(from Easter Festival service)...
Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Doesn’t that just fill you with joy? Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! That is good news. That makes today a happy day! A lighthearted day! A day of peace. That’s what Easter tends to bring: peace. Most people do not work today— and maybe that includes you. No boss hands you a list of deadlines. No customer demands your immediate help. No co-worker irritates you. Today is quiet. What joy that brings! Quiet! The phone is not ringing. No text messages buzzing at you. No Facebook post to reply to. Stressful conversations are not on your mind, not even on your radar! In fact, perhaps you planned a perfectly peaceful family gathering. You’ll gather around a splendid Easter dinner, gorge yourself on honey ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and those addictive Pillsbury crescent rolls. The [grand]kids will hunt for Easter eggs. You’ll watch them, those innocent little faces bubbling with sheer joy. At the end of it all, you’ll sink into your plush, over-sized La-Z-Boy, close your eyes, and drift off to sleep. What joy Easter brings! What happiness! What peace! So, here’s the question: How long does that peace last? A year?... Six months?... One month?... One week?... One day?... Less than that? I’m going to assume that you do not have the luxury of stretching Easter out into a multi-day celebration. Chances are, tomorrow, you must resume all the things you put off today. That means, tomorrow you must work, and with it comes the stress of deadlines and irritating requests. You have doctor appointments to make, appointments that only stress you out. The [grand]kids and family return home and the family grudge returns as well. It does not seem like peace remains too long, does it? So, what do you do? Where do you find peace— and not just temporary peace, but the deep-seated peace that puts your mind and heart at rest forever? God directs your attention to the only place where you find that real, lasting peace. Not just a peace he wants you to know, but a real peace in which believers throughout the ages have stood and one in which you get to stand today. Welcome to the Feast of Victory! Jesus has swallowed up death forever. Peace reigns for the people of God. In our Old Testament reading, God prepares just that for you: a feast! On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. Just imagine the scene. Standing high on a majestic mountain, away from the noise and busy-ness and stress and deadlines of life. Buffet tables stretch out before you as far as the eye can see. The finest of foods heaped on tabletops. The most expensive red wines opened just for you. Can you picture that? Imagine the absolute, complete satisfaction from indulging in such an extravagant feast! Your physical needs stuffed with emotional delight. Your body relaxes in sheer bliss. Your mind at peace— because all your stress has been answered; God has removed every single worry you will ever have. Do you see where this feast takes place? On this mountain… This is not a literal mountain like Mount Everest or Mount Olympus, some actual location you find God. Rather, “this mountain” pictures God wrapping his arms around every Christian and every Christian standing around God. A victorious God who stands over every trouble to satisfy your physical, emotional, and mental needs perfectly. No worry. No stress. No fear. That, my friends, is peace. The devil does such a tremendous job of dragging our eyes down from this majestic mountain scene. He drags our minds away from feasting on God’s promises. He lures our heart away from placing trust in God’s control. The devil pulls us back under this shroud, this covering, so that you (and I) cannot and do not see the peace that already exists with God. Instead, the devil wants you to find peace inside yourself. In your own trust. In your own choices. In your own efforts. Look around at your world. You turn on the nightly news and see school shootings. You watch riots and protests erupt as tensions between two groups escalate. You shake your head when hearing of people in powerful positions crossing physical boundaries. Lives are lost. Injustice spreads. Trust is broken— and where do many search for re-uniting peace? In social media #hashtag groups! In electing the “right” politician! In protesting for change! And while these are noble causes to address abuse, they are not the answers to trouble. Violence continues because hatred burns inside the heart. Physical boundaries will continue being crossed as long as people ignore God’s expectation of sex within the bonds of marriage. Arguments will rage on as long as selfish, self-centered hearts refuse to consider the needs of anyone else. If you hope to find peace for the troubles and stress of this life in your own efforts, you will be sorely disappointed. The reason peace escapes us is because of the sin inside of us. Sin not only breaks relationships with others, but it breaks a relationship with God. God says: The soul who sins will die (Ezekiel 18:4). In fact, [Your sins] have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). Knowing that your (and my) choices deserve eternal death in hell gives no peace. Instead, God give you a real, lasting peace by raising Jesus from the dead. It seems so simple. A body once dead has returned to life. Yes, simple action, but profound truth. Because Jesus lives, you will live forever. You see, Jesus is born on Christmas Day to bring peace on earth (Luke 2:14). No, not world peace, but peace to you— in your life— on earth. Jesus brings real peace by living the life you (and I) have not. He is perfect. The sick approach him; he calls on God to heal. Soldiers arrest him; he places trust in God. Jewish people want him to be king; he sets his sights on opening the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is perfect, and in him is the perfect payment for our self-trust and despair. On the cross your sin (and mine) covered Jesus. Jesus is punished. Because he carries our sin, God turns away from him. Jesus is abandoned, cut off from the love of God. He suffers hell. Since he carries sin, he dies; the shroud of death covers him. For three days he lies dead, in a tomb. He looks like everyone else, people who live and die and remain dead. But, on the third day, everything changes. Jesus comes back to life! Yes, a dead body starts breathing. Heart beats. Brain functions. Muscles flex and move. Eyes open, see, and react. Jesus sits up, swings his legs over the edge of his rocky bed, stands up, and walks out of the tomb alive! So, what