Good Friday – Pr. Anderson sermon
Genesis 3:14-15, 20, St. Matthew 27:45-46 “Promise Kept”
March 29, 2024 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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“What a mess.” The moment I say that and your head is probably racing as to what I’m talking about. This statement could be used for so many situations and we know that none of those situations are going to be good. Maybe the children destroyed the bedroom with toys everywhere. Maybe the dog tore apart the couch cushion. Maybe we have simply looked at all that we have done in our lives and this is the statement that fell out of our mouths, “What a mess.” Is this what God is thinking when He looks down on us? Is this what He thought when Adam and Eve sinned against Him? While He has the right to think this, after confronting them, He gives them a promise. Today, that promise is kept.
The culmination of the redemption of Adam and Eve is in this promise. A promise that was given to them, but was targeted at the one who caused the offense. Adam and Eve didn’t sin against God for the fun of it. They were tempted by the old evil foe. To hear the promise, first God gives His judgment to the serpent. The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.” Did Adam and Eve hear why serpents slither on the ground? Did they have legs to begin with? When God levies out this punishment, He is not punishing the serpent. He is explaining to the one who is using the serpent what his punishment will be. Jesus tells us that this serpent was being used by the devil and the devil is given a sentence of suffering.
The devil was not keen to deal with this level of humiliation all by his lonesome. So, he is going to do everything in his power to get the man and woman to feel his pain. As man and woman would get their own sentences of childbearing being difficult and thorns growing up from the ground, the devil isn’t content with that. After the devil targeted them, he now goes after their children. He targets them because he sees that even though he was able to get Adam and Eve to fall into temptation, their creator was still showing them love. Man had fallen away, and God was being merciful. So, the devil’s plan is to point out the sins of man, so that man feels humiliated before the creator.
The devil is playing a game of distraction. If he can get man distracted with the original temptation to be like God, then man will forget about the promise that God made. He wants everyone to dwell on the problems of the world. Is God fair to everyone? No one wants to hear the reality of how easy the devil can succeed in tempting people to think that God is unfair and unjust. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). As the devil was stung in hearing the truth of what his final punishment would be, he works to get people who fall for his temptations to feel that same sting. To feel pain and hurt when they are confronted.
It is this pain and hurt that can cause us to not want to be here on this day. To stand before the Son of Man as He hangs on the cross can be a lot to think about. The sins of our original parents like to shine out. “It is all their fault that we are here today,” as we are thinking about all the sins that we have done. “Why do we have to suffer for the sins that they committed? Can’t God just give us a break?” The devil will have a little grin on his face. He sees the pain and humiliation. He hears the anger in our voices. Satan can tell that a wedge has been drawn, that same wedge he tempted Adam and Eve to create. If he fails at creating a wedge he takes a magnifying glass out. He illuminates everything we have done, pointing out sins buried in our past. Talk about the humiliation for us, as we bear witness to the Son of God, an innocent man, dying. It is on that wooden cross that hangs our sins. It can feel like they are staring back at us, “it’s all our fault.” Too often we believe this lie, that there is no hope for us and we will just continue to crawl on the ground and eat dust until the end of our days.
The abandonment and punishment that we deserve is lifted off of us. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Jesus cries out in bitter agony as the Father who He loves so much, who He followed His will perfectly, won’t look at Him. This is the pain of hell, to experience the abandonment of God. Why would Jesus do this for us? His cries pierce our souls to remorse, because that should be us. Yet the Redeemer knew this would happen. He knew that God the Father would abandon Him. He cries with the weight of the world, cursed, despised, rejected by God and men. This is the promise kept to fulfillment, the love that God is showing the world. He says, “My Son, my only-begotten Son takes your place, My promise is kept for you.”
As Satan is cursed, the promise rings out for all to hear, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Satan comes after you because he wants to give you a severe blow. He is outmatched as the curses of Adam that you have inherited are redeemed for you on the cursed tree. Your utter humiliation is being worn by a God of gracious love! Your punishment is lifted! The devil can’t accuse you of those sins from the past because your redemption is found in the cross where he is beaten. Jesus cries, “It is finished” (John 19:30). As John hears these three words that brings peace to our souls, he sees a vision of the devils demise. “And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne” (Revelation 12:4b-5). His head is bruised by the death of Christ.
Adam and Eve held on to this promise of their child bruising the devil in this epic showdown. It is with this faith that Adam names his wife. The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. As she is the mother of all the living, God is the God of the living. He is the God of the living because in Christ’s death on the cross you have life. Your sins are forgiven as you look on the One whom they have pierced, the One who is eternal life. “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). The promise that Jesus would crust the devil’s head. The Lord of the living gave up His life in death, your death. This is the only day that matters in history. This is the day that God’s promise is kept.
We Pray:
Whate’er of earthly good this life may grant me,
I’ll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross, shall daunt me.
I shall not fear what man can do to harm me
Nor death alarm me.
But worthless is my sacrifice, I own it;
Yet, Lord, for love’s sake Thou wilt not disown it;
Thou wilt accept my gift in Thy great meekness
Nor shame my weakness.
And when, dear Lord, before Thy throne in heaven
To me the crown of joy at last is given,
Where sweetest hymns Thy saints forever raise Thee,
I, too, shall praise Thee. Amen.
(Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary # 292 v. 13-15)
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