praises
With the angels round His throne;
Soon, we hope, our God will raise us
To the place where He is gone.
Meet it is that we should sing,
“Glory, glory, to our King!”

Sing how Jesus came from heaven,
How He bore the cross below,
How all power to Him is given,
How He reigns in glory now;
‘Tis a great and endless theme,
Oh, ’tis sweet to sing of Him!

Jesus, hail! Thy glory brightens
All above and gives it worth;
Lord of Life, Thy smile enlightens,
Cheers, and charms Thy saints on earth.
When we think of love like Thine,
Lord, we own it love divine.

King of Glory, reign forever;
Thine an everlasting crown.
Nothing from Thy love shall sever
Those whom Thou hast made Thine own,
Happy objects of Thy grace,
Destined to behold Thy face.

Savior, hasten Thine appearing;
Bring, oh, bring, the glorious day
When, the awe-full summons hearing,
Heaven and earth shall pass away;
Then with golden harps we’ll sing,
“Glory, glory, to our King!”

Hark! Ten Thousand Harps and Voices
by Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854

First  preached at: St. Luke, Clinton Twp., MI
May 29, 2003
Exegetical notes from Concordia Pulpit Resources

When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54)

What was it that gave it away for this Centurion, this Roman soldier? How did he come to know that Jesus was the Son of God? This question that arises out of the Gospel of Matthew is really the mystery of the ages. It combines the two great gifts and mysteries of the Christian Church: that God became the man, and that God died on the cross for our salvation.

“Truly this was the Son of God.”

So what was it? Was it the thunder and lightening? Was it the temple veil being ripped in two? Was it the dead rising from their graves and going about in the city? What was it that proved to this Roman soldier that Jesus was the Son of God?

St. Paul pondered this question in the first hymn of the Christian Church, found in Philippians chapter 2. Hear a part of it again:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

.

Jesus, the very Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and took to Himself the flesh and blood of humankind—the Creator incarnated as one of His creatures. Jesus lived a life of perfect submission to His Father’s wii, and humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross—the death of a criminal; the death of one abandoned by God and man alike. It is to that death that Jesus rode in on Good Friday. He rode into Jerusalem as a King, as the mighty conqueror on a donkey, an animal of peace. He rode in as the Son of God. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, they cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna, or “Lord, save me.” This is the God who comes to His people in their need, in their weakness and pain, their hurts and sorrows.

But as we heard in the Passion of our Lord, the same crowds that cried out Hosanna! Later cried out CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM. Now don’t be so quick to judge them, for we do the same thing. Time and time again we hold up our Lord as King and Savior, and yet we turn around and spit upon him by our sin and unbelief. As you hear those words from Philippians, it is clear that you do not live like Jesus. Nor do I.

Are you humble? Do you take the form of a common servant, helping others in need, to the point even of your own death? Of course not. We are all full of pride and envy and lust. Open your eyes and you will see that God knows who you are as a sinner in need of redemption. You are dead, lost in the ditch on the side of the road. Oh, to be sure, we all put on a good front. But deep down you know that you are guilty of our Lord’s death just as much as those crowds were to many years ago.

Perhaps this is what the centurion saw at the crucifixion. He saw a man who gave of Himself so completely, so utterly, that there was nothing left. God abandons him, so that you will never be abandoned. Jesus cried out from the cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me! (Psalm 22:1-31). Jesus was despised and forsaken by men and God alike.

Yet it is in that forsakenness that we find redemption. Jesus was abandoned, but you are in God’s presence every day. God in His mercy has built a house, His house, here for you. God draws you into His house, picks up the broken pieces of your life, and puts you back together—all because of Jesus. We call this the Gospel. Good News. There will never be better news than that.

It should be you and I in the grave. We are the ones who deserve death and condemnation. But He is the one who died, and we are the ones who live. I suppose you could say that we are all Barabbas. Who was Barabbas? He was a murderer and a rebel, condemned to death, who went free for no reason other than Jesus’ condemnation. That’s you. You should be there, but instead God gives you heaven itself. What could be better? What could give you more hope than that?

