Lent 1, 2020 --Matthew 4:1-11--"Looking for a Scapegoat"

Text:

Looking for a Scapegoat

Visuals: none

Sermon Theme: Sinners look to blame others, the Father put the blame on Christ, and we look to the One who took the blame upon himself.

Summary: Though we sometimes blame others for our sins, Jesus, who never sinned and therefore deserved no blame, took the blame for our disobedience.

Text:

Good morning. Question: If you do something wrong, whose fault is it? Pause for responses. If we know we’re going to get in trouble, do we sometimes lie and say that somebody else did it? Responses. Why do we sometimes blame someone else? Responses.

Rev. Walter P. Snyder, pastor

Other Lessons: ; ;

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri

Goal: That hearers believe more fervently that Jesus Christ took all our sins upon himself and paid for them with his own life.

Good morning. Question: If you do something wrong, whose fault is it? Pause for responses. If we know we’re going to get in trouble, do we sometimes lie and say that somebody else did it? Responses. Why do we sometimes blame someone else? Responses.

Hymn suggestions are on page 72.

If we do something bad, is it right to blame our brothers, sisters, or anyone else? Pause. Of course not! Lying is already bad enough, and if our parents believe us and punish the wrong person, that’s even worse.

Rev. Walter P. Snyder, pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri

Blaming others is a sin—a sin that happens when we’re already sinning in other ways and we’re trying to get out of the punishment. Way back at the first sin, Adam and Eve in our Old Testament Reading from Genesis, Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin. He even tried to blame God. That’s not right, is it? When someone sins, he or she should be punished for their own sins, right?

Liturgical Setting

Today’s Gospel tells how the devil tried to get Jesus to sin, to stop obeying his Father. Do you think Jesus did that, obeyed the devil instead of God? Responses. You’re right! Jesus never sinned. So Jesus shouldn’t be blamed for anything, right?

The First Sunday in Lent establishes the pattern for the Church’s great penitential season. Challenges include avoiding maudlin sentimentality, legalism, and the obscuring of every Sunday’s connection with the resurrection. For those who keep the Lenten fast, we remember that the Lord’s Day is not a fast day, but a feast.

Too bad we do sin, isn’t it? Like when we blame other people for things we did wrong. And if we don’t like punishment from our parents, we really wouldn’t like it from God. We can’t hide from God. Slow down delivery; build tension by looking around at children and speaking a bit more ominously. He knows every bad thing we do (slower), and he knew exactly who to blame.

Speak more brightly. He blamed Jesus! Since we couldn’t be the perfectly good people God wants, Jesus was perfectly good for us. And because he loves us so much, he took the blame for all the bad things we do. That’s why Jesus died on the cross, because God blamed him for all of our sins. Because Jesus took the blame, God forgives us when we do bad things like disobeying our parents or blaming other people or lying or stealing or anything else.

The Gradual bridges the Old Testament Reading to the Epistle and Gospel. After hearing of Adam’s sin and promise of a Savior in , the hearers are called to fix their eyes on Jesus. If we fix our eyes on ourselves, we will see only the disobedience wrought in us by the sin of Adam (). If, on the other hand, we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will see the perfect obedience () of him who took our blame upon himself, a burden he bore all the way to the cross.

When we believe Jesus takes away our sins and we listen to God’s Word, the Holy Spirit makes us stronger so we can act more like Jesus and less like the devil. He makes us happy to serve God and love one another. And when we mess up, he helps us take the blame and forgives us all over again.

Relevant Context

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Essential to understanding and proclaiming Christ’s forty days in the wilderness is the immediate context of his Baptism. These two events cannot be sundered in our proclamation. The outline makes the connection in light of the Old Testament scapegoat. In Jesus’ Baptism, God laid on his back all of humankind’s sins. Also, any time period involving “forty” should be compared to all of Scripture’s other uses of the number, with an understanding of the purposes of the events that occurred during this time span (see notes on v 2).

