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First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2023

“To Be Tempted by the Devil” (Matthew 4:1-11)

The Holy Gospel for the First Sunday in Lent is always an account of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. This year it’s the account from Matthew chapter 4. Today we will see how the devil operates, and we’ll see how Jesus overcomes his schemes. This has relevance for our lives, because the devil comes at us with the same sorts of temptation. And so now let’s see what it’s like “To Be Tempted by the Devil.”

Our text begins at the beginning of Matthew chapter 4. Obviously, right before this is the end of Matthew chapter 3. And there we have the account of Jesus’ baptism. The Holy Spirit comes to rest on Jesus, and the Father’s voice comes from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Then in the very next verse, here at the start of chapter 4, it says: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Notice that: The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness . . . in order to be tempted by the devil! Well, that’s a little weird, isn’t it? But here’s the reason: By Jesus now being tempted by the devil, God is finally going to have an obedient son who stays faithful and successfully overcomes the devil’s temptations. Adam didn’t do it; he failed the test. Israel didn’t do it; they failed the test. But Jesus will do it; he will pass the test, and with flying colors. So now the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for that purpose.

Jesus was led “into the wilderness” for this test. Adam and Eve were in the garden when the devil tempted them. They failed the test and fell into sin. The nation of Israel was coming through the wilderness when they failed their test. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.

So now Jesus is going to do a “re-do” and get it right. For Israel, it was forty years in the wilderness. For Jesus, it will be forty days: “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

“He was hungry.” Adam and Eve were tempted through food. They were tempted to eat of the fruit of the tree from which the Lord had told them not to eat. Even though God had given them all the other trees from which to eat, the devil tempted them to eat from that one tree they weren’t supposed to eat from. But it looked so good for food! It seemed so delightful and desirable!

The nation of Israel, likewise, was tempted through food. They kept grumbling and grousing about not having the food they had back in Egypt. And they grumbled and groused about the food that the Lord was supplying them with there in the wilderness.

Well, the devil figures: “It worked with Adam and Eve, it worked with Israel, so now I’ll try tempting Jesus with food.” Remember, after fasting, Jesus was very hungry. The devil comes to him and says, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Now, as the Son of God, Jesus was certainly able to turn stones into bread. It was within his power to do so. In fact, think of it: Later on, Jesus will have no problem turning a few loaves into enough bread to feed thousands of people. But in the feeding of the multitude, there would be nothing wrong with Jesus’ doing so. Here, though, in the temptation in the wilderness, it’s a different story.

And here it has to do with the question of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. Notice that the devil starts out by saying, “If you are the Son of God.” Now I should point out something about this “if” clause, “If you are the Son of God.” There are a couple of ways to do an “if” clause in Greek. One way would be to write it so that it means, “If you were the Son of God, which you aren’t, you could turn these stones into bread.” But that’s not what the devil is saying. There is a way to write it in Greek with that meaning, but this isn’t that. The devil is not denying the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. No, he’s conceding the fact that Jesus is God’s Son. After all, Jesus had just been affirmed as God’s Son by the Father at his baptism: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

You see, the devil’s approach is rather subtle. It goes something like this: “OK, Jesus, you just heard the Father call you his beloved Son. But if you’re so ‘beloved,’ then why is he letting you starve out here in the wilderness? You deserve better than that! Look, you’re the Son of God! Use that! Go with that! You know you can change these stones into bread. What would be so wrong with doing that? Food is good. And you know you need it. So go ahead, turn these stones into bread. You are God’s Son, after all.”

The devil is crafty and cunning in his temptations. He doesn’t usually take a head-on approach. More likely, he comes at things from the side. He wears down our resistance little by little. It’s a more subtle approach that the devil prefers. So here the temptation is for Jesus to use his status as God’s Son for his own benefit, to his own advantage. The temptation is to satisfy his own desires, rather than to do the will of his Father. “If you are the Son of God” is more like “Since you are the Son of God, go ahead and do whatever you like.” “If you are the Son of God”: “Okay, your Father says you’re his beloved Son. But then why is he letting you be deprived like this?” That’s how the devil operates.

