MidWeek Lenten Vespers, February 28, 2018. John 8 - I AM the Light of the World

 John 8:12 παλιν ουν ο ιησους αυτοις ελαλησεν λεγων - "εγω ειμι το φως του κοσμου ο ακολουθων εμοι ου μη περιπατησει εν τη σκοτια αλλ εξει το φως της ζωης"

Mid-Week Lenten Vespers, 2018

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Standard Time

The Hymn #145 -          Jesus Refuge of the Weary           
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody                   Psalm 23                       p. 128
The Lections                            The Passion History

                                                 John 8

                                             
The Sermon Hymn #149           Come to Calvary's Holy Mountain

The Sermon –    I AM the Light of the World

 
The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                            p. 45

The Hymn #660 - Heaven Is My Home

John 8 - 

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

 Norma A. Boeckler

I AM the Light of the World

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I AM the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

As I have said before, and recognize more than ever, the Gospel of John is based upon the Torah and fulfills what is promised and foreshadowed in the Five Books of Moses.

We are used to "I am" being used for simple identification, such as "I am an Army veteran" or "I am a teacher." The difference here is that God's Name in Exodus 3 is I AM, and Jesus pointedly used His Name to refute those Jewish leaders who called themselves children of Abraham and ridiculed what He said about the Temple.

The ridicule is edifying, because that is the style all unbelievers use when "refuting" the Faith. They imagine they are clever and funny, but their words betray them, as Jesus revealed to them. 

So I consider John 8:58 to be pivotal for the entire Gospel and for what is called Christology. Jesus identified Himself as pre-existent (existing in eternity, before His incarnation). Before Abraham was, I AM.

Nor is Abraham's name a coincidence, because Abraham is the key figure for Justification by Faith in Romans 4, Galatians, James, and Hebrew 11. 

Look at the Samaritan woman, in John 4. The Samaritans also had their version of the Five Books of Moses. She confessed faith in the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus said, "I AM, solemnly addressing you now." 

Would she have simply heard that as identification, I am He speaking to you now? Or would it be a thunderbolt from heaven to quote Himself from the Burning Bush? I AM! solemnly declaring this truth to you.

Given this basis, we can see what Jesus is teaching - "I AM the Light of the World." That means all truth comes through Christ and is seen in Christ. That is not what the worldly-wise think. They are glad to give Christ a place in their system, more as a philosopher, a man. But they reserve the right to judge Christ and the Christian Faith. They subordinate the Light of the World to their revered inner light.

This is always getting in the way of trust in Christ, because we have to set aside human reason and say, "This is the Truth, and this Truth, the Creating Word, judges all books, all wisdom."

The Gospel of John does this most effectively from the perspective of rhetoric. It is easy to read in any language, including Greek and Latin. Points are clarified and enlarged by repetition. The grammar is easy with no effect to dazzle us with the tools of eloquent. Nevertheless, the Fourth Gospel is the most eloquent and elegant (poetical) of them all.

A true confession of faith in Him does not come from bounty and blessings but waiting, sometimes in a slow agony like the Canaanite woman, and saying - 

And should my heart for sorrow break,

My trust in Thee no one could shake.

Thou art the Portion I have sought;

Thy precious blood my soul has bought.

That is from a great hymn that draws together the basics of the Gospel message - Lord, Thee I Love.

Worldly wisdom teaches that following Christ means satisfying our material and social needs. But "I AM the Light" means subordinating our reason to faith in Him. In faith we see that God did not spare the Apostles or His beloved Son. In that time of testing we all face during our lifetimes, we see how that test is completed - and the angels minister to us, too.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Greek Lesson

^{John 4}

²⁵ λεγει αυτω η γυνη οιδα οτι μεσσιας ερχεται ο λεγομενος χριστος οταν ελθη εκεινος αναγγελει ημιν παντα

²⁶ λεγει αυτη ο ιησους εγω ειμι ο λαλων σοι

John 8

¹² παλιν ουν ο ιησους αυτοις ελαλησεν λεγων εγω ειμι το φως του κοσμου ο ακολουθων εμοι ου μη περιπατησει εν τη σκοτια αλλ εξει το φως της ζωης

