WHO QUALIFIES FOR GOD'S GRACE?

by Pastor Paul Naumann

"At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'" 

— Matthew 11:25-30

In the Name of our Gentle Savior, Who bids us come to Him for rest, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Have you ever wanted desperately to do something in your life, and found you couldn't because there were qualifications that you couldn't meet? I read an interesting newspaper article about a man who was trying to qualify for his state's highway patrol academy. He was in excellent physical shape, had a degree in criminology, and a black belt in karate. There was only one problem - he was one inch shorter than the minimum height requirement for entrance into the academy. So he took growth hormones. He did stretching exercises. For hours each day he'd hang upside-down from a bar with weights in his hands, trying to eke out that extra inch he needed to qualify. But in the end, he never did make it. Tragically, he was excluded.

I'll tell you what's even more tragic than that - people who exclude THEMSELVES from the grace of God. They see the qualifications in God's Law - for righteousness, for holiness, for obedience - and they despair. They hear the beautiful carols and hymns of this season, but they think: that 'peace on earth, good will toward men' business is for other people, not for me. I don't qualify. But God never meant to exclude anyone from His kingdom of grace. If you look carefully at our text for this morning, you'll see that there are qualifications for entrance into Christ's kingdom...but they are qualifications that you and I can easily and gladly meet. In our text, Jesus answers the question once and for all:

"WHO QUALIFIES FOR GOD'S GRACE?" 

I. Those who have the wisdom of a baby. II. Those who seek the Father through the Son. III. Those who have a burden they'd like to lay down.

The words of our text are one of the most beautiful and comforting invitations found in all of Scripture. What's interesting is that they come right after one of the most scathing condemnations in all of Scripture! As our text begins, Jesus has just gotten done condemning to hell the people in the town of Capernaum. They were very proud of themselves. They considered themselves very wise, and very religious. And what had their great wisdom led them to do? -To despise Jesus' teaching and reject Him as their Savior. Jesus said they were worse than Sodom and Gomorrah: "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." — Mat 11:23-24.

Tragically, these people had disqualified themselves from God's grace. Jesus' verdict on them is frightening. Naturally, it makes us ask ourselves, "Then who does qualify for God's grace? If the people of Capernaum, whose wisdom was 'exalted to heaven' couldn't qualify, who can?" Jesus answers in our text. "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." Who qualifies for God's grace? In the first place... those who have the wisdom of a baby!

How smart do you have to be to be a Christian? I'll give you a hint. Last Sunday a four-month-old infant became a Christian right here at our baptismal font. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, that tiny child entered God's kingdom of grace by the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

Have you got the wisdom of a little child? -Because that's all the wisdom it takes to qualify for God's grace. You don't have to be a Doctor of Philosophy to be saved; actually, there aren't many Ph.D.'s who are Christians. Paul says, "You see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise." — 1 Cor 1:26-27. The world considers little children foolish. But a little child is wise enough to trust his father, and to love him, and to accept without question what his father tells him. Do you remember Palm Sunday outside Jerusalem? The little children there were a lot wiser than the grown-up Pharisees! While the Pharisees grumbled and complained, the little children were welcoming Jesus with songs and praises: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" — Mat 21:9.

In our text Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and praises the Father for this wonderful arrangement - where anyone with the wisdom of a baby can qualify for God's grace! Do you have that wisdom? Can you meet that requirement? Yes, you qualify! All you need is a wisdom that accepts, with a simple childlike faith, everything that your loving Father tells you in His Word.

That brings us to the second qualification. I read an old proverb the other day: "A foolish servant, when told to open the door, sets his shoulder to it and pushes with all his might; but the door stirs not, and he cannot enter, use what strength he may. Another comes with a key and unlocks the door and enters right readily." You can push with all your might against the door of God's kingdom, but it won't do you any good if you don't have the key. The key is Jesus Christ. Again the question - who qualifies for God's grace? Those who seek the Father through the Son.

Jesus has a special relationship with the Father - one which is closer than any sinful human can have. He says, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father." From this privileged position, Jesus grants a knowledge of the Father to others: "Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." But who is that? Who qualifies for this grace? It almost sounds like Jesus doesn't want very many people to find out about the true God. The truth is just the opposite, of course. "God would have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Rather, the words of our text are meant to show just how much our Savior loves us. Imagine it - that the Lord of heaven and earth should stoop down to our level and take the time to give us sinful mortals this heavenly knowledge full of salvation! Do you qualify for this grace? Yes, you do! Paul says to us, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." — Luke 12:32. And as our text proves, He gives it to us in only one way - through His Son.

In Bible class we've talked about how empty your Christmas season would be if it didn't have Christ in it. But the problem goes further than that. A person's whole life will be empty if Jesus Christ doesn't lie at the very center of it! The Bible says, "No man comes to the Father except through the Son." That means that, without faith in Christ, the Father cannot be reached; sin forms an impenetrable barrier between you and God. But Christ is the Key that opens the door to the Father, and knocks down the barrier of sin. When Jesus Christ was stripped and whipped and wounded, when He was nailed to the cross and put to death on Calvary, your sins died with Him. Every last evil deed that stood between you and your heavenly Father was removed that day. When Christ said, "It is finished!" the work of redemption was complete, and the doors of heaven swung open for all those who will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

Who qualifies for God's grace? -Everyone who seeks the Father through the Son...including YOU! The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, all the blessings of the Father's grace become yours: the knowledge that you are God's own beloved child; the forgiveness of sins, and a quiet conscience; the right to address your heavenly Father in prayer, and the promise that He will hear you; total security for your life in this world, and the promise of everlasting life in the next. And you can keep on going - fill in the blank with the blessings you've already experienced! Paul says simply that, in Christ, "...all things are yours!" — 1 Cor 3:21.

Are you convinced yet? Maybe not. Perhaps there are still some reservations down deep in your mind. If you have even the tiniest twinge of doubt about whether or not you qualify for absolute forgiveness, salvation and heaven...then I want you to pay careful attention to the last part of our text. It's an invitation by our Savior - one that's so broad and universally inviting that, if you can't find yourself included here, then you're just not looking! In his tenderest, most loving voice, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Who qualifies for this grace of God? That's simple. ALL! -All those who have a burden they'd like to lay down!

