Lost and Found by Pastor Klusmeyer

Lost and Found

You have that panicky and familiar feeling in the pit of your stomach. You’ve lost something important, and you have no idea where it is. You’re expecting an important call and can’t find your phone for the fourth time today. You’re late for work and you’ve looked in all the normal places but you have no idea where your keys could be. You frantically search everywhere but as the minutes begin to feel like hours you grow increasingly anxious and worried. But then there’s that moment when you find that missing thing and you are filled with joy and relief. Now take those memories of loss, anxiety, and stress and imagine that it’s not a phone, glasses, or set of keys that you’ve lost, but a child.

This is what Mary and Joseph experienced during a memorable trip to Jerusalem many years ago. Mary, Joseph, and their twelve-year-old son Jesus made their yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem according to the Law of Moses to celebrate the Passover. We can only guess at the details of their family celebration. Did the boy Jesus help his father Joseph with the preparations? Did he think about how his own blood would be shed the way the blood of the lamb was shed? We don’t know. What we do know is that after the feast was over Mary and Joseph began their long journey back home.

During this busy Christmas season, many of you went to visit family and friends. You know the hectic flurry of activity as you are preparing to leave: the packing of luggage, the gathering of coats, the questions in the car of, “Are you sure you remembered everything,” and the inevitable groans at the realization that something important had been forgotten. Have all of that in mind as you imagine making a long journey on foot with most of your friends and relatives from your entire town.

In the flurry of activity Mary and Joseph must have assumed that Jesus was walking with some of their other friends or playing with the boys his age. Mary and Joseph were most likely preoccupied with the other adults and exchanging stories about what they had seen in Jerusalem during the feast. But as evening approached, they realized with growing concern that they had not seen their son all day. That concern grows into panic as the different families get ready to camp for the evening. Where was Jesus? Mary and Joseph quickly realized with a sickening feeling of dread that Jesus was not with them. We can picture them hurrying with fear and dread back to Jerusalem.

For three days Mary and Joseph frantically searched. They visited all the places they had been to during the festival. They urgently ask everyone if they have seen their son. Finally, they go to the temple. Imagine their joy and surprise when they see Jesus sitting among the rabbis and teachers of the law asking and answering questions. Mary asks, “Son, why have you treated us this way? See, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” Jesus responds to his mother, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be taking care of my Father’s business?”

These are the first words spoken by our Savior that are recorded for us in Scripture. In these words, and this story, we see the mystery of the incarnation. We see Jesus Christ the almighty Son of God who existed in eternity from before the creation of the world living as a twelve-year-old boy with a mother and father who loved him, cared for him, and worried about him. Jesus understood even at this young age the reason he had come to this world. He knew that God had a plan to save his children. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought the curse of sin and death upon the entire human race. God as our loving Father was willing to do anything to save his beloved children. We were lost but God was willing to sacrifice his only begotten Son so that we might be found.

This is why Jesus came to this world. The writer to the Hebrews tells us, “Therefore since the children share flesh and blood, he also shared the same flesh and blood so that through death he could destroy the one who had the power of death (that is, the Devil) and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.” Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet he was without sin. We see this on display in this story. Imagine being the almighty Son of God and living under the authority of sinful parents. We know how difficult it is for us at times to obey our parents or others in authority when we know deep down that they are wrong, and we are right. We justify our disobedience against authority that doesn’t meet our standards and look for excuses to rebel.

Our perfect substitute Jesus did not rebel against the sinful authority of his parents. He submitted to their rule and kept the 4th Commandment perfectly in our place. Later in his life he willingly submitted to the corrupt rule of the chief priests, Herod, and Pontius Pilate as he allowed himself to be tried, convicted, and crucified even though he was guilty of no crime. Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience in our place. He kept all the laws and commandments of God and submitted to their requirements even though he was the Lord of the universe. For this reason, he had to become like his brothers in every way, in order that he would be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, so that he could pay for the sins of the people. Indeed, because he suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Even from an early age, Jesus knew why he had been sent to this world. He knew that will of his Father. He knew that he had been sent for one purpose: to offer his perfect life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Think of the boy Jesus sitting in the temple courts at the Feast of Passover. He knew that in a few years, he would be back in Jerusalem to be sacrificed as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Even as a young boy, he knew the prophecies of Isaiah. He knew that the chief priests and elders of the people would be the very ones who would beat his back, pull out his beard, and spit in his face.

Jesus was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father as he made his face hard like flint and resolutely set his feet upon the path that would lead to the cross. Jesus Christ is our perfect high priest who offered his perfect life as a sacrifice for sin. On the cross, he became our substitute. He became sin in our place and faced the full wrath of God. On the cross, Jesus was forsaken by the Father and endured the torments of hell so that the lost could be found. By his death, all who had been lost in the darkness of sin were found in the light of his salvation. Jesus is the light of the world. He has found the ones who were walking in darkness and restored them as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.

As we see the amazing love of our Savior and the perfect obedience he had to his earthly parents and the will of his heavenly Father, we seek to mirror his obedience. We desire to live our lives according to the will of our Father. We live in service and obedience to those God has placed in authority over us. We lovingly submit to the authority of our parents when we are younger, and care for them when we are older. We live peaceful and quiet lives in submission to the governing authorities. We daily seek to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Lord as we read and study his Word. We grow in wisdom and understanding as we regularly join with others in worship and Bible study. All this we do because we are obedient children of our heavenly father who were lost and have now been saved.

None of us like the feeling of losing something. We hate the frantic searching and the tense moments as we look high and low for what we have lost. We empathize with Mary and Joseph as they combed the streets of Jerusalem looking for their lost son. We can understand the pain that God felt when his sons and daughters were lost to the darkness of sin. We rejoice that our heavenly Father was willing to do anything to rescue us from that darkness and restore us as his children. We rejoice and praise our Savior who was willing to become one of us so that he could be an obedient sacrifice in our place. Praise be to Christ that we who were lost have now been found.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch; like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.

The Gift by Pastor Zarling

The Gift

John 1:9-14 9The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband's will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

It’s Christmas morning. The kids are up before sunrise. They burst into their parents’ bedroom. They jump on mom and dad, telling them it’s time to open presents. Then the kids run downstairs to the Christmas tree. They are excited as they see all the wrapped presents stacked under the tree. They look at the tags to see which ones are theirs. They shake the presents to guess what they’re getting.

Mom has started brewing coffee. Dad has turned on Christmas music. Finally, it’s time to open presents. Then the five-year-old stands up, waves his hand, and says, “No thanks.” He walks away to find something else to do.

That’s not realistic at all, is it? That’s like Ralphie not wanting a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. Or Kevin not wanting to be with his family at Christmas. Or Buddy not wanting to see Santa at Christmas.

Who doesn’t love opening gifts? Especially at Christmas? Who doesn’t love receiving gifts from loved ones – gifts that are unearned and undeserved?

Yet, that’s exactly the way most people treat the greatest gift ever given. John writes about the gift of Jesus, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him” (John 1:10-11).

It’s true that people in John’s day in the first century and also in our day in the twenty-first century have no interest in the gift of a Savior. That’s why so many oppose Christ, his words, and his morals in society. That’s why Christians are arrested and put in prison for praying outside of abortion clinics. That’s why there are statues glorifying Satan set aside nativity sets glorifying the baby Jesus in government buildings. People are not interested in Jesus. They don’t recognize him as God. They do not accept him as Savior.

Even those who are Christians who know Jesus as God’s greatest gift are sometimes not interested in spending the time with him that he deserves. That’s why churches are empty while basketball courts and soccer fields are full on Sunday mornings. That’s why we spend more time stressing about the decorations and presents of Christmas than spending time with Christ in his Word and in prayer. That’s why we like watching secular Christmas movies and listening to secular Christmas music than filling up our music playlist with “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and “Joy to the World.” We have so much going on in our lives and we are so busy that we set aside this greatest gift. We’re not always excited to open up this gift. We don’t make time to use this gift.

That’s about as ridiculous as a five-year-old not being excited to open presents on Christmas morning.

