A Savior Who Understands
Notes
Transcript
My Favorite Illustrations The Grace of Understanding
The Grace of Understanding
After several pastors had failed to win a condemned criminal to Christ by preaching down to him, a layman went to visit the man. Entering the death row cell, he sat on the cot alongside the man, took him by the hand, and said, “We are in a bad fix, aren’t we?” The man broke into tears and soon yielded to Christ. He needed somebody to understand and care.
Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. … through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen.
34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
Why did I read a portion of last week’s lesson? I did it to remind you that the Lord is compassionate; “He knows our frame - He remembers that we are dust.” What I’m about to read might lead you to question that:
47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,
What is this? When evening came, Jesus saw that they were struggling against the wind. But Jesus waited, past sunset - about 6 pm - past 9 pm, past midnight - until the 4th Watch - between 3 and 6 AM - to come to them. Then Mark writes that Jesus, literally, ἤθελεν the imperfect of the verb θελω - to want/wish -“was wanting to pass by them!”
There is no explanation given for this behavior in the passage. Nothing to soften the blow.
49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Well, wait a minute - maybe there is a method to the Lord’s strangeness. Maybe there is a purpose, albeit one that feels off-putting at first glance, but if we trust in the goodness of the Lord, we will see it as He reveals it to us by the Spirit rather than in the flesh.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
The Lord is not like us, fickle, unstable, wavering, when it comes to love. When the Lord loves you, He doesn’t change:
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
As the Lord, Himself, declares to faithless Israel in the days of Malachi:
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
There is a process that He allows us to go through for our spiritual growth and our fleshly discipline, and He knows how much pressure to apply, when to comfort, and when to rebuke. Later on, after Jesus feeds, in similar fashion, 4000 people, and later warns the disciples concerning the “leaven” or, “teaching,” of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matt 16:5-12, He reminds them of how He provided for many with what seemed to be little.
Back to Mark, the next portion of Scripture takes us, along with the heart-hardened 12, back to shore.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
This happens a lot in Mark: the 12 doubt, but the “people” recognize Him and respond by bringing to Him all their needs. The people who are not being discipled by Jesus trust that He will do good to them, based upon His previous actions, but the 12 need to be reminded over and over that He has them in His care. That is one way to look at it, and we often do, but consider this:
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
It takes spiritual maturity to endure temptation, and the Lord knows how much you can handle, even when you don’t. God is not trying to break you unless you need to be broken in order to grow. The reason it seems like the wicked test God and prosper is because we lack wisdom, our foolish hearts become darkened.
If only two things were true: [1], that they were “keeping His charge” and [2] they hadn’t spoken against the Lord. But there is another thing that the Lord does: He allows the wicked to mature in their wickedness when they refuse to repent, just as He sanctifies those who do, to bring them to maturity in holiness through trials.
So your current state does not indicate your favored state.
My current state does not indicate my favored state!
That sounds good to say it, but then what? What does indicate where I am before the Lord? His Word of promise and your relationship with that Word.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
If the love of Christ controls you, then you will take heed to and apply the word to the situation:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 37 will become the song of comfort and encouragement to you, not because the wicked will, one day, get theirs, but because you know that the Lord is for you, therefore you will follow Him even when it seems foolish. You will walk in His way, rather than in the ways of the world:
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The Lord knows what is right, and He knows those who are His. Holy Baptism identifies you as His.
The Book of Concord (AC IX: Concerning Baptism)
[IX. Concerning Baptism][1–2] Concerning baptism it is taught that it is necessary, that grace is offered through it, and that one should also baptize children, who through such baptism are entrusted to God and become pleasing to him.[3] Rejected, therefore, are the Anabaptists who teach that the baptism of children is not right.
The Book of Concord (Ap IX: Baptism)
[2] Since the gospel is purely and carefully taught among us, we have received, by God’s favor, this additional fruit from it: that no Anabaptists have arisen in our churches, because the people have been fortified by God’s Word against the ungodly and seditious faction of these crooks. Among the many other errors of the Anabaptists we also condemn their assertion that the baptism of little children is useless. For it is most certain that the promise of salvation also pertains to little children. But it does not pertain to those who are outside the church of Christ, where there is neither Word nor sacrament, because Christ regenerates through Word and sacrament. Therefore it is necessary to baptize little children in order that the promise of salvation might be applied to them according to Christ’s mandate [Matt. 28:19*], “Baptize all nations.” Just as salvation is offered to all in that passage, so baptism is also offered to all—men, women, children, and infants. Therefore it clearly follows that infants are to be baptized because salvation is offered with baptism.
The Book of Concord Article X: Concerning the Lord’s Supper
[X. Concerning the Lord’s Supper]
[1] Concerning the Lord’s Supper it is taught that the true body and blood of Christ are truly present under the form of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper and are distributed and received there. [2] Rejected, therefore, is also the contrary teaching.
The Book of Concord (Article X: The Holy Supper)
[2] Moreover, we have ascertained that not only the Roman church affirms the bodily presence of Christ, but that the Greek church has always maintained the same position and still does so, as the canon of the Mass among the Greeks testifies. … We have cited this entire testimony here not in order to begin an argument on this subject here (for His Imperial Majesty does not disapprove of this article) but in order that whoever reads this might perceive more clearly that we defend the position received in the entire church—that in the Lord’s Supper the body and blood of Christ are truly and substantially present and are truly offered with those things that are seen, bread and wine. Moreover, we are talking about the presence of the living Christ, for we know that death no longer has dominion over him [Rom. 6:9*].
The Book of Concord Article VII: Concerning the Holy Supper
[55] For if the body of Christ were not truly and essentially present but only present and enjoyed in its power and effect, the bread would have to have been called a sharing not of the body, but of the spirit, power, and benefits of Christ, as the Apology argues and concludes.198 [56] Thus, if Paul were only speaking of a spiritual sharing of Christ’s body through faith, as the sacramentarians pervert the passage, then he would not say “the bread” but “the spirit” or “faith” is the sharing of the body of Christ. But he says the bread is the sharing of the body of Christ, so that all who receive the consecrated bread are also sharing the body of Christ. Therefore, he must be speaking not of a spiritual reception but of a sacramental or oral reception of Christ’s body, by both godly and godless Christians alike.
[57] The purpose and context of this entire discourse of St. Paul [1 Cor. 10:14–33*] make this clear. He was discouraging and warning those who ate from the sacrifices to idols and who practiced fellowship with heathen worship of the devil and at the same time went to the table of the Lord and shared Christ’s body and blood. He warned them so that they would not receive his body and blood to their judgment and damnation. For all who share the consecrated bread broken in the Supper also share Christ’s body. Therefore St. Paul cannot be speaking of spiritual sharing with Christ, which no one can misuse, and about which there is no need to warn people.
Why so much about the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper? Because our faith is in the promises of God who through baptism has united us to Christ in His death, so that we may also attain to the resurrection from the dead, and through Holy Communion we receive the forgiveness of sins with His very real presence: “as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim His death until He comes.” No one who is not united to Christ in His death has the promise of being raised with Him. People ask about “the thief on the cross,” and my answer is this: Romans 6:3-4 makes the promise concerning those who are united to Christ’s death. Was the thief not united to Christ in His death? His repentant plea, “Lord remember me when you come into Your Kingdom” were the words of faith, and our Lord responded to Him with a promise: “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
In Holy Baptism, we join in the faith that was expressed by the thief. Therefore, we baptize and teach, trusting in the Lord and doing good, knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. As Christ’s church we continue to bear witness to the truth of God’s Word, as long as He gives us strength and opportunity. As God’s dear children, we look to our Heavenly Father to supply all our need according to His riches by Christ Jesus.
Therefore, we do not fear the presence of the Lord, as did the 12, we recognize Him, not only for HIS benefits, as did the crowds, but for His love for us, which has birthed our love for Him. We draw near to Him, for He draws near to us in our worship in the Divine Service. And when we depart from here, we “go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, thanks be to God.”
So let the peace of God, that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.