Author: admin

May 2, 2025

Broadcast

                   These Things are Written - Part 5
                             John 20:30-31
                              05/02/2025


        30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
             the disciples, which are not written in this book;
        31   but these are written so that you may believe that
             Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
             believing you may have life in his name.  (ESV)

        Saint John wrote:
        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
        disciples, which are not written in this book; but
        these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
        the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
        may have life in his name.


        Why does the Church exist?  Is it to demand that you live in
   a certain way, that you perform certain actions, that you refrain
   from certain activities?  Does the Church exist to lay down the
   Law, to look over your shoulder to make sure you walk the
   straight and narrow?  If so, please don't join.

        But the Church is not about laying down the law, but
   proclaiming God's love.  God does not demand that you fear, love,
   and trust in Him above all things, but He invites you to become
   part of His family.  By being part of God's family, you receive
   the inheritance of life everlasting because trusting in Jesus
   Christ brings us the forgiveness of our sins.  The Church
   proclaims the good news: ``If you confess with your mouth that
   Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from
   the dead, you will be saved.''[1] Even the faith which believes
   that Jesus is the Christ is a gift from God given to you through
   His Word and sacraments.

        The name of Christ Jesus reveals who He is and the work the
   Father sent Him to accomplish.  Please join us this Sunday at
   Trinity Lutheran Church at 9:00 a.m. to hear again of God's love
   and mercy as found in Jesus.  This may be a life-changing
   experience which brings you the peace which the world cannot
   give.  May our Lord bless is with faith in Jesus as our Redeemer
   so that we may have life in His name.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Romans 10:9 (ESV)

May 1, 2025

Broadcast

                   These Things are Written - Part 4
                             John 20:30-31
                              05/01/2025


        30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
             the disciples, which are not written in this book;
        31   but these are written so that you may believe that
             Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
             believing you may have life in his name.  (ESV)

        Saint John wrote:
        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
        disciples, which are not written in this book; but
        these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
        the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
        may have life in his name.


        Is the Bible written to be a list of rules and regulations?
   As Christians, must we follow a certain dress code, refrain from
   eating certain foods, and avoid certain activities?  Are we
   redeemed from sin, death, and the power of the devil because of
   our own works, or are we saved because of God's rich grace and
   undeserved love?

        We believe, teach, and confess, in accordance with the clear
   Word of God, that our salvation from sin and death is by God's
   love alone, not a result of our works.  Jesus died, not because
   we are nice people, but because we are not nice people.  His
   death is payment for our sin.  Our good works pay nothing on the
   debt we owe to God and neighbor because of our sin.

        The Bible, including John's Gospel, is written so that we
   may know that Jesus is the Son of God.  That is the message of
   the Bible.  The Bible is not about our good works which earn us
   heaven, not a list of dietary rules or Christian clothing
   fashions.  The Bible is the message, ``Jesus is the Christ, the
   Son of the living God.''[1]

        May our Lord open our hearts and minds to His Holy Word to
   see that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ, who bore our
   sins for our salvation.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Matthew 16:16

April 30, 2025

Broadcast

                   These Things are Written - Part 3
                             John 20:30-31
                              04/30/2025


        30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
             the disciples, which are not written in this book;
        31   but these are written so that you may believe that
             Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
             believing you may have life in his name.  (ESV)

        Saint John wrote:
        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
        disciples, which are not written in this book; but
        these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
        the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
        may have life in his name.


        One of the frustrating things about the inspired, inerrant,
   holy Word of God is it omits many things we are curious to know.
   What was Jesus like growing up?  How and when did Joseph, Mary's
   husband, die?  Did Mary and Joseph have children after the birth
   of Jesus, or are those who are called Jesus' brothers and sisters
   a family Joseph brought into his marriage with Mary?

        Saint John clearly says that we will have questions which
   cannot be answered.  Those questions, however, are not relevant
   to our salvation from sin and death, so he did not include the
   answers in his writings.  Jesus never promised us the complete
   knowledge of life, universe, and everything, only that we would
   know of God's love, grace, and mercy.

        What the Bible reveals is God's plan of salvation, promised
   to Adam and Eve, given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, fulfilled in
   Jesus Christ.  Beyond that, the Bible remains silent.  Although
   we desire to be like God, knowing good and evil, knowing
   everything, that desire leads to death.  In faith we trust God to
   reveal that which we need to know, and that is sufficient for our
   salvation.

        May our Lord grant us the wisdom to trust in Him and not to
   lean on our own understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.  Amen.

April 29, 2025

Broadcast

                   These Things are Written - Part 2
                             John 20:30-31
                              04/29/2025


        30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
             the disciples, which are not written in this book;
        31   but these are written so that you may believe that
             Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
             believing you may have life in his name.  (ESV)

        Saint John wrote:
        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
        disciples, which are not written in this book; but
        these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
        the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
        may have life in his name.


        Each of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
   clearly state in the beginning of their Gospels that Jesus is the
   Son of God.  He is truly divine, even as He took on our humanity
   by being born of the virgin Mary.  Because Jesus was born of a
   virgin, having no human father, He was conceived without the sin
   that is passed from Adam to each person.

        How did Jesus show His divinity while visibly present?  He
   performed many miracles, from changing water into wine, thus
   showing His power over creation, to the resurrection, thus
   showing His power over death.  Each of these signs demonstrated
   something about Jesus, showing His power over a different aspect
   of creation.  All of the signs point to Jesus as the Christ, the
   One promised by God to bear the burden of our sin.  Jesus told
   His disciples on the night He was betrayed,
        Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the
        Father is in me?  The words that I say to you I do not
        speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in
        me does his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father
        and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of
        the works themselves.[1]


        May we see by the signs that Jesus did in the presence of
   His disciples, that they recorded as eyewitnesses of Jesus, that
   He is the long-promised Christ.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. John 14:10-11 (ESV)

April 28, 2025

Broadcast

                   These Things are Written - Part 1
                             John 20:30-31
                              04/28/2025


        30   Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
             the disciples, which are not written in this book;
        31   but these are written so that you may believe that
             Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
             believing you may have life in his name.  (ESV)

        Saint John wrote:
        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
        disciples, which are not written in this book; but
        these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
        the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
        may have life in his name.


        This week we are exploring the end of Saint John's Gospel,
   the reason he wrote the book.  As we do this, we will discover
   again the truth of God's grace, love, and mercy as the Father
   sent His only-begotten Son to redeem the world from sin and
   eternal death.

        Clearly John confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, the
   Messiah first promised by God to Adam and Eve the day that they
   ate the forbidden fruit.  Their sin was passed from father to
   child throughout all generations.  We teach our children how to
   be polite, not to hurt each other.  We have no need to teach our
   children how to be selfish, rebellious, and mean.  Adam's sin
   infects us all, from the moment of conception to the moment of
   our temporal death.

        God's plan of salvation was first revealed when He cursed
   the serpent, saying, ``He shall bruise your head and you shall
   bruise His heel.''[1] John begins his Gospel with the creation,
   ``In the beginning was the Word,''[2] and ends it with Thomas'
   confession of faith, ``My Lord and my God.''[3]

        May our Lord open our hearts and minds to the good news that
   Jesus is the long-promised Messiah who has redeemed us from sin
   and death.  Amen.
   ____________________
   1. Genesis 3:15
   2. John 1:1
   3. John 20:28

April 25, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 5
                             John 20:8-10
                              04/25/2025


        8    Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb
             first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
        9    for as yet they did not understand the Scripture,
             that he must rise from the dead.
        10   Then the disciples went back to their homes.
             (ESV)

        The eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus Christ, of the
   early Church, do not always put the disciples in the best of
   light.  Indeed, they are frequently shown to be slow to
   understand and slow to act.  This certainly is true of the
   written events of Easter morning.

        After Mary Magdalene had seen the tomb, that the stone had
   been rolled away, she quickly went to tell Peter and John.  They,
   in turn, ran to the tomb.  John looked in and saw the empty tomb,
   while Peter entered and looked at the burial cloths.

        Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb
        first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as
        yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must
        rise from the dead.  Then the disciples went back to
        their homes.


        Did John, at this point, believe that Jesus had risen from
   the dead?  So it seems, but that belief was not very strong.
   Only after they had learned from the Scriptures, from the Old
   Testament prophecies about the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior,
   did they understand what they had actually witnessed.

        Jesus' resurrection is a necessary part of our salvation
   from sin and death.  His death paid the price of our sin.  His
   resurrection proves His power over death, which says that we also
   shall rise on the last day.

        That is the message of hope which we proclaim each Sunday
   morning at 9:00 a.m.  at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Please join
   us, even if this coming Sunday is not the day of Easter, to hear
   more of Christ's work to redeem you, to give to you life
   everlasting.

        Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen.

April 24, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 4
                              John 20:6-7
                              04/24/2025


        6    Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went
             into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying
             there,
        7    and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head,
             not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a
             place by itself.  (ESV)

        Saint John was a witness of the open tomb on Easter Sunday.
   He and Saint Peter ran to the tomb having heard the report from
   Mary Magdalene.  Although John arrived before Peter, being the
   faster of the two, he did not actually enter the tomb.  He saw
   the linen burial shroud and the place where Jesus' body had been
   lying, but he hesitated.

        Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
        tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face
        cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with
        the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.


        Simon Peter, being more brash, quickly entered the tomb to
   investigate.  Indeed the linen cloths were carefully placed, as
   if the one who had removed the cloths from the body had plenty of
   time to act undisturbed.  The body was not stolen, that seemed
   certain.

        What had happened?  John's eyewitness account does not
   mention the remains of the guard's encampment, or even where the
   stone was placed near the tomb.  The important part, the linens
   and their positions in the tomb were proof positive that the
   missing Jesus was not because of robbers.

