Easter 4 Good Shepherd

Psalm 23 is one of the best known, best loved sections of the Bible.  Many people who know very little of the Bible are familiar with this Psalm.  It is common to be read and prayed at times of great distress and sadness, times of grief and morning, and its words and gentle imagery provide comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd,” we say.  “I shall not want.”

We are comforted by the knowledge and the promise that our Lord is for us a good shepherd, a caretaker who looks after us, who tends to us the way a shepherd tends his sheep.  He is there beside us, close by, watching out for us, standing guard if we should be attacked, leading us to where we can find food and provision when we are hungry, leading us to shelter when things are treacherous, and even serving us with good things in the face of our enemies.  God is truly good.  God is good to us.

The world is an unfriendly place for a sheep.  Sheep after all are rather passive and helpless animals.  They are a popular 4H project around here.  Those of you who have sheep are certain that you take the necessary steps to protect them.  I am often greeted by the deep growl of the dogs acquired to keep the coyotes away from the sheep when i go out for a run. A big ferocious sounding dog can be a pretty effective way to guard your aheep from predators (not to mention an exercising pastor).  If you didn’t protect your sheep they would quickly wind up a nice meal for a pack of hungry predators.

Well if the Lord is our Shepherd, then that would mean that we are like sheep.  And if sheep need a protector to ward off the predators, then there must be predators who sneak around in the dark hunting us.

You need to protect your sheep.  You need big dogs, alpacas, donkeys, you need to lock them up tight in the barn because you know that if you don’t your sheep probably won’t make it until tomorrow, let alone to then end of July when the county fair rolls around.  Your sheep need a constant guard.  You see to it that a guard, a protector or shelter is there.

God does the same for you.  Yet what is astounding is the fact that he doesn’t farm this duty out to somebody else.  He doesn’t have guard dogs to stand watch for him.  He doesn’t use alarm systems and video surveillance or electrified fence.  He does the job himself.

The Lord is ever watchful.  He never takes his eye away from you, his little lamb, even for an instant.  The Lord is your Shepherd and you shall not be in want.

This is a comfort for you.  He will not leave you or abandon you.  Especially as you find that your way has come through the valley of the shadow of death.  The Lord will at times lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and we will feel pain.  We will feel sorrow or grief or fear.  We will suffer.  But this suffering, this pain alerts us to something that needs to be fixed. 

Perhaps the death shadow is in fact death.  You struggle with death in your own life, someone you love has died or might die.  You grieve.  Grief causes heart ache and pain.  But this heart ache teaches you to look for and listen to your shepherd. 

When sheep are lead through dangerous territory, they keep close to their shepherd.  They know that their shepherd is with them and that he will protect them.  They also know that their shepherd knows the way out.  And so they go where he goes.  They follow where he leads. 

Children, when faced with a difficult loss or fear will go to their parents, they will stick close to their parents, because they know their parents will save them and protect them.  They go where their parents can be found and hold tightly because they sense the need to be protected and they are comforted by the warmth and the strength of their trusted protector.  Likewise with you.  When you are afraid or sad or threatened, when you find yourself in the valley of the death shadow, you go to Jesus.  Cling tightly to him.  Go to the place you know he will be.  Follow him where he leads you.  Do not let go of him.  Because he is safe.  He is strong.  He protects you.  He comforts you.  His strength will put you at ease.

How do you do that?  Where do you find your Good Shepherd?  How can you cling to him?  Where can you be sure you will find him?  Where are his restful waters and his green pastures.  Where is his rod or his staff that you might be comforted by them?

These questions are important questions and their answers are important answers.  People need to know them, we need to find these answers. Our life, and protection are bound up with them.

Jesus says that he is the Good Shepherd.  Jesus says that his sheep know his voice.  Jesus says that his sheep follow his voice, they follow where he leads them.

There are times when we are led and guided by a still small voice that speaks to us in our conscience.  We hear that voice and we are tempted let it be our comfort.  We wonder if that voice is one that can be trusted. 

The world would tell us it is.  It can.  It should be trusted.  More than anything else, follow your heart.  Follow your gut, let your conscience guide you.

Your heart can be deceived. Your conscience can be broken.  Your gut… well mine just wants to look for food.  These can be useful, but they are far from fool proof. 

