Higher Things Radio: St. Mark and the Gospel of the Winged Lion

A few weeks back I was honored to be a guest once again on Higher Things Radio. Enjoy a little bit of apologetics, commentary and downright Lutheran nerdy goodness here on another great episode of HT Radio, daring to be Lutheran and having a blast while doing it. I sure did.  Enjoy.

The Festival of St. Mark

Rare Footage of Tolkien Interview Released

From the BBC, 1968 show In Their Own Words British Authors, click here for a rare - and previously unreleased - video interview with one of the great apologists of the Eucatastrophe, J.R.R. Tolkien. And though some of the student's invterviewed are more foolish than a Took, it's worth watching.

The official synopsis from the BBC reads thus:

“John Izzard meets with JRR Tolkien at his home, walking with him through the Oxford locations that he loves while hearing the author’s own views about his wildly successful high-fantasy novels. Tolkien shares his love of nature and beer and his admiration for ‘trenchermen’ in this genial and affectionate programme. The brief interviews with Oxford students that are dotted throughout reveal the full range of opinions elicited by ‘The Lord of the Rings’, from wild enthusiasm to mild contempt.”

Wrestling With Emeth, Part 2: Was Lewis a Universalist?

It has been far too long since the first post of this series, Wrestling With Emeth, Part 1: On Three Ways of Reading Lewis. Lord willing, the time between this second part and the third and final part of this series will not be so greatly delayed.

 To begin with, the previous post considered three ways of reading Lewis's writings:

1.       To become so enamored with Lewis that one either attempts to reconcile points where Lewis goes beyond mere Christianity and ventures into speculation, or one actually embraces the these errant teachings despite clear biblical evidence to the contrary (or a lack of biblical support). This ends up placing Lewis over Scripture.

 

2.      To throw out all of Lewis's writings along with the errors and shun him as a heretic despite the many useful and biblically orthodox things he says and writes.

3.      To read Lewis as we read any other Christian writer, namely, as one who is human and therefore sinful, fallible and prone to error just as much as the rest of us. Rather, we should subject what Lewis - or any Christian - says and writes to the authority of God's Word. In addition to this, we do well to remember that the overwhelming majority of Lewis’s writing is faithful and true to Scripture, not to mention useful and formative for the Christian and non-Christian declaring and defending the faith.

However, Lewis was not without his critics, both from without and within Christianity. In particular, Christians across denominational lines have challenged Lewis on such theological issues as the nature of Scripture, Purgatory and Universalism, just to name a few. For more on where Lewis goes beyond mere Christianity, read an essay by Dr. Steve Mueller of Concordia University Irvine in the Christian Research Journal entitled, Beyond Mere Christianity: An Assessment of C.S. Lewis. He outlines all three in great length and detail. And in many ways his essay has helped me wrestle with both Emeth and Lewis.

The chief goal here is to address the third point: universalism. Specifically Universalism in relation to the narrative of Narnia in The Last Battle where the conversation between Aslan and Emeth the Calormene takes place. In this exchange, the frightened Calormene, Emeth expects judgment from Aslan, for he was a worshiper of Tash. And instead Aslan invites him into his country.

Most people are troubled after reading the following words:

“...Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him...But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son thou art welcome. But I said, alas, Lord, I am no son of of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.”

In fact, many have read this portion of Narnia and never picked up the books again (or perhaps just The Last Battle), or at the very least, are left with an unsavory taste in their mouths. Admittedly, it always makes me uneasy, especially given the thoroughly clear and faithful biblical imagery throughout the rest of the series. It’s particularly unsettling that Lewis makes this point books written both for children and adults. No doubt, many parents have paused to converse with their child when coming to this section. I know I will when Zoe and I read them together in the future. Usually the kids get it better than the adults: “Ok, I know that was weird; it doesn’t sound right. And I know that it is Jesus alone who saves. Now, let’s read the rest of the story.” At any rate, I am thankful the book doesn’t end there. Even in spite of Emeth, the ending of The Last Battle is still one of my favorite sections in all of literature. Further up and further in!

What Lewis writes fictionally in Narnia he also parallels with similar statements in Mere Christianity.

