The Gospel Dominates

 Luther dealt with Law & Gospel when he dealt with his Saxon visitations. In the 1520s, Luther realized that being freed from the condemnation of the law caused people to love serving others. Luther visited other congregations and was not pleased with what he saw. Luther dealt with antinomianism and other controversies dealing with the concept of sanctification (growing more and more Christ-like). After Luther's death, Melanchthon most prominently describes three uses of the Law. Some people prefer "functions" over "uses." Melanchthon explained how the Law was a curb, mirror and guide. It's been a staple in Lutheran culture since Melanchthon. 

Sanctification to some degree has to do with all three uses of the law, but it's most clearly associated with the third use of the Law. 

Unfortunately, during the Pietist Movement, sanctification began to supercede justification in importance. People were looking within themselves versus outside of themselves (extra nos) for assurance of salvation. 

A Key element to this debate is the Mystical Union

MYSTICAL UNION -- SAY WHAT??!!

The mystical union is the ontological (literal, physical) indwelling of the Godhead within us. All the language of being conformed to Christ that we see in the Bible, etc. The whole point is intimacy---this is why the apostle Paul was so adamant about the Corinthians being sexually pure. Our relationship with Christ is definitely NOT sexual, but it is intimate. 

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

New English Translation

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Sanctification is so much more than just moral effort. 

SANCTIFICATION DEBATES TODAY

Two problems that show up in Lutheranism in the mid 1900s are Gospel reductionism (no Law preached). The Law shifts from being the eternal will of God to just accusation.  Gerhard Forde would say that the Law only accuses.  He removes the essence of the Law from the distinction of the Law.  This leads to a theology that has nothing good to say about sanctification.  Gerhard Forde has an essay on sanctification, in which he says sanctification is getting used to your justification.  This is not found in Luther, Lutheranism, our Confessions, but most importantly, this idea is not found in scripture. 

SANCTIFICATION -- IS IT ME OR GOD? 

John 15

New American Standard Bible

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, [c]and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit [d]of itself [e]but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [f]bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [g]prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

 Sanctification is God the Holy Spirit working with us, within us.  

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JUSTIFICATION -- The Nature of Faith

 COOPER: We can talk about justification for a long time, but we will try to navigate it piece by piece.  But before we tackle justification, let's begin with the nature of faith. 

 with the Reformation, the definition of faith itself was questioned.  In the period just prior to the Reformation, faith was just looked at as acknowledging something as true. It's a misunderstanding that stands today, especially among RCs in terms of how they think Lutherans think about faith.  This is far from accurate, and is a caricature of Lutheranism. What we mean by faith goes far beyond mental assent...

Is assent to propositions an element of faith? Is logic a part of faith? It is, but that's not all that faith entails..

As Lutherans, we divide saving faith into three different elements: 

NOTITIA -- your knowledge of the facts of the Gospel. 

ASCENTARE -- acceptance of the facts

FIDUCIA --- trust. 

We have scriptures that say "contend for the faith (Jude 1:3)." This passage is not necessarily talking about personal faith, but it has a broader scope. 

We will also be looking at Romans 3 & 4. Paul explains justification masterfully, as well as in Galatians. 

In Romans 4, Paul quotes Genesis 15. What's happening in Genesis 15? God is establishing His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15: New American Standard Bible4 What then shall we say that Abraham, [a]our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified [b]by works, he has something to boast about; but not [c]before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”4 Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

Romans 4 is probably the clearest and detailed text on justification. There is nothing in this text that describes faith as just intellectual acceptance. Rome says that faith needs something else to be valid, because they believe that faith is simply mental acceptance of the truths of the faith. Rome would say, "faith formed by love." 

Dr. Cooper had a conversation with a Roman Catholic philosopher about Romans 4.  What happened was that Mr. Philosopher did not really deal with Romans 4, but wanted to keep moving on to other texts. 

We believe in love just like Rome, but we look at love differently. Lingan is a Lutheran who wrote on Luther's doctrine of vocation, and it is really good. Faith is Christ-oriented and receieves love. Love is different from faith in that it descends. So for Luther, love belongs to the left-hand kingdom, or this world.  Faith is heavenly; love is earthly. Speaking of faith, how do we even reconcile infant faith and baptism with the idea of mental agreement with the faith?

INFANT BAPTISM

What do we do about infant baptism? There are tons of passages in the Bible. But Psalm 73 stands out because it's a Psalm of Asaph-- John the Baptist, David and Asaph. 

1. Luke 9:47
   But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side,
2. Luke 9:48
   and He said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

3. Luke 18:15-17

   New American Standard Bible

   15 Now they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for the little ones, saying, “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 

4.  Infant faith and infant baptism are proofs that faith is more than just intellectual belief.  Now that we've spent so much time on faith, we will dive into justification proper!! JUSTIFICATION -- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

5. It is a significant point of debate. What is justification? We generally define it as a legal term, where we are declared righteous. There is both forgiveness and imputation of righteousness in justification. 

6. Roman Catholics -- made righteous vs. Protestants -- declared righteous ---

7. Augustine saw justification as God making us righteous, versus being declared righteous. But interestingly, Luther does not follow Augustine in this.  Why? Augustine did not have knowledge of New Testament Greek (Koine Greek). This is a major problem, because many of the Western Fathers spoke Latin instead of Greek.  So less and less people understood the Greek New Testament, and were relying on the Latin translations. Jerome's Vulgate is an example of this problem. The Vulgate mistranslated justification. By the time of Luther, the Latin translation says "do penance" instead of "repent." During the Renaissance, one of the things that were revived were the ancient languages. 

8. BACK TO THE SOURCES -- AD FONTES

9. The theme of the Renaissance was for people to get back to the sources (ad fontes).  Luther was a mystic and Melanchthon was a humanist. When the two of them joined forces, they were reading the Theologica Germanica (anonymous) as well as the writings of Renaissance humanists. So all of this influenced their views on faith, and justification and righteousness.

10. HOW DO WE RECIEVE ALL THESE THINGS FROM CHRIST? 

11. First, Lutherans make a distinction between two kinds of righteousness -- Coram Mundo (our righteousness before man), and Corum Deo (our righteousness before God).  Any renewal that we have in our will is all God's doing. When the Holy Spirit works, He is still working through us. We really have faith, but the credit is the Spirit's credit.  We recieve love, redemption, justification and sanctification, all by faith: 

12. 1 Corinthians 1:28-31 28 and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no human may boast before God. 30 But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  

    
    

13. So we place all our insurance in and on Christ. Period.  Galatians is crucial for this. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+3&version=NASB.  Now there are different terms Lutherans use to describe justification, which we will look at below. 

14. OBJECTIVE VS SUBJECTIVE JUSTIFICATION -- Objective is universal, this reality that the world has been justified through the work of Jesus. Subjective --- You HAVE to recieve by faith that Christ died for you in order for it to be effective.   One of the reasons why this was so controversial because of the "Kokomo Theses" put forth by one of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) districts. But it is important to note that 1 Timothy 3:16 and Romans 4:25 say.  They talk about us being justified in the Spirit (vindicated is the English word used).  More to come on all of this as we explore more Orthodox Lutheran doctrine!! 

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The Application of Salvation

 Order of Salvation.  Dr. Cooper prefers Weidner over Pieper.

Mystical Union is something that is important to Dr. Cooper and he believes it to be extremely biblical. 

We are finishing our discussion from Doctrine I about Christ being prophet, priest and king. It's really soteriology. There are two latin terms historia salutis (history of salvation, order of salvation). It's not the history of salvation from Genesis to Revelation, but the order of salvation in terms of how salvation is applied to us in real time.  We have to have some objective way that salvation applies to us personally. As we continue to move, we will discuss the sacraments.

Someone thinks that the order of salvation is a number of steps you have to take in order to obtain salvation.  In some authors, there is an abuse of the Ordo Salutis. David Holatz is a good 17th century theologian to read concerning this. What comes first, sanctification or justification?

Reformed Vs. Lutheran Ordo Salutis --Reformed theology is very logical in it's structure. The Lutheran Ordo is more messy. In the Reformed Ordo Salutis, authors consider the doctrine of justification to be a one time event that happened in the past. We don't have to be as systematic as the Reformed without having to make them fit.

ELEMENTS OF THE ORDO SALUTIS (ORDER OF SALVATION)

Grace -- there are different ways the scriptures use the word "grace," which Lutherans view as the favor of God, and Roman Catholics view grace as something that is continually working through us.

Preparing Grace -- conviction of the Spirit before conversion

Cooperating Grace -- this is a synergism that Lutherans shy away from. But Lutherans are adamant about contextualizing that grace.

Preserving Grace -- not something that is due to the human will, either.

Glorifying Grace -- in heaven, fully glorified and sanctified.

Rome has kind of changed its tactics. Roman Catholic apologists will often sound Protestant according to Cooper.  

The Reformed on Grace & Calling -- They consider grace to be discriminating, irresistable, and limited. For Lutherans the call is indiscriminate, resistable and universal.

Many are called but few are chosen:

Matthew 22:14

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Romans 8....a Puritan called it the Golden Chain of Salvation. Starting with verse 28..

Romans 8:28-37

New American Standard Bible

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters;³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?³³ Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?³⁶ Just as it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

In Ephesians 1, Paul uses election as a word of assurance.

And Hebrews 6 gives insight...The Danger of Falling Away

6 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

⁹ But, beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way.

Gerhard Forde's "Where God Meets Man" is a good book to read.

The call of God in Lutheranism is radically different from Calvinism. Then we move from the call to conversion.

Then there is illumination, the conversion of the mind.

There is plenty of biblical "light and darkness" language. Acts 26:18,

Acts 26:16-18

New American Standard Bible

¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,¹⁷ rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Ephesians 5:8

Ephesians 5:8

New American Standard Bible

⁸ for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light

We try to justify everything we do, and we live hypocritically, and judge others for the things we do ourselves. The ordering of our affections got reversed in the fall. The affections and desires would be subject to the intellect if it was not for original sin.

Preaching salvation in different metaphors.

Romans 12 is good for regeneration and conversion. 

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Son of Man -- Dec 4th Sermon

 

Greetings! Isaiah and Matthew are the books that this sermon comes from.

the Bible’s sole interest is in Isaiah’s message, which is summed up in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.”

Isaiah’s book is a vision in that it reveals, through symbols and reasoned thought, a God-centered way of seeing and living. It offers everyone the true alternative to the false appearances of this world. https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+11/

Isaiah 11:1-10

English Standard Version

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

11 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

    the Spirit of counsel and might,

    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

A shoot is coming out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. The Holy Spirit will rest upon this stump, this branch from Jesse’s roots. He will be filled with the Spirit of God, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He will judge with righteousness and fairness. The rod of his mouth, the Word of God, he’ll use to strike the earth and kill the wicked. He will wear a belt of righteousness and faithfulness. 

So Jesse is the father of David. However, there will be a prophet coming to the earth, who is both the root and offspring of David. How is that possible? There is only one person who fits that description. It is the  God Man, Christ Jesus. Look at what he says in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

We see from Jesus’ baptism that the Holy Spirit came to rest on Him in the form of a dove. Matthew 3:16-17 English Standard Version 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This is where we see this Spirit of might, wisdom, counsel, understanding and the fear of the Lord rest fully and permanently on Christ.  John tells us that the Spirit of God’s presence in Jesus is unlimited, infinite: John 3:34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

Christ indeed is full of the Spirit without measure. Even though we can constantly grow in the fruits of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:23, we will not be fully pure on this side of heaven. Yet we can look to the Son of David, who is the Root of David. We can look to Christ, and trust that when God sees us, he sees us not clothed in our own purity, but in the purity of Jesus. We are clothed in the purity of the one who came from Heaven, and became a Son of Man.  Now why do I keep mentioning this title “Son of Man?” It’s what Jesus called Himself more than anything else. But where did Jesus get this from? It’s not in the reading, but I’d like to quote from Daniel 7: Daniel 7:13-14 English Standard Version 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Only an eternal king can have an eternal kingdom.  This is where Jesus got this title. This was totally him, in heaven. Daniel saw a vision of Christ before His earthly ministry! So here’s the thing about prophecy in the Bible. Every prophecy has elements of both future and history.  During Daniel’s vision, did he also see what’s going to happen at the end of all things? It’s highly possible.  But why does all this matter? What does this have to do with what you’re going through? Let's at one phrase again....

 he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Well, when we read verse  5, we see the wrath of Christ. And had we not been given the gift of salvation by faith through grace, we would be the ones Christ would strike with the rod of his mouth. We were the ones who would’ve been killed by the breath of his lips. 

Gospel – Since Jesus is both a Lion and a Lamb, we experience his tenderness, gentleness and love displayed on the cross for us. 

