Not a Milquetoast God

Scripture Lessons

John 12:12-19

Deuteronomy 32:36-39

Psalm 118:19-29

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 22:1 – 23:56

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” has fallen out of favor in our time. I think the thought of the Christian life being some sort of military conquest is not popular. Some promote a passivity in the Christian life that makes it essentially sinful to be contrary in our society. What do you say? Are Christians engaged in some sort of battle in our world? Inevitably, when you think of the battle that we may engage in, you would think of the culture wars. We need to confront the wrong-headed Bible-denying forces of our day. The ones pushing every form of vice, denying personal responsibility, and promoting either no god or a milquetoast god, a fairy-like creature who grants the wishes and desires of the deserving (deserving typically being defined as non-judgmental and speaking only gentle platitudes to others).

Those who deny the word of God end up promoting hedonism and the resulting destruction of humans. Surely Christians must engage in battle against such people, right? Hold that question …

Jesus strode into town to shouts of “Hosanna!” He was given a royal welcome. And yet, it was days later that He was betrayed, tried, and crucified. He was engaged in battle. It wasn’t a physical battle. He could have called down legions of angels to fight in that case. It wasn’t a culture war, although the Gospel affects the culture. It was the warfare described in Ephesians 6:12. “¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Yes, there is a war raging, but it is not against your woke neighbor, it is against sin, death, and the devil. This isn’t a physical battle and there is no hedge of protection that you can build to protect yourself apart from Christ.

In Deuteronomy 32, God says, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” Does that sound like a milquetoast god? Is that a fairy wish-granting god? No. God kills and makes alive. Psalm 118, referring to the stone that the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone says, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Because of our self-centeredness, we have posted this scripture…which refers to the crucifixion (that is the day that the Lord has made)…on picturesque scenes of the sunrise or mountain views. We’ve also turned this passage into a vapid kid’s song. (This is the day oh-oh that the lord has made). Is the song sung with the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior in the backdrop? No. The sacrifice of Jesus for our sins is not really present in the kids song. Instead, it is sung at VBS with a lot of hand waving and clapping, as though Psalm 118 refers to any old sunny day. To the contrary, it refers to the day that the spiritual battle was decisively won. That is the day that Jesus was looking toward as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This is the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her. But God kills and makes alive and He does so through His word.

The law of God kills. It kills any pretense of self-righteousness. It kills the sinner, which means it kills us all. God kills…with the law. But God also makes alive. The Gospel makes alive. The good news that in Christ Jesus, your sins have been put away gives you life. In your baptism, you were buried with Christ. “We were buried therefore with [Christ] by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4.

All of this is what Philippians 2 is getting at. Jesus fought the spiritual battle…how?...by putting aside His divine prerogatives. “[He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” No! He put that aside and became man so that one man, that is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, could walk the walk that you and I cannot. Friends, He suffered for your sake. He strode into Jerusalem knowing full well that He was coming to die for your sins. His death on the cross was a physical death that has secured eternal life for you, me, and all who are called to faith.

You are free to live and die in just the same way. The world looks upon those who suffer and concludes that they do so because of some pathetic misfortune. Perhaps they are hated by God. Perhaps they don’t deserve to live. The mentally feeble are regularly diagnosed and terminated in the womb. The world concludes that such people are not useful and not necessary. The value of a human being is set in materialistic terms. What good are you? To yourself, to others? What can you do? Euthanasia is promoted. “Put these old people out of our misery…oops, I mean their misery.” Here’s another one, “This person deserves to die with dignity. They are suffering.” Jesus suffered. Jesus died with shame, your shame. “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:23. He was cursed for your sake. He was numbered among the transgressors for your sake. That is how spiritual warfare is conducted.

Whether you recognize it or not, you are in fact engaged in a battle. It is a battle for your soul. It is a battle against sin, death, and the devil. And the battle is won with certainty and exclusively in the cross of Christ.

You are free to suffer here and now in this earthly life. Let the world count your suffering as foolish. The world is foolish. Suffering does not mean you are forsaken by God. He works through suffering, defeating sin, death, and the devil. This is Holy Week. This week we walk in the steps of Christ and the apostles. We remember His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we remember His last supper, we remember His betrayal, arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion, and resurrection. We remember all of this because it is by His suffering and death on the cross that we are armed for battle, the real battle that is waged against sin, death, and the devil. You my fellow baptized are forgiven and set free. You have the impregnable fortress, which is salvation through faith in Christ. Receive it and rejojce in it.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.