Reaching the Lost. Discipling the Saved. Sharing the Love of Jesus with Everyone.
EASTER SUNDAY!!
The men said to them, “Why do you seek the Living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Luke 24:5b-6a
This Sunday marks the highest, most Holy day of the year; because the Resurrection of Jesus changed our eternity! It is the quintessential pivot point from despair to joy; from no future to an everlasting one; from death to life!
Join us as we celebrate!
Holy Week – and indeed, Faith iteself – comes with a roller coaster of ups and downs; highs and lows.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
We see that as Jesus rides into Jerusalem triumphantly, welcomed by the crowds as the Son of David; just to be betrayed, denied, abandoned, judged, sneered at, and crucified later that week.
In our readin from Luke we are backing up just a little in our journey to Jesus’ last supper where He instituted the Lord’s Supper and celebrated the Passover with His disciples.
He says, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
This is a high. Jesus having this wonderful celebration with His disciples that He has “earnestly desired” to have with them.
But the lowest low is coming. Evil s coming. Suffering, pain, and death will follow.
But there is an “until!” There will be more to the story! There will be the highest high when the day comes and He will once again when the Kingdom of God is fulfilled. When death is conquered. When suffering ends. When all evil has been utterly and permanently destroyed forever!
Until can be a difficult word when going through evil or when it is on the horizon. But it is also a word of hope – and patience. A word of anticipation and a word of reliance. It is a word which we can hold on to because we know that what comes after all the trials and pains and lows and evil will be far outweighed with good and joy!
And so we endure. And wait. UNTIL! And then we rejoice – forever!
Evil is often louder than good. We see it in the news. We see it in our lives. Criticism lingers even as compliments fade.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
The evil around Jesus at the crucifixion was deafening. Mocking and ridicule by the religious leaders, by the executing soldiers, and by guilty criminals next to Jesus rand throughout the hilltop. And Jesus, the innocent One, the recipient of it all. Not only that, His own Father had forsaken Him for a time.
But then there is a voice of hope from a strange place. A voice of confession. A voice of longing. A voice of belief. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And this lone voice from a self-proclaimed sinner elicits a response from the One who had been experiencing only evil before now: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Today! You and Me! In paradise!
When all the world lifts their voice in a cacophony of evil and pain, remember those words for you: through faith in Jesus, His salvation is realy for you today and paradise awaits for eternity!
Let those words of truth and hope echo louder than any evil in your lives; for they are the ones that matter! They are the ones that will last! They are the ones for you; today and tomorrow and forever!
The world around us is a complicated place that can be hard to figure out. Life sometimes sends us a fair bit of pain and suffering. It’s not hard to spot cruelty and injustice, pain and confusion, all around us. Much of the time, it’s probably best for us to say two things.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
The first is this: “I don’t really understand how this is all fitting together, but I am here with you as we go through it.”
The other thing that we say and that we believe is: Our God is still at work, and he knows how to take the evil and use it for good.
It’s not a blind faith. The proof of it, simply put, is Jesus.
God worked good from evil for us and all people, through Jesus our King, our living, reigning King through His suffering, trial, death, and resurrection.
And God still does that today, for the people of the King.
Praise the Lord that, even though evil still hurts and affects us, it doesn’t overcome us.
It is a conquered enemy for our eternal future in paradise!
~ The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, edited by The Rev. Scott Heitshusen
Jesus now stands before the religious leaders for a “trial.”
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
Sure it’s really a mockery of one, but even the leaders know they need to go through the paces to get things taken care of. If a mockery of justice will do it, so be it!
In fact, since it is a mockery, mocking this Jesus is given the green light. The guards, even before the trial begins beat and mock. When in the trial, the leaders ask questions with no intention of listening to the answers; so they can ask in mockery. “Are You the Son of God, then?” They weren’t really asking. They weren’t interested in any response Jesus was going to give; so long as they could turn it around and get to the conviction they had already decided to impose.
Jesus knows this and isn’t interested in helping them in this mockery. But He does say something interesting here: “From now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
This time of evil and darkness will be over soon, true; but is there more to this? Is He giving them the ammunition they need to get it over with; to get the Plan moving forward?
Perhaps.
Or maybe He was also giving them an out: a reminder of who He is and a chance to crawl out of their willful, blind ignorance and into the Light; into Him?
Perhaps some of both.
But we mustn’t fall into the trap of thinking that we would act differently than these soldiers and leaders. We would act godly! We would stand up for righteousness and the Righteous One!
These people likely felt they were fulfilling ‘justice’ – maybe just more efficiently.
This man was guilty; anyone could see it! They were doing their job; their godly job!
They were blind-fully ignorant!
But we are blessed now because the Holy Spirit has given us sight into His Will and cured our ignorance of His Plan! We are called to act, no longer in the blind ignorance of unbelief, but in the gracious way of salvation through Jesus!
