Paul is going to build a magnificent tower this morning. Its lofty heights will touch heaven! To build this grand tower, Paul will start with a rock-solid foundation. The foundation upon which Paul will build this tower is the teaching, the doctrine, of “justification.”
When God created the first two human beings, he did something remarkable with them. He talked with them. This presupposes there was a common language spoken by God and Adam and Eve. Both God and Adam and Eve knew the same vocabulary and the same grammar rules. What language did they speak in the Garden of Eden? No idea. Fast forward to today. Linguists tell us there are now over 7000 languages on the earth! Now, certain languages are similar and certain commonalities can be found. For example, Spanish, French, and Italian are all from the same “language family.” They are the “Romance languages,” descended from Latin. Some estimate that there are over 400 of these “language families.”
On Thursday of this week, we commemorated Jesus’ ascension into heaven. We stood there in spirit with his first disciples and watched him go up into the sky until a cloud came and him from our sight. And with that event, we became the waiting bride. We say that because the Bible itself uses that language to speak about the Church’s relationship with Jesus. He is called our heavenly Bridegroom. We are called his blood-bought bride. The time when we will be together finally with Jesus is called the “wedding feast of the Lamb.” Our Groom has told us, I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)
A couple of weeks ago we had a pastors’ circuit meeting. I was up to lead the brothers in what is called a “text study.” That is a study of one of the upcoming texts for worship. I had chosen this text. As I began my presentation, one of the brothers remarked that this is the text where we see “scary Jesus.” He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. But he was commenting on the appearance of Jesus in this text. Did you listen carefully to the description of your Savior? He is described as having eyes like blazing flames. His robe is bloody. He has a huge, double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. Seems kind of scary!
It was just the usual trip to the grocery store. The kids were buckled in their seats in the back of the minivan. Mom would occasionally glance at their little faces in the rearview mirror. All of a sudden her little four-year-old broke the silence. “Mommy, what is heaven like?” One of the most profound theological questions ever! From the mouth of a four-year-old! On the way to the grocery store!
Today is a big day for two of our youths at Lord of Love. It is their Confirmation Day. They will stand in white robes before the Lord’s altar and they will confess and promise. They will confess faith in the Triune God. They will confess, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” They will promise to be faithful to this God, even pledging to die a martyr’s death rather than deny this confession. It will be obvious to everyone in attendance that these two young adults are Christians!
This is nice! Looking out at all of you. At this point in time, you’re all still awake. You haven’t begun to daydream about other things. Your eyes are wide. You look eager and engaged. This is good! And this doesn’t surprise me. Because something very special and dear is happening. You are about to hear God’s Word. You are about to hear the voice of Jesus. You are going to hear the voice of your Shepherd. And so you are perked up.
Pastor John Boggs, Professor at Luther Preparatory School is serving us today.
Are any of you here today Marvel fans? The Marvel movies or Marvel comics? If you are, maybe you are familiar with one of the super-villains in the Marvel franchise. The villain I am referring to is named Thanos. Thanos first appeared in a comic book back in 1973. Thanos is generally a bad guy.
The Service of Darkness centers on a series of lessons, psalms, and liturgical texts that reflect on the Lord’s crucifixion and our repentance. As the service progresses, the candles of a sevenfold candelabrum are extinguished until only one remains. This candle is not extinguished but is removed from the chancel, leaving the church in darkness. The service is closed by a loud noise (known as the strepitus) that foreshadows the rending of Jesus’ tomb on Easter. After the strepitus, the last candle, still burning, is returned to the chancel. It thus anticipates the light of the paschal candle. The service ends without a benediction. We exit in silence to reassemble on the Festival.
