Sermons

Advent 3, 2025

Advent 3, 2025

Lord, are you the coming one, or shall we look for another?

A five year old boy says to his mother, “Are you my mother, or shall I look for another?” How would the mother feel? A husband says to his wife, “Are you my wife, or shall I look for another?” How would the wife feel? A parishioner says to her pastor, “Are you my pastor, or shall I look for another?” How would the pastor feel?

John’s question has a rebuke in it. “Or shall I look for another?” I cannot think up a situation where there’s not some degree of pain within the question; pain on both parts. If a five year old boy says to his mother, “Are you my mother or should I look for another?” the boy has some level of hurt, but then the mother also has hurt upon hearing her son ask the question. Likewise, if a husband says to his wife, “Are you my wife or should I look for another?” and likewise if one of you said to me, “Are you my pastor or should I look for another?”

It’s not quite the same as asking, “Do you love me?” Within the question, “Do you love me?” we know that we’re glad to reassure one another that yes, I love you. And we don’t ask, “Do you love me or should I look for someone else to love me?”

But the questions, “Are you my mother, are you my wife, are you my pastor, or should I look for another?” imply that there’s some lack or deficiency.

John the Baptist, who was in prison for holding to marriage by God’s design and for loving King Herod enough to call King Herod to repent, sent word by his disciples saying to Jesus, “Are you the coming one or should we look for another?”

I don’t think that John doubted, meaning, I don’t think that John was in unbelief. I do believe that John was going through a high degree of spiritual attack, various forms of pain, and that John had weaknesses. At a minimum, John wanted to be reassured and hear once more that Jesus is the Christ, the coming savior.

Our Lord was glad to reassure John that yes, He is the coming one. The blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear. The dead are raised up and the poor have Gospel preached to them. The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, entered this splintered and fragmented world to mend, heal, restore, and save. No one else was making the blind see. Only Jesus. No one else was making the deaf hear. Only Jesus. No one else was making the lame walk. Only Jesus. No one else was making the dead raised. Only Jesus. No one else is the source of the Gospel going out. Only Jesus.

No one else was dying for Herod’s sin. Only Jesus.

And, no one else was working forgiveness of sins. Only Jesus.

I mentioned that John’s question to Jesus had a rebuke. “Are you the coming one or shall we look for another?” That final line, “shall we look for another?” contains a rebuke.

Jesus, in turn, rebuked John saying, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” As though Jesus said to John, “John, I know what I’m doing, even if it doesn’t make sense all the time.”

Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus. Was John offended that he was unjustly in Herod’s prison? It’s possible. Or if not John, John’s disciples were. The Old Testament says, “The opening of the prison to those who are bound; to release the captives.” Yet John wasn’t being released. Was John, or his disciples, offended that Jesus hadn’t yet died to take away the sin of the world? Perhaps.

What about you? Are you offended that Jesus doesn’t do things your way?

The Lord once gave sight to the blind. Why not to all the blind today? The Lord once gave walking to the lame. Why not walking to all the lame today? The Lord once gave hearing to the deaf, cleansing to lepers, and raised the dead. Why not today? But for that matter, why didn’t Jesus heal all the sick in His own day? The widow of Nain got her son back alive. Why didn’t all the mothers?
Or, who among us hasn’t thought how much different we’d do things if we were God? That if we were God no one would die of hunger, no one would die of thirst, parents wouldn’t outlive their children, no wars, no violence, no bullying, no rising prices, everyone would be happy and peaceful, we’d just make everyone believe so that no one would be in hell. And, in our pride and vanity, we think we’d do better.

Would we?

Would you give your son to die for both president Biden and president Trump?

Would you send the rain on the just and the unjust?

Would you send the sunshine on the good and the evil?

Even now, do you bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, do good to those who revile you, and do you turn the other cheek?

Do you love and know the Word of God so much that you think you can out-mercy the One who entered this world to seek and save the lost, whether they wanted to be sought and saved or not?
Thanks be to God that we are not God! Thanks be to God that God’s ways are not our ways!

Do not be offended at the ways of the Lord. Rather than be offended, let us marvel, and praise, and have deep awe that His way of the cross, death, atonement, and resurrection for the sins of mankind are far more merciful than we could ask or think.

The Lord Jesus knew what He was doing. Remember, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus to die sot that Jesus could prepare the way for John to live. And, John lives.

