The Second Article God Our Redeemer 2 Chon 28 8 15

The Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity                    14-September-2025
Sermon Text: 2 Chronicles 28:8-15/The Second Article
Sermon Theme: The Second Article: God Our Redeemer! I. He Becomes Our Brother To Bear Our Burden! (Vs.8-9). II. He Frees Us From Our Captivity! (Vs.10-11) III. He Clothes Us With His Life To Bring Us Home! (Vs.12-15) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. The final Passover approached. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” History records, Mat 16:14-16 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." On this confession of Peter, revealed to him by God the Father in heaven by the Holy Spirit - Christ’s Church would be built. The gates of hell will not and cannot prevail against the Church proclaiming Truth.
      Jesus then tells His followers what His fulfilling the Passover will cost: Luk 9:22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." When Peter objected, Jesus rebuked him. History then records: Mar 8:34-38 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (35) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. (36) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (37) Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
       September 14th, 326 A.D. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, is said to have discovered the cross of Jesus in Jerusalem. She had journeyed to the Holy Land to uncover and authenticate many historical sites in the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel. Today near the site where the cross was discovered stands the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - the tomb which was said to have held Jesus’ lifeless body for three days until He physically rose Easter morning.
       We don’t worship the wood of the cross or any other relics of Christians before us. We receive the living fruit of the Cross - Jesus’ living body and blood in His Word, baptism, forgiveness of sins spoken, and in His Sacrament of the Altar. Whether you are an infant or adult - baptism marks you with Jesus’ cross. Last Sunday we heard it: “Receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.” The young man who was baptized and confirmed became a marked man. He was asked, “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?” He answered: “I do, by the grace of God.”
        Tuesday the news broke of a murder in Utah. A fellow Christian, a member of the body of Christ, a brother - was shot because he was not ashamed of Jesus or His Words in this adulterous and sinful generation. The Christian Church is Christ Jesus’ Kingdom of the Right where our ascended Lord rules the world by His Grace through His Word - the Truth. Civil government is Christ Jesus’ Kingdom of the Left where He restrains and punishes evil through the rule of law by the sword wielded by those He calls to serve. We distinguish between the two kingdoms. Still the Christian Church preaches against evil in both kingdoms. As did John the Baptist who was executed in his early 30's for preaching against King Herod’s sinful marriage. As the prophets of the Old Testament called their nations, its kings, and their religious leaders to repent. As Jesus preaches; Mar 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
     The cold blooded murder of Charlie Kirk, Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, Annunciation students: Fletcher Merkel, Harper Moyski, and every other murder are vile shatterings of the 5th Commandment - “You Shall Not Murder.” All human life is precious for it is created by God the Father. All human life has dignity and worth from the moment of conception to natural death. We learned this last Sunday in the first truth of reality - we confess in The Apostles’ Creed. Death is sin’s wages - not an answer to our problems. We mourn the deaths of all fellow human beings - it is demonic to rejoice when any die. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, even though He knew in six days they would nail Him to the tree of the cross.
     Today repent! Turn from hate. Turn from our culture of death. Turn from plastic life on screens. Believe the Gospel - The Second Article: God Our Redeemer! I. He Becomes Our Brother To Bear Our Burden! (Vs.8-9). II. He Frees Us From Our Captivity! (Vs.10-11) III. He Clothes Us With His Life To Bring Us Home! (Vs.12-15)
I.  Luk 10:23-24 Then [Jesus] He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; (24) for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it." They saw and heard The Way, The Truth, The Life - the only One whose flesh and blood reconciles us to our God and Father - Jesus of Nazareth.
      The history of God’s people in the Old Testament is recorded almost 800 years before Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. (Vs.8-9) The nation of Israel had been torn apart as two separate nations after King Solomon died. His idolatry split the nation. Israel to the north. Judah to the south. Now a descendent of David, Ahaz is king in Judah. He worships the false idols - the non gods of the nations. He even sacrifices his infant children throwing them alive into the fire as he worships the false god Molech. All idols are demons - Satan, the fallen angel, masquerades as light - but he only brings darkness, sin, mutilation, despair, and death. The Lord God raises us Israel to punish Judah for its idolatry. 100,000 of Judah’s soldiers die in battle, then their wives and children are led away captive to Samaria -200,000. The prophet Isaiah is sent by God to call King Ahaz to repent and return to God’s promise to David. History records; Isa 7:10-14 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, (11) "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above." (12) But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" (13) Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? (14) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
       (LSB pg. 322, The Creed 2nd Art. 1st para.) A prophet of the Lord - Yahweh still is preaching in pagan Israel. His name is Oded. It means, “Restorer”. In Jesus of Nazareth we find the True Restorer - He alone can promise the dying thief on the cross next to Him on Golgotha, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Behold the God-Man. Jesus is True God eternally begotten of the Father. Never was there a moment when He wasn’t true God. He and the Father are One with the Holy Spirit proceeding from both. It is the mystery of the Holy Trinity revealed in Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan and our baptism into His death and resurrection.
      Jesus of Nazareth is True Man - your true blood Brother - born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Isaiah preached - He is Emmanuel - God with us in our skin. There was no other way to restore humanity, to rescue us than for the eternally begotten Son of the Father to become one flesh with us. He is the Good Samaritan humbling Himself to serve us. Promised to our first parents on the day of their rebellion - choosing to believe the death bringing lie of Satan and turning away from God’s life sustaining Truthful Word. Repeated from age to age - Abraham heard the promise and trusted in Jesus to come- Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "AND TO YOUR SEED," who is Christ. - Fulfilled in our history:-Gal 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
        Here is the Faith which saves: “Jesus, the God/Man, is MY LORD!”
II. What does this mean?(LSB pg. 323, The Creed 2nd Art. 2nd para.) A true Lord serves. Governments are to serve and protect their citizens from evil by upholding the rule of law. Corrupt governments become tyrannical enslaving their subjects to serve them - rather than upholding and protecting the rights of life, liberty, and the ownership of property gifts flowing from our Creator alone.
     The Lord’s preacher Oded rebukes the nation of Israel for rejoicing in the destruction of their brothers. God allowed them to win to punish Judah - it wasn’t their strengths, soldiering, or strategy that gave the victory. (Vs.10-11) They planned to enslave their brothers and sisters to serve them.
     The devil, a fallen angel, is a liar and murderer from the beginning. He cannot tolerate Truth being spoken, taught, or confessed. His answer is always lies and murder to shut down discussions. Satan promises freedom, but he is a tyrant chaining us in sin, pride, despair, and death. He deceives us to follow our guts as spirituality to bring us to suffer with him eternally in hell’s solitary confinement.
      Look to the God/Man. He paid your price! Bought you! You didn’t deserve it - you were lost hating God and justly condemned by the Law of God - a person body and soul - rejecting your Creator and Source of Life. God didn’t abandon you. He loves you. He is your Brother to take your place - to pay the debt you owed once for all upon the Cross of Calvary.
 He purchased you from all sins - fulfilling the Law perfectly for you! He won you from all sins - paying the hell you deserved in the darkness of Golgotha -to cry out “Paid in Full!” It is finished! He purchased you from death - no one took Jesus’ life from Him - He laid it down for you! He alone had power to lay it down and power to take it up again! He died your death. Then early Sunday morning He forever broke death and the grave’s prison. He won for you life eternal - He lives! You Live! “Jesus lives, the victory’s won - death no longer can appall me!” Jesus purchased you from the power of the devil - the devil is the accuser - Jesus pays for all your sins in full. Satan will accuse you - “You are a damned sinner! Be proud of your sin!” You can answer him, “Satan, you lie! I am a sinner - but Jesus is my Savior! He has purchased and won me - with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death! Rom 8:31-34 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (34) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Fix your eyes on your Lord King Jesus of Nazareth the Christ!
III. The Samaritan had mercy on the beaten Jew left for death by the side of the road. He administered first aid, cared for, housed, and clothed him at his own expense - He shows mercy - Jesus alone is our True Neighbor!
(Vs.12-15) The leaders of Samaria listened to God’s Word preached by Oded. They clothed, fed, and sent their neighbors home to Jericho.
(LSB pg. 323, The Creed 2nd Art. 3rd para.) Jesus your Lord calls you to be His own! His is the domain of real Life! The Life of faith God the Holy Spirit preserves us in through the Gospel preached and forgiveness daily and richly given in Christ’s Church. Gal 3:22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Gal 3:26-29 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
      You are freed to serve King Jesus by serving your neighbor in your daily calling. Forgive and pray for your enemies. Be God the Father’s hands to care for them through your various callings. Show them mercy - as God in Christ Jesus forever shows you mercy. Not to earn everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness - but because they are His gifts to you in your baptism! You have put on Christ!
      Do not fear! (LSB pg. 323, The Creed 2nd Art. 4th para.) Our King Jesus still controls world history - live in hope and joy! He will coming again soon in glory. Death never robs a Christian of life! Heb 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (28) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
     Martha mourned the death of her brother Lazarus. Jesus wept - death hurts - it never wins - Martha thought if only Jesus would’ve been there her brother wouldn’t have died. Perhaps some think this in Charlie’s death..He is with Christians always! Joh 11:23-27 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (24) Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (27) She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
      Marked with the cross - boldly and in love tell others the good news - Jesus lives the victory is won - FOR YOU! Amen.