does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean for you? First, The LORD Almighty has destroyed the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations, he will swallow up death forever. Jesus rips away your sins (and mine). If he ripped away your sin, then there is no more punishment. You are forgiven! You have peace with God! That means, you will gather on that mountaintop in heaven. You will stand in that great banquet hall with tables stretching out for miles in front of you. You will feast on the finest of foods and drink the finest of wines. Your body and soul will be completely satisfied as you stand in the presence of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ brings you the peace of knowing you have eternal life! Second, The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces… from your face. He does that now. When cancer scares you and you feel crushed that you doubted God’s care, God forgives you. When you fight with your family and feel ashamed of the words you use, see Jesus step out of his tomb and say, “You are forgiven.” The debt is removed, canceled out, pardoned. You stand before God without guilt. God himself says this! [H]e will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. Because Jesus lives to declare you forgiven, tears caused by sin are wiped away forever. You still live at peace with God. You still hold the peace of eternal life. Third, you have peace in life now. Even after Easter ends. Even when you return to the stress of deadlines and dreaded conversations. Even when you are unsure about safety in schools, shopping malls, or in your home. You have peace. Because Jesus has guaranteed your future, you can say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” God has become our God. This feast of victory does not only exist when you enter heaven; this feast of victory goes on now. God stands triumphant over every evil. He has secured your future. It means, you can trust his promises, his guidance. While you may not know the future, while you may grow stressed out over what the future might hold, remember this: Jesus lives! He lives to make heaven your home! He lives to bring you safely there! That means nothing will separate you from the love of your God. Not the stress of deadlines. Not the fear of cancer. Not the strife that comes from family arguments. Set your minds on the peace of knowing God is with you and God will keep his Word. He promised a Savior right when the world was created. He kept that promise. You can be sure that you may run to him in every time of need. You can be sure God reigns and rules now! Peace reigns for the people of God. I’m going to assume that you do not have the luxury of stretching Easter out into a multi-day celebration. Chances are, tomorrow, you must resume all the things you put off today. That means, tomorrow you must work, and with it comes the stress of deadlines and irritating requests. You have doctor appointments to make, appointments that only stress you out. The [grand]kids and family return home and the family grudge returns as well. Yet, peace will remain. Jesus lives! He lives to be your life. To be it. Always set your attention to the life God has prepared for you. A feast of victory—victory over sin and death and the lies of the devil! Heaven open! Heaven is yours! God sees you reigning with him! Since this is so, you set your eyes on this glorious sight. Jesus lives to keep his Word. To comfort fears. To pardon guilt. To guide you through this life knowing where you are heading. God directs your attention to the only place where you find that real, lasting peace. Not just a peace he wants you to know, but a real peace in which believers throughout the ages have stood and one in which you get to stand today. Welcome to the Feast of Victory! Jesus has swallowed up death forever. Peace reigns for the people of God. (from Easter Sunrise service...)
The warm, bright sun was melting the snow into a slushy, sloppy mess. His feet burrowed into a firm spot in the fresh, soft earth. A few feet away from him opened a hole measuring four-feet wide, eight-feet long, and six-feet deep. Above this pit was suspended a casket. Off to the side several young girls sobbed, heaving, gasping for little shots of air. Tears dripped down their cheeks. Lips bent into trembling frowns. This is grandma— someone who impacted their lives. She cradled them as babies and watched them at night. She taught them how to ride horses. Helped with homework. Smiled and laughed, told jokes and fabulous stories. Now she’s gone. Closed in a casket. Lowered into the earth. Never again to step foot into their homes. Never again to step into their lives. As the creaky crank carefully lowered the casket into its vault, a sharp rebuke cut through the air: “Be happy! Come on, this is a celebration!” Those words may have cut deeper than the sight of death itself. Demanding that people be happy at a funeral does not automatically bring happiness. Call it a celebration if you will. Tell jokes. Drink beer. Blast rock ballads. Relive memories. Yet, those human efforts do not stop the source of tears. Paint death as this beautiful escape from life, but it still leaves an empty hollowness inside. You see, human solutions offer very little comfort when confronting death. Your Jesus does not skirt around the cause of death; he confronts death head-on. Because Jesus lives, you also may boast in the face of death: I Know My Redeemer Lives! This is our reality. This is our confidence. Listen to our reading from Job 19:25-27. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! What a marvelous truth to hear— because we can so easily overlook it! Tucked right in the middle of those words is a reality we are all too familiar with: “My skin is destroyed.” That is not a pleasant thought. Yet, it is a reality every single person faces— whether you want to admit it or not. Babies are born. They enter this world without blemishes, healthy, have all these years ahead of them. Yet, the minute that baby arrives, the clock of life keeps ticking down. Babies get older. Teeth come in and fall out. Bones grow longer and then grow brittle. The mind learns and later forgets. Eventually that young, healthy baby grows into his own aches and pains, sore joints, cancer and disease, and watches death approach ever closer. That’s why our Bible reading says: After my skin has been destroyed. It’s not a matter of “if” you get older; it’s a matter of “as” you get older. That is a reality the entire world faces. That is not much to celebrate. Yes, shake a fist at death. Say: “Ha-ha, Death! I still have a smile plastered to my face!” Drink