Series: Lent 2022

4-15-22 Good Friday (Chief Service)

April 15, 2022
Jesus says to the women who are following him and weeping as He bears his cross to Calvary, “Do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves.” Don’t pity me, pity yourselves. So it will do us no good to feel sorry for Jesus today. Martin Luther particularly insists on this: Jesus’ suffering is no spectacle to make us cry at the injustice, to make us pity a poor man suffering unjustly. We can read Oliver…

4-15-22 Good Friday (Tenebrae)

April 15, 2022
The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. It was Peter’s flesh that talked big and announced his bravery, that he would stand by Jesus to the end. He wasn’t insincere. He was overconfident in himself – the vice known as temerity – but he wasn’t insincere. He was serious. He drew the sword and struck off Malchus’ ear. He was, as he said, ready to die for Jesus, ready to fight to the…

4-14-22 Maundy Thursday

April 14, 2022
This day is called Maundy Thursday. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means “commandment,” because on this day Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Now in a sense, the command to love is not new. Love has always been the summary of the Law: “You shall love the Lord your…

4-10-22 Palm Sunday

April 10, 2022
Our epistle is perfectly chosen for today. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Look at Jesus’ one-track mind. He goes to Jerusalem. He knows exactly what waits for Him there. He’s said it over and over again to His disciples. He’s going to be betrayed, handed over to the Roman authorities, tortured, and killed. He knows His enemies are waiting for Him. He could stay with the crowds up…

4-3-22 Judica

April 3, 2022
Disney Parks just announced that it will no longer say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,” to open any of its shows. And its workers will no longer say, “Hi boys,” or “Hi girls.” This is in the name of inclusion, so that people who don’t identify as either a boy or a girl won’t feel left out. You notice that in the name of inclusion words and beliefs have to be excluded. In the…

3-27-22 Laetare

March 27, 2022
Jesus looks at this great crowd. And He sees every single one of them as a person created in the image of God, each one fearfully and wonderfully made, the special object of God’s care. No doubt there are some very annoying people there. No doubt some whose hygiene could use some work. No doubt some ugly, misshapen, socially awkward, unintelligent, unkempt. And it isn’t that he’s blind to this; it’s that Jesus sees first…

3-20-22 Oculi

March 20, 2022
So far the season of Lent has revolved around Jesus’ conflict with the devil. The first Sunday in Lent Jesus was tempted by the devil and overcame. Last Sunday Jesus healed the Canaanite woman’s daughter, who was badly possessed by a demon. This week we find Jesus casting out another demon and then preaching about the devil and his demons. And the season of Lent builds up to the ultimate combat between Jesus and Satan…

3-13-22 Reminiscere

March 13, 2022
I can’t stand for very long, so this sermon isn’t going to be very long. So I’ll try to make each word count. The woman in our Gospel sees and experiences Jesus’ rejection. He ignores her. He says He came only for the Israelites, and she is no Israelite. He insults her and calls her a dog. But she clings to Him through it all. Because she doesn’t trust her eyes and she doesn’t trust…

3-6-22 Invocabit

March 6, 2022
The devil is a heretic. He heard at Jesus’ Baptism the Father say, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” And he still tried to tempt Jesus to sin. Because he saw in Jesus a mere man. And since Adam and Eve, the devil had a perfect record of tempting men. Even patient Job complained by the end. Even righteous David, the man after God’s own heart, fell into sin. The…

3-2-22 Ash Wednesday

March 2, 2022
The Holy Spirit has a reason for the words he uses. Many have, many would like to, explain the words away, “He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” It’s too much. It’s impossible. This must be just an expressive way of saying Jesus died to take away sin. It must mean only that God allowed him to be treated like a sinner, by allowing him to die on a cross.…
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