Author: Al

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The Lamb is the Shepherd?

Text: John 10:22-30
Date: Easter IV + 4/21/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. At least that’s the shout of the faith of those who truly hear His voice, who are known by Him, and who follow Him. The others are all those who do not follow Him, who, though they are known by Him, do not truly hear His voice. Today, I’m told, in our country that’s about 4 out of 5 people! These do not shout in praise, “Blessed is the King who comes,” but grumble in protest, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Tell us plainly if you are the Christ.” But the demands of unbelief will never be satisfied, because their purpose is only to discredit, to despise and reject, to expose what they consider to be a fraud. Continue reading “The Lamb is the Shepherd?”

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Surprising Places ("It is the Lord!")

Text: John 21:1-14
Date: Easter III + 4/14/13

As we noted last Sunday John 20:30-31 was clearly meant to be the conclusion of this apostle’s gospel. The addition of another resurrection appearance by Jesus in chapter 21, therefore, makes us ask why he was originally planning on leaving this out. And, if he originally planned on leaving out this resurrection appearance, it makes us wonder further if there were even more resurrection appearances of which we’ve never been told. Think of St. Paul’s mention of the risen Jesus appearing “to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (1 Cor 15:6). What are we to make of this additional resurrection appearance by the sea of Tiberius, that is, of Galilee? Continue reading “Surprising Places ("It is the Lord!")”

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Surprising Places ("It is the Lord!")

Text: John 21:1-14
Date: Easter III + 4/14/13

As we noted last Sunday John 20:30-31 was clearly meant to be the conclusion of this apostle’s gospel. The addition of another resurrection appearance by Jesus in chapter 21, therefore, makes us ask why he was originally planning on leaving this out. And, if he originally planned on leaving out this resurrection appearance, it makes us wonder further if there were even more resurrection appearances of which we’ve never been told. Think of St. Paul’s mention of the risen Jesus appearing “to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (1 Cor 15:6). What are we to make of this additional resurrection appearance by the sea of Tiberius, that is, of Galilee? Continue reading “Surprising Places ("It is the Lord!")”

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That You May Believe

Text: John 20:30-31
Date: Easter II + 4/7/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, for He comes to us today mysteriously, but nevertheless really, presently, though invisibly, body and soul. As doubting Thomas finally didn’t need to touch the risen Jesus to confess Him as his Lord and God, nevertheless our Lord and God, the blessed King comes to touch us; to touch our hearts with faith, our tongues with His body and blood, our minds with understanding of the scriptures. Continue reading “That You May Believe”

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No Pinocchios

Text: Isaiah 65:17-25
Date: Easter + 3/31/13

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Blessed is the eternal King who came, who comes, and who is coming again in the name of the Lord.

Today we celebrate the cornerstone event of human history, the historic fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Yes, we said, “historic fact.” St. Luke, among the other evangelists, is our fact-finding committee. As he said, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us…it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account…that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4). Today we arrive at the conclusion of our Lord’s earthly ministry in His resurrection from the dead. Without editorializing, personal opinion or emotion, St. Luke simply records for us the plain, unvarnished, unembellished facts as it happened. Continue reading “No Pinocchios”

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The King is Dead. Long Live the King!

Text: John 19:14-15, 19
Date: Good Friday + 3/29/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Yes, we say it again, even on this occasion. We say it again because Pontius Pilate declared the kingship of a guiltless Jesus when he had the phrase affixed above Jesus on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

But we just heard it. This King, The King is dead! Continue reading “The King is Dead. Long Live the King!”

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Peace on Earth and Peace in Heaven

Text: Luke 19:38
Date: Passion/Palm Sunday + 3/24/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

Dearly beloved, we’ve been here before, since the beginning of the liturgical year, the beginning of telling the story of God’s salvation. We began with these words, and have heard them every Sunday since, both at the beginning of the sermon and at the Sanctus of the Holy Communion, as a reminder that salvation does not originate in us, is not attained by our coming to God, but is always and must be the result of God’s coming to us, God’s seeking us out, God’s calling, gathering and enlightening all hearts that do not reject His coming. Continue reading “Peace on Earth and Peace in Heaven”

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The Fruits of Faith and Love

Text: Luke 20:9-20
Date: Lent V + 3/17/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. For when He came He didn’t appear, in the words of Malachi, “suddenly…like a refiner’s fire” (Mal 3:1-2), like a military tyrant committing a coup d’état over Satan’s earthly lordship, or like a threatened city manager appointed by a governing God who is only interested in turning citizens into slaves. No, His coming was at first quiet and peaceful as an infant in the hills of Bethlehem. For He came not for a quick fix but to be on a journey, a journey that would prepare Him, then commission Him, then test Him and then send Him like a warrior into battle. But this battle was like none other that has ever been fought since the beginning of the world. For this was the battle to deliver all people, the whole creation from its slavery to sin and death. And it would take nothing less than confronting sin and death itself with such holiness and power so as to let it expend itself totally on Him that He might triumphantly take it away. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Blessed is the King who came on a journey of salvation, for us and for the whole world. Continue reading “The Fruits of Faith and Love”

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Living Absolution

Text: Luke 15:23-24
Date: Lent IV + 3/10/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, for He has appeared before God’s throne as the prodigal Son, confessing our sins as if they were His own, yet who is counted worthy of great joy, for, after His atoning death, when He became alive again, He reconciled us to God our rejoicing Father by His resurrection from the dead. Continue reading “Living Absolution”

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Living Repentance

Text: Luke 13:1-9
Date: Lent III + 3/3/13

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, for He is God’s last-ditch effort to preserve the world, to preserve us from judgment and utter destruction. When He came into our flesh and world He knew, from beginning to end, that the purpose of His coming was to fight the battle with the ancestral sin that has separated the whole world from God and made the punishment of death a reality for everyone and every thing. The King’s victory in that battle, however, could and would be only through taking death into Himself, letting it gorge its appetite on His body and blood, only to discover His holiness and glory too great for death, bursting death’s belly and freeing creation to new, restored life, all sin being taken away. Continue reading “Living Repentance”