This Is Not A Toothless-Incapable-Incompetent-Puny-Scrawny-Passive-Weak Kingdom

Text: Mark 1:14-20

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

It’s coming.  It is drawing near.  It is invading.

What is coming, drawing near, and invading?

In our Gospel reading from today, we hear Jesus saying in the opening portion of the Gospel of Mark that the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near and is now at hand!  Yes, it is fair to say that there was no more waiting for the people of the first-century, for the Kingdom of God had invaded this world and was standing in their midst.  The Kingdom of God was staring them in the face proclaiming a powerful salvific message to them.

But we may say to ourselves, “This does not sound like a kingdom at all!”

Dear friends, the Kingdom of God is not like any ordinary kingdom that is restricted to geographical borders, military armies, and the like.  The Kingdom of God exists in a completely different way and is revealed in a completely different manner.  You see, the Kingdom of God, which is announced by Jesus, is actually Jesus Himself.  That is to say, “The Kingdom of God is present in its fulfillment in the person, Word and work of Jesus.”[1]  Therefore, where you find the Kingdom of God, you will find the King; where you find the King, you will find the Kingdom of God.  Furthermore, while the kings and the kingdoms of this world depend on physical territories, earthly resources, and dominance through worldly wisdom and energy, the Kingdom of God on the other hand is from outside of this world and is not dependent upon the ways, resources, and schemes of mankind.

To get back to the main point though, in our Gospel reading from today it is clear that that the Kingdom of God is at hand, it has drawn near to the people, which means that there is no more anticipation necessary.  The Kingdom of God—with all of its power, grace, and glory—is there in the midst of the people in Galilee and is even pressing inward towards them; it is upon them as King Jesus is before them preaching into their ears, hearts, minds, and souls. 

This bursting forth of the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus is not some sort of feeble invasion where nothing happens though.  That is to say, the coming and drawing near of the Kingdom of power, grace, and glory does stuff; it is not some toothless-incapable-incompetent Kingdom that merely takes up residence in a foreign territory while not imposing or bringing forth its ruling power and influence.  But rather, the Kingdom of God reaches out and into the lives of people in order to deliver something.  That something is not merely all the miracles and healings, but mainly repentance and faith.

For sure, the Kingdom of God not only collided with the kingdoms and people of the first-century, but it also collides with you and me this very day in this very church, thus creating an explosion of repentance and faith in and for you.  There is no doubt about it that from Christ’s churches—this church located here in Gwinner, ND—that our little empires established by our old Sinful Adam are confronted with power, grace, and the glory of the Lord.  The invasion of the Kingdom of God into our midst and into our time and space, results in the working and gifts of repentance and faith to and for us.  That’s right, the Kingdom of God came to the world when Christ was born in a manger; the Kingdom of God came in our Gospel Reading when Jesus walked into Galilee proclaiming; and the Kingdom of God comes right into our midst this very day, specifically in the Word, the Water, the Bread, and the Wine. 

Where is the Kingdom?  Where can it be found?  It is where Jesus is.

Where is Jesus today and right now?  He is before you and me in the Word, the Water, the Bread, and the Wine—just as He promised to be. 

This means that when we were baptized, when we confess and hear the pardoning words of absolution, when we hear the Word of God read and proclaimed, and when we are fed the bread and wine, we are not only certain that the Kingdom of God is in our midst, but we are also gifted and embraced by repentance and faith.  In and by the Word and Sacraments we are reduced to nothing but beggars, yet by this God given faith the old Adam is slain yet again as we are raised anew.  This is so because the King achieved victory at the Cross and thus gives that very grace, power, truth, and glory to us here and now.

This Kingdom and Lord are not a puny-scrawny-passive-weak Kingdom and King.  Rather, the Kingdom and this King grant and enact repentance and faith to you and to me, as the kingdom and all of its benefits draw near to us today, tomorrow, and until the very end. 

