Judica, The Fifth Sunday in Lent.

Judica Sunday, The Fifth Sunday in Lent, 2019

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Savings Time

The Hymn #12                 This Day at Thy Creating Word                                     

The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #40            The God of Abram Praise

                          

I AM - The Name of Jesus

The Communion Hymn 311     Jesus Christ Our Blessed Savior - Huss

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #410               Jesus Lead Thou On           

       

KJV Hebrews 9:11 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.

KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee, that of Thine infinite mercy Thou hast instituted this Thy sacrament, in which we eat Thy body and drink Thy blood: Grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not receive this gift unworthily, but that we may confess our sins, remember Thine agony and death, believe the forgiveness of sin, and day by day grow in faith and love, until we obtain eternal salvation through Thee, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Background for Sermon

"I am" is misunderstood in many translations and discussions about the statement, because people fail to start with the Gospel of John as a commentary on the Five Books of Moses. Does John start off with the words and theme of Genesis 1? Yes. Does John refer to the events of the Exodus? Yes, the evangelist even makes the bronze serpent story, very strange by itself, the most famous verse in the Bible - John 3:16. This is the revelation of the Holy Spirit, not a simple biography of Jesus.

The Name of God is I AM. The Angel of the Lord is the Son of God, before His Incarnation. The Trinitarian references (God three times) teaches us that "the fulness of the godhead dwelt in Him" (Colossians).

The Burning Bush is the manifestation of the Son to Moses, and it has two natures - the fire and the plant, and yet the fire does not consume the plant, very much like the Two Natures of Christ, not a merger but a union of Two Natures.

When Jesus says, "I AM," He is not saying, "It's me" or "It is I" but I AM GOD.

I AM - The Name of Jesus

KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 

The rationalists and sceptics do not like the Gospel of John, because it explodes their claim that Jesus did not consider Himself the Messiah or God. He was just a good teacher. The other Gospels are not silent on this issue, but the divinity and the Messiahship of Jesus are brushed aside anyway.

John riles them so they say the Gospel was written 300 years later. But we know it is the earliest fragment of the Gospels found to this date, and it was circulating in the Apostolic Age. 

As one American Lutheran wrote, it is both the external evidence and internal evidence that convinces us of the authority of this Gospel.

John is clearly the supplement of Matthew-Mark-Luke and fills in what we need to know in addition to those Gospels. It is a remarkable accomplishment in human terms alone, as if four members of a family would write biographies with overlapping details, but none of them contradicting the others. The four bio would show the true nature of that person through his speeches or writings. We all know that married couples have two contradictory versions of every event in their lives, so four people in agreement is simply not possible. In fact, many normal books end up with contradictions and lapses - it is the human problem of fallibility.

I was writing Malcolm Gladwell for a class and thought comb - so I wrote Malcomb Gladwell. The computer thought it odd, as if I wanted to write bad comb. I wrote according to sound rather than sense and my mistake was frozen forever in that class announcement.

The entire Bible is without error and contradiction. The "problems" found by sceptics have been explored and answered, often centuries ago.

John's Gospel - I was thinking - is intensely personal and shows the strenth of the animosity toward Jesus. That is a case of telling the truth and also strengthening the faithful against the persecutions they would face in years to come.

This passage emphasizes the hatred and the reason for it. The hatred comes from unbelief in God (on the part of the Jewish leaders) and Jesus' telling them the truth about it - You belong to Satan, as all unbelievers do.

True Judaism is the Christian Faith, one might say, and that began with Adam and Eve hearing the Gospel Promise in Genesis 3:15. So strong was this Promise that Even thought her first son was this promised Savior - "I have begotten a Son - God" - literally in Hebrew. However, Pharisaic Judaism emphasized righteousness through the Law, and worked against the righteousness of faith.

Abraham believed in the Promise of God that his son would begin a line that led to the Messiah and the ever-expanding Kingdom of God. What are we but examples of that Promise being fulfilled? Every birth and baptism by itself shows the expansion of this everlasting and ever-growing Kingdom, unlike any kingdom on earth.

The irony is that Judaism contained all the knowledge of faith in Christ, but like the Biblical scholars of today, hardened its heart against the truth - with notable exceptions - like Nicodemus, John 3.

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

As we know from Nicodemus, the only way to get through the thick hide of Pharisaical Judaism (Synodical Judaism, as practiced by many Lutherans today) was to shock them into realizing their spiritual blindness, as Jesus did with Nicodemus.

How do you know that you belong to God's Kingdom now? The Holy Spirit dwelling in you hears and loves the Gospel Promises. Also, this Holy Spirit takes to heart those statements of the Law, the foundational one being "sin is not believing on Me." All sins stem from that foundational sin of unbelief, which is what Jesus teachers throughout John and especially here, in John 3, and John 16.

Jesus' words are pure truth, because the best and kindest words of the Gospel annoy unbelievers and they flail away at them with a variety of excuses. Notice the irrelevant rebuttals of the opponents.

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 

This is a typical response. Today it is modernized to "crazy." Every so often, someone lets loose with that today, although the real issue is - what does the Word of God say? 

The personal attack reveals that the opponent has nothing relevant to say and responds with "prove to us that you are not..."

This is doubly insulting to Jesus because Samaritan was an insult in that era. (Do we wonder why He chose that term for Himself in the Parable of the Good Samaritan?)  So He was a Samaritan and possessed by a devil, twice cursed, twice worthy of condemnation.

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 

Jesus answered them and spoke to us, but also spoke to generations that might side with opponents at first. That is why the Fourth Gospel is so dangerous to sceptics. The Gospel of Faith always teaches faith and always emphasizes faith - there is no escape from its lesson of the righteousness of faith.

As Virginia, one of our Greek students said, it must have been God's plan to have the Fourth Gospel in such easy language (whatever language is native to the reader) because those deep and eternal messages are so easy to understand and so difficult to forget.

Jesus answered the opponents by emphasizing His relationship with the Father. He did not try to soothe their feelings or explain. Instead, He declared the truth. He honored the Father while they dishonored Jesus (and the Father). Jesus is not after His own glory but honors and glorifies the Father. This is an important lesson (often repeated) that Jesus is the human face and Voice of God. There is no separation or difference between the love and mercy of Jesus and that of the Father. They are two distinct Persons in the Godhead, but one loving, forgiving, patient Nature.

As the intermediary, Jesus speaks for God and honors the Father so that what we ask in His Name is marked with approval because of the Son. That is why public groups think prayer (silent is better) is great as long as no one says, "In the Name of Jesus." To omit that ending is to deny Jesus. Unbelievers like that denial.

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

Verse 51 is significant. "Keep My saying" means to guard it, protect it, not let anyone take it away or attack it. It means to guard the way a security guard protects the bank, the vault, the jewels and cash inside. Believing and guarding go together. 

Continuous faith in Jesus means eternal life, which really sets off the opponents' unbelief - as they rage.

1. It confirms Jesus is possessed.
2. Jesus makes no sense - Abraham is dead, but He is promising eternal life.
3. Therefore, Jesus is promising something greater than Abraham, their father.
4. Who do you think you are?

Luther had the same experience when he embraced the Word alone and rejected the additions and corruptions of the Middle Ages - Purgatory, works added to faith for partial forgiveness, the rule of the pope and bishops over and above the Word. 

Luther was alone.

He was crazy.

He should be killed.

Luther:

14. Therefore Christ proceeds farther and gives the ground and reason why it is just his Word and not the word of anyone else, that giveth life, and says it is because he was before Abraham, or in other words, because he was the one true God. For if the person who offered himself as a sacrifice for us were not God, it would not help or avail anything, even if he were born of the Virgin Mary and suffered a thousand deaths. But the fact that the Seed of Abraham, who gave himself for us, is also true God, secures blessing and victory for all sinners. Therefore Christ speaks, not of his human nature that they saw and experienced; for they could easily see he was not yet fifty years of age, and did not live before Abraham. But with that nature by which he existed long before the time of Abraham, by which he existed also before all creatures and before the whole world.

54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Jesus taught the Trinity in this Gospel, not that the Trinity was new to Judaism. The difference was that the people got to see the Son in the flesh, and this provoked the unbelieving opponents. Nothing would cure their blindness, and this conversation showed how clearly effective the Word can be in making people even more blind and hardened against the Word.

It reminds me of the time I said women made better bank tellers because of their dexterity and multi-tasking. One young lady said, "That's sexist!" I looked it up for the whole class - 90% of all tellers in Minnesota were women. She said, "That's just Minnesota." I answered, "Find another survey for us. I will share it." Silence.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

The peak of the confrontation is missed unless we realize Jesus called Himself God - the Voice of the Burning Bush. 

