ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
“Lochner
spreads a veritable feast before you for nearly every occasion where
the pastor is expected to serve up the Word. Of course, the Mass is
central (and he offers
some more thoughts on that too!), but it does not exist in isolation.
Put together at the request of his fellow pastors, Lochner again
ransacks the Church Orders to present an Agenda that draws upon the vast
wealth of our Church’s liturgical tradition for
occasional services....
“Liturgical
Forms is truly the 19th century’s Pastoral
Care Companion. Yet again, we find ourselves deeply in Matthew Carver’s
debt as he continues to bring into English important works that give us
vital insights into the lex
orandi of the Lutheran Church.”
William Weedon, Assistant Pastor St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hamel IL
***
A glowing review from Rev. Will Weedon
I
do not exaggerate: this is the book that I have been looking for in
vain for years. It is the definitive book on the classic historic
Lutheran liturgy, where that liturgy is grounded in complete continuity
with what came in the centuries before. Lochner’s work shows how the
liturgy was purified at the Reformation and then offered to the Church
in the service of the Gospel. In Lochner, the liturgy lives and
breathes; it is manifestly not some museum artifact but a richly ordered
way for the people of God to feast upon the twin gifts that constitute
the Chief Divine Service: the Word and the Holy Sacrament.
All
lovers of Lutheran doctrine and liturgy and music will want this book
on their shelves, and they will all be grateful to Matthew Carver, yet
again.
Rev. William Weedon St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hamel, Illinois
Caladiums come in many variations of white, pink, and red. They are planted after the last frost (everyone hopes) and slowly grow up to show off their colors.
I ordered a few, which came at a good time. I look at the IBM weather report and try to get things in the ground just before a rain. That seems to have happened today. I enjoy sitting on a cardboard square the ground and digging holes for the latest project.
The bare root roses came in when it was too cold, so I soaked them in a rain barrel and planted them before several days of rain finished my work. The new ones and last year's have sprouted leaves.
Caladiums are not spectacular, but their leaves add color to the garden for months.
I enjoy seeing the garden from the ground floor. Many different early-birds sprout among the hardy bulbs. Tiny flowers are a magnet for bees, so I saw them working the hyacinths at a bad time. I was hovering over the flowers while they were cruising the hyacinths. However, I remain unstung over decades, except for one red hornet which zapped me lightly just for existing.
The autumn leaves are being pulled down by earthworms into the soil. Ranger Bob said, "You are the only one on this block that adds leaves to the yard." I said, "I am the only one with roses, too."
I am planning on some gladiolus, not because I am a big fan, but because they are so inexpensive. I can hardly resist the price, so I now put a few in. We are nearly in the gladiolus planting season, so I will get a few.
U.S. — In a stunning development resulting from the faltering of the United States banking system, banks have now begun calling their customers and asking for loans. According to reports, thousands of desperate bankers have called up lendees to ask for a few bucks.
"So, uh... how's it hanging there... Rob A. Smith?" said one Fifth Third executive to Rob Smith in Chillicothe Ohio. "You enjoying that, um... 2013 Ford Fusion you financed with us? Yeah, such a great car, the Ford Fusion. How are the kids doing? So, um, while I have you on here, you don't think you could float me a couple thousand, could you? I promise I'll pay you back!"
A Christian has that Word and clings firmly to it in death; therefore he does not see death, but his eyes are filled with the life and the Christ in that Word; therefore he never feels death. But the godless possess not that Word, therefore they see no life, but only death; and they must also feel death; that is then the bitter and eternal death.
11. Now Christ means here that whoever clings to his Word will in the midst of death neither feel nor see death, as he also says in John 11:25: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me though he die, yet shall he live,” that is, he will not experience real death. Here we see now what a glorious estate it is to be a Christian, who is already released from death forever and can never die. For his death or dying seems outwardly indeed like the dying of the godless, but inwardly there is a difference as great as between heaven and earth. For the Christian sleeps in death and in that way enters into life, but the godless departs from life and experiences death forever; thus we may see how some tremble, doubt and despair, and become senseless and raging in the midst of the perils of death. Hence death is also called in the Scriptures a sleep. For just as he who falls asleep does not know how it happens, and he greets the morning when he awakes; so shall we suddenly arise on the last day, and never know how we entered and passed through death.