“There are other people who are slowly becoming Christians though they do not yet call themselves so. There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he still may say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ’s birth may have been in this position. And as always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled up together.” (Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book IV, chapter 10).

“There you have it,” says the critic. “Lewis is a Universalist. What further evidence do you need?” It would seem logical that if a faithful follower of Tash or Buddha, such as Emeth or Joe-Buddhist, could be saved simply by doing what was right according to Christianity within their false religions then all must be saved. That, after all, is universalism. But that was not exactly Lewis’s position. One must examine the whole body of Lewis’s writings to get the full picture.

A brief look into at Narnia alone reveals that Lewis was not a Universalist. First of all, Aslan clearly denies that he and Tash are one:

Emeth goes on to say, “Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false.”

If Lewis were a true Universalist, all the other Calormenes would have been saved merely for worshiping Tash. But this is not so. Emeth is the only Calormene who arrives in Aslan’s country while the rest of his countrymen who served truly Tash are swallowed in the darkness of Aslan’s shadow. In one of the saddest parts of Narnia, the dwarfs march of alone into the darkness and refuse to enter into Narnia shouting all the while, “The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs.” Later in The Last Battle, we also find out that Queen Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia; she is in apostasy (however anxious we might be for an answer as to why, we are given no details).

The damnation of the dwarfs and the Calormenes, the rejection of Aslan and the apostasy of Susan are inconsistent with the doctrine of universalism. That doesn’t make Lewis’s exchange between Emeth and Aslan any easier to swallow nor does it make it any less of an error. It simply helps to clarify the error. Contrary to universalism  – and Rob Bell’s new book – Lewis wrote, taught and believed that Satan, hell and demons actually exist. The Screwtape Letters is but one piece of evidence. In the Great Divorce, Lewis writes:

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell” (C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, p. 75).

Lewis was not a Universalist, per se. However, that doesn’t make what he wrote in regards to the “righteous pagan” is any closer to the truth. It happens to be a different sort of error, one that can, no doubt lead to Universalism, but is not Universalism in its classic definition. And though Lewis may not have been a Universalist, he does go beyond Scripture’s clear teaching of salvation when he speculates concerning those the "righteous pagan" or the "anonymous Christian." Is it possible that God speaks to them in a way we don’t know or that is not revealed to us in Scripture? Sure, but we are given no clear revelation in Scripture about that being the case; if any such thing occurs it belongs to God's hidden will, a place we dare not attempt to go. The moment we go foraging into the hiddenness of God for answers to questions he has not revealed in Scripture we are chasing after ghosts. We can’t speculate into the deus absonditus when it comes to the question: why some, not others? We must look to the clear revelation of Scripture and the certain hope, comfort and life that come from Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. If you find yourself in heaven, Christ gets all the credit; if you find yourself in hell, it's your own fault. Lewis attempts to resolve some of the tension or the paradox here.

Christians cannot say no more or no less than what Scripture has revealed to us. And Scripture has not revealed the sort of idea Lewis presents in that brief exchange in Narnia and in Mere Christianity. We can say no more and no less than Scripture: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17) and “There is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved” (Acts 4:12). However, it must be noted that Lewis himself recognizes the exclusivity of the Christian faith in Mere Christianity when talking about the Trinity:

"If you are looking for something super-personal, something more than a person, then it is not a question of choosing between the Christian idea and the other ideas. The Christian idea is the only idea on the market." (Mere Christianity, Book IV, chapter 2).

Earlier in the book, Lewis writes, "But the truth is God has not told us what His arrangements about the other people are. We do know that no man can be saved except through Jesus Christ; we do not know that only those who know Him can be saved through Him" (Mere Christianity, Book II, chapter 5).

Again, Lewis is right in the first half of the quote above. According to Mueller, this is the problem: “This particular description of salvation lacks biblical support” and “Lewis gives a specific answer about these cases without clear biblical backing. Certainly God can do whatever He pleases, and He alone sees and judges the heart, but Lewis’s speculation on this topic goes beyond God’s clear revelation” (Steve Mueller, Beyond Mere Christianity: An Assessment of C.S. Lewis, Christian Research Journal).

