It’s the Gift that Just Keeps on Given!

Lent 2

(February 17, 2008)

By

Reverend Steven D. Spencer – Pastor Messiah Lutheran Church Salem, OR

Numbers 21:4-9

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

John 3:14-21

14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

When we think about a Holiday that's associated with gifts we tend to think about Christmas. After all that's the time of year we exchange gifts as a celebration of the Birth of the Christ Child. This is of course is God's great gift to mankind. This tradition of giving gifts can be traced back to the Wise Men from the East and the giving of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Christmas is a wonderful time! One of the little things that makes Christmas special for me, are the movies, the ones they only tend to play at Christmastime. Like; White Christmas with Bing Crosby or It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Steward or Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer with Burl Ives but one of my favorites is, Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.

The scene takes place in a Chicago suburb. Clark Griswold is planning the biggest and best Christmas celebration ever. For anyone that hasn't seen this movie Clark is Chevy Chase and always goes way too far in everything he does. The house is decorated with so many Christmas lights that the city must cut in auxiliary power when he plugs them in. His whole family is present for the great festivity of food, presents and gaiety.  All this of course will be funded by the bonus check that Clark receives each year from his employer. This year the extra money will also purchase an in ground swimming pool. Clark is on pins and needles waiting for the bonus check to arrive. Finally the day comes and a messenger delivers the card from his employer. He announces to the family the reason for his unseemly irritability was caused by concern over having not received his bonus. But now here it is, finally. The family urges him to open it. “Open it Clark so the celebration can begin.” Clark opens the card and inside were these words: “You have received a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.” Clark's face is twisted with rage the expected bonus was replaced with Jelly. His dreams, goals and expectations are thrust to the ground. And It's in that moment Clarks simpleton of a cousin named Eddy replies: “Why Clark that the gift that just keeps on givin!” 

Christmas-time is the time when men gave gifts to the Christ Child. Easter-time is the time when the Christ gives gifts to the man-child. And the gift that is given is the gift that keeps on giving.

  "For God so loved the world that He 'gave' his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

These words are powerful and straightforward in proclaiming your gift of salvation. This Gospel message is so clear and concise that it's called the Gospel in a nutshell. It's a passage that's hard to elaborate upon because it says so much with so few words. Yet men have studied it for a lifetime to fully appreciate its value.

I was raised in a church that loved to quote John 3:16, but not in its entirety! They would say: "For God so loved the world that He 'gave' his only begotten Son. Isn't that wonderful, isn’t that precious!” But they left out; "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." By reducing the condemnation they reduced the power of the Gospel. Jesus came to die for sinners!

Our society and world today doesn't like the term sin, or sinner. It implies a set of rules or regulations that are bigger than we are. We want to be in control. We want to be the God in our own lives. When was the last time you heard the word sin or sinner on television or radio? If you did I bet it was a religious program.  Have you ever heard a newscaster mention sin? With all the shootings happening on high school and college campuses these days do the News People ever connect the present evil with sin? In a public school or college can you imagine a professor asking you to compare the Homosexual Life Style of San Francisco to Biblical Community of Sodom or Gomorrah? We need to face it; sin just isn't in vogue with our society. Satan has done well in convincing our communities to keep their eyes off their sin and sinful nature. 

It wasn't always this way. In our Old Testament reading the people of God had been delivered from Egypt indeed by a miracle of God. They journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; a land controlled by the Edomites who were direct decedents of Esau. These people were a mighty force who lived by the sword and not the type of people to be trifled with.  Our lesson says; "The soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? God sent serpents to bite the people and many died. They realized they had sinned. "So the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."  Notice that the people came to Moses to declare their sin. Literally the nation, or Jewish people, all present recognized the sin they had committed. The cure for this woe; Moses constructed a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and everyone who was bitten, that looked upon it, lived. The image takes us back to Genesis 3:15 and the promise of the savior to come. "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall pierce him on the heel." The stiff cold brass image is one of a dead serpent. Conquered by the atoning death of God's beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Look upon the pole and see the serpent for he has bitten you, and the bite is sin.

Our Gospel tells us; "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." To believe is to look upon Him and know without a doubt that He is the One -The Messiah - God's Own Son - God Himself.

But how can we; as a fallen, broken and dead people know this truth? Because St. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:4&5 "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" Man is not able to save himself.

Some years ago I learned that little law called Murphy's Law. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Some years later I learned O'Toole's Rule. "Murphy was an optimist."  When it comes to trying to earn our salvation Murphy and O'Toole speak volumes of common sense.  The prophet Isaiah says; "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

Thank God for this part of our Epistle reading. Romans 4:7&8 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." It is God that gives both faith and grace. When Jesus says believe; He is giving the faith to do so as a gift. He provides the means of grace as a gift also. Nothing is left to the work and imagination of man. It is God who does the forgiving not man earning the forgiveness.

It's no accident we baptize infants, as was the tradition of the Early Church. What better example of this great gift of faith. An infant cannot do wondrous works to show faith, yet God reaches out in the waters of the font and applies His grace to that child. And in that grace is the forgiveness of sin. We too, like children receive God's grace through His Word of Forgiveness as spoken during confession and absolution. For God has appointed men as Pastor's to speak His Word in His place. Be assured that Word of forgiveness and grace is as valid and direct as if Christ Himself were standing before you. And in His Holy Supper Jesus gives His very body and blood for your forgiveness sins. Faith and grace inseparable and both are gifts from God.     

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Christ Church, rejoice to hear the simple words of salvation. God so loves the world; that’s you -that He has given His Own Son to die for you. Because of this you will never perish, but have everlasting life. By the faith He has given you, you know this is true. The Son has died to give you life. For His sake, you are forgiven for all of your sins by His death upon a cross, by waters of the font, by Word of absolution and by His Holy Supper. He truly is the gift that keeps on givin and He is giving it all to you, purchased with His life, paid with His blood, so that you might have the eternal gift of life. In Jesus name,  Amen!

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. - Amen