Sermons

Lent 4, 2026

Sermon Lent 4, 2026

He lifted up His eyes and saw a great crowd coming toward Him.

There were so many. So very many.

Healthy? They weren’t. Perfect lives? No. Their families didn’t all get along great. They were sick. Hurt. Some had ailments you could see, such as a few carried on beds because they couldn’t walk, some had visible sores on their skin. One was missing sight in one eye. Here and there, broken bones in need of mending.

The visible sicknesses were the lesser part. Every one had wounds you could not see.

Granted, if you asked any one of them, “How are you doing?” they’d politely say, “Fine,” give you a small smile as though to say, “You don’t want to get me started, because you don’t have the time or the empathy.”

Over there, she recently started drinking again and is terrified her husband will find out. She wants to stop, keeps telling herself the next day will be better, but the next day she falls again.

And there, a man. Forty-one years old. For two decades, he’s wanted to be a husband and father. It hasn’t happened. He feels so empty and can’t bear the thought of going through life without a wife and children.

There, he and his wife have grown distant in their marriage. What scares him is increasingly he thinks about an affair.

There, a couple that lost a child four years ago. The community around them has moved on. They haven’t. They feel stuck.

There, last week she felt a lump. It runs in her family. Now it’s come for her.

There, over the past six months he’s felt tightness in his chest, a tightness he never felt before. He’s scared to start the process of going through the tests. He hopes that if he ignores it and says nothing it will just go away.

And there. Their grown daughter hasn’t spoken to them for six years. They miss her.

So many people. So much hurt.

Just one Jesus.

In Him, so much hope.

The crowds went to Jesus because they saw the signs He was doing on the sick.

What about you? You follow Jesus because of the signs He does on the sinners. Broken, hurting, many-days gut-wrenching sinners, with wounds not visible to the naked eye but sometimes visible to the caring soul, people in desperate need of hope. You hurt. You hurt because sin breaks stuff. Some of your pain is self-inflicted; certainly not all of it. You wants to be made whole. You have hope, for the same reason that the 5000 had hope.

As Jesus was in the midst of the 5000, Jesus is in the midst of you.

A subtle clue in the John 6 reading is the Passover. “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews was at hand.” Thus, we read the feeding of the 5000 in light of the Lamb being taken, slaughtered, blood poured out, roasted, and eaten in order to strengthen the people for the journey at hand.

Your Lord Jesus is the Passover Lamb, delivered up for our offenses and raised for our justification. He was betrayed, taken, beaten, scourged, crucified, blood poured out on this wounded earth to forgive and restore, died for your iniquities and raised for your salvation. You eat and drink of Him in His blessed supper. His flesh and blood, given you to eat and drink, do what He says they do. They strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life eternal. He is medicine for wounded souls, healing salve for the destitute, comfort for the hurting.

If the crowd comes to Jesus because they are broken, then we expect that while remaining with Jesus they become less broken. And, it’s true. If you ask those who are with Jesus, “How are you doing?” they can smile a warm smile and say in pure honesty, “Blessed.”

The woman who wants to quit drinking? She can. Jesus gives freedom, saying, “If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.” Christ supplies the strength and endurance she needs, for in Christ she can do all things.

The forty-one year old man who wants a family? In the Lord’s church, he isn’t as alone. He continues to trust the Lord’s promise that the Lord settles the solitary in a home.

The husband and wife who have grown distant in their marriage? In Christ, they relearn what it is to be married. They look to the Biblical expectations for husband and wife and, while it’s a slow process, they work on it. They begin talking once more.

The couple that lost a child four years ago. They grasp the promise that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Their child is with Jesus and Jesus is with their child.

The woman who felt a lump? She entrusts herself, body and soul, to the scarred hands of Jesus.

The man with tightness in his chest? He clings to the words, “The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.”

The couple whose grown daughter hasn’t spoken to them for six years? They know that Jesus has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation, and that even includes reconciliation in families. Miracles happen.

And you. You’re here, because of Jesus. You hurt, and in Christ you have peace. You hurt, and in Christ you have healing. Jesus is in your midst.

For that, thanks be to God.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lent Midweek 3, 2026

Lent Midweek 3, 2026

Remember the three parts of repentance. One, sorrow over sin. Two, faith in the Lord’s mercy. Three, desire or intent to do better. Those three components must be present for it to be true repentance. If you’re missing one or more then it’s not repentance.