To follow Jesus, to be comforted by Jesus is to know his voice.  To know his voice is to hear him and listen to him.

Jesus commands his disciples in Matthew 28 to teach all things that he has commanded.  We know the voice of the shepherd by hearing the words his has commanded to be taught.  In other words if you want to know the voice of the Shepherd you have to tune in to the channel where he speaks.  You need to know your Bible.  You need to study and meditate on the Words your Good Shepherd has given to you.

 Listen to his apostles.  They wrote down his words to preserve them for you.  His Spirit inspired those Words as they were written so that the Words are His Words.  You must know your Bible.  Not because you have to.  Not because they are magic words that will make every bad thing go away.  Not because you are afraid God will punish you if you don’t.  You have to know your Bible because it is your life.  It is the voice of your shepherd as he speaks to you.  If you don’t listen, if you don’t take the time to hear you wont know when he calls.  You won’t be able to discern that still small voice and know when it is true and trustworthy or when it is lying to you to mislead you.  You won’t know how to proceed when you come to that fork in life's road.  You will be frightened and terrified when you find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death.  God speaks to you in his Word.  His spirit whispers to you from the scriptures.  You must listen.  You must learn to hear.  You must be ready to receive.  God wants only to give.

And give he does.  Restores you soul.  When your soul is empty.  When your soul has been spent on addressing the challenges of your life God comes to you to restore you.  He fills you up so that you are not in want, so that your cup is running over.  As he brings you into the pleasant pastures and the quiet waters your are fed and nourished.  He guides your feet to the well worn and easy to follow path of righteousness.  He sets a table for you where he feeds you, even before the face of your enemies. 

And those enemies, most of the time they chase us.  We run and are pursued and we get tired and weary from constantly escaping them.  Oh, but your Good Shepherd handles those pursuers for you.  He takes care of them so that they are no longer a problem.  And instead of enemies, sin or satan or death or fear or wicked men, you are pursued by goodness.  You  are chased down and captured by mercy.  And they don’t stop.  They are relentless and tireless in their chase even to the last days of your life.

And you are safe.  Safe from your enemies.  Safe from those things that accuse you, that bring you stress because your Lord has spoken his Word to you.  You have heard his voice. You have learned to follow. And he has led you to his house.  Yes to his house, little sheep. 

How many of you keep your sheep in the house? You have pens and barns where they stay.  As cute and cuddly as they are little lambs can make quite a mess.  They are animals, cattle, best kept in the barn.  But not the Lords sheep.  His sleep at his side, quietly held in his arms like a father cares for his child.

You are Christ’s little lamb.  He saves you preserves you, provides for you, and keeps you ever in his care.

In the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Easter

It seems that the Republican Party finally has decided upon a candidate.  The race between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney has been tightly contested, but the past weeks has consistently shown a front runner.  it was announced this past week that Santorum would put his campaign on hold effectively conceding the race to Romney.

Through these months of campaigning there has been much debate in the media as to which candidate would get the party nod.  Santorum seemed to have the values vote with strong convictions on many of the key social issues.  Romney has a better economic track record.  The thing Romney was said to have going in his favor was something called  "electabillity".  Romney just seemed more like the kind of guy that people would vote for.

Ronald Reagan famously said that "politics is entertainment".  Politicians these days try harder to create impressions than they do to define positions.  TV news gives us sound bites and twitter feeds instead of position papers.  And why not? That is what most Americans want.  They vote for political candidates the same way they vote for their favorite TV talk show host.  They sit down in front of the tv. Watch a few episodes, and decide which one they like the best.  What's the criteria?  Electability.  People just seem to know what they like.

The point of bringing up politics is not to talk politics.  The goal is to point out that it has become common these days for people to make important choices based, not on information, but on impression.  Whether it be politics, a career choice, enrolling in a university, or even choosing a spouse.  If we make these decisions based on impressions, I wonder if we make important religious and even theological decisions the exact same way. 

Religious content, theological content is no longer that important.  People just care that you are Christian or that you call yourself Christian, what you believe doesn’t matter.  Confession of faith doesn’t matter.  We decide they are all about the same and we just take a little from this, a little from that, mix it all together and away we go.  If choosing a president or spouse without taking the time to understand what you are getting into can be bad, choosing a religion or a theology just based on impression can be disastrous – even deadly.

If we want to know where to begin in understanding Christian theology, our text from 1 John gives us a place to start.  John begins with what was from the beginning, what he heard and what he saw and what he touched with his hands concerning the word of life, what he heard and saw and touched concerning Jesus.

John was an apostle of Jesus Christ.  John was Jesus' disciple during his earthly ministry.  John sat at his feet while he walked from village to village, town to town, teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God.  John saw and John heard a lot, specifically a lot that came out of the mouth of the Son of God who was begotten from the Father from the beginning.  John saw this Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, This Word of God incarnate be arrested and tried.  John was in the courtyard of the High Priest and witnessed his trial.  John walked with him as he carried his cross to Golgotha.  John stood at the feet of his cross as he suffered and died.  John ran to the tomb ahead of Peter and saw the place where he lay on Easter morning.  John talked with Jesus and ate with Jesus after he had been raised.  John watched Jesus ascend into heaven.  John was in the upper room with Jesus when he sent the Spirit.  John taught in the temple.  John saw his eyes "that which was from the beginning".  He saw him die, saw him be raised and touched with his hands the author of life and redemption of our souls from death.  And John shared what he touched and saw and heard; John shared Jesus with those whom Jesus came to save.

The thing that is important here for us to notice is that John begins with the testimony about Jesus.  John begins with those things that he saw from Jesus, heard from Jesus, even those things that he touched – after all the resurrection was a physical event, the fact that it occurred meant John had something to touch. And these things about which John testified are those things that create fellowship.  Because that is what John talks about next. He talks about fellowship; Fellowship with God and fellowship with each other.

Now fellowship, being joined as one together with God is a significant thing.  It is fellowship with God that was the key benefit of living with God in the Garden of Eden. 

• It was fellowship with God that was lost when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden.   
• It was fellowship with God that was regained when God lived in the camp of the Israelites in the Tabernacle and then in the temple, although this was a fellowship that required blood and sacrifice. 
• It was fellowship that was made perfect when God was incarnate, taking on human flesh and blood to walk and talk with the people who disobeyed him. 
• It was fellowship that was rebuilt when Jesus stood in for us and the propitiation for our sin so that God's just anger was satisfied with the necessary blood of sacrifice. 
• It is fellowship then that is offered to people who receive the blood of that sacrifice as their own - his death is my death and through that death I have life. 
• The Christian faith is all about fellowship with God.  Fellowship lost.  Fellowship restored.  First with God and then with one another.  How much do you know about that fellowship?

John, together with all the Apostles and Prophets writes to you about that fellowship. 

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

The message, the Fellowship message, has to do with sin, with confession & absolution, with the truth, with forgiveness, with satisfaction, with restoration - to God and to each other.  How much do you know about that message?  How much do you study that message?

As was said before, we tend to live our lives by our impressions, make decisions based on things we feel or think we know without really taking the time to test those things.  Yet for all those impressions, we still have one or two things that we make to be our priorities.  We all have “our thing”.  We all have our hobbies and interests and goals and priorities.  What's yours? 

Maybe we can approach that question with this one: What do you start your day with?  What’s the most important thing you have to do, that you have to get to, that you need to get in your head and fill up you day as you go about your day?  What occupies your time and your thought? 

• Is it Politics - whose running for president, the latest thing Obama said or did or did not do, the supreme court, obama care?
• Maybe its Sports - Urban Meyer, Thad Matta, Jared Sullenger, or perhaps even Tom Izzo?
• Finance - the stock market, the economy, the price of gasoline, the price of feed? 
• Entertainment - Smash, American Idol, The Hunger Games, Brad & Angelina, Leno or Letterman?

These things are not bad things.  But not one of them can offer you life.  Not one of them will cleanse you from sin. Not one of them will offer you salvation. The daily news cycle changes at a breakneck pace. We feel like we have to consume every piece of news that is printed or produced or we will be completely out of the game. But do you even remember what was in the papers a month ago let alone a week ago without stopping to really think hard to remember. What about Jesus?  What about the word of god. What about that unchanging truth that hold steady and immovable even in these uncertain times. What about the love of God that is real every single day?  What about the objective and true body and blood of Jesus given to sinners to eat and to drink for forgiveness life and salvation?

