March 6, 2022                              Text:  Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Most of you have heard of St. Patrick.  He even has a celebration day later this month.  He was born around 386 AD to a pious Roman Catholic family.  Grandfather was a Pastor, father a deacon but religion wasn’t a big topic at his home.  At 16 he was captured by Irish pirates and sold into slavery to tend sheep.  A druid priest owned him.  During this time of bondage he cried to the Lord in prayer and became more convinced of his Christian faith.  He then escaped Ireland became a free man and in response to his “redemption” he was ordained a bishop.  He then returned to Ireland to shepherd a small Christian congregation and spread God’s Word to unbelievers.  After initial resistance, the Holy Spirit opened the hearts of many through St. Patrick and unbielevers were brought to faith.

    Patrick would understand the journey of our text.  Israel going from slavery to freedom.  God wanted them to remember.  He too would like us to remember our journey from bondage to sin and death to being free and redeemed through the work of Christ.  It is all encapsulated in Lent.

“AND SO IT BEGINS”

    The Israelites have an inheritance waiting for them.  A land the Lord is giving them to live in.  A response to the Lord their God should then follow.

    What did these people have to go through to get to this point?  Well, they had to suffer.  The Israelites were the slaves of the Egyptians and their leader Pharaoh.  Their lives were bitter as day and night they were making brick and mortar to build the Egyptian empire.  Were their cries to the Lord not heard over the sound of the whips the taskmasters used on their bodies?  

    Cyril of Jerusalem, an early Church Father saw Pharaoh as a figure for Satan.  A cruel tyrant of sin and evil.  “The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might are his dread arms in fight.”  This same Satan uses his slyness and treachery to fight against you, to wear you down, to destroy you.  Maybe you see dimly the Promised Land ahead because the riches of the world or the concerns of your life or the sickness that won’t go away bring gloom and fear.  Satan and sin and death are cruel taskmasters.  They can tighten their grip as you labor and doubt.

    “Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.” (v. 7)  Lent confronts us with our sin.  John the Baptist cries out in the wilderness, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 3:2) 

    We do have one advantage in Lent.  We know the end of the journey:  Christ’s cross and open tomb.  We know the grace and mercy and love that Jesus has for us His wayward children.  We know Jesus turned aside the temptations of Satan and in obedience won our salvation.  Again this Lent we kneel before the Lord in humble shame and guilt and hear those beautiful words – “You are forgiven.  You are mine.”

    The Lord made good on His promise to the Israelite nation.  Moses said, “Let my people go” and after plagues and Passover, Pharaoh did.  But then as evil people are apt to do, he changes his mind.  We can trap them at the Red Sea.  Pharaoh and his army were no match for Almighty God.  Dry ground…let’s go!  Then a massive drowning of those who let their hatred engulf them.

    They were brought out of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey.  Mmm…pass the biscuits.  This was the greatest redemptive act of the whole Old Testament.

    This foreshadowed the greatest redemptive act in human history.  The redemptive act of God for all mankind that brought eternal salvation for sinners and the restoration of all creation.  The outstretched arm of God for Israel foreshadows another outstretched arm on a Roman cross.  “Father forgive them,” he declares, and we are released from bondage to sin and eternal death.  The chains fall powerless.

Jesus bleeds and dies and rises so that our promised land door is open.  We live forever in a land flowing with life and joy and peace. 

    Our Lenten journey therefore turns into our Easter eternity.  Lent lasts for a moment.  Easter lasts a lifetime and forever.  In our baptismal faith we live on earth in both Lent and Easter.  We sin, we grieve, we suffer, we repent…and daily we are forgiven.  We are children of paradise.  

    The Israelites brought their firstfruits to the Lord and worshipped Him because of their deliverance.  We give our offerings and display our good works and worship Jesus because He redeemed us.  This is our response to God’s grace and mercy and love.  The waters do not overwhelm us as we walk into eternity.

    Lent is a picture of life – font to grave.  We enter this Lent with the confidence of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, as He journeys to the cross and rises from the dead for us – to rescue us, to save us eternally, and to take us to His eternal kingdom.  And so it begins . . . again.

                        Amen.   

March 2, 2022 – Ash Wednesday                          Text:  John 1:29-34

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Tattoo parlors should have signs saying,  “Think Before You Ink.”  Do you want your girlfriend’s name on your bicep for the rest of your life?  The same girlfriend that will break up with you six months later?

    Removing tattoos is becoming a big business.  Another fad in life fading away.  Think about that when you see what is happening today.  Things come and go.  It may take up to 12 twelve sessions at $100-400 to remove that snake you thought was so cool the night you drank too much at age 21.

    What if our regrets showed up as tattoos?  The face of someone we hurt?  Money that we wasted?  The children we neglected because of our job?  Dig around in the basement of our life and what do we find.  Wasted years.  Anger.  Arrogance.  Selfishness.  Enabling people we love.  What can be done with our unwanted marks?

    Usually we get defensive.  Tell no one.  Locked away in our closet.  Hide the secret.  Cover it up.  Whatever we do, never, ever confess it.

    When we do that we are defeated.  We didn’t just make a mistake, we are a mistake.  We are a foul-up.  We beat ourselves up with blame and shame.  Defensive people hide marks.  Defeated people replay marks.  Is there a better way?  As we begin this Lenten pilgrimage, we will see there is a better way.  We can be delivered.

“TAKING AWAY YOUR UGLY MARKS”

    Our sermon series is called “Witnesses to Christ.”  The first person to help us follow Christ to the cross in John’s Gospel is John – John the Baptist.  What does John the Baptist say when we’re defensive about sin or defeated by sin?  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (v. 29)  The ugly marks of our sin can be taken away.  We can be delivered.

    The verb “Behold” is translated as look or gaze or stare.  John the Baptist wants us to see the Lamb of God.  This is the Passover Lamb of God.  John uses the word Passover 11 times in his gospel.  He wants us to behold, gaze, and take note of Christ – the Passover Lamb of God.  

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away.”  The verb takes away is in the present tense.  Meaning that Christ still takes away.  Today, He takes away.  Tomorrow, He takes away.  Next week, He takes away.

    What does He take away?  The world’s sin and your sin.  Your haunting sin.  Your shameful sin.  We all know public shame.  Branded by a divorce.  Marked by a handicap.  Saddled with alcoholic parents.  Crushed by your child’s arrest.  Or we feel stigmatized by losing our job, or house or savings.  We may even stick out because we are a widow or widower.  Know everybody knows.

    We can suffer in private shame.  Pushed to the edge by an abusive spouse, molested by a perverted parent, seduced by a sneaky superior, teased over and over by other kids.  No one else knows but we know.  We carry the marks.

    We scream out.  Throw water on our face.  Go for a long drive.  Cry in the shower.  Nothing seems to take away the guilt.  End of story?

    No.  We don’t drink our sin away or work our sin away or eat our sin away or explain our sin away.  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

    You’ve carried your marks for so long you can’t think of life without them.  But God can.  God does.  He can give you a life without your ugly marks.  The Passover Lamb of God does it all for you.  He removes your marks of shame and guilt and evil thoughts.  You are not a pock-marked person of the world.  You are a baptized Child of God.  You have a Father who loves you.  You have a Savior who exposes you to His grace. 

    Make a confession.  When you make a confession of your sin you can then be exposed to this amazing grace of Jesus Christ.  Oh, the devil works hard to keep you stifled in shame and guilt but you can pray, “Lord, I leave my sin with the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  

    Lent is time for a fresh start and a new beginning.  Don’t be defensive or defeated.  Today, we are delivered.  The marks of Jesus cover our ugly marks.  Look at and behold His hands and His side and his feet.  Gaze upon the blood mingling down from his face.  Don’t turn away.  These marks are your marks.  He loves you that much.  He says in the Psalms, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” (Ps. 49:16)  Your name is on His bloodstained hands.

    If you’ve ever wondered how God reacts when guilt and shame have you cornered or if you ever think what God would do if He ever found out about it all – then frame these words and hang them on your wall.  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  Trust these words.  Believe these words.  

    Jesus took the nails.  On a cross.  Taking the nails, Jesus takes away all of our sin and shame.  He hung there, for us.  Jesus still says, “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.”  In the end, in the end, these are the only marks that matter.  These marks on Christ’s hand will never be erased.  Ever!

