Sermon in Outlook 18.04.2014

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in the beginning of these Easter services, let us give thanks and pray.

Heavenly Father, this morning we come before your face with many reasons to thank you. The greatest of all is that on first Good Friday you let your Son suffer and die. We come before you very humbly because we very well know that that sacrifice was needed for our sins. We wish to thank you that you completed your plan of salvation so that when we are gathered here for these Easter services, we can speak and hear these matters with that confidence of faith that you have prepared everything for us. What is left for us is to believe. Father, increase our faith.

We thank you for many abundant blessings that you have given us for this life. Thank you for family and friends, mothers and fathers and our children. Dear experts on the way that leads to heaven's home. Thank you for providing us with food so that we can gather together here, not needing to be hungry in a physical way, but that we can be here comfortably because you have provided for us. Thank you for protecting and blessing this congregation here in Outlook.

Thank you for joining us. And we ask that you would, as you will, come close and remember those who are going through difficult times in their life. Father, we trust that you will provide. Whether it be sickness or difficulties with having enough money to pay for the obligations in this life or loneliness or whatever that may be that you see that you are own in this life are needing. Father, we trust that you will provide and you will open the way.

And as we are gathered around your word this Good Friday, we humbly ask that you would open your word for the glory of your name, for the upbuilding of your congregation, and for the benefit of our undying souls. Bless our services.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want to bring greetings of your brothers and sisters there in Elk River and other areas in Minnesota. Greetings of God's peace and love. Many came when they knew that I was coming here and personally wanted to have their greetings brought here and maybe if I remember I tried to do so. Be assured that they are thinking about you and they are hoping that you as well as they, we all can stay on this narrow path that leads once to heaven's home.

I came here with my own corruption and I would like to ask that, can you forgive all my sins? I want to believe together with you. This is the second time that I am in this area. I have many memories from first time when I came and I think I, if I recognize right, I see some of you young kids, youth who were at youth camp. Now that your parents are here, I can relate this, that first time, first day coming into camps, I saw vehicles rolling into the campsite with the window down and music, loud music blaring out from the window. The nice thing was that the words were all Canada, our home and native land. I hope that I see you here, that simple and that taste the music and appreciation for how believers here live.

And as it is, a narrow way, no matter how we compare it, hopefully that narrow way has been enough for you. And I can see many of you young people here. It's good to know that you have wanted to come to the word, hearing of God's word. And at these services, when we turn to the word of God, it is with the prayer. Especially if there would be anyone here this weekend who is as if in crossroads. Kind of weighing that, does it pay to believe? Or should they lead another way? May our prayer be to our Heavenly Father, that he would show through his word that it indeed pays to believe. The reward is great. And God's children's way, although through difficulties and trials, is a blessed way.

Thank you.

A little bit more about the camp before we go into our text. I really admire the beauty of the nature. It reminded me a lot about my home country, Finland. So, I was very glad to see and also hear about this land of the silver birds and home of the beaver. Those young kids reminded me that this country sure was such a country.

Today is Good Friday. I think you boys and girls know what it means. What happened on Good Friday. And if God so wills, we will study his word. And we will read from the Gospel of Luke from chapter 23, beginning from verse 44 in Jesus' name.

Has it ever happened to you, boys and girls, I can only ask because it has happened to me that I had done something wrong and then somebody comes to ask about it. I try to put the fault on somebody else. It amazes me how early on children learned that. It is in us that we don't like to take the fault but we rather put it on somebody else. I didn't break the window. It was Mark or I didn't make that mess with somebody else.

When we grow up, I don't think we necessarily get any better about it. I know from my own life that I would very eagerly confess my dear wife's sins and other people's faults. Whether we take even driving, if you take a turn left, it seems my wife tells me let's take left and it's not right. It's her fault. If we would go to the right, it would be her fault also. It seems that it is very close to us humans to put our fault on somebody else.

The scripture exhorts us to take responsibility for our own actions. Your boys and girls, I think your mom and dad will be fine hearing if you have done something wrong and you are asked about it. If you don't try to put it on somebody else, but just confess what you have done. I think your mom and dad are loving and gracious that it will end up being all good and all fine.

But we easily find fault in somebody else. And there is even an English term for that, a scapegoat. In Finnish that would be a syntipukki, that we put our fault on somebody else. It seems that there is nothing new under the sun.

When God approached Adam, he quickly had others to blame. First of all, that this woman that you gave, Adam quickly found two different beings to be at fault. His wife and then even God for providing such a helper. That's how we people are. We easily find fault in others.

