Doubt?

Text: Matthew 11:2-11

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

There are many different times and scenarios in life when we have doubt.  Regardless of those different situations, though, doubt seems to work and act the same.  The reason why doubt typically comes about is because we get suspended between two or more opposing things and are unable to know which one is right. Indeed, when we are confronted with two or more opposing ideas or choices or claims, and we are unable to discern which one is correct… well, doubt comes into our minds and bodies, often causing significant discomfort.  In other words, doubt looks like a person who finds himself between two doors but is paralyzed by uncertainty, not knowing which door to go through.  Indeed, doubt has a way of suspending us and making us feel vulnerable.  It can cause us to feel agitated and even lead to conflict. 

That is why we try to avoid doubt at all costs.  We try to avoid those opposing ideas, choices, and claims that would dangle us in doubt and discomfort.  In fact, more often than not, we can become downright mean in how we fight off these contrary ideas, choices, and claims, to eliminate doubt. 

Jesus pointed out this kind of doubt when He said that His generation was like a bunch of grumpy children sitting in the marketplaces dissatisfied with everything that was put before them.  This same kind of doubt occurred with John the Baptist too.  Instead of listening to John the Baptist, which would’ve placed the people between their sin and John’s message of repentance, they instead wrote Him off as crazy.

You see, behind this kind of doubt is the desire to avoid the issue.  Behind this kind of doubt is the desire to eliminate the uncomfortable feeling of being hanging between two different teachings and realities of life. Yes, behind this type of doubt is the reality that mankind loves the darkness rather than the light.

And so, to avoid that uncomfortable feeling of doubt and to prevent the even more painful reality of being wrong, people will do everything possible to dodge opposing ideas and opposing facts.  We see this especially in the case of pagans avoiding the church at all costs.    

Now, there is second way that this doubt works itself out.  You see, there is another kind of doubt that sets in when you know that you have the truth, but you then begin to wonder if you are correct.  Take, for example, our Gospel reading from Matthew chapter 11.  In Matthew chapter 11, we hear doubt.  There were doubt and concern about whether or not Jesus was really Messiah that was promised from the Old Testament.  That is to say; what John the Baptist and especially his followers believed about the Messiah from the Old Testament did not seem to line up with what they saw with Jesus, which resulted in doubt.  They were suspended in between what they expected of the Messiah and what they saw in Jesus.    

Dear friends, keep in mind that this second kind of doubt just described is not where a person loves the darkness and is troubled by the light, but a doubt that comes about when darkness attacks the light.  This kind of doubt is what Christians experience when contrary things challenge what we believe, teach, and confess. 

We have seen this doubt before, too.  When the disciples first heard that Jesus had risen from the tomb, they thought that the news of Jesus’ resurrection was only chatter and nonsense.[1]  And who can forget Thomas!  Thomas would not believe in Jesus’ resurrection, even though all the other disciples tried to convince him.  And from our Gospel reading today, there was much confusion about whether or not Jesus was the Messiah or if they should expect another Messiah. 

Dear friends, what is going on here is that doubt arises in us because Jesus is so entirely different from what we expect.  And Jesus’ message of the Gospel is frankly 180 degrees opposite of how we think.[2]  So, because Jesus’ ways are not our ways and our ways are not Jesus’ ways, we are often suspended between two different ways of thinking, thus creating that uncomfortable place of doubt. 

And as you know, experiencing doubt is an awful place to be.  This doubt can not only bring about anxiety and a sense of vulnerability, but this doubt can lead to unbelief.  And unbelief gives birth to a hardened rejection of the Lord. 

So what must be done about this doubt? 

Dear friends, we do not conquer doubt or try to alleviate doubt by trying to rationalize the doubt away.  Doubt is not overcome by us trying to have less doubt.  Our willpower is not able to fight off doubt, just like faith is not increased by us trying to have more faith.  And we do not eliminate doubt by eliminating the message of Jesus that causes us discomfort. Plugging our ears or putting our head in the sand like a hard-hearted pagan does nothing, except give birth to damning unbelief.  No, you need not do this! 

Thankfully, when doubt arises, there is another way. Yes, we can follow in the footsteps of John the Baptist, as we heard in our Gospel reading from today. 

