First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The reading from 2 Chronicles 17-19 serve as our sermon texts for this
evening.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
• God of mercy and love, I know that sometimes I allow myself to be
distracted by things that really don’t matter all that much. I would rather
pursue intellectual arguments than live the Gospel. I would rather debate
my equals than defend the vulnerable. I prefer to think about You instead
of getting to know You. Help me, O Christ. Help me to discern what matters
to You and to the vulnerable You call me to help. Help me to open up my
heart, wide in love and grace, and so be a living example of your Good
News. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Introduction

A. “Politics makes strange bedfellows” expresses the idea that people of
differing views and character come together to achieve political goals.
• Alliances are made that would otherwise seem unlikely.

B. And politics isn’t just Washington.
• The politics of business makes alliances to get a good deal.

C. In fact, we make alliances in every arena of life.
• Unfortunately, that makes life a series of compromises.
• It could be said that all life, as with politics, is the art of
compromise.
• The question always is, what and how much is compromised?

A. Jehoshaphat made a marriage alliance with Ahab.

A. We come today to Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, whom we heard about last
week.
• Jehoshaphat is the great-great-great-grandson of King David, and
succeeded his father Asa to the throne of Judah.
a. 2 Chronicles 17:3–4 (NASB95)
3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his
father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals,
4but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not
act as Israel did.
B. 2 Chronicles 17:5–6 (NASB95)
5So the Lord established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought
tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.
6He took great pride in the ways of the Lord and again removed the high
places and the Asherim from Judah.

B. Recall that at the end of his father Asa’s life, the Northern Kingdom of
Israel was threatening the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
• Asa had paid for outside help, that is, for Syria to attack Israel.
• And so the beginning of Jehoshaphat’s reign was marked by tension as the
new king of Judah fortified the northern border with Israel.
• However, there was no war, and in fact, the surrounding kingdoms feared
Judah and paid tribute to them.

C. Now Jehoshaphat had an idea.
• There was a new king in Israel, and Jehoshaphat saw an opportunity:
a. What’s better than making war with Israel?
b. Making love with Israel!
c. Make love, not war.
d. 2 Chronicles 18:1 (NASB95)
1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by
marriage with Ahab.
E. He gave his son Jehoram in marriage to King Ahab’s daughter Athaliah.

B. Jehoshaphat’s alliance with evil brought disaster for Judah.

A. The idea, in case you’re not familiar with the politics of the ancient
world, is that a marriage alliance is often the best and fastest way to
grow the kingdom.
• First of all, it was less likely King Ahab of Israel would attack Judah,
since his own daughter was in line to be queen.
• And perhaps the kingdoms could even be reunited at some point.
• Sounds like a good move, right?
• It worked for countless other kingdoms.
• Why not here?
• What a great idea!

B. But Jehoshaphat and Ahab were strange bedfellows.
• Yes, they were both kings of God’s people. They spoke a common language
and had much in common culturally.
• However, much separated Jehoshaphat and Ahab as well.
• If you don’t remember Ahab, perhaps you’ve heard of his wife, Jezebel;
they were quite a pair.
• They were constantly trying to kill the prophet Elijah.
• They falsely accused their neighbor Naboth and killed him so they could
take his family vineyard.
• They worshiped idols and did all manner of evil.
• And now, by arranging a marriage alliance, Jehoshaphat and Ahab were in
bed together—at least the prince and princess were.

C. 2 Chronicles 18:2 (NASB95)
2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab
slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him,
and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
A. What a welcome!
B. Jehoshaphat goes to visit his son-in-law’s, and it’s party time!
C. But King Ahab has an idea of his own.
D. King Ahab is fighting Syria and wants to influence Judah to join the
fight.
E. That’s what allies are for, is it not?

D. So Ahab says and Jehoshaphat responds:
• 2 Chronicles 18:3 (NASB95)
3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with
me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my
people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”
B. Thus Judah and Israel have been joined as one—bedfellows.
C. The great irony is that they will go to fight Ben-hadad of Syria.
D. Yes, the very same Ben-hadad that Asa, Jehoshaphat’s father, had paid to
attack Israel in the first place!
E. So now Judah is going to fight against the mercenaries Judah had hired!
F. How times have changed!
G. Jehoshaphat thought he was making peace but gets dragged into a war.
H. That’s what happens when you make alliances with men like King Ahab.

E. But that was only the beginning. Ahab’s real plan was to get Jehoshaphat
killed.
• Ahab knew that Ben-hadad, the Syrian king, would try to kill him and thus
end the war quickly.
• Here’s the plan:
a. 2 Chronicles 18:29 (NASB95)
29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go
into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised
himself, and they went into battle.
B. With allies like these, who needs enemies?

F. In the end, the plot didn’t work.
• Ahab was the one who was killed, and his blood ended up mixed with water
from a public pool.
• Dogs licked it up, and prostitutes washed themselves in it (1 Kings
22:38).
• Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, would repent and be one of the great
kings of Judah.
• However, the contamination of Judah by marriage to a daughter of Ahab had
a cost.
• The damage had already been done.

G. Jehoshaphat led his people into a compromised future.
• What happens to Judah after he dies and Jehoram becomes king?
• Jehoram is married to Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.
• She had no intention of leaving idolatry behind and faithfully following
Yahweh.
• In fact, the Scriptures make this point very clear, that:
a. 2 Chronicles 21:6 (NASB95)
6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did
(for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the
Lord.
E. Judah suffered terribly under the reign of the bad king Jehoram along
with his wife!
F. Jehoshaphat was indeed one of the great kings of Judah, but he was
seduced by the allure of this marriage alliance with Israel.

C. Yet when we are faithless, God is faithful.

A. This adulteration of the house of David could have destroyed it.
• 2 Chronicles 21:7 (NASB95)
7Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the
covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a
lamp to him and his sons forever.
B. From 2 Timothy we hear these words:
• 2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB95)
13If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
C. God remains true to his people despite their being charmed into
practicing wickedness and idolatry.

D. The Son of Jehoshaphat’s uncompromising love led to his crucifixion.

A. Jehoshaphat was a good king of Judah, but we need the King who is better
than he; we need a King who will not be lured away—whose commitment to his
people is stronger than his desire for alliances.
• We need the Son of Jehoshaphat, who was uncompromising in his love for
us.
• He refused to bow down and worship the devil to gain the kingdoms of the
world.
• He refused to bend to the Pharisees’ demands to follow their traditions
rather than God’s commands.
• He was not swayed by appearances but truly taught the way of God.
• He would rather go alone to the cross than abandon his mission of our
salvation.
• His only alliance is to his own people, even though his own did not
receive him.

B. Truly we need the Son of David, who would remain faithful to his
faithless bride.
• He would ransom us:
a. we who have often whored after other gods, from the power of Sheol and
redeem us from death (Hosea 13:14).
b. His blood would wash his Church white as snow and present her to himself
in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing by the washing of
water with the word (Ephesians 5:26–27).

C. And yet the Son of God did even more than simply stand by us when we
were faithless.
• He chose his people despite her failings.
• We read in Hosea that he seeks to draw us back to Himself even us, we his
faithless bride.
• He brings us into the wilderness and speaks tenderly to us in Hosea 2:14
when He says,
a. “You are my people,”
b. and shows mercy to us.

D. The Church and her Lord and Husband Christ are certainly strange
bedfellows.
• We are by nature sinful and unclean.
• We look longingly at other gods, fascinated by what they have to offer.
• We have proven ourselves to be easily seduced by pleasures and willing
even to betray our beloved when we feel pressured.
• And yet, Jesus would love his people and give Himself up for her.
• He would bring us back to himself.
• He has joined himself to us, not even death to part.

E. The Son of Jehoshaphat Is Faithful to His People, even when His people
are not faithful to Him.

E. Eternal life is the result of Jesus’ unilateral alliance with us.

A. And so, despite what you see around you:
• that life is the art of compromise
• truly our life is not found in compromise.
• Rather our life is found in Jesus Christ’s one-sided marriage alliance to
us.

Conclusion

A. We are his unworthy bride.
• He is our faithful Husband who loves and cherishes us.
• This promise he has made on His own person, giving us the seal of
Baptism.
• He has no split allegiances, and for this we offer the Son of David our
whole hearts in faith and worship. Amen.

B. Let us pray:
• Merciful God, hear my prayer. When I am down and out, or too weary to do
anything else, I do not offer kindness as often as I might. I admit that I
do not add beauty to the world apart from You. I pay lip service to the
cries of others and sit idly by until the sound fades. Sometimes I get it
right, and sometimes I don’t. I ask for Your mercy and grace, and I ask for
Your help, to give me courage and strength to live as You would have me
live. In the name of Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, I
pray. Amen.

C. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

D. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

*Text: John 3:1–17*

*Theme: This is the way*

*Other Lessons: *Genesis 12:1–9; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1–8, 13–17

1. *In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

1. *The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.*

1. *Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*

1. *Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*

1. Merciful God, I claim that You sent Jesus to take away the sin of the
world. I am part of that sin. Help me to acknowledge that I
do things that
hurt other people, the creation, mankind, and You. Come into
my heart, Lord
God, and give me strength and courage to be less hurtful and
more loving.
These things I pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

*Introduction*

1. *The Gospel in a nutshell. *

1. That’s what we know verse 16 from the 3rd chapter of St. John’s
Gospel to be.
2. It is, in many respects, the simplest and clearest expression
of who Jesus is and what he came to earth to do.
3. Quite simply, Jesus came to save the world.
4. Save the world from what?
5. Save the world:

1. from itself,
2. from Satan,
3. from sin, and
4. and from death.

1. *But here’s the problem, and it is one which Christianity has sought
to answer since Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. *

1. *If Jesus conquered death by his death on the cross, why, then, do we
still die?*

*1. God conquered death through Moses and a bronze serpent.*

1. *In order to answer that question, we have to turn to the Book of
Numbers and look at the Old Testament people of Israel. *

1. The children of Israel in *Numbers chapter 21* are wandering in the
desert.

1. They are partway through forty years of wandering, where God teaches
them how to listen to his Word and trust that he will provide
for all their
needs, both physical and spiritual.
2. But the children of Israel are, well, they are dense, slow to
learn, and above all, they are rebellious.
3. They are so rebellious, in fact, that God sends serpents to go
and bite them.
4. Many of them died.
5. The wages of sin is death, as St. Paul reminds us.
6. Later in *Numbers 21* we hear these words:
– *7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned,
because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede
with the LORD,
that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses
interceded for the
people.*

1. Moses agreed, because he recognized their repentance, and that they
knew their sin and need for redemption.

1. So Moses prayed to God and God answered him by giving Moses
instructions on how to save the people.
2. The Lord said to Moses in *Numbers 21:8 (NASB95)*
– *8 “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it
shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he
looks at it, he will
live.”*
3. So Moses does this.

– And you have to admit, this is rather . . . odd.
– Put a snake on a stick?
– Isn’t that snake the form that Satan took in the Garden of Eden?
– Yes, it is.
– And that is exactly the point.

1. *So two things really stand out in the episode from the people of
Israel.*

1. First: The form of their salvation and life isn’t much to look at.

1. A bronze serpent, not exactly something to give one a lot of hope.
2. That point we can see.

1. The second point is perhaps a little less obvious.

1. The snakes still come.
2. Nowhere in the text do we get Moses leading the snakes away
like the Pied Piper, sending them into the river to drown.
3. God didn’t take away the serpents.
4. He gave the people a way out, a way of salvation, so that even
though they were bitten, the bite did not kill them.
5. Whoever looked upon the bronze serpent in faith, that person in
turn lived.

*2. Now God is conquering death through Jesus.*

1. *Now fast-forward to Jesus speaking with Nicodemus in John’s Gospel.*

1. Jesus uses this event in the life of Israel to show Nicodemus how God
works.
2. God works in the world like this.

1. He doesn’t take death away.
2. Not yet, at least.
3. What he does is send his Son into a world of death, so that he
dies in our place.
4. This is what we hear in verse 16:

1. *God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone
who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.*

1. *To whom did he hand Jesus over? *

1. He handed Jesus over:

1. to *sin, *
2. *death, *
3. *and Satan himself, *
4. the unholy trinity that makes up the evil we all live with each
and every day.

1. *This Is the Way God Loves the World.*

1. Jesus takes:

1. the punishment that you deserve,
2. gives you eternal life, which is his by nature,
3. and sets you up as kings and queens in his eternal kingdom.

1. All because God the Father hands him over to death.

*3. Thus the suffering and death we endure will not endure.*

1. *So for you here and now and today, beloved, you still suffer death
and the effects of sin. *

1. You get sick and injured.
2. Things don’t work as they ought to work as you would like.
3. The serpent still bites at your heels.
4. But Jesus Christ has crushed the head of that old evil foe.
5. By his death, he has destroyed death, so that what we endure and
suffer now is mere aftereffects, rumblings and grumblings from a foe that
has already lost but wants to drag as many down with him as he can.

1. *Make no mistake, dearly baptized children of God. *

1. You are Christ’s, and Satan cannot harm you.
2. Jesus does not come into the world to “tsk, tsk, tsk” at your
sins and failures.
3. He doesn’t come to shake his head and finger at you, urging you
to do better next time.
4. He doesn’t come to give you an example to shoot for, or a
target to reach.
5. His goals are much, much higher than that.
6. Remember again verse 17 from John 3:

1. *“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.”*

*Conclusion*

1. *Even though Jesus has died on the cross and risen again from the
dead, we still suffer the earthly effects of sin. *

1. We hurt, and we’ll still die, unless Jesus returns first.
2. But God is still loving you (John 3:16)!
3. Perhaps we should think of those lingering hurts as a wound
that’s in the process of healing.
4. As many of you know, I have had to deal with callouses and open
wounds on the bottom of my feet on a continual basis.
5. The doctor works to make it for the wounds to heal.
6. But the wounds will take time to heal.
7. We still live with the memories of the hurt.
8. But at the Last Day, even the scars will be healed.
9. The painful memories will no longer hurt like they once did.
10. That is something really to look forward to!

1. *This is God’s plan for you and for the entire world. *

1. He wants:

1. to save you,
2. to heal you,
3. to comfort you,
4. to love you,
5. and to give you hope that no matter how much the snake
bites, you may lift up your eyes and heart to the cross of
Jesus Christ,
and in that cross, a symbol of shame as much as any
serpent, in that cross
you will find life—real, abundant life that has no end,
because he has no
end.

1. *So come, blessed of God, and receive the gifts of the kingdom of
heaven prepared for you before the foundation of the world.*

1. Come and rejoice in his body and blood, and give thanks for all his
benefits, for the mercy of God endures forever. Amen.

1. *Let us pray:*

1. Merciful and loving God: when I am ungrateful, remind me of Your
grace. When I am oblivious, open my eyes. When I am harsh, gentle my
spirit. When I am apathetic, show me Your suffering children.
When I demean
myself, whisper that I am created in Your image. When I lose
all hope, show
me the empty tomb. Renew a right spirit within me. Shape me
and turn me
around, so that I will live with blessing and grace and
light. In the Name
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

1. *The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.*

1. *In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Old Testament lesson from Genesis 3 serves as our sermon text for
this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
Ø Holy God, You know me better than I know myself, and You see me more
clearly. How impossible it seems that I could ever hide anything from You,
or even try to hide such things; but I do. Sometimes I pretend to be better
than I am. I do things I know will hurt others and act as though I am
blameless. But I am not. I am complicit, and I am guilty, and I am broken.
So I ask for Your forgiveness, because You love me more than I can imagine,
and You make me whole beyond my wildest dreams. This I ask in the name of
Jesus, who came to show me the way. Amen.

*Introduction *

A. In 2020, a new board game was released, produced by legendary game
designer Richard Garfield and seventy-four-time Jeopardy! winner Ken
Jennings.
a. With Jennings involved, it’s not surprising that it’s a trivia game.
b. Specifically, each of its trivia cards has a category, such as “Animals
with Blue Tongues,” and then it lists six possible answers, three of them
correct, three of them incorrect.
c. The game bills itself as a party game for all ages and people.
d. The name of the game? Half Truth.
e. Sounds like a lot of fun!
f. Imagine all the laughs and lighthearted banter.
g. Perhaps it evens out the playing field, because categories like
blue-tongued animals are truly trivial.
h. Care to join me in playing a game of Half Truth?
B. Of course, we already play the “game” of half-truth all the time. But
it’s not a fun party game when we’re trying to level the playing field of
our sinful lives by offering half-truths about our sin. It’s Satan’s game
(Gen 3:1–7). It doesn’t bring laughter and lighthearted banter, but only
tears and harsh words.

1. We often desire to cover sin by half-truths.
A. We try to cover sin by the half-truth of good we do to compensate for
it—as the first man and woman covered themselves with fig leaves.
1. Making ourselves look good, especially at the expense of others.
2. Trying to rationalize or downplay that what we have done is wrong.
A. “It’s not that bad.”
B. “Just a lapse in judgment; it won’t happen again.”
B. We try to cover sin by the half-truth that others are to
blame—redefining our relationships as adversarial, as Adam did with his
wife.
1. “Playing the blame game”
A. “The devil made me do it.”
B. “It’s the way my parents raised me.”
2. But here’s the sinful Saviortruth we can’t handle.
C. As with the first man and woman, our intimate knowledge of evil brings
shame for which we cannot compensate.
1. Imagine for a moment this sad reality:
A. After taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
Adam and Eve were able to snatch fruit from the tree of life.
B. Not only would they and the rest of humanity be sinners as we all are
now, but we would all be immortal!
1. What a miserable existence!
A. Full of sin!
B. No Savior!
C. Completely immortal!
D. As with the first man and woman, shifting responsibility may fool us but
will not answer Yahweh’s call to repentance.
1. Why should I confess and repent for something I did not do?
2. The end result is still the same: we will still die.
2. Christ is the Whole Truth Incarnate, who covers sin.
A. Christ covers our sin by taking full responsibility as the One promised
to crush the serpent’s head.
1. Verse 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between
your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall
bruise him on the heel.”
2. This verse is known as the “first gospel” (protoevangelium)
A. It serves as a summary of what the Gospel is all about.
B. Christ covers our sin because, being crushed on the cross, he truly paid
the whole price to compensate.
1. He covers our shame with himself.
A. Here again the words of the Absolution:
1. In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you
all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
2. Forgive: that is, to lay aside our sins; Greek aphiēmi
B. We see this covering already taking place when he covers the man and
woman with animal garments.
1. Verse 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and
clothed them.
2. A precursor to the sacrificial system.
3. This Whole Truth brings life.
A. We leave the garden, but life will come in Christ.
1. Amid death, the promise of more life will come through Eve.
A. Verse 20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the
mother of all the living.
2. Amid death, the promise of unending life will come through the seed of
the woman.
A. Verse 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between
your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall
bruise him on the heel.”
B. For now, then, that life will be a life of repentance:
1. Of sorrow for death wrought by my half-truths.
2. Of faith in the Truth Incarnate, who works life.
*Conclusion*

A. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?”
1. “I do.”
2. But later on the stand, caught telling less than the whole truth: “You
can’t handle the truth.”
B. “Well, you have to understand: part of every tax dollar I pay winds up
funding abortions, so I figure I need to fudge a few extra deductions.”
1. That’s half true.
C. “Really, Mom, I wouldn’t have gotten home any sooner if I hadn’t stopped
at Nate’s.
1. I figured it was better to wait until the traffic let up.”
2. Probably a half-truth.
D. “The devil made me do it.”
1. Another half-truth.
E. The devil is great at playing the game of half-truths.
1. Entirely true.
2. And he demonstrated that oh so cleverly in our text for today.
3. But blaming it all on the devil is only a half-truth.
4. Eve, Adam, and we are wholly responsible for giving in to temptation.
5. Thank God he’s wholly true to us, keeping the promise he gave in the
garden to send a Savior for our sins.
F. It’s True, Half-Truths Condemn and Destroy Us, but the Whole Truth
Delivers Life in Christ.
G. Half-truths won’t even get you halfway to life.
1. Only the truth can bring life; only Jesus, who is the Whole Truth in the
flesh. Amen.
H. Let us pray:
Ø O Lord, I know that You are as close as my next breath, and at the same
time it feels as if there is a great distance between us. That distance is
sometimes a tragedy when I feel abandoned. That distance is sometimes a
force of evil when something conspires against me. That distance is
sometimes my foolish choices or my selfish acts, or the hurt I cause
another. I seek Your forgiveness. So assure me of Your closeness, Your
power, Your mercy, and Your ability to change my life for the good. In Your
great mercy, Amen.
I. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
J. In the Name of the Father…Amen.