There Be Dragons! 
On Earth Is Not His Equal, and Still We Rejoice!
Sermon for Palm Sunday, March 29th, A+D 2026
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Hill City and Custer, South Dakota
Job 41:1-34 , Philippians 2:5-11  , 1^st Peter 5:6-11 , Luke 19:37 - 44

Audio of the sermon is available HERE.

    There be dragons!  My granddaughters love the “How to Tame Your Dragon” movies.  Did you know that just about every ancient culture speaks of dragons?  However, that I know of, none of them speak of taming a dragon. 

   Dragons go by many names.  In West Africa, they are called Ayida-Weddo, and Damballa, Bida and Ninki.  In Egypt, Apep and Jaculus.  For the Bantus along the Congo, Kirimu and Masingi.  In Europe, there is Bolla, Kulshedra, Dreq and Tatzelwurm.  Tarasque and Wyvern.  Lindworm and Drakon. Dabran and Cuélebre.  Basalisk and Cockatrice.  In Asia, Bahamut, Marduk, Naga, Tatsu and Hai Riyo.  In the Americas, Mishipeshu, Quetzalcoatl, and Amaru.

   In the Book of Job, we hear of Leviathan.  

   Modern science of course denies dragons ever existed.  Which sure makes it interesting that all around the world, the ancient stories of almost every culture include powerful reptiles, part giant snake, part flying lizard, all terror.  Did every ancient civilization collude to promote the same myth, or were they describing what they experienced? 

   Of course, modern science has not been covering itself in glory in recent years, as biological fictions that any 12-year-old farm kid could debunk are defended as truth, while rational, reality-based critiques of these fictions are attacked as bigoted.  “How dare you say there are differences between males and females, or that switching sex is impossible?”  And maybe you remember during the pandemic, when the wearing of cloth masks was enforced upon the people as a moral duty, because supposedly they would help stop the spread of microscopic viruses.  Only problem being that every credible study before or since shows they did not. 

   The Fall into sin would have been less devastating if we had not been left with impressive mental faculties, in which we take great pride, but at the same time be so susceptible to motivated reasoning and group think.  

   Which brings us to Leviathan, the greatest creature that the Lord describes to Job, as through the wonders of the creation God teaches him that there are many things about which mankind is simply not qualified to debate.  The Lord is on the side of humanity, He is Job’s friend.  But He does not put up with impertinent questions from fallible men. 

    Leviathan is a wonder, a beast of which the Lord declares “on earth is not his equal.”  “Around his teeth is terror.  ¹⁵ His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal.  ¹⁶ One is so near to another that no air can come between them.  ¹⁷ They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.  ¹⁸ His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.  ¹⁹ Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.  ²⁰ Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.  ²¹ His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth.  ²² In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him.” 

    God mockingly asks our suffering patriarch, who has been our guide this Lenten season, if Job can catch Leviathan with a line and hook, or if he can make it a pet for his daughters.  The Bible does not spend a lot of time discussing dragons, but they are mentioned here and there, from Job to Revelation.  Most importantly, the Holy Spirit uses this most fearsome beast to represent Satan, the Devil, the Adversary.  Like Leviathan, only worse, Satan is a fearsome opponent, a malevolent spirit who hates mankind.  The Accuser caused all Job’s suffering, in an unsuccessful attempt to prove Job’s faith in God could not endure tribulation. Which goes to show that the story of salvation is a lot weirder and wilder than we tend to think. 

   Consider this from the Book of Job.  God allows Satan into His presence, and then points out righteous Job, seemingly goading the old evil foe into seeking his downfall.  Twice the Lord allows Satan to afflict Job with terrible suffering.  The Devil is confident that, once his good things are taken from him, Job will curse God to his face. 

   The central question of the book of Job is not “why does God allow the righteous to suffer?”  This is Job’s question, and it is an important one.  But the driving question of the book really flows from the wager between God and Satan: Why do God’s people love and worship Him, and follow in the Way of the Lord?  Is it merely transactional?  Do God’s people only love, serve, and obey God when God is providing them with a pleasant life?  Are we all just hypocrites in the end?”   

   No.  God’s people remain faithful, walking obediently in the Way of the Lord, because they have heard and believe God’s promises of ultimate and eternal delivery.  The faithful believe God is their Savior.  The Holy Spirit through the speaking of God’s promises creates this trust in the hearts of sinners, faith in Christ which enables believers to look past present suffering, and cling to God’s promises, not just in good times, but especially in the bad.  And so Job could famously proclaim after his first round of suffering: “The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.”    

   The righteous suffer.  Sometimes, because we are also still foolish sinners, we suffer as a consequence of things we do.  I might stay up too late, get a late start in the morning, and speed through the school zone in Hill City.  If I suffer the consequences of public embarrassment, lost time, and a hefty fine, that’s on me. 

     At other times, there is no connection between things we do and suffering that comes our way.  Suffering often comes to the Christian because  we do the right thing.  Such suffering of God’s people is a sign, a living reflection of God’s plan of salvation displayed in the life of one of God’s children.  The blood of the martyrs, Christians killed for refusing to renounce Christ, is often called the seed of the Church, because such public displays of faith unto death draw some who witness them to later inquire about the Way of the Christ.  Through this, by God’s gracious working, more souls are added to the Church. 