• "You are not even 50 years old; how can you have seen Abraham?"
• "Truly, truly I say to you." - that is a way of making everyone pay attention to this teaching.
• "Before Abraham was, I AM."

The Name of God is so sacred that believing Jews often write G-d so they are not writing out the entire name. This is a kindness for Jesus to reveal Himself as plainly as He could. For some it would be the final step in complete trust, which is what happened with such leaders as Nicodemus. That made all the difference at the trail and the burial. 

But it also meant revealing the murderous hatred in the opponents. They responded to His revelation by trying to kill Him on the spot. He revealed His divine nature by passing through the midst of them - His divine nature was not hindered by His human nature. No purely human being could have left that way, but His time had not yet arrived. He would fulfill all the sayings of the Old Testament, which would be the basis for teaching the Jews and
Gentiles in early Church - from the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint.

This Gospel takes us back to ancient times when Moses saw the Burning Bush and the revelation of his future work. John 1 takes u back even earlier, showing that the Logos, the Son, created the universe in six 24-hour days. When people followed or opposed the Savior, they were believing or opposing the Creator of all they knew and experienced, from the celestial stars to the abundant fruits of the earth. 

Norma A. Boeckler

Luther's Sermon on Jesus and His Opponents - John 8:46-59 Judica Sunday

JUDICA. FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT




TEXT: John 8:46-59. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.


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.

3. For it is indeed true that no one lives so perfect a life as to be without sin before God. Therefore it is sufficient that he be blameless in the eyes of the people. But his doctrine must be so good and pure as to stand not only before man but also before God. Therefore every pious pastor may well ask: Who among you can find fault with my life? Among you, I say who are man; but before God I am a sinner. This Moses also boast in <041615 Numbers 16:15 that he took nothing from the people and he did them no injustice. Samuel did likewise in 1 Samuel 12:3 also Jeremiah and Hezekiah, who rightly boasted of their blameless life before the people, in order to stop the mouths of blasphemers. But Christ does not speak thus of his doctrine, he says not: “Who among you can find fault with my doctrine”; but “If I tell you the truth.” For one must be assured that his doctrine is right before God and that it is the truth, and accordingly care not how it is judged by the people.

4. Hence the Jews have no ground for their unbelief than that they are not the children of God; therefore he passes judgment upon them and says: “He that is of God heareth the words of God; for this cause ye hear them not, because ye are not of God,” that cannot mean anything else than that you are of the devil.

5. The Jews could not stand this, for they wished to be God’s children and people; therefore they are now raging and slander both Christ’s life and his doctrine; his doctrine, in that they say: “Thou hast a devil,” that is, thou speakest moved by the devil and thy doctrine is his lie; and they slander his life, in that they say, “Thou art a Samaritan,” which sounds among the Jews worse than any other crime. In this way Christ teaches us here the fate that awaits us Christians and his Word; both our life and our doctrine must be condemned and reviled, and that by the foremost, wisest and greatest of earth. Thus one knows the corrupt tree by its fruits, as they, under the pretense of being good, are so bitter, angry, impatient, cruel and mad as to condemn and pass sentence, when one touches them at their tender spot and rejects their ideas and ways.

6. What does Christ do here? His life he abandons to shame and dishonor, is silent and suffers them to call him a Samaritan; while he takes pains to defend his doctrine. For the doctrine is not ours, but God’s, and God dare not suffer in the least, here patience is at an end; but I should stake all that I have and suffer, all that they do, in order that the honor of God and of his Word may not be injured. For if I perish, no great harm is done; but if I let God’s Word perish, and I remain silent, then I do harm to God and to the whole world. Although I can not now close their mouth nor prevent their wickedness, I shall nevertheless not keep silent, nor act as if they are right, as I do about my good life, so that they retain their right. Although they do me injustice at the time, yet it remains right before God. Further, Christ excuses himself, and says: “I have not a demon,” that is, my doctrine is not of the devil’s lies; “but I honor my father,” that is, I preach in my doctrine the grace of God, through which he is to be praised, loved and honored by believers. For the evangelical office of the ministry is nothing but glorifying God, Psalm 19:2: “The heavens declare the glory of God” etc. “But you dishonor me,” that is, you call me the devil’s liar, who reviles and dishonors God.

