Sermon March 4, 2026

Title: Living among the Bible’s trees - Oak at Ophrah!

Text: Judges 6:1, 11–27, 36–40

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6 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.

Maybe something like this has happened to you: You move to a new place and, when you ask for directions, someone answers in a way that depends on an old landmark that’s no longer there.

For example, maybe the person said something like, “Go down this road until you get to where that big, old oak tree used to be before it was cut down, and then turn left.”


Well, maybe no one asks for directions anymore at all—everyone uses their smartphones now—and Google Maps certainly is not going to use a cut-down oak tree as a landmark.

But in the reading, a terebinth (ESV) or oak tree (KJV, ASV, NIV, NASB) at Ophrah, a town that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, served at least at that time as a landmark, not unlike the great trees of Mamre near the Machpelah.

Under the Oak at Ophrah, the Angel of the Lord came and sat while Gideon was beating out wheat in a winepress, attempting to hide it from the marauding Midianites.

The conversation that ensued between the Lord and Gideon, and the scribes and Pharisees’ much later asking of Jesus for a sign, all are relevant for us who are, as it were, “Living among the Bible’s Trees,” in our Lenten sermon series. Tonight.

Considering the Oak at Ophrah, We Realize That, though we, like Gideon, sin by seeking signs and testing the Lord, Jesus saves all who believe, from sin, death, and Satan.

I. We, like Gideon, sin by seeking signs and testing the Lord.

The Lord called Gideon to be a “judge” or “leader” of at least a group of the Israelites when they cried out to him on account of the Midianites.

The Lord had given Israel over to Midian because, despite all he had done in delivering them from Egypt, the people had not obeyed the Lord’s voice but had done what was evil in his sight.

The Book of Judges is full of similar cycles of the people straying from the Lord, being oppressed, crying for deliverance, and being provided a judge (or “deliverer”).

The generation after Joshua apparently had not been well-formed in the faith, and did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel. Josh 2:10

Yet, as we heard in our reading, Gideon had heard of the Lord’s wonderful deeds.

Apparently, he could not reconcile what he had heard about the Lord with what the people were now experiencing. Perhaps somewhat ironically, the Angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty man of valor, though Gideon’s response suggested that he would be anything but brave in war.

Of course, Gideon is not alone in history either in asking the Lord for signs of proof or in putting the Lord to the test, trying to make the Lord prove himself.

Nevertheless, in Jesus’ day, the Jewish leaders ignored the signs Jesus did, rejected him, and asked for other signs.

We may similarly seek signs, at times reject Jesus, and ignore those signs that he does give us.

By nature, we are part of the same evil and adulterous generation as the Jews of Jesus’ day. And, like the Israelites of Gideon’s day, all too often even we Christians do not obey the Lord’s voice but instead do what is evil in his sight.

Unless we repent, as God calls and enables us to do, we will be like the unrepentant scribes and Pharisees at the judgment, condemned by those Gentiles who answered God’s call to repent through Jonah and Solomon.

But, when we repent—when we turn in sorrow from our sin, trust God to forgive our sin, and want to do better than to keep on sinning;

God graciously forgives all our sin on account of the death of his Son, Jesus Christ.

II. Jesus saves all who believe from sin, death, and Satan.

Greater than Jonah and Solomon, Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh.

The same “Angel” or “Messenger” of the Lord, who in a preincarnate form came and sat under the terebinth or oak at Ophrah - Jesus himself - saved Israel and all people from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

Jesus lived the perfect life we fail to live.!

He died in our place!
He rose from the dead!
Declaring his victory!
We rest by faith in that Good News!

As God repeatedly showed mercy and graciously forgave the Israelites whom he brought out of Egypt and brought into the Promised Land, God repeatedly shows mercy and graciously forgives all who cry out to him in repentance.

God eagerly forgives you all your sins!

And God gives you miraculous signs of his forgiveness so you do not have to doubt his gracious favor toward you or otherwise put him to the test.

God gave Noah the rainbow.
Abraham circumcision.
God gave Gideon, the wet fleece, and then the dry fleece.
God gives us all his read and preached Word.
God forgives us our sins in the waters of Holy Baptism,
He comforts us with his blessed Absolution.
And with bread and wine, Christ’s true body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar brings us forgiveness and strengthening of our faith.