Now what? toss Lewis out altogether? No. Embrace his mistakes or try to explain them away? No. As faithful readers – and students of Lewis – we must do two things: on the one hand we must point out the mistakes and errors made by Lewis. But on the other hand, we must acknowledge the fact that the vast majority of his corpus of writing is common to the Christian confession of faith (i.e. mere Christianity), faithful to Scripture and edifying to the reader, both Christian and non-Christian. An honest, intellectual examination of Lewis's writings must include both critique and commendation, neglecting neither. We also continue to thank God for the work of men such as Lewis, whose confession of faith and writing continue to bring Christians and non-Christians alike to the foot of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. That's why Lewis’s apologetics, for example, are without equal. And his story telling continues to do exactly what Aslan says, “That by knowing me here for a little while in this world, you may learn to know me better in your own world.”

Mueller goes on to inquire, “Would the story of Emeth have been less compelling if Emeth had known and loved Aslan while his countrymen served Tash?”

In the third and final post of this series, I will take Dr. Mueller’s question and attempt to put it into practice, to re-write a bit of the dialogue between Aslan and Emeth in view of Scripture’s revelation.

Sermon for Easter 4: "The Lamb is Our Shepherd"

+ 4^th Sunday of Easter – April 29^th, 2012 +

Series B_Acts 4:1-12; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

 In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

             Jesus our Good Shepherd; probably one of the most widely known and well loved, not to mention comforting metaphors in the Scriptures. But there’s a difficulty for us when Jesus says, “I AM the Good Shepherd.”

            Jesus’ words are both unfamiliar and too familiar.
            Unfamiliar because most of us have no experience with sheep.  Farmville on Facebook doesn’t count. And good luck finding any sheep at Knott’s Berry Farm. The closest thing to shepherding we know is spending time with a herd of children; you teachers and VBS volunteers know what I mean – but that’s probably more like a being sheep dog than anything else.
            But it’s also too familiar. We hear the Good Shepherd reading every year. Most people know parts of Psalm 23, if not the whole thing, by heart. We hear Jesus’ words at funerals and confirmations. That’s not all bad, of course. But there’s a temptation for us to turn a comforting reality into a cliché, not by hearing too often, but by failing to understand what Jesus says.
            Jesus comes from a long line of shepherds in the Bible; it’s in his blood. Though Jesus grew a carpenter’s son, shepherding is His true vocation. Abel was a shepherd before his brother, Cain, led him to the slaughter. Jacob tended Laban’s flock for 14 years for the sake of his bride. Moses grazed the fields of Midian before leading the wandering sheep of Israel through the wilderness. 
            Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of the shepherd-king, David. When Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd,” he’s saying is, “Psalm 23, all that Shepherd talk in Ezekiel and the prophets - that’s all about Me, I am Yahweh.”
            That’s the key to understanding Jesus’ words, that it’s more than a metaphor. Jesus really is the Good Shepherd. The Arch-Shepherd; the shepherd who defines all shepherds and their shepherd-ness. “The Good Shepherd lays down his life on behalf of the sheep.”
           That also makes him the strangest shepherd of all, the kind of shepherd most people think foolish. What kind of shepherd thinks that the life of his sheep is more important than his own? What kind of shepherd gladly and willingly throws himself into the jaws of the wolf to set his lambs free? “Go ahead, pierce my flesh. Spill my blood. Kill me; not them.” None of course, but one. Jesus Christ is your Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for you, his lambs.
            And while we like this image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, it’s offensive to our sheepish pride. It’s not exactly a flattering image. Sheep are dumb, stubborn, and prone to wandering off. Mean too: kicking, biting, head-butting for position in the flock. We’ll drink from any rancid puddle that promises refreshment - religions, philosophies, pop-Christian fads and false gospels pedaled by hirelings. We’ll nibble on any weed in the pasture that looks pleasing to the eyes, no matter how poisonous it might be. We’ll wander off alone. After all, who needs a church when you can feed yourself from the comfort of your computer or wherever?  

            The prophet Isaiah knew us all too well, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned his own way.” That’s the problem. A flock of one is an oxymoron. Sheep – apart from the Shepherd - are defenseless, vulnerable and dead, wolf chow. Maybe you’ve seen those Discovery Channel shows. Remember, it’s always lone sheep, the isolated Christian, who becomes easy pickings for the wolf.

            That’s why the Shepherd calls you here to his sheepfold, the Church, to hear the Shepherd’s voice. It’s also a place where the flock circles one another in defense of the prowling wolves. Strength in numbers. The sheep live for others the way the Shepherd lives for us. Christians are made to be a flock. For there are also lost sheep out in our communities and families who need a shepherd. For sheep cannot save themselves any better than they can shepherd themselves. We need a shepherd. That’s exactly who you have, Good Shepherd Jesus, the Bishop of our souls.
            What a difference from the hired hand. The hireling does not own the sheep; he uses the sheep for his own gain like a pimp. The Good Shepherd owns his sheep, purchased at Calvary’s marketplace in exchange for his precious blood.
            The hireling cares only for himself. The Good Shepherd cares for others and denies himself. When the hireling sees the wolf coming he leaves the sheep and flees to save his own hide. The Good Shepherd stays and protects the sheep; he saves others but he would not save himself. By the way, that’s why pastors are ordained and called; not hired and fired. They’re shepherds of the flock of Christ, the Good Shepherd. The hireling is selfish. The Good Shepherd is self-giving; he lays down his life for his sheep.

            Jesus contrasts himself with the hirelings so you keep your sheep ears perked up, listening to the voice of the true Shepherd. You can always tell a hireling from the shepherd by the message he brings. Listen carefully. Anyone who does not preach Jesus Christ to be your Shepherd, who bore you sins on the cross, who laid down His life for your salvation, in whom you are justified before God freely for Jesus’ sake, is not speaking on behalf of the Good Shepherd. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
            There’re plenty of hirelings both in the church and out of the church. Gurus abound. But none are willing, able or even claiming to be your Shepherd, to lay down their life for you, to die for your sins. But Jesus is. You don’t need a guide a guru or a hireling; you need a Savior.
            For you, his sheep, the Shepherd joined his flock; he became a Lamb. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God didn’t sit on his throne saying, “Look at those poor lost sheep, I sure hope they find their way.” No. “I myself will be the Shepherd of my sheep,” declares the Lord. “I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life on behalf of his sheep.” It’s in his blood.
            Jesus is the greater Abel, sacrificed by his brothers, and this time, for his brothers. He the greater Jacob, labors in agony for you, his bride, adorning you in woolly white baptismal garments. He, the greater Moses, leads his wandering sheep to the Promised Land. He the greater David, is shepherd-king of his new Israel, a new flock, his Church.
            Ordinarily a shepherd’s death would leave the flock in peril. But in Jesus’ death there’s a different outcome. Shepherd Jesus saves his lambs by dying for them
            That’s what a Good Shepherd does, lays down his life for his sheep. Every night the sheep are herded into pen. The shepherd lies at the opening of the pen for the night. That’s what Jesus means when He says, “I am the door of the sheep.” He literally lays down His life for the sheep. He lies in the door of death, and through His death, His sheep can go in and out and find pasture. Through the narrow door of Jesus’ death there is abundant life for you.
            You shall not want. He makes you lie down in the green pastures of his Word. He leads you into the still waters of Baptism. He restores your soul from death to life. He guides you in the path of His righteousness, daily dying and rising. Even though you walk daily in the shadow of death, hunted by sin and the devil, you need fear no evil. Good Shepherd Jesus has gone ahead of you through suffering and death to resurrection and glory. Your Shepherd lives and so do you. He leads you with the disciplining rod of Law and his rescuing staff of gospel.

            He anoints your head with healing oil, forgiving your sin. What a marvelous image of confession and absolution. The shepherd gives his sheep a flea bath, like corporate absolution. But he also applies healing individually to those troublesome sores and spots become infected if left unattended, like individual absolution. Forgiveness, like sin itself, is both general and specific.
            And your Shepherd gives you more. He prepares a table for you; your cup overflows as the Shepherd feeds you with his own body and blood. This Shepherd is your paschal Lamb and his altar is your banquet table.

            Here in the sheepfold, we rejoice with David, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Like a pair of sheep dogs nipping at your heels, our Lord’s goodness and mercy will dog you until your Shepherd calls you home into the stable: further up and further in! You are kept safe in His pierced hands. And there’s no better place to be.
            That way, when the wolf comes to huff and puff and blow your faith down, point him to Jesus, your Good Shepherd. “You want me for supper? You have to go through the Good Shepherd. You want to accuse me of my sins and flaunt them in my face? Take them up with Jesus. They belong to him now.” For anyone who tries to snatch you out of the flock your Good Shepherd, Jesus simply declares: “Over my dead and risen body. I AM the Good Shepherd.”

             In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

E-nklings Cloud of Witnesses: Hope, Hobbits and Higher Things

Higher Things is a whole lot of Lutheran goodness. Good Theology. Good, historic worship. Good fun. And recently I was reminded, good friends. This is one of the places I identify most with the hobbits, good friends. Speaking of good friends, here's a smashing good post from my friends, Jon Kohlmeier from Higher Things. It's worth your time...not because he mentions my name in his post. And it's not because I enjoy being a guest on HT Radio (although I do, immensely). But because this post reveals a great deal about how to understand LOTR in light of the Christian faith. There  is much to admire about the Hobbits, even though their stature may fool you at first. So, you may know him as the voice that keeps Pastor Borghardt on task on HT Radio, but I know him as the Monk of Milwaukee and the Monk of Middle-Earth. Enjoy this edition of E-nklings Cloud of Witnesses, Hobbit style.

Hope for Despairing Hobbits

I always feel like I need to watch Lord of the Rings after Pr. Schuldheisz is on HT-Radio. So, this time I actually did start Fellowship of the Ring. I came across the Death of Gandalf scene that's posted above. The beautifully sad soundtrack at a time when it seems all hope is lost. Gandalf, the wise, unquestioned leader of the Fellowship is the first to fall. How can they possibly complete their quest after losing the wise, powerful friend? How can they even continue without Mithrandir, their grey pilgrim? All hope is lost.

Aragorn steps up. He lives up to his other name, Estel. He has hope. He does not fall into despair or abandon his purpose. Although his friend had fallen he must keep the rest of the fellowship from despairing to their own deaths. "Pick them up." They must get to a place where it is safe, a forest, a place of life. The Hobbits have no desire to get up they are lost in their despair. They can only be lifted up by those who have been placed in their lives and travel with them.

We fall into despair too. We have no desire to get up and keep moving forward. All hope is lost how can things ever be right again? We despair unto our own death.

The Lord places people in our lives to pick us up. To show that there still is hope. They direct us from that place that will kill us to a place that is safe, a place of life. Our pastors, friends, and family direct us to where there is true hope. Where there is no distress and only life. They direct us to God's Gifts. His Word and His Sacrements. They drown you in the life-giving water of your baptism. The hope in Christ's death and resurrection is placed directly into your mouth. Your despair and hopelessness is swallowed up in the unquestionable hope that you have in Christ.

Not a Tame Gospel

Today marks the feast day for St. Mark, Evangelist. One of the symbols most commonly associated with the Gospel according to St. Mark is the winged lion. The Gospel of Mark is the lion-hearted Gospel. Is he safe? No, of course he isn't safe. He's not a tame evangelist and his is not a tame gospel. But he is good. And more importantly the message he bears witness to - the good news he evangelizes - is none other than the voice of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus roars in the Gospel of Mark not as a tame God, but as the Crucified and Risen Lord of heaven and earth. But you don't find that out in its fullness until Mark leads you to the crucifixion.

That's what makes Mark's Gospel so riveting. Matthew captures the Old Testament fulfillment so superbly. Luke captures the wonder and mystery and joy of the incarnation in poetic historical prose. And John has the "I AMs" and Jesus the Good Shepherd (among a myriad of other images). But what does Mark have? Doesn't it seem like he gets left out of the Gospel party a bit? Like the last kid to get picked in gym class for dodge ball, Mark is often ignored, frequently misunderstood and even more forgotten.