                                    Amen.          

February 27, 2022 – Transfiguration                Text:  Luke 9:28-36

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Certain things never seem to end.  Caught in a traffic jam.  Depression that won’t go away.  Then sometimes we bring our own weariness to bear when we fall into the same sinful struggles and we feel this will never end.  

    Let’s journey to a mountain today.  A trip we take every year right before the start of Lent.  Let’s frame it this way . . .

“WILL IT LAST?”

    “Now about eight days after these sayings,” and so our text begins.  Let’s rewind.  Eight days before this Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Christ.  Pretty good, but then this.  Jesus tells the disciples he would “be rejected and then killed and on the third day raised.”  Difficulty for Jesus and a challenge for them.  Jesus tells them they need to take up their cross and follow him.  “Huh?  What was that?  I might be killed.”  Not exactly an encouraging halftime speech.  Who wants that to last?  Could I get off the train right here?

    With the background set let’s progress forward and “Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.” (v. 28)  Jesus is then transfigured – face altered and clothing a dazzling white.  Now a surprise appearance.  Let’s welcome Moses and Elijah to the gathering.  Two heroes of the faith from centuries past.  What are they doing?  Talking.  Chatting with the Savior.

    Let’s take note of this.  Moses and Elijah in Christ’s presence and the voice of the Father.  These were not just benefits to the disciples but to Jesus Himself.  The cross was in the distance.  Don’t you and I find comfort in talking with someone about a difficult moment?  They listen and advise or just listen and comfort.  No human being could comfort Jesus, but Moses and Elijah who stand there in heavenly glory, are able to do just that, for they serve as a reminder of what will come through Jesus, and by their presence they encourage Jesus as he moves toward the cross.  This is the first lesson in things that will last.  These two gentlemen are the proof of what Christ’s work will do for eternity.  The voice of the Father pushes the point home:  “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (v. 35)

    Let’s now go to the human side of the equation.  Jesus is giving these men a lesson in things that will last.  In the early twentieth century, this ad appeared in the London newspaper:  “Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete danger, safe return doubtful.  Honor and recognition in case of success.”  A lot of people scoffed when the Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, ran that ad.  Who would answer a call like that?

    Peter, John and James ran into some of those same hazards as they followed Jesus.  They are on a journey but not without hope.  There is going to be cross bearing and suffering but it will give way to great glory – which will last.

    First we have to wake these guys up.  Hey Rip Van Disciples.  They must have been surprised and what their eyes beheld.  Jesus in His glory and is that . . . Moses . . and Elijah.  Can’t be, can it?  Once they compose themselves and start processing what is before them Peter has an idea.  One we would agree with.  Let’s stay in this moment of glory.

    You have had them, haven’t you?  A moment or moments of glory?  A game winning shot in hoops.  A concert recital with all the right notes.  Beating your dad in ping-pong.  Your husband finally acknowledging your wonderful cooking.  A worship service with hundreds singing “Lift High The Cross.”  You want to stay right there.  

    This is what we see with Peter.  “I am loving this glory why don’t we construct some tents.  Lord, I don’t want to leave this mountain.  Please don’t make me go down the mountain.”  This glory can’t last.  Human glory can’t last.   Accolades fade.  The music stops.  We are left with just the memory.

    The disciples would need this memory when Jesus goes to Jerusalem.  Jesus had to come down from here so that He could be lifted up for them and for us on Mount Calvary.  There, He suffered for us so that our suffering will not last.  He died on that cross for our sinful thoughts and steps so that sin and death would not be the end for us.  He rose from the dead to proclaim the wonderful news that you and I can pass from death into life eternal.  Eternal, now there is a word and an action that will last.  

    We can begin to think our hardships will just keep going and going and going.  Jesus, our Savior and Brother, knows what that feels like.  How many times did the disciples fall asleep on the sinless Son of God?  Fellas?  Hello?  He dealt with many disappointments like those.

    But He led those men down the mountain back to the messiness of this world.  He does the same for you.  When you drift off in your faith life, He is there to pick you up.  He ensures you that your challenges won’t last.  They will come to a finish and be replaced by everlasting peace and joy in his Kingdom that knows no end.                        Amen.