The Lutheran Hour

"I Need To Be Sure"

#72-13
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on December 12, 2004
Speaker: Rev. Ken Klaus
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Matthew 11:2-3

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! May we this Christmastide believe that with eyes open and faith unshaken.
It’s almost Christmas. It’s a time to sing the familiar Christmas carols of praise to the Savior. Of course, to inexperienced children, those Christmas carols just aren’t that familiar. Not so long ago I heard of a little girl who after Sunday school, shared with her mother that “Jesus was a Swede.” Mother gently corrected her youngster by reminding her that the Bible says Jesus was the Son of David, which meant He would have been Jewish. Her little girl’s pouty face said she was pretty sure of her facts. She countered, “Mommy, I’m sure Jesus was Swedish. This morning our teacher taught us the song, ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his Swede head.'”

I’m sorry for that one. It’s almost Christmas. It’s a time to sing the songs proclaiming the Savior’s birth. But as I say, sometimes those songs aren’t all that well known to the children. This story comes from a Christian grade school teacher from a small town in the southeast. Having rehearsed her second graders, she felt brave enough to take them caroling. They went to a number of places where the people were homebound. The wandering concert ended up in the community’s only nursing home. There the teacher, with her charges in tow, wandered the hallways giving a song at the doorway of each resident. Only then did the teacher notice that one of her more enthusiastic singers had rewritten the words to one of the songs. Where he was supposed to be singing, “Noel, Noel,” (Noel meaning Christmas or Christmastide), he was belting out for all to hear: “No hell, no hell, born is the King of Israel.” I like the lad’s interpretation. It certainly explains what Christmas is about, doesn’t it? Because Jesus Christ, God’s Son is born, all who believe on Him no longer have to fear sin, death, the devil — or hell.
It’s almost Christmas. Armed with credit cards and checkbooks we’ve hit the shopping centers. We’ve tried to remember where we hid the Christmas cards we bought last December 26. We’ve tried to read the faded color-coded branches on our fake tree or, for the purists, tried to minimize needle fall-out of the real ones. Even though we saved the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows which adorned last year’s packages, we’ve laid in a semi-load of new stuff.
Yes, Christmas is right around the corner. Of course, all of the things I’ve just mentioned really have little to do with celebrating the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem many centuries ago. An unbeliever would have little problem participating in the holiday as I’ve described it. By law, Christmas has become a holiday, the idea of it being a holy-day long since forgotten by many, if not most.

These words are addressed to the many millions who remember Christmas, but not the Christ; who hold Christmas customs in higher regard than they do Christ’s cradle. Now I know the chance of an unbeliever hearing this message is probably small. After all, if you don’t believe in Jesus, you’re not likely to spend much time listening to one of His witnesses, are you? Which is why I’ve asked somebody, a friend of yours, a family member, a co-worker to share this message with you. Please don’t cut them off. Don’t be angry with them. Don’t get all upset. Remember, ’tis the season to be jolly.

If it will make you feel more comfortable, let me tell you what I’m not going to do in this message. I am not going to laugh at or belittle your beliefs. I will try to give you some thoughts to consider. Don’t worry about me converting you. I couldn’t convert you if I tried. Only God’s Holy Spirit can do that. I would ask if you, by the end of this message, feel the Lord’s tug on your heart; if you see the Savior more clearly; if you hear the Lord’s summons to faith; then thank the person who has given you this tape or this manuscript, or who has taken you to the Web. Thank them, and then ask them or us, how you can be brought closer to the Christ Child’s cradle, how you can be brought closer to His cross. If you feel uncomfortable talking with them, then please call us at “The Lutheran Hour” and we will try to give you with some assistance.

Let’s begin. Christmas is coming. It’s right around the corner. How do you feel about that? How do you feel about the lights and the trees and the tinsel, and the fact that some people seem to have something, Someone, you don’t? Most people who don’t have Jesus as their Savior react in one of two ways. Some of them feel an emptiness, a lostness. They think having Jesus as their Savior is a good thing, but He’s not their thing. Maybe they’ve been scarred by past dealings with a Christian. Maybe they’ve been put off by a hypocritical family member who pretended to be a Christian on Sunday, but changed radically when Monday rolled around. Maybe you’ve seen more than your fair share of trouble; possibly you think that if God were really in control there wouldn’t be so much pain and prejudice, hurt and horror, anger and animosity in this world.

That’s one reaction. The second has an attitude which is harder. Looking at the festive folks who believe in the Savior, you feel pity. You think they’ve been hoodwinked by some once-upon-a-time tale from the past. You know that everything is relative; that sin is subjective; that all religion is just a way for churches to separate people from their cash; for those in authority to keep those without authority under their thumb. You know that if Jesus lived, He was just like us. If Jesus lived, He didn’t do the things that pulpits proclaim. He certainly isn’t your Savior, because you don’t need a Savior. Maybe some people do, but you don’t.

Does any of this sound familiar? Let me tell you, even some Christians, although they probably won’t say it, sometimes wonder if they’re believing the right thing. Every once in a while, in our weaker moments, many of us wonder if we, with a few thousand religions to pick from in this world, have the right one. Sometimes God’s great heroes of faith have their moments when they wonder if Jesus is their saving Substitute, the Bridge Builder who spans the gulf of sin which separates lost humanity from God’s perfect Divinity. As I said, I’m not going to get sarcastic. That’s because I just might be taking your soul’s salvation more seriously than you do.

Which is why I ask, would you agree with me when I say “Jesus Christ must be Who He says He is, namely the sinless Son of God and the Savior of the world, or He must be the world’s greatest con Artist who has lied to, and lead multitudes and millions astray?” If you’re being logical, you have to conclude there are no other choices. It is either one or the other. There is no in-between. Jesus Christ can’t be kind of a Savior, an almost Redeemer, a sort of God. Either He is or He isn’t.

If you concede that, let me ask, “What would it take for you to be sure that Jesus is your Savior?” Years ago when Jesus walked the earth, that question was asked. I don’t believe it was asked by someone who was doubting. I think it was asked by someone who wanted to be reassured of what he really already believed. The man who asked the question had every right to want reassurance. The man who asked the question was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. Before John was born, his purpose in life was set. He was to be the forerunner of the Savior. His job was to call people to repentance. He was to tell the world that God’s promises were going to be fulfilled, and they were going to be fulfilled now. The waiting was over. Jesus was coming to rescue from sin, all who believe in Him as their Savior; Jesus was coming to call people from darkness into light; from damnation into salvation. Jesus did come, just as John predicted. One day Jesus showed up where John was baptizing and John pointed Him out. Prophetically predicting that Jesus would die for us, John said: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” After John baptized the Savior, Jesus began His own ministry.

John, at least for a while, continued on, condemning sin wherever he found it. He did his job well. Almost too well. You see, John wasn’t afraid to call sin, a sin. Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, prince and pauper, even kings did not escape John’s summons from sin. When John condemned Herod, the country’s ruler, for entering into an adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife, John ended up in jail. No, there wasn’t any trial; there weren’t any charges. The king was too afraid to have John executed; too intimidated to have him released.

So John sat, month after month in prison. I can’t say what John’s thoughts were during that time. I don’t know if the Lord gave him a premonition of his death. I do know the day came when John sent some friends to Jesus with a question. John asked, “Are you the One who was to come, or should we expect Someone else?” You see, I told you that even God’s greatest people ask their questions. John wanted to know: “Jesus, are You the real McCoy? Are You the One the prophets talked about? Are you the One who has come from heaven to save us? Are You the real deal, or should we look around?” John knew Jesus was the Savior, or He wasn’t. What that question means for you is: either Jesus is your Savior or He isn’t. Either you can really celebrate His coming at Christmas, or you can forget the festival altogether. Either you can rejoice in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, or you can ignore Him entirely. There are no other choices.

Jesus answered John’s question. Jesus told John how he could be sure. This was the Savior’s reply: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Matt. 11:4-6). With this answer, Jesus was telling John two things. First, He was saying that He was fulfilling the prophecy made about the Messiah hundreds of years earlier. Second, Jesus was pointing out that He was doing things that only God could do. The blind could see without surgery; the lame walked without months of therapy; exiles who had incurable leprosy were being made well. The deaf who couldn’t hear, now could; those that had been dead were reunited with their loved ones. “All of this,” Jesus said, “is so God’s good and gracious news might be shared with those who are poor.” When Jesus used the word poor, He wasn’t referring to people without money. He was talking about the lost and lonely, the despondent and depressed, the sad sinners and sorrowful souls. John believed Jesus’ reply. When John died, he did so knowing that his belief had not been misdirected. John died knowing he had the right Savior. Do you share John’s confidence? Are you convinced?

Of course not. I can almost hear your objections. “John was a desert prophet. He wanted to believe in Jesus. He could have been fooled.” There are all kinds of so-called prophets in other faiths that have performed pretend miracles. People can be tricked. Maybe the blind weren’t blind to begin with. Maybe the lame were faking. As far as raising the dead, all kinds of fakirs from India have been buried alive, and then days and weeks later have been unburied and been found alive. Jesus could have had somebody perform a similar stunt. You’re just not as gullible as John, are you? You would need a whole lot more than a few duplicatable miracles before you would confess Jesus is your Savior and Lord.

Roughly 33 years after Jesus was born, He was arrested by His enemies who refused to acknowledge the heaven-sent source of His miracles and His claim to be the promised Savior. After Jesus was in their hands, they beat Him – hard. They pushed down a crown of thorns on His head – hard. They whipped Him. With a multi-tailed whip studded with glass and metal, designed to rip chunks out of His back, they whipped Him. Bear with me. I know it’s not a pretty picture at Christmas time, or at any time. They crucified Him and hung Him in the sun. There, after intense suffering, Jesus died. He didn’t faint. He didn’t go into a coma. He died. We know He died because when the Roman guard stabbed His heart, blood and water came out. For those of you who watch CSI, that means Jesus had been dead for a while. The blood corpuscles and the serum, no longer being mixed by the beat of his heart, had already separated. He was gone. They buried Him with a guard on His tomb to keep away grave robbers.

Then on the third day, Jesus rose. He came back to life. Time and again people saw Him. Were they all victims of wishful thinking or mass hallucinations? No, these people touched Jesus. They ate with Him. They sat with Him. They believed. Is it possible they saw a double? A doppelganger? If so, the double had nail holes in His hands and feet, a spear thrust into His side. Maybe they made up the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Friends, those men died confessing the truth of what they had seen and heard. Not one, not one confessed to having made up a lie. One of them was skinned alive, but He did not admit to a lie. Jesus rose from the dead.
Search other religions; no other faith attempts to make such a resurrection claim. No other religion has so many eyewitnesses to the truth of its beliefs. Search the history books and see, no one else can duplicate the unprecedented growth of the Christian church after Jesus came back from the dead. Search humanity’s collective consciousness and see that no other incident in history so changed the course of so many human lives, of so many nations. People knew Jesus was the Savior. They knew the facts, and armed with those unassailable facts, the Holy Spirit led them to faith.

Christmas is around the corner. How will you celebrate it this year? Will it be in doubt and denial, or will you at last, like the shepherds, go and see the Savior, worship the Savior who is born to you in the city of David, Christ the Lord? Will you, like the shepherds, and perhaps for the first time in your life, go and see this thing which has come to pass? Years ago a little girl was spending the night at her Grandma’s house. Grandma had put the 5-year-old to bed, but it didn’t take long before Grandma heard her name being called. Investigating, grandma was asked, “Would you turn on the light? I’m afraid of the dark.” Turning on the light, Grandma replied, “Honey, you don’t sleep with the light on at your house. You sleep in the dark there.” The little girl replied, “But Grandma, that’s my darkness.” Today, to those of you who are filled with distrust and disbelief, the Savior comes. He comes to your darkness. He comes, bringing the light of His Father’s love; the joy which comes from sins forgiven. Jesus comes bringing the light. Will you prefer to go back to your own darkness? I pray God, with all my heart that you will not doubt, but believe. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 12, 2004
Topic: Potpourri

ANNOUNCER: Next Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today we’ll try to tie up some loose ends and follow up on some previous answers. First, in reference to our question of September 19t, “How can I be sure of the choices I make in life?” A listener heard what we had to say, and then said, “You didn’t really answer the question.”

KLAUS: That’s been known to happen. Let’s take another shot at it. The Lord in His Holy Word gives us a lot of direction onto how a Christian can lead a God-pleasing life. When we follow those suggestions – good; when we disobey them – that’s not God-pleasing. The first and best way to figure out our direction is to consult God’s Word. But there is more. Sometimes the Bible is silent. It doesn’t tell us what to do, one way or the other. The Lord gives us freedom of will to make a choice. At those times we ask, “What will glorify God and benefit our neighbor?” That almost always gives us the answer we need.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor. Now here’s one in regard to our July 25 broadcast. There we were discussing a question about whether or not people of other faiths would go to heaven. A listener responded to that and said, “You think you’re better than everyone else. That’s very prejudiced and narrow.” Would you care to respond?

KLAUS: Christians in general, and me in particular, don’t think we’re better than anyone else. We’re fully cognizant of the fact that we’re sinners. St. Paul called himself a “chief sinner.” All of us are sinners and we need a Savior. As far as the second part of the comment, we’re prejudiced and narrow, yes, of course we are. While we don’t think we’re better than anybody else, we’re absolutely convinced that Jesus is a better Savior; in fact, He’s the only Savior who can rescue us from sin, death, and devil. That makes us prejudiced for the Savior and sad for all those who don’t know Him. Now if that makes us narrow, I’m not sorry. I can’t pretend that every religion promotes an equally acceptable path to heaven.

ANNOUNCER: Now two questions from the beginning of August. Are these questions real? And, do we answer all the questions that are sent in?

KLAUS: Yes and no. Yes, the questions we answer are real. But no, we don’t answer all the questions, at least not on the air. There are questions that can’t wait for their answers. We answer them directly or refer them to a local pastor right away. There are some questions that are not answered on the air because they are too offensive or because they’re not of general interest to the listening audience. Listeners need to remember, we’re a broadcast dedicated to proclaiming the Savior. Our job is to reach as many people as possible with God’s Good News of salvation that comes through faith in Jesus. It’s not to see how controversial we can be.

ANNOUNCER: Would there be any reason for us to want to be more controversial?

KLAUS: Absolutely. We could become the shock jocks of Christian broadcasting. If we did that, we might get us on more stations, or get us a better broadcast time. It would also serve to take our listeners’ eyes off of Jesus. Anything that takes peoples’ eyes off of Jesus is out of the question – at least on this broadcast, “The Lutheran Hour.”

ANNOUNCER: Here’s a letter that came in around the end of June. It’s on very nice paper with a very nice envelope; no return address. You open it up and it has just one word – “Idiot” followed by three exclamation marks.

KLAUS: How do we answer that one? Here’s a story; I’ve been saving this one for years and never had a chance to use it before. Around 1850, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher entered Plymouth Church on Sunday morning. He found a letter awaiting him in the pulpit; he opened it. It consisted of a single word “Fool” printed on the paper. Quite seriously, the pastor announced to the congregation, he said something like this, “I’ve known many a instance of a man writing a letter who forgot to sign his name. This is the only time I can think of a man signing his name, and forgetting to write the letter.” There are times that I can indeed be an idiot and a fool. But if I’m a fool for Christ, that’s not so bad. Any others, Mark?

ANNOUNCER: Here’s one from February 8. You said we don’t have to do anything to be saved, Jesus has done it all. But a listener says, “We still have to believe.”

KLAUS: We do have to believe. That’s true. We need to remember that our faith in Jesus is something that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not by anything that we do.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.