The Joshua Victor Theory

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Tonight we gather on the night called Maundy Thursday. As a child, it always confused me because it sounded like Monday Thursday. But the word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum—command. On this “Command” Thursday, Jesus gave His disciples the command to celebrate the New Supper He had instituted: “do this in remembrance of me.” Also He renewed their call to obey the command that they love one another. Tonight is the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. At the Last Supper, Jesus warned that one of them (Judas) would betray Him, and that the sign of who was the betrayer would be that he dipped his bread together with Jesus. It was a night of concern and confusion for the disciples. What did He mean that He was going to be betrayed? What was about to happen? When Judas left the upper room, some thought he was going to buy something for the feast, or give something for the poor (John...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Last week we began the Advent sermon series by talking about types, which are people or events, for example, that foreshadow a greater reality. Adam, as we saw, is a type of the Second and Greater Adam, Jesus Christ, who’s death undid the effects of Adam’s sin. In the second sermon of our Advent series, we’ll see how Isaac, the son of Abraham, foreshadowed Jesus, especially when Abraham was tested to sacrifice Isaac. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. It’s often said that no parent should ever have to see their own child die. This is truly an unspeakable tragedy. Yet in the midst of a sinful and uncertain life, this does happen far too often. It’s a grief we’d never wish on anyone, but one that God our Father endured Himself for our sake. Other people who’ve experienced this great loss in their own lives, have often found comfort in the fact that Go...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Our sermon text is a portion of Hebrews 13:9-16, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” The reading ...