Jesus gives us more.   Jesus us  gives us things that are better.  Not just impressions.  Not just to appease.  Not just entertain.  Not even just to inform.  Jesus gives words of life.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for  “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV)

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21-23 ESV)

We are products of our time.  The age in which we live conditions us to decide without even considering any criteria.  We move through life existing on our impressions.  But into this age God has breathed his Word of life.  Let’s not just leave it to an impression.  Let’s grab hold of it.  Take it.  Receive it.  Digest it.  Study it.  Pray over it.  Meditate on it.  Pray for God to work in you through it.  Not just because it is important.  Not just because it is information.  But because it is life.  It is Jesus.  It is His Spirit whispering in your ear. He won't let you down and he will tell you what you need to hear.

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Complete our Joy. Receive the fellowship god offers in the words he has inspired for you.

Amen.

Easter 2012. "Peter"

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Our text this morning is the Gospel from Mark 16. "But go, tell his disciples and Peter that (Jesus) is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you. "

In our Easter Gospel this morning we see the women, (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome) at the tomb of Jesus. They had come to anoint his body for burial; thinking they would find only a corpse. But what they found when they got there was a wonderful surprise! They found no Jesus. No body. In his place they found an angel who was waiting for them with a message. "Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified is not here. He is risen!"Jesus left that angel there in his place with a ver specific purpose. Jesus knew these women would come looking for him. He knew that they would come to anoint his body, so before leaving the tomb he left one of his angels behind. The angel's job was to greet the women when they arrived and share with them a message. “When the women come looking for my dead body, tell them I am not here. Tell them I am alive, that I have risen from the dead. And give them a message for my disciples and especially give them a message for Peter.” The Risen Christ left behind a messenger. He left a very specific message for the women, for the disciples, but especially for Peter. In the message left by Jesus, Peter is specifically mention by name. Dear friends in Christ, certainly Peter was important in the ranks of the disciples. But the message I want to leave you with this morning is that Jesus who has risen from the dead, has come to call sinners. He called Peter specifically by name here in our text, and he calls you by name also. The text mentions Peter. The Gospel tells the story of Peter. But know this, Peter's story is your story. He was a disciple of Jesus. And the resurrection of Jesus changed things for Peter.Scholars who have studied the Gospel of Mark have noted that Mark tells us a great deal Peter, more so than any of the other disciples. The Gospel often seems to favor the perspective of Peter over against the other disciples. Peter shows up early in the Gospel as one of the first disciples to be called. Peter finds his way into Jesus’ inner circle of disciples and is granted access to events and places where other disciples are not invited to go; for example Peter gets to witness the raising of Jairus’ daughter from death. Peter is also quick to fail. When Jesus was transfigured and his glory was revealed, Peter wanted to set up tents and stay a while. The voice of God the Father told him to shut his mouth and listen to Jesus. Also, It was Peter who rightly confessed Jesus to be the Christ but then right away was rebuked as the mouthpiece of Satan when he attempted to correct Jesus for foretelling his death. In the upper room, Peter impetuously vowed to die before falling away from Jesus but the first chance he got, after Jesus was arrested and stood trial, Peter denied he even knew Jesus 3 times to save his own skin. Peter had a lot to learn. These days we would say “his heart was in the right place” but he just didn't quite get it. Peter was ready to serve, ready to work, ready to join the movement, ready even to die for the movement. But he didn’t understand what the movement was all about. The incident in the courtyard while Jesus stood trial was a perfect indicator of Peter's exact failure. When Peter saw his failure, when he heard the rooster crow, he went out and he wept bitterly. But Peter’s story is our story. Peter was a disciple of Jesus. One who believed and trusted and gave himself fully to the cause. He wanted to do what was right. He wanted to help and he wanted to serve. But he had much to learn. He struggled with his own feelings and with his own failings. Peter's story is our story. But it is also and it is primarily Jesus' story. Because Jesus loved Peter. And Jesus came to save Peter. And yes, Peter failed. And yes, so do we. But through Peter’s failures Jesus taught Peter that he could not die for Jesus, until he knew that Jesus had died for him.Remember Peter on the mount of Transfiguration. Jesus showed Peter his glory. Peter saw the face of Jesus shining like the sun. Peter saw Jesus as God. Peter wanted to set up tents, to build booths for Jesus and for Moses and for Elijah. Peter saw Jesus in his glory. He saw Jesus rubbing elbows with the prophets. This was something that people needed to see. If they could only see Jesus interacting with these men, then the Jews would know, they would understand, they would follow Jesus too. And if they could see his glory! Wouldn’t that be better?And don’t we want the same? Don’t we want the world to see and know and understand the glory and the power and the majesty and the might of Jesus? Don’t we want them to see that Jesus has the power to save and to heal and transform and to restore? Don’t we want the world to bow down at the feet of Jesus in honor and respect? Isn’t that what the world needs?Yes. But before you can do anything for Jesus, you must know what Jesus has done for you. The story isn't primarily your story. It is Jesus story. It isn't about what your do for him. It is about what He has done for you!When the bright cloud of the Father’s glory had passed Jesus was there on the mountain the same as before. The radiance had faded, Moses and Elijah were gone and it was just plain Jesus. They walked down the mountain together. Jesus left the glory mountain behind because he had another hill to climb. A hill called Golgotha.Jesus told Peter about Golgotha. And do you remember his response? “No Lord, it will never be.” “Get thee behind me Satan.” Said Jesus. Peter’s heart was in the right place. He wanted the mission and ministry of Jesus to succeed. But he didn’t understand what that ministry was all about.Our failures are often the same. We have great plans for Jesus. Great things that we intend to do. Witness for Jesus when we go to work. Speak up for Jesus when we go to school. Carry the banner for Jesus when we go to church. Our hearts are in the right place. We want to do those things that are right, that disciples of Jesus do. But, like Peter, we fail. Peter’s rooster signals our failures just as much as it does his. And with Peter we go out and weep.We would give up our lives for Jesus, but that is no good until we know that Jesus has given up his life for us. While Peter was busy weeping, Jesus was busy suffering. While Peter was sinking in despair, Jesus was carrying his despair to the cross. While Peter was overwhelmed by his failure, Jesus was paying for it with his own blood. While Peter was overcome with grief, Jesus was overcome with death. Death for Peter. Death for all Peter’s failures. Death for all Peter’s sin. And Peter’s story is your story. Peter’s life is your life. Because Jesus died for Peter and Jesus has died for you too."Peter was sure that al was lost. The work of Jesus had failed, and worse yet, He had failed Jesus. But Remember, Peter's story is primarily Jesus' story. It is not about what Peter did and did not do. It is about jesus. About what Jesus did. Jesus died. Jesus died for Peter and Jesus died for you. And now Jesus is alive. He was raised for Peter and he was raised for you. And so Jesus gave a message to the angel. The angel gave that message to the women. "Go tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus is not here. He is risen. He has gone before you to Galilee. There you will see him."Peter heard the message that the angel gave and just like you or I would have done, Peter ran. He got up and he ran to the tomb. And when he got to the tomb he brushed right by the more timid John and he went in to the tomb. He saw the burial cloths all folded up and laid aside. There was no Jesus. The women were right.Later on he was in the upper room with the doors locked tight because he was still afraid. And all of a sudden Jesus was there before him. The others saw him too. He asked for something to eat so he wasn’t just a spirit. Jesus was alive!Later still Peter was out fishing… all night with nothing to show for it. A man standing on the beach told him to throw his nets down the other side. He did. His nets came up and they were full of fish. Peter knew at once it was Jesus. He jumped out of the boat and into the water and swam to his Lord. When he got there Jesus said to him, “Peter do you love me?” “You know I love you.” “Feed my sheep.”“Peter do you love me?” “Lord, you know I love you.” “Feed my sheep.”“Peter do you love me?” “Yes Lord, I love you.” “Feed my sheep.”And Peter did. Fifty days after Jesus was raised Peter was again in that upper room when Jesus sent the Spirit like a rushing wind. There were tongues of fire, there were words not studied or learned coming from his mouth, and then there was a sermon, preached to 3000 men plus women and children. There were baptisms. There was a church. Jesus has sheep. Peter fed them. Peter taught in the temple. He healed in the streets. He preached in the synagogues. He fed Jesus’ sheep. And then, one day while in Rome Peter was arrested, the Romans didn’t like the sound of his preaching and so they intended to kill him, to crucify him. Suddenly it was just like in that court yard with the servant girl. "Do you know this Jesus of Nazareth?" This time no curses, no denial, just confession. Jesus died for Peter. Now Peter would die for Jesus. The church fathers tell us that this time Peter was not afraid. In fact, this time Peter was humbled. Suffering for Jesus was an honor, an honor to great for him to be even worthy of it. "Let me be crucified up-side down." So he was.You see, Peter's story is our story. Called by Jesus to be a disciple, good intentions but struggling with weakness. Struggling with failure. struggling with sin. But Jesus died for that sin. He has risen from his grave and he is alive. Jesus is alive. Alive for you. To overcome death and sin and failure in you. He did it in Peter. He does it in you. Jesus sent the women away from the tomb with a message for Peter. That message is your message. Jesus is not here. he is risen. And that message changes everything.Amen.And now may the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Palm Sunday

Text: Philippians 2:5-10 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11 ESV) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and particularly today, to our confirmation class, Your moms and dads are proud of you. I can just imagine the scene in your house this morning. Getting all dressed up, looking your best, I bet mom and dad had a special little moment of nostalgia. A moment of recognition that you are growing up, getting older and more mature, especially as today you make a very grown up and a very mature and even adult promise to be faithful to Christ and His Church even onto death. Your parents must be very proud. Nostalgia has a way of making us look forward. Certainly we look back and "remember when"… first day of school, first time riding a bicycle, different milestones like that. It also has a way of making us look forward. Where you have gone sets the stage for where you have still to go. Parents look at where you have come from and what you have accomplished and from there will dream about your future. Talents or character traits will move them to picture you in some role on into the future. And Parents have a way of dreaming big. Hoping for and expecting big things from their children. Wanting them to go far and accomplish great things. Interestingly enough, we are told by the Gospel writers that when Mary observed the attention given to her baby boy by shepherds at the stable and the prophets at the temple and then later by the wise men that she "Treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart." I wonder if her pondering was not similar to the same sorts of things your parents ponder about you? Perhaps she was wondering what would her son accomplish. If this was his beginning, what might his future hold? How great was her son to become? And here's the real question: in all her hopes and dreams, in all her motherly ponderings, do you suppose she saw her Son on a cross? Do you suppose she saw him with nails in his hands and feet and a crown of thorns on his head? Do you suppose she anticipated his execution hanging between two criminals? Was this what Mary hoped for? I can't imagine it. Jesus died a criminals death. And what's more, Jesus died a sinners death. He died on the cross and he died for you. He died as a servant and as a slave, but he died as your servant and your slave so that you could live. Dear parents, as you consider the life and the future and possibilities of these confirmands; Austin, Brandon, Hannah and Joni, as you consider your own life and future, consider that life and that future as one that is lived with and under the cross of Christ. That cross is a cross of suffering. Remember the path that the life of Jesus took. Jesus was born to great acclaim with angels and shepherds and wise men and prophets; he did great things like changing water to wine, but he also suffered. Stricken smitten by God and afflicted by him. He was scorned and rejected by men. Hated and despised. Turned away by those he came to save. When we ponder what the future holds for our children we always ponder greatness, don't we? We don't ever ponder their suffering. We see their names in lights, as the star of the team, as the star of the show. America's next idol. We see them winning competitions, scholarships, all conference all state all American all world. We see them as beauty queens and kings, as Mensa candidates, as the brightest and best. What would we think if one of our own wound up dying a criminals death? We would probably be ashamed. But just as Jesus was born to greatness and his greatness included suffering and even a cross, we are called upon by God to live our lives bearing that cross in mind. Remember the words of our text. But have this mind among you, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Have the mind of Jesus. A mind of service and sacrifice. And even a mind of death. Parents for all you envision and desire for your children, be proud for their accomplishments, but be proud when these children are found to be under the cross, when they take up their cross to follow Jesus. Be proud, celebrate the mind of Christ that is a mind of service and self sacrifice. Be proud when they set aside personal glory, when they empty themselves in service to God and their neighbor. And know that they cross of Christ that they claim as their own on this day is a cross that will follow them throughout the rest of their lives. That cross will involve their suffering. And that cross will call upon them to serve. Our text says: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Our vision for our children and our hopes for their future always involves them in positions of honor and power. We want to see them on top with earthly indications of success, respect or wealth or high positions. The cross of Jesus moves us to set aside the self, selfish ambition, conceit, personal gain, but instead to suffer loss for the sake of our