Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Salvation of the World

Today’s theme: The Salvation of the World

So far in order in Lent we have touched on:

Ash Wednesday - our mortal lives, our sin. Given those two huge facts of life we have to confess our sin and ask the Lord for forgiveness. And we have to redeem the time.*

Lent 1 - Jesus overcame Satan’s temptations in the wilderness The OT tells us that God has a covenant with us, for preserving life, for bounty. The epistle shows that suffering itself is a test, we need to be strong in the Lord and get through difficult times. The psalm tells us to lift up our soul when in need, remind God of his chesed love, to not look upon past sin, and to be patient in our prayers, faithfully waiting.

Lent 2 - The Son Suffered for Our Sake All that is good and right happens through faith. Faith is still God’s work, and we don’t have faith in faith, but in God. Faith and grace, not works. There is blessing as Abraham was blessed, including descendants who believe in Christ. But when afflicted seek Him, he will feed you. Finally, the second half of the Gospel calls us to lose our life.

Lent 3 - My Father’s House (a house of prayer). If you want to “clean your own house/temple/heart, then listen to the ten commandments and ponder and learn. God’s Torah is better than gold, sweet, not bitter. They will warn you, but thank God that He cares enough to warn and not let you walk in dangerous ways.

Today is “Salvation of the World” although we don’t read the psalm, there are four types of people, each cry out to Yahweh in their time of need, and He answers and delivers them. Desert-guidance; darkness-brought out of; sick-healed by God’s word; ships-quieted the storm. These four answers to prayer are guidance-joy and hope of light-healing-quiet the storms of life. It all begins with being born again and being able to confess Joh 3.16.

* (optional) In high school and college for some, they don’t know exactly what to do. It’s ok to change majors, just remind the Lord you need direction, it may not come tomorrow but keep asking. If you choose not to be a full time Christian worker, you have to at least give to God a) your career, b) your future spouse.

Old Testament Numbers 21:4–9

Numbers 21:4–9 RSVCE

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Psalm Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22

Psalm 107:1–3 RSVCE

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Psalm 107:17–22 RSVCE

Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he sent forth his word, and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

New Testament Ephesians 2:1–10

Ephesians 2:1–10 RSVCE

And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Gospel John 3:14–21

OT reading: Num 21.4-9 The bronze snake

The OLM reads 2Ch 36.14-23 about the priests and people together falling away, becoming unfaithful, even desecrating the Temple of the Lord. Verses 17-18 are cut out, the coming of Nebuchadnezzar's army. So 19 sounds wrong "his army" without knowing the referent, in the Jogues Missal that gets changed to "their enemies."

Psalm: Psa 107.1-3, 17-22 Deliverance from Sheol

The OLM has Psa 137 does this psalm have to do with salvation? Yes definitely, wandering in the desert, imprisoned in chains, bedridden with disease, those going down in ships on the sea

Epistle: Eph 2.1-10 Life from Death

Verse 8 For by grace have you been saved through faith, it is not of yourselves

Gospel: Joh 3.14-21 For God so Loved He Gave

Verse 16 For God so loved the world