"Washed New Through The Blood Of The Father's Beloved Son!" Hebrews 9:11-14

Judica, The 5th Sunday in Lent       17-March-2024
(Baptism of Vincent Charles......)
Sermon Text: Hebrews 9:11-15
Sermon Theme: “Washed New Through The Blood of the Father’s Beloved Son!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
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I.N.R.I. “Psalms 43:1-2 1 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! 2 For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Today is judgment Sunday! Vindicate - Judge me, O God!
    Satan twisted the tables. He lies, whispers, “ Judge God!” Our old adam rejects the Creator’s life sustaining Word. “Has God indeed said,...”unbelief screams in our heart. Then we read Genesis 22 - reason is offended, feelings overwhelmed, experience shouts - “God is the enemy that oppresses me!” Grieving parents whose child death stole away through miscarriage, addictions, accidents, wars lament to God, ‘Why do you cast me off?”
      What was God thinking? Commanding a loving father, who had waited decades for the promise of a son, to shed his blood. What kind of a bloody God is He? Eight days after his son was born, God demanded his blood be shed. Circumcising his only beloved son Abraham named him ‘Laughter” - “Isaac” in Hebrew. The Word of God and shed blood united this newborn son to the promised Christ. Christ Jesus - his Descendant - his Savior.
      Scripture doesn’t tell how many decades pass between Isaac’s birth and circumcision in Genesis 21 and the Lord’s command in Genesis 22. I think perhaps it was 3 decades and Isaac was now around 33 years old. Abraham instructed his household in God’s Word, the promise of the Christ, and worship. Isaac followed in his father’s footsteps of The Faith. Later Wisdom would write down,   Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” The world’s greatest Old Testament scholar, the Apostle Paul, would echo, ““And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
      Abraham and Isaac believed in the resurrection of the body in the promise of Christ Jesus. Moriah wouldn’t end in Isaac’s ashes - from the dust the Creator would raise him to new life that God’s unfailing promise in Jesus might be fulfilled. God the Holy Spirit teaches us in Hebrews 11: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED," concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
      Today, another father brought his beloved son to be judged - vindicated by his Creator God. At the font God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit judged Vincent. A child of Adam drowned, a child of God rose - born from above in the Crucified and Risen Christ! Dead in Adam, now he has risen victorious in Christ Jesus!   Rejoice all you baptized! Begin each day with the sign of victory traced upon your forehead and heart - shout aloud the victory cry, ‘In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! This is most certainly True!” Be comforted daily you are: “Washed New Through The Blood of the Father’s Beloved Son” I. Our Redemption Is Accomplished! (vs.11,12) II. Our Conscience Is Cleansed! (vs.13-14) III. Our Inheritace Is Eternal(vs.15)
      In the fall of every year on Yom Kippur the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. The most inner chamber of the Tabernacle (Tent Church) - later mirrored in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Into total darkness the priest strode offering up blood for his sins and the sins of his people. Pouring out innocent blood of an unblemished year old male lamb on the mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant emerging through the thick curtain protecting the Holy of Holies into the Holy place where the altar of incense filled the room with fragrant smoke. Walking outside the people rejoiced to see and smell that the Lord God was again reconciled to His people through the blood. A living High Priest assured them the offering for that year was complete - the Lord again had graciously brought them to His side. They were His - He would save them!
        The Tabernacle, the Temple were a picture of the redemption God promised our first fallen parents hiding among the trees. The Male Seed of a Virgin Mother would be born to crush Satan’s head and stop his lying lips once for all. The fullness of time came - history records (vs.11) Jesus - the Messiah - the Christ - Anointed with the Holy Spirit in the waters of His baptism - the Scapegoat for the sins of the world - came! St. John’s Christmas narrative simply says: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The Greek word we translate as “dwelt” is “tabernacled” or “tented” among us. In the next chapter, John instructs us that Jesus cleansed the Temple at Jerusalem of money changers during the first year of His public ministry. The Temple officials challenged Jesus - history records, “So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:18-22)
    Jesus came with the perfect Tabernacle - His innocent flesh born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit creating perfect Life through God’s Word. He is the Second Adam - fully Human - but not from a human father - like the first Adam - the Son of God - The God/Man!