     Job is one of the first examples.  Through his suffering, many of Job’s friends and neighbors came to a right understanding of Who God is, and how He works, and Job is still teaching us today.  Even though some of his questions are impertinent and his understanding of God is lacking, still Job’s faith in God is rock solid.  He needs, and God provides correction to his understanding.  But, through everything, Job’s trust in God’s goodness and His promises endures.  In his troubled but faithful suffering, Job is an example for us.  He also points us to the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, who remained faithful through even worse suffering. 

     Jesus was obedient to His Father’s plan of salvation, obedient unto death, even death on a cross.  Six days before that gruesome death, Jesus calmly rides a donkey into Jerusalem, fully knowing what awaited Him.  Almighty God, the Creator, the Source of all life, rides toward death, because He loves His Father, and because He loves you, and me, and all people.  Jesus hints at the unseen weirdness of God’s work of salvation when He declares that if the crowds did not hail Him as the promised Messiah King, the rocks would step in and declare this mystery with their own cries.  The creation knows its Lord, even when God’s chosen people, Israel, do not.  As the eternal Son of God Jesus rides on into Jerusalem, the creation quivers with dread: the Creator is about to suffer and die.        

     Which is what it took to defeat Leviathan, in the Way God wanted him crushed.  On earth is not his equal.  This is true in the natural world of the dragon Leviathan.  Even more, in the spiritual world, as Luther proclaims in his hymn, on earth there is no one equal to Satan.  Against the ancient serpent, a liar from the beginning and the father of lies, no earthly champion, no mere human being, stood a chance.  

   Of course, defeating Satan was not hard for Jesus.  He is Almighty God.  A flick of His finger would have been enough to send Leviathan crashing down to earth.  But, to defeat Satan and save us?  This task was something altogether different.  This is why the creation quivered.  This is why, if the crowds had not hailed Jesus as the Messiah, the very rocks would have cried out.  Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to win, by losing.  To give freedom through His own arrest.  To give life through His own death.  To make peace between rebellious mankind and the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, a peace that could only be achieved by Jesus bringing the full wrath of God down upon Himself. 

     Satan could not resist the bait; the chance to inflict suffering on the One he hates most was too great.  So, the dragon tried to swallow Jesus whole, to destroy Him on a Roman Cross.  Still, as bad as that was, far worse was to suffer the wrath of God against our sin.  The stroke that Justice gave, the rejection by His Father and the punishment of eternal hell, came down on Jesus in an instant, in that moment when the Father turned away from His beloved Son. 

     God died.  By this terrible mystery, Jesus dealt a killing blow to the head of the dragon. Satan can still fume and blow smoke.  He can prowl around and threaten, and he still controls all those outside of Christ, all those who by unbelief cut themselves off from God’s protection.  But for all who are in Christ, for all who are safe under His wings, for all those who belong to His Body, which is the Church of all the saints, for them the ancient dragon is a spent force, a helpless creature. 

     By your union with Jesus, you are safe from the dragon.  Your sins are forgiven, and your place in God’s eternal glory is prepared for you, by the once dead but now alive-again Jesus Christ.  And so now, you too can slay dragons. 

     Are you intimidated by the hatred and lies of the world?  Fear not, the One Who is Love and Truth Incarnate is with you.  You can respond with calmness, and even kindness, confessing the truth of Christ with confidence, for He has conquered. 

     Do you feel defeated by the slow decline and decay of your body?  If we live long enough, we will all face this.  But your baptized body, imperfect as it is, is also a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Body and soul, you are precious to the Father right now, and so you know that He will restore you’re your flesh, He will re-create you, when He brings you into His glory.

      Are you depressed, or even tormented by regret and shame for the sins that still plague you?  Sorrow for sin is good and right.  Just remember that God intends your repentance to draw you closer to Him, through forgiveness.  For yourself and for others, always be ready to reject the lie of Satan, who still tries to convince you God could never love a sinner like you.  Tell that snake, “Get behind me Satan, I am baptized into Christ!”  Confess your sins, and flee to Jesus; He is always ready to restore you again.  

     You can slay these dragons, through Christ your Valiant One.  You are and can act like a champion, in and through Jesus.  You can be a better husband, a better wife, a better child, brother or sister.  You can grow in the Scripture, letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.  Increase your exposure to the Sword of the Spirit, and you will see your faith deepen and strengthen. 

     You can do all these things, and more, with humility and confidence.  You can do such things, because of the One who did not think it robbery to be equal with God.  Even though Jesus submits to His Father, at the same time, Jesus is the eternal God.  I and the Father are One, he declared, (John 10:30).  The Father and the Son are One, along with the Holy Spirit, each person fully God.  Jesus was and is fully God. 

     But, (and this is the great Gospel ‘but,’) but, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, ^[8] he humbled himself by becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.  ^[9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ^[10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ^[11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

     Jesus rode into Jerusalem to die, for you, for me, and for every sinner.  He continues with us now, invisible, but truly here to serve us, through His Word, and also hidden under the water, the wheat and the wine.  The next time He rides in visibly, He will be on the clouds, coming to claim all His own and take them to His Father in glory.  And so we too cry out “Hosanna.”    “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  

     Till then, “Humble yourselves, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.  [Cast) all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your Adversary, (your Leviathan), the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To [God] be the dominion, (and to us, boundless blessing and eternal joy), forever and ever, Amen.

Mary and Job and Jesus - 2026 Job Lenten Midweek 5 
Based on Job 38:1-11 and Luke 1:26-38.