neighbor. View others as more important than yourself. Other opinions as more significant than your own , other needs as greater than yours. This is the mind of Jesus "who though being in very nature God did not consider equality with God a thin to be grasped." But he humbled himself in to death and even death on a cross. Dear parents, foster that and encourage that in your children. Foster that in yourself. What would change in your relationship if you were put others as better than yourself? If you saw yourself as servant, if you put others and their needs their opinions, their position, their agenda as better, as more important as more significant than your own? If you showed up not to make them listen but so that you could understand, if you came not to be served but to serve and to give even your life for many. How would that change? Imagine if we all acted that way. How would that change our families or how would that change our church? Confirmands, Christians see your life under the cross of Christ and live your life as those who have been called not to be served but to serve. That is after all what Jesus did. Jesus came as the friend of sinners. He came to die in the place of sinners. He came to die in the place of me and you. Jesus came to die for our sins of vain ambition and selfish conceit. He baptized us to wash that sin out of us and he gave us his Spirit to change our hearts and our minds and our lives. He would have us not be kings but be servants of the one true king. He would have us be servants of one another, to die to ourselves and to be raised to a new life in him. We have talked about how proud parents are when they see the achievements of their children. That they beam with pride when they see what their sons and daughters have done. We have mentioned the pride and hope and expectation of Mary the mother of Jesus, but what about his Father? And no not Joseph. What about his heavenly Father. The gospel writers tell us of the pride felt not just by Mary but also of God the Father. On the day that Jesus began his earthly ministry the Lord looked down from heaven and he saw his son. He saw the work he was doing and he commended him for it. It was beside a river with a man named John. Jesus went down into the river where he was baptized with a baptism of repentance. John tried to stop him. No you should be baptizing me. And he was right. Jesus was the Son of God, as our text says Jesus set aside his heavenly glory to take on human flesh. Jesus was the prince of heaven. Yet he did not consider his heavenly glory something to be grasped – something to be held on to at all costs. Instead he emptied himself of that glory. And what’s more, beside that river in Palestine he submitted himself to repentance. The sinless one made himself as a sinner. He took our baptism of repentance and his Father looked on in approval. "This is my beloved son whom I love.” Said the Father. But he said that again. When Jesus was transfigured before Peter and James and John. They saw Jesus revealed in his glory and they heard a voice from heaven say, "This is my son who I love. Listen to him." They went down from that mountain and Jesus, who they were just commanded to listen to, said, "The Son of Man should suffer many things and be treated with contempt." (Mark 9:12) Immediately before that Jesus had said that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31) God the Father was proud of His Son. His Son came to die. But there is hope in our text. Because Jesus who came to die, came to die for us. And Jesus who calls upon us to die is the one who died first in our place. And that Jesus is Lord. Yes, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped and he set aside his power and glory to be a servant and to die a sinners death. But he has been raised from the dead. And He sits enthroned in Heaven in glory. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. As we kneel before the Lord in worship and in faith and as we humble ourselves and serve one another we have God's promise that he will hear our confession and see our faith and that he who sits on heaven's throne will honor that confession. And just as Christ served and suffered but was raised to glory, the Heavenly Father will honor that with us. With you. "Be faithful unto death," says Jesus, "and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10) Today our confirmation class makes a confession of faith, a promise to be faithful to Jesus. They make this promise in light of the promise that God made to them when they were baptized. God promised them faith, he promised them life, he promised them salvation. He gave them his Spirit to enlighten them and keep them with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. And so they promise faithfulness to him. Do that. Be faithful. Even to death and the Lord will give you the crown of life. Amen. And now may the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen