Grace, Mercy, and
Peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Amen
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
In the Name of Jesus
Why did Jesus, the Son of God, come to earth? This is your critical thinking exercise of
the day. Why did Jesus, the Son of God,
come to earth? What things did you come
up with? Perhaps you have visions and
thoughts of the miracles and healings he performed, of the demons he cast out,
even of those he brought back from the dead.
How happy of times those were for the afflicted who were relieved. Perhaps you are thinking about his great
teachings and his divine wisdom. Maybe
you are thinking about the Cross of Calvary.
Of what Christ accomplished for us on the tree.
Let me tell you something about the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. You know what the Gospel message
is. That Jesus Christ was sent to earth
from his heavenly throne at the right hand of the Father. He came to live a perfect life, to suffer, to
die for sinners such as you and me, and then rise again on the third day just
as he predicted. By doing so he bought
for us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. By our baptism we are connected to his death
and resurrection and made heir and partakers of the feast of Heaven, which has
no end. He gives us such gifts out of
his love for a fallen creation not because of anything we have done because we
are by nature sinful and unclean.
Did you know that that message, all which I just spoke to
you, is foolish? Did you know that
people will look at that message, those words, and laugh? How absurd it is that you can believe that some
divine being is up in the heavens ruling over everything. I mean, come on. And you believe that this divine being came
down to earth and died on a cross? How
can you put your faith in someone who is dead because I can tell you, there is
no way someone is coming back from the dead.
How weak minded are you that you could be swayed by someone who is dead? What is worse, you think that he is coming
back for you and that there is something after this life? You must be brain washed or something….
Do I have your blood boiling yet? Sadly there are so many who think these
things about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, both outside the church and even
within the church. To those who do not
want to believe the Gospel is foolishness, it is as Paul says a stumbling
block. The Gospel is contrary to
everything we in our human nature believe.
How can one come down from heaven?
How could one be completely innocent from all sin, evil thoughts, pure
in all that he did? How could one be
beaten, whipped, crucified, killed, and yet rise again to life?
Even to those with faith, it is our nature these days to be
all inclusive. To have the thought and
conviction that we must accept everyone into our midst with open arms. There was a video clip that came out last
month of a popular TV personality, I don’t like naming names from the pulpit so
I won’t, but I will say that I would bet this person was brought into all our
homes through TV over the years. She is
a firm believer that there are many paths that lead to the same goal. We can all “find and feel” God in our own
ways and end up in heaven together. She
went as far as arguing and asking one person how they could be so close minded
to thing that there was one path to heaven and that the path was through Jesus
Christ? This person goes as far to say
Jesus’ purpose on earth was not to die, but to show us the proper way to live
and achieve a Christ conscience. We try
to explain our way around that which is difficult. We explain our way around the cross. We want to play a part in our salvation and
so we say we must do good works to earn our way to heaven, thereby nullifying
what Christ so graciously did for us.
By nature the Gospel divides! It leaves a clear separation between those
who truly believe that what is written is the truth and those who add and
subtract from it are sinning and those who feel this is not complete and must
supplement the Word of God with their own.
What a statement our Lord makes in the Gospel of St. Luke. I came
to cast fire on earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how
great is my distress until it is accomplished.
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
This goes against everything we have thought. He comes to bring fire! That is, he comes to bring judgment. He comes to reveal the Kingdom of God through
wrath. He comes to expose the sins of
all and to expose those who are oppose to him.
For wrath must come first.
And what about this baptism?
Wasn’t he already baptized at this point in his ministry, and even if he
wasn’t why would he be so distressed about it?
Hear our Lord’s conversation with James and John in the Gospel of St.
Mark. James
and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever
we ask of you.” And
he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And
they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in
your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You
do not know what you are asking. Are you able to
drink the cup that I drink, or to
be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
Our Lord was not baptized like we are baptized. He was not baptized with water but with
blood. If this was not his sole purpose
for coming to earth, why would he have been so fixed on it? Why would he have predicted his death three
times? Why would he have said that the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve and give his life as a ransom for many, if that’s not why he
came? Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Christ’s death brought the ultimate
division. It brought the division
promised in Genesis. It separated God’s
people from the devil and it rightfully put the devil in his place. Because of our baptism in water, we are
joined into his baptism with blood. On
our own we could not withstand the baptism with blood, but praise God he
endured it for us.
Martin Luther has this to say of our Lord’s purpose on
earth. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from
eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has
redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins,
from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with
His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may
be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting
righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead,
lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Why will Jesus, the Son of God, then come again to
earth? Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. As we live our lives here on earth, in
sure confidence in what Christ has indeed done for us, not doubting but firmly believing that what is written in
God’s Word is true, we wait for the final coming which will bring the final
division. This will be just as is
predicted and talked about by our Lord himself.
This will be the separation of the wheat from the chaff, the dividing of
the sheep and the goats, the division and separation of the believers from the
unbelievers . On the last day, Christ
will execute final judgment on all people.
To those who believe, to those who confessed him before men, our Lord
will welcome into the heavenly kingdom, yet to those who have not confessed
him, who have lived contrary to his word, will be cast out into the dark deep
pits of hell. We will hear more of this
place next week, but in the words of our Lord, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
How sad a day it will be for those who created their own
path to God, who created their own God, who followed added and took away from
God’s Word to suit their own needs and desires.
But think of the joy on the flip side of that, the joy as believers
enter the gate of Heaven. Our Lord says Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that
leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard
that leads to life and those who find it are few.
By the grace of God may the anticipation of the final day,
the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting, fill you with joy
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