God’s Word and Sacraments are means of his grace that connect us to the new covenant.

Not everyone is called by the Lord to “judge” or “lead” Israel as Gideon was. But, forgiven by God through his Word and Sacraments, we serve in the vocations to which God calls us by doing the good works he gives for us to do.

And, like Gideon, our faith will know “moments of uncertainty as well as heights of greatness.”

So, considering the oak at Ophrah, we realize that, though we, like Gideon, sin by seeking signs and testing the Lord, Jesus saves all who believe from sin, death, and Satan.

Even with landmarks such as the Oak at Ophrah, navigating our way at times can be difficult as we are “Living among the Bible’s Trees.” Yet, we are not alone!

The Lord is with us!

In this life, we all fall short of the Lord’s perfection.

This Lenten season and always, we are humbled in repentance to live only by grace through faith. May God’s peace be your hope now and always!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

Lent series, "Living among the Bible's trees" - modified

Sermon Feb 28 - March 1, 2026

Title: God’s son, our Savior!
Text: John 3:1-17

 
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16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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.

The Old Testament and Epistle readings speak of the faith of Abram aka Abraham.

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation,

And in our Epistle reading in Romans:

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546 at around 3:00 AM in the morning. His last words and actions were recorded by his dear friend Justus Jonas. Luther was asked,

“Reverend father, will you die steadfast in Christ and the doctrines you have preached?” To this Luther responded affirmatively …

“Yes!” quoting John 3:16 and Psalm 31:5 which reads:

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

In his last prayer he said to God,

“Yet I know as a certainty that I shall live with you eternally and that no one shall be able to pluck me out of your hands.”

Because of the resurrection of Christ we are reminded that we need have no fear about death.

As the Epistle to the Romans tell us I chapter 4:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Whoever believes in Him … has eternal life!

The Nicodemus narrative is a foundational and interesting one, in which we hear from the Lord Himself as to what the working from God is, and how He redeems His fallen creation from the sin of Adam and Eve … restoring the relationship between God and man.

Mixed reactions to God and his word have been around since the serpent questioned, “Did God really say?” In our gospel lesson for today another questioning occurs.

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night …

In the grey and black of the night a leader - a man of the Pharisees – comes to see Jesus. It is as if in and through the blackness of sin he sees a light shining in the darkness in this person Jesus saying:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Nicodemus sees in the signs that Jesus had been doing, and probably his teaching as well - God’s work, and it is through this work that God had brought Nicodemus to this place, this night to be with Jesus.

Jesus’ reply that “… unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God …” comes as a bit of a surprise to him.

In a similar sense "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” also brings for some a questioning thinking,

“It’s just a fable, it can’t be real. No one really believes this is how things came into existence, do they?”

Even Nicodemus asks,

“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

Just as God and his creative act brings many questions that we and others might wrestle with, God’s word points us to the source of truth and understanding … his son, our Lord Jesus.

Genesis’ beginning and the Gospel of John’s beginning have one thing in common and that is Jesus.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”

or,

“In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God,”

We have here Jesus connected in a real way to creation and redemption.

The word of God spoken in the beginning, and the word of God [Jesus] speaking to Nicodemus, is the same word of God heard now by you.

The word is not only connected to your hearing now but it is also, as Jesus is making known to Nicodemus, connected to the washing away of sins in Holy Baptism. He asks Jesus:

“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

In reality though, even if this were possible it would do Nicodemus, you and me no good; for being born in the natural way only brings forth one who is born in sin and brought forth in iniquity.

One needs rebirth as Jesus tells him … to be born again which is a new birth that is born from above, born anew, or born of the Spirit.

Paul writes to the Corinthian church about the need to see with new eyes born from the Spirit when he writes:

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2:14

You and I also needed to be spiritually reborn and this was delivered to us in our Baptisms. God’s word connected to simple water and his command by the working of the Holy Spirit:

“Works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.”

As Jesus declared,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

And the Apostle Paul affirmed in 1 Corinthians 6 when he writes:

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Jesus in John 3:17 brings the fullness of His desire and mission to Nicodemus:

17 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.

