Luke.4.1-13; First Sunday in Lent; March 9, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:1–13, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is one of those texts that is so rich, so full of meaning. Here is the epic battle of good and evil played out. Here is Satan making his stand against God’s Messiah. He knows if he wins here, he wins here (in the heart). He’s confident, using the same ploys on the Second Adam, Jesus, that worked so well on the first. And it is the same in so many ways. St. Luke wants you to understand that. Just to make sure, he does what the other Gospel writers don’t do. After Jesus is baptized by John, he goes into the desert to be tempted. But in between the events, Luke sticks the genealogy of Jesus, his family tree. And it starts with Jesus and goes all the way back to Adam. Listen to the last few lines, because they are very important in setting up the understanding of this text.

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. ” (Luke 3:36–38, ESV)

Adam, the son of God. Wow isn’t that what Satan says to Jesus. “If you are the son of God…”? Satan won his glorious victory over Adam in the garden, causing countless years of death and pain and sorrow. Now he renews the attack again. But there is a difference. Jesus wins. Satan withdraws. God stands on the field of battle victorious, as he always does, and always will. You see, this text is about Jesus. Oh, I know, you’ve probably heard this text used as a teaching on how to resist temptation when it comes. Just do what Jesus did. Just throw the right scripture at Satan and he’ll give in and you’ll win. Well, I hate to tell you this, but if you alone take the field against Satan, the outcome will be like the garden of Eden. You will lose. How do I know? Well, let’s just look at Satan’s arsenal.

First off, he tempts Jesus with material comfort. Jesus has been in the desert for forty days, and all that time he hasn’t eaten a scrap. And don’t think he got anything else easy either, because Satan has been at the temptation thing here for all forty days! Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. Satan goes after Jesus for the whole forty days and then finally here at the end we get these three. It all begins here with one of those great understatements of the Bible. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Of course, he was hungry. He was famished. He was starving. Most people would be dead, as a matter of fact. What Satan is putting toward Jesus is necessity. Look at you and me. We fail and we aren’t even faced with death. How often do we choose our own creature comfort over other people’s dire need? Here’s a simple example. You walk past the homeless person on the street and don’t help. Oh, I know, the excuse is always the same. If you give them money, they’ll just drink it away. And so, using that excuse you don’t help. You see, we’ve already failed our temptation. And we aren’t even starving. You know God requires us to help the hungry every time we are able. Anything less is sin. That’s the difference. There is nothing in us that can resist this temptation, even when nothing is at stake. But Jesus does. He could make the manna miracle all over again. He stands up to Satan in his hunger where we fail. He defeats Satan for us. He chooses God’s way, the perfect way.

Ok what about the second temptation? Satan takes a different tact. He shows Jesus the whole world. And he lies. Well, it isn’t a complete lie. He has control of the world. He has it through fraud. He has convinced people that his way is the best way. He gives them what they want, power and authority. It is appealing, too. But he never lives up to his promises. Just look at Eve. He promised she’d be like God. He promised she’d know good and evil. She took what wasn’t hers to take and death entered her life. It should be mine, I deserve it. She thought. He played on her pride. How about you? Could you resist this temptation? No. You have failed this one already. Ever told a little white lie? You know the kind that never hurt anyone. It’s easier, than earning someone’s respect. After all you deserve to look good in other peoples’ eyes, right? The worst part is most of the time you don’t even have to lie. But you do. I’ve done it, too (but of course never to any of you!). You’ve done it for such little gain. Now, you know what God requires. He says even one time deserves death. You have to never lie to gain an advantage. Anything less is sin. That’s the difference. Jesus the temptation was the same. Why should God have to go to the cross to have what was already rightfully his. He could brush the cross aside and get what he deserves. But he doesn’t. Listen to Paul’s description.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

Then there’s the last temptation. Scholars have been arguing over this one forever. But it is quite simple. Jesus uses scripture. Satan mis-uses scripture. The temptation is this. Jesus, God’s Son, trusts God to provide all that he needs. He trusts because of God’s word of promise to him. If Jesus is such a great, trusting son, he should prove it in a bigger way than just going hungry for forty days and trusting that food is at the end. If God really wants us to trust him shouldn’t he do it in a big way, rather than such a simple way? Throw yourself down, if you really trust God to catch you. Now we have it. We claim to trust God, don’t we? And yet, our trust fails at the first sign of trouble. The paycheck runs a little thin and we wonder where the money to do what we need is going to come from. Ages ago, my sister-in-law won the Nebraska lottery. $100k. Boy, was I jealous, I could have used that kind of money. God wouldn’t it show folks your power much better if a pastor got that kind of cash? God we’ll really show your power if we all pray and you heal my friend of cancer. Ok, how about this simplest of examples. Every Sunday, God promises to make faith grow right here through the simple words of his servant. Often at this altar he provides food for faith, bread and wine, Christ himself, for you to eat and drink. We take it for granted. We think we’ve got to do something, anything to make what God does here better, bigger. It’s just too simple a miracle. It isn’t attractive enough to my friends. We don’t trust that God will do what he promises, in these simple things. Of course, we don’t trust God perfectly in all things. And yet, he requires perfect fear, love and trust in him. Anything else is sin. Anything else deserves his anger and punishment. That’s the difference. Jesus trusts God, the Father completely. He even trusts him to allow Satan to take him to the top of the temple. He could have jumped. He would have been saved. Satan wasn’t lying. But Jesus chooses instead the way of trust even though it means the way of the cross. Jesus wins with a word.

