Seeing Jesus
Confirmation Sunday / April 28, 2019
Revelation 1:4-18
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Joe Adamek, James Blees, Ryan Britton, Zabrina Bronstad, Cody Cowdin, Addie Davis, Raquel Fischer, Isaiah Gaylord, Kylee Hanks, Kayli Hinze, Hunter Jaeger, Kennedy Jewison, Nick Johnson, Thyme Lang, Cody Lau, Macy Morsching, Dominec Poeppel, Taylor Priem, Christian Rodriguez, Garrett Sobolik, Lily Sonnek, Dakota Westphal, Zoe Zimbrich
Dear Friends in Christ,
The overall theme of our Easter sermon series is the Sound of the Saints, which comes from our theme song, which includes the line, “Hear the sound of the saints as we march on to Zion singing Allelujah amen, singing allelujah, amen. Our sermon series comes out of the Book of Revelation, and we will be seeing pictures that John paints of what heaven will be like, pictures that John will be painting of  what it looks like when the faithful are at the feet of the glorified Jesus throwing in a couple of “whoas”, as in “whoa, we sing hallelujah! Whoa we sing amen!” In coming weeks we’ll hear the sound of the saints as we see through John’s eyes the Elders, the next week the Multitude, the next week “New Heavens and New Earth,” the next week the New Jerusalem, and the seventh week “the Tree of Life.
Today, we would see Jesus, as He reveals Himself in full resurrected and glorified and ascended and sitting at the right hand of his father mode, ruling all of heaven and earth on behalf of the holy Christian Church.
When I tell you one of my favorite Easter stories, you’re going to realize one more time how twisted is my mind.  This story comes from a statement on the Seattle Police Department blotter 6 years ago.  The headline was “Easter egg hunt goes ugly.”  An Easter egg hunt went ugly when one woman reportedly pushed a child aside as her own child was scrambling toward some brightly colored eggs.  Police say the two mothers began fighting and had to be separated three or four times.  The fisticuffs left one woman with a bloody nose.”  It seems as though these two ladies had missed the spirit of Easter in that hour.  They were having a hard time seeing Jesus.
Two parts to our sermon today.  Part #1 is that it’s not always easy to see Jesus, and Part #2 is that when we are able to see Jesus as he wants to be seen, it’s terrifying and comforting at the same time.
Part #1: It’s not always (easy) to see Jesus. Three thoughts for you today about how it’s not always easy to see Jesus.
Thought #1 is that it wasn’t easy for the early Christians to see Jesus. In today’s text, John is writing to seven small and struggling churches in Asia.  He greets them with the grace and peace of the Trinity, from the one who is and who was and who is to come. When he writes that the message of Revelation is from the seven Spirits, you should know that the number seven symbolizes God. Seven is the sum of 3 and 4.  (You knew that).  Three is the number for God and four is the number for creation, as in the four directions or the four corners of the world.
This message is from the holy and the perfect God, and it is from Jesus Christ the faithful witness / Jesus Christ who is the firstborn of the dead / Jesus Christ the ruler of all kings on earth / Jesus Christ the one who has loved us with his very life / Jesus Christ who has freed us from our sins by suffering and dying and rising again. 
This God and this Jesus Christ are revealing to the early church that it’s not going to be easy to see Jesus and to stay close to Jesus and to hold on to their faith.  Persecution is on the way. Church historians tell us that between the first persecution under Nero in 64 to the Edict of Milan in 313 when Christianity would be declared the official religion of the Roman Empire, Christians would experience 129 years of persecution and 120 years of toleration and peace.
One author writes that persecution was first sanctioned by the government under Nero, an eccentric emperor who blamed the Christians for the fire which ravaged Rome in 64 A.D.  He further writes that many Christians were put to death to serve as objects of amusement; some were clad in the hides of beast and torn to death by dogs, others were crucified, others set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylight failed.  After Nero, it became a capital crime to be a Christian.
