In this morning’s Gospel we heard 2 of 3 parables that Jesus told in Luke 15. Between the first and second parable, Jesus said something very interesting. He said: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

99 to 1. 99 righteous persons versus 1 sinner who repents. A very interesting ratio. Are there so many righteous people as opposed to “sinners”? What did Jesus mean? In the first parable it may seem easy enough to classify the sheep as either lost, meaning they are sinners and outside the flock, on the one hand, or they are found and already members of the flock. Quite often this parable is explained to say that the 99 sheep represent people who are members of the church already and the 1 person is a person who has left the church and so we need to reach out to them. Not a bad idea, but that is not really what Jesus is saying here. That is not really His point at all.

The point that Jesus is making is that there are NO righteous people. The context of His parables is that He is talking to the Scribes and Pharisees. They had been grumbling that Jesus would allow known sinners and tax collectors into His midst, to let them touch Him, that He would heal them, preach to them, and yes even eat with them, in public even!

If fact, this was not even the first time that the Scribes and Pharisees had sneered at Jesus for doing this. Back in Luke 5 when they had grumbled, Jesus had said: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” The point being that the Pharisees and Scribes saw themselves as NOT sinners. They were righteous and not in need of repentance. They were keepers of the Law. Overachievers, in fact, because they had added their own regulations and Laws to the Laws of the Old Testament.

Luke 15 is a section of the Gospels that clearly speaks of the need for repentance. Therefore, when Jesus said: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” He didn’t mean that there are 99 righteous people that God doesn’t care about or celebrate because they are righteous already. This was Jesus telling the Pharisees that they could not please God with their works because there are no people who can make themselves righteous according to the Law. None are righteous, no, not one. Except, of course, the parable teller and the one being criticized, Jesus, Himself.

Sinners are in this context not just those “who fall short of the demands of the Law”. That is indeed everybody. No, the sinner over which God and the angels in heaven rejoice over are those sinners who recognize that they are sinners and in need. They cannot help themselves. They are lost. The sheep is lost. The coin is lost. Notice, the Shepherd has to come to where the lost sheep is. The woman of the house has to search where the coin has fallen. But are all the parables in Luke 15 talking about the same repentance? No, each parable tells a different aspect and preaches a further Truth from God about how repentance happens, and how God is working to make that happen so that people can be saved!

The first parable, the parable of the lost sheep is talking about the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ who is the seeker, finder, and the worker of repentance in people’s hearts. He is the Savior and Good Shepherd who comes from heaven into the world to rescue that which was lost. Jesus Christ desires people’s salvation and He goes to them, finds them, and lifts them upon His shoulders and bares them home. Just as He bares the sin of the world, the anxieties, sufferings, and punishment of all, and especially of those who believe. Taking the sin to the cross to die in our stead. To fight the Satanic lion. But Jesus does not take people against their will who reject Him, but saves those who do not resist the work of the Spirit.

How does His salvation get to us? How do we get saved exactly? How does God overcome the hardness of our hearts? Well the second parable more or less explains that. The woman of the house represents the working of God’s Word, the source of wisdom, who lights a candle in the darkness. This is the light of God’s Word. It is the Truth of God’s Law and His Gospel that shines into the darkness to cause that dark ignorance to scatter. The Holy Spirit uses His Word and Sacraments to preach Jesus Christ crucified and raised for the sins of the world. In this preaching and by this light, the Holy Spirit sweeps clean the guilt, the ignorance, the enmity and hate towards God and humanity that otherwise resides in the bosom of each man and woman. Therefore, the Holy Spirit uses the light and His sweeping to regenerate, to convert, to reveal and uncover the value of the coin, which is the sinner. To reveal to the sinner, that they are a precious person to God and His heavenly Host. In this way the sinner can repent in hope, being moved by the Holy Spirit to see God not as hateful, but as loving.

The third and final parable in Luke 15, the one that follows our Gospel reading today is the Prodigal Son. This parable describes the effect of God’s work in the heart of a sinner who is moved to repentance. They may hear the Word of God, but it may not take effect immediately, but finally, they realize they can hope in nothing else but the grace of their loving Father. That repentance is finally completed in faith: faith in God through Jesus Christ, enjoying the benefits and joyous banquet of sins forgiven, of sinners restored.

So are you of the 99 who believe they are righteous and need not God’s help? Who need no repentance? This is where the Pharisees and hedonists have so much in common. Even though One thinks that they are saved by the works of the Law and the other thinks that they can do whatever they want and are self-righteous in their sinning, both are similar. Both are hypocrites. Remember the word hypocrite literally means “actor”. Both act as though they are fine; that they are better than others in their pride and need no help. They are in fact in the same lost and broken condition. They are outside the kingdom of the true righteous. The true righteous are the repentant ones. The only path to righteousness is by humbling oneself and admitting that you are not righteous at all. By admitting that you have failed this week, this morning, even since the confession of our sins. You have not lived up to the demands of the Law and you have abused and taken for granted the Grace of God.

In our sinful and lost condition, we cry out “Lord have mercy!” Even before we have, Christ Jesus came to earth and died for your sins. The Holy Spirit who has lit the candle of God’s Word and shone the light of faith at your baptism has been hard at work in your conscience. The evidence is that He has brought you again this day to Himself. Christ has born you upon His shoulders here to confess your sins, and unburden yourself upon Him, pleading grace for the sake of Christ’s righteousness and sacrifice at the cross. Hearing then His grace and promise of forgiveness. Responding in prayer and singing. Hearing His voice in the readings, then confessing the faith that the Holy Spirit has given you in the creeds.

You dear friends are of great value to your Savior. Jesus is your Good Shepherd. He has lifted you even now upon His shoulders. He has taken your sin upon Himself. He came and died upon the cross for you. Yes, for the world, but for you. Now you are His beloved redeemed coin, sheep, and child. Rest upon Him. Trust Him and know that as you trust in Him, the threats of Satan cannot harm you. Do not let doubt oppress you, do not let the world sway you to false worship, pride, or shame. No, grasp the cross by faith and find that God is and has been grasping onto you, and therein lies your strength and hope.

He rejoices at your repentance and salvation by God’s mercy and Grace. Now also hope for change in yourself through faith in Him and by the power of His Spirit. He does not cast you off, but instead carries you: here to be refreshed in His body and blood given and shed for you: then throughout this life until He bears you to your eternal home for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

A song performed by Kenney Chesney, is entitled, “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven.” The message of the song is very simple. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now. Even though the song has a fun and lighthearted mood, it expresses a profoundly sad truth about the state of our human nature.

The context for this morning’s Gospel was that Jesus was gathered at the house of a Pharisee on the Sabbath Day. He had healed a man with dropsy, and the people were sitting in judgment of Him for breaking the rules on the Sabbath. He then went on to teach them humility, not to seek honor from this world, but to wait for God to exalt them at His own time. In the middle of our Lord’s instruction, one guy blurted out, “Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of heaven.” The man was only half-listening to Jesus’ teaching. He just wanted to express how great it was going to be when he finally got to heaven.

That’s all fine and good to talk about the future joys and blessings of heaven. But it doesn’t do you any good if you lose sight of what is in front of you right now. The Lord God Himself was in their presence. The kingdom of heaven was in their very midst. Wisdom incarnate was teaching them right where they were gathered. Everybody wants to go to heaven eventually, but who wants to listen to the Lord of heaven right now when there are so many other things to do?

Jesus therefore responded to this pious sounding outburst by telling a parable of a man who prepared a banquet and invited many. Then later, he sent his servant out to declare that the dinner is now ready. The servant didn’t say that dinner will be ready soon. No, it’s ready now.

This talking about the time of Christ, the time of fulfillment. The Lord has come. He is right there in the midst of them already in the Gospel, calling all who labor and are burdened to find rest and peace in Him. He continues to declare to us, “All things are ready. Come and eat. Come and gain wisdom and knowledge of salvation”. Where two or three gather in His name, where His church assembles around the preaching of His gospel and the faithful administration of His sacraments, there He is in their midst.
It’s all good and pious to talk about how blessed and wonderful it will be when we go to heaven. But what about right now? Do you want rest for your soul and release from guilt and sin right now? Do you want to die to your sin and live to God right now? Do you want the body and blood of your crucified and risen Savior right now? Or do you just like the idea of going to heaven someday but not until after you have done all the things you imagine will give you peace and fulfillment in this world?

