April 3, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Zechariah 3:8-9 (NIV84) “GONE IN A SINGLE DAY!”

 

GOOD FRIDAY

April 3, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Zechariah 3:8-9 (NIV84)

 

“GONE IN A SINGLE DAY!”

 

          If you were at our Midweek Lenten services you know that we have been looking at prophecies from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah. He’s called the Holy Week prophet. Some 500 years before Jesus was born God had Zechariah point us to what Jesus would do as our Savior with many of the pointed prophecies finding fulfillment during Holy Week. Today’s is fittingly a Good Friday prophecy. Here is how it happened. God showed Zechariah a vision of the High Priest Joshua being accused by Satan. Joshua was covered in filthy clothes which symbolized his sin and the sins of the people. Then the Lord exchanged Joshua’s filthy clothes with clean pure richly ornament clothes which symbolized the righteousness of Christ. Then came this prophecy.

 

Zechariah 3:8-9 "Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. ⁹See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.”

 

“GONE IN A SINGLE DAY!”

 

          This is prophecy. Filled with symbolism. But it is not new symbolism. It has been used elsewhere. Joshua and his associates, the priests. They were symbols of Jesus the great High priest. Joshua and the priests had made animal sacrifices for the sins of the people over and over and over again. Why? Those sacrifices did not take away any sins. They were symbolic of what was to come. Jesus. Then there is the servant called the Branch. Nothing new here either. The Root of Jesse. The Branch from David’s Stem. Same thing. The Messiah who was a descendant of David, the son of Jesse. From Him God’s church would branch out and grow. He is also called the stone with seven eyes. Jesus is the cornerstone, the stone that causes people to stumble if they reject Him and He sees all. And then the inscription that is engraved so it can not be changed. I will remove the sin of this land/world in a single day. Gone in a single day.

 

          The historians record for us some pretty impressive single day losses. You are familiar with Black Friday, a day when merchants gain a lot of money and consumers lose it. Some of you may have heard of Black Monday or Black Tuesday or Black Thursday. Those are days when the stock market had its biggest single day loss. On the worst, gone in a single day was 22% of wealth. Some people who invested in single stocks found their entire life savings gone in a single day. Or think of some of the wildfires that have plagued our west coast. In a single day thousands of acres of forest and thousands of homes and millions of dollars of property gone. Gone in a single day. To end World War 2 in the Pacific, President Truman ordered the use of atomic bombs. The first fell on Hiroshima. Gone in a single day, 70,000 people. Many more deaths occurred later.

 

          Gone in a single day. Did you notice something in common with all those single day losses? Lives were ruined and lost. That’s what sinful man can easily accomplish. Destruction. Greed ultimately drives stock market crashes. Many of the wildfires were caused by man’s foolish use of fire although, a squirrel chewing on a wire can do the same. War. Zechariah’s prophecy pointed to something different. This gone in a single day would not ruin lives. It would save them. What was gone in a single day? The sins of the world. When? The day we are celebrating. How? Jesus, the Righteous Branch. All those Old Testament priests with all their always repeated sin sacrifices were symbolic, pictures or what Jesus would do. Jesus is the Lamb of God. He offered Himself. He stayed on the cross in agony. For three hours darkness covered the land as God was forsaken by God. For one purpose. To take away the sins of the world. Every pastor’s sins. Every member’s sins. Every parent’s sins. Every child’s sins. Every everyone’s sins. Yours and mine. Every sin committed. Every one that would be. Gone in a single day. Just as was told in prophecy. It is finished. No more payment for sin is required. No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Our sins have been removed, gone in a single day. And the result is not destruction but salvation. Life. New life now. We don’t exist to serve self and sin, we get to serve Jesus. New and perfect life to come. Come back on Sunday to hear about that! Gone in a single day. Not our doing. Jesus did it. What’s left to say but thank you Jesus. Let’s do that now by singing a fitting Good Friday hymn, Thank You Jesus!

March 28-30, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Philippians 2:5-11 (EHV) “LOOK UP!”

 

PALM SUNDAY

March 28-30, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Philippians 2:5-11 (EHV)

 

“LOOK UP!”

1.     To see how much Jesus cares for you.

2.     To see why you can care more for others.

 

So what do you think it looked like? Jesus’ Palm Sunday procession. You can watch what various directors think it looked like in movies like “The Passion of the Christ” or series like “The Chosen.” They may be right and they may be wrong. All we have for sure is the Gospel writers’ accounts, each with their own details. What is common to all is that the focus is squarely on Jesus. Everyone was looking at Jesus as He passed by. What did they see? A kind of celebrity like the beauty pageant queens at parades? A potential Messiah from the Romans? Hosanna. Save us! Matthew, who was there, told us they saw only a prophet. What do you see? That’s what is most important. Today in his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul, urges us to look up to Jesus for comfort and encouragement.