Thought #1 is that it wasn’t all easy for those early Christians to hold onto their Easter faith, like Thomas in our Gospel lesson for today, they would have their doubts, and they would yearn for a few signs and wonders from heaven to help them see Jesus, to help them stay close to Jesus, to hold onto their Easter faith.
Thought #2 is that it isn’t going to be easy for any of us to see Jesus in any one of our chapters of life. Last week on Easter Sunday, we enjoyed the sweet fragrance of the dozens and dozens of flowers and plants which adorned this sanctuary.   It’s pretty easy to see and hear Jesus on the Day of Resurrection.  But every one of those flowers and plants represented one or more loved ones we have planted into the cemeteries.  A few of these burials are etched into our memories and will not soon be erased.
I can still remember the bronze colored casket of my brother resting out there at Peace Lutheran Cemetery / Barney / 40 yards away from Highway 13. In that moment it was hard to see Jesus who is to come.  Etched into my brain is my mom’s casket being lowered into that same cemetery and being late to the meal because a few of us lingered while they lowered and covered her.  In that hour, it was hard to see Jesus, who is the firstborn of all the dead.  18 months ago or so, it is etched in my mind while my son in law got down into the hole and placed his son Gabriel’s casket therein.  He lived an hour here on earth, and then he died.  Not easy to see Jesus who is alive forevermore and inviting us never to be afraid.
For our young folks confirming your faith today, some days it will be easy and other days nearly impossible for you to see Jesus, to stay close to Jesus, and to hold onto your faith.  Some days you will succeed wonderfully and others fail miserably.  Some days the sun will be shining brightly and others full of rain and slush.  Some days you’ll fit right in and other days stick out like a sore thumb.  In some chapters of life you’ll be living happily after and other chapters you will be saying to yourself and anybody who will listen, “I can’t take it anymore.”
Here’s the good news.  It’s especially on those days when you just can’t take it anymore that Jesus Christ is with you, he comes close to you in his Word and Sacraments, he holds you close, he washes you clean, he invites you not to be afraid, to stand back up, and keep on going. This is the rhythm of our days – constantly we are distracted from seeing Jesus, but always He is fixed on us. Daily we are blinded with the darkness of this sinful world.  Daily and richly he forgives our sins and invites us to fix our eyes on him, the author and finisher of our faith.
Part #2: Seeing Jesus is terrifying and comforting (at the same time). This year’s confirmation class is #39 in my ministry, the 29th here at Trinity.  It’s been almost entirely a privilege to partner with parents and congregational leaders in catechizing these catechumens with Luther’s Small Catechism and the written Scriptures. In all of these years, we have expected our confirmands to listen to sermons and find examples of both Law and Gospel, and then apply these truths into their lives. Two reasons we ask these young folks to go through catechesis – to help them know the basics of their faith and to mature in that faith.
Every sermon is meant to terrify and then comfort the people of God. Professor Eggold at the Ft. Wayne Seminary used to tell us to preach them right down into hell and then lift them back up into heaven. Scare the you know what out of them with the Law and relieve them with the Gospel.  Show them their sin with the Law and show them their Savior with the Gospel.  I remember Dr. Eggold saying that when you preach the Gospel, your face ought to light up with all the brightness and radiance you can muster, and if you’re preaching the law, well then your regular face will do just fine.
Seeing Jesus is terrifying and comforting at the same time.  In John’s description of the exalted Son of Man, he draws on several sources in the Old Testament.  He sees Christ who is now in heavenly glory because he has completed his mission through his death and resurrection. 