¹⁸ εγω ειμι ο μαρτυρων περι εμαυτου και μαρτυρει περι εμου ο πεμψας με πατηρ

²⁴ ειπον ουν υμιν οτι αποθανεισθε εν ταις αμαρτιαις υμων εαν γαρ μη πιστευσητε οτι εγω ειμι αποθανεισθε εν ταις αμαρτιαις υμων

²⁸ ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους οταν υψωσητε τον υιον του ανθρωπου τοτε γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι και απ εμαυτου ποιω ουδεν αλλα καθως εδιδαξεν με ο πατηρ μου ταυτα λαλω

⁵⁸ ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους αμην αμην λεγω υμιν πριν αβρααμ γενεσθαι εγω ειμι

 Norma A. Boeckler

Worry Not! WELS MLC Has a Plan! Enrollment Data, Public Opinion Suggest The College Bubble Is Popping

Diamond Mark Zarling, president of the shrinking WELS college, has a plan. Look for it.

 Diamond Mark earned his nickname for comparing WELS' precious doctrine of UOJ with a polished diamond.
He provides addition proof that Wisconsin Sect is not Lutheran and not about to change.

Enrollment Data, Public Opinion Suggest The College Bubble Is Popping:



"Enrollment Data, Public Opinion Suggest The College Bubble Is Popping
A lethal combination of radical liberalism, a rapidly evolving economy, and unstoppable technological progress is all but certain to fell America’s ivory tower.

By Greg Jones
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
All good things, goes the old cliché, must come to an end. And for American higher education, the end is nigh. It will be a particularly sad finale as, before their descent into madness, America’s college campuses were a premier source of national pride.

Even today, people from all corners of the globe dream of sending their children to one of the many leading education centers within America’s borders. Despite comprising less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States boasts more than half of the globe’s top 100 universities.


These institutions have advanced research critical to some of the biggest scientific accomplishments in modern history, from a fundamental understanding of chemical reactions to the Internet. But now a lethal combination of radical liberalism, a rapidly evolving economy, and unstoppable technological progress is all but certain to fell America’s ivory tower.

Groupthink Has Strangled the Academy’s Mind
Already the areas of scholarship that once defined a broad, well-versed college education, the liberal arts and humanities, are being passed over for more practical and profitable majors. These long-left-leaning departments have left in their wakes a legacy of groupthink that infects nearly every nook and cranny of academia. Liberal faculty at American colleges and universities outnumber their conservative counterparts nearly 12 to one."

'via Blog this'

***

GJ - Zarling's strategic plan for MLC is linked here.

ChurchMouse Wrote Again

 Read ChurchMouse on a wide variety of topics,including American politics.

Dear Dr Jackson

Thank you very much for your email and for the post mentioning my site!  I greatly appreciate both as well as the bump in traffic!

This was my favourite sentence:

he is one of the few religious bloggers I respect. 

J That made my week, if not year! J

C.

 Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

***

GJ - Readers will use their time wisely in following ChurchMouse, linked at the top of the left-hand column. The favorite blogs list will stay right below the views statistics. The newest post is always on top, so a friendly competition ensues to stay on top.

I also admire the work of Dr. Lito Cruz and Alec Satin, with Alec earning two links, a rare distinction.

ChurchMouse corrected me about Dilbert and Conservative Tree House. Dilbert's author has a political column but it is not CTH. The trouble with so much reading on so many topics is merging things together. I try to be excruciatingly precise in theology, so something has to slip at times.

Without overt nudging, CM has encouraged me to report more on the political situation in America. I plan to do that, more to encourage research by the readers, definitely not to serve as the Oracle of Delphi or the interpreter of Q. 

ChurchMouse asked specifically about Norma A. Boeckler, which is another indication of her international appeal and influence.

 Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

Not Even Once! - Selfie addict, 22, admits he snaps 200 Instagram pics of himself a day

 Not even once!