7. Why does he not say: I honor my father, and ye dishonor him; but says: “Ye dishonor me?” Impliedly he proves by this, that the father’s and his honor are alike and the same, as he and the Father are one God; yet along with this he also wishes to teach that if the office of the ministry, which God honors, is to be duly praised, then it must suffer disgrace. In like manner we will also do to our princes and priests; when they attack our manner of life, we should suffer it and show love for hatred, good for evil; but when they attack our doctrine, God’s honor is attacked, then love and patience should cease and we should not keep silent, but also say: I honor my Father, and you dishonor me; yet I do not inquire whether you dishonor me, for I do not seek my own honor. But nevertheless be on your guard, there is one who seeks it and judges, that is, the Father will require it of you, and judge you and never let you go unpunished. He seeks not only his honor, but also mine, because I seek his honor, as he says in 1 Samuel 2:30: “Them that honor me I will honor.” And it is our consolation that we are happy; although the whole world reviles and dishonors us, we are assured that God will advance our honor, and therefore will punish, judge and revenge. 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.

9. And from this we may well understand what Christ meant by the word “keep;” it does not refer to such keeping as one keeps the law by good works; for this word of Christ must be kept in the heart by faith and not with the fist or by good works, as the Jews in this case understand it; they fearfully rage against Christ, that Abraham and the prophets are dead; they know nothing of what it is “to keep,” “to die” or “to live.” And it is not called “to keep” in vain; for there is a conflict and battle when sin bites, death presses and hell faces us; then we are to be in earnest in holding firmly to the Word and let nothing separate us from it. Thus see now how Christ answers the Jews and praises his own teachings. You say, my Word is of the devil and wish to sink it to the bottom of perdition; on the contrary I say to you that it has divine power in it, and I exalt it higher than the heaven of heavens, and above all creatures.

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.

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.

12. Let us take another example. When Israel marched out of Egypt and came to the Red Sea, they were free and experienced no death, but only life. However when King Pharaoh arrived behind them with all his forces, then they stood in the midst of death, then no life was in sight. For before them was the sea, through which they could not pass, behind them King Pharaoh, and on both sides of them high mountains; on all sides they were seized and enclosed by death, so that they said to Moses: “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” Exodus 14:11, so completely and wholly did they despair of life. Just then Moses came and brought them God’s Word that comforted them in the midst of death and preserved them alive, when he said in verse 13: “Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” They clung to this Word and held out until victory came; through it life appeared in the presence of death, because they believed the Word, that it would come to pass, and relying upon it they marched into the midst of the Red Sea, which stood on both sides of them like two walls. Then it came to pass that nothing but life and safety were in the sea, where before there were only death and danger.

For they would have never become so bold as to go into the sea, had it divided a hundred times, if God’s Word had not been present, which comforted them and promised life. Thus man triumphs over death through the Word of Life, if he cleaves to it and believes, and marches into death with it.

13. Likewise Christ also says here in replying to the Jews, that Abraham and the prophets still live and they never died, but have life in the midst of death; they however only lie and sleep in death. For “Abraham,” he says, “rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.” Thus, the prophets also saw it. Where and when did Abraham see it? Not with his bodily eyes, as the Jews interpret it, but with the sight of faith in the heart; that is, he recognized Christ when he was told in Genesis 22:18: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Then he saw and understood that Christ, born of his seed through a pure virgin, so as not to be cursed with Adam’s children but to remain blessed, should suffer for the whole world, cause this to be preached, and thus overwhelm the whole world with blessing etc. This is the day of Christ, the dispensation of the Gospel, that is the light of this day, which radiates from Christ as from the sun of righteousness, and shines and enlightens the whole world. This is a spiritual day, yet it arose at the time Christ was on the earth in the flesh, a day like Abraham saw. But the Jews understood nothing about such a day because of their carnal minds, and hence they reviled Christ as a liar.

