“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council and said, ‘What do we do? For this man performs many miracles. If we leave him alone like this, all men will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.’ And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.’ And he did not speak this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only, but that also he should assemble in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth, they took counsel together to put him to death.” John 11:47-53

How little things have changed! After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and the Pharisees were told of the mighty miracle, they were more concerned about preserving their earthly status and position under Roman rule than their eternal future. Instead of coming to Jesus and recognizing Him as the Son of God and their Savior from sin, they considered it expedient for the earthly wellbeing of their place and nation to reject and put to death their Messiah.

And it happens today! Pastors and church leaders compromise the clear and plain teaching of the Bible, which is God’s Word, to preserve their positions in the church. Sad to say, for many, it is viewed as expedient that the true Jesus of the Bible be silenced and those who teach His Word be removed from their pulpits so that their own positions and erring church doctrines remain unchallenged.

After all, what would happen if the sin and false doctrine in their church bodies were to be exposed? What would happen if those who teach the truth revealed in the Bible were allowed to keep pointing out the sins of church members and calling upon all to repent of their evil ways and look in faith in Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy, pardon, and forgiveness, and then seek to walk according to God’s Word? Members might become upset and leave. Church traditions and teachings might be exposed as doctrines of men. Churches might become divided and split. Church leaders might lose their positions of authority and leadership.

Notice that even though the Pharisees and religious rulers of the Jews rejected Jesus and plotted to kill Him, the words of Caiaphas, the high priest, were a prophecy of God’s plan for Jesus to be offered up on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people that God might gather together His chosen from among the nation of Israel and from among the peoples of the world. And God is doing that yet today when He calls people to faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross through the hearing of His Word. Those who, by the grace and mercy of God, hear the voice of Jesus calling through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and look to Him in faith are gathered together to Him and are a part of His eternal kingdom. They are pardoned, forgiven, and have eternal life!

In 1 Corinthians 11:19, St. Paul writes: “For there must also be sects among you so that those who are approved may be made manifest among you.” In other words, God allows those with differing religious views and opinions to rise up in the church in order to test believers and see if they will hold fast to the truth of the Bible or elevate their own reason and opinions and reject the truth of His Word. Sadly, the Christian church is very splintered and divided today, which puts the burden on believers to examine what pastors and churches teach, using the Bible as the source and judge of truth.

Isaiah wrote: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). The sects and divisions in the church today force Christians who seek to be faithful to Christ to dig deeply into the Holy Scriptures so that they might know and believe the truth rather than being misled by those who err. In this way, through the errors of false teachers and churches, God strengthens and purifies His elect through the study of His Word.

O gracious Father, grant that we hold to the truth of Your Word and place our faith in Jesus and His cross for our salvation, and keep us from being misled by those who would turn us away from the truth and from the way of salvation You have provided for us through the death of Your Son for the sins of the people. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]

Scripture Reading: John 6:41-71

41 The Jews then murmured at him because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me unless the Father who has sent me draws him. And I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall be all taught from God.’ Every man therefore who has heard and has learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that any man has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven so that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore contended among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he who eats me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate manna and are dead. He who eats of this bread shall live forever.” 59 He said these things in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore, when they had heard this, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard saying. Who can hear it?” 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit that revives. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who he was who would betray him. 65 And he said, “Therefore, I said to you, that no man can come to me unless it were given to him by my Father.” 66 From that time many of his disciples went back and no longer walked with him. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Will you also go away?” 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon. For it was he who was to betray him, being one of the twelve.

Sermon: John 6:60-71

Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, come down into this world a true man to atone for the sins of all that we might have eternal life through faith in His name? Do you believe that the only way to have communion and fellowship with God is to partake of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world, and that those who do not in faith partake of His flesh which was given into death for us and His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins have no life in them?

That’s what Jesus taught His hearers when He said, “‘I am that bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven so that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ … Then Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he who eats me, even he shall live by me’” (John 6:48-51,53-57).

For the Jews who heard Jesus, this was a hard saying to accept. How could Jesus be God the Son and have come down from heaven to give life to the world? How could they eat and drink His body and blood as if He were a sacrifice for sin? How could they partake of Jesus and have eternal life? And how is it that they had no life apart from partaking by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for the sins of the world?

Jesus’ hearers stumbled over His words and did not believe. Many who had followed Him and were His disciples turned back and quit following Jesus because of His claims. His teaching did not agree with what they had been taught — that they had life and were God’s chosen people because they were descended from Abraham and had the law of Moses and because they observed that law and strictly lived according to the tradition of the elders.

Of course, the same is true today. Many do not accept Jesus’ words and turn away from following the Jesus of the Bible because they stumble over Jesus’ claims to be the eternal God in human flesh, the perfect and only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world. They do not partake of Him in faith — they do not eat His flesh and drink His blood by trusting that He alone is the atoning sacrifice for their sins and the only way to obtain pardon and peace with God the Father.

Why? Because, as Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that revives. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. … No man can come to me unless it were given to him by my Father” (John 6:63,65).

There were some disciples who did not turn away. When Jesus asked the twelve, “Will you also go away?” “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (John 6:67-69). As Jesus said, they were chosen by God to believe (cf. v. 70; Matt. 16:15-17 — “He [Jesus] says to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon-Barjonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’”).

I ask you again: Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, come down into this world a true man to atone for the sins of all that we might have eternal life through faith in His name? Do you believe that the only way to have communion and fellowship with God is to partake of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world and that those who do not, in faith, partake of His flesh, which was given into death for us, and His blood, which was shed for the remission of our sins, have no life in them?

If so, you are blessed by God. He graciously chose you, revealed the truth to you, and brought you to know and trust in Jesus as your Savior. You have partaken of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world in faith, and you have God’s pardon and peace. Your sins are forgiven you for Jesus’ sake. You are in communion with God, and you have everlasting life.

God grant to you a knowledge of the truth through the hearing of His Word, and may He graciously grant you to partake of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world in faith, that you may live, now and forever!

Dear Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, grant that I look to You and Your cross and partake of You in faith as the holy and sinless sacrifice for my sins so that You may raise me up on the last day to life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the Revised Common Version of the Bible.]

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?” John 11:25-26 (Read all of John 11.)

If only Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died! So thought both Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters (John 11:21,32). We, too, may have had similar thoughts when we lost a loved one to death — if only Jesus would have been here!

Yet Lazarus’ death was for the glory of Jesus Christ, God the Son in human flesh (John 11:4). Jesus was going to raise him up from the dead. When those who have trusted in Christ are raised up again on the Last Day and given everlasting life in heaven, this too will bring glory to God the Son; for without His innocent sufferings and death in our stead and His glorious resurrection, we could only rise to the eternal torments of hell!

When Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again, she said, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:23,24). It is then that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26).

Jesus was telling Martha that not only would her brother rise again on the Last Day, but He (Jesus) is “the resurrection and the life”! Jesus is the one who will raise up all the dead on the Last Day, and Jesus is the one who gives life. He breathed life into Adam’s breathless body at creation (Gen. 2:7); He breathes spiritual life into us today (John 1:4; 5:21,24-26; 10:10); and He will raise up all the dead on the Last Day and give eternal life to all who have believed on Him (John 5:27-29)!

And so it is that the one who trusts in Jesus as his Savior, even if he dies, shall live again; for Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will raise him up at the Last Day. And whoever lives and trusts in Jesus shall in no way [a Greek double negative amplifying the negative] ever die, forever and ever into eternity; for even when their body dies, their soul goes to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Rev. 7:9-17). Then, on the Last Day, when Jesus returns and raises up the dead, their bodies will be raised up and reunited with their souls, and they will live forever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15)!

Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that it is He who will raise the dead and give everlasting life to all who believe in Him? Consider the evidence. Not only did He heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind, He raised the dead. When Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, who had been dead already for four days, He said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43); and Lazarus walked from the tomb alive!

And not only this, but after His own death on the cross for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day in victory so that we might trust in Him and be assured of forgiveness and everlasting life in His name!

O dearest Jesus, grant us faith to trust in You as our Savior and hold fast to You, even in death, that we might be raised up on the Last Day, at the sound of Your voice, unto life everlasting and to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Hymn: LSB #507 “Holy, Holy, Holy”

Invocation


O almighty God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we come into Your presence to seek Your mercy, hear Your Word, and offer up to You our prayers and praises. Hear us for the sake of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Amen.

Psalm 130 A Song of degrees.

1 Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Confession of Sins

P: Let us, therefore, confess our sins unto the LORD our God and look to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the plenteous redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us from all our iniquities.
C: Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We, therefore, flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
P: For the sake of Jesus’ holy life and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, I announce unto you the grace and mercy of God and, in the name and stead of Jesus Christ our Savior, proclaim to you forgiveness for all your sins through faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture Lesson and Message

“The Jews therefore began to dispute among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers ate manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever. These things he said in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.” John 6:52-59

How can Jesus give us His flesh to eat? This was a question that troubled Jesus’ hearers in the synagogue at Capernaum, and it still troubles those who hear His words today.

And, certainly, eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood is important because Jesus also said, “Verily, verily, I say to you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53).

Was Jesus talking about partaking in the Lord’s Supper? Some might say yes, but He had not yet even instituted His Supper when He spoke these words, and nowhere does the Bible ever say that those who have not been afforded the opportunity to partake of the Lord’s Supper remain spiritually dead and are condemned forever.

Jesus said, “Whoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6:54-55). Jesus says that His flesh is food indeed, and His blood is drink indeed, using the same Greek word used for “is” when He said of the bread in the Lord’s Supper, “Take, eat; this is my body,” and of the wine, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28). In fact, Jesus’ words here in John 6 are even stronger because He adds the word “indeed,” meaning it truly is, to His statements concerning His flesh and His blood.

Yet, Jesus is not talking about actually eating and drinking His flesh and blood and digesting it in our bodies. He is talking about partaking of Him and His sacrifice on the cross in faith — a spiritual eating and drinking of His body and blood that we might also partake of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life that He won for all when He suffered and died on the cross and then rose again in victory.

