Title: Life and death, yet in Christ you live!
Text: Luke 13:31-35
Text: Luke 13:31-35
Facebook live: Life and death, yet in Christ you live!
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
In a broken world at times, the innocent are found guilty, and the guilty go free.
Justice seems so unjust when we find out after the fact that the one executed for a crime – was in fact innocent - and the charges or evidence had even been fabricated or hidden from the judge and jury.
Today even, people remain in custody, convicted or awaiting trial, who are innocent.
Some who are advocates for them and for justice reform, work tirelessly for their release and exoneration.
In our Old Testament reading for today, Jeremiah was one of the Lord’s prophets. A prophet was one called by the Lord to bring his word and message to the people.
8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die!
Quick justice from those who didn’t like what he had said, and didn’t want to hear. Interestingly, the prophets who heard Jeremiah and called for his death, were false prophets neither called by God or speaking in his place.
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying,
“The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.
What they didn’t like was what they heard, the condemnation of the word of the Lord from God’s prophet. God’s word said that this city would be desolate and without inhabitants. They determined that the death of Jeremiah was his just do.
“This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
Many times, truth is met with anger.
Especially when we hold a different view.
Truth can be twisted.
Facts can be withheld.
The innocent can be imprisoned, or even worse executed.
We fight an evil foe and his desire is your destruction.
You see in our gospel reading today, even Jesus had detractors.
Herod wanted to kill him, and as odd as it may sound, even some of the Pharisees came to warn him.
Which Pharisees? We don’t know, but remember that:
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, said:
“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 saw the signs and heard the word as he sat with Jesus and talked, asking:
“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
His question was in regard to being reborn, or born again, as the text says which Jesus tells him is God’s work in being born of “water and the Spirit.”
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
So, it could have been Nicodemus or one of the other pharisees who had heard Jesus and was a follower in secret, or it could just be that Jesus’ words, just before our text today, which call all who hear his words to, make every effort to enter through the Narrow Door brought some pharisees to repentance.
“For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. “
So, whether Nicodemus or another, the word of God convicted them, in repentance, to warn Jesus.
Now Jesus knows the heart.
He knows true repentance and he knows falsehood.
He knows a willing servant and he knows a devil. (Judas)
He knows his sheep and those not of his sheepfold.
His lamenting speaks of his desire.
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Behold the Lord’s love.
His desire is to gather.
His desire is to unite.
His desire is mercy.
His desire is forgiveness.
His desire is you!
As the words of our sermon hymn remind us in stanza 2:
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.
Though we sink in the mire of sin in this life Jesus has made a way for you and me to be lifted up and out of our condition.
We walk to the cross to see our redemption fulfilled in Jesus.
We await his glorious resurrection and the promise that we too will rise from death to everlasting life.
Stanza 4 sings this hope:
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on.
And when from death I'm free,
I'll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And through eternity I'll sing on.
So, friends we sing in hope, not despair, because the one who casts out demons and performs cures today and tomorrow, on the third day has finished his course!
The word of God, who is Jesus, makes our assurance clear in the epistle today:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Life and death, yet in Christ you live!
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit
Amen