Jesus’ parable warns us against missing what is right in front of us. The people who were invited made excuses, no different than the excuses people make today. I bought a field, so I need to see it. I bought some oxen, and I need to test them out. I just got married.

The excuses pile up. Anything and everything takes priority over meeting Jesus where He promises to meet you. Work and entertainment, ambition and leisure are deemed more precious and pressing than hearing the gospel, receiving instruction in the Word of God, encouraging your fellow Christians with song and conversation, and eating the body and blood of your Savior for the nurturing of your soul. We all know this.

Many of us are concerned for our fellow Christians who can’t prioritize the gathering in the name of Jesus above their everyday affairs. But God is patient to call you and them to come into the light while it is still shining before the darkness comes. And people so easily count God’s patience as indifference. It’s concerning and discouraging.

But we should keep in mind and remind all others what this gathering is all about. Who has built this church? Who has prepared this Supper and the food of His Word? Solomon writes in Proverbs 9 that Wisdom has built her house. Wisdom has carved out her seven pillars which are the 7 fruits of the Spirit. Wisdom has butchered her meat, mixed her wine, and spread her table. Wisdom, who is portrayed as a wise lady of the house, has been revealed as the Son of God Himself. He comes like a mother hen longing to gather her chicks under her wings. He comes with tenderness and meekness, calling us to receive His words of life with humility. He is the Lord your Shepherd who has prepared a table for you with his body and blood and has anointed your head with the oil of His Spirit in your baptism. And why does He prepare this meal for you? What does Wisdom say? “If you’re untaught, turn in here . . . Leave ignorant people and begin to live; walk the road that leads to understanding.”

You see, Christ does not invite us to gather with Him just so we would make an appearance, mouth the words of the hymns that are our favorites or that we are just used to singing, and then get out in time to rush off to our field, oxen, or other festivities. No, Christ calls the ignorant to receive knowledge and insight, to receive life from His Word, to begin to understand what He says. To linger and listen. If you have made it a habit to come to church, that’s good. There’s really no better habit. But Christ doesn’t just call us to a habit. He calls us to faith. And faith is much greater than a habit. Faith is the cup, which Jesus fills and causes to overflow with his mercy and salvation. Faith exists in a broken and humble heart that can’t find anything good within itself but looks to the Lord Jesus as the only bread that endures to eternal life. Faith hungers and thirsts for the righteousness that avails before God in the wounds of Him who was sacrificed for our sins.

How can we be changed from simple to wise men and women? “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” To fear God is to care about what God’s Word says and to trust that Christ has saved us by his atoning death. We don’t always feel wise. But to recognize this is a sign of great wisdom! To know that you have a lot to learn is the beginning of wisdom. Those who think they already know enough are not wise. The Bible calls them scoffers. If you correct a scoffer then you get insulted. But if you correct a wise person then he will love you. If you give advice to a wise man then he will be even wiser. If you teach a righteous man then he will learn even more.

Because those who are wise know that they can’t find wisdom in themselves. Those who are righteous know that they can’t find righteousness in themselves. Their salvation doesn’t come from them accepting Jesus, figuring out Jesus, or inviting Jesus into their hearts. No, it comes from Jesus accepting them and inviting them. He calls them to His banquet which may seem foolish and unimportant to the World, but it is a feast, which he purchased and prepared with His own blood. By His Holy Spirit, He gives faith and gathers people to be strengthened in the knowledge of salvation. Those who are wise hunger and thirst for this wisdom that comes down from above, the wisdom revealed in the words of Scripture. Those who are wise don’t just mouth the words of the hymns and liturgy. Instead, they feast on the words. They read the words, think about them, ponder them, and learn from them. The scoffer turns church into a mere tradition of men. He doesn’t have anything to learn. He’s in a rush to accomplish what seems more important to this world. But the wise man loves the habitation of God’s house, because this is where he inquires and seeks understanding from God’s Word.

If you don’t want wisdom now, then you won’t get wisdom later. If you don’t want heaven now, then you won’t go to heaven when you die. If you don’t see how dead your sinful flesh is right now then you won’t see the life that Christ has prepared for you. If you don’t want Christ and the salvation He offers right now, then you won’t get it in the end. That is the warning our Lord gives in His parable. “I tell you,” he says, “none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.”

Wisdom is not about how much you know. Wisdom is about fearing the Lord and knowing the Holy One, Jesus Christ. It isn’t about how much you understand. It’s about receiving understanding from Christ Himself. Some people are smarter than others. Some aren’t able to comprehend much. But the first shall be last and the last first. A little child who receives instruction, learns to listen to his parents, bow his head to pray, and knows that Christ has defeated the devil and taken away our sins, is wiser than the most celebrated scholars who write dissertations explaining away the truth of the Scriptures. There is nothing you have that you did not receive from God. To know this is to know wisdom. And to trust in Christ, His kingdom, and His righteousness is to have everything you need both for today and for the day to come. As David sings in Psalm 34,

“Taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who trusts in him. Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him will lack nothing. Young lions may be in need and go hungry, but those who fear the LORD shall not lack anything good.” Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

Things can get pretty hot here in Southern California. If you want it even hotter, you need only travel less than an hour away to get to Palm Springs. If you want to get to where some of the highest temperatures in the world get recorded, Death Valley is less than 4.5 hours away. There, brutally high temperatures over 115 degrees are normal for this time of year and it will get even hotter. If you go outside in such heat it is breath taking. Would you choose to go out to Death Valley in the hottest time of the year during the hottest part of the day, without fans or air conditioning? Probably not. You know that under the torment of the fiery sun, you will groan and become weak, thirsty, and your body cannot long withstand the torment of such brutal heat. It is dangerous; without something to quench and cool, the body will die.

In today's Gospel text we heard of a man who finds himself in a far greater heat and fiery torment. The one known in Christ's parable only as "the rich man" finds himself in Hell. This formerly rich man laments to Abraham that Hell is a place of torment and that he is "in anguish". He says," If only Abraham could send Lazarus to "dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue" it would be a merciful act, "for I am in anguish in this flame".

Hell is real. It is the place of judgement that so much of the world and even many who claim to be Christian "pooh-pooh" and try to ignore. They may say that hell exists but it's only for really bad people, such as Joseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler. The topic of an eternal place of torment and judgement makes them uncomfortable. It scares them, perhaps. Perhaps it makes them question their own life choices, their day to day sins, their failure to show mercy to their fellow men and women, that there may be a God who, though merciful, is also a just God, who will hold people liable for their sins and punish those who do not repent to Him but rather worship other gods.

Hell is real. It is not, however, like the cartoons where the Devil is the head administrator and greeter, where the devil torments those judged. No, the torment is "a fire that is never quenched and a worm that never dies" as written in Mark 9. In addition to that, it will be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth in pain and anguish also because like "the formerly rich man" people will ultimately realize the Truth and that they had their whole life to repent but instead, ignored God, ignored His word of Law and Gospel, and now in Hell, they cannot escape. As Abraham in Jesus' parable points out: "between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us."

The still unrepentant "former rich man" who had never had to beg in life, begs one last time. This time for Lazarus, to do something again, this time to be sent to warn his brothers to turn from their ways, to prevent them from ending up in that place of torment. But what did Abraham tell him?: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them." And he replied, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' Abraham said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'

The rich man, his brothers, and Lazarus all had the testimony of Moses and the Prophets. And standing there at the moment this parable was spoken was the greater testimony in Jesus Christ. We could almost excuse some of the ignorance of those around Jesus because Jesus had not yet died or risen from the dead as the fulfillment of the Old Testament testimonies. But even that ignorance is no excuse. 

