First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

He Has Risen! He Is Now Here!

Text: Luke 24:1–12

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

479 Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living

1

Christ is risen, Christ is living,

Dry your tears, be unafraid!

Death and darkness could not hold Him,

Nor the tomb in which He lay.

Do not look among the dead for

One who lives forevermore;

Tell the world that Christ is risen,

Make it known He goes before.

Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110000247

Introduction

Sometimes a sermon title can be accurate but still communicate the wrong
message. What would you think if today’s sermon was titled: “He Is Not
Here, He Has Risen.” The title comes straight from the Bible. Lk 24:6
shouts that very truth. Jesus no longer could be found in the tomb. He was
not there. The title was accurate. But that sermon came centuries later.
The church held people waiting to hear that Jesus had risen from the dead .
. . and he was there that morning. The title of the sermon needs to be
altered just a bit. “Jesus Has Risen! He Is Now Here!” Changing not to now
changes everything for us listening today.

Confusion and Fear Give Way to a Confident Faith and Hope Because Jesus Has
Risen, Because He Is Now Here!

I. Confusion and fear: Where is Jesus?

A. The women were confused at the empty grave and frightened by the
angels.

But back then, when the women met the angels, they needed to hear Jesus was
not in the tomb. They needed to be reminded of Jesus’ words that he would
rise from the dead on the third day.

They come to the tomb expecting to care for a dead body. The spices they
bring were for embalming the man who died on the cross. When they arrive,
they are confused. The stone is rolled off to the side. The tomb contains
no body, just emptiness. Where is Jesus? His body had disappeared. They are
at a loss as to what had happened.

Then the angels appear. These heavenly beings frighten the women. We
sometimes imagine angels as cute, cuddly, babylike cherubs. But most often
in the Bible, they are powerful beings that simply send someone to fall to
the ground in fear and awe. The women do just that; they bow to the ground
in front of the angels.

But the angels aren’t there to frighten the women. They have come to assure
them, to remind them, to bring a faith back to life in them. They do not do
this with power and fear, but with a very simple message. Jesus is not in
the tomb. He has risen. He has kept his promise. He died at the hands of
sinful men. Now, on the third day, he has risen from the dead, just as he
said he would. He is not there, in that tomb. The women needed to hear that
good news.

Watch what happens next. They remember. They believe. Even though Jesus
isn’t standing there in front of them, even though all they’ve seen with
their eyes is an empty grave and some angels, they believe. And with an
active, living faith, they dash away to tell the disciples that wonderful
news of the first Easter morning.

Confusion and fear change to belief and hope. Soon they will see Jesus.
They will know just exactly where he is. Not in the tomb. But with them. At
that moment, though, Jesus is not there.

Perhaps we struggle with the same emotions as the women did back then.
We’re confused. We’re frightened. Not at a stone rolled away. Or by
encountering angels. But by what life simply throws at us that makes us
ask, “Where is Jesus? He doesn’t seem to be here. And what is here is
frightening.”

B. So many things in life can raise the same confusion and fear. The
question becomes: Where is Jesus in all this mess?

A black man dies as a police officer kneels on his neck until he breathes
no more. The country erupts with protests, and many people awaken to the
racism embedded in so many institutions and systems in our way of life. But
then all police seem to be demonized. Protests turn into riots and
destruction. Vandalism goes unprosecuted. Black lives, blue lives, all
lives battle it out. What could have been a moment for biblical justice to
bring change and healing is lost, while anger, hate, and violence divide
people into political camps. You can be left confused and afraid, wondering
where Jesus is in this mess.

A pandemic sweeps across the nation, around the globe. At first, we lock
down together to do battle against this unseen enemy. We learn how to
protect one another and ourselves, and keep our health care system from
being overwhelmed. But as the months drag on, the fighting takes over.
Something as simple as a mask divides people into camps, and we hear the
battle lines drawn. Personal freedom screams—I don’t need to wear one. The
virus isn’t that bad; 99 percent of those who get it survive. The media has
overhyped the problem. We need to get people back to work. The loneliness
and depression are worse than the virus. We want to get together for
Christmas like we always do. But wait, doctors and nurses are exhausted.
We’ve run out of ICU beds for those who are sick. Other surgeries have to
be postponed, and cancer treatments suspended. Protect your neighbor, your
family members. Both sides claim political allies. Even in the church, the
division rages on, with some not attending if they have to wear a mask, and
others not coming if not everyone is wearing a mask. You can be left
confused and afraid, wondering where Jesus is in this mess.

