Thursday, April 2, 2020

Midweek Lent 5 (April 2020)

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Matthew 28:12
Theme: The Truth Comes Out

Dear followers to the cross,

This evening we conclude our midweek Lenten series, ‘Promises kept, promises broken’ with a look at the guards posted at Jesus’ tomb. The world has changed dramatically since Ash Wednesday kicked off our Lenten season back on the 26th of February. No one could have foreseen how rapidly one virus would spread across the globe and how radically people’s lives would be impacted. Western society is facing levels of anxiety, and instability not felt since the world wars of the last century. People’s confidence in many of society’s structures has been shaken. Let us pray that in the weeks and months ahead many hearts would be open to the unshakeable truth of salvation in Jesus Christ.

What can be said about the guards at Jesus’ tomb? Their poise was shaken by an earthquake. Their task was simple, but it was a highly responsible charge: No one was to interfere with the body of this Jesus, the King of the Jews. The qualifications for the job weren’t particularly demanding, but competence was paramount, and soldiers sometimes needed to have nerves of steel. The penalty for failure was severe. Such liability came with the territory. We have more than anecdotal evidence to suggest that capital punishment was an expected penalty for failure.

The example of the jailer of Philippi in Acts 16 is sufficient to illustrate. This public servant needed only to guard Paul and Silas who were imprisoned at his location. The Scripture says, “About midnight…there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself!’”1 Then, he enquired of Paul about salvation.

The jailer in Philippi went from ‘initiated suicide’ to baptism. Now, that’s absolutely astounding, but that’s the power of the gospel. It can instantly change a situation of despair into an occasion for rejoicing. His sword was drawn, his life was forfeit. But then, miraculously, a higher power took over. Baptism’s power is in the promise of Jesus and the work of the Spirit, a power authenticated in the crucifixion and resurrection, a power which transformed the jailer’s life that memorable night.

Unfortunately, fleeing was not the end of the story for the guards at Jesus’ tomb. They became involved in a conspiracy to cover up their failure. The Bible says, “When they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers.”2 Money talks. Of course, you might argue they deserved danger pay anyway! Their lives were certainly on the line. And, humanly speaking, what could they have done differently? Nevertheless, the cover up is a reminder of human sinfulness. The temptation to cover our tracks is endemic to all of us. The first inclination of the sinful nature, when there is threat of punishment, is to exonerate oneself. The problem is our self-acquittals have no authority. They are just specific examples of what the apostle John means when he says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”3 Our self-acquittals have no authority. Christ alone can absolve us.

He is the only One with the power to forgive because He is the only One who has earned the authority. Lent is preparation to better appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus. But the crucifixion is not just about an event, it’s about a person. It’s about the exertion of the one Person who is also divine, incarnate love. In the incarnation the visiting God becomes the residential God. And, in the crucifixion, the sovereign God becomes the ransoming God; He becomes the Redeemer of humanity, not just the Creator. Said differently, in the incarnation He becomes Immanuel- ‘God with us’. In the crucifixion He becomes Substitute- ‘God for us’. And, subsequently, through the Holy Spirit He becomes immanent, ‘God in us’. Not that at any point previously He was remiss of any of His responsibilities. But the promise to send a Messiah in the flesh had to become fulfilment so that mortality could be swallowed up by life.

Only the structures He establishes are invincible. And we’re not talking about ethereal, religious ‘mumbo-jumbo’ here. Dear friends, neither the present nor the future are or will be purely metaphysical existences, that is, disembodied, spiritual-only states of being. The incarnation guaranteed that matter- physical existence- is here to stay; despite world wars, despite the coronavirus, despite whatever other catastrophe might still commence. We are corporeal beings and we will be resurrected as such, though, of course, perfected. Even now Jesus retains His physical body, eternally glorified as it is. He bears the wounds of His passion.