As the people cried to Pilate, His blood be on us and on our children. Yes! It is only Jesus’ blood on us that can wash us clean. It is only His blood, which we receive at His Altar today, that can cleanse the hurting soul, lift up the downtrodden, and give hope where there is only despair. The crowds those many years ago meant it as a curse, but we pray daily that His blood would be on us. Jesus blood and death is your only hope for life.

“Truly this was the Son of God. “

So cried the centurion. So do we cry out as we confess in the creed,

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

So as we join with the angels and all the Church in heaven and on earth this week, join in the song of all creation. Come to God’s house again and again, and see His love for you. Eat His body and drink His blood, and God’s blessings flow into you like a fresh spring rain. Hear His Word, and rejoice! This is the God who wants only the best for you. This is the God who would give you heaven itself. Hear, and believe that truly this was the Son of God.

Holy Week

The week before Easter is called Holy Week and culminates the preparation time of Lent. During these days, we focus on the events of Jesus’ life from His entrance into Jerusalem until His glorious resurrection from the dead. Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). Because the complete account of the Lord’s Passion from Matthew, Mark, or Luke is often read, this Sunday is also called the Sunday of the Passion.

This week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday.

On Maundy Thursday, the Church gives thanks to Jesus for the institution of the Lord’s Supper. The Maundy Thursday service closes with the stripping of the altar while Psalm 22-a prophecy of the crucifixion-is read or sung. This reminds us of how our Lord stripped to the waist to wash His disciples’ feet-and how He was stripped and beaten before His crucifixion.

Good Friday is the most solemn of all days in the Christian Church, yet a note of joy remains, as the title of the day indicates. On Good Friday, as we remember that on account of our sin the Lord was crucified and died, we give joyful thanks to God that all sin and God’s wrath over sin falls on Jesus and not on us, and that by His grace we receive the benefit of this most sacrificial act.

Each year upon this day we walk in spirit down the way of the cross and out onto Calvary’s hill. We witness the travesty of justice as an innocent man is delivered into the hands of a murderous mob to be crucified. We follow those bloodstained steps all the weary way as He bears his cross. We stare in horrified silence as the only sinless Man in history is nailed to the criminal’s cross between two convicted evildoers.

Fifteen hundred years ago St. Anselm ascended his pulpit on Good Friday and said: “I do not know if I wish to speak today. Why should I speak when my Savior is silent and dies?” …….Certainly every preacher who comprehends the reality of this day has felt much the same way. All a preacher can really do today is ask his people to hear again the account of Christ’s death and meditate quietly and personally about the meaning of the Cross, now that the great drama draws to its close.

The world, for the most part, goes about it’s business as if today is just another Friday. We want to cry out: “Is it nothing to you who pass by?” Oh, yes it means much to us, it means everything to us. That is why we must on this day pause with in awe and reverence at the foot of the cross, on which our Savior hung and died. This was no mere martyr, defeated in his lofty purpose; this was no mere victim, misunderstood, and condemned by His peers. No! Upon the cross on that first Good Friday was the divinely appointed Messiah—the Redeemer of lost souls—rendering the all-sufficient and the only-sufficient sacrifice for sin. This was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

This night, therefore, we look back in Good Friday humility and silence, to two sentences at the very close of the scene on Calvary. These two statements are probably the greatest in all the history of human speech. These two statements cover you and I in life, and in our death. The first is: “It is finished!” By this word of Christ we live. The second is: “Father, into your hands, I commit My spirit.” By these words of Christ we can die.

IT IS FINISHED!
“TETELESTAI” “It is finished”—word that was not specifically directed to either God or man. It was simply cast out into the air as a majestic declaration. The very plan of the Father that brought His Son Jesus into the flesh to be the satisfaction for sin was finished. He had come to live the perfect life for us. He was dying to complete salvation for us. He was dying to bring the reality of the cross to our lives.

