LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Twelfth Sunday After Trinity – Sunday, September 4, 2022 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:27	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Mark the seventh
0:31	chapter
0:32	[Music]
0:36	oh Lord
0:39	Jesus returned from the region of tire
0:41	and went through sidon to the Sea of
0:43	Galilee in the region of the decapolis
0:45	and they brought to him a man who was
0:47	deaf and had a speech impediment and
0:49	They begged him to lay his hand on him
0:51	and taking him aside from the crowd
0:53	privately he put his fingers into his
0:55	ears and after spitting touched his
0:57	tongue and looking up to heaven he
0:59	sighed and said to him ephathah that is
1:02	be opened and his ears were opened his
1:04	tongue was released and he spoke plainly
1:07	and Jesus charged them to tell no one
1:09	but the more he charged them the more
1:11	zealously they proclaimed it and they
1:13	were astonished Beyond measures saying
1:15	he has done all things well even makes
1:17	the death to hear in the mute to speak
1:20	this is the gospel of the Lord in the
1:22	name of Jesus all right all right see if
1:25	these words sound familiar to you in
1:27	fact I might even try to chant this this
1:29	should sound familiar to some of you
1:31	hopefully some of some of you even more
1:33	oh Lord open my lips
1:36	how’s the next part go and my mouth will
1:39	declare your praise make haste o God to
1:43	deliver me make haste to help me O Lord
1:47	that’s the order of matins and so you
1:49	know oh Lord open my lips and my mouth
1:52	will declare your praise you’ll note
1:54	that throughout the scripture
1:56	muteness blindness
1:59	um deafness and things like this
2:01	oftentimes have kind of a double meaning
2:04	if you would they and so God throughout
2:07	the scriptures will point to physical
2:09	bodily ailments like the inability to
2:11	hear the inability to speak the
2:13	inability to see as a as metaphors
2:17	regarding our spiritual deadness our
2:20	spiritual blindness you see not all of
2:22	us are physically incapable of seeing or
2:25	hearing although my wife would argue
2:27	that I have a fairly bad hearing but I
2:28	don’t need hearing aids it’s the
2:30	strangest thing but all of that being
2:32	said
2:33	um when we don’t suffer from the actual
2:35	physics physical ailment then you’ll
2:38	note that scripture points to physical
2:39	ailments like this to kind of get to a
2:42	bigger reality one that has to do with
2:45	spiritual realities and that’s part of
2:47	what’s going on in Our Gospel text so
2:50	here we have Jesus and let’s kind of
2:52	work our way through our gospel text and
2:54	then we’ll use Isaiah to kind of help
2:56	unpack all of this when Jesus returned
2:59	from the region of tire and went through
3:01	side into the Sea of Galilee in the
3:03	region of the decapolis there’s our
3:04	opening sentence in Our Gospel text here
3:06	today and you’ll note that tire sidon
3:09	region of decapolis
3:11	these are these are where the on the
3:14	unbelieving Pagan Gentiles live right
3:16	this is technically outside of Israel
3:20	although the decapolis may be within the
3:22	borders of what historically was Israel
3:24	the decapolis the 10 cities established
3:27	by Rome they were known for their
3:30	paganism that you know they ate bacon
3:32	and things like that their Tire inside
3:34	and uh oh Old Testament enemies of
3:38	Israel and so Jesus here in Our Gospel
3:41	text is hanging out with the Gentiles
3:43	and you’ll note that Jesus isn’t
3:46	treating them poorly he’s being kind
3:49	he’s forgiving their sins he’s healing
3:52	their sick and things like this you’ll
3:54	note that Christ came to die for the
3:56	sins of the whole world and so his
3:59	behavior here is unique it’s not
4:02	normally Jewish for Jews to mingle with
4:05	pagans and Gentiles in such a way but
4:07	Christ is and so you’ll note that as
4:10	Christ is extending kindness and mercy
4:12	preaching good news to them and healing
4:15	people this well inspires them to bring
4:18	a man to Jesus who was deaf and had a
4:21	speech impediment and so they begged
4:23	Jesus to lay his hands on him and you’ll
4:26	note what Jesus does next is rather
4:28	interesting Jesus doesn’t do the Benny
4:30	Hinn thing all right or the TBN thing
4:33	you don’t see Jesus going all right this
4:34	is a great opportunity for me to
4:35	demonstrate the power of God right and
4:38	so he takes his coat off and swings it
4:40	in there I want you to hear right you
4:43	know it doesn’t do any of that instead
4:45	jesus takes him aside privately
4:47	and what happens next is so interesting
4:50	he puts his fingers in his ears and
4:53	you’ll note that what Christ is who he
4:56	is he is our great God and savior and as
4:59	I look at this it kind of reminds me of
5:02	two things number one the Garden of Eden
5:04	it reminds me of the well God forming
5:07	Adam from the dust and there’s Adam’s
5:10	lifeless body newly fashioned by Jesus
5:13	in the Garden of Eden and what does it
5:16	say that God breathed into the nostrils
5:19	of Adam the breath of life and his eyes
5:21	open up first thing Adam sees is the
5:24	face of his God I mean it’s such a
5:27	beautiful picture but the other thing
5:29	here now is is that now our broken body
5:32	is being brought to our creator Jesus is
5:35	doing some diagnostic work I’m not
5:36	exactly sure how any of this works I’ve
5:38	never seen a doctor behave like this
5:40	right but the other thing it kind of
5:42	reminds me of is you guys remember Star
5:44	Trek the Next Generation right and data
5:47	you you know and like he had the
5:48	opportunity to like in one of the
5:50	episodes run into his creator and you
5:52	know and so he’s getting a tune-up and a
5:54	checkup from it’s kind of like that so
5:56	here this fellow he’s got a broken body
5:58	and it just so happens his creator is
6:00	standing right in front of him and Jesus
6:02	is doing poking prodding you know taking
6:05	and all this kind of stuff and then
6:07	looking up to heaven Jesus side and he
6:10	said to him kind of breathy word a
6:11	breathy word you have to say it like
6:13	this
6:14	right it’s very breathy it kind of
6:17	invokes the wind of the spirit and that
6:19	word itself means be open his ears were
6:23	open his tongue was released and he
6:26	spoke plainly and Jesus charged him to
6:29	tell no one but the more he charged them
6:32	the more zealously they proclaimed it
6:33	you know you’ll note that Jesus wasn’t
6:35	trying to draw a crowd because the more
6:38	crowds came to him with bodily ailments
6:40	and broken bodies and things like this
6:42	the harder it was for him to actually
6:44	preach the word which was the important
6:47	bit but they were astonished beyond all
6:48	measures saying he has done all things
6:51	well
6:52	he even makes the death to hear in the
6:55	mute to speak and we should know indeed
6:58	he does I need to remind each and every
7:01	one of you myself included that our
7:04	state when we were conceived and born
7:06	into this world was not a healthy one
7:07	despite the fact that you may have got a
7:10	good apgar score by the the doctor who
7:12	delivered you that’s that’s beside the
7:15	point each and every one of us are born
7:17	dead in trespasses and sins so we can
7:21	say spiritually our eyes don’t work
7:24	spiritually our ears don’t hear
7:27	spiritually our mouths do not speak oh
7:30	Lord open my lips
7:33	and my mouth will declare your praise in
7:36	fact that’s exactly what David taught us
7:38	to pray oh Lord open my lips and my
7:41	mouth will declare your praise why
7:42	because corpses don’t speak
7:46	corpses don’t sing corpses don’t do
7:49	anything except for decompose and that’s
7:52	our state spiritually when we are born
7:55	we are all born dead in trespasses and
7:57	sins and so the deafness muteness
8:00	blindness theme runs throughout
8:03	scripture and it’s here where I would
8:05	take us back to our old testament text
8:07	and we’ll see if we can weave in a
8:10	little bit of meaning here because it
8:11	connects so well with our gospel and
8:13	here’s where I have to do a little bit
8:15	of explaining about how the Old
8:17	Testament prophets work have you ever