Perhaps that's why I like the Gospel of Mark. It's underestimated. He's the underdog of the evangelists. And just about everyone (except President Snow of Panem) likes underdogs. But make no mistake, he is not a tame evangelist. Mark is the gun-slinging, "True Grit" Gospel. It's not just the pace: immediately! Straightway (in the old KJV)! It's more than the form - although Mark shows excellent prowess as a "playwright" for the greatest true story ever told - it's also the substance.

Right from the opening words of Mark's Gospel, you know Jesus is headed somewhere. "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Behold I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way..."  Where is Jesus going? To the Jordan for you.  To be anointed for you. To be baptized for you. To tear the heavens open for you. And then to be tempted by Satan for you. Thus begins the binding of the strong man (Mark 3). According to Mark's Gospel, Jesus begins the plunder of hell immediately. Straightway! No time to waste. No dilly-dallying. That's where Jesus is headed. Even in death John the Baptizer is the forerunner of Jesus.

But before Jesus has his way with death, he must first have his way with the demons and diseases. He treats them all the same for they are all symptoms of the same deadly poison that infects his creation. Sin, death and the devil invaded Jesus' house and he came to take it all back. The demons quickly find out what kind of authority this Jesus has. They obey (Mark 1:27). They must. He is not a tame God. He's even the devil's keeper. And, as Mark will point out clearly, he is also the devil's destroyer.

That's one of the more intriguing and unique aspects of Mark's Gospel. There's more talk of the reality of the devil's lies, work and kingdom than the other gospels. It's almost as if Jesus is casting out demons every other verse. But that's all part of the plan. The diseases. The preaching. The casting out of demons. That's all part of the way Jesus must go. Peter tried to tame him along the way. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Get behind me, Satan! But He's not a tame God. Peter couldn't tame this Lion, neither could the devil. And death is no match for him either. The irony is that the blind man - even before he received his sight from the Lord - had better vision than Peter.

Mark's Gospel is clear, if it's not the Jesus of the cross - Christ Crucified for you - then you don't know Jesus at all. If you only know Jesus as the healer and the miracle worker and the powerful, amazing teacher, then you don't know him at all; he's just a cafeteria deity to you. Mark points us straightway to the truth about Jesus. It is necessary. Jesus must go this way, the way of the cross. The way of suffering. The way of death. This is the climactic ending of Mark's Gospel: the crucifixion.

It's not until Jesus is on the cross that all of these things done in his ministry finally make sense. It's only at the foot of the cross that we can make a true confession of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Truly this man is the Son of God. The Roman centurion's confession is also our confession. I too was once blind, but now I see: Jesus Crucified for me. Hopefully we realize it before the cross when reading the Gospel. But there's no better place to confess that Name above all names, then at the foot of the cross he bore for you. The strong man is bound as Jesus binds himself to the cross. Hell and the grave are plundered and Jesus emerges victorious from the death. The Messianic secret isn't revealed on Easter - not in Mark's Gospel. It's revealed on Good Friday.

There's Easter and Resurrection to be sure. But always in view of the cross. That's Mark for you. A monomaniac about Jesus Crucified. That's my kind evangelist. Not a tame one. Not one easily swayed by popular opinion or trends. One who will simply tell it like it is. Sin sucks. Death and sin are damnable. The devil is a liar. And Jesus has overcome them all for you. He is your life through his death. The Lion has pounced the devil. Jesus leaps from his grave and he takes you with him all the way. For he leads us through Baptism into the heavens, first torn open at his Baptism and later rend open by his death for us. The same Greek word for the heavens being torn open is the same word used for the temple curtain being torn in two. And there you have it, everything Jesus comes to give you: Baptism and the cross. Water, blood and Jesus. Font. Chalice. Word. His bloody, watery side is open for you. Heaven is open for you. Of course it's not a tame Gospel. But this Gospel and this Lion are good.