Therefore, dear Baptized, you must die, for if you wish to live with Him you must die with Him. As the St. Paul put it before the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ.” (Gal. 2:20) This is to say that there is no way to appropriate the cross other than to go through the cross.

You can’t have the cross “in theory”. Jesus does not come to protect us from death; he comes to do it to us. And we have no choice about death—Jesus brings death home to us. He puts our sinful old Adam to death. Again, St. Paul writes: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Rom. 6:6) Here in the suffering and dying Jesus we meet our end. Here is the end of our existence in bondage to sin. Here is the end of death’s power in our lives. Here is the end of slavery to the Devil. Here, as Christ dies, our Old Adam is killed as well.

But where is here?! Where is it that Christ kills you. Where is it that this bondage of sin is borken? Where is it that the proclamation, “It is finished” is heard? Where is it that you and I need go to hear the assurance:”Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him?” (Rom 6:8)

Where? Not on a hill outside Jerusalem–I mean, you may of course go there as a tourist, but Christ no longer hangs there for the salvation of the world. Where then? Where do we go for the benefits of that Cross?

Here! In the Word. In the Water. In the Body and Blood. Here, in the church established by God Himself we are united to the Body of Christ. Here we are fed with the crucified body, and the blood that spilled from it. Here we hear the word, “TETELESTAI,” “It is finished” announce the satisfaction for our sins. Here we are washed clean by the torrent released from His pierced side. Here in the bosom of the Bride, protected and strengthened. Here, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem, heaven meets earth, just as it did on Golgotha long ago. Here, by this word of Christ we live.

FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.

And here, in Christ’s words, is something by which we can die. “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.”

Men have always been interested in the way humanity has met death. Men have faced death in protest or in shrugging acceptance. They have run the entire gamut of emotions when they are face to face with the final and universal fact of life.

There is nothing like that in our Lord’s last word. His head goes up once more. He is now facing His heavenly Father. The pain of the crucifixion is almost in the past. He is coming home now, the long adventure over, carrying in His hands the atonement which He has made for all the sins of the world. “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” In the great halls of heaven, cherubim and seraphim wait for Him, and the choirs of eternity wait for Him—They stand in silence. The Son of God has committed His spirit into the hands of His heavenly Father.

But then something great and wonderful and eternal happens. The angels rejoice because the one poor thief who dies with Christ is the first in a long procession of men and women who will storm the gates of heaven with His blood covering their sins and His love bringing them home. This is a great and goodly company. By faith in His atoning work we too have been brought into this eternal company.

The first word from the mouth of Jesus after He was crucified is a prayer. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The last word from the mouth of Jesus is also a prayer. “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit!”. This is a prayer not only for Himself, but for you. Jesus is the High Priest. He has interceded on your behalf through the holy life lived on your behalf. He intercedes for you even on the cross dying in your place. He intercedes for you especially in His last word He spoke, “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit”!

This last earthly word of our Lord is a prayer on behalf of you,”Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:3 & 8).

Listen to heart of this Savior who prays for you: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17:24).

While on Calvary’s holy mountain, even as He was dying … at the ninth hour, Jesus was in complete command and control. No one took His life away from Him. He gave Himself for you and in taking your death upon Himself has given you His Life. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” and so saying he handed over to the Father all that he had assumed in the womb of Mary.

“It is finished… Father into your hands I commit my spirit!”

The cross, ultimately, finally, is not the dark side of which the resurrection is the bright side. No, Jesus speaks repeatedly of being glorified in his death. So we must not turn away from what our sin has done to God, lest we be found to have turned away from what he has done for us.

Dr. Martin Luther knew the power of the cross and therefore spoke these dying words, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit; for you, God, have truly redeemed me”….

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Or, as we so often pray: Lord Jesus, into your hands I commend myself – my body and soul – and all things. Amen.

Dear baptized, hear the Christ of God pray one more time …

“Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘‘Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit!’ And having said this He breathed His last.”

And this unconditional proclamation of grace leaves us with nothing to say…but Amen.