8:19	noticed that when you’re reading an Old
8:22	Testament Prophet maybe Isaiah or
8:24	Jeremiah or you’re you’re reading Micah
8:27	or things like you know prophets like
8:29	this you’ll note that somehow it seems
8:32	like they’re constantly changing the
8:34	subject as you’re reading through some
8:36	of these prophetic texts it seems like
8:38	they’re talking about one thing and then
8:40	without any solid transition it’s like
8:42	immediately now we’re talking about
8:44	something else now we’re talking about
8:45	this and and it just seem to kind of go
8:47	back and forth well let me give you a
8:49	metaphor that will kind of help us here
8:51	to understand what’s going on in Isaiah
8:53	and this what requires me to talk about
8:56	something that’s very uncomfortable for
8:58	Norwegians but that’s a good wine all
9:00	right now let me explain years and years
9:02	and years ago I knew nothing about wine
9:05	absolutely not a thing I would go to
9:08	Trader Joe’s because we had Trader Joe’s
9:10	in Southern California and they have all
9:12	kinds of wines that you can choose from
9:14	and you know how I would choose based
9:17	upon who had the coolest label on their
9:18	bottle right because I don’t know a
9:21	thing about wine at the time and so at
9:24	the time I was also in the corporate
9:26	world and I was a CEO running a company
9:28	and one of my employees said we need to
9:30	have a management Retreat well that’s
9:33	fine I’m in Southern California
9:34	management Retreat seems like a good
9:36	thing you could kind of get everybody on
9:38	the same page work on things where
9:40	people are lacking and you know kind of
9:42	team build and stuff like this it’s an
9:44	important thing but they came up with
9:45	the idea of having a management retreat
9:47	in Sonoma California
9:50	all right so we’re going to travel from
9:52	Southern California to Sonoma now if
9:54	you’re not familiar with Sonoma let me
9:55	explain you’ve heard of California wine
9:57	country right all right California wine
9:59	country you can kind of think of it it
10:00	breaks up into several pieces but two
10:03	main parts are going to be Napa which is
10:05	like super commercialized but Sonoma is
10:08	a little more let’s just say Mom and Pop
10:11	okay good way to put it and so we were
10:14	doing our Retreat our corporate retreat
10:16	in Sonoma and yeah and which is a really
10:19	nice mom and pop kind of wine country
10:22	and one of my employees said you know we
10:23	should go on a wine tasting Tour all
10:27	right wine tasting tour sounds good so
10:29	they they went I didn’t know what they
10:31	were using because this is a long time
10:32	ago this is probably before Yelp even
10:34	existed but they went online and we’re
10:36	looking at different reviews and things
10:37	like this and they came up with a fellow
10:40	who had really good reviews as to
10:42	somebody who would take us on kind of a
10:44	Cook’s tour of the the wineries in the
10:47	Sonoma Valley and so he shows up in his
10:50	and he’s got this white van it looks
10:52	kind of governmental it’s just
10:53	non-descript kind of ugly van shows up
10:56	and first thing he does is he sits us
10:58	down at like a picnic table and he ends
11:01	up because I’m the boss he ends up like
11:03	interviewing me for like 10 or 15
11:05	minutes I’m thinking are we going to go
11:07	on this thing or not all right and he’s
11:10	saying that I like to personalize each
11:13	and every wine tour and so I’m going to
11:16	find out what you are all about and you
11:19	want to know about me as a person we’ve
11:21	discovered that I was in nerd it only
11:22	takes like three seconds to figure this
11:24	out right and and so he figured out some
11:27	other things about me he goes all right
11:28	I know exactly which one wineries I
11:30	should take you to First Winery on the
11:33	list was a winery run by a retired JPL
11:37	rocket scientist no joke retired JPL
11:42	rocket science and he was an Aussie to
11:44	boot he grew up on a Vineyard in
11:48	Adelaide in in the south of Australia
11:50	spent 15 years working for the jet
11:52	propulsion laboratory in Pasadena and
11:55	decided that he wanted to go back to
11:57	being a wine maker so he sold all of his
12:01	stocks retired took out of all of his
12:03	retirement and then used the money to
12:05	Parlay into buying a specialty Vineyard
12:07	up in in the Sonoma Valley and so we are
12:11	in this guy’s really basic Winery and he
12:16	begins to pull out some of his choice
12:18	wines one of them was an award-winning
12:21	um I what I want to say it was a it was
12:24	a
12:25	award-winning Harvest to Zinfandel now I
12:28	didn’t know a thing about zinfandels at
12:29	the time again I just know that labels
12:32	are pretty and I kind of picked based on
12:33	that and so at this point I get poured
12:36	at an award-winning Harvest Zinfandel
12:39	and I tasted and it’s like okay well
12:41	that’s all right and he looks at me like
12:43	that’s all right and our our tour guide
12:46	is like oh this is terrible and so at
12:49	this point I now get the entire lesson
12:53	on how wine is tasted all right and so
12:58	and and this was a complete education
13:00	for me like wine tasting 101 Number One
13:04	You’re Gonna swirl your glass but the
13:06	important thing is is that that first
13:07	taste you’re going to be listening for
13:09	with your tongue different notes of
13:13	flavors and things like this so he says
13:16	all right take a swig tell me what you
13:18	taste do you taste any vanilla and I go
13:21	yeah there’s a little bit of vanilla
13:23	right there at the beginning of it good
13:25	good good what else do you and I said
13:27	well there’s a little bit of kind of a
13:28	cherry hint to it perfect that’s exactly
13:31	correct and says all right so we got
13:33	vanilla we got a little bit of cherry
13:34	and then tell me about the Finish tell
13:36	me about the very last bit as it’s
13:38	leaving your palette I go it’s it’s kind
13:41	of peppery he goes exactly right and so
13:44	you’ll note that at this point I’ve now
13:46	had my mind blown right and then he says
13:49	oh it doesn’t stop there and he goes let
13:52	me do something really quick so he takes
13:53	the glass kind of pours out what’s left
13:56	of the of the of the wine and then just
13:58	this tiny little drop and he takes the
14:00	wine gobble and he spins it you know and
14:02	he ends up drying it inside it points
14:05	the wine glass right to the center of my
14:06	nose points right there it says now take
14:08	a whip what do you smell I’m like I
14:10	smell vanilla he’s all right that means
14:12	it was aged in a French Oak Barrel it’s
14:16	like no way my mind is like
14:19	it’s like all of a sudden the whole
14:21	world is just opened up it’s like are
14:23	all wines like this no not the only the
14:26	good ones but yes the good ones have
14:28	these kind of complexities these kind of
14:30	notes these kind of flavors and stuff
14:31	like this and as a result of that from
14:34	then on it’s like I’ve had a real
14:36	appreciation for good wines and their
14:38	complexity and the different things they
14:40	bring to the table all of that being
14:42	said when you read an Old Testament
14:44	Prophet like Isaiah you have to sip it
14:48	kind of like a wine there’s different
14:51	themes and different things that are
14:53	happening and there’s no transitions
14:55	they just go from one concept to another
14:57	concept and then once you’re able to
15:00	kind of take it all in you can see how
15:02	the different complexities work in an
15:04	Old Testament reading like Isaiah so
15:06	watch how this works Isaiah chapter 29
15:08	it is not yet a very little while until
15:11	Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful
15:14	field and the fruitful field shall be
15:16	regarded as a forest now in this first
15:19	sentence a fruitful field is Lebanon a
15:23	fruitful field today
15:24	is Lebanon a zip code where you’d
15:27	probably want to move your family and
15:28	live
15:30	okay so that being the case what what is
15:34	this note in this drinking of Isaiah’s
15:38	prophecy here well we have some pest
15:40	catological notes Here things pointing
15:43	to a coming reality when Jesus returns
15:47	in glory to judge the living and the
15:49	dead the re-creation of the of the
15:52	universe and the renewing of it and it
15:55	going back to being the way it should be
15:57	but note then he says in that day the
15:59	deaf shall hear the words of a book and
16:01	out of their gloom and darkness the eyes
16:03	of the blinds shall see oh now hmm
16:07	that’s interesting right different note
16:09	here a different flavor and this refers
16:12	to the fact that each and every one of
16:14	us born dead in trespasses and sins we
16:17	are blind deaf and mute spiritually and
16:21	we have all today heard the words of a
16:24	book the book is the scriptures and so
16:26	you’ll note that Isaiah is prophesying
16:28	of those who would hear the words of
16:31	Christ hear the words of scripture the
16:34	Assurance of the Forgiveness of our sins
16:36	in Jesus Christ and how we are renewed
16:39	we are risen from the grave and we are
16:42	given back our spiritual faculties so
16:45	that we are no longer deaf and blind and
16:48	mute but instead we can see we can hear
16:50	and we speak and out of the Gloom in the
16:53	darkness of sin now our eyes which were
16:57	once blind see the meek shall obtain
17:01	fresh joy in Yahweh and the poor among
17:05	mankind shall exalt in the Holy One of
17:08	Israel this is talking about the
17:10	meekness and poorness of the one who
17:12	confesses their sins and recognizes that
17:15	they have nothing to offer God and they
17:18	cry out to him for mercy and here Isaiah
17:21	prophesies that the one who does that
17:23	will actually exult in the Holy One of
17:26	Israel and who is that well that’s none
17:28	other than Jesus Christ
17:30	and then note without a single
17:32	transition sent word then we just going
17:36	to take a hard turn into a different
17:37	flavor a different note altogether a
17:40	word of warning
17:41	for those who are ruthless and for those
17:44	who are scoffers and you’ll note
17:46	ruthless and the scoffers these are the
17:47	people who are not penitent they have no
17:50	trust in Christ in fact they mock those
17:54	who believe in Jesus and even worse in
17:57	many cases they even persecute them this
17:59	is the lot of being a Christian we are
18:01	called to suffer the same way that
18:03	Christ is suffered remember Jesus
18:05	committed no sin there was not a single
18:07	thing you can point to Jesus and say
18:09	dude you are absolutely in the wrong
18:11	there what were you thinking you need to
18:13	repent but he was crucified anyway right
18:17	how so well by people bringing forth
18:21	false Witnesses who testified against
18:23	Jesus and you’ll know it took a lot of
18:26	false Witnesses because they needed at
18:27	least two of them to agree with each
18:29	other and even then they Twisted The
18:31	Words of Christ in order to Trump up
18:33	false charges against them talk about
18:35	ruthless the ruthless they will come to
18:38	nothing the scoffers they will cease all
18:41	who watch watch and do evil they will be
18:44	cut off and these are people who by a
18:47	word make a man out to be offender all
18:50	right now let me explain here what is
18:53	the biblical standard for a charge to be
18:56	leveled against anyone
18:58	Pastor or even just layperson two or
19:01	more witnesses right you have to
19:04	actually have two or more witnesses but
19:06	when somebody is made out to be an
19:08	offender merely by a single word what is
19:12	that
19:13	slander but slander
19:16	that’s lying it is bearing false witness
19:20	against your neighbor and those who
19:23	persecute Christ and those who trust in
19:26	him that’s what they do they offend by
19:30	making people out to be offenders merely
19:33	by a single word but they do not abide
19:35	by the biblical standard a true charge
19:38	must be brought to the right people and
19:40	a true charge must be established by the
19:43	testimony of two or more witnesses as a
19:46	result the ruthless they lay a snare for
19:48	the one who reproves in the gate and the
19:51	one who reproves in the gate who is that
19:52	fellow that’s the fellow who tells his
19:55	fellow citizens in his either town or a
