God could kill or make alive, or He could wound or heal. Mercifully and thankfully His choice was life.
In our text for today, God comes to His people, and He has a decision to make. Does He bring death and judgment upon them because of their sin and idolatry (verses 37-38), or does He forgive and rescue them? Seems like a strong start to Holy Week. If God were to ride in here right now, sure footed on a sturdy steed, would we cry Hosanna for joy or Hosanna for mercy? This is the picture our text gives us in these short verses in Deuteronomy. As we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for the week of His passion, we remember that Christ helps us to see where God came down on the question from our text (verse 36). It is mercifully and gloriously clear, Christ came for sinners in mercy, because: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Our text is really an excellent opportunity to develop deeper reflection on the proper distinction between Law and Gospel (verse 39). Here, God could kill or make alive, or He could wound or heal. Mercifully and thankfully His choice was life. He ultimately brought life through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ who would be wounded for our transgressions and killed in our place so we might be given life by His resurrection and healed from our sin by His grace. His grace here being His conscious choice to not give us what our sins deserve. His attitude towards sinners is mercy and love.
God could kill or make alive, or He could wound or heal. Mercifully and thankfully His choice was life.
Our text’s main problem is idolatry. The issue with the idols that God’s people worshipped is they are not true or real in any sense of the word. They brought these idols things to eat and drink and the idols could not receive them. They offered things which bring life to things which were dead, and they had to learn the hard way that idols only bring death and decay. The one true God is completely opposite. Instead of us offering things for Him to consume, He actually offers us something to consume. Instead of us bringing a sacrifice, He offers to us His sacrifice in, with, and under the very bread and wine, the very body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness for our sins. In the Lord’s Supper, we “see now that He, even He,” is truly present “and there is no god beside” Him (verse 39).
Using a “Compare and Contrast Structure” for this sermon will allow you to treat both the text and the liturgical festival equally. Comparing God’s coming to His people in Deuteronomy with Jesus’ triumphal entry will provide meaningful reflection on both texts. This structure will also allow you to delve deeper into the theological confession of the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Finally, using this structure will allow for deeper hearer reflection on the Lord’s Supper as they prepare for the observance of Holy Week, especially on Maundy Thursday. To learn more about this structure you can visit the site at Concordia Theology.[1]
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Deuteronomy 32:36-39.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Deuteronomy 32:36-39.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaeching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
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[1] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/thematic/comparisoncontrast/
