The Messiah and the Church He will build

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 19

Isaiah 61:1-11

It was a Saturday, relatively early in Jesus’ ministry. He was back in His hometown of Nazareth, and, as He usually did, He went to the synagogue. And this time He stood up to read, and they gave Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Whether or not He asked for that book we don’t know, but He did intentionally open that book to the words you heard this evening from Isaiah 61 and read, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book and began the most important sermon the people of Nazareth had ever heard, saying: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” At first the people were impressed, but as Jesus’ words sank in and they realized what He was claiming, they turned against Him and tried to kill Him. They turned against Him, not only because He was claiming to be the promised Messiah, but because He revealed to them the awful truth that most of Israel was not going to have a part in God’s kingdom. No, Isaiah’s prophecy was to be understood, not about the nation of Israel, but about the new Church of the New Testament era. His prophecy in this chapter covers the whole New Testament, starting with Jesus’ ministry and culminating in the new and perfect life that awaits us on the other side of Judgment Day. And only those who believe the good tidings of the Messiah will be included in the kingdom of God.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me.” Jesus says in another place that the Father had given Him the Spirit without measure, had given Him the fullness of the Holy Spirit to dwell in Him as a Man. That’s all demonstrated for us in Jesus’ Baptism where the Spirit rested upon Jesus and the Father spoke from heaven, This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

Because the LORD has anointed Me. And there’s that word “anointed,” which is where the word “Messiah” and “Christ” come from. By saying that these words were fulfilled in their hearing, Jesus was claiming as directly as anywhere in Scripture, “I am the Messiah. I am the Christ.” Not that He was literally anointed with the Old Testament anointing oil, as the prophets, priests, and kings were. He wasn’t. But He was “anointed” in a spiritual way, sent directly by God the Father to carry out His saving purpose for mankind, to speak the words of God, to act on God’s behalf, to offer Himself up as the sacrifice of atonement for mankind’s sins, to gather a Church to Himself, and to reign over God’s people forever. All of that was included in the Messiah’s mission.

To preach good tidings to the poor. “The poor” in this prophecy are those who recognize their spiritual poverty, their inability to reach God by offering Him their own righteousness. And the good tidings are not the good tidings of wealth or economic improvement, but the good news of another way to reach God, a free way, a way that actually works, the way of being justified through faith in the Anointed One.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. For all the physical healings Jesus performed during His ministry, it was the healing of the sad and broken hearts that was His primary task. Hearts that had been broken by their own sins, by the sins of others, by the terrible consequences of sin in this life, and, ultimately, by the reality of death, receive healing from Jesus, comfort in the fact that He came to conquer sin and death and to give eternal life to all who believe.

To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. Again, Jesus never broke anyone out of a physical prison. This was the proclamation of liberty and freedom to those who had been bound by sin and by the power of the devil.

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. That was Jesus’ mission, to proclaim that now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. As we talked about on Sunday, the terms of God’s pardon, of God’s acceptance, are finally within reach. The Messiah Himself will pay the atonement price with His own blood, and the only remaining “term” of the pardon is to seek it from the Anointed One whom the Father had sent. And when Jesus makes that promise, the Holy Spirit is there, working to persuade sinners to believe it and to receive it.

And the day of vengeance of our God. This isn’t vengeance upon all men. It’s His vengeance on all the enemies of God’s people, and on all who continue to remain enemies of God, refusing the pardon that Jesus offers.

To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty in place of ashes, The oil of joy in place of mourning, The garment of praise in place of the spirit of heaviness. Again, the comfort is for those who mourn, not for those who boast. The beauty is for those who were sitting in the ashes of repentance. The oil of joy is for those who had been crying tears of sorrow over sin. The garment of praise is for those whose spirit had formerly been heavy with depression and despair.

That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Christ came to make His people flourish and thrive, like trees, to give them life in the kingdom of His Father. That life is planted there by the Lord God Himself, so the glory and the praise for it belong to God alone. As the Psalm says, Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be glory and praise.