Look up to see how much Jesus cares for you. So how do you feel when you see government leaders doing photo ops? You know, when they get there in the trenches with the people they serve. Take for instance when the prince or princess of England goes to visit a refugee camp sponsored by the royal charities. You watch them visit and sympathize with the state of those in need. Or maybe when we have had natural disasters and state and federal officials show up with the gaggle of reporters and photographers to survey the damage. Or how about when a mayor dons the yellow vest and helps fill in potholes for a few minutes while the camera rolls. I know how I feel because I have been in a similar situation when the boss came to work alongside the workers for a few hours at a difficult job site to demonstrate he understood. No you don’t. Spending a few minutes or hours or even a day with those who are suffering might be a way to try to show you care. But if you really care, take my place.

See how much Jesus cares for you! “Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. ⁶Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, ⁷but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, ⁸he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Thirty three years! Thirty three years. Jesus did not pull a photo op. He did not spend a hour or a day to convince us He cares. No Jesus emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and even though He is true God became true man. The Creator became the created. The Master became the servant. He became obedient. Thirty three years of obedience. Thirty three years or resisting temptation. How trying that must have been! Some world philosophers in their pondering of just how insistent temptation is, came up with a way to get rid of temptation. Give in. Give in frequently until you don’t want that temptation anymore. But giving in racks up sin debt. Those of you who deal with anything that has an addictive quality to it, like a substance or spending money or binging shows or playing video games or social media, know exactly how hard it is to resist. Jesus resisted for thirty three years using only what we get to use, God’s word. For us. A true substitute. See how much He cares.

And that care went on. We will sing it at the end of this service. Jesus on Palm Sunday entered Jerusalem with purpose. “Ride on, ride on in majesty. In lowly pomp ride on to die!” Why does He die. For us. For you. For me. For every time we gave into temptation instead of resisting the Devil. For every time you told God what to do instead of asking Him. For every time you pulled another Adam and Eve, choosing to declare independence from God by making your own version of good which is evil. Every single sin racks up a punishment debt and that debt must be paid. So Jesus became obedient to death, even death on a cross, such a shame filled way to die that God declared cursed is anyone who dies that way. See how He cares for you.

Economists correctly point out that any item’s value is determined by the price people are willing to pay for it. Do you see what Jesus is saying about you? Look at the price He is willing to pay! For thirty three years He gives up His rightful glory and honor for you. For you He allows the most humiliating form of death, crucifixion, the death on a cross. For you He is covered with the filth of the sins of the world. For you! That’s how valuable you are. Tell that to the Devil when he tries to make you feel worthless because you’re old and can’t do much for anyone anymore. Shove that in the Devil’s face when he tries to make you feel worthless because you have what the world considers a menial job or when your kids don’t appreciate you at home or you find yourself left out  and feel worthless. You’re not. God says so and Jesus proves it by how much He cares for you.

And that is why you and I, in gratefulness, can also care more for other people. What is it that often holds us back from showing care to others, especially care that costs us time or money? Isn’t it always a kind of fear? Fear that there won’t be enough time or money for ourselves. Fear that in all our caring for others  no one will care for us. God has an answer for our fears. “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Actually God is the answer to our fears. “Therefore.” It’s a word our American eyes skip over. Those in the past trained to think logically did not. Therefore joins whatever is coming to what was just said. It’s important. Because Jesus  humbly cared for us God exalted Him. God gave Him glory and honor. Jesus missed out on nothing.

Neither will you as you look to Jesus to see why can care more for others. Remember Paul started this section with the words, “Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” We love because He first loved us. We care because He first cared about us. Christian humility has often been misunderstood. That’s because it is often put opposite of sinful pride. Sinful pride leads us to glory in ourselves, so often people think Christian humility means you put yourself down. Not so. The best definition of Christian humility that I have heard is “not thinking less or yourself, but thinking more of the needs of others.” That’s good because while we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought, we have no right to think less of ourselves than God has made us to be. Each one of us has been fearfully and wonderfully made, physically exactly as God wants us. Each one of us gifted exactly as God knows best. Each one of us so valuable to God Jesus was obedient to death, even death on a cross to win us back for God. Each one of us a temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to care about ourselves.

Look up to Jesus to see why you can care more about others. God’s got you. So boldly be a friend to the girl in your class who is on the outs even if it costs you some status with the mean girls. It will gain you honor with God. Go ahead and keep helping that neighbor who never reciprocates. God will. Humble yourself in Jesus’ way, thinking of the needs of others and God will lift you up in the right way at the right time, just as He exalted Jesus.

Speaking of which, what do you think it will look like? When we see our exalted Palm Sunday King Jesus the first time with our own eyes? Many people have tried to describe our heavenly home. God has chosen to reveal little. This much I can say. Whatever you’re thinking it, will be better. So keep looking up! Amen.

 

 

 

March 18, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude “THE KINGLY PRIEST”

 

MIDWEEK LENT 5       March 18, 2026     Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

 

“THE KINGLY PRIEST”

 

          Zechariah. We have come to know him as the Holy Week Prophet because so many of his Messianic prophecies that shone the spotlight on our Savior Jesus were fulfilled during Holy Week. I know, I know. The last time I presented a Zechariah prophecy I insulted your intelligence. The connection was too easy. 30 pieces of silver. The price paid by the chief priests to Judas to get him to betray. It did help us to examine how we value our Lord Jesus. Today I will challenge you a bit. See if you can figure out how this picture prophecy about Jesus was filled during Holy Week.

 

Zechariah 6:9-13 (EHV) “The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁰ Take an offering from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and on that very day go into the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Tell him that this is what the Lord of Armies says: There is a man whose name is the Branch, because he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ He is the one who will build the temple of the Lord. He will be clothed with majesty, and he will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne, and there will be harmony between the two offices.”

 

          I can imagine that Zechariah’s first reaction upon hearing the word of the Lord was, “What? Are you crazy?” I can imagine that the reaction of Joshua son of Jehozadek, the high priest, was much the same, maybe even more vehement when Zechariah set the kingly crown on his head. “The Lord forbid you do such a thing!” And then Zechariah had to tell him, “Actually, the Lord has commanded it!” Why was this shocking? The Lord was commanding the combination of church and state. You may think that the separation of church and state is an American thing but it is God who established the church and gave it the tool of His word to use to carry out its work. And it is God who established the government and gave it the tool of the sword to use to carry out its work. They are two separate and distinct institutions that God has established. Each is to stay in its lane. Many people throughout history have thought having the two together would be a good idea. Just think if all of the laws of the nation followed the principles of the 10 Commandments! No matter that you would have to use the sword to get it. Just think if all the people of a nation were forced to be Christian whether they liked it or not and if they didn’t you could throw them in prison or kill them. Wouldn’t that be a great way to build Christ’s church? Probably the only time that worked reasonably well was when Moses served as spokesman for both in a theocracy for Israel. Still read through Exodus to Deuteronomy and you will still find plenty of ick! Go through more recent history and watch millions of people killed in the Christian crusades that were not about Christianity but about power. Observe faithful men and women who tried to get their church back to faithful teaching of Jesus put to death as heretics by a government in league with the church. Watch cities and nations that try to force Christian morals on its non Christian citizens produce more Pharisees than faithful followers of Christ. In Old Testament Israel kings that tried to do the job of priests were punished by God and priests that were more interested in politics than preaching starved the faithful.

 

          And yet here it was God Himself telling Zechariah to combine the office of

High Priest and King and that it would work perfectly. There would be harmony between the two. All that consternation I’m sure changed though once the Lord announced that this was actually about the Branch. Now it made sense. This was a picture and prophecy about the Messiah. He would be both King and High Priest at the same time. He would build the temple of the Lord which is the church. He would reign forever. Though Zechariah did not know this Branch by name, you do! It’s Jesus. Now for the challenging part. Remember this is a Holy Week prophecy. Where do we see Jesus as both king and High Priest during Holy Week?

          It’s Good Friday! Oh how the current high priest and chief priests must have sneered at Jesus when He stood before them. Here was the one who claimed to be the Messiah, the Branch. The one who was supposed to be High Priest and King at the same time. Look at him now. Bound. Beaten. Blindfolded. About to be executed. But what the current High Priest and the chief priests had forgotten was the role of the High Priest. His job was to care about the spiritual needs of the people and to make sacrifices for their sins. Oh, how Pontius Pilate must have sneered in arrogant Roman disgust when Jesus was brought before him. The King of the Jews? Are you kidding me? How many different would be kings for would be people had met the same fate? Execution by the mighty conquering legions of Rome. But what Pilate was forgetting is both jobs of a king. Yes, it is to rule people, but it is also to fight and defeat the people’s enemies. So where do we see Jesus, the Kingly Priest, combining both roles during Holy Week and with harmony between them?

          It is at the cross. They made him look like a mock king with the crown of thorns and fake royal robe. Pilate thought he was being so cute as he hung the sign “King of Jews” over Jesus head but none of them saw what they needed to see, the Kingly Priest, going to the cross as High Priest to make that once and for all sacrifice for sins. Going to the cross as the King of kings to defeat the enemies of His people, sin, death and the Devil. They did not see what they needed to see, but you do.

          Are you disappointed? That is the bane of the people of God. “Yes, yes, you paid the terrible price for my sins Jesus, but what I really wanted you to do was defeat the enemy of this disease in my body. Jesus the High Priest I want you to be is the one who intercedes with the Father so He does what I tell Him, I mean, ask Him to do. Jesus can you use your kingly power and your angel army to put all the ungodly people around is in their place and show them who is boss!” Brothers and sisters there are times when I find myself disappointed in my Kingly Priest too. Shame on me! Right back to our Kingly Priest on the cross. Because of what He did for me there will be none of the shame sticking to me that there ought to be when I see my God face to face. None for you either.