But God has had reason and function for a scapegoat. If you think back to the time of Old Testament when they were establishing their worship service, and if you want to read, I think it is in Leviticus 16, there are some ordinances for yearly celebration or traditions of the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur as the Hebrews say it. It was the day when there was an atonement made for the sins of all the people.

And we remember, I think you boys and girls probably have touched this in Bible class or Sunday school, that animal sacrifices were the way that God had established it. And according to how God had told the people of Israel to do, during that one day a year, day of atonement, there would be sacrifice of three animals. And that sacrifice was performed by the high priest, one person.

And there was a bull that was sacrificed and the blood was sprinkled to atone for the high priest and his family's sins. Then there was a sacrifice of a kid, of a goat, for the sins of the entire nation. And again, the blood was sprinkled.

But then there was also a third animal, a second kid of a goat. Let me see if I can find here. It served a purpose. After those two animals were sacrificed and blood was sprinkled, and of course we understand that that was that picture of that coming sacrifice. It was a sacrifice that God had ordained.

And then there was this one more animal, a kid of a goat, that was still alive. And the people of Israel were around this place of tabernacle where the high priest was providing and doing this sacrifice. Later on one's wilderness journey ended. They had various places eventually then at the temple of Jerusalem where all of this happened.

What was the fate of the third animal? And we can read from Leviticus 16:20. And again, when he being Aaron the high priest and subsequently different high priests after that when he had made an end of reconciling the holy place and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar he shall bring the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.

And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited, and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

The scapegoat took upon him everyone else's sins. When we are gathered around on Good Friday, we are speaking of God's sacrifice. Just think of that love of God that he would give his only Son. You parents, you can think what kind of love you can have for your children, and it is great. How much more was God able to love his Son, and yet he sent his only Son to be the sacrifice. To be the sacrifice to shed his blood, but also be that scapegoat who took upon him all the faults of everybody else but him, because in him there was no fault.

To boys and girls, and not only boys and girls, young ones and adults and elderly, everyone here. When we got into trouble with one another, when we do wrong, we have a scapegoat that God has provided for us. There is no need for us to point fingers at everybody else's faults. How God wants it to happen.

And let's take this very simple example at home. Let's say there is a fight between kids. Feelings are hurt, and sin has happened. How God wants it to be resolved is that instead of looking for everybody else's faults and pointing at fingers, that first of all, one at fault would confess their sins. And then, all that fault can be put on that scapegoat, which is Jesus Christ.

Because he took upon all the sins that all the people had done and committed unto the day of his time and unto the future. Because of the writer of the Hebrews says that he made once and for all the sacrifice that there is no need to do any more sacrifices. He did it once and for all for people in the past, people today and people of the future.

Does not this make us thank our Heavenly Father that he has given us an opportunity that when we fall and when we confess the judgment for our sins is not eternal death?

Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus had come to Jerusalem for celebrating the year, another yearly feast of Passover. And I think that's again one of the things that little kids probably remember in the class or at home.

Passover was celebrated in remembrance of that when God released people of Israel from slavery. It was cruel slavery. You may have seen some great big buildings of Egypt, pyramids and different kinds of big buildings made out of mortar and stone. Your brothers and sisters in faith were the slave labor for many of those buildings. It was difficult and cruel time. But God wanted to release his people from slavery.

And we remember that to turn the heart of Egyptians and especially the Pharaoh, he sent ten different plagues. The last one of them was that all the firstborns of the land would be killed. But God provided a way for those who believed. So that they would take a lamb, sacrifice it. They would also eat that lamb as a Passover meal. And then use that blood to paint the doorposts of their houses. And then when the angel of death went through the country, he could see where the believers lived. And because sacrifice was done on their behalf, he passed over those houses.

And this miraculous release from Egypt and God saving his own people. The people of Israel desired to celebrate every year. God told them to celebrate it every year. That continued for centuries. And then also in the time of Jesus.

Jesus who was a Jew by his... He was born into the Jewish culture and grew up as a Jew. And also grew up under God's law. Because he was the first one to completely fulfill it. He went to Jerusalem to the Passover feast many times. The Bible doesn't tell us of all of those times. For example, when he was 12 years old, we remember that he went there with his parents. He went to celebrate the yearly Passover celebration.

And most Jews wanted to go to Jerusalem, the holy city, three times a year. I think the Day of Atonement was the second one. And then Passover was another one. And then the celebration of Booth, another appointed time by God, was the third one. Big celebration.

And we could of course compare that a little bit to these gatherings of our summer services. When believers gathered together in big numbers to hear the word of God, give praises unto God, and pray for continued blessings.

