“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

What is the Gospel which we proclaim? Is it “God will pardon and forgive us if we believe”? Or, “God has pardoned and forgiven us for Jesus’ sake; believe”?

This very issue has been hotly debated by some in the Lutheran Church, with one side saying that God, through the innocent sufferings and death of His only begotten Son, has reconciled or pardoned and justified the entire world of sinners, and the other side saying that God only forgives and pardons sins when one first comes to faith in Christ Jesus.

This may seem like useless wrangling to some, but it is all important to every human being and determines the message to be proclaimed in the pulpits and on the streets and byways as Christians go into all the world to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

To answer this question, we look to the Word of God Himself. What does God say is to be preached and proclaimed? What is the ministry of reconciliation?

The sacred text begins: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….”

We are reconciled to God through the innocent sufferings and death of God’s only-begotten Son who came into this world a true man and fulfilled all the righteous demands of God’s law for us and then bore our punishment when He suffered and died upon the cross. But not only are we who now believe reconciled, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….”

The entire world of sinners was reconciled unto God; that is, God pardoned their transgressions and sins and no longer holds their sins against them because Christ Jesus paid in full and rose again in victory.

“We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1, 2).

As the Scriptures say, God “hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (v. 21). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

How important it is for you and I to know that our salvation is finished, completed by Jesus Christ! He paid for the sins of all, and God accepted the sacrifice of His Son as full atonement for the sins of the entire world. We proclaim sins paid for and forgiven and God reconciled and reaching out to the entire sinful human race with love and mercy and forgiveness in His heart toward mankind.

We don’t proclaim that God will be reconciled when and if we have faith. We proclaim God as reconciled toward us for Jesus’ sake and call upon all to believe and take comfort in this accomplished fact. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

We proclaim the good news that God is reconciled through the death of His Son and we call upon sinners to be reconciled to God by accepting His mercy and forgiveness in faith. God is reconciled toward us through Christ Jesus. We are reconciled to God when we believe and trust in His mercy toward us.

O Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for paying in full for our sins and the sins of the entire world and appeasing God’s just wrath against us. O Father in heaven, we thank You for Your forgiveness, love and mercy toward us in Christ Jesus. O Holy Spirit, we thank You for graciously bringing us to know and accept God’s pardon and forgiveness. Graciously keep us in faith, believing that for Jesus sake, we poor sinners are forgiven and acceptable in God’s sight. Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11 (Read v. 1-13)

Most Christians have heard and read of the failings of God’s people Israel. They were all graciously redeemed of the LORD God and delivered from slavery in Egypt, but not all entered into the land of promise.

The Apostle Paul wrote of this to the believers in Corinth: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

In the same way as Christians are all baptized into Christ and partake of His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, so the people of Israel were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They partook of the manna which God provided them and drank water from the spiritual Rock which followed them, which was Christ. Yet “with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

God’s Word says, “These things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

What is the apostle saying to us? Just because we have been baptized into Christ and have partaken of Christ does not mean we cannot fall away and lose the salvation God has so graciously provided for us. If we lust after and desire evil things instead of what the LORD God has given us and turn back into sin and unbelief, we too will lose the life Christ Jesus so desires to give us. If we do not walk and live by faith in God and the promises of His Word, we will also, like many of the Israelites, be overthrown in the wilderness of this world.

We ought not ever to think that we are Christian and all is well with our soul if we are living in the sins of the flesh. The Bible clearly warns us: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

True Christians are sorry for their sins, trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for forgiveness and then, as a fruit of faith, seek to live for Christ in accord with His Word. They are led by God’s indwelling Spirit. Read 1 John 1-2.

Alone, we would most certainly fall and perish. But we have been redeemed by Christ. He walks with us and leads us. His Spirit dwells within us. He is with us always and never permits us to be tempted above that we are able. If we walk with Him, being led by God’s Spirit, He will bring us safely through the wilderness of this world to Himself in heaven.

It is as the Bible says, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18).

Dearest Lord Jesus, forgive me for failing to follow You in faith. Lead me in the way everlasting for Your name’s sake. Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

When temptation comes, so often we fall. Whether the temptation arises from within ourselves – from our old evil and sinful nature – or comes from outside of us – in the form of temptations from the devil himself or allurements from other people and the world around us – we seldom offer much resistance. We doubt God’s Word, or take it lightly, and yield ourselves to disobedience and sin.