How does the devil work on you? What does he whisper in your ear? I’m guessing he doesn’t usually come right out and say, “Hey, listen, renounce your faith, curse God, and come join me in hell for eternity.” No, that would be a little too obvious. Instead, the devil comes at us kinda soft and smooth-like: “Listen, Christian, you’re God’s child, aren’t you? And God must want the best for his children, shouldn’t he? So if there’s something you want to do, something you want to have–well, you should be able to get it or do it. Oh, within reason, of course. No big sins. No, just be able to satisfy your desires, that’s all. Look, God is in the forgiveness business, isn’t he? So just go ahead and do you want. And if it’s a little on the sin side, then you can repent later on. God will understand. God will forgive you. After all, you’re God’s child, aren’t you?”

Yeah, that’s how the devil operates. Subtle and crafty. Not an all-out frontal assault. More from the side. An incremental breaking-down of barriers. Friends, if you’re like me, you know how often we fall for the devil’s tricks and traps. We’re like Adam and Eve. We’re like the children of Israel. Unfaithful, disobedient. If we continue down that road, we will wind up being driven out of the garden and die in the wilderness.

But thank God, Jesus came and rescued us from that dead end. Jesus came as our Champion, taking on the devil in mortal combat. And Jesus prevailed. He carried the day. Tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, Jesus replied: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And so on down the line, through all the temptations. Jesus is the one faithful Son who gets it right.

You see, the devil is trying to divert and distract Jesus from carrying out his mission, which is to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. If the devil can stop Jesus right at the outset, he’s got it made. That’s what this temptation in the wilderness is about: to see what kind of a Son Jesus will be. Will he be the faithful and obedient Son? Or a Son who uses his power for his own benefit, instead of doing the will of his Father? Because if Jesus did that, he wouldn’t go through with the suffering the cross would entail. And then we would be lost forever.

Thank God, Jesus passed the test. And he would continue faithful, all the way to the cross. For instance, when Jesus told the disciples he would be going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, Peter objected, “No, no, Lord! Certainly nothing like that for you!” But Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!”–the same thing Jesus had told Satan here in our text! And when Jesus was hanging on the cross, people were taunting him with words just like the devil’s: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” But no, Jesus would not yield to that temptation, either. The cross was what Jesus was sent to do, and he would not be diverted. Instead, he was determined. Jesus is the faithful Son of God, the one who does his Father’s will. Yes, brothers and sisters, Jesus is the very Son of God, who shed his blood for your forgiveness! Now you will not die forever, but rather you will have eternal life!

Satan was very crafty with his “If you are the Son of God” approach. But Jesus will not use his status as Son in a way that will take him away from his mission. He’s got a job to do, which is to be the Savior of all the people here in this room. And of all the people in the world. Jesus knows his identity. He’s secure in his sonship. And nothing will shake him from his course.

And now you, dear Christian, you who hear me today: Rejoice that you have such a Savior! Take refuge in him. Realize who you are in Christ. Your identity is wrapped up in him. You are a baptized, beloved child of God. You have life in Jesus’ name. And because you do, you will find strength to resist the devil when he comes whispering in your ear. Remember who you are, and whose you are. In Christ, you are God’s beloved child. And so you can tell that old devil: “Be gone, Satan! Get lost and leave me alone! My Lord Jesus Christ has already defeated you, and I take refuge in him.”

The Transfiguration of Our Lord
Sunday, February 19, 2023

“The Transfiguration Transition” (Matthew 17:1-9)

Today we’re celebrating the Transfiguration of Our Lord, that day up on a mountain when our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured, that is, his appearance was changed. This event marked a transition–a turning point, a pivot point–in our Lord’s ministry. And that’s why this Transfiguration festival today marks a transition–a turning point–in the church year, as well. The Transfiguration of Our Lord comes as the climax of the Epiphany season, and at the same time it serves as a transition into the season of Lent, which begins on Wednesday. In this way, the church year mirrors the life of our Lord. Thus our theme for this morning; “The Transfiguration Transition.”

