Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

Third Sunday of Easter, Series C April 18, 2010

Lessons for Third Sunday of Easter (Lutheran Service Book)

Acts 9:1-22 – Jesus confronted Saul and called him from persecuting to proclaiming the Way.
Psalm 30 (antiphon: vv. 11a, 12b)
Revelation 5:(1-7) 8-14 – The hosts of heaven sing praise to the Lamb, slain to purchase people for God.
John 21:1-14 (15-19) – After He rose, Jesus appeared to the disciples at the sea of Galilee to re-instate Peter.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: A Joy that Cannot be Quieted!
A dejected band of disciples who went out to the sea of Galilee for some rest and recreation came back to shore with a miraculous catch of fish and a new joy for life! Gathered around a breakfast campfire, they learned about forgiveness first hand as Jesus reinstated Peter in ministry. Later, the young rabbi, Saul, called from persecuting followers of The Way and claimed by Jesus for service in His mission, joyfully proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior! Even the angels in heaven cannot help but sing the praises of the Lamb of God who was slain for the redemption of the world!

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Lamb of God, you have called me by name and claimed me for service in your kingdom. By your death you have redeemed me; by your resurrection you have empowered me. Fill me with your Spirit that I may tell everyone that you are my Lord and Savior. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: God has called us to use our material goods to proclaim the victory Christ has won for all the tribes and nations of the world. Often He has to reassure us that by His grace we are still useful to Him in the task of extending His kingdom in Christ Jesus.

OFFERING PRAYER: Worthy are You, O Lamb of God, who with Your blood
Purchased people from every nation and tribe.
Bless our power and wealth, our wisdom and strength for good,
That Your Kingdom be honored and Your name glorified. Amen.

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: God has brought about a great change for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection! He calls us to turn from our former life and embrace the renewal He has accomplished. Although we often resist this new life and sometimes even oppose it, God empowers us to live in the forgiveness and acceptance of His grace. He fills us with a great joy as we celebrate the Lamb, who has opened the scroll of God’s good news, proclaiming His defeat of Satan and victory over death won for us.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Yesterday, I used the Acts 5 text as the text for the sermon. Thus, two other magnificent Biblical texts were read, but not preached. So, here's the Revelation 1:4-18 text:
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Imagine a church where local persecutions have been the norm. Imagine a church where, in your local society, you are misunderstood as cannibals and, worst of all, only worship one god. Imagine a church where lies are told about you on a regular basis about your beliefs, your character, and those lies bring the government to execute your pastor and board of elders, take the property of many of your members, and you yourself risk losing your family if you don't "rat out" your fellow church members. Imagine a church where your beloved bishop, whom you have known all your life, is exiled, probably never to be seen again. Imagine a church where the temptation to teach error abounds because, well, it's safe and acceptable in your society.

The questions in such a church will abound. Will we ever have another pastor? Will the Church survive? Will the faith of us Christians survive? Jesus answers that question in these verses of Revelation: Fear not! I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Think for just a moment about which kingdoms of the earth have outlasted the Christian faith. Having trouble thinking of one? That's because the Church of the eternal Lord Jesus continues to outlast finite earthly kingdoms. Though the church is persecuted, though it is downtrodden, though its members may be put to death, the Church survives because the Lord who has the keys to Death and Hell continues to rule.

Yesterday, I used an illustration that shows the truth of Jesus' words to John. Faced with the reality that their church body may be sapped of every earthly trapping, would the church continue. The leader for that particular church body said that, as long as there was someone to preach the Gospel, as long as there was access to a little water for baptizing, as long as there was access to bread and wine to celebrate the Eucharist, the Church would continue, and perhaps even thrive.

O Lord Jesus Christ, in these trying times, we look to You, the First and Last, the one who was dead and now is alive forevermore, the one who has earned the right to hold the keys of death and Hades. Preserve Your Church by Your Holy Word. By Your Holy Spirit, may she be a beacon of light and hope in this dark world, that those who are of the faith now will be preserved in the true faith, and that many will be called by the Gospel to faith in you. For Your mercy's sake. Amen

This week at Mt. Olive is a little more subdued.

