Category: Sermons/Epiphany

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The Coming of the King, Part 3; Mark 1:40-45

Providence Church (CREC)

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

February 15, th in the year of our Lord 2009.

The Coming of the King, Part 3

Sixth Official Sermon

Audio no yet available.

Scriptural Text: 40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus  sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Prayer: O Lord Christ, as you have cleansed the leper, Cleanse our hearts that we may see the truth of your Spoken Word and then taste your mercy at Your table. Amen.

The gospel of Mark presents Messiah the king as the One who casts out the unclean spirit in the synagogue, heals Peter’s mother-in-law in her home, heals multitudes of sick and oppressed people at the door and now begins his preaching ministry throughout all of Galilee. Not only is Jesus moving around geographically, but he is moving from one form of uncleanness to another.

We will find in our narrative that the cleansing of the leper bears great similarity to the previous works of healing. When Jesus cast out the demon, he referred to it as the “unclean spirit,” so that exorcism is a form of cleansing.[1] The leper’s healing is also similar to that of Peter’s mother-in-law. In both cases, Jesus touches them and immediately heals them. In all of these cases of healing, we find pictures of the resurrection. The man who is possessed by the unclean spirit is captive to the forces of evil; he is spiritually dead. Jesus raises him from the dead by casting out the demon. Peter’s mother-in-law is raised from the dead. She is lying with a great fever and Jesus raises her to newness of life. The healing ministry of Jesus is not just a spectacle for the watching audience, but it carries a greater significance in redemptive history. In the end of Mark, Jesus will be physically raised from the dead, so that He might be the picture of our future resurrection in the great consummation. Continue reading “The Coming of the King, Part 3; Mark 1:40-45”

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The Coming of the King, Part 2; Mark 1:29-39

Providence Church (CREC)

February, 8th, the year of our Lord, 2009.

Mark 1:29-39

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

Fifth Official Sermon

Sermon Audio.

Prayer: May the kings of the earth give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. May your holy nation of priests prepared to hear the spoken word rejoice in the message of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The gospel of Mark stresses the kingship of Messiah. The great King is coming to inspect His house and we read last week from verses 21-28 of Mark 1, Jesus finds his house unclean. The synagogue, which is the very center of worship and adoration, is now the house of Satanism. Jesus performs His first exorcism. It is a dramatic exorcism. It takes place in the middle of the synagogue in Capernaum. It is a public miracle that leads the religious leaders of the day to be astonished and amazed at the authority of Jesus not only to teach, but also to cast out the unclean spirit. The king is bringing His kingdom with great power and authority and the satanic forces attempt a massive attack.

In our narrative this morning we see the growing nature of these manifestations. The authority of Jesus is displayed in public, as we saw in the synagogue, but it is also displayed in private. In verse 29, Jesus enters the house of Simon and Andrew. We find that Simon Peter’s mother in law is sick with a fever. The text does not tell us what disease has caused the illness. In fact, in the ancient world a fever was described as a fire in the bones. Her body is exceedingly warm.[1] Jesus the public exorcist now comes as the private healer. Jesus’ confrontation with the unclean spirit is dramatic, but his encounter with Peter’s mother-in-law carries a domestic simplicity. Note the sequence of Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother in law: a) First, He comes to her. She is incapacitated. Unlike the blind that can still walk, this woman cannot stand. B) Secondly, He takes her by the hand. Jesus wants to comfort this woman by touching her hand. C) Thirdly, He lifts her up. Her fever kept her down, but Jesus lifts her up, and then d) the fever left her. Mark is very fond of using the word “immediately.” Here we have an immediate healing. It might have taken a matter of seconds to heal this woman. But also note that this process of healing is similar to the resurrection God grants His people. We were once dead in sin and Christ came to us, we did not go to Him. He touched our spiritually dead corpses, lifted us out of the grave and immediately took away the sin, which made us captive to death. This is one of the many pictures of our resurrection. This is the newness of life we have in Messiah our Lord. Continue reading “The Coming of the King, Part 2; Mark 1:29-39”

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Sermon: Mark 1:21-28; The Coming of the King, Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Providence Church (CREC)

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany, February, 1st, 2009.

Mark 1:21-28

Fourth Official Sermon

Title: The Coming of the King

Sermon Audio.

Mark 1:21-28

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Prayer: Give us Grace, O Lord to hear your Word and live by it. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

The gospel of St. Mark introduces the readers to a New King. We have in the beginning of this gospel a royal procession. It is the royal procession of the anointed One of Israel, Jesus the Messiah. Mark’s gospel is the beginning of a new era; a new world in which Christ our Lord is the exalted ruler and sovereign King. The New King is coming to make sure that His house is in order. He is coming to clean up His house with the waters of baptism and to purify it with the blood of the cross. The King is coming and God’s chosen vessel to declare to the world the coming of the King and His Kingdom is the greatest of all earthly prophets, John the Baptist.[1] He comes from the wilderness preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins. He comes clothed in camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey, preparing the way of the Lord. John the Baptist is the greater Moses calling the people to repent and turn to their God. He is the greater Samuel who anoints/baptizes Christ as the new King of Israel. In verse 9, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist and the Spirit descends upon him like a dove. What is happening at Jesus’ baptism is that He is being equipped by the Spirit for the prophetic task ahead. And in verse 11, “…a voice comes from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” God the Father confirms Jesus’ kingship.

What we have in this affirmation is the manifestation of the Trinity. As Augustine writes: “The Trinity appears very clearly; the Father in the voice, the son in the man, the Spirit in the dove.”[2]Father, Son and Spirit are together before eternity past and will continue of one mind for all eternity future. Continue reading “Sermon: Mark 1:21-28; The Coming of the King, Fourth Sunday after Epiphany”

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Jonah 3:1-10, Third Sunday of Epiphany: A Light Unto the Gentiles

Providence Church (CREC)

Third Sunday After Epiphany, January 25th, 2009.

Third Official Sermon

Jonah 3:1-5,10.

Audio for the sermon.

Prayer: Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and the boldness to proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may see the glory of His marvelous works. This is our prayer, O Lord. Amen.

When Queen Esther feared going to the Persian King to intercede for the Jews, her uncle Mordecai said to her: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”[1]

Esther, convicted of her task, asked the Jews to hold a fast on her behalf. Then her noble response was: “Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” [2] As a result, the mercy of God poured on Israel. Israel was delivered, her arch enemy, Haman was hung, Esther was exalted and her people had light and gladness and joy and honor and they shouted and rejoiced.[3]

Now consider another narrative. The narrative of a prophet called Jonah. In chapter 1 Jonah is called by God to arise and go to Nineveh that great city and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.

Nineveh was the great capital of the Assyrian empire. The prophet Nahum describes Nineveh as the “embodiment of evil and cruelty.”[4] Some have referred to it as the “Assyrian war machine,” [5] because of its atrocities. Instead of seeking the peace and repentance of the city of Nineveh, Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord. Jonah forgot that even if he fled to Sheol, God would also be there. [6] Anyone with a vague familiarity of the Jonah narrative knows that when Jonah fled he went on a downward journey. First, he went down to Joppa, then down into the tumultuous sea, then into the depths of the fish. Indeed Jonah went to the belly of Sheol only to find out that God was there. And in Jonah chapter 2, he cries a psalm of repentance.[7] Jonah concludes his prayer by declaring that salvation belongs to the Lord.[8] But if salvation belongs to the Lord, then He gives mercy to whom He wills and elects whom He will. Jonah is thinking in nationalistic terms. He believes that the gospel ought to remain with God’s chosen people. Jonah’s problem is a theological problem. Jonah is not thinking as a Biblical Theologian. Jonah is not thinking of the promise of the Abrahamic covenant; Jonah is not thinking about the promise of Genesis 3:15; Jonah is not thinking of God’s plans in redemptive history.

Application: I wonder how often we think in those terms. How often do we think that America is God’s chosen nation and she can do no wrong? The only antidote to this form of unbiblical nationalism is to be a missiological church; a church that is deeply concerned with God’s work among the nations; a church that prays for the persecuted church throughout the world. This is who we are to be!

We come to our text this morning in chapter 3. Jonah has a rare chance to re-consider his mission. The same mission that he had in chapter one is now re-addressed to Jonah. Jonah’s prayer indicates that he has matured. He had a David-like repentance.

“Then the word of the JEHOVAH came to Jonah the second time, saying, rise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”[9]

Jonah now will be restored to his prophetic role if he obeys and calls out against Nineveh. According to verse 3, Jonah arises from his disobedience and goes to Nineveh. He is going to preach to the Ninevites. But he is not going to preach any message from his Jewish sermon collection. According to verse 2, “he is going to preach the message that God tells him.” How crucial this is for the success of Jonah’s mission! Only the authoritative word of the Lord can bring reformation to any land.

This Reformation is to take place in the “exceedingly great city of Nineveh.” Why does the text say that Nineveh is a great city? Is it because it has a great reputation? It may even be great because of its size or significance throughout the known world. All these things are true, but what the text appears to imply is that this city is great because God sees His work of the conversion of Nineveh as great. In other words, this is an exceedingly great city because it will experience an exceedingly great repentance from an exceedingly great God! Continue reading “Jonah 3:1-10, Third Sunday of Epiphany: A Light Unto the Gentiles”

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Psalm 139:1-6; 13-24: Search Me, O God! Second Sunday After Epiphany

Audio link.

Providence Church (CREC)

Second Sunday After the Epiphany

January, 18, 2009

Second Official Sermon, Psalm 139:1-6; 13-24

Prayer: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In the 18th century, the English Philosopher John Locke wrote an interesting essay entitled “Concerning Human Understanding.” The problem with Locke was that he denied the Augustinian view that humans are originally sinful, so his perspective on understanding is by nature flawed. Nevertheless, Locke understood the limits of understanding. He wrote that we are to “sit down in a quiet ignorance of those things which, upon examination, are found to be beyond the reach of our capacities.”[1]

As we approach the 139th Psalm this morning, we are called to sit down in silence, because God’s wisdom, God’s power and God’s presence are beyond the reach of our capacities.

Psalm 139 will re-shape our understanding of the God we worship. Our passage is going to invade our privacy and leave us spiritually naked in the eyes of God. As the author of Hebrews tells us, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”[2]

Every secret of the heart, every thought and intent, and every word you have ever uttered is subject to the eyes of God.

This Psalm of David is a prayer; a deeply sincere and transparent prayer. David has nowhere to go; nowhere to hide. David has seen the brutalities of his enemies. His enemies are men of blood, according to verse 19. David has every human reason to be angry at the violence before him, but rather, He prays to His God. Continue reading “Psalm 139:1-6; 13-24: Search Me, O God! Second Sunday After Epiphany”

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Isaiah 60:1-6 Shake off dull slumber, wake, arise! Epiphany Season

Providence Church

Epiphany

January, 11, 2009

Audio.

Prayer: Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. We pray that as you guided the magi you may also guide your people to Jesus in whose Name we pray. Amen.

On this first day when heav’n and earth

Rose at the Triune’s word to birth

The day when He who gave us breath

Revived our souls and vanquished death

Why close in sleep your languid eyes

Shake off dull slumber, wake, arise;

And mindful of the Prophet’s voice

Right early in our God rejoice.

This is an ancient Epiphany hymn written by Saint Gregory the Great.

We find here an early testimony of the Christian response to the work of God, and that is: shake off dull slumber, wake, and arise!

This is echoed throughout the Scriptures, but notably from the words of Yahweh to Jonah. Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” God calls Jonah to arise so that the Gentiles would quickly hear and see the light of the Lord.

This idea is what we see our passage this morning. We have a double imperative: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” Yahweh has just rebuked and chastised His people in chapter 59. The contrast of chapter 60 is magnificent. The people are separated from their God (59:2). They are sitting on the ground in silence (see Lamentations 2:10). Their mouths are shut in the presence of Yahweh. But yet the end of Isaiah 59 ends with this marvelous promise: “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore (59:21).” Continue reading “Isaiah 60:1-6 Shake off dull slumber, wake, arise! Epiphany Season”

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