Pastor Ken Klaus, Lutheran Hour speaker, was the guest speaker at Grace Lutheran Church in Rochester for Palm Sunday weekend services on March 27 & 28.
Dr. Klaus’ sermon text on Saturday evening was Mathew 22, verse 42: “What do you think of the Christ?”
On that occasion Jesus directed that question to the Pharisees who had gathered to trap him. Most of us know what the Pharisees thought of Jesus, but the important question is: What do I/you think of Jesus?
Pastor Klaus then focused that question on the events of the original Holy Week when a number of people who held important positions were asked the question, “What do you think of Jesus?” The High Priest called Jesus a blasphemer, Pilate the governor saw Jesus as an innocent man, Judas called Jesus “Master” but betrayed Him, Peter saw Jesus as God but denied Him, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus saw Him as a righteous man, and at the death of Jesus the Centurion in charge of the crucifixion saw Him as the Son of God. We know that the Father in Heaven said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”
And so we come back to the important question, “What do you/I think of Jesus?”
Dr. Klaus stated that by Good Friday the sun had done its task more than 12,000 times during Jesus’ life on earth. Pastor Klaus referred to the contrast between the star of Bethlehem and the darkness at the end of the day on Good Friday.
When he continued with his message to the people at Grace Lutheran on Palm Sunday morning, Pastor Klaus spoke of our need to discern what is best for us. He illustrated the lack of confidence that manufacturers show in our ability to discern by the “caution”
labels they attach to items we buy. Pastor Klaus commented that many/most of us have the ability to discern which is the best brand of shoe, automobile, produce/grocery products, but can we discern what is best for us in religion? He pointed to the shepherds of the nativity as a good example for us because they discerned that going to the Savior and spreading the word about Him was the thing to do. As a contrasting example, the original Palm Sunday crowd did not discern correctly and became the Good Friday mob.
Dr. Klaus emphasized that we must discern correctly that Jesus saves us as we cannot save ourselves. He emphasized that religion is probably the only thing in our lives that we cannot be open minded about. All religions are not equal or acceptable. As the shepherds at the nativity and the women at the tomb on Easter morning said “We know!” we must tell and show our children and youth that WE KNOW that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He illustrated his point with the metaphor, “A coyote won’t go for a sheep when it can have a lamb.”
Ted Kueker, Parish Communications