The church suffers as well. Attendance goes down. Those who watched at
first on the computer begin to drift away. Contributions disappear, and
programs and staff need to be cut. Pastors and church workers grow weary
and are even attacked for whatever they decide to do. They can’t visit
people in the hospitals and nursing homes. Many are ready to quit. You can
be left confused and afraid, wondering where Jesus is in this mess.

Where is Jesus when all this happens?

II. Where is Jesus? He has risen! He is now here!

What we need to hear is that he has risen and he is here! Yes, he is now
here.

A. He is here in Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and his Word.

Where? Imagine a baptismal font. Before the service, water is poured into
the basin. A white napkin is placed on the side, along with a baptismal
certificate. The service begins and a family, with godparents, sits up
front. The opening hymn ends, and the mom and dad, holding the baby, step
to the font. Godparents are standing across from them. The pastor begins
the liturgy. Soon the moment comes. The mother lowers her child over the
water. Three times the pastor dips his hand into the basin and splashes
water on the child’s head, all the while speaking the name of the child and
the name of the triune God. Where is Jesus at that moment? Right there. He
is risen from the dead. He is alive and now lives in that child. Faith and
hope arise in the child and are renewed in those watching. Then
remember—one time it was you who was brought into Jesus’ living presence at
a baptismal font.

Where is Jesus? Look at the altar. Before the service, the bread and wine
are placed on the altar. The service moves along until the pastor speaks
familiar words. “On the night when Jesus was betrayed . . . ‘Take, eat;
this is my body, which is given for you . . . Drink of it, all of you; this
cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the
forgiveness of sins.’ ” Your pew is ushered forward. You kneel at the rail.
The bread is placed in your hand and then your mouth. A sip of wine runs
over your tongue. Where is Jesus at that moment? Right there. He is risen
from the dead. He is alive and lives in you. He renews your faith and hope
once again. He is not in the tomb. He is here in our midst, in our church,
in your life. Confusion and fear give way to a confident faith and hope.

Where is Jesus?

(Read Matthew 28:20b; Romans 8:38–39; John 11:25–26.)

A day will come when Jesus will return. We will see him face-to-face. All
of creation will be remade. No more will old age take away our strength and
breath. All creation will live in peaceful harmony. Only gladness, not more
anger and hate. Grief will give way to rejoicing. The one great last enemy
to be destroyed is death. Jesus is the first fruits when he left the tomb
empty, so many more will follow on that glorious Last Day of resurrection.
Jesus is moving and working in you, building up your faith and renewing
your hope by the power of his Holy Spirit as you read and ponder His Word.

Now remember what the women did after the angels reminded them of Jesus’
words, after their faith came to life and hope returned. “And returning
from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest”
(v 9). They ran and told the disciples. They didn’t stay at the tomb. They
went back to their lives. They went back to their lives with the risen
Jesus present with them.

So do we. We leave this worship service, a service where Jesus has been
present because he promised where two or three or more are gathered
together, there he would be. We go back to our lives. We go back to
injustice and anger. We go back to division and strife. We go back to
sickness and aging muscles. But we do not go back alone. We go back with
Jesus. We go back with a powerful message. He has risen; he is now here.

B. He is here in the living of life with faith and hope, even when there
is misery.

479 Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living

If the Lord had never risen,

We’d have nothing to believe.

But His promise can be trusted:

“You will live, because I live.”

As we share the death of Adam,

So in Christ we live again;

Death has lost its sting and terror,

Christ the Lord has come to reign.

Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110000247

C. He is here when the last great enemy, death, claims us.

Each of us will come to that time when that last great enemy, death, will
confront us with all its ugly, frightening, confusing reality. We will
stand before a grave and the test of faith will rise up from the depths of
our souls. What is our hope at that moment?

Conclusion

On this Easter morning, listen to the words of the angels: “Remember how he
told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third
day rise” (vv 6b–7). The women staring at an empty tomb needed to hear the
words, “He is not here, but has risen” (v 6a). But we, for a living faith
and a confident hope, need to hear those words differently. We need to hear
this message once again: He has risen! He is now here! Amen.:

Let us pray:

479 Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living

3

Death has lost its old dominion,

Let the world rejoice and shout!

Christ, the firstborn of the living,

Gives us life and leads us out.

Let us thank our God, who causes

Hope to spring up from the ground;

Christ is risen, Christ is giving

Life eternal, life profound.

Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110000247

The peace of God…Amen.

In the Name of the Father…Amen.

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

Luke 23:26–56

*Sermon Outline*

What Little Jesus Did Say from the Cross Is Also Our Commendation at Life’s
Last Hour.

I. Jesus is almost silent as he hangs on the cross.

II. But with Jesus, we, too, pray, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”

III. And God does care for us by the precious blood of Jesus.

*Sermon*

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke is recorded in
chapters 22 and 23. Chapter 22 consists mostly of red letters; Jesus does a
lot of talking. Things change once Jesus is arrested. Before the Jewish
Council, Pilate, and Herod, Jesus clams up. The priests, rulers, soldiers,
and crowds do the talking: interrogating, accusing, lying, mocking,
screaming, and shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The voices are
accompanied by the sickening sound of striking fist, whip, and hammer. But

What Little Jesus Did Say from the Cross Is Also Our Commendation at Life’s
Last Hour.

I.

“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they
crucified him” (v 33).

Following this verse, things turn almost entirely black. As we gaze on
Jesus’ silent body, which has been beaten almost beyond recognition, we
pause and listen to what the prophet Isaiah has to say about our suffering
Savior: “He was pierced for *our* transgressions; he was crushed for *our*
iniquities. . . . He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not
his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that
before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Is 53:5, 7,
emphasis added).

Luke only records three statements from Jesus as he hung on the cross.
First, to the Roman soldiers who are crucifying him he pronounced holy
absolution: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (v 34).
Second, to a dying man, to the repentant criminal hanging on the cross next
to him, Jesus grants eternal life: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be
with me in paradise” (v 43). And then comes his final, remarkable words to
his Father who had gone silent, who had forsaken his only Son out of
disgust for what he had become. Jesus became us; he became sin for us,
bearing our sin upon and within him. So what does Jesus say? He goes to the
liturgy and prays Ps 31:5: “ ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’
And having said this he breathed his last” (v 46).

II.

Jesus prayed the Psalms throughout his life, and thus they were there on
his tongue and in his heart at the end when he needed them. Likewise, our
daily prayers prepare us for those times in life when we are forsaken and
in despair over what life has become. Both Morning and Evening Prayers in
Luther’s Small Catechism include the prayer, “For into Your hands I commend
myself, my body and soul, and all things.”

Whenever we pray the Order of Compline from *Lutheran Service Book* (a
little nighttime “commendation of the dying”), we repeat Ps 31:5 three
times:

Into Your hands I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.

Into Your hands I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Into Your hands I commend my spirit. (*LSB*, pp 255–56)

Ps 31:5 is also included in the actual Commendation of the Dying, which
many pastors pray with dying parishioners. There is something inexplicably
beautiful and comforting about praying our Lord’s dying words as we and our
loved ones die. Imagine your pastor and family, after you’re gone,
retelling the story of your death: “Oh, we were there. We prayed the Lord’s
Prayer, the Nunc Dimittis. We sang, ‘Then let at last thy angels come,’ and
we prayed with him, ‘Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.’ And
then he breathed his last. He died with Jesus.”

III.

Alongside the Passion Readings in the liturgy, the Church also has a long
tradition of Passion plays held in the town square. Today, Passion plays
have found their way onto the big screen. In *The Passion of the Christ*,
director Mel Gibson was able to depict tender moments between Jesus and his
mother, Mary. How agonizing it must have been for Mary to see her Son so
mistreated.

St. John’s Gospel tells us how Jesus looked down from the cross and saw his
mother and John standing nearby. He said to Mary, “Behold, your son!” and
to John, “Behold, your mother!” John was to care for Mary in body and soul.
“And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (Jn 19:26–27).

Taking artistic license, the film *The Passion of the Christ* depicts Mary
approaching the cross and kissing the nail-pierced, bloody feet of her Son.
As she turns her head, one can see that her lips and cheeks are stained
with his holy and precious blood. How does John care for this grieving
mother in body and soul? He would take her into his home, feed her, and
keep her safe. The most important thing would be to include her when the
disciples “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The next time the
blood of Jesus Christ touches her lips (and this requires no artistic
license) would be when she gathered with John and the others to receive the
Lord’s Supper.

Kyrie! O God the Holy Ghost,

Guard our faith, the gift we need the most,

And bless our life’s last hour,

That we leave this sinful world with gladness.

Eleison! Eleison! (*LSB* 942). Amen.

Luke 22:1–46 (22:7-20)

*Sermon Outline*

What Began as Just Another Passover Meal Would Become the Lord’s Supper,
the Fulfill­ment of the Passover.

I. Judas was at the “last Passover,” the first Lord’s Supper, but later
he wouldn’t be given the forgiveness of sins.

II. The Passion Narratives are read within the liturgy, not merely as a
reenactment of the Passover.

III. For as the fulfillment of the Paschal Meal, the Lord’s Sup­per isn’t
acting, but truly gives forgiveness.

*Sermon*

“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover”
(v 1).

So begins St. Luke’s account of the Passion of our Lord. As the Passover
was drawing near, the chief priests and scribes were preparing to kill
Jesus, the Twelve were preparing to kill the Paschal lamb, Satan was
preparing Judas, and Judas was preparing to betray Jesus. And they all
succeeded. The chief priests and scribes, Satan, and Judas succeeded in
killing Jesus, killing God. The Twelve succeeded in a celebration of the
Passover that surpassed anything they could have imagined. The Passion
Narrative ends in chapter 23 with the women preparing the dead body of
Jesus for a proper burial.

This Passover began like any other Passover that the apostles had observed
year after year since their childhood and the Jews had observed for
hundreds of years. But

What Began as Just Another Passover Meal Would Become the Lord’s Supper,
the Fulfillment of the Passover,

a new covenant in his blood for the forgiveness of sins. The Son of God
would soon go to his death as the uncomplaining Passover Lamb, shedding his
divine blood for the sins of the world. Fulfillment before the disciples’
eyes. The Lamb on the table has become the Lamb reclining at the table,
hosting the meal and soon to be the sacrificial Lamb on the cross.

I.

Judas was at the “last Passover” and the first Lord’s Sup­per. Precisely
when he left and whether he actually received the body and blood is
unclear, though intriguing to contemplate. What is clear is that Jesus ate
with sinners throughout his ministry; he ate with sinners on the night in
which he was betrayed; and he hosts sinners at his table today with the
same invitation: “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt
26:27–28).

It is also clear from Scripture that after the meal Judas went out and
hanged himself. What is so tragic is that it didn’t have to happen. Yes, he
did the wrong thing in betraying Jesus; it is possibly the worst thing
anyone has ever done since the fall of Adam and Eve. Yet it ended up being
the “right thing,” in the sense that, as a result, Jesus died on the cross
for our sins. Therefore, it didn’t have to end that way for Judas. Matthew
tells us: “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he
[was seized with remorse] and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying
innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ And
throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and went
and hanged himself” (Mt 27:3–5).

Judas went to the temple and confessed his sin. The temple was precisely
the right place to go. It was where you go for the forgiveness of sins. But
the priests refused to hear his confession and absolve his sins. Imagine
that you’re a pastor and someone comes to you with deep remorse and
confesses a heinous sin, and rather than absolving him, you say, “What is
that to me? See to it yourself,” and you send him away without absolution
to despair and hopelessness.

II.

The Passion Narratives are read in church, within the liturgy. They are not
merely heart-moving stories or examples that inspire personal kindness and
good works. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night in which
he was betrayed and the Holy Ministry with Confession and Holy Absolution
on the evening of his resurrection, he also gave the Church contemporary
worship. Contemporary because he is present with us *now*, bestowing upon
us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. All true liturgy is
contemporary.

The Passion Readings are not a script for a morality play or tragic drama.
Granted, Passion plays have been around since the Middle Ages and continue
in many places, from Oberammergau to South Dakota. Hollywood has also
adopted the genre, producing films like *The Greatest Story Ever Told* and,
more recently, Mel Gibson’s *The Passion of the Christ*. Religious drama
has its salutary and beneficial place. It is, however, another thing to
introduce theater into the liturgy. In some churches, the pastor and elders
dress up in costumes like Jesus and the apostles and reenact the Last
Supper to make it “more meaningful.” I’ve heard people respond, “It made me
feel just like I was really there.”