LWML will be meeting Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.

One event of note: Guitar Worship practice will begin again on Wednesday at 7 p.m. I look forward to this, because I always learn from these gifted musicians!

I will be out of the office until Thursday. Thus, there will be no Adult Instruction Tuesday evening or Wednesday Morning Bible Study.

Prayer Concerns:
Lilo Carson, hospitalized
Emmet Wright, undergoing tests
Those who serve in our armed forces, especially Rob Vadney who prepares for deployment later this month.

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, April 12
Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 13
LWML, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 14
Zumba Aerobics, 7 p.m.
Guitar Worship Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 15
Cub Scouts, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 17
Confirmation Banner Workshop, 10 a.m.
Jr. Youth Campout Meeting, 12 p.m.

God bless!
PKJ

We Are Witnesses!

The text for our meditation on God’s Holy Word is the First Lesson appointed for this day. I bring you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A few years ago, several of the ladies in our congregation worked together to make paraments for Easter Sunday—absolutely beautiful gold paraments that we use just once a year. When Easter Sunday is over, the banners and paraments are taken down and put away for next year—and that’s O.K. because the chief celebration of the Christian Church—our Lord’s resurrection from the dead—is worthy of such a special gift.

But what’s not O.K. is to treat Easter itself in that way--making it a once a year kind of thing. On Easter, we rejoice in our Lord’s resurrection—we sing those beautiful Easter hymns that are full of joy and gladness—we add the alleluias back in the liturgy—the church is packed--it's a great and glorious day! And by the next Sunday we're back to the normal, ordinary business of life. And that’s just how it is-ordinary.

But think about that! On Easter Sunday the most incredible, joyous, life-changing new is proclaimed: that Christ has been raised from the dead—a message that changed the direction of the cosmos—and a week later it’s all just back to normal. And that’s too bad-- and it ought not be that way-- because everything, absolutely everything is different for us—forever-- because Christ has been raised from the dead.

What we are going to do over these next seven Sundays in Easter season, is follow the early church in those weeks and months and years after our Lord’s resurrection and see what this Good News meant for them—how it changed their lives-- and how it still has the power to change our lives too. Luke writes that

Many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

I’m sure that most of us saw the news from Bay Area Fellowship during the Easter weekend—it was on the front page of the paper two different times and was the lead-in story on all the area TV stations—a multi-million dollar promotion—giving away cash and cars—to get people to attend their church for Easter. And they did—in droves. I’m also sure that many of us have strong opinions about their promotion. But no matter what we think of it—I think we will still agree that if nothing else—the scale of it was impressive.

For those who disagree with the methodology—and I’m one of them—if I dig around my heart a little bit, I think I will find some envy. Man, if only we could do that—bring in thousands upon thousands—or even hundreds upon hundreds of people to hear the Good News of our Lord’s resurrection—how cool would that be!

It’s the same feeling we get from reading about what was happening in the early church—signs and wonders being done by the hands of the apostles—multitudes of new believers added to the Lord—miraculous spiritual and physical healings. And we say to ourselves, If only we had a bunch of money—if only we had a bunch of miracles—then we would really have something to work with—then the Sunday after Easter would be as great as the Sunday of Easter.

But dear friends in Christ, that is the worst kind of spiritual blindness—and dare I say contempt—for the blessings of the resurrected Lord that are bestowed in this place Sunday after Sunday. When children and adults are baptized at this font they are delivered from the dominion of the devil and brought into God’s family. When the Gospel is preached in this place and sins are forgiven in absolution, people are raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. When Holy Communion is celebrated, the risen Christ makes himself present according to his body and blood no less present than when we appeared to the disciples in the upper room.