Yom Kippur, Israel’s Day of Atonement, was rich in ritual yet drenched in blood. In a sequence of divinely ordered steps—that is, steps directed by Almighty God—the high priest would carefully wash, dress, and prepare himself and the people to receive blood-bought forgiveness for all their sins. The Lord commanded that three animals be part of Yom Kippur.

Textual Notes

The high priest would first sacrifice a bull, offering its blood and life for his own sins and for those of his household.

V 1: Fresh from his Baptism, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit.” Satan is not the instigator; neither is Jesus. While he is a willing participant in procuring our salvation, Jesus does not institute his own actions but instead follows the Father’s lead as revealed by the Holy Spirit. He goes to hē erēmos, the dry, lonely, hostile place of sharp thorns and wild beasts. The purpose is clear: the Spirit is placing the Son in harm’s way, leading him to be tempted. While we most often think of peirazō in terms of being led into sin, the dimensions of “testing” or “proving genuine” certainly fit the context.

The one being allowed to test him is ho diabolos—the devil. As in , Satan faces the challenge of bringing low “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.” Here, he confronts the One of whom the Father has just said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (). The ferocity of the wilderness’s savage beasts pales in comparison with the evil intent of Satan.

V 2: Normally, only a brief fast involved complete abstention from eating. Longer fasts generally meant giving up certain choice morsels but eating and drinking were done at least on a subsistence level. spells out that “he ate nothing.” Matthew seems to imply this by saying he fasted “forty days and forty nights” (emphasis added). This Hebraic emphasis points out that, for Jesus, there was no evening respite. Matthew then invokes one of Scripture’s great understatements, namely, that afterward, “he was hungry.”

The Hebrew idiom “forty days and forty nights” appears elsewhere in conjunction with Noah and the flood (, ); with Moses on Sinai receiving the Law () and recarving the tablets after he broke them (), which events are recounted in ; and with Elijah’s travels after being fed by the angel (). When one investigates all instances, the number forty is normally involved as a measure of testing, probation, judgment, and separation, as well as conveying a sense of fullness or completion.

V 3: Satan (ho peirazōn, “the tempting one”) is God’s chosen instrument to proof-test the claim that Jesus is the Father’s beloved Son. He comes to tear, crush, and devour the One who was sent into the wild bearing humankind’s sins. The first test: will Jesus reject the path of suffering that will culminate at the cross by breaking his fast before the Father ends it?

V 4: The first answer: true sustenance is found not in physical eating and drinking but by holding fast to everything God says. As continued also in Christ’s next two responses, Jesus quotes from .

Vv 5–6: Failing to use Jesus’ stomach against him, the devil takes up Christ’s chosen weapon, challenging him by quoting the Scriptures. If Jesus should jump, the angels would certainly act as both Satan and Scripture say they will. However, he doesn’t leap to the ground below; he continues to follow the way of the cross, not the path of self-glorification.

Next, a goat was sacrificed as a sin offering for the people of Israel.

V 7: Jesus could have chosen other passages to rebuke Satan. Perhaps he uses this one to emphasize how completely his will is subject to that of the Father. He will endure this test rather than put God to the test.

Vv 8–9: The one whom Jesus later describes as “the ruler of this world” () exercises his reign in the third test, offering to trade Jesus the entire world in exchange for one tiny capitulation. The kingdoms “and their glory” will belong to him if he first glorifies the devil.

V 10: Jesus again turns to Scripture for his third answer: he will not glorify himself by protecting his own life or honor. He will not seek to escape the humiliation and eventual wrath set upon him by the Father. Instead, he will continue to worship and serve only his Father, the one true God.

Finally, the high priest placed both his hands on the remaining goat, confessing and conferring Israel’s sins upon it before a chosen man led it out into the wilderness. This poor, abandoned creature came to be called the scapegoat and still stands as a symbol of one who is blamed for the crimes or sins of another. In today’s Gospel, we meet the true Scapegoat as we discover that while

V 11: Unlike the Old Testament scapegoat, the Christ returns alive from his wilderness exile. In response, rather than merely voicing his pleasure with his dear Son, the Father concretely demonstrates his esteem by sending his ministering spirits to Jesus’ aid.