Is Jesus the coming one, the one coming again in glory? Yes. Do you need look for another? No. Are you offended by Him? No. No, you’re not.

Blessed are you, as you continue to wait, and continue to believe on Him.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Advent 2, 2025

St. Paul writes in one place that this creation is groaning with the pains of childbirth as it waits for the revealing of the sons of God. The creation is ending. You know this. In part, you know that the creation is coming to an end from the Word of God. And, you know this creation is ending because you live in it. There are signs.

Jesus says, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars.” Eclipses. Blood moons. Shooting stars. Sun dogs. Rings around the moon. Every one of these is a sign that the end comes. While you should not attempt to calculate the time of the Lord’s return, you should see these things and remember that the end comes. You may see them and appreciate beauty in them; nonetheless, every eclipse could be the last. Every blood moon could be the final one before the Lord comes. See them, and remember.

There are signs on the earth. Jesus says the roaring of the sea and the waves. Hurricanes. Tsunami’s. While we in Iowa don’t live by the sea, we have blizzards and derechos and tornados. Each storm. Each disaster. With every cloud you see, remember that the Lord comes. The end draws near.

There are two responses to these signs. One response is the response of unbelievers. The other response is the response of believers.

An unbeliever can see these signs and harden his heart, like Pharaoh in Egypt. The unbeliever may see the signs and not care. Or see the signs and have a false hope in a false religion. Or, the unbeliever can see these signs have have fear, as Jesus says, “People fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.”

You are not an unbeliever. You’re a Christian. As such, you don’t see these signs and faint with fear or foreboding of what is coming on the world. You see these signs and you have hope. The Lord comes and that’s good. You want Jesus to return and make all things new.

Jesus gives you hope. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know the kingdom of God draws near.” The fig tree has a long history in the Bible. Adam and Eve used it’s leaves to make loincloths. On Palm Sunday Jesus cursed a fig tree that had no fruit. Yet now, Jesus uses the fig tree as a promise of a new heaven and a new earth. He loves the fig tree. He loves His creation. He loves you. By His shed blood and dying breath He has prepared the way for a new heaven and new earth, of which you are a part.

Now, imagine that Jesus’ words ended there. He says there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, people in distress and perplexity, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. He promises your redemption draws near and He assures you that as the fig tree comes out in leaf, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

He could have ended there. But, He doesn’t.

He goes on with stern warning and a strict exhortation to action.

The stern warning is this: But watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipations and drunkenness and cares of this life and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap, for it will come on all who dwell on the face of the earth.

Watch yourself. Not, “Watch other people.” Not, “Sit around with a few friends and solve everybody else’s problem, if only they would listen to you.”

Watch yourself, because your heart will be tempted to be weighed down, tempted to drunkenness, dissipation, and other cares of this life.

Put in today’s terms, Jesus is warning you against unhealthy coping mechanisms. You live in a very broken world. You know this. You have pain in your life. You know this. There are many coping mechanisms that are unhealthy; possibly alcohol abuse is the most common. Other common unhealthy coping mechanisms are mindless scrolling on the screen, binge-watching TV and movies, eating unhealthily, and just plain-old “checking out from everything.”

There are healthy and unhealthy ways to respond to challenges in this broken world. Many people say that their days and weeks are so stressful, but are they stressful or are they full of responsibility, because stress and responsibility aren’t the same thing. There are many good things we get to do that require work and effort, but it’s not the same as stress.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms create the very stress that a person want’s to escape. If a person abuses alcohol to cope with stress, and then complains about life being so stressful, that alcohol is creating the very stress the individual wants to avoid. Likewise, mindless scrolling of screens. Likewise, using food to cope.

For good reason Jesus says, “Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and cares of this life and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”

You are not a people to have your hearts weighed down. You are Christians. Of all people you have hope. Jesus died and lives. The blood of the Lamb declares you righteous. The Spirit of glory and of Christ rests upon you. You have hope.

Rather than turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, Jesus exhorts you to a different sort of action. Pray.

Praying at all times that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.

For whatever difficulty you face, particularly if it’s a difficulty of other people, pray. Pray that it be easier. Pray that you have strength. Pray that the Lord comes quickly. Pray for miracles. Pray for the wellbeing and blessing of other people.