• Dear friends, see Jesus today in a long flowing robe, reminding us that he is the greatest of all the high priests.
• See Jesus with a golden sash around his chest, signifying royalty.
• See Jesus with hairs on his head that are white, like white wool, like snow –his crown of splendor and wisdom commands absolute respect.
• See Jesus with eyes like a flame of fire – this is the holy presence of God which sees and destroys all that is evil
• See Jesus with feet like burnished brass, representing a strength that obliterates all enemies.
• See Jesus with a voice like the roar of many waters – as often as you listen to the voice of your Good Shepherd, all other voices will have to fade into the background.
• See Jesus with seven stars in his right hand – this is the right hand of mercy which blesses and comforts his church through sevenfold presence of the Spirit.
• See Jesus with a two edged sword coming out of his mouth – don’t be messing with him, don’t be ignoring him.
• See Jesus whose whole appearance is like the sun shining in full strength – in his presence darkness has no chance whatever.

 
The kingdom of God is like a confirmation class that swears in the presence of God and all kinds of family to be diligent in the use of the means of grace until the day they die.   They take their vows with good intentions mixed up with a fair amount of relief that the confirmation class ordeal is over. On the one hand, as often as they try to live life apart from Christ, they find all kinds of doubts and deadness and darkness rising up and ruling.  But on the other hand, as often as they hear the voice of Jesus, as often as they taste the body and blood of Jesus, they find grace and mercy and peace rising up inside and in charge.
The kingdom of God is like a confirmation class that forgets much of what their pastors taught them, but a few things they remember.  They remember one short not so young anymore pastor telling them again and again to stop slouching, to sit up straight, and to look him in the eyes when he is trying to teach them something. They remember him hammering away at distinguishing between Law and Gospel.  They remember him pleading with them to keep on coming to church, to keep on listening to sermons, to keep on eating and drinking at their Lord’s Supper.  And finally they remember him hoping and praying for them to be famous for this one thing….to be famous for this one thing…..to be famous for every day confessing their sins, every day early and often to be famous for admitting their mistakes, being sorry for their sins, crying out for mercy, knowing that even when they took their eyes off Jesus, He was always seeing them.  Amen.
 