If you're like me, then you've got more than one burden - burdens that are heavy to carry, and that you'd be awfully glad to lay down. Have you been burdened with an illness recently? Perhaps you're carrying a burden of sorrow over the loss of a loved one, or over some special disappointment in your life. Maybe you're financially burdened at the moment, or weighed down by a stressful job or by family obligations. Jesus invites you to bring all your burdens to Him, and lay them at His feet. He doesn't want you to wear yourself out struggling under all that weight all alone. That's why the Bible says, "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." Bring your burdens to the Lord Jesus. Only He has the wisdom to sort them all out, and make them all work out for your good.

This invitation, though, is directed mainly to those who are burdened by their sins. Those people who have tried and tried to work out their own salvation by keeping God's Law, and have failed miserably. See yourself here? I do! We promise to be good, and are not...we try to live righteously, and find that we fall short time after time. The Law is a weight we cannot pull, a yoke around our necks that's so heavy it crushes us to the ground! So our Lord Jesus offers us an exchange. He lifts the heavy yoke of our sin off our shoulders and carries it Himself. In its place, we carry His "yoke" - the yoke of forgiveness and salvation and heavenly wisdom. It's a burden so light that, properly speaking, it actually carries us, rather than the other way around! It's the burden of forgiveness and grace. And you qualify for it. This is one burden that you can carry gladly, and with ease!

"And you will find rest for your souls." Ever done any backpacking? I recall carrying a 50-lb. pack on a five mile trip back into a remote fishing spot once. Now 50 pounds isn't a lot for somebody who's used to it, but for me it was a real struggle. By the time to the lake, I was exhausted. But the moment I dropped that pack to the ground, a funny thing happened. Suddenly, I felt like I was weightless. It seemed like I could have jumped ten feet into the air if I wanted to! My friends, Jesus wants to take off from you the burden of your sins, and give you joyous freedom and rest in its place. What do you need to qualify for this grace? All you need is a childlike faith in Jesus as your Savior, and a burden that you'd like to lay down. I know you've got those things. So come. Receive God's grace. You qualify! AMEN.

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS?

by Pastor Paul Naumann

"Then Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and said to him, 'Follow Me.' And he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard it, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'" 

— Mark 2:13-17

In Christ Jesus, who heals all our diseases, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

I was reading the newspaper not long ago when I noticed an interesting ad. It was an ad from a nearby hospital, telling the days that certain specialists would be visiting. The "visiting specialist" system makes a lot of sense for the little hospitals around these parts. Doctors who are skilled at treating certain diseases can come in one day a week, or one day a month, and help the people who need their specific skills. There are some drawbacks, though. For one thing, you have to be there when the doctor's available. Also, you have to have a correct diagnosis beforehand; obviously, if you don't know you're sick, all the medical skills in the world won't help you.

We happen to have a visiting specialist with us here in church this morning. He's the same Doctor who once passed through the little town of Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. On that day, a terribly sick man named Levi took advantage of His visit and was completely cured of his disease. The disease was sin, and the doctor was Jesus Christ, also known as The Great Physician. Today - right now - that same Doctor is available to you for consultation. Can He help you? Well, that depends. It depends on how you answer the question that is our theme for today...

"WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS?"

I. You can be too "healthy" for the Great Physician... II. But you can never be too sick!

Even around these parts, where physicians are scarce, there are popular doctors and there are unpopular doctors. Some get a bad reputation and, consequently, fewer patients. Others gradually build a good reputation and find themselves with all the patients they can handle. By these standards, Jesus was a very good "Doctor" indeed. Patients literally flocked to see Him! Our text says, "Then Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them." One of those who followed Jesus that day was a tax collector named Levi, also called Matthew. We can imagine the peaceful scene that day on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus speaking the word of life to his breathless audience while the gentle waves lapped at the shore. What a Bible class that must have been!

Later, Jesus sat down to dinner at the home of His newest disciple, Matthew. Others were there: His disciples, and also many of the common people who had been attracted to His teaching. These were folks whom the religious leaders of Israel despised, mostly because they didn't keep all the minor rules and regulations Jewish law and tradition required. The Pharisees just called them "sinners". And, as you might expect, the Pharisees got their noses out of joint a little when they saw Jesus associating with these "sinners". "When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?'"

Actually, the Pharisees were correct in their diagnosis - these people really were sinners. But they were mistaken about themselves. They considered themselves above the common people, and they would have been oh so offended if anyone had had the nerve to call them sinners! But Jesus had an answer ready for them. He said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

AIDS is a frightening disease that is currently sweeping the population centers of our country. The disease has already shown up in tens of thousands of people. Even more frightening, though, experts tell us that there are thousands more who are infected with the disease...and don't know it yet! Naturally, they won't go see a doctor as long as they think they're healthy. The Pharisees were infected with the same disease of sin as the people seated around that table with Jesus. Only they didn't know it. They had incorrectly diagnosed themselves as spiritually "healthy." They considered themselves righteous, without sin, and therefore without the need for a Savior from sin. They were standing in the presence of the very Son of God, but Jesus couldn't do them any good as long as they refused to confront their own sin.

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS? Are you too "healthy" for the Great Physician? Are you having trouble recognizing the sin in your life, and the need for a Savior? What about those among us who frequently skip worship services on Sunday, who miss the Lord's Supper for months at a time? Do they consider themselves "healthy" enough the way they are, with no need of the Word and Sacraments? What about those of us who regularly abuse alcohol, quarrel with our family members, or take God's name in vain? Is there some sinful activity that you are currently involved in that you're unwilling to give up? Perhaps you think you can you get by without repenting of that sin. Maybe you're "healthy" enough the way you are...

NO! Let's not make the mistake of the Pharisees. Let us never turn away our Great Physician by thinking we're too healthy to need Him. Our corrupt and sinful nature still clings to us, and we need Jesus' forgiveness for every part of our life! If you don't think that's true, Martin Luther once said, then put your hand into your shirt and see if you're still made of flesh and blood. If so, then go to Paul's letter to the Galatians and hear what sort of stuff comes from the flesh: "The works of the flesh are obvious:" Paul says, "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hated, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." — Gal 5:19 NIV.

Be careful in diagnosing yourself, because you can be too "healthy" for the Great Physician. But if you've listened to this sermon so far and come to a correct diagnosis - if you've realized exactly how sick with sin you really are - then I've got good news for you. You can't be too sick for the Great Physician. There is no sin that's too great for Jesus to forgive!

To prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt, God gives us the wonderful example of Matthew, the tax collector. Being a tax collector for the Romans in those days wasn't at all like working for the IRS in our country today. A tax collector betrayed the Jewish nation by collaborating with the Romans, and he earned his salary by collecting more money than the Romans demanded. A tax collector was by definition a traitor and a thief. He was the lowest of the low. Sin was his way of life.

Such a man was Matthew. He had sinned, on purpose, times without number. The established church of the day would have nothing to do with him. And yet it was sinful Matthew whom Jesus called to repentance. At a word from Jesus, he closed up shop and left everything to follow the Lord. He probably had a hard time believing it was true. Could there really be forgiveness for a sinner like him? Yes! In Jesus, the Great Physician, even wretched Matthew, the publican, found forgiveness and peace!

What's your diagnosis? Sick with sin? In desperate need of a doctor? Then rest assured that Jesus will not turn you away. You can't be too sick for the Great Physician! No matter what kind of sins you've got in your background, Jesus is here today, urging you to bring them to Him for forgiveness. He doesn't ask you how big or how many those sins are. He doesn't ask how often you've come to Him before. He simply says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." — Mt 11:28-30.

Believe it, because it's true. There's absolutely no reason for you to drag the guilt of those sins around with you like a ball and chain. If you feel your sins are great, don't worry. Paul says, "Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more!" Jesus paid for every one of your sins with the precious blood He shed on the cross. There's no reason why everyone in this building can't walk out of this service today with a clean slate, absolutely innocent, and fully accepted by God in Jesus Christ! Once again today, our Savior is opening the gates of heaven to each one of us. Our Great Physician is offering us the complete cure for our disease of sin. I, for one, am going to take it...I hope you will, too!

They say that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." While that may be a perfectly valid pitch for preventative medicine, as far as it goes, it certainly doesn't apply to our message for today. Preventative medicine won't work in this case; each of us has already got the disease of sin. So let's turn with confidence to our Great Physician, Jesus. He's promised to heal us, and He will heal us. He's one Doctor we don't want to keep away! AMEN.

What They Said When Jesus Went to Calvary... "SHALL I NOT DRINK THE CUP WHICH MY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME?"

by Pastor Paul Naumann

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" 

— John 18:10-11

In the Name of Jesus Christ, who died that we might live, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

There is a certain plant native to parts of Europe and Asia; it has a purple stem, and bears clusters of small white flowers. In its natural state it looks innocent enough, but when processed it yields an alkaloid compound that is highly toxic. Its Latin name is "conium maculatum," but it's more commonly known as poison hemlock. The ancient Greeks used it as a form of execution. Condemned criminals would be forced to drink a bitter potion containing poison hemlock; shortly thereafter they would suffer convulsions, paralysis and eventually death. In the year 399 B.C., the famous philosopher Socrates was put to death this way. Convicted on a charge of corrupting the youth of Athens, he was given the bitter cup of hemlock to drink...and died in agony.

Some 430 years later, another famous Man was given a bitter cup to drink. This time, though, there was a choice. Strangely enough, this Man drank the cup not because He was forced to, but of His own free will! And this time it wasn't hemlock in the cup, but something far more bitter. This was a draft of immense suffering and woe - the cup of God's righteous anger over the sins of the world. And Jesus Christ was the one who drank it. This year our midweek theme is "What They Said When Jesus Went to Calvary." Tonight we'll hear what our Lord Jesus Himself had to say about the agonizing journey upon which He was about to embark...

"SHALL I NOT DRINK THE CUP WHICH MY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME?"

I. It's a question Jesus asked of Peter. II. It's a question you may ask of yourself.

Tonight we cast our minds back to the events that took place on Maundy Thursday evening. The Last Supper has concluded, and Jesus and His disciples find themselves, once again, in that favorite place of retreat, the Garden of Gethsemane. The place is lit by the flare of torches. Jesus and His disciples are confronted by a large group of soldiers, the traitor Judas at their head. It is "their hour," as Jesus said, "and the power of darkness."

It was just a short time ago that Peter (the impetuous disciple) was bragging about his bravery. He vowed never to leave Jesus' side, to fight to the death, if necessary. Now, evidently, he decides it's time to put his words into action. Seeing that Jesus is about to be taken prisoner, Peter snatches his sword from its sheath. He lashes out. As it happens, one of the high priest's servants - a fellow named Malchus - is standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Peter's swings his sword and strikes a glancing blow at Malchus' head, severing the right ear.

I wonder what Peter thought was going to happen next? Maybe he envisioned the rest of the disciples rallying behind him, encouraged by his bravery, defeating the soldiers. Perhaps he thought Jesus would once again cause the soldiers to fall to the ground. Maybe Jesus would strike His enemies with blindness so that He and His disciples could escape to safety. But how shocked Peter must have been when Jesus spoke quickly to him, not to praise his bravery...but to rebuke his ignorance! "Jesus said to Peter, 'Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?'"

This was Jesus' searching question to Peter. It was a question that assumed many other questions. "Don't you know why I'm here, Peter? Don't you know what this is about? After all the hours I spent teaching you, do you still not understand the work I came to do?" For the moment, Jesus warded off disaster by immediately and miraculously healing the servant's ear. But that question remained, as if suspended in the air. "Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" Peter no doubt puzzled over these words in light of the sad and confusing events that followed. What exactly did they mean? For us, of course, there is no puzzle. We know, now, what those words meant.

Jesus' experiences over the next twenty-four hours would be very bitter, indeed. He knew what lay ahead. By going quietly with the soldiers, Jesus was surrendering Himself to an awful fate. There would be physical abuse: forced exhaustion, beating, scourging, and lingering death by crucifixion. Worse still would be the spiritual agony He'd have to go through, agony we can only guess at. To be innocent, and yet be condemned - to be supremely virtuous, and yet suffer complete humiliation for all His virtue. At that time, most condemned criminals were mercifully beheaded; Jesus would suffer the slow torture of the cross, a mode of execution reserved for the dirtiest and most vile of offenders. This shame, too, he had predicted to His disciples: "For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'" — Luke 22:37. Sometimes a bitter experience can be tempered by having friends to share your sorrow. But Jesus would have no such comfort. He would see one friend betray Him, another deny Him, and the rest run away from Him in fear. Jesus would fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah, "I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me." — 63:3. Indeed, it was a bitter cup that He was about to drink.

