Trinity Sunday 2017
Trinity Sunday 2017
Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today’s text will focus on John 3:16-17 where it is written: And now God loved the world like this: The Father gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Jesus should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through the Holy Spirit might be saved. Thus far the text.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You see our corruption in this disordered world, grant us Your Holy Spirit the way You desire to give Him to us so that we may receive and remain in Your everlasting life. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
First a little story. I was at Walmart refilling my cholesterol meds. During the twenty minute wait, I went to where they have a few Bibles for sale because I wanted to look up a verse. As I was flipping through, a voice behind me says, “I you want to buy a good Bible you should get one with ....” Now, I was in my street clothes and I had never met the guy before. I said, “Oh really” and listened. He didn’t want a conversation. He wanted to talk. Quickly he changed topic to how Christianity is used to subjugate people. The topic changed to how Islam only wants to control people with religion and force. He said all religions are the same and all governments are corrupt. I still had time before my prescription was ready so I rolled up my evangelist sleeves and said, “You are right. All religions are the same, and Christianity is the same as all the other religions - except Christianity has one little difference.” The man was surprised at my response but agreed. He told me he didn't believe in any religion because they are all the same. But I added, “Christianity is the same as other religions except for one difference.” He was starting to look at me as if I was the creepy Walmart evangelist and wanted to get away but talked a little longer and then we parted ways.
He never took the bait. He never asked me, “What is the one little thing that makes Christianity so different?” So, being Iowa nice, I didn’t force response on someone who clearly didn’t want to listen. That was enough for one day.
The thing that makes Christianity difference is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing like it anywhere in creation.
Nicodemus wanted to talk to Jesus. Nic wanted to talk at Jesus.
The text gives us some good information about Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and the Pharisees were role models for everyone. The were the wisest, most disciplined, and kindest people. They followed the law of Moses. A second thing about Nicodemus is that he was no ordinary Pharisee. Nicodemus was on the ruling council of the Pharisees. He was respected not only by the people but also by the Pharisees. And Nicodemus did not share the growing opposition to Jesus held by the Pharisees. Nicodemus could get into a dangerous situation if he opposed his colleagues and the people because of sympathy toward Jesus. So Nicodemus went to Jesus at night thinking Jesus would praise him for being a good Pharisee and together they could clear up any misunderstandings.
But Jesus isn’t so Iowa nice with those who teach against the Gospel.
Jesus rebukes Nic immediately with the heart of the Gospel, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you are born from above you will never see the kingdom of God.” Old Nic is confused. To see the kingdom of God you need a Divine birth which is a birth from above. Everyone is born of the flesh but few are born of the Spirit.
Again, Jesus solemnly proclaims to Nic, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you are born from above by the Holy Spirited-water, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. It is not two births but one. It is not a birth by water followed by a birth by the Holy Spirit. Rather, it is born from above by the Holy Spirit-water. Holy Baptism.
Jesus clarifies, “Truly, truly I say to you, We (the Holy Trinity) speak of what We know and bear witness to what We have seen, but you do not receive Our testimony.”
The earthly comparison of what Jesus is saying to Nic is in the Old Testament writing for this morning. The Israelites were unbelieving so God sent snakes to bite them and many died or were dying. The Israelites were then aware of their unbelief cried out for mercy. So God had a bronze snake made and placed up on a pole with the promise, whoever is bit and looks to the snake will live. You could call it a Holy Spirited-snake.
On a much grander scale, for all people, God had His only-begotten Son lifted up on a cross to die. This lifting up comes with a command and a promise to all people. The command is that it is necessary to be baptized or you will die. But the promise is that with this Holy Spirited-water baptism you receive a birth from above which gives you eternal life.
Now your heavenly Father loved this fallen disordered world like this: He gave His only-begotten Son. Jesus is the atoning, or blood, sacrifice for your unbelief. The Father is pleased with His Son, twisted like a snake on that cross. And now those who are baptized and believing in God only need to cry out for mercy. This believing, this faith of Christ is the work of God for you.
The young man I met at Walmart had a lot of knowledge about the Bible and other religions but he had faith in no one but himself. But saving faith is not knowledge but trusting Jesus at His Word. Nicodemus had a lot of knowledge but he did not trust Jesus. Another thing these men shared is that they have not received Holy Baptism or taken Jesus at His Word.
Truly, truly, Jesus Christ the God-man does not need to judge anyone because men have already been judged. The condemned are already condemned because they are unbelieving. The saved are already saved because they have received a Holy Spirited-watery baptism in which they received the faith of Jesus and even now cling to Jesus who continues to teach them about this eternal life which is theirs now and always. This faith is the work of God.
That faith is now yours. You were among the condemned. But now you are those who have also been born from above. You are baptized. You trust Jesus at His Word. And both baptizing and believing is the work of the Holy Triune God.
Finally, if you hear any rumors about me at Walmart, I am probably waiting on a prescription and, as I’m given opportunity, also waiting to give away this Gospel in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard and keep you in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Wednesday Bible Study
Isaiah 40:3ff
3The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
The voice of one crying: In the wilderness preach, etc. This is how we punctuate the text. Luke (3:4) joins in the wilderness with the preacher, John, working in the wilderness. The Jews to the Gentiles. The voice doesn’t come by sitting quietly and waiting for it. First, you can’t empty yourself of speculations. Second, because your flesh has not yet been killed. When you hear the Word the Lord will empty your soul and kill your flesh. It happens no other way. This is the power of the Word. And again note, the Word and the Holy Spirit work together and never separately. The beginning of spiritual knowledge begins with the voice of one crying/preaching as St. Paul says in Romans 10:14, “How are they to believe….without a preacher?”
4Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; 5The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
Flesh is the whole man. It includes reason at the top. In the military and politics and training children, reason can be helpful among us. But God doesn’t see it that way. Reason wars against God.
The Word of our God stands forever!
“The ungodly may say of their own word, which they regard as the word of God, that it will abide forever. But they think that the genuine Word of God, which they do not know, will not last one hour. Nevertheless, it stands against all their triumphs while its adversaries perish. Therefore this statement might well be formed in large words and engraved on the sleeves” (Martin Luther).
VDMA, standing for the Latin motto Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum. This symbol was inscribed on swords, cannons and armor used by the Smalcaldic League which was formed to be a mutual defense organization, against the Catholic princes trying to overthrow the Reformation in the various territories of Germany that had embraced it. This is the motto of the Lutheran Reformation. The motto is based on Isaiah 40:6-8 quoted by 1 Peter 1:24-25. It first appeared in the court of Frederick the Wise in 1522. He had it sewn onto the right sleeve of the court’s official clothing, which was worn by prince and servant alike. It was used by Frederick’s successors, his brother John the Steadfast, and his nephew John Frederick the Magnanimous. It became the official motto of the Smalcaldic League and was used on flags, banners, swords, and uniforms as a symbol of the unity of the Lutheran laity who struggled to defend their beliefs, communities, families and lives against those who were intent on destroying them. The Smalcaldic War lasted from July 10, 1546 to May 23, 1547 (Martin Luther died February 15, 1546).
Although the Imperial (Roman Catholic) forces were victorious over the Protestant forces of the Smalcald League, crushing the heretics for the Pope in Rome, the ideas of Martin Luther had spread over the Empire such that they could not be suppressed with physical force. However, on 15 May 1548 Charles V, feeling at the height of his power, dictated the Augsburg Interim to prepare the reintegration of the Protestants into the Catholic Church. The edict provoked another revolt by the Protestant princes in 1552, this time led by Elector Maurice of Saxony and backed by King Henry II of France. Charles V had to flee from the superior Lutheran forces and to cancel the Interim with the Peace of Passau (1552 & Augsburg Interim ended), whereby John Frederick I of Saxony and Philip I of Hesse were released. An official settlement acknowledging the Protestant religion arrived three years later in the form of the Peace of Augsburg. The next year Charles V voluntarily abdicated in favor of his brother Ferdinand I.
The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 settled the conflict by allowing the 224 German rulers to declare their territories either Roman or Lutheran. The people in the territorial minority were able to retain their land and practice their faith at certain times in public and always in their home. Calvinists were not included until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 after the Thirty Years War.
Matins Service - June 7, 2017
Matins Service - June 7, 2017
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