What we need in this congregation and in our lives as Christians is not millions of dollars or dramatic miracles-- but a renewed faith and joy in the Easter blessings that we take for granted: a lifetime of guilt taken away—an eternal life given—the presence of the Lord experienced. Blessings that are present in this place each Sunday—blessings that every person in the world needs—blessings that the Lord wants us to share.

Each of us are witnesses to these things: how people’s lives can be changed by Jesus—how people can be delivered and set free from those things that oppress them—how people can live with hope in the midst of hardship. This is the power of the resurrected Christ that goes on and on in our lives—this is the message that he wants us to share—even in the face of persecution. Luke writes that:

The high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

If there is one word that is common to the Easter Season—one word that is spoken again and again by Jesus and the angelic messengers—it is the word “go!” The angels at the tomb to the faithful women: go and tell the disciples! Jesus to Mary Magdalene: go and tell my brothers! Jesus to his disciples before the ascension: go into all the world and make disciples! And here in our text, the angel to the apostles: go and stand in the temple and speak the words of life! Again and again and again: Go and tell! Go and share! Go and witness! Go and make disciples! And the early church needed to hear that message.

The disciples and the other early Christians were no different than us by nature. They were perfectly willing to keep the Good News of Christ’s resurrection to themselves. This Sunday we see them hiding out in fear behind locked doors. Next Sunday we will see them going back to fishing for fish-- instead of fishing for men. And so again and again Jesus commands them to go and tell the Good News of his life.

And that command—that mission—that heavenly purpose for their lives-- takes them directly into the very places they would rather not have gone—places of persecution. Initially, it was to their kinsmen, the Jews, like we see today. In the Gospel lesson we are told they are hiding out in fear of the Jews-- but it is to them first of all—those closest to them—those they knew best--that Jesus wanted the Good News of his resurrection to go forth.

I think that all of us can understand their fear, can’t we? Maybe we have a loved one who doesn’t believe in Jesus—maybe it’s a friend at school—maybe it’s a co-worker or neighbor—someone we care about-someone we interact with on a daily basis—someone who needs Jesus. And yet it is BECAUSE of that closeness that we find it so hard to witness. We wonder and worry: what will happened to our relationship if I talk about Jesus—will they think I am judging them—will they listen to what I have to say, because the Lord and they both know I’m not a perfect Christian.

We are blessed in this country where in large measure we don’t face outright persecution—but neither should we doubt that there are forces that oppose our witness—usually it our own fears and doubts—but sometimes it is opposition and resistance from those we love and care about.

The disciples were facing strong opposition from the Sadducees—those Jews in charge of the temple—and we understand why—if the person and work of Jesus were true—then there was simply no need for any of it anymore. And because of this opposition that came from the temple Jews—the apostles ended up in jail. But they were not in it alone. They were commanded to be about the Lord’s mission and they could count on the Lord’s help and so during the night they were set free by the Lord.

Those looking in from the outside couldn’t understand it—they couldn’t figure it out—after all, they had the power—they had the prison—they thought they were in control. And when told that the ones they put in jail were no longer there, they were perplexed and wondered what it would all come to.

As well they might! The world has been looking on in wonder for the last two thousand years of the church’s history at how twelve disciples has been turned into billions—how the poverty of the early church has been translated into a world full of people fed and clothed and sheltered and healed in Jesus’ name every day—how a handful of peasants, speaking a regional dialect has turned into a world-wide community of people in every nation speaking hundreds of languages in a vast array of cultures.

The persecutors of the early Christians wondered what it would all come to-- and we are blessed to know the answer to that in a world full of Christians—and that gives us every reason to witness with conviction and face the future with courage.
Do not think for a minute that the Lord who set these disciples free and sent them directly into the midst of their persecutors-- is even the tiniest bit less involved in his church and in the lives of his people today--than he was back then. He is still the Lord of power and might who opens locked doors for the sake of the world’s salvation.

