Sermon - 2018-03-11
For many of us, we have a fear of snakes. We wonder if they are dangerous if they are poisonous and worse… will we be the victim? Now most of us have, rarely if ever, encountered a snake. More than likely we have only seen one in the zoo. However, today in the Gospel, Jesus is giving the disciples and us as listeners an insight that we need to understand. For Jesus is explaining the very reason and purpose that he must die and in the way in which he shall.
Jesus uses history and explains that when the Hebrew People were cursed with snakes among them, they were bitten. They knew that they were going to die. However, God intervened for them. God did not remove the snakes but rather did something that would seem to many as foolish. God had Moses put a bronze snake on top of a tall pole. Anyone who looked upon the snake and believed God’s promise that they would be saved would actually be saved. Now think about that for a moment. You are actually bitten by a snake, the venom is in you, and you know you shall die. The way that God saves you is by giving you a promise.
So how does this relate to Jesus? Why does Jesus have to die on a cross for all to see? To actually bear witness to the promise that is given to YOU. Yes, among the sin of this world, the evil of this world, and among the logic of this world. God gives us something that seems rather foolish and simple. A promise. That promise is made through His Own Son.
Now, I am going to make this as clear as I know how. In your life, there is still sin. You participate in it. Sometimes realizing it and sometimes not. It is still evil in the world. So much evil that you do not ever think that it could ever be removed. We become complacent in actually doing anything about it. There is still death, and when we come face to face with that, we know that there is nothing that we can do about it. So what is this promise? What is the promise that will save us from all of this? What is God’s plan? The verse that we sing about, encourage people to know. John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Ok, so there is the line. There is the distinction between who is saved and who is not saved. All that matters is that you believe!!! Now for many of us, we want to know what is the list of things to look for so we know that we ourselves and those in our family are going to be saved. Don’t we have to do good things? Don’t we have to be nice and generous? Don’t we have to ….? The list can go on and on. However, God knows that we are people who want to know more. We are not satisfied with God’s simple plan. But God gives us the very next verse: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” That’s it. Pure and simple, belief. You hear the promise of God and believe it.
Now the other things that we have listed are indeed good things, but for salvation. Nothing that YOU do matters. What matters is what Jesus Christ has done for you. All you have to do is believe. Now it is this foundation that we have all of our ideas, beliefs, hymns, liturgy, and so much more. All of this points us back to this truth. Believe in Jesus Christ and you are saved. Yet, still, we will want to add to it. Still, we will want others to recognize our achievement and know that we are saved. This is the reason why Luther left the Roman Catholic church and sadly why so many different denominations and non-denominational churches have formed in the world.
Think about that for a moment.
Look at the cross.
That is the reason why we have it, to hear, and know that promise given by God’s Own Son. Yet, still, that may not be enough for some of you. So soon, we shall gather at the Lord’s table and you shall hear in his own words the promise and covenant that is found in Him.
Thanks be to God we have this and may we never, ever forget it, adjust it, or worse yet, not believe it at all. Amen.
Jesus uses history and explains that when the Hebrew People were cursed with snakes among them, they were bitten. They knew that they were going to die. However, God intervened for them. God did not remove the snakes but rather did something that would seem to many as foolish. God had Moses put a bronze snake on top of a tall pole. Anyone who looked upon the snake and believed God’s promise that they would be saved would actually be saved. Now think about that for a moment. You are actually bitten by a snake, the venom is in you, and you know you shall die. The way that God saves you is by giving you a promise.
So how does this relate to Jesus? Why does Jesus have to die on a cross for all to see? To actually bear witness to the promise that is given to YOU. Yes, among the sin of this world, the evil of this world, and among the logic of this world. God gives us something that seems rather foolish and simple. A promise. That promise is made through His Own Son.
Now, I am going to make this as clear as I know how. In your life, there is still sin. You participate in it. Sometimes realizing it and sometimes not. It is still evil in the world. So much evil that you do not ever think that it could ever be removed. We become complacent in actually doing anything about it. There is still death, and when we come face to face with that, we know that there is nothing that we can do about it. So what is this promise? What is the promise that will save us from all of this? What is God’s plan? The verse that we sing about, encourage people to know. John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Ok, so there is the line. There is the distinction between who is saved and who is not saved. All that matters is that you believe!!! Now for many of us, we want to know what is the list of things to look for so we know that we ourselves and those in our family are going to be saved. Don’t we have to do good things? Don’t we have to be nice and generous? Don’t we have to ….? The list can go on and on. However, God knows that we are people who want to know more. We are not satisfied with God’s simple plan. But God gives us the very next verse: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” That’s it. Pure and simple, belief. You hear the promise of God and believe it.
Now the other things that we have listed are indeed good things, but for salvation. Nothing that YOU do matters. What matters is what Jesus Christ has done for you. All you have to do is believe. Now it is this foundation that we have all of our ideas, beliefs, hymns, liturgy, and so much more. All of this points us back to this truth. Believe in Jesus Christ and you are saved. Yet, still, we will want to add to it. Still, we will want others to recognize our achievement and know that we are saved. This is the reason why Luther left the Roman Catholic church and sadly why so many different denominations and non-denominational churches have formed in the world.
Think about that for a moment.
Look at the cross.
That is the reason why we have it, to hear, and know that promise given by God’s Own Son. Yet, still, that may not be enough for some of you. So soon, we shall gather at the Lord’s table and you shall hear in his own words the promise and covenant that is found in Him.
Thanks be to God we have this and may we never, ever forget it, adjust it, or worse yet, not believe it at all. Amen.
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