In our Gospel reading, John the Baptist went directly to Jesus with the doubting questions of His followers.  The doubt was not hushed or hidden, but brought before Jesus, just like Thomas’ doubt, and unbelief met the wound on Jesus’ side.    

What this means is this: if doubt plagues you, if you are suspended or paralyzed in doubt, learn to know that this doubt does not belong to you, but needs to be laid bare before the Lord. 

This may seem odd, but this is what the scriptures call for us to do as Christians.  The Psalms teach us not to hide our doubt or to rationalize it away or to stick our head in the sands of unbelief, but we are to pour out our complaints before the Lord and to tell the Lord of our troubles.[3] 

This means that we should not always speak as if we have everything figured out in pious-sounding language before the Lord, but instead, our doubts and struggles can be poured out before the Lord when our spirit faints within us, for the Lord knows our way.

And like John the Baptist and his followers, and even Thomas, the Lord answers our doubt.  The Lord answers our doubt the same way that He answered the doubt of John the Baptist’s followers, and that is the announcement of what has been done. 

Yes, it is that simple, the doubt went from John the Baptist and his followers to Jesus, and Jesus responded by saying,

“Go back and announce what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor!” 

Dear Baptized Saints, our doubt must be met by the proclamation of the Gospel – the Word.  And when we hear the Word of Christ, doubt gives way to faith.  Yes, doubt turns to faith, not when we try to decrease doubt and increase faith by our willpower, but when we hear the Word of Christ, when we remember the reality of our baptisms and receive the true body and blood of Jesus.   

Therefore, the Gospel reading from today is really about comfort, for it shows you how John the Baptist took doubt and brought it to Jesus.  Yes, it is comforting that you do not need to keep doubt to yourself, but can boldly confess your doubt.  Yes, the Lord has called you to His Word, and to His Supper, and into the Christian faith through baptism, where He meets your doubt with the forgiveness of all of sins for Jesus’ sake, and transforms your mind from doubt to faith.  This transformation is a constant renewal of the mind that no longer hangs in the suspension of doubt, but clings ever more to the Word of God. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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[1] See Luke 24:11.

[2] It has been said before that to understand the message of Jesus all you have to do is take what is common sense, reverse it entirely, and then you will most likely arrive at the teachings of Jesus.

[3] See Psalm 142:2-3.  

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What The Story Of David And Goliath Is Really About

Text: 1 Samuel 17:4-10, 32, 41-51

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Perhaps there is no greater Old Testament story than the story of David and Goliath. It is a familiar story that is told in Sunday School to children and yet admired by all.

Now, the reason why this Old Testament story is loved by so many is that it is the typical story of the little guy taking on the big guy. Who doesn’t like stories of the little guy sticking it to the man?

And so, every time we hear this story it has a way of grabbing us. We are immediately captivated when we hear about Goliath standing at some 7 to 9 feet tall with his bronze helmet, bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin. We can almost hear the echo of Goliath’s laugh as he shouted out,

“I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together.”  

And we can envision David’s face as he speaks before King Saul,

“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine . . . [this] Philistine shall be like [that dead bear and lion.]”

And we can also imagine Goliath moving towards David on that battlefield. A 7 to a 9-foot warrior with a 125 pounds of armor coming head-to-head with a ruddy and youthful shepherd who held a slingshot in his hand with five rocks.

It is at this point that we should pause and take note of what is happening in this story. In other words, we can do a great injustice to this story if we fail to realize what is occurring. Yes, this is a battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, but there is more to it. Yes, this is a battle between a prideful man and a faithful man, but there is more to it. Yes, this is a battle between human strength and God’s power, but there is more to it. You see, if we only think about this story in the ways just mentioned, we actually fail to consider what we learned last week from Genesis chapter 3.

Take a moment and recall what we heard last week from Genesis chapter 3. In Genesis chapter 3 the Lord God said that He would put enmity – that is war – between the offspring of Eve and Satan. Therefore, what we have before us in the story of David and Goliath is a great battle between the seed of Eve and the serpent – that is the Devil. That is to say; the Messiah was first promised in Genesis Chapter 3, and this Messiah was to come through the lineage of Eve. Therefore, what we have before us in the story of David and Goliath is a war between the lineage of the Messiah and Satan who opposes the Messiah.  It is a war between God’s promise of Genesis 3 and the serpent who wishes to undo the promise.   