​The Unshadowed Victory
Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019
In a series, “The Shadow of the Cross” Luke 24:1-12 // Isaiah 65:17-25 // 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
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Grace, mercy and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today we take a look at the only story in the history of the world that truly matters. Today we remember the center of our life together. Today, we worship the God who became man, the man who died our death, and the God who raised him from the dead. Today is Easter Sunday, and it doesn’t get any better than this.
Except when it does.
I remember way back about seven years ago, on June 18, back on a day when Laura and I were on a walk at Minnehaha Falls. We had been together for nine months and it seemed like it couldn’t get any better than that. We were staring into each other’s eyes. We were spending our days talking and laughing together. We walked hand in hand, we took a little pathway right up to the Falls, and I asked Laura to marry me.
And she said.... “Are you serious?” “Is this real?” and after a couple minutes of that, I took it for a yes. And life couldn’t get any better. Except that it did.
11 months later, we stared into each other’s eyes and spoke vows to love each other in every chapter of life, and I thought that life couldn’t get any better. Except that it did.
Two years later, we had our first very precious baby boy, Benjamin, and I thought that I couldn’t love more than I did right then, that life couldn’t get any better, except that it did.
Two years after that, we had our second very precious baby boy, Amos, and I’m realizing I’m a slow learner. That life doesn’t get any better than this, except when it does. Now, we’ve had our ups and downs, our days of smooth sailing, and our sleepless nights.
But the point is, and you know this by now, it doesn’t get any better, except when it does.
That’s what we see in our text for today. For the disciples and the women in our text, things couldn’t get any worse. They were looking for closure. They were looking to finish the burial process after Jesus was laid to rest. They were looking to get on with the next chapter of their lives.
Their perception was full of grief and fear. Grief of Jesus being gone and fear of a gruesome end. But things were not as they seemed. That may have been their perception, but the reality was full of life and hope. They were despairing over things not real. Have you ever done that? The angels bid them to rejoice in reality, the reality that Jesus proclaims.
Dear Christian friends, today of all days, in the light of the resurrection, I would urge you, don’t be governed by your grudges and your hurts. Let the love of Christ overwhelm you. Don’t be governed by your fears and insecurities. Let the hope of Jesus lead you. Today of all days lay down your sin and see your savior. Today of all days lay down your hurt and ask for forgiveness. Today of all days, let the past be the past. Acknowledge it. Know it. But today of all days, and let the future be as bright as the promises that God holds out in Jesus Christ.
The women encounter angels, which tell them what they’d known for a long time, from Jesus’s own mouth. That he would be crucified and on the third day rise. And they say, “Are you serious? Is this really real?”
They saw the empty tomb, they saw the grave cloths there. They ran back to the eleven and try to convince them that Jesus is risen, and the eleven say, “Are you serious? How could that be real?”
But Peter runs back to the tomb. He sees what the women had seen, and he stands there, just standing there, marveling.
Are you serious? Is this real? They couldn’t but marvel in disbelief. Are you serious? Is this real? Things that day couldn’t get any better....
Except that they did. The Jesus who died, died for their sins. The same Jesus was raised from the dead. The same Jesus taught them, after the resurrection, opening up the Scriptures to them. He gave them the Holy Spirit. He promised to come back and complete a reality far greater than we could imagine.
Or perhaps greater isn’t the right word. Usually for us, greater just means bigger, but that’s not quite right here. C.S. Lewis said it this way, in the final book of the Narnia series, the Last Battle, as their world ends and the characters are led into a new land, their refrain is “Further Up and Further In!” Heaven is new but not other. Eternal life is greater but not bigger. Forgiveness of sins is deeper and richer than we could imagine.
Dear friends in Christ, in the resurrection we see Jesus as the first fruits of the world to come. We see the meaning that he infuses into every one of our days, ever one of our interactions. We see the strength that he gives, the strength upon which the whole fate of the world turns. In Easter, we see the focal point, the lynchpin, the center of the Christian story come where all the threads of the Old Testament and all the workings of the New Testament come together.
Blessed is the one who hears the absolutions and believes, because what Jesus says about you matters more than what you believe about yourself. Blessed is the one who eats the bread which is his body and drinks the wine which is Christ’s blood, for when he eats and drinks, he will be given exactly what they say, forgiveness of sins. Blessed is the man who hears the invocation and remembers that the waters of holy Baptism wash over him like a flood.
Three thoughts in conclusion.
First, because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Or, to say it in a different way, in the resurrection, Jesus proves that no enemy is greater than he. There is nothing that he hasn’t overcome, and he overcame it for you.
Second, because he lives, all fear is gone. Or, to say it in a different way, in the resurrection, Jesus reshapes our reality. He redefines our love. He reorients our values. He says that wine and bread are his body and blood, and since he says, they forgive our sins. He says that his word is life and peace to us, and because he says it, so it is. He says that nothing in this life could ever hurt or destroy, and because the one who died and rose again said it, so it is.
Third, because he lives, life is worth the living. Or, to say it in a different way, in Jesus’s death and resurrection, every thought, word, and deed of the Christian is significant because of what the God of the universe can do as he works through you. Are you serious, Lord? How humbling and empowering that is!
The kingdom of heaven is like a man whose life is a constant shipwreck, for no reason of his own. Every time he rights his boat, something else in the sinful world knocks him down. And yet, though all around him in the sinful world seems nothing but a sea of pain, still he rests on the solid rock of his savior.
The kingdom of heaven is like a woman whose own mind calls her nasty names. Her own voice tells her she’s not good enough, not smart enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough. And yet, though even her whole self would say this, still she rests in the knowledge that Jesus’s words matter far more than her own, and through his blood he calls her precious, redeemed, valuable, sought after.
The kingdom of heaven is like a family who never can quite overcome the temptations to sin. They look good on the outside but inside, they feel the devil gaining a foothold on their souls. And yet, they know Jesus was tempted in every way for them. They know, in a place deeper than their mind, deeper than their heart, that the nasty old devil is like a dog on a chain. He can only go so far.
And the one who was raised from the dead is the one who will come back to make all things right. And it doesn’t get any better than that.
Amen and amen.

The Sabbath’s Shadow / Waiting, Resting, and Remembering
Easter Vigil. 2019
Dear Friends in Christ,
In this Lenten season, we have been studying and thinking our way through what it means to live full time in the shadow of the cross.  We have considered the shadow of shame, the shadow of doubt, the shadow of sadness, the shadow of fear, and last Wednesday, the shadow of death itself.  On Good Friday we focused on the darkness that covered the entire world for three hours starting at high noon, tomorrow we fix our eyes on “The Unshadowed Victory,” and tonight, our theme is “The Sabbath’s Shadow.”  Three brief meditations as we think about Jesus as well as our loved ones who have died, who are resting from their labors, and who are waiting for the final resurrection.  Three meditations, the first on the subject of waiting, the second focused on resting, and the third on remembering. 
 