You can access the audio of the sermon HERE.  

Only nine months till Christmas.  Do you have your celebrations prepared? 

   Christmas is celebrated on December 25^th because early church fathers believed the crucifixion happened on March 25^th, which is, based on the date of Passover, a strong possibility.  Added to this, the ancients held a cyclical idea about human life, that the day one is conceived would also be the day one dies.  March 25^th, was understood to be the date of Good Friday, when Jesus died, and so also the date of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would be the mother of God’s Son, and the Christ was miraculously conceived in her womb.  Nine months later is December 25^th.  And so tonight, we get to sing a Christmas carol.  Which is cool. 

   Also cool is this: the book of Job gives us a microcosm of the entire Biblical narrative.  Both share an idyllic beginning, the man and the woman in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, and Job’s wonderful life, full of blessings, described in chapter one.  Then Satan intervenes.  In the Garden he took on the form of a serpent to successfully tempt the woman and the man to sin.  In Job the evil one responded to the Lord’s praise of Job with a challenge: Allow me to ruin Job’s life, God, and he will curse You to Your face.

   Suffering and confusion result, but a promise sustains the faithful, the promise of the Seed of the woman Who would come and defeat Satan.  Job believed this promise, handed down to him, father and mother to children, through the generations.  The fulfillment of this promise forms the central narrative of the Bible.  But first comes a long period of confusion, and a struggle to be faithful, and the plague unfaithful preachers.  Job had his worthless friends, who were sure Job was hiding some sin that was the cause of his suffering.  God’s people had to deal with false prophets, preachers who pretended to speak for the Lord, but who in reality were proclaiming “Peace, peace!” when there was no peace.  False prophets consistently denied that Israel’s problems were due to their sins, and that God was going to punish them for them. 

   Like Job, God’s chosen people were often perplexed and persecuted, and looked forward to the chance to meet God face to face, to ask why they were suffering, and above all, to be delivered.   

   In both stories, the desired meeting finally happens, but the mystery is only increased.  God’s Way is so much greater than our understanding.  But His way is true and good.  And so the longed-for appearance of God on the scene was good news, for Job, for Mary, and for us.  God’s appearance to His people leads to their final restoration, at the end of Job, and at the end of the book of Revelation. 

   The book of Job describes in the story of one man the broad arc of the Biblical narrative.  There are certainly lots of details missing, necessary truths about salvation.  Job can’t replace the whole Bible.  But the thrust of things in Job matches the overall thrust of things in the Bible.   

   Chapter 38 of Job then is the Annunciation and Christmas rolled into one.  God shows up to respond to Job’s questions, and also to deliver His chosen one.  But the meeting does not go how Job expected.

   Job expected to debate with God, to lay out his case and compel God to see his point.  But, the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ² “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  ³ Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.  ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Tell me, if you have understanding.

   Job believed the Lord was his Savior, but he failed to understand how much greater God is than the wisest man, how much of God’s Way is beyond human comprehension.  God comes and shows Job all that he could never understand, just in the Creation.  Job can only repent in dust and ashes. 

   Still, God’s arrival is the best of news for Job.  God corrected him, to be sure.  The Lord asks Job 70 questions, seven the number of divine perfection, times 10, the number of the Law.  In this full examination, Job came to understand better and accept his limits.  But, he was also restored.  Job was God’s beloved child, and so Job was restored.  His understanding was faulty, but his faith in God was vindicated.   

   Job repents of seeking to know unknowable things, and God forgives and restores him, doubly.  His suffering is removed, and he received double back of all that he lost.  Before Satan attacked he had 7,000 sheep, now 14,000.  3,000 camels, now 6,000.  He had 10 children, and he received 10 new children. 

   Wait, why not 20 children?  Because the first 10 sons and daughters were not truly lost to Job, he would be reunited with them in the resurrection!  The end of Job includes a promise of a heavenly reunion with all the faithful departed.      

   Mary and Job both ask famous questions.  Job asked “how is it possible that God’s righteous followers, those who are trust in promises and so are declared righteous by God, still face suffering?”  Mary asks “how is it possible that a virgin should conceive a son?” 

   Through Job’s question we begin to learn that salvation only comes through suffering, that the cost of the Fall into sin is suffering, not just for wicked unbelievers, but also for the restoration of believers.  Job is among the first Old Testament saints who suffer in order to foreshadow the Savior, the Suffering Servant who would one day come and redeem the world: by His stripes, we are healed. 

   Mary’s question was simple biology.  She understood where babies came from.  From Gabriel we discover that God was doing something new, that Mary’s pregnancy was the beginning of something entirely unique, that had never happened before and would only happen once.  A virgin conceived and bore God’s Son.  This birth unlike any other birth also brought suffering unlike any other suffering.  Mary would suffer, tremendously, but even more, her Son would suffer in a unique and redemptive way

    For both Job and Mary, God’s reply to their question is more or less that “I am God, I say so, and so this is how it is.”  God doesn’t explain suffering to Job, He delivers him from it.  The angel does not explain the mystery of how God could become a man, he just says God was going to do this thing.  This lack of explanation can be frustrating to us.  But, the reliability and power of God’s Word is also our great comfort.  When God says to you and me: “I forgive you all your sins,” we, with Job and Mary, can trust that Word, and rejoice, because what God says always happens! 

   The Mystery of God coming to us is too great for us to fully comprehend.  But it is not too great to be believed.  Like Mary did, whose faith in God’s Word of promise prepared her for her calling, which included great suffering. 

   The suffering of Job was obvious, first the loss of flocks, herds, servants, and most bitterly, his children.  Then suffering came to his body, with terrible boils.  What about Mary?  Well, no doubt her miraculous pregnancy leads to suspicion.  Who would believe her?  Would her fiancé?  Not at first, but thanks to an angelic visit to Joseph’s dreams, he believes and stays with Mary. 

   Still, Mary felt it necessary to go and hide at her cousins house in the hill country.  Was this to avoid prying eyes and rude questions?  Then, late in her pregnancy, she and Joseph have to journey to Bethlehem.  The birth was forever blessed, and filled with wonders, but 40 days later at the Temple, Simeon would speak of suffering.  Yes, the Child would be the deliverance of Israel and the light of the nations, but, he told Mary, a sword will pierce your soul too. 

   This was the deepest suffering of Mary.  Job was a great man of faith, but he was only righteous by faith, not on his own merits.  He was a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness, and he received it.  But Mary’s Son was truly righteous in His essence; in every thought word and deed He was without sin.  Jesus was truly innocent, truly righteous, and yet He suffered.  This is why He came, to suffer for the salvation of the world.  And Mary had to watch.  I don’t think she could look away from watching her grown-up, perfect Son get treated like the worst sinner ever.   

   Job’s suffering was ultimately resolved by God’s appearance.  The Lord confronted, corrected, and commissioned Job to intercede for his worthless friends.  And then Job was restored.   

   Mary’s suffering was also resolved by God’s appearance, it was fulfilled by Jesus, along with all the other suffering necessary for the whole world.  But Mary’s restoration took longer.  Thirty-three years she loved and watched her Son.  In the end, she saw Him rejected by His own people, unjustly accused, tortured and crucified.  Mary watched her Son die on that Roman cross. 

   But then, He appeared again.  In the Resurrection, Mary’s suffering and questions were finally resolved, once, and for all! 

   The God who showed up in a whirlwind to correct Job is the same God who took up residence for nine months in Mary’s womb.  In all of His appearances, He comes to take on our need, our suffering, our sorrow, and redeem them all, so that we can be restored.

    It is nine months to Christmas, when we celebrate the biggest baby reveal ever, the face of God found in a newborn, the Incarnation.  Holy Week is next week, when we celebrate the most important 8 days in all of history.  Christmas and Holy Week are coming.  Have you prepared your celebrations? 

   Relax, God has prepared the best celebration, for you.  By all means, plan your own add-ons.  Bake a ham, or a brisket, host your friends and family.  Do whatever wonderful things you want to add to the celebration. 

   But first and most importantly, gather around the celebration of Jesus, for this is the greatest celebration,  

 the family gathering God invites you to join,   

where you can hear Him tell you of His love for you, again,  

where you will be reminded of what He did to remove your sin,  

where you can take your place at His table, to be fed by your High Priest,

who made Himself your Sacrifice.   

The only God and Savior has come, for Job, for Mary, and for you.                         

Your God and Savior is here, as He promised, wherever His people gather in His Name.  He is present to deliver forgiveness, freedom and wisdom, to you.     

Your God and Savior will come again, visibly, one more time

not in a whirlwind, with Words of correction,  

not as a baby, born to suffer.

No, some day soon Jesus will come as your Victor King, riding the clouds of glory, to take you and all His chosen home with Himself, to give you more than double your blessings, to bring you to live with Him, and with all the faithful of all time, including Job and Mary.  Rejoice in Jesus, God in flesh, come to save you, today, and forever and ever, Amen.   

Judgment Time - Variations on a Theme
Sermon for Judica, the Fifth Sunday in Lent

Based on Genesis 22:1-14, Hebrews 9:11-15, John 8:42-59

You can access the audio of the sermon HERE. 

In the Name of Jesus, our Vindicator.

   Do you know Ludwig von Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony?  I bet you do:  Dahn-dahn-dahn, daaaaahn.  Dahn-dahn-dahn, daaaaahn. 

   Beethoven takes a very simple musical phrase, three short notes on one pitch, and then one longer note a bit lower, and he repeats it, over and over, building a 35 minute symphony.  It varies.  He expands it, reverses it, turns the theme upside down and inside out, then contracts it and returns again to the original.  Variations on a simple theme, creating one of the most recognizable pieces of music in human history. 

   The theme of Beethoven’s Fifth is exceptionally simple.  But most musical composers do something similar, using longer melodies, over and over, with variation and return to the original.  Some concert pieces, with multiple movements, which may last an hour or more, are still centered on just one or two key musical themes, phrases, or melodies, that recur from the beginning to the end.  George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” or Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” are great examples.  I’ll refrain from trying to hum them.  You can look them up.  We hear the same thing in pop music, Country and Rock n’ Roll, also in Jazz and Blues, and Bluegrass.  Not to mention Christian hymns.  Repeated themes and melodies are what make music memorable.     

   These composers, knowingly or not, are mimicking the Holy Spirit, Who again and again takes a simple theme, a core idea or thought, and repeats it with variation, weaving together His message.  And, taken altogether, the whole Bible, even though it is comprised of 66 books written over as much as 1,900 years by dozens of different writers, nevertheless weaves together all its themes and genres to proclaim one message, one central truth, a single through-line running from Genesis to Revelation.  This through-line is the saving love of God for sinners, revealed in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and the Son of Mary.     

   The Word of God tends to focus on themes, and God’s people need to remember it.  So, it is not surprising that since at least the time of Moses, God’s people have set His Word to music, combining the memorability of recurring musical themes with the recurring truths of the Word to deliver God’s Good News even more powerfully. 

   Kantor Richard Resch at the Fort Wayne seminary taught us to seek this same goal as we planned Sunday services.  Try to focus on one central theme, he encouraged, a particular aspect from the appointed readings.  The lectionary is designed this way, with connections and common themes between the readings.  I try to reinforce this with the hymns and our catechetical review.  For the sake of clarity and memory, I like to have one main theme for a service, to take one facet of the diamond that is Christ’s teaching, and focus on it.     

   Sunday by Sunday, my goal is to implant one truth in your minds and hearts, to help you walk your walk of faith throughout the week, and throughout your life.  When it goes well, and all the elements of the service are interconnected, sermons almost write themselves. 

   Our musicians also get in on the act.  Organists choose preludes and postludes that draw on the readings, or are variations of the day’s hymns.  Choir directors choose pieces that fit with the readings.  Before our midweek services at Our Redeemer, Liz simply plays through a medley of Lenten hymns, which creates a mood, and prepares us for contemplating Christ’s journey toward Calvary.    

   Through the centuries the Church has even named many Sundays, in particular those during Lent and Easter, further solidifying the central idea of each one.  In the West, these names tend to be taken from the opening words of the Introit, like today: this is “Judica” Sunday, Latin for judge me, or vindicate me, which are the first words of our Introit: Vindicate me, O God.  The psalmist almost begs the Lord to judge him.     

   Do you beg to be judged?  Kind of depends, doesn’t it, on the type of judgement we expect.   To be judged can mean to be condemned.  Go to jail.  You’re fired.  Or, God forbid, go to hell. 

   To be judged can also mean to be evaluated on your performance, and then get sent back for more practice, for more training and instruction, so you can do better next time.  “Nice try, but this and that part of your performance don’t meet the standard.”  “You won’t be in the select choir this year.”  “You didn’t make the varsity.”  “You can take your driving test again in two weeks.”  Or, “I know you’ve graduated law school, but you have to pass the bar exam.  Until you do, you cannot work as a lawyer.”   

   There is a positive aspect to being judged, potentially.  As the ESV rightly translates “shaphat,” the judgment verb that begins Psalm 43, we can be judged to be excellent, a winner; we can be “vindicated.”  “Vindicate me, O God.”  That is to say: “Judge me righteous, declare my innocence, proclaim my right and good status before you.” 

   Indeed, this is the goal of Christ; this is what God is working toward, the justification, the eternal vindication of sinners, like you and me.  And, spoiler alert, vindication before God does not come from your practice, or your improvement, or your commitment to the process. 

   Practice is good; you can get better at whatever you are called to do.  And you should.  Life is better for all of us when each of us performs the tasks of our callings well.  And, this is pleasing to God.  Parents, love your children; children, honor your parents.  Slaves obey your masters.  Citizens, pay your taxes and give honor to your rulers.  All great things, and important. 

   But vindication before God, being judged eternally righteous, and so being admitted to God’s heavenly kingdom, is not about you.  It is about Christ, for you.  And so His pursuit of your vindication is the central theme of the Bible, the main thing God needs you to understand, believe, and trust.

   Far too many Christian teachers mess this up.  They tend to teach that vindication before God is like making the varsity football team or earning a spot as a musician in an orchestra.  Practice, practice, practice, then be judged.  If you fall short, go back and practice more, until you earn your spot. 

   This is a satisfying idea to our fallen minds.  It matches the way the world works, and it feeds our spiritual egos.  But, it is a lie.  It is the number one lie Satan tries to use on people who believe in God.  It is also an impossibility.  “By works of the law shall no one be justified in God’s sight,” proclaims Paul in Romans chapter three.  Rather, God justifies us, through faith in Jesus.  And so, the Bible spends the most time proclaiming Christ, and His righteousness, His vindication, which He desires to share as a free gift, with you and all sinners.   

    This is especially clear on Judica, on this Vindication Sunday, the last Sunday before we dive into Holy Week.  A verdict of righteous, not guilty, vindicated, the pursuit of such a judgment runs through all our readings today.

   In our Old Testament reading, we see the depth of Abraham’s faith be vindicated, proven, and demonstrated, as he obeys God’s command to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Abraham was ready to obey, even though Isaac is the son through whom God had promised to raise up many nations, and also raise up the Savior.  This is one of the most shocking stories in the Bible.  The author of Hebrews helps us out by revealing that Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead, so he moved forward with this terrible task. 

   The LORD stops Abraham, sparing Isaac, whose death would have been pointless.  His sacrifice would not have achieved the vindication, the justification, of anyone, for Isaac was merely human, and a sinner.  A better Son would be needed to justify a sinful world.  Clues that point to Christ fill this story: the beloved son of the father is sacrificed, on Mount Moriah, which is where Jerusalem would eventually be built.  The victim carries the wood for his own sacrifice up the hill.  And the substitute, a ram, is caught by his horns in a spiny thicket, foreshadowing a crown of thorns.  What Abraham and Isaac approached, but did not go through with, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit would take to its finish on the same mountain, over 2,000 years later.       

   That day was drawing near in today’s Gospel reading from John.  Jesus is judged, He is condemned by the Jews, His own people.  They reject Him, because He says He is the LORD God, the I AM, standing before them as a human being.  It is understandable that the Jews got really heated, since they don’t believe Jesus is God.  So, in their understanding, His words are clearly blasphemous, and worthy of punishment.  They think Jesus is usurping God’s position, just like Adam and Eve tried back in the Garden.  So, he must be rejected, even destroyed. 

   Unless, of course, Jesus is giving them legitimate reasons to think He might be God.  Like say, working great miracles.  Or proclaiming God’s Word with a clarity and authority that no one ever had.  Or fulfilling ancient prophecy after ancient prophecy.  The Jewish experts in the Law of Moses should have recognized Him.  But they did not.  They reasoned away His miracles and stuffed their ears at His teaching.  No way that is Jesus is Yahweh, the LORD, say the Jews.  They judge Jesus to be the worst kind of fraud.

    I wonder if any of them had second thoughts when Jesus worked a very small miracle, hiding Himself and slipping away when the angry Jews picked up stones to kill Him. 

   Our Lord would submit to their evil judgment, He would allow them to kill Him soon enough.  But that day in the Temple was not the day.  Nor was stoning the way that Jesus would bring God’s judgment down on Himself, for our sake, and also for the sake of the Jews who opposed Him.  So, Jesus hid Himself from them and slipped away.       

   Finally, our Epistle reading from Hebrews 9 does not use the word judgment, but as it discusses the sacrificial system that Moses gave to Israel, judgment and vindication are the point.  Through the various animal sacrifices commanded by God, the judgment, the condemnation deserved by God’s people for their sins, was expiated.  It was relieved, released through the shedding of blood.  Innocent animal victims gave their lives, to allow sinners to avoid the judgment they deserve.  In this we see that the Old Testament sacrificial system was always pointing to One Victim to come.  The Temple sacrifices were placeholders, a holy and necessary judgment-delay-system, until a better Lamb with better blood should come, and justify the whole world. 

    Now, our great High Priest, Jesus, who was also the Innocent Sacrificial Victim, has revealed a new covenant, a new relationship with God, based entirely on His righteousness, His justice.  And He comes to us weekly right here, to deliver His righteousness, His vindication, to us, through His Word, and by His Body and Blood, hidden under the bread and wine.

   How then, do the vindicated live?  First, judged righteous by faith in Jesus, we live without fear of condemnation.  We are free, not free to sin, but freed from sin, set free in order to live to righteousness.  We are free to live with joy, for the vindication we have received is better than anything else in this world.  That feeling you get when you are judged a winner and chosen for some great thing?  When you got the job you wanted, or made the varsity, or when your beloved said yes to your marriage proposal?  Our joy in Christ should be even greater, for His vindication makes us beloved children of God, today, and forever and ever. 

    A life without fear, fleeing from sin and pursuing righteousness.  A life of holy joy, that spills over to our friends and neighbors.  This is God’s goal for us, and in Jesus, we have been given the Way. 

   Dahn-dahn-dahn, daaaaahn.  Beethoven’s famous four note melody is often called the “fate theme.”  It creates the feeling of impending judgment.  The moment of truth is coming; how will it turn out?  Dahn-dahn-dahn, daaaaahn. 

   Dear friends, know this: in Jesus, you have already been judged, and the verdict for you right now is not guilty, and beloved.  You are vindicated, in Jesus, because He has passed through the judgment of God against sinners.  This He did, for you, and for the whole world. 

    God in Christ has vindicated you.  And so you are free to live, to rejoice, to dare to love and serve.  And we are free to share the Good News, that in Christ, by faith in and union with Him, the coming Judgment Day is not frightening, but rather it is our entrance into perfect joy, forever and ever, Amen. 

Heavenly Bread for Our Earthly Journey, Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Laetare Sunday

Heavenly Bread for Our Earthly Journey - Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 15^th, A+D 2026
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches - Hill City and Custer, SD
John 6:1-15

Audio of the sermon is available HERE.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

   The folks on the mountainside were hungry and weak, and a long way from any place they could find bread.  Traveling further without eating would be to risk collapsing on the way.

   Do you suppose Jesus didn’t foresee this problem?  Why did He allow them to follow Him so far afield?  Captivated by his Word and the healings He was working on the sick, they stayed with Him till they were tired and hungry, and far from the necessities of life.  Why did Jesus let this happen? 

   Jesus led them into the wilderness on purpose.  The hunger and the potential suffering, pain and fear did not originate from Him.  But Jesus uses these struggles, for the ultimate benefit of the people, a harsh experience, yes, but still in keeping with God’s divine mercy. Our Lord knows we are all ultimately helpless.  So, He led the crowd into a bad situation, so that, right there, in their desperation, He could provide for them.  Jesus taught them that there is only one place to find true and lasting sustenance.  He showed them that He is the hope for the hopeless.

   We sinners learn faith through suffering.  Still, as John tells us at the end of our Gospel reading, many of those folks on the mountain could only think of satisfying their physical hunger.  Their bellies miraculously filled, they wanted Jesus to be their King of Bread.  And so, Jesus withdrew to the mountain alone.  Being a Bread King was not His mission.

   Today, here on our mountainside, our stomachs still rumble.  The pull of our flesh is still strong.  Our worries, our depression, our sorrows and distractions are often intense.  Do you hurt more in your physical body, or in your spirit?  We ache, and like the Israelites in the wilderness, we still murmur against God.

   It is ironic.  For all of us here, I think, and for most people in our nation, there is more than enough bread, all kinds of delicious food, really.  Our knowledge of the world and the technology we enjoy combine to make our lives pretty amazingly comfortable. 

   And, unlike most generations throughout salvation history, we have the Word of God readily accessible; all the Scripture’s wisdom and promise is at our fingertips.  And yet, we are often unsatisfied, unsure, uneasy.    

   The fire that blew up on the southeast side of Custer last Thursday was frightening.  The shock of it was heightened by the fact that we do not regularly face many dangers.  Certainly, unlike most humans throughout history, we do not face frequent danger.  And when dangers come, we have amazing machines and experienced guardians who help keep us safe. 

   We truly have it good, in many ways.  But do we have peace? 

   I pray that you do.  But I also know from our conversations that peace often escapes many of you, just as it escapes me.  Peace, and even joy, these are God’s goals for us.  So, I am glad we are together here today, that God’s peace might find us.  For we need it.     

   We have doubts about the Word of God.  If we spend any time glued to our screens, irreverent questions about the veracity and reliability of the Bible assault us, and seek to worm their way into our minds.  Doubts about God’s goodness or even His reality can plague our hearts.  Now and again, such questions arise from our hearts, and sometimes slip out of our mouths: 

Even if this is all true, Jesus, what do I care?  What good does it do me if You performed miracles and taught great things 2,000 years ago?  You also promised a wonderful future for us.  Where are You now?  Where have those magnificent spiritual experiences gone, when You led your followers to the summit of the emotional mountain, by filling 15,000 bellies from 5 loaves and two fish?”

When will You multiple the loaves I care about?  I'm not literally hungry, but I have wants.  I cry and pray to heaven, asking you to remove my suffering, to heal my family, to fix my finances or take away my physical pain.  But the sun rises and sets, and the clouds pass by, raining or not, never noticing me.  The night comes, again, and I do not see the miracles for which I pray.

   Is the feeding of the five thousand men and their families relevant for our lives, today?  How can we continue to pray for relief, when this has been our unceasing prayer, and for so long it has gone unanswered?  How often, when facing great need, have we sympathized with Philip, saying, "Thirty-two thousand dollars worth of bread would not be enough.”  That is to say, "There is no hope."  

   Looking at the needs that surround us, and then looking at our resources, how often have we echoed Andrew’s hopeless sentence:  "Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  That is, "It just seems impossible, Lord."

Under a gentle sun, I believe everything the Word says about you, Jesus. But when the black curtains of disease, or want, depression, or frustration descend around me, separating me from my loved ones, or robbing me of my good things, then everything seems irrelevant to me.

Oh You, who conquered sin and death, can You not conquer my pain?  Can’t You take away my suffering?  You claim that nothing is impossible for You, so why haven’t you done what I ask? 

   Is it possible that we also would prefer a King of Bread, instead of a Savior?

   Dear friends, you, like me, are sometimes happy, even joyful.  And then sometimes we are sad and lonely, sometimes stubborn and complaining.  One day life is all sunshine and rainbows, the next, full of impossibilities, insurmountable obstacles, and long, dark nights.  Your pains and sorrows are not unknown or unimportant to God.  And He is greater than all of them.  For God, all things are possible.  He can conquer, and He does.  But He conquers all things in the way that we need, not necessarily in the way we think is best.  

   From the ashes the Phoenix rises to life, but that's just Egyptian and Greek mythology.  Superman died, then but rose again, stronger than ever.  But that is just DC Comics. 

   But please hear this: from a borrowed tomb our Lord Jesus Christ rose.  Dead on a Roman Cross on Friday afternoon, He revealed His total victory over pain, struggle and death when He walked out of the Tomb in the early morning of the first day of the week.  The Resurrection is not a myth.  It's true.  Do you have doubts?  Certainly, the world says Christians who believe in the Resurrection are blindly naïve.  Doubts may assail you, but God can handle them.  Go ahead, investigate the Resurrection.  God can handle it.  Examine the accusations of the critics, and then read the responses of centuries of wise Christian apologists. 

   Paul explicitly hinges all of Christian faith on the truth of the Resurrection, (1^st Corinthians 15).  From Genesis 3 through Revelation 22, the promise, fulfillment and proclamation of the Son of God crucified and resurrected to save sinners is the central theme of the Bible.  

   Reasonable, serious study of history and archeology supports the truth that something entirely unique happened with a Jewish tradesman from Nazareth name Jesus.  His miracle has left us with many clues, and it's a joy to study them.  Because the Resurrection is true.  If you want, I'll happily join you in such an investigation, because each time I dig, my faith and confidence are boosted. 

   From the Cross and the Resurrection we learn the Essential Truth: that, from the most insignificant circumstances, using unimpressive things, from weakness and humility, even from death, God gives the best gifts.

   And so when you say, "What should I do?  I'm sad.  I'm lonely.  I'm depressed.  I'm frustrated.  I'm scared.  There's nowhere to turn," the Lord responds to you:  “O.k., come here, sit down. If you want, lie down."  That is what He said on the mountainside, before the miraculous feeding.  He commanded the people to sit down, even to recline, to rest in the abundant grass.  Be still, and know that I am God, and I will feed you unto life.  So also today, Jesus says to you, "Sit down, rest."

   Sit and listen.  Sit and wait.  You will be provided for in His way, in His time.  How could He not provide for you?  After all, He became a human being to save you, for eternity, and also in the here and now.  Our experience of salvation in this fallen world is incomplete, not yet perfect.  But it is true, and real. 

   Jesus looked up at the five thousand men, plus women and children, who had come to hear Him, and He had compassion on them.  At His word, they sat down, and He took care of them.  He saw that assembly of doubting followers through merciful eyes. 

   Through the centuries, God has watched over all His beloved children of all times with these same merciful eyes.  He sees your joys today, and He smiles with you.  Jesus also sees your sadness, and sighs with you.  He hears you cry, "Lord, I am in pain," and He answers, "I know.  And I know how that is.  I was hurt too, hurt so bad I died.  But my Father did not leave me in the grave.  He freed me from the depths of hell, and so I will free you as well.  I know your struggle is real, but trust Me: My death is sufficient for you.  My blood covers all your sins.  The price for your rescue has been agreed upon, paid in full, and accepted for eternity."

   In your good moments and in your bad days, Jesus speaks to you: “Wait.  I love you.  I am here for you, where I have promised to be.”  The Christ of God reminds you: “In the darkest days, I am your comfort, peace, and hope.  In Me, you will find more than enough strength for the journey.” 

   “But only in Me.  Do not be fooled.  I AM the only Name under heaven by which men are saved.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  There is no true comfort, no healing, no peace anywhere else.  When the sun shines upon you, when blessings fill your day, do not forget, these also come from My Father.  Still, do not trust in these blessings; instead always trust in Me.”   

   And so this is why Jesus sometimes allows troubles into your life.  This is why He says to you: “Stop grumbling.  Stop trying to go your own way.       Repent.      Turn around, and sit down.  See that I am here to serve you.  Listen to my words of life, of love, and of forgiveness.  Come, kneel before me, and I will feed you with bread that satisfies your soul.  And know this: At just the right time, I will come back for you.”

   Jesus Christ hears you.  He answers your prayers.  His answer won't always satisfy your fleshly desires, but He knows what is best.  Often enough, His actions don't make sense to us.  But we can trust that He gives abundantly, wisely, according to what is truly good, always keeping in mind what we can bear.

    Remember how Jesus fed the five thousand with more than enough; He gave so much that each person ate until they were full, and there were still twelve overflowing baskets left.  Where God distributes His gifts, human vessels are filled to overflowing.  We cannot contain it all.  God's grace is greater than our need.

   The victory you need over sin, death, and hell is complete.  It has been won on the Cross and announced in the Resurrection.  Soon, we will pass through this veil of tears and enter our heavenly home.  For now, there is only one way to fight, one way to move forward, one path that will take us through this desert.  This path leads though the heavenly Manna He so generously bestows.  Those walking this path are washed clean by His Baptism, and His Word echoes in their ears and hearts.  You are placed on this path and kept on this path, by the Holy Spirit, working through His Word and His Sacraments.  By God’s Grace and Providence, these gifts are available to you, today, and every day.

   He has given you the Bible, the Apostles’ teaching, recorded and preserved, for you.  Pick it up, every day.  Read it.  Listen to it.  Pray it,  There is overflowing comfort and wisdom for you, in the Word of God, which reveals your Savior to you, and also draws you into the fellowship and the prayers, the enactment of love, intercession and praise that is the hub of Christian life, our regular corporate worship, gathering together, to receive Christ’s gifts, and to rejoice together.

   He has also given you the Breaking of the Bread, that is, the Lord’s Supper, in which Christ serves us His Body and Blood.  The Supper will strengthen and sustain your body and soul for the living of this life, even they prepare you for the next.  In and through His Holy Supper, Christ forgives your sins, cleanses your soul, and brings you into perfect communion with His Father.

   But wait, there’s more.  The end goal of the Apostles’ teaching is to deliver forgiveness, and this is especially proclaimed over you in the Absolution, the declaration of your innocence.  Jesus Himself is your Advocate, your defense attorney, proclaiming you to be innocent before His Father, innocent because of His own wounds.  In Absolution, Christ Himself speaks, through the mouths of His servants, delivering the blessed result that you become pure and holy, as the Christ is pure and holy.

   Please remember, for now, these gifts won't take away all your pain or suffering.  They won't even cure all your doubts, although they will help you overcome them.  What Christ’s gifts will do for sure is give you the strength to carry on, to believe in the midst of your troubles.  They will protect you from giving up along the way.

   In the end, the Gifts of Christ, the Apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers, will carry you to your destination, where the cross will be exchanged for a crown, the place where there are no tears, no remorse, no shame, no fear, no guilt, no loneliness, no depression, no want.

   The Christian life isn't easy, but it is good.  It is the best life, because it is real, and true, and it is the only life that lasts forever. The Christian life is centered on His Word, which defeats Satan, drives out the impurities from your heart, and cleanses your lips.  And so, by the gifts of Christ, you begin to enjoy the peace that only God can give, today through faith, and soon, in glory.

   So come and let your soul delight in the Lord's abundance and mercy.  Let Him fill the empty spaces within you.  Stop, sit, listen, and receive.  And you will live, for Christ will share His indestructible life with you!  Our cup overflows.  God is good.  Amen.

 

(This sermon draws on one by Pastor David Peterson, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Many blessings be upon him.)

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