The “Him” to whom Jesus speaks of, in the discourse with Nicodemus and the person to whom we must believe and trust, is the very Son of God Himself, Jesus Christ who became man for our sake so that we might be redeemed by Him and trust in His name.

Whoever believes in Him … in Jesus … has eternal life!

[Nicodemus’ name means - Victory of the people!]
Martin Luther’s last words and actions when asked,

“Will you die steadfast in Christ and the doctrines you have preached?”

is the same question you and I will be asked and must also answer affirmatively … “Yes!”

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. Psalm 31:5

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

February 25, 2026

Title: Great Trees of Mamre near the Machpelah 

Text: Genesis 18:1–33; 23:1–20

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18 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

We all live in and through difficult times.

Storms in real world, trees down and power out, and the storms of life that can come and cause stress, doubt and grief. Brokenness and repair, ups and downs, joy and sorrow all come at times and define our lives.

All of us also live among the Bible’s trees, such as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that we heard about last week, and the “oaks” of Mamre near the Machpelah that we hear about this week.

Tonight, we continue our special Lenten sermon series, “Living among the Bible’s Trees.”

Our text begins, “And the Lord appeared to [Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre” (Gen 18:1).

Translators sometimes call these trees “great trees” and so we might say that the trees of Mamre were notable for their size.

18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. Gen 13:18

It is by these great trees that the Lord again told of his his promise of a son for Abraham and Sarah.

Later in Genesis 23 we hear of Abraham’s acquiring the land just east of Mamre, with its trees and the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham wanted for a burying place, for Sarah and his household.

It was also used for a burial place for Abraham himself, for their son Isaac, Isaac’s wife Rebekah, their son Jacob, Jacob’s wife Leah, and possibly also for Jacob’s son Joseph.

In the thousands of years since these burials, locations of both Abraham’s
“oak” and the cave of the Machpelah have been and still are thought to be known.

Historical reports and archaeological evidence that go back centuries before the time of Christ, also point to this place as the site of Abraham’s cave.

For Abraham and his household, the great trees of Mamre were an oasis in the desert - a reprieve from the sun and heat, and a place to rest - but these trees were nevertheless also a reminder of the better garden lost through sin.

Before the fall, there was no oppressive heat, no need for an oasis in the desert; the warmth of the sun was always welcomed.

Greater than the loss of access to the Garden of Eden’s trees is the death our first parents died and we ourselves will die, and deservedly so because of our sinful nature and of all our sin.

God did not hide his judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah from Abraham, and neither does God hide his judgment of our sin and the sin of others from us.

In interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham confessed his own fate from dust to ashes.

Enabled by God, we do well to do the same: We repent, in the symbolism of dust and ashes this Lenten season and always.

For when we repent, God forgives us our sins and for the sake of Jesus Christ, he reminds us of our hope that rests in him.

The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in human flesh descended from Abraham;

Jesus Christ is the offspring of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed.

Jesus was born, lived, and died on the cross in order to save every person from their sin, and that includes you and me because of God’s great love for us.

Jesus gives his perfect life in place of our imperfect lives;

Jesus died the death we deserve, so that we do not have to die eternally. And …

Jesus rose from the dead showing his victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil for us.

Abraham’s intercession and mediation for Sodom and Gomorrah may have led to the saving, in the end, of three lives—his nephew Lot and Lot’s two daughters (Gen 19:15–26)

but Jesus’ intercession for us leads to the saving of a far greater number of lives, as we repent of our sin and receive his forgiveness.

Abraham providing unleavened bread for the Lord points us to the Lord’s table, where unleavened bread is the body of Christ given for us and the wine is the blood of Christ shed for us, giving us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

But better than the meal Abraham served the Lord under the great trees of Mamre, at this altar and its rail the Lord himself serves us.

Here he has fellowship with us, all of us who are brought into his household, not by the covenant of circumcision made with hands but by what the divinely inspired St. Paul calls the circumcision made without hands, the circumcision of Christ.

In Holy Baptism, we are buried with Christ and raised with him through faith. (Col 2:11–12).

This house of God is the oasis in the desert of our lives, for here we have rest and refreshment, as Abraham and the Lord had under the great trees at Mamre.

