LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:00	[Music]
0:16	hello today let’s talk about a living
0:21	Pillar of
0:23	Fire our text is from the gospel of St
0:26	John the 1 chapter verses 6 8 and 19- 28
0:33	introduction a pillar of
0:36	fire the people of God were enslaved in
0:41	Egypt they cried out to the Lord to set
0:43	them free and God sent them a
0:46	deliverer his name was
0:48	Moses he had already proven himself to
0:51	be a man of anger and murder but God
0:54	still used him God sent nine plagues to
0:58	demonstrate his power and to call Fai
0:59	pharaoh to repentance but Pharaoh would
1:01	not
1:02	repent finally God sent an angel of
1:05	death to Egypt that was the 10th
1:08	plague the Jews were spared because the
1:11	angel passed over their homes the Jews
1:14	had painted their doorposts with the
1:16	blood of the Passover Lamb then God told
1:20	Moses to lead the people out of slavery
1:22	and into the promised land all of this
1:25	God did to show his love and
1:28	faithfulness to his people
1:31	however once they were delivered the
1:33	people were not grateful and they were
1:36	not faithful to God they grumbled when
1:40	they lacked food so God supplied mana
1:45	and quail in the
1:46	wilderness they complained that they
1:49	were thirsty so God provided clean water
1:52	flowing from a rock in the
1:55	desert but when Moses went up on the
1:58	mountain to speak with God
2:00	and to receive God’s ten commandments
2:03	the people rejected The God Who had
2:05	saved them they turned their backs on
2:08	The God Who had provided for them and
2:11	protected them the people made a golden
2:15	calf perhaps it was the Egyptian god
2:19	apes or the Canaanite fertility God Baal
2:23	whatever it was they worshiped this
2:25	false god and still in all of this God
2:28	did not abandon his people he provided a
2:31	pillar of cloud to shelter his children
2:33	in the Desert Sun if they were to move
2:36	the pillar of cloud would lead them
2:38	during the day also God provided a
2:41	pillar of fire to protect his children
2:44	at night if they were to travel the
2:46	pillar of fire would guide them and if
2:48	they were not to move the pillar of fire
2:52	protected them this miracle was of such
2:56	lasting importance to the Jews that when
2:59	they built built their Temple in
3:01	Jerusalem in a Main Court of meeting
3:04	they built four enormous candleabra
3:08	their light was to remind them of the
3:10	great Pillar of Fire that God had given
3:12	them for protection and provision in the
3:14	dark desert night the four candelabra of
3:17	the temple stood 75 ft tall and each one
3:22	had four huge bowls of flame they were
3:25	lighted especially during the Feast of
3:27	booths to celebrate how God’s light had
3:30	been with them during their 40 years in
3:33	the
3:34	desert again regardless of how sinful
3:37	and Faith less the people had been in
3:39	the desert God’s miraculous Pillar of
3:42	Fire was always with them it’s important
3:46	to keep this in mind when we hear Jesus
3:50	say in John
3:52	8 I am the light of the world he who
3:55	follows me shall not walk in the
3:57	darkness but shall have the light of of
3:59	Life Jesus said those words at the end
4:03	of the Feast of booths when the giant
4:06	candleabra were lighted and when the
4:08	people were supposed to remember the
4:11	miraculous Pillar of
4:13	Fire do you see that the pillar of fire
4:17	in the darkness was a type or a shadow
4:20	for Jesus and do you see that Jesus was
4:23	saying that he is the pillar of fire he
4:25	is the light of the world who was sent
4:28	to protect you and provide for you in
4:31	the darkness and the night of this
4:34	desert
4:36	life you make the
4:38	connection point one Christ scatters the
4:42	darkness the beginning of the Gospel of
4:44	John teaches us about Jesus John 1 in
4:48	the beginning was the word and the Word
4:50	was with God and the Word was God he was
4:53	in the beginning with God all things
4:55	came into being by him and apart from
4:57	him nothing came into being that has
5:00	come into being in him was life and the
5:03	life was the light of men and the light
5:05	shines in the darkness and the Darkness
5:08	has not overcome it do you understand
5:11	what God’s word is teaching Us in Jesus
5:15	is life and that life is the light of
5:19	men the light shines in the darkness and
5:23	the Darkness has not overcome
5:26	it imagine for a
5:28	moment being in a vast desert
5:33	Wilderness there’s no electricity
5:35	there’s no warmth and there is no light
5:39	perhaps you are able to scr enough brush
5:41	or twigs for a small fire but its light
5:44	does not project very far you cannot see
5:46	if there are Bandits or thieves creeping
5:49	up on you you cannot tell if wild
5:51	animals are approaching to attack and
5:54	kill you or your wife or your children
5:56	there’s no way that your little fire can
5:59	keep you completely safe or
6:02	warm can you really battle and defeat
6:05	all of your various
6:07	Predators you can hardly defeat your own
6:10	distresses and temptations and
6:13	fears
6:14	but God provided an enormous Pillar of
6:20	Fire it was huge and projected a
6:23	glorious shaft of light and heat into
6:26	the black night sky it lighted the