Our Lord Jesus, too, endured temptation, but He did not give in and sin. Rather, He trusted in the truthfulness of God and His Word and used the Word of God to resist the temptations placed before Him by the devil (Read Luke 4:1-13; cf. Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13).

After His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. We don’t know what all those temptations were, but as the Scripture says, Jesus was “forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:2). As the children of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness, with many falling into unbelief and sin, so Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, enduring temptation of the same old evil foe who brought about the demise of so many in the wilderness centuries before. But Jesus did not sin. He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

After fasting there and being without food for 40 days and 40 nights, “the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” Certainly Jesus could have done so. He was and is the very Son of God, the Creator of all. And so, why not? He was hungry. He had the power. He could prove Himself the Son of God. But Jesus didn’t. He replied with a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus said, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” What was more important here? Having food to eat? Or trusting in the LORD God and the promises of His Word – including the promises to supply all our needs?

The devil, took Jesus up into a high mountain and shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time – could he have taken Jesus up to Mt. Pisgah, where God showed Moses all the land of promise? – “and the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.”

Jesus had come into the world to establish a kingdom. God the Father promised Him all the peoples and nations of the world as His inheritance (cf. Psalm 2; Daniel 7:14). So again, why not? All He had to do is fall down and worship Satan once. But Jesus again responded from the book of Deuteronomy (6:13; 13:4), saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

And Satan brought Jesus to Jerusalem “and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Satan now used Scripture (Psalm 91:11-12) in this third attempt to cause Jesus to sin. It was as if Satan were telling Jesus to prove His identity as the Son of God and to prove His trust in God’s care and protection by putting God to the test and throwing Himself off the top of the temple, trusting that God would indeed send His angels to bear Him up and prevent Him from being harmed.

Again Jesus responded with Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy (6:16), “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” In the same way as it is sin to take matters into our own hands and not trust in the LORD God to keep His Word, so it is sin to misuse God’s Word and foolishly put God to the test.

Have we ever had similar temptations? Are we ever tempted to take matters into our own hands rather than living day-to-day trusting in the promises of God’s Word? To go out and get what we desire instead of waiting for God to give us what we truly need? Are we ever tempted to compromise our faith in order to gain the power and riches of this world? Are we ever tempted to put God to the test, expecting Him to keep us from suffering the consequences of our own foolishness? Has Satan ever said to us, “If you’re really a child of God, prove it by demanding miracles, wealth, power, prestige and the like? Have we ever fallen? Have we taken Satan’s offer rather than trusting and waiting for God to fulfill His words?

Though we have so often come short and fallen into unbelief and sin, Jesus did not. Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Rather than doubting God and His Word, Jesus used God’s Word to fend off the attacks of the devil (cf. Psalm 119:9-11). And how important this is to us as sinners to have a Savior who was tempted but did not sin! Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for us, being perfect and without sin. And He then went to the cross and suffered our punishment that we might receive God’s mercy and forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. Because Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are and did not sin, He could suffer and die for the sins of the whole world. He, as the spotless Lamb of God, made atonement for us and won for us salvation.

Because Jesus endured temptation and did not sin, and because He suffered, died and paid in full for our sins and the sins of the whole world, we have forgiveness and life in Him. He, as our high priest, offered up Himself in our stead, once for all, that we might receive God’s grace and favor. For that reason, we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” God grant that we do turn to Him for mercy and grace!

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” John 5:1-17

The Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth in six days. The Bible, after telling of the six days of creation, says in Genesis 2:1-3: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

Though God rested from His creative work on the seventh day, He did not quit preserving all that He had made. Again the Bible tells us that He — God the Son — is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:1-4). The Bible says in Nehemiah 9:6: “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” In Psalm 36:6, we read: “O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.”

God does not stop caring for His creation and preserving it on the Sabbath or any other day. He continues His work. Nor does God cease being merciful on the Sabbath. The Bible tells us that “the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5). He remains “good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon” Him (Psalm 86:5).

Therefore, should we be surprised that Messiah Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, would show compassion and mercy on the Sabbath? When He came by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, on the Sabbath, and saw there a man who had suffered from an infirmity for 38 years, He asked this man if he wanted to be made well. The man, not knowing Jesus, said he had no one to help him into the pool when an angel came and stirred the water.

The Bible tells us that many crippled and sick people were lying there waiting for the moving of the water because an angel would come at certain times and stir the waters. The first person to enter the water after it was stirred was healed. (It is sad that many modern translations, following the faulty reading of a few manuscripts, omit this part of the sacred text.)

Even though this man did not know Jesus or yet trust in Him, Jesus had compassion on him and told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. When Jesus said those words, the man was immediately made whole and did so.

Who is it who forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s? (Cf. Psalm 103.) It is the LORD God! Even when healed through medicines and treatments of physicians, who is it who makes these things work to grant relief and healing to our bodies? Though physicians may collect the fees, it’s God who heals the disease!

But the troubles of the poor man who had suffered so for 38 years were not over. As soon as he had been miraculously healed by the almighty words of our Lord Jesus, he was accused of sin — of breaking the Sabbath for carrying his bed.

“The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”

How often this happens to us! We lie helpless under the great burden of our sin and guilt. We are unable to remove it and we face certain death and everlasting punishment. But Jesus comes to us in His Word and tells us that He was lifted up on the cross and bore the punishment for our sins — that our salvation is complete and finished. He tells us, “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matthew 9:2). And so we are raised up in faith and begin to walk in the confidence that we are forgiven and accepted of God for Jesus sake, that we are God’s dear children. But what happens? The old evil foe — together with those who still seek to be righteous in God’s eyes by their own keeping of the law — accuse us of sin and seek to drag us back down into faithlessness and despair. They tell us we are guilty and condemned because we have broken the Sabbath or not observed and kept some other rule or regulation they deem necessary for salvation.

This poor man answered his accusers and said, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.”

When those Jews who sought to be righteous by their keeping of the law found out it was Jesus who had healed this man with an infirmity for 38 years, they also accused Jesus. Not only had he told a man to break the Sabbath by carrying his bed, Jesus had healed on the Sabbath! Scripture tells us: “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.”

And is it not true of those today who would be righteous by their own works and accuse those who simply trust in Christ Jesus that they are enemies of Christ? They say or imply that it is not enough to trust in Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for sin, that one must do more and keep certain commandments and regulations to be saved. Not only do they trouble true believers, they persecute Christ Jesus Himself and reject His Gospel.

Jesus told those who accused Him of sin, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

Jesus — God the Son in human flesh — simply told them the truth. God the Father — Jesus’ Father — works on the Sabbath and everyday caring for His people and showing mercy to them. So also Jesus worked, showing the mercy and loving kindness of God to people.

And how thankful we can be that He does! He continues to forgive our sins, heal our diseases, redeem our lives from destruction, crown us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies and satisfy our mouths with good things (cf. Psalm 103:1ff.). Jesus works — even on the Sabbath — that we might find rest for our souls and be confident in Him.

Thank you, dearest Jesus, for having mercy upon us, for going to the cross to bear the punishment for our sins, for rising again in victory, for assuring us in Your Word that our sins are forgiven, for raising us up from the infirmity of our sin which has clung to us throughout our lives, for laying no more burden upon us but promising us life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.” John 4:46-53

Are we willing to take Jesus at His word or must we see to believe? When Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee, a certain official at Capernaum whose son was sick and at the point of death heard of Jesus’ return and went to Jesus for help. He begged Jesus to come down to Capernaum and heal his son.

Those who have had children sick and facing death can understand this royal official’s desperation. All seemed hopeless. Only a miracle could save this man’s son, and he had heard of Jesus’ power to work just such miracles. If only Jesus would make the trek down to Capernaum in time!

How did Jesus respond to the nobleman’s request? He said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” And it’s true. Think of Martha’s words to Jesus when Lazarus died: “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (John 11:21). And we might think the same thing as we stand at the bedside of a dying loved one: “If only Jesus were here, he wouldn’t die.”

But wait, Jesus is here. He’s present everywhere. He’s with us always, even to the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20). Do we have to see His presence to believe He’s with us? Do we have to see Him lay His hands on the sick and dying to know that He has done so? Must we see signs and wonders with our own eyes before we believe? Is it not enough to read of His mighty works in the pages of Scripture, hear of His love and mercy toward us and know that He Himself died for all our sins, rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the father?

And if we see no miracle, has none occurred? If a loved one dies in the Lord Jesus rather than being restored to health and life here in this world, is not this an even greater miracle? Think about it. Jesus died for the sins of the world and rose again. His Holy Spirit raised up our loved one’s soul, which was dead in sin and unbelief, to faith and life in Christ Jesus. For Christ’s sake, a soul destined to eternal damnation in hell has received God’s pardon and forgiveness and was restored to fellowship with God and destined to the eternal joys of heaven. When that loved one died a temporal death, God’s angels came and carried his or her soul into the very presence of Christ our Savior. Is not this a greater miracle than any temporal healing we might see with our earthly eyes? We cannot see it now, but when we get home we shall see!

When the nobleman said to Jesus, “Sir, come down ere my child die,” Jesus said to him, “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” Jesus wanted this man to trust Him and take Him at His word — He challenged this man’s faith. And, indeed, when we think about it, wasn’t it better that this man’s sick son be healed immediately rather than waiting another day while Jesus walked from Cana down to Capernaum?

Jesus wants us to take Him at His word as well. He promises us forgiveness for all our sins and life eternal with Him in heaven through faith in His name. We can’t see these blessings now, but they are ours just the same. Must we see signs and wonders to know His word to us is true? Must we speak in tongues or work miracles in Jesus’ name before we can believe we are really forgiven and have a place in God’s eternal kingdom?

Knowing our weaknesses, Jesus does give us visible means connected with His Word that we might take hold of and receive the promises. That we might know our sins are washed away and forgiven and that we are born anew as God’s children, He gave us the waters of baptism. Water is used by God’s command and connected with His Word of promise, and through it He washes away all our sins for Jesus’ sake, regenerates us and make us children of God by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit (cf. Titus 3:4-7). In and with the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper, Christ Jesus gives us His body and blood which were given and shed for the remission of our sins — all that we might be assured of full and complete forgiveness as we partake of the sacrificial “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The Bible tells us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). When this nobleman heard the words of Jesus, he “believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

Now think of Jesus’ words to us: “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2); “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20); or “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Jesus spoke these words and they are recorded for us that we, too, might believe. Through these and many other passages of Scripture, He assures us of eternal salvation — of a place in His everlasting kingdom!

We may not be able to see all these blessings now — we can only take Jesus at His word and live our lives here in confidence — but when we get home, we’ll see that His words are true. God did indeed forgive all our sins for the sake of Jesus’ innocent sufferings and death in our stead. God was watching over us, caring for us and preserving us in the faith throughout our earthly lives. Heaven is real, and Messiah Jesus did prepare a place for you and me to dwell with Him there in the mansions of His Father’s house.

In fact, when we get home, we’ll be amazed and struck with awe at the blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus — blessings which we didn’t begin to fathom here in this world! The Bible tells us “That in the ages to come” our gracious God will show us “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

Yes, when we get home, not only will we see that Christ Jesus our Savior lives, we will see that we indeed live forever in Him!

O gracious God, grant us faith to take Jesus at His word until that day when we go home and see with our own eyes that all He has promised us is true! Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:27-42

One of the greatest proofs of the truthfulness of the Bible is how accurately it describes you and me and the lost and sinful world in which we live. The Bible says of me, and of you as well: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5); “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21); “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9); “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20); “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19).

Listen to the description in Romans 3:9-20: “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

We may not like this description of ourselves and might like to paint a more favorable portrait. But, if we are honest about it, we must admit that the description of the Bible is accurate and true. Every one of us is, by nature, selfish and inclined to evil. Not one of us is righteous. The sins we haven’t committed in deed we probably have committed in our thoughts and desires.

Even though we may not like the Bible’s revelation of our utter sinfulness, it proves the Bible true. What other book or religious writing so accurately describes the human heart or the results of sin in the world? Other religious writings would make us look at least a little bit good. They would direct us to reform and change as if we were capable of such reform and change. They would make it look as through we can make things right in this world. Only the Bible reveals our utter depravity and sinfulness. And the Bible reveals the coming fiery judgment of God upon this world so that He can create – or recreate – a new heavens and a new earth unravaged by sin and evil and death.

At the well in Samaria, Jesus revealed to a woman there her utter sinfulness. She didn’t have to tell him she had had five husbands and was now living together with a man who was not her husband; Jesus told her. As a result, she realized that Jesus was more than just a man.

When Jesus told her He was the promised Messiah – the Christ – she went and told the men of her city: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” And they came to see Jesus. Note that this woman did not present an elaborate theological argument to convince her town’s people that Jesus was the promised Messiah. All she had to do was say, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

When Jesus’ disciples came and urged Him to eat some of the food they had bought, Jesus said to them, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of … My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

The fields were indeed ripe for harvest. The people of the city came to see Jesus because of the witness of the woman at the well. Jesus stayed there at Sychar and taught the people for two days before resuming His journey.

And the Word of God tells us that “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Through the witness of this sinful woman to her Messiah and Savior, the people came to see and hear Jesus. Through her testimony and the Word of the Lord Jesus, many of them also came to trust in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior from sin and death. And the same is true today. We may not have knowledge of every theological argument for Jesus being the Messiah and Savior of the world. But we can say: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” And if people will but come and listen to Jesus – if they will hear His Word – many will, by the gracious working of God’s Spirit, come to believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior.

Why? Jesus does not mince words about sin. He tells it like it is and reveals our utter sinfulness. But He also went to the cross and suffered and died for our sins – for the sins of the whole world – and rose again. In Jesus there is forgiveness and life eternal, and He reaches out to lost sinners everywhere with His word of pardon and forgiveness. He offers and gives life everlasting in His heavenly kingdom.

Again, the Bible tells us that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures … He was buried … He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

Yes, we “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” but we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23,24). “In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

And if we but direct people to Jesus and His revelation of Himself in the Holy Scriptures, many will come to know and trust in Him. By the gracious working of God’s Spirit through the Word, they will come to faith in their Messiah and Savior.

Then, we too may hear people say what the Samaritans said to this woman who directed them to Jesus: “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

God grant that we hear the Word of God and so know and trust in Jesus as the Messiah and our Savior from sin, and that we would also direct others to Jesus that they might hear Him, know Him and trust in Him for eternal salvation. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5:

Message for the day -

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Dear fellow-redeemed sinners, ransomed by the shed blood of Christ Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior.

Who is this Jesus of Nazareth, that Babe born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth? We look to the Word of God, to the inspired testimony of the apostles who suffered all to faithfully follow Christ Jesus.

Today, we begin with the inspired testimony of the Apostle John, in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

The Word, spoken of here in the inspired Scriptures is Jesus, for John later writes, in verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

In his first epistle, John writes (1 John 5:7): “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

This already tells us that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God come into this world as a true man, that He had divine glory, and that He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit (a Person of the Triune God).

The opening verses of John’s Gospel tell us that “in the beginning” – the same “in the beginning” when “God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) – the pre-incarnate Jesus, the Son of God, already was. He was with God and He, in fact, was and is God.

While some cult religions of our day (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons) would try to reduce Jesus to being only “a son of God,” the Greek text leaves no doubt: “The Word was with the God, and God was the Word” (the Greek definite article and the placement of God at the beginning of the second part of the sentence emphasizing that Jesus, the Word, was not only with God; He is God Himself – a Person in the Triune Godhead).

Some so-called “Christian churches” would make Jesus, the Son of God, less than and inferior to God the Father. This too is a rejection of the truth God has revealed to us in His inspired Word.

Not only was the pre-incarnate Christ there with God in the beginning before anything was created or made, He is the Creator God who made all things and gave all living things life and breath.

This is why the Christian Church has, for centuries confessed to believe “in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His 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….” (Nicene Creed)

God tells us: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Can it get any clearer than that? Jesus, before He took on human flesh and blood and became true man and was born of the virgin Mary, created all things. Nothing made or created was made or created without Him.

Read Genesis one in that light. Creation was not just the work of God the Father; all was created by God the Son and nothing was made without Him (cf. Colossians 1:15ff.; Hebrews 1:1-3). The Holy Spirit was also actively engaged in this divine work, for the Scriptures tell us that “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be….” (Genesis 1:2ff.).

In Jesus was life. When “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7), it was Jesus, the eternal Word, who gave him life and made him a “living soul.”

And, lest we forget that life was more than physical life but included spiritual life and the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), Jesus is the One who gave to Adam and Eve a knowledge of God and a life in harmony and fellowship with their Maker. This life which Jesus gave was “the light of men.” They were spiritually alive, they knew God and His holy will, and they loved and honored Him and trusted in Him.

This was the life which mankind lost in the fall of Genesis three. Instead of loving God, trusting Him and seeking His honor, Adam and Eve rebelled against His commandment and then hid from His presence. And, even yet today, when this light shines into the darkness, the darkness does not comprehend it – it does not understand it or receive it.

People today – all of us as we are by nature – walk in darkness. We do not wish to accept the truth that Jesus is God the Son in human flesh, our Maker and our final Judge. Though the evidence is all around us, we do not wish to face up to the truth that we are sinners and guilty before God. We do not wish to hear of our sins and shortcoming and of the hell fires we so deserve. We would rather continue on in darkness, thinking that we are basically good and that God will not condemn us if only we do our best to be loving and caring people.