Come, ride on my back children; we have far to go. And as we ride, we rejoice in his victory. Immediately. Straightway! Truly this Lion is the Son of God! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Almighty God, You have enriched Your Church with the proclamation of the Gospel through the evangelist Mark. Grant that we may firmly believe these glad tidings and daily walk according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Last Will and Testament

Few things humble man more than signing a Last Will and Testament. It's the Ash Wednesday reminder: Remember, o man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return. It brings one's mortality to the forefront, something we try to ignore daily. But there before the lawyer and the witness, before God and the pen everything is disclosed. Every signature the sting of death needles you more painfully than a tattoo artist. And this is more permanent. There's no death removal laser treatment. Dust to dust. It is literally signing your life away. It's not fun. But then again it's not supposed to be. However, it is necessary. And it is good. Parents care for their children even before they are born, from conception to birth and their whole life through. Parents love their children in life and in death. In a way I suppose those marriage vows are not just between you and your spouse - vows kept by the mercy of God himself - but those vows that are also for you and your children. Till death us do part. But even there you are loving your kids, loving them to death. There's nothing you wouldn't do for them. Provide for their needs. Prepare them for the future. And give them life - an inheritance - out of your death. How much do you love me, daddy? This much. Nothing is withheld from you. All that is mine is yours. Yes, it's true that there are few things more humbling than this.

I know of only one thing more humbling, in fact the most humbling of all. The one perfect Last Will and Testament. Take eat. Take drink. This is the cup of the new testament - the last testament, the everlasting testament - in my blood. Made by the perfect Testator. He is the one who predeceases you. That's the legal term for what the Scriptures confess: Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead. And he goes there for you, his children. That's good news for all of us, whether you've signed a will or not in your earthly life, you are heirs to a greater, everlasting will and testament, signed and sealed in the death and resurrection of Christ.

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. (Hebrews 9)

But in fact the Law's demands have been satisfied. Christ, your Testator, has dipped his pen in the Calvary's crimson inkwell to sign his life away to us, his wayward, rebellious children. Though we deserved no inheritance - though we squander it daily - he gives you all that he has, freely. Behold the crucifix, a divine notary public, declaring to all the world that the undersigned, hereby declares you the benefactors and heirs according to His name. There on the cross your mortality and immortality are both seen clearly. The death you deserved, Christ dies. The life you didn't deserve, Christ gives to you freely. Death has lost its sting. Sure, it pokes and prods and pricks us here in this life, but no more than it did to Jesus. He has taken your death. He has swallowed your venom and sucked death's poison out of you. and onto him. He is your Testator. His death is the guarantee of all he promises you. His body and blood? Their yours. Take eat. Take drink. His death and resurrection? It's yours in Baptism. His word of promise? It's yours. Go in peace. Your sins are forgiven you. Jesus takes on our Ash Wednesday command - dust to dust - in order to bring you his Easter proclamation: Alleluia! He is Risen!

And that's the chief difference between our Will and Testament and Jesus' Will and Testament. Ours ends on this side of the grave. His does not. His destroys the power of the grave. His is an everlasting covenant, a Testament without end. Our pain and suffering is but a shadow, our legal documents but a copy of the greater suffering endured and the greatest inheritance given by Christ for you and for the world. For Jesus is not only the giver of the inheritance. He himself is our inheritance. That's the joy of heaven even when get a glimpse of it on earth in the Divine Service.

Good Friday wasn't any fun for Jesus either. But then again it wasn't supposed to be. It was, however good. And it was necessary. In this manner Jesus loves the world, that he lays down his life for his sheep. He lays down his life for sinners, enemies and all lost sons of Adam. Jesus loves us little children into birth and life in His Name. He loves his children to death. That's his vow to you. Not only till death us do part. But even in death, he will never depart from you. Nothing will snatch you out of his hands. Just ask him; He still has the fleshly documents to prove it to you. Do not be disbelieving, but believe. Look here; see my scars and touch me here on my side. There's nothing he wouldn't do - nothing he hasn't done - for you. Provides for all our needs of body and soul. Prepares us for the future of life with him by his work in the past bringing his cross and passion to us here and now in the present. Taste and see that the Lord, He is good and his mercy endures forever.

"How much does Jesus love you", you ask? With outstretched arms suspended between heaven and earth, he replies, "This much...it is finished. Nothing is withheld from you. All that is mine is yours. I, the undersigned, do hereby declare it,

Jesus, the First and the Last, the Living One, for I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.