Maundy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:23–32
St. John 13:1–15, 34–35

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Peter thought he was clean. He thought he could stand up on his own two feet. He thought he could never forsake Jesus, even if it meant dying for Jesus. Peter was wrong. His feet were unclean, and he could not stand against temptation by his own strength. He didn’t just forsake Jesus, he denied Him. In the face of suffering, in the grip of fear, his true heart was exposed.

Trials and suffering, crosses and sicknesses often expose our hearts. They reveal what we truly fear, love, or trust. For many of us, this crisis has done just that. What do you miss most? What’s stinging your conscience? What have you been willing to give up? What are you most afraid of losing? This reveals your true heart.

This epidemic and our reactions to it, have struck hard at our churches. Normally, in times of crisis, the pews get more full. In this one, many churches stand empty, locked, the pastor and the people at home. We all have had to give up a lot in the past few weeks. But what should hurt most is what many have had to give up in the church. Many people have severe risks. Many must take extreme measures for their own safety or for the safety of others. And sadly, for many, this means not being able to attend public worship, and worst of all, not being able to receive the Lord’s Supper.

I am not here passing judgment on anyone’s personal decision. I am not binding anyone’s conscience as to whether they should be coming to the Supper at this time. Each of us must always make that decision and preparation for that holy meal for ourselves. I will never force anyone to receive the Lord’s Supper, especially at this time of danger and uncertainty. I will never urge you to risk your health. That is not my place.

But here’s what I do need to say, tonight of all nights, on the night our Lord instituted His most gracious Supper: Being unable to receive the Lord’s Supper should make you want to weep. It might very well be the right call for you to abstain for now, I’m not doubting that. Nevertheless, it should tear you up inside. Being kept from your Lord’s body and blood should be a cause for mourning, and for longing.

But if your response to not being able to receive the Lord’s Supper at this time is simply to say, “Oh well. Yeah, it’s too bad. But I’ll get by. Anyway, what can you do? Just one of those things.” Then your heart has been exposed. And it’s not a heart clinging to Christ alone. Also, I know it’s true that God never promised us that germs and viruses couldn’t spread within the walls of our sanctuary, but if you have concluded that germs are somehow more of a threat in our church building than they are anywhere else, then your heart has been revealed. If you think it’s too dangerous to receive the Lord’s Supper, but you’re still going to the grocery store, the gas station, the bank drive–through, fast food drive–through, and all the other supposedly essential businesses that are still open, then you are declaring through your actions that Wonder Bread is worth the risk, but the Bread of Life is not. In all of this, you are not seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. You are not hungering and thirsting for the body and blood of Jesus, because it’s not the very beating heart of your life. You don’t believe that you need the righteousness of Christ more than anything else in this world.

You do need it. Our Lord gave this Supper, He commanded us that we have this Supper. It’s nonnegotiable. It’s not an option for when we feel like it or when it fits in our life. Our Lord gave it because we have a much worse sickness than any virus. We have the absolutely terminal illness known as sin and death. So, we need our Lord’s medicine, in every way He prescribes it.

We need this Supper, not only in the sense that we need to do it because Jesus says so, but more importantly, more wonderfully, we need this holy food because we need the health and peace, the comfort and strength it gives us. If you still have a body, then you need this Supper. As long as you are in this flesh and blood that’s so corrupted by sinful desires, then you are going to need your Lord’s holy flesh and blood. If you are still in this fallen world, then you still need this heavenly Supper. Because in this life, there is no end to the sickness, the disasters, and the crises. You will need the peace He gives through His body and blood. And, if you’re still a flesh and blood sinner, and you still live in this fallen world, then the devil is coming for you, and you will need this Supper for your protection. As long as you are a Christian you have to be on guard, because the devil is not going to leave you alone. In fact, if you say, “I think I’m fine. I don’t really need the Lord’s Supper right now,” then that’s probably a good sign that the devil has tricked you, that he’s convinced you everything is fine and you don’t really need Jesus at this moment. And that’s exactly where he wants every Christian to be, thinking, “I’m fine on my own.” Then he’s got us.

Now, I don’t say any of this out of anger or disappointment. I’m not trying to force people to the Supper. And I don’t say any of this to any specific person, either in our congregation or anywhere else. But I say it out of duty to my office and calling. It is my job to teach and to warn, so that people are not caught and held captive by sin or a bad conscience. And I say this so that I may also give comfort and encouragement to those who are mourning, to all who grieve the loss of the Supper at this time.