What is our excuse? We have Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, and the testimony of the One who has risen from the dead yet look how many do not heed it. How often do we also take this testimony for granted or see it as relatively unimportant?
In Christ’s parable, we do not hear that the “rich man” was inherently evil nor that it was his status as “being rich” which condemned him to hell. Nor are we told that Lazarus was saved because of his poverty. Earthly riches and blessings or the lack thereof are not the measurement of salvation. Abraham was wealthy and yet was saved, even as many beggars at the time Jesus may not have been saved.
What is the benchmark for salvation? What had the rich man and his brothers done wrong? The rich man was a direct descendant of Abraham, yet he was not saved for the sake of his bloodline, a testimony even against the false doctrine today among many evangelicals that all “Jews will be saved”.

So, what was it? What was his damning sin? It was faith. Damning faith. Faith only in the things of this world. He sought enjoyment, happiness, indulgence, and praise in the things of this world only. He apparently did not use his blessings as a good steward out of joyful gratitude to the Lord either for the benefit of Lazarus or anyone else, if he did any good works at all. If he did, it was not done out of faith toward God, but for earthly praise.

Lazarus was not saved because of his perfection or poverty and sores. He may have struggled with coveting the rich man and others who did not have so many troubles and sufferings. He was a sinner, but it is quite likely that because of his helpless and miserable condition, he was forced to lean all the more upon faith outside himself unto God, trusting upon Him for every breath, every morsel not only of food, but for the hope of the life to come.

The main point of this parable seems to ask who and what your god is. What is a god? Luther, under the First Commandment in the Large Catechism, writes, “A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a god is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart.”

We show who our god is by the decisions we make, by how we live our life, how we treat other people, and so on, but that doesn’t go far enough. Some of that is superficial. The why is the greater question. Why do you treat other people the way you do? Why are you making this decision or that? Is it to glorify God who is in heaven or to glorify yourself: either by impressing others who will glorify you or as a direct self-glorifying activity?

Are you giving thanks unto the Lord in your blessings as you take that trip, buy that boat, or are you just treating yourself? Do you make that investment, take that promotion because it will help you to provide for the church, your community, and family or for your own profit and pride? Will it cause you to be away from your church, your family, your community? Will you make excuses for not doing devotions and prayers or coming to where the true God is because you are too tired or occupied with that job, sports, or other priorities? If you have time to sit and watch television for half an hour, you have time to crack open the Bible for yourself and your family. If you cannot make time for God, then who is your god and where then is saving faith?

Repent of this while there is time. That is also the message in this parable. There is only so much time in this life. Hell is real; even as heaven most assuredly is. The way to heaven is narrow, but the way to hell is wide and many will pass through. Repent and be turned. Hear Moses and the Prophets, hear the voice of the one who has been raised from the dead, and be saved.

But lest you be confused. Salvation is not in going through the motions. Salvation is not in doing good works alone. Salvation is not in coming to church and volunteering, nor by giving away all your wealth. Those works which can be and are good are only good if the “why” they are happening is right.

Salvation only comes by faith in God’s grace. By recognizing that no matter if you are blessed with earthly wealth and riches or struggle from week to week, you are still blessed far beyond what you deserve. Salvation comes from admitting that you are a miserable beggar and sinner worthy of hell. You admit your sin not to excuse your sin, but to seek mercy and strength by the forgiveness of sin from the only true God who has created heaven and earth. You plead not your righteousness and goodness, but you plead in the name of Jesus Christ, for His righteousness’ sake.

Jesus, the Son of God showed forth the love, mercy and will of God to fulfill His own justice for those who repent even as His sacrifice was sufficient for all people. The Son of God set aside the full exercise of His Divine power and made Himself poor by attaching Himself to the flesh of human beggars. He took upon Himself even our sores. The festering sores of sin which deserved eternal everlasting torment of fire and anguish, these He took to the cross. He hung in agony and anguish in crucified death to beg and plead not for the sake of His own healing and survival, but for the healing, survival, and the gift of life eternal for you and me.

Now as those who have been baptized, repented, and forgiven, hear now and heed His voice in order to become the true children of Abraham by faith and thus true children of God through Christ. Awaken to the joy that is set for you in Christ. Let this gratitude be that which propels you to love and do good to your neighbor and live the life with all its blessings that He gives to you now.

In the midst of a sin sick world, there are and will be sores and times of trouble, doubt, and fear, but do not give up. Cast it upon the Lord. Look to the cross. Receive His life blood and eat the body of Jesus Christ and be filled with His Spirit and His strength. Repeat and rejoice and be made strong until His angels take you to be safe at His side in His eternal comfort for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

This past week for Vacation Bible School, we have been exploring and studying the mystery of the Trinity. The mystery which we confess to be true: that there are three persons in one godhead. Distinct in person yet united as one being. Can we grasp this? Not fully. Not really. Not on this side of heaven. But the concept that can be grasped is how each person in the godhead works for our good, for our salvation, that is something that we can begin to comprehend.

As part of Vacation Bible School, we went to the creeds to help us understand who God is and has revealed Himself to be for us. We saw why it is important, not only in the worship of Him and acknowledging Him, but in the understanding of who we were, but now who we are because of His work in us. So too for us all it important to know, to study and ponder the mystery of the Trinity. It is important too to defend against errors that can be spotted which would confuse who God is and subsequently who we are. In fact, that is how the Nicene and Athanasian creed came to be. They were formed as an expansion upon the Apostles Creed in order to clarify what the Bible teaches in opposition to false teaching and mis-belief that arose in the early church. In fact, it was 1700 years ago right around this time that the early church fathers were meeting in the city of Nicea for a council to decide several theological debates and issues in the church.

The error that had to be discussed and ultimately rejected concerned the person of Jesus Christ. There are many errors that have risen concerning the person of Jesus. Errors such as: Was He only a good man? Or is He a Divine being who only put on humanity like we put on clothing? Or is this Jesus, this Word, god-like, but a creation of God proper, and therefore not actually God nor eternal while somehow still being higher than a human? This last false teaching was the position of a priest by the name of Arius who lived in the early 4th century and convinced many people to believe this way. They claimed that the Word, the Son, this Jesus Christ was a creature formed by God for the work of redemption of humanity, but was not Himself God. This is not true. And the other theologians of that time knew it. They understood that they had to clarify who the eternal Word of God, the Son, Jesus Christ was and is. So, to the glory of God, and in order to keep people from misbelief and being scandalized by falsehood they formulated the “Nicene Creed”.

Jesus is true God, but He is also true Man in a mysterious union. The Word of God who is also Son of God did not have flesh until He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit but He had been begotten, that is set aside to be incarnated from before there was time and creation, that this person of the Trinity was set aside or “begotten” from eternity for the purpose of humanity’s salvation. That is why the Nicene Creed is more specific that the Apostles’ Creed as to the origin and substance of Jesus Christ. So, we have this more full confession: “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man;”
Yet, the Nicene Creed did not eradicate the false beliefs of Arianism, because false teaching is always difficult to eradicate in this sin plagued world as the Devil is always trying to lead people from God’s truth back to ignorant darkness. Over the centuries, Arianism has taken different names and Christological heresies continue to proliferate, that is increase and multiply. So do heresies regarding the other members of the Trinity, therefore we have further confessions and expositions on the topic like in the Athanasian Creed.

The Church must ever keep vigil because the devil, the world, and our own fallen reason are always wrestling against the truth of what God had revealed Himself to be. Why is this important? Because any error concerning the Trinity will affect how we understand ourselves and how God relates to us. It will in turn affect how we read Scripture and how we view the Law and Gospel. Will Good Works be done out of Gratitude or out of fear? Do we have a God who desires our salvation and comes to us to help us in our need or a God who expects us to prove that we deserve salvation and must seek Him ourselves. God keep us from such confusion!

We see how the world tries to ignore the idea of a creator; replacing Him instead, with a notion of a chance explosion which created an evolutionary cycle which somehow brought forth all things both lifeless and living. That somehow order came from disorder and chaos without a Divine creator. Furthermore, you have those who minimize the idea that God by the power of His Word could create all things fully formed by speaking it into existence within a natural day. This rejection is also a Trinitarian error as we see the power of the 3 persons were all intimately involved in creation. The Father willed it, the Word which is the Son was spoken, and the Spirit brought it forth and formed it.

