Immanuel Lutheran Palatine Media

The Church has what the world doesn’t want: God’s Law, which always accuses us sinners,
and His Gospel, which allows for no boasting on our part. To this day, Jewish leaders teach
that God will not demand what we cannot achieve. What a stumbling block, preaching a
Messiah who becomes a sacrifice for our failings, both in our actions and our very nature.
The polytheistic society of Paul’s day and the secular one of ours both find the Law an
encumbrance, preferring to judge by their own standards (or lack of them). What folly,
our society believes, to preach a God who chooses people whom everyone knows to be
weak. Today is a day for foolish preaching: Christ crucified, the power and wisdom of God. Listen-In or Watch below!

Today, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” In response, impetuous, impulsive Peter gets all excited and professes that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah. Jesus then begins to explain things to his disciples saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” As soon as Peter hears this, he immediately backs away and rebukes Jesus. Jesus’ words shatter the glamor of following this long-expected Messiah. This is certainly not the kind of life Peter wants to undertake. While Jesus seems to be the Messiah, the Jewish people had never expected a leader who must suffer and die. That was simply ludicrous and irrational. Who in their right mind chooses to “proceed to an ordeal of suffering” as Jesus says he is doing? And, who in their right mind wants to follow a leader who is on his way to die? Listen-In or Watch below!