Considering theses great trees of Mamre near the Machpelah, we realize that, though we deserve to be deserted by God, we are blessed in Abraham’s offspring, Jesus Christ.

The trees near the cave of the Machpelah no doubt helped locate the cave where Sarah and the others were buried.

Abraham’s purchase of that burying place proceeded from his faith—his faith in God’s promise not only to give the land to his descendants but also to raise the dead on the Last Day.

God similarly gives you and me faith to live in our callings, including our callings as faithful spouses and relatives interceding for those who do not have faith in Christ and burying our loved ones gives clear witness to the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

God makes us to be what Isaiah referred to as “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” And after the resurrection of the dead, our access to the tree of life is restored in the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from God.

When I was in Germany in 2015, President Harrison was giving us a tour of Wittenburg, he pointed to a large oak tree, this is purported to be the spot where Martin Luther burned the Papal Bull of excommunication. It was interesting to stand there looking at where so important a place in the life of the Gospel and our church.

I found this online about the Luther Oak:

During Luther's life time it was common to burn the clothes of those who had died because of epidemics near the Holy Cross Hospital which was in front of the Elster Gate. On December 10th, 1520 Dr. Martin Luther burned the papal excommunication warning in front of the Elster Gate. It is told that a day later an oak was planted on that place.

The oak that you see there now was planted in 1830, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Augsburg Confession.

Through God’s mercy let us always look to the mighty oaks of his strength and sufficiency.

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

Lent series, "Living among the Bible's trees" - modified

Sermon February 21-22 2026

Title: By the word of God temptation is defeated!
Text: Matt. 4: 1-11

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4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

An old Indian legend says:

Many years ago, Indian youths would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees, bright with flowers. There he fasted. But on the third day, as he looked up at the surrounding mountains, he noticed one tall rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow.

“I will test myself against that mountain,” he thought.

He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders and set off to climb the peak.

When he reached the top, he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke.

"I am about to die," said the snake. "It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley."


"No," said the youth. "I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me."

"Not so," said the snake. "I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you."

The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings.

At last, the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass, when suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and leapt, biting him on the leg.

"But you promised,” cried the youth.
"You knew what I was when you picked me up." said the snake as it slithered away."

Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 5-7.

Temptation and the fall into sin as was recounted in our Ash Wednesday Service.

The result of sin brings separation and death.

Yet … we fall victim time and again.

You knew what I was … or you know what it is … all seem to fall on deaf ears as we give in to temptation again and again. Jesus too felt temptation.

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Things like time, temptation and hunger … are all things we can all relate to … but going without food for 40 days is probably not one of them.

When we speak of Jesus, we need to speak of His humanity in real terms.

We need to speak of things that are part of His human nature. His Godly attributes were still there but were veiled. Here his humanness is seen in a real way and so was the realness of his hunger … a type of hunger that I’ve never known.

Shoot, I have difficulty getting from one meal to another … and it took real will power for me to change my own eating habits so that I might be able to lose some weight and live a bit healthier. And I need to do it again!

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Here the devil temps with real understanding:

 
First, he knows of Christ’s humanity and that his hunger is real.

Second, he knows that Christ is God in the flesh and can do what his temptation calls for of turning stones into bread.

Third, he knows God’s word and he uses it, not for blessing, but he twists it in such a way so that the sinful needs are met as opposed to God’s will and desire.

Finally, when temptation gives way to sin the devil knows that death and separation from God results - and that is his desire.

To give what appears good … but what really brings death.

In this real temptation the devil knows one truth, that many in this world fight in disbelief, and that is that Jesus is the Son of God - and Satan is doing everything in his power to see that God’s plan and our rescue fails.
Satan continues to do this as we all fall victim to sin and his tempting.

Like the Indian boy on the mountain, you might think :

“It will be different this time.” But once you give in … you know … “I’ve been bit!”

The truth is that sin is not just thought, word and deed.
It is not just trying hard not to sin. It is who we are.
Sin is what we are born in.
Now, this is not to excuse it but to understand our human nature.

You will fail and you will sin. At times it is blatant and at times you are unaware. Sin permeates our very being and that is why Satan so hounds you and me.

The devil knows that when presented with a little sin it will lead to a bigger sin and the bigger the sin the guiltier you will feel.