But this makes it sound like we cannot repent and believe by our own reason or strength.  You, who have ear, this is indeed what you should be hearing!  Keep in mind that you and I cannot repent and believe by our own reason and power.  That’s right, repentance and faith are not, I repeat, not the actual good news of the Gospel, but rather they are the results of what happens when the Kingdom of God collides with you and me.  Otherwise stated, the Kingdom of God has come and will continue to come to you and me so that we are repented and faithed. 

Dear friends do not be deceived into thinking that repentance and faith are something that you conjure up and bring to the table, as if repentance and faith are your works that you must present to the Lord in exchange for His kingdom of power, grace, and truth.  It is not a two-way barter system where you exchange repentance and faith for grace and mercy.  If this were the case, would you ever be certain that you have truly repented and truly believed in the Lord; have you done it well enough?  If repentance and faith are your efforts and your individualistic contributions to Christianity, would you ever have enough assurance that you have given it your all?  Can you completely repent and completely believe with all your heart, soul, and mind? No, you cannot and I can’t either.  Undeniably, eternal assurance is never possible if repentance and faith are the work of mankind, for you would only have assurance as long as you could keep and maintain repentance and faith by your own strength and afford it by your own merit.  You and I bring ‘nothing’ to the table!  Repentance and faith are not your work and my work.  They must be gifts that are given to us! 

Praise be to God that repentance and faith are indeed gifts, things that happen to you as the Holy Spirit through the Law and Gospel works upon you.  Truly, repentance and faith need to happen to you and me.  You need to be repented and faithed. Not just once, not just twice, but these gifts of repentance and faith are constantly needed as long as you shall live, for you and I are sinners until the day we die, sinners whom constantly receive the Kingdom of God that comes to us in this life and ultimately at the end of the age.  In other words, repentance and faith are not onetime events.  You are not filled up with a limited amount of repentance and faith and then left to ration it out.  No, the life of a Christian is Law and Gospel; repentance and faith, the one to continue as long as the other.  The gifts of repentance and faith are to continue throughout your lives as they are granted to you by the Holy Spirit working through the Word.  Our lives are not only captive to the Word of God, but totally dependent on the Word of God.

You, who have ears, hear the Lord’s Word of Law!  ‘Repent,’ the Kingdom of God is before you! “Look into the mirror of God’s standards of perfection and know that you don’t and can’t measure up. Feel the sorrow and sadness that flow from a broken and contrite heart. Know the grief of having offended your holy God.”[2] 

You, who have ears, hear the Lord’s Word of Gospel! ‘Believe in the good news,’ the Kingdom of God is before you!  Know that Jesus Christ lived and died and rose—especially for you.  Yes you!  Christ and the Kingdom of God—that which you pray for in the Lord’s Prayer—has come to you in the midst of sin, death, the devil, and the world.  The Kingdom of God is at hand and the King comes for you in the waters of your baptism, in the very Word of God, in the Bread, and in the Wine.  He comes for all of you—nothing left out, nothing of you left behind—all of you with Him, together and forever. 

Repented and faithed into the Kingdom of God!  Yes, you have been repented into the kingdom of God; you have been faithed into the kingdom of God.  The kingdom is for you for it has drawn near to you; His gifts of forgiveness, grace, mercy, glory, and power are yours today, tomorrow, and forever. 

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Harold Buls, “Buls Notes on the New Testament.” http://pericope.org/buls-notes/mark/mark_1_14_20.htm (23 January 2015)

[2] Wendland, E. H., & Albrecht, G. J. (1987). Sermon Studies on the Gospels (ILCW Series B) (p. 127). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House.

The Stable Way, The Womb Way, The Nazareth Way, The Grace Way - For You

Text: John 1:43-51

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth, this tiny town of Nazareth that was not mentioned in the Old Testament, this town that really has nothing spectacular to offer or brag about?

Can anything great come out of a birth of a child in a stable, a child born to a young peasant girl from Nazareth?

Can anything great come out of a Messiah who wanders along the banks of the Jordan through small towns and meager market places?

Can anything good come out of a Messiah that surrounds Himself with simple folks and the poorest and most wretched beggars He can find?

