Sermon for 22 April 2011, Good Friday C

The Rev. Paul J Cain

Psalm 51:10-12; John 19:34

Create in Me

Good Friday, 22 April 2011

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, WY

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. [Amen.]
 Psalm 96:1-2 ESV.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
    and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
    and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.

Faith doesn’t talk about itself. Faith holds on to Jesus, the Savior. Like love, faith bears all things, believes, hopes, endures, and trusts. Human language seems inadequate to speak of heavenly things, yet the Lord Himself has revealed Himself and His salvation in human words recorded in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and now translated into many languages of all the nations.

Sometimes we struggle to explain, confess, or make sense of faith in Christ using the language of reason:” I understand” or “They just don’t get it.” At other times, we speak with the words of Scripture: “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” or “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And then we sometimes use the language of emotion: “I am comforted” or “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”

Psalm 51, verses 10-12 are the words of a repentant sinner, King David, and also the words of God the Holy Spirit. David’s adultery and murder had consequences. We are blessed that David, previously described as a man after God’s own heart, was brought to repentance and restored to faith.

Ever since the prophet Nathan rebuked David, the King of the Jews, David’s words, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan’s absolution, “The Lord also has put away your sin…” have lived on in the confession and comfort of Psalm 51. The Church still calls upon the Lord to have mercy, cleanse us of original sin and our committed sins, and open lips to sing His praise.

Yet how is sin put away? How does God declare and deliver His mercy?

In Christ.

By faith, Abraham trusted in God and it was credited to Him as righteousness. When he was tested, he offered up Isaac, his only son, considering that God was able even to raise him from the dead, if necessary, to fulfill the promises about the Offspring, Christ.

By faith, Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the Destroyer would not touch the people of Israel. Christ fulfilled and renewed the Passover in His suffering and death and Institution of the Lord’s Supper.

David prayed for a right spirit, the Holy Spirit, and the restoration of salvation. By faith, he held to God’s promises that his descendant would reign forever and also be His Lord, the Lord Himself, Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Abraham, Moses, and David are examples to us. Their faith, hope, and trust were in the promised Messiah and Suffering Servant, the true Prophet, Priest, and King, Jesus.

John 19:34 says, “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.”

You have heard that Jesus has borne your griefs that you may have joy.

He was silent unto death so you may sing praises to the Lord.

He was taken away to the cross so that you would be brought to God.

By His stripes, you are healed.

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” It is also true that Jesus’ heart was pierced to that your heart can be recreated clean.

In Christ, the Lord has indeed created in you a clean heart, renewed your spirit to righteousness and restored unto you His Holy Spirit and the joy of His salvation, accomplished on the cross and delivered in His washing with water and the Word, His Word of Gospel, His forgiveness declared and delivered, and at His Table.

Jesus’ heart was pierced to that your heart can be recreated clean. Amen.

Create in Me,  LSB 956 (sung)

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.       The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. [Amen.]
Psalm 98:1-2 ESV

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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