You will feel shame, and at times guilt for your actions, even an unkind word or a word misplaced can cause hurt.

I visit a number of shut in or home bound members of our church but also a few that are not associated with Peace. On one occasion I visited Lucy, a 95-year-old elderly woman who lived in a nursing and assisted care facility across the aisle from one of our members. She was raised Lutheran in a little church up north of Bay City.

On one of my visits, I came in and said, “Hello Lucy!”

She looked at me and said, “I’m mean.” I kind of smiled thinking she was joking. “I say things at the table to the others that are mean and I don’t mean to. She continued, “I just can’t help myself. I’m mean!”

After being a bit caught off guard I said, “Well, we all say things that we wish we hadn’t some time and we need to say we’re sorry and ask for forgiveness.”

She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said,

“Pastor, I was confirmed at 11 years old at my little church and I can remember it like it was yesterday.

The Pastor sat against his desk and told us to think of a feather pillow and how if a hole develops a feather can come out. He said as time goes on the feathers keep coming out and another hole might even appear in the pillow. He told us to think of the feathers that come out as things we’ve said that we wish we could take back but can’t because once the feathers come out you can’t put them back in.”

I told her that I understood what she was saying and she looked at me and said “Oh, I’m just mean. I remember my grandmother asking me to do something and I turned to her quickly and gave her a smart, sassy answer.” The tears began to flow again. “Oh Pastor, how I wish I could go to her grave and put those feathers back in the pillow!”

We sat there for a few minutes as she cried her tears of sorrow.

I said, “Lucy, we can’t put the feathers back in the pillow but there is one who can and did and that is Jesus. He took everything we wish we never said, and all the sins we’d take back if we could and he took them to the cross, for you and for me. He buried our sins in the grave so that we can have the comfort and assurance of knowing that if we confess our sins that he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.

Do you believe this?” She thought for a moment and said, “Yes Pastor I do.” “Then as a called and ordained servant of Christ and by his authority I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son + and or of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Are you ready to receive the Lord’s Supper?” I asked. “Yes I am.” She replied. “Thank you.”

Though you like Lucy are forgiven you must die and rise daily.

When you fall you must remember that Jesus stood the test of the Devil’s temptation and though tempted in every way He was without sin.

Perfection is not who we are but it is who He is … and we can all have joy because:

Temptation is defeated … by the word of God … Jesus!

4 [Who] answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

The temptations continued for Jesus, and temptations will continue for you and me as well.

Unlike Christ after a few temptations the devil left him. As God’s son the devil knew that he would have to find another opportunity to attack Jesus but not so for you and me.

We will fail and fall into sin … he knows that. It is the devil’s hope that we fall so hard and so far, that the way back will seem not only difficult but impossible.

God knows it too and that is why the word of God can be such a comfort and place of rescue which says:

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.
The common sins ... cause us to fall … and we do … but:

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Christ is the one who conquered sin, death, and Devil for you.

It is he who took all the Devil had to offer or could give and though tempted he remained without sin.

This brings real peace and comfort to you and me as we think about his sinless life and atoning death, which give real life and forgiveness to you and me.

Temptation will come but one also has come who stood the test of temptation for you and has made a way that through him, through Jesus you have a way to the Father by his blood.

Joy in that blessed good news and comfort now and forever!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

Sermon February 18, 2026

Title: Living among the Bible’s Trees - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Text: Psalm 1; Genesis 2:8–9, 15–17; 3:1–24; Deuteronomy 30:15–20

Facebook live: Living among the Bible’s Trees.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Trees do many wonderful things for us.
They beautify our yards.
They shade our homes and outside space.
They give birds a place to live and rest.
They bear fruit that we enjoy.

Seasonally, they drop their leaves too, and that can be a time of frustration and work, both at home and at church!

Although we may not see them every day in the same way, the Bible’s trees are nonetheless relevant to us.

In fact, considering them helps us realize why we need a Savior, how God provided a Savior for us in the person of Jesus Christ, and how the saved lives of repentant believers look.

This repentant season of Lent, our special sermon series is themed:

Living among the Bible’s Trees.

We begin this series by considering the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I. We do only evil.