So, did the guards keep their promise? Were they faithful in their duty? Well, it was impossible for them to comply with orders. A superior power intervened, and they could do nothing but flee. Confronted with seismic activity and angelic hosts it’s difficult to fault them for dereliction of duty. None of us could have bested them. No mortal can withstand the divine majesty.

The well-known phrase “promises are made to be broken” is attributed to a man named Jonathan Swift. Swift, who lived between the late 17th and mid-18th centuries was an Anglo-Irish poet, a cleric, and satirist. Witty with a very dry style he penned many influential publications and novels including Gulliver’s Travels. Though effective for literary purposes, the phrase, of course, isn’t actually true. Promises aren’t made to be broken, unless one is engaging in intentional deceit. But promises are certainly bound to be broken. There are only two categories of beings that make promises. Humans will fail again and again in keeping theirs because human beings are sinners. God’s promises, however, remain inviolate. The Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie”4 And again, “Let us hold unswervingly to the to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”5

As this midweek Lenten series draws to a close, the coronavirus rages on. It’s leaving a path of destruction in its wake and no one knows how much carnage is still to follow. But true hope is never lost. We can be robbed of optimism; but we can’t be robbed of eternal hope. We can be robbed of freedom; but we can’t be robbed of the liberty of knowing we are reconciled to God through His Son. We can be robbed of material provisions, the ‘creature comforts’ we’ve become so accustomed to; but we can’t be robbed of our baptismal and heavenly inheritance. We can even be ‘robbed’ of the rest our temporal lives (and don’t assume our local communities will remain untouched by this scourge); but we can never be robbed of life in that higher dimension.

Jesus Christ is not entombed. He’s not practicing ‘social-distancing’. The Father has raised Him. The Spirit has released Him. He lives to make continual intercession for us before the Father’s throne. He’ll never fail in His duty of guarding us, body or soul. Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Midweek Lent 2020- The Guards
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Acts 16:25-28
2 Matthew 28:12
3 1 John 1:8
4 Numbers 23:19
5 Hebrews 10:23

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Midweek Lent 3 & 4 (March 2020)

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Matthew 27:26
Theme: Delivered to be Crucified

Dear friends of the Suffering Servant,

The release of Barabbas was the fulfillment of a promise. Barabbas was a robber and had also been imprisoned for insurrection and for murder. The choice between this unsavory character and the itinerant prophet from Nazareth was a ‘no-brainer’. Pilate knew that. Yet, Pilate made good on his word. But what kind of execution or dereliction of duty was it? The Bible tells us it was a custom, a sort of concession on the part of Pilate to appease the Jews. The release of any prisoner the crowd wished was an annual feature at the time of Passover celebration. Undoubtedly it was a crowd-pleaser, as they could make a least one yearly decision of governance.

It’s clear Pilate suffered some serious angst while rendering his decision about Jesus. He was conflicted, recognizing that Jesus had committed no crime under Roman law meriting capital punishment. But he also wanted to satisfy the Jewish leadership and calm the crowds. Jerusalem was his jurisdiction and law and order was the number one priority. The Jewish celebration of the Passover had a long-established reputation of becoming unruly as throngs of pilgrims crowded into the area. It would not be a good look if Pilate failed to keep order.

So, Pilate kept his promise. He washed his hands, released Barabbas and delivered Jesus over to be crucified. But it’s also fair to say that insofar as Pilate was charged with executing justice according to Roman civil law, he broke a different promise. Jesus was not guilty of treason against the state and Pilate knew it and declared so publicly. So, what does He do? He caves to political pressure and shifts the responsibility to the Jews. He washes his hands.

Humans have always been vulnerable to political pressure. “Promises, promises!” You’ve heard it said sarcastically and with incredulity. You’ve probably said it yourself. The record of human interaction is a litany of broken promises. Politicians especially, are famous, infamous actually, for broken promises and breaking promises. Promises made while campaigning are easily broken or forgotten when the business of governing is engaged in earnest. When trying to gain the favour of a wide audience, it’s easy to make multiple pledges that soon contradict each other.

