The Lutheran Hour
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"Going With Jesus to Jerusalem"
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Text: Matthew 20:18-19
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PRAYER: O Lord, we pray, this is the first week in the season of Lent. By Thy Spirit soften our sin-callused hearts. Open our eyes to see how far short we have fallen from Your holiness. Enable our minds to focus on the perfect life of Your Son Jesus. And, O God, enable us through Your gift of faith to receive the perfect Lenten righteousness of Your Son Jesus. In His name we pray and believe. Amen.
According to the traditional church calendar this week is the first Sunday in the season called Lent. Christians all over the world for the next six weeks will focus their thoughts in a special way on how their own personal sins caused Jesus to suffer bitterly and die a bloody death on the crucifixion cross.
Now, there are a lot of opinions and theories being constantly expressed even today as to why Jesus died. Newsweek magazine, on its front cover, carried a large picture of Jesus on the cross. And, included on the front cover was this bold headline “THE DEATH OF JESUS.” The subtitle said: “New Insights on His Last Days.”
This same Newsweek article discussed some of the latest theories about why and how Jesus died. In the midst of all this modern speculation, let one fact be stated plainly: the death of Jesus did not happen by accident. This clear teaching of Scripture must be set clearly because, you see, even Albert Schweitzer, the man often celebrated as a great missionary, totally misunderstood what Lent and the cross of Christ is all about. In his book, “Jesus and the Four Gospels,” Dr. John Drane writes Schweitzer believed Jesus was going to Jerusalem and to glory. “But this never happened,” Schweitzer says. [Therefore] Jesus decided to force ‘God’s hand’ by going to Jerusalem and pressing the issue with the authorities. The result,” Schweitzer concludes, “was that Jesus was arrested and tragically arraigned before Pontius Pilate and sentenced to death.” Schweitzer then “wrongly concludes Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem ended in defeat and a cry of despair from the cross.”
Instead of arguing over whether or not Schweitzer was correct in his interpretation of what the cross and Lent is all about, and whether the trip Jesus made to Jerusalem was a mistake, let us instead turn to the Bible and listen to the Word of the Lord.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I lay down My life for the sheep. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one,” Jesus said, “no one has taken [My life] away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down and” Jesus said, “I have authority to take [My life] up again.”
Christ died on the cross and that He died voluntarily are rock solid teachings revealed in the Word of God. Jesus spoke these truths publicly. What is much more important than reading this message is the suffering and death Jesus voluntarily experienced. All of this was done for you! You see, Jesus did not go to the cross for His sake but for your sake. St. Paul writes in Colossians: “[God] delivered us from the domain of darkness, and [He has] transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son [the Lord Jesus Christ], in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). So that you are included in the love of God, it is further made clear from the words Jesus spoke as He hosted His Last Supper with the disciples. At that meal, Jesus said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
Now, the Good News of what Jesus Christ has voluntarily done for you on the cross is further explained by the apostle Peter when he writes, “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but [rather you were redeemed] with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
And, in writing to the Christians in Roman, St. Paul states that God demonstrated His own love toward [you], in that while [you] were still a sinner, Jesus Christ died for [you]. And, then St. Paul adds, “Much more than having now been justified by His blood, [you] shall be saved from the wrath of God through Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:8-9).
Again in his letter of love to the Christians at Ephesus, St. Paul writes: “In Him, in Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which God lavished upon us. [And] in all wisdom and insight God has made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention which He purposed in Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:7).
So as you and I take seriously this season of Lent, instead of guessing what these next six weeks before Easter are about, we need to remember one point. As His public ministry was coming to a climax, Jesus voluntarily headed for His crucifixion and voluntarily laid down His life as a full payment for every sin of every person that has ever lived. The apostle Paul writes, “God was in Christ reconciling the whole world unto Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Indeed, this gospel goal of God’s reconciliation with you was accomplished by Jesus as He hung bleeding and dying on the cruel Cross of Calvary. And, then this mission of mercy was all brought to the final crucial point as Jesus uttered loudly and publicly and victoriously those words now so famous throughout history “It is finished!” And, at that moment, as the prophet Isaiah so clearly foretold, your salvation was all accomplished and all completed. Your sins were fully atoned for and the gates of heaven were opened. Isaiah says that God the Father saw the suffering of Jesus, His Son, for your sins and He was satisfied.
And so, during this Lenten season, you and I need to be part of God’s larger picture. Each of us need to honestly examine our lives and to see where we might have failed our gracious Lord. And we need to do this in a very practical day-to-day way. For example, in the Bible, Proverbs 22:6, we read “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” This means we as parents or grandparents need to have the best interests and the eternal welfare of our loved ones on our mind and in our heart at all times. We are not first. The Lord desires to be first in our lives, and then our families, and then we ourselves.
Indeed, our concern for family and our loved ones is becoming more and more important. If you don’t believe this look around you. This concern is becoming larger and more crucial in families as TV producers, Hollywood moguls, and computer pornographers take aim at your children. These people have your children in their crosshairs. Last September, USA newspaper in a front-page bold headline stated, “Studios Admit to Targeting Children.” On that same day, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch front page said “Movie Executives Admit Marketing ‘R’ Rated Films to Kids.” And, the New York Times carried similar stories.
All too often when we see what worldly forces are doing, we do little more than speak harmless words to one another. But this is not God pleasing! You and I as parents or grandparents are responsible to God to help and protect our loved ones to stave off the attacks of media filth and immorality. In this Lenten season ask yourself, “What have I done to protect my children or grandchildren from the attacks of Satan which come against them via the media?”
As the Spirit of God enables you to realize you really haven’t done as much as you could have or should have to help protect your children and grandchildren from evil programming on television and the computer, for God’s sake, don’t throw up your hands in despair. Instead, understand that God desires to give you the gift of a strong faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in this Lenten season we are reminded that when Jesus died on the Cross He overcame the power of death and sin and all evil, including that which now comes from television and computers. And, when Jesus publicly cried out in victory “It is finished,” this was a victory announcement that rang out throughout all of heaven and earth. Jesus had broken the back of sin and evil.
So when you are connected to Jesus by God’s gift of faith, Jesus Christ and His resurrection power works through you. This is the “faith power” you need, not only for yourself, but also to protect your loved ones from Satan’s evil plans. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians speaks about the “surpassing greatness of [Christ’s] power toward all those who believe. This is,” St. Paul said, “in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Don’t delay, my friends, but make sure you and your children attend a church where Jesus Christ is preached and where His death is explained and where His resurrection is proclaimed and where the new life in Christ’s resurrection is offered through the life-giving Word. Jesus says, “My Words are Spirit and My Words are life!”
Therefore, instead of looking at Lent in an indifferent or nonchalant way, let us hear the lamentations of the Old Testament prophet. Yes! “Let us examine and probe our own ways, and then let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
And, just in case any one of us might feel indifferent to God’s call to examine ourselves, let me mention this. One year ago, the Wall Street Journal carried a story about the new digital x-ray technology, which is now coming into hospitals. The Journal reported this new technology provides “better visibility” and permits radiologists to more quickly locate trouble spots in our bodies. This technology can “see through us” better, as we sometimes say.
In a similar, spiritual way the Bible tells us our Lord can see through us. Also, He can read what is in our mind. He can see what’s in our heart. The Gospel of John tells us Jesus doesn’t need reports on us. Jesus knows “what is in us.” This is what the Bible says. You might say Jesus has spiritual x-ray vision.
The Biblical teachings that Jesus knows all about us should motivate us, especially during this Lenten season-never try to hide anything from our gracious Lord. Instead, through prayer and confession, enabled by the Word and the Spirit, each of us needs to empty ourselves of unconfessed sin, of anger, of grudges, of laziness, and of all those sins that weigh us down.
Yes, friends, during this Lenten season, enabled by God’s Word and Spirit, confess your faults and shortcomings to the Lord. Do this so this same Spirit of God can fill your mind with thoughts of righteousness; do this so the Spirit of God can flood your heart with patience and fill your soul with love toward all those around you. Confess so the Spirit can assure you of the Son of God’s perfect pardon, made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection. These key events of the Christian faith are what we want to recall very clearly in this season of Lent.
Let me summarize. This week is the first of six weeks of Lent. Let these days be a time of reflection and confession. Let these weeks be a time to re-focus your eyes on Jesus, the Son of God, who bled and died for your sins; and who rose again to assure you of life eternal.
In the Bible, the writer to the Hebrews writes “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
So, don’t let the devil drown you in days of discouragement. But especially in this Lenten season, ask your heavenly Father to enable you to empty your heart and conscience of unconfessed sin. Say with confidence with the psalmist: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence nor take your Holy Spirit from me. O Lord, restore unto me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:1,2; 10-12). Friends, let this be your Lenten prayer. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for March 4, 2001
ANNOUNCER: In your message today, Dr. Schulz, you said movie producers, Hollywood executives, and computer gurus are targeting young children with pornography material. Why is this happening?
SCHULZ: Well, in my opinion, if you look in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, we see where the devil frequently entered people and used them for his purposes.
ANNOUNCER: So, you’re saying it’s the devil at work in this pornographic media?
SCHULZ: I would say, in many cases, this is certainly true. I think what is so powerful and compelling, however, is the alarm about this evil is not being raised by church publications, but primarily by secular publications as I mentioned in U.S. Today, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, in the New York Times, and in many other newspapers. Secular news media are raising these very serious concerns.
ANNOUNCER: You said especially during this season of Lent, we should recognize that, sadly, many of us have done little to fight it.
SCHULZ: Yes, this is certainly the case. First of all, of course, we must pray that God will intervene here. He will, if we pray earnestly to Him. We must also remember that prayer always demands action. God expects us to be fighters against evil. For example, if you look in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapter 4, you read where the Lord said to Cain, “Sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you. You must master it.” It’s a very clear directive from the Lord. St. Paul says in Ephesians: “Do not give the devil an opportunity.” In the book of James, we read: “Resist the devil.” Again, in the book of Romans, St. Paul writes: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body.” The psalmist says: “Hate evil.”
ANNOUNCER: So, the Word of God is clear. We are not to sit by and do nothing. We must actively resist.
SCHULZ: Absolutely, Mark!
ANNOUNCER: In this Lenten season, however, you emphasize we shouldn’t just look on the negative, the law side of things. We should look on the Gospel side, the grace of Lent.
SCHULZ: Yes, Mark. It’s crucial that we point this out. You see, Lent is a time for us to look at our lives, to examine ourselves, evaluate ourselves, and to see how far short each of us has fallen, not to what our neighbor expects or does, but, to what God expects of us. And, on the other hand, this is also when we look to the Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ, through His living Word and through His body and blood, is our Enabler. He is the One who enables us to do what we cannot do ourselves. Jesus is the One who strengthens us for the daily battles in life. Jesus is the One who assures us without any conditions whatsoever the victory belongs to all of His followers. In fact, in His Word, God says Jesus lives in His followers and works through them. St. Paul puts it like this: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
ANNOUNCER: So, as we close, what is the bottom line?
SCHULZ: Well, I think the bottom line is simply this: With one eye, especially during Lent, we focus on ourselves and failures. But at the same time, we focus our other eye on the cross of Christ. In the cross we see Jesus conquered sin, death, and the devil. We see being united with our Lord Jesus Christ through baptism, we are also united with His power of victory. Then even in our most difficult days we can say with St. Paul: “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him, through Jesus, who loved us. For we are convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. We have come to the end of our broadcast for another week.