We see the modern Christological errors in various church bodies such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, and others, within modern Judaism, Islam, and others who all Deny the Scriptural and orthodox confession of Christ’s Divinity and person.

There are even errors regarding the role of the Holy Spirit and from whom does He proceed: from the Father or the Son or both? Scripture is clear that He proceeds from both, by the way. Another error rejects that the Spirit does the work of converting sinners from unbelief and error and He alone gives us the ability to believe, giving us the gift of faith. Many teach falsely that the Spirit merely gives us a hand, but we have to come to accept faith and that we have enough good in us to participate with Him not only good works, but in conversion itself! This kind of error, minimizes God’s gift of faith and magnifies our contribution which actually is nothing.

The truth is that God sees that you, me, and the world by nature are spiritually dead and unable to help ourselvess to receive or achieve salvation. “God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” It is He who then calls us by His Word , who comes to us and causes us to be born not according to flesh, but to be reborn from above by the power of the Holy Spirit working through water and the Word in Holy baptism. It is He who creates repentance and faith by the forgiveness of our sins.

He continues to come to us to speak His Truth in our ears, so that we may grow in faith and understanding throughout our years. He comforts us in our weakness and sorrows, turning them into joy and strength because He brings us back to Himself away from ourselves and dependence upon that which fails. God cannot and will not fail you. He loves you and comes to you and invites you to receive His gifts, remembering your Baptism where He put His name upon you and brought you into fellowship with Himself through the sacrifices of the second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Law in His flesh, died upon the cross for your sins, and has risen bodily to show you the future that God desires for you, even your eternal life body and soul.

So, in confession of His name and trusting His Word we ponder and receive the mysteries even as we eat and drink Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine, where your lips are sanctified to speak His name.

Study the creeds for they help us to know God and grow in faith and grace. But in these statements of belief lies the key to give an answer to those who do not believe or who are entrapped in misbelief. God can and will work through you and me to speak and confess Him before people and in so doing will call, gather, and enlighten them by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray again the collect for this day: “Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities, for you, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen”.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

If there’s one day within the life of the Church that can produce the unintended consequence of causing people to feel grossly inadequate in their faithful service to God, it’s this day—Pentecost. Today we hear about faithful disciples boldly and masterfully speaking in tongues, and thousands of people hearing, repenting, and converting. The Church grew by thousands seemingly because of the amazing evangelistic efforts of a few. There”s not a single pastor or congregation out there who wouldn’t love to experience even a fraction of such extraordinary and miraculous results. If only…. And this is where the feelings of inadequacy start to surface. 

In proud fashion, though, we miss the point, and so often attempt to overcome these feelings of inadequacy by our own effort. We try to manufacture and re-produce the results that God blessed at Pentecost. Churches attempt it all the time. The thought is “re-produce the excitement; manufacture some awe and inspiration, and perhaps you’ll also re-produce the massive influx of new members. If you’re not putting on the biggest, most entertaining and uplifting show in town, then you’re doing something wrong. You don’t stand a chance. You’ll never get that Pentecost experience.”

Well…I don’t believe a word of that. You know why? It’s not true. It’s not right. It’s not faithful to God’s Word. You see, the disciples never set out to have this Pentecost experience. They didn’t organize focus groups and community polls to find out what the public masses were looking for so that they could “scratch the itch of the masses” and make a big public splash. They didn’t sit down at a board meeting and discuss membership data, and formulate marketing plans and advertising so that they could increase their market share. They didn’t even wake up that morning with the intention of going out from behind the safety of their locked doors. It wasn’t their plans and purposes and intentions that made that Pentecost what it was. It was Almighty God who did this.
It was the work of the Holy Spirit, who not only spoke the Truth of the Gospel through these men, endowing them with the gift of proclamation in foreign tongues, but who also summoned a huge crowd of people to the disciples so that the crowd could even hear the Gospel proclaimed to them. Remember: The text tells us that the sound of this great rushing wind caused everyone to come running so that they could find out what was going on. Faith comes by hearing. This hearing of the wind led the masses right to the source and wellspring of the Gospel in the Words which were proclaimed. These men didn’t manufacture anything. In terms of “success,” these men were grossly inadequate, in and of themselves. Left to their own devices and schemes and plans, they would’ve produced nothing but ruin and despair. This Pentecost miracle was all God’s working. All glory, honor, and credit belongs to Him.

To say that we’re also grossly inadequate in our personal capabilities to save and deliver people from damnation is an understatement. We’re not inadequate. We’re completely and utterly incapable, in and of ourselves…just like those first disciples were on that Pentecost Sunday. We are not able to overcome our inadequacies, for we are sinful and selfish. In our attempts to lead a perfect Christian life we have failed, yet we want to grow the church by our own means and our own plans, without realizing the source of the growth. We can talk about growth all day, and tell people to grow the church all we want, but it will never take place unless the Lord grants the increase through His chosen message and His chosen means. The miracle of Pentecost that produced growth did not come through the miraculous signs of rushing wind, tongues of fire, or suddenly speaking in foreign languages. Peter later in chapter 2 of Acts explained what is the source of the miracle of Pentecost, and what is the content of the message that converts and saves: Jesus who was crucified and raised from the dead is the Lord and is the Christ. As Peter said: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Also “that Jesus was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

To this message the Jews who had been gathered to celebrate the Festival of Weeks asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” and the answer was: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Dear Friends in Christ, despite your sin and mine, this same Jesus Christ who was crucified, raised, and ascended into heaven has given you forgiveness for your sin. He has already given you your Pentecost in your Baptism where you were washed in His atoning blood and received His living Word. Though you have been inadequate to be saved and to serve, the blood of Jesus Christ is more than adequate to cover your sin and make you Holy. His Holy Spirit has been given to you through His Word and you have received the miracle of faith to confess His name. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continue to use their humble means with miraculous results as the Word is faithfully preached and spoken through Baptism, Absolution, and this Divine Service to bring you and many others again to Himself and bind you to the salvation and forgiveness given to you for Jesus Christ’s sake.

You have heard the message that Jesus is the Christ and you are forgiven for His sake, you are given life eternal through faith in Him who was crucified, risen, and ascended; you are about to receive the very body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sin and the strengthening of your faith, so that through Him you are again receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now you have heard His Word once more. Even as you have had His Word and name given you as you were baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Now by the power of the Helper you are able to love Jesus and keep His Word even as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have come and made their home in your hearts and minds giving you that saving faith.

Now you able to confess with your tongues that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Keep the mercies of His cross ever before you and do not worry what you will say. Study this Word and meditate upon it day and night and be blessed in the delight of the Lord. The Holy Spirit will speak through you in the simple language of His love, joy, and the confession of faith in the words and deeds which He has planted into you.

This day, we will hear the confession of faith by Jonathan Torrance, the very affirmation of that faith given in His Baptism. The same confession that we all have or should be willing to make every day: “I intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed, to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death by the grace of God, to be willing to remain steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death rather than fall away from it.” God grant us the power to confess this and hold fast.

How can we? Can we stand firm to this end? Not by ourselves, but by His Spirit. How can we grow the Church or grow in our faith? Not by lessening the Word of God, but by magnifying His Word and meditating upon it day and night. By repeating faithfully, God’s Words which have been repeated to us in our hearing, preached to us, taught to us, sung to us, memorized by us, in the liturgy, the catechism, in godly hymns and spiritual songs which declare the faith and make us ready to give an answer, to speak that confession made by the disciples at Pentecost to a world that so greatly needs to hear that word of Hope and salvation by the forgiveness of their sins in Christ crucified and raised.

By faithfulness to His Word and the receiving of it, God will bless the increase. By virtue of their baptism, all of God’s people may speak forth the mighty works of God in their own language, in their own vocations, because regardless of tongue or ability, the message is from the Lord and the message is the Lord. It is the sign of the cross and the empty tomb. It is the message of life, salvation, hope, and forgiveness because the Sacrifice of God’s Son Jesus Christ is more than adequate to pay for your sins and the sins of the world. This message is exciting in and of itself. It does not need to be packaged in slick modern marketing or in stage shows. The message is His and the results are His, and they are magnificent! It has come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Therefore, come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love, through faith in Jesus Christ to your glory and our salvation. Alleluia and Amen!