And yet, Jesus' searching question held answers, too. Answers for Peter, and answers for us. The Greek text is very emphatic as to the reason Jesus would drink the bitter cup: because it was a cup that His Heavenly Father had given to Him. This was the way god wanted it! From the beginning of the world, this had been the Father's master plan of redemption - to substitute His innocent Son for guilty sinners like you and me. To cover our sins by punishing Him! Who could imagine such a daring rescue plan? Who could conceive a love that would sacrifice so much for people so unworthy? A week ago it was mentioned how a loving parent might throw himself in front of a speeding car to save his child. We can understand that. What we can't understand is how a parent could deliberately push his child into the path of certain death...in order to save someone else. But that's what happened on Calvary. That was exactly God's plan! To sacrifice His Son in order to save us. This was the reason He gave Jesus such a bitter cup to drink. It was His Father's will that He drink it, and Jesus wouldn't let the sword-wielding Peter - or anyone else - keep that cup from His lips. Peter wanted to fight anything that might lead to the cross. Jesus fought anything that might lead away from it. He told His disciples, "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour." — John 12:27.

Jesus chose to accept that cup of His own free will. The question, "Shall I not drink it?" implies the answer "Yes, of course! I must drink it!" He had a specific goal in mind, a particular joy it was His object to attain. The writer to the Hebrews says, "[Look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." — 12:2. What was that joy? What made Him willingly take that bitter cup of suffering to His lips? My dear friends, He did it so He could put the sweet cup of salvation to YOUR lips!

Free forgiveness for all your sins, peace with God, and eternal life - that's the cup Jesus brings to you. And what does He ask in return? Merely that you receive these blessings in faith and thankfulness. -That doesn't seem like much to do, does it? But evidently it is too much for a lot of people. Millions of Americans have turned down God's offer of salvation in Christ. For them the cross is a stumbling-block and foolishness, the Gospel a fairy tale, designed for kids and few naïve adults. They prefer to serve other gods, like the god of Money, or the increasingly powerful gods of Pleasure and Entertainment. Some make themselves into gods, and presume to earn heaven through their own good works. But we will not be deceived by these false gods, or by any others. Jesus is our Lord. He has told us, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father, except through Me." On the cross He drained the bitter cup of suffering that, for our sins, we deserved to drink; in its place He offers us that other, much sweeter cup. It's free, and it's for you...it's the cup of eternal life in Christ!

This evening I ask you to recall what Jesus Himself said as He started down the road to Calvary. You, too, might well apply His question to yourself: "Shall I not drink the cup which my Lord Jesus has given me?" Yes! For the cup that Christ gives is an exceedingly pleasant one to take! In the cross of Christ we find the sweet offer of free salvation. It's an offer that's much too good to turn down. Joyfully, let us answer the question the same way the Psalmist answered it: "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will TAKE the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD." AMEN.

What They Said When Jesus Went to Calvary... "Master, is it I?"

by Pastor Paul Naumann

Now when evening had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?" Then He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it." 

— Matthew 26:20-25

In Christ Jesus, Who holds out the hand of forgiveness to repentant sinners again this Lenten Season, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Did you watch the evening news tonight? As it happens, I didn't get to see the news, but I bet I can tell you what was on it. Oh, I don't know what the stories themselves were, but I know what the coverage contained - eyewitness accounts. Whether the story is about a plane crash, a political scandal or a military coup, there's always a TV interview with somebody who was an eyewitness to the action. Network producers learned long ago that a story will seem much more immediate to us viewers when we hear the reactions of someone who was actually there. Eyewitness accounts have impact. You can ignore a paragraph in a newspaper about an earthquake; it's hard to ignore the despairing face and tearful voice of an earthquake survivor.

Lent is (or should be!) one of the most important times of the year for us. It's a time when our thoughts turn, again, to the suffering and death of Jesus. What happened to Jesus during those last few days before His crucifixion would effect the eternal destiny of countless people, including you and me. But this is an account we've heard before; most of us have been hearing it since we were little kids. Sometimes the story means no more to us than printed words on a page. What can bring this important drama alive for us again? Eyewitness accounts. This year, during our midweek Lenten services, we'll hear the reaction of people who were right there when these momentous events were happening. The theme of our series is, "What They Said When Jesus Went to Calvary." Tonight we hear the words of one of Jesus' twelve disciples. The disciple was Judas Iscariot. His words reveal a lot...about himself and, if we pay attention, about us. This is what Judas said when Jesus went to Calvary:

"MASTER, IS IT I?"

I. Judas reveals a hardened heart. II. Judas ignores God's warnings. III. Judas turns his back on Jesus.

It was Maundy Thursday evening. In less than 24 hours, Jesus would be on the cross. Jesus and His disciples were together in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem to celebrate the ceremonial meal of the Passover. Night was coming on, and the shadows were lengthening.

The shadows were lengthening for Jesus, too. He knew the sorrow that awaited Him; in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the courts of Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate, and on the cursed tree of the cross. At this particular moment, though, one sorrow weighed especially heavy upon Him - the bitter sorrow of being betrayed by a friend. In the middle of the meal, Jesus made an ominous announcement, "'Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.' And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, 'Lord, is it I?'"

What was it that made those disciples sad? What was it that made each of them, in turn, ask tremblingly, "It's not me, Lord, is it? You couldn't mean me!" Maybe this will help you understand it... I can't read hearts, of course, but what if I could? And what if I were to announce that someone here tonight was a hypocrite, and hadn't the least bit of Christian faith? Wouldn't that raise some doubt in your mind? Wouldn't that make you think about your sins, your weaknesses, your possible failure? You might not say it out loud, but you too would be thinking, "Is it I?"

Who could possibly be such a hardened traitor that he could betray Jesus into the hands of the Romans? Eleven of those disciples asked the same thing of Jesus. Eleven of them expressed doubt about whether they could possibly be the one He meant. But one of the disciples was playing a game. There was no doubt in his mind. He knew exactly what Jesus was talking about. His name was Judas Iscariot.

For three years Judas had travelled with Jesus and listened to Him teach. He had endured the hardships and shared the joy. He had seen the miracles, and heard the Word of God from the lips of God's own Son. But Satan had gradually gained a hold on the heart of Judas. It started when he made himself little loans from the disciples treasury. It continued with outright stealing. And finally, his lust for money had driven him into a secret bargain with the Jewish elders: for thirty pieces of silver, Judas agreed to lead a group of soldiers to Jesus and betray Him with a kiss.

By Maundy Thursday evening, Judas was reaching the final depths of sin. Satan was winning him over completely as a servant of evil. Rather than repent, Judas was hardening himself to go through with the betrayal of Jesus for money. And what a terrible thing it is to be hardened!

