This sermon was preached at St Peter’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
Prayer: Let the words of my
mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,
our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Today we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last of five Sundays before next week when we celebrate Palm Sunday, and then Holy Week and Easter. And this Sunday has also often been called “Passion Sunday”. In our Gospel reading today, we see an occasion where the Jewish people became so angry with Jesus that they tried to stone him to death. We read: So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Something like had also happened once before, when Jesus went to his hometown of Nazareth. We read: When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. Now, how come these people became so angry?
They became angry because they got a small taste of who Jesus really was, and it was too much for them, it was too confronting for them. They couldn’t accept it. They saw in front of them a man, much like themselves, much like their next-door neighbour, or someone down the street. But then Jesus opens his mouth and teaches people, and he claims to be something much, much more, actually, the fact that he is both true God and true man in one person.
Isn’t an incredible thing? These people had been worshipping God all their lives, they had grown up in a culture than was strongly devoted to the worship of God—completely unlike Australia, where many people constantly walk in the opposite direction, and just do what they please, and do their own thing, and try and live a selfish, comfortable life. These people had been worshipping God all their life, but then when they actually meet God face to face, they want to throw him off a cliff, and stone him to death, and crucify him.
So, as we come near to the end of the season of Lent, and prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Easter next week, it’s good for us to take a moment to think and meditate on our reading today which tells us something about who Jesus really is. Who is this man who went to the cross and died? Who is this person who carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem? Who is this man who was crowned with thorns, who was whipped by the Roman soldiers? Who was this man who was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane all those many years ago?
First of all, our reading today is a section of a larger sermon and conversation that has been going on at the Feast of Booths, the harvest festival of the Jews. In the previous section Jesus teaches very sharply about the devil, and the fact that he is a murderer and a liar and the father of lies. But also, Jesus says that those who were listening to him are not able to hear his word, because they have the devil as their father.
Now, this is very important for us to understand first of all. When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, they were without sin. But then, after the fall, after they disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree, then they were tainted with sin. And it’s not as though they had just stepped in something, and they could easily wash it off. No—this was a stain, a taint, a disease, that permeated their whole body, their whole soul, their mind, their heart, their conscience, their spirit—everything. It even affected the animals, the plants and nature as we know it. And so, since that time, everyone who has been born into the world has been born with sin, and every thought, word, deed, gesture, idea, and everything, is corrupted and tainted and stained and polluted by this sin.
The Word of God itself has the power within it to change people’s hearts and to enable them to hear it. That power doesn’t come from us. The Holy Spirit empowers and inspires this Word of God, and so when we hear this Word, the Holy Spirit works when and where it pleases him to create faith in people. We are born deaf and dumb to God’s Word, completely unable to hear it. And this is why we need to be completely born again: born again by water and the Spirit, as it says in John, or by the water and the Word, as St Paul says in Ephesians. These passages are talking about Holy Baptism. But we often think about Baptism, as just being with water. No—the Word and the Spirit comes with the water and is attached to the water, and so all throughout our lives as Christians, the Holy Spirit needs to enter into us and fill us and enlighten us with his gifts to be able to hear the word of God, to be able to believe it, and keep it.
So, what about Jesus? What do we learn about him? He says to the people at the beginning of our reading today: Which one of you convicts me of sin?
Jesus asks this question, not because he is expecting anyone to accuse him of sin at all. Earlier in this same chapter, John 8, we read about a woman who was caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus. Jesus says: Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Eventually they all walked away, and Jesus said: Neither do I condemn you. The one who truly is without sin doesn’t throw the stone either, but forgives her. What an amazing event!
But here at the end of our reading today, those who are with sin, are so convinced that they are sinless and Jesus is the ultimate sinner that the pick up stones as a group to throw at him.
However, we must be convicted very seriously and very firmly in our minds that Jesus is sinless. Jesus says: Which one of you convicts me of sin? Just as no-one was able to admit that they were sinless to stone the woman, so also none of them is able to admit that Jesus himself has done anything wrong. We often see how the Pharisees try to accuse Jesus about all kinds of silly things, like the fact that he healed a person on the Sabbath. “Come and get healed on another day!”, they say. What rubbish! Jesus says to them, that they know full well that if they have an animal which has fallen into a well or a pit or something, that they’re not just going to leave it there until the Sabbath is finished.
So, even though in the Bible, it says: All have sinned, none are righteous, these things don’t apply to Jesus, and this is very clearly taught throughout the Scripture. So in 1 Peter 2:22, it says that he did no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. This is actually a quote from Isaiah 53. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, he said that the child to born of her would be holy. St Paul says in 2 Corinthians that Jesus knew no sin. When the Bible says “know”, it often means “experience”, not just know in your head but know something in life, as if to say, Jesus knew no sin, he experienced no sin in himself, he committed no sin. Peter writes that he was a Lamb without blemish and without spot. And in the letter to the Hebrews, it says that he in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
And so, as we think about Jesus going to the cross, and suffering and dying, we should remember that he is sinless, innocent, spotless, without blemish, who knew no sin, who was without sin. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And what a wonderful thing it is that Jesus then doesn’t come to condemn us, but to forgive us, and give to us the promise of eternal life.
Now, we see here Jesus’ innocence and sinlessness. Now, we see his teaching and his doctrine. He says: Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.
We see here that Jesus says that his words are truth, they are the words of God. If they are truth, we should believe them. If they are the words of God, we should hear them.
Now, actually, the Jews were used to hearing God’s Word, but only the Law. Now, the Law is God’s Word too, and Jesus, being the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, spoke the 10 Commandments and the Law to Moses, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, before he had become a man. And so, when it comes to Law, the way of salvation is simply: Do this, and you will live. But the problem is, we can’t do it perfectly, so instead, if people only have the law, then they have to change the law so that it is not as strict, because they don’t want to be condemned by the law.
So, when Jesus comes along, he preaches the law right to the heart, right into the very centre of the beings, and pins them down with it so that they can’t escape. The reality is that, yes, they should do the works of the law, but they will never be saved by it, because they can’t fulfil it. Instead, Jesus says: I am the only one who has kept it, who has fulfilled it. Jesus says: I am without sin, I am innocent, and so, you should come to me for your salvation. Jesus says: Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He says: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father, except by me. So, we as Christians realise that we cannot escape the law, we are totally condemned by it, and then we run to Jesus, we cling to him, we trust in him, as our only hope, as our only Saviour, as our true and perfect Saviour.
So, Jesus in his words here points to the complete rebirth that we need, our need to be born again, to be completely transformed in the renewing of our minds, to put on a new self, to be crucified with Christ so that it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. And he says to his listeners: Whoever is of God—in other words, whoever has been reborn by the Holy Spirit—hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.
Now, sometimes, we see this very clearly in people who reject the Gospel, especially when they have done something in their lives that has very sharply and significantly promoted the devil’s agenda. These people are blank, and dull, and almost like they are completely deaf to the word of God. It’s like they can’t hear it, even if they tried. They are under a spiritual bondage, and need to be delivered and rescued by Jesus. When Jesus says about these people: you are not of God, he’s not saying, that they were just born like that, and that’s it. No—all of us are not of God, and all of us would continue to be not of God, if it weren’t for the fact that God rescued us, and bestowed his grace upon us, and delivered us, and drew us up like a dumb animal who can’t get itself out of a well on the Sabbath. If it weren’t for Jesus, and his Word, and for the power of the Holy Spirit, we would just be still in the mud, staring at the brick wall in the dark. When we meet people like this, we shouldn’t think, “There’s nothing that can be done about them”. This is true, from out perspective, but not from the perspective of Jesus. We should ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit to powerfully rescue them from their darkness, and from their inability to hear the word of God.
So, we see that the people there get angry and say: Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? Now, Jesus has taught us about his innocence and sinlessness, and also about his teaching and his doctrine. Now, he teaches us about his whole purpose and mission. He says: I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he is the judge. He also says later: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
Now, this is a wonderful thing for us to consider. Everything Jesus does he does out of love for his Father, for the glory of the Father, in honour of his Father. He also does it for you and for all sinners, and because he loves the world, he loves the people he has created, and he loves you so much, that he pours our his life and his blood for you on the cross. But all of this, in turn, glorifies the Father, so that on the cross, he continually prays to the Father. He says: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit, and other things.
But then also, Jesus teaches us about the power of His Word. He says: Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
Now, of course, everyone of us is going to die. Every person—whether we are a Christian or not—are going to depart from this life one day. Everyone in this world know this, and everyone is trying to escape death. Now, there’s also something that comes with death that is a frightening thing, and that is, that there is a judgment, and that our souls will be required of us. We will each be judged according to what we have done, and those who have done well will enter into life, and those who have done badly will enter into eternal death, hell, damnation, eternal condemnation. In the Bible, it speaks of the second death, the eternal death, which is having to live forever away from the face of God, without the presence of God, together with the devil and his angels.
Now, on the other hand, Jesus says: Truly, truly, I say to you – he makes a double oath and he says: if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. Once again, Jesus word here is the Gospel. This is the Word of God that he has come specifically into the world to bring. The Law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Now, in our reading today, Jesus speaks about hearing his word, believing his word, and keeping his word. These three things go together, and they all come through the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with his gifts, to enlighten us, so that we may hear, so that we may believe, so that we may keep his word. Hearing, believing, and keeping—keeping his word means that we ponder all these things and treasure them up in our heart. It means that we devote and dedicate ourselves to the Word, look to it as the treasure hidden in the field, look to it as a pearl of great price, as a lamp shining in a dark place. So when this sting of death, this bite that comes from death is taken away by Jesus, then we have nothing to fear, and we can walk through death, and welcome it, simply as that thing which is going to bring us to Jesus, and into his arms, and into everlasting life, into heaven, into Paradise, and eternal salvation. In Adelaide, we have a bus station called the “Paradise Interchange”! When we have Jesus, and his Word, death is no more scary than just getting on a bus, and going to heaven! Jesus saves us from death so wonderfully, that we can even look forward to death with joy, with a smile and a laugh!
Now, in the last part of our reading, at the climax of our reading, we see all these things come together. Jesus is innocent and sinless, he teaches a saving teaching and life-giving doctrine, his whole purpose is to glorify and honour his Father, and his word is powerful to save us from death and hell.
All the way through this reading, the Jews say to Jesus: Now we know you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our Father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? They say: You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
Jesus says to them: Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. Jesus is saying: you think that everything has to do with Abraham, but Abraham was looking forward to me! Remember the promise to Abraham: through your offspring all the nations will be blessed! Now, here is Jesus, he is the offspring of Jesus, the king descended from Abraham who will bless all the nations.
And so they ask him: You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? Jesus gives again the double oath. Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.
Here Jesus says: I existed before Abraham. I made Abraham. Because I was not simply born from Mary, but I existed before that time, and entered into her womb to take on human flesh. In fact, we read in John’s Gospel, that Jesus was the Word of God, who was with God, and who is God. When God said: Let there be light, and there was light, that was the Son of God speaking, Jesus, before his incarnation.
But also, Jesus uses the words: “I am”. Before Abraham was, I am. This points us back to Moses and the burning bush, when God said: I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. This is where God gave his name, “Yahweh”, or “Jehovah”, which the Jews regard as so holy, that they even refuse to speak it. And so, Jesus is saying, “I AM”, that is, “I am God”, “I am Yahweh”, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
And so, we see all these things come together in our reading: Jesus’ innocence, his wonderful teaching and doctrine, his purpose and mission, the power of his life-giving Word to save and rescue from death, and then also his divinity, the fact that he is God. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one who goes to the cross and dies for us sinners, and makes full and perfect and sufficient atonement for us. Our debt, our sentence has been paid for in full with his blood. Our God has come down from heaven to deal with us himself, and to take the load upon himself. This is also the same God who has baptised us into his family and his kingdom, who gives us the Holy Spirit through the Word, and enables us to hear, believe and keep that Word. And this is the same God, who enters into our midst even today to feed us with his holy and perfect and life-giving body and blood, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Let’s thank him for his suffering, for his passion and death, and commend our lives in the Holy Spirit into his hands. Amen.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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