There is no other New Testament book which is so eloquent - and is also the most difficult one in Greek. One pastor told me he was going through the Greek New Testament fast - until he reached Hebrews.
The first Temple is described in this chapter of Hebrews. This is especially important in the union of the Old and New Testaments. Everything about the Temple was a foretaste of Christ, which is why Jesus made His opponents so angry about Him. He spoke as the Son of God and they only thought of their history and the building itself (Herod's Temple).
That seems strange to us, that the Jewish people would sacrifice animals for their sins, over such a period of time. Yet, the Promises began with the Garden of Eden and the Promise of a Savior. There was so much to teach so each item of the Messianic Promises was written into the Scriptures over centuries. They begin with Genesis 3:15 and continue until the last OT book.
Hebrew 9's chapter has covenant taught 3 times and testament 9 times. The difference is that covenant is a mutual term, each party does something. Zoning covenants mean that the seller must obey limitations on the use of property when sold. That keeps people from a residential area from having a junkyard. A testament is one-sided, so the other party has no say in what is written - a will, and not a covenant. Calvinists only speak of covenants even though Paul in particular and Hebrews speak of the Testament. With a will, called a Last Will and Testament, I can designate any person to receive something without them knowing it.
KJV Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
All those centuries of worship in the Tabernacle and the Temples - they were a foreshadowing of the One Great Sacrifice, accomplished for us. We can see how many ways God prepared us - just a few of them:
The matter of sin, the Garden of Eden.
The first Gospel in Genesis 3:15
The sacrifice of Abraham, changed to a substitute sheep, Genesis 22.
The Psalms and Isaiah 53.
Anyone who claims to ignore the Gospel in the Old Testament is a fool. The Word of God, which always at work with the Spirit, brings Christ to us - and us to Christ. That is the meaning of faith in Jesus Christ being "access to grace" in Romans 5:1-2. Forgiveness of sin comes only through faith, and that gives us access to the Savior and removal of sin from Him alone.
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
This simply means that there was one true sacrifice - Jesus' death on the cross, where He represented the ultimate and only sacrifice for sin - only one time and never to be repeated. Crawling or walking on glass or any kind of self punishment is a mockery of the sacrifice of Christ. Those Protestants who covet the papacy must necessarily fall into such foolishness that suggests, even declares that faith in Him is not enough but must be supplemented by self-punishment and financial offerings.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The KJV is a work of incomparable beauty, so we should not entrust the Scriptures to illiterates who want to make the Bible as tone-deaf as they are. The theory about "modern" Bibles is confused, because all the English-speaking peoples of the world used the KJV, and that -- with Shakespeare (the Earl of Oxford) - shaped the language we use today. No one forced the KJV on anyone. It was designated the official pulpit Bible of England - only - but its excellence simply left the others on the shelf of former English Bibles.
Those who used apostate politics to "revise" the KJV in the 19th century produced something so bad that they could not fix it or keep printing that lame duck. The worst of the Greek New Testament experts (Tischendorf, Westcott-Hort, Nestle, Kurt Aland) took over to erase as much of the New Testament as possible, so the modern versions are a travesty of the English language and the precision of the Greek New Testament. The smart-alecks and snake oil salesmen mock the KJV and push their profitable, and expensive apostate Bibles.
Hebrews is difficult, and yet its eloquence makes us spend much more time in getting its message from the Holy Spirit. The work is quite visual and poetic and stays with us.
Announcements and Prayers
Sarah Buck's birthday is tomorrow.
Holy Week will include Maundy Thursday Holy Communion and Good Friday Vespers.
Easter Sunday - with Holy Communion - is April 9th.