In addition to prayer, read the Word of God and sing hymns. That is, have a diet of sacred and rich things. Pray the Psalms. Read the Word. Sing the hymns. This time of year is some of your favorite hymns. Nourish your soul with things that are excellent, to further prevent your heart from being weighed down. The Holy Spirit has given us everything we need. Let’s use it. Sing. Pray. Read the Word.

The Lord has done all that you need. He died for your sins. He is risen for your justification. He ascended on high. He is coming again. The day draws near that He returns with clouds and great glory. You are His people. You are people of hope. As these things begin to take place we straighten up and raise our heads, for your redemption draws near.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Advent 1, 2025

The Lord says in Isaiah, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but my people Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”

That verse from Isaiah is why we typically have a donkey with our nativity sets. The donkey knows its master’s crib.

On Palm Sunday, as our Lord rode the donkey into Jerusalem, the people did not know. They did not understand.

The disciples did things as Jesus directed. The two went into the village and loosed the donkey. Did they understand that was a symbol of the Lord coming to loose you from your sins; free you from bondage to the devil? You, your children, your grandchildren do not have to sin. You do not have to give in to evil. The one who does sin is a slave to sin; you weren’t baptized to be slaves to sin. You are baptized for holiness and righteousness, to walk in the light of the Lord, to let the love of Christ have its way with you and through you to others.

When the disciples brought the colt and its mother to Jesus, they laid their cloaks on them. A curious detail. Did they understand that the old, stubborn, unridden colt covered up by the garments is like your old Adam being covered up in Christ’s righteousness? Your old Adam must be put away; subdued; brought into submission to the Lord and His ways.

The crowds did a great number of things. They cut palm branches from the trees. Palm trees lined the walls of the temple. A symbol of victory and life. The palm branches were fitting for Jesus who is your victory and life. Did they understand that?

They cried out, “Hosanna!” Save us now! Did they know from what they needed saved? Did they think they needed saved from political tyranny? Saved from Rome’s oppression? Saved from evil neighboring residents who slandered them? Saved from lies? Or, did they understand that they needed saved from a prowling lion, the cares and anxieties and decitfulness of riches, testing and persecution, and their own sinful desires?

Do you understand what you need saved from, and how near to utter destruction you’ve come?

The crowd’s cry came from Psalm 118, which has, “Bind the festal sacrifice with cords up to the horns of the altar.” Did they realize that Jesus came to save us now by being the festal sacrifice bound to the altar?

And what of Jerusalem itself? Jerusalem had long awaited a true king. David’s Son and David’s Lord. As Jesus rode in, Jerusalem was troubled. How deeply troubling. They should have rejoiced. Their king came, and they didn’t want Him. He unsettled the waters. Stirred the pot. Told people what they needed to hear, even though it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. The good ol’ boys couldn’t control Jesus the way they wanted, so they plotted to kill Him.

Among all those present on Palm Sunday, was there any who understood?

Yes. Two.

Jesus. And, the donkey.

The donkey knows its master. The donkey knows its owners crib.

As a donkey was there when our Lord was born, a donkey was there, bearing Jesus, who soon would bear the burden to save the world.

If the donkey can know its master’s crib, then there’s hope for us, too. For Jesus did not have the donkey chiefly in mind. Love of the donkey was not what drove our Lord to His bitter passion. He had you in mind. Love of you compelled Him toward the tree.

The Lord understood what was at stake. To loose you from bondage to sin, to free you from the Devil’s tyrrany, to appease God’s righteous wrath on sin, to cover you up in holiness, to answer your “Hosanna!” and save you from all dread evil, He went to be bound with nails up to the posts of the altar. Jesus knew. For that reason He came, was born, baptized, called apostles, taught, healed, and entered Jerusalem.

You are loosed from the devil’s captivity. You are free and forgiven your sins. You are covered up with the robe of righteousness so that you can stand without fear before the Lord.

Now, if you understand all these things, God be praised. If you don’t yet understand them all, God be praised.

You’ve entered another new church year. Maybe you understand what it’s all about. Maybe you understand the structure of our worship service, why we do what we do when we do it. Maybe you understand why we stand, sit, speak, sing, and the order of readings. Or, maybe you’re still trying to make sense of it all.

Either way, you’re here and that’s good and this is where you belong. Here, the Lord comes to you in humble means. He’s with you in the reading of the Word and the pastor absolving your sins and in, with, and under the bread and wine giving you His living body and blood. Here, you walk in the light of the Lord. Here, you travel the way of holiness with Jesus. Here, you’re part of the new Jerusalem, the holy city, heaven on earth, right where you belong.

You do know these things. You’re part of the good company of oxen and donkey. You know your Lord and the Lord knows you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trinity 27, 2025

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins has numerous, much needed warnings. Thanks be to God that He cares enough to warn us. For He does not wish that any should perish but that all should reach repentance.

Outwardly, all ten appear to be Christians, yet not all ten are Christians. Five of them have wrong belief. And, because of their wrong belief, they do the wrong things. Instead of remaining to meet the Bridegroom, they leave. They prefer going to the sellers in the middle of the night over going to meet the Bridegroom. The fools don’t believe the promise that Jesus is coming; they don’t believe the promise that He comes in mercy.

These are warnings.

It matters what you believe. Incorrect belief, faith that isn’t Scriptural, is dangerous.

It matters whether or not you show up for worship. The fools, to their peril, went their own way.

To the fools Jesus will say, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

There’s an emphasis on “I say to you.” If Jesus says, “I say to you,” that means others were saying something to the fools, and the fools were saying something to themselves. So, what were others saying? What were the fools saying? Others told the fools they had a special knowledge of Jesus. The fools said, “Jesus and I? We have an understanding.” The fools insisted, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” The fools believed the lie that you don’t have to come to church to be a Christian, that God is non-judgmental, and He just wants you to feel good about you.

Whatever the fools said, it was wrong. Jesus speaks truth.

And says to them, “Truly I say to you, I never knew you.

“You said you loved me, yet you had as little regard for me as your nephew’s puppy.

“I sent men out with my Word. I said of those men, ‘He who hears you hears me. He who rejects you rejects me.’ You rejected them; you judged them; therefore you rejected me. Judging them, you judged me.

“You said that you knew me, but you lied. You didn’t know my Word, you didn’t try to know my Word, and because you didn’t know my Word, you didn’t know me.

“You heard the call to come, and said ‘no.’ You were warned that staying away is damaging to faith and dangerous to salvation, and thought, ‘That’s not how my Jesus is.’

“So now I say to you, I never knew you. The door is shut. You’re where you wanted to be.”

The folly of the fools is that they didn’t believe the promise that the Bridegroom comes. And, not believing the promise, they left. In the dark. To go shopping for oil. Because to them, that was preferable than remaining with those who had light.

And, time ran out. And, the end came. And, they were outside, in the dark, away from the light, unrecognizable precisely because they were in the dark. And the Lord told no lie when He said, “I do not know you.”

Those are needed warnings, lest you become complacent and join those in darkness. Do not be like them.

You are not in the dark. You are in the light. You hear the Word, the Word which is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. Your faith is fashioned and purified by that Word alone, so whatever you believe and do you may say, “Thus saith the Lord.”

You are not away, buying with the sellers. You are here, receiving from the giver, right where Jesus promises to be. As in the days of Noah when salvation was found in the ark, so in these last days salvation is in the ark of the Lord’s church, safe from the chaos of the sin-darkened world.

You are the wise, because you believe that the Bridegroom comes and He comes in mercy.

The wisdom of the wise isn’t the amount of oil. The wisdom of the wise is that they take the Bridegroom at His Word, “Thus saith the Lord, ‘the bridegroom comes.’” Even though the wise fell asleep, sinned, and were caught unawares, they still believed the promise: the bridegroom comes and He comes in mercy. He’s a bridegroom of blood who delayed, delayed three days to pay the price and be your atoning sacrifice. He fell asleep in the darkness of death while the Sun’s light failed. He died and He lives and He comes breathing mercy. He weds Himself to you in wedded love and faithfulness saying, “Peace be with you.”

How do you know that you’re the wise? Do you believe that Jesus is the bridegroom? Yes, you believe. Do you believe that He died for you, shed His blood for you, and declares you righteous in His sight? Yes, you believe. Do you believe that Jesus comes now in forgiveness and mercy? Yes, you believe. Do you believe that Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead? Yes, you believe. Do you believe that you died to sin, were buried with Christ in baptism, and are raised with Him? Yes, you believe.

You’re the wise, with a never-failing light, for His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. You’re the wise. Holy. Pure. Beloved. And you will enter with joy into the wedding hall.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.