Pr. Aaron Kangas

This last Thursday was Ascension Day. It marks 40 days since Easter and the day when Jesus was taken bodily up into heaven even as His disciples looked on. Now this is more than a mere historical remembrance. If it were, it wouldn't worth more than just a brief mention. However, the Ascension of Jesus into heaven is significant. It is significant for you, me, and the Church throughout the ages. By His Ascension, Christ has been crowned to receive the full glory, power, and might due Him as the Son of God. Jesus has ascended to prepare a place for His Church; He has gone to send forth His Holy Spirit to bring faith by His Word and Sacraments until Christ comes again in the fullness of His glory at His final return.

Now we may wonder why did Jesus have to ascend into heaven to do all that? The disciples may have wondered why as well. They might have preferred to have Jesus forever on earth with them like Peter had remarked at the mountain of transfiguration when Jesus had shown His glory and Peter suggested making a shelter in order to stay there longer. No doubt they would have loved Jesus to be continually teaching them rather than leaving even to send the Holy Spirit which to them may not have made sense. This is the importance of the words of Jesus in John chapters 13-17 as we have heard them the last several Sundays. On the night that He was going to be betrayed, He explained some of the mysteries as to His ministry and why it was necessary and for their benefit that He had to do all that was required of Him as the Messiah and leave them. 

The Ascension of Jesus into heaven is important as part of that entire Ministry of Jesus Christ. As with all the other parts of His ministry, it was necessary to fulfill God's plan of salvation. It was all necessary to rescue and redeem His creation from the curse of sin. Since Adam and Eve's sin you and me and all children born naturally inherit the corruption of our parents and are guilty of sin and worthy of eternal punishment. To redeem humans in their fleshly corruption God had to send His own Son to be born of a human mother not through natural means but through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word in the Virgin Mary so that the Word of God would join human flesh without original sin. It was necessary for Jesus to be true man and true God. Only in the sacrifice of a man could God's wrath for sin be turned, but only by Jesus being true God could He keep the Law perfectly. In His preaching, teaching, and healing, He was announcing that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, that He was in His own person, fulfilling all OT prophecy, that in Jesus, God was reconciling man to Himself, and the power of sin, death and the devil was being overthrown. This overthrow of sin, death, and the devil could only happen through that sacrifice of the perfect Messiah as our substitute; therefore Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross in our place. He received the guilt of all sin upon His own flesh and the heavenly Father cursed Him upon the cross. Jesus had tried to prepare His disciples for this event as He spoke to them the night before He died. He told them that it was necessary that He be betrayed and die so that His Father would be glorified in His loving sacrifice of His own Son for us. Jesus told them that that time of weeping and mourning would only be for a short time; that He would come to them again. He was referring to His resurrection and its necessity to show that the payment for sin was indeed completed in Christ's crucifixion, to show that the power of death had been over turned and now resurrection from the dead is a promise for those who believe in Christ. 

Now we get to the necessity of the Ascension. The disciples, of course, rejoiced when Jesus appeared alive to them after the resurrection, but they also had fear. They feared what would happen next. They did not yet understand. We can see by their question to Jesus just before He ascended that even then they still didn't get it. The disciples were still trying to figure out everything and see everything through the eyes of reason. This is one of the reasons why Jesus had to ascend, so that they could "get it" by the sending of His Spirit upon them. The Spirit could give them true understanding and bring to the disciples' remembrance all that Jesus had said to them. Jesus said in John 16 "I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you." In this way, the disciples would be given power from on High so that they might bear witness to Jesus and to what He had done. They would be given not only the authority, but the knowledge through faith to rightly administer Holy Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper in the care of the young church. They would be given the Holy Spirit's inspiration to write down the Gospels and the books of the New Testament so that future generations would also hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and be saved from their sins by God's Grace.

Therefore, in Easter triumph Jesus entered the heavenly realm and was declared the king of Glory in heaven as well as on earth. This is what Jesus was talking about in John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." The glory, power, and honor that were due Him as the Son of God who was begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made was restored to Him. When we confess in the creeds that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father it is not a place where His earthly body is confined. It refers to His position of authority as true God. Now glorified on high, His human body is no longer subjected to the regular rules of science, but His divine nature now shares Divine attributes to His human nature. Now that Jesus is ascended His resurrected human body is now even more free by the full exercise of Jesus' Divinity to be everywhere and anywhere He declares Himself to be. This is another benefit to us and the Church. He now is present where He has promised. Jesus comes among us through His Word as it is preached and studied. He is present in Holy Baptism and calls and gathers His sheep into the Church. Now that He is ascended He now also comes to us in a presence that is better and truer than the visible resurrected form that the disciples witnessed with their earthly eyes. Now as He is fully glorified, Jesus gives unto His people His glorified flesh and blood and the fullness of His godhead to ingest in, with, and under the bread and the wine no matter where we are around the world. In this way He comes to us poor forgiven sinners to strengthen our faith to continue to give us joy and hope as He prepares us for the place that He has prepared for us, that is, eternal life.

This is another triumph of the Ascension, for Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. He is making ready heaven for the last day when He shall return in the same way that He ascended. When He returns, He shall come in His full glory and power to judge the living and the dead, to bring to life the flesh of all the dead and to those who believed on His name He will gather and restore body and soul and bring them to live for eternity in heaven. As we wait for that day, the Ascended Christ continues to send forth His Holy Spirit in the places where He promises to be, His Word, baptism, Absolution, and the Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus has ascended to prepare a place for His Church; He has gone to establish His Kingdom here and in heaven, He even now rules over all things, He sends forth His Holy Spirit, until His final return. He continues to intercede for us by His sacrifice so that we receive mercy from the Father, even as He hears our prayers. 

This mercy is yours by the forgiveness of your sins. You are redeemed in Jesus Christ. You are His child, you may pray to the father in Jesus name, and His sends His Spirit to you to give grace and faith in abundance through His sacramental presence. In this way, you too are now witnesses of His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension by faith. Let us rejoice then that our Lord and Savior has Ascended on high so that He may also be with us here below. Let us who have received His presence and forgiveness be filled with joy like His disciples and bear witness to this joy. This same Jesus who has been crucified for your sins, risen from the dead so that you may not fear death, has now ascended so that we might ascend to Him at the last day. And on that last day He will come again to judge the living and the dead, but also to bring us with all believers into His eternal glory where we may dwell with Him forever in His joyous victory for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

Prayer does not make sense from the perspective of merit. Why should anyone approach a Holy God asking for favors expecting anything when nothing worthy can be given in return? Is it right that a sinner would even approach the Holy of Holies?

Consider the fact that we are all sinners. To be a sinner does not simply mean that we make a few little mistakes here and there. It means that we are fundamentally filthy in our soul. Sins come pouring out of us constantly because all sinners are turned away from God in prideful rebellion and selfish action. Even actions we think are good works are soiled by our unclean sinful nature. So even the purest, most selfless prayer coming from one who has sinned is a horrible abomination, an offensive, a screeching noise in the ears of the holy God….Or at least they would be without Christ.

How is it that we can speak our prayers to the Lord? We do not and cannot approach God in prayer because we think we are worthy. On the contrary, we confess that we are unworthy sinners. In fact, because we know that we are sinners, that we are weak and heavy laden, that we are in need and are otherwise worthy of wrath, we know that we need salvation and help. And God, in His mercy, has given us an intercessor, and we believe and hope in Him. For the sake of Jesus Christ, therefore, we come to Him as Our heavenly Father invites us in Christ’s love and stead.

It is Jesus who has atoned for our sins with His Blood. He died on the cross for your sins and mine. He has redeemed us from our sin, rescued us in our damnable condition. He has torn the curtain that separated us from God by giving up His life for us. God has adopted us as His children by the promise given in Holy Baptism, and Jesus Christ has invited us to call upon Him in prayer. “Ask and you will receive,” says Christ to us today. We approach the Almighty as our loving Father who cares for us and wants to help us because of the merits and for the sake of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to pray in the Name of Christ. We base our prayers on His merits. He has earned for us the right to come to God with our requests.

