This years Lenten Sermons are from a series prepared by Pastor Brent Kuhlman of Murdock, NE
Passion Reading: Calvary
Apostles’ Creed / Second Article: That I May Be His Own and Live Under Him in His Kingdom
Behold the King! Lord Jesus, Savior King Jesus! His throne? A hunk of a tree – cut and carved for a special occasion -- a crucifixion! His! Simon of Cyrene helped tote the cumbersome piece of wood up to Skull Hill – Golgotha. It is a pole on which Jesus is brutally nailed and hung. Torturously suspended until He dies.
Is Jesus King? Yes, but very strangely. He wears a crown: of thorns. And didn’t you read the notice put above His head? The governor gave the order! It clearly states in Hebrew, Greek and Latin for all to see: JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS!
And King Jesus reigns. He has a kingdom – AMONG SINNERS! Criminals. One on His left. Another on His right. “Numbered with the transgressors” just as the Old Testament promised. And loads more sinners standing around. The Roman soldiers: throwing dice to gamble for His clothes. The rubberneckers – just passing by: hurling out insults and shaking their heads in disbelief at this make believe King of the Jews. The chief priests, scribes, and elders: shouting out all kinds of scorn, derision, and ridicule.
And look who else is there? Other sinners. Big time, notorious ones. Do you see them? Take a closer look. There, do you see? It’s you! It’s me! And what are we doing? What are we saying? We too are wagging our heads in contempt of the King. We too mock His Highness. We allow ourselves to be the mouthpiece of Satan himself as we too bark out this tantalizingly temptation: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross! If you’re truly the King of Israel, then unhook yourself from those nails! Save yourself! Let us see such a sign as that! And we promise – we’ll believe in you!”
Newsflash everyone! I know this may come as a shock but it’s the truth. We don’t know what we are doing! We think we do. But we don’t. Clueless! We don’t know what we are saying! We think we know. But we don’t! Trying to get Jesus to hop off the cross! Tempting Jesus to BE THE LORD – THE SAVIOR KING by avoiding the cross! Foolishly and blindly demanding to have a Jesus – a King Jesus – our way or no way! Having a Jesus according to how we call the shots. And that means a Jesus MINUS CALVARY! Divorcing Him from His suffering and death on the cross! Protecting Him from ever having to go through anything like that! “How dreadful!” we proclaim. And so like gods on Mount Olympus in the Pantheon we dare to call Good Friday evil and a Jesus without a Skull Hill good! Can’t get anymore stupidly curved in ourselves sinful than that!
But thankfully Jesus prays for us: “Father, forgive them. These folks haven’t a clue. I know they’re my enemies. I know they’re lost in their sin. But for my sake, Father, forgive them.”
His prayer for absolution creates faith. Faith in Him. “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” His kingdom is now. Skull Hill. Where He remembers our sins and the sins of the thief no more. Buries them in the black hole of His death. “Truly, truly I say to you. Today you will be with me in paradise.” Today! All because of Jesus doing a Skull Hill Salvation. Redeemed us lost and condemned sinners. Purchased and won us from all sins, death and the power of the devil.
Why? Well, the Small Catechism nails it. Lord Jesus did all this so that I MAY BE HIS OWN AND LIVE UNDER HIM IN HIS KINGDOM.
To whom do you belong? Sin? Death? Satan? No. The Lord King Jesus! He lived for you. He died for you. He was cursed and forsaken for you. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is His suffering the curse of damnation for you. He was buried in the tomb for you. He rose for you as the Firstfruits of the new creation! Hooked to the risen Jesus by faith you are new creations. The old has passed away – behold the new has come! All that He is and does is for you! Totally!
And He extends His Good Friday reign – all of His Spiritual kingdom over you! Even today. He lords His death over you in your Baptism. In fact, He buried you with Him through Baptism into His Good Friday death. He promises that you who believe and are baptized will be saved. He reigns His Skull Hill over you by saying: “Your sin – all of it – is forgiven.” And with the bread and wine of His Supper He gives you His word that it is His Body and His Blood given and shed for your pardon.
The Sacrament of the Altar is your paradise on earth until you enter the paradise of heaven. At the Sacrament there stands a tree: the tree of life. The tree on which Jesus reigns as Savior. His cross. And the fruit He gives you to eat and the juice that He gives you to drink is His Skull Hill Body and Blood. It is the medicine of immortality. The tree from which you can eat and never die!
Jesus has come into His kingdom. He is king. The Skull Hill kind. You commend yourself, your body and soul, and all things into King Jesus’ hands. After all, we belong to Him and He reigns among us. He has the wounds and the death in which He remembers us – His died for and forgiven people.
In the Name of Jesus.