The light shines in the darkness, and we would continue on in darkness! We don’t want to give up our own selfish and sinful ways. We don’t want to return to fellowship with God because that would cramp our lifestyle! Instead, we would attempt to change God into a god who smiles at sin and disobedience and would punish no one. Of course, to form our own opinions of God instead of accepting what God tells us of Himself in the Bible is no different than making a graven image and inventing our own ways to serve it. It is idolatry!

What does God say? “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 1:5-2:2

In God – in Jesus Christ, the eternal Word – is light and life! If we claim to have fellowship with God but continue to hide and cover up our sins, pretending that all is well, we are lying and deceiving ourselves. God’s truth tells us that we are sinners, that we have failed to love God with all our heart, soul and strength or love our neighbor as God requires. God’s light reveals His holy will but also our failures to live in accord with His holy commandments.

But God’s light also reveals the way of salvation He has provided for lost mankind: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, lived a righteous and holy life in our stead and He suffered and died for our sins and rose again. He satisfied God’s wrath against our sins and the sins of the whole world. That is why: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus is still the life and light of men. He redeemed sinful mankind by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. He offers to all people forgiveness of sins and life eternal in fellowship with Him. His light shines into this dark and sinful world, revealing God’s holy will and man’s sinfulness but also offering forgiveness and life with Him in His eternal kingdom. When He, by the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit through His Word, convinces us of sin and assures us of forgiveness – when He breathes into our nostrils the breath of life – we become living souls!

God graciously grant to each of you light and life in Christ Jesus, the eternal Word! Amen.

Psalm and Confession of Sins -

Psalm 32: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. (A Psalm of David, Maschil.)

O Thou crucified Lord Jesus Christ, who, as the truly patient Lamb of God, didst suffer for me the most shameful death on the cross and with Thy precious blood didst redeem me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, I pray Thee, give me the assurance of this redemption through Thy Word, govern my heart with Thy Holy Spirit, preserve me with Thy divine love, and hide me this day, both soul and body, in Thy holy wounds. Wash me clean from all my sins, teach me to live a life of good works, and finally lead me from this world of sorrows to Thine eternal joy and glory, Thou most faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, mine only Comfort, Hope, and Life. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, page 118)

The Apostles Creed: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers: O Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, the everlasting Son of God, shine upon my heart the light of Your truth, reveal my sinfulness and disobedience to Your holy will, but also comfort me with the knowledge of Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death for my sins that I may take courage, rejoice in Your forgiveness, and walk in the light of Your truth until You come again and take me to live with You forever in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Blessing: “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Amen. (Numbers 6:24-27)

[Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3 (Read the entire chapter)

Our faith in Christ Jesus is built upon the testimony of God Himself, in His Word, for He gave to us the inspired Scriptures that we might know of the gift of God’s Son and the salvation He provided for all when He suffered and died upon the cross and then rose again in victory.

As the apostle writes, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Thus, true prophets and true teachers teach God’s Word – nothing more and nothing less. They bear witness to God’s truth, saying what God Himself says of sin and evil and what God Himself says of forgiveness and new life in Christ Jesus. True prophets and true teachers are unwilling to compromise God’s truth for the sake of earthly gain or temporal peace. Like the faithful prophets and apostles of old, they are willing to suffer all – even death – rather than compromise God’s truth and proclaim anything less than God’s Word.

But, as Peter writes by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, there were false prophets (pseudo-prophets) and there will be false teachers (pseudo-teachers) who, for the sake of earthly gain and peace, privately bring in damnable heresies, dividing God’s flock by deceiving those who do not love the LORD God and hold fast to His truth (cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28ff.). Some even go so far as denying the Lord Jesus, who bought them with His holy and precious blood (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Coveting the goods of this world and seeking to gain a following for themselves, such false teachers make merchandise of true believers – taking advantage of them and misleading them back into sin and faithlessness. Like the prophet Balaam who so desired earthly riches and honor that he sought a way to disobey God and bring a curse on God’s people, so pastors and teachers turn aside from the truth of God’s Word and compromise its teaching for the sake of appeasing the masses and keeping positions, salaries and retirement benefits.

Peter minces no words in telling of God’s judgment upon false teachers and compromisers of God’s Word. Looking back on God’s judgment upon the angels that sinned, the wicked world at the time of Noah, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Peter points out how God can and will carry out His judgment upon false teachers and yet save those who hold to the truth (cf. 2 Peter 2:3ff.).

Jesus, too, points out God’s judgment upon those who compromise His Word when He says: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18-19); and, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Why does Peter write this warning? So that we are not deceived by such false teachers – so that we do not turn away from the hope of the Gospel and back into sin and unbelief! The inspired Word of God warns you and me against the false prophets and false teachers – who will come – because God desires that we hold fast to His Word and continue to place our hope and trust in Christ Jesus and in the redemption He accomplished for us by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross. God wants you and me to overcome the lies and the deceit, the false teaching, the temptations and attacks of the devil. He wants none of us to be lost to His kingdom but all to continue in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.

God grant that you cling to His inspired Word, that you hold fast to its truths and that you continue to trust in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of all your sins and a place in His eternal kingdom. Only in Jesus, can we be saved! Amen.

Mark 9:42-50

42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life 1maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, 5into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

“What kind of example do you want to set?”

I’m sure you’ve heard this question. Many people ask it, for different reasons. We hear it from our bosses, from our parents, from our teachers. Whether we realize it or not, and whether we want it or not, people are watching us, and they will make decisions about us based on our actions.

In this passage, Jesus teaches us much about how we are to live our lives as Christians. How should we feel about sin and temptation? How should we view our fellow Christians? Most importantly, what kind of examples are we going to be to our fellow Christians and to each other in this world?

This is certainly an unusual text. What of all of this business with self mutilation? I don’t know about you, but I’m not in any hurry to cut off my hands or my feet, or pluck out an eye. My eyes barely work well enough as is, I wouldn’t want to lose one of them!

In this passage, the verb that is translated “causes you to sin”, is the word that we get our term “scandal” from. So we might say instead, “if your hand causes you to get into scandals, cut it off.” We use the term “scandal” a lot, but what do we really mean by it? In Greek, the “scandal” is the bait in a fatal trap. The verb form of the word (which sounds like our word “scandalize” means to fall into a fatal trap.

Usually, when someone is involved in a scandal, it means they’ve done something obviously wrong. We see this with political scandals all the time – in recent memory, we’ve seen obvious misconduct by Senator John Edwards, President Bill Clinton, and others. Many scandals are related to sexual misconduct but not all are.

We’ve also seen recently where our military wounded from overseas were not being properly cared for at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. We also see scandals in sports, such as the allegations that Pete Rose bet on baseball, and during the 1994 Winter Olympics, when Tonya Harding hired someone to physically attack teammate Nancy Kerrigan, to keep her from competing.

Scandals shake our trust in people, and in institutions. They make us wonder whether we should keep believing in the things we believe in. Can we trust that athletes want to compete fairly?

Can we trust that politicians are telling us the truth? When our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters or other relatives are hurt, fighting overseas for our freedom and for the freedom of others, will they get the medical care they need? Worst of all, people see these scandals and wonder if it might be OK for them to do the same things. Some people get away with it, don’t they? At least, they do until they’re caught. We know we never catch everyone who does wrong. And in the course of these scandals we find that people have been getting away with bad things for years.

It is unlikely that any of us will ever be involved in a scandal like those. And yet, there are little scandals that we deal with all the time. Have you ever broken a promise to your parents, or to your children? Have you ever seen the hurt in their eyes, and known that you have done wrong, and damaged their trust in you?

This is the key thing in other places in the New Testament when this same verb is used, most notably in Paul’s first letter the Corinthians, 8:13. The verb is here translated “stumble”: 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

In this context, Paul speaks of doing something that is OK in and of itself, but which someone else believes is wrong. We have to be careful what we do in front of others – if someone else thinks that what you’re doing is wrong, that person may lose their faith over it. That is far too high a price to pay for the exercise of freedom.

This stumbling, or falling into scandal, is a very serious matter indeed. It is better, in fact, to do without a hand, an eye, or a foot than to fall into such a trap. The alternatives, as Jesus states them, are to either enter life, or the Kingdom of God, missing a body part than to go to hell, where: ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. It is bad to be maimed, lame, or blind, but far better that than to go to hell.

What, then? What should we do, if we are not to be scandals and traps for each other? Jesus gave himself for us so we would not need to suffer this fate. He lived a perfect life and died a perfect death, which enables us to enter life, or the Kingdom of Heaven. He never caused anyone to stumble, and his sacrifice is great enough to cover it even if we do cause anyone to stumble.

When we fear that we have done any wrong, such as causing someone to stumble, his Word tells us that this sin is forgiven, too, forgotten in God’s mercy, “As far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). When we feel the weight of sin and guilt, when we feel how vast the gulf is between what we do and what we should do, we may cry with Saint Paul, who called himself “the chief of sinners”, and also asked, “Who will save me from this body of death?” We must also remember the rest of what Paul said: 1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Because of Paul’s hope in Christ, he could also say: Phi 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Because of his sacrifice, and because of our hope that we share with Paul, we can be, as he calls us, “Salt of the earth.” Salt is many things – it is a seasoning, it is a preservative. It was valuable enough in the Roman world to be used as a currency, the way the Romans paid their army. The saying “worth his or her salt” refers to this practice.

So what is it that we, as Christians do, that makes us “salty”? Since the world, including people who aren’t believers, can see us, we should do our best to do the right thing, all the time. This is our testimony to the world and each other that we have been saved from sin, not for it.

We should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15), and we should conduct ourselves in a way that makes people want to ask us! God is pleased when we obey his law. Our obedience, or good behavior, cannot convert people. Only the Holy Spirit working through the Word and Sacraments can do that.

But with God’s help, may our witness and testimony always be as salt, and not as scandal. And may we always be at peace with each other. In so doing, we will follow Christ’s example, and there is none better.

In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Marty Jackson

“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:16-21

The Christian Faith is not built upon cunningly devised fables. It does not rest upon the visions of one or two founders (such as the faith of Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists or Islam) The Christian Faith, unlike other religions, is a religion based on historical fact – witnessed by not only a privileged few, but by 12 apostles, numerous prophets and hundreds and even thousands of eye witnesses.

The Apostle Paul could testify in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

If people had doubts about the resurrection of Jesus, there were ample numbers who had witnessed Jesus’ death and had seen Him alive again after His resurrection. They didn’t have to take the word of one or two witnesses. The events surrounding Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were witnessed by so many they were undisputed. If you notice in the Gospel accounts, Jesus’ enemies didn’t dispute the things He had done; they disputed by what power He had done them.

Peter himself was a witness of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. And, as he says in this epistle, he was there on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus (cf. Matthew 17:1ff.) when God the Father spoke from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

And we Christians have far more proof and documentation upon which to build our faith than just Peter’s testimony. As he writes, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

As Christians, we have the testimony of Scriptures, written over a period of about 1,600 years by approximately 33 different authors – though, in fact, it has only one author, and that is God who moved these men to write and put into their hearts and minds the words which they wrote so that all of Scripture is God’s own inspired or God-breathed Word (cf. 2 Timothy 3:15-17).

It is as is recorded of David in 2 Samuel 23:1-2: “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”

Notice that the Bible does not teach that the writers of Scripture were inspired – though God indeed did move them to write – it says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Scriptures themselves are God-breathed and inspired.

Though recorded by so many different men and over such a lengthy period of time, the Scriptures agree completely and throughout. There are no unexplainable discrepancies. The message is the same from beginning to end: Man has sinned and fallen short, but God provided redemption in His Son.

And so, our faith rests upon solid truth – upon the witness of so many eyewitnesses who were so convinced of the truth they gave their lives for it, and upon the witness of God Himself who gave us the Scriptures and has preserved them down through the centuries as a witness of the truth that we might be made “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15; cf. Matthew 5:18; 24:14).

Yes, the Scriptures reveal the holy will of God and our utter failure to live up to His law, but the same Scriptures assure us that “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2). The Scriptures assure us that God “hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6,7).

We would do well to pay heed to the Scriptures “as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” When we read our Bibles, attend church where the Scriptures are faithfully taught and listen carefully to God’s inspired Word, the Scriptures are like a light shining in a dark place – they reveal to us Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior, the Light of the world.

Again, the Scriptures themselves say: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

Through the hearing of God’s Word, God shines into our hearts and reveals to us Jesus and salvation in Him.

It is as Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 4:6), “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

And so, unlike other religions and faiths, our faith rests upon the witness of many chosen apostles and prophets recorded for us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. It rests upon the witness of God Himself, recorded for us in His inspired Scriptures. God’s Word shines like a light into a dark place – it shines into our hearts to reveal to us Christ Jesus and to show us the salvation God provided for us in Him! It tells us that in Christ Jesus we have a lively hope – the everlasting joys of heaven – because He shed His holy and precious blood to redeem us and make us His own and is risen again (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-9, 18-19).

God grant that the light of His Word shine in our hearts and reveal to us Christ Jesus and salvation in Him. Amen.