Although the first chapter of Genesis narrates God’s creating fruit trees in general and mentions his giving all those trees to the first man and woman for food (Gen 1:11–12, 29), the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the second of two specific trees mentioned in the Bible, as we heard in the First Reading.

This particular fruit tree God’s Word set apart. Do not eat of it, under penalty of physical and spiritual death.

Tragically, the serpent tempted the woman to doubt God’s Word spoken to her by her husband regarding this particular tree. And tragically, Adam, didn’t step in to protect Eve his wife.

Since she considered the tree’s fruit good for food, a delight to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise, she took the serpent up on his tempting and also gave some of the fruit to her husband – and he ate too!

They both disobeyed God by eating of it, and they both suffered the consequences for their sin, including being banished from the garden.

God banished them for their good so as not to eat from the tree of Life and live forever in their fallen state.

Certainly, before the man and woman ate of the tree, God’s Word revealed to them what was good and what was evil.

So, people knowing the difference between good and evil cannot itself be the problem.

Maybe all we can say for sure about the man and woman’s eating of the tree is that doing so changed for the worse their relationship with God and with each other.

As physical and spiritual descendants of Adam and Eve, we by nature suffer from those same consequences of their sin, and our sinful natures lead us to sins.

As sinners, we do what sinners do. Sin!

“For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” Gen 3:19

Unlike the first man and woman, we are not purely good to begin with, but by nature are dead in our trespasses and sins.

We are dead in our trespasses and sins regardless of our age.

From the womb to the tomb, so to speak.

Any so-called “age of accountability” is imagined.

ignorance of good and evil has never been an excuse, and no one is truly ignorant anyway.

God’s Word continues to reveal to us all what is good and what is evil, and so, like the man and woman, we all also are to honor God with obedience to his Word.

God’s word presents to us two ways to go:

1 the way of sinners, walking in the counsel of the wicked and sitting in the seat of scoffers, or

2 the way of the righteous, delighting in the “law” or “teaching” of the Lord and meditating on it day and night.

The righteous are like trees that do not wither, because they are planted by streams of water and bear fruit in its season; the Lord knows them and blesses them.

II. So by faith, we have life in Christ and every other good.

The righteous are righteous when, God enables, they turn in sorrow from their sin and trust God Him to forgive their sin for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus is the Seed of the woman, who bruised the head of the serpent to the point of defeat—and—since, even as the serpent bruised Jesus’ heel to the point of death on the cross, Gen 3:15

Jesus rose from the dead and lives forevermore.

Jesus perfectly honored God will with obedience to his Word, and on the cross paid the price for our failure to do so.

Jesus’ sacrifice is the once for all sacrifice for is!

As God’s Word set apart a particular fruit tree that ended up being the cause of the man and woman’s physical and spiritual death - so God’s Word now sets apart other ordinary things to be the cause of our physical and spiritual life – to restore what was lost.

Through the proclaimed word of Holy Scripture,
Through the water and the Word of Holy Baptism,
Through the words of forgiveness in Holy Absolution,

And through the bread and wine that is Christ’s true body and blood in Holy Communion.

These Means of Grace enable our repentance and faith, give us the forgiveness of sins, and result in our honoring God with obedience to his Word.

Considering the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we realize that, although we do only evil, we have life and every other good in Christ.

Praise God for that blessing!

In the Second Reading, God set before the people of Israel, whom he had delivered from slavery in Egypt, blessings of life and curses of death and called the people to choose life.

Likewise, God sets before you and me, whom he has given physical and spiritual life, and calls us to choose life and to live in him.

In that regard, it is largely the same for you us it was for the man and woman facing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

This tree is never mentioned in scripture again. But the damage had been done.

Thanks be to God, that he didn’t leave Adam and Eve or you and me in our sin but has made a way where there was no way so that in Christ, we have life eternal in his name!

All glory and honor to Jesus Christ our Lord!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Lent series, "Living among the Bible's trees" - modified

Sermon February 14-15, 2026 - Transfiguration

Title: We were eyewitnesses!
Text: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Facebook live: We were eyewitnesses!

16b but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

On Oct. 15, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers launched a balloon on a tether with Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, a chemistry and physics teacher, aboard.

He stayed aloft for almost 4 minutes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

And about a month later, on Nov. 21, Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes, a French military officer, made the first free ascent in a hot air balloon.