KJV Hebrews 9
9 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
10. How does it then come to pass that man does not see nor taste death, and yet Abraham and all the prophets are dead, who notwithstanding had the Word of God as the Jews say? Here we must give attention to the words of Christ, who makes the distinction that death is a different thing than to see or taste death. We all must face death and die; but a Christian neither tastes nor sees it, that is, he does not feel it, he is not terrified before it, and he enters death calmly and quietly, as though falling asleep, and yet he does not die. But a godless person feels and experiences death, and is terrified before it forever. Thus to taste death may well be called the power and reign or the bitterness of death, yea, it is the eternal death and hell. The Word of God makes this difference. A Christian has that Word and clings firmly to it in death; therefore he does not see death, but his eyes are filled with the life and the Christ in that Word; therefore he never feels death. But the godless possess not that Word, therefore they see no life, but only death; and they must also feel death; that is then the bitter and eternal death.
50% of her bishops in ELCA have broken the teaching of the Pastoral Epistles, but that is no problem for WELS/LCMS.
Nothing expresses Lutheran apostasy better than this Photoshop. I am not sure of the date, but it was at least 50 pounds ago for Matt and 30 pounds ago for Liz.
The Lutheran synods have moved relentlessly against the KJV Bible, promoting the ridiculous Evil Four - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV. Three of the Evil Four are licensed children of the National Council of (Marxist) Churches, which should give anyone pause in buying a Bible or joining ELDONA. The New Testament of the Evil Four plus Beck are so bad that they disagree with each but agree about erasing verses and words of the New Testament with nothing more than "older texts are better" without naming those sources.
If one house is older than another, is it better? Would a home buyer say, "This lacks a bathroom and safe wiring, but it is older and therefore better"? The Evil Four plus Beck do not give away their corrupt and favorite sources -
Vaticanus, a late translation from Latin to Greek! and
Sinaiticus, a known fraud "found" having pure white leather and known to have been manufactured in the 1800s.
I buy a lot of Bibles and look over the various translations and extras. All the Bibles with special reference sections charge for that deluxe addition. Bible printers seem endless, and their special editions are aimed at every possible demographic - teens, women, etc.
Alec Satin relayed a quote from Luther - that using God's Word and not teaching it correctly is the worst kind of blasphemy. And that is the position of Lutheran synods today, pursuing filthy lucre selling atrocious translations because their schemes have all failed.
That is why I wish a long lifetime and re-elections for the Big Three in the photograph. The Lutherans are completely enchanted by
Karl Barth and mistress Charlotte Kirschbaum,
Rudolph Bultmann,'
Quickie D.Min. degrees so they can emulate Larry Olson,
Fuller Seminary tactics, and
Trinity Divinity ... wait there's more...
The Church of Rome, its crafts and assaults,
Eastern Orthodoxy as the halfway house for papists, and
Calvinists denying efficacy of the Word and the Means of Grace, plus
Entertainment Evangelism.
Thrivent loot, keeping the officials fat while capturing the estates of widows to fund their ridiculous ecumenical follies.
The Big Three synods are so impoverished now that they work together closely while denying that their buddie synods are equal to their sanctification - or rather - sanctimony.
Scott Barefoot posing with "Luther," especially ironic in WELS.
Dear Pastor Jackson,
Yale University
Professor Niles Dahl, PhD is a light shining in the darkness of
unbelief when he said, "The text! The text! We have the text!" (See pg.
189 footnote, The King James Version, Gregory L Jackson, PhD, ISBN
9798429093451).
Which text was used during the Reformation? Was
Vaticanus used? No! Erasmus rejected the corrupt Vaticanus! (See pg.
134, The King James Version, Gregory L Jackson, PhD)
God the Holy Ghost
is the Spirit of truth who attached himself to Luther's 1545 Bible, King
James Bible, and the TEXTUS RECEPTUS during the reformation. God the
Holy Ghost rejected the corrupt Vaticanus (now the corrupt Nestle-Aland
and corrupt United Bible Society Text)!
So
the gentle showers of God's pure WORDS (Luther's 1545 Bible, King James
Bible and their foundation the TEXTUS RECEPTUS) watered the whole world,
creating faith to believe God's efficacious WORDS.