Sermon Outline

Introduction: Yom Kippur, Israel’s Day of Atonement, was rich in ritual yet drenched in blood. In a sequence of divinely ordered steps, the high priest would carefully wash, dress, and prepare himself and the people to receive blood-bought forgiveness for all their sins. The Lord commanded that three animals be part of Yom Kippur. The high priest would sacrifice a bull, offering its blood and life for his own sins and for those of his household. Next, a goat was sacrificed as a sin offering for the people of Israel. Finally, the high priest placed both his hands on the remaining goat, confessing and conferring Israel’s sins upon it before a chosen man led it out into the wilderness. This poor, abandoned creature came to be called the scapegoat and still stands as a symbol of one who is blamed for the crimes or sins of another. In today’s Gospel, we meet the true Scapegoat as we discover that while

We find plenty of convenient scapegoats.

1. Childhood: siblings, friends, or teachers are our scapegoats.

Childhood: siblings, friends, or teachers are our scapegoats.

2. Marriage: we make our spouse a scapegoat ( would certainly apply here).

Marriage: we make our spouse a scapegoat ( would certainly apply here).

Genesis 3:12 NASB95

12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”

3. Daily life and vocation: co-workers, bosses, or underlings become convenient scapegoats.

Daily life and vocation: co-workers, bosses, or underlings become convenient scapegoats.

4. We even blame God when we can’t fault anyone else.

We even blame God when we can’t fault anyone else.

B. Ultimately, however, we are responsible for our own woes and can offer God no excuses; we cannot pass our sins or their consequences to others.

Ultimately, however, we are responsible for our own woes and can offer God no excuses; we cannot pass our sins or their consequences to others.

In Jesus’ Baptism, God placed the world’s sins and blame for them on his Son, just as he allowed the high priest to place Israel’s sins on the scapegoat.

B. Like the Old Testament scapegoat, Jesus carried sins away from the people and into the wilderness (vv 1–3).

Like the Old Testament scapegoat, Jesus carried sins away from the people and into the wilderness (vv 1–3).

1. The scapegoat was abandoned to meet its doom.

The scapegoat was abandoned to meet its doom.

2. Christ was left alone to face Satan. Rather than blaming others, he shouldered full responsibility for keeping God’s Law on our behalf (vv 4–10).

Christ was left alone to face Satan. Rather than blaming others, he shouldered full responsibility for keeping God’s Law on our behalf (vv 4–10).

C. As the scapegoat was led away from the encampment to die, so Christ was later led outside of Jerusalem to die.

As the scapegoat was led away from the encampment to die, so Christ was later led outside of Jerusalem to die.

1. The scapegoat evidently would be killed by wild animals.

The scapegoat evidently would be killed by wild animals.

2. Jesus was certainly killed by evil men, and the guilt we’d like to shift to someone else he willingly took from us.

Jesus was certainly killed by evil men, and the guilt we’d like to shift to someone else he willingly took from us.

D. Unlike the scapegoat, the sinless Son of God returned from the wilderness. Jesus returned to his people from the dead, having forever banished the sins he carried.

Unlike the scapegoat, the sinless Son of God returned from the wilderness. Jesus returned to his people from the dead, having forever banished the sins he carried.

The Lenten Gradual calls us to “[fix our eyes on] Jesus”—Our Wednesday evening theme...

B. Knowing that we should have carried our own sins until we met hell’s destruction, we celebrate, knowing that God laid all sins on Christ our Scapegoat, and that he lifted our sins through our Baptisms.

Knowing that we should have carried our own sins until we met hell’s destruction, we celebrate, knowing that God laid all sins on Christ our Scapegoat, and that he lifted our sins through our Baptisms.

C. We repent of weighing others down with the blame and the shame due to us and instead ask for the strength to “bear one another’s burdens” ().

We repent of weighing others down with the blame and the shame due to us and instead ask for the strength to “bear one another’s burdens” ().

Today God reminds us that not only through blood sacrifice and death did his Son save us, but also through Jesus’ entire life, carrying the full weight of humanity’s transgressions upon himself, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; . . . the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:4, 6).

