Confirmands Always Return To The Stronghold Zech 9
Series: Lenten - Old Testament Sermons
April 13, 2025
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Palmarum, Palm Sunday 13-April-2025 Sermon Text: Zechariah 9:9-13 Sermon Theme: “Confirmands: Always Return To The Stronghold!” I. Rejoice Your King Comes Saving You! (Vs.9) II. Listen! He Speaks Peace Freeing You! (Vs.10-12) III. Let Hope Enclose You In His Mighty Fortress!(vs.13) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Palmarum, Palm Sunday 13-April-2025
Sermon Text: Zechariah 9:9-13
Sermon Theme: “Confirmands: Always Return To The Stronghold!”
I. Rejoice Your King Comes Saving You! (Vs.9) II. Listen! He Speaks Peace Freeing You! (Vs.10-12) III. Let Hope Enclose You In His Mighty Fortress!(vs.13)
by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. John was in Emmanuel’s Church on the Lord’s Day. He saw a joyful procession of people “clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,” loudly singing, “"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Suddenly a member of the congregation asks him about the service. He writes, Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"
Like John in Emmanuel’s Church, we too have seen a palm procession with robes of white. We know these young adults clothed in white robes. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, and members know these five robed in white. You might have at least one amusing story of their growing years. We see them. We know them.
Our prayer and admonition for them will always be - “Confirmands: Always Return To The Stronghold!” I. Rejoice Your King Comes Saving You! (Vs.9) II. Listen! He Speaks Peace Freeing You! (Vs.10-12) III. Let Hope Enclose You In His Mighty Fortress!(vs.13)
I. Fifty years ago, I was where you are... clothed in a white robe in our Redeemer’s Church with a class of thirty other confirmands. Our service was scheduled for two hours. The first hour, we were answered a hundred questions gleaned from the 330 questions in the explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism we had studied for the past three years. As a teenager fifty years into the future was impossible to imagine. Life flashes by and the decades of your life will fade away. Will you still gather in Emmanuel’s Church in fifty years? Or will you go away?
On Palm Sunday Passover pilgrims joyfully praised Jesus. History records: “Mat 21:9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" By the break of dawn on Good Friday. One of Jesus’ apostles betrayed Him for cash. One of His closest apostles vehemently three times denied ever knowing the Man. The rest of the twelve and all His disciples ran away into hiding. Jesus was left alone. The welcoming mob now seeing Jesus beaten to a bloody pulp by Roman soldiers thirsted for His death. Death by crucifixion. The day was dawning, it was about six a.m.. The Jews warned Pilate to let Jesus, the King of the Jews free was treason against Caesar. History records, Joh 19:13-15 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. (14) Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" (15) But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"”
History is never by accident. It is ordered by the God of Creation - our God of History! Five centuries earlier the Lord God preached through the prophet Zechariah. (Vs.9) Seventy years of Babylonian captivity ended. Cyrus the king of Persia issued a decree in 563B.C. allowing Jews to return to Judah to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem to worship Jahweh. About 50,000 of over two million Jews in Babylon returned home. They rebuilt the Lord’s Altar, laid the foundation of the Temple to begin rebuilding it. Their pagan neighbors objected and so they ceased rebuilding the Temple. After 15 years the Lord raised up aged Haggai admonishing God’s people to finish His House. Zechariah’s ministry began as Haggai preached. Study the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Lord would used King Darius the Mede to strengthen the hands of the Jews in rebuilding His Temple and His city - Jerusalem.
Aged Haggai and others who had seen Solomon’s Temple, wept as the new Temple was built. It wasn’t like it was before - far more humbler . Zechariah preaches the true beauty of the Temple. It isn’t the beauty of the building - it is our Lord and King Jesus entering His Temple! Listen again! (Vs.9) ! Jesus is the King who comes to you!
You didn’t find Jesus! He was never lost - you were dead in your trespasses and sins! You couldn’t take the tiniest baby step towards your Savior. He comes saving you! He is the Coming One! Repent of the lie that you accept Jesus into your heart. God the Father choose you in Jesus from eternity to be His own! He sought you out and baptizing you in His Name. Hear His forever baptismal promise! Isa 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” King Jesus never draws near to show you how to earn Heaven. He does all to reconcile us back to His God and our God, His Father and our Father. He is the Good Shepherd shouldering lost sinful straying sheep through His flesh and blood sacrifice Home to our Father. Salvation is 100% gift! Trust Him alone! King Jesus comes to you promising, Joh 14:6 ..., "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
II. King Jesus comes to us in His Word. Words of peace! Crucified to make full payment for all our sins. Three days later He is raised to declare peace! Peace through cross won, empty tomb certified forgiveness in His blood!
Friday ended disastrously for Jesus’ followers. Their hoped for Messiah’s body was stone cold dead and laid in a rich man’s virgin tomb. Hiding fearful that they would be next to be snuffed out by the ruling body of the Jews working with the Roman government. They had heard news of the High Priest demanding Roman guards to watch Jesus’ tomb. Some of their women going to finish the burial anointing of Jesus reported to them that He was risen, could it be? They had forsaken Him! Maybe judgment would begin with them. Locked behind closed doors. Our Risen King comes! He speaks peace! He shows them His wounds securing peace for all sinners of all times in His living flesh! Joh 20:21-23 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (23) If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
King Jesus rules the world by His Word. His Word is peace to all broken poor miserable sinners. He speaks us forgiven through His called and sent preacher servants - and we are forgiven - by Jesus before the judgment throne of our heavenly Father by the Holy Spirit richly and daily here within His Church! The chariot is cut off from Ephraim. The war horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow is broken! His Word is sharper than any two edged sword! His Word - the Good News of His Kingdom - marches triumphantly through world history. It’s triumph is His Cross! The world looks at His Church as poor, decrepit, weak, and failing. It cannot see the Truth. His Word marches forth gathering His Church in China, Africa, India, Iran, and yes even in the United States. It cannot be stopped! He rules to the ends of the earth!
The worldly power and Satanic propaganda try to silence His voice of peace forgiving sinners through His blood! They can’t stop the freeing truth of God! Hear Him! Joh 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The message of the cross is foolishness to our sin captured Satan enslaved world, but to us it is the power of God unto salvation - it is peace through His blood.
He speaks peace and we like Joseph captured by his hateful brothers are set free from the waterless pit. His blood saves us and like Daniel in the waterless pit of the lions den - Jesus shuts the mouth of the prowling lion Satan, sin, and death and they will never devour us!
III. Your King comes seeking you! He comes speaking peace through His blood of the new covenant! Where? In His stronghold - Emmanuel’s Church on earth! (Vs.12) Return to the stronghold - here every Sunday!
We live in enemy territory! The devil has been defeated, but still he launches daily terror attacks through your fallen flesh and world pleasing lies and power. The stronghold of ancient cities was high and fortified - it couldn’t be breeched. David sings of our stronghold in the midst of battling the devil, the world, and our old sinful flesh - Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Jesus our Shepherd King gathers us here in His stronghold - we are prisoners of Hope! He restores to us double forgiveness, double life, double salvation to heal us from all the wounds of sin!
Here He grafts you into Himself! Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Return to His stronghold - His Church! Receive His peace through His blood! Walk by Faith! Trust Him alone! Not your sight! Let Him imprison you with hope now and for the life to come! Mat 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?...Mat 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Who are these arrayed in white robes? Where did they come from? Rev 7:14-17 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15) Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. (16) They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; (17) for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." John saw you in Emmanuel’s Church that day, today, and forever! He saw you in King Jesus! He comes to save you! His Spirit comforts you with forgiving peace through His blood! His Father shelters you in His stronghold - the Church! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Amen.
Sermon Text: Zechariah 9:9-13
Sermon Theme: “Confirmands: Always Return To The Stronghold!”
I. Rejoice Your King Comes Saving You! (Vs.9) II. Listen! He Speaks Peace Freeing You! (Vs.10-12) III. Let Hope Enclose You In His Mighty Fortress!(vs.13)
by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. John was in Emmanuel’s Church on the Lord’s Day. He saw a joyful procession of people “clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,” loudly singing, “"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Suddenly a member of the congregation asks him about the service. He writes, Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"
Like John in Emmanuel’s Church, we too have seen a palm procession with robes of white. We know these young adults clothed in white robes. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, and members know these five robed in white. You might have at least one amusing story of their growing years. We see them. We know them.
Our prayer and admonition for them will always be - “Confirmands: Always Return To The Stronghold!” I. Rejoice Your King Comes Saving You! (Vs.9) II. Listen! He Speaks Peace Freeing You! (Vs.10-12) III. Let Hope Enclose You In His Mighty Fortress!(vs.13)
I. Fifty years ago, I was where you are... clothed in a white robe in our Redeemer’s Church with a class of thirty other confirmands. Our service was scheduled for two hours. The first hour, we were answered a hundred questions gleaned from the 330 questions in the explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism we had studied for the past three years. As a teenager fifty years into the future was impossible to imagine. Life flashes by and the decades of your life will fade away. Will you still gather in Emmanuel’s Church in fifty years? Or will you go away?
On Palm Sunday Passover pilgrims joyfully praised Jesus. History records: “Mat 21:9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" By the break of dawn on Good Friday. One of Jesus’ apostles betrayed Him for cash. One of His closest apostles vehemently three times denied ever knowing the Man. The rest of the twelve and all His disciples ran away into hiding. Jesus was left alone. The welcoming mob now seeing Jesus beaten to a bloody pulp by Roman soldiers thirsted for His death. Death by crucifixion. The day was dawning, it was about six a.m.. The Jews warned Pilate to let Jesus, the King of the Jews free was treason against Caesar. History records, Joh 19:13-15 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. (14) Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" (15) But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"”
History is never by accident. It is ordered by the God of Creation - our God of History! Five centuries earlier the Lord God preached through the prophet Zechariah. (Vs.9) Seventy years of Babylonian captivity ended. Cyrus the king of Persia issued a decree in 563B.C. allowing Jews to return to Judah to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem to worship Jahweh. About 50,000 of over two million Jews in Babylon returned home. They rebuilt the Lord’s Altar, laid the foundation of the Temple to begin rebuilding it. Their pagan neighbors objected and so they ceased rebuilding the Temple. After 15 years the Lord raised up aged Haggai admonishing God’s people to finish His House. Zechariah’s ministry began as Haggai preached. Study the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Lord would used King Darius the Mede to strengthen the hands of the Jews in rebuilding His Temple and His city - Jerusalem.
Aged Haggai and others who had seen Solomon’s Temple, wept as the new Temple was built. It wasn’t like it was before - far more humbler . Zechariah preaches the true beauty of the Temple. It isn’t the beauty of the building - it is our Lord and King Jesus entering His Temple! Listen again! (Vs.9) ! Jesus is the King who comes to you!
You didn’t find Jesus! He was never lost - you were dead in your trespasses and sins! You couldn’t take the tiniest baby step towards your Savior. He comes saving you! He is the Coming One! Repent of the lie that you accept Jesus into your heart. God the Father choose you in Jesus from eternity to be His own! He sought you out and baptizing you in His Name. Hear His forever baptismal promise! Isa 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” King Jesus never draws near to show you how to earn Heaven. He does all to reconcile us back to His God and our God, His Father and our Father. He is the Good Shepherd shouldering lost sinful straying sheep through His flesh and blood sacrifice Home to our Father. Salvation is 100% gift! Trust Him alone! King Jesus comes to you promising, Joh 14:6 ..., "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
II. King Jesus comes to us in His Word. Words of peace! Crucified to make full payment for all our sins. Three days later He is raised to declare peace! Peace through cross won, empty tomb certified forgiveness in His blood!
Friday ended disastrously for Jesus’ followers. Their hoped for Messiah’s body was stone cold dead and laid in a rich man’s virgin tomb. Hiding fearful that they would be next to be snuffed out by the ruling body of the Jews working with the Roman government. They had heard news of the High Priest demanding Roman guards to watch Jesus’ tomb. Some of their women going to finish the burial anointing of Jesus reported to them that He was risen, could it be? They had forsaken Him! Maybe judgment would begin with them. Locked behind closed doors. Our Risen King comes! He speaks peace! He shows them His wounds securing peace for all sinners of all times in His living flesh! Joh 20:21-23 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (23) If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
King Jesus rules the world by His Word. His Word is peace to all broken poor miserable sinners. He speaks us forgiven through His called and sent preacher servants - and we are forgiven - by Jesus before the judgment throne of our heavenly Father by the Holy Spirit richly and daily here within His Church! The chariot is cut off from Ephraim. The war horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow is broken! His Word is sharper than any two edged sword! His Word - the Good News of His Kingdom - marches triumphantly through world history. It’s triumph is His Cross! The world looks at His Church as poor, decrepit, weak, and failing. It cannot see the Truth. His Word marches forth gathering His Church in China, Africa, India, Iran, and yes even in the United States. It cannot be stopped! He rules to the ends of the earth!
The worldly power and Satanic propaganda try to silence His voice of peace forgiving sinners through His blood! They can’t stop the freeing truth of God! Hear Him! Joh 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The message of the cross is foolishness to our sin captured Satan enslaved world, but to us it is the power of God unto salvation - it is peace through His blood.
He speaks peace and we like Joseph captured by his hateful brothers are set free from the waterless pit. His blood saves us and like Daniel in the waterless pit of the lions den - Jesus shuts the mouth of the prowling lion Satan, sin, and death and they will never devour us!
III. Your King comes seeking you! He comes speaking peace through His blood of the new covenant! Where? In His stronghold - Emmanuel’s Church on earth! (Vs.12) Return to the stronghold - here every Sunday!
We live in enemy territory! The devil has been defeated, but still he launches daily terror attacks through your fallen flesh and world pleasing lies and power. The stronghold of ancient cities was high and fortified - it couldn’t be breeched. David sings of our stronghold in the midst of battling the devil, the world, and our old sinful flesh - Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Jesus our Shepherd King gathers us here in His stronghold - we are prisoners of Hope! He restores to us double forgiveness, double life, double salvation to heal us from all the wounds of sin!
Here He grafts you into Himself! Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Return to His stronghold - His Church! Receive His peace through His blood! Walk by Faith! Trust Him alone! Not your sight! Let Him imprison you with hope now and for the life to come! Mat 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?...Mat 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Who are these arrayed in white robes? Where did they come from? Rev 7:14-17 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15) Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. (16) They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; (17) for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." John saw you in Emmanuel’s Church that day, today, and forever! He saw you in King Jesus! He comes to save you! His Spirit comforts you with forgiving peace through His blood! His Father shelters you in His stronghold - the Church! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Amen.
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