      Only His innocent suffering and death frees us from the hell we have earned and the wages of death our sin has merited. (vs.12) The High Priest , Aaron’s descendant, first had to offer up a sacrifice for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Not Jesus - no one could conivict Him of sin- His Word Truth - His life sinless - His obedience to His Heavenly Father flawless. He didn’t first offer up a sacrifice for His sins - fully human - He had none. Still He is counted among sinners for God the Father laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us - our Scapegoat to bear our punishment and pour His holy life blood out for our guilt.
        The world only saw three men crucified by the Roman government suffering and dying. The Jewish crowds mocked the bloody naked suffering King of the Jews. This Man who saved others, couldn’t save Himself. The mockery died out when the sky went black world wide for three hours. The True High Priest entered the True Holy of Holies pouring out the sacrifice of pure holy blood - the blood of God - through His innocent suffering and death. His one sacrifice for the sins of the world never needs repetition. Forsaken by God for our sin - He cried victoriously -”It is paid in full!” “Finished” “Debt Settled!” Redemption for sinners purchased alone through Jesus’ flesh and blood sacrificed on the altar of the cross.
        He obtained “eternal redemption” ”FOR YOU!” He didn’t need it as perfect Man - you did. Only after His death and resurrection did He institute baptism. Baptism works the forgiveness of sins, … as the Words and promises of our God declare! “Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, ““He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
      Bekah remember the sweet scent of your newborn son? It is a smell mother’s cherish. Soon it fades - replaced by full diapers - regurgitated milk. Vincent came to church this morning - a little stinker - by nature a child of wrath, conceived and born in Adam’s sin, enslaved by Satan, hell bound. Washed from above by the blood of High Priest Jesus - He smells forgiven to his Heavenly Father. A new creation in Christ Jesus. Smell him in God’s Word - a child of grace, born from above in the Second Adam’s perfect life, freed by Christ’s crucified and risen blood and flesh. God’s Word - His Promise in Jesus cannot lie! The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life credits eternal redemption to his account - He is God the Father’s beloved son - in whom He is well pleased.
    Here is comfort for all us stinking sinners - daily and richly God the Holy Spirit washes you forgiven in Christ’s Church. No longer are you a stinker, but a sweet smelling child of your Heavenly Father.

        The ceremonial laws - the sacrifices of the Tabernacle - then the Temple only could purify the outside of the body. (vs. 13) If you touched a corpse, leperous flesh, a pig, become unclean delivering a baby - the priest cleansed you ritually clean through the scarlet water of sacrificed clean animal blood. He would sprinkle the ashes of a perfect red heffer that had been sacrificed and burned outside of the city walls. Then often after a waiting period you’d be declared “clean” and allowed back into the worship life of the community.
        Think of it like a bandage covering a skinned knee - it hides the wound, but doesn’t heal the infection. An antibiotic is needed - a substance that kills other living organisms to prevent further infections. Jesus’ blood isn’t an “antibiotic.” It is a “biotic” the source of all life. To coin a phrase - His blood is an “anti-death-otic” His blood alone cleanses us from all sins from the inside out. His blood creates in us a clean heart - takes away our lifeless stonecold heart - gives us His beating heart of flesh! (vs.13-14)
        Bekah and Ben do you remember the day you first heard Vincent’s heart beating? A joyful sound - that death can silence even in the womb - sin brings death. Today, Vincent’s heart began beating strong with the life and blood of Jesus! It is a heart beat that not even death will silence. The blood of Christ offered by the eternal Spirit offered His spotless life to God the Father - is accepted. Jesus is raised from the dead to declare sinners reconciled to their heavenly Father by the Spirit in Jesus! Today- everyday - baptism rescues us from death and the devil. Up until today - Satan, sin, and death held Vincent a slave captive in fear. No More! He is freed! He is baptized into Christ! Baptism rescues sinners from death and the devil as the Words and promises of God declare - “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
        Vincent now serves the living God in his holy order and position as a child. Just as Ben serves in the holy order and position of husband and father. Bekah serves in the holy order of wife and mother. Baptism daily washes your conscience clean. Your works aren’t sacrifices to make God love you- He loves you perfectly in His beloved Son. You serve the living God by caring for the living human beings entrusted to your care in your vocations. Baptismal life frees you to joyfully run in the path of God’s Holy Ten Commandments guiding your loving service of your neighbor. Don’t listen to Satan’s ugly accusations - “God won’t forgive you for “THAT SIN” - You are a good person - you don’t need to come to receive forgiveness in the Divine Service. You haven’t done enough - how dare you call yourself a child of God - you hypocrite.” Don’t let the world drive you to despair in the fear of death. When your conscience accuses you - rejoice - you are baptized into Christ - rescued by your Champion and Defense Lawyer - Jesus!
        Teach Vincent daily to echo the word by which the Triune God made his heart beat again with eternal life - “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Teach him to echo Christ’s teaching of True reality - speaking aloud The Apostles’ Creed. Teach him to hear his Good Shepherd’s voice breathing forth the Spirit through His vocal chords back into his ears - as He prays, “Our Father.” Then teach him to go joyfully to his work, “singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.”
        What inheritance do you wish to give Vincent? Silver? Gold? A family farm? A love for nature? Time in the Valley? A love for reading? All earthly inheritances fade away. Moth and rust destroy - thieves break in and steal. A large inheritance is soon squandered and we end up coveting pig slop to calm our gnawing emptiness.
      Vincent needs what the world can never buy, the good can never earn, the thief can never steal. He needs - we need an eternal inheritance. We need Jesus! (vs.15) There is one Mediator between the Holy God and sinful mankind - the God/Man Jesus.
      His suffering, death, and resurrection alone mediates the New Covenant. He drank the cup of the Father’s just wrath for all sin, that He might give us the sweet wine of His healing blood - for His life is in the blood. His body was bruised to heal us by His stripes. The first covenant could not take away sin - it pointed forward to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Those who are called receive the promise - the eternal inheritance. Baptism gives eternal salvation to all who believe this as the Words and promises of God declare! “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
        A young man was baptized into Christ as an infant. He was raised in the Christian faith by his pastor father and mother. He thought little of his baptism and Christ’s teaching. He ignored his pastors preaching and warnings. He calls himself a “sinner.” He was certain of himself at 16. Then he was taken prisoner and forced into slavery for five years. It was in suffering that he again learned to pray as a baptized son of God the Father. The Father answered his fervent prayers freeing him. He used his freedom to study God’s Word, become a priest, and then volunteer to return to his captors. He begins his confession writing, “My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. “
  By losing his freedom, fortune, and family - Patrick was humbled and brought back to the eternal inheritance washed upon him in holy baptism. The Holy Spirit was at work through the living seed of Christ’s Word implanted in his heart in baptism. In your doubts, struggles, despair - the Word is working in you.
    Vincent today God vindicates you! He judges you - “My own! My baptized beloved son!” Your name means “Victory” - rejoice the Lord Jesus seals His victory to you this morning with the sign of the cross. Your inheritance in Jesus never fades away - it is reserved for you in heaven. When all seems lost - run to your baptism. When you doubt, are enslaved by sin - run to your baptism. Remember Doctor Luther’s Words “Thus we must regard Baptism and make it profitable to ourselves, that when our sins and conscience oppress us, we strengthen ourselves and take comfort and say: Nevertheless I am baptized; but if I am baptized, it is promised me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body. “   Amen.