Bethany Lutheran Church
Sunday worship, 10 AM
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn #156 Not All the Blood of Beasts - Watts
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her: all ye that love her.
Rejoice for joy with her: all ye that mourn for her.
Psalm. I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #316 O Living Bread from Heaven - Rist
The Communion Hymn #388 Just As I Am (Elliot)
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 50 Lord Dismiss Us
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| By Norma A. Boeckler |
- For healing, strength, and patience - Dr. Kermit Way,Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Callie and Peggy.
- For our country and DEP Trump, as the major trials continue.
KJV Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
KJV John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son didst feed five thousand men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes: We beseech Thee to abide graciously also with us in the fullness of Thy blessing. Preserve us from avarice and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things perceive Thy fatherly goodness, through Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God world without end. Amen.
Jesus' Commentary on Moses' Miracle
KJV John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
Introduction
The Gospel of John is best understood as a commentary, as the fulfillment of the Five Books of Moses. The content and structure of the Fourth Gospel is different in many ways from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but also in harmony with the first three. John's Gospel gives us more of the meaning of Jesus' ministry, with the assumption that we know the other three Gospels. The sermons and sayings of Jesus are prominent in John and so is the impact of very simple words and grammar, but profound and easily remembered.
If the Five Books of Moses are the foundation of God's work, from Creation to the Promised Land, then the Fourth Gospel fulfills what the Torah scrolls predicts. When we read all of John, we are not just learning about the Son of God in those days but also about the Trinity going back to Genesis 1:1 - the only other place where the book starts out the same as John - "In the beginning..." As Luther wrote, the divinity of Jesus is mined from the gold of the Torah - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Those raised in Judaism can see how the Old and New Testaments are unified, not two different Testaments. Those brought up without the basic truths of the Old Testament are assured that Jesus' ministry was already predicted - not just in the prophetic books - but all through the 39 books, starting with Genesis 1, John 1 together teach us that Jesus is the Creating Word...in the beginning. If the Holy Trinity is invoked in Genesis 1 and John 1, then it is taught in both Testaments, too.
John 6:1 reminds us that the Israelites followed Moses, such a multitude that they needed food (manna) and water (from the rock) - also referenced in John.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Because Jesus went up the mountain, the disciples could see the multitude following Jesus - because of the miracles He had performed. Jesus asked Philip and therefore the disciples - How can we buy enough bread for this multitude - knowing what was about to happen. That would make everyone follow Jesus' own observation and end conversation about this or that. It places us in the same place, imagining what it would be like to have this enormous crowd coming to Jesus.
Luther wrote about poverty and Jesus, since the Messiah and His disciples had very little. In this case, some loaves and fishes. Our tendency is to find comfort in money rather than in faith that God will care for us. The richest church in America is in NYC, Trinity Wall Street, worth a billion or so. Yes, the parish is torn up by conflict.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
I consider Philip the chairman of the finance committee. Every church has one. I nicknamed one The Bad News Bears, because they started every council meeting with doom and gloom. A consultant said these committees made everyone depressed before they got going. "They should end the meeting, not begin it."
Philip said - A large amount of money is not enough! Hopeless!
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Andrew clinched the fears by saying they had a little but not enough. During high interest times, a congregation told the synod they would build a new addition for cash. And they did. Years later they dissolved as a congregation and sold the property to a social agency. What was missing? Faith. How could I know that, so far away? It is because faith in Christ and attention to that singular purpose will take care of matters.
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
They had all the water they needed - we know because grass was growing. Jesus first gave thanks, which is another sign today, whether faith or no faith. The more rationalistic people are, the less they give thanks, the more they despair and get angry. There is a major difference between Moses and manna from heaven - and Jesus the Bread of Life. Moses asked for a miracle from God. Jesus performed the miracle before 5000 families. Moses prefigured the fulfillment of this great miracle, and Jesus displayed its completion, which made His opponents furious. This is like Holy Communion in many ways, but is not. Both are miracles and both are given by the power of God's Word.
Those who deny this miracle lack faith, and ultimately they reject most or all of the treasures of the Bible.
KJV Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
It does not take long to find out what the skeptics have done with the titles of majesty.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Knowing the minds of people following Him, Jesus realized that they would work to gather a force to make Him king and take on the occupying forces. This is exactly what happened after His death and resurrection. The people had a skirmish with local Roman forces and thought they won. Then the Roman Empire marched down with slaves and profession soldiers to surround them with a wall, starve them, and tear down the Temple, the source of their pride.
The Believers Sought Jesus without Food
We should not forget that this enormous group followed Jesus for the spiritual food He offered. They saw His miracles, which built upon the Star of Bethlehem 30 years before, the prophecies of Isaiah 40, and John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord - crying out in the wilderness (desert).
We live in an impoverished time. The basics of human life are ridiculed and a reason for suing and jailing citizens. The WalMart funded/owned public schools here were teaching "34 genders" to elementary school children 10 years ago. That is perhaps the ultimate disgrace, but more could be named.
God still protects believers and brings down the proud and deceitful. As it was in Jesus' time, so it is today.
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