14. Therefore Christ proceeds farther and gives the ground and reason why it is just his Word and not the word of anyone else, that giveth life, and says it is because he was before Abraham, or in other words, because he was the one true God. For if the person who offered himself as a sacrifice for us were not God, it would not help or avail anything, even if he were born of the Virgin Mary and suffered a thousand deaths. But the fact that the Seed of Abraham, who gave himself for us, is also true God, secures blessing and victory for all sinners. Therefore Christ speaks, not of his human nature that they saw and experienced; for they could easily see he was not yet fifty years of age, and did not live before Abraham. But with that nature by which he existed long before the time of Abraham, by which he existed also before all creatures and before the whole world. Just as he was man according to his spiritual nature before Abraham, that is. in his Word and in the knowledge of faith was he in the saints; for they all knew and believed that Christ, as God and man, should suffer for us, as is written in Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and for ever;” and in the Revelation of John, 13:8: “The Lamb of God that hath been slain from the foundation of the world.” Yet now he is speaking here especially of his divine nature.

15. But here reason is terribly offended and becomes mad and furious because God should become man; this reason cannot harmonize and understand. And this is the article of faith to which the Jews still in our day can not reconcile themselves, hence they cannot cease their throwing stones and their blasphemy. But Christ also continues on the other hand to hide himself from them and to go out of their temple, so that they cannot see nor find him in the Scriptures, in which they search daily. Again, this narrative is not a little terror to all who are so foolhardy about the Scriptures and never approach them with a humble spirit. For even in our day it happens that many read and study in the Scriptures and yet they cannot find Christ, he is hid and has gone out of the temple. And how many there are who say with their mouth that God is become man, and yet they are without the Spirit in their hearts; who whenever tested, prove that they were never in real earnest. This is sufficient on this subject.

More Luther on the Way

Luther

Janie Sullivan has Volume 1. She will work on the next two volumes as she finishes this one. I should be able to get the next two to her pretty fast. Alec Satin did most of the work and Norma Boeckler designed the covers and illustrations.

Each volume will be printed

1. in color, 
2. black and white, and 
3. as a Kindle ebook.

Each PDF will be posted a free, public domain volume.

From the printed copies we will gather House Postil Gems, publishing that in color only. Virginia Roberts is helping with this, her second Gems.

I warned Janie that I will ask her to merge volumes 1-3 and the Gems into one PDF.

Dictionary

I have started the Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary and will be working on that until I finish the Zs.

Justification by Faith Exegesis

This has a priority deadline, because of my wife's birthday on July 20th. It falls on the anniversary of the moon landing, and the start of the LCMS convention.

I know how Lutherans avoid real research outwardly, but it spreads inwardly, stealthily nevertheless. The great and wise did everything short of a book-burning with Thy Strong Word, but it got around and is still read.

The Otten-McCain-Harrison regime is the most toxic ever, so I hope that Lutherans will recognize the truth of the Chief Article, the swindle of Objective Justification, its crafts and assaults.

American Lutheran Doctrinal History

Someone asked me to summarize American Lutheran history, and I countered with - Yes, if I deal mainly with doctrine. My plan is to deal with the ELCA side as one movement, the Stephan-Walther side as the other.

God Cares for You - From Luther's Church Postil. Alec Satin. Comfort for Christians

Comfort for Christians Quotes, Hymns and Devotions to Strengthen Your Faith God Cares For You - Luther “If God permits us to be thus sorely tried, we should learn then not to follow our own opinion, or human counsel, which directs us hither and thither, nor to depend on ourselves and others, but we should consider that we must seek Christ in the things of his Father; that is, that we cling simply and alone to the Word of the Gospel, which directs us Christians in the right way and gives us correct knowledge. Therefore, if you desire to comfort others or yourself, learn in this and all other spiritual trials to say with Christ; Why is it that you run hither and thither and so torment yourself with anxious and sorrowful thoughts, as if God had no more grace for you and as if Christ was not to be found, and that you will not be satisfied unless you find him by your own efforts and can feel yourself holy and without sin? Nothing can result from this; it is merely lost effort and labor. Do you not know that he does not wish to be found, except in that which is his Father’s? Not in that which you or all other men are or have. It is not the fault of Christ and his grace; he indeed is not nor does he remain lost, he may always be found. But the fault lies in you, because you do not seek him rightly where he is to be found, since you judge according to your own feelings and think you can lay hold on him through your own thoughts. You must come to this, where neither your work and rule, nor that of any human being, but that of God is, namely, his Word. There you shall meet him, and hear and see that there is neither wrath nor displeasure there, as you feared and dreaded would be, but pure grace and sincere love toward you and as a friendly and dear mediator he entreats the Father most earnestly and effectually for you. Nor does he send such trial upon you in order to cast you off, but that you may the better learn to know and the more closely cling to his Word, to punish your lack of understanding and that you may experience how earnestly and faithfully he cares for you. From. Martin Luther’s Church Postil, Lenker Edition, “Second Sermon for Epiphany”. 2019-04-06

Short Answer for Official WELS and LCMS - The Leaders Are Calvinists, Not Lutherans

Someone asked me about a history of American Lutherans, and I am working on it in those quiet moments of waiting for the doctor, the pharmacist, and the test results.