beer and blast rock ballads. Yet, none of those human solutions address the real issue of death. Paint death as this beautiful escape from life. But it will not stop the tears from flowing at the graveside. In order to solve the problem of death you must deal with the cause of death. The cause, God explains, is sin. “Sin” is breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4). This stubborn arrogance refuses to bow down to God’s instructions. Instead, this puffed-up-pride wanders off after the rash foolishness of a faulty heart. That is “sin,” disobedience. “The wages of sin is death,” the Bible says (Romans 6:23). That’s the punishment; the soul who sins is the soul who will die (Ezekiel 18:4). Death came to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). But that sounds so harsh, doesn’t it? Who wants to hear that? It just drags you down. It is not popular to say or admit. In fact, you may believe (or genuinely feel inside) that God loves you just as you are. That he chuckles when you lose self-control at the bar. That he leans in with balled up fists propping up his chin, nodding in agreement as you explain that you will use your body outside of marriage, how you will reject the parts of his spoken word you don’t agree with, how you have the right to lambast your elected leaders. With great big smug smile you can act this way and God has no right to hand down consequences. And still, remember, the wages of sin is death. Not just the end of time on earth, but the end of time with God. Those who rebelled against God are thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48). That’s not really much to celebrate. Yet, that is the reality sin brings. Here is another reality: My Redeemer Lives! Mary Magdalene races to the tomb, arrives, puzzled. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is vacant. It takes two angels to piece the puzzle together: Jesus is not here! because He has risen! (Luke 24:6) My Redeemer Lives! To “redeem” means to “buy back.” In the Old Testament, if a widow was on the verge of losing property or found herself in dire financial straits, a close-relative would buy back the property for her. He would buy her back from financial calamity. The debt owed to buy back your life from death in hell is perfection— a price you (and I) could never offer God. Yet, Jesus, your Redeemer buys you back from spiritual calamity. The Son of God submits to God’s Word. Did you catch that? “Submits.” He obeys his leaders— like Pilate, who sentences him to death. Like Herod, who is a Jew drunk on power and greed. Like Caiaphas the high priest who calls the Son of God a liar! Never does Jesus cut himself off from the Word. Yes, Jesus knows everything in the Bible, but still worships every single week. His heart thrives listening to God’s commandments. Delights in obeying them. He hands over his perfect life as the price needed to buy you back from hell’s dungeon. And God accepts the payment. He raises Jesus back to life, declaring him to be without sin, without the punishment of death. My Redeemer Lives! This is true! This is seen in a tomb that is empty! This is our reality! My Redeemer Lives! This is our confidence! You can be absolutely sure that you will live forever in heaven. Jesus is your Redeemer, the One who rose Easter day in order to say: Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40). Even after my skin has been destroyed… Yes, bodies laid into the ground decay. Flesh and skin rot away. Bones dry out into dusty remains. Scoop a handful of sandy dust and you do not see life. The pile is so dry, lifeless, unable to be reassembled. Yet, because your Redeemer lives, in my flesh I will see God. In your flesh. In your body, with your legs standing you up, your neck turning your head, your hands reaching out, your mind comprehending who you see. The God who created Adam from a pile of dust in the Garden of Eden will use his same power to recreate you— and everyone else who died. Yes, everyone. That includes Adam and Eve. That includes their son, Abel, the one murdered by his brother Cain. That includes those killed in wars fighting for the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, English, French, and Americans. That includes those lying in marked graves and those lying in unknown locations. That includes those cremated. That includes your mother or father who died. That includes your spouse, your son, your daughter, your Christian friend. Because Jesus lives and declares you guilt-free, it means death cannot hold you. He will raise you from the dead—body re-created, body made immortal. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Job (the author of our reading) understood that reality. If you have no sin, then you should not die; you should live forever. Since death races towards each of us, it means you are sinful. Since you are sinful, it means you (and I) have turned away from God. The reason to celebrate this morning is not because we ignore what causes death. The reason we celebrate is because Jesus Christ removed the cause of death. Jesus Christ has removed sin from you (and me). And so, I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me. This is our confidence. I remember standing a few feet away from a hole measuring four-feet wide, eight-feet long, and six-feet deep. Above this pit was suspended a casket. Off to the side several young girls sobbed, heaving, gasping for little shots of air. Tears dripped down their cheeks. Lips bent into trembling frowns. This is grandma— someone who impacted their lives. She cradled them as babies and watched them at night. She taught them how to ride horses. Helped with homework. Smiled and laughed, told jokes and fabulous stories. Now she’s gone. Closed in a casket. Lowered into the earth. In the end, on the Last Day, the trumpet will sound. Jesus Christ will send his angels to gather the living and the dead. That grave on that hillside will open up. Grandma will sit up, body perfectly restored; flesh and bones immortal. She will open her eyes and see Jesus. Yes, the next person grandma will see is Jesus. This is the reality for a believer. This is the confidence we carry because Jesus rises from the dead. So yes, blast the music. Relive fantastic memories. Smile—if you wish. But understand the real reason for your celebration. Jesus Christ has removed sin and therefore swallowed up death forever. Jesus, My Redeemer Lives to give me life! Fifty-eight percent. Fifty-eight percent of Christians [those are people who (1) have an established church home or (2) label themselves ‘Christian’] will attend Easter service. That’s according to a 2013 survey (https://lifewayresearch.com/2013/03/26/survey-one-in-five-americans-undecided-about-easter-church-attendance/). So, that means 42% percent of Christians will stay away from Easter worship. Remember, these are Christ-ians. People who make a place for the Word of Christ in their hearts! People who ponder the teachings of Christ! People who claim Christ is important to them! One out of every three Christ-ians will stay home Easter Sunday!