How strange this makes prayer! We should realize and appreciate, from time to time, that God should NOT listen to us based on our merit and worthiness. We are praying to Him based on Someone Else’s virtues. The ordinary, earthly way of doing things is that we do not ask for favors because a different person is worthy of the favor. How would it sound if I said, “Hey, can you give me a thousand dollars? I am a nasty jerk, but I know someone else who is an awesome person. So, give me the money because of how great that other person is.” In everyday life, that does not make sense. But that is how true Christian prayer works. That is the strange principle of how God decides to treat us.

What a good thing it is that God works this way! Because of sin in us, sin in the world, the curs of it hangs about us. Humanity is vulnerable, weak, and destined for mortality. A world that exists without Christ, aimlessly seeks control and power in its own might of reason, science, or brute force, yet the brute forces of disease, hurricanes, floods, fires, famines, earthquakes and the like show that we do not and cannot have ultimate control. There is so much suffering due to disease, fear, anger, and unbelief all a result of sin and rebellion against God.

Our dear Lord knows this: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is patient and loving. God is not a distant, indifferent observer looking down from heaven. God fashioned Adam and Eve in a very personal and specific way. He had made them for life, not death. When Adam and Eve sinned despite the threat of death, God did not destroy them in the curse of sin, but gave them a promise of salvation.

In Mercy, the Word of God joined Himself to flesh to redeem that fallen flesh. Jesus, the Son of God, knows what our human lives are like. He lived it. He knew the ache and trouble of temptation. He knew the pain of suffering illness. He knew the grief of loved ones dying, even though He knew that they could and would be raised from death. He knew the severe pain of injuries inflicted upon Himself, and the pain of dying. But unlike us, He deserved none of it. He was perfect, obedient to the Law, and without sin, unworthy of suffering the effects of sin upon Himself. Yet, Christ allowed Himself to live as a weak Man, a vulnerable Man, a Man who suffered and wept and felt crushing emotions. He knew exhaustion, hunger, and physical weakness.

Why? Because He loves you. He loved His creation so much that He was willing to come and redeem it from damnation: from eternal suffering and separation from God forever. So in addition to His love for you as His redeemed creature, purchased and won by the ransom of Christ’s precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, so that you may be His own and serve Him in everlasting innocence and righteousness forever. Your loving Savior knows what it feels like to be you. He knows everything you experience, except for sin. He knows your weaknesses, He loves you despite your fear and weak faith. He has given you faith now to believe in His love and gives you strengthening of that faith by His Word and sacraments as He descends to give you forgiveness of sin, life, and every blessing by His Spirit.

Know that when you pray to the Lord, the Lord understands. He is not a distant, strange creature who has no sympathy for your troubles. Far from it. He understands and has felt it.

If you believe that God knows nothing of your life and does not care, then prayer is an exercise in futility. But if you know that the Son of God has become Man and lived your life, died for you, and has become your Brother, then you also know that God is your Father who cares deeply for you. Prayer requires this kind of faith. Prayer is a response of faith to God’s Word as He speaks to us and gives us faith. We see this even in our worship and liturgy.

So how does the loving Father answer your prayers? Since He is loving, He wants to give you what is best. But sometimes you and I ask Him for things that are not best for us. We simply cannot always know what is good or not good. What appears helpful may actually be harmful. If only we can remember this. Deep down, our old Adam thinks that he knows better than the Lord. We may impatiently complain when He does not give us what we want.

It is precisely because the heavenly Father loves us that He does not give us everything we desire. As we learn better to be His children in the image of His Son, we pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Jesus Christ even prayed this in Gethsemane.

Our sinful mind is sometimes too foolish to do that. Instead, like a little child, we may ask for destructive things without realizing it, and then whine and pout because we did not get our way.

But we may also go to the other extreme. We may be too fearful to ask for something foolish, and so ask for nothing at all. Our timid prayers would refuse to ask for a single blessing.

But the loving Father wants to hear our prayers. Even though our prayers may be stammering and foolish, He wants to hear the desires of our hearts. No petition is too small for His Fatherly care.

By all means, avoid asking for what is obviously sinful. And yes, confess your sinful foolishness to God in your prayers. But then say, “Please give me this thing, if it be Your will.”

When God seems to delay, perhaps He has said, “No.” Or perhaps He is delaying for a good reason and the answer is “not yet”. Whatever happens, let your faith stand fast toward God. Continue to receive His Word and respond to Him with worship Him in your prayers and your lives. Feed those prayers with the Word and Supper, since a plant does not flourish and flower without water and the sun. God uses prayer to strengthen faith, for by praying you are repeating the words and promises of God. You are hearing again God’s promise to you. You are remembering that God is your heavenly Father and you may approach Him as dear children approach their dear Father in Heaven. You are acknowledging your needs and salvation can only come from Him for the sake of Jesus Christ. Know that that is what He wants: your salvation. He wishes only for your good. Pray for that strengthening of faith to say “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Pray for blessings of His Holy Spirit as He feeds you by Word and Sacrament: to that His answer will always be “yes”. He desires that you would be saved and kept in the faith. God’s Gospel of salvation shows you His enormous love in Christ His Son. 

Always remember that Jesus did say: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Therefore, dear Christians as His beloved children, redeemed for the sake of Jesus Christ and given faith to believe, you also are overcoming the world. Pray for ongoing strength and peace. Rejoice in His promise to hear you: all for the sake of Jesus Christ your loving crucified and raised Lord and Savior, In Jesus Christ’s Name. It shall be so. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

This morning Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit. Based on what we see throughout Scripture, we confess that the work of the Holy Spirit is to create and nourish saving faith. What does this mean? Our Small Catechism confesses this in a short and sweet kind of way: “I believe I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies me in the one true faith.” Short, sweet, and to the point. When the Holy Spirit works faith, that work consists of calling, gathering, enlightening, and sanctifying.

But, if you’re paying attention to our Lord’s words in the Gospel lesson, He doesn’t speak of the Holy Spirit calling, gathering, enlightening or sanctifying. Jesus adds to the “job description”, saying that He’s going to send the Holy Spirit to “convict” people in the Truth. Convict: That’s seems like a harsh word to our ears. It’s short, but there’s nothing sweet about it…at least not in how we typically use the word. What is Jesus saying here? The word that Jesus uses here (in the original Greek) is elegko, which we translate as “convict,” although a better translation would be “convince.” Okay…so the Holy Spirit’s job (as sent by Jesus) is to “convince”? Convince of what? Well…Jesus answers that question. He says that the Holy Spirit will elegko (convince/convict) in the Truth. His job is to convince/convict in the truth of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Now, before we go any further, it is important to understand that all of this important convincing/convicting finds its source in the cross of Christ. The crucified Christ is the origination and destination of this holy conviction. John makes this clear in his Gospel and John the baptizer confesses in the first chapter of this Gospel: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[ of God.”. Three years later, Jesus is telling His apostles here (Maundy Thursday evening, at the Last Supper) that He will send His Spirit of Truth so they [the disciples] can understand. They can’t understand what’s about to go down, yet. But…Jesus will send His Holy Spirit of Truth later on, and then they will understand. Three chapters later (John 19), and Jesus is hanging on the bloody cross, mere moments away from breathing His last. John tells us that Jesus, knowing that all of the Father’s plan for salvation was now complete, each and every sin atoned for; the full wrath of the Father against sin for all time paid for in full, declares victoriously, “It is finished!” He then drinks the sour wine, and gives up the Spirit. So often this is simply translated/understood as Jesus “gave up the ghost.” He breathed out His last breath. End of story. But…the way the Greek reads is that Jesus gives up and sends out or even breathes out “the Spirit.”

This is important! The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Truth—proceeds forth from Christ at the moment of His death on the cross; at that singular moment of our eternal, vicarious satisfaction. Divine Truth—the Spirit of God’s condemning, life-giving Truth—flows forth from and finds its source in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished at the crost. Three days later the resurrected Jesus—the One who has completely conquered sin, death, and the devil for all time—stands among these same apostles and breathes on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness, it is withheld.” Here is Christ giving His Holy Spirit to the apostles, the very men who would be the first pastors of His New Testament Church. Again, notice that this giving of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ’s Truth—is all about forgiveness of sin. It’s all about the forgiveness that flows forth from and flows back to the crucified/resurrected Christ. There is forgiveness of sin NOWHERE else! This is the Truth! 

Now, did these men fully understand all this? No. They wouldn’t (and didn’t) understand the necessity of the brutal death of Jesus. They didn’t understand the necessity of the cross. Easter Sunday? They still didn’t get it. They were hiding behind locked doors. When they encountered the resurrected Christ, they were in disbelief. They were joyous—yes—but as St. Luke tells us that they “disbelieved for joy.” They still did not fully understand what the death and resurrection of Jesus meant for them and for all mankind. Even forty days later, atop that ascension mount, they still didn’t get it. Jesus is getting ready to ascend, and at least some of them are still thinking in terms of “worldly kingdom” and “earthly rule and power.” “Lord, are you now going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” They didn’t get it. They didn’t understand what Jesus—His death, His resurrection, His victory, and His reign and rule—was all about. They needed help from the Helper to make it clear. Only the Holy Spirit could bring about that sort of faithful understanding… which He would do ten days later at Pentecost. Pentecost is when they finally understood by the working of the Holy Spirit. That is why it was important for Jesus to Ascend and the Spirit to be sent in His fullness.

How can we come to any understanding without the Holy Spirit? We can’t. Can we save ourselves by our good works or come to faith of our own efforts? No, we cannot. Why did God send His only-begotten Son? To take our place and die for our sins; to do what we cannot do; to save us from our justly-deserved wage for sin. This is where the work of the Holy Spirit comes in for our benefit. This is where His “convincing/convicting” is focused: On the cross of Christ. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and our sin is so great that God Himself had to die for it. We cannot save ourselves, no matter how hard we try. The Holy Spirit works saving faith to be convinced of this fact that we need Christ’s redeeming work for us. Faith believes this truth, in spite of what the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh tell us. Faith looks to this same cross and rejoices because faith believes Christ when He victoriously declares, “It is finished!” Faith is convinced of this all-redeeming righteousness. 

Look at the crucifix. It doesn’t look like a victory, does it? It certainly doesn’t have the appearance of “good.” But saving faith worked by the Holy Spirit is convinced of this singular all-redeeming Truth. Saving faith is a firm conviction of all of Christ’s Truth. It is finished. Because of the crucifix we are redeemed outside of our merits, but by Christ’s merits, once and for all time. The faithful one has a firm conviction of their judgment according to their sins. But now in repentant faith in Christ, they do not fear or doubt or worry whether they’re good enough to make the cut. Baptized into Christ’s all-redeeming death and resurrection; holding fast in faith to this all-atoning death and resurrection, the faithful one stands firm in the sure and certain conviction that God has already judged them “innocent,” not because of who they are or what they’ve done, but solely because of who Jesus is and what He has done for them in their place.

And we see the fruits of this Holy Spirit-wrought conviction in our midst, from baptism to funeral and everything in between. Consider when a baptism of a child takes place. The faithful parents, convinced of what our Lord says regarding “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” and “the wage of sin is death,” faithfully bring their little baby born into spiritual death and the trespasses of their father Adam, to the life-giving Good Physician so that He can breathe His Holy Spirit into that precious little one and give them the gift of eternal life. We see this in the funeral, as the baptized child of God who has fallen asleep in the faith is brought before the altar covered over in the white pall of Christ’s all-availing righteousness. That is a confession of faith; a public proclamation of the firm conviction that the deceased now rests peacefully and confidently in the blood-bought righteousness of Christ. Even as we grieve the death of our departed loved one, we grieve differently. We don’t grieve like those who have no hope. We grieve in the joyous hope and firm conviction of blessed reunion before the heavenly throne of God; reunion with them, and more importantly, reunion with Christ in all glory and peace.

And the “everything in between”? You are baptized. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection? This is present-tense assuredness and peace; a peace that surpasses all understanding; a peace that can only be known and understood in the conviction of Spirit-wrought faith. No matter what befalls you on this side of eternity; no matter what crosses you bear as you make your way through this shadowy valley we refer to as “life,” you are completely covered over in Christ’s perfect righteousness. 

May you, by God’s good grace through the working of the Holy Spirit, ever hold fast to this peace of Christ. God be with you by His Spirit to ever and always be humbly convicted in the reality of your sin, while rejoicing in the greater reality of God’s judgment. A judgement that now declares you holy and righteous in His sight for Jesus Christ’s sake. 

Pr. Aaron Kangas

“When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Jesus speaks these words to the disciples shortly before His betrayal, crucifixion, burial and resurrection. He compares this time of trial and sorrow to the pain, anguish, and worrisome time of expectation that happens at the time of childbirth. From the perspective of a woman giving natural birth, there is sorrow, perhaps fear, and certainly pain even with various medications to numb it, but once the child is born, the excitement and uncertainty is passed, the mother worn but joyful, embraces her newborn. That, is of course, the ideal outcome. But the reason for the fear and worry before the birth is that much could go wrong during the actual childbirth: internal breeding and hemorrhaging, heart troubles, strokes, blood clots for the mother, umbilical cords wrapping around where it shouldn’t, breeches, and so on. Will both the mother and child be healthy? How long will the labor last?

No doubt some of the same emotions of doubt, fear, sorrow, pain, anguish and uncertainty went through the hearts and minds of the disciples after the arrest, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. “Oh no! What is happening? What will happen? How much longer will this trial last? Surely, they will find Him innocent. Wait, now He is dying, will He be rescued? Now He is dead. What now? What will happen to us?” Yet after and through all those labors of Jesus, Jesus had given the answer to these questions. God had not abandoned them: He had not abandoned His servant, His Christ, His Son. No, Jesus now having broken through the bonds of death and the grave, has become the first born of the dead in the glorious resurrection of body and soul for eternity. Jesus is the first born of the resurrection victory triumph. He kept the Law, took our sin, our sorrows, and the punishment that we deserved at the cross in His suffering and sorrow of His crucifixion so that we might be born from above as His people now by faith, but ultimately to be brought forth into the resurrection of our flesh and soul at the last Day. But what about in the meantime? How do exist and survive in a world that seems so often hostile to God, His Word, and His Church?

You know, it is very interesting. Today is the first time that I can recall that this particular text has fallen upon our secular holiday and remembrance known as “Mother’s Day”. This is a day in which we give thanks for the gift that God has given called motherhood through which God brings forth life. Sadly, not all mothers are good at raising their children once they have come out of the womb. Some try hard and make mistakes, some don’t try to be good mothers at all which is among the worst mistakes, and some women do not understand that to conceive a child is a great gift and make the mistake and sin of aborting the life of their child.
Furthermore, we know that taking care of the child is not just about what you do after the child is out of the womb, but how to take care of the child while it is yet, unborn, within the womb is very important. What foods should a mother eat to feed its child through her body: supplements, exercise, taking care of the body, making sure that bad substances are not taken in, lest it affect the child being formed. Now they say, avoid recreational drugs, smoking, low nutrient foods and both mother and child will fare better.

This is where Jesus’ words to the disciples apply to us, as we exist in our current life and situation as members of that body of the church militant. We speak of ourselves as Sons and daughters of God and indeed we are. As St. John says in the epistle this morning: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” 

The life that we live now in our relation to God is kind of like the relation of an unborn child in relation to his mother and father. We were conceived by the Holy Spirit by the Word of God into belief and faith, attached to the womb of the Church by Holy Baptism in Christ’s blood, and we receive ongoing sustenance from the umbilical cord of the liturgy and the Sacrament of the Altar, and through the Word of God spoken in and through our mother of the church, we also hear the voice of our Father. We have not yet seen Him face to face. We are still being formed for what is yet to come. We are yet, weak and unable to breathe the pure air of holiness with perfectly constructed body and soul that we shall receive after the labor and birth pangs of the judgement of this world.