And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Now, if these words began to be fulfilled in the hearing of those in Nazareth, then this prophecy isn’t about rebuilding Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. It isn’t about rebuilding Jerusalem or the land of Israel at all. It’s about the New Testament Church, which is from the remnants of Old Testament Israel, from Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. Again, it’s Gentiles coming into the Church of Israel and expanding it throughout this New Testament period.

But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. This is exactly what Peter wrote to the New Testament Christians, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

“Their land” has now become the heavenly territories, the mansions that Jesus is even now preparing for His Church, as the Church of Christ finally overcomes all her enemies and receives the heavenly reward, while the enemies of God, who were rich and powerful in this life, are left with nothing.

“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.”

On this earth it was the unbelieving Gentiles who were famous, “men of renown,” as it says in Genesis 6. The true people of God have no power in the world. We’re small. We’re unknown, in many cases. We’re insignificant. And we have to be content with that in this life. But that will all change after Judgment Day, when the people of God finally enter into their glory.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

While the Church is pictured here basking in the glory of everlasting life, we don’t have to wait till then to rejoice in the Lord and to be joyful in our God. Because already in Holy Baptism He has clothed us with the garments of salvation and with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Already now we bear the name of the Triune God and have been made heirs of the heavenly lands. The people of Nazareth scoffed at Jesus when He offered them all this, but you have humbled yourselves before God. You have believed in His proclamation of pardon and peace and comfort. And so you belong to the Anointed One. Remember that, and rejoice in it, no matter how bad things get this side of Judgment Day. Because on the other side, you know what glory awaits. Amen.

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The authority to forgive sins on earth

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Trinity 19

Ephesians 4:22-28  +  Matthew 9:1-8

It’s a wonderful story we have before us in today’s Gospel about the healing of the paralytic. It’s especially memorable when we pull in some details from Mark’s Gospel, who explains that the paralytic was brought to Jesus in a very special way, by being lowered down by his four friends through an opening they had made in the roof, because the house where Jesus was preaching was so crowded with people that they couldn’t make a path to carry the stretcher through on foot. The faith of the five men was clearly on display as they went to such lengths to reach Jesus, because they believed that He could and would have mercy on the man who was paralyzed. And He did! But not, at first, in the way that everyone was expecting.

This healing account teaches us the lesson that was behind all of Jesus’ healing miracles: the lesson that Jesus, the Son of Man, was speaking and acting on God’s own authority, in everything He said, in everything He did. Jesus represented God the Father, not only because He was the Son of God, but because He had come into the world as a Man to be the perfect Mediator between God and man, with all the authority to speak and to act on God’s behalf. And the specific authority He displays in today’s Gospel is the authority to forgive sins—sins that had been committed against God, sins that would otherwise keep a person out of the kingdom of heaven, sins that would otherwise condemn a person to hell. It’s that authority to forgive sins that we want to focus on this morning.

The paralytic was successfully lowered down through the roof until his bed was lying on the floor right in front of Jesus. Matthew writes, When he saw their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven you.” No one was expecting those to be the first words out of Jesus’ mouth. Clearly the paralytic has come to receive physical healing from Jesus. But Jesus, the great physician of the soul, has diagnosed a deeper problem, a need to know if God was angry with him—a question that often troubles people who suffer from a chronic disease or illness. “Is God angry with me because of my sins? Is God punishing me with this illness or with this trouble that won’t go away?” Jesus sees the man’s doubts, as well as his faith that Jesus will help him. So God the Father speaks through His Son, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven you.”

And, behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” Mark and Luke add the rest of what they were thinking: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” You see, it is blasphemy, insulting God!, to pretend to speak for God without permission, without authority from God to speak for Him or to act on God’s behalf. The sins Jesus forgave at that moment weren’t sins that the man had committed against Jesus Himself, as if the man had made fun of Jesus or had slapped Jesus across the face. Anyone can forgive the sins committed against him or her, because, in that case, the one doing the forgiving is the one who was originally offended, and forgiveness means that you’re no longer holding that offense against the offender. Your relationship is healed. Forgiveness means that the one who has been offended is no longer angry over the offense, no longer angry at the offender.

But what Jesus did was something else. He didn’t forgive the man for offenses committed against Him, the Man Jesus. He forgave the man for all the offenses he had ever committed against God. And the scribes were right—only God Himself can forgive the sins committed against God. Only God can unlock the prisoner’s shackles and set him free death and eternal condemnation—unless God has authorized someone to forgive sins on His behalf.

And that’s exactly what God has done.

God the Father sent His Son into the world with the full authority to act on His behalf, to forgive sins in some cases, where the terms of the pardon (set by God) are met, and to withhold forgiveness in other cases, where the terms of the pardon are not met.

Now, what are the terms God has set for His pardon (for His forgiveness)? Well, first, atonement needs to be made for the sins committed against God. That lesson was driven home for the people of Israel through all the sacrifices for sin that God’s Law demanded. Atonement has to be made. Forgiveness has a price. In this case, the price of forgiveness is blood, that is, death—the death of God’s only-begotten, beloved Son. That is the price required for paying the sin-debt every sinner owes to God. And it has been paid, once for all, by Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. And because God is eternal, not bound to the progression of time, as we are, the future sacrifice of Jesus, from the perspective of the paralytic in today’s Gospel, was just as valid for his forgiveness as the past sacrifice of Jesus, from our perspective, is for us. So that term has already been met; Jesus’ atonement is available for anyone and everyone to use in order to satisfy the terms of God’s pardon.

The other term of God’s pardon is that it can only be given out to the one who seeks it from Jesus Himself. Anyone seeking God’s forgiveness in some other way, in some other place, for some other reason, cannot have it, just as anyone who doesn’t seek God’s forgiveness at all, because he’s happy holding onto his sins, cannot have God’s forgiveness. But to the one who seeks His forgiveness through Jesus, God the Father speaks through the mouth of Jesus Christ, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven you!” And it’s not blasphemy at all, because Jesus has the permission and the authority to speak and to act on His Father’s behalf. As He said after His resurrection, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

He goes on to prove that authority to those who accuse Him of blasphemy in today’s Gospel: Is it easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And the paralytic was immediately healed, with power only God can give, proving that Jesus, the Son of Man had authority from God to forgive sins.

The text before us is actually a perfect example of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 5: God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s sins against them. Now, reconciling the world to Himself doesn’t mean reconciling or forgiving the sins of everyone in the world—or everyone in the room. That’s not what Jesus did in today’s Gospel. But one by one, as the word about Christ brought people to faith, He reconciled them to God through faith. He forgave them their sins, according to the terms of the pardon set by His Father: that atonement had to be made, and that God’s forgiveness has to be sought from Jesus and from nowhere else.

But then St. Paul goes on in 2 Corinthians, and God has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Just as God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, forgiving sins to those who sought forgiveness from Him and through Him, so the Lord Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, has appointed ministers, who are His divine ambassadors to call sinners—in His name!—to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, and to forgive the penitent and believing in His name.

So Jesus said to His apostles, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And again after His resurrection, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. And still there are many people today who call themselves Christians who hear a pastor pronouncing the absolution and cry out, “Blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins! I don’t need any man’s forgiveness! I’ll just go directly to God!” Well, good luck with that! I wonder how they hope to approach God, or where they hope to find Him! The truth is, it is God who has given this authority to men, to deal with sinners and to forgive sinners in His name. It’s an authority that Christ has delegated to His Church, which calls men to wield the authority of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, according to God’s command and according to those same terms of forgiveness that God Himself has established. They are to forgive sinners on the basis of Christ’s atonement, when the sinner seeks forgiveness from Christ, through the ministry that Christ has established on earth.

