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.