Now granted, some may want to worship Easter Sunday, but just cannot. Poor health keeps them homebound. Family emergencies pop up. Work keeps them on the road or in the business Sunday morning. Still, only a tiny fraction of Christians fall under those unique circumstances. One out of every three Christians will stay home Easter Sunday. Do you know how many unchurched plan to attend? Forty-one percent, with an additional 20% who are undecided. That means, even among non-Christians, about one out of every three will stay home Easter Sunday. So, what does a survey like this reveal? It is not that you thump your chest boasting about your superior worship attendance. It is not for the snarky little comment, “Well, those people hate Jesus. They’ll get what’s coming to them.” A survey like this asks: “What is the purpose for you coming to worship on Easter?” The prophet Zechariah answers that question for you this morning. He prepares you for Easter by placing your attention on a King and on his work. See Your King Come! He enters in humility. He establishes a kingdom of peace. Those two things do not seem to go together. A king and humility? Zechariah preaches: Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation… This is it! This is what the people want! A king! A respected ruler! An organized and strong government! But, gentle(?) and riding on a donkey(?) What kind of king rides a donkey? Donkeys are so short; a king cannot tower over a crowd. In fact, a donkey’s dull gray coat blends into the scenery. Not to mention, this animal is a lumpy beast of burden! There is no splendor, no symbol of power and might and respect here. A king flaunts power. He marches down main street on a majestic white stallion. Glistening golden plates hang off that stallion; a plume of feathers is strapped to its head. Its bulging muscles twitch with might. Its height holds the king up for all to see. What kind king would ride a donkey? King Jesus. The disciple Mark tells you that Jesus is the fulfillment of this Old Testament prophecy. Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11). A royal court of nobles, ambassadors, and soldiers do not surround him. Rather, twelve simple fishermen toddle behind. No city leader rolls out the red carpet with a grand announcement and strikes up the band for this triumphal parade. Rather, random crowds lay palm branches and cloaks [jackets] on the ground. They shout, “Hosanna! Save us, Lord! Blessed is he!” The donkey does not march to the steps of Herod’s palace or Pilate’s governor-house. Rather, the donkey carries Jesus one step closer to the cross. You see, Jesus is a different kind of King. That’s important to remember. Do you want to know why one out of every three Christians will stay home this Easter Sunday? Because Jesus is not the King they want. So many crave a king who satisfies personal wishes. A king who makes life on earth better. A king who stops all hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. A king who pours wealth into homes so that no one will ever worry about money again. A king who taps a sick body and grants instant healing. A king who silences enemies of Christianity. That’s the kind of king so many crave. You know that— because if it were not true, then more would be here on Easter worshipping the King who conquered Satan. Jesus is a different kind of King. He may not be the King the world wants, but remains the King the world needs. A King you (and I) also need. Zechariah’s words are meant for you also. He prepares our hearts for Easter by placing your attention on King Jesus and his work. Even though you intend to worship on Easter (and many more Sundays afterwards), you can still lose focus on the kind of King Jesus is. It happens when the mind wanders in worship because it considers this timeless message of forgiveness “stale” and “boring!” Eyelids close because “you’ve heard this all before.” Your mouth fights holding back a *sigh* during the shouts of “Alleluia!” Maybe your heart craves a message you want to hear. Like, “How to be a better parent.” “How to manage your money” (really, so that you can have more money). “How to silence people who insult your faith” (because you really just want to feel better about what you believe). Your sinful nature (and mine) may not openly reject King Jesus. You still intend to worship on Easter. Yet, inside, even our hearts can dredge up discontentment. It considers the work of Jesus “stale” and “boring.” Soon, like one out of every three Christians, you will search for a king that makes you feel happy for your short life on this earth. You will stop following the King who rules eternally. That is why Zechariah preaches these words. He shows you the King God chooses to send. A King who comes to you, righteous and having salvation… You see, Jesus does not come for political control or earthly wealth or popularity. He is King unlike any other king this world has ever seen. He comes to fight the prince of this world— the devil— and to fight for your freedom (and mine). That’s what verse 10 says: I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. Now, a few Old Testament references appear here. Ephraim is a tribe of Israel, but they are feisty nation, quick-tempered, and managed a powerful military. If you upset them, that army would march out either to intimidate or fight you. The thought that a nation next-door could fight you, end your life, enslave you, or take away your property makes you feel nervous. Powerful, snorting war-horses, watch them pound down your city street and you may feel a little uneasy. If you watch tanks roll down the streets, yes, you would feel safe, but you are also reminded that your nation has enemies. Enemies can attack, capture you, enslave you, kill you. Jesus comes to bring this unrest to an end. He marches into Jerusalem, humble. He lays aside the power and prestige he has as God; he makes himself nothing. Instead, he takes on human flesh and submits to the will of God. For his thirty-three-years of life, Jesus fights your battles. He refuses to worship Satan for the fame, kingdoms, and glory of this world (Matthew 4:8-11). When Peter fights to free Jesus from his captors, Jesus orders, “Put the