Tonight, first of all, we think about waiting - Psalm 126: 5-6 – Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

• The context of this Psalm is that the nation of Israel was in the process of returning from exile in Babylon, there was still a struggle, there was a lot of hard work to do in terms of rebuilding their nation, rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, rebuilding their temple. These Israelites would have to be in it for the long haul, they will need to do a lot of waiting, there would be all kinds of blood, all kinds of sweat, all kinds of tears.
• King David compares that with the struggle of farmers who work hard to plant their seeds into the ground, and the point of comparison is that the joys of the harvest are a long way off.  Planting the seeds is just the start, there will still be a struggle, there will be a lot of hard work to do,  farmers would have to be in it for the long haul, they will need to do a lot of waiting, there would be all kinds of blood, all kinds of sweat, all kinds of tears.
• So also for Jesus, as he lay in the tomb, there already had been a struggle to end all struggles, there had already been all kinds of blood, sweat, and tears.  And now his disciples and his mom and the other women who loved him so much would simply have to wait.
• So also for us who are gathered here tonight.  All of us have watched loved ones die, all of us have had to plant family members into the ground, all of us would learn one more time tonight the importance of patience as we await what the Bible calls the final harvest.  (Story of burying our little grandson Gabriel, who lived one hour here on earth, whose soul is in the presence of Christ, whose picture is in my Bible and in my heart, and whose body will be raised to life, this is as sure as the suffering, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Lesson #1 tonight is from the farmers and it is to be patient.  James writes, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient.

 
Secondly, tonight, we think about resting - Revelation 14: 12-13 – Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this; Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.  Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

• Story of one young lady in our local convenience store this morning at 7:15.  I walk in see her holding a mountain dew in one hand, and she lays her head down on the counter and says to her co worker, “I just want to sleep.”
• Story of Taylor, a young man I see at Release Class many Wednesday mornings. I always ask him how he is.  He almost always answers, “tired.  I just want to sleep.”
• Now since I’m a morning person and I almost always have several cups of strong coffee in me, I more often not respond, “It’s the best time of the day!  You can sleep when you’re dead.”  Which is true. We often speak of cemeteries as the final resting place.   Jesus talks about believers who have died and says they are resting from their labors. And until that day comes, our call is to endure.  We all know that life is short and full of trouble.  Some of us have a list of troubles a mile long, and others have a list that is shorter, but all of us would do well to hear Jesus calling on us tonight to endure, to hang in there, knowing that in Christ, there is a way through every one of our predicaments, there is a way through every bit of trouble whether it is self inflicted or through no fault of our own, there is a way through all trials and all tribulations, without exception.   His name is Jesus.
• Lesson #2 tonight is about resting, and it comes from friends and family members who have gone through hell on earth and lived to tell about it.  Those we know who have persevered through horrible chapters of life and came out on the other side stronger and more impressive than ever.  Their secret?  They have learned to first of all in every one of their days to rest in the grace and the strength and the promises of their God, and to go from there.

 
Third, tonight, we think about remembering; Psalm 16:5-8 – The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.  I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.  I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

• Psalm 16 is the appointed Psalm for Holy Saturday.  In Psalm 16, King David expresses confidence that God is able to save even as he cries out for help.  He makes it clear that the Lord is his one source for blessing.   He criticizes the false gods of surrounding nations, and he declares that his Lord is as precious to him as the land his ancestors were given.
• When David says the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, he is remembering how God instructed Joshua to distribute the Promised Land to the 12 tribes.  When he declares that he has a beautiful inheritance, he is praising and thanking God for his lovely and abundant earthly property, but he is also remembering the eternal dwelling promised by God.  When David says that the Lord is always before him and that God is at his right hand and therefore he would not be shaken, he is remembering that God is always with him and caring for him, as a loving father would be with and care for his son.
• Lesson #3 tonight is from King David, and it’s about remembering who God is, all that he has done, and all that he promises. It’s about remembering that God has created each of us wonderfully, marvelously, and with significant good works to carry through.   It’s about remembering what Christ went through so that we could have the forgiveness of sins, and that wherever there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.   It’s about remembering that as a plaque in my office reminds, we worship a God of second chances and new beginnings.
• The kingdom of God is like a small group of God’s people who on Holy Saturday are learning from the farmers patience.  From those who have persevered through major tribulation, they are learning their first assignment each day is to rest in the greatness of their God, and from King David, they learn to focus on the beautiful inheritance prepared for them in heaven.  In the Sabbath’s shadow, they are waiting, they are resting, and they are remembering. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