The city of Jerusalem was full of people who had come there for the Passover. It says that during that year, everything changed. Jesus came to that Passover feast very well knowing what lied ahead of Him. He had told His disciples. He had began to prepare them for many months before. And told that the Son of God will be captured, will be given to the heathen, and they will crucify Him.

It was not a surprise to Him what was to happen. But He willingly wanted to submit to it. After a very joyful entrance into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, things changed. He came to the temple daily to speak to people. And many found His teaching offensive. Because He had said He is the Son of God. And He had the power that nobody else had.

High priests and Pharisees and scribes, they were furious about this man. And they, the high priests and scribes got together and planned, we need to kill this man. So that the whole country doesn't go after Him. Because Jesus was a man of miracles. He had caught the storm. He had healed the sick. He had fed thousands of people with miraculous worship of God.

Lately, he had gone to an extreme of bringing Lazarus, his friend, back from death. And those religious leaders of that time, they did not believe that He was the Son of God. They wanted to get rid of Him.

And of course, we remember that, say, and entered into the heart of one of Jesus' very own disciples. He agreed. He agreed. I will look for a time that will be a good time when you can come and capture Him. So that there will be not a big uproar. Because the high priests, they were worried there would be a great uproar if they killed this man, Jesus, during the time of Passover. And the city was so full.

Jesus reminded Peter, after Peter took his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, one of the temple card servants. This kingdom is not a kingdom who fights with the armors of flesh. He said, I could call my father and he would send me six legions of angels. And we know he could have done it.

The reason that he submitted himself was not in his weakness of God being able to protect him. He submitted himself because he wanted to be obedient to his father. And he loved you and me. So he did not call out those six thousands of, six legions of angels, thousands of angels. But submitted to be first tried by the high council of the Jews. First to Anna's home and then to another place.

And then they were looking to find how could they condemn this man. How can you condemn man who has never been at fault? You have to come up with excuses. And so they did. Tried out many ways how could they condemn this man Jesus could not find.

Eventually, a couple of the people came and said, He has said that he can tear down this temple, the great temple of Jerusalem that had been renovated just decades before. That was bigger than it ever had been. They said, he said he can tear this down and build it up in three days. That was a little bit of a justification for them.

The high priest then asked, are you the son of God? And Jesus said, you say so. He also said that from now on you shall see the son of God be at the right hand of God. Those religious leaders became furious. This is a blasphemy. He is saying he is son of God. And they asked, they decided, we are going to get this man killed.

And because the Jews were under the Roman Empire and the Roman power, they could not give a capital or execute a capital punishment to anyone. They had to request that to be done by the Roman officials.

Pontius Pilate was between a rock and a hard place. He could see this man is innocent. He could find no fault at this man. But yet, at the request of those people who said that this man has told that we do not need to pay taxes, which was false. Jesus had told them just a few days before, when they had asked that, is it okay for them, for the Jews, to pay to unconquering power, the Romans, tax money? And Jesus said, whose face is on the coin? And of course, it was the face of Caesar. He said, give Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Give to God what belongs to God.

But they falsely accused Jesus. And they said to Pontius Pilate that you can't be Caesar's friend if you let this man free. So, to prevent the riot from happening, Pontius Pilate, after having Jesus, he also, he was in such a difficult situation that he wanted to actually pass Jesus on to another Roman official, a Herod. Maybe Herod, who was leading Galilee, and from where Jesus was, maybe he could take on and he would not need to do this judgment.

Herod did not judge Jesus, brought him back to Pontius Pilate. But so that there would be no riot. And of course, dear brothers and sisters, we know the real reason that Jesus was sent to death. So that the scriptures would be fulfilled. So that the scriptures could be fulfilled.

Throughout his life, Jesus made sure that every single prophecy that is said of him by the prophets of God would be fulfilled. So also those prophecies of suffering, a sacrifice of God, who would willingly submit himself into the misery and take upon the sins of all the world. He fulfilled that.

And we can read from Isaiah. From Isaiah, there is an example of what was foretold of Jesus. And it speaks a little bit about the cruelty of the Roman system of torturing people. Because as you remember from the gospel texts, before sending him to Golgotha, Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to be tortured, to be whipped.

From Isaiah 53. And this is the prophecy of Jesus Christ.

Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we shall desire him. He is despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not.

Surely, he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as the lamb to the slaughter, and as the spirit of the living.

From prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut up out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

In English we call the day Good Friday. Because it was good. It was according to God's perfect plan. To give up his Son to be the scapegoat and sacrifice for all our sins. Because God has other children. God has children in his kingdom.

In Finnish we call Good Friday a pitka perjantai. Long Friday. Because it lasted long.