Can anything good come out of a Christ who chooses poor fishermen and uncivilized socially awkward persons from the countryside, to be His followers?

Let’s be honest with each other today, if we were to attempt to make an impression and make a difference in this world, we certainly would not go about things the way Jesus did.  In other words, Nazareth has never made the Top 10; nobody chooses losers to be a part of their team; nobody surrounds themselves with ragamuffins in order to gain important friends and influence powerful people.  Nazareth, beggars, fishermen, uncivilized bumpkins, and a birth in a manger… these are not the signs of a winning team or a successful campaign to usher in a kingdom, are they?

This is all beginning to make sense now.  That is to say, when Philip came to Nathaniel and said, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth,” Nathaniel’s response was puzzled at best.  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” It was not a malicious response at all, but a reaction of wonder and puzzlement.  “This Jesus is the Messiah promised from the Old Testament?  Really?  But He’s from Nazareth!” 

In all honesty, Nathaniel’s response is really no different than how you or I would have responded:  We would’ve responded by saying, “Shouldn’t the Messiah surround Himself with the great aristocrats in Jerusalem?  Shouldn’t this Messiah have at least some sort of powerful castle or royal residency in Jerusalem?  Shouldn’t the Messiah have bigwigs from the big city as His advisors?  Shouldn’t He have the wise, learned, and holy people from the temple around Him as well?   Umm, can anything good; that is, heavenly and righteous come out of a Messiah who is from Nazareth and conducts His ministry among and with a bunch of nobodies?”

Dear friends, in case you haven’t noticed, Jesus Christ does the very opposite of what we typically do; He pursued His own plan and initiated His kingdom with such absurd simplicity that it offends the wisdom and the common sense of the world.[1]  In other words, Jesus comes to humanity not in a grand castle way; He does not come by way of rockets and their red glare; He does not come by the way of Jerusalem, but He comes the stable way; He comes the womb way; and He comes the Nazareth way.[2] 

What about now, what way do we think He comes to us today?  What about the Gwinner way?  Getting a little closer to home, what about the Zion Lutheran Church way?  In other words, how do we expect Him to come to us and in what ways do we believe Him to come to us? What standards do we place on the Lord to validate His coming to in our lives and in our church?  What criteria does the Lord have to meet, so that we can authorize His presence and not flunk Him out? 

For example:

·        Does the way of large church attendance validate that the Lord is existent among us?  Will God show up to bless us if we have it all together as a church? 

·        Does the way of a mystical feeling in our emotions or a rush of excitement in our gut show that He is present in our midst?  Will God notice our enthusiasm and respond to human wills that are set on fire?

·        Does the way of a full offering plate authenticate that He has come to the center of the church?  Will God be able to finally accomplish His goals if our offering plates became completely full?

·        Does the way of great humanitarian acts performed by church members to those in need allow the Lord to be with us? 

·        Further still, do we expect that the Lord only comes to those who help themselves?

·        Do we expect the Lord to show supernatural favor to us when we have it all together and ignore us when we don’t shine and glimmer? 

·        Is the Lord truly at work when churches are bustling with vibrant activities and successful ministry programs, but absent when the pews are empty and programs are suffering? 

·        Is the Lord and His kingdom dependent on our ambition, our energy, and our assets?

Dear friends, we are ridiculous when we deal with the Lord this way.  This is the way of idolatry.  When we place expectations upon the Lord or validate the Lord’s coming to us on the basis of our agendas and criteria, we not only go the way of idolatry, but we sow sinful seeds that undercut assurance.

So, if the Lord’s kingdom is not dependent on us and if the Lord does not come to us in these ways previously mentioned, how does He come? 

