In Jesus Holy Name February 9, 2025
Luke 4:33-34
“He Came…To Destroy the Works of the Devil”
The title of our sermon begs for a question: What are the “works of the devil” that Jesus came to destroy? We know that Satan brings into our “space“ the same temptations He challenged Jesus with in the wilderness. He tempts us to break God’s commandments. When we do break one of the commandments, we suffer the consequences of broken relationships with God and one another.
1) When temptations come, Jesus demonstrated for us “tactics” that we should use to reject the temptations that come. We are to quote the scriptures, as He did.
2) John writes that Jesus is our “Advocate” before the Father. (I John 1:21) What does that mean? When we falter in our walk and Satan accuses us of broken commandments before God, Jesus, who is seated in glory at the right hand of our Creator, is there as our “advocate”, our public defender, verifying that His death on the cross paid for our sins.
The Apostle Paul also writes, and agrees that this work of the devil to accuse us has been destroyed by the cross. For God has chosen to “reconcile” us by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross and now sees each believer holy in His sight, blameless and free from accusation if we trust in the substitutionary death of Jesus. (Col 1:20)
3) The third reason Jesus came to destroy the “work of the devil” is found in Hebrews 2:14-15 (read)
Maybe some of you have visited the famous "Winchester Mystery House". Sarah Winchester believed that the ghosts of people killed by the Winchester rifles were haunting her and seeking revenge; a spiritualist reportedly told her that she needed to constantly build a house to appease these spirits and prevent her own death, leading to a decades-long construction project with bizarre features, doors and steps that lead now where, in order to confuse the ghosts. She died September 5, 1922.
Max Lucado writes: “Ducking the shadow of death dominates our days. Sleep
more. Exercise regularly. Eat less fat, more protein. But you know, no one ducks death forever. God’s perspective is different. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 7:1, “The day you die is better than the day you are born.” And Psalm 116:15 tells us, “When “you” arrive at the gates of death, God welcomes those who love him.” Jesus said: “In my Father’s house are many rooms I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me.” John 14:2-3
Jesus experienced a physical and factual death then rose from death with a glorified physical body not limited by time and space. Because He did, we will also rise on the last day. If the tomb of Jesus is empty, and it was, then His promise is true. This is why Paul writes: “Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await our Savior from there who will (upon His return) transform out bodies to fashioned like His glorious body.” Philippians 3:20,21
I have stated this many times in previous sermons. Every other world religion created by a human being, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto, Bahai; their creators are all still in their grave. There is indeed a grave that’s empty on the other side of the world, outside Jerusalem, carved into a mountainside, that tomb has been empty for 2,000 years. It was the resting place for the body of Jesus for 3 days before God raised Him from the dead with a resurrected body.
We must admit that we live in a world that is under the almost-total control of the evil one. Satan brought the reality of death into our world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s plan into their perfect garden. Their body’s and soul’s were created to live forever but Satan’s temptation and their agreement to break God’s commandment brought death to every human being.
This week the President signed the Lincoln Riley Act, because she was murdered, as have been numerous others. Sometimes death is the result of evil.
Sometimes death comes through the enemies of the Church, be they religious fanatics (like ISIS) or political dictators. Sometimes death comes through natural disasters, hurricanes, fires, or pandemics caused by various diseases. Wherever we look we see the footprints of Death and Hades. And that is exactly why God has given us in the Book of Revelation the promise that the day will come when persecution, war, famines, natural catastrophes and plagues (Rev 6), will end. There will be no more crying, mourning or death. Jesus wants us to know that, although it might look as if the powers of evil are stronger than God, in reality they have already been brought to naught.
Death has way of gripping us with fear. It shocks us, scares us, sobers us up.
When death comes, family and community traditions differ. In the Midwest where I grew up at the funeral home and at the church there was almost always an open casket. A public viewing. You could not miss the reality of death. Cemeteries aren’t much better. Something about those fresh mounds of dirt makes us shudder. Something makes us drive faster past a cemetery late at night lest we accidentally shine our lights on a tombstone. Death makes us realize our mortality, our weakness. Death frightens us because we instinctively know that someday we too shall die.
Most of all, death makes us think. It makes us think about our own lives, about our priorities, about our goals, about ourselves.
There are so many fears related to the fear of death:
• People fear dying alone.
• People fear dying a painful death.
• People fear what may happen after we die.
• People fear leaving our loved ones behind.
• People fear the unknown and death is the ultimate unknown, unless you know Jesus.
• People fear death because of our sins.
• People fear standing before God after we die.
Martin Luther said we should live with the day of our death constantly before our eyes. That way we won’t be surprised when the day finally comes. Death is no respecter of persons.
Death is not something I look forward to. I think about it, way too much. Oh, I still make notes on my Ancestry.com site…filling in details of family history, important life events, birth and death dates. I’d prefer to live a while longer if the Lord allows it. And if I’ve got to go, I’d just as soon it be in my sleep peacefully. But there are no guarantees, I drive Hwy 99 much to often.
If I show up at the gates of heaven talking about how good I’ve been, I’m in real trouble. First of all, I haven’t been all that good. Too many sins come crowding into my memory, and those are only the ones I can remember. I testify that I have too many broken commandments in my past and present life…even sins of omission that I may not be aware of so, left to myself, I don’t have a chance of going to heaven.
But I know for sure…that I will see the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will welcome me into heaven. I do not believe I “deserve” to go to heaven or that I could ever “earn” eternal life. What an empty pipe dream that is. When I reach the gates of heaven, it will be because Jesus takes me there. And if he takes me there, it will be because His blood has covered all my sins, and He has given me His own perfect righteousness.
What does God have to say about death in our world.
Easter is God’s answer.
When the women came to the tomb of Jesus on Easter morning, they were greeted by an angel who said: “I know you are looking for Jesus. He is no longer here, He has risen from the dead, just as He said He would. Now go tell His disciples.” God’s answer is wrapped up in a man who came back from the dead.
The title of the Sermon states that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
The word “destroy” means to “render powerless.” When Jesus died on the cross, he “pulled the plug” on Satan. Jesus broke the bondage of death by delivering us from the fear of death, when He shattered the stone grave with a burst of brilliant light, that caused the soldiers guarding the tomb to faint in fear.
In our confirmation class our students are learning about the meaning to the Apostle’s Creed. In the meaning to the 2nd article Luther writes:
“I believe that Jesus Christ ….has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood with His innocent suffering and death” …and on the last day He will raise man all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
Like the white witch in C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the devil knows his winter is fast melting away. The Cross and empty grave of Jesus has destroyed His power; hope is in the air. For a little while longer, the spiritual battle continues. But the Good News of the Gospel assures us that the true “ruler” of the world is in control, and His eternal Kingdom is coming soon. Jesus will return with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise. (I Thessalonians 4:16)
We recently sang a great hymn written by Erdman Neumeister 1671 – 1756
God’s own child, I gladly say it: I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it, gave my full redemption price.
Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation; I am not so soon enticed.
Now, that to the font I’ve traveled, all your might has come unraveled,
And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me!
Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness to inherit paradise!
There is nothing worth comparing to this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring: Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising, still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ; I’m a child of paradise!