Do you see the drama here? Do you see how easily we are drawn into the story? Even though God’s struggle against Satan isn’t even a fair fight, what a story it is. It is your story and mine. Jesus isn’t out there in the desert for himself. He’s out there for you. He’s fighting and winning against Satan for you. When we listen to St. Luke’s telling we should really come away with a couple of thoughts. We should despair in our ability to do anything to be able to resist Satan. I like that saying, “when Satan bugs you, all you can do is flea!” Yea, flee to Jesus. He’s got Satan right where he belongs, hell bound. This is just chapter one in the story. There is more to come, more drama, more struggle, more Jesus! He wins. He dies on the cross for you. If you think Satan is tough in the desert, just look at Jesus deserted on the cross! When Satan departed from him until an opportune time, that was it. Just listen to him speaking there.

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39, ESV)

But he stays on the cross. Deserted by God the Father, he is our sin. He is our punishment. He wins by dying and rising again from our death! That’s the other thing you should see here. We are such great sinners, but we have such a great Savior. He

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ” (Titus 3:5–7, ESV)

My dear Christian friends, Satan is out there and he’s going to try to put you through the ringer. But he is like a dog without teeth. He has no power over you anymore because Jesus has defeated him. He’s all growl and no bite for those whose faith is in the one who stands on the battlefield alone and victorious. That’s Jesus your Savior. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-21; Ash Wednesday; March 5, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lent begins with ashes, solemn hymns and repentance. Repentance is sometimes the hardest to understand. We want to see the joy of Jesus’ victory over sin. We don’t really like the phrase “poor miserable sinner” in our Sunday morning confession. We want the joy, God’s children should be filled with joy always, because of all the Jesus has done. But, in Lent, with its focus on repentance, we believe that joy must be set aside.

Well, Lent is indeed about solemn reflection on our sin. But in that reflection, there is reason for great joy. In that repentance there is overwhelming thanksgiving for what Jesus has done. If there is no joy in the forgiveness won for us by Jesus on the cross, we are missing the point.

Remember that Jesus himself calls for repentance.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17, ESV)

The need for repentance didn’t end with the coming of his kingdom, we are still sinners. Luther says, of this verse, in the 95 Thesis (1517):

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

So, let’s talk about what repentance is, the Augsburg Confession says in Article XII that repentance has two parts. First, contrition, genuine sorrow over sin. Second, faith in Christ’s forgiveness, that is, trust in God’s mercy through Jesus. In the Large Catechism Luther doubles down:

Thus a Christian’s entire life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing ever after.

He ties repentance directly to Holy Baptism, a continual drowning of the old sinful nature and a daily rising of the Christian to new life in Christ.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, ESV)

The verb buried (συνθάπτω) is passive. Meaning that the burying is done by God, not human beings. And it also is a onetime completed action (aorist). One Lord, one faith, one baptism Ephesians 4:5 emphasizes it. God has buried us in baptism one time. The result of that burying is that we live in it every day as an ongoing fact. For Luther, that means living everyday as a repentant, baptized child of God. And that brings us to our text. 2 Corinthians 5:20b-21, Paul writes:

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20b–21, ESV)

He starts with be reconciled to God. If you hear be baptized you are right. Paul uses the verb reconciled as passive, again, the work of God, and a onetime completed action (aorist) with its result ongoing in our lives. The tie to Holy Baptism is very strong. God reconciles you. It is a fact of the past in your baptism. Here he urges people to take advantage of what God offers. If you are already baptized, he is urging you to live in the ongoing result of it. In other words, live in repentance.

So, where is the joy? Well, that’s what the second part of the text is about.

For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul is describing in a few short words what happens to you because of faith in Jesus through Holy Baptism. For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin… Jesus because sin. It was not his own but the sin of the whole world for all time. Jesus became the greatest sinner of all time, even though he personally knew no sin. The cross is in focus here. Jesus suspended between heaven and earth on that cold day so many years ago. Jesus crying out to the Father,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1, ESV) (אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי)

As God must do to all sinners, as the greatest sinner of all time, Jesus was forsaken to death and hell. The Father turned away from his only son and allowed the punishment for all that sin to fall on his shoulders. Jesus suffered our hell on the cross. His death, in Holy Baptism, becomes our death. He became our sin, all of it, from the little white lies you tell every day, to ignoring the needs of your neighbor, acting in your own self-interest, and on and on the list of sins goes. Every single one of your sins is laid on Jesus’ outstretched arms. The punishment is dealt out with prejudice. Where is the joy in this? Do you think that Barabbas wasn’t overjoyed at not having to die when the crowd chose him over Jesus? It is a very joyful thing not to have to face the eternal consequences of sin. What we faced was eternal rejection by God, the Father. Eternity in hell. Jesus hung in our place and took it from us. If that isn’t enough to elicit joy, I don’t know what is.

