Grace Lutheran Church Sermons

The dispute that arose among the Disciples and the prediction of Peter’s Denial is an important part of the entrance into the Passion Story. We all must come to the realization that we can in no way contribute to our own salvation from sin. Even the disciples who have been at the feet of Jesus sucking up knowledge for the last three years can in no way stand firm and walk with Jesus to the cross.

We must humbly enter this passion week with the awareness that we can do nothing, but trust in the work of Christ. This may seem obvious but consider the pressure to do something to feel as if something has been accomplished.

A person who has been a part of a church for a long time expects the church to help him when he struggles through a disease. He expects this help because of all that he did for the church over his lifetime. If asked he could provide a lengthy list of things that he has done for the church. He becomes frustrated when he considers all that he did for the church but doesn’t find the church reaching out to him during his time of need. He expects the congregation help, like a pension, a reward for his lifetime of contribution.

The congregation has reason to feel guilty for failing this man in his need. But this failure is not felt because of all that this man had done for the congregation. The congregation is not indebted to this man because of his lifetime of contributions. The failure is real for the congregation because they failed to share the mercy of Christ with a brother in need.

We can in no way deserve what Christ accomplishes for us upon the cross, but we give thanks that despite the quarreling of the disciples and indeed our own quarreling, Jesus Christ drank that cup of suffering.

The betrayal and arrest of Jesus may seem to be an event forced upon Jesus. As if this whole experience of the cross could have been avoided if Judas had not betrayed Jesus. But I want you also to remember Jesus prayer, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be one.”

The Son of Man goes as it was determined for him, the righteous for the unrighteous that we might become righteous through the faith of the Christ. Judas is not a hero for bringing about this sacrifice. I believe that if Judas had repented and trusted in Jesus Christ as his savior he would have found the forgiveness of the cross.

There is no one whose sin is too great that the cross cannot heal. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that those who believe would not perish but have eternal life.

At the nativity of our Lord the shepherds came to welcome the baby Jesus. When they saw everything just as they had been told by the angels, they made known the sayings of the angels. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Now today we gather together at the doorway into Holy Week and I want you to take notice of the crowds in the gospel of Luke that leave beating their breasts. It is a very different reaction compared to the shepherds who left glorifying and praising God. This crowd that leaves beating their breasts are in mourning because they had followed and trusted in what appeared to them an empty promise. Then Luke tells us that “and al his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”

They had watched the death of Jesus and the abandonment of the crowds. But they were then left to ponder all these things. They are not yet ready to walk away, not yet ready to treasure these things, but their waiting shows a hope that there must be more.

We do not wait wondering if there is a reason for hope. We gather together today because we have faith that Jesus’ death on the cross was not empty of purpose. Go through the door into Holy Week confident that all these things needed to take place to set us free from our sin and restore us again into a relationship with our Lord God.