"Seek
ye the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the LORD, and he will abundantly pardon. For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
LORD. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the
rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may
give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55;6-11
Think roses
now!! How gentle spring showers cause them to bud and bloom into a most
beautiful white rose: Luther's rose!! Yes! Millions of Luther roses
blooming and growing in the hearts of men, women, and little infants of
every tribe, language, and nation as the softness of God's Word
(Luther's 1545 Bible and King James Bible, and TEXTUS RECEPTUS the
foundation of all pure translations) waters their hearts and creates
faith in Christ without works. Yes!! Millions of hearts kneeling down
before God's Holy infant child Jesus, born of the virgin Mary in a
manger, true God and true man, creator of heaven and earth, their true
God and only Savior. Behold how all their fear of God disappears and all
they want to do is pick up God's Holy infant child Jesus and hold him
close to their hearts trusting in him alone. Here is Luther's rose
blooming in the hearts of all nations, tribes, and languages.
"And
there were in the same country shepherd's abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them: and they
were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ
the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men. Luke 2:8-14
O you blind and deaf
Lutheran laymen, pastors, presidents, and vice presidents. Your
precious corrupt Bibles(ESV, NIV, NKJV, and their corrupt foundation:
Vaticanus, Nestle-Aland, United Bible Society texts) have wilted and
snuffed out Luther's beautiful white rose from the hearts of men. All
her beautiful white petals have dried up and blown away. Where is your
faith? "The pure text is gone for ever", you yap. "Theos" is gone from 1
Timothy 3:16 and "Godhead" is gone from Colossians 2:9 you bark. O how
you wickedly delight in denying Christ is true God and man in one person
using your corrupt Bibles to LIE and deceive in God's name and word.
You condescendingly say, " Romans 3:22-24 now says ALL men are
justified including unbelievers" ( See pg. 34, King James Version,
Gregory L. Jackson, PhD, ISBN 9798429093451). Behold how you wickedly
cling to your objective and subjective justification false doctrine (
see pg. 11, The Path To Understanding Justification, Gregory L Jackson,
PhD, ISBN 9781072530428). You confuse the atonement with justification.
Any school boy knows we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ without
works. Faith must be outside of us not inside of us, created by water
and the Word in holy baptism. You wickedly change faith into synergism (
subjective is making a decision clearly man's work not God's). Christ
atoned for the sins of all men. This treasure lays in a heap. Faith in
Christ alone blesses us with this treasure making it our own without
works.
REPENT you blind, deaf Lutherans. Throw
your corrupt Bibles away and cling to God's pure words in the King
James Bible. Luther's beautiful white rose will bloom again in your
hearts as God waters you with His true pure words.
If one could only believe it and persevere, he will surely come. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my word, he shall never see death.”
8. By these words he spoils it entirely, in that he does not only defend his doctrine as right and good, which they attribute to the devil; but also ascribes such virtue to his teaching that it becomes a powerful emperor over Satan, death and sin, to give and sustain eternal life. Behold here, how divine wisdom and human reason conflict with one another. How can a human being grasp the thought, that a corporeal, an oral word should redeem forever from death? But let blindness run its course; we shall consider this beautiful saying. Christ is speaking here not of the word of the law, but of the Gospel, which is a discourse about Christ, who died for our sins etc. For God did not wish to impart Christ to the world in any other way; he had to embody him in the Word and thus distribute him, and present him to everybody; otherwise Christ would have existed for himself alone and remained unknown to us; he would have thus died for himself.
But since the Word places before us Christ, it thus places us before him who has triumphed over death, sin and Satan. Therefore he who grasps and retains Christ, has thus also eternal deliverance from death. Consequently it is a Word of life, and it is true, that whoever keeps the Word shall never see death.
We are wandering in a maze when we do not think of life all around us as the intricate work of Creation.
We had wonderful warm, sunny weather when another round of freezing hit. The daffodils were flat on the ground this morning, as if they surrendered to the cold. But this afternoon they were upright again and more flowers were coming up.
