2022-10-19 Evening Prayer Homily "Jesus, the Prophet Who is to Come"

 2022-10-19 - Wednesday Evening Prayer - “The Prophet to Come”

Deuteronomy 18:1-22           Matthew 14:22-36

In the name of the Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

A short time after Jesus’ resurrection, he joined Cleopas and another disciple as they walked toward the village of Emmaus. After Jesus heard their report of what he had just lived through, 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then Luke continues his narration with 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24)

Jesus taught the disciples to read the Old Testament christologically. Luke tells us that Jesus did this before in Luke 4 in the Synagogue in Nazareth.  Jesus read to the congregation Isaiah 61 and then began his sermon by announcing that this scripture is fulfilled in their hearing.  Meaning, that Jesus is the Messiah.  As Jesus continued with his sermon, the congregation became enraged, they pushed him outside and sought to thrown Jesus off a cliff.  

The small audience on the way to Emmaus was much more receptive to Jesus’ instruction. As He continued to appear to the disciples in the 40 days before his Ascension, Jesus wasted no time in opening up the minds of the disciples and teaching them how to understand the true nature of the Messiah, the significance of his cross and resurrection, and how the Holy Spirit has been preparing the people for this moment in time since Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.  Since the time of the Apostles, the tradition of reading the Old Testament christologically has been passed down from one generation to another. 

There are a number of passages that point to the coming Messiah and what he will do. The enemy that the Messiah Jesus defeats in the cross and resurrection is no mere mortal enemy. He is not born to fight the Romans or any other human army.  He is Incarnate as the God-Man Jesus of Nazareth in order to defeat Satan and all his malevolent forces of darkness. Jesus will defeat the three fold enemy of sin, death, and the devil, through his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection three days later. 

A few of the Scriptures that are well known to us point to God’s promise: Genesis 3:15, Psalm 22, Isaiah 11 and 53.  Then, there is what we heard just a few minutes ago: Deuteronomy 18:15.  Moses speaks of the New Prophet to come who will be like him in many respects.  15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—”

We know that this verse is supposed to be interpreted Christologically because that is how the Apostles used it to explain the significance of Jesus, his teaching,  cross and resurrection.  Acts 3 records how Peter healed a lame man who was lying at the Beautiful Gate begging for alms. The healing was such a spectacle that it drew a crowd. There on Solomon’s Portico, Peter preached to them.  He says in part:

17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ (Acts 3:17-23)

Jesus is the foretold prophet that must be listened to.  Listen to His words. Listen to his life, death and resurrection.  

Stephen, the first Deacon, also used Deuteronomy 18:15 to speak of Jesus as the one Moses foretold.  Acts 7 records Stephen witnessing to his faith before the Jewish Council. The council and the mob present were outraged by Stephen’s confession of faith and he was stoned to death.  

Our spiritual father, Martin Luther, says this in his lectures on Deuteronomy. 

“This is the chief passage in this whole book and a clearly expressed prophecy of Christ as the new Teacher.  Hence the apostles also courageously adduce this passage (Acts 3:22-23; Acts 7:37). Appropriately, Moses places it here at the end, after he has finished discourses concerning the priesthood, the kingdom, the government, and the whole worship of God.  It is his purpose to show that in the future there will be another priesthood, another kingdom, another worship of God, and another word, by which all of Moses will be set aside.  Here Moses clearly describes his own end, and he yields his mastery to the Prophet who is to come.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 9, Lectures on Deuteronomy, page 176)

We do what Moses teaches us to do.  We listen to Jesus.  In fact, during his transfiguration, our heavenly Father told us “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him.” As we listen to Jesus, we discern that he is both similar and not the same as Moses.  

Jesus does behave like a prophet. He offers words of instruction to us.  He speaks both Law and good news. He calls us into an ever deeper discipleship with himself.  How can we ever live into the words of the prayer that Jesus taught us without his and the Holy Spirit’s help?  To praise, to trust, to forgive, to resist temptation, to remain focused on God every minute of the day, when so much distracts us?  The more effort we put into this, the more we are aware of our sin, our natural born unrighteousness. 

This is where Jesus is not like Moses or any other prophet.  Jesus dies on the cross for our natural born unrighteousness.  He is the fulfillment of all the demands that he, the Father, and the Holy Spirit make upon us. He dies for us, bearing all of our wrath that our failures demand.  On account of the cross of our Savior, our heavenly Father forgives us, and declare us righteous.  The Holy Spirit never ceases to compel us to follow in the way of Jesus.  

Whereas Moses’ time came to an end, Jesus’ time is forever. His Word to us never stops. Where Moses’ instructions led to sacrifices that needed to be repeated over and over again, the instructions of Jesus lead us to his once and final sacrifice on the cross for our redemption. 

We do as Moses says, we look to Jesus, for he is the one to come, and we listen to his words and the good news of his cross and resurrection.  In gratitude, we live with hope for the world to come. 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.