A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “[Jesus said:] And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Your name, which You have given Me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also...

"The Last Supper" by Pieter Pourbus Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Shh! Listen closely! Our Lord is praying. It is the night of the Last Supper. He is soon to be betrayed, but not yet. He and His disciples have not even reached the garden. They are in the upper room, and the Lord is praying. So, listen closely, dear friends—because He is praying for you: “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given Him” (John 17:1-2). The Son prays to be glorified. But consider this carefully. He is not praying for the world’s idea of glory. The world defines glory in terms of splendor, strength, beauty, and celebrity. The one who wins is the glorious one. But Jesus defines His glory quite differently. Because the Father has given Him authority over all people, all people are H...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:17-18). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! What has kept the Church going for the last two thousand years? How do you explain it? The Church has persisted through persecution, popularity, power plays, poverty, and prosperity. It has endured crusades, inquisitions, false teaching, scandals, corruption, and gross mismanagement. It has outlasted dictatorships, demagogues, and democracies. It has survived popes and councils, voters’ assemblies and synodical conventions, and the meetings that go on after the meetings. It is really quite miraculous! Any human organization that operated this way would have long since disappeared, but the Church goes on, nearly two thousand years after the scandalous death of its founder. What is the key to the Church’s survival? How could a ragtag band of...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Three-Year Lectionary devotes this Seventh Sunday of Easter to what is called Jesus’ “High-Priestly Prayer.”   Our Gospel text for today from John 17 is part of that prayer.   It is certainly fitting to consider this prayer on this Sunday after the Church has remembered Christ’s ascension, for our heavenly High Priest continues to pray for His Church before His Father’s throne of grace and glory.   In this section of the prayer, Jesus prays not only for His disciples who are gathered with Him that night, but also “for those who will believe in Me through their word.”   Jesus prays for all of those who will receive His Word through His apostles.   The Father had given His Word to Jesus.   Jesus gives the apostles’ His Word by the Holy Spirit.   That Word works faith in Jesus for eternal life.   Jesus sees this process as ongoi...

One in the Spirit, composite digital image by L. Lovett, 2006 The text for today is John 17:11-19, which has already been read. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! What has kept the Church going for the last two thousand years?   How do you explain it?   The Church has survived persecution, false teaching, and gross mismanagement.   It has survived dictatorships, demagogues, and democracies.   It has survived popes and councils, voters’ assemblies and synodical conventions, and the meetings that go on after the meetings.   Any human organization that operated this way would have long since disappeared, but the Church goes on.   What is the key to the Church’s survival?   How could a ragtag band of 120 Jewish followers grow into a Church that quite literally embraces the world across all national and ethnic boundaries?   How could a Church whose first recorded official act is to c...