Now, that forgiveness may be given through the spoken absolution alone, as we do at the beginning of our services. There you hear, both in the confession of sins, and in the words I speak after the confession of sins, those same “terms of pardon” referenced, the atonement of Jesus as the basis for forgiveness, and the seeking of forgiveness from and for the sake of Jesus, which is what “believing in Jesus” means. You also hear in that absolution the very same words that Jesus spoke to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven you.” And you even hear the reference to the fact that Jesus has given me, “as a called and ordained minister of the Christian Church,” the authority to pronounce forgiveness in His name. That same forgiveness is also given in Holy Baptism, as Peter urged the crowds in Jerusalem to be baptized in the name of Jesus “for the forgiveness of” their sins. And it’s also given in Holy Communion, where Jesus has given this sacramental meal to us Christians to eat and to drink His body and His blood, which were given and shed for us “for the forgiveness of sins.” All done by the authority of Him to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given, who has authorized ministers to forgive sins in His name.

And that makes the absolution certain. That makes it something you can rely on, something you can believe in, something that your faith can stand on. “God’s authorized minister has examined me and has found that the terms of God’s pardon have been met. Atonement has been made for my sins. And I am, right now, seeking God’s forgiveness from Jesus and for His sake alone. God’s minister has, therefore, absolved me of my sins, with the full authority of God. So I know for certain that God is no longer angry with me, but that He has welcomed me into His kingdom and will give me eternal life. The forgiveness I have received through God’s authorized minister—in Baptism, in the absolution, and in the Lord’s Supper—is God’s own forgiveness, because God has given to men the authority to forgive sins.” Rejoice in that authority! Take great comfort in it! And, having put on the New Man through faith in God’s promise of forgiveness, live as the new person—the forgiven person!—God has created you to be! Amen.

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Some deliverance now, perfect deliverance in its time

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 18

Isaiah 60:13-22 (ESV)

There was a lot of Law in the first part of Isaiah 59, which we heard last week. The second half of that chapter we heard way back on the First Day of Lent, and after all the Law of the first part, we heard in that second half of the chapter God’s gracious promise to send the Redeemer to Zion, to save those who were crushed by the Law. We heard the first part of Isaiah chapter 60 even earlier, at the beginning of this year, on Epiphany, where God foretold the great expansion of Israel—of the people of God—to include the Gentiles together with the Jews in the Holy Christian Church.

Remember, all three parts of these last 27 chapters of Isaiah revolve around the three themes: (1) Earthly deliverance for Israel from captivity in Babylon for the sake of the coming Messiah, (2) spiritual deliverance for Israel through the work of the coming Messiah, and the expansion of Israel to include the Gentiles, during the New Testament era, and (3) final deliverance for the new, expanded people of Israel at the Messiah’s second coming, in the new heavens and the new earth. Those three themes are found in each of the three sections of 9 chapters, but each 9-chapter section focuses on one of those themes. These last 9 chapters focus on the final deliverance. And just as there is a progression from earthly deliverance to spiritual and then heavenly deliverance, so there is a progressive shift away from the earthly nation of Israel in these chapters to the spiritual Israel of the Holy Christian Church.

And so we pick up the prophecy this evening in the second half of chapter 60, where the Lord uses picture-language to describe that spiritual Israel (the Holy Christian Church), partially during this New Testament era and partially after this world ends, with one era sort of blending into the next.

The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

The “glory of Lebanon” was their trees. Lebanon was famous for the quality and abundance of wood for construction projects. Here the Lord promises that His sanctuary, His temple would be rebuilt with the help of foreign nations. That happened literally for Israel after their return from captivity. It’s happening spiritually right now as the Christian Church continues to be built throughout the world. And it will happen perfectly in the heavenly sanctuary above.

The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Again, that happened literally only to a small degree for the nation of Israel. It’s happening now spiritually as former persecutors of the Church repent and become members of it. And it will happen perfectly at the Last Day, when every enemy of Jesus and of His beloved Church will bow down before Him in shame and recognize that He has loved us, His dear Christians.

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

The nation of Israel was literally restored, and some degree of majesty was seen there again, and they received some help from foreign rulers (that’s what it means to “suck the milk of nations and to nurse at the breast of kings”). But the focus of these verses has shifted to the New Testament Church. Not that the Church appears majestic in this world. And yet the Gospel has successfully gone out to every corner of the earth, bringing sinners to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. And, at many times over these past 2,000 years, the Church has been nurtured and protected by the kings of the earth, just as the Lord promises here in this chapter. Notice, it’s not about the Church taking over the kingdoms of the world. It’s about God using the governments of the earth, whether good or bad, whether full of Christians or full of pagans, to preserve His people throughout this New Testament era, until Christ comes again, usually through laws like we have here in the United States, laws that protect Christians’ ability to assemble peaceably and to speak freely, and to practice our religion in the world. St. John pictures this preservation in Revelation, where the Church is pictured as a woman who is fleeing from the dragon (the Devil), fleeing into the wilderness of this earth, where she will be cared for during this New Testament age.

But that’s not a guarantee that the governments of the world will always protect and preserve the Church. On the contrary, human governments are more often portrayed in Scripture as hostile to the Gospel. Still, what Isaiah promises in this chapter has certainly been fulfilled over and over throughout history, and we should give thanks to God for such providence.

Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.

And here the Lord transitions from the Church in the world to the Church as it will be in heaven. Everything we have here will be replaced with something far better. Gold in place of bronze. Silver in place of iron. Iron in place of wood. Peace and righteousness in place of toil and injustice. Safety in place of violence. Salvation in place of destruction and death. Praise in place of groaning and sighing.

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

These beautiful words are quoted almost verbatim in the book of Revelation as John sees behind the curtain of death, as he sees what life will be like for believers in heaven. And notice how God-focused this vision of heaven is. It’s not about having fun with your favorite pastime or hanging out with your friends or loved ones. The focus, the focus of eternal life will be the LORD God—the same LORD God who loved us and gave His Son into death for our sins, so that we could be with Him forever.

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation;

Heaven is called “the home of righteousness,” because, finally, we will all be righteous, not just by imputation, not just by God counting us righteous for Christ’s sake, through faith. But, finally, all citizens of heaven will have sloughed off this sinful flesh, with its taint of corruption and self-centeredness. No longer will we covet. No longer will anyone stumble or fall. Heaven will be our home forever, to the glory of the God who redeemed us, and worked in us all these years by His Holy Spirit, to finally transform us completely into image of God in which man was first created.

I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.

“In its time,” God says. Not in our time, when we want our final deliverance to come. In “its” time, at the right time, as decided by our God, whose wisdom and knowledge are beyond our understanding. The Lord knows just when He should come to put an end to the sorrows of this life. And when the right time comes, He won’t delay any longer. He will “hasten it.” Behold, I am coming soon, says the Lord. Let this promise draw your gaze heavenward, to the time of the final deliverance of God’s people. Put your trust in your Father’s perfect timing, and that faith will lessen the harshness of this world’s evil. Amen.

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Powerful spirit-allies against our spirit-enemies

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for the Festival of Michael & All Angels

Revelation 12:7-12  +  Matthew 18:1-11

The Church’s commemoration of Michael and all angels on September 29th goes back a long, long time, to the 5th century AD. We continue to celebrate this festival, because it’s useful to have a day when we Christians can come together to hear what God teaches us about the angels and to give thanks to God for their indispensable service.

Today’s Gospel was chosen for this day long ago, because of that little phrase that Jesus adds at the end of the text about the angels. He’s sternly warning His hearers not to dare to harm or to offend or to despise a little child who believes in Him, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Now, that verse doesn’t teach us a whole lot about the angels. But it does teach us that little children who believe in Jesus (and that also includes adults who have the same humble, simple, child-like faith in Jesus that the little children have) have angels of their own, angels assigned to them, who stand before God the Father, ready to guard and protect His dear children. There’s some incentive there, isn’t there?, first, to be very careful how you treat and even how you think of these little children, and, second, to be careful to maintain a humble, simple, child-like faith in Jesus, so that you, too, may always have the help of the guardian angels.

Let’s go back a little bit. The word “angel” means “messenger.” In the beginning, when God created all things visible and invisible, He created the invisible hosts or armies of spirit-creatures—sinless creatures, with a mind and a will, but without flesh and blood. We learn in Scripture that they worship God continually, with humility and with reverence. We also learn that these creatures were created to spend much of their existence serving the Lord God by ministering to human beings. Most of them were glad to comply, but some of them, led by a high-ranking angel who is later called Satan or the Devil, chose to rebel against the Lord God, for reasons that aren’t clearly revealed to us, although pride is mentioned as the devil’s sin. Those angels were cast out of heaven, removed from their ranks in God’s heavenly armies, and Satan was allowed to tempt our mother Eve in the Garden of Eden. And after she and Adam fell into sin, the unholy angels, whom we usually refer to as unclean spirits or demons, were given some freedom to deceive and to torment human beings on earth.

Meanwhile, the armies of holy angels kept their place in heaven and are sent by God to do many things that God simply doesn’t want us to know about. But some things He has told us. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear the Lord, and he delivers them…The Lord shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Or as the writer to the Hebrews writes, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? They keep watch over God’s children (both young and old). They provide protection in ways that we can’t even imagine.

Now, angels appeared on and off to God’s people throughout the Old Testament times, and also in New Testament times. Some of the apocryphal books of the Old Testament tell some fantastical stories about angels, where several angels are named, but if we stick with the canonical Scriptures, we know the names of only two angels. Gabriel, whose name means “mighty one of God,” appeared to the prophet Daniel, and, later, to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, and then to the virgin Mary, announcing that she would be the mother of the Son of God. And then there is Michael, after whom today’s festival is named.

Michael’s name is a question: “Who is like God?” He shows up, at least, by name, only four times in the Bible. The first time was back in the book of Daniel, chapter 10. An unnamed angel was speaking to Daniel in a vision, and he tells Daniel that he was delayed in coming by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia.” The word “prince” seems to refer to a high-ranking angelic authority, except this one was an evil one who opposed the angel sent by God. So we’d call him a high-ranking demon. But Michael came to help this angel. The angel calls Michael “one of the chief princes.” Another word for a “chief prince” would be an “archangel,” so this verse seems to indicate that there are a number of archangels, of whom Michael is one. Later in that same chapter, the angel refers to Michael as “your prince,” and in chapter 12, he’s called, “the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people.” So Michael is the archangel whom God placed in charge of protecting, either the Old Testament people of Israel in particular, or all the people of God in general. From the little we’re told by Daniel, we conclude that there are both angels and demons in charge of various regions of the world, with many angels at the command of each commander, and that there are battles going on in the spiritual realm that we cannot see.

What was the battle that John described in today’s Epistle, Revelation 12? Given the vision that comes right before, which seems to describe the devil’s failed attempt to defeat Jesus during His earthly ministry, it seems that this vision is meant to teach us about the spiritual victory that took place in Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, including also the victory of the Gospel going out into the world to bring people to faith in Jesus. Whether or not there was an actual battle at that time in the spiritual realm between angels and demons isn’t clear, because Revelation is a prophetic vision. What is clear is that, because of Christ’s death on the cross, and because He now stands at the right hand of God as our Mediator, and because His Gospel has gone out and brought many sinners to faith, the devil, the great accuser of mankind, no longer has a case to make in heaven against those who believe in the Lord Christ. The devil has been “cast out of heaven,” in that sense.

But that means that he and his angels have been cast down to the earth, to persecute and trouble us here during this little while until Christ returns for Judgment Day. As John heard the voice in heaven say, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. And so it’s fitting today, as we consider the holy angels, that we take a moment to consider their unholy counterparts and the ways they threaten mankind.

There are some who think that it was demons who married human women back before the days of Noah, having hybrid children with them who were supernatural giants. But that idea is contrary to what the Scriptures tell us, because spirits can’t produce children, since they have no DNA to pass on. But we are told that demons were behind much of the idolatry that took place in the Old Testament. They were involved in sorcery and witchcraft. They took possession of people’s bodies at the time of Jesus and for a while thereafter. And even today they seem to be able to afflict individuals in strange and supernatural ways.

But, understand, their primary tool is deception, because they’re in league with the devil, who is called the father of lies. So even as they afflict people, they employ deception to mislead those whom they are afflicting. They may be behind some of the stories about apparitions or ghosts as they deceive people into thinking they’re the soul of a lost loved one. They may be behind some of the stories about aliens, and about supernatural creatures that roam the earth, always deceiving people about their true nature. They are likely also behind the supposed apparitions of Mary and of other saints, always deceiving people into looking away from Christ and obsessing over the supernatural occurrences themselves.

Aside from afflicting or appearing to individuals, the unclean spirits are secretly influencing the governments of the world, and the beliefs of society, and especially the beliefs within the Christian Church itself. St. Paul writes that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Those doctrines of demons have thoroughly infiltrated the outward Christian Church and are taught and believed by millions. As for the societies of the world, if it seems like some of the things people are believing and promoting in the world are unthinkably insane and unspeakably wicked, you can be almost sure that demons are behind it, lying and deceiving, influencing and tempting both the leaders and their followers. But be careful, because, as masters of deception, they can also be behind some of the responses to the madness!

Thankfully, the Lord has given us plenty of armor and a powerful weapon against the unclean spirits. Paul talks about it in Ephesians 6: Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

So use that armor that God has provided. Trust in the Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, in His victory over the devil, and in His promise that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Know God’s Word, which is dependably true, so that no demon can deceive you with falsehoods. Rely on God’s promise in Holy Baptism, where He placed His almighty name upon you, which no demon can defeat. Rely on God’s promise in Holy Communion, where the very body and blood that already defeated the devil are placed into your bodies. Pray always. And, as Peter writes, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, being steadfast in the faith…Resist the devil, James says, and he will flee from you.

And remember that, in the face of all these powerful, wicked, deceptive spirit-enemies who wreak havoc on the world and on the Church, you have even more powerful allies in the spirit-realm, Michael and his angels, whom your Father in heaven will graciously continue to send to the aid of all who call upon the name of the Lord, to encamp around those who fear Him. So rejoice in them, give thanks to God for them, and take heart, because, although the world is filled with demons and their allies among the sons of men, Those who are with us are more than those who are with them, and with the help of God’s holy angels, our final victory is certain. Amen.

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Recognizing the hopelessness of your situation is the first step

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 17

Isaiah 59:1-11

There are two fundamental teachings of the Bible, that run throughout the entire Bible. We’re studying this right now in our online study of the book of Romans (which we’ll probably end up doing here in person, too, at some point). In fact, in the book of Romans, St. Paul quotes one of the verses we have before us this evening in Isaiah 59 in order to highlight those two teachings. We refer to them as the Law and the Gospel. The Law is the teaching that runs throughout the Scriptures that presents God’s righteous requirement that man must be righteous, as God is righteous, in order to be acceptable to God. It’s the natural path, the default path, that all men start out on. But the message of Scripture is that this path necessarily leads to death for all who walk it. If we are to be acceptable to God, if we are to be saved from sin, death, and the devil, we have to walk the path of the Gospel.

The path of the Gospel, as we constantly present it, is the path of recognizing our sins, recognizing that we are failures on the path of the Law, recognizing that no one is righteous enough to be acceptable to God, and mourning over it. Then it’s hearing the good news, that God the Father has given His Son Jesus Christ into death for your sins, has given Him as a free gift, and that He will cover, with His own righteousness, all who run to Him in faith, that all who believe in Christ Jesus are forgiven and will have everlasting life.

Much time is spent in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, in convincing the people of Israel that the path of the Law is futile, because they kept on stubbornly trying to walk it, in defiance of God’s Word, in defiance of God’s mercy. Defiance, not because keeping the Law is against God’s will, but because they refused to acknowledge their sins and their need to be saved by God’s mercy instead of by their own attempts at Law-keeping.

That’s why we have a very direct, very stern preaching of the Law again in Isaiah chapter 59. Let’s walk through it briefly. And remember, as we do, that it’s directed to those who are secure in their sins, to those who keep avoiding the path of the Gospel, because they are determined to be saved by the Law instead.

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

In other words, God says to them, you’re suffering now, and you will suffer more, not because I’m unable to save you, or unable to hear your cries for salvation. No, you are suffering, and will suffer much more, because you have sinned against Me and refuse to repent. You have sinned against Me and yet you still think that you deserve My help, that you have earned My favor on the path of the Law. So, as long as you keep trying to approach Me on the path of the Law, the Law will continue to reveal your sins, and, therefore, you will not receive My help.

For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.

What exactly were the Israelites doing? They were mistreating their neighbors with their hands and with their tongues. Some were guilty of actual murder. Others, of supporting the murderers. Others, of simply looking the other way. God could speak the same condemnation on our country, and on all the nations of the world, as some people murder little babies in abortion, while others support them in such murder, while others simply look the other way. Wars, violence, bloodshed take place everywhere. But iniquity takes many, many forms, not just violence. It’s every moment lived without concern for God, without concern for His Word, without concern for one’s neighbor. Lips speak lies, tongues mutter perversity, and hearts are bitter, and loveless, and cold.

No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.

Now, calling for justice and pleading for truth were especially relevant in Old Testament Israel, as the whole nation of Israel was the visible Church of God, and God’s covenant with them governed their society as a whole. So when injustice took place in Israel, when the government failed to condemn the guilty and failed to uphold the case of the innocent, it was the responsibility of all the citizens of Israel to seek justice for their neighbor and to speak up for what was true. Some schemed to take advantage of their neighbor, some took bribes to let the wicked get away with it, and some just grew lazy and indifferent to the injustice happening all around them. “As long as I’m doing ok, I’m not going to get involved.” And God looked at it all and said, “You’re all guilty before Me, all of you who practice these things!”

He goes on: Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

These are the verses that Paul cites in Romans chapter 3. And here we have to take note that Paul applies these words, not just to the openly wicked and evil criminals in the world, but to all people everywhere. Not that all people are guilty of every possible sin, not that all people are going around literally shedding innocent blood, but all people participate in these kinds of sins. If God were to judge us by His holy, righteous Law, the Law would find sins in every human being. All who are judged by the Law will be found guilty.

Therefore, Isaiah says, justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places. We all growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.

We don’t behave justly, and, therefore, we don’t get justice from God—at least, not the kind we want. Because, the truth is, when God punishes sinners, that is justice. When God condemns the unrighteous, that is righteousness. But that doesn’t help the sinner. There’s no salvation on the path of the Law, because all are lawbreakers. There’s no light for us to walk by, if we have to come up with our own source of light. We can’t save ourselves. Period.

That Law-message is a hard message to hear, but sinners need to hear it until they finally break, until they finally acknowledge their sins, until they finally stop trying to get God to accept them based on their works.

But when we do acknowledge that God is speaking the truth, when we do acknowledge that we can’t save ourselves, when we finally recognize the hopelessness of our situation, that’s when God comes running to us with the Gospel, which doesn’t make its way into our short 11 verses this evening but which is the theme of the whole Bible. “Look, you sinners! Since you stand condemned if you stand under the Law, come out from under it! See, I offer you another way, another path to walk. I give My Son on your behalf, to be the sacrifice of atonement, to be your Mediator, to be your Savior and Redeemer. Repent of your wickedness and approach Me through Him, and I will hear you. Approach Me through Him, and I will give you justice, righteousness, peace, salvation, and eternal life.” This is the way of grace. This is the way of faith, the way of the Gospel. And it’s the way that works.

Recognizing the hopelessness of your situation is the first step to salvation, which is why the Law of God is always needed this side of heaven. But God holds out new hope in the Gospel. Hear it and believe it, and then spend the rest of your life as a thank-offering to the God who gives you hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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