sword away! I have not come for a kingdom” (John 18:10-11). Even Pilate asks Jesus, “Where is your kingdom?” Jesus explains, “In heaven” (John 18:36-37). Jesus lays aside the things our world considers important and puts on the suffering and pain the world considers shameful. Yet, in God’s eyes, the pride and power of this world are shameful— because arrogant pride worships yourself, not God. See Your King Come! He enters humbly into Jerusalem. See Your King Come to die for those who fight against him. Yes, that includes the soldiers who stretch him out on the cross. That includes those who mock him. That includes the disciples who run away to save their lives. That includes you (and me) for the times we find Jesus to be “boring” and “stale.” Jesus fights to save your life. See Your King step out of the tomb on Easter Sunday. See Your King Come to put his righteous and blameless life on you. See Your King Come, holding the keys to free you from death and hell. The King who humbly submitted to death on a cross has become the King who establishes a kingdom of peace. Zechariah continues: He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. You see, the peace Jesus brings is not earthly peace where every war stops, hunger ends, and every nation unites together. Jesus comes to bring peace into your heart. Peace enters your life through the Word of God. [Jesus] proclaims peace to the nations, to people. He rises from the dead, appears to his disciples, and breathes: Peace be with you (John 20:21). Jesus breaks the hostility between you and God. That means you have peace knowing your sins are forgiven. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives you his body and blood, assuring you that he paid the price for your forgiveness. So, you can depart in peace. Why? Your sins are forgiven; you have peace with God. Live unburdened, knowing that God will remember your sins no more. He will not bring them up again when you enter heaven. You can stand before God and he will examine you head to toe, but you do not need to be worried. Jesus has removed that stain and God will find nothing on you. The Song of Simeon praises God for the peace he brings. Simeon waited years to see the Savior. By the time he holds baby Jesus in the temple, he is an old man. Yet, once he sees Jesus, he confesses: “God, I can leave this life in peace because you kept your promise of sending Jesus. When I die I will open my eyes and see you in heaven.” So, after receiving Holy Communion, you sing that same song: Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace, according to your Word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all people… You are confessing: “God, we have seen and have tasted the promise that you did keep a promise of a Savior. So, we can leave in peace. We can leave this house of worship knowing that you are with us, that you love us, that you will be with us. Should it come, we can depart this life in peace.” His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. His peace has come down from Calvary, spread throughout the middle East, through Europe, across an ocean, and has reached your heart here in central Michigan. Pay attention to the work of your King. See him fill you with the most priceless treasure this world will ever hold. See him offer and give you something no other king can ever give: Peace from guilt. Peace of eternal life. Peace of knowing God lives with you now. Zechariah points to a King unlike any other king this world has ever seen. He points past the worldly king one out of every three Christians search for. He holds up the King God sends you. A King who fights for his subjects. A King who suffers shame and humiliation willingly for his subjects. Zechariah points you to a King who chooses to make enemies citizens. A King who brings peace into your heart. “What is the purpose for you coming to worship on Easter? Stand ready for Easter by placing your attention on a King and on his work. See Your King Come! He enters in humility. He establishes a kingdom of peace. Good guy chases bad guy— climbing stairwells, sprinting down hallways, dashing around corners, kicking open door after door until... he finally corners him. Gun drawn and aimed directly at the heart of a man who killed an agent. Finger on the trigger because this man shot at him. Bullet in the chamber because this man committed countless crimes.
The two stare each other down— until the cornered man, in one last bout of desperation, darts to flee. A muscle flinches. A finger presses the trigger. The hammer strikes. The bullet fires from the barrel. A criminal slumps to the ground. Whether you are watching James Bond take down a super-villain or a detective bringing a criminal to justice on your favorite television crime show, you watch a tense scene like this and the first thought that floods your mind is?… “He got what he deserved!” If someone breaks the law, then consequences follow. Maybe that was your initial thought from our Old Testament selection. The Israelites traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. Picture (in your head) a map of present-day Israel; Mount Hor is just south and east of Israel. For over forty years the nation inched through the desert to reach the southern border of the Promised Land; they’re on the cusp of entering! All that stands between them and a new life is the nation of Edom. So, an Israelite delegation meets with the king of Edom. They request to use the public highway running through their territory. Israel promises not to use any water, food, grazing grass, or land to rest in— nothing belonging to Edom. In fact, you would never know Israel had even been there. But the king refuses. He even stations a powerful army along the border to deter Israel from marching in (Numbers 20:14-20). The only way forward into the Promised Land now is by heading backwards. In order to head north, the nation must travel south to skirt around the nation of Edom. Picture it: imagine driving to Midland from Clare, but [the city of] Coleman will not let you use HWY-10; you cannot go through the city. So, you must drive back to Clare, up northbound US-127 to Harrison, east across HWY-61 through Gladwin and to White Star, and then head south on HWY-30 into Midland. Do you know how irritating that would be? Your traveling time doubles. You use more energy, more gas. You get exhausted quicker! And as Israel restarts their journey, the people grew impatient on the way. Very soon that impatience boils over into criticizing and grumbling. They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?” Can you hear it? Fingers pointing, hearts whining: “God, life was excellent as a slave! You should have just left us there!” They quickly forgot why they left. Exodus 2:23 says: The Israelites groaned in their slavery[…] and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. You see, God did not yank Israel out; the nation cried for help and God answered them (2:24). In fact, right after Israel walks through the Red Sea, they rejoice in their newfound freedom! (Exodus 15) No one complains when God was in the act of delivering them. Only when life did not meet Israel’s expectation did the nation find fault with God. That’s why they gripe: There is no bread! There is no water! After all, they are in a desert. So, God provides water from a rock (Numbers 20:11). When the water is polluted, God purifies it (Exodus 15:23-25). Not to mention, every morning he sends manna. Manna— those little thin wafers of bread— litter the desert floor, and you could simply eat it or use it for any baking needs. Then at night, God sent in quail for meat (Exodus 16). You don’t find much water and food in the desert, but God makes sure to provide for them— and he does this for over 40-years. But they detest this miserable food!” “This food is for the dogs!” they complain, “We deserve so much better! God, [Y]ou brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert!” Wow… talk about ungrateful. They had lacked nothing! And so when you read: the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, you might think: “Yeah, those spoiled little brats got what they deserved.” Did they? If you ask me, I do not think they got what they deserved. They deserved so much worse. The minute they curse God, he could have zipped right into heaven. Left them all alone— crickets chirping, tumbleweed bouncing through the desert, abandoned and forsaken. “You don’t like my food? You don’t like me giving automatic victories over your enemies? You don’t like me freeing you for life in a brand new land you did not work for? Fine! Have it your way! If you don’t want me, then you don’t have me!” That’s what they deserve. Do you know what makes that a truly terrifying thought? It’s easy for me to point my finger at them and smirk: “Yeah… they got what they deserve!” Yet, are their complaints much different from mine?... from yours? Do you realize that God hands you daily bread? You pray for it in the Lord’s Prayer. Gas for the car, money for the rent, (at least?) three meals a day, multiple sets of clothes, a roof over your head and heat to fill the house, toys and video games and smartphones to put in your hands—and still, someway, somehow, out of the mouth comes: “Oh, gas went up $.20 (about $2.00 extra for 10 gallons). Woe is me! God, I have no offering because everything is just so expensive! I have nothing to give you because you gave me nothing!” Is that really true? Has God really handed nothing—like you’re scrounging through dumpsters just to make ends meet? Do you realize that God graciously brought you into his family of believers? He has called you to faith. He repeatedly stresses: “Your purpose in life is to enter heaven” (Luke 21:28; 1 Timothy 2:3-4). He promises: “I’m with you always—to the very end of life” (Matthew 28:20). And someway, somehow comes out of the mouth, “God, where are you leading me? Don’t you see the violence around me? Don’t you care about my health? Will you not finally silence the enemies who attack my faith?” You see, God is not upset that Israel complains (as though God is terribly annoyed listening to them). Rather, grumbling rejects God’s many promises; you refuse to believe that God is with you. Complaining accuses God of not giving good gifts; you fault God for your greed. This arrogance accuses God of not caring. “God, you led me into this world to just watch me die!” And you know what? God would be completely fair to leave you alone. He would be completely fair to let Satan’s bite of sin so thoroughly infect your heart and soul leaving you to die in hell. That would be fair. Yet, God Is Unfair! He does not treat us as we deserve. Catch that? God does not treat us as we deserve. What we deserve is death. Yet, God treats us as we do not deserve. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” What the nation (and we) deserves is for God to say: “No! I’m done with you. You’ve grumbled too much. You’ve lost it. Sorry!” Yet, in his mercy, The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” Notice who answers Moses: the “Lord” (in all capital letters). That’s not a typo; the “Lord” (in all caps) is intentional. That name tells you two things about your God: (1) He will carry out his threat to punish everyone who rejects him. (2) He has compassion on those who turn from rebellion; God forgives (Exodus 34:6-7). God treats Israel as they do not deserve. When anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Understand, the bronze serpent did not heal (as though it contained a special power). For anyone to look at the serpent meant that they admitted their rebellion was wrong. They looked because they trusted God would heal them. God promised; people believed. Their act of looking demonstrated faith in the promises of God. God has spoken to you (and me) as well. Satan’s deadly venom so saturated your (and my) soul. That venom is what moves us to gripe and complain that God does not have our best interests in mind. That venom chokes our trust in God. So, God raises up his Son on a cross, giving us what we do not deserve. Jesus suffers the effects of Satan’s venom. He is bitten on the heel (Genesis 3:15). The One who never opens his mouth to complain dies for us who grumble. The One who trusted God above all things—even when he has no place to lay his head—dies because we fail to trust. The One in whom Pontius Pilate finds no moral fault is the One struck dead. Jesus removes death from you (and me). Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). God raises up Jesus to rescue you from the death sin deserves. God treats you and me as we do not deserve. That’s why we call it “grace.” Grace means “undeserved love.” So, when you admit: “God saved me by grace alone,” you’re really saying, “God, you saved me by sending Jesus to endure my punishment. I don’t deserve that, but you still gave me Jesus.” When you hear: “You have been saved by grace, through faith,” God hammers home this point: Jesus did everything needed to save you. God’s grace enters your heart through faith. How do you know you have faith? Do not look to yourself—to your own morality (as though you deserve forgiveness). Do not think you made a decision to accept Jesus as Savior; you are conceived and born spiritually dead. It is God who creates life in you through baptism. Yes, it looks so simple! Splash a little water on someone’s head? How can that change anything? It changes nothing--except, except, God takes regular water and packs a powerful promise to it: He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). God makes it clear: baptism saves you. Then, in the Lord’s Supper, he strengthens you faith. Yes, you receive a little wafer of bread and a shot of wine— but that’s not all. God makes it clear (in the Bible) that you receive the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:25-29). Sound too good to be true? Yes! Yes it does! God is Unfair. He treats us as we do not deserve. Just think about that! God is Unfair! He does not treat us as we deserve. He treats us as we do not deserve. Holding that thought in your life every day changes the way you live. You recognize that you deserve no good gifts from God, but he still blesses you every day. It fuels your appreciation to receive your money, clothes, home, and food with thanks. Never griping, but living content with what God has given you. You recognize for all the times you left God, he never left you. You trust God’s guidance even when you do not know the future; you take him at his Word. What amazing grace! God has made you his child and assures you that you remain his. Inside of you now grows this gratefulness. Rejoice! Because God is Unfair! He does not treat us as we deserve. He treats us as we do not deserve. You have heard me say it before: You and I live in a postmodern society. That means, many believe truth is relative. There is no absolute standard of “right” and no absolute standard of “wrong.” So, many make choices based on what feels right to them. If it feels right, then it must be right (so the thinking goes).
So then, what’s the difference between an abortion and the murder of the unborn? [To a postmodern thinker] Whatever the mother thinks is going on inside the womb! If the mother does not wish to keep the child, then she does not think it is “life.” And if it is not a “life,” then she will not call it murder and there is nothing morally wrong. Yet, if a mother wishes to have a child and the child is taken away through an act of violence, then, since the mother felt this was human life, the offender can be charged with murder! Even ‘life’ becomes defined by whatever a person wants it to be—based on what they think or feel it is (and that definition changes from person to person). Or, if you feel that the speed limit down Old-27 (in Harrison) and McEwan St. (in Clare) should be 50 miles per hour, then the officer who pulls you over for speeding has no reason to write you a ticket because you feel the speed limit should be higher (and the city has posted the wrong speed limit). Postmodern thinking teaches that you determine what is right and what is wrong based on your feelings. The reason I keep bringing up this postmodern mindset is because you and I live in this postmodern society; this is the current thinking which dominates what you see and hear in life. That same thinking filters into the world’s beliefs about God. A September 2016 poll surveyed American religious beliefs (and most surveyed identified themselves as Christian). This poll discovered that 58% of Americans believe God is the author of the Bible and 42% percent believe the Bible does not have the authority to tell them what to do. Seventy-four percent feel that small sins do not deserve hell and 52% believe they will go to heaven because of the good deeds they do. Not to mention, 70% of Americans (who, again, identify as Christian) do not believe hell exists and 64% believe all people— regardless of belief— will go to heaven. (http://lifewayresearch.com/2016/09/27/americans-love-god-and-the-bible-are-fuzzy-on-the-details/) So, what does a poll like this reveal? In words of the pollster: “Most Americans identify as Christians, but seem confused about some details of their faith… Contradictory and incompatible beliefs are OK for most people.”A survey like this reveals a heart which picks and chooses what it wants to believe. The real trouble is not just that you live in this kind of religious atmosphere, but that you too can adopt this same thinking, that you also begin picking and choosing what you want to believe. Setting your beliefs on your own authority can put your soul in eternal danger. That’s why God warns and urges: Listen to the Prophet! God gives him the Word and He speaks God’s Word. So, how does anyone know anything about God? How you do know if you stand right in his sight? If your words are pleasing to him? If your actions meet his expectations? If he would approve of your behavior? Because, according to our reading, even the Israelites (at one time) are not too sure. They were camped around this place called Mount Horeb (or, as you know it, Mount Sinai). Smoke billows from its top. The ground rumbles. The shrill trumpet blast echoes across the desert floor. God came down from heaven and now rests on Mount Sinai— and they are terrified. God is there! The perfect God with the highest of highest standards for moral perfection. The mighty God who demands absolute obedience! The God who ultimately has the final say on their life. One day their earthly life will end and they will meet him, but they have no idea how they can and live. So, they ask for a prophet— someone who receives God’s Word and brings it to the people. Enter Moses. He walks up Mount Sinai. God hands him the Word and Moses brings down God’s Ten Commandments. If the nation ever wondered how God saw them, all they had to do was Listen to the Prophet, listen to Moses. Yet, for you, God has raised up a Prophet even greater than Moses. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers… The New Testament so clearly identifies that Prophet as Jesus (Acts 3:22-23; 7:37). [I] will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If you want to know what God expects of you in this life, then listen to Jesus. Understand, Jesus’ words carry authority. Jesus does not base his teaching on his own opinion. He does not share what feels is right in this life. Instead, he tells you what (1) God says and (2) what God will do. There’s a part of our hearts that doesn’t want to hear this, a part of our lives fighting for a reason as to why God’s truth does not apply to us. Do you hear it? Jesus says: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10). Yet, our hearts try undercut Jesus’ authority. “Jesus, I don’t need to worship every Sunday. I determined, by the power of my own feelings that it does not matter if I am here or not. You must accept my belief.” Or, Jesus explains eternal life: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Yet, that doesn’t sound too fair. “God, I think everyone will go to heaven, I know Jesus says that we need faith in him. But I have determined, through my own investigation that this is not the case. My belief feels right to me, so I am right and you are wrong.” Or, Jesus cares about the way you live. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Yet, maybe that does not sound too realistic. “God, I know what pleases you—what kind of words please you, how I can use my body and mind to glorify you, but I have determined that this brings nothing bad into my life. Therefore there is nothing morally wrong with the way I act.” Your heart (and mine) will try to create its own beliefs, its own rules, and follow them— even going so far as to demand that God cater to you. That sounds good; that sounds acceptable. Except… except of one truth no one can deny: You (and I) will die one day. When that happens, God clearly reveals what will happen next. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. Yes, God’s Word can offend us. The sinful nature inside each of us does not want its deeds evil, wicked deeds exposed. It does not want God to tell us how to live. Yet, God tells us how to live so that you (and I) do not fall under his eternal judgment! So, God raises up his Prophet for you! Look at Jesus and recognize that his Word is not mean to enslave you, but to free you! To free you from the consequences of sin! To free you for eternal life! That is what the Prophet preaches! Freedom for the captive! Good news for the spiritually poor and empty (Luke 4:18). The message of his mouth has authority; it accomplishes what he says it will do. On the cross Jesus speaks: It is finished (John 19:30)--and that word does something. He pushed Satan back into hell. He grabbed you (and me) by hand, led us to himself, and leads us out of the bondage of our sins. He rises from the dead and proclaims real truth: Peace be with you. As I forgive you, you are forgiven. I can tell you that you are at peace with God (John 20:21). Listen to the Prophet. God gives him the Word to proclaim, a word which reveals your truthful reality. There remains no more guesswork as to how you stand before God. Listen to the Prophet because He speaks the Word. Still. Today. Right now. Jesus the Prophet still speaks. The writer of [the book of] Hebrews says: In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways… that is, God sent out people with his Word. Yet, God does not send out new messages to prophets anymore. In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (1:1-2). The Bible is similar to a diary. If you write down your day’s events, and I read that book out loud, I am not reading my words, I am not reading my thoughts. I am reading your words and your thoughts. God gave certain men his Word to write down (1 Thessalonians 2:13). When I read it out loud, you hear what God desires. When you read it, you read God’s teachings. Listen to Jesus, the Prophet, because he speaks God’s Word. Yes, Listen to Jesus, the Prophet as you step out into a postmodern society. Most recently, the president of the largest Lutheran church body in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA] (a liberal branch of Lutherans) went on record to say: If hell exists, I think it’s empty. (https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/elizabeth-eaton-presiding-bishop-evangelical-lutheran-church-in-america-chicago-if-hell-exists-i-think-its-empty-face-to-faith-podcast/) This religious leader speaks in the name of God, that is, she passes along a teaching that appears to be approved by God. But, does God approve it? First, If hell exists? Jesus, in the Bible makes it clear hell exists. He tells how a man named Lazarus went heaven and a nonbelieving rich man when to hell (Luke 16:22-23; see also Matthew 10:28). Then, If hell exists, I think it’s empty. Yet, Jesus makes it clear: All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another… He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left…[the goats] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:32-33,46). Again, this Lutheran preacher speaks a teaching different from the One Jesus himself gives. You must be on your guard against prophets who speak in God’s name, but are not sharing what he commands. No one advertises himself as a false prophet. No one says: “Come to my church. I’m going to tell you a bunch of lies.” No one says, “Listen to me; I’ll share my firm opinions with you.” No one will stand up and say, “We take little snippets of the Bible out of context and pass along teachings that make sense to our minds.” No one will say that. That is why you need to Listen to God’s Prophet. When someone tells you something about angels or heaven & hell or how people enter heaven and you’re not so sure they’re right, go back to the Bible and see if this matches what Jesus says. And yes, our world passes along sentimental thoughts and some of them appear quite harmless. Maybe you even wonder: Why not let people believe what they want? What’s the harm in that? Because God warns: [A] prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.” God is that serious when it comes to the matter of your soul! He knows that allowing just a little false teaching into your heart can lead you down the wide road into hell. So, he goes to the extreme: Remove those words from your presence! Get rid of them! This can sound strict, like God is a narrow-minded elitist. Yet, is he? Many of you already act in the same way as parents and grandparents. If you have a little one in your house, you recognize there are some dangers in that house. If a child grabs a bottle of bleach and you take it away. He will cry. He will think you’re the worst parent on earth. He might yell and stomp his feet. He will try to make you feel bad. Does that mean you are a bad person? No! The child is still wrong and you are still right. You took the bleach away because it harms. God, in the same way, protects his Word so that you get to hear his truth and remain close to him. It’s a tough teaching. It’s tough because our world really does not enjoy hearing truth. They will agree on opinions, but when you call an opinion a fact, it will be resisted. It’s tough because even you (and I) will want to follow our feelings. Yet, Listen to the Prophet because God gives him the Word—the authoritative truth on life. God removes all guesswork as to how you stand with him. Listen to the Prophet who still speaks the Word so that you may live guided to your heavenly home. |
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