​The Foot-washing God
Maundy Thursday 2019
In a series, “The Shadow of the Cross”
John 13:1–14
 
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our sermon text is the first reading, from John 13. “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s’ feet.”
 
This is how the meal starts, with Jesus washing their feet. Then Jesus says, “If the Lord of the universe decides that it is the supreme act of the One Who Is Love to wash your feet, you go and do likewise.
 
Just as I do, so you do.
 
I had a friend, his name was and is Kurt. His children are all grown up now. But when he was younger, he was a little bit rough around the edges. He told me a story of when his son was 2 years old, when he was working on the plumbing in the bathroom. It was a Saturday afternoon. It was hot. He had been drinking a few beers. He hit a roadblock. He got frustrated. 
 
So, he started yelling at the toilet. He threw his drink. He gave the toilet a few good whacks with the wrench, and then he sat down.
 
Then his little son John comes into the bathroom. And what do you think he did? He started yelling at the toilet. He threw his drink. And he picks up his little toy wrench and gives the toilet a few good whacks before he sits down.
 
Kurt stopped. Wait, is that what I do? Is that who I am? Wait, he is hearing and seeing everything that I do.
 
Just as I do, so should you.
 
I can tell you that these days in the Muther household, Benjamin likes being around me. I can tell you that because I very well know that there will be a day when he can’t stand being around me, but still in this moment, he’ll say every once in a while, “Papa, one day when I’m big and you’re little, I’ll be the one putting on tall socks like yours.” “Papa, one day when I’m big and you’re little, I can drive the fast car like you.” “Papa, one day when I’m big and you’re little, I can help people like you do.”
 
Just as I do, so should you.
 
Today we consider Jesus as the one who serves his disciples. We hear the story on the night when he was betrayed. We hear how he serves them his body and blood in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of their sins. 
 
But before that, he takes off his outer robe; he puts a towel around his waist. He stoops down before them, and he washes their feet. Why does he do that? Now, know this, he was doing the work that was so low that Jewish households wouldn’t even allow their Jewish servants to do it. It was beneath them. They asked their Gentiles servants to do it.
 
Why does he do that? And yet here is the Lord of the universe, stooping down at his disciples’ feet, washing them, and then he says... Just as I do, so should you.
 
The meaning is clear. “A servant is not greater than his master. Nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If I, whom you have confessed to be Lord and God, master and teacher, if I have washed your feet,” what do you think you’re supposed to do?
 
Chad Bird says it like this. “Jesus’s greatest delight is in serving us, washing us, feeding us, cleansing us. His power is cloaked in weakness, for in these acts of love he opens our eyes to see his heart...” Today, “we see what kind of God we have: the one who goes as low as it takes to lift us up to the Father’s throne.”
 
He served his disciples by washing their feet, and more than that, he served them by opening up to them the Word of God, and more than that he served them by dying for their sins on a cross, by being laid to rest in their tomb, by rising from the grave on Easter morning in glorious fashion as the first fruits of the foretaste of an even greater heavenly banquet feast.
 
And it doesn’t end there.
 
In your baptism, Jesus has washed you from your head to your toes. In the Lord’s Supper, he gives you strength for the week.
 
In Baptism, he has scrubbed you clean in body and soul. In the Lord’s Supper, he who has already washed you clean scrubs the dust off of your feet.
 
In Baptism, God has once for all called you his beloved son and daughter, bought by the very precious blood of Christ, given the new birth into the kingdom of God. In the Lord’s Supper, he feeds you. He grows you up. He leads you on. He gives you an unearthly peace and a godly strength so that as he has done, so should you do.
 
