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In the Name Above All Names :: Luke 11:14-28

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In the name of Jesus ... The demon came out, the mute man spoke, and the crowd marveled (v 14). [Introduction] For the third time in three weeks, we have heard of a conflict between God and the devil. Two weeks ago, our Lord rebuked satan for his accusations against God himself. Last week, our Lord walked into a pagan wilderness to answer the prayer of a faithful woman whose daughter was being tormented by a demon. And now today, our Lord has given a faithful confession to a man who had been silenced by a demon. In all three cases, we learned that “The One” who is stronger than the unholy trinity of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh has arrived. Jesus has come and brings great blessings. Jesus has come to cleanse and set us free. Jesus has come to leave those of us who actively hear his Word and guard it ... holding it close ... blessed and in awe.  IN THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, JESUS HAS COME TO GIVE US A FAITHFUL CONFESSION  1.  Now, before we get into this text...
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Sounds of the Passion: Weeping Tears :: John 11:35

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[Introduction] Weeping. This is one of those sounds we never want to hear. When you hear the sound of weeping, you want it to stop. Though sometimes we weep tears of joy, mostly we weep because something’s wrong. Maybe we are confronted with death or the loss of a career. Maybe the loss of a relationship brings us to tears. But sooner or later, we all weep. Jesus wept (v 35). This two-word verse in the Bible eloquently and powerfully proclaims that we actually have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hb 4:15). Jesus is the Lord who rejoices with those who rejoice and he mourns with those who mourn (Rm 12:15).  He weeps because he is True Man. He weeps because he is True God. Our Lord saw the pain that sin and death causes ... and he wept. And like Joseph, our Lord weeps over those who reject his peace (Gen 50:17; Lk 19:41).  Can you hear how he loves you? 3. The first time we encounter Jesus weeping is at the death of Lazarus.  Lazarus was a cl...
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Great Is the Prayer of the Faithful :: Matthew 15:21-28

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[Introduction] During this Lenten season, we’ve been walking through the wilderness with our Lord. Last week, we heard how he walked out of the waters of his baptism that fulfilled all righteousness and was immediately led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After resisting Satan’s accusations, he went to Galilee to begin his ministry ... preaching, teaching, cleansing, healing, forgiving, saving the lost sheep of Israel. Today, that journey has once again taken our Lord somewhere you never thought he’d go ... to the cursed land of Canaan, the land of Jezebel and the worship of Baal and Asherah, the land of child sacrifice and sexual immorality, the land of voodoo dolls and horoscopes ... the land of Tyre and Sidon ... a pagan wilderness.  4. Behold, when a Canaanite woman from that region came out, she began to cry, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David: My daughter is badly demonized (v 22). This is remarkable.  For more than two millenn...
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Sounds of the Passion: Chiming Coins :: Matthew 26:14-16

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There is a musical quality to the sound of silver coins. Unlike our nickel coins, silver pieces produce a bright, alluring chime. There are two places in the Gospels where we hear this sound.  6. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] Both times they chime the betrayal of Jesus. Judas Iscariot was captivated by the chime of silver coins. John says he used to help himself to the coins in the purse (Jn 12:6). But worse, he approached the chief priests with a proposition: What do you wish to give me [if] I deliver [Jesus] to you? (Mt 26:15) It was an intriguing proposition. Just a few days earlier, the priests had decided they needed to get rid of Jesus. But they didn’t think they could do that during the week of Passover (Mt 26:3-5). They were certain a riot would break out.  So they waited. But then Judas came forward. I’ll help you , he told them. I know a quiet place ... away from the crowds ... that Jesus frequents . You’ll be able to arrest him there . I know when you can do it...
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