The Holy Spirit has removed our blinders and lets us see Jesus, the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of the power of God!
All by His grace. All by His mercy. All by His spirit.
There but for the grace and Spirit of God would we go!
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for enduring mockery for our sake and for the Holy Spirit who has removed our blind ignorance in Faith!”
Heart-wrenching.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
That may be the closest we come to describing the happenings in the Garden.
Jesus is about to be betrayed, denied, and much more leading to death. He knows it’s coming. He knows the immense pain and suffering about to take place – and at the hands of His friends and religious leaders who were supposed to welcome the Messiah and prepare the people for Him.
But the main antagonist in this story is the one who is not named – “Satan,” Jesus’ adversary.
He tempted Jesus at the beginning of His ministry and would return at “an opportune time.” He entered Judas and was looking for the right time to betray Him. He is looking forward to “sifting” Peter, leading him to deny Jesus. His chaos in this moment cause the disciples, not to stand firm in the temptation, but flea in fear.
This is his hour. His moment. And Jesus knows it!
He tries to tell the disciples to pray in this moment and He Himself makes sure to; with a pit in His being that is palpable.
The real battle of good and evil. Spiritual forces, flesh and blood. And this is evil’s time.
Heart-wrenching.
But where Satan and evil will have the moment, Jesus will have the rest of eternity!
Satan still works his wares. Our sinful nature still gives in to temptation and evil. These things still affect us for the moments we’re this side of eternity. But those moments will end; forever!
Jesus made sure of it; in those moments. In the Garden with blood and tears. On the cross in agony and death.
But that moment ended, and the rest – life – is yet to come!
Just you wait!
Jesus, the greatest One of all, tells us in today’s Scripture that He is present as “One who serves” and later as the One “numbered with the transgressors.”
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20ab
This at His last supper with His disciples.
Disciples whom He has taught, shared with, suffered with, laughed with, repeatedly banged His head against the wall with.
And what do these disciples, these ones whom Jesus has assigned kingdoms to and who will judge the tribes of Israel; what do they do in this last supper with their Lord and friend?
They argue – again – about whom among them is the greatest.
We are at the beginning of the end of Jesus suffering. The battle of evil in this world and the spiritual realm against God and good is climaxing.
And the disciples are going to be a part of the evil.
They will choose it. They will take part in it. They, the closest to Jesus, who have “stayed with Jesus in His trials” will fall away and deny.
All will seem lost.
And if it were left to the disciples – if it were left to us – that would be the end.
But it wasn’t left to them or us. It was left for the Suffering Servant; the One who took became sin for us; the One who took on all evil and won! Forever!
He is the Victor! He is our Victor! Through faith in Him our place in heaven is secured!
How much greater news is there than that?
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dealing with evil and our part in it and conquering it for us!”
Our sermon series for the Lenten season is, “You Meant it for Evil, but God Meant it for Good”. It is based upon a series by the same name ©2022, by Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, Professor Emeritus of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (used with permission).
In this series we will explore the numerous ways God in His grace turns evil intentions and situations into good!
I hope you’ll join us!
EASTER SUNDAY!! The men said to them, “Why do you seek the Living among the…
Holy Week – and indeed, Faith iteself – comes with a roller coaster of ups…
Evil is often louder than good. We see it in the news. We see it…
The world around us is a complicated place that can be hard to figure out….
Jesus now stands before the religious leaders for a “trial.” As for you, you meant…
Heart-wrenching. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.Genesis…
Jesus, the greatest One of all, tells us in today’s Scripture that He is present…
Our sermon series for the Lenten season is, “You Meant it for Evil, but God…
Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
There are times we put on our best. For many that was for big, special occasions, like weddings, funerals, anniversaries, and Sundays. (Remember, “Sunday best” for clothes?)
There’s something to that. Something about dressing up in our best attire for special occasions. But it can go further than that. We can also tell some people by the clothes they wear. Military uniforms tell us branches, campaigns, and ranks. Royalty can be observed with crowns and ornate robes. And, in liturgical traditions, some pastors and priests can be differentiated by their garb.
This was true in Scripture as well. In fact, when God commanded the Israelites to build a tabernacle in the desert, He also gave detailed instructions on how the priests were to dress. The outfits were very ornate. They included many aspects, but one that I find interesting is the gems on the ephod (breastplate). There were twelve, each with the names of each tribe, so that when the priest entered into the “Holy of Holies” (or “Holiest Place”), their names would be born “as a continuing memorial before the LORD” (Exodus 28:29).
But we’re getting ready for Christmas. And we see a Savior born for us and bear our name before the Father, not with gems on an ornate breastplate, but through a manger and swaddling clothes!
There is a “great exchange” which takes place tonight: a priestly intercessor for the Great intercessor. Our wretched sins for His perfection. Our worst for His best. Our hurts and pains born by Him on the cross. Our shame on His cross. Our attempt at a holy projection for the Holy One, naked and dying.
Is dressing up in our best good? Sure! But seeing the One born humbly in the manger; the One who died naked on a cross, well, that’s infinitely better!
Through faith in the One born for us, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: we have been clothed and covered with a robe of righteousness, so our soul will exalt!
O Come, O come, Immanuel!
Jonah 3:6
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
This is a tough one. It involved being “clothed” in sackcloth and ashes. (A far cry from “Louis Vuitton” or whatever the fashionable wear is now!)
Jonah was dreading this. He knew of Nineveh’s true, utter, undisputed wickedness cruelty. And he also knew of God’s mercy for those who repent. In the off chance Nineveh would head God’s Word, Nineveh would be spared and their evil continue.
And that’s what happened.
What a disaster!
But this is precisely the point of God’s call for repentance – a turning from sin and back toward God and His ways.
So what does that have to do with clothing or sackcloth and ashes?
Being clothed in sackcloth and ashes was a sign of one’s sorrow and repentance. A sign that they were truly sorry for what they had done.
God didn’t spare the people of Nineveh because they changed their cloths and got a little dirty. He spared them because they changed their hearts and saw that they were very dirty.
The call is for us, too. We are called to repentance. True repentance. Soulful repentance. Deep repentance. Full repentance. Not an outward change of clothing or actions, but an inward transformation of the heart which produces from our very being a want and desire to change our actions.
If our repentance is done only for God and others to see, well, God sees through that; and He isn’t fooled. He wants to see that our sins, which break His heart have broken ours too. He wants to see that the actions He despises are despised by us too. He wants to see our hearts in sackcloth and ashes because we see the seriousness of our sins.
But He doesn’t leave us there! Where there is faith in Jesus there is forgiveness of our sins! Where there is confession sins there is mercy freely given! Where we were covered in ashes, He has traded us Light. Where we were drowning in sorrow and mourning, He has lifted us to peace and rejoicing. Where we wallowed in despair and hopelessness, He has stood us up in Life and hope.
Take to heart your sins, for they are serious.
Even more, take in His heart the forgiveness of all your sins through faith in Jesus, for it is certain and everlasting!
Genesis 37:3
Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Jealousy is ugly in people. It produces hurts and feelings of inferiority. It feeds insecurities and wounds to the core of who we are, what we do, and our feelings of importance within the scheme of things. It focuses us on others, then ourselves, instead of working toward God’s good and the common good.
This can be especially true in families and for siblings. Comparisons of favor – perceived or real – can be the cause for emotional and spiritual wounds that can last a lifetime.
The story of Joseph and his father’s display of favoritism toward him in this special coat give evidence of this and the consequences that can follow.
He is sold into slavery and communicated dead to his father.
Flagrant hubris displayed through clothing produced devastating jealousy.
But that’s not where things end.
God used Joseph and the special gifts He blessed him with to save people – including those who were hurt by him and, in turn, hurt him.
God used this favorite son of Jacob to save his family, a country, and countless others!
But it goes even further: Joseph as a type of Christ!
Said differently: God’s one and only, special Son saved all!
Are we to be jealous of Jesus’ place? Of the clothing He had to wear to accomplish salvation? That would be foolish.
So it is also foolish to be jealous and hurt by others God is using for His purposes, whatever they are.
And here’s another truth: God blessed you with special, unique gifts and abilities to do His will, too! Gifts and abilities He didn’t give anyone else.
He has clothed you in your beautiful, unique skin and package to work, will, and share a message that clothes and saves others. To share Him in everything you do.
That is a truth we can all celebrate and never have to be jealous of!
Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
The first clothes we find in the Bible are all the way back in Genesis. Adam and Eve have just committed the first sin, corrupting humanity and all creation, plunging them into a fall that fundamentally separates from connection and intimacy with God.
The importance of this rebellion cannot be overlooked or minimized. It forever changed the course of history. It brought with it death and sin and shame. A shame that needed to be dealt with. Put off. Covered.
Adam and eve tried to cover this colossal mistake with fig leaves. But that won’t do. A simply external covering will not – can not – cover the sin itself. Sin demands death. It demands the shedding of blood. And so God shows His first act of mercy in not shedding the blood of Adam and Eve, but instead making the first sacrifice of an animal. Spilling its blood to cover the sin and its hide to cover the nakedness.
Whatever your sin and shame is, through faith in Jesus it is covered. Atoned for. On the cross. Forever. His blood covered your sin. His resurrection covers your shame.
“Thank You, Lord, for covering us in every way and restoring us to You!”
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