5th Sunday in Lent: Date: March 17, 2024
Bulletin: Read Bulletin
Sermon: Read Sermon
THEME: Jesus’ Passion Secures Our Salvation.
PRESERVICE PRAYER: Oh God, You declare in Your Word that You do not want to see the sinner die, but that he turn from his sinful way and live. To this end You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and You have called us to repentance and faith in His name. Today as I come to Your Table confessing my sin, and to receive Jesus’ body and blood, the sacrifice offered for my sins, I ask that You grant me forgiveness for all my sins, and that Your Spirit would strengthen my faith that I might grow in Your grace and power and that the new man might arise and lead me to live to the glory of Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
THE ORDER OF SERVICE: (p. 22 Worship Supplement 2000)
Hymn 149: Come to Calv’ry’s Holy Mountain
1 Come to Calv’ry’s holy mountain, Sinners, ruined by the Fall;
Here a pure and healing fountain Flows to you, to me, to all,
In a full, perpetual tide, Opened when our Savior died.
2 Come in poverty and meanness, Come defiled, without, within;
From infection and uncleanness, From the leprosy of sin,
Wash your robes and make them white; Ye shall walk with God in light.
3 Come in sorrow and contrition, Wounded, impotent, and blind;
Here the guilty free remission, Here the troubled peace, may find.
Health this fountain will restore; He that drinks shall thirst no more.
4 He that drinks shall live forever; ‘Tis a soul-renewing flood.
God is faithful; God will never Break His covenant of blood,
Signed when our Redeemer died, Sealed when He was glorified.
P: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
C: If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P: Together let us pray.
C: Almighty God, merciful Father, we are sinful by nature, and have sinned against You in our thoughts, words, and actions. But we are sorry for our transgressions and pray You, of Your bountiful mercy, to be gracious and merciful unto us. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake, renew us by Your Spirit, and lead us in the way everlasting. Amen.
P: Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. We are forgiven! With boldness and confidence we may approach the throne to find grace to help in time of need. In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.
C: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
C: Amen.
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (NKJV)
THE PASSION READING: Jesus scourged, abused & condemned (p.194 f.)
THE NICENE CREED (The Lutheran Hymnal p. 22)
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary And was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, And I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen.
Hymn 145: Jesus, Refuge of the Weary
1 Jesus, Refuge of the weary, Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary, Savior from the world above,
Oh, how oft Thine eyes, offended, Gaze upon the sinner’s fall!
Yet, upon the cross extended, Thou didst bear the pain of all.
2 Do we pass that cross unheeding, Breathing no repentant vow,
Tho’ we see Thee wounded, bleeding, See Thy thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Thy sinless death hath bro’t us Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Thy grace hath taught us Calms the sinner’s stormy breast.
3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning With more fervent love for Thee!
May our eyes be ever turning To Thy cross of agony
Till in glory, parted never From the blessed Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever Dwell the cross, the Crucified!
THE SERMON: Hebrews 5:7-9
Theme: Jesus’ Passion Secures Our Salvation
I. See Jesus’ Intensity of Suffering
II. See Jesus’ Intensity of Purpose.
III. Gain Intensity of Faith in a Perfect Savior.
“In the days of his flesh, he (Jesus) offered prayers and pleas with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 After he was brought to his goal, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him.”
(EHV)
OFFERTORY: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen
PRAYER; THE LORD’S PRAYER
The offering of thankful hearts will now be received.
Hymn 163:1-4, 6: The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord
1 The death of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
We celebrate with one accord;
It is our comfort in distress,
Our heart’s sweet joy and happiness.
2 He blotted out with His own blood
The judgment that against us stood;
He full atonement for us made,
And all our debt He fully paid.
3 That this is now and ever true
He gives an earnest ever new:
In this His holy Supper here
We taste His love so sweet, so near.
4 His Word proclaims, and we believe.
That in this Supper we receive
His very body, as He said,
His very blood for sinners shed.
6 Oh, blest is each believing guest
Who in this promise finds his rest,
For Jesus will in love abide
With those who do in Him confide.
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
The most wondrous assurance of His peace that God brings us is found in His coming to us in a visible way. Our Lord Jesus tells us that His body, the very body sacrificed on the cross for our sins, and His blood, the same blood that was shed for the remission of our sins, is literally present as we eat of the bread and drink of the wine in the Lord’s Supper. As penitent sinners receive His body and blood we also receive His personal intimate assurance that He abides with us in peace. It is therefore important that communicants be able to examine themselves and repent of their sins before receiving the sacrament. If you are a visitor here please arrange to speak with the pastor before communing with us.
P: Prayer
C: Amen
BENEDICTION:
C: Amen.
