Preachrblog

Genesis 45:3-15 Of all the bold claims that Jesus makes about himself, this one has to be near the top of the list.   He says to the Jews, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,’ John 5:39 In other words, Jesus claims, the entire Old Testament is about him.   It bears witness to him.   Not just the parts that tell us that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, or that he would be born of a virgin.   Not just the parts that say he will be descended from David and Abraham and will be a blessing to all nations.   But the entirety of the Scriptures testify to Christ – bear witness to Christ – they show us Jesus.   That’s what they are for!   One way or another, that’s what they are all about. And here in Genesis 45 we have yet another example.   Here we have a very poignant story of an unusual family reunion.   It is full of drama and suspense.   You ...

Jeremiah 1:4–10 The Word of God in the Mouth of the Youth National Lutheran Schools Week January 30 th , 2002 Today we have a few different threads to weave together.   It is the Fourth Sunday in Epiphany, a season in which we continue to ponder the revelation of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God, the Christ.   We see Jesus visit the synagogue of Capernaum, cast out a demon, heal the sick, and go off to preach in the towns of Judea.   He does all the things the Messiah, the Savior, is supposed to be doing.   And of course, we know it will lead to his ultimate saving act – his death on the cross and glorious resurrection. We also recognize today “National Lutheran Schools Week”.   It’s our once-a-year celebration of not just our own school, but the Lutheran schools God has blessed throughout our country.   We have a rich tradition of teaching children not just the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, but also the fear and love of t...

Luke 4:16–30 "Rejecting or Receiving the Words of Life" Just exactly what did Jesus say to make them try and throw him off a cliff? In the book of Nehemiah, we see Ezra reading from God’s word and preaching to the people (giving the sense of it).   And they all received it well- showing contrition for their sins, and even great patience at attentiveness to the word.   When Jesus read the Word and preached about it in Nazareth – things didn’t go nearly as well. Here was the hometown hero – the preacher who was making all the stir – going about Caparnaum and the north, but not just preaching.   He was casting out demons and healing all manner of sick and suffering people.   Signs and wonders.   Miracles.   Now our boy had come home.   Isn’t this Jospeh’s son?   This is going to be great. At first, they politely listen to him as he reads from Isaiah and preaches about it – but you have to wonder if they were really listening.   Somethi...

  Luke 3:15-22 The Baptism of Our Lord The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of those events that becomes more and more profound the more closely we look at it.   Every year we revisit this important marker in our Lord’s ministry.   The first Sunday after Epiphany, we come to the banks of the Jordan and remember our Lord Jesus is baptized at the beginning of his public ministry.   It’s his inauguration, his ordination, if you will, as the Messiah.   The public recognition that this one, Jesus, is the Christ, the Son of God sent to save. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this for us, and each gives a slightly different description.   This year, we hear from Luke, who focuses a bit more on John the Baptist’s role.   But since we’ve considered that recently in the Advent Season, we will focus more of our attention today on the last portion of this reading,   the final paragraph: 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus ...

  Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60 Feast of St. Stephen December 26th, 2021 “In His Footsteps” The Christian Church marks December 26 th as a special remembrance for the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen. And so with rare departure from the lectionary today, our sermon will focus on Stephen as a lens through which we may see Christ.   Stephen, like all the saints, serves as a model of faith and as an example of God working powerfully in the life of his people.   We give thanks for the saints, and remember them, chiefly because they point us to Christ. Stephen was chosen as one of the 7 deacons to assist the 12 apostles in distributing food to the needy, we read how Stephen's bold proclamation of Christ leads to his untimely demise at the hands of angry Jewish opponents. After holding their ears and shouting so as not to hear his message, they stone him to death.   Here’s text from Acts 6 and 7…. Perhaps because St. Stephen was a martyr whose main service (as a dea...

  Christmas Eve 2021 Luke 2:1-14 In Rome sat Caesar Augustus.   Rome was the capital city of the great Roman Empire.   A world power with no equal, whose citizens enjoyed all the benefits it offered.   A life of luxury and decadence, many owning slaves. They sat at the top of the heap of the nations, had for many years, and would continue to for many more. In Bethlehem, things were different.   The little town, small among the clans of Judah, had one claim to fame.   It was the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king.   But that was a thousand years ago.   And nothing like it had happened since.   They were far overshadowed by nearby Jerusalem, and Jerusalem itself had nowhere near the glory of Rome. And Caesar Augustus – himself a figure of history.   The grand-nephew and successor of Julius Caesar.   Augustus was a title given him by the senate, it meant “Illustrious One”.   We sometimes refer to a grand gathering t...

  1 Corinthians 15:51-57 English Standard Version 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory?     O death, where is your sting?”   56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. _____________________________________________________________________________ One of the things I spoke with Tina about in the last few weeks was the promise of the resurre...