Hebrews 10:16-25.                          Sacrifice for our sin!!!                                     18/4/14

¹⁶ “This is the covenant I will make with them  after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,  and I will write them on their minds.”

¹⁷ Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 How amazing the events of this day are! This event that we recall this day is by far the single most, greatest event in all of history. Nothing has come near changing world history like this event. It is an event that determines future of every single one of us; past present and future. None of us will be able to say that this event is not applicable to us.

 Many try to downplay, ignore and even scoff at this event. It is interesting that in the lead up to Easter every year the media raises some heretical issue, such as this year, suggesting that Jesus had a wife. There is this constant attempt to discredit the events of this day: All so that we might have an excuse to not take it, and ultimately God, seriously.

 For if we acknowledge that they happened then we have to take the implications of that seriously. Yet the evidence is there for each one of us to know for sure that these events that we are celebrating this Easter are for real. This is far from blind faith stuff. Even to the point of being able to see that here God Almighty himself is present and active: The miracles; the fulfilment of the promises made in God’s Word; and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all point us to the reality of this fact.

 And if God has come into our world and is the central figure in this whole weekend’s activity then we should surely sit up and take notice. Here something very important is taking place: something that is absolutely essential to the wellbeing of each and every one of us. Here we are talking about eternity in either heaven or hell: with God and all that is good, or excluded from God and all that is good.

 Even though Jesus died for all people so that they can be with him in heaven, those who turn their backs on him and reject him and the events of this weekend, they will lose this reward and have to take their place in hell. So sadly there are many around us who are trying to believe that their loved one is in heaven, even though they have chosen to have nothing to do with him, who are sadly mistaken. The absence of many this weekend is sad proof of the fact that many could not care less about God and what he has done for us this weekend.

 Yet right here we are reminded in this reading from Hebrews that the Lord says: I will put my laws in their hearts,  and I will write them on their minds. So they know, but have chosen to ignore this. Others will say they believe, but then go on and live as if none of this is important. So the sad reality is there also.

 Yet again here we are today reminded that Jesus has died for us. He has

done that which is truly remarkable so that salvation can be there for us. Through Jesus death on the cross he reminds us in that reading that: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”  They will not be held against us. The only unforgivable sin is that of unbelief: rejection of Jesus Christ and what he has done for us.

 The importance of what Jesus has done for us on the cross is clearly spelt out in this reading and throughout the Bible. Our going against God and what he has called us to do is called sin. The old word in the Lord’s Prayer is trespasses: we have stepped onto an area of life that was barred to us for our own good. That result of that trespassing is that we have brought troubles and death on ourselves: We have rebelled against God and have brought damnation on ourselves.

However God, instead of destroying us, chose to provide a way out for us.  He sends his only Son to do what was needed for us to have salvation. So He willingly goes to the cross and says; “It is finished!” There he completes what was necessary for us to be forgiven.  He became the sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world.

 Now we can have the confidence to know that we can enter the Most Holy Place; God’s presence, even though we have sinned. Jesus paid the penalty by shedding his own blood that “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”  Absolutely amazing!

 This priestly, religious, language makes it quite clear how significant and important spiritually this is for us. It is only through what Jesus has done on the cross that there can be any hope for us. His sacrifice alone is what saves us and makes it possible for us to be in God’s presence. There is now a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.

 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ….let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

 Yes, now we have every reason to hang in there and be faithful in our life as Christians and in our church life as well. If this is for real, which it is, we will now surely want to be where our Lord wants us to be a do what he wants us to do. We can confidently live for Christ holding firmly to what he has to say to us, in the face of a world that ridicules us.

Because his death on the cross is all important we will boldly and confidently proclaim and live its importance, even though it is not popular to talk about sin or Jesus death as so essential for our salvation. We will hold unswervingly to the hope we profess and we will seek to live it every day of our life.

 We do so because we know that the one who has done this and who promised is faithful. Because he has told us all of this in his Word we can rely on it as an absolute certainty. If he can write hundreds of years before this event that his promised Messiah would die and rise again as it happened we can surely believe all his other promises as well: many which have already come true also. So we can live boldly and confidently holding to his Word in its entirety without changing or taking away from it.

 Each day we can now live in the light of Jesus death on the cross for our salvation. Each day, we can now acknowledge our sin and our ongoing weaknesses, and know with certainty that they are forgiven and we can forgive one another.  Each day we can now do everything that we do for this one who died for us and as a response to the fact that he now is what is all important in life.  Each day we can take up our crosses and follow our Lord through the rough and tough of a sinful, selfish world.