Selfie addict, 22, admits he snaps 200 Instagram pics of himself a day:

"He said he will spend three hours getting ready for a picture and his obsession has led to him getting cosmetic surgery on his face.

Essex boy Junaid, who has 50,000 Instagram followers, told the BBC: "When I post a picture, in the first minute or two I'll probably get 100 likes and I love it, my phone goes crazy, it's just amazing."

Researchers have identified a genuine addiction to selfies, which they have labelled selfitis."

 Have you had the catnip talk with your cat?
Tomorrow may be too late.

'via Blog this'

Stop It, LutherQuest (sic) - You Are Killing Me

Rev. Richard A. Bolland (Bolland) Advanced Member Username: Bolland Post Number: 722 Registered: 8-2001

Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 12:13 am:       Ah Steven....beware the Eastern tilt! :-) “It does no good to say: I will gladly confess Christ and His Word in all articles except one or two which my tyrannical masters will not tolerate…but he who denies Christ in one article or word has in this one article denied the same Christ who would be denied in all articles; (Luther)

***

GJ - This article does not remain in WELS-LCMS-ELS-CLC (sic) -ELCA. These sects agree against the Chief Article. That is why they work together so well - they have a common enemy, the Truth.

That does not mean that all the LCMS-WELS-ELS pastors belong in this camp. My impression is that Missouri has the largest group and largest percentage of pastors who teach the Chief Article. Others are scattered about in WELS/ELS.

The professors in the Failing Five teach against the Scriptures, Luther, and the Book of Concord.

Why Do Questers Moan about the Bitter Fruit from the UOJ Tree?

 Is this Lutheran doctrine? Luther's? The Book of Concord?
No, this is cowardly, sniveling Universalism,
embedded in Valleskey's love-sick hymn to Church Growth.

The parasitic growth, self-styled as LutherQuest, is moaning over the loss of Pastor Crunchy Lutheran Mommy to Eastern Orthodoxy.

(The good news? - the blog name will soon be available.)

One of their Ft. Wayne brethren told me Eastern Orthodoxy was just another polity, i.e., no different in doctrine, just another way of organizing their congregations.

Jay Webber left Ft. Wayne in awe of Eastern Orthodoxy and could not wait to get to the Ukraine to enjoy the ambience of oxcarts, thatched roofs, and incense.

The collective wails on LQ remind me of the hippies crying about the cut trees.

  This campaign never got off the ground.

No one on LutherQuest is Lutheran. They should know by now that two of Walther's picks as professors left St. Louis for Roman Catholicism. One was Edward Preuss, the other is less known. Walther claimed it proved how pure his synod was. See Fuerbringer for more information. He was Walther's nephew.

A Lutheran knows the Chief Article is Justification by Faith Alone, and the Concordia-Mequon-Bethany seminaries teach against that doctrine with a passion only matched by the CLC (sic) at their Donkey Basketball games.

How can someone long for F. Pieper when it is Pieper's legacy to turn out ELCA, EO, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, and Church Growth pastors?

Pieper is the cause, not the cure.

I am not going to claim that all five seminaries teach Walther-Pieper. For many of them, the SynCon canon - aka The Brief Statement of 1932 - is just an excuse to weave fancy tales in the style of modern theology and Biblical studies. Those who could not make a dent in creative writing class found a safe harbor in modern Lutheran theology, where everyone knows, anything goes.

The candidates for jobs at the Failing Five seminaries are selected for their loyalty to the agenda. How else to explain their silence about Pentecostalism, occultism, Church Growth/Missional, women's ordination, and ELCA coveting? These must be the watchers on the Towers of Zion.

The UOJ Stormtroopers never quite catch onto any Justification by Faith passage and consider all Atonement passages a Halleluia Chorus for their dogma.

I organize and copy their best work, quoting them verbatim, after taking my Tums, and they do not reciprocate. They do not quote me, Luther, or Paul and say, "We hate and despise Justification by Faith Alone."