Simply stated, David was a descendant of Eve, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the promised lineage of the Messiah was to come through David. Yes, David was a great-grandfather to Jesus, separated by some 28 generations. This is why we often refer to Jesus as the Son of David. So, what this all means is this: no David, means no lineage of the Messiah. No lineage of the Messiah, means no birth of Jesus. And no birth of Jesus, means no Christmas long ago. And no Christmas would mean no salvation for the world and that God failed to keep His promise of Genesis 3:15.

So, as we see, this skirmish between David and Goliath is not some local fight, but it is a cosmic battle – a war between the seed of Eve and the seed of the serpent. It is an epic collision of huge proportions between light and dark, heaven and hell, God and Satan. And what is at stake here in this story of David and Goliath is the salvation of mankind!

So, as we know, Goliath was first struck with a stone in the forehead coming from David’s slingshot, and then after falling to the ground, his head was cut off with his own sword. Now, it is not clear whether the death-blow was from the stone or the sword. Perhaps Goliath was as good as dead when the stone struck him in the head, and the sword finished him off. Or perhaps he was already dead, and the decapitation of his head demonstrated absolutely that the giant was dead. Nonetheless, the Lord God sustained His promise of Genesis 3:15 through His servant David defeating Goliath.

Dear friends, the Lord God kept His promise to you and me by defeating Goliath and ensuring that Christmas would happen. The Lord kept His promise in the defeat of Goliath and as we know, Jesus – the Messiah – was born in Bethlehem long ago. He was born to fulfill the promise of Genesis 3:15.

And like his great-grandfather David, Jesus did not appear to be much. As Goliath laughed at David, others also mocked Jesus, saying, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Indeed, Jesus did not look like a mighty warrior. He held no deadly weapons in His hands as He went forward to face not Goliath, but Satan at Mt. Calvary.

And like David – full of faith – Jesus flung His mightiest stone at Satan. The mightiest stone was Himself, the Rock that fell from heaven to crush Satan’s head. Yes, Jesus struck that giant serpent upon the head, as promised.

Christ did this by hurling Himself into death on the cross. Jesus let Himself be crucified for the sins of humanity. By shedding His Blood this way, He made the Devil powerless to hurt any of Christ’s people.

Because of this, we can say that Satan is as good as dead because his head was crushed by Christ, the Seed of the woman. However, Satan still withers and slithers as His head is under Christ’s heavy heal.  Indeed, Satan has been crushed and his head is under the heal of Jesus, but he is not entirely gone. You see, the final chop of the sword will come at the end when the ancient serpent is cast into the lake of fire, which is hell. Then the Devil will be eternally dead, never to return or trouble us again.

Dear Baptized Saints, all of this is the Lord God sustaining His promise for you – to give you forgiveness, life, and salvation. All of this is the Lord God keeping His promise to you, giving you victory over sin, death, and the Devil.

The stone hit Goliath and his head was chopped off.  Christ has crushed Satan and at the end of days, his head will be chopped off as well.  This is all most certainly true. This is the Lord God keeping His promise for you and for me – a promise made long ago. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

To listen to the first part of this sermon series, CLICK HERE

Note: The second half of this sermon is borrowed in part from Rev. Andrew Eckert's sermon on 1 Samuel 17:48-18:9.

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Sober Up, For Your Redemption Draws Near

Texts:  Luke 21:25-36 and Romans 15:4-13

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus warns us about the end of the world.  He calls us to be watchful and alert for that coming great Last Day.  He says,

“Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place.” 

Indeed, Jesus is warning us about the Last Day of Judgment, along with its great wonders and terrors.  He is warning us to be ready to meet Him when He comes back again to judge the living and the dead.  He calls us to be observant to the signs of His coming. 

However, we humans have this problem of not listening to warnings.  It isn’t that warnings are bad, for they do us good by alerting us to the fact that something troubling is about to happen.  Indeed, we do not disregard warnings because they are bad, but rather, we either have this tendency to shrug these warnings off, or we are too distracted with life to even hear the warnings in the first place. 

