Wednesday, April 1st 2026
Of Holy Week
• Isaiah 50:4-9
• Psalms 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 & 33-34
• Matthew 26:14-25 Christians, what is this betrayal of Christ Jesus: is it Judas looking to pick up some money so he can go out and have a party weekend; is it Judas simply being Judas -- the devil that Christ Jesus identified him as; is it Judas being down right despicable; is it Judas, a man which was said about him: woe to the person who betrays the Son of man, it would have been better for him, if he had never been born. Is it the kind of person who puts money before human life; is it the kind of person who was tagging along with the Apostles because he had nothing better to do? Still, Christians, what about his office of Apostleship, his bishopric that was desolate, which became uninhabited because of Judas’s self-destruction. Moreover, what about the two prophecies from the psalms: let his habitation be desolate and then: let another take his office. As well, do we not read that although Matthias was elected by the Apostles as Judas’s replacement – this was the earthly office being filled; whereas, the heavenly office, where the twelve Apostles sit in judgment of humankind -- this office was vacant still. Yet, it is suggested, by what we have read, that it is filled by the Apostle Paul. One step further, we still do not know, with any thing other than surmise -- what actually will become of Judas and his office of Apostleship, his bishop-rick. Now Christians, when we read about Judas and his betrayal of the Lord Christ Jesus we are filled with emotion. Still, Christians, this is the exact place to learn and to remember that we do not live by the flesh and its emotions, but we live by the spirit and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul testifies: if we walk by the spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Moreover, Christians, this is a sharp place to contrast and understand that it is not only the lust of sexual immoralities that our sin and sinfulness, to wit: pride, arrogance, bearing false witness, idolatry, blasphemies – these are all lust of the flesh, but in different occasions of sin. Again, the fruits of the spirit are: charity-love, joy, faith, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, and self-control. Christians, notice in this list of the fruits of the spirit there is no permission for idolatry nor adultery nor fornication nor homosexuality nor the mutilation of people – children or otherwise nor murder, which includes abortion nor stealing: in short there are no sinful activities that are acceptable in the fruits of the spirit. Now Christians, this brings us to make a clear distinction: the difference between things that are against the law, but are not sinful and the things that are against the law and are sinful. To understand: circumcision or not being circumcised: there is no sinfulness in either of these, but it was against the covenant, God made with Abraham; to eat certain things was against the covenant law, that God made with the Israelites, but Christ Jesus has fulfilled these things with his coming and so, put an end to these covenant laws. However, adultery is not only against the Law of Moses, but it is also sinful and therefore, now, if we commit adultery -- in no way will we enter into the kingdom of heaven; unless, we make a complete and sincere repentance, which is turning away from adultery and going and sinning no more. Same too with homosexuality; it is against the Law of Moses; and it is sinful and those who practice it -- will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven; unless, they make a complete and sincere repentance that being turning away from homosexuality and going and sinning no more. Therefore Christians, we clearly see the distinction: of how the things that were sinful before Christ Jesus are still sinful in Christ Jesus, but that some things that were against the covenant law: such as, circumcision and eating certain foods or eating with certain people that this covenant law was brought to fulfillment and now, in the kingdom of light that we were translated too in Christ Jesus these things of that covenant were fulfilled; moreover, so too were putting to death people for adultery and the likes: for we do not have God's authority to kill a person for committing sin. For these sinful things will all be rewarded rightly, when Christ Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead. Still even in this, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that we are not to sit down to eat with those who are choosing to believe that we do not have to repent of our sinful deeds; moreover, nor are we to be among those who choose to advocate that we do not have to believe in the gospel nor repent of our sin and sinfulness. Irrevocably, Christians, we now see that when the Apostle Paul is talking about our great liberty, he is not testifying of freedom to sin but that he is addressing the fact, that being circumcised or not circumcised makes no difference. For such things as circumcision and dietary restrictions were fulfilled by Christ Jesus’s New Testament covenant with humankind. Still, Christ Jesus’s New Testament covenant, with humankind, does not give place or permission to sin or for sinfulness. Moreover, if we do sin, then we must repent of that sin or we will perish. Clearly, when the Apostle Paul testifies that all things are lawful to him, it is because he walks in the spirit and not the flesh. The Apostle Paul is not saying that the flesh and its sin will make things perfect: the law did not bring anything into perfection or again, having begun in the Spirit, are we now made perfect by the flesh? Truly, when the Apostle Paul is talking about things that are not beneficial, he is talking about: blasphemy, adultery, murder, certain foods, certain behaviors, fornication, idolatry, homosexuality, all of the things that will keep us from entering the kingdom of heaven are not beneficial for us. Again, the Apostle Paul is testifying: if we walk in the Spirit then we are not to fulfill the lust of our flesh, but are to overcome these lusts by calling upon the Holy Spirit to take away our desires that lead to sin. In a metaphor we may see: if we have a glass and it is filled with desires, desires that will lead to sin, but if we call upon the Lord Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, our comforter: these desires are taken away, and the glass is filled with the Holy Spirit instead of the desire. Moreover, Christians, this is always the case that is, if we choose Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Now Christians, one meditation about Jeremiah, the prophet of God the Heavenly Father; for clearly, Isaiah ushers in Jeremiah. Still, both of these Prophets of God the Heavenly Father loved God first, but they also love the people of Israel too. Jeremiah goes as far as to say: that he cursed the day he was born for having to bring the truth unto the people: Jeremiah tried to not testify of God's word, but it burned within side of him and he had to testify the words God gave him to witness. Yes, also in this we see that Jeremiah loved his brothers and sisters, the Israelites, but that they hated Jeremiah for testifying God's truth: the truth that God, the Heavenly Father had witnessed from the beginning and especially from the time that he brought the Israelites out of Egypt. We also clearly see that the Apostle Paul loved his brothers and sisters, but that he too was obligated to testify to the Gospel of the Lord Christ Jesus. Moreover, the Lord Christ Jesus did not hate the Pharisees nor the elders nor the Sadducees, he was aware that they were desolate: that they had exchanged the glory of God for their doctrine. In other words, they did not testify of the Gospel of spirit and life; rather, they were imbued -- they were filled with the doctrine of the institution of men -- and since the sheep only recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ was not known to them. Now, Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be thankful. Amen.