Let’s change that. Let’s spend more time with the One who always has time for us. Let’s receive and appreciate this gift. Let’s spend time with Jesus and his Word.

Why? John tells us why. “But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband's will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). We receive him who came down to earth to receive us. We were born belonging to the devil. Through faith in Jesus as our newborn Savior, we are reborn and made children of God. This isn’t a birthright that’s ours because of our parents’ DNA or last name. This is a gift that God gives us simply because he desires it.

What is this gift? John tells us, “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

What has all our busyness gotten us? Has it lessened our stress? Improved our health? Strengthened our marriage and family life? Nope. Our busyness usually adds to our stress, hurts our health, and causes rifts in our marriage and family.

That’s why God sent his Son in the flesh to dwell among us. We can’t fix our problems on our own. We just make things worse. So, “the Word became flesh.” God’s Son didn’t wait for humanity to clean up our messes. He just came. He became one of us. He took on our flesh and blood in the womb of a woman. He was born to die. He was laid in a manger so he could be laid on the cross. He was wrapped in strips of cloth so he could clothe us with his righteousness. He took all our sins upon himself so he could give us his perfection. He came to fix our human problems by providing divine solutions. He came so we could set aside our busyness and be about his kingdom business.

What does this good news about this great gift do to us? Hopefully, you’ll be as excited to receive Jesus as Mr. Parker was excited to receive his leg lamp award. Hopefully, you’ll be as protective of your time with Jesus as Kevin as protective of his house against the Wet Bandits. Hopefully you’ll be as anxious to meet Jesus every Sunday as Buddy was anxious to meet his dad.

Let’s be as excited to open this gift of Jesus as a real five-year-old is excited to open his Christmas presents. Because this gift of Jesus is the Son of God becoming man so that the sons and daughters of men could become children of God. This gift of Jesus came to make his dwelling among us so that we might go to have our dwelling made with God. What a gift! Amen.

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Amen.

Marvel at God’s Majestic Might by Pastor Klusmeyer

Marvel at God’s Majestic Might

After living in the city for a few years there is one thing I’ve decided I really don’t like: the streetlights. Sure, they make it easier to drive and walk at night and help with public safety. But I miss being able to see the night sky ablaze with stars. I loved being able to see all of the constellations and even on very dark nights the hazy arm of our galaxy.

The heavens are a testament to the might and power of our God. As we look at the vastness of his creation, we cannot help but marvel at God’s majestic might. Throughout history, God has done great things for his people. He brought plagues on Egypt, made the sun stand still in the sky, and rescued them from hungry lions and fiery furnaces. But God’s greatest deed was accomplished when he sent his Son to be born of a Virgin. God’s might and power were on full display as he broke the power of sin and death by his death on the cross. As Advent draws to a close, we join with Mary and magnify the greatness of our God and marvel at God’s majestic might.

Imagine Mary’s awe as she considered the proclamation of the angel Gabriel that she would conceive and give birth to the very Son of God. The long years of waiting were over. The Savior God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was about to be born. The anticipation of God’s amazing grace was about to be fulfilled. Gabriel told Mary that as a sign of God’s power and promise her cousin Elizabeth was also pregnant in in her old age even though she had been called barren. In her joy, Mary hurried to see this miracle and to share her joy that she was carrying God’s promised Savior.

We can only imagine Elizabeth’s joy and anticipation as she neared the end of her miraculous pregnancy. The son promised to her and Zechariah was soon to be born. As she heard the greeting of her cousin Mary the baby John leaped in her womb in joy as his Savior approached. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and marveled at God’s majestic might as the promises of God were fulfilled in her very presence.

When Mary heard the Word of the Lord spoken by her cousin she was filled with joy. Her soul could not help but magnify the glory of the Lord. Mary’s song, the Magnificat, is a glorious hymn of praise to our awesome God. It reminds us that our God is a powerful warrior who fights for his people and who keeps all his promises. It is a song of joyful anticipation that points us to the fulfillment of God’s amazing grace in the birth of our Savior. As we think about her song, we too marvel at God’s majestic might.

As we look at the beauty of creation, the expanse of the starry heavens, the roar of the vast oceans, and the multitude of life in this world, we marvel at God’s majestic might. Our souls magnify our Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior. Yet there is still a part of us that cannot help but be afraid of God’s marvelous might. When we are confronted by the awesome majesty and holiness of God our sinful natures cower in fear. We know that for a sinner to stand in God’s holy presence and see his face means death. Adam and Eve knew this as they hid themselves from his presence after they ate from the tree, he commanded them not to eat from. We hear this fear echoed in God’s chosen people as they heard God’s holy law at Sinai. All the people saw and heard the thunder and the lightning and the sound of the ram’s horn and the mountain smoking. The people saw, and they trembled and stood far away. Then they said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, or we will die.”

Because of sin, this is our natural response to the holiness of God. We know that our sinful nature and our sins of thought, word, and action separate us from him. We know that by nature we deserve only his wrath and punishment. But God does not want us to live in fear of his wrath. God wants to comfort us with his grace and shower us with his blessings. This why: when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons. God sent Jesus to fulfill his law and be punished in our place. Our God is a God who fights for his people. He sent his Son to fight a battle we could never win. Jesus came to destroy the power of the devil and break the chains of death. On the cross, Jesus paid the debt of our sins. Through the waters of baptism, we have been reborn as God’s dearly beloved children.

Mary knew the promises of God. She knew that God’s strong arm was not something that his people needed to fear but to marvel at. Our God is mighty to save. We know the great things he has done for his people. Thinking of God’s mighty arm calls to mind God rescuing his people from Egypt. At the Red Sea God

used his might to save his people. He bared his mighty arm and parted the waters so Israel could pass through in safety. He then brought those waters crashing down and cast the army of Pharoah in the depths of the sea. God scatters the proud and casts down the mighty. God is a fearsome and powerful foe to those who reject and oppose his will. But to those who love him and trust in the name of Jesus, he is a mighty warrior who fights for his people. We marvel at the majestic might of our God who still fights to save us. Who rules over all things for the good of his church and sends his angels to guard and keep us.

The song of Mary calls to mind all the great and mighty things God had done to save his people. As she praised God, she marveled that his greatest act of salvation was about to be fulfilled through her. Mary knew that there was nothing majestic or awesome about her. She was just a lowly virgin who had been chosen by God to bear his Son. Mary wanted people to remember her throughout the ages because of what God had done through her, not because of anything she had done. In the same way, there is nothing glorious or majestic in us. By nature, we are all sinners, but in his great love, God chose each of us to be his dear children. Through the cross of Christ, he adopted us as his children and made us heirs of his kingdom. We marvel that our mighty and majestic God loved us enough to die to save us and we live in humility because we know that we have been saved by grace alone.

Mary knew the history of her people. She knew the promises that God had made to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his children forever. She rejoiced that our mighty God is faithful to his promises. Even when the children of Israel abandoned their covenant with God, he did not forsake them. He remembered his promises. He sent his prophets again and again to call his people to repentance. He brought them out of captivity in Babylon and preserved them so a Savior could be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. He showed the full depth of his mercy to his servant Israel as he fulfilled his promise and sent his Son to free all people from their sins.

Our merciful and mighty God continues to show us his mercy. He calls us to repentance through the preaching of his law. He invites us to turn to Jesus in faith and trust the promise that all our sins have been forgiven by the blood of Christ. At the shore of the Red Sea God bared his mighty arm and cast the army of pharaoh into the depths of the sea. God was about to accomplish an even greater act of salvation through the child Mary carried. We marvel at the majestic might of our God as he suffered and died on the cross for our sins. On the cross, Christ bared his mighty arm and crushed the head of Satan. On Easter morning Christ defeated the power of death and hell and gave us the certainty of eternal life with him.

The next time you gaze up at the night sky take time to marvel at the majestic might of our God. Consider all the great and mighty deeds he has done for you. Remember how he fulfilled the promises he made to Abraham and to his children. Wonder at the warrior who defeated the power of death and hell for you. And gaze in awe as we celebrate the night the heavens were filled with songs of angels as they announced that Emmanuel had been born to free the world from sin.