But speaking of prophecy, we can speak about Isaiah’s prophecy again.  It seems like the last half of Isaiah chapter 11 mentions something very interesting. I believe it’s talking about the end times:

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

    and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

    their young shall lie down together;

    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

9 They shall not hurt or destroy

    in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

We see wolves with lambs, leopards with goats, calves and lions, all eating together, grass, in fact. A child will play with a cobra; a weaned child or a toddler will put his hand on an adder’s den. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And the root of Jesse, who is also the stump of Jesse, would be a signal for the nations, and all would inquire of the root of Jesse. His resting place will be glorious. 

So this is obviously talking about the end times here. There’s no way my kid is getting close to a cobra or an adder! Forget it! All eating grass, too. That doesn’t sound like something happening today. But we can rest in the fact that one day, even the natural order will be at peace. Will lions eat grass in the future? This powerful creature eating grass. Well, Job has something interesting to say about that!  Job 40:15-24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

“Behold now, Behemoth, which I created as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his loins And his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly. He sways his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope]. His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. “He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God; [Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].  

    I don’t know all the details, but since human beings won’t kill each other in the end times, maybe animals won’t kill and eat each other either? I mean, if the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, then that makes sense. And all I know is that it wasn’t until after Noah’s flood that God gave people permission to kill and eat animals.  This was in Genesis 9. What I’m trying to say is that the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, will make everything right when he comes again. That’s right! He already came, 2,000 years ago, to put sin and death to death, permanently. 

Look at our planet. People are killing each other. The earth is vomiting out its inhabitants through earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes, landslides, etc. The atmosphere is polluted with diseases, many of which are man made. Asteroids hit our planet, creating devastation.  Romans 8:22 talks about the creation itself crying out for the Sons of God to be revealed. All of this is because of our sin. Adam and Eve caused us to inherit sin, but we also sin on our own, every day.  However, the Son of Man came just for that. For the revealing of His people. The Son of God became a Son of Man, so mankind could be restored as God’s children. And what an incredible first Advent Jesus had! 

Okay we are fast forwarding from the book of Isaiah, written 700 or 800 years before Christ, we’re fast forwarding that 400 year period after Malachi where the Greeks and Romans invaded Israel,  and we’re fast forwarding past the nativity. By the time we reach Matthew 21 in our text, our Son of Man, Christ Jesus, is entering Jerusalem for the first time. 

In light of Irenaeus’s assertion (c. A.D. 175) that Matthew composed his Gospel while Peter and Paul were still living (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1), it is traditionally dated to the late 50s or early 60s.

Purpose, Occasion, and Background

Matthew crafted his account to demonstrate Jesus’ messianic identity, his inheritance of the Davidic kingship over Israel, and his fulfillment of the promise made to his ancestor Abraham (Matt. 1:1) to be a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:1–3).

Matthew 21:1-11

English Standard Version

The Triumphal Entry

21 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,humble, and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

We see Christ entering Jerusalem. His disciples placed Jesus on a donkey. Prophecy about this from the book of Zechariah was fulfilled. People cut branches from trees and spread them on the road in front of Jesus. All around him, people were saying, Hosanna, or Glory to God. 

Now what’s happening in Matthew? Christ is entering the city in the complete opposite way that Alexander the Great did and Pompeii did centuries before Jesus was born. The former came with chariots, war horses, war elephants, slaves, and great fanfare. But Jesus does the complete opposite. He comes in humility. And what could be more humble than the Son of God becoming a Son of Man. Could you imagine Ceasar or Alexander or Napoleon coming in such a humble manner? They say power corrupts, but if the one in power has an incorruptible nature….That is our Savior. Within a week, the entire city would turn against Jesus, as we have turned away from him countless times. But, within a week, Christ secured our salvation, forgiveness and eternal life (Forgive them father, for they know not what they do). If he prayed for the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him, how much more does Jesus love and forgive you and I?. 

He loves us more than words can ever express, but the Apostle Paul comes close I believe, when he says his desire is for us to know the love of Christ that goes beyond our human ability to understand.

Romans 8:38 (NET)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers,Romans 8:39 (NET)
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So in closing, look to the Son of Man, who is also the Son of God. Nothing in this entire universe, not even death or demons separate us from the Love God has for us. Go in peace. And now may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord Jesus. Amen.

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