The third Penitential Psalm, or Psalm of repentance, is Psalm 38. Psalm 38 is a more difficult Penitential Psalm. It’s more raw. It gives more expression to sorrow over sin.

It begins like Psalm 6. David prays, “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger nor discipline me in your wrath.”

God has anger over sin. Wrath. Remember what it’s like for you when you put a rule in place, a rule that you know is good because it protects people, but then you see people break it. God knows that His Law is good, lovely, true, beautiful. It is life. It protects. It spares. God has anger and wrath when we break His Law. The Flood. Sodom and Gomorrah. The plagues on Egypt.

We pray, “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger nor discipline me in your wrath.” We do want God to rebuke us, but not in anger. We do want God to discipline us, but not in wrath. We want God to rebuke and discipline us in love and mercy.

David continues and expresses his sorrow over sin:

For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me,

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate, all the day I go about mourning.

My sides are filled with burning and there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

Thus, David gives voice to sorrow over sin. Because of his sin, he has guilt, shame, anguish, regret. David is aware that he knew better, yet still he sinned. Is there anything more foolish than knowing what God says, and breaking it? You know that sin causes pain. You know that sin hurts those whom you profess to love. You know that sin is rebellion against God whom you profess to love and God’s Word which you profess to believe. Knowing these things, why would anyone sin? And yet, we do.

David speaks from his guilt and shame, that is, his great sorrow over sin. I am feeble and crushed, I grown because of the tumult of my heart.

Amid his sorrow, David also has hope. I confess my iniquity. I am sorry for my sin. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

He has sorrow over sin. He has faith in the Lord’s mercy. He desires to do better.

So do you. You are repentant. You have sorrow over you sin. You have hope, knowing that the Lord has laid the iniquity of us all on Christ Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses you from all unrighteousness.

Be at peace. The Lord forgives you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lent 3, 2026

Lent 3, 2026

Jesus said, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.”

That parable is a short parable of salvation. Your salvation. Mankind’s salvation. It works on a number of levels. It’s a parable about Noah and his family being saved from the strength of evil in their days, for the stronger one destroyed the evil with the flood. It’s a parable of God bringing His people out of Egypt. Pharaoh’s hard heart was strong. God was stronger. It’s a parable of Samson wielding a jawbone against a thousand men. The thousand were strong; the one was stronger.

Primarily, the parable is Satan and Jesus.

In the parable, the strong man is Satan. Remember how Satan is often depicted with strength. He’s compared to an ancient dragon, not a salamander. He’s compared to a prowling lion, not a kitten. Satan has strength. If it’s up to you alone, you cannot withstand him. Yet, being baptized into Christ, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, you can withstand him. James writes, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.” The Greek word that’s translated as “Safe” is the Greek word Irene. It means peace. Jesus’ point is, many people have a false peace in the devil’s domain. Ask yourself: What do people think is better? Sin, or righteousness? Transgression, or holiness? Committing themselves to the Word of God, or doing whatever they want? Many are under the devil’s domain, simply because they want nothing to do with Christ, His Word, or His Church. Tragically though Christ bled and died for them, many of them think they have more peace with Satan than the Prince of Peace.

Satan’s armor is a combination of your sin and God’s Law. First, Satan entices you to sin. Second, Satan uses God’s Law to accuse you of your sin. Satan says, “Look how far you’ve fallen. How could God love someone like you, with the ways you have violated His Word?” If Satan had his way, he would drag all our sin before God’s throne and demand that we be damned.

The goods that Satan wants are you. Not because he loves you. Out of spite, he doesn’t want God to have you.

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace his goods are in peace, but when one stronger than him attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away the armor in which he trusted and gives away the spoil.”

Imagine being captured by an enemy tyrant king. The tyrant king takes you far off to his palace and puts you down deep in the prison. He puts your wrists and feet in fetters. He chains you to the wall with heavy chains. You have extreme little ability to move. The walls are thick. The door is heavy-wrought iron. There’s a guard.

At first, you have hope in two things. One, you have hope in your cleverness. You think you’ll be able to escape, to see a weakness in the guard, to sense an opportune moment when you might break free. And two, you have hope in rescue. You are certain your own people will come for you.

Two weeks goes by. You realize you have no hope of escaping by yourself.

Three months goes by. Your hope that rescuers are coming dwindles.

A year. Two years. You grow despondent, and slowly, you’re growing used to being in the tyrant king’s prison.

After twelve years, you hear thunderous booms. The palace shakes. The guards outside the wrought-iron door leave their post. You hear lots of shouting. The thunderous sounds continue and intensify. The palace shakes more. The sounds grow closer and closer. You have no idea if it’s an enemy of your enemy. You’re scared.

Then you see a hand grab hold of the wrought-iron door, and simply rip it off. A man you don’t recognize steps in. He’s bleeding. His eyes are like a flame of fire. He comes to you, grabs the chains and wrenches them apart. He takes the fetters and snaps them off. After demonstrating all that strength, he picks you up, because you haven’t walked much in years, and with surprising gentleness, he carries you. He leaves a trail of blood.

He carries you up through the palace. You see the place is destroyed.

He brings you outside, and there you see a King whom you’ve never seen before. The King’s hair is a magnificent white. He shines with brightness. He’s clearly the Ancient of Days, which mean’s you’ve been rescued by the Prince. The Prince gives you back to the King, where you belonged all along.

Jesus, the Prince, gives you back to the Father where you belonged all along. He took away the devil’s armor in taking away your sin and paying the price in full.

As Jesus said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” Jesus said, “Blessed moreover are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.”

Let us do that. Let us hear the Word, every day without fail. Let us be here in the Lord’s house, every Sunday without fail. Let us teach these things to our children. And hearing God’s Word, let us keep it.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lent Midweek 2, 2026

Lent Midweek 2, 2026

God gives us a conscience for our good. Our conscience helps us know right and wrong. Many of you remember Pinocchio, and Jimmeny Cricket saying, “Let your conscience be your guide.” Jimmeny Cricket’s advice only holds true if your conscience is formed by the Word of God. If a conscience is not formed by the Word of God, then the conscience will not be accurate.

You can think of the conscience in three different conditions. A healthy conscience. A troubled conscience. A dead conscience.

A healthy conscience is a conscience formed by the Word of God and it isn’t troubled by sin. This is the ideal situation. It’s at peace. It knows what is good and right and true and it does it. It hasn’t broken God’s Law.

A troubled conscience is a conscience that is formed by the Word of God, but it has sinned. And because it’s sinned, it feels guilt and shame. It’s troubled. A troubled conscience desires forgiveness.

A dead conscience is a conscience that is no longer formed by the Word of God. Either it didn’t know God’s Word, or it knew God’s Word and over time has rejected it. It’s sinned, and sinned, and continued in sin, driven out the Holy Spirit, no longer feels guilt or shame because of sin. Some people with a dead conscience are convinced that they and God still have a fine relationship, but they’ve deceived themselves. They and God don’t have a good relationship; individuals with a dead conscience are in danger of their soul and salvation.

When you sin, your conscience should be troubled. That’s a healthy and good thing. The goal of the troubled conscience is that you repent and receive absolution.

In Psalm 32 David describes the troubled conscience, that is a conscience formed by the Word of God and that’s committed sin. “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” There’s a weight, a heaviness, to a troubled conscience. You know the feeling of a child who broke something valuable to mom, and the child dreads mom finding out. You remember the feeling of knowing you lied, and your body just wanted to get the truth out. That feeling is God working on you for your good. David says that God’s hand was heavy upon him. As a result of God working on David, David’s strength was dried up.

What did David do? “I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgression unto the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

The troubled conscience needs to confess. It’s like lancing the wound, letting the death escape so healing can begin. And, the troubled conscience needs forgiveness. A healing balm which only comes from the blood of Christ. Forgiveness which the Lord is eager and ready to give.

“Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

When David says, “Blessed is the man whose sin is covered,” David has a very specific place in mind where that covering happens.

Once a year, the blood of a male unblemished year-old lamb was poured out over the Ark of the Covenant. On top of the Ark of the Covenant was the mercy seat, the place where the Lord Himself was present. Inside the Ark of the Covenant were two stone tablets, upon which were written the Ten Commandments.

As the blood of the Lamb was poured out on top of the Ark of the Covenant, God looked down. Looking down, God looked upon His Law. His holy, pure, good Law which we have broken in sin, and God sees His Law through the blood of the Lamb.

Seeing His Law through the blood of the Lamb, Christ crucified, He sees no transgression. No sin. For your sin is covered. Forgiven. Paid for. By the blood of Jesus.

Seeing your sin covered, you are forgiven. Blessed are you.

In Jesus name. Amen.