Yet, remember that politics involves the business of human interaction for the achievement of common purpose. None of us, aside from genuine hermits- and if you are one you wouldn’t even be here- are exempt from political reality. Nor would we want to be. God calls on us to look after one another. The question is whether we interact with others out of self-interest or with self-sacrifice. Because the reality of being simultaneously saints and sinners necessarily plays out in a very practical way both are always in play. While washing your hands is helpful in preventing the spread of the Corona virus, it will do nothing to prevent spreading the virus of sin. That’s why even the baptized, even the redeemed still need the forgiveness of sins. Even those who are God’s people according to the promise still need the body and blood of Christ to deal with broken promises.

Dear friends, when it’s said that someone “shows promise” that commonly means expectations are raised based on some things that have already been observed. Imagine the expectations on Jesus. People witnessed the healings, miracles and power of Christ. Many wanted Him to be their King. He ended up being crucified like a criminal. It’s not how humans would plan things. God does things differently.

If you’re planning to climb Mount Everest it’s advisable to go in April or May. The rest of the year is considered too dangerous and difficult to climb the world’s highest peak. Jesus was planning to climb a much more daunting mountain: Calvary. He didn’t have the luxury of waiting for ideal conditions. They weren’t forthcoming. The deep winter of fallen humanity was only growing darker. The need for redemption was paramount. The prophetic promise was nearing its fulfilment. The weight of humanity’s sins burdened His every step. The enormity of the task was immeasurable.

But He did not falter. “He went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.”1 Later He was assisted by the Cyrene. But when the cross was lifted there was no one to help. Pilate had washed his hands of the matter. The six hours He hung there were the loneliest ever to be experienced in the history of time. Yes, others hung near Him, condemned to the same fate. Significantly, one would join Him in Paradise. But never had anyone been so alone in any task. The work of atonement was His alone to face. No one could contribute. No one could help. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”2

In standing alone, Jesus stood for us. He was parted from the Father that we might be united to Him. There is no pain of separation that He doesn’t understand. He knows your loneliness; the loneliness of grief, the loneliness of shattered relationships that seem long past mending, and in these times of high anxiety He knows the loneliness of those who feel vulnerable or isolated. He knows the emptiness of being abandoned and the hurt of betrayal. He experienced the horrors of the cross so that believers would never have to experience the pain of separation from Him.



The name of Pontius Pilate lives in infamy. In 1961 a damaged limestone block was uncovered in Israel at an excavation site of an ancient theater built by the decree of Herod the Great. The stone, known commonly as the ‘Pilate Stone’ bore the inscription of Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea. The discovery was remarkable and significant as it corroborated the biblical witness. It silenced- or at least gave pause- to many skeptics of the gospel accounts who held parts of them to be historical fabrications.

Through not only the Scriptures, but also the creeds of the church, the names of Jesus and Pilate are forever intertwined. Is it not God’s will that every time the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are confessed the name of Pilate is remembered? Pilate, the local, temporal authority, executes sentence on Jesus, the eternal, cosmic authority. It was part of the Father’s plan. It is part of the Spirit’s work, of the mission of the church to teach the historical record of these events in the interest of calling people to faith, hope, and salvation found only in God’s Son.

The bones of Pilate lie somewhere in the earth or have turned to dust. But Jesus, with His true physical body, lives. Pontius Pilate kept a promise. It was kept under duress. It was weighted with uncertainty, indecision, some regret and arrogance. Yet, it was a prelude to the fulfillment of a much greater promise. Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the world. He lives to give you life. The grave could not hold Him. He also promises to return and raise you to glory. The Scripture says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”3

+ In nomine Jesu +

Midweek Lent 2020- Pilate
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 John 19:17
2 Psalm 22:1
3 2 Corinthians 1:20