Lent 5 – March 22nd,
2015 – John 8
In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
We got rid of our DirecTV last Summer, and while I will
admit, I missed being able to watch 15 college football games, or flip through
NCAA tournament games this week, there’s been a great benefit. I haven’t seen a single commercial for
whatever horrid “Learn about the “REAL Jesus” shows that are coming out now,
like they do every year at this time.
Every year it’s some schlock about getting to the heart of the matter,
trying to figure out why such a nice fellow like Jesus would be killed. Do you wish to know why Jesus is put to death
– why people are set against Him? John
records for us the heart of the matter.
What does our Lord say to these folks in our Gospel lesson today? “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My
Word.” Plain and simple – the
only reason anyone has a problem with Christ, with Christianity, when it all
boils down to it – they cannot bear to hear the Word of God. It is distasteful, it is unpleasing, it
doesn’t tell folks what they want to hear.
I think sometimes we can forget just how distasteful the
unbridled law of God is. See, people in
general like watered down law – they like law that says, “Oh, just play nice.” Be kind – oh, that’s sweet. But that isn’t God’s law, not in its
fullness. God’s law is firm and
direct. Love your neighbor – not just
give him polite indifference. Love him – actively serve him. Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is
perfect – not just try hard and we’ll give you a ribbon for participation. The simple fact is we as sinful human beings
do not keep the law like we ought – we are sinful. That’s just how it goes – and we need to
admit that and recognize that – and that is hard for our pride, that is hard
for our ego to accept. Some things we
will confess easily, but other sins, we like to downplay, brush off. And when we slough off our sin, when we
minimize it, when we pretend that it, all of it, isn’t that big of a deal, that
is a horrible thing. Jesus’ Word
describes what that minimizing of our sin actually is, what we are doing when
we attempt to justify our own sin. He
says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s
desires. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in
him. When he lies, he speaks out of his
own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not
believe me.”
When you deny the Word of God – when you hear the
Scriptures speak of your sin, and you want to brush it aside, blow it off –
that is your sinful nature kicking in – that is you sounding like Satan. Harsh words, aren’t they – but Jesus calls a
spade a spade – and sin, your sin, whatever it is, however little and small you
like to pretend it is, is truly nasty and vile.
Sin murders. When you do not show
the love to your neighbor that God has called you to show them – that kills
them, little by little. It harms them,
it robs them of the blessings and joy God intended them to receive through you
– and that is huge. Sin lies and has
nothing to do with the truth. When you
dither, when you make excuses – that’s the same stuff that Satan does. When you do not believe what the Word of God
says about you and your sin – about your failings and your weakness, you are as
bad as Satan, no ifs, ands, or buts – no excuses.
God’s Word of law is blunt and shows us the full depth, the
full impact of our sin – the stuff we like to brush over, ignore, sweep under
the rug. God’s Word of Law calls us to
repent – to confess our sins, all our sins.
The Word “confess” literally means to speak with, to speak
together. We are called to speak with
Christ His Word declaring our sins, every last one, to be horrid and vile. That is part of God’s Word.
Now, there is more to God’s Word – Christ Jesus also speaks
Words that are lovely beyond all measure, beyond all beauty. He tells us of a truth that is profound, that
is the mystery of the ages – and indeed, for our benefit. At the end of our text for this day, Jesus
says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” These are some profound words. In the Old Testament, when Moses asks God how
He should be called, God tells Moses to call Him – I AM. God – the One who *is*, who exists in and of
Himself – the God who creates us, and without Whom we would not exist – the
Maker of Heaven and Earth. This truth of
God, that He IS, was so profound to the Jews that in the Hebrew language, you never
said, “I am” – you would never say I am a Jew – you would simply say, “I
Jew.” You would never say “I am a guy” –
you would say “I a guy”. God is the One
who IS. And what does our Lord Jesus say
– I AM. Here Jesus states and says that
He is God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
Christ Jesus, True God and True Man, comes into this world
to deal with, to address and handle our sin.
To do what is necessary to fight it, to destroy it, to forgive it. And this too, dear friends, can be
distasteful. Christ coming to help and
save us from our sins means that we need help, that we need saving. Let me ask you the question – how many of you
recently have spurned help, gotten annoyed when someone offers help? “I can do it myself” – those words familiar? Again, words of pride, words of denial. And when it comes to handling our sin,
removing its taint, being restored to life – we are helpless, we need a Savior. If you are lying upon the hospital bed with
your heart stopped, you can’t go get the paddles yourself – the doctors and
nurses must tend to that. Likewise –
people who are dead in their trespasses – for that is what Scripture says we
were, dead in trespasses – must be restored to life by the Good Physician,
Christ Jesus. And the sinful nature rebels
against this, fights this tooth and nail – and so many do not believe.
But to you, dear friends, it has been given to hear and
know and understand these Words that Christ speaks – He has opened your ears to
hear, He has opened your eyes to see. He
is the light of the World, He has set you free – so that you can know the
beauty of these words. God Almighty does
not abandon you to a dying life of sin, He does not abandon you to the grave
and destruction – but rather, Christ Jesus, the great I AM, enters into this
world, and He saves you. That’s what our
Lord’s Word proclaims, and that gives joy to those who have been made children
of the Heavenly Father by the wondrous gift of Baptism – we hear and rejoice at
God’s salvation – we even hear and rejoice when He breaks our sinful hearts,
because we know that He will create in us new and clean hearts.
Our Lord speaks to this wonder in this text – He says, “Your
father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day – he saw it and was glad.” Abraham was a man of faith – and as such, he
knew that he was sinful, and that sin had consequences. In our Old Testament lesson, the Lord laid
out for Abraham the consequences of sin – sin means there must be death. Sin means you must die – that even your son, Isaac,
he too must die. And yet, even as
Abraham takes Isaac and binds him, ties him to the wood, raises the knife to
sacrifice him, knowing that death is what both he and Isaac deserve – what does
he hear, what does he see? The Angel of
the Lord – Christ Jesus Himself before His incarnation steps in, stops Abraham
– Jesus keeps Abraham from sacrificing Isaac.
Jesus says to Abraham – let us find a replacement – and then there, in
the thicket – a ram caught by its horns.
Today, this day Abraham – your son lives this day because of this
ram. Abraham saw this was glad. But there was more to it, it is as though
Christ said to Abraham – “This Ram is for today, but the day will come Abraham,
when I Myself will be the one who is sacrificed, not only for Isaac, but for
all, for you, and not only to give life for a day, but to give everlasting
life, to defeat and conquer death.” That
is the day that Abraham rejoiced that He would see – that He longed for above
all others.
Now, the Jews had pointed out that Abraham had died –
treated him as though he were gone. Our
Lord’s Words show us the mystery, the wonder of the ages. No, Abraham was not gone – he doesn’t see
death – rather He beholds Christ and so He sees life – He from the presence of
God beholds with utter joy what Christ does as He strides to earth and takes on
Human Flesh, and goes to the Cross and dies to atone for sin, rises to defeat
death and ensure our resurrection. There
is no final death for Abraham, for Christ won Him salvation by His own death
and resurrection – and likewise, Christ Jesus has won this salvation, this
promise of resurrection for you. And
this is given to you, this is provided to you by His Word. Our Lord says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if
anyone keeps My Word, he will never see death.” The word here for “keep” means to hold onto
to, to observe, to cling to, to cherish.
In Christ’s Word, there is life and salvation – His Words are indeed the
Words of eternal life – and when you receive this Word – When you hear it, when
you are baptized into it, when that Word of God is placed upon Your tongue in
our Lord’s most Holy Supper, it brings life everlasting – life beyond death and
the grave. It means you will not see
death – that even death becomes merely the doorway to life everlasting, that
the separation of body and spirit at death will be not be permanent, for our
Lord will raise you on the last day and make you perfect and truly living in
Him. This is what God’s Word gives you,
this is what the Word accomplishes and brings about in you. This is the effect of the preaching of the
Word, this is the effect of Baptism, this is the effect of the Supper – that
you receive from Christ life.
In this way, Christ ultimately defeats Satan. With His death and resurrection, our Lord
defeats Satan, and with His Word and Sacraments, Christ pulls you out of
Satan’s kingdom of death and restores you unto life. This is what He accomplishes, this is what
Abraham sees and rejoices, this is why all the hosts of heaven give thanks and
praise to God. Let us with prayer then
prepare to join them in their songs of celebration, and let us then join in the
heavenly feast in our Lord’s Supper. In
the Name of Christ the Crucified +
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