Allen Lunneberg

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Text: St. John Passion; LSB 450:7
Date: Good Friday + 4/22/11
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

Once again to presume to say something more important, more powerful, more persuasive than God’s own inspired scriptural Word is unbelief. Throughout my years I have, therefore, simply not preached, not included a sermon on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. Was such a practice a lazy cheapening and waste of parishioners’ patience and time, or did it demonstrate a bold faith in the Word of God?

To quote our hymn, “What language shall I borrow”? For it seems even human language fails to understand, to describe, to believe, to give thanks for our Lord’s sacrificial offering—the grief and shame, the scorn, the thorns, despised and gory; pale, with sore abuse and scorn, grim death.

Yet this One, this Lamb of God, the Son of God carries our sin, my sin and pays the ultimate, the atoning price for my forgiveness. Remember this. Remember this always and especially when it is your turn…your turn to die. He is your consolation and shield. His passion gives redemption when your last hour draws nigh. In such a vision of His cross and faith it can be said, “Who dieth thus dies well.”

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Text: Matthew 26:16-29
Date: Maundy Thursday + 4/21/11
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

In the “Confessional Address” almost everything that needs to be said was said. For it spoke about our acknowledgment and confession of our sins. It then drew us to the Sacrament of the Altar as the focus of the forgiveness of our sins. That is because, as we heard in the reading from Hebrews, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). In His words of institution Jesus said nothing about the significance of giving His body for us Christians to eat. But of His blood he said it is “my blood of the covenant” and was poured out “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:26, 28). Therefore it is especially here where we receive His body and blood according to His covenant and promise that our conscience is calmed, our sins stand forgiven, and we are filled with new, eternal life. We truly receive it and are truly comforted not in so far as we believe this but because Jesus said it. (more…)

Text: John 19:17-30
Date: Good Friday Triduum II + 4/2/10

From a harmony of the four Gospels we have seven words or statements from the cross. Matthew and Mark report only the one, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” There are three from Luke’s Gospel, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do;” “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise;” and “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” Each account has its own character and purpose. St. Luke’s is the most catechetical, proclaiming the faithful Son of God who came to release all mankind from the grip of the bondage of sin. The Good Friday portion of the Triduum, however, is reserved, always, for Saint John. He reports the words from the cross, “Woman, behold, your son,” “I thirst,” and “It is finished.” In addition to those words, however, are two more important details: the soldiers gambling for his tunic, and the piercing of Jesus’ side with a spear and the flow of blood and water. Taken together, St. John’s account of the crucifixion emphasizes the triumph and victory of the Son of God, the Word made flesh Who came to conquer death and give life to all who believe. In John the Passion is victorious. Jesus’ death is referred to as his glorification, and by his cross he is lifted up like the healing serpent in the wilderness. Even his final word is a cry of victory, “It is finished.” He is not overcome. He has overcome. (more…)

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:29
Date: Maundy Thursday + 4/1/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

“For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

Dear Christian Friends,

We begin these three holy days, the sacred Triduum, in an unusual way, beginning with a “Confessional Address.” It is to remember that we began the holy season of Lent forty days ago with an extended confession of sins, committing ourselves to the Lenten discipline of fasting, prayer and alms-giving. Therefore this night, as the forty Lenten days of preparation come to an end, it is good, right and salutary that we should hear an extended absolution, the forgiveness of our sins that we may enter the celebration of the Lord’s Passover in sincerity and truth. (more…)

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Text: Luke 22:1—23:56
Date: Passion/Palm Sunday + 3/28/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

On this Sunday, the beginning of the Great and Holy Week of the Christian calendar, Holy Church proclaims the entire account of our Lord’s Passion and death from the Last Supper, the temptations of Jesus and the disciples, the four trials of Jesus and the final hours of cross and tomb. The long, extended Gospel reading commands the attention of both hearer and preacher. It is hoped that the inspired Word heard directly, on its own, without comment or commentary will move heart and mind ultimately to true repentance and saving faith. For this is the goal, the culmination and purpose of the coming of Jesus into this world, namely, His vicarious, sacrificial, atoning death—“vicarious” meaning He died the death that should be ours; “sacrificial” meaning only His perfect holiness qualified Him to be acceptable to God; “atoning” meaning His death alone is the only adequate payment for the sin of the world, your sin and mine. It is called the Passion of our Lord since this is what it means when the Bible says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son” (Jn. 3:16). He gave His son to be incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He gave His son to preach and teach and heal all manner of sickness and malady. He gave His only son to suffer all, even death, in order to free all men from the curse and slavery of sin and death. (more…)

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Text: Mark 15:33-39
Date: Palm/Passion Sunday + 4/5/09
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

That’s it? That’s all? He dies and they lay Him in a tomb? Though you and I know that there is more to the story than that, indeed, that without the resurrection only half of the story has been told, especially in our age of instant gratification, the Sunday of the Passion pulls us up short, makes us slow down, and Holy Week tries to teach us how to ponder and meditate on why it is that the Savior had to die as the Suffering Servant. In fact, knowing the rest of the story as we do, it is nearly impossible for us to grasp the horrific sorrow and devastating grief of the first disciples, a sorrow and grief that we, nevertheless, need to apprehend. For the less we see our need for a Savior, the less will be our joy over his deliverance. Good Friday alone will not save, but without it there would be no Easter. (more…)