Dear Christian friends:

This morning I preach the gospel of Jesus to you again. Every Sunday many pastors in many Christian churches all over the world preach the gospel. Some ministers preach the gospel on T.V. and radio to millions of people. What do you think about preaching? How do you feel about my preaching the gospel here every Sunday? Are you excited about that? Do you eagerly come to hear the gospel preaching or do you come because it is Sunday and your habit?

I think that often we are not really excited about the gospel preaching. I must confess that also I sometimes am not very eager and excited to preach the gospel. Sometimes I see people fall asleep while I am preaching. I don't know if it is my fault or that person's fault. Maybe sometimes I do not preach the gospel clearly and as well as I should. Maybe sometimes people do not try hard enough to understand the preaching and become bored. Regardless, I'm sure that you will agree with me that we all need to become more excited and eager about the gospel preaching.

In our text St. Paul shows us how wonderful the gospel preaching really is. That should help us to become more excited and eager about it. St. Paul shows:

It is a preaching that lets us see Jesus’ glory.

What is Jesus' real glory? In the Gospel Lesson for this Sunday we read how Jesus took the three disciples, Peter, James and John up to a high mountain to be alone with them. Then Jesus changed before their eyes and His clothes became shining white. Whiter than anyone could wash them. (Mark 9:2-3) The three disciples on the mountain saw Jesus in His glory. Moses and Elijah also appeared to them and they talked about Jesus' suffering and death on the cross that will happen. (Luke 9:30-31) So part of Jesus' glory is that He loves sinners and volunteered to die for sinners, that all sinners can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. Also the three disciples heard a voice speak from the cloud that covered the place. It was the voice of God the Father who said, "This is My Son that I love. Listen to Him." (verse 7) Jesus also has great glory because He is the eternal Son of God. Jesus' glory is this, therefore, that He, the eternal Son of God, became a true Man, so that He could fulfill God's eternal plan to save the world from sin and hell.

When Christian preachers today preach that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son of God who became Man to die for sinners they proclaim Jesus' real glory. If a preacher does not preach about Jesus' wonderful person and saving work, and preaches other things as some do, he is a false preacher and does not show Jesus' true glory.

Many people today fail to see Jesus' glory, same as the Jews during St. Paul's time. In our text St. Paul says, "The Jews have their minds closed, and still today their minds are covered when they read the Old Testament." (verses 14-15) The Jew's minds are closed. They do not see Jesus' real glory that He is the promised Savior. They are blinded by the law of Moses. They think righteousness and salvation comes by the Ten Commandments and obeying other Jewish laws and rules. When you go to a Jewish temple you will not see Jesus' picture or Jesus' cross; you will see the two tablets with the Ten Commandments. Many other people, non-Jewish people, today, are the same as the Jews because they hope to become right before God by the Ten Commandments or by their own church laws and rules. They do not see the need for Jesus' death and resurrection. They do not appreciate gospel preaching, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Do you?

When the Holy Spirit leads someone to believe in Jesus and accept Jesus for his Savior, then he sees Jesus' glory and appreciates the gospel preaching. In our text St. Paul says, "If a person believes in Christ, the covering is taken away." (verses 14-16) In Jesus the spiritual blindness is removed.

Preaching the gospel lets us see Jesus' glory and it also makes us become glorious.

We who believe in Jesus receive His glory. Jesus' grace changes us to become good and holy people like Jesus. We are no more like the unbelievers. Jesus now lives in our hearts and leads us to love God and our neighbor more and more. (Galatians 2:20) In our text St. Paul says, "Then all of us show the glory of the Lord on our faces, and we are changed to become like Him." (verse 18)

Jesus changes us through the Gospel ministry - the gospel in Baptism, Holy Communion, Absolution and the Word. True, we are not perfect in holy living as long as we live here on earth, but we can improve and become more and more like Jesus as we attend to the Word and Sacraments. Then when we die we will be fully changed and glorious like Jesus. We wait for that day when we shall be changed fully, holy and glorious.

Preaching is wonderful because it makes us glorious. It also gives all praise and glory to Jesus.

Often those who preach are proud and seek their own praise in preaching. They love to show off their speaking skills and wisdom. They love to hear people praise their sermons and to be called, "Reverend." It is not good when a man seeks his own glory in preaching. Then he does not really preach Jesus, but he preaches false things that people want to hear, things that satisfy their pride and sinful nature.

In our text St. Paul says that God gave him the preaching work because of His mercy. (verse 4:1) Paul realized that he was not worthy to be a preacher because he was a sinner. Therefore Paul was always a humble preacher and gave all praise and glory to Jesus when he had success in his work. So, should every true preacher know that he is not worthy to be a preacher. He can preach only because God has in mercy called him to believe in Jesus, and has forgiven his sins and called him to preach. When God blesses his preaching and gives success he should not boast, but humbly praise Jesus.

Therefore success in preaching does not depend on the preacher's skill, but only on God's mercy and power. This is great encouragement to a true pastor. Also the members of the congregation should remember this too. They should not want to have a skillful, proud pastor who preaches lies, but rather a humble pastor who preaches the truth of God's Word and is not afraid to show the people their sins and wrongs and call them to repent. In our text Paul says that a true pastor does not preach lies and does not use God's Word falsely. (verse 4:2) He shows the people that they are sinners and need God's mercy in Jesus. He gives all glory and praise to Jesus by his preaching.

Really, we should be excited about the gospel preaching because it is a wonderful ministry. We should gladly hear it for our own salvation and gladly support it here at home and in world missions. It is a glorious ministry because it shows Jesus' glory, it makes us glorious and it gives all glory to Jesus.

Amen.