6:30	desert for mile after mile after Mile
6:32	and it told everyone everywhere that
6:35	your God is with you he was your
6:38	protection he is your
6:41	provision that is what God was saying
6:43	with the pillar of fire in the desert
6:46	and that is what God is saying with the
6:49	light of the world Jesus Christ Jesus is
6:53	the living Pillar of Fire who’s come to
6:56	protect you and provide for you in this
6:58	dark and evil World Jesus is the light
7:02	of the world
7:04	Hallelujah point two not the light the
7:08	Gospel reading for today tells us
7:10	plainly that John the Baptist was not
7:12	the light of course he was not John bore
7:15	witness to the light John knew that it
7:18	was his Blessing to Bear witness to the
7:20	wonderful Lamb of God and light of the
7:22	world John knew that he knew Jesus was
7:25	the light but John never knew what you
7:30	know John did not know the crucifixion
7:33	and the resurrection of Jesus Christ you
7:37	have come to know and believe that Jesus
7:39	Christ takes away your sins and
7:41	overcomes your dark desert night of sin
7:45	and death with the power of His
7:48	crucifixion and
7:51	Resurrection Jesus is your Pillar of
7:53	Fire and your light of Life John bore
7:57	witness to this even before the Cru
7:59	crucifixion and resurrection of Christ
8:01	but you and I have the privilege of
8:03	bearing witness to Jesus on this side of
8:07	the Cross and Resurrection in our own
8:10	day in our own
8:13	time our world is still a world of
8:17	desert Darkness oh we have motorized
8:20	cars and gas powered lawnmowers we have
8:22	mega computers that search the worldwide
8:25	web and televisions with 500 channels we
8:28	have an abundance of food
8:29	and closets filled with
8:32	clothing but is our world still dark oh
8:36	yes Lord and do we still need a living
8:39	Pillar of Fire oh yes Lord even people
8:43	of Faith may be overcome by the cruel
8:45	darkness and spiritual warfare of this
8:48	world’s sin sorrow and death but in the
8:52	desert Darkness you have Jesus your
8:55	pillar of light you have Jesus in your
8:57	times of sorrow and suffering uffing in
8:59	moments of Temptation and testing true
9:04	sometimes you may forget about his
9:06	faithfulness and love when the day is
9:08	light and warm and easy but come the
9:11	darkness of Night and the shadows of
9:13	evil loneliness
9:16	worry then you turn and there he is
9:19	Jesus the living pillar of light he is
9:22	always there thank God Jesus joins you
9:25	in your suffering he’s your companion in
9:28	pain there he Embraces you he does not
9:32	run from your sin or sorrow or shame but
9:36	abides with you in them there Jesus
9:38	invites you to know him in his cross and
9:41	to join him in his
9:43	sufferings there the Lord Jesus gives
9:45	you the power of his resurrection the
9:48	power of his love you see
9:54	Jesus Jesus does not require you to be a
9:57	great Bible scholar in order to be a
10:00	witness you only need to be weak and
10:03	poor needy and sinful and in that state
10:05	of meekness of soul and weakness of
10:07	spirit he will find you if you have been
10:10	that person you too may be like John the
10:12	Baptist you may be a great witness
10:15	pointing to the one who is the great
10:19	light point three light of the world
10:22	we’ve stumbled Upon A profound truth
10:25	Jesus is the light of the world John is
10:27	not I am not you are not
10:29	and yet strangely Jesus the pillar of
10:32	fire the light of the world has come to
10:34	abide in you because of your baptism
10:38	into the name of the father and the Son
10:39	and the Holy Spirit because of your
10:41	baptism into the death and the
10:43	resurrection of Jesus Christ you have
10:46	received the entire Christ and now he is
10:49	living inside you the entire fire of
10:53	Christ is there right in you whenever
10:57	you need him how glorious and because of
11:01	that light of the world that pillar of
11:04	Heavenly Fire living in you you too are
11:08	a witness for Christ you too are the
11:11	light of the world you do not need
11:15	special lessons or flashy techniques
11:18	what is essential you already have for
11:21	you have Christ himself in you all the
11:25	light that you need when you talk in
11:28	your children and kiss them good night
11:30	and teach them to say their prayers you
11:32	have all the light that you need when
11:34	you cry with a friend who’s lost a
11:36	spouse or just learned of a diagnosis of
11:39	cancer you have all the light that you
11:41	need when you pray with a friend or
11:44	share your faith with a
11:47	neighbor
11:48	conclusion once there was a pillar of
11:51	fire in the desert God sent it to
11:54	scatter the darkness and the Darkness
11:56	could not overcome it this was a type
12:00	only a shadow of the True Light that was
12:03	to come Jesus Christ in him was life and
12:09	the life was the light of men the Light
12:12	of Christ shines in the darkness and the
12:14	Darkness cannot overcome it this same
12:18	light Jesus Christ now lives in
12:22	you therefore says the word of
12:25	God you are the light of the world
12:30	how because the living Pillar of Fire
12:34	Jesus Christ now lives in
12:39	you
12:47	[Music]
12:56	[Music]
12:57	amen