Grace Lutheran Church
  • Home
  • Contributions
    • Grace Contributions
    • Grace Missions
    • Special Offerings
    • Parking
  • Worship
    • Worship Info
    • Sermons
  • Connect
    • About Grace >
      • Beliefs
      • Visit Us
    • Lutheran Witness Subscription
    • Bible Studies
    • Contact Us
    • News and Events >
      • Food Pantry
    • Member Secure Login

The Fifth Sunday in Lent - Luca's Baptism

4/3/2022

 
Download Audio
A special message to my Grandson Luca
​For Luca
On the day of your Baptism.
 
Philippians 3:8, 14 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Wesley to Buttercup in The Princess Bride- “Life is pain, your highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”
This is a momentous occasion in your life, Luca. You won’t remember much about it if anything. But something miraculous happened to you today. The Creator of the universe, the One who spoke all things into existence, adopted you into His family. You are His little one, His lamb. He gave you incredible gifts today. I’m sure you’ll get others too from the rest of your family. They will be nice, precious, and special. But I have to say that nothing you get today will compare to the gift of faith that God has given you. Because that gift of faith will be with you for the rest of your life. It won’t fade or break or come unraveled. In the gift of faith comes wrapped up, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be your guide, your teacher, your comforter, your friend, your advocate, your spokesperson. And in case that wasn’t enough, God also created in you a steadfast, everlasting connection to His Son Jesus Christ. Because of that gift comes all the things that Jesus has done for you. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension all become yours. With that comes the gifts of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Most of these gifts you can’t see. But they are there. Through the gift of faith, they are there. They will always be there. When Jesus was baptized, God said some important words about Him. He said that Jesus was His beloved Son, in whom He was well-pleased. Today, He says these words to you, Luca. “Luca, you are now my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” Treasure these gifts. Keep them close to your heart. Celebrate them all the time. We’ll help you because we have these gifts too. God gave them to us in our baptisms. Come now, brother, son, grandson, precious gift from God. Let’s rejoice together.
We rejoice because of being wrapped up in the robe of Christ’s righteousness.
We rejoice today because there is already so much sorrow and pain for the rest of the days. There is pain to meet us at every turn. Some of it is because of the sin in the world that has caused such corruption in creation. There is pain because of our own sin, the things we think, say, and do that directly cause someone to be hurt. There is pain because of the devil at work around us, tempting us to embrace the sin that causes such pain. There is enough pain in life. We need time to rejoice.
But even in the very midst of pain, we have cause to rejoice. We don’t rejoice because of the pain. We can rejoice despite the pain. We have the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord and not only that, but of being known by Christ Jesus, our Lord. He knows you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He has given you the incredible gift in your own baptisms of the deepest of connections with the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the cosmos.
In this life, we expect pain. We know it’s inevitable. As Ella Fitzgerald sang, “Into every life, a little rain must fall.” There’s no umbrella to protect us from the pain that comes with being human, being alive, and being a sinner. God does not shield us from pain. Once sin became part of the world He created, pain was going to be common. Adam would work and labor painfully for the earth to give any type of growth. Eve would have pain beginning in childbirth. Physical pain is the result of our bodies not working properly, either through sickness or injury. Jesus knew physical pain beyond our abilities. From being beaten, scourged, and crucified. Physical pain reached its limit.
Relational pain comes when people are together. In almost any capacity, when people gather there is going to be pain of one sort or another. When the relationship is broken or strained, people hurt. Jesus knew relational pain greater than any. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Separation from the Father in heaven.
Psychological, emotional pain is so prevalent. We often normalize the horrible behavior of others saying, “That’s just the way they are. They aren’t going to change.” We experience trauma and pain in our hearts as they break. Our spirits can be crushed by the manipulation of others. But this is pain that is hidden. Jesus knew this pain too. As his disciples abandoned him, as the false accusations flew, as the sentence was passed and he was mocked on the cross, his heart broke. He wept for Jerusalem, for Israel, for the nations.
Paul, as he writes in Philippians, knows pain. He’s been beaten, scourged, and left to die in prison. He knows all of the other types of pain too. His people struggle in the churches he served and built. His fellow believers don’t want him around in Jerusalem. Yet… Paul held onto something more.
Everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve had I count as loss, as less, as left behind, exchanged for the greater blessing in knowing Jesus. How much more valuable is the faith of Christ, in Christ, and from Christ to us! How comforting is the prize of life with Christ.


Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014


    Categories

    All
    13-15
    13–25
    17
    19-28
    1 Corinthians 10:6-13
    1 Corinthians 1:10-18
    1 Corinthians 1:18-25
    1 Corinthians 1:18-31
    1 Corinthians 1:1-9
    1 Corinthians 14:12-20
    1 Corinthians 15:1-26
    1 Corinthians 15:21-42
    1 Corinthians 3:1-8 & 13
    1 John 3:1-3
    1 Kings 19:1-8
    1 Peter 1:3-9
    1 Peter 2:2-10
    1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
    28
    2 Timothy 1:1-14
    2 Timothy 3:14-17 & 4:1-5
    57-58
    Acts 1:1-11
    Acts 2:1-12
    Acts 2:1 21
    Acts 2:1-21
    Colossians 3:12-17
    Deuteronomy 18:15-20
    Deuteronomy 30:15-20
    Ephesians 1:15-23
    Ephesians 2:11-22
    Ephesians 2:13-22
    Ephesians 3:14-21
    Ephesians 4:17 - 5:2
    Ephesians 5:15-21
    Ephesians 5:22-33
    Ephesians 5:6-21
    Ephesians 6:10-17
    Ezekeil 2:1-5
    Ezekiel 18:1-4 25-32
    Ezekiel 37:1-14
    GALATIANS 5:1
    Genesis 12:1-9
    Genesis 22:1-18
    Genesis 3:8-15
    Genesis 9:8-17
    Hebrews 12:22-24
    Hebrews 4:12
    Isaiah 25:6-9
    Isaiah 40:21-31
    Isaiah 42:14-21
    Isaiah 43:1-7
    Isaiah 51:1-6
    Isaiah 5:1-7
    Isaiah 55:6-9
    Isaiah 61:1-4
    Isaiah 61:8-11
    James 3:1-12
    Jeremiah 11:18-20
    Jeremiah 23:16-29
    Jeremiah 26:8-15
    Jeremiah 29:11-14
    Job 38:1-11
    Joel 2:12-19
    John 10:1-10
    John 10:11-16
    John 10:22-30
    John 1:1-18
    John 1:19-28
    John 1:29-42
    John 14:1-15
    John 14:15-21
    John 14:16-19
    John 1:43
    John 1:43-51
    John 15:1-8
    John 15:9-17
    John 16:16-22
    John 16:23-33
    John 16:5-15
    John 1 6-8
    John 17:11-19
    John 19:23-27
    John 19:28 30
    John 19:28-30
    John 20:1-18
    John 20:19-31
    John 2:1-11
    John 21:1-14
    John 21:1-19
    John 2:13-22
    John 3:1 17
    John 3:1-17
    John 3:14-21
    John 4:5-26
    John 5:24
    John 6:1-15
    John 6:22-35
    John 6:27
    John 8:42-59
    John 8:48-59
    John 9:1-41
    Jonah 1:1-10
    Luke 10:1 20
    Luke 10:1-20
    Luke 10:1-7
    Luke 10:23-37
    Luke 10:25-37
    Luke 10:38-42
    Luke 11:1-13
    Luke 11:14-28
    Luke 12:13-21
    Luke 12:22-34
    Luke 12:49-53
    Luke 13:1-9
    Luke 13:22-30
    Luke 1:39-45
    Luke 1:39-56
    Luke 14:1-11
    Luke 14:1-14
    Luke 14:25-35
    Luke 16:1-13
    Luke 16:1-15
    Luke 16:19-31
    Luke 17:1-10
    Luke 17:11-19
    Luke 18:1-8
    Luke 18:31-43
    Luke 18:9-14
    Luke 18:9-17
    Luke 19:28-40
    Luke 19:28–40
    Luke 20:27-40
    Luke 20:9-30
    Luke 2:1-14
    Luke 21:5-28
    Luke 2:22-32
    Luke 2:22-38
    Luke 2:22 40
    Luke 2:22-40
    Luke 23:27-43
    LUKE 23:27–49
    Luke 23:32-38
    Luke 23:32-43
    Luke 23:44-49
    Luke 2:40-52
    Luke 24:1-12
    Luke 24:13-35
    Luke 2:41-52
    Luke 24:25-31
    Luke 24:44-53
    Luke 2:8-20
    Luke 3:1-14
    Luke 3:15-22
    Luke 4:1-13
    Luke 4:16-30
    Luke 5:1-11
    Luke 6:17–26
    Luke 6:27-38
    Luke 7:11-17
    Luke 7:18-28
    Luke 8:4-15
    Luke 9:28-36
    Luke 9:51-62
    Malachi 4:1-6
    Mark 10:17-22
    Mark 10:21
    Mark 10:2-16
    Mark 11:1-10
    Mark 1:1-15
    Mark 1:14-20
    Mark 1:1-8
    Mark 1:21-28
    Mark 12:38-44
    Mark 13:1-13
    Mark 13:24-37
    Mark 13:24-37
    Mark 13:32-37
    Mark 4:26-34
    Mark 4:35-41
    Mark 5:21-43
    Mark 6:14-29
    Mark 6:7-13
    Mark 7:1-13
    Mark 7:14-23
    Mark 7:24-37
    Mark 8:1-9
    Mark 9:14-29
    Mark 9:2-9
    Mark 9:33-37
    Mark 9:38-50
    Matthew 10:21-27
    Matthew 10:34-42
    Matthew 11:2-15
    Matthew 1:18-23
    Matthew 1:18-25
    Matthew 13:1-9
    Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23
    Matthew 13:44-46
    Matthew 13:44-52
    Matthew 14:13-21
    Matthew 14:22-33
    Matthew 15:21 28
    Matthew 15:21-28
    Matthew 16:13-20
    Matthew 16:21-28
    Matthew 17:1-9
    Matthew 18:1-20
    Matthew 18:21-35
    Matthew 20:1-16
    Matthew 2:1-12
    Matthew 21:1-9
    Matthew 2:13 23
    Matthew 2:13-23
    Matthew 21:33-46
    Matthew 22:15-21
    Matthew 22:15-22
    Matthew 22:34-40
    Matthew 24:36-44
    Matthew 25:1-13
    Matthew 25:14-30
    Matthew 25:31-46
    Matthew 26:17-29
    Matthew 27:45-50
    Matthew 28:1-10
    Matthew 28:16-20
    Matthew 3:1-12
    Matthew 3:13-17
    Matthew 4:1-11
    Matthew 4:1–11
    Matthew 5:1 12
    Matthew 5:1-12
    Matthew 5:13-16
    Matthew 5:21-37
    Matthew 5:3-12
    Matthew 5:38-48
    Matthew 6:24-34
    Matthew 9:1-8
    Matthew 9:35 - 10:8
    Micah 7:18-20
    Numbers 11:24-30
    Philippians 4:4-13
    Psalm 5:1-3
    Psalm 80:1-7
    Revelation 2:10
    Revelation 21:1–7
    Revelation 22:1-20
    Revelation 7:13-17
    Revelation 7:2-17
    Romans 10:5-17
    Romans 10:9
    Romans 10:9-17
    Romans 12:9-21
    Romans 3:19 28
    Romans 3:19-28
    Romans 4:1-8; 13-17
    Romans 5:1-11
    Romans 5:12-19
    Romans 5:1-8
    Romans 5:6-15
    Romans 6:1 11
    Romans 6:1-11
    Romans 6:12-23
    Romans 8:18-23
    Romans 8:18-27
    Romans 9:30-10:4

    RSS Feed

Connect With Grace:

Picture
Picture
©2017 Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church • 710 E 17th Ave, Eugene OR 97401 • 541-342-4844