        Is this the proof that Jesus is alive?  Not yet, but the
   evidence is pointing to His resurrection from the dead.  Only
   later that evening will Peter and John and most of the disciples
   see the risen Christ for the first time.

        Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen.

April 23, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 3
                              John 20:3-5
                              04/23/2025


        3    So Peter went out with the other disciple, and
             they were going toward the tomb.
        4    Both of them were running together, but the other
             disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
        5    And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths
             lying there, but he did not go in.  (ESV)

        From the first Easter, the Christian Church has depended on
   the eyewitnesss accounts of the disciples and faithful women who
   first saw the empty tomb.  The witnesses of the resurrection,
   writing to various audiences, each experienced the events
   differently.  Mary Magdelene and the women expected the tomb to
   be sealed with the large stone over the door.  Peter and John
   expected the tomb to be open.  Each author wrote of their
   experiences, of their discoveries, proving that the Gospel
   accounts are accurate histories of the events of that morning.

        So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they
        were going toward the tomb.  Both of them were running
        together, but the other disciple outran Peter and
        reached the tomb first.  And stooping to look in, he
        saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.


        These details enhance the credibility of the witnesses.
   Maybe it doesn't matter to our salvation who was the faster
   runner, but knowing that John beat Peter to the tomb helps us
   understand the events.  John looked in but did not enter.  He saw
   the linen shroud and the face covering lying in the tomb.  Had
   Jesus's body been stolen, certainly the robbers would have taken
   the expensive shroud, even if blood stained, to maximize their
   profits.

        John saw that Mary Magdalene's report was true, the stone
   was removed from the door and the tomb no longer held Jesus'
   body.  He couldn't explain what he saw, but knew that Mary's
   account was accurate.  He also had no idea where Jesus was, what
   happened to His remains.

        Where do we look for Jesus?  Not in the tomb, for the tomb
   is empty.  We look for Him where He promises to be found, in the
   inspired and perfect Word of God and in the sacraments He gave
   the Church.  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!
   Amen.

April 22, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 2
                              John 20:1-2
                              04/22/2025


        1    Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene
             came to the tomb early, while it was still dark,
             and saw that the stone had been taken away from
             the tomb.
        2    So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other
             disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to
             them, ``They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,
             and we do not know where they have laid him.''
             (ESV)

        Without Easter, without Jesus physically rising from the
   dead, the Christian Church has no reason for existence.  Only
   because the Church can point to the empty tomb, only because
   Jesus lives and reigns through all eternity, can the Church bring
   the hope of the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting to those
   who are terrified by their transgressions.

        Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to
        the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that
        the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  So she
        ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the
        one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ``They have
        taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know
        where they have laid him.''


        Mary Magdalene and the other women who went to Jesus' tomb
   to properly prepare Him for burial had a real problem.  On Friday
   evening, minutes before the beginning of the Sabbath, they had
   watched as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus sealed the door of
   the tomb with a large rock.  Now the tomb was open, and they were
   afraid of what they would find.

        Mary Magdalene knew the best people to inform were the
   leaders of the disciples, Peter and John.  She could do nothing,
   but she thought these two followers of Jesus might have an idea
   of what had happened.

        When we have questions, when we are perplexed by the changes
   and chances of this world, do we also turn to the disciples?  Do
   we turn to the clear truth of God's Word?  Can we trust that the
   tomb is indeed empty, and Jesus lives now and forever?

        Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen.

April 21, 2025

Broadcast

                            Easter - Part 1
                               John 20:1
                              04/20/2025


        1    Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene
             came to the tomb early, while it was still dark,
             and saw that the stone had been taken away from
             the tomb.  (ESV)

        Easter Sunday is not about colored eggs or chocolate rabbits
   or new spring dresses and finery.  Easter Sunday is about Jesus
   Christ risen from the dead.  This is not a spiritual
   resurrection, as some may claim, or the idea of renewal as others
   may teach.  Jesus rose from the dead, physically, never to die
   again.

        Oh, to be certain, He was dead on Good Friday.  The soldier
   who pierced His heart with a spear made certain that Jesus was no
   longer alive.  Even if He had fainted or was in a coma, as one
   theory says, that spear to the heart would have been fatal.  He
   was dead when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed His body
   in the tomb.

        Credible eyewitnesses saw the risen Christ Jesus.  They saw
   the empty tomb.  They spoke with Jesus.  They ate with Jesus.
   They walked with Jesus.  Over 500 people saw and heard Him after
   the resurrection.

        On that Sunday morning, however, no one expected the empty
   tomb.  ``Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to
   the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone
   had been taken away from the tomb.''  Saint John is telling the
   story of Mary Magdalene, not the other women who went with her to
   wash Jesus' body and ensure He was properly prepared for burial.
   Mary Magdalene and the other women knew the tomb was covered with
   a large stone, but probably did not know about the soldiers sent
   by Pilate to guard the tomb at the request of the chief priests
   and the rulers of the Temple.

        This week we will look at John's account of this most
   important event in history.

        Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen.