Lifted Up by Jesus
Epiphany 2021 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsWhen it comes to our salvation God does it all, lifting us up completely restored.
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Some days I feel just like Job. Oh, it’s not that I feel I have been deprived of prized possessions or relationships as he was. It’s that sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much in life, or that “The LORD is not aware of what is happening to me; My God is not concerned with my vindication,” the prophet says, as we heard in today’s OT reading. I want to shout, “Amen!”
But Jesus came to change that. He comes daily in his Word and Sacrament to change us – to lift us up – from our satanic-imposed role of “slaves to sin” into his friends. As he says in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends.”
That’s what happened long ago in the seaside village of Capernaum: Jesus lifted up Simon Peter’s mother-in-law from her illness, and changed her; restored her. And, He lifts us up too, changing us into his friends; restoring us to a right relationship with God our heavenly Father. We know we are truly changed because now we want to serve others.
When it comes to our salvation
God does it all,
lifting us up completely restored.
Jesus Came to Lift Us Up.
Jesus Came to Lift Us Up.
On the Sabbath (last Sunday)—
Jesus taught in the synagogue “as one who had authority, and a new teaching;” Teaching about the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation; that we are saved by grace, through faith.
He also cast out a demon who knew him as “the Holy One of God.” The frequency of the miracle of casting out demons in our Lord’s ministry shouldn’t surprise us, and should be viewed as predictable.
You see, once we understand the purpose of Jesus’ mission on earth it makes complete sense. Jesus came to do battle with Satan and the powers of darkness because they held in damning bondage the very people Jesus had come to save. Hebrews 2:14
In every single case bondage was spiritual and in numerous cases the bondage was even physical. Jesus said, “If I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Lk 11:20). It’s no wonder that there is an immediate encounter between God and Satan, as well as numerous skirmishes between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness in Jesus’ earthly ministry.
On the same Sabbath (the encounter we hear about this Sunday)—
Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, taking her by the hand and lifting her up to complete health – fully restored.
“That evening at sundown they brought to Him all who were sick or oppressed by demons” (Mk 1:32). The point of mentioning sundown is this signals the weekly Sabbath has concluded, and now the people are free to travel.
On the Sabbath, Jews could travel only about two-thirds of a mile and couldn’t carry a burden, which is the reason why they waited until “after sunset” (v 32) to bring “all the sick and demon-possessed” to Jesus for healing.
Interestingly enough, Jesus again, “would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was” (Mk. 1:34). He lifted up the people held in spiritual and physical bondage, restoring them to health and freeing them of their demonic control. Faith is the essential key.
The question remains, however, how did they know to bring to Jesus all who were sick or oppressed by demons? We need to remember that the events of today’s gospel reading happened on the same day as last Sunday’s gospel reading. Last Sunday’s reading concluded with, “And at once His fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee” (Mk. 1:28). The only answer is that the people of Capernaum knew, because they heard the gospel of what God had done through Christ in the synagogue, that this teacher of new teachings also had the power to heal. And so they, in faith, brought those who needed healing.
The precise reason why God became flesh in Christ Jesus is to lift us up from our bondage to sin, death, and the devil. The Psalmist put it like this: Psalm 40:1-3
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He lifted me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He has put a new song in my mouth — a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.”
Lifted Up by Jesus, the People Served.
Lifted Up by Jesus, the People Served.
Peter’s mother-in-law, now healed, “began to wait on them.”
She served not because she was a woman and certainly not because it was her home, but because she put her trust in the Lord and is now restored by Jesus which enables her to do this very thing. The fruit of faith is that she wants to serve.
Her action was more than servanthood or role playing; it was an act of love, the response of thankfulness.
The townspeople too responded with service.
Having witnessed Jesus’ authority in the synagogue both in Word and deed, the town knew the grace he offered.
They wanted “the sick and demon-possessed” to be lifted up by Jesus and share in His healing power.
We, too, share in Jesus healing power when we are lifted up through His Word and Sacrament. The result is,
Lifted Up by Jesus We Serve.
Lifted Up by Jesus We Serve.
In our Baptism and growth in the faith, our union with Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection means that our sins are forgiven and the devil, with his minions are cast out. Jesus’ death and resurrection is now our death and resurrection. We are a new people, a new creation, freed from our prior bondage to sin, death, and devil.
We, too, have witnessed the authority and power of our Savior as strongly and boldly as the people of Capernaum.
Consequently we are motivated to serve others.
On the job, no matter what we do.
At home, in school, in our neighborhood.
Within this congregation of believers.
We can’t help it. As a new creation in Christ, this is the fruit that we bear.
We do it because with Paul, in this weekend’s Epistle, we can say, “I am compelled to do this or the sake of the Gospel.”
We do it because Jesus, God’s Son, has revealed himself to us when He was lifted up Himself upon the cross. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This He said, signifying what death He should die” (Jn 12:32-33).
And in being lifted up upon the cross, Jesus has healed us.
It’s true that many times we feel like Job and want to say, “My life is but a breath; my eyes will never again feel happiness” (Job 7:7). But we have an advantage. We have witnessed the Epiphany of our Lord. God has revealed himself to us in Jesus. He has healed us, called us — Lifted Us Up — and made us His own. We have been baptized in his name. We are his friends, and as friends, service comes more easily because it is joyful and responsive. We have “the light of life” (Jn 8:12).
“The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love” (Psalm 147:11 appointed psalm for this day). May we be like that.