O come, O Root of Jesse free your own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell your people save and give them victory o’er the grave.

The Tree of Life by Pastor Zarling

The Tree of Life

Revelation 22:1-5 The angel showed me the river of the water of life, which was as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. 2In the middle of the city’s street and on each side of the river was a tree of life that yielded twelve kinds of fruit. The tree yields its fruit every month, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him. 4They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. 5There will no longer be any night or any need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

There is an extraordinary tree on Kalaloch Beach inside Olympic Park in Washington state. Some people call it “The Tree of Life” because of the way the tree continues to thrive – even though its roots travel to nowhere. If you look at the picture on the screen, the tree appears to be suspended in the air.

Erosion under the tree has taken away its ability to grab water and nutrients from the soil. Still, it continues to thrive and grow green leaves every spring.

The roots have no soil to hold it in place during the intense storms on the west coast. There is no logical explanation for why it hasn’t toppled over yet. Healthy trees fall victim to vicious wind and rain, but this tree is cemented in place without having an anchor.

It’s called “The Tree of Life” since it continues to live by resisting extreme conditions with limited resources.

God placed two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden. They were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve disobeyed God as they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. “You will not surely die,” whispered Satan. “You can be like God,” was the devil’s great lie. God’s children listened to the fallen angel instead of their Creator God. Sadness and sin entered God’s new creation. Fear and foreboding now reigned. Doubt and death would now consume Adam and Eve and their countless children throughout the ages.

God said, “Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, so that he does not reach out his hand and also take from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever …” he drove the man out, and in front of the Garden of Eden he stationed cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned in every direction to guard the way to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:22-24).

God banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden was both punishment and protection. God’s children had sinned. They had brought death upon themselves and all of creation. But God did not want his children to go back into the Garden to eat from The Tree of Life. It would have been like they were zombies – destined to be like the living undead.

Who would want that?!

Death is a curse. It is a punishment for sin. Death will eventually claim one hundred percent of people. We will all get older. We will get wrinkles and grey hair. Our bodies will age. They’ll break down. They’ll fall apart. Our minds won’t be as sharp as they once were. As my mom told me with her myriad of health problems, “Getting old isn’t for wimps.” My mom has moved in with my sister and my dad has moved in with me. My dad spoke honestly for most people in getting older, “This isn’t the way I wanted it to be.”

We don’t want life to be this way. We want to be young and spry and healthy. Some people in our culture try to cheat aging. They will use dyes, creams, and clothing to appear more youthful. They will use Botox injections to remove wrinkles. They’ll drive expensive sports cars to look

younger. There is a tech millionaire who receives regular blood transfusions from his teenage son to supposedly reverse his aging.

But aging gracefully is a Christian characteristic. We may not like it that we are slowing down, having more dental work done, and getting stronger prescriptions for our glasses. We may not enjoy the doctor visits filling up our calendar and the pharmacy filling up our bathroom counter. We may not appreciate having to use a cane or a walker or a chauffeur to get around. But these are all the effects of God’s curse upon his creation after the fall, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

We certainly don’t like it when we get older and frailer … and our children have to start caring for us. I remember years ago when I was visiting one of our shut-ins at her daughter’s house. The sweet saint was in her 90s. She told me she felt guilty that her daughter and son-in-law had to care for her. I asked her, “Did you teach your daughter the Fourth Commandment?” “Of course, I did, Pastor,” she said. I replied, “Your daughter taking care of you is her way of honoring you as her mother. She is showing her love for God by showing her love for her mother.”

The husband painting the fingernails of his wife with dementia is his way of keeping his marriage vows of loving her in sickness and in health. The wife helping her weak husband to the bathroom so he can vomit from the chemotherapy is fulfilling her marriage vows of cherishing and supporting him. The children are showing familial love by changing the adult diapers of their parents who once changed their diapers when they were babies.

Getting older is not easy. It is not fun. It’s not for wimps. It’s not the way we want it to be.

Yet, like The Tree of Life on Kalaloch Beach, we continue to live and thrive during extreme conditions. We live and thrive – not because we are so strong – but because Jesus is so strong.

God immediately saw his children’s sin in the Garden. He couldn’t overlook the sin. God witnessed that death had entered his creation, but he could not just wish death away. God knew that his children would be cursed by death, so he made a promise to rescue his children from death. God told the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Just as the devil overcame man by a tree, so in turn would the devil be overcome by the Son of Man on a tree. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son. Jesus, God’s Son, comes into our flesh and blood that he might crush the ancient serpent and pay the price demanded by sin. Christ Jesus was born of a woman, so he had human flesh and blood. For the price God demanded for salvation was blood – divine blood. Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, shed his divinely human blood upon the altar of a tree.

The tree of the cross — an instrument of torture and death — is the tree upon which Jesus is lifted up. On the cross, Jesus suffers and dies. On the cross, Jesus lays down his life that our lives might be restored. Jesus hung his head crowned with thorns so he could restore humanity as the crown of his Father’s creation. The Son of God dies on the tree of the cross to bring life to the sons and daughters of God.

Jesus turns an instrument of death into a tree of life. We gaze upon the One who became sin for us that we might be saved. He was struck by the serpent’s poison. But at the same time, he crushed the Ancient Serpent’s head.

Because of Jesus, we no longer need to fear death. Aging and dying still stink. Yet, death is also a blessing. Continuing to live in this sinful, fallen world like zombies? Who would want that?!

God allows us to get older, to become weaker, to fall apart. This is both for our punishment and our protection. This is so that we realize that this world is not our real home. We are strangers here. Heaven is our real home. Jesus has made death a blessing for us. There is no logical explanation on why God gives us this great blessing of dying so we can truly live. Only we as Christians can view death as not the end … but only the beginning. We die to this sinful, painful, yucky life. We rise to a new, exciting, glorious life. Upon our resurrection on the Last Day, we will be given new, imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Upon our death as Christians, we will once again be able to eat from the transplanted Tree of Life. The apostle John describes the fruit of this tree in the Book of Revelation: “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1–2).

Ah, now we are back where we started, only better! This is paradise restored, and then some. The Tree of Life. No more deadness of winter. Fruit twelve months of the year. Healing and wholeness and life forever. Yes, this is what is in store for us, dear saints in Christ! Access to the Tree of Life once again, no more being kept out or driven away. The Tree of Life transplanted from paradise lost to paradise restored. Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat from its fruit so they would not live in their sin forever. But now, they and all their Christian children, will be able to eat of its heavenly fruit and truly live forever.

This Tree of Life is yours because of what Jesus accomplished for you on the tree of the cross. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and so that they may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).

Life is not easy. Aging is challenging. Yet, that’s how God teaches us patience and perseverance. Caring for those who are aging is demanding. Yet, that’s how God allows us to keep his commandments and our vows. Dying is often hardest of all. Yet, Jesus turns death into a blessing for us. Aging and dying keeps us focused on one day eating from the Tree of Life.

The story of salvation told through Christmas trees. Amen.

Happy Advent, you brood of vipers by Pastor Zarling

Happy Advent, you brood of vipers

Luke 3:7-18 So John kept saying to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance! Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10The crowds began to ask him, “What should we do then?” 11He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized. They said, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13To them he said, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to.” 14Soldiers were also asking him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages.”

15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18Then with many other words, he appealed to them and was preaching good news to the people.

Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice (Philippians 4:4)! Amen.

You know Christmas is near when John the Baptist appears on the scene to say, “Happy Advent, you brood of vipers.”

Christmas is coming soon. John the Baptist wants to know if you are ready. He isn’t so concerned about whether your decorations are up, gifts are bought, and baking is done. John isn’t concerned if your house if ready for Jesus. He wants to know if your heart is ready for Jesus.

John doesn’t care if your eggnog tastes OK or if your child gets the latest “must have” toy. He’s concerned whether you are living like a follower of Christ now. And he’s concerned whether you’re going to be living with Christ forever.

That’s why John is so blunt. He calls you a brood of vipers. He’s calling you offspring of the original viper – Satan. In his sermon in the wilderness, he says that you are like a fruitless tree that is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. You are like chaff in the barn that will be shoveled into unquenchable fire.

He lumps you in with the tax collectors, soldiers, and others in his congregation. He says that you are greedy and unwilling to share your clothing and food with others. You steal from other people. You cheat your employer because you aren’t satisfied with your wages.

John is very direct because he wants you to see your sin, repent of that sin, and receive forgiveness from Jesus for that sin, so you can be with Jesus without sin forever.

John knows we are lazy with our faith. We are apathetic toward Christian living. We are distracted by pleasures and treasures, family, friends, work, sports, and more. That apathy means we are not ready for Jesus’ return.

We are constantly in danger of losing our faith. Sometimes from open sin and vice. But even more from laziness and lukewarmness.

We can easily be like the Jews in John’s audience who thought they were good enough because they were Abraham’s children. “Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones” (Luke 3:8).

Years ago, while I was still at the Seminary, I went to a nursing home to visit a shut-in member. When it was time for the confession of sins, I asked her, “Is this your confession, then answer ‘yes.’” She said, “Vicar, I’m in a nursing home. How can I sin?”

I was so new, I didn’t know what to say. I finally asked, “Do you like your roommate?” “Oh, no! She leaves her TV blaring at all hours!” “Do you like the food here?” “Oh, no! They serve runny Jell-o and soggy vegetables!” “What do you think about your family?” “I don’t like them! They stuck me here and never come to visit me!” I replied, “Well, let’s go with those three sins.”

We can be like that older lady, can’t we? We know we’re not perfect. But we’re pretty good. We’re certainly better than offspring of Satan or rotten trees or worthless chaff.

That’s what we think of ourselves. But we’re wrong. We need someone like John the Baptist or a pastor, a teacher, a parent, or a good friend to point out our sins to us. As sanctified saints, we should be struggling with our sin all the time. As God’s baptized children, we should be fighting against Satan who is trying to bring us back into his brood. When we’re not struggling, that means we’ve given into temptation. When we’re not fighting, that means Satan is winning. When we have become lukewarm and lazy in our faith, then we are in danger of losing our faith and ending up in the unquenchable fire of hell.

John appears on the scene every Advent calling us a brood of vipers to shock us with some straight talk. He is calling us to repent and return to Jesus.

If you’ve been Lutheran for a while, you understand that we begin each worship service with straight talk. Right after we invoke the name of the Triune God, we confess that we are sinful by nature, and that we have sinned against God in our thoughts, words, and actions. We also admit that we deserve punishment now and forever.

This is a shock to the system for those outside the Lutheran Church. They are hearing some strange, new ideas. Most have never heard all this talk about sins, a sinful nature, or eternal damnation.

New visitors need to hear this. Long-time members need to hear this. That’s because we tend to picture God as an over-indulgent parent. A parent who is indifferent to the sins and faults of his children. And, if the children sin, they can ask for forgiveness … then go right back to sinning some more.

When we begin to think like this, we need to hear God’s prophets, apostles, and present-day pastors shocking our system with the straight talk of God’s Law. The Law shows our sin.

The Law makes you uncomfortable in the pew. (Well, the pew is already uncomfortable, but even more so.) Then Jesus comes along to comfort you with his forgiveness.

The Law makes you feel the flames of hell licking at the soles of your feet. Then the Gospel – that shows your Savior – makes you feel like you are walking on the golden streets of heaven.

The Law cuts open your soul like an ugly growth where all the ugly pus oozes out. Then Jesus comes with the salve of his grace to heal your wounded soul.

You first recognize your sin. You admit your sin. You repent and turn from that sin. Then you ask for forgiveness for that sin. You acknowledge you are part of Satan’s brood of vipers. You confess you are a rotten tree. You admit you are worthless chaff. You repent of sins caused by your roommate’s TV, the watery Jell-o and soggy veggies, and your family ignoring you.

Then Jesus will come along to fix you. John the Baptist points you to the water of Baptism. He says, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

Your parents didn’t bring you to the baptismal font as an infant because it’s a cute religious rite. You didn’t come to be baptized as an adult because it’s a cool spectacle. You come to baptism because you are in desperate need. We are all addicted to sin. We are dead, rotten, worthless on our own. Baptism is about death and life, sin and grace. Baptism is about the Holy Spirit cleansing us with fire and making us holy with faith in Jesus. John knows we need to know that.

I’ve been blessed through my ministry to talk to a lot of outreach prospects about Jesus. Many people want to start conversations discussing the “hot button” topics of Christianity – infant baptism, closed communion, the doctrine of fellowship, the roles of men and women, and so on. These have been “hot button” topics since the beginning of the Christian Church.

When people mention they want to talk about those things, I suggest that we will eventually get there. But those are “meaty” topics – tough to chew on. I like to start with something simpler like the “milk and bread” of the Bible. Then we open our Bibles to Romans 6 and 7. We talk about how we are in a constant struggle with our sinful nature. Like the apostle Paul, we can say about ourselves, “What a wretched person I am” (Romans 7:24)! But then we hear Paul’s next words, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25)!

We are frustrated with our sin. None of us can live a perfect life. None of us can rescue ourselves from sin and its consequences. We are in need of a Savior from sin. Thanks be to God that he gives us that Savior in his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Brand-new outreach prospects need to hear that in our conversations with them. Longtime Lutheran church members need to hear that every Sunday. Our children and teens need to hear that in our Lutheran elementary and high schools. And saints on their deathbed need to be reminded of that.

We see what we are. Then we see what Christ has made us to be.

Jesus makes you offspring of your heavenly Father through Baptism. He makes you a fruitful tree through his holy Word. He makes you worthwhile wheat that will be gathered for the harvest on the Last Day. He makes you appreciate that you are a sinner so that you can be grateful for the salvation he won for you as your Savior.

He makes you not only a follower through faith. He also makes you a doer of that faith.

He changes you through recognition and repentance, through Word and Sacrament. Instead of being selfish, you gladly give others clothing and food. John advises, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11).

Instead of lying and scheming, you are honest in your dealing. John advises, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to” (Luke 3:13).

Instead of using extortion or accusations to get what you want, you are content with what God gives you. John advises, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages” (Luke 3:14).

John is talking about doing our faith – fulfilling our Christian vocations. Fulfill your Christian vocation as a spouse, parent, child, employer, worker, citizen, etc.

Being ready for Jesus begins with repentance. Then comes forgiveness from Jesus. That’s followed by living for Jesus.

Being ready for Jesus to return involves more than just claiming to be a Christian and acting like one a couple hours a week at church. Be a Christian at church, at home, at work, at school, on the athletic field, and in the stands. Strive to act like a Christian everywhere and at all times. Christianity is not just a name thing, like the Jews thinking they were OK because they were the physical descendants of Abraham. True Christianity is a lifestyle thing – those who share the faith of Abraham in their heart and live that faith in their daily lives.

Take to heart the words of John the Baptist. Stay prepared for Jesus’ return through humble, daily repentance – repentance that uses the Law to admit to being a sinner, but also has a genuine desire to fight temptations to sin. Stay prepared for Jesus’ return by believing the Gospel that Jesus has declared you not guilty of any sin in God’s sight, rescued you from the punishment of hell, and empowers you to live a God-pleasing life until he comes to bring you to his eternal home in heaven.

Then John the Baptist may begin his sermon saying to you, “Happy Advent, you brood of vipers.” But he ends his sermon saying, “Happy Advent, you children of the heavenly Father.” Amen.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Amen.

Road Work Ahead by Pastor Klusmeyer

Road Work Ahead

You are driving down the road when you suddenly see a familiar orange sign that says: road work ahead. What is your first thought? If you’re like me you probably sigh, roll your eyes, and wonder how much time this will add to your trip. Road construction can be frustrating. It slows traffic down and seems to take forever to get done. Sometimes it seems like they just put orange barrels out because they don’t have anywhere else to keep them. But can you imagine the alternative? Potholes, washed-out roads, and even slower traffic. Road construction is frustrating while it’s happening, but the final product is amazing. There’s nothing quite like the feel of cruising down smooth pavement.

When you stop to think it is amazing how much work and effort it takes to make a smooth and level road: the mountains of dirt that are moved, the valleys that are filled in, and the rivers that are bridged just so we can get from place to place. Modern construction moves really fast. Go and take a look at the new Microsoft development for an example. Now imagine that you needed to build a road through mountains, valleys, and deserts without any modern construction equipment. It would be a monumental if not impossible task. As difficult as that task would be we have been given a far more difficult task: preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

The season of Advent is a time of preparation. We get our churches and houses ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus by putting up lights and beautiful decorations. It is also a time of personal preparation and reflection. As we look forward to the coming of Jesus at Christmas, we also remember that our Lord will come again on the Last Day. John the Baptist had been called by God to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Christ. He was, “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.’”

We are told that the Word of the Lord came to John just like it came to the prophets of the Old Testament. He was to go into the wilderness and preach a message of repentance because the hearts of the people were not ready for the coming of Jesus. Many of the people had a wrong understanding of what the work of the Savior would be like. They expected Jesus to come and throw off the oppressive rule of the corrupt and wicked Romans. They were looking for a restoration of the throne of David; a new king who would once again make them a great and powerful nation. John had come to remind the people that God's kingdom was not about political rulers or wealth or power. God’s kingdom existed in their hearts and the people needed to prepare their hearts for the advent of their King.

The Prophet Isaiah wants us to picture our hearts as vast and desolate deserts filled with high mountains and deep valleys. The roads going through this expanse are crooked and rough. Our hearts are no fit place to welcome our heavenly king. They are filled with deep dark valleys of sin and mountains of pride. We daily sin against our holy God in countless ways with our thoughts, words, and actions. We love to wallow in the deepest valleys of sin. We covet the blessings of others because we aren’t content with the blessings God has given to us. We lie and gossip about others. We look at and say things that we know go against God’s holy will. We love to stand on the mountains of pride. We ignore and minimize our own sins and compare ourselves with others foolishly thinking that we are better than we are. Are hearts are filled with the crooked and rocky paths of a whole host of sins. Our hearts are no fit place to welcome our heavenly king. Our hearts deserve God’s righteous wrath and anger.

There is roadwork ahead. We are just like the people who went to hear the message of John the Baptist in the wilderness. We need to have a massive construction project in our hearts to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. This is a monumental project that we have no hope of completing on our own. In the same way that it would be impossible for you to move a massive mountain or fill in the Grand Canyon using only a shovel, it is impossible for you to fill in the valleys of sin and level the mountains of pride in your own heart. We as sinners can do absolutely nothing to make our hearts acceptable and pleasing to God our Father.

John did not give the people a set of instructions or rituals to follow. John did not command the people to simply try harder and do better. Instead, John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John told the people not to trust in their own works for salvation, but to trust that God would save them. John’s

baptism was an amazing blessing. It gave people the forgiveness of sins as a free gift from God. John knew that he was a herald who was preparing the way of the Lord. John pointed the people to Jesus because he knew that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

Dear friends we cannot prepare our hearts for the Lord. We can do nothing to save ourselves. There is roadwork ahead, but it is God who has done all the work for us. He does this through Word and Sacraments. Through his holy Law God tells us that he is holy and righteous and that we are sinners. We can do nothing to earn his grace and favor and deserve only his wrath. In the Gospel, we hear the beautiful truth that God sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for the sins of the world. This is the miracle of Christmas. That Jesus Christ, true God from eternity clothed himself with human flesh and made his dwelling among us. He lived a perfect life in our place. The heart of Jesus had no valleys of sin or mountains of pride. The heart of Christ was perfect. In his great love for us, Christ offered that perfect life on the cross for us. He took all our sins on himself and suffered the torments of hell in our place. In return, he has given us his perfection.

Through the power of the Gospel the Holy Spirit changes and renovates our hearts. Through the water and the Word of baptism, we are reborn. Our sinful nature is crucified and buried with Christ, and we arise as a new creation who desires to live a new and holy life. We want to smooth out the rough places of our hearts and make the crooked ways straight. This is what repentance is. Now, strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts the conscience and delivers it from terror. Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance (AC).

Repentance is not something that we do once. Repentance lasts our entire lives. As Christians, we are both sinners and saints. Repentance is a daily struggle against our sinful nature. It is a desire to live as God commands us. Each day we strive to put God first in everything we do. We use our time, talents, abilities, and possessions to his glory. We seek each day to selflessly love our neighbor. We seek to turn away from evil and do good. But we are going to fail and when we fail, we turn to Christ. We put our faith not in the good works that we have done. Instead, we trust in what Christ has done for us. We remember that in baptism our sins have been forgiven. We remember that when someone forgives our sins in the name of Jesus they are truly forgiven and have been removed as far as the east is from the west. We trust that in the Lord’s Supper, we receive the forgiveness that was won for us on the cross as we eat and drink the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who suffered and died to save us.

Dear friends, there is roadwork ahead. Our hearts need to be prepared for the coming of our Lord. But this massive construction project is not something we do on our own. It is a lifelong struggle to live as children of God. We have confidence that this massive work of renovating our hearts has been done by Christ. Jesus has already prepared our hearts. Every valley has been filled and every mountain has been laid low by the death and resurrection of our Savior.

The Tree of Rebellion by Pastor Zarling

The Tree of Rebellion

Genesis 3:1-15 Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.’”

4The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for their waists. 8They heard the voice of the LORD God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14The LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

I have some relatives who wrote in a group text that their Christmas tree is up and decorated. I received that text on November 3! Their tree has been up for a month already!

I immediately texted a picture of a shed with the caption: “Here is a picture of my Christmas tree. It’s still in the shed … because it’s November!”

We are now in the season of Advent. This is the normal time to put up your Christmas tree and other decorations. Whether your Christmas tree is a real one you cut down yourself or an artificial one you pulled out of the shed, the Christmas tree is a special part of the Christmas celebration.

In our midweek Advent services, we will be looking at some Christmas trees. They are not evergreens, nor are they artificial, nor are they decorated with lights or ornaments. Instead, we will look at three trees in Scripture that point us to the Christ. These Christmas trees remind us why the birth of Jesus Christ is so important … and so worthy of celebration. Tonight, we examine the tree of rebellion.

From the very beginning, trees were an important part of God’s creation. God created a garden paradise filled with a variety of trees for his two children. In the middle of this garden, God put two special trees – the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

God gave his children the opportunity to love and obey him by not eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It’s like how you tell your children not to eat the Christmas cookies. So, when they pass by the cookies and grab a piece of fruit, they are showing you love and obedience.

Why is Christmas necessary? Satan had led a rebellion of angels in heaven. Satan was then cast down to earth. Satan slithered into the garden to lead God’s children in a rebellion.

Satan led God’s children into questioning God’s words asking, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’” (Genesis 3:1)? He led the children to believe that God was holding out on them by saying, “You certainly will not die. In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan tempted them to believe that he was good, and God was evil. Though God said, “You will surely die,” they believed the serpent when he spoke, “You certainly will not die.” Instead of listening to their Creator, they listened to one of the fallen creation and ate the forbidden fruit.

Satan had successfully made Adam and Eve God’s enemies. There was hostility between them and God. The effects of sin were instantaneous. Like the flip of a light switch, the world that God had filled with the light of his perfect touch turned dark.

God had placed trees, animals, and nature into the hands of the crown of his creation. But now the crown was broken and tarnished. They had plunged themselves and their new world into the darkness of sin and death.

Before they had the knowledge of good. They didn’t know evil. Now they did. Before they were in harmony with God. Now they were hostile to God, hiding from him, blaming each other, even having the audacity to blame God for their predicament. Before they had a perfect relationship with their Creator and Father. Now they had rebelled against their God and made friends with the devil.

We think of evil as selling drugs to kids, kidnapping, and terrorism. We think of heinous crimes like mass murder and child abuse. We think of rebellion as violent protests with casualties.

Eating fruit doesn’t seem evil, does it? It doesn’t seem heinous. Maybe it seems a little naughty … but not rebellion. If your kids ate Christmas cookies, you wouldn’t kick them out of the house. But Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and God kicked them out of their paradise home.

That’s because evil in the eyes of God is loving anything more than him. Evil is listening to fallen creation – either the devil, the culture, or our sinful selves. Evil is putting anything ahead of worshiping God – kids’ practices, sleep, work, or whatever.

The evil inside of humanity led to the heinous crime of killing the Son of God. This evil leads us to daily rebel against God and his holy will – to do what we want, when we want, and as many times as we want.

Evil is so much more than just eating some fruit from a tree. Eating the fruit made the sacred tree into the tree of rebellion.

To call us back from the side of Satan, God made a promise to the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Did you notice that the first promise of a Savior wasn’t spoken to Adam and Eve but to Satan? This was a threat to the devil and a promise to us. God promises to put a wall of hostility between us and Satan. We had become friends with the devil. God promises to break up that friendship. We had become enemies with God. God promised to send his Son to restore the relationship of children with their Father.

Why did there need to be a Christmas? Because God promised there would be so he could restore everything we had lost. The Son of God was born as the Seed of the Woman on Christmas so he could die on a tree on Good Friday.

Our Christmas trees – real or artificial – are beautiful when decorated. The tree of the cross was ugly and bloody. It was cursed. St. Paul referenced Deuteronomy 21:23 when he wrote to the Christians in Galatia, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. As it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus took on himself the curse of dying a criminal’s death. The curse of humiliation and shame of being crucified. The curse of a painful and torturous death.

But the worst curse is that Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing. Yet Jesus willingly took on himself the curse of the cross so he can make the cross the tree of life for us.

St. Peter, who didn’t see Jesus on the cross, nevertheless tells us what Christ on the cross means: “He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree so that we would be dead to sins and alive to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree of the cross so we might be free of our sins and be saved.

The wages of sin is death, but Jesus died in your place.

He was numbered with the transgressors so you could be counted with the saints.

He was found guilty so you might be found innocent.

He was covered in the filth of your sin so you might be covered with his righteousness.

He was stripped of his clothes so you might wear your white baptismal gown.

He was abandoned so you might be adopted.

He was forsaken so you would be forgiven.

He endured our evil so we might be made good in God’s eyes.

He took our heinous crimes and made us in harmony with our Father.

People can put up their Christmas decorations whenever they want. Although, I thought it was a little odd for my relative to have her Christmas tree up on the inside of her house with her Halloween decorations still up on the outside of her house.

Why is there a need for Christmas? Because at Christmas we can look back at the tree of rebellion in the Garden of Eden. We can look back at how the Babe in Bethlehem came to be the crucified Christ on the tree of the cross. The tree of the cross now makes your Christmas tree a tree of reconciliation. Amen.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign by Pastor Zarling

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Luke 21:25-36 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, 26people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

29He told them a parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. 31So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Amen I tell you: This generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

34“Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. 35For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

May the Lord increase your love and make it overflow for each other and for all people, just as ours does for you (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Amen.

As part of my theological research this week I listened to the Five Man Electrical Band singing, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about signs. The disciples had heard Jesus talking earlier in the temple courtyard about the End Times. Now they are on the Mount of Olives looking over the temple area (Mark 13:3). Three of the disciples ask Jesus when these End Times will be and what signs will precede them. Jesus gives his answer in Luke 21.

Jesus says, “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars” (Luke 21:25a). Last week astronomers saw a huge flare that erupted from the sun. Astronomers discovered a small asteroid roughly the size of a bus orbiting the earth like a “mini moon.” Astronomers are also studying black holes sucking in stars far out in space. You have to be pretty geeky with science stuff to notice these signs.

Jesus continues, “And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25b-26). You don’t have to be geeky to notice these signs. You just need to pay a little attention to the news. Last week NATO’s Admiral Rob Bauer warned businesses to prepare for WWIII because of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Hurricanes Milton and Helene brought devastation across many southeastern states of the US. There were deadly floods in Nepal, Spain, Tanzania, and Kenya. There were earthquakes in Japan and Turkey. Tiawan was struck by a super typhoon.

Christ left his Church with a catalog of calamities that will characterize life in the last days. The unbelieving world sees these great terrors and faints with fear. We Christians are tempted to look at these worldly signs and become afraid, too. We see nature rise and we doubt that Christ is in control. As we see creation falling apart, we might believe that the Lord of creation is no longer in charge. We fear that evil has taken over the world.

Jesus tells us why he gives us these signs in nature. Every time we hear of wars or natural disasters, they are to remind us that Christ can return at any time. Jesus teaches, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:27-28). Unbelievers see these signs and bow their heads as they cower in fear. Christians who are looking forward to Christ’s return see these signs, lift up our heads, and wait. We continually pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

These signs mean our final redemption. They signify our final deliverance from all the evil in the world – sin, death, and the power of the devil. For good reason Jesus urges disciples to lift their heads in hope when these End Time signs begin to unfold.

Jesus moves from discussing the signs in nature to the signs of summer when he tells them a parable, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:29-31).

We don’t have a lot of fig trees around here. We are more familiar with apple, pear, and cherry trees. When the branches become fat with sap, the buds appear ready to burst, and the leaves look ready to break out, those are the signs that summer is near. So, it is with Christ’s eternal kingdom. We see the signs of the End Times all around us and realize that our world is in the dead of winter. But the signs Jesus gives to his disciples are not signs of death, but of life. The fig tree is budding. That means that summer is near for God’s saints, even in the dead of our winter.

Perhaps you wonder every Wisconsin winter like I do, “Why do I live where my face hurts?!” It can be difficult and dreary living during a brutal, gloomy, blistering cold Wisconsin winter. It can be even worse when we remember we are living in a brutal, gloomy, depressing, dreariness of this world’s winter.

Look around you. Read the signs. Christ is coming soon. His Advent is near. When you step outside it feels like winter, but when you look at the Scriptures, when look at the signs in the world, and when look up to the sky in faith, you can see that summer is coming. This world’s winter is almost over. Christ’s first Advent was God entering our world as Man in the dead of its spiritual winter. Jesus came to our spiritual darkness and barrenness. He lived among all the signs of death – leprosy, lameness, tears, and graves everywhere he went. He took on real desolation and physical hardship.

Christ has gone through this world’s spiritual winter for us. He endured the cold-hearted rejection by the world. He suffered the wrath of his heavenly Father upon humanity’s sins. He was stripped of all his divine beauty and majesty. The God-Man lay dead upon the dead tree of the cross. His dead body was buried in a borrowed tomb with soldiers making sure his corpse was not disturbed.

It appeared as if God was dead, and Satan was supreme. It seemed like sin had succeeded. It looked like death had displaced life once and for all. This world appeared brutal, gloomy, and depressing – like we would endure the endless dreariness of this world’s winter.

But the Son of God did not stay dead. Jesus had sacrificed himself for humanity’s sins on the bloody cross. Three days later he burst forth from the dark tomb. He brought light and immortality upon the world. He brought the summer of life upon the earth.

Jesus’ first advent was humble and quiet. He entered our world once in the manger. Jesus continues to enter our world humbly and quietly. Christ now enters our world in the waters of Baptism, in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, and in the spoken, sung, and read Word of God.

The kingdom of God that Jesus talks about is Christ’s activity in the hearts and minds of his people. The kingdom of God is near every time you remember what Christ accomplished for you in your Baptism. The kingdom of God is near every time you receive a vertical unity with Christ and a horizontal unity with Christ’s disciples in the Lord’s Supper. The kingdom of God is near every time you hear a sermon, study your Bible, or sing a hymn, because you are listening to words that will never pass away. Jesus promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33). In his Word and Sacraments, Christ comes to you and brings you life and light – he is bringing summer to your soul.

Jesus talks about signs in nature, the signs of summer, and then he concludes by telling us to look for signs in ourselves. “Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).

Jesus is warning us to watch ourselves. We can get sucked into the sexual sins that are so prevalent in our culture. We can go to a college or end up in a workplace where our Christian theology is constantly under attack. We can give in to our addictive behaviors of drugs or alcohol. Those are certainly real ways where we may give up our faith. But the greatest danger is apathy. Look at declining worship attendance in churches – in our church. People are not giving up their faith because of some great crisis. They are giving up their faith because of boredom and busyness.

The relentless ticking of the clock and perpetual flipping of the calendar can lull us to sleep. They convince us that Jesus’ return is a distant, future event. In the meantime, we easily become preoccupied with both the pleasures and worries of this life. Weighed down by these concerns, we risk the day of Christ’s advent springing on us like a trap.

Jesus offers us a remedy to getting sucked into sin. He encourages us, “Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). Instead of filling up your life with basketball practices, holiday parties, and Christmas shopping, fill up your life with spiritual vigilance and prayer. Your hope is not in your flesh or in this world. Your hope is in the One whose first Advent was as a Baby laid in a cradle and then the Christ laid on a cross. Your hope is in the One whose second Advent will be the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

How many of you have been to Buc-ee’s? Since we’re talking about signs, there’s a new sign going south on I-94 in Kenosha that reads, “469 miles to Buc-ee’s.” That’s a lot of signs and a lot of miles to arrive in Richmond, Kentucky so you can get beef jerky, BBQ brisket sandwiches, homemade fudge, beaver chips, and, of course, fill up your gas tank.

Jesus is promising us something far better than anything we might get at a Buc-ee’s or a Wall Drug or any destination we see signs for. Jesus is giving us signs in nature, the signs of summer, and the signs within ourselves so that we remain alert and praying all the time. We want to be prepared for Jesus’ second Advent. Lift up your heads, because your redemption is near. Lift up your head and look at the signs. Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Amen.

May the Lord establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Amen.

Don’t forget by Pastor Zarling

Don’t forget

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. 11Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today. 12When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, 13and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, 14watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 15Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water come out of a flint rock for you. 16Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on.

17You might say in your heart, “My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.” 18But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day.

My God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). Amen.

What are some things that your mom told you that you’ve never forgotten? “Don’t swim after eating.” “Don’t run with scissors.” “Don’t play with matches.” “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Don’t talk to strangers.” Especially with your mouth full.

“Call me when you get home.” “Wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.” “Wear a jacket or you’ll catch cold.” And then one of my favorites. “Finish your dinner. There are starving children in China.” Or Africa. Or wherever.

Did your mom ever say things like that to you? … Maybe your mom still says those things. That’s fantastic.

Our moms love us. They are concerned about their children. They want them to stay healthy and safe. They want what’s best for them. That’s why they remind their children of things that are important. They don’t want them to forget.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses is playing the part of mom. His children are the Children of Israel. He’s been their leader for the past 40 years. During that time, he’s developed a close relationship with them. He must have felt like a parent to them. He led them. He taught them. He felt responsible when they messed up. Then he had to discipline them. I wonder how many times he yelled at the people, “Knock it off back there or I’m turning this whole caravan around!”

But now their relationship was coming to an end. Like children moving out of the house, the Children of Israel were finally moving out of the desert. They were moving into their new home of the Promised Land of Canaan. But Moses would not be going with them. Because of his own sin, Moses was only permitted to see the Promised Land from a distance.

Before they left him and followed Joshua into Canaan, Moses offered them some words of encouragement. Like any good parent, Moses reminds his spiritual children of some important things. The theme of what he tells them in Deuteronomy 8:10-18 is “Don’t forget.”

“Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not

keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today” (Deuteronomy 8:10-11). Don’t forget the Lord and his commandments. God’s people had been given directions on how to live. They were going to be living in a land filled with heathen unbelievers. God’s people were to stand out by living differently than everybody else. They were to live for God rather than live for themselves.

God has given us the same commands on how to live. We are living in a nation filled with unbelievers. We Christians are to stand out because we live differently from everybody else. As sanctified saints, we are to live for God rather than for ourselves.

“When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves” (Deuteronomy 8:12-14). Don’t forget the Lord who brought you out of slavery. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. They were used and abused. They were oppressed and mistreated. Slavery was their way of life. There was no way they could regain their freedom as a people.

So, the Lord rescued his children from slavery. God poured out his wrath with plagues – blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. God then brought death upon the Egyptian tyrant and his nation by striking down the firstborn in the families. Pharaoh finally relented to Moses’ repeated call to “Let my people go.”

When the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, God provided a strong wind that parted the Red Sea waters so his people could walk safely to the other side. When Pharaoh and his army were in the middle of the Red Sea, God caused walls of water to come crashing down and drowning the mighty Egyptian army.

God had freed his people from their slavery. He would bring his free people home to Canaan. This freedom was won only by the hand of the Lord.

We are blessed here in American to be a free people. We enjoy way more freedoms than anybody else in the world. The freedom to speak, assemble, protect ourselves, vote for our leaders, and even disagree with our leaders. We especially enjoy the freedom to worship.

God has granted us these freedoms by his grace. We should not take these American freedoms for granted. Use these freedoms to glorify God as sanctified saints. But we can also abuse these freedoms to indulge our sinful nature and bring shame upon God’s holy name.

God has especially freed us from the slavery of sin and death. Satan is a terrible tyrant. We were used and abused. We were oppressed and mistreated. There was no way we could free ourselves from this slavery. We were hopeless. We were helpless. We were doomed to live in misery forever.

God used his only begotten Son to bring death to death. He broke the stranglehold Satan had on humanity. Jesus endured the wrath of God upon humanity’s sins. Jesus paid the price to win our freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

We should not take these freedoms for granted. We glorify God as we live freely as sanctified saints. We shame God when we put ourselves again under Satan’s tyranny. As Christians, we are not to use our freedom to do what we want, but rather to do what we ought.

“Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water

come out of a flint rock for you” (Deuteronomy 8:15). Don’t forget the Lord who rescued you from the wilderness. The Israelites had to deal with extreme heat and cold living in the desert. The sand was everywhere – their clothing, their eyes, even in their mouths. They had to deal with scorpions and snakes. There wasn’t a whole lot of food in the desert. There was no Chick-Fil-A or Starbucks or a Kwik Trip on every major corner.

God has blessed us in America with heated houses, running water, and indoor plumbing. We enjoy restaurants, grocery stores, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, microwaves, grills – and my new favorite toy for making lunch tomorrow – a smoker. We have hills, mountains, lakes, oceans, rivers, forests, and deserts. We have sunshine and rain, warmth and snow – possibly all in the same week in Wisconsin.

“Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on” (Deuteronomy 8:16). Don’t forget the water from the rock, the quail to catch, and the manna that fell from heaven. The Israelites did not need refrigerators or pantries. That’s because they didn’t have any food to store for the next day. They would go outside each morning to collect manna. They would go out every evening to catch quail. They were to thank God for this daily bread and meat.

We are blessed to have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, corn, green bean casserole, apple pie, and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. This isn’t just a one-day blessing. God blesses us richly with daily bread and meat.

The Israelites were hungry and thirsty, hot and dusty, cold and stinky. They were bitten by scorpions and venomous snakes. Even in those difficult times, Moses is reminding his children to still thank God.

We are reminded to be thankful when we don’t have cancer, or we escape the serious car accident, or we don’t struggle financially in this economy. We can still be thankful when we do get that cancer diagnosis, or we are seriously injured in an accident, or we lose our job in this tough economy. Because as difficult as these hard times are, we know these times are driving us closer to God. God uses difficulties – like the fathers of the Israelites had known and like our own forefathers have known – to test us. This testing makes us stronger. It develops more trust. It builds our Christian character.

When we have a lot of success, that can actually be detrimental to our faith. That was the warning Moses gave. “You might say in your heart, ‘My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.’ But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

We often have two-way covenants with people – even our children. We say to our kids, “If you clean your room, we’ll go out for ice cream.” Your parental response is based on your kids’ good behavior. It’s a good thing that God’s covenant with his children is not a two-way covenant. Based on our poor behavior, we would never get any ice cream … or anything else.

So, God established a one-way covenant. His covenant is established through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus signed the covenant contract with his holy blood shed on the cross. That covenant means God loves us and calls us his children no matter how poorly we behave. He desires to give us ice cream … and so much more. He has prepared a banquet table of foods better than anything you’ll have tomorrow.

This covenant means that though you may struggle and suffer, God is using it for your eternal benefit.

This covenant means that though you miss your Christian loved one who isn’t here to celebrate with family tomorrow, they are enjoying a better banquet feast in heaven.

This covenant means that through there may be times when it feels like we are oppressed by the devil … or living in the wilderness of this world … or thirsty, hungry, crabby, grumbling, cold, hot, dusting, and stinky … we are content. For one day soon, our Joshua – Jesus – will lead us into the Promised Land of heaven.

Another thing I’m sure your mom always reminded you was to say, “Thank you.” She would remind you, “Write a Thank You card. Do it now.”

Moses is reminding his children of Israel – and you children three thousand years later, “Don’t forget to say Thank You to the Lord. Do it now. Do it often.”

Gratitude is the fruit of the love we have for our Lord and our Lord has for us. The first thing we ought to be thankful for every day is that relationship of children and heavenly Father. If we say Thank You every day and perhaps throughout the day, then we will treat others well. We will be grateful for the people God has placed into our lives. People will notice and become grateful for us being in their lives.

We are grateful to our waitress or service worker for a job well done. We are grateful to our teachers for the way they are helping us educate our children. We are grateful to our government leaders – even those we disagree with a little … or even a lot – they are fulfilling the work of God’s civil servants.

Be more intentional in being grateful of who we are and what we have as children of God. Don’t forget. Amen.

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever! Amen. (Philippians 4:20). Amen.

A King Who Doesn’t Meet Our Expectations by Pastor Klusmeyer

A King Who Doesn’t Meet Our Expectations

What do you picture when you hear the word “king?” Maybe you think of the coronation of the British monarch that took place in the recent past. You picture wealth, pomp, and majesty. Perhaps you think of someone sitting on a golden throne wearing an ermine cape and holding a gold scepter. Maybe you think of a mighty and valiant warrior clad in armor and valiantly leading his soldiers into battle. Your first thoughts are probably of power and glory, might and honor. Those are our expectations about what a king should be. But what do you picture when you think when you picture Christ as your king?

Jesus is a king who doesn’t always meet our expectations. On the one hand, we think of the power and glory of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. We think of him coming again on the last day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus as that kind of king meets our expectations. But what about the Jesus who was born in a manger; the Jesus who was crowned not with gold, but with thorns; the Jesus who continues to rule all things for his church, but still lets times of persecution, sorrow, and suffering afflict his people? This is a king who may cause us at times to question if he is really ruling all things for his church. This is a king who is a paradox. This is a king who doesn’t always meet our expectations.

Pontius Pilate found himself early on a Friday morning conversing with a king who didn’t meet his expectations. Sitting before him was a poor and wretched man who had been brought before him for judgment. He wasn’t rich or powerful. He had a band of followers, but they were few in number and not a mighty army. There was nothing glorious or majestic to Jesus’s appearance as he sat before the governor. So, Pilate questioned Jesus about his kingship and the answers Jesus gave only confused Pilate. Jesus was not doing any of the things that someone who claimed to be a king would do. He was not trying to seize power or liberate his people from the oppressive rule of Rome. He wasn’t ordering his followers to free him from the hands of Pilate. Instead, he sat meekly before the governor and tried to explain that his kingdom was not of this world. Pilate feared a king who would rouse the people against him. He knew what to do with that kind of king, but he didn’t know what to do with this king who didn’t meet his expectations.

Many of the Jews including the Jewish leaders didn’t know what to do with Jesus either because he didn’t meet their kingly expectations. Instead of being born in a palace, Jesus was born in a stable. Instead of amassing wealth and power, he lived a life of service and poverty. Instead of using his power to rule and conquer, he used it to heal. Instead of preaching a message of glory, he preached a message of selfless love. The people of Jesus’s day wanted a king who would restore their nation to the heights of glory that it knew under the rule of King Solomon and King David. Jesus did not meet their expectations because he did not come to establish an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom in the hearts of those who listened to his voice.

In the same way Jesus as our king today does not always meet our expectations. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2: It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. We know that Jesus is ruling over all things for the good of his church, but as we look at the world today, we can be tempted to wonder, “Where is our King?” It doesn’t seem like things are working out well for the church. Believers throughout history have faced times of persecution and suffering. In our own country, we are mocked and ridiculed for proclaiming the truths of God’s Word. We look at our own congregation, see the empty pews, and wonder, “Where is our king?”

During times of persecution and suffering when we are tempted to wonder if our King is still ruling all things for the good of his church, we remember that our suffering is for our good. Our suffering keeps us humble by reminding us that the kingdom of God is advanced according to his wisdom and not ours. We remember that success in the kingdom of God is not a reward for our efforts, but a gift of his grace. Suffering gives us patience and teaches us to rely on Christ alone. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 5 when he says, “Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces

hope. And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.”

We think this because our human expectations are not the same as God’s expectations. Our sinfulness clouds our vision and warps our thinking. We want the glory and power of our king now. Like the people of Jesus’s day, we want Jesus to come and smite our enemies. We want Jesus to smash the nations with an iron fist and bring justice for the suffering we have endured. We forget that the kingdom of Christ is not of this world. Jesus does not promise us glory in this world, but in the world to come. In this life, Jesus promises that his followers will be persecuted and suffer just as he did. Jesus says, “Remember the saying I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they held on to my word, they will hold on to yours as well. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name because they do not know the one who sent me.”

In the same way, the suffering of Jesus does not meet our expectations. We expect that a righteous and holy God would punish sinners. We expect that we need to do something to earn God’s love and forgiveness. But God did something unexpected. He sent his one and only Son into this world to be a sacrifice for the sins of all people. Jesus tells Pilate that this is the whole reason he came into this world. Jesus came to live a perfect life in our place. He came to willingly suffer God’s wrath in our place and die on the cross to pay for our sins. This is the truth that Jesus wants Pilate to understand. All people are sinners. We can do nothing to save ourselves. We need a Savior to rescue us from our sins. The only way to be saved is to have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to free the world from sin.

When Jesus talks about his kingdom he means his rule in the hearts of those who listen to his voice. The kingdom of Jesus is not about wealth or power. It is not advanced by strength of arms. The kingdom of God grows by one person sharing the truth of Jesus with another. It seems so simple and easy. And yet we know how difficult it can be to talk to someone about our faith. Satan attacks us on many fronts. He uses the kingdoms of this world to openly oppose and attack the church of God. He uses our own fear and guilt to keep us from sharing our faith with another. But Satan cannot stop the spread of the Gospel. God promises that wherever his Word is preached there will be results and hearts will be changed. Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return there unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.

Jesus is truly a king who does not meet our expectations because he is far greater than any expectation we could ever have. By his life he has freed us from the requirements of the law by fulfilling them for us, by his death he has washed us clean of all our sins, and by his resurrection, he has given us the crown of eternal life. As we live in this world of sorrow, we will face times of persecution and suffering. We will be tested in our faith. But we cling to the certainty that Jesus has defeated all our enemies. Satan may rage against us, but he cannot defeat us. Christ has won for us the victory. We know that Jesus is ruling over all things for the good of his church in his wisdom. We seek to advance his kingdom through the spread of his powerful Word. And we look forward to that great and glorious day when our King will return with all his power and glory. We eagerly look to the skies and wait with expectant hearts for that day when we will be taken to the eternal kingdom of Christ our King.

Psalm 2:10-12 So now, you kings, do what is wise. Accept discipline, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, or he will be angry, and you will be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. How blessed are all who take refuge in him.