The Joshua Victor Theory

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. So far in our Advent series we’ve looked at two types of Jesus. Types, remember, are Old Testament people, places or events that foreshadowed something later and greater. First we saw how Adam foreshadowed Jesus, who is the Second Adam. Second we saw how the test of sacrificing Isaac was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own death. Today, the type isn’t a person but a thing—Jacob’s ladder. You heard in the Genesis reading about Jacob’s dream when he was fleeing from his twin brother Esau. He slept on a stone, and saw a vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder that extended from heaven to earth. At the top of the ladder he saw the LORD God who told him, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.” God reaffirmed Abraham’s blessings to Jacob his grandson. Promised the inheritance of the land of Canaan; that they would become a great and blessed nation; and that through his offspring al...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. In today’s Gospel reading, a person poses an important question to Jesus, that might often be on our minds. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” As we contemplate Jesus’ response, we’re required to reflect on our own standing in relation to the kingdom of God. “Am I one of the many who will fail to enter or one of the few who will enter?” (Just 550). Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The person who asks Jesus the question is asking not about himself, but others. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” We’ve probably all asked similar questions. I know I always did as a student in the Lutheran school system. We ask about whether or not certain people will be saved, and we usually have a vague group of people in mind. It’s a safe way to avoid involving yourself in the question. But Jesus directs His answer back to the questioner: [You], “strive ...