As we live in this world and this life and we look to the world to come and ponder its mysteries, it really is like a child in the womb who lives and if possible could ponder what life outside the womb may be. But ponder as it may, it cannot fully conceive the idea of sunshine, breathing air through lungs, eating food though the mouth, or any of the other things that we on this side of our earthly mother’s womb know. So the joys of heaven remain somewhat a mystery.

As we remain in the womb of the Church, Christ’s bride, we receive a foretaste of that joy as our knowledge of God in Jesus Christ is ever growing and maturing. What we are right now as people of sinful flesh and bone is different than what we will be. Though differently from what exactly happens in the womb of our earthly mothers, God is forming us and fashioning us. We are now weak, and we cannot take care of ourselves as we ought. We sin, we see the labor pangs of the devil and the world pressing about us and we fail. We think upon death and the different life that we are being trained for and we fear and tremble and sorrow. We wriggle and fight. We momentarily despair that our heavenly Father will not bring us safely through the trials and travails of this world. We wonder if truly He sees us. Again as a child in the womb has no knowledge of the ultrasound images that its parents sees, we are ignorant of how much better God sees us and has mercy upon us and is taking care of us even now.
From Psalm 139 we declare:
For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ, God has created, formed and named us with His name. He sent Jesus Christ to die for you to forgive you of your sins and to give you eternal life. Look at the miracle that is your physical body, despite its taint of sin, it is a miracle and wonder and He has redeemed it for the sake of Christ crucified for something even better. It is already being made more perfect as you receive from Him grace, mercy, forgiveness of sins, here in His Word, here with His body and blood. God is ever faithful and bountiful in goodness to you and for you in Christ.

Rejoice, be of good cheer, though there may be times when the Church Militant cries out in pain, the labor of this life and these trials are very short compared to the eternity that is yet to come. Remember death is swallowed up in Christ’s Victorious Resurrection. You are by faith in Jesus Christ appointed to eternal life, soul and body. As Jesus said, “so also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
In the meantime, look to the cross and the empty tomb. As it is written “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not grow faint. God’s understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Grow in Him and be formed by Him in His strength, abiding in the womb of His church. Hear His voice and have peace and joy now until we are delivered to heavenly birth in eternal life. There we shall see Him face to face and live with Him in an everlasting innocence, righteousness, and blessedness in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

Vocal impressions and imitations can be funny. You know, when comedians and actors do vocal imitations of famous people. It can be entertaining because it can be fun to hear a particular voice come out of somebody else. But, even though these impressions can be pretty good, a trained ear or a computer can detect the differences between the imitator and the voice of the original person. That’s because every person has a unique vocal pattern, a different shaped mouth, throat, teeth, neck all which make for a voice that cannot be perfectly duplicated by another person. Your voice is almost like a fingerprint. Our unique vocal pattern not only includes our accents, and rhythms of speech, but the actual physical waves of sound that comes from our uniquely structured bodies. Our voice is part of what makes us, us. Our ears recognize this. That is how we are able to recognize the voice of each other, the voice of a celebrity, or the treasured voice of a loved one.

Today’s text talks about the voice of another, often imitated voice, a voice which is not funny to imitate or mock: and that is the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd and His followers as sheep. Jesus had gone into greater detail of that sheep/shepherd relationship in John chapter 10. But in the section appointed for the Gospel today Jesus highlighted the vocal aspect of the sheep/ Shepherd dynamic. He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

At the time Jesus said these things in chapter 10, He had been speaking with some Pharisees along with the man who had been born blind but Jesus had healed on the sabbath in the previous chapter. The Pharisees had twice questioned the healed man as to who healed him. The second time, the conversation went like this: They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”
And they cast him out of the temple.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

Jesus is speaking the Good Shepherd texts of John 10 in this context. The sheep of God’s fold hear His voice. They recognize that Jesus and His preaching are not nothing. He calls to them, and by the Holy Spirit, they respond by sound and not by sight. The Shepherd Jesus knew and knows them, that is why He seeks them out to call them, to protect them, because they are His own and He will protect them, yes, even to the point of laying down His life for His sheep.

How did the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ voice? At the end of John 10, they picked up stones to stone Jesus. But it was not yet His time to die.

The one who has been crucified and raised continues to be the Great and good shepherd. He continues to watch out for the flock. Gathering even as He continues to call to them. His sheep find refuge and strength in His presence as He feeds and defends them.

Yet He must gather them. Why in Scripture does the Shepherd have to go hunting for the sheep calling to them except that the sheep are prone to wander away?
Among the many dangers lurking are the enemies who imitate the Good Shepherd in act or voice. Who creep into the sheep fold of the Church acting as under shepherds but are false shepherds. Whether they creep in by television, radio, or as pastors in congregations. They try to ape the message of the Good Shepherd. They add to it, subtract from it, all with an attempt to fool the sheep, to woo them away from the Good Shepherd, so that separated from the Good Shepherd and the safety of the sheep pen, they can be all the more easily eaten and devoured by the enemy. They are wolves in shepherds clothing. If only the enemies were as clumsy and silly as Wile E. Coyote in the old Warner Brothers cartoons when he plotted to steal sheep, but the sheepdog would always save the day.

Sadly, these spiritual enemies are truly wiley and clever, they know our weaknesses. They know how susceptible we are to laziness, or coveting: the grass always seems greener elsewhere, or even to fear. The competing voice of the devil or our flesh may cause us to question the love of our Shepherd sometimes. When trouble arises, when the valley of the shadow of death looms large, we may be tempted to panic and lose faith that we will be defended, that Christ’s promises are true and that we need not fear. And so we fail and fall, sinning in our unbelief.

We are powerless on our own to defend against such trickery. There is a reason that sheep get a bad reputation in terms of intelligence, they are easily distracted, they cannot defend themselves well, they get their wool messed up and fouled, and do go astray and get devoured and ignore the voice of the Shepherd they should listen to.
When it comes to us, how we behave, how we think and feel, how we trust or don’t trust the voice of the Shepherd, sometimes going after other voices or teachings out of curiosity or dissatisfaction with the truth. Are we any different than sheep that go astray and get what they deserve?

Yet the shepherd Jesus Christ came for this reason. As a shepherd pities his silly but beloved sheep so God pities us. Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” He spoke about the coming of wolves and thieves who would seek to steal, kill, consume, destroy, while scattering the flock. Jesus declared in verse 10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.”

The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ intends to do all that He can to rescue all the sheep of His sheepfold. Because He loves us. He loves you. He came and dwelled in the muck and mire of the sheep, getting dirty even as He led the perfect life that we could not. He laid down His life and was crucified for your sin, defeating all your enemies and has risen triumphant from death to life.

The Good Shepherd continues to call out to us and to the world. He continues to come to us in our valleys and wherever we may be, to do the acts that His Father has given Him to do. Now His voice is the voice of His Word in Holy Scripture, and in the proclamation of His Word by faithful under shepherds and sheepdogs.

Yes, all we like sheep have gone astray, but today and every day, the Good Shepherd calls to you and me by His Word to come to His Divine Service, to be gathered around Himself. To confess our sins and hear again His voice of triumphant forgiveness, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

That is why you are here today. By faith, you recognize His voice. You desire to be where the voice of Your beloved Shepherd is heard. The Holy Spirit has led you here again today because He worked this faith into your heart. He did it by that voice of His Word as it has been taught and preached and given in His Sacraments. In Baptism, He called you by your name and marked you with His name. He abides with you His sheep and hears you when you call to Him. He comes with His staff to rescue and His rod to defend you in your life.

In order to better spot the imitator wolves, to hear and recognize the comforting voice of our loving Shepherd, let us continually come to where He is. The more familiar we are with His voice, His teaching, His forgiveness, the less likely we can be led astray. But if and when we do, know that the Good Shepherd calls and gathers us again to Himself, crucifying our sins upon Himself, washing us clean, and comforting us in all our trials. Feeding us His body and blood to nourish us and strengthen us soul and body as His cup of mercy runs over.

So now rest in His arms, listen to His voice and receive His love, forgiveness, and mercy. Jesus says to you: that for His sake, through faith in Him, you will never truly perish, but you shall receive eternal life. Your enemies cannot ultimately harm you, for they are defeated already through Jesus Christ, your Good and loving Shepherd, Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas