The text for our sermon on this Palm Sunday comes from the Old Testament reading from Zechariah chapter nine. Verse nine and verse 12.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

So, today begins the week where we, as the people of God, intentionally turn our hearts and minds toward the events that really define the driving force behind our life. You could say the most important events in our lives. We remember this and we begin it on Palm Sunday, where we see a parade. We see a parade and today I would like–with what the Old Testament reading from Zachariah says–to consider this title for us as Christians: that we are Prisoners of Hope. Prisoners of hope who have a humble King.

Every summer my brother and I would spend weeks with my grandparents in a small hill country town of Kingsland, Texas. Quaint town, one stoplight. Your run of the mill small town. Kingsland though, on the Fourth of July, attracted people from all the other small towns. They had a celebration called Aqua Boom, because it culminated on July 4, that evening with a giant firework show. And then, of course, the morning of the Fourth of July, there would be the parade. It was a nice time to celebrate. The best part of the parade, of course, was the hope that we would catch some of the candy that the VFW float would throw out. Or the smarties that the firemen from the volunteer fire department would throw to us kids patiently waiting on the curb. That really is the best part of any parade, the sweet gifts that we hope to get thrown to us. Rowdy kids, with parents still drinking their morning coffee. Sometimes, sitting in those parades, I wished it would never end. But it did point us to something greater. And I think that greater thing is the celebration of freedom and hope we have in Christ. That this week Palm Sunday begins with a parade.

A parade, but it’s not a normal parade. There are children, there are adults, people waiting in expectation. Some perhaps thought it was a political parade. Something like the Fourth of July, something you just celebrate every year, and it really only depends on where you live. Your government could turn against you and take everything away. Not so with the people of God. Your freedom cannot be taken away by anything or anyone. Other people who were gathered there probably knew that there was something more at stake and that’s why they cried out. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. They knew that this was more than just an earthly kingdom or a political maneuver. But the beginning of Passion Week we start with a parade of hope for the prisoners of hope. A parade which will end in a funeral procession of sorts. That people will follow not a dead corpse, but they’ll follow a man who knows his death is looming as he carries his cross. A parade on Sunday, a bloody procession to death on Friday. But, that Sunday, it all gave way to a new parade. Another parade, of sorts, that you and I are still marching in today. A parade for prisoners of hope.

A fourth of July parade is the acknowledgement that the gift of freedom requires sacrifice, a principle built upon the very gospel itself. That because Jesus Christ had died for the sins of the world, those who believe in are baptized, they are free from sin and death. That the power of the devil can don’t touch you. The power of the kingdoms of this world that come and go, what are they to us? But this victory was not without cost. There is a cost. And the cost for freedom is life. Before Easter there’s Good Friday. Before Easter baskets and sweet treats, before you can have a parade, a price had to have been paid. Before the sweet treats of Easter, the bitter drink of the cup of God’s wrath Jesus drinks on the cross. The parade leads to the procession that leads us to follow Christ. That we are, as prisoners of hope, in a constant parade carrying our cross. He picked up his cross, he was led to golgotha, that we would pick up our crosses and be led with him. That we are zachariah says prisoners of hope.

So let’s look at that term a little bit. Prisoners of hope. It comes from our Old Testament reading in Zechariah, and I think it’s a great phrase for us today as we reflect on Palm Sunday. Prisoners of hope has an acknowledgment that things, well, they’re not as they should be. We wouldn’t need the word hope if everything were perfect. There would be no need for hope. St. Paul says in Romans eight, “who hopes for what he can already see?” But we are prisoners of hope. We know who we belong too. We know what God says. But we don’t fully experience the kingdom of God yet. Things do not look as God promises that they finally will. So we still have hope. We still have faith that what we see and feel, well, it’s not always reality. And what a great Sunday to remember that. On Palm Sunday, as Jesus enters Jerusalem just like Zechariah said he would, even to the point of the method of his arrival. Zechariah not only gets his mode of arrival right–sitting on the donkey–but I think we also should take note that there’s another detail there that benefits us greatly as prisoners of hope. He says he’s going to come on a donkey, but he also says that he is humble.

An exact description of how the savior is going to come into Jerusalem hundreds of years later. Yes, it’s wonderful we see it fulfilled on the donkey but what I want you to grab on to today, as a prisoner of hope, is that your God is humble. That’s also an exact prophecy that Zechariah got right. Zechariah telling the people of God–when he prophesied this to them, his current audience as he’s saying this, Zechariah is telling people who were literal prisoners in a foreign land–he says don’t give up you prisoners of hope. You are the people of God by faith, and no matter where you are you belong to him. You can imagine how hard it was for the people Zechariah was prophesying to to have hope. It was the Babylonian exile. God’s people had been prisoners and Babylon for two generations. They hadn’t seen nor even heard a good parade in 70 years. The last parade they knew was the Babylonians leading them into captivity with chains. They marched them with flesh pierced with hooks. This time period that our reading is from is as God begins, through his prophet, to reveal his plan of rescue. A return to Jerusalem. Their being released from exile to go back home. A parade of return. A parade of freedom.