Remember this is 1783!

The pair flew from the center of Paris to the suburbs, about 5.5 miles, which took about 25 minutes.

Benjamin Franklin wrote in his journal about witnessing the balloon take off:

"We observed it lift off in the most majestic manner. When it reached around 250 feet [76 m] in altitude, the intrepid voyagers lowered their hats to salute the spectators. We could not help feeling a certain mixture of awe and admiration."

https://www.space.com/16595-montgolfiers-first-balloon-flight.html

St. Peter writes in our epistle for today:

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

There is much to be considered here but also much that is said. The idea for many in our day and at the time of the apostles is that somehow these stories and accounts of Jesus were made up, didn’t happen, or were greatly exaggerated. Peter says a mouthful when he says,

,but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 16b

Today we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord or as our bulletin says :

“The dazzling array of light at the Lord’s transfiguration makes known that Jesus supersedes even Moses and Elijah … and all the prophets [who] were sent to point us to Jesus.”

17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Not a story you might hear or read about or speculate about without substance or evidence.

But Jesus … Transfigured … and Peter saw it with the others, and heard the very voice of God from heaven.

Now the word of the Lord in our Old Testament lesson for today coveys a powerful picture:

16 The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:16-17

Here in the transfiguration, the convergence of the Old and New Testaments come together. Moses and the book of the Law and Elijah along with Jesus who is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets … come together …

and Peter is an eyewitness … an eyewitness of his majesty transfigured.

Peter, as he is writing is an old man. Reasonable dating for this epistle is 68 AD. It has been almost 40 years since the crucifixion. Peter may be in his early 70s and he is preparing to depart this earthly tent saying just previously to our epistle:

13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

It is Peter’s hope to leave a lasting impression for the church so that - after [his] departure - you may be able at any time to recall these things.

That is Peter’s focus here as he recounts his presence with the Lord.

17 For when [Jesus] received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

This presence with Christ remained clear for Peter.

But Peter is clear here also, that he heard God’s Majestic voice and saw Jesus transfigured as his glory and honor were revealed because he along with the others [James and John] were with him on the holy mountain.

In Peter’s account the value of his eyewitness reporting is of much greater importance. He says in verse 15 one verse before our epistle for today:

15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

He writes this so that when he is gone the value of his knowledge and witness might be made known then and now through his prophetic witness as he points us to the scriptures.

In our day questions arise about God.

Where is he?
Is he in the world?

Has he created this place and then departed to leave us to fend for ourselves?
If he is a loving God, why does he allow suffering?

What God created perfect has been broken and corrupted by the fall into sin.

Through sin, death has come.

It is written on the hearts of his creatures, and evident in His creation, but by the Law we only come to know sin and how far we fall short.

But, by God’s Holy Spirit bestowing faith through His means of word and sacrament, we know Him as a loving God and His saving love for you and for me which is given in his Son our Lord Jesus.

As we gather where he has promised to be, and His gifts are given, we receive the blessed forgiveness and know the Good News that you and I have the favor of God on account of Christ by faith in Him.

C.S. Lewis makes a wonderful point when he wrote:

Believing things 'on authority' only means believing them because you have been told them by someone you think trustworthy …

… Every historical statement is believed on authority. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Or, I might add, the ascent of the first balloon ride in France.

But we believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them; in fact, on authority.

A person who balked at authority in other things, as some people do in religion, would have to be content to know nothing all his life.

C.S. Lewis.

19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Peter brings to his hearers and us what God’s means is … his holy and prophetic word.

Do you believe it?
Do you trust it?

Peter says this word was not something made up but was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

20 knowing this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

God’s word says Jesus was transfigured before them in our Gospel reading for today.

God’s voice says:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Friends,

God wants you to see no one but Jesus.
If you harbor doubt … let God lead you into His light by His word.
Trust the prophetic words of the eyewitnesses.
Do not live in unbelief anymore … but believe.
The word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Joy in the truth of the eyewitnesses, that your sins are forgiven by the one who was and is and is to come.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

Sermon February 7-8, 2026

Title: The light of Christ in the world, is you!
Text: Matt. 5:13-20

Facebook live: The light of Christ in the world, is you!