If you have had to stay home, if you are kept away from your Lord’s body and blood due to these circumstances outside your control, if you feel trapped by fear and anxiety, then I also want to speak these precious words of Jesus to you: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27). Even if you are unable to receive the Lord’s Supper at this time, your Lord Jesus can still give you rest and peace. You are still able to feed upon the His life-giving body and blood through faith. This is what the old Lutherans called “spiritual eating,” and it’s nothing more than what Christians do at all times: hear Christ’s Word with faith and love. In fact, without that faith, eating and drinking His body and blood with our mouths would do us no good, but only harm.

So, we treasure His Word, our souls feed upon Him as He comes to us in that Word. And in every trouble or temptation, we can firmly rely on His Word and know that we have a gracious God who loves us and accepts us, all on account of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our Lord does not limit Himself to only one way for us to receive His gifts. His Word and all His mercy comes to us in many ways, all for the sake of our faith, that we would have a good conscience before Him. So, even if you are unable right now to receive your Lord’s body and blood with your mouths, you still receive Him by faith. One of the Lord’s ways of delivering His goodness has been removed from you for a little while, but you still have His Word. You still are His baptized child. You still are able to call upon Him in prayer. You still feed upon His life by faith and so are blessed.

And yet, while some of the Church is being sustained by our Lord without His Supper, the Church can never really lose the Lord’s Supper entirely. It is still the beating heart of our life. It is the crucified and risen Lord present in our midst. So, those of us who are able to gather still gather. Come to the Feast that your King has prepared for you. Come, all who are hungry and thirsty, all who are scared and weak, all who are sick and tired, all who are sick and tired of the sin still clinging to them. His body fills your emptiness, and gives strength for tomorrow and the next day. His blood drowns your sorrows and worries, and intoxicates with pure heavenly joy. This holy food will sustain His people so long as they remain in the wilderness of this world.

The Church will never stop or vanish from the earth, even if she is reduced to only two or three gathered in Christ’s name. He will not let His Church fall. The Lord will never let His Supper disappear entirely, so that when it comes time for the doors of our churches to be flung wide open once again, the Lord and His Church will still be there, delivering His body and blood to sick sinners in need of His medicine. It is a medicine for the cancer of sin. It is a medicine for the weakness of faith. It is a medicine that cures death, that will bring us, body and soul together, to that life and world everlasting. Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.


A Prayer for Worthy Communion and for those unable to receive Communion at this time
O God, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn from his evil way and live, we come before You although we have sinned and deserve only Your wrath. But we flee to Your mercy in Christ Jesus, our Lord, who gave His body and His blood for our redemption. Lord, grant that we may ever thus believe and never waver. Grant that in such faith we may worthily come to Your altar to eat the very body and drink the true blood which Your Son gives to us, that we may duly praise, laud, and honor Your love and Your mercy all the days of our life. But, O Lord, many of Your faithful Christians are unable at this time to receive in their mouths Christ’s true body and blood. Stir up their minds and hearts to a salutary remembrance of His benefits. Grant that by faith we all may spiritually partake of Him as we recall the Words of His new and eternal Testament. Grant us ever to rejoice in how Your Son once offered Himself upon the altar of the cross in our place. Fill all Your people now with His blood-bought forgiveness, and pour Your heavenly benediction and grace upon everyone who devoutly remembers His holy sacrifice. Finally, gather us all together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor, and worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Palm Sunday

St. Matthew 21:1–9
Philippians 2:5–11      
St. Matthew 26:1–27:66

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

“Hosanna” is a tricky word to translate. It’s a shout of greeting and prayer and praise all at the same time. It means, “Save now!” But what exactly was that Palm Sunday crowd asking for? What did they want to be saved from? Save us now… from the tyranny of the Romans? From the corruption of the religious leaders? Or from poverty and sickness?

What do we ask God for? What do we want to be saved from? Save us now… from a frustrating government? From a decadent and immoral society? Or from inconvenience? Save us from being uncomfortable? Or from sickness? What about, “Save us from death”? Do we actually believe that prayer can be answered? Do we ever think about death? Do we fear it as we should? Can we face it as we ought?

Our culture celebrates death in many ways. Abortion and assisted suicide have their champions. TV and movies make death part of our entertainment, almost as bad as the Romans who watched gladiators kill each other for sport. But at the same time, death is not something we talk about in our culture. We let hospice take care of the dying, preferably tucked away somewhere, with lots of drugs, so they’re not uncomfortable… or so that we are not uncomfortable. And we have plenty of other nice ways to soften death’s sharp touch, some sweet phrases to sprinkle over death’s stench: “He passed on… She’s in a better place… It’s just a natural part of life… They live on in our hearts or memories... or in the wind…”

It’s strange. Death is on display, and yet, we don’t want to talk about it. If someone tries to bring up death or making plans for death, we get uncomfortable and try to change the subject. Really, it’s extraordinary that we are so good at avoiding this reality, when it is the one absolute certainty in our existence.

The fact that everyone has panicked so much during this epidemic proves that as a society, as a culture, we do not take the time to think and prepare for death. This virus comes, and everyone acts as if the threat of sickness and death is some new thing, as if they’ve never heard of it before. It’s certainly clear that they are not ready for it, that we are not ready. And that should tell us who are in the Church that it’s at least partly our fault. We have dropped the ball a few times along the way. Because it’s the Church’s job to tell people, “Hey. Wake up. Pay attention. You’re going to die. You better get ready for that.” It’s the Church’s job to prepare people for death and offer them the only true source of comfort that will sustain them in the face of death. I think the fact that people both outside the church and inside the church are acting this way is a sign that we have not been doing our job.

So, let’s go back to the crowd on Palm Sunday. Because even if they didn’t have their thinking quite right, even if they weren’t sure what they needed to be saved from, they prayed the right prayer: Hosanna! Save now! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! They were praying Psalm 118, and that Psalm certainly shows us how to think about death. 

Psalm 118, verses 8 and 9: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Don’t we need to hear that right now? We cannot put our trust in the government or in certain political parties. We cannot put our trust in doctors, in the experts, in miracle drugs. We cannot put our trust in our own knowledge or strength, not in the strength of our bodies or even the strength of our faith. If it comes from us, if it comes from man, then it can fail. This doesn’t mean we can’t use these things. We appreciate and benefit from good government, and good doctors and scientists, and from sound human logic and reason. We use these things to take care of ourselves and our neighbors in this life. But we can’t trust these things.

We must take our final refuge in the Lord. This means that if the things of men fail, when they fail, and when we fail, when we die, we still have a refuge that lasts beyond all the rest. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Psalm 118, verse 14. The Lord is our only true life. If all we look out for, if all we prepare for, if all we strive for, is this life, then we are dead, and that’s where we’ll stay. But if the Lord is our life, if He is the One we seek for first, the One we turn to first, the One we go after even if it means giving up everything else, including physical health, then we have His strength that will sustain us forever.

And we will be able to say with Psalm 118 and with Jesus Himself: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Jesus died, and yet He lives. He was disciplined more severely than any man. He suffered under God’s wrath for all our sin. But He was not given over to death entirely. He did not remain in the grave, but rose from the dead. And all who trust in Him also cannot be held by death.

And so we continue to declare with Psalm 118 and with Jesus: Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. Death itself is now nothing more than a doorway, a gate into life everlasting. The empty tomb is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. We are able to say all this because of our Lord Jesus who has gone before us. He entered the gates of Jerusalem on a donkey as the king of Israel, but that was only a shadow of His kingship. What He did and what happened to Him at the end of that week was His true kingly work.

Psalm 118 prophesies that The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders, despised and crucified by the leaders of the people. But He has become the cornerstone, the foundation of our faith and of our victory. He was chosen by God. It was His doing and it is marvelous. His rejection, His death, His blood, and His rising again, means that we can rejoice and be glad. The day that the Lord has made is the Day of Jesus: the day of His death, the day of His resurrection—the day, the hour, the time of our salvation.

So we can pray with that Palm Sunday crowd and with Psalm 118: Save us, we pray, O Lord! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is Jesus who came to His fallen creatures in our own flesh and blood. Blessed is He who came to His city as her true king. Blessed is Jesus who hung on His cross, suffered, bled, and died for sinners. Blessed is He who rose from the dead in victory. Blessed is Jesus who comes in the bread and the wine with His body and blood, giving us the food that conquers death.

We should fear death. Without the Lord Jesus, death would swallow us up forever. We must prepare for death. It will come and there are no second chances. We can prepare to meet death with confidence. With faith in Jesus, we swallow up death. His body given and His blood shed in death is what destroyed death. So in eating that body and drinking that blood, we are made more than ready for death. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Divine Service in a Time of Pestilence

2 Samuel 24:15–25
Romans 5:15–17
St. Luke 4:38–41

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Why is God doing this? Why is God letting this happen? 

I’m sure the people of Israel were asking the same question. Why did the Lord send a plague on Israel and King David? It was because David decided to take a census of all the fighting men in his kingdom. It’s not that counting people is a sin in itself, but that David wanted to see just how strong his kingdom was. He wanted to rejoice in his own power and victory, and find confidence in the strength of men and of his rule. The sin was pride.

Only after, was David’s conscience stricken and he turned to the Lord in sorrow and repentance. And the Lord sent His prophet Gad to David and gave him a choice of three punishments that David and Israel could receive. You see, just because you say you’re sorry doesn’t mean you get out of the punishment, or that you don’t have to deal with the consequences. Many children say they’re sorry, but still get the spanking. The consequence often still needs to come so that the seriousness of sin sinks in.

David made a wise and faithful choice. He didn’t choose, but said, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Sam. 24:14). It’s always right to say, “Thy will be done, O God.” Better to let Him choose how He should discipline His children.

And in that case, God chose to send a plague. The Angel of the Lord brought this judgment and vengeance. He executed God’s punishment. But remember, the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is almost never a mere angel, not just a created heavenly being. He is the Messenger of Yahweh, God Himself. To be more precise, He is the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, the face and image of the invisible God. So, it’s a bit strange for those of us who know Jesus, to see Him in this avenging angel of wrath. But we know Jesus is the Judge who will come and ultimately condemn unbelievers to hell. And so He came to Jerusalem at that time to give a preview and warning of the wrath to come.

Yet, David stood between the Angel and the people, pleading for them: “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house.” He called for the Lord’s fire to fall down on him and spare the people. He interceded for them, acting like a priest and a sacrificial victim.

So, why did God send this plague? In order to bring David and Israel to repentance, and so that He might have mercy on them. So then, David was instructed to build an altar where the Angel’s hand was stopped. This threshing floor on this hill was the very place where the Lord’s Temple would be built by David’s son, King Solomon. And this way, sacrifices were continually offered there, and priests continued to mediate between God and the people, so that they would not be destroyed for their sins, but would be able to dwell with God in peace.

That temple and those sacrifices continued for many centuries, until finally, the true Son of David came. The one who had a better altar and a greater temple. He served as the great high priest, and did indeed offer Himself as the sacrificial victim. The fire of God’s wrath fell on Him. He that once came as the destroying Angel, came in our flesh to bring us healing and salvation.

And of course, Jesus did not bring healing for Israel only, but for the world, for the whole human race. Because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man. Our first father, Adam, brought sin and death to all his children. All who are born from the race of Adam are born with sin which leads to death. But our second Adam, Jesus, became for us the father of a new human race—mankind free from the curse of sin and the punishment of death. So we, who are born again in Jesus, receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness, and so we will reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. This means that this fallen world is not our final home. Suffering or sickness does not define who are. And death is not the end of our story.

However, even though the second Adam has come, and brought life and immortality to light… when bad things happen, we still ask the question: Why is God letting this happen? But be careful how you ask it. It’s not as if God is careless, or that He let something slip through His fingers. Look at the story with David. Look at Egypt. God sends the plague. This does not mean that He creates evil, but He does direct it. Evil is only in the world because of our sin. And God does use it. He sends it where He wants it to go, often using it to punish other evils.

Now with our current crisis, we have no prophet, no message from God telling us what particular sin, if any, God is punishing or working against. And yet, if we believe God is truly all powerful, then we must confess that He is still sending the virus, directing it. And whatever else it is, it is a sign of His judgment against sin, and against us. Whether death comes from disease or murder, old age or tornado, it is always a reminder of the consequences of sin. So, let us repent with David and say, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” It’s always better to fall into the Lord’s hands. Even if it means the end of earthly life.

Because the other reason God directs the evil is so that it all works for His good purpose—most especially He makes evil work in His plan for the salvation of mankind in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to heal and save. This is why He healed people, why He rescued them from the devil’s clutches, from the chains of sickness, and even rescued them from the grave. Jesus showed God’s mercy to those who are sick and dying, so that when poor sinners cry out: “Lord have mercy!” they will know that He does indeed answer with mercy. God answers with the death of His Son that brings our healing, not only for sickness, but healing for sins, healing for death itself. 

Even in the death of Jesus, God showed that He is in control of all things, even directing all evil things according to His good purpose. Judas, the priests, Herod, the Romans, and the devil… they all conspired against Jesus. They all hated Him from their own sinful hearts. But God used that evil and directed it. He sent it against His Son. He caused Jesus to suffer all wrath, all punishment, so that we can be spared, so that all mankind can receive His mercy, even the evil ones who murdered His Son. No one is excluded from God’s love in Christ, so long as they are found with faith in Christ.

So, let us flee the plague by fleeing to our only deliverance—flee by faith to Jesus. He stands between us and the disaster. He shields us and heals us. And even if we are struck down in our bodies, Jesus’ forgiveness has not failed us. He gives us His own body and blood that suffered on the cross and was raised from the tomb. That’s the real medicine. This holy bread and cup are the medicine of immortality—the medicine that will heal your body, so riddled by the disease sin and death, so that in your flesh, restored and resurrected to be like His, you will live with Him forever.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.