And the people might have been tempted to think that this return to Jerusalem, that this was it. That this is the fulfillment of God’s promises that the prophet has just said. That they have political freedom, they’re back at their homeland, they can go back to the temple, they can rule themselves, they can do what they want. But Zechariah, he puts an end to that. He says, no, the king that God will send on a donkey, who will be humble, he isn’t going to just rule in Jerusalem. But his reign will be a kingdom that will stretch over the whole world. The prophet warns the people to think that their return to Jerusalem, this is not the last action of God, because it’s going to get taken away again. Zechariah is pointing these people, who had all of this hope in front of them coming home, Zechariah says no. Yes, it is wonderful that God is giving us our homeland back. But this is not what you were hoping for. Don’t get wrapped up in the earthly blessings that God gives you that you forsake the faith.

Zechariah is pointing to the event that we are celebrating today. He says, keep the faith. Because when you see the king coming on a donkey who is humble, there, you will see the hope that you prisoners have held. And just as it was hard for the people in Zecharia’s time, just as it was hard for the people gathered in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, just as it was hard for them, to keep the faith and have hope, I think the same is for us. You can imagine God’s people being foreigners and Babylon, a culture not focused on the true God but rampant with sin and unbelief, not a care for leading lives of holiness. Not only that, but they couldn’t even go to the temple, it was destroyed. Their country was nothing. In addition, Babylon offered a nice living. A place where you can raise your kids and tell them, you have a future. It might be without God. But hey, you’ll have a good job and life will be great. Many of the people, no longer were they prisoners of hope. They gave up. They began to live just as the Babylonians. They gave up hope. They thought that God had forgotten. Instead of being prisoners of hope, they became prisoners of sadness. Prisoners of disappointment with God, because their eyes were looking toward all that sparkles in this world. They became prisoners of sadness, prisoners of forgetfulness, prisoners of giving up, prisoners of unbelief.

And that’s a warning for us. Because we can be tempted to feel the same way in our day as well. Maybe it’s sin, in the weight of temptation, that has imprisoned you. Maybe it’s that one sin that you just can’t seem to shake. Maybe it’s others who mistreat you, or a dead end job, or you just feel like life doesn’t have much meaning. The devil is tempting you to give up your hope. Because it is, just as it was for those in the Babylonian exile, it’s much easier to follow the culture of today. It’s always the devil’s tool to use against hope. Here in the world, life does not depend on hope, but proof. If something doesn’t prove itself, we move on to the next more reliable things. Cars, appliances. Hope doesn’t help you get your job. So often, that’s the temptation with the faith. We think God sometimes is hopeless because he just doesn’t work how we want him to. Or we have unrealistic expectations. Imagine Simon of Cyrene from our Gospel reading, standing there watching this parade, this procession. Innocent, standing there doing nothing. And God gives him a heavy cross. Is this the kind of God he is ready to follow?

So, too, in our lives, God will bestow on your back a cross. Whether it’s now or whether it’s later. Our Lord promises. He promises to give us crosses so that our faith would be strengthened. So we can see in the example of Simon, picking up his cross, being a prisoner of hope, and following Jesus. We need to be aware, that we do not become prisoners of disappointment. That is why the people in Jerusalem were so eager to call out to Him on Palm Sunday. Some were not hopeful for a long time, some had given up. But now comes someone who everyone says can do something about it. Here comes someone to bring hope. They even quoted, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. These people they were prisoners too. But on that day, on Palm Sunday, they remembered that there is hope. Did they all know what Jesus was coming to do? Probably not. But for those who remembered God’s word, they remembered that this king would come on a donkey. And Jesus, he fulfilled that. He came, not on a giant stallion. He came, not with the greatest kings and all the people from the government. But he came on a royal beast of burden. Fulfilling Zecharia’s prophecy in regards to the donkey. But now you also see, he’s humble.

And that’s good for us. That we have a humble King, who comes to his people. That he doesn’t stay far away. But his concern is to fulfill every last prophecy to show you that you can trust him. Even if it means giving up his only son, so that you would not give up hope. At least the people knew that Jesus was coming as a royal figure of sorts. He came bringing a message of hope to prisoners of sin and death. Prisoners to the unknown. Prisoners of sadness. Prisoners of depression and anxiety. Anyone who needed a savior from sin and death. This is who your humble King comes to free. He doesn’t come with lightning and power and guns blazing, looking to kill his enemies. But he comes to die for his enemies, to free them from the grip of sin. He doesn’t come to give political victory. We see how unpredictable that can be. Kingdoms come and go. But when Jesus comes on Palm Sunday, he’s beginning a new parade. A parade that begins an unending kingdom. A kingdom built not on the defeat of sinners, but built upon his shed blood on the cross. And he brings sinners into this parade with him.

He calls you by the gospel to follow. Because, you see, at the end of that parade, everybody went home. But he didn’t. At the end of that parade, real freedom began. Freedom for us. There was a sacrifice, a parade that ended with the death of God’s Son. But the gift of life was thrown to the whole world. We are prisoners of hope, because hope, it doesn’t put us to shame.

So this week, remember that we are still marching in a parade of sorts. We are still prisoners of hope. God’s kingdom has not yet fully realized except by faith. But he will show you. You will see with your eyes that Jesus, he even comes to us. He is with us. It isn’t really a parade that he’s in our midst now. But he does give out gifts to us. Gifts of eternal life. Gifts in his body and blood. Humble means. That just as the world looked at him, as we heard in our Gospel reading, they looked at him and marked him. They said this looks doesn’t look like any king. Well, neither does this. But the gifts that he gives, the gifts that he was accomplishing there on the cross with eyes of faith. This is what we’re willing to sacrifice everything for.

Gifts of faith. Faith and the promises that he’s spoken to you in your baptism, where he brought you into his parade. He still comes in humble ways. His word and sacrament. Ways that require faith to see the true glory that he brings. So stay steadfast in that, you prisoners of hope. Do not give up, for he is still coming to bring you true and everlasting freedom. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen

Transcript from March 28, 2021 sermon preached by Rev. Tab Ottmers

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text for our sermon this morning comes from the epistle, and also the Gospel reading that was just read, and in particular these verses; in the epistle reading, we hear from Hebrews chapter five, verse eight, “although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” And also in the Gospel reading, “When James and John, the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus, they said, ‘teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.'” And then also keeping in mind the disciples response to this verse 41, “When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.”

A little brotherly scuffle, James and John and the other ten. Family matters. Life in the family. Now, don’t tell my brother or my sister, or my mom, I guess, for that matter–but moms kind of know everything. Don’t tell my brother and sister, but I wasn’t always honest with them when we were growing up. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I would try to trick my siblings. When my parents would offer us three things–here you three, we have three toys, we have three pieces of candy, whatever it might have been. I would always, of course, evaluate the three things of choice, and I would figure out which thing I didn’t want. And then what would I do? Well, I would tell my brother, “that’s the best thing.” I think it’s called reverse psychology. “You don’t want that candy bar, dear brother. Doesn’t that black licorice looks so much tastier? Don’t you know black licorice makes you stronger and faster. I’ll take the butter finger. You can have the licorice.” No offense if you like black licorice. But the devil so often tries to do the same thing. And we see it kind of taking place in our readings today. The devil tempts our sinful flesh to desire the kingdom of this world by enticing us with that which is actually bad for us. By telling us that the kingdom of God, it’s really not that great. That serving others is bad because you can’t have what you want. That our pride is king. For you notice how Jesus ended our Gospel reading. He says, if you want to be great, you must be a slave to all.

Today, Jesus corrects us and the disciples. Jesus is the good brother. He tries to teach us that even though the devil appeals to our sinful flesh and promising us greatness when we give into the temptation to love and serve ourselves, Jesus guides us to see himself as taking all of our bad. Jesus takes all of our sin and he gives us blessedness. So, we should learn to pray for greatness in the kingdom of God. And we should learn to be indignant at our own sin. Right before our reading today. I mean, it’s a strange question. It almost feels like it comes out of left field. James and John say, “Jesus, we want to sit at your rights and your left hand and your kingdom.” Well, before our reading today, earlier in the Gospel, Jesus told his disciples that when he sits on his glorious throne in the new world, he said, “you disciples, you will also sit with me on thrones, and you will judge Israel.” So now that we hear a little bit of background as to why James and John would ask this question, it makes a little bit more sense. This question isn’t just from out in left field, Jesus had already told them this would happen.

So, James and John, they’re asking a question from faith. They actually believe what Jesus had just told them; that they will be ruling on thrones and in glory. So, it’s not such a strange question. But perhaps this is why Jesus doesn’t rebuke James and John when they ask this question, but Jesus is patient with them. He’s willing to teach them. He doesn’t just respond, “you fools. Why would you care about such things? Why are you worried about thrones and glory?” Like the other disciples–how does Mark put it? That they were indignant. Perhaps probably snickering a little bit at their brothers. Jesus, though, is not indignant toward the Sons of Thunder, as they’re known. And thank God, for Jesus uses this moment to teach them and us of his mercy, and patience. James and John at least, well, at least they have a little bit of perspective that’s on target. They know they want to be important in the kingdom of God that Jesus is bringing. Is that so bad? Is that worthy of indignation from the other ten? Not only that, by asking Jesus, they believe that Jesus can bestow this greatness, and they are brave to ask him. At least they know who to go to when they want something, and that he will hear them. Is that so terrible, that they desire to be in places of prominence in the kingdom of Jesus when he comes in his glory?

Dare I say, that is better than many of the thoughts that run through our heads each day, about how to gain glory in this life. Indeed, better and more faithful than the relentless striving and time that we put into managing our finances, planning for the future, or even just what we’re going to do this week, or this day. How often do we consider and ask, “how am I able to be great in the kingdom of God?” The other disciples, they were indignant. We are maybe not actively indignant toward James and John, but we have a passive indignation. A passive indignation shown by our neglect of even considering the question of being great in the kingdom of God. Yes, we are too standing there with the ten, indignant toward James and John, but we show it in different ways. We show our indignation toward James and John, but really it’s indignation toward what it means to be great in the kingdom of God. Or it’s an indignation toward what glory with Jesus means. That’s probably why the other ten were upset with James and John. They maybe even saw James and John, like the one always sucking up to mom and dad, always trying to please them. You would probably be indignant toward James and John too. But there’s something deeper here for us to learn. Something deeper here than just who’s trying to score extra credit with Jesus.

To be honest, our sinful flesh doesn’t really want to be glorious in the kingdom of God. But we want our own kingdom. And we want to define the glory for ourselves. Perhaps reflecting on how you ask Jesus–reflecting on your prayers–what are you praying for? Have you considered asking Jesus for greatness in his kingdom? What if Jesus said to you precisely what he said to James and John, what do you want me to do for you? What would it be? Or maybe it’s the lack of prayers. Maybe your prayers have weakened maybe your prayers have become not as common are often. What is it in your life that you’re striving towards? What do you discipline yourself for? Exercise, job training, social media, hobbies. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. It isn’t so much that Christianity is strange or makes odd claims on us and our lives. Every hobby, every interest, every job makes claims on you. Claims on your time, claims on your effort, claims on your heart, your soul and your mind. It’s not that Christianity is the same as a hobby or a job. However, all hobbies, sports, jobs, interests, they can all be made into a false religion that we are more excited about. We’re more ready to pray to. We’re more ready to devote our time to. We are more ready to strive toward excellence in. Certainly, Christ’s demands your heart, body, soul and mind. All the other things, whatever it might be that gets your attention, it doesn’t demand all of you. Perhaps that’s how it’s different. Just a little here, a little there. As long as you begin to choose something over God’s word, as long as you choose something over the disciplines of the faith, as long as you choose your type of glory over the glory that Christ defines.

That word indignation, it means disgust or anger. The same word was used by Mark earlier in his gospel when the disciples didn’t want parents to bring their children to Jesus. And it wasn’t the disciples who were indignant, but, Mark says, Jesus was indignant. And he said, “don’t hinder the children. For to such belongs the kingdom.” The disciples were being further taught what the kingdom of Jesus’ glory is like, and who it belongs to, and they weren’t too keen on this idea, being like a child. But Jesus doesn’t care. He must teach the disciples and us the truth. What is worthy of our indignation? Not James and John, at least not in our reading today. And certainly not the kingdom of Christ. But we should be indignant at our sin.

First, we should put the mirror of God’s law before ourselves. We should first see that our prayers are often not as they should be. Do you pray with the same courage and belief that James and John do? They are praying on the promises of God. They remember the word of God and what Jesus said to them. That’s great instruction for us in regards to prayer. To know God’s word, to pray it back to him, to know what he’s promised us. And then to say, God, I want that for me, too. For my family, for my friends, for my enemies. However, in the text today we are shown Jesus, who’s not there to condemn us, when our prayers might get a little off course. Jesus is patient and willing to teach James and John and he is patient with us, too. Though we’re not too eager on being great in the kingdom of God, Jesus is eager to bring greatness to you in his Kingdom. To make you great in the eyes of our father, even if we might be a little hesitant to be great in his Kingdom, because our sinful flesh doesn’t want to be slave to all. Look how he continues to pull James and John along in seeing Him as their greatness. That true greatness is found in Jesus himself. This is why the author to the Hebrews in our second reading goes to such great lengths to say that Jesus prayed, Jesus cried out to God, and it was all on your behalf. That Jesus was a priest, and priests don’t live for themselves but for the sake of others. Jesus was the priest that lived his life on our behalf, so that we may not fear.

Jesus lived the perfect life, not for his sake, but for yours. To perfect even our prayers. Your prayers might be a little off, your desires off target, your perspective on what truly greatness in the kingdom of God, it might wander from time to time, but always come back to Jesus. He is our good brother. Always repent and return to God for in trusting Jesus your prayers are made right. Your sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit sets you back on target. Set your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He sets your eyes back on what greatness truly is. For He reminds you what he gave you in baptism. He reminds you what it is that the body and blood of Jesus given in the sacrament what it means. That it’s all by gift. And how great these gifts are. God will show us in the end the greatness that he’s bestowed on us.

For Christ Jesus, indeed–if I may–he took the black licorice. Jesus took that which no one could. He took your sins upon Himself, He died on the cross with him. He suffered the father’s indignation at your sins. The righteous indignation of God fell on Christ. He took the bad, he took your worst. And now he gives us nothing but the best. The good stuff, forgiveness, life salvation. He corrects our misunderstanding. He teaches that being a slave to others, meaning being in service to others, considering yourself last. That’s truly the good life. For He’s faithful when you falter. When you fail, he perfects you by His precious blood. Only, don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep learning. Keep listening to his word. For greatness in the kingdom, it’s a gift, not a merit badge. So pray to Him, call out to Him.

For Christ Jesus is your brother. He’ll never offer you poison, he’ll never trick you. He’s patient. Just as he allowed the brothers James and John to suffer the indignation of others so they might learn, so that they would be perfected. So too with us. We might suffer the indignation of the world because we don’t live like them. We don’t sound like them. Our perspective, our priorities, it’s a little different. We are told finally in Hebrews, that Christ learned obedience through suffering. Doesn’t sound good does it? Sounds like slavery. Your brother is trying to teach you what you have in him by faith. The truly sweet life is found in Christ, in whom you are perfected by faith.

And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Transcript from March 21, 2021 sermon preached by Rev. Tab Ottmers

Grace, mercy and peace you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sometimes in life, it can actually look like God has become our enemy. Maybe that sounds a little shocking to hear a pastor say that, right? But sometimes I think it’s actually true. Our Old Testament lesson for today certainly reminds us of this fact. The Israelites, as they’re wandering out on their journey through the wilderness, began to grumble against the Lord and against Moses, because things don’t really seem to be working out like they sort of wanted them to. They have the manna and quail–that’s about all. Okay. Sometimes there’s not water that’s plentiful. And we, some of us perhaps, know what that’s like recently with the winter storms.

But, their hearts turn cold. And honestly, it must have been rather difficult for them out in the wilderness that whole time. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I would want to wander in the wilderness for a week, let alone 40 years. And it’s at this point when the people really begin to see God as their enemy, as the one who has brought these hardships upon them. And they get kind of angry at him for it. Now, we might not want to admit it, but I suspect many of us would probably be given to the same kind of frustrations, or at least the temptation to blame God when things don’t wind up going very well at all. Sure, that might not happen all the time. But when things look bleak, it’s hard not to ask the Lord, ‘why is this happening? What did we do to deserve this?’ Have you ever felt that way before? Maybe when a loved one dies suddenly? Or there’s some unforeseen tragedy that strikes in your life? What about if you’ve unexpectedly lost a job? Maybe you have to end up selling your home, moving somewhere else to find work? Maybe you know somebody who’s come down with a serious illness, like cancer. And at such times, we can be left wondering, ‘why, Lord, why is this happening to me?’ If it goes on long enough, we might just find ourselves accusing God of the suffering at hand. That’s what the Israelites do. But it doesn’t have the effect that they think it will. The Lord heard their cries, but instead of giving them exactly what they wanted, he answered them in a different way.

He sent fiery serpents among them. Now the Israelites situation probably seemed worse than it was before. As if their discontentment with the manna and quail were not enough, now they must contend with venomous snakes. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like snakes. And those people, they’re bitten by them. And many of them, the Word of God says, died in the wilderness. Their situation’s gone from difficult to deadly. And perhaps that old sinful Adam would once again like to blame God for their suffering. Why does he not help them? Why doesn’t he stop the death of his people in the wilderness? Well, the Lord does not see things like we do. He does not act in ways that always conform to our expectations, because his ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. His goal is not to make the lives of his people easy and comfortable. That is a kind of earthly thinking. The Lord knows that if we got all the desires of our heart all the time, it would only lead to an evil action, because the hearts of sinners are set on evil all the time. It wouldn’t be any different for us. Do we really think that if we had everything we wanted right now and all the time, right, as soon as our hearts desired it, that that would really be better for us?

I don’t think it’s likely that would be the case at all. And it certainly wasn’t for the Israelites in the wilderness. It’s not until they start to die in the wilderness that the people of God recognize that they’ve actually sinned. Their hearts were not content with what God had given them. They always wanted more and then grumbled when they didn’t get it. When the Lord had taken away the good that he had given them and replaced it with venomous snakes–no doubt a reminder of the will of the devil, that is, the snake itself–well, it’s only then that the people wake up and realize what’s really going on. It’s only at this moment of desperation that they cry out to the Lord, and to his servant Moses, saying, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against you. Pray to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. They confess their sin, and they ask God for deliverance by removing those fiery serpents. That response from the people is exactly what God is looking for. It’s the response of faith, the admission of one’s sin and guilt, and the trust that looks to God for every good of both body and soul and deliverance in all manner of things. The Lord has used something that looked terrible in order to actually help the people of God.

Without all that suffering, they would have just remained in their obstinacy, and that would have led them to an even worse result. Because it wouldn’t be their earthly life that they would need to worry about at that point, but their eternal life. It’s interesting to note here, too, that the scriptures never say that the fiery serpents are removed from the people like they had originally asked. Instead, God heard their cries, but he does something different. He has Moses set up a pole with a bronze serpent on it, so that when anyone who is bitten by one of those snakes gazes upon that pole, and the serpent on it, he will not die. See that God does not remove all their suffering from them. He just provides a way through it. A way which looks to God for deliverance, a way which cultivates in the faith and trust in the Lord. But not the need to receive everything they have wanted. That’s really not all that different with us in our lives, right? Like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness, we too can have times of great hardship and suffering–I mean, those times really do come in life.

But it is not our Lord’s desire that we should be undone by such times. Instead, he wants to use those times so that they would be a blessing for us. A blessing that is in the ways that we actually need. Our God is concerned above all else that we be saved. What good will it do us if we receive all the desires of our sinful heart and our sinful flesh, but we lose our souls for eternity? We will have gained nothing but a rightful and everlasting punishment. And yet, that is exactly what God wants to deliver us from. He knows the inclination of our heart to treasure up the things of the world instead of the things of God. That’s why sometimes he takes the things we love from us in the world. He wants to show us that they’re not going to last. Just ask anybody with little kids, right? They’ll tell you it’s not going to last. Everything that this world has to offer comes to nothing. It is vain and empty to long for those things, and to treasure them in our heart. Even our own earthly life will come to an end. And when we suffer, God is teaching us to let go of this life and to treasure up the Kingdom of Heaven instead. You know, I think this is the lesson that many of us are learning quite well in this time and age.

With that most recent snowstorm, I suspect–and I don’t know all of your situations here–but some of you might have been without power. Maybe some of you were without water. And there’s really not a whole lot you can do in the midst of something like what we’ve just gone through. We saw how quickly we can go from living life like normal, to be reminded just how dependent we are on God, and how quickly everything can be taken from us. It’s the same way too with the hostility that the church is continually facing from the world. We do not find ourselves as biblical Christians in a world that is favorably disposed towards us anymore. There’s a lot of threats coming our way. And it’s not just towards churches, but even sometimes towards employers and employees and students who are Christian, and especially those who will not give up the confession of the truth for a lie.

Yet all of this, which will cause so much consternation for our flesh, is ultimately for our good. Because it reminds us that this life is passing away. And we as the people of God have not been called to long for this life, but for eternal life. That’s the gospel lesson today too. God so loved the world, not to make it rich and lazy, but to save the world from its sin. And he did this, once again, by lifting something up. Except this time, it wasn’t a bronze serpent in the wilderness, but the crucified Christ at the cross. If we want to see God’s love, we are not to look to the things of the world, you’re not going to find it there.

Instead, we are to look to the greatest gift that God gave us. We have to look to Christ. There’s nothing more precious in the world that the Lord could give us than the crucified savior. We’re all under the threat of death, because it is the punishment for sin. Because sin separates from God. And if you’re separated from God, you are separated from the author of life. And therefore, if you don’t have life in God, well, the only alternative is death. But to bridge that chasm, our Lord has acted mercifully, albeit in the most painful way for himself. He’s entered the creation to suffer as mankind does. To suffer because of trial and tribulation that is in the world as a result of the fall. He takes upon himself the pain and the drudgery of this life. And he endures its worst. All this he does, so that he might make a sufficient purchase price for the sins of the world. That he might make the purchase price for your life, by giving up his life in suffering and death for you.

It’s kind of like Jesus allowed himself to be bitten by one of those fiery serpents in the place of those who would have died. He gave up his life with the sins of the whole world upon it. That’s a lot of sin. All so that those who are going to die in the flesh will not die in eternity. And it means that we will not die bearing our own sin. So that when we pass away from this life, it’s not going to be unto judgment in death, but unto judgment in eternal life. You and I are destined to live with God forever, because our sins have been paid for in the flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was raised up for our iniquities, that we might be set free from the vain and sinful desires of the flesh. And we are saved through this free gift of the Son of God, whose righteousness was displayed in his death on the cross and yet, by faith, has become our own. Whatever we might lose in this life–and we’re going to lose things in this life–none of it will ever compare with what we’ve received in Jesus. Not the loss of wealth, or mammon. Not the corruption of the flesh through illness or disease. We’re not even going to lose more in the suffering that we face at the hands of the world. None of those things will ever match the greatness of the free gift of eternal life.

And so, whatever it is that you’re suffering right now–because a lot of you probably are–and if you’re not, whatever you’re going to suffer in the future, remember; your God does not love you as the world loves you. But he will hear your prayer. And He will answer it in a way that is best for you. That is in a way that is meant to preserve your faith, to enlighten your heart and mind in Christ, and to keep you in the forgiveness of sins, that he’s won for you. Your Lord is so concerned about you. It’s just that his concern is that you live with Him forever. Which is why suffering in this world is not going to go on forever.

It will come to an end one day and when it does, you will enter into paradise. You will enter into the presence of God with all his people who have gone on before us and will come after us. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

And Now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Transcript from March 14, 2021 sermon delivered by guest minister Rev. Mark Taylor

The text for our sermon this morning is the Gospel reading just read, and also the Epistle–keeping these words in mind–from the Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:21, “For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greek seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ’s the power of God and the wisdom of God.” And also in the Gospel, verse 15, “and making a whip of cords, Jesus drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep, and oxen, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and over chain overturned their tables.” God’s grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Last week, Jesus rebuked Peter, because Peter stood in front of Jesus when Jesus preached the gospel, when Jesus preached the truth. He said, The Son of Man was going to be handed over beaten and crucified. Jesus was to be treated as the worst villain in the history of all mankind. And Peter said, “No way, Lord.” Jesus is going to give His life for His enemies to be spared. Peter said, “No.” Today we hear of a Jesus who sounds a little more like a villain. Last week, we contemplated on who the true villain is and how we as the enemies of God, are turned into his friends by the death of Christ given to us through faith. Today, Jesus sounds a bit more villainous. In fact, Jesus sounds like a big meanie! Mean guy! He isn’t that nice, fun loving hippie who wears sandals and socks, that so many people picture in our day. Today, when He comes to the temple, Jesus flips over tables. And He makes a whip. And mind you, He doesn’t just use the whip on the animals. He uses it on the people. This is not a Jesus most people think of when they consider, “who do I think Jesus is?” Usually, when we picture Jesus, it’s more along the lines of a friend who’s there when you need him, and he kind of never disagrees with all your great ideas. He’s always just there telling you, “Yeah. As long as you do a good job, it’s okay.” But not today. Today, Jesus, He seems rather different.

Well, not really different. Jesus is loving. He’s just showing it in a strange way today. He’s showing it in a way we would probably rather not think about. Today, flipping over tables, making a whip, take these things away, He said. Do not make my father’s house, a house of trade. That same voice that thundered on Sinai from our Exodus reading today, the voice that the psalmist says strips the forest bare. Today, Jesus doesn’t really fit with what we may think of when someone asks us, “who do you think Jesus is?” It’s not exactly good news for us that Jesus takes sin seriously.

What about the neighbors? What about all the people walking by the temple that day? What if they see Him yelling and raising His voice? What if they hear the crack of the whip? What are all the people and witnesses going to think of our Jesus? Maybe He’s like a certain politician and we need to hide Him away. We don’t want Him to embarrass Himself. But when the truth is at stake, Jesus doesn’t really care about what others think. When it’s our lives at stake, Jesus doesn’t care–He will do whatever it takes to cleanse.

It’s worthy to note that Jesus is in the temple and what time of year it is. It is the Passover, and Jesus is wanting to correct false teaching. Jesus is wanting to teach the people who are gathered in the temple. The people outside the temple, well, they don’t really care. And Jesus isn’t too worried about His public image. Jesus isn’t too worried about His reputation. Jesus is worried about the truth. Those outside the temple–I don’t want to say they’re not really His concern, but their opinion doesn’t really matter to Him. They are lost. They’re the blind. Jesus is among the religious people. And what does He find them doing? Oh, pretty religious things, of course. But what religion? It was the Passover, and Jerusalem would have been hopping mad with people; think about going to the mall on Black Friday. It would be easy to just evaluate everything in Jerusalem going on, seeing all the people there gathered and think, “this is a great thing! Everybody is very concerned about the Passover, a holy day, a national holiday for the nation. Isn’t it great that so many people care?”

But now Jesus comes and messes it all up. Jesus is pretty good at messing things up. If you remember, like a child getting caught playing with matches by mom or dad. Or your parents foiling your plans that you made to run away, you had everything lined up just right, and they come and mess it all up. The thoughts of our hearts towards others. Jesus, He can’t just sit back and leave well enough alone, He has to come and mess it up. He has to open His mouth. And on top of that, He flips the tables over–makes a scene. Psalm 4:4 says, “Be angry and do not sin.” Today, Jesus is angry. Jesus is angry because, well, He loves us too much to just sit back and let us sit in our sins.

The temple was the place where sacrifices were offered. They were handed over to the priests to announce forgiveness to the one who brought it. The locals there they realized, well, people are traveling from all over they can’t very well bring their own sacrifices. So they had a market. There was a need and they saw an opportunity. As they provided the sacrifices for sale, there was a markup of course. You can’t very well expect us just to give these things away for free. The whole teaching that God had set up in the Old Testament, the whole teaching surrounding the temple and the sacrifices that was all meant to point to Jesus and His sacrifice. But sacrifices had developed just into what you did. Sacrifices were done because, well, that’s just what you do. And the scene was all about giving to God. And well, a little money was made in the process. The disciples, we are told, they remember the passage that Jesus is consumed with zeal for his father’s house. But that zeal was for his father’s house, because that’s where God’s people are taught the truth. Where they are being taken care of. The point of the sacrifice was not that God needs anything from us, but that we need something from him. And, unfortunately, the exchange and the temple the buying and selling of sacrifices had taken away from the very gospel. The religion of the people had become just going through the motions. And God is not okay with that.

Jesus doesn’t have a zeal for his father’s house because the temple was so beautiful. The disciples point out how beautiful the temple was, and Jesus says, not one of it will be left on top. Not one stone will be left on top of another. It will all be destroyed. The zeal that Jesus has for his father’s house is to be a place not where man benefits from things of this world. But where the eternal gifts are given out. The zeal Jesus has for his father’s house is not so that we would give to God–that is part of it–but that God being rich in his mercy has something to give you. Where God is not the primary recipient, but man is the recipient of God’s forgiveness. That we would see and hear of God’s gracious forgiveness. That by repentance of our sins, and hearing the gospel, we see that God provides the sacrifice. This had been what God had preached throughout all the Old Testament. This is why the psalmist can say, “Lord, I love the habitation of your house, and the place where your glory dwells. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Well, what happens when the wicked dwell when the tents of the Lord?

Forgiveness had been turned into a business. And no one really cared. God’s house had become a place of comfort. The glorious dwelling of God among his people, his very presence had just kind of become kind of ordinary. You didn’t act any different in God’s house than you did in your own house, or outside among your friends. People no longer believed they needed anything from God. And just that, well, God kind of owes me if I show up. I deserve it. They checked the box, they offered the sacrifice and everything was good, no need to change your life. No need to repent. No need for a savior. For you had your exchange, you did your duty. So as you take a look how we approach God’s house today, we do good to reflect on why we are here. Does God need anything from you? Are you just checking the box? Maybe we need Jesus to flip our tables a little more regularly than we realize. To whip our false notion of who he is, and who we are and what love really looks like. For Jesus is not content to let you sit in your sins. We don’t need someone to turn a blind eye to our sin, but a merciful Savior, a God who loves us enough to rebuke us to send his law. We need to love that shows us that we’ve built our own houses of trade.

We’ve built our own houses of trade, and I’m not talking about our beautiful sanctuary. But we’ve built places where we try to dwell where we try to find our comfort and money, that as long as we do what the government and doctors tell us, well, we’ll be okay. Or maybe something has happened to you, that you realize all the things you’ve put your hope in this world have turned out to be a house of cards. We need a love that cuts us so that we would heal. We need the love and compassion of a God who sends his law to kill us to open our ears so that he would make us alive. Not by being good enough, or getting our houses in order, but a God who kills us so that he can make us alive. St. Paul says that is the gospel, the power of the gospel, the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, because in the end, the zeal that Jesus has for the temple of stones– it’s not really for the temple at all. To remember that you are his temple. His zeal is that he may forgive you all your sins, that he would tear down His own body, and that his zeal is for you to be his dwelling place. His zeal is that you live, even if that means he is driven out of his father’s gracious presence, when he is crucified dead, that there Jesus is building you into his temple, that he would receive the whip of God’s law at the hand of the Roman soldiers, so that you may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The zeal Jesus has to cleanse the temple is to cleanse you and me. That the cross is where God makes the exchange for you. That he does the buying, he does the purchasing that he purchases he purchases you from your own sin. He buys you, if you will, from the devil. What was the payment? Well, how can you possibly pay more than the blood of Christ?

There is an exchange that happens today in God’s house. God takes all your sins and He gives you forgiveness–for free. That is his zeal. He cleanses you. This is what consumes him because his Holy Spirit works through the word and sacrament. This is his zeal. And would we be just as zealous to receive that cleansing? That restoring? St. Paul tells us in the second reading, his word and sacraments, they drive out all the wickedness that dwells in you the gospel, he chases out all that doesn’t belong in you. For You are the dwelling place of Christ. Do you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit? His Word is preached and that powerful word will sustain your faith when life seems to be falling all around you.

Sure, life will be difficult. Our Lord disciplines those whom he loves. Our Lord is not afraid to turn our tables to raise his voice. But it’s all because he has a zeal for you. A zeal for you, that he would sanctify you. That he makes you holy. And then we in turn, not only have a zeal for God’s house, but a zeal for one another–for helping each other. Not driving one another away, but in the power of God, foolishness to the world a stumbling block to the world but for us it is the power of God unto salvation.

Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Transcript from March 7, 2021 sermon preached by Rev. Tab Ottmers

(We are working on a transcript for this sermon, please check back later).

(We are working on a transcript for this sermon, please check back later).

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(We are working on a transcript for this sermon, please check back later).