Sermon audio. The second Adam falls asleep, and out of his side comes blood and water, the elements that fashion his Bride, the Church. And He accomplishes and finishes this work on the sixth day, as he did in the beginning. And on the seventh day he rests in the grave, and then he rises as the first fruits of the new creation.

 Audio of the sermon (click).The Passover lamb was slaughtered, the blood was painted on the doors, the Israelites ate, and the angel of death passed over their houses and they were spared; and they followed Moses from the clutches of their enemies. Christ is our Passover; he is the real one; the other was a symbol. So we partake, his blood marks our doors, and we are saved.

Sermon audio. Jesus was mocked by the Jewish leaders, by the Roman soldiers, and by the people at the cross. But it was they, and we, who are guilty. And because he bore the guilt and mockery and shame, we find our salvation in him.

Audio of the sermon. The Greeks want to see Jesus, which is an indication that his hour has come. For now his work will be accomplished for all the world (the Gentiles). Yet they must see him in his glorification, which is his cross. To see Jesus is to see him as the Crucified. Here he is seen, as the Redeemer. 

What happened in the Passion of our Lord was an enormous travesty of justice. Everyone knew Jesus was innocent; it was they who were guilty, handing him over to death. And in this we see another great turnaround, namely that he suffered precisely what we as well as they deserve, the gall was meant for us, but was given to him. So we go free by his suffering, and are able to see ourselves especially in Barabbas who was set free by Pilate in exchange for him. Barabbas means “son of the father,” and so we, by Christ’s exchange with us, become the children of God. Sermon for Palm Sunday.

Before Jesus fed the 5000, he crossed the Sea of Galilee, and great multitudes followed him because they saw his miracles, and he went up on a mountain, and  the Passover was near; all this is reminiscent of when Moses led Israel across the Red Sea, and the multitudes  then followed him because of the miracle at the rock, and then he went up Mount Sinai. And all this just after the Passover was instituted and the lamb was sacrificed and the Angel of Death passed over  the people of God and delivered them from Egypt. So also Christ our Passover was near to the 5000 and fed them with miraculous bread, in token of today, when he gives us the miraculous bread of the Sacrament, the Body and Blood of Christ the Lamb of  God. And this he gives us in the wilderness of life to give us food for the journey to our final and glorious promised land.  Sermon for Laetare Sunday.
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The Sadducees confronted Jesus with their vaunted reason. Reason is a gift from God, but never to be seen as superior to His Word. So the Sadducees, though they had the Scriptures, twisted them while believing there is no resurrection. Thus they challenge Jesus with the question of Moses’ permission of a widow remarrying, which would in the afterlife require adultery. But Jesus explains  that marriage as we know it is only for this life; the life of the world to come is like  the eternal bliss of the angels, and needs no marriage. Marriage, rather, reaches its fulfillment there, as our Heavenly Bridegroom takes his Bride, the Church. So let remember that there is a world to come beyond this one, and learn to live in joyful expectation of that. Sermon for midweek of Lent III.
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It is central to the devil’s devices that he make a man mute, for speech is the primary characteristic of man’s creation in the image of God, and the devil’s envy caused the fall of man. So if he can make a man mute, he is doing his best. But Jesus heals the man, for he is the stronger one overcoming the strong man and dividing his spoils. But when a demon goes out of a man he goes through waterless places until he finds where to rest. So we find even in this Gospel that demons inhabit Jesus’ enemies to surround him with lies. For if the devil will not make a man mute, he can make him lie. Beware of lying, for it springs from the father of lies! But Jesus corrects the lies with the truth: the kingdom of God is come upon you. Yet he does more than that, for he will find himself again surrounded by liars who heap up charges against him leading to his crucifixion. Behold, he swallows their lies and ours, carries them to the cross and dies; then he carries them into hell and deposits them there, destroying their effect, and bringing us life and salvation. So now, remember that you were given a voice to speak, that you may praise your Maker, for this is why you were made, and also that you may rejoice in his abiding love and his eternal life. Sermon for Lent III.
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