Looking back to the Gospel we see that the Lord and His kingdom are not built on mankind’s wisdom, riches, emotions, works, or ideologies.  Truly, it is very clear from scripture that Jesus and His kingdom come to this world and are established with simplicity, simplicity that shows us that Jesus and His kingdom don’t depend on our wisdom, riches, emotions, works, and ideologies.  Indeed, Jesus and His kingdom of grace and mercy do not depend on anything of this world. The way of castles, majestic rulers, riches, fame, prestige, popularity, and honor are not prerequisites or needed things for Jesus and His kingdom.  Frankly, put my friends, a kingdom that is dependent on mankind is not kingdom at all, but a pseudo-kingdom.

There is also another thing to consider.  Because the Lord’s kingdom comes forth out of Nazareth and is in the midst of losers, ragamuffins, and the poor, the Lord is communicating to us that He is gracious to us not because of anything that we might bring to the table.  That is to say, His kingdom of grace and mercy are not dependent on anything that we can think, say, or do; this kingdom does not dispense grace and mercy based on what we do or don’t do.  The Lord “comes along and shows that He wants to select as His disciples the beggars, [the uneducated], and fools.  It might even be the poor harlot Mary Magdalene, or the murderer . . . Paul.  He wants it apparent to all that no one acquires God’s mercy because of [their contributions], such as riches, wisdom, and power. . . . Therefore, Christ leaves the great [crowd] in Jerusalem behind and ignores the bigwigs in the large cities. ... He goes to the beggars, and in Bethsaida He chooses the poorest and the lowliest as apostles.  Those whom others would have shunned He accepts with kindness, and thereby He [prohibits] anyone’s boasting.”[3]

Dear friends, please do not take this all to mean that the “kingdom of Christ rejects the mighty and the rich and that they are barred from citizenship [in the Lord’s kingdom], or that Christ has no room for people who are pious, honorable, and live a virtuous life.  No, it means that what Christ cannot [live with] is if [we] assume that His kingdom is built on [our] wisdom and riches and that [His kingdom] cannot stand firm and endure without the protection, counsel and service of kings, princes, and lords. . . . He wants it clearly and definitely understood that all who seek entry into His kingdom must seek it by nothing but grace. . . . It is grace alone that counts.”

Baptized Saints, the kingdom of God does not depend on you, but it is indeed for you. 

Furthermore, the church, yes, Zion Lutheran Church is not founded on you and me, but on the Christ who is ‘for’ you and me. 

Finally, we can boldly confess that the way of Jesus to mankind was not Jerusalem, riches, worldly wisdom or bigwigs, but Nazareth, the poor, and the ragamuffins.  The same is true for us today as well.  The way of Jesus to you and me is not through our often fluctuating emotions, our humanitarian endeavors, successful ministry programs, or our budgets—as important as some of these things are.  Here at Zion Lutheran Church the way of Jesus to us is through water, through Words, through Bread, and through Wine.  Yes, it is through the way of words, simple words,

“You are forgiven.” 

Yes, it is through the way of water, simple water,

“I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” 

Yes, it is through the way of bread and wine, simple bread and wine,

“Take, eat and drink the body and blood of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of all of your sins.” 

The coming of the Lord and the strength of this church is not in us but in the one who comes to you and me in simple Words, simple water, simple bread, and simple wine, so that no one can boast and so that you might be saved daily and completely by grace alone; grace that is for you as gift. 

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Martin Luther, Sermons on the Gospel of St. John Chapters 1-4: Luther’s Works Volume 22 ed. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1957), 189.

[2] Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004), 46.

[3] Martin Luther, Sermons on the Gospel of St. John Chapters 1-4: Luther’s Works Volume 22 ed. Jaroslav Pelikan, 192-193.  

Scandal At The Jordan River

Text:  Mark 1:4-11

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Out in the wilderness by the Jordan River we find John the Baptist eating grasshoppers and wild honey, while blasting away at sinners: 

“…the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”[1]

Out in the wilderness by the Jordan River we hear the noises of remorse, shame, guilt, and regret as confessions of sin burst forth:

“I, a poor miserable sinner have sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone!”

Out in the wilderness in the Jordan River we see dirty water, water that had washed over some 500,000 sinners in a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.[2]

Yes, this is the atmosphere out by the Jordan River: John the Baptist blasting away at sinners; confessions of sin, acknowledgements of failure, and concessions of corruption abounding; water dripping from the heads of adulterers, thieves, liars, prostitutes,  swindlers, blasphemers, murderers, legalists, rebels, and ragamuffins—people just like you and me—who were just baptized into a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Things out by the Jordan River were surely no sanitized walk in the park; it was messy.  

If this context and setting do not sound uncomfortable and inhospitable enough to you and me, things become a bit more uneasy.  Yes, this environment turns rather scandalous; there is a mighty disruption when Jesus comes along and acts as if He were a sinner, just like the rest of us.  Otherwise stated, the message that John the Baptist was lambasting, the declaration of guilt among the crowds, and the waters polluted by the body oils, dirt, and sins of the people, certainly did not seem like something that Jesus would fit into, let alone be subjected to.  That is to say, is Jesus not different from the people at the Jordan; is He not different from you and me?  I mean, it is not like Jesus needed to hear the message of repentance from John, for He had nothing to repent of.  Furthermore, Jesus did not need to confess sins, for He was not only sinless in His deed, but sinless in His thoughts, words, and nature. No sin, no need to confess.  Finally, Jesus did not need to be washed, for He had no filth that needed to be cleansed.  Thus, it does not make sense for Jesus to show up at the Jordan and then act like He is like everyone else!  He does not need to be there.  In fact, Jesus should not have even been permitted to enter into this setting, but rather John and everyone else should have come to Jesus instead. That is to say, it should not have been acceptable for Jesus to come close to or even associate with the message, people, and water of John the Baptist, for He is not a sinner.  He is not like them.  Yet, contrary to what makes sense and what seems wise and sensible, Jesus just goes off to the Jordan and become one of us.  That’s right, Jesus takes on all that has gone wrong with us—all of our sins.[3]  Jesus just walks right into the midst of the people; He goes right into the water of the Jordan River and is baptized by John the Baptist in a sinner’s baptism.  John the Baptist tried to prevent Him, but Christ would not listen.  It seemed as if He had another agenda on His mind.  

This is the way that it is with the Son of God; He descended into the sin filled world by His birth in a manger.  He plunged further still by going to the Jordan River and by being baptized by John the Baptist in a sinner’s baptism.  Yes, a sinner’s baptism was indeed Christ’s agenda!  In fact, “Martin Luther believed that it was there at the Jordan that Jesus actually took upon himself the sin of mankind and carried it from that day forward to the garden of Gethsemane and to the cross, where the depth of his descent horrifies us.”[4]  That’s right, Christ did not wait until His crucifixion to take sin upon Himself, but rather the sewer of our sins were cast into the waters of Jesus’ baptism, where they were soaked up by Him.[5] 

To put it another way, the message that was being blasted by John, the confession of sins that filled the air, and the dirty water, were all that Christ walked into, embraced, and owned as if it were His own.  This is the way that it had to be.  When Jesus was baptized in the midst of sinners and in the water of dirty sinners, it was to show that He was the one who would bear the sins of the world! 

Pause for a moment. 

Dear friends, do you hear what happened?  Listen again!  Jesus went to the Jordan River to where sinners were.  He went to the place where people were talking about, confessing, and acknowledging their sin, failures, troubles, guilt, and shame.  He went to the place where unrighteousness was at. 

Indeed, righteousness and sin met.  Righteousness stepped into and under sin.  Sin touched righteousness. 

Truly, Jesus went to the Jordan River to begin His triumphant, powerful, salvific ministry, for He came not for the so-called righteous, but He came for sinners.  Jesus, the friend of sinners, clothed Himself in sin—yours and mine too.

It is most certainly true that where sin was, is where Jesus was.  But why did He draw near to sin?  He came to join us in our sin so that He could bear it, and fulfill all righteousness.  He came and comes to sin and sinners so that He could and can make righteousness ours.  “In exchange for our sewer of sin, He gives us the fountain of life.”[6]  This means that, “where His righteousness is, is where we are.  His righteousness is as surely ours as our sins are surely His. . . . We are righteous with His righteousness, and in that God has His delight.”[7] 

As it was in the Jordan River, it is no different for us today.  The Lord Jesus Christ comes in the twenty-first-century to where sinners gather.  He comes to where sins, failures, troubles, guilt, and shame are confessed.  He comes to churches like ours—hospitals for sinners—in the Word and Sacraments in order that we might believe, know, and understand that there is no distance or separation between us and Him.  He comes to the place of sinners, because the Gospel is for sinners only. 

What does this mean?  It means that “the delight and pleasure of God are in His beloved Son, and that is where we are too.  What is ours is His; what is His is ours.  So God delights in us too.  If our hearts would take this in, Martin Luther said, ‘they would burst for joy into a hundred thousand pieces.’  In a world that is given over to sin, death, and the devil, there is one point where the delight of God dwells.  ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.’  That is where we are in [cohesion] with Jesus.  With Jesus there is God’s delight.  God, Christ, you—all together like one thing.”[8]

Baptized Saints, think about this for a moment, “Do you live where Christ is, where God has His delight? Yes, [you do] for God has put His words on you too.  With the water His name was put on you at your Baptism.  You are not just a doubtful, ambiguous, meaningless, hopeless bunch of atoms bouncing around.  You have the word of God put on you.  At your Baptism, surely, and at Jesus’ baptism too.  For there Jesus is in [unity] with us and we with Him.  Because he is the beloved Son, we with Him are beloved sons and daughters, delighted in and beloved of God.  So you can’t just drag along dreary, fearful, guilt-ridden, nobody-loves-me, me-against-the-rest [of the world], me-against-the-system, me-separate, all alone.”[9]  No, none of this is possible for you are connected and joined to Son of God in your baptisms.     

Indeed, through the Baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus sanctified (that is made holy) and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood, a lavish washing away of sin.  Yes, in your baptism you have been made a member of the Son, and an heir to all of the treasurers of heaven.[10]

Thus, today we confess boldly to sin, death, and the devil that we are baptized into Christ.  Sin, you cannot disturb our soul any longer, for we are baptized into Christ!  Death you cannot end our gladness, for we are baptized into Christ! Satan, your might has come unraveled, for we are baptized into Christ! 

You are God’s own child, Blessed Saints, for you are baptized into Christ.  Nothing can change that reality and nothing can separate you from your Lord that unites with you.[11]

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Matthew 3:10.

[2] It has been estimated that some 200,000 to 500,000 people were baptized by John the Baptist, for Jewish Historian Josephus mentions that the Baptist caused a great sensation.

[3] Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004), 43.

[4] Patrick Thurmer, “The Greatest Sinner Who Ever Lived” http://www.pastormattrichard.com/2012/04/greatest-sinner-who-ever-lived.html (9 January 2015).

[5] Growing In Christ: Junior High Teacher Guide (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, Winter 2014-2015), 43.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel, 43.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Lutheran Service Book (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2006), 268-271.

[11]Paraphrases of the Hymn, “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It.” in page 594 of the Lutheran Service Book.'

Lookin' For Jesus In All The Wrong Places?

Text: Luke 2:40-52

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mary and Joseph must have had a bit of anxiety that day when they realized Jesus was not with them.  Indeed, Mary and Joseph were traveling back home to Nazareth—a five days journey—from the large and yearly Passover Feast in Jerusalem, when they noticed that the twelve year old Jesus was nowhere to be found.  He was not among their relatives; He was not among their friends as well.    We can just imagine the thoughts racing through Mary’s head, “Where could He be? Did He travel on ahead or did He get left behind in Jerusalem?”

Well, as indicated by today’s Gospel reading, when it became apparent to Mary and Joseph that the young Jesus was not with them, they immediately returned back to Jerusalem to search for Him.  And search for Him they did. 

They searched for three days, looking with a great deal of distress and anxiety.  Over those three long days, most of Jerusalem was most likely combed; every rock was overturned, doors were knocked on, and people in the market were approached.  “Have you seen a young youth?  My Son is missing; He is only 12 years old!!”

I am sure that with each passing hour the angst of Mary and Joseph increased.   With each failed attempt of finding Jesus, their anxiety was most likely heightened.

Where can He be? 

Are we not searching hard enough?

Are we looking in the right places?     

All tension and anxiety dissipated though when they came to the temple in Jerusalem and found the young Jesus sitting among the teachers where He was listening to the teachings and asking questions. 

Like any decent mother, Mary then came to Jesus and said,

“Son, why have you treated us so?  Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

In response, we hear something quite remarkable from Jesus.  He said,

“Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Take a moment to reconsider these words of Jesus, 

““Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

We get the impression here that Mary and Joseph were looking everywhere for Jesus, but failed to look in the most obvious place.  At least this was the most obvious place from Jesus’ perspective.  Otherwise stated, they should have known that Jesus was about God the Father’s business; they should’ve known that this is where Jesus was.  Why did they waste three days looking for Jesus when the most obvious place to find Him was in the temple?  Yes, it appears that Mary and Joseph searched everywhere, except the temple.  They searched for three days that is until they finally came to the temple, the place where the Word of grace was supposed to be taught and the place where the Son of God would obviously be. 

Now for us as twenty-first-century readers we hear this story and say to ourselves, “Well that makes sense!”  We say, “Duh, obviously that is where one would expect to find Jesus!”  However, let us not be too quick to place judgment upon Mary and Joseph, for I believe that much has not really changed since Mary and Joseph’s great three day seeking expedition.  In other words, where do we seek Jesus today?

It is amazing to do a simple internet Google search on the topic of, “Where can I find Jesus?”  All sorts of posts will pop up with all kinds of strategies to find Jesus.  Furthermore, the vast amount of posts will not only present strategies on finding Jesus today, but will also guide and direct a person to specific places where Jesus can be found.

Permit me to give two examples. 

Pope Francis recently stated that you and I won’t find Jesus by hanging out in a first-class lounge or in the library; we can’t find Jesus in peace and quietness, but rather we find Jesus by being out in the real world, be being involved with Him in the messy and noisy problems of the world.[1] 

On another website though, we are told that we need to leave the loud and busy world and go somewhere quiet where we can get on our knees.  Then and only then we are told to go deeply into ourselves with quiet meditation and prayer.  Once we have escaped the busyness of the world and the busyness of ourselves and are in deep peace and quietness, we can then wait and listen to hear Jesus talk to us in the inner caverns of our heart.[2]

Now, these are just two examples that give us guidance where we can find Jesus.  On the one hand we are told that Jesus is not found in the quietness and peace of a private setting, but in the busy noisy world.  On the other hand, we are told that we need to leave the busyness of the world to go to an unobtrusive place to find Jesus in the quiet meditations of our heart.  Which is it?  Is Jesus found in the quietness of our heart or in the busyness of the world?

Dear friends, like Mary and Joseph we can spend not only three days but up to three years and beyond trying to find Jesus in all the wrong places.  In other words, if we fail to understand who Jesus is and what His mission was, we can end up like Mary and Joseph searching in all the wrong places.  For example:

We can attempt to find Jesus in the busyness of the world.

We can attempt to find Jesus in the mystical caverns of our sinful heart.

We can attempt to find Jesus in the successes of life.

We can attempt to find Jesus in the popular spiritual fads of the day.

We can attempt to find Jesus on a lake while fishing.

The list can most certainly go on and on and on.

The problem with all of these options is that none of these places are places where the Lord has promised to meet us.  Truly, my dear friends, you do not need to wander aimlessly through life constantly trying to find Christ.  You do not need to be distracted by every single new spiritual guru that comes out every two years on Oprah; those gurus that claim that they have found the secrets to finding God.  You do not need withdraw from the church and look within the layers of complexity in your heart to find Jesus.  You do not have to leave your present jobs and callings in order to venture out on hyper-spiritualized humanitarian objectives to find Jesus.  No, none of this is necessary in seeking and finding Jesus, for although our Sovereign Lord is over all things, He has not promised to meet us with grace, forgiveness, and peace in any of these places. 

But where shall we find Christ?  Where shall we find Christ when we need Him the most?  The scriptures answer you and me saying, “He is on the cross, where you need him the most.  There [on the Cross] Jesus fulfilled God’s promise for you: ‘Neither death, nor life … nor anything else … will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  There we discover ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose.’”[3]  Furthermore, despite all of the seeking for peace and assurance in all the wrong places, the Lord Christ has promised us that the benefits of Calvary’s Cross are with us.  Yes, the benefits of the Cross—forgiveness, grace, peace, and assurance—are with us specifically in His Word and Sacraments. 

What does this all mean?  It means that Jesus is right where one might expect to find Him.  He is in the waters of your baptism.  He is present in His precious Word—the Bible.  He is present in-with-and-under the bread and wine that is given to and for you. 

Baptized Saints, as we think about this, I do confess that this may not sound flashy and exciting.  In fact, to acknowledge and proclaim that Christ is present before you where He has promised to be in the Word and Sacraments, can take the fun out of the spiritual seeking game.  Otherwise stated, as the world attempts to find Jesus and eternal peace in movements and fads, and as the world attempts to find Jesus and eternal peace in mystical meditations, you may be tempted to the thrill of their chase and the excitement of their trying to find the hidden location of the treasure of peace.  Hold steadfast though dear Saints.  Do not embark on a wild goose chase seeking for Jesus where He has not promised to be. 

My fellow redeemed, “Jesus Christ’s life-giving ministry of Word and Sacrament, which He has entrusted to us as His stewards, is what makes disciples of all nations and ages.  This Word and Sacrament ministry of the very Word made flesh is the only thing that bestows true life, peace, and forgiveness.”[4]  But we may say to ourselves, ‘”That isn’t too flashy or exciting or even successful according to today’s standards.”  Baptized saints please keep in mind that, “Success in God’s eyes is not understood in terms of simply having more names on a roster, more bodies filling seats, or more dollars in the offering plate.”[5]  Success in God’s eyes is not about seeking the Lord in vague happenings of culture or seeking Him in the inclinations of the sinful heart.  But rather, “Success in God’s eyes is simply grounded in the faithful proclamation that we have all sinned and we have all rightfully earned death and damnation for our sin, but Jesus Christ Himself has already made full atonement for each and every sin by laying down His life on a bloody cross as an all-redeeming, all-forgiving sacrifice. Success in God’s eyes is simply understood in terms [of people being] where Christ is, [where He has promised to be for you and for me].”[6] 

As we look forward to 2015, what will 2015 bring for you and me?  While you and I can't say for sure, I am fairly certain that we will all experience our fair share of heartaches, as well as joys.  We will experience ups and down.  We will take turns that we will never have expected and travel into unforeseen territory.  In the midst of everything that 2015 will bring upon us though, I am happy to announce that the Lord and His Gifts will be here for you and for me, right where we can expect them to be.  That is right, the Lord's Word and Sacraments, which have been that constant source of hope, sustenance, and strength over the past year, will also be present for you and for me in 2015.  The reason why?  The Lord has promised to neither leave us nor forsake us; He will be with us to the end of the age in this church, in our baptisms, in the Word, and in the Supper.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] “Pope Francis: Get out in the real world to find Jesus,” (26 September 2013) http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/09/26/pope-francis-get-out-in-the-real-world-to-find-jesus/ (3 January 2015).

[2] “How to Seek the Presence of Jesus Christ in your Life,” http://www.wikihow.com/Seek-the-Presence-of-Jesus-Christ-in-your-Life (3 January 2015).

[3] Richard Eyer, Pastoral Care Under the Cross: God in the Midst of Suffering (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1994), 143.

[4] Jason Zirbel, “Seeking Christ? Well, Duh!” (4 January 2015) http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3996 (3 January 2015).

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.