Take California as one of the many examples.  It seems that everyone knows about the mega California earthquake warning – that warning of the impending 8.2 magnitude earthquake that is supposed to hit the San Andreas fault next to Los Angeles.  Californians have heard this warning for years, nod their heads, shrug their shoulders, and then go on with their lives.  They do this because the warning does not give them the time or the hour of the earthquake.  That is to say; because the warning is not precise, it does not change anything in their daily lives. 

You see, when warnings are not specific or pressing at the moment, we typically end up writing them off and shrugging our shoulders, saying, “Yes, these warnings may be true, but it won’t happen anytime soon, so I need not be alarmed.”

While there may be some wisdom to not getting weighed down with things out of our control, Jesus, on the other hand, warns us about the Last Day and calls us to be alert and ready. Yes, even though we do not know when that Last Day will be, we must guard ourselves against shrugging our shoulders and saying, “The Last Day won’t happen anytime soon, so I need not be alarmed.”

Dear friends, the Last Day could be here today, tomorrow, next year, or a thousand years from now.  But regardless, we must not be so foolish to write Jesus’ warning off as something that will happen in some distant future and need not concern us in the present time. 

There is also another side to this as well.  Like a drunk, we can drink up life so much that we will not even see the signs or hear the warnings about the Last Day.  That is to say; we can become so incredibly consumed with life itself that we become dizzy and intoxicated with carelessness, so that we will neither hear the warnings nor see the signs of the Last Day.  Like a college student jumping from frat party to frat party ignoring his upcoming college examine, we ignore the warnings and signs of the Last Day and let the good times supposedly roll. 

And let us not forget what happens after we become intoxicated with life.  Jesus says in verse 35 of our Gospel Reading from Luke that we can become so dissipated that the Last Day will come upon us like a trap.  In other words, when Jesus uses the word ‘dissipated,’ He means that we can become so intoxicated with life that we will become sick and unresponsive.  Stated crassly, when we binge drink and guzzle down life (non-redemptive and empty things of life), we will become so hungover and sick that we won’t even open our eyes to see the signs or hear the warnings of the Last Day. 

Dear friends, Jesus is coming, and if not careful, we can be so intoxicated with the things of this life that we will be left in our drunken stupor clinging to the empty bottle of life.

Take a moment and look around you.

Marketers have been busy since Halloween trying to get you into the holiday spirit. 

“Get the tree up!  Get your presents!  Get those lights up!  Don’t miss Black Friday! Go, go, go, go!” 

The commercials are trying to amp you up.

“Buy this; buy that; spend that money!  Use this coupon!  30% off now!” 

Your cell phones are continually dinging, giving you news alerts. 

This just in!  Newsflash!  Breaking News!

Social media is continuously giving you updates about everyone else’s remarkable lives. 

The Jones’ just posted a picture from Italy, click “LIKE!” and share!

And to make things even more intense, you have unfinished Christmas lists, you have bank accounts, you have budgets, you have kids’ schedules, you have overflowing mailboxes, you have unwrapped presents, you have vacation plans, you have Christmas parties, you have Christmas programs, you have gift exchanges, you have gift returns, you have New Year’s Parties, and you have family get-togethers.  You have all of these things that you care very deeply about, things that easily consume you and can spiritually intoxicate you so that your senses are distracted and dulled to the Lord’s signs and warnings. 

Dear friends, you have not been called to have your hearts weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness from the cares of this life. You have not been called to brush the Lord’s warnings off to the side as if they are not urgent.  You have not been called to dullness or apathy.  But instead, Jesus has called you to be sober and awake and alert.  He calls you to raise up your heads and to stand firm for the Last Day draws near.  He calls you to be on guard so that the Last Day does not catch you off guard.  He calls you to be prepared at all times. 

But how on earth are we to stay alert and sober?  How can we raise up our heads when we do not even know when the Last Day will come?  How do we remain steadfast and not fall asleep in apathy or get drunk on life, when we do not know when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead? 

The answer we are given is in our Epistle reading from Romans that says,

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Dear friends, what this means is that the Holy Scriptures – the Bible – is not only written for our instruction but is written because the Scriptures give the power of God that works steadfast endurance and comforting encouragement in us.   