This is a danger for us, too. Any person who remains in a sin long enough runs the risk of hardening himself against God. If he refuses to repent, the time will eventually come when he won't be able to repent. That's why you hear repentance preached from this pulpit so often and so vigorously. Sin, even the sin that seems minor and unimportant, is such a dangerous thing because even the so-called "little sins" can lead to eternal destruction if not repented of. There's an old saying: "Give the devil a finger, and he'll take your whole hand." The case of Judas Iscariot is sad proof that it's true.

The special sin Satan caught Judas with was greed. And you'd better believe the devil knows your weakness as well! Whether it's lust or pride or hatred, a grudging heart or a spiteful tongue. Whatever it is, Satan knows that if he can keep you at it long enough without repenting, he has a chance to take your eternal life away. That's why the writer to the Hebrews urgently warns us, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." — Heb 3:12-13.

Jesus was travelling the road to the cross. In a way, He had already started down that dark road the moment He was born in the stable at Bethlehem. In less than a day, all the prophesies concerning His suffering and death for the sins of the world would be fulfilled. But even at this darkest hour, Jesus had a last warning for His disciple; He threw out the lifeline one more time, hoping that Judas might yet grab hold. He said, "The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

But Judas was lost forever. Foolishly thinking he could deceive Jesus by acting innocent, he mouthed the same words as the others, "Master, is it I?" With that question, Judas turned his back once and for all on Jesus - the only One who could rescue him from the depths of sin to which he had fallen. "You have said it," Jesus answered, "You are the one." Jesus handed him the "sop", the telltale piece of bread dipped in bitter herbs. The Gospel of John tells us that "...after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, 'what you do, do quickly.' So...having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night." — Jn 13:27,30.

It was indeed night, especially for Judas. It began a long night of sin and sorrow and wretchedness. It would continue in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he would betray Jesus with a kiss. It would end at a lonely tree at the edge of a cliff, where Judas, in despair over what he had done, would hang himself and commit his soul to eternal hell fire.

This is the worst-case scenario. It's a "bad news example," meant to show us the horrible results of hardening oneself in one's sin. Where Judas is now, the night of darkness and torment will never end.

So what's the good news? Is there anything in this account to encourage us? Yes - the Good News is that we don't have to follow in the footsteps of Judas. He insisted on bearing his own sin right to the grave, but we know that there's another way out. That way is pictured on the cover of your service folder this evening: there you see the basin and the towel Jesus used later that evening to wash the feet of his disciples, reminding them that, "The son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." — Matt 2:28. There you see the purple cloth that the soldiers dressed Jesus up in so they could make fun of Him. There you see the rough-hewn wood of the cross Jesus hung on, and the nails that were driven through His hands and feet. In short, it's a picture of the way out from under sin. Jesus' blood and righteousness is our way out! Judas rejected this way...but we won't. He turned his back on his Savior...Fellow Christians, during this Lenten season let us, in true repentance, turn toward our Savior for forgiveness!

We won't be disappointed. It's true that the cross is, in one way, a sad symbol of sin, and the consequences of sin. But for us, that cross is also a symbol of victory over sin. It's a reminder that, with His suffering and death, Jesus broke the power of Satan. He paid for your sins and my sins, so that the devil has no right to accuse us anymore. Jesus earned for us the blessed privilege of bringing our sins to Him, every day, for forgiveness. Our Savior has brushed away the last obstacle remaining between us and eternal life. He paid a high price to buy us back from sin: His own life. But He did pay it. And thank God He did! Because, as Paul says, "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." — Eph 1:7.

There's a famous poem by Robert Frost that many of us learned in school. It's called, "The Road Not Taken." In the final verse, the poet says:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

When Jesus went to Calvary, Judas Iscariot, unrepentant, said, "Master, is it I?" And with those words he disappeared down the broad and easy road that leads to destruction. God forbid that any of us should take that road! Rather, let's learn from his bad example, and use every opportunity to confess our sins and receive the forgiveness of our loving Savior. Guided by the Holy Spirit, let's take "the road less travelled by" ...the narrow path of grace that leads to eternal life! In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Thanksgiving: "PAUSING FOR THANKS AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE"

by Pastor Paul Naumann

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups." 

— Genesis 32:9-10

In the name of Jesus, our Savior-God, dear Fellow Redeemed,

Today our nation celebrates the holiday of Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that a lot of people in America today associate Thanksgiving more with a day off work, a turkey dinner and a football game...than the actual giving of thanks. The act of showing appreciation for something received isn't very popular in our culture, I'm afraid. In other cultures it is, though! A missionary from the African country of Zimbabwe Rhodesia tells of an interesting custom the people have there: in Zimbabwe, whenever you receive a gift from an acquaintance or friend, the recipient has to extend two hands to receive it. Even if it's just a match to light a fire, two hands are socially necessary to grasp it. If you don't hold out two hands, it means you're not thankful for the gift.

Our text today is an example of a man who held out two hands, in prayer, to thank God for all the blessings God gave him. The man was the Old Testament patriarch Jacob. Jacob was standing at a crossroads in his life, facing a crisis, uncertain what his future would be. But even at this critical point, he found a moment to lift up his hands in a prayer of thanks to God. I hope that we Christians can do the same on this day of Thanksgiving. Our theme today is:

"PAUSING FOR THANKS AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE"

I. Reminding ourselves of God's promises. II. Remembering our unworthiness. III. Realizing God's blessings.

I think you know what I mean when I talk about "crossroads." We all have them in our lives. They can be milestones, like marriages, births, anniversaries, or graduations. Or they can be crises, like the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a terrible financial turnaround. Each is a crossroad. Jacob found himself at a crossroad that day as he stood facing the Jordan River, about to return to the land of Canaan, the land of his birth. He was returning from 20 years of exile. During those 20 years he had worked hard on the estate of his great-uncle Laban, and had gone from a poverty to riches. He had gained huge herds of livestock. He had gained servants. He had married and had children. And now he was returning to his homeland. Why, you ask, did he leave his homeland in the first place? Because, years ago, he had cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright. Esau had sought to kill him, and he fled. Now, twenty years later, Jacob new that he would be meeting Esau and his army of servants the next day. Would Esau still seek revenge? Would he kill Jacob and his family and take his wealth for his own? Jacob was at a crossroads, facing a terrible crisis. This just might be his last day alive! And at that moment he did what a lot of us would never think of doing - he said a prayer of thanksgiving!

It's interesting to see the words he uses to preface his prayer, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper...'" It's almost as though he's reminding God of His promises! "Remember, God - you promised! You said that you'd prosper me! You said that my descendants would be like the sands on the seashore!" But Jacob knew God's faithfulness. He knew the Lord never forgets a promise. I think what Jacob was really doing was reminding himself of God's promises! Standing there, facing what looked like certain death at the hands of his brother, he was trying to remember, in his fear, that God could not possibly abandon him. He couldn't, because He had promised to prosper him.

Have you faced a crossroads in your life recently? Is there one coming up in the near future? Then it's a good time for you to review the promises God has made to you. "But what promises has God made to me?" you might ask. What has God promised you? What hasn't God promised you?! In Mathew chapter six God promises to provide for your wants and needs, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." — Mt 6:33. In Psalm 34 He promises to deliver you from trouble, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the lord delivers him out of them all." — Ps 34:19. In Isaiah 44 He promises to forgive the sin that's been weighing on your conscience, "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." — Isaiah 44:22. In the fourteenth chapter of John Jesus promises you a place in heaven, "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." — Jn 14:2. Once in a while, when we reach a crossroads, it's good to remind ourselves of these promises. Because God never goes back on a promise. In the uncertainty of our day-to-day lives, there's one thing we know for sure...these promises will come true in our lives!

The next step in Jacob's prayer of thanks is sort of surprising - he admits to his own unworthiness. He says, "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant." The word Jacob uses to describe himself means, "Lord, I am small. I'm way too small for you to have expended all this mercy and grace on me; there's nothing inherent in me that deserves all these blessings!"

We should pray that way too; but boy, is it ever hard! We live in a society of Donald Trumps and Ted Turners - self-made superstars who figure you don't get anything in life that you didn't work hard for and earn for yourself. And they teach us to say right along with them, "Yes, I made this ranch." "I trained for this job." "I built this house." "I put this food on the table." "I've done pretty well for myself!" That's how our society trains us to think of ourselves. But I can tell you right now that if this day of Thanksgiving is going to mean anything at all to us, we've got to break out of that mold!

A young man once confessed privately to his pastor that he didn't really feel very thankful toward God. He was having trouble seeing God's hand in his life. "I can tell you your problem right now," the pastor said. "You're not nothing enough!" What he meant was this: to be thankful, a Christian has to be humble enough to admit God's greatness. He has to be weak enough to admit God's strength. He has to be nothing enough...to admit that God is everything!

Jacob was. In his prayer he humbly admitted his unworthiness. And then he went on to the next step of his thanksgiving prayer - by realizing God's blessings. He says, "O Lord...I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups!"

We've got an expression we use about thankfulness. Whenever someone is complaining about something, we tell them, "Count your blessings." Well, at the moment Jacob couldn't count his blessings - it would have taken him all night! When he left Canaan his worldly possessions amounted to the clothes on his back and the walking stick in his hand. Now God had given him a large family, scores of servants, and herds of livestock that stretched to the horizon. So many, that he had to separate the mass into two groups to face the coming danger. From one stick...to two groups so huge he could hardly count them!

I really don't think you and I can count our blessings, either. It would be impossible! The material things are the easiest for God to provide; Jesus calls them "things". He simply says, "...All these things shall be added unto you." The job that God has given you, the paycheck He puts in your hands, the roof He puts over your head and the food He puts on your table. We even murmur a prayer of thanks for these from time to time. But what about the bigger things, infinitely more valuable? How often do you pause to realize the blessings of your family - your parents, your spouse, your children? How often do you stop to thank God that you live in one of few countries of the world where religious persecution is against the law? How often do you thank God for establishing your church right here in this town where His Word is taught in its truth and purity?

And while we're on the subject of realizing God's blessings, let's not forget the big one. In three days, the Advent Season begins. It's a time, especially, when we remember God's greatest gift to us - the gift of His Son. "God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." — Jn 3:16. To a wretched, ungrateful world of humans, lost in sin, He sent His Son. The everlasting King became a pauper, and made his sinless life into a gift of righteousness for us. He shed his innocent blood for us, and died the shameful death of a criminal to bring us the peace of forgiveness. Praise God with me! We're going to heaven, and Jesus bought the ticket!

This Thanksgiving, let's say thank you to God the African way: with both hands! Let's extend our hands to heaven in a prayer of heartfelt thanks for all His gifts, and especially the gift of his Son. And let us remember the year round, when faced with joys or crises, to pause for thanks at the crossroads of life! AMEN.

THE UNBELIEVABLE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON

by Pastor Paul Naumann

Then Jesus said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. ' And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" 

— Luke 15:11-24

In Christ Jesus, in whose name we find forgiveness, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

There's a rule among fiction writers: in order for a story to be interesting, it must be believable. Some time ago I watched a PBS dramatization about the drug trade in Britain, called "Traffik." It mixed the facts of the heroin trade with the fiction of a British cabinet minister's trouble with his own daughter, who was an addict. The story was very interesting, because it was absolutely believable. Or at least it was believable up to a certain point. The girl wrecked their family by first dropping out of school, then stealing her parents' money, then running away, and finally by selling herself on the street to support her drug habit. Up to that point I believed it. But then she returned home, and her desperate father accepted her back with the words, "I love you unconditionally. All I want is to have you back with me!" That's when I woke up and remembered that this was fiction; somebody had invented this story. I just couldn't believe that part at the end!

Some stories are simply unbelievable. Try as you might, you just can't convince yourself that things like that could happen in the real world. Our text for today is a story like that. It's a parable Jesus told to illustrate the unbelievable depth of man's sin, and the unbelievable heights of God's mercy. And even though Jesus made it up, even though it seems impossible, this is a true story...and you and I are the main characters! Our theme today is...

"THE UNBELIEVABLE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON"

I. Could there ever be a "son" this bad? II. Could there ever be a "father" this good?

The reason this parable seems unbelievable is not because it's complicated. It's not complicated. It's simple. A simple story for the plain people Jesus was talking to. After all, Jesus didn't take His message primarily to the high and mighty, the royal families and religious leaders. He preached first of all to the poor and lowly, the despised tax collectors and the people the Pharisees lumped together under the simple term "sinners." And that was one of the problems Jesus was trying to address with this parable: people who thought they were righteous enough the way they were. People like the Pharisees, who wouldn't admit that they, too, were sinful and needed forgiveness. To them Jesus said, with divine sarcasm, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." — Mark 2:17.

So He tells this parable, this unbelievable story. The reason it's so unbelievable is that the characters in it are so extreme. Take the son, for instance. Could there ever be a "son" this bad?

We all know how young people can be. We're all familiar with families where sons or daughters have "gone bad," or have done something that has brought shame to the family. But this kid in the parable is the bottom of the barrel. He's the worst. He decides he's had enough of farm life. He wants his independance. He wants to see the world and have "fun." So he comes to his father with an outrageous demand: "Give me my half of the farm. I'd inherit it eventually anyway, but I want it right now!" Incredibly, the father agrees. He liquidates half of his living, and turns it over to his son. As soon as he's able to turn the property into cash, the young man leaves. He heads out for parts unknown, with a smile on his face. Perhaps you come from a farm family...you tell me, what could be worse that that?

Well, worse than that is the way he spent his money. Our text says, "He journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living." The Greek text reveals that he scattered his money, like a handful of seed, to the four winds. He made lots of "friends," he threw parties, he got drunk, he payed for the company of women. He broke every commandment there was, and then started over again. "Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice," says Solomon, "but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth." — Prov 29:3. Well, he was...and he did. Before long, the money ran through his fingers, as it always does, and he found himself flat broke. Even though he got a miserable job feeding pigs, still he was starving to death. He'd have gladly filled up on the husks the pigs were eating, but nobody would even give him that.

Could there ever be a son this bad? Oh, yes. This story is perfectly true, as far as that goes! In fact, it describes you and me down to a tee. By nature, you were just as lost as that young man. Before the Holy Spirit put faith in your heart, you were just as blind, just as perverse and wicked as him. Even now, as Christians, we still have that sinful nature dogging us. It tempts us to rebel against God at every step. We still feel the pull, isn't it true? -We want to strike out on our own, be independent, leave God and church and the commandments behind. And every day, in one way or another, we sin. I don't have to name those sins for you; I'm sure you can come up with plenty of examples from your own life. Then the Law kicks in. The Bible and our own conscience tells us that we're wretched sinners, and they're right. We are. Unbelievable as it may seem, God's mighty Law reveals to us the fact that we're not one bit better than the prodigal son. That's what the Law is supposed to do, as Paul says, "Scripture has confined all under sin." — Gal 4:22. Could there ever be a "son" this bad? Yes. That sinful son is me. That sinful son is you.

In the parable, the young man finally figured out that this great "independence" from his father wasn't so great after all. Sin is always so beautiful and alluring at first, so bitter and wretched in the end. Sitting there starving in the pig pen, he literally "came to his senses." He decided to return to his father. He could never be a son again - that went without saying - but maybe he'd give him a job as a hired man. Then at least he'd have food to eat.

Here's where the story really gets bizarre. The ragged, starving youth tops the last hill and looks down on the home place. His father catches sight of him. What happens next? Well, if I were writing a realistic ending, I'd have the father charge angrily up the hill with a pitchfork, and chase him off the place with bitter threats and curses. That's what he deserved, after all. Maybe the father would even kill him!

But Jesus' ending to the story seems absolutely unbelievable: "When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

It's unbelievable! Not only did he forgive the young man on the spot, he joyfully received him back not as a hired man, but as his very own son! He willingly gave him back everything he'd forfeited in his sinfulness. The sin is forgiven and forgotten, and in its place is a celebration of joy.

Could there ever be a "father" this good? By now, you know the answer to that. Yes - our Heavenly Father is exactly this good to us! When we've turned away from Him, broken His commandments, and struck out on our own sinful path, our Heavenly Father receives us back not only with forgiveness, but with great joy. When we've sinned, and come to Him in humble repentance, we don't see a stern face. We don't hear an angry rebuke. What we hear is the gentle voice of the Lord's reassurance, "Fear not, for I have put away your sin!" We don't have to wait a certain amount of time. We don't have to go through any probationary period to see if we're really sincere. We're simply forgiven. Period!

And why? Because the punishment that our sin deserves has already been paid by Jesus. Just like that father in the parable, our Heavenly Father had compassion. Such great compassion, that He decided to allow Jesus to bear our sins in His body on the cross. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." — Jn 3:16. And now, rather than being lowly day-laborers, God has given us the exalted position of members of the royal household, with all the rights and privileges of sons. Instead of guilt and fear and doubt, God gives us righteousness and peace and confidence through our Lord Jesus. Instead of eternal death, we look forward with absolute certainty to a life of eternal happiness in heaven.

What an incredible story! Could there ever be a "son" this bad? Could there ever be a "father" this good? Can we really sing, with the hymnist: "Chief of sinners though I be...Jesus shed His blood for me"? Oh, each of us knows in his heart that the first part is true. But thanks to the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, we believe the second part is true as well. Unbelievable as it seems, this is our story. Jesus did shed His blood for us. So kill the fatted calf! We've got something to celebrate! AMEN.

COME TO JESUS' COURTROOM

by Pastor Paul Naumann

"Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.'" 

— John 8:1-11

In the Name of Jesus Christ, in whom we are justified, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Do you like courtroom dramas? I do. I never miss a Perry Mason rerun. Even if I'm watching a movie that's deadly boring, I immediately perk up when the action moves to the courtroom. The only problem is, most courtroom dramas are pretty predictable. The judge is always a wise-looking older man. The defense attorney is brilliant, and cares deeply about his client. And the defendant...well, we find out later that the defendant had been completely innocent right from the beginning. Very predictable.

In our text for today we're presented with something of a courtroom drama, too. Only in this one, nothing is predictable. In fact, things are kind of upside-down! In this case the judge is a young Man - Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe. In this case the lawyers - the scribes and Pharisees - prove to be just as guilty than the defendant. And in this case the defendant - a woman caught in the act of adultery - is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt; yet, amazingly, she is declared "not guilty" in the end. No matter who you are, you have a place in this unique drama, too. If you feel you're good enough to look down on sinners who are "worse" than you, then you need to hear Jesus' scathing words to the Pharisees. If you recognize your own guilt and feel the weight of your sins pressing down on your shoulders, then you need to hear the comforting words of pardon Christ spoke to the woman. In either case, today I invite you to...

"COME TO JESUS' COURTROOM"

I. Here everyone is guilty. II. Here anyone can be pardoned.

It was the Feast of Tabernacles, and Jerusalem was bustling with activity. A lot of out-of-towners had come in for the festival, including Jesus and His disciples. The Jewish religious leaders were envious of Jesus' popularity, and skeptical of His claims. The scribes and Pharisees decided that this might be a good time to try and take Him down a peg or two. So they approached Him with what turned out to be a rather cleverly-laid trap. They "brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him."

Get the picture? Jesus said He was from God, and strictly upheld the sanctity of God's Word. If He told them not to kill the woman, they could accuse before the people of denying the Law and voiding the Word of God. On the other hand, Jesus was known to be gentle and merciful, One who welcomed sinners and offered them forgiveness. If He told them to go ahead and kill the woman (especially by the brutal method of stoning her to death), He would show Himself to be unmerciful and cruel, and the people would turn away from Him. They decided to make Jesus a sort of "judge-for-a-day", with a case that would spell disaster for Him no matter what verdict He rendered. Or at least that's how they had it figured. The only problem is, when you come to Jesus' courtroom, things are not quite that predictable...

I saw one courtroom drama once that had a unexpected twist; in the middle of an important trial, the defendant was suddenly released and the prosecutor was accused of committing the crime! This is just what Jesus did to the Pharisees that day. He turned the tables on them. One moment they were vigorously prosecuting the adulterous woman, and the next they found that they were ones being accused! "Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground."

Yes, in Jesus' courtroom, things are rather different! In other courts there is always the possibility that injustice may occur, but not here. Here the real truth always comes out, and real justice is always done. Jesus led the Pharisees to recognize the facts of the case - that no one is innocent of sin before God. In Jesus' courtroom, everyone is guilty. John says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." — I Jn 1:9. Jesus confronted the Pharisees with their own sin so clearly that they just couldn't kid themselves about it any longer. The older men got the point quickly, but eventually they all figured it out. They realized that they were sinners, too. And they walked away from Jesus.

Before God, everyone is guilty of sin. As Isaiah said, "We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." — 64:6. And when you become convinced of your own sin, you can do one of two things. You can do what the Pharisees did: you can turn away from Jesus in anger and denial. Or you do what that woman did: you can turn toward Jesus in repentance and faith.

As a pastor, I see both those reactions all the time. The toughest thing any pastor has to face in his ministry are those times when he must confront one of the sheep of his flock with sin. Frankly, it makes me extremely uncomfortable, and I wish I never had to do it. But it must be done. It must be done, not in the self-righteous way the Pharisees did it, but rather with God's Word, in a loving and concerned manner. Jesus exhortation not to cast the first stone doesn't release us from our Christian responsibility to condemn sin when we see it. Just the opposite, in fact: Scripture says that if you see a fellow believer sinning and don't say anything about it, you're showing hatred, not love for that person. God says, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him." — Lv 19:17.

And how do people react? Some folks I talk to react like the Pharisees, and turn away from the Word of Christ. They immediately deny their sin and go on the defensive. They get angry, try to change the subject, and even start "throwing stones" at me or at other church members. But thankfully, most Christians react differently. They react like the woman in our text did, by turning toward Christ for forgiveness. When we talk to them as one sinner to another, warning them in a loving way about their behavior, they freely acknowledge their guilt and seek the Lord's forgiveness. And that's a beautiful thing. Because they always discover the same thing about Jesus' courtroom that the woman in our text did - the wonderful truth that here, anyone can be pardoned!

After the Pharisees filed out one by one, "Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you.'"

Was it a question of guilt? No, the defendant was guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt. The only thing left was to pass sentence. In her case we'd expect to hear a harsh and immediate condemnation. Instead, we hear the merciful words of Jesus, "Neither do I condemn you." You are pardoned. You can go free!

But is this justice? Is it fair for God to let guilty sinners completely off the hook? Yes. Every sin must be punished, but the Lord has taken care of that by laying the punishment for our sins upon His Son. When Jesus suffered on the cross of Calvary, He bore the complete punishment for every last one of our sins - yours and mine. He paid for them all! It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter what sins you have in your background, or how black your record is, you can hide yourself in the wounds of Jesus Christ. The precious blood that flowed from those wounds is the currency with which He paid for your pardon. I'm urging you, my fellow Christians, come to Jesus' courtroom today. Here, anyone can be pardoned! Bring your sins to Jesus - confess them, forsake them. And drink in the comforting words your Savior, "Neither do I condemn you!"

We have a law in United States jurisprudence, that a person cannot be tried for the same crime twice. Once you've been acquitted you remain acquitted, and no other court has the right to bring you to trial on the same charges. Similarly, in Jesus, the great problem of your sin has been solved for good. Once you are pronounced "not guilty" in Jesus' courtroom, no one else has the right to condemn you - not God or the devil, not your fellow man or your own conscience. "Where are those accusers of yours?" Who can possibly condemn you, now that Christ Himself - the judge of all the universe - has granted you a pardon? No one can. The very idea, when you think about it, is ridiculous. Paul concludes, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." — Rom 8:1. That's why we say that, in Jesus' courtroom, anyone can be pardoned. That's why we sing, in one of our favorite communion hymns,

Who can condemn me now, for surely The Lord is nigh Who justifies. No hell I fear; and thus, securely, With Jesus I to heaven rise!

It happens once in a while that a death row prisoner receives a pardon from the governor just hours before he is to be executed. You've probably heard of such cases. Well, you can guess how they usually react. After coming that close to death and suddenly being set free, he is understandably ecstatic. He is often so grateful to the man who pardoned him that he promises to do anything in his power to serve him show his gratitude. You see the connection, I'm sure. Sin is our death row, and hell is our electric chair. By pardoning us from our sin, Jesus has delivered us from the eternal condemnation of hell, and has opened to us, instead, the gates of heaven! Can we possibly not react to our Savior's love? Can we keep from clicking our heals in joy and singing out in pure relief? Is is possible that we might not want to serve the Lord who saved us? NO! "The love of Christ COMPELS us" to serve Him! Jesus told the woman, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." That's one of the ways we can say thank you to Jesus. We can bring forth the fruits of repentance. We can do our best, with God's help, to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light...to "go and sin no more." When we stumble, our Lord will forgive us. And one Day, when we meet Jesus face to face in heaven, the battle against sin will be won for good, and He will hand to each of us the crown of glory purchased with His blood. When that happens, I'm convinced that we're going look back and be very thankful indeed...that we came to Jesus' courtroom! AMEN.