When I was a parish pastor, several neighboring congregations celebrated
the Lord’s Supper within the context of a Jewish Seder. A member of our
congregation asked me what I thought about this. So I, in turn, asked the
opinion of one of our church members who was an Old Testament professor at
Concordia Seminary. He replied, “Why would you want to do that?” That’s all
he said: “Why would you want to do that?”

Comparing the reading of the Passion from the Gospels to watching a chancel
drama or a movie like *The Passion of the Christ* is like comparing an NFL
football game to a lecture on brain surgery at a medical school. One is
exciting. One is dry and intellectually challenging. One causes brain
damage, the other can save your life from a brain injury. Both have their
place. Sports and movies are for entertainment. They are watched in a group
or alone and with popcorn and a cold drink in hand. The Bible was written
by and for the Church. It was written to be heard with others. It can and
should be read at home (if you can read and afford a Bible), but its
primary home is the liturgy. It doesn’t stand alone. It shapes the liturgy
with the living Word and presence of God. The appointed readings do far
more than simply establish the theme for the day. They bring the living
Lord Jesus and the *viva vox Christi* into the service. They tell us what
Jesus has to say to us today by letting him say it, and then through the
liturgy we enter into the text, or rather, the text enters into us and
takes us into the presence of the living God.

III.

One does not reenact the Passover while celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The
Lord’s Supper is the fulfillment of the Paschal Meal. Neither the Passover
nor the Lord’s Supper are intended to be reenacted. Prayer and liturgy are
not acting. The art of acting is a sophisticated craft involving convincing
pretense before an audience that comes to see a play. In worship, one comes
into the very presence of the Lord God. Religious plays are best conducted
alongside, that is, outside of the liturgy in a theater or church
fellowship hall.

And so we may have a lengthy Passion Narrative read by several readers. But
they aren’t actors. They wear liturgical vestments, not costumes. Beautiful
music is brought into the reading, but it’s not a musical. It is something
very different from a musical performance. It is liturgical song, a sung
prayer and confession of the text, that is, a contemporary participating
with the living Word and living Lord God.

This week, in the Divine Service, you will come as Peter, as the Gentile
soldiers, as the crowds in Jerusalem, as religious leaders, and as Judas
who came to the temple and said, “I have sinned.” You will say, “I, a poor
miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities with which I
have ever offended you and justly deserve your temporal and eternal
punishment.” And I promise you, the pastor will *not* say, “What is this to
me? See to it yourself.” Rather, the Lord’s pastor has been given the
command and authority to say—in fact, he is under divine orders to say—“I
forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
And he is not acting. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Who is your rock?

Text: Deuteronomy 32:36–39

In the Name of the Father…Amen

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

559 Oh, How Great Is Your Compassion

Oh, how great is Your compassion,

Faithful Father, God of grace,

That with all our fallen race

In our depth of degradation

You had mercy so that we

Might be saved eternally! Amen.

Introduction

Finlee Farnham was thirty-one years old, unmarried, living with his
parents, and collecting 1960s vintage transistor radios. (I know. It’s
weird.) Against his parents’ better judgment, he went out hastily one day
to buy a Marvel Model 6 YR-15A, aqua and in vintage condition. What a find!

Out in the car, Finlee set up his GPS. He looked down at his gas gauge. Hmm
. . . maybe enough to get there. Anyway, he’d fill up along the way.
(Finlee’s a little absentminded.)

Well, you know what happened. He was several miles from anywhere and ran
out of gas. He got out and took a shortcut through a field to the main
highway. A few minutes later, he began to notice the chigger bites. By the
time he got home that evening (without the Marvel 6 YR-15A), he was in a
sour mood. He didn’t want to hear anything from his mom and dad. He went to
take a shower and discovered not only the chigger bites but also several
tick bites, which developed into Lyme disease. Being sick, he was not able
to get back to his car, which then two days later was impounded. He missed
several weeks of work and didn’t have the money to get his car out of
impound, so it was sold at auction.

Do you think his mother told him, “I told you so”? No. She nursed him
through months of chronic disease. Meanwhile, his father helped him sell
off a couple hundred radios, some for a pretty penny. Now Finlee could buy
a new car and get on with some kind of productive life.

3.You are experiencing a big mess in life because of your accumulated
sinful actions.

Okay. So you’ve disobeyed the Law of God, and I mean really disobeyed it,
and now the nasty consequences are bearing down on you: diminished health,
ruptured relationships and surly neighbors, opportunity loss and job loss,
damaged reputation, monetary debts, earthly goods repossessed, doubt,
depression, and anxiety. The list could go on, and there’s little you can
do to fix the mess. You can try.

You had banked your happiness on all the things that got you into this hot
mess in the first place. I doubt it happened all at once. It’s just that
you got your eyes off your Rock, the one sure source of security.

(By the way, Martin Luther, in the Large Catechism, asked this question:
“What does it mean to have a god? Or, what is God?” His answer: “A god
means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take
refuge in all distress” [LC I 1–2].)

It’s not that one day you actively decided to set aside your Rock, the One
who simply is, and there is none beside him. You began to think of God as
one source of good among many—to be sure, the chief source, but,
nevertheless, one among many. Ever so slowly, you began to look to other
things for your good and security. It probably all started thoughtlessly.
Something just presented a seemingly innocent opportunity to you. It seemed
to make sense. So many other people around you were doing it. You took it,
and then took some more, until you were caught, so that here you are today,
beginning to see that those so-called “opportunities” are actually enemies
out to get you.

You do have enemies out to get you, and sometimes your biggest enemy is
your own sinful nature.

2. How will God respond?

Now all of you know the Law of God. Okay, maybe you don’t know it well, at
least as it’s written in Holy Scriptures, but then again maybe you do. In
any case, it’s written on your hearts, and God has baked it into his
cosmos. So I’m not going to talk to you a lot about the content of that
Law. I’m not going to tell you what an idiot you were; you already know
that. The time is too short now.

If you know God’s Law, why do you disobey it? Why do you stray from it? And
when you do, does he just wipe his hands of you? That’s the burning
question our Old Testament Reading presents, and it’s one that has
preoccupied God’s people from time out of memory. Your experience is not
unique. You’re not the first one to blow it.

But this is a delicate moment. If you’re ashamed and dig in to prop up your
pride, God will let you do that for a while. He’ll say to you, “Where are
those gods of yours, the rock in which you took refuge? Did they accept
your offerings? Have they answered your prayers? Keep offering to them.
Keep praying to them. Let’s see how this works out.” (Hint: he’s being
sarcastic.)

He doesn’t really want you to do that, but then, sometimes we’re just so
bullheaded that we have to get into the mess even deeper before we’ll look
to the one true Rock for help, the only One who is our true good and
security.

1. He will divert your enemies and absorb all the consequences himself.

Yes, you have made a royal mess of it all. But the Lord will vindicate you.
He will have compassion on you. He sees that you are powerless against
these things—including your own sinful nature—that have caught you. You’re
so powerless, it’s as though your hands have been cut off, the blood has
drained out of you, and now you’re a quivering heap of sadness. Away with
your pride! Your power, your hand, is not going to do what you need. It’s
gone.

Here’s what your Rock says to your enemies: “I, even I, am he, and there is
no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is
none that can deliver out of my hand” (v 39).

And how does he do that? By stretching out his own hands. He does his
greatest work when he is most powerless, hands pinned to the cross, the
blood draining out.

God Takes Vengeance on Our Enemies by Taking the Blows That Were Coming Our
Way.

Conclusion

God’s people regularly make a hash out of things. We deserve nothing but
his contempt and disgust, but he does not give up on us. He has “compassion
on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone” (Deut 32:36).

All those enemies were out to get you. They were bearing in on you. You
were circled. Suddenly, your Rock came to you as a decoy, drawing them off.
He took on the form of a servant, your servant. He dies. You live. Amen.

Let us pray:

I will praise Your great compassion,

Faithful Father, God of grace,

That with all our fallen race

In our depth of degradation

You had mercy so that we

Might be saved eternally.

Text: Public domain

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In the Name of the Father…Amen.