You see, if we are left to ourselves, we cannot stay alert.  Left to ourselves, we will write the warnings off and fall asleep in apathy.  Left to ourselves, we will not remain steadfast and firm, but will become flimsy and weak from the drunkenness of life.  Left to ourselves, we will dull the warnings of the Last Day and be left alone to face all the things that will take place. 

However, you are not alone.  The Lord has given you His Word.  And even though this Word was written long ago, you can be sure that it was and is written for you, for God wants to give you steady endurance and encouragement that comforts you as He keeps you alert for whatever He will do next.

So, Baptized Saints of Zion, stand up, lift up your heads, open your ears, and sober up, for your redemption draws near to you in the Word! 

Listen to Jesus’ Word, which is for you: “It is finished!”

Listen to this great resurrection Gospel promise: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Look at the altar and see these very simple things (Bread and Wine) through the lens of this blessed Gospel promise:  “This is My body.  This My blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sin.” 

Remember your baptismal reality, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” 

Hear the voice of Jesus who speaks to you through a sinful pastor, “I now forgive you of all of your sins.”

Dear Baptized Saints, what you hear and hold fast to in faith not only prepares you for the future warnings but encourages you and comforts you as you journey to the Last Day. 

Indeed, the Lord gives you His Word not because you deserve it; not because you’ve made the “nice” list and stayed off the “naughty” list, but because you need it; because He loves you…in spite of you. 

And when you hold fast to His Word, you are promised not dissipation or apathy or drunkenness, but hope.  Yes, the Word gives you great hope that no matter what comes before you from now to that Last Day, that you are not alone.  Even when the world completely comes apart at the seams in the dark and chaotic days immediately preceding Christ’s return in Judgment, you shall not fear, for the Lord is with you.

Baptized Saints, lift up your heads.  Lift up your eyes.  Behold!  The Christ, the almighty Son of God, is in your midst and is with you always, even to the very end of the ages. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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The Lord's Crushing Promise - For You

Text: Genesis 3:1-15

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

In the Garden of Eden, things were great.  No shame. No guilt. No toil. No blame. And no fear. Things were perfect.  Yes, there were no deficiencies but only uninterrupted thanksgiving to God.  Everywhere Adam and Eve turned, they were being given gifts from God.  They received warm sunlight, rain, food, drink, and were completely safe with peace of mind and body.  Indeed, they had the approval of God and were happy.  Adam and Eve experienced harmony with the land and complimented each other perfectly.  This is how it was in the beginning. 

However, as we know, this is not how it is for us today.  You see, something happened that ruined this perfection.  Something happened that turned the world upside down. Something happened that destroyed goodness that existed at the beginning. 

As we read tonight from Genesis chapter 3, we heard the sad story of how everything was ruined.  We heard the story of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God.  We heard how they ate the forbidden fruit – how they rebelled against God and how this rebellion disrupted their happy relationship with God, each other, and nature itself.  We heard how things became totally corrupted and infected with sin.  We heard how everything became unraveled into the enormous mess that we have before us today. 

Now, it has been said before that Genesis chapter 3 is the most tragic chapter in all of the Bible, which I think we can agree.  Reading Genesis chapter 3 is no cake walk.  However, we must be careful not to read over Genesis 3 too quickly and then toss it off to the side, as if it is too depressing.  In other words, in spite of the melancholy flavor, Genesis chapter 3 actually shows us why all the other chapters and books of the Bible follow.  Yes, without Genesis chapter 3, the whole Bible will not make sense.  And if the Bible will not make sense, then our Christian faith will be confused at best. 

You see, buried in the midst of this sad story of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, is a shiny gold nugget – a promise to be precise.  And it is because of this remarkable promise made long ago that we celebrate the coming of Christmas here at Zion.  And what is that promise that is buried in the catastrophe of Genesis 3?  In Genesis 3:15 we read,

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

Did you hear the promise?

Dear friends, in the midst of humanities first and most horrific tragedy - in the midst of God cursing Satan - in the midst of God cursing man and woman and all of the earth itself – in the midst of all of this disaster and sin and sadess, God gives the Good News of the Gospel in the form of a Promise.  That is to say; He promises a seed, a male descendant from Eve that would crush the head of Satan.  Yes, right there at the beginning of the Bible – three chapters in – we hear God’s promise of Jesus.  We hear the first gospel!  We hear that there is one coming who will be born of woman, who will deliver mankind and the entire world from sin, death, and the Devil.  We hear the defeat of the evil foe, right there in the beginning.    

Do you know what this means?  It means that Christmas is a fulfillment of the promise made in Genesis chapter 3.  Yes, long ago in Genesis 3:15, God promised a Messiah to the world – a Messiah who would make things right again, which means that when we page through the Old Testament, what we hear is not a collection of miscellaneous stories, but we hear about God keeping His promise throughout the ages.  The Old Testament is the history of our salvation, it is the tracing of the Lord’s promise from Genesis chapter 3 to the manger in Bethlehem.  And as we know from the Old Testament, even when things looked really, really bad, God did not relent on His promise.  The promise did not falter but followed through to Christmas with the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem.   

That is how it goes with promises.  When God makes a promise, He keeps it.  When God gives us a promise, we can trust it. 

And so, this Advent and Christmas Season, we not only marvel at how God kept that promise long ago from Genesis 3:15 by the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem, but we marvel at the fact that this promise has been fulfilled for you and me this day. 

Dear Baptized Saints, that promise of the Messiah crushing the head of Satan is a promise that we can hang our body, mind, and soul on.  It is a promise that is not only fulfilled but a promise that grants us continual faith and assurance each and every single day.  It points to the clear hope of our victory in Christ and the certainty of our resurrections.  You see, the Genesis 3:15 promise is a promise that the Devil’s head would be crushed, which it was on the cross of Jesus Christ.  And if the Devil’s head was crushed, then your death indeed must be crushed as well.  And if your death has been crushed, then that means that the condemnation of your sin has been crushed.  And if the condemnation of your sin is crushed, then the verdict of the Law is crushed as well.  And if the Law can no longer accuse you, then you have complete and total assurance – assurance that no matter what happens in this life, that there is no shame, guilt, toil, blame, or fear in Christ. 

Baptized Saints, even though this life is upside down and ruined by humanity’s sin in Adam and Eve, we hold fast to this promise given long ago.  We cling – with both eyes open – to the promise that was given to us, knowing that in due time all things will be made anew.  Yes, this upside down world of sin and death itself are indeed awful and tyrannical, but God’s promise and God’s crushing power make sin and death into nothing. 

Like Adam and Eve, we hear the promise of the Messiah this Advent and Christmas Season.  We hear about the Messiah who came to crush the devil’s head, which gives us the same hope and assurance that Adam and Eve had… hope and assurance that death will be taken away, that sin will be abolished, and that the righteousness, life, and peace will be restored. 

In this promise and hope, Adam and Eve lived and died.  In this promise and hope, we live and die as well.  However, in this promise and hope – with Adam and Eve – we all will be raised to newness of life, for Christ Jesus has indeed crushed the head of Satan for you and me.   

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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Not Too High And Lofty For Sinners

Text: Matthew 21:1-9

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

He is a peculiar King.  Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ is peculiar because He is not like other kings or rulers.  He is not like other prestigious people of influence.  He is not like the politicians and celebrates of our day and age. 

You see, Jesus, unlike all of these individuals, is humble.  Yes, He is so low and humble that no burdened sinner is driven away from Him as if He is too high and lofty for sinners. 

We hear about this peculiar humility in this morning’s Gospel reading from Matthew.  That is to say; when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, there was no private jet, no limousine, and no security detail, but instead, a donkey and a colt.  Furthermore, there was no red carpet with Armani or Calvin Klein suits, but a dirty road with palm branches and typical first-century garments. 

And unlike the kings, rulers, politicians, and celebrates throughout every generation, the Lord Jesus Christ did not keep away from the people.  He did not stand at a distance with apathy toward the crowds. There were no crowd barriers between Jesus and the people.  He was not on some center stage, separated from the masses of people with crowd controlling security guards.  Instead, Jesus rode into Jerusalem – He rode into the midst of the people who were gathering to see Him.  He did this to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy that stated,

“Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey and a colt, the foal of a donkey.”       

There is no doubt about it, the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a peculiar King.  You and I do not seek Him, but He seeks us.  We do not go out to find Him, but He finds you and me.  He is not high and lofty, but humble and meek. He does not chastise us to come to Him so that we might give Him our best, but He graciously comes to us to so that He might give us His best.

Now, all of this is quite typical of our Lord.  He is quite the opposite of all the other kings, rulers, celebrates, politicians, and prestigious people of the world.  He most certainly comes to His people and He comes in humility.  He comes to serve, not to be served.   And He continually comes to His church every single day of every single week – 365 days a year. 

Now, do you realize what this means?  It means that Jesus comes for each and everyone one of you!  It is personal with Jesus.  But just like His humble coming into Jerusalem, some two-thousand years ago, Jesus comes to you with humility.  That is to say; Jesus comes to you this very day through His Word – His Word spoken through the mouth of a sinful insignificant pastor.  He comes to you today in modest bread and wine, to give you Himself.  And let’s not forget, Jesus came to you in simple water that was poured upon your head, marking you as one of His redeemed.  No laser shows, no fog machines, no countdowns, no pyrotechnics, no drumrolls, but rather, just simple humble Words and simple humble elements applied to you by an unimportant pastor.  This is the humility of Jesus and how He humbly engages His church. 

Tragically, though, we Christians can get a little bored with this humbleness of Christ and the church.  And let’s be honest, we are attracted to the theatrics.  Yes, we are quickly swayed and distracted by dramatic performances with extreme emotional behavior.  Like a fly attracted to bright lights, we Christians can easily dismiss or get bored with the humble ways of the church and seek after the dramatic and the impressive. 

Just think about this for a moment.  How much time, energy, and money do we use to see the kings, rulers, celebrates, and politicians of the world?  Whether it is a famous music artist or a famous athletic team or a visiting politician, we will drop everything we are doing.  We spend a fortune on tickets, get hotel rooms, and spend money on transportation to get close to them and maybe even touch one of these prestigious people who neither know us nor personally care for us, but are sure glad to take our time and money. 

Yes, we go through great inconveniences and a lot of money to draw near to so-called prestigious kings and their dramatic performances.  We do this while unfortunately grumbling at the so-called burdens of having to go to an hour meek church service where the King of the universe longs to gather near us.  Frankly stated, we will pay a fortune for the dazzle of one of the world’s so-called kings who gives us two hours of entertainment, but we then roll our eyes at a humble and tame church service where the King of the universe gives us His body and blood.  Lord have mercy on you and on me too. 

Dear friends, the nature of Jesus is that He comes for you and He comes in meekness and humility.  He did not come into Jerusalem riding arrogantly on a white horse, and He will not come to you in any other way than His humble and straightforward Word and Sacraments.  And the reason why He comes in humility is that He has no intention of making it seem that He is too important for you.  In other words, He does not come with flashiness or showiness as if He is trying to convince you that He is among Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2017.  He has no desire to ‘wow’ you and make you chase after Him.  He isn’t interested in popularity contests or what people think.  He does not care about being on the ‘A-squad.’  But rather, His only desire is to come in humility, so that no burdened sinner would be driven away from Him, as if He is too high and too lofty for sinners. 

What this means is that no matter how low you are in your sin, no matter how much you have failed, and no matter how ugly your sin, Jesus comes to you in meekness, gentleness, and simplicity, so that He might not drive you away in fear, but forgive you.  Christ Jesus came for the sin-sick – you and me. 

Dear friends, unlike the rulers of our day and age, Jesus comes to you this very day, for your well-being.  He comes to you this morning as your own.  He comes to you so that He might deliver you from sin and death, and thus become your King.  In coming to you in His preached Word and Sacraments, He comes not to take from you but to give to you.  He comes not to impress you or entertain you, but to forgive you.  He comes not to get you to reach out to Him but He comes to reach out to you in delivering His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. 

Baptized Saints, do not despair. Yes, the Lord comes to you in His humble Word and Sacraments every church service to grace you with reassurance and comfort, and to bring you to Himself by His love and kindness.  Do not forsake the Lord’s church services as many are in the habit of doing.  But know that the Lord longs to meet you personally here at Zion, in the Divine Services.  

The Lord is indeed a peculiar King – a King who offers Himself up to you and be your possession, that whatever He is and has may be yours. 

This is your King, coming to you – humbly in the Word and Sacraments. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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