Repentance is recognition of Jesus for you. Jesus’ willingness to die for a poor miserable sinner, who doesn’t deserve any of his grace. Repentance is seeing your sin for what it is, damnable, and seeing the forgiveness Jesus gives you freely through faith in the for you of what he did.

But there is more, with God, there always is.

…so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus takes our sin on himself, and he gives us his righteousness. When we are baptized, God gives us righteousness. It isn’t ours but it belongs to Jesus. And just as Jesus is made sin, we become righteous. It’s not a slight of hand, but a sure and real transaction. Think of an accounting register. Our debt of sin, written in red, doesn’t balance. It is moved to Jesus’ account. He becomes sin. Our debt is removed, the balance is even. But even more miraculously we become righteous. Jesus’ righteousness, all that he did in his life, from never lying, to not ignoring the needs of his neighbor, and acting in your interest, on and on goes his list of righteous deeds. It is far from a fair exchange. But it is ours. And that is how God sees now you through faith in his only son. God sees you as righteous. You are righteous because God has declared it so in Holy Baptism.

So, what about the solemn reflection? Well, you still sin every day. It is the curse of life on earth. It is the curse of being born human, with a sinful nature. It is the curse of Satan continually pointing out our sin and saying, “God can’t forgive that!”

In his commentary on Galatians, Luther writes:

When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also.’ (Luther’s Works, Vol. 26, p. 196–197)

That is repentance. That is the Christian’s whole life lived in repentance. It is the joy of repentance. “I admit I deserve death and hell, but Jesus was made to be sin for me, he gave me his righteousness, and now God sees me a sinless.”

So, repent! Confess your sins, and in joy receive the forgiveness that Jesus offers. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Transfiguration of Our Lord; March 2, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. 9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Over the past few years we’ve begun to view some emergency workers, like firemen and paramedics, and soldiers as heroes, and that’s very good and long overdue. At first, I was going to start this sermon by saying, “Everyone needs a hero.” But, as I was doing some research, I found out the really, here in America, we don’t have any heroes anymore. James Patterson and Peter Kim say in their book The Day America Told the Truth that 70 percent of Americans have no living heroes. So, that kind of killed my first premise. It’s sad, in a way, because one of the important things about heroes is the desire to be like them. The desire to do what they do and do it well. Call it inspiration, or leadership.

On the other hand, maybe it’s not that we don’t need heroes, maybe we just don’t have them. Well, the bible is full of heroes. If you’re looking for a hero maybe, you could go there. Just look at Samson, who was so strong he brought down a whole building with his bare hands. Or Isaiah who preached, and preached, and preached, even though almost everyone ignored everything he said. Job who endured more suffering in his single life than most collections of a hundred people. Or St. Paul, who went from God’s enemy to His greatest preacher, and endured beatings and imprisonment for bringing God’s message.

What makes a hero a hero? Is it merely a matter of timing, a matter of 5 minutes as Emerson says? How do these heroes of the bible become such strong heroes? And since we do have so many, and heroes are to be emulated, how is it that we do that?

Well, let’s consider a biblical example. Really the first and arguably one of the most important biblical heroes is Moses. That’s what our text is about: And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses…

Moses was a hero. Maybe we don’t think of that at first but certainly the people of Israel always viewed him that way. And for good reason, just look at his list of qualifications. He knew God face to face. He talked directly to God, spoke his mind and even changed God’s mind about punishing the people. He had God’s trust, too. God spoke to him directly and clearly. And he saw God’s glory. Now that’s heroic, considering everyone else in the world would have dropped down dead on the spot. Now on top of all of that there was

none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

That’s clearly hero status.

But there’s another side to this hero, too. First, remember his beginning, that crying baby floating helplessly in a raft / bassinet. And he was nursed by a hired hand. That’s a very unsure beginning for a hero. And look at this passage that is written in Numbers 12:3:

Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12:3, ESV)

And in case you are wondering what the word “meek” means Webster says it means

“soft”; “deficient in spirit and courage : SUBMISSIVE” AND “not violent or strong : MODERATE”

And in the end, God didn’t even let him into the land he promised the people because Moses had gotten angry and sinned against God. That doesn’t sound much like a hero, does it?

Actually, it looks like Moses was a pretty ordinary man. Actually, that first quote by Emerson,

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer,”

might seem to fit Moses well. Really, in Moses’ case, the difference isn’t time, but the difference is God. God is the one who enabled this ordinary man named Moses to do such great things. God chose him, selected him out for God’s own purposes. And don’t forget the sin. Moses was a sinful man just like you and me. His sin prevented him from entering the Promised Land. Moses was both an ordinary man and a sinful man. And yet, God used him in big ways, to accomplish what God wanted done. God’s power and purpose made Moses a hero of faith.