So, a few questions to conclude this sermon for tonight. Would you find delight in the meal that God delights to give you? Do you see the God who goes as low as it takes to lift us up to the Father’s throne? If Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, whose feet is he calling you to wash?
 
One last question. If Jesus picked up his cross and laid down his life for you, for who, are you called to lay down your life?
 
Come. The feast is set, for your strength and hope.
                                                                          
Amen and amen.

​The Hour Has Come
Palm Sunday, 2019
John 12:20-27 Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  Father, save me from this hour?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour.  Father, glorify your name.  Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Why are you crying?
Years ago, when we lived near Lewiston, MN, a dear neighbor of ours was dying after a long and uncomfortable bout with cancer.  Her name was Ida, she was a kind a jolly sort of a person with a lifelong history of trusting in and serving her Savior.  Her husband Marlo called me up one day and indicated to me that if I wanted to say my good-byes, I should come on over. We talked for a bit about her family and the weather and how the dairy farming was going, I suppose, and as I opened my Bible and began a devotion, you won’t be surprised with this, I began to cry.  She looked me in the eyes, and asked, “Why are you crying?”  I replied something along the lines of “because you’re a really nice person and you’re dying.”  At which point she scolded me for crying, she reminded me that she would soon be seeing Jesus, and maybe if I would eat a couple of chocolate chip cookies, I would feel better.
At least outwardly, it seems as though my soul was more troubled than hers.  In today’s text, Jesus admitted that his soul was troubled, and he wondered out loud if he should be asking his father to spare him from what was about to happen.  Quickly he answered, “No, it was for this very purpose that have come to this hour.”  It was for this very purpose that Jesus had passed through his mother Mary’s womb, it was for this very purpose he was born, it was for this very purpose he had subjected himself to the law, it was for this very purpose he had put up with sin and decay and lived the perfect life.
Up until this point, Jesus kept saying, “My hour has not yet come.” When enemies tried to catch him and kill him, he always managed to escape.  Now that his hour had come, he would allow the world to have its way with him.  He would enter his passive obedience.  In these next hours he would not be using his divine power.  He would be passively allowing the crowd to arrest, beat, whip, and nail him to the cross. 
Two truths we want to learn today as we fix our eyes on this turning point in human history. First of all we learn what it meant for Jesus, and secondly what it means for us.
First, what this meant for Jesus, “The hour had come for Jesus to reproduce by (dying).”  The context of this teaching from Jesus was that a Greek man named Philip had expressed a desire to see Jesus.  In response, Jesus announced that the hour had come for him to be glorified.  That’s another way of saying that the time had come for Jesus to be lifted up on the cross, much as a bronze serpent was lifted up in the wilderness as salvation for Hebrews getting bit and poised by snakes.  But it was more than Jesus just getting crucified, it was about him rising up on the third day and after 40 days of proving to eye witnesses that he was in fact alive and well, he would ascend into heaven. 
Much as a grain of wheat needs to be buried into the ground and die before it can be rising up again and producing grain, so did Jesus need to die and be buried before he could rise up again and give us new life.  It was for the joy that was set before him that Jesus suffered all that he was appointed to suffer and was crucified until he was dead and buried.  It was for the joy of spending eternity with Ida and with all baptized believers who die in the Lord.
(Story of a children’s lesson where I was making the point that our good behavior would not be getting us into heaven, but rather believing in Jesus.  Several times I asked the question “what do you have to do to get into heaven?” wanting the answer that there is nothing you can do, only by faith in Jesus can you be saved.  Finally after I had asked the question for the third of fourth time, what do you have to do to get into heaven, little Ladonna, or maybe it was Deanna answered, “you have to die.”)
When Christians sing about how it is in the cross of Christ that we glory, the world would thinks, as Gail Wynnemer would say, we’re a little bit cuckoo.  That our elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor, that we’re a few French fries short of a happy meal, that our driveway doesn’t go all the way to the street!
But especially in this Lenten season, we Christians keep on insisting that the chief glory of our faith is in Jesus Christ crucified on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  That’s exactly what Jesus meant when he prayed for the father to glorify his name.  He meant that the only way to glory was for him to endure the cross all the way into the grave.
Few Passover pilgrims seemed to understand what needed to happen.  Their cries of hosanna and praise were good, valid, and sincere.  They knew that because of Jesus the blind had received sight, the deaf had received their hearing, and lame people were now walking.  Many of them had seen Lazarus walk out of the tomb.  Yet few of them seemed to understand that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.”
The Pharisees didn’t understand this either.  They saw the glory of Jesus in his popularity, and they were jealous.  They were interested in the glory that gave them fame, honor, and respect.  Their desire for their own exaltation drove them to plot against Jesus, their desire to gain worldly comforts and wealth for themselves nudged them towards doing away with this Jesus. As we enter yet one more time the holiest of weeks, we recognize that the hour has drawn near.  First, the hour has come for Jesus to reproduce by dying, rising again, and ascending into heaven.
Secondly, what this means for us today, The hour has come for us to gain by (losing).  Jesus says it this way, Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Two truths Jesus would teach us this mornings, and both of them go contrary to, as Pastor Muther might say, normal thinking.
Truth number one is that whoever loves his life will be losing it.  That’s another way of asking what a man profits if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul. Woe be to the husband who loves being right but keeps on damaging his wife’s spirit. Woe be to the wife who loves her house clean but keeps on being too busy to spend time in God’s Word and prayer.  Woe be to the teenager who accomplishes great things in athletics and academics but has strayed away from her confirmation vow.  Woe be to the well to do couple who never misses a house payment but often misses out on confessing their sins, that God’s grace might be sweeping over their souls and ruling in their hearts.
Truth number two is that whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. That’s another way of saying that blessed is the person who daily drowns his old sinful nature through contrition and repentance, that a new man, a new woman might rise up and walk in the newness of life.  Blessed is the man who hates the wrong he has done and the good he has failed to do.  Blessed is the woman who confesses her faults and failures instead of defending and making her case.  Blessed is the teenager who finds simple joy in the forgiveness of his sins.  Blessed is the church member who denies himself worldly pleasure that the mission of the church could be supported. Blessed are they who know the joy that comes in serving and giving.  Blessed are they know keep on experiencing the peace of God that goes beyond human circumstances.  Blessed are they who keep on humbling themselves so God doesn’t have to do it for them.  Blessed are they who understand that even as Jesus willingly submitted to his Father’s will, even when that is painful, so it is their assignment each day to be ready to go contrary to natural inclinations, it is their assignment to pick up whatever crosses are coming their say and to carry them.
It is in our very nature and in our upbringing to work hard and to play hard, in that order.  Jesus would invite us first of all to rest in all the hard work he has already done, and to go from there.  It is our inclination to seek out glory by picking ourselves up by the bootstraps, by standing on our own two feet, by setting worthy goals and going hard after them.  And to be sure, there is much to be said for all of that.  But this week, we would see Jesus.  We would see him getting down on his knees and washing feet, we would see him emptying himself, taking up the form of a servant, and being obedient even unto death.  This week, we would see Jesus love others more than he loved himself. This week we would wonder together what it means for us to walk in his footsteps, what it means for us to be denying our own inclinations, and what it means to be helping each other bear our crosses.
This is it.
Those were the words of a dear matriarch of this church named Agnes, as I visited her on the third floor of Mankato Hospital years ago.    This is it, she said to me, meaning that she was pretty sure she would be passing away that day or the next. When I understood what she was saying to me, you know what I did.  I didn’t do anything, my eyes started to water, and one more time, Agnes, the daughter of long time former pastor Martin Winter, one more time, Agnes gave me a talking to.  She reminded her pastor that she had a good life, that she knew where she was going, and that the hour was near.  Her work was soon to be finished, mine was not.
The kingdom of God is like a large church in a small town where more and more folks realize that this is it.   Today is their day.  Now is their hour to wonder what it means to be hating their lives, now is their hour to wonder which sins they should be admitting, now is their hour to wonder what it means to empty themselves for the glory of God. Or to say it another way, to gain by losing.  In Jesus’ Name.   Amen.