We can see it in the world around us and we can see it in the people we know. All of us have friends or family or fellow members here at St. Paul who, if you were just looking from the outside—not perceiving the power of the Lord—would be some of the most unlikely people to have a place in the Church. But they do—because the Lord loves them—because he has opened doors so that they can be saved—because someone witnessed to them.

We need to learn and re-learn that lesson. Much too often we see only the persecution of those who oppose us—we see only the problems of those who are broken by sin—and these impediments prevent our witness. Instead, we need to see the power of the risen Lord who stands ready even at this moment and even in this place to push forward his saving work through our witness—just like he did back then. Luke writes that:

When they had brought the disciples, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

This summer our church body will meet in its national convention and besides other kinds of agenda items to be discussed and voted on, we will elect a whole range of leaders including a president. I know Pres. Kieschnick but I’ve also met Pres. Barry and Pres. Bohlman. They are all good men—Pres. Barry now gone to be with the Lord. But my personal favorite among all of them was the man who took over after Pres. Barry died and that is Pres. Robert Kuhn. Just a plain old mid-western Lutheran pastor—a suit and tie—crew cut kind of guy.

And I remember hearing him reflect on his many years in parish ministry and someone asked him what he would do different and he said that he would make sure that—in each and every sermon—in a simple, straight-forward kind of way—he explained the way of salvation. I’ve never forgotten that and it’s exactly what we see the apostles doing.

The Lord did his part and opened the way for their witness and they took full advantage of it. To all who opposed them and persecuted them--to all within the sound of their voice they said: Jesus died on the cross and rose again and ascended into heaven so that you might repent and believe in him and receive forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

That is the simple, straight-forward message of the Gospel and we are witnesses of the Spirit-filled power of those words—in the history of the church—in this congregation—and in our own lives. We are not the people that we were before we first heard that message—we are new people, born-again by water and Spirit through the obedience of faith.

And God invites us on this Sunday AFTER Easter to turn our backs on the ordinary and take our rightful place as his witnesses to the extraordinary things he has done- and is still doing- in his crucified and risen Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening, fellow redeemed!

Redeemed - a great name to have! We heard from Job this morning during the Sunrise service:
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[25] For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
[26] And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,

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As Job confidently cried out for his Redeemer, we are given that Redeemer – God in the flesh. Where we cannot make anything right, He comes and makes all things new, restored, right. Today, in the greatest redemption, we celebrate His resurrection. This is not a dead redeemer – He is alive, forever – our redeemer lives!
Even the old enemy with its gaping jaws is now defeated. Our redeemer lives, and death the devourer is itself swallowed up by our Lord Jesus in His resurrection!
What's more, because our Redeemer who died now lives, you and I and all who cling to Christ by faith will stand in our flesh before God. Even though death will do its number on our bodies, our Redeemer lives, and because He lives, we will be raised in the flesh.

Things are settling down after the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. To say the least, it was a great morning to rejoice with the people of God!

One thing missing from today's bulletin was the list of Easter lilies. With all the activity this past week, that was one thing that slipped through the cracks. That list will be in this coming Sunday's bulletin.

One exception to this week's activities: Zumba aerobics will be only Monday this week, as the school staff will be going through CPR and First Aid in the Fellowship Hall.

Choir, you have the week off.

Next Sunday will be the rescheduled first quarter voters meeting. Thus, the schedule is as follows:
9:30 a.m. Divine Service
10:30 a.m. Sunday School, Voters Meeting
11:30 a.m. Meal
12:30 p.m. Confirmation Instruction

Next Sunday is also the LWML Bake Sale! If you're inclined, it's time to get those ovens going! If you're inclined to purchase and eat, this is your opportunity!

By the way, I'll be out of the office on Monday and at Circuit Conference on Tuesday. I'll be back in full swing on Wednesday.

