WEBVTT 00:00.600 --> 00:03.800 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:05.900 --> 00:07.600 What would you give for one moment? 00:07.600 --> 00:09.500 Just one moment. 00:09.500 --> 00:13.900 When all the demands that have been set upon, you have been fulfilled 00:14.000 --> 00:19.500 every last checkbox marked off. But of course, that is not how things 00:19.500 --> 00:21.800 go in a fallen creation. Before 00:21.800 --> 00:24.000 one demand is fulfilled 00:24.100 --> 00:27.900 there's a host of others just sitting there waiting to be addressed. 00:27.900 --> 00:33.900 Demanding your attention. You find it at home. As soon as the laundry 00:33.900 --> 00:35.500 basket is empty. 00:35.700 --> 00:39.800 Another pair of stinking socks is thrown in, and there's more laundry 00:39.800 --> 00:40.600 to be done. 00:40.600 --> 00:44.700 You'll find it right here at the Seminary because after all this is an 00:44.700 --> 00:49.200 academic institution and the nature of an academic institution is to 00:49.200 --> 00:51.800 put demands upon the students. 00:51.800 --> 00:57.800 There are books to be read papers to be prepared presentations to be 00:57.800 --> 00:59.900 made. Even more 01:00.000 --> 01:02.700 you find it in the church. 01:03.100 --> 01:07.900 We're blessed this week to have SMP and graduate students sitting here 01:07.900 --> 01:08.600 with us. 01:08.900 --> 01:12.600 And it's a week that likely for all of you who captures the 01:12.600 --> 01:19.800 unrelenting demands of a fallen creation. You have navigated as Pastor 01:19.800 --> 01:24.100 back home, the demands of Advent and Christmas. 01:24.400 --> 01:28.300 Then the epiphany of our Lord, and the baptism of Our Lord, only to 01:28.300 --> 01:28.900 find yourself 01:28.900 --> 01:34.000 now, here, Immersed in a, an intensive course. 01:34.300 --> 01:37.900 All the while knowing that you need to be back home this Sunday to 01:37.900 --> 01:40.200 preach and teach yet once again. 01:40.400 --> 01:44.000 And if by chance you've been able to cover your Pulpit for this 01:44.000 --> 01:49.800 Sunday, well then your mind still has plenty of other demands weighing 01:49.900 --> 01:50.700 upon it. 01:51.200 --> 01:57.000 There's that mental list of those you expected to see during the 01:57.000 --> 01:59.200 services of Christmas. 02:00.000 --> 02:04.000 But you didn't and you know that you have some phone calls to make 02:04.000 --> 02:06.900 some visits to be, had to see what is happening. 02:06.900 --> 02:11.200 And even then there's going to be another demand on you, there's going 02:11.200 --> 02:15.500 to be the demand of a nagging concern about what you might discover, 02:15.500 --> 02:21.000 when you reach out to those individuals. They were absent the services 02:21.000 --> 02:26.100 of Christmas because they're not pleased, not pleased with a fellow 02:26.100 --> 02:29.700 member, not pleased with what they see going on at church. 02:30.000 --> 02:36.600 And maybe perhaps they're not pleased with you the pastor and there's the 02:36.600 --> 02:43.000 vain Mission upon which we too often embark. You humbly place yourself 02:43.000 --> 02:45.300 in a position of vulnerability. 02:45.500 --> 02:49.100 As you listen to them, talk about what has brought about their 02:49.100 --> 02:55.000 displeasure and you further humble yourself to address their concern. 02:55.500 --> 02:59.600 And yet they remain displeased. 03:00.200 --> 03:05.400 Now, there are those who will respond quite beneficially, quite 03:05.400 --> 03:07.800 positively to your humble concern. 03:08.100 --> 03:15.700 Thanks be to God. But there's that one member who will not be pleased, 03:15.700 --> 03:22.500 no matter what. And then that plants the seed in your mind, if I can't, 03:22.500 --> 03:27.500 please her then, how can I ever please 03:27.500 --> 03:32.200 God? So vocational doubt begins to creep in. 03:32.400 --> 03:34.600 What is it that I'm doing after all? 03:34.800 --> 03:40.900 And even worse cynicism takes hold so that you begin to see God as 03:40.900 --> 03:44.800 just the source of demand upon demand. 03:45.800 --> 03:50.300 After all Jesus teaches us in The Sermon on the Mount, if your 03:50.300 --> 03:55.400 righteousness, does not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you 03:55.400 --> 03:59.800 shall surely not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 04:00.300 --> 04:07.100 Now that is a tall order for all of the pejorative weight that we put 04:07.100 --> 04:12.600 upon the Pharisees their determination to live by the righteous 04:12.600 --> 04:19.200 demands of the law is not in doubt. From their missional zeal to their 04:19.200 --> 04:25.800 doctrinal devotion, their dedication puts us all to shame. 04:26.300 --> 04:32.500 So how could I ever enter Into the kingdom of the heavens. 04:34.000 --> 04:40.300 Insteps, John the Baptist proclaiming repent for the kingdom 04:40.300 --> 04:42.200 of the heavens is near. 04:43.200 --> 04:46.000 Not simple enough, repent. 04:47.000 --> 04:54.400 But then I even make a mess of my repentance. Now just moments ago 04:54.400 --> 04:58.700 Holy words were given us to say. Almighty 04:58.700 --> 04:59.900 God have mercy 05:00.000 --> 05:01.100 upon us. 05:01.700 --> 05:06.300 Forgive us our sins and lead us to everlasting life. 05:06.900 --> 05:13.500 Those are the holy words of repentance that poured forth from my lips 05:14.300 --> 05:17.700 but my heart made a mess of them. 05:18.600 --> 05:20.400 Things haven't changed 05:20.400 --> 05:24.500 since I was a high schooler in my native, Southwest Missouri down 05:24.500 --> 05:29.800 there, in the Buckle of the Bible Belt, where a Lutheran like me was a 05:30.000 --> 05:34.200 abit of an oddity. One of my friends repeatedly told me that I 05:34.200 --> 05:38.400 couldn't have any confidence in my salvation because I had never 05:38.400 --> 05:41.000 prayed to receive Jesus into my heart. 05:41.200 --> 05:44.600 Now, I've been well, catechize, so I knew that that was not the case, 05:45.600 --> 05:48.000 but he was quite persistent. 05:48.500 --> 05:53.300 So finally, he his persistence began to wear on me and I wondered if 05:53.300 --> 05:54.800 maybe he was right. 05:54.800 --> 05:58.600 So one night, as I was lying in bed, I decided I'm going to pray the 05:58.600 --> 05:59.800 prayer that he 06:00.000 --> 06:03.300 had given to me. And I prayed to receive Jesus into my heart. 06:04.100 --> 06:07.000 About a week later, I was lying in bed, again, thinking more and I 06:07.000 --> 06:10.000 realized, you know what, I wasn't all that sincere when I prayed that 06:10.000 --> 06:14.200 prayer because I was just doing it because he was been nagging on my 06:14.200 --> 06:14.700 conscience. 06:14.700 --> 06:16.800 So I think it wasn't really effective. 06:16.800 --> 06:18.600 So I think I need to do it again. 06:19.100 --> 06:23.300 So I did it again. Then it was another week or so later that again, I 06:23.300 --> 06:26.500 was lying in bed thinking and I thought, you know what, I still think 06:26.500 --> 06:29.600 that second time I was not all that sincere. 06:30.100 --> 06:33.800 I need to do it again to make sure that it is effective. 06:34.100 --> 06:40.100 And then finally, the Holy Spirit got through my thick skull and made 06:40.100 --> 06:46.300 me realize that if certainty is dependent upon my sincerity. If 06:46.300 --> 06:52.300 certainty is dependent and anyway, upon me than certainty will never 06:52.300 --> 06:53.800 be had. 06:54.500 --> 06:59.800 So I repented of that prayer that called me to have faith 07:00.200 --> 07:04.600 in myself and in my sincerity and my decision. 07:06.300 --> 07:10.900 And even though I have repented of it still, what is my sinful nature 07:10.900 --> 07:11.200 ever 07:11.200 --> 07:14.900 so prone to do? To run right back there. 07:15.600 --> 07:21.900 My sinful nature is always wanting to look within me for certainty. 07:23.300 --> 07:24.700 And what do I find 07:24.800 --> 07:30.100 there? An honest look within me finds that 07:30.100 --> 07:31.200 I do not possess 07:31.200 --> 07:34.200 what is needed to enter the kingdom of the heavens. 07:35.400 --> 07:39.800 A righteousness, that exceeds the Scribes and the Pharisees. A 07:39.800 --> 07:46.400 righteousness that I cannot attain. A righteousness that exceeds my 07:46.500 --> 07:54.100 repentance. So Jesus steps into the Jordan River to be baptized by John 07:54.700 --> 07:59.200 who then objects with rather emphatic language. I,I 08:00.000 --> 08:05.300 have need to be baptized by you and you, you are coming to me. 08:06.000 --> 08:07.800 This makes no sense. 08:08.300 --> 08:12.300 John has the need of baptism for repentance. 08:12.900 --> 08:16.600 I have a need of a baptism for repentance. 08:16.900 --> 08:20.100 You have a need, but not Jesus. 08:20.700 --> 08:25.400 He has no need for repentance, no need for forgiveness. 08:27.000 --> 08:30.200 But then Jesus doesn't act based upon his own need. 08:30.700 --> 08:36.200 He acts based on our need. Matthew presents 08:36.200 --> 08:42.000 Jesus to us today as the Son of God, who acts in accord with his 08:42.000 --> 08:49.500 Father's righteous decree to meet our need, to fulfill the Father's 08:49.500 --> 08:51.800 salvific righteousness. 08:53.000 --> 08:59.400 John consents to baptize Jesus because Jesus words, hold true. 09:00.200 --> 09:08.600 It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness, not some, but the 09:08.600 --> 09:11.400 whole ball of wax. With Jesus 09:11.600 --> 09:13.800 there is never partial righteousness. 09:13.800 --> 09:14.600 With Jesus 09:14.800 --> 09:21.600 it is always all righteousness. With him, all the righteous demands of 09:21.600 --> 09:27.600 God, the whole righteous law, the righteous will of the Father, the 09:27.600 --> 09:33.000 salvific plan of the Father promised through the law and the prophets. 09:33.200 --> 09:35.800 It is all fulfilled. 09:36.000 --> 09:42.300 Nothing more on that checklist waiting to be marked off. The 09:42.300 --> 09:47.600 righteousness of the Father says to his Son, step into the Jordan, 09:48.600 --> 09:50.900 step into the place of sinners. 09:51.300 --> 09:58.800 Make yourself one with them, do it now, do it again, when you arrive 09:58.800 --> 09:59.800 at the cross. 10:00.000 --> 10:03.100 And do it every moment between now and then. 10:04.400 --> 10:06.400 Jesus fulfills 10:06.400 --> 10:11.700 it all. Jesus makes himself one with sinners. 10:12.600 --> 10:20.800 He makes himself one with you and so you are made to be one with him. 10:21.700 --> 10:27.300 The Father's words for Jesus had become his words for you as well. 10:28.200 --> 10:34.000 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 10:34.100 --> 10:35.600 pleased. 10:36.800 --> 10:40.900 Now in this life, you will always have those who are not pleased with 10:40.900 --> 10:41.200 you. 10:41.600 --> 10:45.600 And in this life, you may find that the person who is most displeased 10:45.600 --> 10:52.300 with you is you. Displeased because of your inability to complete the 10:52.300 --> 10:54.500 righteous demands of the Father. 10:55.900 --> 10:59.700 But those are only temporal voices that will one 11:00.200 --> 11:00.700 day 11:00.700 --> 11:01.900 be silenced. 11:02.800 --> 11:08.300 Another voice speaks for eternity and speaks today. 11:08.600 --> 11:10.200 Loud and clear. 11:11.200 --> 11:15.900 This is my beloved Son in whom 11:15.900 --> 11:16.900 I am 11:16.900 --> 11:22.600 well pleased because my son has fulfilled 11:22.700 --> 11:27.500 all righteousness. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 11:27.500 --> 11:28.400 Holy Spirit.