Imagine the pain and suffering that Jesus had to endure. From a physical sense. He was beaten. The ring of thorns was put on his head. He was beaten with sticks and with whatever the Roman soldiers might have had. They were experts in torture. A lot of times people would not last alive to that torture.

And Jesus bruised and bleeding, endures all of this. Even at that time he could have still asked for six legions of angels. As he had prayed on Golgotha to God, that if this cup can pass by me without me needing to drink of it, let it happen. But let your will happen. Amen.

Somehow Jesus received the assurance from God that it indeed had to happen. The sacrifice had to come to an end. And Jesus willingly submitted to it.

Under all this physical pain, there was the humiliation he was spat on. Both the Jews and the Roman soldiers ridiculed him. King of the Jews, they put on him a red cloth, as if the king's clothes. You're king. You can't even help yourself. How can you help others?

The greatest torment was that of a scapegoat. For all your failures and my failures, everyone else's failures, the guilt of sin was put on him. A perfect person who had never done anything wrong, yet what kind of a character does our Savior have?

When he was on the way to the cross, did Golgotha carry his... Keep not over me. Not over me, but for your city, for its unbelief. Because the days will come when there will be a siege. An army will come and there will be a destruction for both the temple and the city. That happened a few decades later.

He yet had love and care for those people who had sinned. Those people whose sins he submitted to pay. He was proud. He brought his cross to Golgotha. And there, yet showing his long suffering and his compassion for all sinners.

As they were nailing him to the cross and lifting up the cross, Jesus called for his father. Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

But brothers and sisters, we have a savior who has compassion for sinners. He does not want us to sin. But if we have sinned, and from a sincere heart we want to repent, we have a savior of compassion.

Two thieves were also put to death that day. One of them ridiculed. The other one found at the last moment of his life grace is called in the kingdom of God. Isn't that what Jesus was talking about? When the last will become first, and the first will become last.

No matter if you had worked eight hours, or four hours, or one hour in that vineyard, as it was in Jesus' parable. God, when he grants his grace, and a person can repent from their sins, God is willing to forgive. And the same kind of future, the hope in heaven awaits for such a person.

Jesus said to the thief, Today, who found a place and a mind to repent from his sins, at the last hour. At the eleventh hour, we could say. And Jesus said, Today you shall be with me in the paradise. Just think of that measure of grace.

And then, at about six hours, there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. They began counting hours, 6 a.m., early in the morning. The sixth hour would be midday, when the sun is the brightest. Ninth hour would be around 3 o'clock.

It is a little gloomy day today. Maybe a good reminder for us about the gloominess of the Good Friday. It was much darker than what it is here now. Because it says here, At six hour, at noon, there was darkness over all the earth. Until the ninth hour.

For three hours, the darkness prevailed on the earth. And I don't know if the sun darkened, or if God covered the earth with clouds. Either way, it was dark.

And at that time, Jesus was rejected by everyone. He called to His Father. One of His last words. My Lord, my Lord, why have you forsaken me? Even God, His Father, rejected Him to be that perfect scapegoat for everyone's sins. He carried that alone. Rejected by everyone.

And the sun was darkened. And the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. Now the veil of the temple separated the holiest of the holy, where the high priest would go once a year. It is not a coincidence that the veil at the temple tore in half.

Because now, the grace's mercy seat that was beyond that veil was exposed to everyone. There was no need for the high priest to go and do any animal sacrifices, which were only a picture of this perfect sacrifice. The veil was removed and broken. And now, the access to the holiest of holy was provided.

When Jesus came back from death, He reminded His disciples, that is why it all had to happen. That I had to suffer and die and rise victorious. That in my name can be preached the repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

All of God's salvation plan was geared toward that, that we as people, even though we are faulty and we fail, we yet have an opportunity to confess our sins. And God, who is righteous, will forgive us our sins. And that forgiveness continues to come.

It has a human face and human voice. It continues to be proclaimed from the kingdom of God. Even this afternoon, my dear brother and sister, just as you find yourself on this holy, good Friday day, you can, because of God's mercy and because of what Jesus has done for us, uplift your heart and believe that all of your sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and blood.

And you can be of good cheer. Believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. You can be of good cheer. It was a sacrifice that suffices. Whether those sins that we may harbor in our conscience are great or small, there's a payment for them. There is a payment for them. Jesus paid for us.

May it be that remembering this good Friday and that which Jesus did continues to have us with the loving mind for our dear ones who also are just like us. Weak ones and they fail. May it be that you remember that which Jesus did with reverence and with love and appreciation.

Because on our own we cannot do anything. All we can do is trust in God and His word and that gospel message that renews our strength.

I think it's about time now to say Amen. Amen. Thank you.