          The Kingly Priest. Jesus. In complete harmony. Doesn’t work anywhere else that church and state have been combined. But did you know that God did this same thing again in another way. The Apostle Peter brought that to light when he wrote, (1 Peter 2:9) ^“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Did you hear that? You are kingly priests too. But instead of paying for sin and defeating sin death and the Devil, God has a different job for you. Proclaim His praises, the great things He has done! Amen.

 

March 7-9, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 4:5-26 “JESUS: EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!”

 

LENT 3

March 7-9, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 4:5-26

 

“JESUS: EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!”

 

Let’s call her Demitra, this woman more commonly known as the woman at the well. If she followed common practice of the day she would have a Greek name. Even though the Romans were now in charge, ever since Alexander the Great had taken over the then known world it was cool to be Greek, to act Greek, talk Greek, dress Greek and have a Greek name. So we’ll call her Demitra. Her day started out as normal. She knew exactly what she needed. Kind of. She needed water. That’s why she was going to the town well. No running water for normal people. A normal part of everyday life was getting water from the well. What isn’t normal is going there around noon. That’s what the 6^th hour was back then. Demitra went to the well around noon because what she needed was water. What she didn’t need was all the grief from the other women of Sychar. They went to the well in the cool of the morning. Oh, they looked all prim and proper and thought so highly of themselves, thinking they were better than she. “Homewrecker” they called her, among a number of other not so nice names. What did they know about her and her life? If their first husband had died with no sons to take care of them, what would they have done? She needed a man to take care of her, she thought. With the pickings in town so slim she had not been picky and so one after another had left her after they got what they wanted. What did the others know of the struggles she had? They might have some choice names for her but she had some choice names for them too. Greek names. The thought of letting them have it brought a smile to her face. A little bit of name calling revenge, that’s what she needed.

          Rats! As Demitra drew close, she noticed someone else was at the well! So much for flying under the radar. It was a man, A little closer and she could tell he was a Jewish man. That was better. Everyone knows that the Jews despise us Samaritans so she would not have to engage with him. “Would you give me a drink of water, please?” the man asked. Well, that’s weird. So Demitra said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” He answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Living water? What in the wide world of Zeus and Appollo is living water? “Sir,” Demitra said, “you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water? ¹²You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his animals.” The man, (His name was Jesus) answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty ever again. Rather, the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water, bubbling up to eternal life.” Ah, thought Demitra! This is exactly what I need! If he has some magic water so I don’t have to keep coming to the well in the heat of the day, that would be awesome! “Sir, give me this water,” Demitra said to him, “so I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” Demitra smiled. This was exactly what she needed!

          But then Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.” Demitra felt her face redden. “I have no husband,” she answered. There it was again. Right in her face. Had someone been talking? Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say, ‘I have no husband.’ ¹⁸In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Demitra could feel the normal defensiveness grow. Time to deflect! “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews insist that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Nothing like a good old religious argument to get the spotlight off or her sin. Exactly what she needed!

          “Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²³But a time is coming and now is here when the real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for those are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Well that didn’t work, thought Demitra. He actually answered the question simply and with authority. Time for bullet dodging topic number two! The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” ²⁶Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.” And then finally Demitra got exactly what she needed. A Savior. Up to then she thought she knew exactly what she needed, water for the day, protection from unkind tongues, a man, any man to make her feel whole. But none of those was exactly what she needed. What she needed was the Savior, the God man, Jesus Christ. The one who gave her a clean reputation through the forgiveness of sins. The one who made her whole with God by giving her His righteousness. The only one who could give her an eternal life where the problems of sin and its consequences of this life would vex her no more. Jesus, the Savior. Exactly what she needed.

          And exactly what I need and you need too! Often like Demitra we can think we know exactly what we need and sometimes we are kind of right. Food, drink shelter and clot11hing are real legitimate needs that we and all people have. God has graciously promised to supply those daily needs, though not without our working. Help in time of trouble, when facing illness or surgery or relationship problems. Those too are real legitimate needs for real temporary problems. But none of those are exactly what we need. Like Demitra we all have been led astray by what we think we need. A man, a woman, a friend to make me feel whole. Like Demitra in pursuit of perceived needs we can let our guard down and our standards down and be led into sin and bring into our lives consequences that follow us and haunt us. All of us have made decisions we are not proud of. We all have those skeletons of sin hiding in our closets and if someone gets too close to them, change the subject. Point out someone else’s sin. Anything but deal again with embarrassing truth. Like Demitra we look for our own solutions to cope. Avoid people or think you are avoiding God by staying away from worship. Abuse drugs or alcohol to help you forget. Make someone else the target of people’s anger and ridicule. Bury yourself in work or activities. None of them actually work. Most of them bring even more grief into our own lives and the lives of others. They are not exactly what we need.

          It kind of reminds me of when I was a younger child than I am now. Immature. Not understanding. Christmas time. Presents. Oh the joy the day the Sears or JC Penny or Montgomery Wards Christmas catalogue came in the mail! I remember circling all the things I thought I really needed for Christmas and prayed earnestly to get them. Would it surprise any of you to know that list was almost exclusively toys? Then came Christmas Eve. Time to open presents. Oh the disappointment when too many of those presents were needed things. “Thank you for the socks and undies, exactly what I needed.” woodenly spoken so the true message was sent. Nobody sees those anyway. What good are they.” And yet I tell you the truth it was those needed gifts that were still in use months later when the new toy was broken or cast aside because wants had changed.

          Brothers and sisters, by that illustration I don’t in any way reduce our Lord Jesus and His awesomeness to the level of socks and undies but merely seek to point out how easy it is for us to overvalue the things we think we need and undervalue what we really need. Jesus gave the woman at the well living water, Himself as Savior. He gave her hope and future. She would not always be that woman. He gave her value and purpose. Her response to Jesus’ revelation that He was her Savior was to become the MVP of her town pointing the rest of the people to Jesus. He was exactly what she needed.

          And you have Him too. You all have things going on in your life that you need Jesus for. You have real needs and perceived needs. You have little problems and big problems. You deal with consequences of past decisions and sins, some which last a little while and some that will last until your last breath. But none of them will last. Jesus is your living water that wells up to eternal life and there you will have no past, no problems, no wants no needs. Just glory. All the time. Jesus: exactly what I need! You too! Amen.

 

MIDWEEK LENT 2                February 24, 2026          Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

 

Zechariah 11:7-13 (EHV)

“WHAT IS HE WORTH TO YOU?”

 

Brothers and sisters, we are making value judgments all the time. For some a prime cut of steak perfectly prepared is worth it so they will gladly drop a hundred dollars at a fine restaurant to enjoy the experience while others will say food is food. I know what my body does with it. Chews it up and exits it. McDonalds is good enough for me. For some the experience of a concert or performance or an NBA basketball game is so worth it they will pay extra money and gladly give the extra time to travel, find parking and get as close to front row as possible to see their desired event while some will say, “That’s not worth it. I prefer the comfort of my own home and easy access to food and bathrooms for my entertainment.” It’s just a matter what it’s worth to you.

          As we continue our Lenten worship we look at another prophecy from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah. As we heard last Wednesday Zechariah is known as the Holy Week prophet. God used Zechariah’s ministry to give the signs and markers people would need to identify the true Messiah, especially the signs that happened during Holy Week. I think you’ll be able to figure out how this prophecy points to Jesus!

 

Zechariah 11:7-13 (EHV) “So I shepherded the flock which is to be slaughtered, especially the most afflicted of the flock. I took two staffs for myself. One I called Favor and the other Union. Then I shepherded the flock. ⁸ I removed three shepherds in one month. I grew very impatient with the flock, and they really detested me. ⁹ So I said, “I will not shepherd you. Whatever is dying, let it die. Whatever is being destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.” ¹⁰ I took my staff, Favor, and I broke it in two, to cancel my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. ¹¹ So it was cancelled on that day, and the most miserable of the flock, who were watching me, knew that this was the word of the Lord. ¹² Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages. But if it does not, withhold them.” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver as my wages. ¹³ Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued me.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I threw them into the House of the Lord, to the potter.”

 

          Old Testament Messianic prophecy often had a close up or immediate fulfillment and a faraway, about Jesus fulfillment. This is true for Zechariah 11. The prophet Zechariah served as a shepherd or pastor to the people. The two staffs he took symbolized the covenant God had made with them. Favor. God loved them. He was a friend to them. Union. God desired to be in unity with his people. As Zechariah did his shepherding and pastoring he had to fire 3 bad shepherds, bad pastors. A good reminder for all pastors. If you are unfaithful your congregation may not fire you, but God will! But it wasn’t just some of the pastors who were bad, the people were too. They did not value the Lord and His word so they were spiritually sick and dying. Zechariah grew impatient with the people and the people detested him as their pastor. So he quit. He broke the shepherd’s staffs that symbolized their oneness. He asked for his pay. They gave him 30 pieces of silver. When Naaman the leper came to the Lord for physical healing he brought 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold. When the people of Zechariah’s time thought about the eternal salvation giving Lord and His word they offered 30 pieces of silver. That’s what the Lord was worth to them. And just in case you think God does not understand speech and the sardonic nature of sarcasm, listen again to His response, “Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued me.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I threw them into the House of the Lord, to the potter.”

          And that takes us to the faraway fulfillment that happened with our Lord Jesus. 30 pieces of silver. Do you remember where that showed up in Holy Week? 30 pieces of silver was what the chief priests offered to Judas to betray Jesus. That is how much their Messiah was worth to them. 30 pieces of silver. 30 pieces of silver that’s how much Judas accepted to betray his friend and His Messiah. 30 pieces of silver. That’s all Jesus was worth to them. But remember the purpose of prophecy. It is there to help all believers in the true God know that Jesus really is the Savior. What happened to that 30 pieces of sliver so valuable to Judas and the chief priests? Judas tried to return it and threw it in the house of the Lord. The chief priests used it to but the Potters field! God’s awfully good and controlling things, isn’t He?

 

“WHAT IS HE WORTH TO YOU?”

 

          But let’s return to the main point. What is He worth to you? Jesus that is. We make value judgments all the time. Would you betray him for 30 pieces of silver? How about for a million dollars? I know your answer: “I would never sell out or give up my Savior for any amount of money!” But is it possible that we have already valued Him at far less? Sadly, the history of the people who have identified themselves as the people of God has often showed that Jesus and His saving word and work are not worth that much. Have you ever traded Jesus for the acceptance of your peers? Have you swapped time with the Teacher for extra hours of entertainment or sleep? What’s he worth to you if you can always find time for play but rarely find time for prayer? Or when “me time” takes priority over “he time”? What do our bank statements and appointment calendars reveal about Jesus’ value to us?

          When Pastor Zechariah felt undervalued, he quit. It reminds me of what the Lord told us in Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as men who will give an account. Obey them, so that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no benefit to you.” If you make the lives of your pastors, principal and teachers miserable with endless nitpicking and constant complaining so their joy in serving is sucked away and serving becomes a groan, it will not benefit you. They may just quit, like Zechariah. But now look at Jesus. What is His response to people who value video games, sports and entertainment over Him? Who can’t wait to binge the next season of some poorly written tv show but would not even consider binging Bible? Who complain and moan and nitpick about His plans and treatment of us as though we 1^st world Americans actually have it rough? Does He quit? No, Jesus didn’t and won’t! He looked at you and me in our weakness and smiled. His response to our misplaced values was to value us more. “Christian, I will go to that cross and I will stay there until I have paid your debt in full. I will do this because the thought of having you with me in heaven fills my heart with joy!” That is your Jesus. So, what is He worth to you? Amen.

 

February 14-16, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 17:1-9 TRANSFIGURATION’S TIMELY TRUTH: “DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

 

TRANSFIGURATION

February 14-16, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 17:1-9

 

TRANSFIGURATION’S TIMELY TRUTH:

“DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

1.     If following Christ hasn’t seemed so glorious.

2.     If following Christ doesn’t seem so glorious.

 

The events described in our Gospel lesson are straightforward. Words cannot do them justice. Nor can pictures. Jesus was transfigured before Peter James and John. You are Lutherans. You are used to asking the good question, “What does this mean?” Matthew described it as best as he could. Jesus’ face shining like the sun. His clothing bright white. How many lumens is that? Moses and Elijah, great Old Testament prophets and leaders for God’s people. What did they look like? How did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah? A bright cloud. What does that look like? God the Father’s voice from heaven. What does that sound like? Jesus’ Transfiguration has been described as a taste of heaven for Peter, James and John. If that is accurate it would certainly explain why they wanted to stay. “It is good for us to be here. Let’s make some shelters, some dwellings for us to live in.” Matthew describes the event as best he can. I guarantee you that whatever picture you conjured up in your mind if you are a creative person falls way short of how glorious it really was. I guarantee you that this artist’s rendering, as much as it tries to show the glory, falls far short of how awesome it was.

The events of Jesus’ Transfiguration are straightforward. He let his disciples see a glimpse of His true glory. The question we need to be asking is “Why?” Why did this happen when it happened? Why did the Holy Spirit make sure Matthew wrote it down, Mark and Luke too? The Transfiguration of Jesus did not happen in a vacuum. It was done on purpose by Jesus at a time His disciples needed it. Its message is just as timely for disciples of Jesus today. “Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” That is the truth, the lesson, that all believers get from Jesus’ Transfiguration. Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid when you look back at your life and realize that following Christ has not been all that glorious. Matthew tells us that the Transfiguration took place “six days later.” If you let your fingers do the walking through the white pages of your Bibles, you will find that six days before Jesus’ Transfiguration the disciples had to deal with some tough truths. At first when Jesus called them to be His disciples it was, well, glorious. Jesus started doing miracles. People were amazed. Jesus taught Scripture with authority, not like the weaselly Pharisees and teachers of the law. People were amazed. Like the entourages of the famous folk today they got to bask in the glory and attention paid to Jesus. People came up to them to gain access to Jesus. Then things changed. Jesus’ message got more pointed. “Repent, all of you, or you will perish.” He started to refuse to do miracles because people wanted a show, not a Savior. He spoke in parables, only meaningful for the family of faith. Finally, Jesus helped them to come to grips with His real mission. “Who do people say that I am?” What is the word on the street? A great prophet. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not so glorious anymore. We are not told but we can certainly understand if doubts filled the disciples’ minds. Is Jesus really the Christ? If He is, why doesn’t everybody who’s been waiting for Him for forever love Him like we do? Where is the glory? So Jesus showed them. He gave them just a glimpse to help them wipe away their doubts and wipe away their fears. Do not be afraid if following me hasn’t always seemed so glorious, because glory beyond your comprehension is coming.

Good news for you and me too. Whether you have had the privilege of knowing Jesus as your Savior ever since you can remember or it’s relatively new for you, disappointment that comes from lack of understanding God’s wise ways is a part of life. You look back at the times you prayed for someone’s healing and God’s answer is not the one you wanted. You strive to live life God’s ways and friends and family can mock you instead of praising you. I know one sister in Christ whose nickname at work was June Cleaver. Those of you who don’t get the reference can use your google machine on your own to find out who she was Now, was that a compliment or an insult hidden behind a smile? Then there is the burden and hurt and disappointment borne by too many Christian parents. They raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. You did your sinful best but they have left the Lord behind. Lord, where are you? What about your promises? You apply yourself to the word. You feed your faith. Still that pet sin plagues you. Consequences of past sins don’t magically disappear. Where is the glory? Doubts and fears can fill our minds too. Sh!! Says Jesus. Do not be afraid. You think too little and too small. The Father’s plan is for glory beyond your imagination. Wait and you will see. Do not be afraid if you look back on your life and following Christ hasn’t seemed so glorious.

Do the same with whatever comes next! Right before the Transfiguration, after Jesus asked his disciples what other people thought about Him, he turned to them. “Who do you say I am?” “The Christ, the Son of God!” Good answer. The truth! Then Jesus told them what the Christ would do. He will go to Jerusalem, (Ooh, we like that! Probably getting ready to set up His royal palace. I wonder what my room will be like?) But Jesus went on. He would not set up an earthly kingdom, instead he would be betrayed to the chief priests. He would suffer many things and be put to death. Wait, what? Where is the glory in that?

And then everything happened just as Jesus said it would. The arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, the suffering of many things at the hands of the chief priests. His death on Calvary. The Gospel writers do not tell us all of the thoughts of the disciples. Just what they did. The fled in the Garden, but John followed. Peter denied but wept bitterly after seeing Jesus. The disciples ran, but they did gather together on Easter Sunday. Do you think at any time they remembered the Transfiguration? Did it give them comfort in their time of trauma? I think so. Jesus Transfiguration had a purpose. Do not be afraid. When things look the worst, when following me does not seem so glorious just wait, great glory is coming. That happened for the disciples too, just as Jesus said. He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven. The disciples became bold witnesses for Jesus as you heard Peter proclaim in the second reading. The Transfiguration of Jesus enabled them to live without fear when following Christ would not seem so glorious.

Same thing for you and me. There is not a lot about our earthly lives following Jesus that we know for certain.  Will we live in a country that will become more Chirstian or keep becoming less? Will our family hold together or fall apart? Will I have easy financial times or are hard times coming? Will my health hold or is a physical or mental landmine about to explode? We don’t know. Jesus has told us to expect times when following Him will not seem so glorious. Think of the Beatitudes we heard a couple of weeks ago. “Blessed are you when people persecute you, mock you, insult you because of me,” said Jesus. Think of the testimony of the Apostles. “We must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God.” Well, that won’t seem so glorious! “Do not be afraid,” says your Lord Jesus. Don’t be afraid when following Christ doesn’t seem so glorious in the future.

Why not? Real glory, eternal glory is coming. Glory so awesome words cannot not do it justice. Glory so awesome pictures cannot do it justice. Glory so awesome that when you get it, like Peter James and John, you will not want to let it go. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you won’t have to. Your sins are forgiven so the glory of heaven is coming. And it won’t just be Moses and Elijah that you will see with Jesus. Noah and Adam and Eve and the Apostle Paul, they will be there. Everyone of your loved ones who has entered heaven through Jesus will be there too. And many of your little ones that you didn’t get to know here on earth, they are waiting too. No picture or words can describe what that will be like when Jesus says, “Come you who are blessed by my Father, who sneered at earthly glory for the joy of this glory. Come and enjoy your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” But until that happens, no matter what happens, these are Jesus’ words for you, “Do not be afraid!” Amen.

 

Jan. 24-26, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 4:12-23 “ON LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE…”

 EPIPHANY 3

Jan. 24-26, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 4:12-23

 

“ON LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE…”

1.     By upholding the Scripture.

2.     By really obvious repentance.

3.     By being purposeful with people.

 

“Rise and Shine!” Some of you may remember we kicked off the Epiphany season of the Church Year with that theme. God’s Word encouraged us that because Jesus is with us we can rise above our circumstances and shine for the glory of Jesus. We did not get a lot of time to spend on how we can shine for Jesus so we will today and what better to help us do that than by looking at the words and works of our Lord Jesus who is the Light of the world.

As we do that we see one great way to let our light shine is to uphold the Scriptures.          “When Jesus heard that John was put in prison, he withdrew into Galilee. ¹³He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ¹⁵Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, ¹⁶the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and on those dwelling in the region and the shadow of death a light has dawned.”  Why did Jesus go to live in Capernaum? Was it because he had heard John was put in prison and he was afraid he would be next? No. Was it because Mary said, “I don’t want any boomerang children! You can’t live with me!” No.       So why did He do it?” He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah.” There we see it. One reason only. He was fulfilling the Scriptures. Every word of God was so important that even when it came down to itinerary Jesus carefully upheld every word of Scripture.