 Each week we can draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Through this crucified Lord we can now receive Word and Sacrament as things that he sees as vital for our ongoing welfare as his people. Weekly Divine Service will be seen as essential for us his people, as a result of what he has done for us here this day.

 We are also reminded: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. So we are encouraged to keep on keeping on in our Christian faith and helping others do the same.

 All because of the events of this day: this weekend. Jesus death on the cross is vital for not just our salvation, but for how we live and act each and every day of our life. This death on the cross and the resurrection three days later which reassures us that all of this is for real and for our good, is now of utmost importance for us. He is Lord of all.

 Here again then we have proclaimed the greatness of our God, who sent his only Son to die on the cross, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Here is what is all important. To him then be all glory and honour, now and always. Amen.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Matthew 21: 1-11.                           See, your king comes to you?                     13/4/14

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

 ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey. See your God comes to your rescue. Here we have something to really sing about. Let us rush to be with and spend as much time with him as we possibly can. Let us seek from him the good that he surely has for us. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 Yet we today, are even less enthusiastic than were the people of Jesus day. At least many of them did go out and acknowledge and lay down branches and cloaks before him. At least there was enough activity around his arrival that the city was stirred up enough to ask, “Who is this?”  But today, do we really care? There is even less interest in that fact that God has come to save us, than there is with regard to Princes William and George’s arrival in this country. This surely begs the question, what on earth is going on here? Even in our own midst and our own lives.

 We in this country have skipped over Palm Sunday and are already at Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The crowds are already crying out, Crucify him! Crucify him! Get him out of our thinking. God is dead and no longer relevant. Just let us pack up for our long weekend at Oakbank or by the river, or where ever. Let me live and do my own thing. We don’t want a king. We don’t want God telling us what we should think and do.

 All too often if we do think of Jesus and his coming, we merely think of the ‘goodies’ that he can give us. Like the people of Jesus day, who wanted the miracle working Jesus who could make life easy for them, and the Messiah who would drive out the Romans and set up a kingdom where they could be ‘top dog’ once more. And oh yes we want him to let us into heaven as well. But not the King who would do, say and dictate what he knows is good for his people.

 Here again we see the age old problem of humanity: we don’t want anyone telling us what we can and cannot do. We want our rights and ‘goodies’ but not the responsibilities that go with it. We want to be our own kings and queens; answerable to no one. We want to do what we think is right and good. We are rebels without a cause; other than to please ourselves. We have a problem with all authority; other that our own.

  And whenever anyone is set above us we do our utmost to pull them down and get rid of them. Unless of course they give us what we want and do what we want them to do. We see that even here with Jesus: they hail him as the king who does all these miracles and will drive out the Romans and make life easy for them: But when he doesn’t do that they quickly howl for his blood.

 So we see that this even happens with regard to God Almighty himself; and perhaps especially to him. We are happy to acknowledge him as God as long as he gives us the things that we want: But when he demands our complete allegiance and servitude we quickly turn our backs on him. Why do you think most people will say they believe in God but then make no attempt to take him seriously or to live according to what he says is good for us?

 Now we may not like to hear this; but it is the truth. This is the reality of a sinful humanity that has chosen to ignore and go against God. Even we ourselves have this same sinful trait in us, and it is not good. Here we need to recognise that we deserve to be totally rejected by God and sent to hell. We all deserve to receive the full wrath of God Almighty himself.

However the good news is, that despite our attitude, God’s own Son, Jesus Christ comes into our world to do what was necessary to rectify the situation. He comes as king. But not in the way we would expect. He comes gentle and riding on a donkey,  and on a colt, the foal of a donkey. And thank God that he did; for if he came as we would expect, he would have come and punished us all for our rebellion. But he doesn’t.

 He comes gently and first off reminds us that he is God come to us. So he performs all those miraculous signs that only God can do and he speaks God’s word with authority and power so that there is no doubt that he is from God himself; and that he loves and cares for humanity despite our rebellion. So we are left with no doubt that here God has come into our world to do what had to be done.

 Here then comes the most surprising thing of all. He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey and allows humanity to kill him. Even though he could have called on legions of angels to keep him safe, he instead humbly submitted himself to the most awful death on the cross, taking the punishment that each one of deserves, so that we might be forgiven. Then he is raised back to life three days later so that we can be absolutely sure this this is all for real.

 Yes he died for every single one of us so that we can once again live and be in his kingdom which is truly good and everlasting. Instead of all of the selfishness, troubles and death that we have as a result of rebelling against God, we can be a part of that which is ideal in every way. We can live under a king who has the very best in mind for us guaranteed.

 This surely is the most remarkable thing that this king could have done for us. This is absolutely amazing: Enough to surely stop each one of us in our tracks. Surely we now will want to re-evaluate our whole situation. Surely we now will want to acknowledge our absolute stupidity and turn back to our king so that he can lead, guide and help us to do what is good and right. Surely now we will give him the rightful place that he deserves.

 Yet despite all of this what do we find? So many still have turned their backs on him as if here were not even here.  They have rejected him and still openly want to live in rebellion against him; and so will finally receive the just rewards of this.

 Many others acknowledge him and want the benefits of his kingdom, but they still do not want him as their king and leader, and will also receive the rewards of this rebellion. They too will as that reading from Philippians reminds us, have to finally bow their knees and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, but then go to their destruction.

For the few who are deeply moved by all of this and even though they struggle and often fail, with the Spirits help they look to this king and long for all that has for them in his kingdom. They acknowledge him as King and seek to honour and live under him. They know they are far from worthy of being a part of his family, but they trust in him and the promises he has given to us. They look to him as that which is all important in life and constantly seek his help to live as is fitting for one who is a part his kingdom.

 That means they will go out of their way week after week to come and give honour and glory to their king. There will be nothing more important than to come to him and seek what he has to give to them so that we can live honourably throughout the week ahead. They will be so moved by the love and forgiveness that he extends to them they will want to live in accord with what he would have for us.

 These people will then know what it is to live in peace for all eternity. Yes even while they live out their few short years in the midst of a world that is in rebellion and open warfare against this king, they will have a peace which is beyond understanding. For they know that this king has died and risen again so that we can have the certainty of eternal life with their God. They know that the devil has already been defeated, even though he continues to fight on to the bitter end.

 The King has won the victory and he now rules over all and for the good of those who trust in him. Let us now go forward to this coming week and celebrate the death and resurrection of this King, our Lord Jesus Christ, giving him all glory and honour for what he has done for us. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Amen

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

 

John 11:1-45.                     The glory in death???                                                     6/4/14

 {21} "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. {22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." {23} Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." {24} Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." {25} Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; {26} and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" {27} "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

{39} "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days." {40} Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" {44} The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." {45} Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

 Here on the road to Easter we are once again confronted with the big issue of life for us as human beings. Death! The harsh, sobering reality of death. Lazarus is dead: he is already ‘on the nose.’ Sinful humanity; you and me, are dead: already ‘on the nose.’ Anybody who has been around a dead animal knows the smell. It is awful. Anything associated with death is an awful experience.  The closer it is to us the worse is the stench.

 Here, look around you. Smell the stink of dead men walking. Nothing is surer than the fact that we are all going to die. The little child drowns as it falls out of a boat. The tragic car accident that claims the life of another three people. The horrible suffering of another, gradually succumbing to the ravages of cancer. The last frail breath of a ninety year old as her life passes from her. Also consider those who have given up on life and turned to drink or drugs; and hopelessness of many a life. It stinks!

 Death is all around; waiting on our doorstep for its time to take us also. It is always there; and it stinks! We hate it. We fear it; we try and hide from it. We spend billions of dollars on seeking to find a cure for it. But it is always still there. And it will claim us all sooner or later. None of us will escape. What a horrible, gut-wrenching thing this is for us here to have to think about: to constantly live with.

 Yet, it is right here, that we hear from this reading something which is absolutely amazing. Absolutely fantastic. This Jesus has the grave of Lazarus opened and out of that stinking hell-hole walks a man in grave-clothes. Lazarus has been raised from the dead. This Jesus has mastery over death. The last and greatest despair of humanity has been shattered. This Jesus truly is the great hope for us as human beings. Now we can have eternal youth and the very best of everything. Now everything will be OK. Now there is no need to fear death.

 Here we see the power of God at work. Here we now have One that we can truly believe in and look up to. Here we have One who can really help us out with the troubles and difficulties of life. Here in Jesus there is One who can make the dead come alive. This surely is the One in whom we can now put our faith in. Here we have the answer and the hope that we need.

 ‘But what a great fairy story this is. [is the thinking of many around us]. Where is this world of the dead raised and of us being given everything that we miraculously need.’ Tell this event to people out there who have lost their spouse. Tells this story of Lazarus, to the parents of the little child drowned. Tell of the miracles, to the man dying of cancer. We long for it all to be true; but it is not there. We long for the reality of it in our lives, but we are left frustrated again and again.

 Obviously we need people like Jesus today to do these miracles for us, but they are not there. We need more miracle workers. We need a church that will display all this goodness. We want it and we want it now. We want to have what we want so that we can enjoy ourselves free of suffering and pain. But it is not there. The miracle workers have defrauded us and let us down. We have been ripped off once again.

 Yes even this Jesus was a fraud. For he went from Lazarus to Jerusalem and there, himself, was put death. There he was hung as the worst of criminals on the cross to die a most pitiful of deaths. Death has won again. There instead of establishing his kingdom; throwing out the Romans and giving humanity everything we want; he allows himself to be killed. Death and evil has won completely this time. As a result many have come to the conclusion that Christianity is a nonsense.

 But!  But, Jesus however did not stay dead. That is true Christianity’s great message; this Jesus who died on the cross, was three days later raised from the dead. Death does not have mastery of this Jesus; it cannot hold him or destroy him. He surely then is the Lord of life and death. He is God Almighty himself; supreme over all. Sin, death and devil are overcome by him and his death and resurrection. To God be the glory great things he has done, indeed.

 Now this life and death of ours has much, much more in store. Lazarus was raised from the dead only to die again. But now all who are connected to this Jesus have the absolute assurance that now nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. At our baptism’s we were joined to him and his death and resurrection. Spiritually we died with him and were also raised to eternal life with him. Death now is not the end of the story for us.

 We now have the assurance that our life will go on for all eternity. We now are connected to that life which is in every way ideal. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Everything that will be good for us is there; laid on for us: Pure peace, joy, security, contentment and much more, all there for us. By the sure promises of God Almighty himself, this now is all in store for us. So much to have in store for and to be assured of! This now is truly great.

 Yes sure, we don’t experience all of this now as we live out our life here on this earth. We still have to suffer through our daily struggles of life and we still have to face our physical death. But now they are good for us. Yes, good for us. For all of this bad stuff that happens to us in this life are all the results of and reminders of us sinful human beings doing what is bad for us. It is our choosing to be sinful and rebellious. They are reminders to us that we need a saviour; a way out from ourselves and the disasters that we bring on ourselves.  This life cannot overcome death, because we daily sin much. But as we now suffer; as we now face our death, we are turned away from ourselves, to look to Jesus Christ alone as our one sure hope.

 In many ways we are now like Lazarus when he stepped out of that tomb covered in his grave clothes. We too are wrapped in the constant reminders of death. We are the walking dead, who have been given the word of life. We long to be free from the shackles of sin and death, and are waiting to be taken from this world of sin, to truly live a life that knows no death. We know that it is but a few short breaths away. Just think how quickly the years have already passed for us as individuals. Even sooner will the time ahead pass, till we are free; raised to eternal glory.

 As a result, we don’t need miracles now, for we have the greatest miracle of all extended to us. We have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We have the certainty of a resurrection to a new and better life ahead. Nearly all other miracles then, are distractions; taking our focus of our Lord Jesus Christ and that which he has won for us. In fact that now is surely what we long for each and every day of our lives. We want to be with our Lord and Saviour; free from  this life of sin and death. And knowing that it is there for us, we look forward to it. Each trouble, suffering and death, now ever heightens our desire for it.

 Because this is not some ‘fairy story,’ but is based and founded on the certainty of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection and his promises which he has given with regard to our salvation, we can now wait patiently. Just as surely as we will physically die, now we can be just as certain of our rising to life on the last day.

 So now day by day, week by week, as we are surrounded by the stench of death, we look to our Lord Jesus and all that he has done for us. We daily remember our baptism; we weekly come and receive anew his words of life; and his very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, so that we might constantly hear those words of life; those words that reassure us of the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that is there for all who are connected to the Lord Jesus Christ.

All this now is our sure confidence and hope as we live out our life every day. That surely now turns us to look away from ourselves and our trust in humanity and the death it constantly brings on itself. It turns us to give all glory and honour to our Lord Jesus Christ. This truly is the great One who has the power to do all that is necessary in order to ensure that death is not the end for us, but the beginning of all that is good and perfect. Therefore to him alone, belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN

  Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish