Bible Passage: Matthew 28:18-20
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: February 28, 2024

Bulletin for Lenten Worship 2024

Passion History Lesson 2

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

The Roman soldiers had a job to do.  They had been given the job of torturing and finally executing Jesus of Nazareth.  They tended to be very good at their job.  They had the right tools to do their job.  They had that tool called the scourge.  It was a handle with strips of leather attached.  Attached to the leather were jagged pieces of bone or metal.  The scourge was used like a whip.  The victim was stretched out, back exposed.  The scourging began.  Those jagged pieces of bone would rip and gouge flesh.  It was a horrible tool!  But it did the job!

Sometimes the soldiers showed themselves clever, in a diabolical kind of way.  They could come up with a new “tool” on-the-fly to fit the situation.  They did this with Jesus.  While they were roughing him up, they got the bright idea to twist together a bunch of needle-sharp thorns into a sort of crown.  They pressed it onto Jesus’ head.  What a great tool to torture a so-called king!  A new tool was invented just for Jesus!

But of course, it always came around to the good ol’ stand-bys.  A hammer.  Some nails.  A wooden cross.  The condemned stretched out.  Sometimes arms were dislocated in the process.   A few swings of the hammer.  Nails driven deep through flesh and deep into wood.  The crucified was hung high.  This was for maximum exposure.  They were on “display.”  They were naked and suffering, and everyone could watch.  The cross was the perfect tool to deal both maximum physical and psychological torture and shame!  Eventually the tools would complete their job.  The crucified person died.  Another job well-done, thanks in large part to the right tools!  Rarely have there been tools better developed for the job.

I don’t know what tool Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus used to pry out the nails when they removed Jesus’ body from the cross.  We do know they lovingly used the “tools” common for burial.  They began the process of wrapping, winding Jesus’ body, alternating between strips of cloth and aromatic spices.  They wouldn’t have time to finish the job on Friday.  They would put the body in the tomb and the women would finish the work Sunday morning.

But you know the story!  Not all the tools of torture and death could keep Jesus in the grave!  Not all the tools used by Pilate to seal the tomb could prevent the inevitable!  Jesus rose from the dead!  The tools of death are broken.  There is forgiveness of sins.  There is life instead of death!

And now the risen Jesus has given us a job to do!  This job is often called a “commission.”  The “Great Commission.”  Go and make disciples of all nations. (v. 19) Disciple the nations on planet earth!  All of them!  Bring them into the same relationship that Peter, James, and John had with Jesus!  “Discipleship.”

You say, “That is a huge job!  How will we do it?  The nations are so different!  The world today is so divided and diverse and separated!  How are we to disciple them?  What kind of a tool is at our disposal to do this job?”  Jesus answers, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  (v. 19-20)  Really??  We are to go out into this big, diverse, cruel world with our little “toolbox” carrying water and the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”?   Can this work?

Yes, friends, it can, and it does!  Let’s remember two basic truths.  Truth number one:  all people are sinners.  It doesn’t matter what culture, tribe, language, or group a person identifies with.  One of our hymns puts it this way:  “One common sin infects us all.”  Sin is the common denominator of all nations and cultures.  Here is truth number two:  Jesus is the cure for truth number one!  He died and rose for all nations.  And the job Jesus gave us is simply this:  “Bring my life, death, and resurrection to all!”  And Baptism brings the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  In Baptism we are baptized into Jesus’ death and life!

Perhaps an example from the Bible will help.  Remember the day of Pentecost?  We are told that the city of Jerusalem is crawling with out-of-towners.  We are told there were Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome…Cretans and Arabs. (Acts 2:9-11)  Quite a mash-up of ethnicities!  And Peter preaches to them.  And after the sermon we are told, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  (Acts 2:37)  Peter did not answer, “All right, now listen up!  I need all you Parthians over here.  John will talk to you about what you need to do.  Medes, head over by James and he will take care of you.  Egyptians, you’re with Thomas and he will give you your instructions.”  No.  There was one answer to them all, Repent and be baptized, every one of you. (Acts 2:38)  Baptism was the right tool for the job!  And it has been ever since.

And so the Church baptizes.  In Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.  In rivers and streams, lakes and ponds.  In tanks of water and at fonts such as this.  Sometimes at the kitchen sink.  In churches and hospital rooms and living rooms.  Each time baptism brings the death and resurrection of Jesus to sinners, to Asians and Europeans, to North Americans and South Americans.  To Australians and Africans.  Each time, bringing forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation.  Each time, exactly the right tool for the job!

The Roman executioners had a horrible job to do, and horrible tools to inflict death.  Jesus has given us a glorious job to do, and an even more powerful tool to “inflict” life!  Baptism.  It is the right tool for the job!

Amen.