Our text is the Holy Gospel, from Matthew 17. Today we’ll see how the position of this event in the context of the entire gospel narrative–and therefore the position of this festival in the context of the whole church year–serves to lead us from the Epiphany season into Lent. And, dear friends, today you’ll see how all of this works for you, to strengthen your faith in your Savior, who is transfigured in glory before he heads to the cross.

First of all, let’s start with the event itself in the life of Jesus. Jesus has been at his ministry for some time now, and he takes three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up on a high mountain. Suddenly, Jesus’ appearance changes–that’s what the word “transfiguration” means, a change in appearance. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” Listen, this is no mere earthly glory that Jesus is manifesting. This is heavenly glory, the light of Christ’s divine majesty and purity shining forth.

Next, there appears with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Why those two? Why Moses and Elijah? These are two important figures from Israel’s past, and God is bringing them back for this special occasion. Moses and Elijah, the two most outstanding prophets from Israel’s history. Moses, from the section of the Hebrew Scriptures called the Law. Elijah, from the section called the Prophets. As Paul says in Romans, “The Law and the Prophets bear witness to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” And so here are Moses, from the Law, and Elijah, from the Prophets, bearing witness to God’s righteousness in Christ by appearing with him at the Transfiguration.

Moses and Elijah: Each of them had had their own mountaintop experience in which they caught a glimpse of God’s glory. Now Peter, James, and John are having that same type of mountaintop experience, as Jesus is transfigured before their eyes. This is an epiphany, a brilliant manifestation of Christ’s glory as the holy Son of God.

What happens next is a further attestation to Jesus as God’s own Son. A bright cloud overshadows them, the cloud of God’s glory. A voice comes from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” God the Father is bearing witness to his Son. Peter, James, and John are to know, beyond a doubt, that their teacher is none other than the Son of God: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” These are the same words that the Father spoke at Jesus’ baptism. And now he adds: “Listen to him.” The disciples are to know–and we are to know–that the words of Jesus are words to listen to and take to heart. “Listen to him.”

Peter had wanted to put up three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elijah. But this is to be no triumvirate of three equal parties. One is here who is greater than Moses. One is here who is greater than Elijah. The disciples are to know that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of Israel’s history. Jesus is the one whom Moses and Elijah were pointing ahead to. And so, in a moment, when Peter, James, and John lift up their eyes, they no longer see Moses and Elijah. They see no one but Jesus only. As Hebrews says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

So that is the Transfiguration event itself. Now how does it fit into the context of the gospel narrative, and into the context of the church year? And how does all of this benefit us?

Well, the Transfiguration event fits into the gospel narrative like this: In the first part of the gospel, Jesus manifests his glory as the Son of God. He begins his public ministry by going about preaching, teaching, and healing. In his preaching, Jesus calls people to repentance, announcing that the kingdom of heaven is now at hand. The kingdom has arrived in the person of Jesus himself. In his teaching, Jesus unfolds the true meaning of God’s law, its intent and its extent, that we cannot hide from the law’s accusing finger. We all need a righteousness better than anything we can muster on our own. Jesus’ words are words of wisdom, words of divine authority. His words have the authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and calm storms. Jesus calls men to be his disciples: “Come, follow me.” All of his early public ministry points to Jesus as being the Son of God come in the flesh, come to do the will of the one who sent him.

And so Jesus’ early Galilean ministry is what we’ve been tracking through this Epiphany season. Beginning with the Baptism of Our Lord, we’ve been following Jesus throughout this season, hearing his preaching and teaching, witnessing his signs and wonders–manifestations of his divine wisdom and authority. Through the Epiphany readings, we come to know who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. The Epiphany season has made this quite clear.

Notice how this whole season has been bracketed. At the beginning of the Epiphany season, at the Baptism of Our Lord, the liturgical color was white, and in the Gospel reading we heard the voice of the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Now today, at the conclusion of the Epiphany season, at the Transfiguration, the liturgical color again is white, and once again we hear the Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” A perfect inclusio, a brilliant bracketing, at the start and end of the Epiphany season. There is no question who this Jesus is. He is God’s beloved Son.

And that’s what’s so significant for what follows in the gospel narrative and in the church year. For from this point on, Jesus is going to Jerusalem. He’s going to Jerusalem, not to take up a throne, there in the city of the kings, but rather to take up a cross, in the city that kills the prophets. And so that is the shift that takes place now, both in the gospel and in the church year. Lent begins this Wednesday, a season in which the skies will darken, even as the days lengthen. Jesus is on a journey to Jerusalem, there to suffer and to die.

Why is he going there? He’s going there to suffer and die for you. For your sins, the Son of God will take up that cross. Jesus will die on that cross for you and for me and for all the sinners of the whole world. That’s everybody. Dear friends, this is God’s mercy in action: Jesus dying for sinners. Jesus shedding his holy blood to obtain forgiveness for you, to wash away your sins. Gone is the stain of guilt that would accuse you and condemn you. Because Jesus has paid the price for all of that.

And that’s the point. That’s why Transfiguration works so well as the transition from Epiphany into Lent. That’s why the Transfiguration serves as the pivot point in the gospel narrative. In the early chapters of the gospel and in the weeks of the Epiphany season, we see Jesus showing forth his glory as the Son of God. The Transfiguration, then, serves as the culmination, the climax, of Jesus manifesting his glory as the Son of God.

And at the same time, the Transfiguration works to transition us into Lent. Now we know who it is who will go to the cross for us. “Listen to him,” the Father says to the disciples, “listen when Jesus tells you that he must go up to Jerusalem, to be rejected and handed over, to suffer and be killed at the hands of sinful men.” Yes, listen to him! This is not easy to hear, but it is necessary that you know this. This journey to Jerusalem is necessary, it is essential to God’s plan to redeem sinful mankind. There is no Plan B.

This glory that Jesus displays at his Transfiguration–this is the same glory that God’s Son had in the beginning with the Father. And it’s the same glory he will return to, once he has completed the saving mission for which he came. After Christ dies for the sins of the world, the Father will raise up his beloved Son on the third day.

And guess what, beloved? No, don’t guess; know this for sure: You who believe in Christ, you will share in his resurrection. You will be with Christ, sharing eternal life with him. You are baptized. You believe in Christ. You’re trusting in him alone for your salvation. Yes, Jesus only: No one else can do what he does. Jesus, the only Savior for sinners, dying for your forgiveness, rising for your eternal life. Jesus only, God’s beloved Son, with whom he is well pleased. And when you’re connected to Christ, God is well pleased with you, also. Friends, lift up your eyes and, like those disciples, you also will see Jesus only.

Today the Transfiguration serves as the transition from Epiphany into Lent, from Christ’s glory to his Passion. Because it is through his Passion that Christ our Lord will bring us with him into glory.

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 12, 2023

“A Righteousness That Won’t Work and One That Will” (Matthew 5:21-37)

Last week’s Gospel reading ended with these words of Jesus, from Matthew 5, verse 20: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” And really, those same words could serve as the beginning of today’s reading, which starts at verse 21. For today Jesus will give examples of the supposed righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees–a surface righteousness that will not get you into the kingdom of heaven–so that then you will be ready to receive the only righteousness that will get you in. And so our theme this morning: “A Righteousness That Won’t Work and One That Will.”

Now this presumes of course that you want to enter the kingdom of heaven. If you’re not interested in that, you can stop listening now. Because then you’ll be on your own, and good luck with that. If all you can come up with is a righteousness like that of the scribes and Pharisees–a righteousness of your own making–then you’ll be stuck in your sins, under God’s judgment, and you will end up in the kingdom of hell, not heaven.

And that would mean you’d miss out on all the blessings of life in the kingdom of heaven. Life in the kingdom will be life as God intends it to be: We creatures in right relationship with our Creator, no more sin and separation. Humans in right relationship with one another, no more hurting and hating. Creation restored, no more disasters or diseases. This will be better than anything you can imagine. Healing and wholeness, joy and community, blessings abounding. Forever. Fantastic. Beyond your wildest dreams. This is what it will mean to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is definitely something to be desired.

But the question is: How do I get in? What does it take to enter the kingdom of heaven? That’s the big question, isn’t it? And what Jesus says it takes is righteousness. Not just any old righteousness, but a pretty high standard of righteousness. A better righteousness than that of the best people of his day, the most religious people around, the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes were the experts in the Law of Moses. They knew the rules, handed down by the Lord through his prophet Moses, and recorded in Holy Scripture for all Israel to obey. And the Pharisees were the ones who set out to obey those laws, as meticulously as anybody in the land. They wanted to assure themselves that they were doing it right, better than anyone else, to make sure that God would be pleased with them, the good guys.

So Jesus’ words are rather shocking: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” My, oh my, who can do that? If the scribes and Pharisees won’t make it in, then what chance do I have?

Well, that’s the point. That’s the point that Jesus is trying to get across. Their kind of righteousness isn’t going to cut it. You need something different, something better, a righteousness from outside of yourself, one that you can’t come up with on your own.

If you think you have within yourself a righteousness that’s good enough to get you into the kingdom of heaven–if that’s what you think, think again. And so, what Jesus does now is to strip away the phony, inadequate righteousness that the scribes, Pharisees, and anyone else may think they have within them. Only then will you be ready to receive the one kind of righteousness that will pass inspection and get you into heaven.

So, what was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? What was it like? What characterized it? In brief, it was a surface kind of righteousness. It was a superficial keeping of the rules that came from within themselves, what they could generate and what they could manage. And it looked good on the outside. It looked impressive.

That sort of surface righteousness needs to be undone. When we think like that, we need to have the rug pulled out from under us. We need to realize that that ain’t gonna cut it, not in God’s sight. And so that’s what Jesus does now, telling us that our sin problem is worse than we thought.

Consider the Ten Commandments. The Fifth Commandment, for instance: “You shall not murder.” The scribes and Pharisees would say that, as long as they had not physically killed someone, they had kept this commandment. But Jesus shows that this commandment goes much deeper than a mere outward, surface keeping. He says: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

You see, the Fifth Commandment forbids doing any harm to our neighbor, whether in thought, word, or deed. Hateful words reveal the same sinful heart that, in extreme cases, ends in actual murder. But it’s the same sinful heart. So if you’ve got angry thoughts and you speak hurtful words to your neighbor, you have not kept this commandment. You are a murderer, and you will go to hell. That’s what your own righteousness will get you.

Or take the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.” The scribes and Pharisees thought that, as long as they did not physically sleep with another man’s wife, they had kept this commandment. But Jesus says that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Lustful thoughts reveal the same sinful heart as in the man who actually engages in physical adultery.

Then there’s the matter of divorce. If a scribe or Pharisee wanted to dump his wife and take up with another woman, all he had to do was get a legal divorce. Just make sure you give her a certificate of divorce, and then you can do what you want. Of course, you’ll make the woman you divorce look like she had been unfaithful, even though she wasn’t. And any man who later marries her–you’ll make him likewise to be stigmatized as an adulterer. So, you can break your marriage and ruin the reputations of two other people, but who cares? At least you’ve kept the law by providing a certificate of divorce. That’s how the scribes and Pharisees would justify it.

But not in God’s sight. God sets too high a value on the gift of sexuality to let it be treated so shabbily. The prohibition on adultery covers all forms of sexual immorality, in thought, word, or deed. Even if you can make it look good in the eyes of the world.

Dear friends, we all are sinners. If entering the kingdom of heaven were up to our keeping of the law, we would all go to hell. We all have broken God’s commandments in one form or another. The surface righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees will not work. You and I need something better.

But when we’re satisfied with ourselves, we’re not going to hear that. So God has to strip away our self-satisfaction. That’s what the law does. That’s what Jesus is doing in our text. He is stripping away our surface righteousness, so that we will be ready to receive the only righteousness that will pass the test. A righteousness that comes from outside of us. The righteousness that Jesus fulfills and gives us.

Jesus fulfills what we fail at. He is the only one who has kept the law as it should be kept. He alone has a perfect righteousness, the only one that passes the test. Jesus by right enters the kingdom of heaven, but only after first suffering the wrath laid upon sinners. On the cross, Christ dies the death of sinners, taking your sins and your death on himself. The Son of God dies in your place, so that now you will not die forever. This tells you that God must really love you! He does, in spite of your sins! Jesus’ blood and his righteousness–this is what covers you and cleanses you and gets you into the kingdom of heaven! There is no other way. This is the only righteousness that works. It’s a righteousness that comes from outside of you and is given to you as a gift.

And then, once you are pronounced righteous–freely, by God’s grace—then this Jesus kind of righteousness gets to work inside of you and begins to change you from the inside out. The righteous life of the Christian is different from that of the scribe and Pharisee, because it goes deeper than the surface. Your righteousness is connected to Christ by faith, and then that faith works its way outward. It is this connection to Christ that makes your good works acceptable to God, because they proceed from faith and are purified by Christ’s forgiveness. So Jesus can indeed speak of “your righteousness,” because he does expect you, his disciples, his followers, to do a more genuine keeping of the commandments than the surface keeping of the scribes and Pharisees.

Brothers and sisters, today Jesus strips away our self-righteousness, in order to give us his righteousness–and with it, the kingdom of heaven. First you need to come to the end of your rope, and then you’ll be ready to receive the only righteousness that will get you into the kingdom of heaven. It’s a righteousness that comes from outside of you, as a free gift. It’s the righteousness rooted in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord. And it is a righteousness that then gets to work inside of you, changing you from the inside out. That, my friends, is quite a bit different from the surface righteousness the world knows. And you know what? It works!

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 5, 2023

“Let Your Light Shine before Others” (Matthew 5:13-20)

In the Holy Gospel for today, from Matthew chapter 5, Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” But elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus says about himself, “I am the light of the world.” So, which is it, Jesus? Are you the light of the world, or are we? And the answer is . . . yes. Both are true, each in its own way. Jesus is the light of the world in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. And we are the light of the world by extension, as his disciples. Jesus addresses us as such, when he says, “You are the light of the world.” Therefore, as Christ’s disciples, “Let Your Light Shine before Others.”

First of all, let’s establish where our light comes from. It comes from Jesus, from him alone. He is the true light, coming into the world. In ourselves, apart from Christ, there is no light at all, only darkness. That is our nature as sinners. We are in the dark. In the dark about God. In the dark about ourselves. In the dark about the meaning and purpose of life. In the dark about what the future holds for us beyond this life. This darkness pervades and permeates our being, so that we do not walk in the ways of God. We serve ourselves. We dismiss the rule and reign of God in our lives. We turn inward, serving our own desires, at the expense of helping and serving our neighbor. That is our character, that is our fallen sinful nature, apart from the light and life that Christ brings.

But as we heard from the Gospel reading a couple weeks ago, from Matthew chapter 4: “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” This describes what happened when our Lord Jesus came on the scene, beginning his public ministry. Into this sin-darkened world, Jesus came, bringing light and life with him. He came, bringing the kingdom of heaven with him.

And to bring us into the kingdom of heaven, Christ went all the way to the cross on our behalf. There darkness came over the land, as the sinless Son of God died for the sins of the world. There he died, for you, to pay for all your sins. Christ shed his holy blood for you, for your forgiveness. This was God’s wisdom, this was his plan for your salvation, the only way it would work. This was God’s power in action, even though it looked like utter weakness. And this is why we preach Jesus Christ and him crucified, so that you will trust in him for your righteousness before God and not in yourself.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Christ rose victorious from the grave, and his light is still shining forth to this day. It is the light of life, true life, new life, eternal life.

And now Jesus brings his life to you. He says: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So this is the source of the light that you have. It doesn’t come from you or from inside of you. It’s not something you can attain to by trying harder. No, the light is a gift. The source is Christ, and you are on the receiving end. He gives you his light and his life.

You received this light and this life when you were baptized. In those gospel-filled waters, the Holy Spirit enlightened you with the light of Christ. You were made a new person in Christ. Now you have a new nature. Now you are a spiritual person. Now you have the mind of Christ.

And so now, when Jesus says to us, his disciples, “You are the light of the world,” he really means it! Because he has given us his light, and now we have light to share. This is his will for us as his disciples: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We Christians have a real purpose and identity in this world. We are here to light up this world with the light of Christ. By our words, by our actions, by how we live and conduct ourselves in this world, our light will be shining forth, and people will notice.

Let me give you an example. On Wednesday, Susan and I were flying back from vacation. We changed planes in Charlotte. We were sitting on the plane for a long while, when they announced we had to deplane, because they didn’t have a pilot to fly us, due to an ice storm elsewhere. We would have to take a flight the next day, they said. Nobody was happy about this, of course. As we were getting off the plane, one guy was cussing out the poor flight attendants. He was not shining any light into the situation. Well, the airline said they would put us up at a local hotel for the night, so we went to down to the taxi line to await our transportation. We were up at the front of the line, when the man in charge directed us and another fellow to a taxi several cars back. We got in, but then an angry woman came to the door and cussed us out, accusing us of cutting in line to get our taxi, when that was not the case. She too was not shining any light into the situation.

But the fellow who was in the cab with us kindly forgave her. Now this man–Bill was his name–he was shining light amid the darkness. We rode with Bill to the hotel, met him for breakfast in the morning, and rode back with him to the airport. Bill was the nicest, kindest fellow, and he made a difficult situation much more pleasant. And, we found out, Bill was a Christian. And he caused me to give thanks to God for giving Bill the light of Christ and the ability to shine it forth.

How will you shine your light forth to others? How can you be a blessing to others by your words and actions? You are a new person in Christ, and God will give you opportunities this week to let it show and let it shine.

Now notice what Jesus says about this. He says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Notice, your good works will be seen. But why you’re doing your works for others to see–that could go a couple of very different ways.

For instance, the scribes and the Pharisees did their works in order to be seen. They would give to the needy, they would pray, they would fast–but they did these works in order to be seen and praised by men.

But let it not be so among you. You may be doing the same kinds of works as the hypocrites, and people may see you doing them. But you’re not doing your good works in order to look good in front of others, so that people will praise you. No, what does Jesus say? “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works . . . and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” And give glory to your Father in heaven! That’s what we hope will happen when people see a Christian’s good works. If they know we are Christians, they will think to themselves, “Hey, there’s something different about these people! Maybe there’s something there for me.” You see, by the way you live, you will be bringing honor and glory to God’s name.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you are designed and equipped to do good works. As it says in Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The fact that you are able to do good works is because God has first done his good work in you, making you a new creation in Christ.

You know, we Lutherans are not against good works. We’re only against the idea that we can merit our salvation by our works. No, we are very much in favor of us Christians living a life of love and good works. That’s what God has created us to do. That’s what Jesus is encouraging us to do today in our text. And that’s what you will be doing today and this week, precisely because you are a new person in Christ.

Dear friends, Jesus is saying to us today: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Peter Jurchen, Editor of Bible Resources and Curriculum, Concordia Publishing House

Old Testament Reading: Micah 6:1-8

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Holy Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12