Sermon in Minneapolis 01.04.2007

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, let us begin our services with opening prayer and thanksgiving. Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, again this evening we thank you for this opportunity that again we can assemble around your holy, unperishing Word.

Lord, we ask that you would be with us again this evening. Feed us with your everlasting gospel. Guide us with your gospel light, light of the gospel. Protect us and guard us and keep us in this begun faith and bring us to our everlasting home one day. Bless our services again this evening. Amen.

As we heard already today, that today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of a very special week. And the week is often called Holy Week or Passion Week. In Finnish language they call it the Quiet Week. Many names are assigned. They are used to describe this week, beginning with Palm Sunday and continuing through Easter Sunday.

The epistle text assigned for today is from Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11. Let this week be a day of prayer. Let this mind be anew, which was also in Christ, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Amen.

And first and foremost in our minds may be Christmas, with all of the glitter, the giving of presents, the receiving of presents, and all of the Christmas parties, and so on and so forth, the other activities associated with it. And this, of course, is an important event, recalling and remembering when Jesus was born in this world. But actually as a celebration, this came to be known and celebrated as a special event, much, much more. Much, much more. Much later than Easter. Hundreds of years later.

Easter was actually celebrated immediately following the events of the first Easter. In fact, yet during the time of the apostles, in the Acts of the Apostles it says that, that they gathered daily. Every day they would gather together for the breaking of bread, and to recall and to remember the resurrection of Jesus.

We know that during the Old Testament time, the seventh day, the sanctified day of the week, was the Sabbath day. Which we know today as our Saturday. But because of the so important events of Easter, during the New Testament era, during the morning of the New Testament, this matter of resurrection and the day of resurrection became so important that the structure of our week even changed according to it and with it. That is where we get our Sunday, the day of the sun.

As Dukte writes in our English songbook, that the sun has risen upon the cross. Jesus is our sun. He is our righteousness. And he, the sun, rose on Easter. So now, the seventh day of the week, if we could call it, is the day of the sun, reminding us and memorializing the day of resurrection. Sunday.

So these two Christian feasts or celebrations are very important. And Easter is so important that if Jesus would have been left in the grave, there would be no hope of everlasting life for any one of us. The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, and we would still be in our sins. We would be the most wretched of all people if we didn't have hope for the life beyond, if we only had hope for this life.

So it was of utmost importance that that stone was rolled away on Easter morning. The grave did not hold Jesus. But he broke the bonds and the shackles of death, won the victory over the enemy of souls and the majesty of death.

What then do people nowadays in general think about Easter? My wife and my family and myself just returned from Mexico late last night. And the entire country is going to basically shut down for the next week. It is Holy Week. Everyone, for the most part, is on vacation. It would be strange, it would be interesting to make a trip to Ecuador, for example, during Holy Week, like Ron Simonson and Brian Johnson are presently doing. They will be able to see many of the outward formalities of how they celebrate Christmas in South America, predominantly a Catholic continent. Remind me, reminding the people in general of the great events that happen during Holy Week, culminating on Easter.

But I'm sure for most of the population down there, as here in this country, it is nothing but a holiday, a time to be off work, a time to rest and relax, and do their worldly activities. In Europe especially, Good Friday still is a day off. It's a vacation day, reminding people of that very important day in the history of mankind. But for most people, it is just a day off work. It has become secularized. People, for the most part, do not even know or remember or realize the true meaning of that day off.

So Easter and the events around Easter is just, for many people, a holiday. Easter with its Easter eggs and Easter bunnies. In Finland with its Virpominen, which is similar to our May Day, with its Easter witches and Easter trolls and so on and so forth. That's all they may associate with the festivity of Easter. But it is much more important than that.

Here in our text is a very important portion of God's Word. And originally this was a hymn. It was a song. It was recited to music. It was one of the many songs that are recorded for us in the Bible. And it tells very important matters, very important issues about Jesus. Who was Jesus? Christ the Lord, the Son of God.

It is very common nowadays that there is a school of thought, especially among people, who adhere to the so-called liberal theology. And many of the prominent theologians of this day in the universities adhere to this liberal idea. Saying that Christ is not the Son of God. And because it is impossible to scientifically and biologically prove that a person could rise from the dead, come back to life again, it is impossible then that Jesus as well could have done such a feat.

But this text gives us proof, gives us testimony, gives us witness. Who is this Christ? The Savior.

We remember when Thomas, several days after Easter, when Jesus appeared the second time behind locked doors. The first time Thomas was not there. And when he heard the testimony from the other disciples that Jesus appeared in our midst, behind locked doors, he showed us the wounds that were still in his hands, hands and his feet, and in his side. Thomas said to the other disciples, I don't believe it. Unless I can personally witness it, unless I can personally take my fingers and put them into the wounds that are in his hands, his feet and in his side, I won't believe it.

So now the disciples are gathered the second time behind locked doors. And this time Thomas is with them. And Jesus appears. And Jesus tells to Thomas, Thomas, come close. Take your fingers and put them into the wounds, the print of the nails in my hands, in my feet. And take your fist and thrust it into that, that mark that is left yet in my side. And don't remain in disbelief, but rather believe.

At this time Thomas then breaks out with a cry and gives a testimony. Oh my Lord, oh my God. My God.

Thomas gives witness. Jesus, the Savior, is not only a human being, he is God of God. He is God's only Son.

Likewise when the Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthians, telling how we as believers, his followers, his apostles here on this earth, are his ambassadors. We are fully authorized to preach this word of reconciliation. Or in other words, able to pronounce and proclaim this gospel message.

Before, when introducing this topic, the Apostle Paul says, that God was in Christ. God was in Christ.

And so this matter of Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, which are the three different persons, three different Godheads, not three gods, separate gods, but one God. One God, having three different functions, if we could so say.

This is a major stumbling block to many of the people in the world. For example, Islam religion highly criticizes Christianity for, for this belief, this tenet. Even Judaism, the Jews, dispute and wish to criticize Christianity for this matter, this doctrinal issue of Trinity.

During the early era of the Christian Church, during the first hundred years, after Jesus suffered, died, rose from the grave, and then ascended into heaven. Now is the time of the era of the Christian Church. There were several times, many times, that controversies arose, and even to the extent that heresies broke away. And they were disputing different doctrinal issues.

And in order for Christendom to defend itself, they drew up creeds, which are confessions of faith. And the most popular, or the most well-known creed, which we have, and which we know, is the Apostles' Creed.

And the Apostles' Creed is, as it is recited, every Sunday in Sunday School in our church.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, who is the Maker of heaven and earth, the first person of the Godhead. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, ascended into hell, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from where he shall one day come to judge the living and the dead.

And then the third, I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Here, as Christians, Christendom confesses the three different persons in the Triune God. Not three separate gods, but yet one, indivisible God.

And so, the evangelist John, in writing one of his epistles, in his second epistle, says basically in this way, that whoever does not have the Son, the Son Jesus Christ, God's only Son, then that person does not have the Father, God the Father, either.

Here, we also have the Bible, the entire Bible, which includes the Old Testament and the New Testament. It's not a divided Bible. We don't consider the Old Testament obsolete and no longer worthy of value, but of equal value. Both included together to be one complete unit.

In the Old Testament, we have many prophecies about the nation of Israel, about what would happen to the people of Israel if they were to be divided. And so, the Bible is not a divided Bible. It is a divided Bible. What would happen to them and what will happen to them. Many interesting things that may yet come to be touching the events of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, yet in the time to come.

But most importantly, in the Old Testament, we have the prophecies of the coming Messiah, of Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world. And there are such clear prophecies that they were literally fulfilled in the New Testament.

In Psalms 22, for example, are the words that Jesus himself proclaimed on the cross, quoting Psalms 22 when he was basically nearly taking his last breath. Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Or as in the prophet Isaiah, chapter 53, telling about the events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday, that he is like a sheep, like a lamb that is brought before its shear, that it's brought before the slaughter, and it will not even open up its mouth.

As we told the Sunday School children this morning, when Jesus was brought before King Herod to be examined, King Herod looked Jesus up and down, asked a few questions. Who are you? Are you the king of the Jews? Where is your kingdom? And what is that kingdom? Jesus didn't say a word. The time of visitation of King Herod was over. It was too late. He had sealed his fate already earlier when he had John the Baptist beheaded. It was too late. Jesus didn't speak a word any longer to King Herod.

He was like a lamb brought to its shears and brought before the slaughter and didn't even open up its mouth.

Here our text tells about the mission of Jesus. What that mission was and why it had to be. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

We will talk about what is the mind of Christ a little bit later. Because just before this, it is the Apostle Paul is writing to the Philippians, to those people in that city where Paul was and Silas had gone. They wanted to stay in Asia Minor. But the Holy Spirit forbade them from staying in Asia Minor. And prompted them, commanded them to go to Europe.

So now for the first time they are on European soil in the area of the city of Philippi. And there they talk with this woman, this sorceress woman, who was doing her tricks to earn money for her master. Lydia, the one who was selling purple, dyed purple clothing or cloth. And she then receives the grace of repentance.

So later when the Apostle Paul is writing to the Philippians as a result of that trip to, or that stay in Philippi, a congregation was born in that town or in that area. But he had words of, words of admonition.

Even though the main theme in this letter to the Philippians is a letter of joy. Rejoice in the Lord. And again I say, rejoice.

The Apostle Paul is writing this letter when he is bound by hand and foot with chains in prison in the city of Rome waiting for the end of his life. Most likely he was soon to be beheaded.

Now he writes this letter to that congregation in the city of Philippi. And he says, let nothing be done through strife, or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind let each esteem or keep the other person better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Then he goes on to talk about the mind of Christ and what was this mind of Christ. But then Paul goes on and says who Christ is. What was his original place where he was. Who being in the form of God.

So Jesus is God of God. He is light of light. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word is Christ Jesus.

There in the glory of heaven, there together with the Creator, God said that I will create, Son will you go into the world to redeem mankind. The Son replies, Father, willingly I will do what you wish. For it is my joy to be in the midst of humankind, mankind.

So he says, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery, thought it not to be stealing something of the essence of God to be equal with God. Because he with God was God of God in light of light. There in the glory of heaven.

But made himself of no reputation. Now he is going to willingly empty himself of everything. Still not losing the essence of his divine being. And made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant.

This was abomination for the Greeks. And horror for the Jews. That a God would take upon himself the form of a human being. And not only any human being, but he took on upon himself the form of a servant, a slave. The lowliest position in human society.

Jesus said, I did not come that you would serve me or people would serve me hand and foot. But I came that I would serve you. And above all to give my life as a ransom on your behalf.

So, he took upon himself the form of a servant. And he was made in the likeness of man. God of God. But at the same time he was man of man.

So why was this so important? Why did this have to happen?

We remember and we have to go back to the first events there in the Garden of Eden. There in Paradise. When God placed Adam and Eve in the middle of the Garden. And it was truly Paradise. Everything was perfect. There was nothing that was nothing that was bad or nothing that was imperfect. It was perfect.

But with one condition. Don't eat of that one tree in the middle of the Garden. For if you do you will surely die.

The enemy of souls, Satan the serpent, came to tempt, came to beguile Adam and Eve. And they said if you eat of that fruit of that tree, your eyes will be opened. You will be wise as God. And you will become equal with God.

Oh was this a great temptation. They ate of that tree. Their eyes were opened. And what did they behold? They saw that they were naked. They had lost their original righteousness. They were chased out of the Garden. And an angel with a flaming sword was put to guard that entrance back into the Garden.

So Adam and Eve, the first human pair, fell into sin. And at that moment all of the pathways through any human activity or ambition were closed. The way to Heaven through the righteousness of life was to be a way to Heaven through the way that life was shut.

There was no going through that curtain. There was no going around that curtain. No going underneath or over that curtain. All the roads to Heaven were shut.

The only road at that moment open was the road to condemnation in Hell.

But God, who is a God of love, did not want to leave mankind in this condition. And the only way to correct this fall, correct this error, was to have someone who was a human being to live and fulfill God's demanding will. It had to be another human being.

So the first human being, Adam, the first man, Adam, fell. So God promised to send a second Adam who was his son, who took on the form of a human being. God of God, but at the same time, man of man.

No other human being could fulfill God's demanding will. Which is enumerated in the Ten Commandment Law of Moses. Impossible for us.

So, Jesus lived a perfect life. He fulfilled the law to the last letter. He had to suffer death, because the wages of sin are death.

So he needed to experience death, which was that penalty and punishment that the first human pair, Adam and Eve, brought into this world. And Jesus needed to experience that wrath of God.

He experienced it bitterly there in the Garden of Gethsemane, when all of the sins of mankind were cast upon his shoulders. When he was taken hold of and captured by the servants of God, and the high priest, all of the disciples scattered.

Jesus was left alone. But he was left so alone, that when he was on the cross, even God the Father rejected his Son, turned his face away for a moment, and Jesus had to cry out those words, that we quoted already from Psalms 22. Eli Eli lama sabachthani. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The worst penalty that any person could experience is everlasting death. If they leave this world in the state of unbelief, they are eternally separated from God. Separated from God forever.

Jesus had to experience this penalty also momentarily. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

So Jesus, as a human being, at the same time God, fulfilled the law. He was that perfect sacrifice, that sinless, blameless, that perfect innocent Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world.

He suffered death. That death which is a penalty of sin. And he suffered the greatest of all curses. Rejection of God, the Heavenly Father.

And so, he was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.

So first of all, we look when Jesus began up there in the glory of heaven. And he took his steps downward. He gave up that glory. He took upon himself the form of a human being. Not only any normal human being, but a form of a serpent. A servant.

And he says, I am a worm, and not even a man. Isn't that what he says in the beginning of Isaiah chapter 53?

So it was a downward progression. Stepping down lower and lower and lower. He stepped down so low that a person couldn't humble oneself any more, any further than that.

This morning, we heard from the text from John 12, the first eight verses. A text that I intended to use this evening. But it was taken from under me, so I had to switch to this text that we have this evening.

Mary did a humble act when she came to anoint the body of Jesus. Body of Jesus who is still living. She took down her hair.

In the society at that time, once a woman was married, they couldn't take their hair down in public. Only prostitutes unhook their hair. They were never seen in public with it up. Undone.

And then she humbled herself even further. According to Mark and Matthew, Mary anointed the head of Jesus. But according to John, she anointed the feet. Most likely she started with the head and then went to the feet.

And then she bowed down and humbled herself. Prostated herself, I'm sure, before Jesus to wipe the oil, that anointment, that nard, pure nard with the hairs of her head that she had undone. A thing that wouldn't be done in public.

So Jesus even humbled himself more than this. More than even Mary could even dream of doing.

And being found in the fashion of man, he humbled himself and became obedient.

This word obedience was a word that we could say the Greeks especially scoffed at. To be humble was a shameful thing to do. And also the word obedient was a shame for the people of that society. It was a weak person who would humble themselves. Humility was a shame.

But here Jesus humbled himself and became obedient. He became so obedient it was even until the point of death.

And how did Jesus die? What was his method of death? To be crucified was an abomination for among or in the Roman society. And it was a great curse to die on the cross for the Jews as well.

In Deuteronomy it says, Cursed is that person who hangs upon the cross.

And even more yet, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, he was hanging between two thieves. And the greatest of all criminals was always the one who was placed in the center. And Jesus was the one who was in the center. He who was perfect, blameless, innocent, sinless.

But this had to happen as Paul writes to the Corinthians that he in whom was no sin at all became sin on our behalf.

All of the sins of mankind that will ever be in this world were cast upon Jesus there while in the garden of Gethsemane. It was such a heavy burden that Jesus fell on his face, prostrate, prostrate, prostrate. And his sweat pores began to ooze out blood drops that dripped to the ground.

So, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even to the point of death on the cross. The most ignoble form and type of death that could ever be imagined in the society of that time.

But now we come to the point of exaltation. First he humbled himself point by point, getting lower and lower and lower. And eventually ended up in the grave where he lay. And he was buried there for three days and three nights.

But it did not end there as we said at the beginning. That we would be in a hopeless state and condition if that rock would have not been rolled away and his body, the body of Christ would have been left in that grave.

We would be in our sin, in our sins today with no hope of everlasting life in heaven.

But then, Paul continues, wherefore God also has exalted him, highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.

First of all, he was exalted on Good Friday when he was hung on the cross. But that's where he died, an ignoble death. Then he was put down into the grave. But then he rose from the grave, winning the victory over sin, death, and the power of the enemy of souls.

He rose for our righteousness sake. But then after forty days, during which time he appeared only to his disciples, and no longer did he orally preach the gospel anymore. The last time he preached it was when he was on the cross to that one thief, he said, when the thief asked, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus said, today you will be with me in paradise.

That was the last time he preached the gospel and forgave sins.

But then he appeared after his resurrection from the grave, forty days, many different times, and then from the top of the Mount of Olives, he ascended, was taken up in a cloud, and disappeared into the glory of heaven.

Where he now sits and waits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from where he will one day come again to judge the living and the dead.

But he was given a name, which is above every name. Jesus, which means to save one from their sins. Emmanuel, which means God be with us.

There are also tens of other names that were given to him, that are used for him in scriptures. But nonetheless, it's a name which is above every other name.

And this name is, this name is so important, that it is important that we have this name. This name of a child of God.

For there is no other name under heaven, as Peter writes in the Acts of the Apostles, the fourth chapter, by which a person shall become saved.

There is no other foundation than that foundation which has been laid, and that foundation is Christ Jesus, himself.

So it's important that we, by faith, would own Christ Jesus, and have this name as our own name. That we can be called a child of God.

For on that last day, at the last judgment, we would not wish that it would be said to us, go away, I know you not. But we wish, and our desire of heart is this, that personally we will be addressed, come, come you who are blessed of my Father, to inherit that kingdom which has been prepared for you, from the beginning of the foundations of this world.

Go into the peace of my Lord.

This name is so great, that one day, every knee will have to bow down and bend before it. And whether they want to or not, they will one day have to confess, He is Christ the Lord, the Son of the living God.

We remember when Jesus was in Gethsemane, and at the moment when the servants of the high priest captured him, Peter wanted to slay that one servant of the high priest, took his sword, and perhaps was aiming for the middle of his forehead, and we can imagine the servant moving his head to the side, and Peter just caught the ear, the ear lobe which fell to the ground.

Jesus stooped down, picked up that ear lobe, put it back in place, and it was healed. It became whole and well again.

Jesus turns to Peter and says, Peter, put that sword aback, put it back where it belongs. Who lives by the sword will also die by the sword.

But then he said, If I would want to, I could call to my aid twelve legions of angels, seventy-four thousand, seventy-two thousand angels to my aid.

In the darkness of this night, the skies would light up to be like midday, and every knee would have to buckle and bend and bow down before that accompaniment of angels that come to my aid to release me.

This I could do at just a snap of the finger, but I'm not going to do it. It's not the will of God the Heavenly Father, and I am going to submit to His wish and His will.

He went to the Lord, He went, outstretched His arms, His feet, to be nailed to the middle cross of Golgotha. He shed His blood to the last drop, so that today, you and I, brother and sister, feeling weary, tempted, and doubting, we have this possibility that in that Gospel message, we can believe sins and doubts, travel faults and errors forgiven, in His name and precious atonement blood, and the power of the Gospel lifts us, carries us, and will bring us one day to our heavenly home.

So be of good cheer. Sins are forgiven, in Jesus' name and blood. Amen.