Are you and I “hero material?” Well, just like Moses we are ordinary people. Some of us are meek, quiet and reserved. Some of us are bold and assertive. But we are all human beings with varied gifts and varied strengths and varied weaknesses. And most important to remember, we have all sinned against God in many ways (and often!). I’m sure you’ve heard the prayer:

Dear Lord, So Far Today God, I've Done Alright. I Haven't Gossiped, Lost My Temper, Been Greedy, Grumpy, Nasty, Selfish Or Over-Indulged. I'm Very Thankful For That, But In A Few Minutes I'm Going To Get Out Of Bed, And Then I Really going to Need Your Help. Amen.

We laugh because it’s true. But really, we even sin in our sleep, we can’t help it because sin is a part of our nature. The question for us today is, “if we are so ordinary and so sinful can God use us like He used Moses?” and the rational answer is “No! of course not!” Who among us sitting here could ever possibly live up to a hero like Moses? But the real answer has nothing to do with logic or rational thought. The real point is not who we are but who God is. The real point is not our abilities, but God’s power. God is the one who raises up people to do His will. He chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. But even when we are raised up, we still miss the mark that He requires, we still fall far short of His expectations.

There is someone we are told about in the bible who is a real hero. Jesus did what no human being could ever do. He lived up to God’s every expectation perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that because of His perfect life, you and I are forgiven of our imperfections. Because He took our sin to the cross and was punished there for us, and He is even a hero over death. He beat it by rising again. It is the life, death and resurrection of our Hero, Jesus that gives us life and salvation! In Jesus, we see God face to face, just like Moses did. We see Him right here in His Word and in His very presence in Body and Blood in Holy Communion. In Christ we can bear God’s presence, He is with us in this place just as He promised to be whenever we gather in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ we, even though we live in sin every day, even though we regularly miss the mark, we are brought to God in clean and transfigured robes of perfection. It’s not our perfection but the perfection of Jesus, given to us in Baptism.

So, to that list of Heroes of Faith that I made earlier, you know, David, Samson, Job, Isaiah, you may as well add your name to that list. Because you and I are heroes of the faith. Hey, it’s not because of our own strength or power, it’s not because of anything here in our hearts. It’s because of the Real Hero. It’s because of Jesus who stood on the mountain shining like the sun and took His road to the cross to remove our sin. He was transfigured in glory and leaves that mountain to complete His work for us. When we fall, He picks us up. When our strength fades, He gives His to us. When we fail, He forgives and embraces us.

That means that no matter what, in everything you do, you can be a hero. But you’re a hero not because you’ve got the strength to do it but because Jesus has chosen you and works in you in the things you do every day.

Heroes of the Faith are heroes because of Jesus has done His work and gives us His power through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:30-45; The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany; February 23, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:30–45, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Every sickness, every accident, every injury, every form of suffering leads to the question that Paul poses in this text. It was especially poignant for the Corinthians who had seen their brothers and sister die for the faith. And it is an important question considering the context he sets. In the first few sentences he contends that Christian suffering is only valuable if there is a resurrection. In fact, he says that if there is no resurrection we may as well be doing something else. We are moving our services to “Up Yonder”. If there is no resurrection, we may as well skip the service all together, order a stiff drink, and watch hockey. So, given that the resurrection validates Christian suffering, he states the obvious question,

How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?

In our language we might ask, “Will it be worth it?” Paul’s answer is straight forward and a little blunt.

You foolish person!

Of course it will. The resurrection of the body is the primary hope of all Christians. Without the resurrection there isn’t any hope at all.

Christianity is false, in fact, if Christ isn’t raised from the dead. If he is not, Paul says a few verses earlier in 1 Corinthians,

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV)

Paul says, if Jesus is not raised, then you are not to be raised, our preaching is in vain, our faith is futile, we are still in our sins, those who have gone before us have perished, and we are “most to be pitied”. It is a blunt answer, making Christianity dependent on the resurrection, and particularly Jesus’ resurrection. Christianity can, in fact, be proven false, if the body of Christ is produced. That’s how important the resurrection is to our faith.

Paul uses a metaphor, the seed. A seed can’t grow into a plant, it can’t bear the fruit intended if it isn’t planted in the ground. The seed can’t see the glory of the plant any more than a baby in the womb can understand the fullness of life outside the womb.

For you and me, he says, what is sown, that is planted in the ground in death, is perishable, dishonorable and weak, a natural body.

Our human body is perishable, sickness and injury are a part of our everyday life. Sore knees, hips, broken bones, cancer, bird flu, failing eyesight… the list goes on and on. Perishable means heading toward death. Food in the fridge doesn’t last forever. And that is the body we have. It is the consequence of sin. That’s what it means when the bible says,

For the wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23, ESV)

We are perishable. But, Paul says, through the resurrection of the body, we will become imperishable. No more illness, no more injury, no more failing eyesight. The food in the fridge lasts forever.

What is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.

What Paul is saying here is profound. Today and every day we breathe, we live in dishonor. We wear it on our sleeve. We do what we don’t want to do. We don’t do what we want to do.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15, ESV)

That’s the daily struggle against sin, that is so ingrained in us that we can’t stop sinning.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24, ESV)

That is the dishonor. The dishonor of daily sin. And death is the result. A sinful body rotting sown in the ground.

But it is raised in glory. The promise of resurrection is the removal of dishonor. No passage of scripture describes this better than Romans 6:5-7.

For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:5-7, ESV)

It is our death in Jesus that accomplishes it. Our old self, our sinful dishonor, was crucified with Christ. The body of sin, the dishonor, is brought to nothing. We have died, in Christ, and are set free from sin. The resurrection cannot be separated from the cross. Our sin is done away with there. Holy Baptism is the promise of the old self, the sinful dishonor, dead and buried. It is the promise of the resurrection where the dishonor is completely gone.

It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

The weakness of what is sown is obvious. We get sick. The world rejoices in diseases that have been irradicated. But the truth is they are lurking below the surface, ready to strike our weak bodies. Work is hard. We are easily fatigued. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, you get tired. And our bodies break down with age.

“It was much more fun to live in the sixties, that to be sixty.” A quote from the internet.

And worst of all, we die. That is the culmination of our weakness, again death is in the picture.

Raised in power is the answer. All our weakness is gone. No longer will sickness plague us. No longer will fatigue be a problem. No longer will the frailty of age sneak up on us. We will be filled with divine life and strength.

Paul calls this a “spiritual body”. It doesn’t mean a non-physical body. It isn’t that we will be raised from death to living on clouds with harps in our hands having sprouted wings. Job says it.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27, ESV)

In this flesh, with these very eyes. This body will raise from death because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Our spiritual body will be physical, it won’t be subject to all the things that are buried in the grave. Death is done in. We will no longer die. Sin is dead in the grave. We will no longer sin. We will be fully controlled by the Holy Spirit.

It is return to Creation.

first man Adam became a living being

Everything that Adam was created to be, will be ours again. God’s perfect design for people will be fully realized.

Will it be worth it? I think so. And so did Paul. He said it this way to the congregation in Rome.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18, ESV)

The sufferings of the present time. All of them are part of this natural body, perishable, dishonorable and weak. But that’s just it, the present time, not forever, passing away and sooner than any of us believe. Unless Jesus returns first, we will all close our eyes in death. And when they open all of that perishable, dishonorable, weakness will be gone. We will be delivered from this body of death.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25, ESV)

Amen. The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Luke.4.31-44; The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 2, 2025

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:31-44, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today will be a good day to review the 2nd article of the Apostles’ creed. P. 322 in the front of your hymnal. Let’s read it together. I believe in Jesus Christ, His-only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

Now the part I want you to pay close attention to today is the part that says: [Jesus] purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death…

This Gospel reading today from St. Luke reflects what Luther is talking about right here. When we talk about the work of Jesus, which is what he did for us through his life, death and resurrection, we are talking about those three things: rescue from sin death and the power of the devil. And that’s what we see in this reading today. It starts with the power of Satan.

Jesus casts out a demon from a man in the synagogue. First, we must remember that Satan has real power. These demons that possessed people were and are real. In those days they were well recognized. We don’t know what kind of trouble this one caused but we are reminded by St. Peter to be on the watch for Satan.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

And it’s true and we’ve all seen Satan’s handiwork. We don’t have to go far either. All we have to do is look around us, we can see it right here. You’ve seen the destructive power of Satan at work even in our church. He divides. He distracts. He sets friends against friends. He urges us to concentrate on things that are unimportant, making us think they are most important. He whispers lies in our ears that we gladly believe because it’s the easy way. His goal is for you and me to go to hell. He works especially hard among Christians to get them to take their eyes of the Cross of Christ. And we listen to him all too often. In fact, if it weren’t for God’s Word and the Sacraments, if it weren’t for Jesus we’d be slaves to Satan and all his works and all his ways.

It’s no different in the Gospel. This possessed man was in the Synagogue. Life in Christ is no different than any other church where God’s Word is proclaimed. But Jesus shows he is more powerful than any demon, and even Satan. When he commands the demon out, the evil spirit throws a tantrum by throwing the man on the ground, but he can’t hurt the man anymore. Jesus has commanded him to come out and he must do so immediately. This evil angel, this unclean spirit asks Jesus, “Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus’ answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)

Jesus performs this miracle for us. That’s what Luke wants us to see. Jesus rescues us from the power of the Devil.

Next, we see Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. She has a very high fever. She is dangerously sick. This is Jesus rescuing us from death. After all illness is just death lying in wait for us. Every time you and I get sick we are pushed closer to the grave. When you have the flu you might say, “I just want to die and get it over with.” Illness and disease take away our abilities. We can’t take care of ourselves. We can’t take care of other people. When we are sick, we are slaves to it. And no matter how hygienic we are we just can’t always avoid it either. We don’t have to look very far to see that this is true either. Right here, just look at our prayer list. It is long. It seems to grow every day. While it’s good that we pray for all these folks, each name on the list is illness taking its toll; cancer, influenza, pneumonia, blood clots, heart attacks and death and more. Each illness is a sign that we will all die. And there isn’t anything we can do about it. Death has us in its grasp. We are slaves to illness and death. Well at least that is without Jesus.

Jesus shows us his rescue again. I think it is very interesting that St. Luke uses the very same word about what Jesus does. He rebuked the demon. He rebuked the fever and it comes right out of her. Now we should see right away that this isn’t healing in the way that we’ve seen it. When someone is released from the hospital we pray for their recovery. Peter’s Mother-in-Law had no recovery. She got up and went right to work without any effects. Jesus’ healing shows more than just the removal of the illness. It shows a return to life the way that God has designed it. She was free to do what she was called to do, serve the guests that had come to her house.

Jesus performs this miracle for us. That’s what Luke wants us to see. Jesus rescues us from the power of the death.

But Luke also wants us to know that Jesus does even more yet. The news spreads and people bring all kinds of sick, and demon possessed to Jesus. He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them, the text says. He heals them all, every one of them. St. Luke wants us to see Jesus rescuing us, too.

Now there’s one of the three yet to go, and admittedly it’s not mentioned directly in the text. But it is here. Jesus rescues us from sin. You see, Satan has power among us because there is sin among us. Death has power among us because sin is among us. What we see Jesus doing here, is restoring things to the way they should be, because without sin there would be no illness and death. Without sin Satan would have no power over us. It is important to see that Jesus healing miracles are always accompanied by Jesus’ preaching. That’s how the text starts out. Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath. And that’s how the text ends Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God…” What is the good news of the kingdom of God? Back to Luther’s words: I believe that Jesus Christ… has purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, [God/Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14-15, ESV)

That’s it exactly. Through death Jesus rescues us from lifelong slavery to sin, death and the power of the devil. How does Luther say it: not with gold or silver, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. You see those miracles we see here, commanding demons and fevers to leave, are just the little ones that point to the big one, the important one, the miracle of God-come-in-the-flesh, Jesus Christ. I like how Luke, who’s always interested in Jesus direct connection to people, says that Jesus laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. That very hand that he stretched out to heal and cast out demons is the very same hand that he stretched out on the cross. It’s there that he paid the price for sin, not with gold or silver, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Being alive to God in Christ Jesus, means that we don’t have to tolerate Satan’s temptations, we don’t have to live in sin. Satan wants us to think that money is more important than people. Satan wants us to think that the budget is of a higher priority than the telling people of this community that Jesus lived and died and rose again for them. But that’s not being alive to God in Christ Jesus. We don’t have to live that way anymore. Instead, we can get our priorities right. Our income is a gift from God, not to be used to purchase the latest and greatest toys for ourselves, but to use in service to our families, our church and our community.

Being alive to God in Christ Jesus, means that illness, death and Satan are nothing to fear. We may not be able to avoid them, but Jesus tells us that they are done in. Our death isn’t the end but only the beginning of life forever with him. So, illness is an opportunity to serve; first, in prayer, then in presence. I would urge you to pay particular attention to those among us who are ill, or suffering, and make an extra effort to touch them, as Jesus did. And what about all those on our prayer list? We care for them by praying, and that’s important, but is there more you can do. Especially, I would urge you to be the loving hand of Jesus to those on our prayer list. Nothing will break down those cliquish walls we’ve been so eager to build up at Satan’s prompting faster than the loving touch of Jesus Christ.

All of that is possible, not just possible but happens, through Jesus. Picture this one last thing. There’s a practice in our church that we don’t use much here, but you can see it in print if you turn to p. 293 in f your hymnal. There in red letters toward the top of the page you’ll see these words.

The pastor places his hands on the head of the penitent and says:

In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the  Son and of the Holy Spirit.

That’s the touch of Jesus, forgiving you all your sins. As your called and ordained servant of the Word, Jesus speaks his words through my lips, and he touches you through my hands. Understand that it’s not my forgiveness that I give to you, it’s his. He purchased and won you from all sins, death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy and precious blood and innocent suffering and death. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Luke 4:16-30; The Third Sunday after The Epiphany; January 26, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘ “Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.” (Luke 4:16–30, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Wow! This is quite a way to criticize a sermon. I would ask you to please find a more productive way to critique my sermons.

Jesus visits home. He has a plan. As was his custom, means he had done it before, preaching in the hometown synagogue. He stood up to read, as was the privilege of any adult male, especially one who was recognized as a teacher. He takes the scroll and unrolls it to Isaiah. It was probably the assigned reading for that sabbath. He reads it and sits down for his commentary. All eyes are upon him. The anticipation is thick as they wait for what Jesus will say and do.

In the paragraph just before this account we see Jesus has been doing the all-around Gallilee.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.” (Luke 4:14–15, ESV)

They were anxious to hear what they had heard about.

Then Jesus says,

Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

The words are pregnant with meaning. Today, right now, Scripture has been fulfilled. The same words he will use with the thief on the cross beside him.

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” (Luke 23:43, ESV)

The word fulfilled means has been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled. (perfect, passive, indicative, for the grammar pros among us). In your hearing, the one they hear, Jesus, is fulfilling it. So, what is Jesus saying?

Jesus is talking about his ongoing ministry forthtold by Isaiah. Listen again for the three times preaching is referenced.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18–19, ESV)

The word proclaim here is three different words in Greek. It highlights the primary purpose of Jesus ministry. Preaching. The Messiah will be a teacher, it was exactly what the hearers in the Synagogue expected. But the wonderous, confusing thing is that Jesus says the Messiah is here, now.

The crowd marveled at what Jesus said. Could their expectations of the coming of the Messiah be happening? They spoke well of Jesus. What he said was a positive thing. But how could this boy that we have known all our lives be saying such a thing. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” The expectation rise, “Will Jesus speak more? Will he heal people, right here, right now?”

Then everything goes south.

Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.

The room exploded in wrath. Not just anger but wrath, it says. They are overcome with extreme anger. They aren’t just a little bit angry. They are so mad, in fact, they push him out of the synagogue to the precipice of a hill to throw him down and most likely stone him. They want him dead.

The truth is that Jesus has told them, beyond doubt, that he is the Messiah. He wasn’t just Joseph’s son. Their familiarity breeds contempt. They expected the Messiah to appear in power and glory, not the son of someone they knew, a simple tradesman.

Jesus also confronts them with their false understanding of God’s grace. Grace is universal, gentiles also. Jesus points to the nature of the healings in the OT as example. Every example he gives is the healing of a Gentile. They were depending on God’s grace only to themselves. God blesses only the sons of Abraham.

The words Jesus spoke also violated what they expected from the Messiah. They wanted freedom from the Romans. They were not looking for a Savior from sin. They didn’t want repentance and faith to be the means of salvation. Jesus preaches law that cuts them to the heart.

And more so, their hatred is aimed at the truth. Jesus confronts them with the truth about their sinful condition. God intends for the Gospel to be proclaimed to all nations. Instead of repentance and faith, their hearts turn to extreme anger.

All in all, this is a complete rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. He told them it would happen.

Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

And in fact, John’s gospel starts with the same idea.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11, ESV)

Jesus sets before them who he is as their savior. He tells them what the Messiah had come to do, preach the Good News to everyone, including Gentiles. They understood it very well. The knew full well who Jesus said he is, but he was not the savior they wanted.

On the edge of the cliff, they intend to kill him, and make God send a different messiah. But

But passing through their midst, he went away.

Jesus would indeed suffer death at the hands of the Jews, but this wasn’t the time. His time was not now but on the cross. There he would suffer at the hands of sinful men. There he would suffer for the sins of the world, and not only for the children of Abraham, but for all. Wonderfully, unexpectedly, that includes you and me. On the cross, God shows himself, his power and grace hidden in suffering and weakness. It is the very thing the people of Nazareth rejected. The hometown boy, born in their very town, not anything special. Jesus went on his way. He passed through their midst. It wasn’t his day to suffer and die. He had much to do. His ministry is based on preaching and teaching as emphasized in the Prophet Isaiah.

Preaching and teaching. The church continues Jesus’ ministry, it is, in fact, Jesus preaching and teaching through simple means right here and now,

Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

Fulfilled. Scripture has been fulfilled today and will continue to be fulfilled in your hearing. The universal Gospel is preached and taught thorough Christ’s Church. Our little church here, the large churches in St. Louis, the thousands of rural churches, dotted across the Midwest, the churches in Europe, Africa, Asia, and all over the world. Everywhere the Gospel is taught in its truth and purity. Oh, and the sacraments are administered according to Jesus words. That is the ongoing ministry of Jesus.

I hope you have a sense of wonder at all of this. You and I can freely gather to receive the ongoing ministry of Jesus. It hasn’t always been the case for Christians of the world. Every Sunday, Jesus himself, reaches out to press the Good News of the forgiveness of sins right into your ears. Every Sunday, Jesus himself, puts his body and blood on your tongue, into your body, and you receive him, and the forgiveness he offers. This is exactly what Jesus foretold on that Sabbath so long ago in Nazareth.

So, the ongoing ministry of Jesus is preaching, particularly the preaching of repentance and forgiveness. I urge you to remember what I said about sermon critic at the beginning of this sermon!

You are a sinner. Sin permeates all you do. If you need a stronger reminder of that look at the Commandments. You sin against them, and God, every day in thought, word and deed. But let’s get very specific. We, collectively, and individually, don’t do enough in our community to ease suffering and share the Gospel. We do send our tithe to the district, and that is good, and rare, but we are place here in this community for God’s purpose. We have been blessed with so many resources, should we not be doing more? Have you given your gifts of income to help those who have lost everything on both coasts? Have you invited a friend or acquaintance to church? Are you afraid of losing your friendship? Are we so focused on our new building that we are ignoring the other needs of the community, and the world?

Jesus says, Repent! Turn to him for forgiveness he so freely gives on the cross. He has suffered for those specific sins, and all your sin, there. He took them to death and the grave. He rose from death to show you your resurrection from death. The penalty for your sin is paid in full. You are his through faith in what he has done for you. Holy Baptism is the sign of his ongoing forgiveness. And even though you continue to sin, every day, he forgives. It is only the power of God, in Jesus on the cross, that changes anything.

Every Sunday, Jesus comes to you in his body and blood on this altar. He comes to strengthen you in your faith. He, along with the deposit of the Holy Spirit, comes to guide you into doing the things you should be doing. When you have Jesus in you, you can and will do what is pleasing to God.

That is the ongoing ministry of Jesus. He said so in his sermon to the people of his hometown, Nazareth. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Ephesians 1:3-14; The Second Sunday after Christmas; January 5, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, Episode VI in the Saga. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader have it out in a last epic struggle. After a long series of blows, Luke finally wins the fight by cutting off Vader’s hand. The evil emperor, watching over the event, tells Luke to “fulfill his destiny,” kill the man he now knows to be his father and take his place at the emperor’s side and rule the galaxy with him. Luke refuses his “destiny”, at least the one the emperor said he had.

The idea of having a destiny is very popular in the movies and it isn’t outside of Christian belief either. It is in fact at the heart of what we believe. We are born with a particular future. But that leaves a question.

Is your destiny the destiny one that you would wish to fulfill?

The text says we are “predestined”, that “God has predestined us.” It gives some possibilities, doesn’t it? It’s a bit unnerving. We sometimes get the idea that our destiny with God is carved in concrete from all eternity. Like, being “destined” to meet the perfect spouse, or serving God in a particular vocation. If it’s not “meant to be” then you just lose out. If you make the wrong move you are out of God’s plan for your life.

John Calvin, a Swiss Theologian (and father of many of the non-Lutheran protestant denominations) that was a generation younger than Martin Luther talked a lot about Predestination. He said that everyone was predestined by God for one of two eternities. Heaven or Hell. Calvin said, before God made the world, he determined the final destination of every single human that would ever live. It was set in eternal concrete, God’s unchangeable plan. Some people were set for heaven and others set for hell.

John Calvin was wrong in one particular, very important way. Look at you: We have all been born destined to sin. Even though God created everything perfect, Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and saddled us with it. We say we are “by nature, sinful”. We sin often, and often we like it. And oh, how easy it is to sin with the world, and our sinful flesh, and the world, backs us up. Lots of people think that Christianity is a way to stop sinning. But we don’t. Our old sinful nature keeps up its bad habits, we are often tempted and often fall. Christians are often seen dishonoring the name of Christ. Are we just living up to our destiny?

Doesn’t God predestine us to be saved? Yes. It was always God’s plan to save his people. You might even say our destiny was born on Christmas morning. The baby in the manger, Jesus Christ, is God’s promised plan of salvation in a picture we can understand. The re-creation of everything begins with God-in-Human-Flesh Jesus. Our destiny is made perfect in his death on the cross. Forgiveness of sin is an essential part of our destiny.

And yet, God demands perfection. He can’t do anything else because he is perfect and holy. The great news is that he provides the perfection he requires. Jesus is God, perfect and holy. He takes on human flesh to be perfect for us, to live up to God’s expectation for us. Through faith in Jesus and his life, death and resurrection Jesus perfect life is accounted to us. Our destiny is in Christ Jesus. God declares us to be perfect because of Jesus. That is how we will be judged according to Jesus, not according to what we have done. We are predestined to heaven.

How can we know? Listen again:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV)

“In love he predestined us”; “He chose us!” it’s done, not might be done, but a done deal. “He has freely given.” There is no fear, threat or uncertainty. John Calvin was just wrong. The bible only speaks of one predestination, that of those adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ. It doesn’t say that he predestines people to hell. It sounds like a contradiction. But we can only go by what scripture says. God views all people the same. God wants all people to be save. And yet, some go to hell. God has done everything necessary to save us, in Jesus Christ. If we are save God is the reason. If we are not, it is solely our own doing.

The great thing is that God has also chosen to save us from our destiny to sin. It is in the promises made to us in Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In these wonderful gifts God gives the gift of Jesus himself. We are predestined always, in Christ Jesus. Baptism is a re-creation of who we are. We receive Jesus perfect life, and our old sinful nature is drowned in the water. We are called, that is baptized, into the perfect name of God. We receive forgiveness, life and salvation though Jesus. We have all the blessings promised by the Father to the ones he loves. And Baptism isn’t just true when your head is still wet. It’s true every day of your life after. It’s God’s way of giving you something to look at, see and feel. “I’ve been baptized!”

We are not destined to be enslaved by sin and death. We are predestined to be saved. Jesus became a complete human being, just like you and me. He chose to come and live a perfect life in the place of imperfect people. You have been baptized into Jesus. You have forgiveness of all your sins. Jesus perfect life has been accounted to you. Your destiny is to be raised from your death to eternal life with all those who are “in Christ”. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.