Understanding how the sacrificial system pointed to Christ is necessary to rightly understand Jesus’ words. Sacrifices were offered, pointing ahead to the perfect sacrifice God would provide, that “Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; cf. Gen. 22:13-14). And as the people often partook of their sacrifices, so we partake of Christ and His sacrifice for us on the cross when we trust in Him (cf. Ex. 12:1ff.; 24:1-11 29:33).

Jesus’ words in John 6:56-57 make this clear: “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” We abide in Christ and are in communion with Christ when we confess our sins and partake of His sacrifice for the sins of the world in faith (cf. 1 John 1:5 — 2:2; John 3:14-18). Not all who partake of the Lord’s Supper are saved, but those who by faith partake of Jesus’ body and blood, given and shed for all upon the cross, live through Him. They have the forgiveness of sins Christ won for them, and they have the promise of eternal life as God’s redeemed people.

As Jesus said in John 6:58, “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers ate manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” Jesus is the true life-giving bread that came down from heaven. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The question is: Do you partake of Jesus and His perfect sacrifice for you on the cross in faith?

Dear Jesus, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, grant that I look to You and Your cross and partake of You in faith as the holy and sinless sacrifice for my sins that You may raise me up on the last day to life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

Merciful Father, for the sake of the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, forgive us for failing to walk by faith in the promises of Your Word. Move us to read and study our Bibles regularly and to come before You with our petitions and praises. Keep us from being overcome by our sinful inclinations and preserve us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Christ Jesus, eternal Son of God and our Savior, You gave Your life for ours when You died on the cross and made atonement for our sins. Bless the work of our pastor and congregation and of faithful pastors, missionaries, and congregations everywhere so that Your life-giving Word might be proclaimed among us and among the peoples of the world, and those who hear might repent of their sins and look to You and Your cross for pardon and forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Holy Spirit, do not forsake us because of our weakness and disobedience to Your Word. Be patient with us and move us to continually repent of our sins and look in faith to our Savior for mercy. Teach us from Your Word. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O loving and merciful God, our nation and people are living in darkness and are under Your wrath and judgment. Open the eyes and ears of our people and rulers that they might see and hear the truth of Your Word, repent of their evil deeds, and fall down at the feet of Jesus, pleading for pardon and forgiveness and then seeking to walk in Your ways, that Your judgment may be turned away and Your eternal wrath against us be averted. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Healer and Preserver of our bodies and souls, as You have promised, we ask You to provide for all our needs and to preserve us from all harm and danger and all evil. We lift up to You those among us who are afflicted. We remember especially today Linda and John, Joyce, Carl, Richard, Harley, Mike and Kathy, Wolfie, John and Karen, and all others we name in our hearts. Have mercy upon us, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the oppressed, and strength for all to endure the troubles and afflictions of this life in the hope of everlasting glory for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26)

“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious to thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Amen.

Hymn: LSB 917 “Savior, Again, to Thy Dear Name We Raise”

[Scripture is taken from the Revised Webster Version, an update of the King James Version of the Bible. Music is from The Hymnal Project.]

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. … Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.” John 11:1,3-5 (Read John 10:1-7)

Lazarus from Bethany (just outside of Jerusalem), the brother of Mary and Martha, was very sick, and his sisters sent word to Jesus to seek His help and aid. The Scriptures clearly tell us of Jesus’ love for Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Yet, when Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, He remained in the place where He was for two more days before traveling to Bethany to aid His friend.

Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” God had a reason for allowing Lazarus to be sick. It was that Jesus would be glorified by raising Lazarus from the dead, providing further witness to the fact that Jesus was and is the Son of God in human flesh who came into this world to atone for our sins and give us new life in communion with God through faith in Him.

And Jesus promised to raise up the dead and give eternal life to all who believe in Him. His raising of Lazarus from the grave after being dead for four days is certainly evidence that He is able to raise us up from the grave on the Last Day, as He promised, and give eternal life to all who have trusted in Him. Thus, Lazarus’ death was for the glory of Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of lost mankind.

This raises important questions for us to consider. What if we or a loved one becomes seriously ill and faces death, and our prayers for healing and recovery seem to go unanswered? If God delays or even allows death to come, has he failed to answer our prayers? Not at all. He has a reason, often unknown to us, but for our good and for His glory.

We trust “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). If God wills that our lives in this world end, that is better for us and our loved ones than continuing to live on in this world, even though we are unable to see and understand His divine reasoning now.

And when we do become ill, face death, or even die, do we bring glory to God through it? Do we accept God’s will and die in the faith that Jesus paid in full for our sins when He died on the cross as our atoning sacrifice? Do we die with the assurance that, through faith in Jesus, we are pardoned and forgiven and will not be condemned in the final judgment? Do we die in the confidence that Jesus, who raised Lazarus from the dead and who Himself rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, will also raise us up as He has promised and give unto us and all believers eternal life with Him in His kingdom?

Let your life and your death be to the glory of Christ Jesus by trusting in Him and His cross for pardon, forgiveness, and the eternal joys of heaven!

O precious Jesus, our resurrection and our life, grant that we trust You in all things and glorify Your name while we live and when we die. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]