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

January 27, marked the National Day of Remembrance of the liberation of the Jews from the Concentration camp at Auschwitz, some 81 years ago.

There is a story about rabbi, Hugo Gryn, who was sent to Auschwitz as a little boy. He was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930, in a home of great Jewish learning and warmth.

In the concentration camp, in the midst of the death and horror all around them, many Jews held onto whatever shreds of their religious observances they could, without drawing the ire of the guards. One cold winter's evening, Hugo's father gathered the family in the barracks. It was the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish Feast of Lights.
The young child watched in horror as his father took the family's last pad of butter and made a makeshift candle, using a string from his ragged clothes. He then took a match and lit the candle.

"Father, no!" Hugo cried. "That butter is our last bit of food! How will we survive?"
"We can live for many days without food," his father said. "We cannot live a single minute without faith and hope. This is the fire of hope. Never let it go out. Not here! Not anywhere!"

Pulpit Resource, Logos Productions, Inc, 2005

In the gospel reading for today, Jesus, in talking to his disciples, speaks about salt and light as it pertains to those who follow Him. He points out, if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

There are a number of uses for salt:

Salt accents the flavor of meat,
brings out the individuality of vegetables,
flavors bland starches,
deepens the flavor of delicate desserts,
and develops the flavor of melons and certain other fruits.

No other seasoning has yet been found that can satisfactorily take the place of salt.

http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/salt-uses-and-tips.asp

Jesus also speaks of the light that His disciples have in them by the power of the Holy Spirit calling them not to hide it, but to:

16 … let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When salt loses its saltiness or a lamp is hidden the usefulness of either is no longer of value.

In the same way the disciples who no longer shine forth the light of Christ in their lives no longer reflect the Love of Christ that has been given them, but only the brokenness that this corrupted world brings.

A guitar without strings is of little value but string it up and the potential for wonderful music is there.

Years ago I use to attend the Chet Atkins Appreciation Societies convention in Nashville.

While there the first few years Chet would come in and socialize and take pictures with those who were attending. He would sit and play guitar by himself and with others.

One story I heard once while playing and inspecting a new guitar at a dealer’s booth, a man listening to him said:

“Man, that guitar sounds great!”
To which Chet stopped playing and responded,
“How’s it sound now?”

The beautiful sound of a guitar is impossible to hear, hidden in silence, until the musician moves the strings to bring forth the gift of music to the ears.

Our voices singing today, proclaim the blessings of God. With voices and mouths closed … no one could hear our praise.

So too a disciple of Jesus’ that no longer shines the light of the gospel and the pardon and forgiveness won for them at the cross in all they say and do, fails to shine the light of Christ in their life for others.

The merits of Jesus’ work remain hidden - and the word of God closed to the ears of those who need to hear.

When we fail to shine the light of Christ we bury Christ again in the tomb again, covering the light of Christ’s resurrection victory with the dirt of the grave and close the joy of Jesus with the stone of the tomb rolled back in place.

Jesus says:

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

And then He continues:

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
So until heaven and earth pass away … until the end … you and I and all people are held to the requirements of the Law.

If we stand in our own righteousness, we reject the gift of God and hide the light of Christ that has been given to you and me.

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The scribes and Pharisees did all they could to keep the Law and they still fell short! But you have been given light; the light of Christ and His perfect keeping of the law.

God’s Law is fulfilled and kept perfectly for you and you have received it as a gift by faith in Christ, our redeemer!

Nothing to do … just believe and rejoice because God’s Holy Spirit is greater than the world, the flesh, and the Devil who tries to draw you away from Christ.

Jesus has given you the light of His righteousness and because of this gift of mercy and grace you can be salt and light to a world that is dying.

Shine a lamp into a dark room and there is no longer any darkness … it flees in the presence of light and so too the light of Christ which has overcome the darkness of sin that was laid upon Christ at the cross and buried in the tomb with Him no longer to sees the light of day.

Christ has risen and left your sin buried. His righteousness covers you so that you too can shine His light to those in need.

When a lamp in placed in front of a mirror the light is doubled. So too your light that shines in the world gets magnified in the lives of others and becomes a beacon which overcomes the darkness which flees having no place to hide.

The light of Christ in the world, friends is you!

Let it shine!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen