2016 Summer - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

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Higher Things

Look Inside for Details On:

In This Issue:

Moving On: A Letter from Father to Son

S U M M E R

• Stop This Ride! I Want to Get Off! • You Don’t Belong to This World • Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace

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this was kirk four years ago N o w I m g o in g t o s e r v e God in the world!

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Ready to register? Visit www.csl.edu or call 800-822-9545.

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Check out how you can serve God in ministry!

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Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 16/Number 2 • Summer 2016

Special Features 4 Moving On: A Letter from Father to Son

by Rev. George F. Borghardt Read this from-the-heart letter from Rev. Borghardt to his own son that reveals the love, hope and prayers that parents invest into their children and why you can draw strength from that.

6 Stop This Ride! Handling the Relentless Changes of Life as a Baptized Child of God

By Rev. Mark Buetow Feel like popping a few Dramamine pills as you ride this roller coaster of change that we call life? Rev. Buetow emphatically reminds us that Jesus Christ does NOT change so we can rely upon Him because He has redeemed us and strengthens us amidst the craziness through His gifts of water, Word and Supper.

8 You Are Not of This World

By Rev. Eric Brown Sometimes things don’t work out the way we planned.

Sometimes that’s the best news in the world. Rev. Brown writes convincingly that this is indeed the reality through Christ.

10 Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace

By Karina Pellegrini Karina’s life turned upside down when she found out she was pregnant. Read how faithfully and tenderly her Father, through Jesus Christ, has cared for her and blessed her. He will be there for you, too!

12 Seven Apologists Every Christian Should Know, Pt. 7 The Logical Lynchpin of Michael Licona: Why the Resurrection Takes Center Stage

By Rev. Mark A. Pierson It’s not news that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our faith, but Rev. Pierson skillfully illustrates why Michael Licona is another apologist you should get to know when it comes to apologetics: the defense of our faith.

15 Farewell to Rev. Mark Buetow

HT staffers take a little time to show their affection for Rev. Buetow, who is stepping down from his official duties with HT as of August 1.

HigherThings

®

Volume 16/Number 2/Summer 2016 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html Editor

Katie Hill

20 Let’s Take Jesus at His Word

By Rev. William Snyder “This is my body.” or “This is my blood.” These are Jesus’ words and they seem pretty straightforward, so that should be the end of the matter, right? Unfortunately, the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper has been the subject of great debate since the Reformation. Rev. Snyder zeroes in on these words of Christ and explains why we, along with Luther, can just take Jesus at His word.

22 Hymns Are for Proclamation

By Rev. Gaven M. Mize Hymns aren’t just lip service—they are instruments for declaring the blessed truth of the Gospel! Let Rev. Mize instruct you how to savor each phrase that you encounter.

24 The Ultimate Narrative

By Alex Stakos We’ve often heard it said that life is like a story. Alex creatively connects the idea of a story or narrative with our lives as followers of Christ.

Art Director

Steve Blakey Editorial Associates

Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Bart Day Rev. Gaven Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Copy Editor

Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors

Rev. Mark Buetow Rev. Jacob Ehrhard Rev. Aaron Fenker Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz Subscriptions Manager

Elizabeth Carlson ___________ Board of Directors President

Rev. George Borghardt

Regular Features

Vice-President

28 Catechism: The Sixth Commandment: The Gift One Flesh

Mr. Eric Maiwald

30 Bible Study: Stop This Ride! Handling the Relentless Changes of Life as a Baptized Child of God

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By Rev. William M. Cwirla Infidelity is just the fruit of breaking this commandment, explains Rev. Cwirla, as he lays out what is at stake when we despise the gift of one flesh.

Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Buetow’s article on P. 6.

Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer

Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher Stan Lemon Sue Pellegrini Matt Phillips Rev. Chris Rosebrough Executive Council Deputy Executive/Media

Rev. Mark Buetow Conference and Retreats Executive

Sandra Ostapowich Business Executive

Connie Brammeier Technology Executive

Jonathan Kohlmeier Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly

by Higher Things, Inc., PO Box 156, Sheridan, WY 82801. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine.

Copyright 2016. Higher Things® is registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved.

Printed in the United States.

Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri.

For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-4826630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org.

(This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.

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My Son, when you were born

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I held you in my arms and said to you,“You little sinner! You little hater of God and His word! God is going to save you at the baptismal font!� And God did save you. He named you in the waters of Holy Baptism. He washed your sins away.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Now that you have graduated from high school, I selfishly wish I could freeze time. I would keep you in our house, in your room, safe from the world out there that is going to hate you. I’ve considered just grounding you for the rest of your life, but that doesn’t seem right or fair. You don’t deserve to be grounded—at least this time!

Instead, I’m going to write you this letter and tell you how I feel. I’ve told you before that nothing we do is just for ourselves, it is for others, too. So, I know there are parents who feel like I do about their sons and daughters who are graduating.

This graduation isn’t the end for you. It’s just the closing of one door. It’s a single accomplishment. Now, the real work begins. Time to live as an adult! Time to begin your life out there!

I don’t just want to keep you frozen here because I love you, but I also want to protect you from life “out there!” That scares me! Out there, I can’t keep you in the faith. I can’t protect you from all the filth and lies that will be thrown at you from the world. I can’t fix your bruises anymore or make decisions for you. I can’t even make you do things like go to church or Sunday School!

The Gospel is that I’m not the one who ever had to keep you in the faith in the first place. It all rests on Jesus! He promised to be with you in the waters of Holy Baptism. I was there at your Confirmation to see the good Word that He put into you produce fruit! Those were not dead words but living-JesusChrist-and-Him-Crucified-for-you-words that will carry you through anything that you will go through in life. He has put His Body and Blood into you. His Supper will keep you steadfast in the faith—the one true faith—unto life everlasting!

I wish that His gifts meant that you could do anything and be anything in this life. But that would be a lie. You can try to

will have bad grades. If you don’t work, you won’t eat.

Don’t worry about what God wants you to do with the rest of your life, either. As you do what is given to you to do in your vocations now, He will lead you into whatever He has next for you in this life. He will give all His gifts in His time.

There are no shortcuts in life. There is only His giving in the particular time that He gives the gifts that He gives to you. So, work like you have to earn your life but always know that He gives you gifts like your job, your college, and your career. You work, but your work is always still given by grace alone.

When you fail, don’t get down on yourself. Don’t think that you can fix it. First, confess your sins to God and to those whom you have failed. Be forgiven. Then, suffer the consequences “out there” in the world for wherever you have fumbled, knowing that, because of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, there are no eternal consequences for your sins.

Jesus has taken them all.

After you been forgiven, look for the gift from God in your failures. There’s a gift in every bad thing in this life. There just has to be, because we believe that God is always good to us in the suffering and death of Jesus. So, nothing can happen to you apart from Holy Baptism. Nothing difficult in your life happens apart from the Cross of Christ. He is working all things for your good. Every door that closes, every door that opens, even your graduation has all been part of the good gifts that He gives to you. The gift may be for you, or it may be for those around you. Remember that you learned in Confirmation that we aren’t here just for ourselves. We are here for others—even when we fall down.

This is why my prayer for you is that you get up and go to church every Lord’s Day! Go to Bible class whenever you can!

You need Jesus to save you! You need His forgiveness to enliven

do anything. You can try to be anything. You won’t always get what you want. Things aren’t always going to work out for you.

But whatever you try, do so as if God has given to you to do it. That’s what a vocation is! It is what God has given to you to do in the particular place and time you have been placed by Him. Before graduation, you were a high school student. Now that vocation is over, and it’s off to work and college. You are a student. That is what God wants you to do. You are working to pay for college. That is what God wants you to do, too. Do these vocations as if you were doing them for God, because you are doing them for God. He saves you by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

But college and work are, well, work. You have to get up for class.

You have to do your homework. You have to get to work on time. You have to be a good student and good worker. When you do your vocation, you are serving God. When you don’t, you are sinning against God. Also, there is no “grace alone” to make things right at school or work. So, if you don’t go to class, you

you to live your vocations out in this world. You need His life to enliven your life. Set your alarm and get yourself to church!

I hope this letter is a gift to you, Son. I hope it’s a gift to the rest of you who read it, too. Your parents love you. They are proud of you. They will be proud of whatever and wherever the Lord leads you. And if you ever—and I mean ever—need any help in your journey, know that your parents will be there for you, to pick you up, to remind you are forgiven, and to tell you that you that they love you.

I love you, Son. In Christ, Dad Rev. George F. Borghardt is the Senior Pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois. He also serves as the president of Higher Things.

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Stop This Ride!

I Want to Get Off! Handling the Relentless Changes of Life as a Baptized Child of God

By Rev. Mark Buetow

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

Let’s face it: Most of us don’t like change.

We don’t like things that make us uncomfortable and

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demand that we alter the way we live. Maybe you had to move in the middle of the school year and suddenly find yourself in a new town and new school with all your friends left behind. Perhaps you’re starting college, far away from Mom and Dad with a stranger for a roommate.

Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces after a nasty break-up. Perhaps you’re learning to live without a parent or brother or sister who died.

Sometimes illness forces us to change how we live and what we can do. No, we don’t like change. It takes us out of our comfort zone. The question is: How do we handle change in our lives? How do we deal with our lives being turned upside down and inside out? How do we adapt and move forward, especially when it’s not change we want?

Well, first of all, we are grounded in the one thing that doesn’t change: Jesus. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But what sort of same? It’s the sameness of His never leaving you nor forsaking you. That never changes.

It’s the unchanging promise that His death and resurrection have answered for your sins. Yes, even your doubt, frustration, and turning away from the Lord and being nasty to others around you because of the changes you face— all of that is covered and washed away by the blood of Jesus. Jesus reminds you of this with His unchanging gifts.

Your baptism can’t change. It can’t be undone. At the font, the unchanging Triune God made you His child. You are forever a part of a family that cannot be broken apart or altered, not even by death! There is the Absolution. In

every bit of frustration, outburst, and nastiness, the words of Jesus don’t change: Your sins are forgiven. There is the preaching of the Gospel. That Good News never changes. Jesus died and rose for you. Nothing can make that not true. And finally, there is the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Sacrament of the Altar is a meal of forgiveness, life, and salvation. It is also a powerful reminder and witness to the unchanging church.

There at the altar, you are united, not only with the brothers and sisters in Christ whom you can see with your eyes, but also with your fellow Christians of all times and places who are with Jesus. They have passed through many changes, too—even death—and the Lord has kept them with Him. So there’s your anchor: Jesus and His gifts. He doesn’t change even when the world around you does.

Now in Christ we have a little perspective on the change that happens in our lives. We can learn that change is actually a gift. A gift? That’s right. How can change be a gift? How can bad change be a gift? How can being dragged away from something you know and being put into a situation with which you’re uncomfortable and unfamiliar—how can that be a gift?

Let’s zoom out on our lives a little to answer that question.

If you think about it, change is really just a result of death being in this world.

From the moment we are conceived, we are living and growing toward the day we will die. Even unavoidable changes like our bodies growing up remind us of this. You can’t be a baby in diapers forever. You grow up. But you can’t be a young specimen of health and vitality forever either. You grow old. Life moves along and you see things you like come and go. You see people you love come and go. Finally, you will go. You will go to sleep in death. And even after your death, natural processes will change your body into dust. And seeing that change happen and recognizing it for what it is…well, that’s a gift!

Change is a gift because through it the Lord reminds us that nothing lasts forever in this world. Let’s admit

something. We would love to keep our favorite things forever. We would really love to be with certain people all the time forever. But our stuff goes away.

People go away. Money disappears. Our health gets worse. Everything changes.

That sometimes slow plodding slog, sometimes racing rush to death is the Lord’s way of reminding you that your heart and soul and mind and strength should not be attached to things that perish but to things that last, like Jesus and His Word. The change we experience in the world reminds us that all things are passing away. That’s a gift through which the Lord teaches us not to become too attached to things and to make idols of them. But the gifts of Jesus are unchanging. So against the constant change and upheaval we have those gifts of Jesus in water, Word and Supper that never expire, become outdated, or turn into something else.

A very practical and concrete way of helping you deal with change is to seek out your pastor. Maybe it’s the pastor you’ve known all your life. Maybe it’s the pastor of the Lutheran campus ministry or church. Perhaps it’s a new pastor in a new town. Regardless, the Lord has given you that pastor to comfort you when the change is relentless and wears you down. He’s there to hear your complaints. He can use God’s Word to help you think through what steps you can take to focus on loving and serving those around you instead of just wallowing in the self-pity. But most of all, your pastor is there to remind you of your unchanging baptism into Christ.

He is there to hear your confession for whatever sins trouble you and to pronounce forgiveness to you in Christ’s stead. Your pastor is there to give you the Body and Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

When change hits you hard, seek out your pastor and he will do the faithful work of pointing you to your Savior and His unchanging gifts.

Sometimes the changes you face seem to be completely overwhelming.

It may be that you are even afflicted with depression or anxiety as a result of the stress and unfamiliarity you face. All

of that change can throw things out of whack. If that is possibly the case, then in addition to seeking out your pastor for spiritual care, you should talk to your parents and maybe even your doctor to see whether you might be suffering from those particular illnesses and need treatment for them. Again, all of this is a gift! The Lord is reminding you that it’s not all you out there on your own. He has given you all sorts of people to love you and to help you adapt and deal with the turmoil that comes from just going through life.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You were different yesterday than you are today than you

will be tomorrow. But in your yesterday, your today, and your tomorrow—and your forever—Jesus is right there with you. He’s right beside you through your baptism and His Supper. He dwells in you through His Word and the Spirit.

There is no change, nothing so new or different or awful that it can get rid of Jesus and His love and forgiveness.

Most of us don’t like change, but for you, baptized child of God, your unchanging Savior makes sure that not even the changes of this world can change what He has done and gives to you.

Rev. Mark Buetow is the associate pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois. He can be reached at buetowmt@gmail.com

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You Don’t Belong to This World Rev. Eric Brown

I was 13 years old

on the most nerve-wracking night of my life. It was call night at the seminary, and my dad was going to be sent to who-knows-where. Well, we found out: Rural Nebraska. Understand—I was from Chicago. I thought Waco, Texas (a town of over 100,000) was utterly tiny when my dad had been a vicar there. And that night I found out that I would be moving to a town of 207 people.

Then I found out more. I was a good baseball player, but this place was so rural—they didn’t even have high school baseball. There went those plans.

My high school was in a different county, 18 miles away. And I’ll admit, my first two years in Nebraska were full of massive culture shock. But as I moved into my junior year—and I realize especially looking back now—I made some great friends, it was a great school, and there were lots of wonderful things (even if unexpected) about it.

Then I started planning for college. I was going to be a research pharmacist. I was going to go to Creighton. I had a leg up on everyone; I had it all planned out. Then I received the acceptance letter from Creighton, but unfortunately, they expected my parents to contribute to my education far, far more than they could. And then the scholarship I was supposed to get at my backup school fell through, too. Suddenly my plans were tossed aside, and I ended up going to school in Oklahoma—yet another place to which I had no interest in going. It wasn’t what I had planned.

That first year at Oklahoma University was rough and the pharmacy program ended up not working out for me. It was a brutal freshman year. But it was a great place and had (and still has) a great campus ministry. Again, I had a wonderful time there and got a great education. It was far better than I would have planned. Oh, there were more disappointments in there—heartaches and frustrations—plenty of them.

But yet, in the face of my plans going sideways and failing, God provided something really good, even if it wasn’t what I expected.

All right, we get it: This is where the old guy in the collar wags his finger and tells us not to worry because God has a great plan for our lives, blah, blah, blah. No. Frankly, there’s a part of me that would much rather have been a baseball player making eight figures or a pharmacist making six.

And even though things turned out well, there were times in the middle when it just was lousy, and when you are in the middle of disappointment, “someday” doesn’t matter all that much.

St. Paul says in Ephesians 3: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” There’s a great lesson in this. Plans and intentions are fine. Sometimes they work out; sometimes they don’t. And we can get really frustrated when they don’t. Disappointment stinks on ice. But the truly wondrous thing I discovered was that whether my life was going great or spinning in ways I didn’t want it to go, God was always working out circumstances that were far more abundantly for my good than I could have thought.

He was forgiving me all my sins through Christ crucified. He was keeping me in my baptism. He was strengthening me in both faith towards Him and in fervent love for my neighbor in the Lord’s Supper.

Even when my attention and focus was flitting all over dramas and what-ifs and what-might-havebeens, God remained faithful and just and kept on cleansing me from all unrighteousness. While I was distracted, sometimes by sorrow, sometimes by joy, Jesus kept right on being my Savior. And that was something far, far more wondrous than what I was normally focused on.

I hope you don’t have to face too much disappointment or drama—although in a fallen world some of that is just a given. I hope you have great and wild earthly successes. That’s all up in the air. I still face that unknown in my future. But either way, you and I—we are baptized. You know what that means? You don’t belong to this world with its pains or its joys. You belong to Christ, and He is at work in you, even when you don’t notice it.

In Him you have eternal life, now and in the world to come. That’s certain and solid and for you, in good times and bad. And frankly, when you feel like you’re walking on Jello and everything’s changing, it’s pretty awesome that His steadfast love for you endures forever in Jesus.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois.

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Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace

By Karina Pellegrini

At the age of 18 I, like any other young adult, was ready

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to take on the world. I had planned on college, and after that a career. I had aspirations that ranged from being a teacher to becoming a deaconess; I really just wanted to serve the Lord in all of my work. I vividly remember my parents hugging me while I proudly held up stacks of acceptance letters to colleges around the country. I had planned on moving out. I wanted a taste of the independence that my friends all seemed to have. I filled my Pinterest boards with apartment renovation ideas and dorm room decorations.

I had it all figured out. But there was a life that my parents didn’t know about—a sinful, darker and deceptive life.

What I hadn’t planned on was being caught.

I can’t think of a gentle way to describe the shock that goes through the mind of a very young, unmarried woman when she discovers she’s pregnant. For me, it was a mixture of fear and shame and guilt. Those feelings were dramatically increased when I realized that at some point, everyone around me would see my sin. The secret would be out. I couldn’t continue to lie.

People from all parts of my life would soon know what I had done. And I would have to answer those prying and sinexposing questions for the rest of my life.

I remember in particular, as I sat in shock and stared at that blue plus sign, I felt so alone, and sinful beyond repair.

I feared rejection and abandonment. I wondered if there could be redemption for my soul. In shame and humility, I reluctantly confided in my dad. The sinful lies I had worked so hard to cover up were finally being exposed. I knew I deserved nothing but punishment and rebuke for my actions. Yet, throughout it all, my father’s words of wisdom and grace cut through the overpowering sense of helplessness.

He said, “Your God is with you.

Even in your sin, He loves you. Your remorse and fear indicate His law is at work in your heart and His forgiveness is immediate. In Christ, forgiveness is yours, freely given. God’s love for you in Christ is timeless. He will never abandon or forsake you, no matter what you do to deny His will for you. Christ made the sacrifice for your sin. You are washed clean by His blood and right now, right here, you are white as snow.

You are sinless. You are renewed and reborn. So let’s focus on tomorrow and the new you in Christ redeemed by his abundant grace.”

So what about now…as a single mom, but one redeemed and renewed

by Christ’s love and forgiveness? Well, life is harder—much harder than I could have ever imagined when I shortsightedly planned my college and career while living a double life. I’m now often uncomfortable in social situations, scared of the judging eyes and the possibility of unwanted comments from people who raise their eyebrows at me. I experience emotions I didn’t know I could possibly feel on a daily basis. They are so intense sometimes

that they leave me feeling hollowed out.

Sinful regret comes in waves every day when I encounter people and things that remind me of my sin. My body is no longer the body of a young teenager; it has been changed by pregnancy. My mind does not possess the carefree attitude or innocence it once did. I am often riddled with anxiety, depression, and guilt. Along with this, I have lost my perspective of self. The first thought when I wake and the last thought when I sleep is of my son: his safety, his well-being, and my powerful love for him. Some days he reminds me of my past, but more often than that he is a consistent reminder of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness in my life.

My son continues to grow, with his newfound independence and curiosity and I see myself learning right beside him. He has tested my patience, my resolve, and my sanity, especially when I’ve had to operate on three hours of sleep without coffee. He has shown me just how quickly I can forgive, how strong my love is and how it is possible for that love to grow with every passing day. My responsibility as a mother spans beyond keeping my son physically safe, however. At his birth I became responsible for raising my son in the Word and Sacraments of God, teaching him the words of Christ crucified and the salvation that is freely given at the font. Even now, I see the work of the Holy

Spirit in him. When he bows his head to pray or brings me his Bible to read before bed, I can see his faith is alive and growing. All glory be to God that it is so!

The exponential joy I feel far outweighs the pain I felt, and the tears that were spilled don’t compare to the smiles and laughter I share with him daily.

I speak from experience when I say that being a single teen mother is not easy. But through an unplanned pregnancy and motherhood, the Lord has shown me that even my best attempts to condemn myself are futile. He has taken my sin and never stops blessing me. He wraps me in Christ’s forgiveness and love, in absolution and grace. In the very midst of my sin, guilt and shame, my God, who is ever faithful to His baptismal promises, gave me the gift of repentance and showered me with countless blessings— gifts that He freely gives my parched soul.

He is the master of taking our evil and turning it into blessing. He did it on the cross. He did it in my life. Through God’s mercy, despite my sin, I was blessed with the gift of a son.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article first appeared as HT web content.

Karina Pellegrini is a member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Marysville, Washington.

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7

Apologists Every Christian Should Know PART 7

Must-Reads

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­­­­­ ————————————­­­­­— — The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus: Probably the best introductory book there is on this crucial subject. ­­­­­————————­­­­­————— The Resurrection of Jesus: A scholarly in-depth look at Easter, based on Licona’s doctoral dissertation. ­­­­­————————­­­­­————— Paul Meets Muhammad: An excellent hypothetical debate on whether Christianity or Islam is true. ­­­­­————————­­­­­————— Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy and Science: This collection of brief chapters from various authors contains helpful overviews for numerous apologetic issues. ­­­­­————————­­­­­————— For a historical assessment of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that refutes popular myths, see Jesus, the Final Days by Craig Evans and N. T. Wright. ­­­­­————————­­­­­————— A concise argument which only uses those facts acknowledged by both believing and unbelieving scholars is “The Core Resurrection Data,” written

by Gary Habermas— found in Tough-Minded Christianity.

The Logical Lynchpin of Mi

Why the Resurrec Let’s start with a pop quiz. Can you name

the one thing that, if proved true, should turn Christians into unbelievers? In other words, could a single fact destroy your faith? Some think that if the theory of evolution is correct, then the Bible must be false. Others have said that not feeling God’s love when dealing with a tragedy can cause doubts. While people often do struggle with such issues, there are also many who have suffered great personal loss and yet still believe; there are those who think God created everything through an evolutionary process (despite whatever problems that view contains) and yet are still Christians. These reasons, then, are not adequate grounds for rejecting the faith.

On the other hand, some Christians firmly state, “Nothing!

Nothing will ever cause me to lose faith in Jesus.” While this defiance is well-meaning, it is actually wrong. There is in fact something that, if shown to be true, will cause Christianity to fall like a house of cards. To many people’s surprise, the answer to this pop quiz is actually found in the New Testament. Yes, the Bible itself names what would disprove Christianity once and for all. St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Simply put, if at “Point A” on Good Friday, Jesus was dead, and at “Point B” on Easter Sunday, Jesus was still dead, then Christianity is false.

Period. Game over.

The Crown Jewel of Apologetics This admission often makes believers nervous, but it shouldn’t.

The question of the resurrection is precisely what sets Christianity apart from other religions. Some (such as Mormons and Buddhists) rely on a personal experience—an internal, subjective feeling—to validate their

beliefs. Others (like most Muslims) assume their holy book is true just because it says it’s true, then conclude all other views are wrong.

In such cases, evidence, research, and investigating the real world are irrelevant because their faith is not founded on facts. In contrast, Christianity claims God entered our world as a human being, was crucified at a real time and place, and rose from the grave three days later in objective history. This means everyone—both believers and unbelievers—can examine the resurrection to see if it’s true. Paul himself said as much when telling pagans that God “has given assurance to all by raising Jesus from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Blind faith is therefore unnecessary.

A key point here is that while all of God’s Word is true, and useful, not all of it holds the same weight with regard to our salvation. For example, knowing that Ruth was from Moab is of lesser significance than knowing that “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21). So while it can be helpful to find evidence for the Old Testament accounts or to harmonize science with Scripture, our faith does not stand or

ichael Licona:

ection Takes Center Stage

By Rev. Mark A. Pierson

fall on apologetic issues such as these.

But if Jesus had remained dead, there is no gospel to speak of—no reason to think His death paid for our sins and no basis for believing there is life beyond the grave. Likewise, if He actually rose, then the message of salvation in Christ is most certainly true. The all-important apologetic question, then, is what really happened on that first Easter morning?

Thankfully, this lynchpin is Michael Licona’s area of expertise.

A Pesky Detail Licona is a well-rounded defender of the faith, and the protégé of some of the best apologists in the world.

Yet, because he recognizes how much is riding on the truth of the resurrection, it remains the central focus in virtually everything he does. Licona even wrote his doctoral dissertation on the resurrection at a non-Christian university, which is a rare accomplishment. This scholarly, meticulous work has been praised

by Christians and skeptics alike, and touches on everything from the possibility of miracles to the historical reliability of the Gospels. Here, we briefly consider one crucial aspect of Licona’s overall case: the pesky detail of Jesus’ missing body.

Simple logic dictates that if Jesus did not rise, something else must have happened to His corpse. But what?

Where did Jesus go if the Easter story is a sham? There are only so many options, given the facts of history. For example, there is no credible evidence that Jesus was an alien, or had a twin brother who was hidden until Easter. There is also no reason to think His body was eaten by wild animals because He failed to receive a proper burial. Suggestions such as these are silly, and scholars have found them unconvincing. In terms of realistic possibilities, there are only two categories: 1) Jesus’ body remained in a tomb, and

2) Jesus’ body was removed by someone.

For both scenarios, Licona has refuted each alternative to the truth of Easter.

The Not-So-Empty Tomb?

Some skeptics have suggested that the women and disciples made a mistake. Upon arriving at the wrong tomb and finding it empty, they presumed Jesus had risen from the dead while His body actually lay in another tomb nearby. Yet this discounts the fact that the women saw where Jesus

was buried, that Joseph of Arimathea would surely know where the tomb he owned was located, and that the soldiers who guarded the tomb all night would remember the precise spot.

Similarly, it has been proposed that Jesus was moved from Joseph’s tomb to an undisclosed resting place.

This is even what Mary Magdalene initially thought upon seeing the empty tomb (John 20:13). But if someone deliberately moved and re-buried the body of Jesus, then that same someone continued on next page

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would know where to find it. There were only three groups of people interested in Jesus: Christians, Jews, and Romans. Since both the Jews and the Romans wanted nothing more than to stop the Christian movement once and for all, it is unthinkable that they would not have produced the body of Jesus if they had access to it. While the disciples were proclaiming that Jesus is risen, what better way to shut them up for good than to parade their dead Messiah through the streets of Jerusalem? The fact is, the authorities never did so because they couldn’t find the body. If it was merely in a different tomb somewhere, they would have located it in no time.

A different and more popular claim is that people believed Jesus rose from the dead because they had visions or hallucinations of Him after His crucifixion. It is not unusual for a grieving person to think they momentarily saw or heard a loved one who recently died. This typically occurs in a predictable place (like the deceased’s favorite chair) or at the same time of day. It is also not uncommon for religious people to think they’ve had supernatural visions. But in the case of Jesus’ resurrection, these explanations fall short.

First, when all documented hallucinations are compared with the Easter accounts, none of them resemble what the Gospels record.

The risen Jesus appeared almost at random: in the morning, evening, and midday; in Jerusalem, in Galilee, and on the road to Emmaus, a village mentioned nowhere else in the Bible.

Additionally, He appeared to a wide variety of people—to men and women, to fishermen and the well-educated, to individuals and groups, to followers and skeptics (like James and Paul). All of these people could not have been in the same state of mind to see the same thing. Hallucinations are also private experiences, so they cannot be shared between people any more than dreams can. Second, the Gospels make it clear that this was not a heavenly vision of a spiritual Jesus. He ate fish, invited people to touch him, and even said, “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). Finally, hallucinations

or visions would still leave a dead body behind. Again, it is absurd to think the Jews and Romans wouldn’t have produced it if they could have.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

Since Jesus’ tomb was indeed empty and the body was missing, it has been suggested that someone took Jesus’ remains. The most popular version of this argument is that the disciples stole the body. Yet virtually no scholars think this today because it flies in the face of what we know about Jesus’ disciples.

First, they were all devout Jews. This means they would have stolen and lied for the sake of purposely misleading people about the Messiah. Why would they do this when Jesus taught against such sinful behavior, and since God would surely damn them for it? It just doesn’t make sense. Second, most of them suffered terrible persecution for spreading the gospel. To be sure, people will die for something they think is true.

But if the disciples stole the body, then they were willing to endure tortuous deaths (including crucifixion) for something they knew to be a lie. Would none of them have told the truth to save their own skin? This is highly unlikely.

Third, if the whole story is made up, why would they say the women discovered the empty tomb? In their day, a woman’s testimony was inadmissible in court. If you want to get away with the greatest fraud of all time, you don’t make the mistake of having the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection be the least believable! You’d only say the women saw Jesus first if they actually did. Lastly, the conversion of James and Paul cannot be explained by a stolen body, since both believed they saw Jesus alive again with their own eyes.

As mentioned above, the only other people concerned with Jesus were the Jews and Romans. But they would have shown the body as soon as possible to stop the Easter message if they had it.

So whom does that leave to remove the body? Believe it or not, some have actually suggested the culprit was none other than…Jesus himself!

There are two variations to this theory: One states that Jesus passed out on the cross, while the other accuses Jesus of purposely faking His death

with a drug-induced coma. In both versions, Jesus’ revival in the tomb led people to believe that He conquered the grave. The major problem, however, is that these suggestions discount the efficient nature of crucifixion. The Romans were experts at carrying out this means of death. Jesus was first scourged, then nailed to the cross, then suffocated for hours, then stabbed in the heart. There is simply no way He could have survived all of that. When the American Medical Association studied the evidence, they also concluded that Jesus was definitely dead when taken down from the cross.

And if not, are we really to believe that someone on the brink of death could push away the massive stone from inside the tomb, and then, while looking like a bloody mess, convince people He was the Lord of life? Anyone who could believe that should have no problem believing the resurrection!

He Is Risen, Indeed!

If the bones of Jesus are ever found, we have a false hope and should be pitied beyond all people (1 Corinthians 15:19). That is why the resurrection is the apologetic lynchpin that holds the truth of Christianity together.

Since it comes down to evidence, however, Easter isn’t just a matter of faith but also a matter of fact. Licona has forcefully shown that the historical record supports the Gospel accounts.

He also asks the logical question of Jesus’ whereabouts if he failed to rise, and shows why alternate explanations are unconvincing. It is with great confidence, then, that we can take Christ at His word when He says, “I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore!

And I hold the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). Thus, regarding what really happened on that first Easter Sunday, we remain justified in proclaiming, “He is risen, indeed!

Alleluia!”

Rev. Mark A. Pierson is a contributing author to the forthcoming book, The Resurrection Fact: Responding to Modern Critics. You can email him at markapierson@gmail.com

FAREWELL bids Rev. Mark Buetow a fond

As of August 1, Pastor Buetow will officially step down as

Higher Things’ Media Executive as he delves into his call as the associate pastor and headmaster for Zion Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois.Pastor Buetow, you have left an indelible mark on Higher Things during your tenure. Speaking on behalf of our readers, I cannot stress how much we have appreciated the way you have fiercely guarded and promoted the Gospel in all things media at HT. Because of you, we all love Gospel “buts” and we cannot lie!

Katie Hill, Editor “During Pastor Buetow’s brief exile in the Louisville, Kentucky area, due to Hurricane Katrina, he attended his first HT conference, The Feast, and was swept into the world of Higher Things. While he will no longer be the “Media Czar” of HT, we know that we will continue to see and hear this gifted catechist and preacher at conferences, retreats, and in our media!”

Rev. Rich Heinz, Worship Coordinator “Thank you for all your hard work in Higher Things. We are gonna miss you! Well...I’m not going to miss you because now I have to see you every, single, solitary, day…Maybe you shouldn’t retire from Higher Things… “ Rev. George F. Borghardt, President “People who pun are almost as irritating as street mimes, and in much the same way. But I love you anyway. And thanks for all the pubs.”

Rev. William M. Cwirla, President Emeritas

“The only thing that Pastor Buetow likes more than board games is the Gospel. I’m thankful for the vital role that Pastor Buetow played in daring me to be Lutheran during my high school and college years. I look forward to him continuing to play that role for me in the years to come.”

Jon Kohlmeier, Technology Executive “Pastor Mark Buetow is the best liturgical dance choreographer I’ve ever worked with, and a remarkable television salesman. His dedication to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ is laudable. And he was always there to post bail for me.”

Rev. Donavon Riley, Online Content Manager

“While I’ve learned much from Pastor Buetow about preaching the Gospel and being a faithful pastor, the most useful information he ever bestowed upon me was back in 2010 at Given in Utah.

There, in search of a bathroom, I was told, ‘Always look for the drinking fountains. If you see one of those, a bathroom is nearby.’ I’m not sure if wiser words have ever been spoken.”

Rev. Aaron Fenker, Interim Media Executive “The first time I heard Pastor Buetow preach (Amen, 2008), someone’s phone rang and he said, “That’d better be Jesus!”

No one can put the fear of God in you like Pr. B. Oh, and he’s also pretty terrific at delivering Jesus. Every. Single. Time.”

Kay Maiwald, Housing and Reflections

“The man knows his sushi.

He also delivers the Gospel in a way that resonates with those listening. I’d say he knows the Gospel even more than he knows his sushi.”

Crysten Sanchez, Conference Registrar “The paella was great. I’m sorry you caught tetanus. It’s been a joy to work with you; best of luck as you transition into your next role. Always remember to pass the check.”

Stan Lemon, former Technology Executive “3:00 a.m. runs for Pho (and countless other foods) will never be the same. Blessings as you go forward!”

Patrick Sturdivant, Retreat Coordinator “I was a summer vicar for HT and Rev. Buetow was my teacher. As I fetched bags of chips, diet Cokes, and suffered the wrath of his so-called humor, he encouraged me to realize my full potential in the classroom. ‘I will be in your breakaway today, and I expect you to teach me something,’ he told me. My time with the good Reverend was only about four weeks, but the wisdom continues.”

Rene Castillero, 2014 summer vicar

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from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

“Here I stand.” That’s daring to be…Lutheran! What words!

What a theme! So on this 500th anniversary of Dr. Luther’s firing the Gospel shot heard around the Church, Higher Things is excited to stand with Luther and announce “Here I Stand” as the theme of our 2017 Summer Conferences.

Montana State University Bozeman, Montana

July 18-21, 2017

Now, he was ordered to either recant this Gospel or become an outlaw. He prayed that God would keep him from repenting a “single jot or tiddle.” (Kittleson 161).

The next morning, he stood before them all again. And again, he tried to debate but they would have none of it. This wasn’t a trial.“Will you recant or not?” asked the papal examiner coldly.

Everyone had already decided that Luther was guilty. And in a way, he was! He was teaching the truth of the Gospel that had come clear to him a year earlier when he posted those 95 Theses that started it all: Jesus saves sinners by grace alone that is received by faith alone, and this is found in Scripture alone.

“Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence

Mars Hill University Mars Hill, South Carolina

Trinity University San Antonio, Texas

There Luther was standing, at the Diet of Worms on April 17, 1518 in front of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the papal representatives, and their soldiers dressed in their parade uniforms. He wanted to debate the Gospel: that man is justified before God by faith in Christ and not by works. But they wanted no discussion. It was simple:“Are these are your books? Do you recant?” All Luther could say to the first question was “Yes, these books are mine and I have written more.” To the second question he asked for a night to pray, for the Gospel itself was at stake.

Just a few months earlier, on October 31, 1517, he had posted 95 Theses on the Door of Castle Church in Wittenburg. It was like a blog post. He wanted to discuss the Gospel then, too.

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S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 _ 19

Let’s Just Take Jesus at His Word

By Rev. William Snyder

“This is My body... This is My blood.”

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Little else shows more clearly the amazing mental gymnastics that people must attempt in order to deny or misapply the clear words of Jesus than do the various interpretations of these two statements.

At the time of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church taught transubstantiation, that the bread and wine of Christ’s Supper are changed into His Body and Blood, only appearing to be what they once were. Luther and Ulrich Zwingli both rejected

transubstantiation. But while Zwingli taught that the Supper was and remained bread and wine and that whatever consumption there was of Jesus was purely “spiritual,” Luther simply took Jesus and Paul at their word.

Both Rome and Zwingli had difficulty reconciling that we receive both earthly bread and wine and Christ’s own Body and Blood in Communion. Since such a teaching defies logic, they looked for answers in philosophy and semantics. Luther once said that he wished that he could have done the same, for that would have been a much easier path. But he could find no way to do so without rejecting the simple words of Scripture.

So rather than explain, Luther accepted and confessed. Oddly enough, both Roman Catholics and Zwinglians easily accepted the similar illogic of Christ’s incarnation and virgin birth and readily confessed the Trinity. Yet when it came to the Eucharist, they felt compelled to explore the mechanism rather than embrace the gift.

So while Rome stood firm in its medieval philosophical claims and Zwingli touted his fresh, new logical approach, Luther plodded along the Biblical path, looking neither left nor right but kept his eyes focused on the words of Jesus, the Wordmade-flesh.

Luther didn’t abandon human logic but he followed the course he’d set years earlier: Reason should always be used ministerially (in service of ) Scriptural teaching, never magisterially (ruling over and sometimes overruling) doctrine. So in clear, logical statements, he defended his acceptance of the seeming illogic of the presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Sacrament.

He refused to treat “this is” as metaphor because normally when Christ made such comparisons, He also used comparative language, such as the times He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like....” Luther didn’t refer as much to the “I am” statements in John.

However, because they used a “being” verb, he never considered these to be mere simile or metaphor.

To use just one example, when Jesus says, “I am the door” Jesus literally is a door, although not one of wood or metal, for He literally shuts out or welcomes through those whom He accepts or denies.

We would do well to take our cue from Dr. Luther.

He was an intelligent man and an unparalleled Biblical scholar. The more he learned and pondered the Scriptures, the more he realized that he was also a simple, straightforward man—one convinced that God knew more and better than he did.

We’ll never devise a human philosophy capable of logically laying out how Christ’s Body and Blood can be present with bread baked and wine fermented by frail humans. However, we humans have already been given the philosophy that fits our need: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Or as He says in Isaiah

55:8, “‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.” If we need to know the how of Holy Communion, God will tell us. But it’s not likely that this will happen some 2,000 years after we received this blessed sacrament from our Savior. However, God has clearly given us the so-called Five Ws of the Sacrament in Holy Scripture.

Who: Jesus—specifically His Body and Blood.

What: The eating and drinking of Christ’s Body and Blood in, with and under the bread and wine.

Where: Wherever Christians gather for the Feast.

When: As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup (those consecrated with Jesus’ words) Why: In remembrance of Him; to be in communion with Him, His Father, and His Church; and, most of all, for the forgiveness of sins.

Additionally, not only does Scripture compel us to believe that we truly receive Jesus’ Body given and Blood shed on the cross, it also leads us to confess that His disciples received the same even before He suffered and died. A seeming temporal inconsistency? Yes, but no more—or less—confusing than Jesus’ statement to the Jews in John 8: “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.’” (v. 56) This sounded impossible.

“The Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’” (v. 57) Jesus then uttered that well-known but still baffling response, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”

(John 8:58) And so it stands. Scripture’s internal logic leads us to abandon human logic: We truly receive Christ’s Body and Blood even as we receive the bread and wine. When Jesus says, “I AM,” you can be sure that He is. When He says, “This is,” it “truly, truly” is. To believe and teach otherwise is to make Christ a liar, Scripture a sham, and our faith a futility. But with those words of Jesus come gifts to us in the Sacrament of the Altar: the gifts of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!

Rev. Walter Snyder has been a parish pastor and a hospice chaplain. He’s written Higher Things Reflections and sermons, Portals of Prayer devotions, and Lenten material for Concordia Publishing House. He took a group to the first Higher Things conference in Laramie, Wyoming and has been a presenter at other HT events. He enjoys hiking, reading fantasy and science fiction, and hymn writing and is working to improve his skills as a photographer.

Currently living in Concordia, Missouri, he would like to return to full-time parish ministry should the Lord call him.

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Hymns Are for Proclamation

By Rev. Gaven M. Mize

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“The devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God. Thus, it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath, impurity, and other devices.” Martin Luther

Many pastors every week take a look at

biblical texts, pray for faithfulness to those texts, and proclaim those texts in clear, concise, and beautiful language—the sermon. This is no small task. It’s not easy nor is it something to take lightly. Yet pastors who are rightly called, sit and pore over the glorious and holy word of God. Soon the keyboard is clicking away and the Times New Roman is flying across the screen. Maybe you think that it should be easy to write a sermon: Just type stuff.

But there is more than just the communication of sounds to the ears of the listener. There is an even more important use: Proclamation of the faith in beautiful language.

The Proclamation of God’s Word from the pulpit convicts us of our sins, brings us the balm of the Gospel, edifies our faith, makes the heart glad, and drives the devil from our ears. Why can’t our hymns do the same thing?

Well, the reality is that they do those very same things.

Hymns are sermons—sermons set to wonderful melodies and beautiful timing. And if Luther is correct about music making the devil run for the hills almost as much as the Word of God, then imagine how far the devil must run from you when God’s Word is set to beautiful music.

Take, for example, this lyrical proclamation from Luther: The Foe shall shed My precious blood, Me of My life bereaving.

All this I suffer for thy good; Be steadfast and believing.

Life shall from death the victory win, My innocence shall bear thy sin; So art thou blest forever. (“Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” LSB 556:8) Luther is writing from the perspective of Christ, who is to soon be crucified and is speaking directly to the singer/hearer/baptized child whom He has claimed by His own blood. Christ did not come to hand out lollipops and wax poetic about rainbows.

Christ came to rescue us from the grasp of the devil and break the shackles of sin that bind us to death. We deserve death and hell, but Christ in His innocence and perfection has taken on all of the pain and the death we have piled upon our heads. In this hymn, Christ is singing to you.

When your pastor steps into the pulpit you can be assured that he is prepared to proclaim God’s perfect Law to you and proclaim your rescue from the pit of despair with the sweet Gospel of Christ.

Our Lutheran hymns are likewise prepared with the painstakingly laser-focused confession of our faith that you are able to proclaim each and every Lord’s Day. It is His day and we rejoice and are glad during that day with hymns that echo the truth present in the sermon delivered from the pulpit.

Your pastor also holds the responsibility to preach the whole truth to his flock. This is no small task. The Lutheran pastor needs to make every sentence count. There is a stress upon each sentence to lead to the conviction that the Law brings and the sweet balm that the Gospel

delivers. I myself have slaved over a single sentence for quite some time only to turn to hymnody for a simple and concise proclamation. In times like those I find myself turning to Paul Gerhardt. Take, for example: Love caused Your incarnation, love brought You down to me; Your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty.

O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace In love all loves excelling our lost and fallen race. (“O Lord, How Shall I Meet You” LSB 334:4) Each of these sentences packs a huge punch. Even the assumption/implication of each sentence declares salvation’s history. Our sin, that can be traced back to Adam, brought Christ to earth and by the same love that motivated God to create us, Christ reconciled us to the Father. These words were penned during a cultural period where Lutheranism was confessed and proclaimed freely to people who hungered for the Gospel. There is a treasure trove to be found in these words and it is vital to use them in the liturgy.

As Lutherans, we have a rich and proud heritage in our hymnody. Lutherans in Germany at the time of the Reformation were even called, “the singing church.” Let us not stop being that church. Pray. Confess your faith handed down to us from the Apostles. Join in on the confession now being proclaimed by the angels in heaven. Sing.

Sing the hymns of our fathers, because when we get right down to it, the faith hasn’t changed.

Christ has filled us with good things. He has given us the faith and the peace that surpasses all human understanding. So, when the devil approaches you, dear Christians, simply sing the faith. Proclaim that Christ has triumphed over the devil. He has won the victory. And He daily and richly gives us all good things in His presence, including strengthening us for what lies ahead. Dare to profess your faith. Dare to receive Christ’s gifts that are surrounded by these angelic hymns. Dare to be Lutheran. Dare to sing!

Rev. Gaven M. Mize is the pastor of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, North Carolina. A graduate of Concordia University of Wisconsin and Concordia Theological Seminary, Rev. Mize is in his second year of CTS DMin program.

He is married to Ashlee Mize, who is awesome.

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The Ultimate

By Alex Stakos

Some kids have make-believe friends. I had

an imaginary studio audience. When something eventful happened, this fictitious audience would applaud or cry or laugh along with me—in my head, of course. I was under no illusion that this audience was real, but I loved it. It made my life (my movie, my sitcom, my game show— whatever it happened to be that day) much more exciting.

At a young age I looked at life as a narrative. I understood myself as having the role of the main character or the protagonist. But in front of a wider camera lens—one that captures the bigger picture—am I still the protagonist?

It turns out that “believable characters” in movies are made in our image: They’re sinners, too!

When God made man, He made him in His image and likeness. In story

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writing, we inevitably make characters in our own image. We might try to create characters that fit our own idea of perfection, but those characters don’t end up seeming real or relatable to us.

One time, I was working on a script for a university class and before we had even begun mapping out plot points, we were instructed to develop our main characters. I decided to base one of my main characters around some of my own

personality traits, thinking it would make things easier. After all, I’m a real person.

It’s funny that we assume we know everything about ourselves. The truth is that we don’t. We have this warped, subjective view of who we really are.

We lie to ourselves daily, justifying and rationalizing our faults. My professor calls this warped view, “our ideal self.”

It’s the self that we are when we are at our best—the “superhero version” of who we are.

Writing myself into a character turned out to be harder than I thought, especially when I started dealing with the questions about how this character behaves under pressure and what her dramatic need is.

A dramatic need is essentially a character flaw. It’s the aspect of a person that changes in a successful dramatic

e Narrative script. The problem with pinpointing my dramatic need was that I would have to place myself at the start of a story. I would have to decide what was wrong with me and what needed to change.

Most characters don’t even know what they need at the start of a story.

I never realized how biased we, as human beings, are about our own shortcomings until I had to pick my biggest and best flaw and exploit it.

This is where it’s tempting to come up with the kinds of flaws we toss out at job interviews. I work too hard. I care too much. But those kinds of “flaws” aren’t real, and they certainly don’t make for believable characters.

It was when I was writing about how my character behaves under pressure that I realized I needed some additional insight—a more objective point of view. I had typed out that, in stressful situations, Adrian (my character) takes on a leadership role. If I could have laughed in my own face, I would have done it. I was being dishonest and I knew it.

I messaged my best friend and gave him very specific instructions. I asked him to summarize my biggest flaw in one word and text me that word. He replied with the word “emotions.” It was vague, but it gave me an idea of what Adrian’s dramatic need should be. I decided that Adrian lets her emotions take over and puts too much focus on feelings. She is quick to give up and let her negative thoughts consume her.

When something overwhelms her, she runs away from it.

Benefiting from God’s Law Adrian taught me a lot, not the least of which was that believable characters are liars. They lie to themselves about what they’re really like because they’re afraid to be flawed. This deceitfulness makes for a more authentic character because it’s true for the majority of

people. No one wants to believe he or she is sinful or bad or flawed, because that stinks.

Hebrews 4:11 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God’s Word pierces us where it hurts: our ego. If it weren’t for the Law, we would never know what sin is. The Bible offends a lot of people because it’s brutally honest. God doesn’t mess around when it comes to telling us the truth about our sinful nature. The primary purpose of the Law (The Ten Commandments) is to reveal our sin.

Our need for forgiveness is made clear in that we fall short over and over again!

Romans 7:7b Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

But that’s not the end of the story.

The Bible shows us our sin to bring us to our knees in humble repentance so that we’re prepared for the other side of the double-edged sword: the Gospel— the Good News!

Benefiting from God’s Gospel The Gospel is Good News, proclaimed for sinners. It is declared for the broken and for the deeply, deeply flawed! We finally get the right picture: Because we are desperately broken, we need a Savior. And the Gospel is there to save us, proclaiming that Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t. He took our sin upon Himself and suffered in our place.

He became both the perfect Antagonist and Protagonist. Because of Jesus, we no longer have any sort of “dramatic need” in God’s eyes because He meets our

greatest need with forgiveness.

A character who is afraid to acknowledge her flaws and admit to a dramatic need is not benefiting from God’s Law. And that’s something I had to come to terms with in picking apart my own character to construct Adrian’s: I’m imperfect and I don’t need to hide my character flaws—my sins. I need to acknowledge them, repent of them and fight them or, rather, join the ranks of the One who fights for me! That’s what happens as we live in our baptism, hear the Word of Law and Gospel, and feast at the Supper. This is how Jesus makes us part of His Story.

1 John 1:8-9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

It’s like Martin Luther says: We are simul justus et peccator. We are simultaneously saint and sinner. In other words, we are both the antagonist and protagonist in our own narratives.

A dual character as such will inevitably battle his antagonistic (or sinful) nature daily, while embracing his life as a follower of Christ, who intercedes and fights for us. Because of Jesus, we will one day experience an eternal happily-ever-after type ending to our narrative—the ultimate narrative, the bigger story—a story where we aren’t the hero but, more fittingly, the one in dire need of salvation who is made righteous in Christ!

Alex Stakos is a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

She loves sound theology and a good cheeseburger.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 _ 25

There’s a truth out there to be discovered, a truth the government will stop at nothing to stamp out. By day, fifteen-year-old Simon pushes against control over his curfew, his meals, his fun. And by night, secret visitors and hidden messages make him question everything his life entails. There’s a truth out there worth dying for.

JOIN SIMON AND THE MESSENGERS AS THEY RISK THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT IT.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 26

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The Sanctity of Life

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S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 _ 27

The Gift of One Catechism

By Rev. William M. Cwirla

You shall not commit adultery.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other. (The Small Catechism, The Sixth Commandment)

I

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28

t’s time to talk like adults. Adultery is not adult behavior. It’s selfish, self-centered, and childish.

But it has adult-sized consequences—biological, psychological, and spiritual.

The Sixth Commandment isn’t just about sex and “how far” you can go on a date. It’s about intimacy, commitment, covenant, and community. It’s about being man and woman created in the image of God. It’s about being a member of the Body of Christ, being redeemed by the body of Christ, and glorifying God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

Biologically speaking, humans and animals are the same.

We have the same cells, the same biology, most of the same DNA. We are from the dust, and we return to the dust. But we are more than animals. We are also spiritual creatures made in the image of God. We are priests to God with dominion over the earth. We represent the Creator to the creation and vice versa.

Along with the rest of the animal world, we have a drive to reproduce. The birds do it, the bees do it, chimpanzees do it, and we do it, too—all by the impulse of the creative Word that says, “Be fruitful and multiply.” But with us, it’s different or, as they say on Facebook, “It’s complicated.”

Animals reproduce; we procreate. Animals copulate; we share intimacy. The biblical phrase is “to know.”“Adam knew his wife and she conceived and bore Cain…” (Genesis 4:1).

When man and woman come together sexually, they “know” and “are known” in a very unique and wonderful way. “The two become one flesh.” This is the closest kind of intimacy there is in our temporal lives, short of our eternal union with Christ and with each other as members of His body. This “one flesh” union cannot be undone by man (Matthew 19:6). It’s patterned after the union of Christ and His Bride, the church (Ephesians 5:32). And it can even occur outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 6:16)!

We build fences to keep things in, keep things out, and keep things safe. Marriage is like a covenant fence around the one flesh union of man and woman. It keeps husband and wife together, keeps others from intruding on their one flesh union, and gives them a safe place to be “naked without shame” (Genesis 2:25). Unlike with the animals, our sexual unions take place in the context of covenant, commitment, and community. “A man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife…” (Genesis 2:24). Marriage, intimacy, and family go together, and in that order.

Sin turns us inward toward ourselves so that we ask not “How can I please you?” but “What’s in it for me?” Sin perverts the Word-created desire of man for woman and woman for man into self-centered sexual lust in all its varied and perverse forms. The Catechism doesn’t even name them. What God made good and creative by His Word, sin makes un-good and destructive. It tears apart what God has joined together, turning desire into lust, intimacy into selfpleasure, covenant into divorce, community into isolation, life into death.

You shall not commit adultery. You shall not take God’s gift of being one flesh outside the safe confines of marriage and divorce it from covenant, community, and commitment.

You shall not shack up, hook up, view porn, cheat on your husband or wife, or even think about it. That’s the way of old Adam and his lusts that bring divorce, destruction, and death. Old Adam and his lusts need to die.

For this Jesus died, and from this He rescues you. You are a child of God: washed, sanctified, and justified by the Holy Spirit working through water and Word in your baptism. Jesus became impure so that the impure might be pure. He became the Adulterer so that the adulterer might become the virgin.

Your body was redeemed in His body on the cross. You were bought with His blood. You are a member of His Body.

Flesh What you do with your body brings the whole Body of Christ with you (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). Therefore, glorify God with your body, leading a chaste, holy, and decent life in everything you say and do. And if and when God gives you a husband or a wife, love and honor him or her as “bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh” (Genesis 2:23). You are one flesh with each other. This is God’s gift to you as man and woman, husband and wife.

“Be faithful to your marriage vow; No lust or impure thoughts allow.

Keep all your conduct free from sin By self-controlled discipline.”

Have mercy, Lord!

(Lutheran Service Book 581:7) Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and is a president emeritus of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 _ 29

Stop This Ride!

I Want to Get Off!

Dealing with Change A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY • Summer 2016

1

Discuss times in your life that involved change. Was it hard to adapt? What helped with the transition from the old to the new?

What makes change unpleasant?

2

T H I N G S __ 30

On what basis do we know that Jesus is the same always? See John 1:1-3. How might this be a comfort in a changing world?

6

Read Isaiah 40:6-8. Again, what happens to this world? What endures? What does this mean for our lives in the midst of change?

Read Genesis 1:27-31 and then Genesis 3:6-10. What sort of change did Adam and Eve experience? What was the cause of that change? How did Adam and Eve try to deal with this change? How does God deal with it?

(See Genesis 3:15 and 21)

How can we be certain that we are immune to the passing away of the world based on the enduring Word of God?

3

Read Hebrews 1:8-12. What does the Father say about the Son? What sorts of things change? What doesn’t?

8

4

9

How does the author describe Jesus in Hebrews 13:7-9? What encouragement does this verse give because of this? How does the world attack us in this respect?

H I G H E R

5

7

Read Revelation 21:1-7. What sort of good change is coming for all of God’s people?

Close by praying the prayer below: Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of life may find our rest in You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (From the Order of Compline, Lutheran Service Book, p. 257)

To access the Leader’s Guide for this study, as well as Bible studies for articles in this issue and previous issues, as a part of an HTOnline subscription, point your browser to: higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html.

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“Stop This Ride I Want to Get Off! Dealing with Change” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction This study follows up on the article with some additional passages that direct us to the unchanging Jesus and His unchanging promises in a world that is constantly changing and in lives that are constantly affected by change and new things good or bad.

1. Discuss times in your life that involved change. Was it hard to adapt? What helped with the transition from the old to the new? What makes change unpleasant?

Answers will vary. You might volunteer some examples to get the discussion started.

2. Read Genesis 1:27-31 and then Genesis 3:6-10. What sort of change did Adam and Eve experience? What was the cause of that change? How did Adam and Eve try to deal with this change? How does God deal with it? (See Genesis 3:15 and 21) When God made man, He was the giver of every good gift. Mankind was the highlight of creation, made in God’s own image. When they disobeyed God, suddenly He was scary; they had to run away from Him. It was not that God changed but that sin brought about a change in Adam and Eve. They tried to adapt by hiding their sin and covering themselves. The Lord dealt with this change by telling them His promise that He would send a Savior at some point. He also clothed them, covering their nakedness for them.

3. Read Hebrews 1:8-12. What does the Father say about the Son? What sorts of things change? What doesn’t?

The author of Hebrews remarks how all things will change, but not the Son because He is forever.

4. How does the author describe Jesus in Hebrews 13:7-9? What encouragement does this verse give because of this? How does the world attack us in this respect?

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Because that’s true, we don’t need to worry about the new ideas and philosophies and notions that come up. We don’t follow doctrines that change and are altered. We continue to confess Jesus who was crucified and risen and still is!

5. On what basis do we know that Jesus is the same always? See John 1:1-3. How might this be a comfort in a changing world?

Jesus is the eternal Word of God. He was there in the beginning before anything was made. It is comforting to realize that while everything changes, Jesus has always been the same. He doesn’t change. His work and love for us do not change. He is the eternal God who became flesh to rescue us from the devil, the world, and our own sinful natures.

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

6. Read Isaiah 40:6-8. Again, what happens to this world? What endures? What does this mean for our lives in the midst of change?

Consider that the one thing that lasts is the Word of God. Jesus is that Word, as John points out above. Therefore, whoever has this Word, who has Christ, endures all things and survives the passing away of this world.

7. How can we be certain that we are immune to the passing away of the world based on the enduring Word of God? We have the Word given in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and in the Supper and in the Gospel and Scriptures. In those gifts, Jesus comes to us and is lives with us. He is the imperishable Word and so if we have Him, we cannot perish eternally either. All things pass away but we will not.

Encourage students, that when they face troubling changes, to go to their pastor; to be in church, in the divine service, remembering their baptism, being absolved of their sins and receiving Christ’s Body and Blood. Those gifts never change!

8. Read Revelation 1:1-7. What sort of good change is coming for all of God’s people?

Here is the promise of the future paradise, the new creation and the beginning of eternal life, in which all things are made new. There is a good change coming, namely, that sin and death will pass away once and for all, and all tears will be wiped away. Whatever trouble change brings us in this life, it will be overcome once and for all by the changes into everlasting life that will happen when Jesus returns and we are raised from the dead.

Closing “Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of life may find our rest in You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (From the Order of Compline, LSB, p. 257)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Stop This Ride I Want to Get Off! Dealing with Change” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Discuss times in your life that involved change. Was it hard to adapt? What helped with the transition from the old to the new? What makes change unpleasant?

2. Read Genesis 1:27-31 and then Genesis 3:6-10. What sort of change did Adam and Eve experience? What was the cause of that change? How did Adam and Eve try to deal with this change? How does God deal with it? (See Genesis 3:15 and 21)

3. Read Hebrews 1:8-12. What does the Father say about the Son? What sorts of things change? What doesn’t?

4. How does the author describe Jesus in Hebrews 13:7-9? What encouragement does this verse give because of this? How does the world attack us in this respect?

5. On what basis do we know that Jesus is the same always? See John 1:1-3. How might this be a comfort in a changing world?

6. Read Isaiah 40:6-8. Again, what happens to this world? What endures? What does this mean for our lives in the midst of change?

7. How can we be certain that we are immune to the passing away of the world based on the enduring Word of God?

8. Read Revelation 1:1-7. What sort of good change is coming for all of God’s people?

Closing “Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of life may find our rest in You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (From the Order of Compline, LSB, p. 257) © 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“The Gift of One Flesh” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Opening Prayer “Unless You build it, Father, The house is built in vain; Unless You, Savior, bless it, The joy will turn to pain.

But nothing breaks the union Of hearts in You made one; The love Your Spirit hallows Is endless love begun.” ("O Father, All Creating,” LSB 858, st. 4) 1. In the Sixth Commandment, what gift of creation is God protecting for us, His creatures?

Each of God’s commandments are also protecting His gifts in creation. The Sixth Commandment protects God’s gift of sexuality, marriage, and family. Though we often shy away from talking about sex in church and Bible class, we ought to teach it rightly and remember that it is God’s gift, and a blessing for His people when shared in the estate of marriage where God has granted it and desired it to be.

2. In our culture, in what ways do we see adultery accepted, and even praised at times?

From TV shows and movies, to books and Facebook, sexuality is everywhere, and often in stark contrast to what we learn about in the Small Catechism and Scriptures about the Sixth Commandment. Cohabitation is praised and even considered the norm now. Marital infidelity is increasingly common and sometimes even encouraged, e.g. the movie “Hall Pass” and others. Homosexual marriage is legal and not only seeks tolerance but applause.

3. In addition to the Sixth Commandment, adultery also breaks what other important, foundational commandment?

As with all the other commandments, the Sixth Commandment ultimately leads us back to the First.

Luther reminds us that we are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. The sins against the Sixth Commandment almost always have selfish or self-centered motives behind them, thus also breaking the First Commandment. Any of God’s gifts, even sex, can be turned into idols that we fear, love, and trust above Him. 4. What happens when God’s good gift of human sexuality is used outside of the covenant of marriage that He has given for this blessing?

In a word, chaos! The erosion of the family, the high divorce rates, and countless other statistics abound as evidence of what happens when God’s gift of sexuality is used outside the estate of marriage. And though people often say “It’s just sex,” it clearly is more than that. There are no victimless people, and no one is left unhurt when it comes to sexual sins, even if we think we’re acting alone. St. Paul reminds us that sexual sin is different because many other ways we sin take place outside the body, but sexual sin happens to the body and within the body.

5. Read Ephesians 5:17-33. Based on Paul’s teaching, why is Jesus given the title “the bridegroom?”

What is the church’s relationship to Jesus?

In one of the many metaphors for His people, God’s Word uses the language of the Bride of Christ to describe His relationship with His people. This is true in both the OT and the NT where Israel, and then new Israel, the Church, are described as a she, while God is the Husband and Christ is the Bridegroom. He is the one who sacrifices Himself to make us holy—without blemish, spot or stain of sin. His faithfulness

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

covers all of our sinful infidelity. His holiness covers our impurity. And so husbands are called to mirror this sacrificial love in their vocation.

6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:18-19. In what ways do we honor God with our bodies?

The context for applying this verse is important. For those who are single, dating, or engaged, honoring God with your bodies will mean abstaining from sex until marriage, where God has given this gift as a blessing. For married couples this means being faithful to the marriage vows in thought, word, and deed.

For all, this means living a sexually pure life in all we say and do, no matter if we’re married or single. We honor God with our bodies wherever we are as well, in what we say and do at work, how we dress for church or school, and in the kinds of activities we do in our leisure time as well. Even our lives in social media are affected by this instruction. How do we honor God with our bodies on Facebook or Instagram? What kinds of things are we posting or sending as text messages, etc.? Every area of life is where we are called to honor God with our bodies. Why? Because Paul says we were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood.

7. Pastor Cwirla teaches us that our Old Adam (our sinful nature) needs to die. Where does this happen?

Read Romans 6:1-11. How do we die to sin?

Our Old Adam is drowned daily in the waters of Holy Baptism. This also happens when we return to our baptism in daily repentance and receiving the absolution, especially on Sundays when we confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. Your pastor is also available for private confession for those sins that are particularly troubling and for which you want/need to hear a specific word of forgiveness applied and spoken directly to you. Dying to sin happens daily as we live in repentance and receive forgiveness, as we read the Scriptures, receive communion, and live in our baptism.

Closing “Father, You created Adam, Crafted Eve, and made them one; Jesus, from their sin You saved us, As God’s true incarnate Son; Holy Spirit, You forgive us; From our sins we are release. Bring us, Lord, at last to heaven, To the endless wedding feast.” (“Gracious Savior, Grant Your Blessing, LSB 860, st. 1)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“The Gift of One Flesh” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Opening Prayer “Unless You build it, Father, The house is built in vain; Unless You, Savior, bless it, The joy will turn to pain.

But nothing breaks the union Of hearts in You made one; The love Your Spirit hallows Is endless love begun.” ("O Father, All Creating,” LSB 858, st. 4) 1. In the Sixth Commandment, what gift of creation is God protecting for us, His creatures?

2. In our culture, in what ways do we see adultery accepted, and even praised at times?

3. In addition to the Sixth Commandment, adultery also breaks what other important, foundational commandment?

4. What happens when God’s good gift of human sexuality is used outside of the covenant of marriage that He has given for this blessing?

5. Read Ephesians 5:17-33. Based on Paul’s teaching, why is Jesus given the title “the bridegroom?”

What is the church’s relationship to Jesus?

6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:18-19. In what ways do we honor God with our bodies?

7. Pastor Cwirla teaches us that our Old Adam (our sinful nature) needs to die. Where does this happen?

Read Romans 6:1-11. How do we die to sin?

Closing “Father, You created Adam, Crafted Eve, and made them one; Jesus, from their sin You saved us, As God’s true incarnate Son; Holy Spirit, You forgive us; From our sins we are release. Bring us, Lord, at last to heaven, To the endless wedding feast.” (“Gracious Savior, Grant Your Blessing, LSB 860, st. 1)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Hymns are for Proclamation” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer "Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word; Curb those who, by deceit or sword, Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son And bring to naught all He has done.” (“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word,” LSB 655, st. 1) 1. What are some of your favorite hymns in the Lutheran Service Book? Why?

2. Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5. Paul writes instructions for pastors in their teaching and preaching. How do Paul’s words also apply to the hymns we sing?

3. Pastor Mize writes, “Christ did not come to hand out lollipops and wax poetic about rainbows.”

Compare the hymns sung in your congregation on Sunday with much of what is known as contemporary Christian music. What similarities do you find? What differences are there?

4. Paul Gerhardt’s hymn, “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You” is a rich, beautiful text and tune on Christ’s incarnation. Where in the Scriptures would you go to find God’s love revealed to us in His incarnation or any other part of His work?

5. Read Romans 5:12-21. How does Paul describe the effects of Adam’s sin upon creation? How does Paul proclaim the work of Christ on behalf of creation? Why is fitting to call Jesus the “second Adam”?

6. Why is the Lutheran Church known as the “singing church”? How is this true in your own congregation?

Closing “Sing praise to the God of Israel! Sing praise for His visitation! Redeeming His people from their sin, Accomplishing their salvation, Upraising a might horn within The house of His servant David!” (“Sing Praise to the God of Israel," LSB 936, st. 1)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Let’s Just TakeA HIGHER JesusTHINGS® at HisBIBLE Word” STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction The youth likely have friends from other Christian denominations who differ in their understanding of the Sacrament of the Altar. In conjunction with Rev. Snyder’s article, this study will hopefully give them some ideas of how to respond to some of the common objections they might encounter. A quick summary of some the views of Communion brought up in the article: Bread and wine become Christ’s Body and Blood in substance, although in appearance they are bread and wine (transubstantiation in Catholicism), the bread and the wine are mere symbols of Christ’s body and blood (memorial in many branches of Protestantism), and Christ’s body and blood are “in, with and under” the elements (the biblical and Lutheran confession).

Those elements remain bread and wine but Christ’s Body and Blood are sacramentally present.

1. Let’s see where Christ instituted His Supper by reading Luke 22:14-23.

Note that Christ’s language is simple and straightforward. You can mention that Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 are the parallel passages that tell us the same thing with regard to Jesus instituting His Supper and have them read through these if time permits to see if there are any subtle differences.

2. Now read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. What additional insight does St. Paul give us about the Sacrament of the Altar? Then read verses 27-32.

These are the Words of the institution that we hear whenever we have the Lord’s Supper at our Divine Service. We proclaim His death until He comes again. The Supper is a gift that is to be taken very seriously…so seriously that some of those who were casual about it (e.g. drunk) in the Corinthian church were dying! What Paul meant was that those who ate and drank as if Jesus' words are not true, still receive the Body and Blood of Christ, but instead of as a gift, it is instead to their judgment.

3. What are the implications of understanding that we truly partake of Christ’s Body and Blood even as we are eating bread and drinking wine?

It is not just a memorial observance, although we are remembering His death for us, “proclaiming His death until He comes again.” He has chosen something tangible to grant us the gifts of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. It is nourishment for our faith. We also believe therefore that Jesus is actually present in this special way, not just “up in heaven” where we can't reach Him. 4. Read question 288 in the Explanation to the Small Catechism under The Sacrament of the Altar (p.

233). How does Luther explain Christ’s wording? Read Hebrews 9:15-22 as the Catechism directs.

This is Christ’s last will and testament, which is binding and is to be taken very seriously. In the Old Testament, when making a covenant, blood needs to be shed. Also, Scripture teaches that we are participating in the Body and Blood of Christ. (refer to 1 Corinthians 10:16).

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5. What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am the door?” Read John 10:1-11. Does this mean He is literally a door?

Yes, He is literally a door! Not of wood or other material, but He is the ONLY way to enter the kingdom heaven. Sometimes Jesus’ “I am” statements will be used as an argument against taking Jesus at His Word. Jesus is saying something more than “I am LIKE a door.” He is saying He IS the door. You can mention other instances, such as “I am the Good Shepherd,” or “I am the vine” and demonstrate that those, too, are not phrases Christ is using to compare Himself to something.

6. Does Jesus speak using similes or metaphors? Consult Matthew 13:31-33; 44-47. List the comparisons you find regarding the kingdom of heaven. Why do you think Jesus uses those comparisons?

Yes, Jesus uses a number of figures of speech when teaching, including metaphors and similes. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, leaven, a treasure hidden in a field, a merchant in search of fine pearls, a net thrown into the sea. They are word pictures to help the hearers grasp what Jesus is trying to teach them. These words pictures are things to which those listening can relate. Jesus frequently speaks like this and is clear when He is using comparison to illustrate His points. When He is instituting His Supper, He does not use such language.

7. How do we reconcile the fact that Jesus had not yet died with Him already giving His disciples His Body and Blood? See how Christ demonstrates He is not limited by time in John 8:56-57.

The disciples received the very gift we receive now during that Last Supper. How can this be? When we read this passage in John, we see another example of how Jesus, as God, is not constrained by the same temporal limitations that we as finite creatures are. The simple fact is, because Jesus is True God and True Man, His Body and Blood can be present wherever He says they are. Unbelief doubts His Word.

8. Read Proverbs 3:5. Are we supposed to abandon human logic in order to be faithful to what the Scriptures teach about the Lord’s Supper? See also Isaiah 55:8.

No, but we are to remember that God’s wisdom is above ours. We can run into trouble if we try to force our logic into understanding a teaching of Christ’s like the Lord’s Supper. Are we able to completely reason our way through the Trinity? The Virgin birth? We accept both of these points of doctrine, acknowledging that there is a degree of mystery. We do likewise with the Sacrament of the Altar (sacrament means mystery).

Closing Sing together, “The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord” (LSB 634, stanzas 4-5).

God’s Word proclaims and we believe That in this Supper we receive His very body, as He said, His very blood for sinners shed. We dare not ask how this can be, But simply hold the mystery And trust this word where life begins: “Given and shed for all your sins.”

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Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Let’s Just TakeA HIGHER JesusTHINGS® at HisBIBLE Word” STUDY 1. Let’s see where Christ instituted His Supper by reading Luke 22:14-23.

2. Now read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. What additional insight does St. Paul give us about the Sacrament of the Altar? Then read verses 27-32.

3. What are the implications of understanding that we truly partake of Christ’s Body and Blood even as we are eating bread and drinking wine?

4. Read question 288 in the Explanation to the Small Catechism under The Sacrament of the Altar (p.

233). How does Luther explain Christ’s wording? Read Hebrews 9:15-22 as the Catechism directs.

5. What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am the door?” Read John 10:1-11. Does this mean He is literally a door?

6. Does Jesus speak using similes or metaphors? Consult Matthew 13:31-33; 44-47. List the comparisons you find regarding the kingdom of heaven. Why do you think Jesus uses those comparisons?

7. How do we reconcile the fact that Jesus had not yet died with Him already giving His disciples His Body and Blood? See how Christ demonstrates He is not limited by time in John 8:56-57.

8. Read Proverbs 3:5. Are we supposed to abandon human logic in order to be faithful to what the Scriptures teach about the Lord’s Supper? See also Isaiah 55:8.

Closing Sing together, “The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord” (LSB 634, stanzas 4-5).

God’s Word proclaims and we believe That in this Supper we receive His very body, as He said, His very blood for sinners shed. We dare not ask how this can be, But simply hold the mystery And trust this word where life begins: “Given and shed for all your sins.”

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Moving On” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction Pastor Borghardt’s article expresses some heartfelt desires for his son on the occasion of his high school graduation. This study takes up the themes of vocation and serving our neighbor that the article draws out.

We are given by the Lord to serve our neighbor, having been set right with God through Jesus Christ. We need not worry about pleasing God: We always do in Jesus! Our energy and efforts are focused on loving our neighbor in the callings God gives to us.

1. Read Ephesians 2:4–10. What was our condition when the Lord saved us? Why did He save us? How do we receive our salvation? For what purpose did the Lord save us? How do these verses lay out the relationship between our standing with God and our responsibility toward our neighbor?

This passage beautifully states that our salvation is a gift from God. Anchored in His mercy, He does not give us what our sins deserve but bestows it upon us a gift received by His grace, through faith which receives that gift. He does this to make us fit laborers in doing good works, which are the loving acts of service we render to other people. In short, with God it is a done deal. We don’t spend time trying to do good works to get in with God, but because our neighbor needs them to be a blessing in his life.

2. What is a “vocation?” How do we get our vocations? List some various vocations that you have.

A vocation is a “calling.” It is something in a relationship with another person or a job that the Lord gives you to do. Some vocations we are given by the Lord: son, daughter, father, mother, sister, brother, hearer of God’s Word (Christian). Others are given to us after study or training such as engineer, soldier, lawyer, nurse, or construction worker. The big deal is not so much which vocations you have as much as that we do our best in whatever callings God gives us. Have students list the various callings they have or think they might have in the future.

3. Read Philippians 4:11–13. What do we make of our successes and failures in the things we do in our life? What gift does Paul rejoice in with these words? What are the “all things” he is speaking about?

Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippians from prison. So he had a pretty good understanding that things don’t always work out the way you want them to. In our callings we often do well and sometimes we fail.

Sometimes our skills don’t match up or we encounter roadblocks and our callings change or go away.

In all things, the Lord is teaching us to find our contentment in Jesus Christ, not in whether we succeeded or failed. This verse is often used like a motivational bumper sticker, but it’s really nothing more than a simple confession that no matter what happens, Paul finds his joy and contentment in Christ, not in worldly successes or failures or in good or bad circumstances.

4. Read 1 John 4:17–21. What does God’s love do for us with respect to our judgment by Him? What does this love work in us for our neighbor? Again, what is the connection between these two: love of God and love of neighbor? How are these connected in our day-to-day lives?

God’s love for us in Christ rescues us from the threat of judgment for our sins. In Jesus, we need not fear God’s judgment because our sins have been forgiven. That works love in us for our neighbor. When we despise our neighbor and hate him and refuse to help him, we show we don’t really love God and our sin is exposed. So the connection in our day to day lives is that we live in God’s grace through His gifts, going to

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church to receive absolution and the forgiveness of sins through the Word and Supper. Then we live out our vocations, loving others and serving them as they need to be, based on what callings we have.

5. What should we do when we fail to carry out our vocations well? See 1 John 1:8–9.

John reminds us that when we sin, we have received forgiveness and that confessing our sins and hearing the absolution is a gift that comforts us against our failures. Point out also that it is the forgiveness of sins by which the Holy Spirit actually works in us to teach us to love our neighbor.

6. Read Ephesians 4:17–24. What daily battle are we fighting? How is this fight resolved? For whom is this fight needed?

Paul here talks about the old man and the new man. This is baptismal language: the “Old Adam” must be daily drowned in contrition (sorrow for sin) and repentance. The new man daily emerges to live in the promises of Holy Baptism, in which our sins are forgiven and we are rescued from death and the devil and given eternal salvation. This daily battle has the purpose of drowning and restraining the Old Adam so that the new man can be about his business. Again, we are already set with God in Christ; it is our neighbor who benefits from our selfish Old Adam being drowned and our new man doing good.

7. Look up the “Table of Duties” in the Catechism (You can find it in Lutheran Service Book, p. 328). Look at the list of callings (It’s not exhaustive but covers them broadly). Which ones apply? What duties are given by God’s Word? How can the Table of Duties help us in our daily life as Christians?

Answers will vary but some will obviously apply to students such as “Children” and “Youth.” Read and discuss some of the Bible passages under the various callings. Show students that these passages are there to help us focus on how we are to love and serve our neighbor in our particular callings and they also remind us what we need to confess when the Old Adam doesn’t want to do these things. The Table of Duties is a very helpful guide to what sorts of things we should be busy doing every day.

Closing Sing together, “How Clear is Our Vocation, Lord,” (LSB 853).

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Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Moving On” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Read Ephesians 2:4–10. What was our condition when the Lord saved us? Why did He save us? How do we receive our salvation? For what purpose did the Lord save us? How do these verses lay out the relationship between our standing with God and our responsibility toward our neighbor?

2. What is a “vocation?” How do we get our vocations? List some various vocations that you have.

3. Read Philippians 4:11–13. What do we make of our successes and failures in the things we do in our life? What gift does Paul rejoice in with these words? What are the “all things” he is speaking about?

4. Read 1 John 4:17–21. What does God’s love do for us with respect to our judgment by Him? What does this love work in us for our neighbor? Again, what is the connection between these two: love of God and love of neighbor? How are these connected in our day-to-day lives?

5. What should we do when we fail to carry out our vocations well? See 1 John 1:8–9.

6. Read Ephesians 4:17–24. What daily battle are we fighting? How is this fight resolved? For whom is this fight needed?

7. Look up the “Table of Duties” in the Catechism (You can find it in Lutheran Service Book, p. 328). Look at the list of callings (It’s not exhaustive but covers them broadly). Which ones apply? What duties are given by God’s Word? How can the Table of Duties help us in our daily life as Christians?

Closing Sing together, “How Clear is Our Vocation, Lord,” (LSB 853).

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

"TheA HIGHER Ultimate Narrative" THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. Read Genesis 1:26–31 and Genesis 5:1–5. What do you notice about how Adam and Eve were made and how Adam's sons were born?

Adam and Eve were created in God's image. They were perfect and sinless. After giving in to the devil's temptation to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they fell into sin and death.

The devil said, "If you eat, you will become like God, knowing good and evil." It was a lie. They were already like God: they were made in His image, that is, perfect and sinless. They already knew good and evil, whatever God had said to do and what He said not to do were good and evil. After the fall, everything changed.

Adam and Eve were changed. Adam's sons were now in his likeness and not God's. Cain had killed Abel, and now to make it clear what' going on, we get, "He fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image,” (Genesis 5:4).

2. How do we view ourselves? Do we think that all of humanity is completely lost to itself in sin and death? What about ourselves? Do we believe what we say in the Divine Service, “I, a poor miserable sinner,” or "We confess that we are, by nature, sinful and unclean"? Or do we think of ourselves as pretty good? Read Ephesians 2:1–3, Romans 1:18–2:4, 21–24.

We think that we're not that bad off…that humanity can be fixed. But everyone is by nature a child of wrath and sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:3). All are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). God's wrath is revealed against all sin (Romans 1). We are without excuse. We condemn others for breaking the Law when we ourselves break it. We show ourselves to be hypocrites. We are lost to ourselves. Our greatest dramatic need is our own sinfulness, and we don't even see it!

3. Read James 2:8–11 and Matthew 5:21–26, 48 (also Matthew 5:27–47 if time allows). What does God want from us when it comes to keeping the Law? What's His standard?

Even if you break only one commandment, you've broken the entire law (James 2). Even if one side of the vase is cracked, the whole vase is broken and ruined. God doesn't only care about the outward action of the Law. He also cares about your inward motivation and your heart. It's not enough to not murder, but you also must not be angry with your neighbor. (Matthew 5:21–26) God wants perfection and only perfection. He says, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." (Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26) 4. Review the story of David and Bathsheba. Reread the story if time allows: 2 Samuel 11:1–27. Then Read 2 Samuel 12:1–12 What did David do? In spite of what he'd done, how did David view himself?

In David's estimation, was there someone else worse off than he was?

David had committed adultery and murder. In spite of doing horrible things, David still portrayed himself as being righteous. To those who didn't know what had happened it would look like David was quite honorable. He took a fallen soldier's wife as his own! But the truth of the matter was sinful at every turn.

It displeased Yahweh. In spite of all this, David was caught by Nathan's preaching. The Law condemned David. He had forgotten that what he was doing was sinful. Nathan preached the Law: "You are the man!"

David could still look down on a sheep thief. Don't we do the same thing? We condemn others for sins we think are worse than the sins we commit. It's just like what Paul said above! (Romans 2:21–24)

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5. Read 2 Samuel 12:13; Romans 3:20, 6:23. What did David deserve for his sin? What do you deserve because of your sin? How should we really view ourselves?

David deserved to die. The penalty for murder and adultery was death. (Leviticus 24:10, 20:10) We, too, deserve to die eternally for our sin. Sin is the reason there is death in the world at all, but it's not just physical death that we deserve because of our sin. As we confess in the Divine Service "we justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment." (Setting 3) Sin really is that bad.

6. Reread 2 Samuel 12:13. Read Psalm 51:16–17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Galatians 3:13–14. How does God view us?

Instead of the death David deserves, Yahweh sends Nathan to forgive David's sins. There was no sacrifice that David could've made. The Lord is faithful to His promises (2 Samuel 7:16). The Lord forgives. Sin really is that bad! God had to come and die for sin. Jesus becomes the curse for us. He becomes David's sins, your sins, my sins. He dies for them and sheds His blood for them on the cross. Redemption is paid for by God's blood. He no longer requires your blood for your sins. His blood, which is more precious than gold or silver, has taken care of everything. Now, because of Christ, God views you as righteous.

7. Read 2 Corinthians 5:16–19 and John 20:21–23. Left to ourselves we're lost, but what are we given in Christ? How do we get it?

When we are baptized into Christ, we are made a new creation. We are continually renewed by the forgiveness of sins spoken by our pastor. As Christians we still need forgiveness of sins. We truly are saints, completely perfect in Christ. That's you in Jesus. But we are still sinners. That's who we are in ourselves.

But Jesus has sent ministers to you, just as he sent Nathan to David, in order to forgive your sins. Through your pastor, "if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins." The Keys of the Kingdom, Holy Absolution, opens heaven and the new creation to you according to Jesus' promise, "If you forgive, they are forgiven."

On the Last Day we'll leave the image we've inherited from Adam behind, and then we will live forever with Christ in "everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives, and reigns to all eternity." (Small Catechism)

Closing “Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon ourselves the armor of light now in the time of this mortal life in which Your Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humility, that in the Last Day, when He shall come again in glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.” (Prayer for the Newness of Life in Christ; Lutheran Service Book, p. 198)

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"TheA HIGHER Ultimate Narrative" THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Read Genesis 1:26–31 and Genesis 5:1–5. What do you notice about how Adam and Eve were made and how Adam's sons were born?

2. How do we view ourselves? Do we think that all of humanity is completely lost to itself in sin and death? What about ourselves? Do we believe what we say in the Divine Service, “I, a poor miserable sinner,” or "We confess that we are, by nature, sinful and unclean"? Or do we think of ourselves as pretty good? Read Ephesians 2:1–3, Romans 1:18–2:4, 21–24.

3. Read James 2:8–11 and Matthew 5:21–26, 48 (also Matthew 5:27–47 if time allows). What does God want from us when it comes to keeping the Law? What's His standard?

4. Review the story of David and Bathsheba. Reread the story if time allows: 2 Samuel 11:1–27. Then Read 2 Samuel 12:1–12 What did David do? In spite of what he'd done, how did David view himself?

In David's estimation, was there someone else worse off than he was?

5. Read 2 Samuel 12:13; Romans 3:20, 6:23. What did David deserve for his sin? What do you deserve because of your sin? How should we really view ourselves?

6. Reread 2 Samuel 12:13. Read Psalm 51:16–17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Galatians 3:13–14. How does God view us?

7. Read 2 Corinthians 5:16–19 and John 20:21–23. Left to ourselves we're lost, but what are we given in Christ? How do we get it?

Closing “Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon ourselves the armor of light now in the time of this mortal life in which Your Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humility, that in the Last Day, when He shall come again in glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.” (Prayer for the Newness of Life in Christ; Lutheran Service Book, p. 198) © 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“The ResurrectionA Takes Center Stage” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a miracle beyond any other miracle. It is the only one that is able to be investigated and proven historically. Every one of Jesus’s claims and the Bible’s claims rests on this one: Christ is risen. As St. Paul writes (quoted by Rev. Pierson), “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). This Bible study will examine the resurrection accounts from the four Gospels, followed by Paul’s case for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. Finally, the youth will be invited to evaluate the evidence for Christ’s resurrection.

1. Read the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21. Who witnessed the resurrection? Where did Jesus appear? What did He do or say at each appearance?

If there are enough youth to split into four groups, assign one Gospel to each group to read. It may be helpful to make a chart on a whiteboard or blank piece of paper with a column for each Gospel, and a row for Who? Where? What? Some Gospels will have more or less information per question. (NOTE: depending on what Bible you are using, Mark 16 may have brackets and footnotes after verse 8 saying that some manuscripts do not contain those verses. For the purposes of our Bible study, please include them. If the youth inquire further, simply say that some early manuscripts omit these verse, but others include them.

They are not inconsistent with the rest of Scripture, and are even included in our Small Catechism!)

2. There are a number of differences in each Gospel’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. Does this make the Bible less trustworthy? (Hint: think of how you and your best friend would tell the story the last day at a Higher Things conference, and how you and your best friend would tell a lie to cover up something you shouldn’t be doing.)

Each Gospel presents the story of Jesus’ resurrection with slightly different details. This does not make the accounts less trustworthy; on the contrary, it makes them more trustworthy. When several people tell the same story, they will always tell it slightly differently—emphasizing certain details or leaving others out completely. Yet the basic narrative remains the same. When a group of people try to cover something up with a lie, they have to get their facts straight with each other, and their stories all share very similar details. Yet they don’t ring true. There is a reason that the Holy Spirit chose four distinct evangelists to record the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s like looking at different facets of the same gem.

3. Which details are the same in each account? Could these have been fabricated by the disciples to support their claims of Jesus’ resurrection?

The youth may find several details that are consistent across the four accounts. But the one that matters most is that the tomb of Jesus is empty in each Gospel. This is the crucial piece of evidence. This could not have been fabricated, because it was recognized by both Jesus’ followers (who initially didn’t believe it) and His enemies as well. In Matthew’s account, the Roman guards admit that the tomb is empty, and they are told to lie.

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4. If we take the position of the opponents of the resurrection—that Jesus did not rise from the dead— then there are only two possible solutions to this claim that Jesus’ tomb is empty. What are the two possibilities raised by Rev. Pierson in his article, and how are each refuted?

If Jesus is not risen, then 1) Jesus body remained in a tomb; or 2) Jesus’ body was removed. Option 1 would mean that the witnesses at the tomb were wrong about which tomb it was. But most of the witnesses of the empty tomb were also witnesses of Jesus’ burial. They would not have forgotten in the space of a day where the tomb was. With option 2 we have three groups of people who would be interested in removing Jesus’ body: the Jews, the Romans, and the Christians. Both the Jews and the Romans wanted to put an end to the Christian movement, and if they had taken Jesus’ body they simply would have produced it and ended the preaching of the resurrection. If the Christians removed it (which Matthew’s Gospel reports as a lie of the Chief Priest) then they were willing to die for a known lie. This is also impossible because of the number of people who witnessed Jesus alive and were willing to die for it.

5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. How many individual witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection were there?

Could it be possible that the disciples were imagining or hallucinating Jesus’ resurrection?

Paul reports several resurrection appearances, including over 500 individual witnesses of the resurrection at the same time! It is easier to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead than to believe that so many people over a period of time continued to have the exact same hallucination.

6. Who was the last witness? Is this significant? See Acts 7:54-8:3 and 9:1-19.

Paul lists himself as the last of the witnesses of the resurrection—“one untimely born.” He considers himself least of the Apostles, and least worthy to be called one, because he persecuted the Church. It wasn’t just that he said bad things on first-century social media, it’s that he was a murderer of Christians.

His reversal from enemy to missionary can only be explained by the fact that He witnessed Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. He saw the holes in His hands and the scar on His side. He heard His voice. The witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus stretch the entire spectrum of people—friends and enemies, women and men, different ethnicities, different classes.

7. Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 15, beginning at verse 12. How, then, is the resurrection of Jesus the lynchpin of the Christian faith?

Everything in the Christian faith is held together by the historical event of Jesus’ resurrection. If Christ is not raised, then everything else proclaimed by everyone in the name of God is suspect. You can’t believe it simply because someone says it comes from God. Our faith rests on the fact that the person who first said it is, Himself, risen from the dead. If there is anyone you can trust, it’s a Man who says that He will die and then rise from the dead—and actually does it.

8. Finally, read Romans 4:13-25. How does this lynchpin of the Christian faith relate to the chief teaching of the Christian faith?

The resurrection of Christ was for our justification. Christ’s resurrection is so that we would believe that,

by His death, our sins are forgiven. They are no longer counted against us; they are left buried in His tomb.

Christ is risen, and so our faith has something to rest upon.

Closing “O God, for our redemption You gave Your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity forever; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.” (Collect for The Resurrection of Our Lord – Easter Day)

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Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“The ResurrectionA Takes Center Stage” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Read the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21. Who witnessed the resurrection? Where did Jesus appear? What did He do or say at each appearance?

2. There are a number of differences in each Gospel’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. Does this make the Bible less trustworthy? (Hint: think of how you and your best friend would tell the story the last day at a Higher Things conference, and how you and your best friend would tell a lie to cover up something you shouldn’t be doing.)

3. Which details are the same in each account? Could these have been fabricated by the disciples to support their claims of Jesus’ resurrection?

4. If we take the position of the opponents of the resurrection—that Jesus did not rise from the dead— then there are only two possible solutions to this claim that Jesus’ tomb is empty. What are the two possibilities raised by Rev. Pierson in his article, and how are each refuted?

5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. How many individual witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection were there?

Could it be possible that the disciples were imagining or hallucinating Jesus’ resurrection?

6. Who was the last witness? Is this significant? See Acts 7:54-8:3 and 9:1-19.

7. Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 15, beginning at verse 12. How, then, is the resurrection of Jesus the lynchpin of the Christian faith?

8. Finally, read Romans 4:13-25. How does this lynchpin of the Christian faith relate to the chief teaching of the Christian faith?

Closing “O God, for our redemption You gave Your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity forever; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.” (Collect for The Resurrection of Our Lord – Easter Day) © 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction This Bible study will explore some of the pregnancies in the Bible, both planned and unplanned. The world views children only along this binary line—as either commodities that you plan for, or as accidents to be avoided. The goal of this study is for the youth to arrive at seeing children as gifts from God, and sometimes those gifts come in unexpected and messy ways. But with God there is forgiveness, and He has promised that all things work for good for the sake of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Note that this Bible study deals with some (at least) PG-13 stories. If youth express their surprise that the Bible talks about sexual sins in such frank and explicit ways, remind them that it also deals with parental disobedience, murder, theft, false testimony, and covetousness in frank and explicit ways, but more importantly, that the Bible is, above all, the story of God’s salvation for real sinners.

1. This article deals with “unplanned parenthood” and the guilt and accusations that come with it.

But that doesn't mean that “planned parenthood” is necessarily righteous. Read the stories of Lot and his daughters in Genesis 19:30-38; of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16:1-16; and of Tamar in Genesis 38. In each of these wickedly planned parenthoods, how did the participants go about producing offspring?

Lust and the weakness of the flesh often drives sexual sins. But in these cases, the underlying sin is a false trust and a false hope. The Lot’s daughters wanted to preserve their family lines and got their father drunk to lay with him. Sarai told Abram to use a female servant as a surrogate mother because she was unable to have children. Tamar tricked her father-in-law, Judah, into producing a son by pretending to be a prostitute. These make most unplanned pregnancies look mild in comparison. In each of these cases the women (and in some cases the men) thought that they were the ones who planned for parenthood.

2. The Bible also contains stories of “unplanned parenthood” as well. Read God’s response to Sarah’s planning in Genesis 17:15-21 and 21:1-7. Also read the story of Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25, 57-66.

What do these unlikely stories tell us about planning for parenthood?

Both Sarah (her name was changed along with God’s promise of a son) and Elizabeth were unable to have children. They had given up hope of having children. Yet God provided them most unexpectedly. Sarah even laughed! Sarah, in particular, shows the contrast between thinking of children as if they were commodities that we can produce from our own wills, rather than as gifts received from God. 3. How does St. Paul contrast the two children of Abraham—Ishmael, born of Hagar, and Isaac, born of Sarah—in Galatians 4:21-31?

Hagar was a slave, and the child born to her was a child according to the flesh. That birth represents Mount Sinai and the Law. Isaac, born of Abrahams’ free wife, Sarah, was a child born of a promise. He represents the New Jerusalem and the Gospel. A child of the Law is one obtained by our own works. A child of the promise is received as a gift from God, just as the promise of the Gospel is received as a gift by faith.

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

4. Read about Hannah’s plan for parenthood in 1 Samuel 1, then read about Mary’s surprise pregnancy in Luke 1:26-38. What do Hannah and Mary share in common with their reaction to the news of their pregnancies? See especially Luke 1:38.

Both women not only received their children with joy and thanksgiving, but also in faith. Mary’s simple confession: “Let it be to me according to your word,” is a beautiful confession of faith that children are received as a gift of God, and in particular, this Child would be the Son of God. 5. Mary was a single woman at the time of her pregnancy, although she was betrothed to Joseph.

Betrothal is a stronger relationship than engagement; they were legally committed to marriage. Read about how Joseph reacts to the news of Mary’s unplanned pregnancy in Matthew 1:18-25. How does Joseph model for us how to care for a woman with an unplanned pregnancy?

Joseph, being a just man, does not wish to shame his betrothed. Before God tells him to take Mary as his wife, he believes that Mary has become pregnant because of adultery. But as the Eighth Commandment instructs us, he wished to preserve Mary’s reputation and refused to publicize her supposed sin. After God revealed the true nature of Mary’s miraculous pregnancy, Joseph took Mary as his wife and helped raise Jesus as His guardian.

6. While Mary’s unplanned pregnancy was holy and she was righteous on account of her faith, many unplanned pregnancies are the result of sin. Where can a woman turn if she is faced with unplanned parenthood? See Psalm 68:4-6; Psalm 130:3-4.

God is not only the God of traditional families, but also broken ones. He does not forsake the fatherless or the widow. If God held our sins against us, even the sins of fornication and adultery, no one could stand!

But with Him there is forgiveness. This is the hope to which a woman can turn when faced with unplanned parenthood, as well as the men who are participants in the same sin.

7. Forgiveness does not erase sins in the past; forgiveness means that your sins are not held against you. Even after hearing the Good News, a woman with an unplanned pregnancy can still face a frightening future. What are some ways a forgiven and sanctified woman can care for her child? See Genesis 2:1-10; 2 Timothy 1:5. How is this reflective of God’s love for us, according to Romans 8:12-17?

Moses was given up for adoption as an infant to protect him from Pharaoh’s persecution (although stress to the youth that floating a baby down the river is a bad idea—there are adoption agencies for that!).

Only Timothy’s mother and grandmother are spoken of by St. Paul. Whether his father was dead, had abandoned them, or simply was not a believer, it is clear that Lois and Eunice were responsible for raising Timothy in the faith in the absence of Timothy’s father. And in faith, we are welcomed into God’s family.

We receive a spiritual adoption and are invited to call God, “Our Father.”

8. Finally, how might God use less than righteous pregnancies? Read the Genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 and note the women who are listed. See also Romans 8:18-30.

Both Sarah and Tamar end up in Jesus’ lineage, along with Rahab (a prostitute) and Bathsheba (an adulterer). God used each of these women in spite of their sins to bring about His promise—the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is an example of how God causes all things to work together for the good of those whom He has called, who have received adoption as sons, and who love Him as their heavenly Father. He brings good out of all of our sinful messiness, even unplanned parenthood.

Closing “Our Father, by Whose Name,” LSB #863 and the collect for “Care of Children” on pg. 315 in the Lutheran Service Book. © 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

“Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. This article deals with “unplanned parenthood” and the guilt and accusations that come with it.

But that doesn't mean that “planned parenthood” is necessarily righteous. Read the stories of Lot and his daughters in Genesis 19:30-38; of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16:1-16; and of Tamar in Genesis 38. In each of these wickedly planned parenthoods, how did the participants go about producing offspring?

2. The Bible also contains stories of “unplanned parenthood” as well. Read God’s response to Sarah’s planning in Genesis 17:15-21 and 21:1-7. Also read the story of Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25, 57-66.

What do these unlikely stories tell us about planning for parenthood?

3. How does St. Paul contrast the two children of Abraham—Ishmael, born of Hagar, and Isaac, born of Sarah—in Galatians 4:21-31?

4. Read about Hannah’s plan for parenthood in 1 Samuel 1, then read about Mary’s surprise pregnancy in Luke 1:26-38. What do Hannah and Mary share in common with their reaction to the news of their pregnancies? See especially Luke 1:38.

5. Mary was a single woman at the time of her pregnancy, although she was betrothed to Joseph.

Betrothal is a stronger relationship than engagement; they were legally committed to marriage. Read about how Joseph reacts to the news of Mary’s unplanned pregnancy in Matthew 1:18-25. How does Joseph model for us how to care for a woman with an unplanned pregnancy?

6. While Mary’s unplanned pregnancy was holy and she was righteous on account of her faith, many unplanned pregnancies are the result of sin. Where can a woman turn if she is faced with unplanned parenthood? See Psalm 68:4-6; Psalm 130:3-4.

7. Forgiveness does not erase sins in the past; forgiveness means that your sins are not held against you. Even after hearing the Good News, a woman with an unplanned pregnancy can still face a frightening future. What are some ways a forgiven and sanctified woman can care for her child? See Genesis 2:1-10; 2 Timothy 1:5. How is this reflective of God’s love for us, according to Romans 8:12-17?

8. Finally, how might God use less than righteous pregnancies? Read the Genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 and note the women who are listed. See also Romans 8:18-30.

Closing “Our Father, by Whose Name,” LSB #863 and the collect for “Care of Children” on pg. 315 in the Lutheran Service Book. © 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

"You Are Not of This World" A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide

Leaders’ Introduction This study follows up on Pastor Brown's article by continuing to point us to Christ who is with us to forgive us in the midst of change, drama, and disappointment. You will want to ask the youth if there were times in life when they’ve experienced drama, disappointment, and unexpected changes of their plans? Answers may vary. You may have to give some examples to help get the kids started.

1. Read Matthew 6:25–34 and then James 4:13–17. When we plan for the future, how should we do it? Should we make plans for the future? Why? Why not? If we do make plans or have hopes for the future, who should benefit from them? See Romans 15:24.

We shouldn't worry about the future. We should entrust our days and burdens to God's care. We're not God, the Lord guides us in the way to eternal life. He will care for us. We can make plans for the future, knowing that God is the one who brings the blessings to us. Our plans shouldn't be for ourselves only. We should make plans so that we can continue to love and serve our neighbor, just as Paul wanted to love and serve those who lived in Rome and made plans for his journey there.

2. Reread Ephesians 3:20–21. What does it mean that God can "do far more abundantly than we can ask or think"? Does it mean God can give us our wildest dreams? Is this verse really comforting when life isn't going as planned? Read Romans 8:28–39.

God doesn't promise to give us our wildest hopes and dreams. He can do all things and, because of Jesus, all will work out for our good. We can receive all things as gift. Your Heavenly Father has promised to save you and that nothing can keep you from Him. He's predestined you to eternal life in Jesus. He's predetermined what will make you more Christ-like. To be Christ-like is to die and rise. The struggles of this life make you die to yourself and move you to greater faith in God and in fervent love toward your neighbor. This is nothing else than making more manifest what God did for you in the waters of Holy Baptism. There at the font you were crucified and raised with Christ.

3. What sort of promises does God make about being with you? Does that change? Read Matthew 28:18–20 and James 1:16–18.

Jesus promises to be with you even to the end of the age. Even when the world ends, Jesus is with you. God doesn't lie, He doesn't deceive you, and He certainly won't tempt you! God doesn't change. He's true to His promises to be with you—not just when things are going well, but especially when things are all messed up. He's there in disappointment. He's there when all your plans come crashing down.

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

4. Now, where can you find God for you in the midst of various changes and chances of life? Reread Matthew 28:18–20, Galatians 3:27 and 1 Timothy 4:11–16.

Look at what He says in Matthew 28! He's made you and kept you as His disciple through baptism and in His Word. He's with you in and through baptism. Now you're clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27). You can't escape that! His promise is sure and certain. He's with you in the Word, in the teaching. (1 Timothy 4:11– 16) Jesus sends you a pastor to remind you of Christ's goodness, to save you through preaching, to deliver Jesus' Body and Blood to you. When everything around changes, that doesn't change. Jesus is true to His promises. They're cross won and empty tomb assured even as He delivers those things to you in water, Word, and Body and Blood.

5. Now, if you all your plans work out, how should you react? (Read Psalm 62:9–10) If all things come crashing down around you, what then? (Read Luke 13:1–5 and Psalm 147:10–11.)

When things go well, we should trust in the Lord. When things go badly, horribly, we should trust in the Lord. He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) He's saved you in Christ. We shouldn't trust in riches, even if they increase (Psalm 62:9–10). When things go badly in this life, it doesn't mean that God doesn't love you. His love is "steadfast." It's immovable in Christ. It's as sure and certain as Jesus' resurrection.

6. Even in the struggles of this life, what's our hope? Read Philippians 1:21–24 and Revelation 21:1–4.

You are in Christ: clothed with Him and fed with His Body and Blood. No matter what happens in this life (whether it's easy or hard, whether it's good or bad, whether you live or you die) eternal life with Christ is yours. His death and resurrection won this for you. While in this life, you continue to love and serve your neighbor until you die and are with Him, and when you're with Him forever, there'll be no more "death or mourning or crying or pain," there will be no more struggle, disappointment, and sadness for all that stuff will "pass away" forever.

Closing Sing together, “Entrust Your Days and Burdens” (LSB 754) and then pray: “O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.” (Collect for Easter 5)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016

"You Are Not of This World" A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Read Matthew 6:25–34 and then James 4:13–17. When we plan for the future, how should we do it? Should we make plans for the future? Why? Why not? If we do make plans or have hopes for the future, who should benefit from them? See Romans 15:24.

2. Reread Ephesians 3:20–21. What does it mean that God can "do far more abundantly than we can ask or think"? Does it mean God can give us our wildest dreams? Is this verse really comforting when life isn't going as planned? Read Romans 8:28–39.

3. What sort of promises does God make about being with you? Does that change? Read Matthew 28:18–20 and James 1:16–18.

4. Now, where can you find God for you in the midst of various changes and chances of life? Reread Matthew 28:18–20, Galatians 3:27 and 1 Timothy 4:11–16.

5. Now, if you all your plans work out, how should you react? (Read Psalm 62:9–10) If all things come crashing down around you, what then? (Read Luke 13:1–5 and Psalm 147:10–11.)

6. Even in the struggles of this life, what's our hope? Read Philippians 1:21–24 and Revelation 21:1–4.

Closing Sing together, “Entrust Your Days and Burdens” (LSB 754) and then pray: “O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.” (Collect for Easter 5)

© 2016 Higher Things, Inc.

Magazine Bible Studies - Summer 2016