Sermons 2024

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We sit with Jesus and partake
A meal as one and celebrate;
But one among us will betray
The Son of God on the very next day.

O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer.

Imagine you are sitting with Jesus, gathered around His Word, dipping bread in the same bowl, listening to every word that comes from His mouth. That is something that all of us would enjoy, it is something that we look forward to in some sense every day, or every week. Every time we read the Bible, we are sitting with Jesus, gathered around His Word, and feasting on the good gifts that He gives. 

Jesus is gathered with His disciples for one final meal, one He has long desired to eat with them. One final time to talk, to pass on His last will and testament, to give one last command. That command, to love one another as I have loved you. That is why we remember this night as Manday, from the Latin Mandatum, Command Thursday

Yet, even as they gather in the upper room, not everything is sunshine and roses. Sitting at meal with our Lord is the one that will betray Him. Judas Iscariot. As Matthew records in chapter twenty-six, “When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.[b] 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” Judas is going to betray Jesus, yet Jesus still shows mercy. He sits with all His disciples, including the betrayer, for one final meal. Jesus shows that one last act of service as He washes their feet.

Similar with us, we do not deserve to sit with Jesus at table. We do not deserve to gather around His Word and Sacraments. We often ask, ‘Is it I Lord?’ realizing that we are undeserving of feasting with our Lord. If we are being honest with ourselves, as beautiful and as joyous as gathering for this meal is, we are not very good at this. Our lives get busy, the pressures of the world, family, and various activities fight for our attention. Whether they be sports, entertainment, or a wide variety of other things. We give into the various temptations, putting them above the Word of God. Our sinful nature despises worship and gathering around the Word of God. There are thousands of other things it would rather do in the time that we have. The temptation of the world and Satan is clear,  saying things like, ‘Surely, it is better to sleep in. You have to get the housework done, when else are you going to do it? The roads are a bit snowy, are you sure you want to go out? If you do not go to your son or daughters’ game, that will wreck them forever. ‘It is too early, go ahead and sleep in.’ ‘it is too late. It is too dark outside; you still have to make dinner. You still have to put the kids down for bedtime, wait until next week’ All these excuses. What do they do? We allow our devotional life to suffer, feasting on the things of this world rather than on the living Word of God. We avoid being in worship on Wednesday Evenings or on Sunday mornings. It means that we are no longer sitting with Jesus. We are sitting off by ourselves eating ice rather than the bounty of the feast. 

Yet, Jesus shows us continual mercy. He goes as is foretold of Him. He is betrayed into the hands of sinful men. He suffers, bleeds, and dies to forgive every single one of your sins, including those of disregarding His Word. He reconciles you to God forever that where He is, you may be also. He gives you of His Holy Spirit so that by His power working in you, you can join Him in this great feast. You can join in the great celebration as we gather with all the host of heaven to celebrate a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb as we take eat, take drink, this is my body, this is my blood. We do so to your souls benefit rather than harm. You read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest His Word. You hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it. You rejoice in the fellowship of believers, gathered around Word and Sacrament for the mutual strengthening of one another.
 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.