Worship Helps for Lent 4

Moses and the brazen serpent

Sebastien Bourdon

1653-54

Worship Theme: Traditionally this Sunday was called Laetare, Rejoice Sunday. We rejoice in the middle of Lent that God has so fully and so perfectly taken to heart our only real need as sinners, and satisfied it in Christ.

Old Testament: Numbers 21:4–9

⁴They set out from Mount Hor along the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, but the people became very impatient along the way. ⁵The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Look, there is no food! There is no water! And we are disgusted by this worthless food!”

⁶The Lord sent venomous snakes among the people, and the snakes bit the people. As a result many people from Israel died. ⁷The people went to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord to take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed on behalf of the people.

⁸The Lord said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake and put it on a pole. If anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” ⁹Moses made a bronze snake and put it on the pole. If a snake had bitten anyone, if that person looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

1. Which flaws of human nature led to the painful, in some cases deadly, lesson of venomous snakes?

2. God could have saved the people without having them look at something. What did he want to teach them (and us) by having them look at the snake on a pole?

3. Today we don’t look at a snake on a pole to save us? Where does God direct us to look?

Epistle: Ephesians 2:4–10

⁴But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! ⁶He also raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. ⁷He did this so that, in the coming ages, he might demonstrate the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.

4. Find five different words or phrases in this precious section which highlight God’s goodness.

5. Find four different words or phrases Paul uses to emphasize that no part of the rescue is our doing.

6. If our good works have no part in paying for our eternal life, why do we still do good works? (See 2:10.)

Gospel: John 3:14–21

¹⁴“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. ¹⁹This is the basis for the judgment: The light has come into the world, yet people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰In fact, everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, or else his deeds would be exposed. ²¹But the one who does what is true comes toward the light, in order that his deeds may be seen as having been done in connection with God.”

7. How is Jesus like the bronze snake of today’s first lesson?

8. What is the criterion for God’s judgment? When does this judgment take place?

Answers:

1. The snakes came when people got impatient, complained, and were not thankful. They even criticized free daily food. It started with lack of trust and love for God. (“You brought us… to die in the desert.”)

2. By putting the snake on the pole, God said: “trust me”. God found a way to heal their soul and body at the same time. Their main problem was spiritual (lack of trust) and God taught them to trust his promise. Sure enough, anyone bitten who looked at the bronze snake lived.

3. God has us look at his Son in baptism’s waters and in his body and blood united with bread and wine in his supper.

4. Five key phrases which emphasize God’s goodness are: his great love for us, who is rich in mercy, riches of his grace, his kindness to us, it is the gift of God.

5. Four key phrases which emphasize that we cannot save ourselves at all are: “We were dead in transgressions,” “not from yourselves,” “not by works,” and “no one can boast.”

6. Good works result when people realize the great gift God has given them. A living fruit tree will naturally bear fruit; so also a person who realizes he has received eternal life at the cost of God’s own precious blood will then respond to that love with love for God and others. The reason God created us was to produce fruits of faith and love.

7. Both the snake and Jesus were lifted up. Both were lifted up so many could look, see the solution promised by God and be saved. Both required no payment or effort. Instead, both called dying people to look with trust to the only savior for their problem.

8. Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish. God’s criterion is that you trust in Jesus. This judgment is already valid, not just a future “will be so,” but already “is condemned.” Believers already cross over from death to life (John 5:24).

  

Putting your faith into action

God’s children did not lack what they needed. They simply didn’t have what they wanted! God’s holy anger burned, and there were painful consequences. Yet see his undeserved love in providing a remedy. All who turned away from their sin and turned to the remedy God provided were healed. May God move our hearts and eyes away from all that would harm and turn our hearts and eyes to Jesus who was lifted up on the cross so that all who believe in him might live. 

A reading from the Book of Concord for Lent 4

We believe, teach, and confess that not only the true believers in Christ and the worthy, but also the unworthy and unbelievers receive Christ’s true body and blood.  However, they do not receive them for life and consolation, but for judgment and condemnation, if they are not converted and do not repent (1 Corinthians 11:27–29).

We believe, teach, and confess also that there is only one kind of unworthy guests: those who do not believe.  About these guests it is written in John 3:18, “Whoever does not believe is condemned already.”  And this judgment becomes greater and more grievous, being aggravated by the unworthy use of the Holy Supper (1 Corinthians 11:29).

We believe, teach, and confess that no true believer—as long as he has living faith, however weak he may be—receives the Holy Supper to his judgment.  For the Supper was instituted especially for Christians weak in faith, yet repentant.  It was instituted for their consolation and to strengthen their weak faith [Matthew 9:12; 11:5, 28].

We believe, teach, and confess that all the worthiness of guests of this heavenly feast is and is founded on Christ’s most holy obedience and perfect merit alone.  We receive these for ourselves by true faith, and by the Sacrament we are assured of them.  Our worthiness is not at all in our virtues or preparations. – Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, the Holy Supper of Christ (paragraphs 16, 18-20)

                       

Sing, My Tongue, The Glorious Battle

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle;

Sing the ending of the fray.

Now above the cross, the trophy,

Sound the loud triumphant lay.

Tell how Christ, the world's Redeemer,

As a victim won the day.

Tell how, when at length the fullness

Of th' appointed time was come,

He, the Word, was born of woman,

Left for us his Father's home,

Blazed the path of true obedience,

Shone as light amidst the gloom.

Thus, with thirty years accomplished,

He went forth from Nazareth,

Destined, dedicated, willing,

Did his work and met his death;

Like a lamb he humbly yielded

On the cross his dying breath.

Faithful cross, true sign of triumph,

Be for all the noblest tree;

None in foliage, none in blossom,

None in fruit your equal be,

Symbol of the world's redemption,

For your burden makes us free.

Unto God be praise and glory;

To the Father and the Son,

To th' eternal Spirit honor

Now and evermore be done --

Praise and glory in the highest

While the timeless ages run.