The singular issue is the influence of Calvinism, directly through the union movement to unite Lutheran and Calvinist congregations - American Lutheranism.

The secondary influence has been more insidious - the crafts and assaults of Pietism, which is really a Calvinist attempt to undermine and replace Reformation Lutheran doctrine.

A concerted, organized and successful effort has been made to replace Lutheran doctrine and worship in America.

1. Look around and observe the utter lack of faithful Bibles with a reliable text. 
2. Search for traditional Lutheran worship centered on the Means of Grace. 
3. Listen for references to the truly gifted leaders of the Reformation in Germany and the Concordist era afterwards. 

From a WELS Member Kicked Out for Telling the Truth. Response to the Post from 2009

David Valleskey's lopsided smile tells me he enjoyed taking WELS down, because of his hatred for Biblical, Lutheran doctrine.

GJ - When Valleskey tried to sell his "spoiling the Egyptians" to the Ohio Conference, I pointed out that the Israelites stole the jewels and gold, not the garbage. Valleskey denied to my face that he went to Fuller, looking very frightened.

I read the lengthy historical documentation re: the infiltration and obvious lack of discernment among laymen and yes, pastors

as Lutheran Associations, and Synods were systematically destroyed primarily from within by indigenous  change agents active from 1960's forward to today.  

Or better described as "backward to today".      Is the litany of events and words/actions of key players in the scenario and effects in today's Ichabod anywhere in published work?   Today's posting is titled:  Lutheran Apostasy - Has Anything Changed....?"   Did I miss something along the line re: the posting as a chapter of a book with further chapters? [GJ - Just an old blog post from 2009.]

In reading today's post, I was again reminded of the days my family and I living here in Santa Clara County in California where there were only three WELS congregations all relatively new.  LCMS had a long time presence.  The situation unfolded reflecting the agreement between LCMS and WELS being in fellowship for decades until the split in 1959-61, in which the country was sort of divided up. If there was already long time presence of either synod in states, the other wouldn't establish congregations appearing to be competing within the two synod Conference.  When the split came areas such as Northern California, WELS had no presence, so mission congregations were started.

In Santa Clara County the first was Peace Lutheran Church in the City of Santa Clara.  Then an established congregation in San Jose's east section of that city left LCMS and joined WELS.  A third congregation in South San Jose was begun by one or more families who had moved from Santa Clara to S. San Jose and the pastor from Peace congregation in Santa Clara began introductory services in S. San Jose.  WELS Mission Board chairman for CA was Pastor Robert Hochmuth who served Peace Lutheran Congregation in Santa Clara, and conducted services also at Calvary Lutheran in San Jose until Forrest Bivens was called and accepted to be pastor there.

David Valleskey was called to serve Apostles Lutheran Church in S. San Jose.  It wasn't long before Apostles became known among the WELS members in the area as the most liberal of the three congregations.  Peace Lutheran was known as the most conservative Lutheran Congregation and even among congregations of different denominations. Over time vicars were assigned and were sort of shared by Peace and Apostles congregations among whom were Paul Kelm, and Richard Stadler, and some summer vicars. I recall several of the summer vicars among which was Robert Koester.  The congregations' members invited them for dinners in our homes and had opportunity to ask questions and express our concerns, etc.   I recall Koester as one of the more serious and contemplative.    Kelm and Stadler "pushed the envelope" and a few people noted.  

I think one of the member's daughters married Rick Miller who was pastor of a congregation in Redding, CA near the Oregon border,  so I sort of followed what was transpiring there from afar.   

So apparently we were exposed to a concentration of change agents in training.  I have often wondered whether they were selected and concentrated in an area WELS in Wisconsin thought would be more susceptible to the marks of a new WELS way out here in California which may have been perceived as more "out there" and "open to changes".    

I also often wondered why God put me in secular position to learn about research and publicly oppose the change agents with similar objectives in the secular arena and especially schools.  So I recognized the very same Humanist methodologies I was battling in the public arena,  being assimilated  into my Synod.   

I provided documentation to my congregation's male officers.    Pastor Hochmuth was receptive.   The lay male leaders didn't want to know what I was providing them, and eventually when they'd see me walking to the door of the church with an envelope in my hand, they'd literally make efforts to avoid being handed more documentation.   I did send copies and more to officials in Synod, until I was informed to cease sending for I "didn't know what I was talking about".  There were a couple of responses by Joel Gerlach who was at Mequon, to information/letters of mine published in Christian News.  His admonition was similar in his responses.   

Eventually Pastor Hochmuth received and accepted a call to a congregation in Sacramento.  Peace Lutheran Church called many pastors who declined the call, so for 18 months it was served by other pastors and mostly Pastor Bivens.  During that time I questioned the LCMS workbooks he used for adult Bible Classes for "Group Discussion", one of the Humanist methods I and other parents were opposing in public schools.  We met  privately and I provided my material and objections, and he told me I probably had the " gift of discernment".   

I went away encouraged, but the LCMS Concordia workbooks weren't withdrawn, but a warning of sorts was given out re: some elements of them.    I tangled with Pastor Valleskey re: using large group, small group format for current topics during youth group gatherings...circle seating, the Humanist arrangement for the process.    I call circle seating for group discussion the Humanist Liturgical format.  

After 18 months a call was accepted by Pastor David Voss.   I am conjecturing but often thought that a lot of called pastors knew about dissenters in Peace Congregation.  I had the most documentation and the reputation of being a public resister re:

methods, etc. being perpetrated on public schools, but there were other members concerned as well especially re: the systems managed efforts to dump the KJV in favor of whatever flavor one chose.  No one wanted to take a call to a congregation with trouble makers.   I have also wondered whether Pastor Voss wasn't a managed decision to accept the call to get rid of the resisters.

The  visit between him and myself in my living room was four hours of disagreeing, and his telling me that everything I opposed WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHETHER I LIKED IT OR NOT.   He needed to meet with my two children away at college to see whether they agreed with me or not.  That happened over Christmas break, they did, and all three of our names were presented to the January 1978 Voter's meeting to have our memberships terminated.   The voters' did as recommended and that's the end of that story.

 GJ - Though he never joined the ELS or WELS, Stolzenburg was supported and protected by both sects. This bi-sectsual Church Growther is still plying his trade in Columbus.

Reading Ichabod this morning brought back floods of memories from 40-to half century ago.   Midwest relatives and friends from my early years remained oblivious  assuming what happened was just something in "crazy California".  Nobody wanted to know or inquire, just so they had a nice church building with the traditional name in which to worship.   You know about that attitude in Columbus where there were a few voices in the wilderness, but if Synod said OK, it must be OK.   I knew through correspondence a lady whom you also knew there who recognized what was going on.  We'd become acquainted long distance through our mutual research and battle re: the government schools.  She died early.

Enough or maybe too much.    Thank you allowing me to  reminisce and wonder again why God allowed me to recognize what was happening when so many didn't.

***

GJ -

GJ - WELS pastors consider life and ministry to be one big GA game, amusing themselves by lying about everything. They are still - emotionally - in the dorms and bars of Watertown/New Ulm, boasting of their drunken pranks - the biggest one being WELS itself. The synod of Hoenecke and Gausewitz is now a subsidiary of Pete Wagner, Willow Creek, the NIV, and Rick Warren.

Some of the con artists not mentioned above, but deserving attention are: 

• Naumann and all subsequent Synod Presidents, especially Mirthless Mark Schroeder;
• Mark and Avoid Jeske, Don Patterson, John Lawrenz, and lesser lights of Church and Change;
• Tiefel, whether sober or not;
• Jay Webber, shouting into phones to get his next gig;
• Paul Kuske, who managed to get himself voted off the district praesidium; 
• Timid professors at Mordor, trembling lest they be caught leading instead of following.

Christina Jackson - PET Scan Clear - Blood Tests Great

This was taken at Larry Carlson's home, a few decades ago.

We went to the H.O.G. today, a great set of doctors and staff. The PET scan came back clear and the blood tests were great.

Earlier, some cancer settled and grew on her spine, after the operation. Radiation, plus IM shots and pills removed the cancer and stopped the growth. The IM shots will continue.

We prayed for these results and are thankful to God for them.