Now when our Scapegoat approaches in Word and Sacrament, we don’t flee from him, terrified that he might be bringing our sins back to accuse us. We are confident that no sins, no shame, and no blame remain. God has blotted them out to be remembered no more. Christ comes instead to take us unto himself, to bring us to our eternal dwelling place, where we will live in bliss forever.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

All these things, O merciful Father, and whatever else we need, we pray You to grant us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

All praise, honor and glory be to holy and eternal Jesus. We adore you, blessed Redeemer, eternal God, the Light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. For you have done and suffered for us more than we could wish, more than we can think of, all that a lost and dying sinner could need.

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You care for Him?

Blessed be Your name, O Holy Jesus, and blessed be that holy sorrow You endured. When Your disciples fled and You were left alone in the hands of cruel men, who like evening wolves thirsted for a drink of Your blood. And You were led to the house of Annas, and there asked ensnaring questions, and slapped on the face by him whose ear you had earlier healed. And from there you were dragged to the house of Caiaphas, and there all night you endured spittings, mocking, insults, scorns, blows, and intolerable cruelties. And all this for man who was your enemy, and the cause of all your sorrows.

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that you care for him?

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Blessed be your name, O holy Jesus, and blessed be Your mercy. When Your servant Peter denied You and denied You again, and swore he did not know you, You looked back at him and by that gracious and correcting look, You called him back to Yourself.

Blessed be Your name, O holy Jesus, and blessed be Your patience. Who were accused before the high priest and railed upon and examined to evil purposes and with designs of blood; who were declared guilty of death for speaking the necessary truth; who were sent to Pilate and found innocent; sent to Herod and still found innocent; and were clothed in white, both to declare Your innocence and yet to ridicule You; and were sent back to Pilate and examined again. Nothing but innocence was ever found in You. And yet, You willingly stood condemned for the guilt of man.

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You care for him?

Merciful Father, though sin left us isolated and alone, Your Son restored us to You and made us Your own children by Baptism and faith. Continue to give Your Church faithful pastors to speak Your Word and administer Your Sacraments. Grant that we may be kept in this faith, teach it to our children, and do the good works that show forth our identity as Your own people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, though sin left us isolated and alone, Your Son restored us to You and made us Your own children by Baptism and faith. Continue to give Your Church faithful pastors to speak Your Word and administer Your Sacraments. Give us faithful deaconesses, teachers and church workers to care for us in Your name. Grant that we may be kept in this faith, teach it to our children, and do the good works that show forth our identity as Your own people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, though You gave us stewardship of Your good creation, we loved the gifts more than the Giver. Deliver us from our affluence, and save us from trusting in our possessions more than in Your Son. Teach us to use what You have provided to help those in need and to relieve the poor, the unemployed and the oppressed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, though we are in awe of our power, Your might is greater than we can know. Keep us from using these tools for violence and evil. Bless us with wise and faithful leaders who will preserve our freedom and inspire us to use our liberty for noble purposes. Guide all those who make, judge and administer our laws in the nation, state and all the localities where we live and work. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, though we deserve nothing of Your kindness, You have shown Yourself to be the strength of the weak, the healer of the sick and the hope of those who mourn. Hear us on behalf of those who are troubled in mind or body, and those with various afflictions: Mary Kuhnert; Bev Huwe; Cari Alexander; Matt Young; Barb Lynch; Holly Weiland; Tytan Brae; Darsie Hartzell; and Pastors Robert Wallace, Richard Shields, Steve Lundblom and Don Thorson. We also pray for the dying and those who grieve. Sustain them all, dear Lord, and heal them according to Your gracious will and deliver them to everlasting life in Christ, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, though we are unworthy of a place at the table of our Lord, You have bid us to come and eat of His flesh and blood. Give to us faith, that we may come in repentance to receive this blessed food of everlasting life, and unite us in doctrine and holy living, that we may show forth this harmony in witness before the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

All these things, O merciful Father, and whatever else we need, we pray You to grant us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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