As we reflect the Light of the world by letting our lights shine we can do no better and must do the same. Your family needs you to. Your congregation needs you to. Your community needs you to. Your nation needs you to. Your God tells you to. I speak to all of you but especially you younger Christians here who will be the next generation of soldiers of the cross who will stand up, stand up for Jesus. If our nation continues on the trajectory it is in, you will face pressures to compromise God’s word. The pressure to accept the unscientific lie of evolution and give up the truth of creation has been around for a long time. The pressure to forsake the truth of one man and one woman marriage and God’s gift of sexuality reserved for marriage has also been around a long time. So has the lie that there is really only one god whatever you call him--or her and all religions lead to heaven. Newer is all the gender gibberish. Also newer is you. I know you don’t always believe it but your parents love you and your grandparents love you and in our desire to make life better for you or easier for you we may unintentionally have made you soft. Courageous and committed Christian faith is not for wimps. Letting our light shine for Jesus takes work, sometimes hard work and difficult decisions. I want to encourage you. First for your sinful nature if you think it is OK for you personally or to let your church compromise on Bible teaching. Who are you to tell God what part of His word is unimportant? Who chose you to write the Bible? No one did. God got written down what He wanted written down and the only right response of all the created is “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” Now for your Christian nature that loves the Lord and loves people. Who are you to speak God’s words of truth in love? You are His child. You are lights for the world and here is why letting your light shine by upholding every part of Scripture as God’s truth just as Jesus did is so important. “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” God’s word is God’s tool to transfer the gift of faith from His hand to people’s hearts. Rise and shine, brothers and sisters, by upholding every part of Scripture.

And by really obvious repentance. “From that time, Jesus began to preach: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.” The kingdom of heaven is the ruling of Jesus in the hearts of His followers. It begins when faith takes root in our hearts so we want to live for Jesus here and will extend throughout our eternity. Repentance is that complete change of mind in our hearts from only sinful nature thinking to new creation, follower of Christ thinking. By very definition this takes place in our hearts. So in reality, only God can see repentance. Changes of heart on the inside can show up with changes of action on the outside. I have reminded people of this truth, often when there is a rift in a relationship. I say, “Only God can see your heart. He knows if you are repentant. Everyone else is going to make their judgement based on what they see from you and hear from you. Now, you can make it very easy for people to believe you are repentant, or you can make it very hard. I suggest you make it very easy.”

 A similar truth as we let our lights shine brightly for Jesus. How winsome it is when the people of God own up to others the fact that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. How attractive it is when others seeing us striving to live the Christian life willingly, not out of guilt or compulsion. That repentance change of mind in the heart isn’t just about turning away from sin. It goes to our priorities and how we choose to manage our time or how we go about decision making. God knows your heart. He knows you belong to Him. Other people are going to make their judgement based on what they see from you and what they hear from you. Now you can make it very easy for people in your life to believe you are a follower of Jesus or you can make it very hard for people to believe you are a follower of Jesus. I suggest that in word and deed you make it very easy. Let your light shine by really obvious repentance.

And by being purposeful with people. “As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  ²⁰They immediately left their nets and followed him. ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” How brilliant is our Lord Jesus to call into service these simple fishermen! See what He teaches us! Serving Jesus is not for the high and mighty. Everyone can do it. Fishermen. They were used to being purposeful. Their vocation was daily. Sometimes in preparation, getting their nets ready. It took work on their part. Some planning and wisdom. They had to know fish and when and where to lay down their nets. They understood that after you caught the fish you still had to clean them.

What a lesson for us on letting our lights shine! Translate fishing men into fishers of men. Be purposeful. It’s a daily task to remember I get to represent Jesus. Know your people. There is a time and a place for conversation and a time and a place to keep your mouth shut. After you catch ‘em you got to clean them. I said recently in a Bible Class that the best way to picture St Jacobi is a hospital for the sin sick but in this hospital the doctors are sick too! Only the Holy Spirit can clean us. Don’t look for what you consider good people. Look for people! Are you being purposeful? Do you live each day and pause before every person interaction to think about how it will affect your ability to shine for Jesus? I can’t help but get a little nervous every time another major issue happens in our country that lights up the internet. Will I or another Christian get tricked into be a light for whatever social issue we are facing next instead of a light shining for Jesus? Be purposeful in your postings and responses. Will this help me in my most important role as an ambassador for Jesus or will it disqualify me? Prepare yourself to let your light shine with time in the word daily like fishermen mending and cleaning their nets. Think about who you are going to be fishing for. Find joy in fishing whether you catch anything or not.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the Light of the world. You are I are lights too reflecting Him. So rise and shine! No, I mean it. Rise. You’ll shine when you leave!