Man up, ye Deans of Dogma. We want to hear your antitheses.

They Never Received a Lutheran Seminary Education, So They Worry about an Eastern Orthodox Convert

 They teach against this at both Concordia seminaries,
Mequon (Mordor) and Bethany Lutheran Seminary.
QED - they are not Lutheran when they are ordained.

Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 7893 Registered: 10-2003	Posted on Monday, February 26, 2018 - 4:04 pm:       Rev. Williams: "Depending on what you mean by "not been a Lutheran for a very long time..." By very long time, I mean approximately ten years, which includes time at Concordia-St. Paul (where he met Dalas), four years at CTS and four years as a Lutheran pastor. As Dalas Mueller stated in her August 23, 2017, Crunchy Lutheran Mommy blog, "Good-Bye Blog": quote: Throughout our formal education on the Lutheran confessions and practice we learned things about Lutheranism that raised questions. We’ve tried for many years to answer those questions and settle our doubts. But the questions were not resolved, instead more questions appeared and our discomfort with the LCMS’ doctrine and practice grew. In comparison, in her September 21, 2010, Crunchy Lutheran Mommy blog, "Lutheran," Dalas stated: quote: It is true that I was born and raised in the Lutheran Church. I was baptized as an infant and confirmed into the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in middle school. I attended two Lutheran universities and I am now married to a man studying to be a Lutheran pastor. However, I am not Lutheran just because I was taught that way and it’s all I’ve ever known. I have surely had my doubts, and I do not remain without questions concerning the practice of my beloved church.... However, it has been through those doubts, and the mounds of studying and research I have gone through as a result, that leads me to the conclusion that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and those she is in fellowship with, remain steadfast in purity of doctrine, focusing on the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am indescribably blessed to have the opportunity to fellowship with the Lutheran Church. Furthermore, I believe that the Lutheran confessions, as written in the Book of Concord, are an accurate interpretation of the Scriptures. I am quite passionate about my Lutheran heritage and theology. As I raise my children in the faith I hope that I will be able to equip them with sound doctrine and Christ-centered teaching that they can take with them throughout their life.
Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 7894 Registered: 10-2003	Posted on Monday, February 26, 2018 - 4:06 pm:       One wonders if CTS (or CSL) took a survey of seminarians over the past decade, how many would honestly express that they favor paedocommunion and that they prefer Loehe over Walther and that Kirche und Amt is not really the definitive statement under Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions of the Synod’s understanding on the subject of church and ministry.
Rev. Richard A. Bolland (Bolland) Advanced Member Username: Bolland Post Number: 716 Registered: 8-2001	Posted on Monday, February 26, 2018 - 4:54 pm:       Rick, Never underestimate the ability of a few at our seminaries to stay quiet during class discussions, sit at the back of the room and rarely (if ever) engage in conversation with fellow students - especially if married and living off campus. It does happen. Not often, thankfully, but it does happen. They are stealth heretics. “It does no good to say: I will gladly confess Christ and His Word in all articles except one or two which my tyrannical masters will not tolerate…but he who denies Christ in one article or word has in this one article denied the same Christ who would be denied in all articles; (Luther)
Steven W Bohler (Sbohler) Senior Member Username: Sbohler Post Number: 1307 Registered: 9-2001	Posted on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 10:43 am:       Uh-oh. I was quiet during class discussions, sat in the back of the room, and did not engage in many conversations with other students while at the seminary. Am I in danger of going full-tilt heretical??? Help me, I'm scared!
Steven W Bohler (Sbohler) Senior Member Username: Sbohler Post Number: 1308 Registered: 9-2001	Posted on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 10:48 am:       Now that I think about it, I was told by a professor while a student that "at least it (my vicarage year and supervisor) was orthodox". Will I turn out like this Mueller fellow? Am I destined to also become Orthodox? In fact, the professor who made that comment to me was named Mueller! I feel like Lonn Chaney, Jr. in those old werewolf movies. If I do turn, please, please, somebody shoot me with the silver bullet. Or, at least, bullet points from Pieper.

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