Judica Lent 5 - 2025.

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas 72762

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn #13     Jehovah's Awful Throne                                    

The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Judge me, O God: and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. 

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man: for Thou art the God of my strength.

Psalm. Oh, send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people, that by 

Thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore both 

in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual

Gradual

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies; teach me to do Thy will.

He delivereth me from mine enemies: yes. Thou liftest me up above those that rise against me; Thou hast delivered me: Thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

Tract. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth.

May Israel now say: many a time have they afflicted me from my youth.

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #369    All Mankind Fell in Adam's Fall

                          

I AM - The Name of God

The Communion Hymn #312     Lord Jesus Christ Thou Living Bread

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 #410    Jesus Lead Thou On    

       

Prayers and Announcements

• In our prayers -  Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Dr. Lito Cruz and his family, Sarah Buck.
• Matt Howell had a birthday recently.
• Acts of the Apostles, Tuesday and Thursday 10 AM. Zoom.
• Midweek Vespers, 7 PM
• Holy Week -  Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday Communion 7 PM. Good Friday Vespers 7 PM. Easter Sunday 10 AM. Acts at 10 AM on Tuesday and Thursday.

       

KJV Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Not of God

KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

The Fourth Gospel has so much to teach us - and with such clarity. Matthew-Mark-Luke give us a lifetime of study and John gathers it all together in one phrase - Faith in Jesus.

Faith in Jesus is not just a theme but the bedrock of everything He says and does. This Faith in Jesus is both the foundation and the ultimate truth. The miraculous change of water into wine showed that little wedding party in Cana His ability to accomplish anything we can imagine - and far beyond that miracle. He enraged the officials in Jerusalem, John 2 after the wedding, because the Temple was distorted into a multi-national Walmart.

This comes down to believing rather than doing. The truly hip churches now feature their personal garments to wear as their "merch" to buy - and many more travesties, which are always promoted with great excitement and errors. That began with a "new" Bible in 1881 - exciting new wording! And everything unraveled from there, so the basis was the latest and not the best.

The miracles of Jesus were displayed so all the people would believe rather than try to purchase. After carrying the burden of works so long - with little relief - they longed to have healing, peace, and forgiveness - Faith in Jesus.

 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Faith in Jesus enrages unbelievers. Some are filled with anger. Others sneer about faith. Still others find ways to compromise - the elixir of modernism, which lets people pick here and there to approve the message. Two great insults are thrown at Jesus - one is that He belongs to the hated Samaritans (in Luke Jesus is the Samaritan, the Good Samaritan, a mystery to many do-gooders). The other is that He belongs to Satan. One Church Growther denied that he was a Church Growther even though he "earned" a D.Min. in Church Growth. A pastor from the ELS was outraged that I criticized CG! Hatred is the response that comes from unbelievers pretending to have something better, more successful, more winsome.

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Isn't it strange - or natural - that our technology consists of yes and no, one and zero? One of my early computer courses had all of us using binary (the old fashioned version) and most students fell into despair using 0 and 1 instead of base 10. The basis of the universe is Yes or No, Light or Darkness, Truth or Falsehood.

Jesus made this clear - there is life and death, only. 

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

Abraham is the Faith of Faith in the New Testament. The Genesis 15:6 passage is clear. Abraham's faith concerns his impossible age with a first-born son but also the continuous Promise that would lead to King David and then the King of Kings, Jesus.

54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 

This is the clearest possible message about Jesus the Son and His Father. That is why so many academics (hipsters, philosophers, modernists etc) scorn the Fourth Gospel, the miracles of Jesus and the Holy Trinity. One does not simply scoff at the Chief Article of the Bible - Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ. This builds up so that no one is confused unless that person cannot  grasp the words clearly.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.

The Son is from everlasting. When God spoke and said "Let there be Light," He was ordering the Son to execute the command. John's Gospel revealed this clearly.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

This shows how Jesus' His divine nature was not limited by His human nature, because an ordinary man would have been killed in short order.

This passage in John is a bundle of divine knowledge, which moves us to rely on that power freely given to us, according to God's wisdom, power, and sense of timing.

 Norma A. Boeckler

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Genesis 15:6 And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee, that of Thine infinite mercy Thou hast instituted this Thy sacrament, in which we eat Thy body and drink Thy blood: Grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not receive this gift unworthily, but that we may confess our sins, remember Thine agony and death, believe the forgiveness of sin, and day by day grow in faith and love, until we obtain eternal salvation through Thee, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.