Hymn 151:7: Christ the Life of All the Living
7 Then, for all that wrought my pardon,
For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the Garden,
I will thank Thee evermore,
Thank Thee for Thy groaning, sighing,
For Thy bleeding and Thy dying,
For that last triumphant cry,
And shall praise Thee, Lord, on high.
CALENDAR
TODAY: Church council and Ladies Aid Follow the service this morning. No adult Bibe class.
WEDNESDAY: Soup and sandwich supper begins serving at 6:00 p.m. Lenten meditation is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Text: Matthew 27:15-22, Searching Question: “What Then Shall I Do with Jesus?”
NEXT SUNDAY: Palm Sunday Worship at 9:30. Bible Class is scheduled to follow the service. Sermon Text: Hebrews 12:1-3.
SERVING TODAY
Organist: Denise Barthels
OUR RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL:
Attendance: March 10 worship –14, Bible Class 12
March 13 – Midweek Lenten worship – 14
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Weekly Offerings Needed |
$1,374.00 |
Other Offerings: |
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Offerings Received |
$ 670.00 |
Kinship $25.00 |
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Needed for Year: |
$13,740.00 | |
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Received for Year: |
$9,892.00 |
March church cleaning: Berg
( Pastor Theodore Barthels )
Sermon
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
2100 16th Street SW
Austin, MN 55912-1749
Pastor Ted Barthels
Sermon preached on
March 17, 2024
5th Sunday in Lent
Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Passion History: Jesus scourged, abused, condemned.
Hymns: 149; 145; 163:1-4,6; 151:7
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Text: Hebrews 5:7-9
“In the days of his flesh, he (Jesus) offered prayers and pleas with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 After he was brought to his goal, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him.”
(EHV)
This is the Word of God.
Sanctify us, oh Lord, through Your truth. Your Word is truth. Amen.
In Christ Jesus, our crucified Savior, dear fellow Redeemed:
INTRO: Passion Sunday
Traditionally this fifth Sunday in Lent is called Passion Sunday. During Lent our tradition is to read the Passion History of Christ as it has been compiled from all four gospels. Why do we use the word passion for Jesus’ sufferings and death? When we use this word in other contexts it has a meaning that conveys intensity. If a man has a passion for football, he likely watches great deal of it on TV, and doesn’t want to be disturbed by trivial things like the house burning down around him. He’s watching football! Sometimes people can be intense about things that aren’t that important, but it is to them.
When we consider Jesus’ Passion we note the intensity. We take note of the intensity of Jesus’ desire for our salvation. He possessed a passion for the salvation of lost sinners. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) We also note the intensity of the sufferings of our Lord. While the gospels do not dwell on the blood and gore, what we read in the Passion History this morning was a horror that Jesus experienced. However, the physical sufferings of our Lord, as disturbing as they may be, were only the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what Jesus endured for us and our salvation. On this Passion Sunday the Holy Spirit would lead us to a deeper appreciation of what it cost Jesus to redeem us from sin and death, to redeem us to God. On this Passion Sunday may we be led to more fully appreciate how —
THEME: Jesus’ Passion Secures Our Salvation.
We all know and believe with grateful hearts that Jesus has secured our salvation. We know that Jesus did this by taking away our sins. We look to Jesus just as John the Baptist directed us, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) We praise and thank God for this gift of grace. Our sermon theme uses that word that we associate with lent, “Passion.” Today, we are considering how Jesus’ Passion secured our salvation. The Spirit would have us appreciate what it took for Jesus to accomplish this great feat of unparalleled heroic measures. With eyes of faith let us really —
I. See Jesus’ Intensity of Suffering.
“In the days of his flesh, he offered prayers and pleas with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (v.7-8)
The opening words of our text take us back to the Garden of Gethsemane. These inspired words emphasize the significance of what took place there. Jesus, the Son of God from all eternity, took on our flesh and blood. He did this to make it possible for Him to suffer and die in our place. Some would point out that dying, being foreign to the nature of God, would have made it all the more burdensome, but it wasn’t just that death would be foreign to Jesus because of His divine nature. It was the burden of sin and its curse, a burden about which man seems oblivious, that weighed heavily upon Jesus Already in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was in anguish, and prayed fervently for His Father in heaven, if it were at all possible, to remove this cup of suffering from Him.
What the Holy Spirit reveals for our consideration is that Jesus was praying to the One who could deliver Him from death. God the Father could have saved Jesus. It would have been thoroughly just and fair for God to spare Jesus and condemn us. He could have answered Jesus’ prayer in that way, but the Father didn’t answer in that way. Jesus prayed with submissive reverence. Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
The Father answered Jesus’ prayer. The Father sent an angel to minister to Jesus, to strengthen Him. We are not told exactly how that took place, but Jesus’ prayers were not in vain. He was strengthened for the ordeal that lay before Him. And so it began, and what we see is Jesus’ reverent obedience. He went out to meet that mob coming to arrest Him and handed Himself over to them. He showed that He had the power to defeat them, but rather than doing that, Jesus used His power to save, even healing one of them when Peter had cut the man with his sword.
What a marvel it is for us to consider that Jesus, knowing all that was before Him, and already suffering a great anguish of spirit, went forward according to the will of God and suffered intensely. Yes, we have read of the things that were done to Jesus. Scourging was a brutal, inhumane, cruel punishment. The crown of thorns, the many beatings and mockery and blasphemy, the crucifixion with the crushing hammer blows driving the spikes through hands and feet, the torment of the cross. All that physical torment was a necessary element that Christ endured in His submissive reverence to God the Father’s will that you, you and I be spared the torments of hell. And yes, Jesus did endure the God-forsaken element of hell’s anguish while suffering on the cross.
Jesus’ PASSION, an intense pain and suffering endured in submissive reverent obedience brought Jesus to the fulfillment of His purpose, to win for us salvation. Now consider Jesus’ Passion and —
II. See Jesus’ Intensity of Purpose.
Our text concludes,
“After he was brought to his goal, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him.” (v.9)
That is a statement of purpose being fulfilled. The purpose was that Jesus become the source of eternal salvation. That was always Jesus’ purpose. One might say that it was His purpose from the day He was born, but actually it was Jesus’ purpose even before He was born. It was the divine purpose of the Triune God to bring eternal salvation to a world of sinners. Jesus the God Man bore that purpose and carried it out in His life. It wasn’t about making a good life for Himself. Jesus said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:28)
Many consider the ultimate goal and purpose anyone could have, is to make this world a better place. Jesus’ purpose was so much greater and higher than that. It was sin that corrupted the world and brought sorrow and pain and sickness and death so that this world has such devastating problems. Those who seek to make this world a better place are addressing the symptoms that cannot be removed, try as they might. Jesus’ purpose was to deliver us from this present evil world by being the source of eternal salvation.
That was Jesus’ passion, and He was intense about it. Knowing what lay before Him, Jesus set His face for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)
Again, when the time was approaching for Jesus to fulfill His purpose of salvation Jesus addressed this with His disciples. “Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
(Mattheew 16:21-23)
Jesus would not be deterred. He had to go to Jerusalem and be taken by His enemies and suffer for His purpose to be complete, and His mission of salvation fulfilled. Jesus identified Peter’s well-intended words as a temptation from the devil himself. Jesus’ passion was and is your salvation.
III. Gain Intensity of Faith in a Perfect Savior.
“He became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him.” (v.9)
It is important that we understand what the Spirit is conveying to us with these words. What does it mean that we “obey” Jesus? Too many people misunderstand these words and go back to the law and speak of a need to try to keep the law perfectly in our lives for us to gain eternal salvation. The word the Spirt used here for us obeying Jesus is the same word that the Spirit used to describe Jesus’ obedience to the Father. It is not a matter of coercion for us any more than it was matter of coercion for Jesus. This is the obedience of faith. This is lending an ear to the hear the truth of the gospel, and dismissing the ideas that we by our own works of righteousness can attain eternal salvation. What the Spirit is telling us is that we, comprehending the intensity of Jesus’ passion for our salvation, comprehending the deep desire of our Lord that we be saved from sin and death, that we then trust Him and all that He has done for us. Jesus said, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life.”
(John 6:30)
Indeed, we by our meditating upon the Lord’s Passion and taking to heart the greatness of His love, and the intensity of His suffering, both of body and soul, we shall love Him with passion. This is our passion, an intense interest, not only an interest in who Jesus is, but a complete dedication of self to the Lord that only the Holy Spirit can work in our hearts and lives.
The Holy Spirit works this passion within us through the means of grace. The Spirit worked through our baptism, and our remembering of our baptism, the washing us clean from sin. The Spirit strengthens our passion for Jesus with the Lord’s Supper in which we receive again and again the forgiveness of sins by receiving the very body and true blood which Jesus offered for our redemption. The Spirit works through the word of the gospel, including the detailed report of how Jesus willingly went forward and suffered intensely for us and our salvation. Yes, the Spirit works within us so as we meditate upon the wondrous truths of our salvation, this passion grows within our hearts, and produces fruits of faith in our lives, that others might see the Lord’s passion to save them also.
That is the obedience of faith that is spoken of in our text. Lay hold on eternal life. Hear the message of God’s love for you revealed in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and know that you have eternal life through faith in His name. Then you too shall know that passion, that intense desire to love and serve Him who so loved us and gave Himself for us.
AMEN.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church Austin Minnesota 