Sexagesima Sunday, February 23, 2025

Sexagesima Sunday, February 23, 2025

Martha asserts her confidence in Jesus: “God will give you whatever you ask?” Jesus’ responds with one of his “I am” pronouncements. You might remember Moses standing on holy ground, confronted by God in the burning bush, and demanding to know God’s name. God responds with “I am who I am.” Jesus, with his “I am” pronouncements, asserts the identity of God and claims the authority of the Torah. Over the centuries of time between the last of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus, the Jewish practice had developed of calling the Torah such things as “the bread of life,” “the living water,” and “the light of the world.”

In answer to Martha’s prayer, Jesus gives her a person, himself. Jesus, in his person, is the resurrection and the life. In answer to our prayers, Jesus gives us a person, himself. Jesus, in his person, is the entirety of the New Creation bursting into this old, passing away world. Jesus, in his person, is the kingdom of God drawn near. In fact, it is already upon you. Jesus, in his person, is the answer to all our prayers. In him, all the promises of Scripture are delivered.

So you must ask, “How do I obtain this answered prayer? How do I receive delivery on all these promises?” The answer is “faith.” Then, you must ask, “How do I obtain such faith?” The answer given by our basic confession of faith (the Augsburg Confession) and preached and taught for five hundred years is this, “By the office of preaching—that is, by Word and Sacrament.” Faith results from the work of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace. Faith takes Jesus at his word. Faith confesses that Jesus does not lie. Faith confesses that in him we have the bread of life; we have the living water; we have the light of the world; and we have the resurrection and the life.

In these days of division and contention, prayers go up fervently for an end to these afflictions, for the recovery of those so afflicted, for the safety of both officeholders and office workers, and for our own personal safety and place in the economy. Jesus himself, in his person, will be the answer to your prayers. Faith is the hand that grasps and clings to him. Hear the word of God, listen to its preaching, and receive the work of the Holy Spirit.

In these days of strife, and also healing, the students of ILT, its faculty, and its staff are deliberate in their prayers for you and they could use your prayers. Pray that their ears are not empty of the Word of God and its preaching. Pray that its students plan with confidence their continued studies. Pray that the staff competently guides the institution through these days of trouble. Pray that the faculty continue to teach in good health and good faith. Pray in the confidence of Scripture’s concluding affirmation: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20)!