19:58	state or his country that you we are
20:01	doing wrong we need to turn away from
20:03	doing wrong we need to do what is right
20:05	and there are people who are annoyed by
20:08	folks like this and so what do they do
20:09	for them they lay a snare for people
20:12	like that that’s exactly what they did
20:14	with Jesus and then with an empty plea
20:16	that turn aside him who is in the right
20:19	these are people who are constantly
20:21	subverting the truth subverting justice
20:23	subverting the message of God and
20:26	finding a way to persecute to slander
20:29	and to demean those who would speak the
20:31	truth to us completely different note
20:33	altogether and note this is a word of
20:36	judgment against such people and if you
20:39	don’t think that applies to you believe
20:41	me when I tell you I know this from my
20:43	own personal experience that you and I
20:45	have all participated in this to one
20:46	degree or another when we hear the truth
20:49	and we go yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah that
20:51	that Pastor he’s just crazy he’s just
20:53	he’s just a little tightly wound or
20:55	whatever you get the idea we’ve all done
20:57	things like this but therefore thus says
21:01	Yahweh who redeemed Abraham concerning
21:04	the house of Jacob Jacob shall no more
21:07	be ashamed no more shall his face grow
21:11	pale for when he sees his children the
21:13	work of my hands in his midst they will
21:15	sanctify my name now a little bit of a
21:18	note here without a single warning the
21:21	flavor on our palate in this drink from
21:24	Isaiah changes again kind of back to
21:27	that original note in the text not yet a
21:30	little while until Lebanon shall be
21:32	turned into a fruitful field that
21:34	eschatological taste that hint there
21:37	here it now comes Again full circle and
21:39	we get that taste back it’s kind of like
21:41	the aftertaste of this text no more
21:44	shall Jacob be ashamed no more shall his
21:46	face grow pale for when he sees his
21:48	children the work of my hands in his
21:50	midst they will sanctify my name they
21:55	will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and
21:58	they will stand in awe of the god of
22:00	Israel again a picture of the end of the
22:03	world and so as we see what’s going on
22:06	here in this wonderful text
22:08	we can see the connections then with
22:10	Christ in Our Gospel Christ by
22:12	physically opening the ears of the death
22:14	by physically opening the mouths of the
22:17	mute by physically opening the eyes of
22:20	the blind was pointing to the spiritual
22:22	reality that in him we must be raised
22:25	from the dead we must have our eyes
22:28	opened our mouths opened our ears opened
22:32	so that we can see and hear and for
22:35	those who have had these things done to
22:37	them by Christ they have a hope a hope
22:41	of a World Without End where we will
22:44	stand and we with our own eyes will see
22:48	the awe of the god of Israel
22:51	here’s the promise those who go astray
22:53	in spirit they will come to end
22:56	understanding each and every one of us
22:57	has truly done that gone astray in our
23:00	spirit and in our body but because of
23:03	Christ and his word and his grace and
23:05	his Mercy we now have come to have
23:08	understanding and even we who murmured
23:11	against God will finally accept
23:14	instruction it’s a beautiful text when
23:16	you think about it and so how does this
23:19	end then all of this work well a good
23:21	connector on all of this would be the
23:23	gospel itself you’ll note that Christ is
23:27	opening the eyes of the blind he’s
23:29	opening the ears of the death he’s
23:30	opening the mouths of the mute this is
23:32	the work of raising people from the dead
23:35	but how was it possible that people who
23:37	have participated in the sins of the
23:39	devil could have such great things done
23:42	for them to them by God number one it’s
23:46	by his grace and his Mercy but you’re
23:48	going to note then that Christ bore your
23:50	sin things in mind in his body on the
23:54	cross he suffered bled and died and on a
23:58	Friday afternoon at three in the
24:00	afternoon while suffering for your sins
24:03	and mind bleeding in the darkness
24:05	because the sun was no longer giving its
24:07	light Christ cried out it is finished
24:09	and he gave up his spirit and you’ll
24:12	note that the author of Life the one who
24:15	opened the eyes of Adam that day the one
24:19	who opened his eyes by breathing into
24:20	his nostrils the breath of life and Adam
24:23	his eyes opened the first thing he sees
24:25	is Jesus that same Jesus who the author
24:28	of Life took that poor fellow who was
24:31	mute and was deaf and opened his ears
24:33	and opened his mouth like the Creator
24:35	that he is because he is that our
24:38	creator
24:39	died
24:41	and when he gave up his spirit
24:44	his eyes no longer saw his ears stopped
24:48	hearing
24:49	his mouth stopped speaking
24:52	he died
24:54	so that we could live
24:56	it’s a beautiful picture when you kind
24:58	of tie it all together with that gospel
25:00	bow and all of that being said then the
25:03	author of Life died on the cross so that
25:07	you and I can be forgiven pardon and
25:10	redeemed we who’ve acted in deadness and
25:13	blindness and death and and muteness and
25:16	have blasphemed and resisted God and
25:19	acted ruthlessly against him that we can
25:22	be forgiven and pardoned and made alive
25:24	in Christ and so at three in the
25:26	afternoon on the Friday of the
25:28	crucifixion Christ’s eyes stop seeing
25:31	his ears stop hearing his mouth stop
25:33	speaking and he stood
25:36	rested in silence in the Tomb all Friday
25:41	evening all Saturday
25:44	and then on into Sunday
25:46	but you’ll note something amazing
25:48	happened and that is that the author of
25:50	life could not be swallowed by death and
25:52	stay there
25:53	using the imagery of Jonah and Jonah’s
25:56	three days in the great Belly of the
25:59	great fish is used as an analogy of
26:01	Christ’s death and his resurrection well
26:03	if you remember the story of Jonah that
26:06	fish got a belly ache about through the
26:08	third day and took Jonah and vomited him
26:11	up on to the shore I’m sure that would
26:14	have must have been a sight to see in
26:16	the smell to smell you know it got to
26:18	throw the smelling into there because
26:19	it’s kind of interesting but all of that
26:21	being said
26:22	on the third day death itself got a
26:25	belly ache and vomited up Christ and
26:27	he’s conquered death so that you and I
26:30	never have to die that you and I can
26:33	live forever as a free gift because of
26:35	the great love that God has for us again
26:38	note The Compassion of Christ in Our
26:40	Gospel text and how he is ministering to
26:44	Pagan Gentiles who don’t even rightly
26:46	believe in the god of Israel that
26:48	doesn’t matter Christ shows up and gives
26:50	them mercy and Grace and heals them and
26:54	all of that points to the fact that he
26:55	also heals us he heals us spiritually
26:58	and Promises Us in the new Earth that he
27:01	will also take our dead corpses and
27:03	raise us from the grave because there is
27:05	a day coming if Christ continues to
27:07	tarry when your eyes will no longer see
27:10	a thing your ears will no longer hear
27:12	anything and your mouth will say nothing
27:14	you’ll note that every time we sing
27:16	hymns here the folks in our graveyard do
27:18	not join us in chorus that we can hear
27:20	right but despite all of that Christ
27:23	died so that we might live and you will
27:25	live because you are in him so trust in
27:28	this Jesus and repent of all the ways in
27:32	which you continue to be blind to his
27:34	truth blind to what is Right blind to
27:37	what we should be doing and not doing
27:39	and repent and Trust in this Jesus who
27:42	will raise you from the dead
27:45	and so you’ll know
27:47	fine line we had today nice little hints
27:50	of judgment and mercy and the coming
27:52	eschaton and the promises of Jesus will
27:55	never look pun intended at blindness and
27:58	we’ll never hear about deafness the same
28:00	in the name of Jesus Amen

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