Sermon Texts

March 22, 2026                                                                                 Text:  John 11:47-53

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Over the years I have always told the Bible Class that my mom taught me that there can only be one chief.  You see my mom was a teacher and they are all used to being in charge.  My mom also served on the negotiating committee for contracts with some of the other teachers in the district.  She would come home frustrated at times because everyone was trying to be in charge, and nothing was getting done.  She would say to us, “you know there can only be one chief the rest of us have to be Indians.”

            That advice has served me well.  In this church we have some of you who like to be in charge and some of you who like to work in the background.  That’s wonderful.  Be who you are.  In certain situations, like at a car accident or a fire or a military battle or the coach at a game or any kind of meeting, you want someone in charge.  It just makes things normally go much smoother.

            As we near Holy Week, our text challenges us to ask the question . . .

“WHO’S IN CHARGE?”

            The Sanhedrin have a Jesus problem.  These men just wanted Jesus to go away.  He was an unwelcome intrusion into their lives, work, and world.  They knew he had performed many miracles, and He had just raised Lazarus from the dead.  We cannot do anything to control this guy.   If we don’t take care of this problem, then people will start believing in him.  They expect a civil rebellion will follow and they will lose their power because they are sure the Romans will take it away. 

            Any of this sound a wee bit familiar?  We want to control our lives, our spouse’s actions, our kids behavior, other people’s influence in our lives.  We may want to control our religion.  Worst of all, we may try to control God, dictating to him in our prayers how He should answer us.  But then we get shocked back into reality – a lost job, uncontrolled cancer, children out of control, guilt that won’t go away, and prayers answered differently than we expected.  We have got to regain control.

            In our text, here comes the man in charge.  Now we are going to get something done.  His name is Caiaphas, and he was the high priest that year.  Like many high priests he was self-seeking and not acting as God’s servant.  He does have a plan.  Rather simple really.  Have one man – Jesus – die instead of our nation going down the tubes.  What a noble concept.  Most of the Sanhedrin sign off on this plan.  If they can get Jesus out of the way they can go back to business as usual. 

            Caiaphas’ plan has been used for centuries.  When we get caught in a jam, let’s put the blame on someone else.  Maybe our spouse or our boss, our neighbor or our children, let’s make them the scapegoat. 

            God takes charge with the perfect substitute.  John gives us the real reason that Caiaphas spoke this way.  How easily we forget that man proposes, but God disposes.  These words of Caiaphas meant to save the backsides of all these men were given by God to him to utter.  What dramatic irony.  A character who utters words that are truer than he imagined.

            God’s plan brings blessings beyond the border of their nation.  God has designed that salvation and life with him are gifts given to all who will receive Him by faith, wherever they may live in the world.

            The Sanhedrin had their plan.  Now they needed to execute the mechanics of it.  They plotted, formed a conspiracy.  They forged ahead with their plan, deluded into thinking they have things under their control.

            When all is said and done, guess who had the final word?  Who was in charge?  The Sanhedrin had their mission to execute Jesus.  They did.  They also lost their temple, their court, their nation – and their Savior!  Remember, however, what Jesus declared:  “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18). What a loving sacrifice for you and me.

            Thank God that He is in charge of your salvation, your faith, your life, your future, your eternity.  Trust Him to take complete care of you.

                                                                                                Amen.  

March 18, 2026 – Midweek Lent                                       Text:  Zechariah 6:9-13

Dear Friends in Christ,

            One of the things drilled into me during seminary was that as Lutherans we live in two kingdoms – political which is the state and spiritual which is the church.  One of my professors always wore a clerical collar.   I remember him saying if he marched in a Walk for Life he would wear a regular shirt.  He would be Joe citizen.  Over the years I have sent numerous letters to the Board of Review, School Board, politicians and even the CEO of American Airlines.  I always sign them Chad Lueck, not Rev. Chad Lueck.  The letters go out from me as a citizen of the United States who has the right to voice my opinion.  I don’t try to manipulate that by putting on the clergy shirt. 

            In our text for tonight, we have an Old Testament prophet being crowned a king.  Is this a confusion of church and state?  The Lord had actually forbidden such a dual role.  Yet the Lord always makes an exception to his own rules.  That is what we see as the high priest Joshua receives the royal crown.  In holding both offices, Joshua serves as a picture of Christ.

“THE KINGLY PRIEST”

            It might see strange to Zechariah to combine the authority of the spiritual realm with the authority of the political realm.  All kinds of things could go haywire.  Wasn’t it better to have a separation of power?  But he knew better than to question the Lord.  If the Almighty decided that a priest could sit on the throne as a king, and that harmony would exist, it must be okay.

            At the time of Jesus there was no harmony between church and state.  The high priests had harmony in their contempt for the Romans, who held political power, and for Jesus, who was a threat to their spiritual power.

            Annas and Caiaphas led the Sanhedrin to convict Jesus of blasphemy.  The hard part would be convincing the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to authorize the death penalty.  Pilate had the political power.  He didn’t care for the Jewish leadership, but they had to cooperate to maintain peace.  When Jesus was led before him, he was dressed as king, but he would shed his own blood as a priestly sacrifice.  They condemned THE High Priest.  Treated him as a cartoon figure.  How could they have so completely missed who he was?

            Jesus in our text is given the name Branch.  The same name given in Isaiah 11.  There he emerges from the stump of Jesse, the royal dynasty of David.  New life would appear where it appeared there had only been a dead end.  The Hebrew word is tsemach.  Luther wrote of this word:  “(tsemach) means a plant or a twig which grows to be a large tree.  For Christ at first was a small shrub, or plant, in the Jewish land, but then He grew until He has become a tree which fills all the world with its branches, its top reaching to heaven and its roots reaching to the abyss of hell.”

            That is what this Branch has saved us from – the abyss of hell.  At times our lives can be hellish.  Trapped in the pit, burning with fever, day in and day out.  We look for political answers that do not come.  Common sense flies out the window and you and I are stuck on the merry-go-round.

            The answer is spiritual.  Joshua must have been an impressive figure clothed in the garments of both the high priest and the King of Israel.  He foreshadowed an even more impressive figure who would combine the two offices and carry them out in perfect harmony.  A Pastor serving in a political office may struggle with potential conflicts.  When your Pastor is Jesus no one minds that he’s also King.  And when your King is Jesus, he’s also the best Pastor.  No conflicts.

            As our Priest, who offered himself on the altar of the cross, he daily intercedes for us, pleading the merits of his once-for-all sacrifice.  As our King, who charged into battle to redeem us from Satan, death, and hell, he rules all things for the good of his church.  The branches of his temple spread ever wider.  There is harmony between his offices; there is harmony between forgiven sinners and our holy God.

            Here is the man:  the Great high Priest, the King of kings, the Branch, your Savior.

                                                                                                                                                Amen.        

March 11, 2026 – Lent                                                Text:  Zechariah 8:14-17

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Recently I served as a juror in a court of law.  Every witness swore they were going to tell the truth.  They have dropped the “so help me God” part, which they should put back in.  I saw a lot of lying.  The most egregious was the felon who came in handcuffs.  We watched a video of him saying one thing and he gets in the witness box and everything he said, he denied.  There was a lot of baloney bouncing off the walls of the McLean County Courthouse the week of January 19^th.

            God is the Father of truth, he hates lies.  Satan is the father of lies, he hates truth.  Lies destroy reputations, steal property, cost lives, and damn to hell.  God wants us to tell the truth, not just when under oath.  He expects us to tell . . .

“THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH”

            During centuries of rebellious behavior, including rampant lying, the Lord had refrained from punishing Israel with the full force of his fury.  But he eventually resorted to sterner measures.  The walls of Jerusalem came crashing down.  Israel’s upper classes were marched off to exile, where for 70 years they could reflect on God’s truth they had long ignored.

            The Lord relents and the exiles return home.  Zechariah announced that the Lord is determined to do good again to Israel, but he also expects to see changed behavior.  They are to practice truth in relationships and in their institutions.  Five centuries after Zechariah delivered this truth, were the people listening?

            While this text is not a direct prophecy of Holy Week it does point to the lack of truth in the courtrooms of the Sanhedrin, Pontius Pilate and Herod.  They used false evidence and false witnesses to convict.  Did they speak the truth to each other?  No, they were all about personal gain.  Reminds us of our politicians, doesn’t it?  Did they render sound judgments?  No, the case against Christ was predetermined.  Did they swear falsely?  Yes. 

            God hated the disregard for the truth during Holy Week.  He hates the disregard for the truth today.  Can our society agree on anything?  The manipulating blowhards of our day must sadden the Savior.  We do not like it when people lie to us.  Leaders, lawyers, lenders or lovers, it does not matter.  We trust those who can tell the truth.

            We want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and doing but the truth.  Answer these truthfully in your head.  Did you do your homework?  Did you take your medicine?  Did you report all your income on your tax return?  Is your mind wandering during this sermon?  Not easy, is it?

            Amen means “that’s the truth.  I believe it.”  Are you telling the truth each time you pray the Lord’s Prayer that you will keep his name holy, you prefer his will to your own, you forgive those who have hurt you and you are happy with daily bread and no more?

            Sometimes the truth hurts.  It hurt Jesus to tell the truth.  Not because he lied, because he never did, it hurt because he knew by telling the truth what would happen next.  He said he was the Son of God and gets convicted of blasphemy.  He gets sentenced to death.  He tells the truth to Pontius Pilate and Barabbas gets released.  Doesn’t seem fair.

            The Bible contains many truths that are difficult to believe.  People stumble over a six-day creation, a Red Sea parting, virgin birth, walking on water, healing the sick.  We did not witness them and so we can struggle.  The other reason is because the Father of lies twists these words of the Bible into a pretzel.  Gaslighting is when someone manipulates you by telling you not to believe what your eyes see, and your ears hear.  We could dub the devil the Chief Gaslighter.

            Listen again to the beginning of our text, “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah; fear not.” (vs. 14-15)

            The Lord did what he promised.  He brought the people back and restored their temple.  He was true to his Word:  The Messiah came to the temple, then was laid on the altar of the cross to atone for all sins, including every lie that you and I have ever told.

            What are we to do?  Again, the text.  “Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another and love no false oath.” (vs. 16-17)

            Rejoice in the truth of your absolution.  Rejoice in the truth that God forgave you.  Speak the truth of your pardon upon the cross.  In other words:  the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Help me do this, Lord.

                                                                                    Amen.     

March 8, 2026                                                                                                   Text:  Romans 5:6-8

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Raymond J Brown wrote an article and these words, “As belief has consequences, so does unbelief…I think the following passage from Thomas Howard…succinctly portrays the gradual loss of Christendom’s strength, numbers, quality, and value among the citizenry of our era.”  Thomas Howard a college professor wrote this:  “I have sometimes given a class the following list of words:  majesty, valor, courtesy, grace, chastity, virginity, nobility, splendor, ceremony, taboo, mystery, purity.  The reaction is quite predictable:  either a total blank or embarrassed snickers…They don’t know what to do with them…Majesty?  The man must be mad.  Courtesy?  What a bore.  Virginity?  Ho-ho – there’s one for you!”

            And then, commenting on Howard’s passage, Raymond Brown stated:  “There is little to add to this, except perhaps to note that this exchange took place at a Christian college.  I half wonder if a similar episode at Berkely would have resulted in a student boycott and investigation of the professor.”

            Words.  What word do you think would describe how much of the world and liberal Christianity see those churches that are battling to stay faithful to the Word of God?  How about the word – repulsive.

            Here is another question:  Will we remain faithful to the Word in these next years?  Let’s look at some of the most repulsive words.  Let’s consider . . .

“WHILE WE WERE”

            The beginning of our text:  “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die.” (vs. 6-7)

            There it is:  “While we were weak.”  That was our condition before being brought to faith.  It is the condition of all humanity without Christ.

            By nature, we were mostly concerned with the world.  What does it offer?  What can I get out of it?  Oh, we think about the grave once in a while, mostly at a funeral.  The world doesn’t want that reminder.  It’s too busy with their business.  The constant struggle for the child of God:  the distractions of the world.

            “At the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  The right time.  When was that?  Paul wrote it, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman…”(Gal. 4:4). Timing.  God’s time.  He has set a time for us to be born, to be brought to faith, to live, and to depart this world.  God doesn’t look away.  Can you imagine how those without Christ would respond to all this?  Weak?  It is repulsive to human thinking…at least up to that moment when the final breath softly makes its last earthly whisper.

            “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (v. 8). Sinners.  In the article sighted earlier Raymond J Brown notes:  “Today we see a more barbarian outlook.  As G.K. Chesterton warned in The Ballad of the White Horse, we may recognize the return of godlessness by the ‘detail of the sinning and denial of the sin/by God and man dishonored/by death and life made vain.’  Or we might simply compare the letters published and answered in Dear Abby today to those of a generation ago.”

            We are a culture that relishes its sin.  Loves to boast and broadcast their vulgarities, desire for death, fulfillment of any sexual prattle they can foist onto people.  But they don’t want to have any productive talk about sin and its consequences…and please don’t talk to them about anything eternal.  Hey, are we awake here.  This is the world.

            In spite of all this, “Christ died for us.”  “God shows his love.”  Armin J Panning writes:  “…the word used here for God’s love is agape, the term indicating a one-way, unreciprocated love coming entirely from God.  There were no endearing qualities in rebellious humanity that moved or influenced God.  It wasn’t like in human friendship where both parties bring endearing qualities to a relationship so that a mutual affection develops.  No, in the situation Paul is describing, all the good things originate on God’s side of the relationship.”

            Paul also says, “…I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Rom. 1:16). We can confidently and lovingly put this in front of others, regardless of how repulsive they find the words weak and sinners.

            What a wonder and a joy.  We have moved from “While we were still weak…while we were still sinners,” to WE ARE God’s people in Christ.

                                                                                                Amen. 

March 4, 2026 – Lent                                                                   Text:  Zechariah 13:7-9

Dear Friends in Christ,

            When have you had to scatter?  Was it at that time in college when you were at a party and the campus police came calling?  Was it the time you experienced a panic attack, and you just had to leave the environment around you?  Was it the time you were burning your draft card, enjoying free love and the national guard pulled into town?  Or did you ever experience a fire or toxic fumes where a quick getaway was in your best interest?  Maybe you are like me, and you like to scatter in public places to avoid congestion.

            Tonight, in our “It Is Finished” theme for Lent the prophet Zechariah has a prophecy about a scattering.  People are going to flee that you would not expect.  What would make you want to “get out of Dodge” as they say?

“SCATTERED SHEEP”

            The prophet opens this way, “’Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,’ declares the Lord of hosts.  ‘Strike the shepherd.’” (v. 7).  Parents are supposed to love and protect their kids.  Yet God sent a sword against His own Son.  We might understand if the Shepherd had been delinquent in His duties, but he had performed flawlessly and selflessly.  He tended the sheep, and they trusted Him.  So why would the Lord strike down this ideal caretaker who had done everything a faithful shepherd was supposed to do?

            You know why:  “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” (Jn. 3:16).  A faithful shepherd places himself between the flock and danger.  In this case the danger was God’s holy anger at sheep who would not listen.  Sheep like us who wander onto trails of temptation that turn into traps.  Pleasures that turn into pain.  Yet in his great love, the sword of the Lord struck the Shepherd, not the sheep.  “We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53:6)

            There is more to Zechariah’s prophecy and isn’t cheerful.  “’Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.  In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third will be left alive.” (Vs. 7b-8).

            Many in Jesus’ day, as in Zechariah’s day, wanted a Savior of power, prosperity, comfort, ease, and their best life right now.  When Jesus said it wouldn’t be that way, many left him to await a more satisfying Savior.  En route to the Mount of Olives Jesus quoted these words to the disciples.  What happened?  They scattered in fear.  Ran to a parent, a wife, their baby blanket or favorite stuffed toy!  Because Jesus also told them they would be put in the fire and refined.  Somebody, hep me, hep me.

            Yikes!  We inwardly hope we will not be called to endure such tests.  A life of health, financial security, no conflict relationships, and all-around good cheer is much more appealing.  Many seek only a Savior who will give them this kind of life.

            See how the refining changed the apostles?  It made them stronger for what faced them in the early church, on their missionary journeys and in their martyrdom.  Our trials are not easy.  Do you think you have been refined too much?  Remember you have an ally that has already been through the fire.  In my recent kidney stone pain, before the wondrous shot, I was praying.  It helped.  The pain brought the prayer.  Refining was taking place as I thought about Jesus’ pain.

            Like the disciples, we have an imperfect faith.  We have fled from the enemy, wilted under the truth, and our devotion from a distance has often led us to scatter from the heat of battle.  If you have done that, remember the Good Shepherd allowed those timid sheep to return.  He has been praying for you in your trials.  He knows that after the test your faith will emerge from the fire purer and stronger.  He has already purified you of sin when he was struck by the sword for you.

            Zechariah describes the result of this refining process:  “They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (v. 9b)

            When your faith falters, you can still proclaim, “The Lord is my God.”  When Satan whispers you are eternally lost for scattering, you can still boast, “The Lord is my God.”  And when your Father hears your confession of faith, he will proudly say, “These are my people.”

                                                                                                                                    Amen.

March 1, 2026                                                                                  Text:  Genesis 12:1-9

Dear Friends in Christ,

            During the Napoleonic wars, British general Arthur Wellesley, often found himself using the British troops he commanded to reduce Spanish towns and villages held by French troops.  Once the artillery had broken through, the real dirty work began.  The first troops through the breach were called the “forlorn hope.”  Their chances of making it to tomorrow were extremely low.  They advanced through the breach knowing that they likely were going to be killed.

            There is a difference between this “forlorn hope,” which is a hopeless hope really, and the hope against hope.  In our story of Abraham in our text this morning, God shows us hope in the story.  We get to see Abraham’s faith.  Against hope, he believed a promise.

“HOPE AGAINST HOPE”

            God made some wonderful promises to Abraham.  He was going to make him a great nation.  He will be a blessing and his name will shine.  All the families of the earth are going to be blessed by this servant of God.  God will take care of those who curse him.  He is giving him a great land, but he has no idea where it is.  He only has the promise.  The only thing God does promise Abraham in this new land?  God tells him in Genesis 23 he will have a burial plot.  The best Abraham could do was burial insurance.  Isn’t that great?

            Imagine trying this scenario with your family.  You gather everyone and announce, “we are moving.”  “Where are we going?”  “Well, I’m not sure.”  “Where will our home be?”  “Again, not really positive.”  “What might our house look like?”  “We don’t have one.  But we do have burial insurance.”  The only thing he could assure Sarai of was this, “we do have a wonderful real estate agent!”  Isn’t it a wonder that Abram lived past that conversation?

            God said “go” and he went.  God didn’t expect him to believe because of sight, feeling, deeds, burial plot, or any other earthly prop.  God had spoken his promises.  That was good enough for God, and therefore it was good enough for Abram.  The theology of the cross is the theology of the Word.  He speaks.  We believe.

            Human reason does not support this faith and confidence.  It sees sin and weakness.  We see broken marriages, children born out of wedlock, and all manner of rebellion against God’s order.  We see a weak and suffering ministry.  We see people living the good life behind high walls.  Surely, God must be blessing them?  Why would we think we have God’s blessing?  We don’t have power or the deed to it.  That is why we must trust God.  All he gave to Abraham was a word.  How could Abraham become the father of many nations, when he couldn’t even be the father of one son?  Because he believed.  He didn’t give Abraham riches or the deed to a promised property, not even hope.  So, he against hope believed and had hope.

            Much that we believe must be believed against hope.  Why should God dwell here in our humble church?  Why should our Pastor have the authority to forgive sins or give the Supper of the Lord into our mouths?  Do we have a man giving him permission?  His authority is not from man, but from God.  “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Rom. 4:3). The voice of God’s promise assures that we are blessed and a blessing to the nations, through the Seed given to Abraham, even Jesus Christ, our Lord.

            What hope against hope do we have?  The apostle Paul says that are transgressions are handed over to Christ Jesus.  When we sin, it hurts God.  But he listens to our problems and our hurts, our sorrows and sins.  He listens as a loving Father.  But He takes on our sin not because He must for his own sake, but for ours.  Isaiah says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Is. 53:5).  These are the blessings God promised to Abraham, a promise given to all the families of the earth . . . and given, therefore, to you.

            Lent is time of hope in the midst of hopelessness.  Our heavenly Father sent his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as possessing nothing and yet blessing all nations by giving himself to death for them.  He came not to possess the land but to give himself to those who are journeying with him to the cross.  With the promised blessings, we are still going on toward our final home.  Even though we have no deed for it, we have no hope in it, because God has promised, just as he did to Abraham.  Our hope is Abraham’s hope.

                                                                                                                        Amen.