Freezes and rain threats are good reasons to put extra bird (and squirrel) food out. I put some on each of two barrels, some on a broken chair, some scattered in the lawn. Right now they are shelled peanuts. Peanuts in the shell are great for attracting larger birds (grackles, starlings, cardinals, blue jays). Raw peanuts are attractive to all creatures great and small. Squirrels are omnivorous, so they eat anything and everything.
God has built in their needs, their nesting habits, food favorites, bathing style, and songs. Bethany Lutheran Church now has a bird choir that sings during the broadcast. They get up every morning, without food prepared, and sing the Matins service. They create happiness in all they do.
A powerful and influential Lutheran layman suggested daily Biblical or Lutheran quotations, so I decided to use Luther's Sermons as my quotation source. There will continue to be those quotations each day and also conveniently in the masthead.
Posting on the main page means the RSS reader will pick it up, perfect for charter members of RSS.
Copying to the masthead means having it easy to spot, whether there are two or ten posts that day.
The entire sermon is linked in both places, assuming some want it read it all.
Luther's Sermons are great resources for pastors, who are then relieved of copying from each other - a strange and dishonest practice in WELS, encouraged by the Mordor faculty.
1. This Gospel teaches how hardened persons become the more furious, the more one teaches them and lovingly stirs them to do their duty. For Christ asks them here in a very loving way for a reason why they still disbelieve, since they can find fault neither with his life nor with his teaching. His life is blameless; for he defies them and says: “Which of you convicteth me of sin?” His teaching also is blameless; for he adds: “If I say truth, why do ye not believe me?” Thus Christ lives, as he teaches.
2. And every preacher should prove that he possesses both: first a blameless life, by which he can defy his enemies and no one may have occasion to slander his teachings; secondly, that he possesses the pure doctrine, so that he may not mislead those who follow him. And thus he will be right and firm on both sides: with his good life against his enemies, who look much more at life than at his doctrine, and despise the doctrine for the sake of the life; with his doctrine then for the kind of life he leads and will bear with his life for the sake of his teaching.
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her: all ye that love her.
Rejoice for joy with her: all ye that mourn for her.
Psalm. I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
KJV Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
KJV John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Fourth Sunday In Lent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son didst feed five thousand men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes: We beseech Thee to abide graciously also with us in the fullness of Thy blessing. Preserve us from avarice and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things perceive Thy fatherly goodness, through Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God world without end. Amen.
Jesus' Commentary on Moses' Miracle
KJV John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
Introduction
The Gospel of John is best understood as a commentary, as the fulfillment of the Five Books of Moses. The content and structure of the Fourth Gospel is different in many ways from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but also in harmony with the first three. John's Gospel gives us more of the meaning of Jesus' ministry, with the assumption that we know the other three Gospels. The sermons and sayings of Jesus are prominent in John and so is the impact of very simple words and grammar, but profound and easily remembered.
If the Five Books of Moses are the foundation of God's work, from Creation to the Promised Land, then the Fourth Gospel fulfills what the Torah scrolls predicts. When we read all of John, we are not just learning about the Son of God in those days but also about the Trinity going back to Genesis 1:1 - the only other place where the book starts out the same as John - "In the beginning..." As Luther wrote, the divinity of Jesus is mined from the gold of the Torah - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Those raised in Judaism can see how the Old and New Testaments are unified, not two different Testaments. Those brought up without the basic truths of the Old Testament are assured that Jesus' ministry was already predicted - not just in the prophetic books - but all through the 39 books, starting with Genesis 1, John 1 together teach us that Jesus is the Creating Word...in the beginning. If the Holy Trinity is invoked in Genesis 1 and John 1, then it is taught in both Testaments, too.
John 6:1 reminds us that the Israelites followed Moses, such a multitude that they needed food (manna) and water (from the rock) - also referenced in John.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Because Jesus went up the mountain, the disciples could see the multitude following Jesus - because of the miracles He had performed. Jesus asked Philip and therefore the disciples - How can we buy enough bread for this multitude - knowing what was about to happen. That would make everyone follow Jesus' own observation and end conversation about this or that. It places us in the same place, imagining what it would be like to have this enormous crowd coming to Jesus.
Luther wrote about poverty and Jesus, since the Messiah and His disciples had very little. In this case, some loaves and fishes. Our tendency is to find comfort in money rather than in faith that God will care for us. The richest church in America is in NYC, Trinity Wall Street, worth a billion or so. Yes, the parish is torn up by conflict.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
I consider Philip the chairman of the finance committee. Every church has one. I nicknamed one The Bad News Bears, because they started every council meeting with doom and gloom. A consultant said these committees made everyone depressed before they got going. "They should end the meeting, not begin it."
Philip said - A large amount of money is not enough! Hopeless!
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Andrew clinched the fears by saying they had a little but not enough. During high interest times, a congregation told the synod they would build a new addition for cash. And they did. Years later they dissolved as a congregation and sold the property to a social agency. What was missing? Faith. How could I know that, so far away? It is because faith in Christ and attention to that singular purpose will take care of matters.
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
They had all the water they needed - we know because grass was growing. Jesus first gave thanks, which is another sign today, whether faith or no faith. The more rationalistic people are, the less they give thanks, the more they despair and get angry. There is a major difference between Moses and manna from heaven - and Jesus the Bread of Life. Moses asked for a miracle from God. Jesus performed the miracle before 5000 families. Moses prefigured the fulfillment of this great miracle, and Jesus displayed its completion, which made His opponents furious. This is like Holy Communion in many ways, but is not. Both are miracles and both are given by the power of God's Word.
Those who deny this miracle lack faith, and ultimately they reject most or all of the treasures of the Bible.
One anonymous reader sent this -
"I notice that they treat Jacobs much like they treat the King James. They say we just cannot read English from a 100 yrs ago. Maybe somebody should ask "Does 1 plus 1 equal 2? It did a 100 yrs ago. As far as I know still does."
Those who deny the faith simply wear themselves out proving their denials are valid. They are like the Calvinist minister in the plane who dismissed the corruption of the Westcott-Hort-Nestle-Aland Greek text. And - he said, "We have to reach the younger generation." I replied, "The only have to is teaching the Word. That accomplishes God's will." But he kept saying we have to, we have to, we have to. (Conferences to show how to have to are expensive.)
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Clearly they had more at the end of the miracle than before. God does not waste anything. We can see that in God's Creation all around us. I put orange peels outside after I am done with the fruit. The next morning, the peels have been cleaned completely of all the leftover pulp, thanks to Possum Pete. Apple cores disappear completely. Pineapple, mostly the triceratops hide, is placed outside with some pulp on it. A squirrel will sit on the barrel and delicately remove the pulp from woody outer label. The large birds (grackles, crows, cardinals, blue jays) take the peanuts in a shell. The tiny birds take the fragments - sparrows, chickadees, etc.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Some self-made experts like to pick away at the titles of Jesus. I found one source that listed 150 titles of majesty. Another has 200. These are all encompassing, not to pit one against another. Prophet, preacher, Son of Man, Son of God.
KJV Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
It does not take long to find out what the skeptics have done with the titles of majesty.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Knowing the minds of people following Him, Jesus realized that they would work to gather a force to make Him king and take on the occupying forces. This is exactly what happened after His death and resurrection. The people had a skirmish with local Roman forces and thought they won. Then the Roman Empire marched down with slaves and profession soldiers to surround them with a wall, starve them, and tear down the Temple, the source of their pride.
The Believers Sought Jesus without Food
We should not forget that this enormous group followed Jesus for the spiritual food He offered. They saw His miracles, which built upon the Star of Bethlehem 30 years before, the prophecies of Isaiah 40, and John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord - crying out in the wilderness (desert).
We live in an impoverished time. The basics of human life are ridiculed and a reason for suing and jailing citizens. The WalMart funded/owned public schools here were teaching "34 genders" to elementary school children 10 years ago. That is perhaps the ultimate disgrace, but more could be named.
God still protects believers and brings down the proud and deceitful. As it was in Jesus' time, so it is today.
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