Prayer Concerns:
Those who serve in our armed forces: Rob Vadney (preparing for deployment), John Miller's niece (Afghanistan), Andrew Epley (Iraq), Richard Rhode (North Carolina), Dru Blanc, John Sorenson, Ryan Radtke, Michael Baker (Corpus Christi), William Worley (Kingsville)
Thanksgiving for the Altar Guild, the choir and director, the organist, for a fantastic Lent and Eastertide

This Week at Mt. Olive
Monday, April 5
Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 6
Pastor's Information Class, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 7
School Chapel, 8:30 a.m.
Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
School staff CPR and First Aid, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 8
Cub Scouts, 6:30 p.m.

Next Sunday, April 11
Divine Service, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday School, 10:30 a.m.
Voters meeting, 10:30 a.m.
Meal, 11:30 a.m.
Confirmation Instruction, 12:30 a.m.

God bless!
PKJ

Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

Second Sunday of Easter April 11, 2010


Lessons for Second Sunday of Easter (Lutheran Service Book

Acts 5:12-20 (21-32) – No threat could silence the apostles, who proclaimed Jesus’ redeeming work.

Psalm 148 (antiphon: v. 13)
Revelation 1:4-18 – Jesus appeared to John on Patmos to give him a message and the courage to tell it.
John 20:19-31 – Jesus’ risen presence with His disciples overcame their fear and empowered their faith.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: When the Lord Speaks...
..we believe! After the apostles’ miraculous release from jail, they could not be silenced, but continued proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. In response to the Lord’s words, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” the Apostle John wrote the Book of the Revelation. One week Thomas lamented the fact that he was trapped in unbelief, and the next week, in response to Jesus’ command: “Stop doubting and believe,” Thomas exclaimed in faith, "My Lord and my God!"

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Lord Jesus, you were dead, but now you are alive for ever and ever! By your death you show me how to die confident of forgiveness for my sins; in your resurrection, teach me how to live trusting in your love to uphold me in all I do. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: Although sin and death held us in bondage, Jesus has claimed our lives by His victory over death, which He has made our own! All that we have and are belongs to the One who is First and Last and Always! We cannot help but use our talents, our resources, our lives to proclaim His Lordship and His Love.

OFFERING PRAYER: Alpha and Omega, First and Last of all things,
You have rescued us from death, and Yours You named us!
You are both our source of life and goal of living.
Use these gifts to tell the world that You have claimed us!

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: The presence of the risen Christ in our lives is over-whelming! He stops our doubts and creates faith in our hearts! He propels us to obey God at all costs! He is the First and the Last, who encompasses death but lives forevermore! And yet we live our complacent lives as though Christ is only a distant memory and a child’s fairy tale! Still He comes to us, searching us out, putting our hands into His side, compelling our faith with His forgiveness.

Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

The Resurrection of our Lord, Series C April 4, 2010

Lessons for the Resurrection of our Lord (Lutheran Service Book) (for Easter Day, not Sunrise or Evening)

Isaiah 65:17-25 – Isaiah described the age of God’s restoration ushered in by the risen Messiah.
Psalm 16 (antiphon: v. 10)
1 Corinthians 15:19-26 – Just as Adam’s sin brought death to all, Christ by His death has brought us life.
Luke 24:1-12 – The angels’ words to the women at the tomb brought Peter himself to see that it was empty.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: Easter Triumph! Easter Joy!
The bewildering message of the angels to the women on Easter morning was quickly investigated by other disciples, who were amazed and wondered at its meaning. Still today those who trust confidently in our God’s redeeming power, as Job did centuries before, know that Jesus’ resurrection gives promise of our own. He has given us victory over the sting of death and the power of sin so that our mortal bodies may be raised immortal, and we may serve him in love for all eternity!

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to you, O God!” You have given me victory over sin and death through my Lord Jesus Christ! What joyous celebration, dear Lord, is mine today because you have conquered death and given me life! Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: In the new heaven and new earth, the world redeemed by Christ’s victory, homes and vineyards, all the things that bless our daily lives, will be means to praise our gracious God who has rescued us from sin and death. Even our material goods in this life have been redeemed and dedicated to God’s ultimate goal.

OFFERING PRAYER: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Our lives are claimed in victory;
Our deeds proclaim God’s love story.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: The message today is all proclamation of the amazing event that death has been defeated and the victory over sin has been won for us!! We are convicted by our timidity which does not celebrate the victory. We consider such a tale nonsense, like the creation of a new world where children are not doomed to misfortune and where lambs and lions are good neighbors! The power of the victory does not depend on our comprehension, but has been secured by Jesus’ death and sealed by His resurrection, so that, with Peter, we are left wondering what has happened, that God should care for us so much.

Palm Sunday with Rite of Confirmation

The text for our meditation on God’s Holy Word is the Old Testament lesson appointed for Palm Sunday. I bring you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

During the Rite of Confirmation these two young ladies will publicly affirm their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and confess that what our Lutheran Church believes and teaches—is also their personal confession of faith.

And they will make three solemn promises: that they will hear God’s Word and receive the Sacrament of the Altar regularly—that they will live their lives according to God’s Word—and that they will suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from the confession and faith of this church.

In other words, very simply, they will promise to follow and serve Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior throughout their days.

Each of us who are confirmed members of this congregation have made the same confession and the same promises. And this promise to follow and serve Jesus impacts every part of our life for it calls us to yield ourselves and our will to him completely.

God wants us to know it is not a burdensome, hardship to serve this king-- but a joyous, fulfilling pleasure and the only way to an abundant life full of God’s blessings. In fact, it is what we were created and redeemed and sanctified to do.
That is why it is such a blessing that God speaks to us in his word today to remind us all what kind of king this Jesus is, whom we have promised to follow and serve as Lord and Master throughout our days. Zechariah writes:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Just picture in your mind’s eye what you would expect to see as trumpets were sounded and red carpet unrolled and banner unfurled and attendants cry out: the king, the king! And ornate carriage or expensive limousine would arrive. A distinguished man with medals on his chest and a sword on his side and a crown on his head would come forth. The king, the king! We think we know how that scene plays out.

Rejoice greatly! Shout aloud! The king! And there he is: obviously a peasant—with the hands of a worker—riding upon a donkey, his feet just off the ground. All of the trappings of earthly power and might were nowhere to be seen that day Jesus rode into Jerusalem and so the only way to recognize him for the king who he truly was--was by faith. It had always been that way concerning the King we serve.

This king was not born in a palace but a stable. His parents were not royalty but peasants. He was not trained in the arts of war and statecraft but in carpentry. His only earthly crown was one woven from thorns and the only time his royal status was acknowledged by the rulers of the world was in ridicule when they hung a placard above his head proclaiming him the king of Israel as he died upon the cross.

And yet, there must be no doubt—Jesus he is a king—the King of kings and the Lord of lords—he is the ancient of days and the living God of the universe and the One to whom all of heaven and earth must bend the knee. But as great and powerful and majestic as he is, he came into this world in humility so that we might be saved. Paul writes that

Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The king that these girls commit themselves to today and for the rest of their lives—the king we serve as our master and Lord-- is not a tyrant or dictator who demands obedience while we cower in fear—but a humble king, who, though he is God in flesh, laid down his life for us upon the cross bringing us salvation from sin and death and bestowing upon us his own righteousness as a gift.

When we hear from Zechariah that Jesus is a righteous king, we naturally think of his holiness--that he cannot abide with sin in any form or degree. And we think of his expectations of us—that we too serve must him in holiness and righteousness. And that’s true.

But the really good new about this king is that, his holiness and righteousness do not stand as an insurmountable barrier between us-- because he has bestowed his life upon us as a gift. This is what he came to do—to make a way for us to have a place in his kingdom as his people and destroy the enemies that would ruin our lives. Zechariah writes of the battle he would wage and the peace he would bring for his people:

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Girls, when we look at you, we look back, and we remember our own confirmation many years ago and the promises we made. But we also look forward-- because we know that you are a part of a future that most of us will never see.

And I know that I’m not the only parent or grandparent who feels a little bit of trepidation as I think about what lies ahead for your generation, because the picture of the future that we get from the media is so uncertain and even frightening.

We know our nation is going through difficult economic times and just this week began paying out in Social Security more than it took in. We saw in the news where North Korea has torpedoed a South Korean ship. And it was reported that, for the first time in our history, this generation of kids-on average- will not live as long as their parent’s generation due to poor diet. All of this makes for a frightening, uncertain future.

So it was for the people of Zechariah’s day. They had just returned from slavery in Babylon and these should have been the greatest days of their lives-except they weren’t. They didn’t have money to rebuild their city and homes. They were surrounded by enemies bent on their destruction. The very fabric of their culture was coming apart at the seams. And when they looked ahead at the future they were afraid.

But God promised them that those days would not endure—that their enemies would not win out—that the coming King would make peace. And so he did. The Bible says of Jesus that

he himself is our peace who has reconciled us to God through the cross—preaching peace to those who are far off and to those who are near so that we can all have access to the Father.

Now at first glance, the sacrifice of Jesus may not seem to have solved anything at all in terms of the world itself. After all, history went on as before after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But it made—and continues to make—all the difference in the world.

Because our king is the Prince of Peace who has made peace between us and God, no matter what happens to us in life—no matter what hardships we face—no matter what happens from day to day in the world—no matter what the future holds--we know that things are eternally right between us and God—and that what really matters—our salvation—is safe and secure in the Lord’s nail-scarred hands.

But there is even more. Not only is there peace between us and God but in Jesus the way has been made for peace between us and others—and the victory over the powers of evil and death that was won on Calvary-- will one day encompass all the world as our King stands upon the earth, punishes evil once and for all, and welcomes his people into his eternal kingdom of peace and plenty.

Until that day, the blood of Christ that has brought about the peace that now exists between us and God, is given to us again and again in Holy Communion as an enduring, tangible promise that we are a part of Jesus’ kingdom right now. Zechariah writes:

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Almost two thousand years before these words were written by Zechariah, God made a promise to Abraham to bless the world through his offspring—that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. That covenant was sealed by the shedding of blood. God renewed that covenant with Moses and once again it was sealed by the shedding of blood. Every day in the temple God’s promise to forgive and restore mankind was renewed again and again in the shedding of blood.

And so it went in salvation history until one night two thousand years ago when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples and he took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to them saying: this is my body. And he took the cup, and after he gave thanks he gave it to them saying: this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.

What the shed blood of beasts had been pointing to for thousands of years-- was fulfilled in the shed blood of God’s Son—our Savior King, Jesus Christ. God’s covenant of love and forgiveness was no longer a promise—but was fulfilled in Christ’s death and resurrection. It is that same shed blood of Jesus Christ that made God’s covenant of love and forgiveness an accomplished reality, that is given to us in Holy Communion.

Throughout your life of faith, you can come to Holy Communion again and again and be assured that you are a forgiven child of God—that what Christ did on the cross for the world was done for you personally and individually. And eating his body and drinking his blood in faith, you can be confident that the King will grant you a place in the great marriage feast of the lamb in his eternal kingdom.

It is that promise of eternal life—sealed in Jesus’ blood—that makes us people of hope no matter what we encounter in the future. Zechariah writes:

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Our King once said, I have come that you might have life and have it to the full. The life of faithful service to Jesus that you girls commit to today—and that I hope all of us will re-commit ourselves to--is anything but an unpleasant burden. It is a life of full of God’s richest blessings. Everything and more that was lost in mankind’s fall into sin has been restored to us through faith in Jesus and that promise transforms our life-- no matter where life takes us—and gives us hope--because our eyes of faith are always fixed upon a future full of God’s blessings to us in Christ our King.

May God grant that all of us—and especially you girls—would rejoice in your King all the days of your lives! Amen.

And now may the peace of God keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.